Beautifully Invisible #Wattys2019

Chapter 3

As if I'm paralyzed in place, I stand there unable to move an inch as the prince's blue button up shirt clouds my vision. His fingertips graze my shoulder, which sends shivers up my spine. 

"Miss, I am so sorry! I had no idea you'd be in here!" 

I stay still, not knowing what to do with myself. All my life I've been told to stay away from him, to act invisible. At times, I feel like I really am invisible. Like, nobody sees me.

"Are you okay?" He says in his silky voice, lowering his head to make sure I'm functioning like a normal human being. 

This is the very first time I'm seeing his face. His strong green eyes he's inherited from his mother. His long blonde hair that reaches to the middle of his neck, which looks like the softest thing I've ever seen. I get this strange feeling in my gut, but I quickly push it back. I have more drastic things to worry about.

Lamely nodding in response, I notice him intently looking into my eyes, which kind of freaks me out as I shyly turn my head. We awkwardly stay this way for a moment before he let's me pass by. 

I speed walk over to my shawl, swiftly putting it on. I turn to exit the door before hearing him say, "You don't have to leave! I just came in to rest my mind for a bit. I don't want to disturb you. I know how my mother can get if she sees that you haven't finished." 

Does Prince Fredrick know about his mother's abuse? 

"Go ahead, I won't be in your way." 

I take his once in a life time offer and keep cleaning while he lays on his bed.

I dust his dresser as I feel his eyes burning holes in the back of my head. Why would he just let me invade his personal space like that? And why in the world is he staring at me? I hear him clear his throat, which makes me jump like I just saw a ghost. 

"What's your name, miss?" 

I physically stop at his question. 

"My mother always calls you maid, but I'm pretty sure that's not what it is." He chuckles. 

He noticed? 

I'm not allowed to speak to him, but he's asking me a question. I'm considering pinching myself to make sure this isn't a dream.

"Lily." I say this as though it was covered in soap, and it slipped right out of my mouth. Oh no, I'm going to for sure die today!

"Lily? That's such a gorgeous name!" He says enthusiastically. 

It is? 

I continue to clean, pretending to not have a nervous breakdown. 

"I'm pretty sure you already know my name," He chuckles, again. 

Is he... nervous? 

I smile at his statement, letting the slightest of laughs out. 

"How long have you worked here? I feel like you've been here since I can remember!" 

That's because I have. 

I always thought I was non-existent in his eyes. I shrug in response, my back still facing him as I dust roughly. This happens whenever I get stressed out, otherwise known as 'stress cleaning'.

I finish cleaning in silence... until I get to the part I've been dreading the most. His bed. I have to clean his sheets today. I eventually work up enough courage to say,

"Um, excuse me, sir?" 

I'm as quiet as a mouse but he seems to hear me as he quickly gets up.

"Oh, I'm sorry to be in your way!"

"It's fine," I say politely.

"Here, let me help you," 

Wait, what?!

"Oh, it's fine! I'm used to it. It's my job after all." I reassure him, chuckling nervously.

"I know, but I want to. It's not fair that you're always by yourself." He then quickly restates his sentence, "I mean, I always see you alone whenever I stumble across you." He says this as he rips the white sheets off of the soft bed. 

I'm sorry, what? I can't really argue with him, I'm not even allowed to speak to him. Let alone, argue. I allow him to help as we both take the sheets off. As he's grabbing them to bring outside, I suddenly have a crazy panic attack.

"NO!" I almost scream, resulting in him staring at me like I'm a crazy person. "I mean, you shouldn't help me any further. If your mother finds out we're even in the same room, she'll have my head, so there's no telling what she would do if she saw you helping me." 

He frowns slightly, then gives an eye roll at the mention of his mother. That's the longest sentence I've ever said to him! I think that deserves a pat on the back, if I do say so myself.

"Thank you Prince Fredrick for helping me thus far," 

I really hope he heard the sincerity in my voice. Other than Vicky, I've never had anyone help me with chores before, due to queen forbidding any help for me. His frown turns into a soft smile. He gives me the sheets and whispers,

"Thank you for making sure my room doesn't look like pigsty." 

He then gives me a small wink. 

He WINKED at me. Without saying another word, I rush out of the room, almost tripping over the dragging sheets.

Still frazzled, I throw the white linens into the large barrel and go fetch some water. Thankfully, the water spout isn't that far. I grab the wooden bucket and fill it to the brim, then use the muscles I've acquired from the job to confidently bring it over to dump the water into the barrel. I remember when I was too young and frail to pick it up. It used to take me a good 20 minutes to drag it over. Now it takes about 5 minutes tops, if that. I begin to wash the linens as I normally do as I get lost in thought.

Not only did I SPEAK to the prince, but I also LOOKED at him! Green eyes and everything! And, for some reason, I can't get his face out of my head. It's like it's engraved in my mind. Plus, I can't shake the feeling I got when he looked into my eyes. No one has ever seen my eyes before, other than Vicky and the Queen. They're so strange that I've never wanted anyone to see them. It's not like they can anyway, due to my shawl always being on.

"Earth to Lily!"

I snap out of my thoughts as Cara's hand waves in front of my face. "You were really deep in thought! Is everything alright?" She laughs lightly, dumping clothes into the over sized barrel.

"Uh, yeah. I'm fine!" I give her a large smile to try to reassure her, which seemed to work. She shrugs it off, and continues to scrub the fabric as she tells me about her little brothers.

She has five little brothers, who appear to be crazy annoying. Though, I'd take annoying for lonely any day. She lives in the village in a three bedroom home with her brothers and parents. I've met them before and they're all very sweet. 

I hang the sheets with a clothes pin, give Cara my good byes, and go to clean one of the ten bathrooms on my agenda.

"MAID!!!!"

The day was going so well...