Cinderella

The Go-Between

-Lydia-

Lydia was looking for Charles, but she could not let him know she was looking for him.

The quest was simple. Run into her brother, casually mention her lunch with Ella, and then revel in his panic.

Ella was a topic of controversy in the castle walls. She was a topic that everyone had steered clear of once it became apparent that she would not go running into Charles' arms once she found out he was the Prince.

Their mother was the only one who dared mention her,  but it was never by name.  She was known by the Queen merely as "that woman", and the Queen had a lot to say about "that woman". Usually, only passive-aggressive compliments that were met with steely silence.

Now, Lydia had her own information to share, and after becoming fast friends with Ella, she could finally speak her own opinion on the matter.

After asking around, she discovered that Charles was taking the foreign delegation on a tour of the castle gardens. Lydia took a pair of gloves, a book, and a parasol and decided to roam until she "just so happened to" run into them.

She saw them first, and her interest was immediately piqued. The "delegation" was one woman. An attractive woman and that woman was unabashedly feigning innocence and throwing herself all over Charles. The oysterous cow.

Lydia narrowed her eyes and all plans of her being coy were thrown out the window. Her brother might be a naïve idiot, but Lydia could see precisely what that floozy was trying to pull.

Ella might not be official yet, but the sister code was alive and well. Lydia had to do something on her behalf.

The nameless woman "tripped" and Thrust herself into Charles' arms. That was enough to force herself into the situation.

"Oh, hello!" Lydia said walking up to them. The woman was still pretending to gain her balance when Lydia nearly planted herself between her brother and the brazen minx.

"Who is this? You must introduce me, Charles!" Lydia smiled up at her brother but watched out of the corner of her eye as the foxy trollop frowned at the interruption.

Charles blinked and took two steps back, distancing himself even further from the both of them. Haha.

Lydia turned to the woman and blinked in sickly sweet innocence.

"Lydia, this is Princess Alihah Dargrin. She has come as a show of faith from Masserin."

"Yes." The woman said with a light accent, "I have come to bring my people home."

Lydia was nearly forced to roll her eyes. She did not look very concerned over her people a moment ago.

"Princess, this is my Sister, Lydia."

"Princess Lydia Rose Collsten." Lydia interrupted. She bowed in her most formal way. Anyone who knew her would take it as a slight, but the foreign Princess smiled and returned the gesture.

"Right." Charles said. He was trying to derive any reason for hostility between the two women, but he was coming up with nothing.

Lydia turned back to Charles, "I will let you continue this-" She waved her hands between him and the Princess, "Whatever this was."

"A tour." Charles amended. 

"Right. Tour." Lydia said dryly. "I will let you continue this "tour". I had a message for you, but seeing as you are otherwise engaged, I will deliver it later."

"A message from who?" His response was immediate and predictable.

Lydia grinned up at him conspiratorily.