Page 15 of Lily of the Valley

Better still, finally holding more or less still for a week allowed Lily's feet to almost entirely heal, and what little damage was left would clear up in another week at most. Soon, soon she would be able to get back where she belonged.

Though that was easier said than done. She was one person, up against a backstabbing tyrant who had mercenaries and literal, actual wolves at his command. Being the rightful queen didn't matter much when she had no way of asserting that authority.

One problem at a time.

The first goal was to reach the meeting point. To do that, though, she would need supplies. What supplies, she had no idea. She'd never traversed the forest this way, actual hiking like certain surly woodcutters did on a frequent basis.

She'd just grabbed a bucket to carry in water for washing up when Scout came out of the backroom with a bundle of furs, wearing leather armor and a sword at her hip. "You have a sword?"

Scout laughed. "I'd be foolish not to, living out here. We need to talk."

Lily set the bucket down and folded her arms across her chest. "So talk."

"I have to go into town. It'll be strange if I don't make my monthly visit to restock supplies, and I want to get the lay of the land myself rather than second hand from others. While I'm gone, you are not to leave this cabin. Not for any reason."

"I'm going with you."

"Absolutely not," Scout said.

Lily narrowed her eyes and planted her hands on her hips. "I'm not some child—"

"It would be so much easier if you were," Scout cut in.

"What is that supposed to mean?"

"It means that you're stubborn to a fault, and reckless to boot," Scout snapped. "You are staying here. You are not to leave the cabin. I'll be back tomorrow, hopefully by midday but I might show up as late as evening. If anyone approaches, and I mean anyone, you are to go here—" She strode over to the table in the kitchen area and crouched down. She pushed on a knot in the wood, and Lily jumped when the section of floor lifted at one end.

"A trap door?"

"Yes, to a hideaway for worse case scenarios. I can replace anything robbers might take or destroy, and when numbers are against me its better to hide than to fight. You will do precisely that if so much as a tottering grandmother shows up. Understand me?"

"I'm going with you," Lily said, resisting the urge to stamp her foot. "I am Queen, I need to see for myself—"

"You're not going!" Scout bellowed, slamming her hands on the table as she stood. "You are the most infuriating, irritating, stubborn, hard-headed—" She stopped and dragged her hands down her face, then braced them on the table again. "You are Queen, which is why you need to stay here. We cannot risk the wrong person recognizing you. I won't be gone long, and in the meantime you should be safe so long as you don't leave the cabin. Everything you need is in here, I've made sure of it. Even water," she added before Lily could say anything.

Lily scowled.

"Stop pouting."

"I'm not pouting. You have a lot of nerve calling me stubborn and hard-headed, Miss Lives Alone Brooding in the Forest."

"Scout works fine," she said dryly.

"I really want to hit you," Lily said with a huff. "I'm not going to just hide away like some delicate miss or pathetic coward."

"No, you're going to stay where it's safe so that once we have more information we can better plan what to do."

That stopped Lily short. "We? Since when do you care? I would have thought you'd be counting down the days until you could be rid of me."

"Why do you think I hate you?" Scout threw her hands up. "I have never said I hate you!"

"You mock me! You belittle me! You call me 'princess' like there's some secret joke behind it. You scowl all day long! I've been here nearly two weeks and all I know about you is that you're solitary, grouchy, and apparently killed your father!"

"Why would a queen who is going back to her palace soon give two damns about my life? We'll probably never see each other again after this, what difference does my past make to you?"

Lily wanted to scream in frustration. "Oh, traipse off to the damn city then, and I'll just sit here like a fragile little child who can't even be trusted to keep a low profile while buying flour and selling firewood."

Muttering to herself, Scout gathered up her things and stormed off, slamming the door behind her. Lily threw the bar across the door so that it could not be easily opened, even by force, and then did the same with the back door.

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