The scene was one I did not expect.

But then again, how many could expect to be cornered in the school’s cafeteria by their fiance and most of the student body? I came for the delicious apple tarts they made but seem to have found something else.

“Alicia Daliah Gertrude Blackthorn!” My fiance, the young man known as Crown Prince Alex Brighton, exclaimed. No, rather he shouted it as his face turned a strange shade of dark purple and several veins bulged from his neck. That was not the bright and cheerful looking boy I remember meeting thrice before who begged the king to marry me. Please go back to being that boy, he was cuter.

“That is me, yes your highness.” my face didn't really hold any emotion. I mean he was upset, sure, but I didn’t know why. Did I accidentally take the Apple tart he wanted? Without knowing I couldn’t know how to properly respond while following decorum. My fiance or not he is still the Crown Prince after all.

“Accusations have been reaching me of you harassing and insulting Lily Baker. What do you have to say to these allegations?”

Me hurt her? Impossible! First of all I couldn't stoop to that level as it would harm my family's name, and second, well I have other reasons as well.

“I’d have to say they’re pure fabrications. May I be excused now?” Well that should settle it. I mean I’m his fiancee, he should take my side at least a little, right? Now about that apple tart I can smell behind the crowd...

“So you claim you never stole her shoes?”

And apparently he holds no trust for me after all. I must admit that it saddens me to discover that as we weren't warm towards each other but I never expected him to outright distrust me. And here I was spending my time accepting the engagement and was hoping that I'd eventually fall in love with him. Failing that maybe at least love our children.

“Not only claim that, I will swear on my family's honor that I never stole her shoes.”

“I heard fifteen different people witnessing you take her shoes. How can you explain this?” The expression on his face seems both angry and smug. Smugry perhaps? No matter. This claim is just as silly as his facial expressions. I mean I always returned the shoes afterall.

“Four times I borrowed them to wash them as they had been filled with mud and worms, seven times it was to remove tacks from them, twice it was to repair a splitting seam and one time I replaced them completely when they were 'lost.'” I can feel the slight upward pull on the corners of my mouth. I admit I have a feeling of warmth when I helped her now and then. A feeling that returns just as I recall how happy she looked when she found the new shoes with my small note that said 'for you.'

“Wait,” an heavenly voice, no, the heavenly voice broke into the conversation between me and my self-appointed prosecutor, it's owner, the same angelic blonde that I was being accused of harming, stepped out of the crowd and up to face me properly, “George didn’t replace my shoes then?” Her jewel like blue eyes were below a pinched brow as she looked over at my brother who was starting to sweat a little as several dozen pairs of eyes followed her gaze and stared at him.

An aura of magic flowed out from her and everyone watched as he fought to speak for a moment before dropping his head and weakly coughing out a reply, “I-I did not.”

The pressure around her lessened and several people looked a lot calmer, but a few were starting at me in shock. A noble who takes care of a commoner's shoes like a servant? An uproar went through the crowd as people began trying to figure out my motives, as well as the motives of my brother to claim he'd replaced her shoes when they'd vanished completely last month. It was rather obvious he never did it, I mean the boy spent more time starting at her backside than her feet, much less actually touching her shoes. How could he know her size that easilly?

Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.

Alex cleared his throat while raising a hand to motion for people to settle down so he could speak, calming the uproar a little, “Then what about the people who claim you pushed her down the stairs after school last Tuesday?”

“Preposterous. Immediately following class on Tuesday I left my classroom on the second floor and went up to the third floor to leave a tin of cookies I made during my free time in her desk. There were my best six sugar cookies and where in a blue tin.” Yes, only my best six because the others were horrible failures. I barely considered those passible, but I wanted to give her something and spent several hours making cookies, as well as eating the failures. I'm not sure if I'll ever manage to eat sugar cookies again to be honest.

Those blue eyes met mine with no small amount of surprise, “But I though Jeffrey made those. I mean he’s always working in the kitchen…” Her aura was faltering now as if she'd prepared a brave front only to find out that something wasn't what she expected.

A brown haired boy on the other side of Alex shook his head from the side, “I never put cookies in your desk.”

Of course he didn't! He always chased her around with a basket of muffins or bread. It's a large reason I learned to make cookies, to give her something different from all that heavy bread.

The uproar was louder now, several groups were forming as debates raged on what was really going on here.

Alex’s face had turned an uncomfortable shade of green now as things had apparently not gone the way he expected. “And the letters?”

I snorted, “You mean the ones comparing her hair to curls of sunlight or her eyes to precious jewels?”

“No! I mean, wait...What did you say were in your letters?” His face has gone white now. Is he practicing some kind of new color changing magic? I think he’s sweating too. If you’re feeling tired, you should stop using magic, okay? I followed his eyes towards Lily who was a bright shade of pink. Were they both practicing magic? I don't know if this is really the best time to do it.

“I wrote a letter every weekend when I was forced to go home and I couldn’t see her and when I came back the following week I left it someplace easy for her to find: her shoes locker, her desk, several times I slipped it under her door in the dorm. Each letter was in a light blue envelope and scented with lavendar oil.” I can feel myself smiling proudly now, a tinge of warmth on my ears and face. If they want to drag it out of me I might as well confess my crimes completely.

Lily’s face turned a wonderful shade of pink at my words and our eyes met for the first time I could remember. “You mean you’ve been the one to write me those letters and not Alex?”

I nodded.

“And the pink lillies that showed up on my door?”

I nodded. I almost couldn’t sleep for a week when I heard she had taken the potted plant into her room and named it 'Carol’.

“The burn ointment?”

I nodded. Her accident with fire magic had scared me nearly to death, but I was too embarrased to face her so I left it in the infirmary while she slept.

One by one she asked about something I’d given her or done for her while staring daggers at the boys most commonly seen as her suitors. Yes, even my fiance was among them.

“Why?” Her brow was pinched in confusion but her eyes held no anger or annoyance, but rather a look of hope.

I could feel my gaze soften completely as my face heated up, no longer showing any pride or noble status but rather my own guilty heart, “Do I need a reason to love you?”

Her face turned almost crimson before she shook her head and nearly leapt at me, her arms wrapping around my neck. “Not unless I need one to love you back.”

The uproar reached levels unheard of and spread through the student body. It took nearly ten minutes for the teaching staff to show up to break it up.

In the aftermath that followed I never did get to eat that fruit tart, but compared to what I did get it was a cheap price. My engagement with Alex was broken off after his treatment of me, and my new relationship with Lily, were both exposed. Many of the boys that had been chasing her skirt found themselves swallowing a bitter medicine for laying claim to my shows of affection towards her.

My mother shielded me from my father’s wrath, though I still have to learn how she did it. When I ask she just smiles coyly pats my hand before changing the subject. My brother’s lack of honesty was less protected though.

Lily and I managed to move in together after our graduation, and after finally settling into our new home I asked her why she choice me over all those boys.

"Because when you add up every little thing you did for me the scales in my heart tipped over completely to you."

That night the heat in my chest overwhelmed both of us.

A year after we tied the knot we had a daughter. While this sounds unusual, I really have to thank Lily. She'd been working in the castle as a Court Mage when she found out that there is a fertility magic the royal family uses to ensure heirs. When my genius wife found that out she tweaked it to work for us as well and nine months later we had an adorable baby girl who looks almost exactly like Lily. I don't know where she gets her personality from though as she spends most of her time courting a little neighbor boy by bringing him frogs and chasing birds with him. But that slight blush on her face when you tease her about it is too cute to really worry about it.

Quite honestly I’m glad we were able to have her, though sadly the requirements to have a child through magic were fairly extreme. I don’t lament the loss of my magic though as it was average in strength and ability. Besides, I was more keen on theory than practical usage anyhow so losing it has done nothing to change that, instead I just get Lily to help my experiments when I'm not brewing potions for the local alchemy shop. My only regret is that we can't have any more children now that I've lost my magic. Perhaps I can convince her to adopt?