The Lily Court
The Lily Court is a Seelie princedom near the centre of the kingdom. The Castle has beautiful formal gardens with many water features and is surrounded by a moat. Many sheerie live in the area and Princess Tuala has a pet moat monster, Cressie. There's an old guard tower just to the south of the castle.
We walked together out of the courtyard to the gardens. The castle grounds were ringed with gravel paths lined with hedges. Fountains and pools dotted the gardens, all blooming with water lilies, with the large pond featuring the Lily Gate in the center.
My hiding spot was a moss-covered old lookout tower across the moat, on a hill behind the castle. It wasn’t far, but we hadn’t been here on any of the previous challenges. The only ones who knew where I had disappeared to were the castle servants. The plan was simple. The princes needed to ask a servant about my whereabouts. And they needed to be polite and humble, or the servants would send them on a wild goose chase. I had no interest in marrying a snob, and humility was possibly the most important trait in a ruler.
I arrived outside the tower in a small meadow surrounded by trees. Dark clouds rolled in, and the greens of the trees and grass intensified as a light rain began to fall. I flipped up the hood of my velvet cloak. Good thing my hiding spot came with a roof.
I lifted my linen skirts and started up the tower stairs.
“Léas,” I murmured. The candles in the wall sconces flickered to life, lighting my path to the top.
A domed roof topped the lookout tower, held up by graceful arches of carved stone. Earlier this morning, the cook had sent a maid with a basket of food, and I was pleased to see she had included a quilt and a couple of cushions. I made a little nest under one of the stone arches and looked out over the castle.
I was too far away to see what the princes were up to, but I laughed when I spotted Cressie rolling around in the moat like a giant scaly otter. The peiste loved rainy days. - The Lily Gate
From The Books:
We walked together out of the courtyard to the gardens. The castle grounds were ringed with gravel paths lined with hedges. Fountains and pools dotted the gardens, all blooming with water lilies, with the large pond featuring the Lily Gate in the center.
***
My hiding spot was a moss-covered old lookout tower across the moat, on a hill behind the castle. It wasn’t far, but we hadn’t been here on any of the previous challenges. The only ones who knew where I had disappeared to were the castle servants. The plan was simple. The princes needed to ask a servant about my whereabouts. And they needed to be polite and humble, or the servants would send them on a wild goose chase. I had no interest in marrying a snob, and humility was possibly the most important trait in a ruler.
I arrived outside the tower in a small meadow surrounded by trees. Dark clouds rolled in, and the greens of the trees and grass intensified as a light rain began to fall. I flipped up the hood of my velvet cloak. Good thing my hiding spot came with a roof.
I lifted my linen skirts and started up the tower stairs.
“Léas,” I murmured. The candles in the wall sconces flickered to life, lighting my path to the top.
A domed roof topped the lookout tower, held up by graceful arches of carved stone. Earlier this morning, the cook had sent a maid with a basket of food, and I was pleased to see she had included a quilt and a couple of cushions. I made a little nest under one of the stone arches and looked out over the castle.
I was too far away to see what the princes were up to, but I laughed when I spotted Cressie rolling around in the moat like a giant scaly otter. The peiste loved rainy days. - The Lily Gate
Fun facts
Rulers: The Lily Princess and Prince
Residents: Tuala, Naven, Evie, Remy, Étienne, Tuala's parents and little brother.
Gate: The Lily Gate
Residents: Tuala, Naven, Evie, Remy, Étienne, Tuala's parents and little brother.
Gate: The Lily Gate