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Twixxy and Chel
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~
Lily laughed quietly. "Okay. Just so you know it's a bit more of a mess in here. I couldn't be bothered to tidy up last night." She warned him as she kept walking up. The stairs started to go round in a spiral as they entered the tower part. Soon they got to a second door and Lily unlocked that before pushing it open and stepping inside the high ceilinged circular room. It was the highest point of the castle and if you looked out of one of the many windows you could see for miles. "This is, as you put it, my dirty little secret." She smirked and walked over to a pillow of cushions then sat down on them. On a desk at the other side of the room lay stacks of photographs and her beloved camera. That was the main reason for this room. Sure she loved the privacy and the distance of it but it was a safe place to hide the things she loved that her mother hated.
((Sorry. I had a whole reply written out to this and then my internet went and I had to reload and everything was gone and I couldn't rewrite it all so I said I'd leave it for a few and I forgot I had to reply.))
"Why wouldn't I?" Leah asked tilting her head to the side. She wasn't sure if he was just being polite or if he meant she actually didn't have to do that. Of course she would, it was in her nature. She'd gotten a lot of people take advantage of her kindness but more good than bad always came out of it. She started to eat her food as he sat down across from her on he small table. When he asked her if she lived with her parents she shook her head. "Not really. My mom died when I was little. I don't have many memories of her. My dad always went away for business but it's gotten more frequent over the years. Now I'm lucky to see him for a couple of days every few months. I really just live on my own," she answered with a shrug. She wasn't upset about it or anything, it was her life, all she'd ever known. She was fine with it.
~~~
James followed her up the stairs, getting more and more intrigued as thy climbed higher, the stairs starting to swirl. As she opened the door, he grinned. It was amazing. The view for miles was just perfect and while she called it a mess, it really wasn't. It was he down private sanctuary away from everything. His eyes drifted over the room and locked onto a stack of photographs and a camera. "Ah, so photography. That's your thing. Everyone has one, I knew you did. Can I look?" He asked politely, not wanting to offend her by just starting to go through her private pictures. It had taken a bit of convincing to get up there, he didn't want to get kicked out after so much progress.
"Why wouldn't I?" Leah asked tilting her head to the side. She wasn't sure if he was just being polite or if he meant she actually didn't have to do that. Of course she would, it was in her nature. She'd gotten a lot of people take advantage of her kindness but more good than bad always came out of it. She started to eat her food as he sat down across from her on he small table. When he asked her if she lived with her parents she shook her head. "Not really. My mom died when I was little. I don't have many memories of her. My dad always went away for business but it's gotten more frequent over the years. Now I'm lucky to see him for a couple of days every few months. I really just live on my own," she answered with a shrug. She wasn't upset about it or anything, it was her life, all she'd ever known. She was fine with it.
~~~
James followed her up the stairs, getting more and more intrigued as thy climbed higher, the stairs starting to swirl. As she opened the door, he grinned. It was amazing. The view for miles was just perfect and while she called it a mess, it really wasn't. It was he down private sanctuary away from everything. His eyes drifted over the room and locked onto a stack of photographs and a camera. "Ah, so photography. That's your thing. Everyone has one, I knew you did. Can I look?" He asked politely, not wanting to offend her by just starting to go through her private pictures. It had taken a bit of convincing to get up there, he didn't want to get kicked out after so much progress.

Andrew started to eat, thankfully remembering his manners despite how hungry he felt. He looked over at her as she spoke, nodding slightly. "That was the same with my dad. He was always away on some business trip." He told her once she was done speaking. "I rarely saw him when I was growing up." He paused to take a drink and then smiled at her kindly. "Do you like living alone?" He asked referring to her last comment. The way she was talking about it she didn't seem all that bothered by it all but he didn't want to just assume in case she was just putting on an act.
~
Lily watched him as he looked around her room. A smile grew on her face when he noticed her camera. "Yeah if you want to." She told him when he asked to look at her photos. They were mostly of the view at various times throughout the day and throughout the year but there were some of the rest of the castle and of the people. It was risky taking her camera out of the room because her mother hated it but she occasionally snuck it down and took pictures. The view was spectacular but she got bored of taking the same pictures over and over again. As she thought of her mother she realised something. She would consider Jay to be her friend but that didn't mean he wouldn't talk to her mother. "You won't let my mom know about all this will you?" She asked quietly and picked at her nails shyly.
Leah thought about it, slowly chewing her food before she swallowed and shook her head. "I'm used to it but I don't like it. I like have company. Honestly, I like having someone to take care of. But no, I hate living alone, I'm just used to it. I always get lonely and it's pretty depressing," she answered with a shrug. She wasn't looking for sympathy or anything, she was just answering him honestly. She loved it when her dad came home because it wasn't just her. Even knowing that there was someone else in the house put her more at peace but being on her own, she hated it.
~~~
James leafed through the pictures, stopping longer on certain ones. They were all of the same view and while it was pretty magnificent, it was just the same picture with the odd change or people in the palace every now and then. He was about to ask her why she only photographed that view when she answered his question for him by asking him not to tell her mother. James looked from the camera to the pictures and back to Lily. "I won't tell your mom about this but what would you say if I could get you a different view to photograph. I could spin something about photography or just getting out of here so you can take some different pictures somewhere else. As long as I say they're for your lessons, you mom won't say anything," James proposed.
~~~
James leafed through the pictures, stopping longer on certain ones. They were all of the same view and while it was pretty magnificent, it was just the same picture with the odd change or people in the palace every now and then. He was about to ask her why she only photographed that view when she answered his question for him by asking him not to tell her mother. James looked from the camera to the pictures and back to Lily. "I won't tell your mom about this but what would you say if I could get you a different view to photograph. I could spin something about photography or just getting out of here so you can take some different pictures somewhere else. As long as I say they're for your lessons, you mom won't say anything," James proposed.

~
Lily looked at him with wide eyes. "Y-you would do that?" She asked in shock and then nodded quickly. "That would be amazing." She said and grinned widely. "Even just getting out of here would be great." She added after thinking about it. Because her mother was embarrassed by the simple thought of her it wasn't often she got to go out of the castle grounds and on the rare occasion when she was allowed, she was crowded with an excessive number of guards and whatnot to stop her from getting hurt or doing anything remotely interesting. "Maybe you aren't as bad as you first seemed." She teased and smiled over at him.
Leah smiled softly at him and shrugged. "I probably could but my friends are all away for the summer. I wouldn't leave this house though. I don't really remember my mom but she grew up here. It's like the only connection I have to her. And I don't have a boyfriend. I'm a romantic at heart and wish I did but I don't," Leah replied, joking off the somber tone the conversation had developed. She finished off her food and pushed away from the table, taking both of their plates back into the kitchen and rinsing them off.
~~~
James grinned when he saw how excited Lily got at the idea of being able to leave. He felt bad that something as simple as that was able to make her so overjoyed but he was concentrating more on making sure she was okay. Her mother had drilled it into her head that she wasn't good enough and James had an inkling that building that confidence in being a princess back up would improve her immensely. That and he wanted to see her smile. "Of course I'd do that. I can make up any excuse I want and your mother will believe me. And I'm glad I'm not so bad," he told her with a small laugh.
~~~
James grinned when he saw how excited Lily got at the idea of being able to leave. He felt bad that something as simple as that was able to make her so overjoyed but he was concentrating more on making sure she was okay. Her mother had drilled it into her head that she wasn't good enough and James had an inkling that building that confidence in being a princess back up would improve her immensely. That and he wanted to see her smile. "Of course I'd do that. I can make up any excuse I want and your mother will believe me. And I'm glad I'm not so bad," he told her with a small laugh.

~
Lily giggled and crossed her legs, arranging the skirt of her dress so that she was appropriately covered. "You can sit down if you like." She told him as she noticed he was still standing by her desk with her photos. She picked at her chipped nail varnish and smiled over at him. "Other than my sister I think you're the only person with that much power over my mother." She told him and rolled her eyes. She leaned her back against the wall behind her and relaxed. It felt odd to have another person in the room but it was odd in a good way. She chewed her lip as she got lost in thought.

Leah laughed lightly, taking the glasses off of him and rinsing them as well. "No Andrew, you're fine," she answered, washing the plates under the water as she looked at him. "You looked surprised when I said I didn't have a boyfriend. Why's that?" She asked curiously, turning back to the dishes and glancing at him occasionally. She really wasn't sure why it surprised him, she wasn't anything special at all. She was just an average girl, she didn't see why he should be surprised that she didn't have a boyfriend. Once she'd finished, she took the dishes and placed them in the dishwasher, bumping it closed with her hip and leaning against the counter.
~~
James moved from her desk, placing the rest of her pictures down on it before he sat down next to her, turning so he was facing her. He laughed at her comment. "I've only got that much power because I'm- your tutor," he said, nearly telling her that he was a prince. He had made sure that it was kept a secret because he didn't want his title to taint their lessons. He wanted to make her into the princess he knew she could be and he was afraid that if he revealed that he was royalty too that she might shut out the possibility immediately. He grinned as he watched her zone out, taking the moment to appreciate her beauty, she really was the prettier of the two, or at least more his type than her sister.
~~
James moved from her desk, placing the rest of her pictures down on it before he sat down next to her, turning so he was facing her. He laughed at her comment. "I've only got that much power because I'm- your tutor," he said, nearly telling her that he was a prince. He had made sure that it was kept a secret because he didn't want his title to taint their lessons. He wanted to make her into the princess he knew she could be and he was afraid that if he revealed that he was royalty too that she might shut out the possibility immediately. He grinned as he watched her zone out, taking the moment to appreciate her beauty, she really was the prettier of the two, or at least more his type than her sister.

~
Lily didn't notice his near slip-up as she was too preoccupied with her thoughts. She shook herself out of her daydream and glanced at him as he sat beside her. A smile made its way to her lips as she looked him over. "So how did you get so lucky to be stuck with me?" She asked, her ever present curiosity showing again. Her parents, her mother mainly, had tried to bring in a few tutors before but most of them had given up before they had really started. That was her fault though, she had worked especially hard to make sure they knew what a difficult job lay ahead of them. She had been planning on doing the same to Jay but his kind words and genuine interest in what she had to say had changed her mind. Depending on how he taught her, she might even be willing to try learn.
Leah raised an eyebrow at him as he spoke, a light blush dusting her cheeks as he continued to compliment her. She shook her head, looking down at the floor for a moment before looking back up at Andrew. "You know I'm letting you stay here anyway. You don't have to completely exaggerate and suck up. It's really fine, I'll help you get on your feet anyway," she assured him, not believing what he was saying. It wasn't that she lacked self esteem or anything but she just saw herself as completely average which was not the picture that Andrew was painting of her.
~~~
James nearly sighed in relief when it seemed like she had noticed his near slip up. That would have been terribly awkward to explain. "Well I'm more of a last resort type of tutor. When other tutors fail, I'm the one that people call. Your mother told me that you'd chased off more than a few tutors already and asked me to come in so I figured why not?" James answered, mostly telling he truth. He was also here because he was supposed to marry her older sister but she didn't know that.
~~~
James nearly sighed in relief when it seemed like she had noticed his near slip up. That would have been terribly awkward to explain. "Well I'm more of a last resort type of tutor. When other tutors fail, I'm the one that people call. Your mother told me that you'd chased off more than a few tutors already and asked me to come in so I figured why not?" James answered, mostly telling he truth. He was also here because he was supposed to marry her older sister but she didn't know that.

~
Lily nodded, a small smirk on her lips at his comment about the other tutors. "I bet she told you her version of it with no sympathy towards me." She muttered with a roll of her eyes. She sighed and looked at him. "So you're her last hope then. No pressure." She said teasingly, her smirk back on her lips. She looked away again and started to fiddle with a loose thread on her dress as she chewed her bottom lip absently.
~~~
James smiled at the excited glint in her eyes. "I knew you had a dirty little secret," he joked, getting up from his seat and following her over to the corner of her room. He hadn't noticed the door there but he hadn't really looked around her room very hard either. He was more than curious as he followed her down the narrow, worn steps. He could see why she was excited already, it was already pretty cool. When she turned to look at him, probably wondering whether he was following or not since she had just bolted off, he nodded towards the steps. "Go on, I'm curious now. You've gotten me invested," he told her with a grin.