Lily the Invisible Acara: Part Three

     Lily rolled her eyes and kept moving. Guards were near the King so she very well couldn't tell him. She had to find Carlin, but where? She looked all around and decided to get something to drink since she hadn't had any since this morning.

     She got her glass of punch from a very well dressed Elephante. She sipped her cup and turned around. An elbow caught hers and the cup flew through the air and landed on a Flamingo, or was it a Pink Lenny, perfect costume either way.

     She looked up at the person who bumped her and realized… it was Carlin!

     "Oh, I'm sorry miss! I'll take the blame!" he said as the Fla… Pink Lenny came marching over. "Terribly sorry Miss Flannigan. Wasn't watching what I was doing." He waved his hands and the Pink Lenny was cleaned up. She raised her nose and stalked away.

     "Would such a lovely Acara care to dance?"

     Lily almost fainted as she said yes. They were whisked away in the throng of dancers. Lily almost forgot herself in the loveliness of the moment.

     "Advisor Carlin, I must tell you something important."

     "Oh? And what is that?"

     "Try not to be alarmed… your life could be at stake."

     Carlin tried not to laugh. It was a very serious threat, but from this girl who was so shy she wouldn't put her eyes to her mask? Absurd. "What ever do you mean?"

     "Does the name Elbert say anything?"

     Carlin almost froze in his tracks but stared at her none the same. "Maybe we should go outside…" he said softly.

     The music ended and Carlin led Lily outside. After he closed the door behind himself he grabbed lily and spun her around.

     "What is the meaning of this? Who are you and how do you know that name?"

     "Please do not be angry!" Lily almost wailed. "I've been spying on him! He's planned terrible things!! And I can't see you harmed!!"

     Carlin blinked at this girl, whose tears flowed through the mask from unseen eyes.

     "You… can't see me harmed? What could that wizard do to me? And how have you avoided harm if he's so dangerous?"

     "I can't tell you now… I can only tell you… he's…" Lily began to feel weak. "Please he threatens… I don't know what, but he's disguised as an Aisha, in a purple dress, feather… mask… think…"

     Lily lost it and ran out into the woods. She sat down, still woozy. "What's… wrong..?"

     Lily leaned a branch and lost her punch over the side of a bridge. "The punch!!" Lily ran back to the party, she ran into Carlin on the way.

     "The punch!! There's something wrong with it… I only had a sip and when I got it out of my system I was fine… he poisoned the punch!!!"

     Carlin and Lily ran back to tell the king. Carlin was faster and Lily was still weak from no food or water all day. She stopped in the courtyard and sat down.

     After a little while, Carlin came back. "You've saved us all. Please tell me your name… so I may reward you."

     "I cannot tell you my name but if you must reward me… I haven't eaten in days."

     "I shall give you a feast in your honor. The king wishes to thank you personally."

     "I can't do either. Please bring me some bread or I shall talk no further."

     Carlin ran back to the castle and Lily sat almost in tears. How badly she wanted to tell Carlin everything. How badly she wanted to throw herself to him and that wonderful feast. "But he cannot see her like this." Lily thought as she wept.

     Carlin returned with a plate full of food and a large thing of drink. Lily promptly ate it all in one fell swoop. She nearly choked.

     "Eat slower please, if you haven't eaten in awhile, you'll make yourself sick. Please tell me your name… anything I may call you by…"

     "Lily." She said between gulps "I'm sorry that I don't eat with manners right now. I'm so very hungry and I don't know when I'll eat next or how long this food will keep."

     "Then stay here with me, you'll always have food. You're the bravest girl I've ever seen. Please… let me see your face."

     "No!! I mean… no I cannot, it… it'll put me in danger… and you as well." Lily nodded fiercely.

     "You hide yourself because you're afraid… not of Elbert, but of how you look." Carlin said as he peered at her. "Am I right?"

     Lily sighed softly and nodded. Carlin reached for her mask, but Lily scooted away.

     "You will not like me. I know it."

     "Well I do not "know" it, so let ME be the judge of that." Carlin reached again for her mask. Lily jerked away but Carlin caught the edge of it anyway.

     "You're invisible."

     Lily burst into tears. Carlin hugged her. "You are not ugly, I like you anyway you wound up looking." Carlin smiled "Even if you were Maraquan and had slimy green tentacles." Carlin winked.

     Lily was happy that she wasn't disliked. Carlin and Lily walked back to the castle. Lily stopped and put her mask back on.

     "But why?"

     "Because, I plan on following him again. And he can't know I'm invisible."

     Carlin nodded and they went into the castle. Carlin talked to King Hagan and he proclaimed a dinner for Lily. Carlin used a glamour spell on Lily so she could be seen as a blue Acara.

     The King sent servant to have Lily cleaned up for her feast. As she was being cared for, a messenger ran in. "My lady Lily, Carlin and King Hagan have requested you become a regular member of our court."

     "Yes, I will." Lily answered flustered. It was hard to imagine just four days ago she was sleeping under trees. Now she had her own servants and a permanent job. Plus she was well loved. Yet she still felt bad for the way she treated her old owner.

     At the feast, it was announced that Lily would become a permanent residence of the castle. It was also told to the servants and the rest of Brightvale, that any request Lily should have, Lily would have immediately.

     "I do have one request… if it is not too much to ask…" Lily began timidly.

     "Anything you ask my Lady," said Carlin.

     "I wish to repay my old owner for her kindness."

     "But weren't you abandoned?"

     "I ran away… I did not like... how I was painted… and she used every NP she had to paint me... and I wish to pay her back… double actually... for my meanness to her…"

     "It shall be done. How much did she pay?"

     "Well Missy paid 72,000, for… my paint job, and I don't know how much else for raising me…"

     The King sat and thought. "Well you wished to pay her back double for painting you and for raising you, so I shall say we take three times the amount for the paint brush and give her 216,000. Sound fair?"

     "Oh very fair sir, I appreciate it more than you could ever know… and sir… may I ask another favor?"

     "You name it."

     "Well its kind of two favors…"

     "I said name it. You saved my life, and the life of my town."

     "Well, the pound is a miserable place from what I was told, and I think they should get some NP to make the place a little better for the poor pets abandoned there…."

     "1,000,000 to the pound!" Bellowed the King.

     "And along the hills and valleys is a Gelert running and catching food for him self… if you could see it in your heart to give him a home, or a job or something… He's very strong I saw him chasing Cabañas…"

     "Find that Gelert and make him a guardsman!!" Yelled the King again.

     "Thank you so much sir." Lily smiled.

     "Get this girl some books too!! No one in my court shall be illiterate!" The King Winked at Lily. "Get the best scholars out here to teach her too!!"

     "Oh thank you sir!" Lily nearly cried.

      After dinner Lily went to find Carlin.

     "Carlin please let me be invisible."

     "You honestly still are, you're just visible to us for now… but it'll wear off. Why do you want to be invisible?"

     "Because I'm the only one who can learn Elbert's secrets and bring them back… plus I want to deliver the NP directly to my old owner."

     "Then let's go."

     Carlin and Lily rode the fastest Uni's in Brightvale back to Neopia Central to find Missy. When they arrived, Missy was dragging a Usul around with her.

     "Missy… who is this?"

     "This is Lavender. I got her from the pound. I went looking for you, but no one ever found you… and then I found her… she's stubborn, but… where have YOU been?"

     "It's a long story but I have a home in Brightvale now… I… brought you something."

     Lily handed Missy the bag.

     "How much is in here??!!"

     "216,000… for painting me… and raising me… doubled… because I was ungrateful…"

     "You didn't have to. I honestly just want you back…"

     "I can't. I've sworn to protect Brightvale, my invisibility is my strength now… thank you and fair well." At that Lily and Carlin rode back to Brightvale. Where they live happily ever after, until the next big mission….

The End