Lily parted the curtains of her bedroom window and looked outside. The light from the waxing moon was just enough to illuminate the surroundings, but the thick fog kept her from looking farther than ten meters. She glanced at the clock on her study table and took note of the time. It was forty minutes after three. She went to her closet and slipped out of her pink night gown. She slipped into a comfortable light blue dress, its frills decorated the hemline of the skirt gracefully. She tied her hair in a bun and made her way to the kitchen.

"Good morning, Miss," the maid greeted her, quite astonished. "Is something the matter?"

"I'm fine, Anastacia," she replied. "Please, don't mind me. I just need to do something."

"If you say so," the maid said, still surprised to see her mistress this early. "Would you like me to get you a cup of tea or coffee? Or maybe soup? Anything to warm your stomach," she offered.

"I'm good. Perhaps a glass of warm water would be fine, thank you."

"Right away, Miss."

Once the maid left the kitchen, Lily did not waste any second loafing around. She immediately opened the drawers of the cutlery and grabbed a gleaming knife.

"Come on, my dear. It's time to work," she said with a smile.

***

Lily left the mansion as the first rays of light broke through the horizon. With a wicker basket in hand, she made her way to a clearing in a nearby grove. It was a chilly morning and the breeze bit her rosy cheeks. A gust of wind blew past her, ruffling her hair that she meticulously brushed. The wind caught her skirt as well and it lifted the hem revealing her slender legs.

"Oh my!" she gasped, as she instinctively secured the hem of her skirt with her free hand. "What a naughty wind." Though she knew that nobody was around, she still roamed her eyes just to make sure.

When the wind died down, she continued walking through the grassland. The fog had dissolved in the warmth of the sun when she reached her destination. It was a small clearing at the middle of the grove of cassia trees.

She could hear the brook babbling nearby, and the birds chirping their melodious songs. She placed the wicker basket on top of a stump and pulled out a viridian blanket. She looked at her watch.

"I still have time," she murmured.

***

"What's taking him so long," Lily complained out loud. "He shouldn't keep a lady in waiting!"

She looked at her watch.

"He's ten minutes late. Argh!" She crossed her arms and pouted her pink lips in frustration.

Baker was supposed to meet her in the clearing for breakfast. Well, at least that was what he said to her last night.

"Little Missy, could you make me a hearty meal tomorrow morning? I haven't had a decent meal since yesterday. It has always been cold porridge and stale bread. Clikk wouldn't let me eat anything soft and fluffy. Would it hurt you if you could let me eat something made with your own hands? Maybe tomorrow? For breakfast? Let's meet at the clearing, okay? I will be back by then. See you there tomorrow, okay? Seven."

"That bonehead," Lily snapped. "A few minutes more and I swear I'm going to wring his neck like dirty linen in the wash."

The sound of rustling leaves behind her made Lily turn around.

"Well, it's about time. You..."

She wasn't able to finish her sentence.

"Well, well, what do we have here," one of the men standing in front of her said. He was a lanky fellow dressed in tattered clothes. His hair was tucked underneath what used to be a white bandana. Three silver beads decorated his nose bridge, and a large loop earring dangled from his right ear lobe.

"Waiting for someone, little missy?" the other fellow said, to which she grimaced. He was a heavyset man with an unkempt beard and a scar running across his left cheek. He was wearing a shirt that looked as if it was about to burst at its seams. "You out here with your princely boyfriend?"

Lily inhaled deeply, attempting to calm her nerves. A lady must not lose composure.

"Gentlemen, what brought you here in this grove, may I ask?" Lily managed to say, keeping her eyes focused on the two men.

The two men looked at each other and laughed.

"If you must know, little missy, we are escapees from a prison in Waldenburg," Lanky said, smirking.

"Ah, yes. I heard it from one of my father's coachmen. He said those two were supposed to be sent to the guillotine but escaped when a ruckus broke where they were being detained." Lily said. "Oh, and could you not call me little missy, please? Just call me Lily."

"Well, Lily, my friend and I are so famished, perhaps you won't mind if we taste some of your goodies." Heavyset said.

"Oh, is that all?" Lily gave a sigh of relief. "Sure, you can have one of the pecan pies that I made. Let me just get one from the basket." She went to the tree where she placed the wicker basket and pulled out a still warm pan of pecan pie. "But you must leave immediately or my husband will send you back to prison."

The two men laughed.

"Your little prince, sending us back to prison? I bet your prince can't even lift a butter knife," Lanky said with a smirk. "I really don't know what's with you aristocrats that make you feel so powerful. Was it money? Authority? You are just feeble creatures, hiding behind your servants for protection."

"And when I said goodies, I wasn't referring to that pie, Little Missy," Heavyset said with a meaningful look.

"Oh, in that case I should put this pie back in the basket." Lily took a step backward. "Well, don't underestimate my husband. He is not your ordinary prince."

"Is he really?" Lanky asked.

"Yes, really. And please stop calling me little missy. Only one person can call me that, and that isn't any of you."

"Then, who?" Lanky asked.

"Me."

Baker landed a punch on Lanky's face, toppling him like a potato sack. Heavyset lunged at him, knife in hand. Baker grabbed Heavyset's wrist and twisted it, disarming him. The knife dropped on the grass, as Heavyset winced in pain. He stepped on Baker's foot and drilled his elbow on his stomach. Baker lost his grip of Heavyset's wrist.

The two men fought each other as Lily looked for anything in the basket to be used to tie Lanky. She pulled out two linen napkins and tied them together. Just then, a pair of arms embraced her from behind. It was Lanky.

"Hmmm... I like how you smell in the morning, little missy," he said, sniffing her hair.

"I said don't call me little missy!"

Lily placed one of her feet against the tree trunk and pushed herself back, toppling Lanky, with her landing back first on top of him. When she felt Lanky's embrace loosened, she rolled to one side and picked herself up. Lanky also picked himself up and made a fighting stance.

"So, little missy wants to play it rough, huh?"

"How many times do I have to tell you not to call me little missy!"

Lanky took a step forward and directed a jab towards Lily's midsection. However, Lily caught his forearm and used the weight of her body to propel him past her. Lanky hit the tree trunk hard. Lanky picked himself up but was welcomed by a storm of punches from Lily. Right, left, right, left. A jab here and a jab there. She finished her moves with a left hook and Lanky finally collapsed to the ground unconscious.

"Whoa, who taught you that?" Baker asked, smiling.

"Being married to a bonehead for five years made me learn that."

Lily turned around to find her husband securing Heavyset with the blanket.

"Hey, not the blanket. I just bought it last weekend," Lily complained. She took the table napkins and tied Lanky's hands and feet.

"Well, I'll just buy you a new one. But for now, we need to improvise."

Lily glanced at the food she had prepared for breakfast scattered on the grass.

"So much for breakfast, huh? All my work, ruined."

"I appreciate the gesture," Baker said, hugging his wife. "What's important is you're safe."

"I still have one pie in the basket," Lily whispered.

"Nah, why care for a pie when I can have this."

With that Baker kissed his wife.

"Happy anniversary, Little Missy," Baker said.

"Happy anniversary, Bonehead," Lily said with a smile.