Lily sat on the edge of her bed staring at the bookcase in front of her. She didn’t know exactly why she was sitting there staring blankly, she just was.

After a few minutes, she recovered from her trance and walked over to her desk. Its glossy surface was shinning from the rays that spilled into the room as the summer sun set. On top of the desk were a few neatly scatted pens against the wall on the far edge of the desk. A vase filled with yellow daffodils stood in the corner and in the centre, laid a book.

Lily picked up the book to examine it. The front and back covers were a soft white with pale green flowers impressed around the most part of the right and bottom corners. On the spine, however, was an emerald green soft fabric with a white lily that was engraved on the bottom.

She just stared at it for a while. It was more captivating then the bookcase, that was certain. It was beautiful. Flipping through the book, she found soft white and cream pages of parchment with a pale green flower that looked similarly to a lily in the bottom right or left corners of the pages and dark brown lines in the middle.

The book was fit for royalty.

Lily stood shocked for a moment. She hadn’t seen a book like this before. She didn’t know where it came from, or how it got on her quite boring desk. Lily didn’t even have a clue about what kind of shop you would buy a book like this from.

Looking under the book, she found a note. She read it slowly, looking for clues of who had placed such a book on her humble desk.

Dear Amelia,

I found this book in a shop the other day and thought that it would be an excellent going away present for Lily.

Why you’re sending your youngest daughter to boarding school is beyond me, but it is your choice and I must respect your wishes, as it is your daughter, not mine.

Please send this off to Lily, Amelia. I hope she loves it as much as I do. I certainly love this book and always will, but I feel bad not being able to see my youngest niece anymore. No matter what you say, Amelia, it will never be the same.

I hope you’re doing the right thing for her; the school is so far away. Anyway, please give this to her. Lily, that is.

From your dear sister,
Jackie

Lily smiled. “You always knew what I loved, Aunt Jackie,” she whispered to herself. “If only you knew why.”

Lily looked back at the book. She loved it. Its large soft emerald spine that felt like silk; and it sat perfectly in her hand. The beautiful green lilies that were engraved into the front and back covers were the perfect shade and size. But most of all, she loved the small white lily that was embossed into the silk spine.

It was beautiful. It was perfect. It was fit for royalty.

Lily couldn’t help but go through her trunk and find the best quill that she owned. She placed it neatly next to the beautiful book that had just come into her possession; she was going to write inside it. It was going to become her diary, her journal. It was going to become a book that was her sanctuary from the troubles everywhere. For some reason, Lily felt compelled to name it.

She mentally named the book after the flowers on the spin and covers, the colour of the pages of parchment and her name.

She named the beautiful book fit for royalty…White Lilies.