Tower of Dove

Chapter 3: The Dragon

Tower of Dove Chapter 3: The Dragon

“We’re going on a walk.”

Lilyana looked up from the book she was reading to see her closest friend, Miette, standing in front of her. Her hazel eyes were determined, but Lilyana shook her head. She didn’t want to go on a walk. She wanted to continue sitting on this couch and avoiding people like the hermit she was.

Miette pursed her lips together. They were especially pink against her pale complexion and towhead hair. Lilyana often referred to her as a fairy because of this, but then she was reminded of being called an “elf girl.” She probably wouldn’t be thinking of Miette as a fairy much anymore.

“You haven’t left the house in a week,” Miette said.

A week? It hadn’t been that long. “I went out for a walk three days ago,” she said. That was when she had been attacked by that evil bear.

“That was seven days ago.”

It hadn’t been seven days. She read a book a day, so all she had to do was count the books. She looked at the pile sitting on the end table beside the couch. There were eight books, plus the one she was reading, so. . .

“Nine,” she said aloud.

“Nine?” Miette asked.

Lilyana stood up and took the books off of the end table. She had to dispose of this evidence of her dark hermit days. She decided to hide them under the couch.

“Now no one will ever know,” she said to herself. When she stood back up, Miette was giving her a patronizing look. She knew that look well.

She was going to get another lecture.

“Lilyana, you can’t lock yourself in your house for days at a time and just lose yourself. You’re a noble’s daughter, the noble’s daughter. You’re practically a princess in the eyes of this community, and all you do is avoid everyone.”

 A princess? Her? She could see it now, Princess Lilyana as she rides through town in a horse-drawn carriage, daintily waving to the worshipping commoners as they chant her name and kiss the ground on which her carriage wheels roll over. Sure, they’ll probably contract some sort of deadly disease, the stomach flu at the very least, but at least they’ll have shown their loyalty and devotion.

“Amethyst adores you because Simeon loves you so much. He’s such a nice boy and the most desired bachelor in town and you won’t even give him a chance.”

Miette was speaking so fast now; it was beginning to annoy Lilyana. She gave a quick look out the window, trying to ignore her friend. The sky was awfully blue. She wondered if it was hot as well.

“Just look at your skin! It’s almost as pale as mine, and you’re not supposed to be that pale. You tan so easily, which means all you do is sit in the dark all day reading and who knows what else.”

Quite on the contrary, she’d only chosen this week to read. Sometimes she sat on the roof and threw things at squirrels, or stayed in and played with her mother’s ukulele. Posy preferred the guitar, but the ukulele just had a special carefree sound to it.

“You worry me, Dobry, Calanthe, and little Posy.”

That struck a chord. Lilyana picked up the ukulele and strummed a quick tune. “Okay, you got me.”

“Your family always gets you.” Miette sighed and shook her head. “Put the ukulele down. Let’s go walk through the Redwood Forest, it’s nice there. We can go to that little meadow you love so much, the one near the river.”