Lily of the valley

29

The feast was alive with sound and heat, fifty nobles sat around golden tables under a vast sky of stars. The God's watched with jealousy from their thrones in the sky. There was music and dancing and fire. Women wore painted silk and rare jewels, everything glistened in the light. Katherine and Lily were in awe, never had they experienced something so decadent and lustrous. The perfumed air, the sweet fruits, the rich meats; it was divine. Queen Thea sat beside the King, she was a vision in red and he was besotted with her.

The ladies of the mountain sat amongst Thea's handmaidens, they were jovial and welcoming. Ixia did not eat or drink the delights before her, Katherine turned to her with curiosity.

"Are you not hungry?" The little princess asked. Ixia smiled and shook her head, her hair bounced with the movement.

"I cannot eat human food, it would disconnect me from the forest." Ixia's voice had a sound of rustling leaves transformed into language. "The Queen has asked you to watch her tonight, to learn from her." Ixia added. Katherine looked to Thea, her full attention was on the King. She trailed her fingers across his thigh and whispered into his ear, she giggled and flirted. They were an unexpected match, she was young and lavish, he was older and stout. In reality he repulsed her, but she knew better than to let that show. He was enamoured with her and she wielded his power like sword. The King knew nothing of the war to come, he did not know how his actions would slide the pieces into play.

The handmaidens drank spiced red wine and laughed together about palace gossip, their voices rang loud and untamed. The topic centred around a young duchess from the meadow kingdom, she had been courting one of the knights, who stood on guard duty nearby. She could never have him of course, when her time came she would be married off to some old lord or duke.

"While I still have my freedom I will..." She paused and smirked with heavy lust in her eyes, "exercise it." This statement was met with giggling. The girl cast a glance to the proud knight and turned to blushing. She was exuberant and willingly racing down a one way track towards heartbreak. Better to love and lose than to never love at all she supposed.

Queen Thea caught Katherine's eye and beckoned her to approach the high table, Katherine obeyed, with loyal Lily at her side. The Queens table was even more lavish than the others, there were jewels encrusted into every surface. They drank sparkling pale wine with berries. Katherine and Lily curtsied before the King and Queen, the King looked at them with curiosity, wondering who they were and why his wife had summoned them.

"Darling I'd like you to meet my niece, Katherine of the mountain, and her companion Lily of the mountain." Thea never stopped touching her husband, as if through contact she gained her power. "Katherine, Lily, this is my husband Castor." Thea contorted her natural voice, she was breathier and deeper, every moment she was with him she seduced.

"A pleasure your majesty." Katherine addressed the King.

"You are a long way from home princess, what brings you to the city of sunlight?" His voice was gruff, though kind. Thea spoke for Katherine, ensuring she could keep the King coiled tightly around her finger.

"Katherine is to be Solomon's wife dear, she has travelled a long way alone and endured much hardship. We must aid her the rest of the journey. I'm sure Maequil will be grateful." Thea's voice was like a drug.

"But of course! We shall accompany her ourselves. Maequil is a beautiful kingdom Katherine, you are lucky."

"You are too kind your majesty." Katherine curtsied from gratitude and Thea winked at her, she took credit for his actions.

"You must allow her to stay here for a day or two first darling, I have much to teach her." Thea made her eyes wide with a pleading look that men find impossible to refuse. Castor simply nodded and placed his hand upon Thea's.

"Of course my love."

"Go now, enjoy the feast. I will come find you later."

Katherine and Lily returned to their seats with varying reactions, Lily admired Thea, she had wrestled power from a system that would otherwise allow her none. Albeit through guile and sin. Lily was not quite so naive as Katherine, she understood that primal need to be more than just a prisoner. Katherine saw the Queen for her cold heart, how she could so easily use a man's love against him, it repulsed her. Katherine also knew that she must do the same, it was survival and she despised it.

They sank back in to the lightheaded gossip of the handmaids, they were red faced and slurring. Drunk and beaming. The elven woman watched Katherine and Lily carefully, she recalled an ancient prophecy and recited it in her head.

'From deep snow will rise the light. Weaponised innocence, to wash away corruption. Freedom and peace.' Agathe observed the snowy pallor of Katherine and quietly pondered those words, they could have driven her to madness; they would not leave her mind. Agathe turned to Ixia and whispered the prophecy into her ear.

"Have you heard these words before?" Agathe asked the dryad, whose expression was serious and sobering. The blood rushed from her face, she lost her breath.

"Where did you hear that?" Ixia enquired of Agathe, her jaw was tense, she was shaken by the interaction.

"It's ancient, a dryadic prophecy carved into the white tree at the centre of the elvish city. Its been there thousands of years. You know it?" Ixia stopped a moment to watch gentle Katherine, her innocence was indisputable.

"Since she arrived the flowers and trees have been screaming it, over and over again. I had never heard it before today." The bouquets of roses that lined the tables, the wildflowers in the desert below, the trees of the Queen's walled garden, all screeched in union. For Ixia their voices were impossible to ignore, she could feel the desperation of the flora to have their message heard.

"It has to be her." Agathe responded. Ixia nodded. "We must tell the Queen." The dryad maiden was in agreement.

"Find her after the feast, I have something I now must do." Ixia rose and left the celebrations, she moved like a shadow through the palace corridors. Down twisting stairwells and through vast drawing rooms she exited the castle.

The city was hot and dry, Ixia donned a hooded cloak, she was the only dryad in the city of sunlight and did not wish to attract attention. Her mission was far too important for delays. She weaved through tight streets and alleyways, past drunks and twirling lovers, the air was heavy with the scent of hot stone and dried flowers. Firelight and the full white moon cast deep shadows across the labyrinth of buildings.

Ixia departed the city into the wilds, there she removed her cloak and bathed in the starlight. Her footsteps were light on the red sand as she danced northward, her eyes cast to the earth as she searched for life. In the distance she could hear a coyote howling to his pack. She drifted with the breeze across dunes and valleys until she found what she was looking for.

An underground river fed a vast meadow of desert flowers, their vibrant colours made the sandy wasteland come to life. Ixia did not waste time revelling in their beauty, she sank onto her hands and knees and pressed her lips to the closest bloom. A deep purple mariposa lily. Ixia spoke in a language long forgotten,

"Carry this message to the grove keeper, the chosen one has arrived, it is time." The flower petals rustled, though there was no breeze, and the message began to travel north. Over canyon, over moor and meadow, the plants whispered to each other until they reached the ears of the voice of the forest.