A fox in the snow

Chapter 16

The rest of that night passed in a blur. The funeral took place the very next day and every guest at the Moon Festival were in attendance at the funeral too. It was a rather sombre ceremony, quite contradictory to the celebratory mood of the day before.

Queen Catherine wore an impeccable black gown with matching gloves, a feather hat and shoes. Of course, royal families had to always be prepared for such unforeseen events. But Lilith couldn't help but wonder how immaculately prepared she was, considering how foreseen the event had been.

Lilith was shocked beyond what words could express. Her beloved father lay there, in the teak casket. He wore his favourite robe and looked peaceful in his forever slumber. Beside his casket laid flowers and wreaths. Swarms of guests and other royal families in the vicinity of Valoria came to pay their last respects.

Lilith cried bitterly the previous night, draining every last ounce of emotion out of her, and tried to get some rest. However, she couldn't close her eyes for a moment because all her favourite memories with her father came back to her.

On the day of the funeral, she was too tired to express any emotion at all. She had a mild fever due to the shock, and since she didn't eat anything, it only made her weaker. Her body trembled and her lips quivered with a sense of nervousness and agony of her fate as well as the future of Valoria.

She slowly put herself together, wearing a simple black gown with a white sash around her waist. She tied her hair in a neat bun and carried a woollen scarf.

Queen Catherine beckoned her to sit beside her on the front pew, to not cause any suspicion (or murmurs among the crowd). Lilith simply ignored her and sat as far from her as possible. A momentary glare came from Catherine but was quickly replaced with her fake sorrow.

Lilith poor thing, she shivered throughout the prayer service and tried her best to calm her quivers by wrapping the scarf around her neck and rubbing her palms together. Her face grew paler and paler with every passing minute.

Prince Harry spotted Lilith all huddled up and sat close to her, placing his warm yet sturdy hand around her shoulder. She smiled at him gratefully though she couldn't utter a word as her throat was parched. She closed her eyes when she felt dizzy and rested her head on Harry's shoulder. She felt tears threatening to spill, and blinked her eyes a few times.

The church resembled a museum filled with wax statues having solemn expressions, staring at the void, each lost in their thoughts.

After around two hours, the church gate was opened to the citizens of Valoria to get a last glimpse of their ruler. Most of them came running and wailing loudly. It momentarily startled the guests seated in the hall, including Lilith. But she knew the great influence her father had on Valoria. King Dominic was the only ruler in the one hundred fifty-year history of the country who worked relentlessly for years to encourage handicrafts and farming by exporting them to other countries. He was a diplomatic person and forged good relations with other kingdoms rather than waging wars as his ancestors did. 

Even the famed coconuts were not so famed once upon a time. It was a neglected fruit due to its abundant supply. That is until he intervened.  

The villagers and townspeople refused to vacate the church after paying their respects. They sat on the floor, silently mourning. Their teary eyes filled with hope as they imagined yet another dynamic ruler on the throne, Princess Lilith.

Except that won't be the case this time.

Lilith stared at the floor, contemplating her next step. She wasn't the one to give up. Her restless mind churned up several questions and theories.

Why did I attend the ball yesterday, when I'd already planned I'd be next to Papa? It wasn't my doing, that's for sure. Did they do something to keep me away from the scene?

Why did I regain my senses after kissing Zayden? Does he have a hand in all this?

How did Dad die? The guards said no one went near him the entire time except the apothecary. Wait, is he involved in this?

She had reached that mindset where she couldn't trust anyone.

The pastor broke her chain of thought as he asked her to deliver her fondest memories with her father. Lilith stood up, composed herself and walked towards the pulpit. Everyone looked intently at her. The villagers gave her a reassuring smile, while the royals looked at her coldly. Harry signalled her a thumbs up. She hadn't prepared anything. She chose to speak from her heart.

Before she began, she looked at Catherine, who gave her a devilish smirk. The Crown Shield beside her bore an indifferent expression, not meeting her eye.

"My father, King Dominic was a great man. More than that, he was a selfless human, who wouldn't think twice about doing anything and everything to make sure Valorians never went hungry or without shelter. He could've annexed parts of other kingdoms for his benefit. But he never did that, as he was certain it would expose Valoria to possible civil wars which would completely shatter life and property here."

Lilith paused and then continued, "I loved him a lot, and he loved me a lot more. Now that he's gone, I can't help but feel a sense of void in me. Like he always said, you can only get rid of earthly troubles by going to the heavenly abode. Wherever he is right now, I hope he's happy. I hope his name will be etched in your hearts forever." She closed her eyes, imagining her father smiling at her from above, and felt content.

The moment of reminiscence was disrupted by a booming voice that declared, "Don't spare Lilith! She killed the king!" 

Author's note

Whoops! Seems like the booming voice is only going to cause more trouble for Lilith. Will Lilith make it out this time, or will she go behind a new trail, a new adventure?

Hope you like this chapter. If you do, please don't forget to drop a ⭐, share it with your friends, or simply tag them in the prologue of this book so that it can reach more reads.

Thank you for your support. Do not hesitate to point out mistakes as this is my first draft and errors are certain to have crept in.

Happy Reading!