Lilith II

A young princess comes to terms with her arranged marriage

            The chill air made Lilith shiver. The light breeze blew the hem of her uncomfortably short white dress around her knees as she stood waiting on top of the hill. Her ever-present guards, Atem and Galand, stood to her left and right, and to the side, her father Edward stood solitarily. He had his own guards watching him, of course, but he always preferred to stand alone. Lilith supposed it was some sort of statement; he was strong enough to not need to rely on his guards. He certainly looked the part, with his tall stature, broad shoulders, and stone-like expression. He wore this expression all hours of the day, even around her.

            With a sigh, Lilith looked forward, at the seemingly endless plains stretching out below her. She had been waiting for some time now. Too long, even - the people they were expecting were late. Despite that, and despite the cold, she almost wished they would never get here; waiting forever would be better than what would happen when they arrived, she thought. Yes, she was in no hurry to meet her soon-to-be husband.

            Alexander Alvroy was known throughout the world for being a tall, dark, and handsome prince, a young man with a brilliant mind for strategy, both in war and in politics. He was also known for being a spoiled, pompous royal brat who threw tantrums over the smallest things. He was the kind of person Lilith would never want to associate with. Unfortunately for her, Alexander’s father was emperor of a neighboring nation with whom Lilith’s father wished to forge an alliance. The easiest way to do that was to offer his daughter to the emperor’s son.

            Lilith had never had much control over her life, instead being a political pawn to her father. She never realized how little power she really had, but it had become all too clear in the past three years, ever since she found that fountain and learned the inner workings of the city's political scene. She knew the day would come when she would be married off to improve her father’s position, but all the same, she dreaded that it was finally within sight. The fact that she had to wear this revealing, restrictive dress did nothing to improve her mood.

            There, finally, she saw movement down below. Had she been paying more attention, she might have noticed them earlier. Maybe half a mile from the hill, six people on horseback were riding toward them. She glanced at her father. He watched the riders with his steely, analytical gaze.

            Lilith hugged herself as she waited for them to reach her. She tried to figure out which one was Alexander and which ones were merely guards. It did seem like an unusually large number of guards. Five guards for one man? Safety was always a good idea, but the emperor and king were on good terms with each other, especially now with Lilith being pawned off like a commodity. It made sense soon after when the riders became close enough for her to make out their faces. Alexander brought his sister. At least, that’s who Lilith assumed she was. It was difficult to tell from this distance, but the woman and Alexander both wore more regal clothing than their companions, and there was a certain similarity between them.

            Claire wasn’t as well known as her brother (women were never appreciated as much as their male counterparts). She was mentioned occasionally in courtroom gossip, but only as an extra in tales about her brother or father. Though if she was anything like the stories painted Alexander to be, Claire wasn't someone Lilith was anxious to make the acquaintance of, either.

            The next couple minutes dragged. She saw them approaching and could no longer pretend to deny the arrangement wouldn’t be happening, but it still wasn’t happening yet. The anticipation and dread were killing her.

            Finally, just when the riders were approaching the top of the hill, the sound of hooves drawing painfully near, Lilith’s father stepped forward to greet them, his guards silently following a few paces behind. The riders stopped and dismounted. Alexander and the woman walked together, pausing a few feet in front of the king. The two men regarded each other emotionlessly while the girl casually observed her surroundings. She made eye contact with Lilith. The girl tilted her head while she studied Lilith, and Lilith studied her in return. The provocative textured red dress she wore would have looked ridiculous on Lilith yet looked right at home on her. She had tan skin, curly black hair, and intense emerald eyes. She was just as beautiful as her brother was handsome. They stood watching each other for a few moments, then the girl flashed her a brief, sweet smile before looking at the king. Lilith’s heart skipped a beat, though she wasn’t sure why. Because it had been unexpected?

            A voice interrupted her thoughts.

            “It is good to finally meet you.”

            Alexander’s voice was a calm, smooth tenor. He ran a hand through his dark hair, smiling confidently. He was tall and slender, yet even under his clothing, it was clear his frame was packed with lean muscle.

            “Sire,” he continued. “Allow me to introduce myself.” He bowed slightly. “I am Alexander Alvroy of Vavalon, son of Emperor Rudolph, and heir to the throne.” He couldn’t help but smirk as he spoke, no doubt used to people being awestruck by his lineage and position. When Edward didn’t react, Alexander wavered for just a moment. “And this,” he gestured to the girl standing at his side, “is my twin sister, Claire.” Claire curtsied.

            The king examined them for a time. Alexander shifted his weight, not quite managing to hide his discomfort. Lilith couldn’t blame him; her father’s gaze could make anyone squirm. Claire, on the other hand, seemed completely nonplussed. She stood straight and at ease, the wind gently ruffling her hair.

            Finally, the king pressed his fist to his chest, and dipped his chin slightly, the closest he ever came to bowing.

            “So you’ve finally arrived.” He let the comment hang in the air for a second. “I won’t waste my or your time with pointless pleasantries. We all know why you’re here, so let’s not stall any longer.” He turned toward Lilith and gave a small nod.

            Her heart leaped into her throat and she felt her hands begin to shake. Forcing a smile, she curtsied and walked over, feeling Alexander’s gaze upon her. He unabashedly ran his eyes up and down her body, his gaze lingering in a few places, and she again wished she was wearing something more concealing than this dress. Normally a young woman could count on her father to stave off enthusiastic young men, but she knew she could expect no help from her father; the agreement the kings made encouraged Alexander's behavior. This truly was a hopeless situation. She offered him her hand, and he took it, staring into her eyes.

            “My lord,” she said.

            “A pleasure.” He watched her for a moment longer, with wide, excited eyes, before kissing her hand. Instead of releasing it, as she expected, he placed his other hand on hers.

            “My,” he said. “I’d heard tale of the beautiful princess from Siben, but you far exceed even my loftiest expectations.” She had heard those exact words countless times before. The only thing the men from royal families ever commented on was her beauty, as if that’s all she was: a figurehead whose only purpose was to stand there looking pretty and pretend to be important to the peasants.

            “You honor me with your words, my lord.”

            “I say nothing but the truth.”

            Edward spoke. “Let us continue this back at the castle.” Without another word, he mounted his horse.

            Alexander released Lilith’s hand and smiled one last time. His gaze had a suggestive undertone. Lilith forced herself to smile in kind. He returned to his horse, followed by Claire. Just before mounting, she turned and looked at Lilith, her face blank and unreadable. Lilith smiled politely. She turned around, though she still felt Claire watching her. Atem helped Lilith onto her horse, and they were off.

            Alexander immediately raced to the front of their group, next to Edward. No doubt the prince intended to boast about his achievements or praise the king to get into his good graces. Perhaps both.

            Despite being royalty, recently Lilith had grown to resent much of what that entailed. Many assume being born a royal is a blessing, but it was just as much of a prison as being born a peasant farmer. The cell was carved out of gold, but it was a cell all the same.

            She jumped when she heard Claire speak, not having realized she was now right next to her.

            “My brother isn’t the husband you dreamed about when you were young, is he?”

             “Alexander’s reputation proceeds him. He is -"

            Claire exhaled. “A pampered royal brat?”

            Lilith blinked. What could she say to that? “Erm, I’m sure he’ll make a great ruler and husband.”

            Claire laughed, and it was such a pleasant sound Lilith had to resist smiling. Claire looked at her, and Lilith was struck by the depth and intelligence her eyes held. “Don’t worry. The men are out of earshot. Don’t be afraid to speak candidly; I’m not.” She looked ahead at her brother, an amused smile tugging at her lips. “I’ll tell you what I think of Alexander. He’s an idiot. Sure, he knows war, and he knows politics, but his lack of common sense is astounding. Not to mention his complete lack of understanding of women. I tried to tell him once that women aren’t just there to be ogled by him and actually have thoughts of their own, but he didn’t believe a word of it. I feel back for the servants at our castle. I don't think there's a single skirt there he hasn't chased.”

            Lilith simply stared at Claire. Eventually, she managed to stutter, “Y-you shouldn’t say such things of the prince.”

            Claire leaned in as well as she could while the two of them were on horses. Her face was mere inches from Lilith, and Lilith could feel her body heat. It was a strangely pleasant feeling.

            “So tell me, Lilith,” Claire said in a conspiratorial way. “What do you think of my twin?” She raised an eyebrow. “My entire life, I’ve wanted a woman to speak with. I can’t gossip about men to other men, can I? Don’t deny me this experience.” She winked.

            There was something about Claire that put Lilith at ease. For one, she understood everything Lilith had dealt with her whole life. But it was more than that. Her aura was comforting and encouraging. Looking into those green eyes, Lilith found herself blushing.

            She quickly looked away. Despite herself, she smirked. “I’m afraid I don’t have much experience with the art of gossiping.” She looked sideways at her. “You’ll have to teach me sometime. With the upcoming merging of our families, we’re bound to see more of each other. I’ll have plenty of time to learn.”

            Lilith looked forward. The castle gates loomed ahead, as strong and oppressive as always. Lilith didn’t know what the future had in store for her, and she certainly wasn’t thrilled with her new family. But where sisters-in-law were concerned, she could certainly do worse than Claire.

            Claire patted Lilith’s arm. “We’ve made it this long on our own, surrounded by these men. Now that we have each other, all these princes running about will be downright manageable.”

Author's Note

A lot of people wanted me to write more about Lilith, so here is part two of her story. (part 1: http://www.writerscafe.org/writing/Hangracetaylor/1997465/). Please tell me what you think!

Reviews

[Re-Pete]

suggestion:

She knew the day would come when she would be married off to improve her father’s position, but all the same, she dreaded that it was finally within sight.

instead of

"She knew the day would come that she was married off to improve her father’s position, but all the same, she dreaded that it was finally within sight."

learned a new word: nonplussed.

very telling - "Despite being royalty, recently Lilith had grown to resent much of what that entailed. Many assume being born a royal is a blessing, but it was just as much of a prison as being born a peasant farmer. The cell was carved out of gold, but it was a cell all the same."

"Not to mention his complete understanding of women." ?? meant misunderstanding perhaps ??

this really got me thinking about Medieval times and arranged marriages. you write really well and i could picture everything perfectly in great detail as you painted the scene, exposed their thoughts and laid out the dialogue as it was happening. i was interested throughout the whole thing. good work.

[Hannah]

Thank you for your suggestions, Pete. I've made the changes. I'm glad you enjoyed the story, and thank you for kind words.

[Jacob Clifford]

Just a slight typo I noticed. When Alexander is first talking to Edward, the text is "When Edward didn’t react, Alexander waved for just a moment." Waved should be wavered.

I love the ending. Even though the rest of the story is about Lilith's lack of control over her life, and she thinks about it quite bitterly, the exchange with Claire is much more pleasant and end things on an optimistic note as well get the reader wondering what might become of the two princesses. You make some very shrewd examinations of what life must have been for people in Lilith's position, back in the ages of kings and knights. My heart certainly goes out to them.

[Hannah]

Thank you for pointing that out. I'm glad you enjoyed reading.

[.]

A fine continuation of the story, Hannah.

Your flow, dialogue, description, characterisation....it is all so well put together. I feel another female empowerment angle to this story, and now that Lilith has a close female companion, I sense together they will have many adventures.

Like your first chapter, i enjoyed this one also. I look forward to reading any further additions to this story. Excellent storytelling.

[Hannah]

Thank you very much, Doodley! You flatter me. I'm glad people seem to enjoy Lilith, and maybe there will have to be further additions to her story.

[KCthelastboyscout]

Now Lilith and.Claire will start adventures of their own.LILLITH 3...

[Hannah]

It could happen. Who knows what the future will hold.

[Suhd]

It's been a great treat reading it. You're a wonderful story-teller :) Bravo

[Hannah]

Thank you, Suhd. Glad you enjoyed reading.