Lilith

A young princess discovers a dark truth about her family

Lilith

 

Lilith looked at the buildings looming over her, reaching so high they seemed to touch the sky. They surrounded her on all sides, as far as the eye could see. Their stone walls were cold and uninviting. One could easily feel intimidated and lost in this city. She smiled.

            “It boggles the mind that all I see belongs to my father,” she said. And, she thought, will one day belong to me.

            “Yes, my lady,” one of her guards responded at once.

            Lilith turned slowly, drinking in all she saw. It was a grandiose sight indeed, yet one could only look at building exteriors so long without growing bored. What she wanted to know now was what lay beneath those walls. The thousands of people she knew lived here. Why where they hiding? Since leaving the palace, she’d seen precious few people. Just the odd passerby here and there, hunched and with an air of urgency. Despite it, they stopped and knelt when they saw her fine clothing and the guards in their royal armor. The respect pleased her, but it was nothing to which she wasn’t accustomed from the castle servants.

            A bit more somber, she continued walking. Two sets of footsteps followed. She stopped before an alleyway. It was long and narrow and dark. She could faintly see a light at the other side but could make out little else. How interesting. She started forward.

            “Milady.”

            Lilith looked over her shoulder. “Yes?”

            The two guards - Atem and Galand - exchanged glances. Galand cleared his throat.

            “Milady . . . You would not wish to see what’s on the other side”

            She practiced masking her emotions, just as Father always told her to do. Instead of scowling, she merely raised her eyebrows. “And why is that?” Seeing her guards’ discomfort brought a slight smile to her lips. “I’ve spent the better part of five years convincing Father to let me see the city. And see it I shall!” Without another word, she resumed her walk. After a brief pause, the guards’ footsteps followed.

            The alley was longer than she expected. It took a full two minutes to each the other side. As she walked, a slight sense of dread tugged at her. It was a strange feeling and one she quickly dismissed; she had nothing to fear here, in her own city. All the same, she picked up her pace and was relieved upon breaching the darkness.

            She stood on the edge of a plaza with a large, non-functioning fountain and - finally! - people. There were men and women of all ages, shapes, and colors. For all of their diversity, not a one looked anything like her family or the nobles who visited. Their clothes were filthy rags. Their fingernails and hair were snarled and caked with mud. Their skin was filthy and covered in scabs, scratches, and boils. And their faces . . . They were hardly human, twisted in pain and depression. Those eyes had seen things they never should have.

            And they were all on her. She saw many looks on their faces. Some wore expressions of surprise, others of fear. Some even looked at her with anger and hatred. For the first time in her life, Lilith wished she wasn’t wearing the family crest.

            One sickly-looking old woman stood, legs quivering. She locked eyes with Lilith in a much more personal way than the rest. The woman swayed dangerously, as if about to collapse. Then, faster than should have been possible, she threw a stone at Lilith. The two guards materialized before Lilith. Galand’s shoulder took the rock, but it shattered and a shard struck Lilith just below the eye. Icy, metal fingers squeezed Lilith’s heart. Was this fear. She tasted vomit in the back of her throat. Atem placed his hand on her arm.

            “My lady, this is why we didn’t want you to see this.” He pulled her away, and she went without resistance. Galand stayed in front of them, sword drawn, eyeing the crowd. Just as they were about to retreat back into the alley, something caught Lilith’s eye.

            In a second, she processed every detail about a small girl sitting alone in a corner. A mud-covered blanket was draped over her shoulders. Her stringy black hair reached her waist. Her pale skin was crisscrossed with scratches, welts, and gashes. Her bright eyes bore into her, full of . . . fear.

            She’s so young.

            As the guards escorted Lilith back to the castle, she could think of nothing but that girl’s eyes. The broad streets and grandiose buildings had lost any remaining appeal. She knew they were a façade, covering the ugly truth that festered underneath like a rotten second skin.

            When they reached the front gate, she dismissed her guards and walked straight to the throne room. King Edward was consulting with Reginald, the portly, gray-haired duke of neighboring nation Meikalis.

            “Father.”

            Both men turned toward her. Her father smiled without warmth. “Lilith. Back already, I see.”

            “I need to speak with you.”

             He frowned, deep lines forming on his face. “As you can see, I’m a bit preoccupied right now.” It was a clear dismissal, and he turned back to the duke.

            “It cannot wait.”

            A dark light ignited in his eyes. Most would not be able to recognize it, but she knew it well. He opened his mouth to speak when something in his expression changed. A look of understanding. “I see,” he said simply. He glanced at the duke. “My apologies. If you would excuse us for just a moment.”

            The king rose. He was the very picture of nobility. He stood straight and tall and proud and the very air around him was charged. He strode over to Lilith. He put a firm hand on her shoulder and led her from the room. In the hallway, he walked to a window and looked out, hands behind his back.

            “Tell me what you saw.”

            She crossed her arms and looked at the floor. “I saw many things. Buildings. Streets, roads.” She glanced up. Her father was still gazing out the window, his posture relaxed but no less authoritative for it. “A fountain.” The king stiffened ever so slightly.

            “Ah. I wondered as much.” He turned to face her. “You saw something that upset you, is that correct?”

            She narrowed her eyes. “You know? About those people?” He dipped his chin. She blinked. “What is being done to help them?”

            “Help them?” Something in his expression changed yet again and he turned back to the window. Lilith almost though she was being dismissed, he was silent for so long. “The kingdom has better uses for its resources than helping those who won’t help themselves.”

            Her heart skipped a beat. “Y-you mean to say . . . you aren’t helping them? But, you simply must. They -”

            He turned his head slightly, just enough to see her. He studied her for close to ten seconds. “You think we should offer them assistance.” She didn’t respond. “In this tumultuous time, with political unrest and war on all sides, you think we should prioritize our spending on those street rats.” His voice was calm and even, just as ever, but there was an edge to it. “That is precisely why I didn’t wish you to leave the castle. You’re too kindhearted. Too gentle and soft. You always have been.” He stepped closer and ran a gloved finger along her cheek. Lilith flinched at the contact. He held up the finger for her to see. A crimson splotch sullied the fine leather. She had almost forgotten about the rock hitting her. “You would help those people even after they harmed you.”

            “Father -”

            “I’m a busy man, Lilith. I have no more time for this discussion. I will always love you, but what you ask is simply not practical right now.” He returned to the throne room.

            Lilith stood in silence. She went to the window where her father was. Below, the city was visible. In the distance, faintly visible, was the fountain plaza. She looked at her clothing. She wore a simple yet undeniably beautiful dress. It was no wonder those people were aggressive. They took one look at her and knew she was part of the royal family that had been depriving them for so long. She moved self-consciously back from the window. She crossed her arms and walked to her bedroom. As she went, she noted each extravagant decoration adorning the walls. She couldn’t help but put a price on everything she saw. A painting was worth a full wardrobe. A suit of armor was food for a week. The coat of arms was a night under a rented roof.

 *

She gazed into the polished mirror. Her thick hair was long and black. Her skin was white and smooth. Her eyes were bright and piercing.  She could now see where the rock had struck her. A small scratch ran along her cheekbone. It would fade away within a day or two, and she would have no reminder of what she saw.

            She had always considered herself to be beautiful, and she had never heard otherwise. But now she couldn’t focus on her beauty. Every time she looked at herself, all she could see was the little girl from the plaza. There were so many similarities, they could have passed for sisters. The biggest difference was the class into which they were born. Had that little girl - that “street urchin” - been born a noble, her hair and skin would be as flawless as her own.

            An idea came to Lilith. She went to her bedside table and rang the bell sitting on it. Moments later came a knock at the door.

            “Come in.”

            The door opened a crack and the butler stuck his head in. “You rang, your highness?”

            She gave him a warm smile. “I never learned your name, did I?”

            The man blinked. “No, your highness.”

            “What is it?”

            “Erm, Edwin, your highness.”

            Edwin. Not unlike her father’s name. Aside from birth status, what was keeping the roles of king and butler from being reversed?

            “Very good. Edwin, I want you to bring me as much food as you can carry.” As an afterthought, she added, “Thank you.”

            He scratched behind his ear. “Uh, yes, your highness.” He bowed and left.

 *

Lilith retraced her steps as well as she could. These streets were winding and confusing, but she was fairly sure this is the path she and her guards travelled this morning.

            She had done her best to downplay her royal appearance by wearing the oldest and most ragged clothing she could find, but her options were limited. With luck, she would pass for a merchant’s daughter. She hoped her mussed up hair helped sell the commoner disguise. Each time she saw someone, she turned her face away and prayed her pounding heart wasn’t audible. Without her guards, and knowing how poorly her family has treated the people in this city, she feared what may happen to her if she was spotted. She would thank Atem and Galand the next time she saw them.

            She found it. The alleyway. The bag she had slung over her shoulder turned to lead. Taking a deep breath, she entered the alley and marched toward the light. The few minutes seemed to take an eternity She pulled her hood over her head, trying to further obscure her features.

            Then she was there. Just as before, every eye in the plaza immediately snapped to her. Without a word, Lilith knelt down and slung the bag off her shoulder. She opened it, revealing the pile of food inside. She stood and back up, watching everyone. She looked to one side and saw the old woman from before. She glanced the other way and saw the girl from earlier. Lilith gave her a small smile before turning and darting away.

Author's Note

Reposting this here, from my other account I don't have access to anymore.