Lily of the valley

1

From the deepest snow drifts of the north to the glaring sun of the desert, from the depths of the ocean to the heights of the open sky there was an unease. It lived in every child, in every sighing tree and every twinkling star. This discontent swilled around one young woman, a woman with nothing but a calling. To deliver the shield and the sun, to raise up her who would bring peace.

Katherine of the mountain awoke in her chambers, wrapped in thick albino wolf furs and the softest of ivory silks. Outside her window the snow was swirling and embracing the ground, the evergreen trees, the marble and pearl towers. Katherine herself was a vision of ivory, from her skin to her hair to her eyes. From the gentle laudanum of post sleep dreaming she was harshly awoken by a fire in her belly, accompanied by a stabbing pain that made her gasp and grope at herself. Writhing and sweating, she reached between her legs and as she had feared her fingers came back dark bloody red. The day had come at last.

"Lily!" Katherine called out to her beloved handmaiden who had been sleeping in an adjoining room, "Lily!" She called out again. Fair Lily awoke and rushed to Katherine's bedside, her expression was stricken by what she saw, blood covering the princess' white hands, blood on the sheets. Lily stroked Katherine's hair, pushing it back from her sweat soaked forehead and tying the strands together, out of the way.

"Are you in pain my love?" Katherine nodded, grasping at her stomach. "I'll fetch you a tonic... and some fresh sheets." As Lily moved away from the bed Katherine gripped her arm,

"Please Lily, please don't tell him." Katherine pleaded of her companion who returned to her side, kissing the mountain princess' drenched forehead.

"I have to." Katherine released her then and lay back, resigned to her fate. The bells had begun to sing and clang across the mountain before Lily's return, such joyous nonsense to all but her. To her it meant a great deal, it meant leaving, it meant marriage in the southern lands where earth meets sea. Lily returned with Katherine's mother, Queen Margaret; a tall, gaunt woman with wispy black hair. Lily prepared a bath while Margaret comforted and fed Katherine pain relieving tea. It was hot and bitter.

"How does that feel now darling?" Asked Margaret, while helping her daughter up from the stained bed.

"Better, thank you." Katherine stripped and lowered herself into the steaming bathwater, roses and lilies floated on the surface, she gazed out of her floor to ceiling windows at the rapidly paling landscape. For miles all she could see was mountains and forests, but soon she would see everything there was to see. As a child her mother had often sung of the desert's burning sun, of the wild winds of the moors, of the deep darkness in the forest of shadows. While she daydreamed in the fragrant waters Lily and Margaret changed her sheets and prepared her ceremonial gown. White velvet with white fur trim, covered in elegant silver floral embroidery. And her crown of roses and gold. After bathing they dressed her, brushed her hair and gave her more tonic which she gladly and quickly drank. The King of the mountain entered, dressed in rich reds, with a tall golden, heavily jewelled crown. He embraced his daughter, taking in her fresh fertile beauty, her rosy cheeks and soft hair. Following him was Katherine's older brother and younger sisters, who would one day face the same fate.

"This day has come too soon." Spoke he, stroking her cheek with his thumb. The King took his daughter's head in his hands and kissed her forehead.

"Will I ever see you again?" Asked Katherine.

"Perhaps, though perhaps not." The King had great sorrow for though he had known this day would come all of Katherine's life he had still grown to love her. After all she was of his flesh, of his blood.

"When do I leave?" 

Queen Margaret wrapped her arm around her child's shoulders and with great grief replied, "today."