Lily of the valley

26

Lily awoke in searing pain, her arm gave her no peace and her head was thundering. All she could see was dark, damp stone, the ceiling above her. Lily tried to move her arm and gasped with the pain, she was weak and dizzy, she felt as if lost in some terrifying dream. As consciousness slowly flooded back to her she began to hear voices, they faded in and out of coherence but she was certain she could hear Katherine's royal lilt.

"She was addicted to some kind of drug..." Lily tried to speak but her throat made no sound, "she mined it." Lily tried again, forcing air to vibrate through her voice box. She made an abstract and feral sound. There was a disturbance out of view, after a few moments Katherine's beaming face appeared above her.

"You're safe, it's okay, it's okay. Rest." Katherine's eyes were wet with relief, and joy.

"What happened?" Lily asked, cradling her aching head in her unaffected hand. 

"Let's get you sat up first." Doctor Swift requested, he helped pull Lily up into a sitting position. Her head swam with lightness. "Dizzy?" The doctor asked and she nodded, too vulnerable to be mistrusting. "Rob, grab me some of that tea." The knight bowed his head and disappeared, returning moments later with a steaming cup of sticky and bitter hibiscus tea. Lily sipped slowly, she found the drink to be unpleasant but forced it down her anyway. "Drink up, you are severely dehydrated." 

"What happened?" Lily repeated herself, swallowing a large mouthful after speaking and grimacing at the taste. 

"You were bitten by a snake, I made a raft and we rode the river here." Katherine explained, squeezing Lily's healthy arm with affection. 

"You're lucky to be alive." Dr Swift grunted with a smugness, he took full credit for saving the girl despite all of the steps Katherine had taken to bring her to his doorstep. 

"And who..." Lily glanced at the two men that stood either side of Katherine, letting the movement of her eyes finish her sentence. Then she looked around the damp, roasting medical office, there were no obvious clues as to what lay beyond threshold. 

"Doctor Swift and Sir Robert," Katherine introduced the gentlemen, "They helped save your life." 

"Welcome to the city of eternal sunshine my lady." Sir Robert bowed before Lily in a patriotic display thats pretentiousness made all three spectators somewhat uncomfortable. Lily especially, she had never felt deserving of such noble gestures. 

"Thank you." She pushed the words from her lips. 

"How are you feeling?" Dr Swift asked Lily, he grabbed her wrist and felt for her pulse. It was slightly slow but he concluded that it was nothing to worry about. 

"Tired and hungry, but okay." 

"Can you stand?" Swift asked, he prepared to aid Lily in sliding off the surgery bed and onto her feet by offering her his arm. Lily took it and dropped onto the ground, her legs were weakened and shook under her like those of a newborn foal, but she could manage. Dr Swift released her hand and left her to stand unaided, she took a step and found that she could walk, however slowly and tentatively her pace. "Come sit through here, I'll get you some food and water." The doctor led Lily through to his living space where they had sat awaiting her awakening, she sank into a comfortable leather chair. Katherine perched beside her, on the raised arm of the chair, she fussed and preened Lily's dishevelled red hair. Dr Swift disappeared further into his home momentarily and returned with a jug of water and some fresh herby bread, which he lay before Lily. She poured the water and drank heartily, she could feel it slowly working to revive her from exhaustion. 

As Lily slowly gained lucidity she became increasingly aware of the trio of faces that watched her, it set her on edge, she was unused to being the centre of attention and now more than ever needed some space. Lily tried to give Katherine a look of 'what next' but Katherine was preoccupied with gazing out of the window at the rich red sun and the glinting golden turrets. 

"What will you do now?" Sir Robert enquired of Katherine, they could not stay in that comfortable little room forever, though Dr Swift would never ask them to leave. 

"Can you get me an audience with the Queen?" Robert was but a lowly city guard, he had met the monarchs only once, when he was knighted years ago. He had no connections within the palace but even so he knew that he was the best chance the ladies of the mountain had of reaching the Queen. 

"I'll do what I can your majesty." Robert decided that he would pass a message upwards, to his superiors to their superiors and onward. He had faith that his words would rise like smoke to envelop the ears of the royals. The flower of the mountain is here. That phrase would ring across the city. 

Robert left then, bowing, to do his deed. His ambitious nature surged through him like electricity, when the King heard of how he had helped his niece surely he would be relieved of guard duty. Robert longed for more, he longed to move about the palace corridors and protect those that wore crowns and golden jewels. He ached for riches himself, he thought of all the red velvet and golden silks he would wrap his wife in. He thought of how the light of her dimmed smile would fill rooms once more when he freed her from the monotony of childcare. He traversed the city streets with his head filled with that fantastical daze, he marched straight to the barracks where his commanding officer would be sat, smoking cigars and pretending to fill out paperwork. 

"Robert! Welcome, it's been too long old friend! Sit, sit!" The commander of the city guard was red cheeked and warm, he held a long, lit cigar in one had and a neat whisky in the other. He was a man ruled by carnal pleasures, his beard was well trimmed and his outfit tidy. Robert pulled up a chair at the other side of his desk. 

"I have a favour to ask." The commander poured Robert a glass of whisky from the decanter on his desk, he would not take no for an answer. If Robert did not drink it then he would.

"Ask away my friend!" His voice was booming from the booze. 

"I need you to get a message to the Queen." The sun streaming through the window hit the smokey room perfectly and the unfurling fumes seemed to glow. The light in that city seemed to kiss every inch, there was nowhere for darkness to fester. 

"It had best be important." The commander took a drag and expelled more smoke into the room. 

"It is... can it be done?" 

"Yes, yes. Now what is it." 

"The flower of mountain is in the city." The commander was struck with the gravity of the statement. As far of the royals across Fayrith knew she had been lost to the wilds, hope of her resurgence had been lost, the mountain palace flew black banners. The commander exhaled, and the message rose like smoke, till it tickled the ruby studded ears of the Queen of sunlight.