Lily of the valley

34

The feast was ablaze with candlelight and music, the companions could hear the songs and smell the smoke long before they reached the hall. Something about the plucking of the lute was familiar, the musicians fingers were sensitive and passionate. Like music risen from a dream. Then a voice came out from the delicate calamity of instruments, a shudder passed through Lily. Her skin prickled with tension and delight. It couldn't be.

The group passed through into the ballroom and Lily's heart stopped, there he was, like some glistening symbol of devotion. Katherine gripped Lily's arm, she saw him too. Gustavo.

The heavenly singing stopped. Gustavo had seen Lily also, the remainder of the band continued to play, without the lute and his soaring voice they sounded shallow and flat. He stumbled forwards, Lily was all that he could see. All those months of pining and scrawling pathetic love notes upon trees were remedied by a smile. Gustavo cared not for courtly displays of restraint and decorum, he gripped Lily's dainty face and kissed her. Fire consumed their chests, it was as if they had been struck by lightning; the electricity made its way down to their roots. They were no longer in that ballroom, or that city, or even that world. There was nothing, simply nothing, but the other person and that place where their lips collided like ships of war.

The sound of a glass shattering from the other side of the room was deafening, every noble and servant alike was gawping at the spectacle. Katherines fair cheeks blushed deep pink as all eyes took her and her humiliation in. Thea beat her black lace fan against Lily's back in an attempt to cease their embarrassment but Lily was oblivious to all but Gustavo. Eventually the young couple came up for air.

Queen Thea dug her fingers into Lily's collarbone, it pained her but Lily stayed composed; suddenly remembering where she was.

"Away boy, you can have Lily later." Thea hissed at Gustavo, she was four inches taller than him, and her gaze was cold and lethal. Gustavo made a quick display of kissing Lily's hand, then bowed his head to the intimidating woman and disappeared back to his bandstand. The bard knew not who Thea was but could sense she was formidable. Thea's steely grip on Lily remained. Court was no place for romance. The ballroom slowly began to resume its movement and chatter, the fierce blunder of young love was easily forgotten.

"Lily, you go sit with my handmaids. I'm going to introduce Katherine to some important nobles." Lily bowed her head to Thea, glad to get a moment to recompose herself; though slightly irked at being sidelined. The Queen's handmaids moved in a group towards an empty side table and the lively jig resumed playing. Thea laced her left arm through Katherine's right one and then began to take a turn about the room.

"Try not to look anyone in the eye," Queen Thea whispered into Katherine's ear, "not till I've introduced you anyway." The feasting hall was illuminated by candlelight and the light of the hearth, the walls were decorated with colourful tapestries of orange and turquoise, as well as the skulls of animals found dead beyond the city walls. Rams, antelopes and elephants. The tables were crudely carved from dark wood. Lionesses prowled the rooms edges.

"How do you think they tamed the lionesses?" Thea muttered to Katherine as they watched a big cat stretch before the fire. The flower of the mountain shook her head and shrugged her shoulders.

"The men of this court will tell you some great legend about gaining the lionesses favour through courage in battle, but Ixia told me the truth. The cats realised a long time ago that it is better to be in man's thrall than to starve and die out in the desert. You are a lioness now princess." Thea let her fable hang in the air for a moment before moving onto the next important issue. "Come, I see Solomon."

Katherine's throat constricted as they approached the high table, there Solomon sat upon his wooden throne. He was muscular and hairy, older than Katherine but by no more than seven years; his face sported a curly black beard and obsidian eyes.