Lily of the valley

37

Ancient powers moved through the dunes, they crawled and tiptoed towards she who had woken them. Ixia could feel their closeness in the earth and sky, she pushed her hands below the hot sand and felt the vibrations of titan footsteps. Once she was certain she knew what approached she raced through empty city streets, the sun had only just begun to rise and the merchants and workers slept soundly. The dryad moved with grace and speed, more animal than woman, she scaled buildings and leapt across rooftops; golden light followed her ascent. She raced through draughty corridors and up stairwells to her Queen's bedside.

"Your majesty." Ixia hissed in the darkness, she lit the candle on Thea's bedside table, the Queen slowly coaxed herself into waking at hearing the urgency in the dryad's voice.

"What is it?"

"She has come." Suddenly Thea's mind was alert, she leapt from her bed and began to rip her nightclothes from her body to replace them with a day dress. Agathe, who had been sleeping in the next room raced in.

"What?" Agathe looked at Ixia's and Thea's rushed, panicked excitement. Her heart was pounding, she could sense something powerful and dark was afoot.

"The grove keeper marches." Agathe had long awaited that day, the prophecy was at long last in motion.

"Well we had best be ready to greet her then." Thea nodded to her handmaiden, while lacing up her own corset with hurried fingers.

"Get dressed, then wake the princess. Bring her here, hurry." Agathe bowed and accepted her command, elven gowns were much simpler and flowing than the dresses donned by human nobles. It would not take Agathe nearly as long to dress. She wore green to honour the old ones then left to collect the girl. Another gift of the elves was their ability to disappear into the shadows and move unseen. The castle was beginning to wake, servants stoked the morning fires and went to rouse their masters. Lady Agathe passed by undisturbed.

Silently she picked the lock to Prince Solomon's apartment and let herself inside. The prince had left, he had needed to feel the early morning sun on his skin. Lily was helping to dress Katherine in the centre of the room, both had their backs to Agathe. She paused a moment to listen to them speak of the previous night, the marriage had not been consummated, not that it mattered unless the public found out.

"Excuse me my grace." The ladies of the mountain were startled and turned to face Agathe with relief that it was only her. "You are needed urgently in the Queen's chambers." Lily was finishing the last embellishments of Katherine's outfit for the day.

"You seem shaken Agathe." Katherine commented. The usually cool exterior of the elven woman seemed harshened, her eye had a slight twitch and her usually graceful form was tense and stiff.

"I am. Now come." Sensing the urgency of the situation, Katherine and Lily followed Agathe through the castle. The guest chambers were not far, by the time they arrived Thea was dressed and pacing. The atmosphere was electric and stormy.

"Katherine." The Queen of sunlight sighed her name, "Lily. There is someone you must meet, she is on her way. We need to get out onto the desert without being spotted."

"Who?" Lily asked, the Queen was manic and breathless. Lily did not trust her.

"You will see, we need to go. Now." Queen Thea went out onto the balcony and her companions followed, the sun had climbed higher and was blistering. Below the balcony was a slanted roof and then a short drop to the sandy earth, Agathe helped Thea climb over the stone railing. "Come, come." She urged the ladies of the mountain, meanwhile she frantically checked for spies. Katherine and Lily followed, venturing out into the desert that late in the morning was a fools errand. After all they had been through Katherine and Lily were no cowards. Onward they walked.