Tales of Avalon: The Maid and the Falcon

✧ Chapter 16: As If Already Dead ✧

In a flurry of emerald-green cloth, Lily burst through the doorway.  Her mother looked up from the table where she sat with her advisors.

"Mother... what's happening?  Half the sylphs have been arrested!  What in the world requires something like this?"

The royal advisors looked at each other awkwardly and quickly excused themselves.  As they filed out the door, one sighed and whispered, "I hardly know anymore."  Lily glanced back at his back, slightly bewildered, before turning back to her mother.

"Mother, please, I need an explanation."

"I agree."  The Queen stood and walked to the window.  "Lily... I don't know how to say this.  I'm still in shock myself.  You should... you should sit down before I explain."

Lily's heart began to pound and she covered her mouth with one hand.  The last time her mother had said that...  Lily shook her head determinedly and sat down.

"What is it, Mother?"

"Lily... your sister is gone.  She took all the white dragon shards and disappeared."

Lily's heart cracked.  She couldn't do it, in the end.  She couldn't hold on any longer.  She didn't blame Penny for that.  Sometimes Lily felt that she couldn't keep trying, and she hadn't been the one who suffered most.  But... I should have been there for her more.  Maybe she could have stood it a bit better.  Not much, but a bit.

"You don't seem surprised," the Queen commented.  Lily stared at her hands.

"I...  Mother, I knew she was losing hope that you might... that things might change.  I did worry that she might do something drastic.  I just... hoped I would have more time."

"I don't think it was entirely Penny's decision."  The Queen turned away from the window and slowly approached the table, her head bowed slightly.  "Her lady-in-waiting, Willow, is also gone.  We managed to track Willow, all the way to...."  After a moment of silence, Lily looked up to see the Queen's hands clenched tightly at her sides.  "To...."

"No.  No, she couldn't have."

The Queen nodded.  "N–  She went to... Neithe."

The room spun and Lily leaned on the table to steady herself.  "That's not possible."

"I didn't think so either, but the forensic magicians assured me that it was true."  The Queen sat down and groaned softly.  "I can't help wondering if... if I had assigned someone else to be her lady-in-waiting, would she still have left?"

Lily shook her head, reaching out to take her mother's hand.  "Oh, Mother.  Of course you couldn't have known.  Willow never seemed to take Neithe's side."  She sighed, trying to understand what was happening.  "Is this... is this why the sylphs have been arrested?"

"I...  Was I overreacting?  Neithe is a sylph-land.  I tried to detain anyone who had been close with Willow but...  I don't know if that was the right decision."

"Mother, I don't think Penny would give white dragon shards to Neithe.  She's not that foolish, or that vindictive."

"Does that matter now?"  The Queen sighed and rested her head on the table.  "Avalon is now without a Champion.  Her Hands may be compromised.  There's the Witch's Cradle to deal with, and the Siren Cliffs to keep clear, and now Neithe is showing itself again, and there's no Champion.  Lily, what am I supposed to do?"

Lily looked away.  "I... I don't know.  I've only been Crown Princess for a few weeks.  I can't... I'm not ready for this."

"Oh, Lily.  I wasn't asking the Crown Princess."  The Queen's heavy tone shifted slightly, as if there was a small trace of amusement in the midst of this predicament.  Lily flushed and stared at her hand where it rested in her mother's.  "I was asking my daughter.  What can I do?"