After changing into more comfortable clothes and refreshing themselves with a hot basin of fragrant water Katherine and and Lily made their way down to the dining hall. The room was bustling, in the corner a band played an energetic folk jig, ale and food flowed freely. Lord Ves rushed over to the fair women, bowing at their feet. The inhabitants of the pub seemed uninterested in Katherine's presence, it was nice for once, to be lost in a crowd. Ves led the noble women to the high table, Katherine was seated beside him. The table was laden with rich, roasted meats, honey sweetened vegetables, bitter cheeses and strong chilled ale. Katherine and Lily gladly took their fill, they were famished by the cold and the journey. Lord Ves seemed fascinated by life in the mythological mountain castle.
"Is it true," He began to question Katherine, meanwhile chewing heartily on a mouthful of gammon. "That everything is made of marble? The beds, the doors, the hairbrushes?"
"Mostly marble, there's some gold and pearl too." Lord Ves was struck with awe and greed, what he would give to live like that.
"And is it true that there is a courtyard right at the peak, filled with pure white flowers, and pure white trees?" Katherine was taken back, to childhood days spent in that courtyard, listening to her sisters sing and play the harp while she read of chivalrous knights and distant lands. Of the pure white cherry blossoms that fell in the spring and the iridescent water of the fresh mountain pool.
"Yes, it was truly beautiful. I spent most summer days there." They ate in silence for a while, the food was not as fragrant and delicate as she was used to but she cared little. The ale was strong and the music was full of joy. Lily found herself engaging in conversation with a group of handsome bards, their troupe had travelled the world and had much knowledge to impart.
"Tomorrow we enter the forest." Shared she, hoping for some advice or ease of mind.
"Travelling through the forest of shadows! That is brave." A brunette bearded young minstrel slid into the seat beside her, taking a sip from her cup. The drink and his dark eyes made her young inexperienced heart flutter and leap. She held onto herself, refusing to bend so easily to his advances.
"Oh really, and why is that?" Asked Lily, taking her cup back from the bachelor.
"Tell me your name first, mysterious beauty of the mountain."
"Lily." The bard gasped and pressed his hands against his heart in a dramatic display of adoration.
"Lily of the Valley, Lily of my heart. I am Gustavo, bard, poet, lover." Gustavo took Lily's hand and very gently placed a kiss on the back of it. Lily took back her hand.
"Now, tell me why I must fear the forest."
"Well, the forest of shadows is called the forest of shadows for good reason. It is either haunted by an army of banshees or the trees themselves cry out and whisper. It is a truly terrifying place. Tell me Lily, why do you wish to venture through that cursed place." Gustavo sat idly playing with Lily's fingers.
"I am the protector of the flower of the mountain, I am delivering her to her betrothed. Is the forest truly dangerous or is your head just full of fancy?"
"Flower of the mountain, what a lovely title for a song... I'm not from these lands I'm afraid, who is the flower of the mountain?" With a tiny stub of a graphite Gustavo scrawled the words into a notebook that he kept always in his trouser pocket.
"It is what we call the mountain princesses... the forest Gustavo is it safe?" Lily pushed.
"No physical harm will befall you, Lily of the valley, but even the strongest of men have been known to lose their minds amongst those trees."
"Then we will have to be stronger." Lily took another deep swig from her mug of ale before getting up to dance with Gustavo, his hands stayed firmly on her waist as they twirled about the floor. Katherine was warm hearted while watching her companion find happiness, if only for a night.
"Lord Ves is there nothing that can be done for that poor man we saw outside? He must be freezing!" Katherine asked once enough alcohol had reached her head, diluting her taught nerves.
"I am of strong belief princess that we must make our own way in life, if he has fallen that low then that is his cross to bear. We are all responsible for ourselves; besides there are thousands of filthy beggars like him him, you cannot save them all." Katherine attempted to consider his stance but her empathy for human suffering ran too deep.
"You judge very harshly. Do you know him my Lord? Do you know how he got in that situation?"
"Yes, I do princess, he was a regular here once... George Anderson. Gambled, drank and whored all of his money away, made me a small fortune. Wife eventually got sick of him and kicked him out. Best thing for her really. He was a carpenter and a bloody good one at that... made this table in fact." Lord Ves banged his fist against the dark wood of the long table, to demonstrate its solidity and high craftsmanship.
"Do you really think a few encounters with sin deserves abandonment, I have with me baskets and baskets of gold. A mere fraction of that could buy him a house, some warmth, get him back on his feet."
"George knew the risks of his actions, now he must face the consequences." Lord Ves was stubborn in his opinions, to him she was just some princess that knew nothing of the real world and perhaps he was right. But his callous ways were doubtless.
"I implore you my Lord, help me to help him. Or he will surely die." Katherine placed her hands atop his in a pleading gesture but her soft touch just stirred something dark deep within him.
"It is not safe your majesty, you give money to one beggar and find the rest of the scroungers at your feet. People get violent for money... I've seen it time and time again. Better his self imposed death than yours." Katherine did not see much merit in his argument but as his thankful guest stayed quiet, there was seemingly no reasoning with him and she was far too cautious to go out into the night alone.
Later Princess Katherine returned to her chambers, Lily was presumably off fraternising and basking in the glory of foolish youth and passionate whirlwind romance. Katherine washed her face and plaited her hair by the fire, then she undressed and adorned a white silk nightdress of fine detail. The bed was comfortable and warm, soon she was sleeping and dreaming of deep orange and pink skies.
Lord Ves found himself with an itch that he just could not scratch, he sat awake in his chambers beside his sleeping wife and obsessed over that soft albino flesh, of the distant and unattainable flower of the mountain. Before he knew it, and against his better judgement, he was moving from his rooms. He picked up the spare key for Katherine's boudoir and crept down the corridors towards her, he did not want to hurt her, he just wanted to touch her skin, as much of it as he could get away with. Katherine was sleeping when he slinked into the room, in the moonlight he could just about make out her form on the bed. Lord Ves approached carefully, not wanting to disturb her, he knelt at the side of the four poster.
Her sleep was deep from all of the ale, she was undisturbed by Lord Ves running his fingers along her exposed wrists, then gently pulling up her gown to reveal more and more of her pale body. His desire overwhelmed him, why shouldn't he have her? She was right there after all. Lord Ves climbed atop the princess, waking her, she struggled as he forced his mouth onto hers. Katherine screamed and screamed and screamed, kicking and scratching and biting his tongue. Lord Ves spat blood over her bare breast. Her cries quickly summoned help, Lily and Gustavo found them grappling on the bed. Gustavo rushed towards them, pulling Lord Ves from Katherine who was sobbing. Lily covered Katherine and held her shaking body close as Gustavo punched Lord Ves, again and again. The soft Lord was no match for the rugged traveller and soon was knocked unconscious. Gustavo hauled him over his shoulder and unceremoniously dropped Lord Ves on the floor outside his apartment, spitting on him.
"I'm okay, I'm okay, I'm okay" Katherine repeated, trying to convince herself of her strength more than Lily. Lily stroked her and held her, she would sit and comfort Katherine for as long as she needed comforting.
"He will be punished, I promise." Lily whispered against Katherine's head. "Did he make it inside you?" Katherine shook her head, at great relief to them both, she would have been made a spinster otherwise. Lily slept beside Katherine that night, holding her hand throughout the dark hours. Gustavo was shocked by the things that he had seen, in the delicate meadows of his homeland it was rare for a man to force himself on a woman. He slept on the floor of the boudoir, as a protector, he also vowed to escort the women to the edge of the forest in the morning, then he would return to see that Lord Ves met appropriate justice.