Screaming and laughing. That’s what greeted the Royal Embassy as they entered the village. Merchant buildings lined most of the outside village, while children and dogs ran back and forth. Farmers chatted with village soldiers, while seamstresses and whittlers tossed witty banter. To Syphyx, it was a typical spring day, full of warmth and excitement. Frowning inside his carriage, the broad man leaned back in his seat.    

    “It sure is lively,” he noted to the woman in front of him. Her graying hair was curled, pinned back into loops. She hummed lightly, gazing out of the window. 

    “For sure. I definitely wouldn’t mind visiting more often.” She looked back at the man, her eyes playful. But her smile was taut, as if there was something more sinister to her words. The man studied her, his lip curling with slight disgust. He looked back out the window as the carriage made its way to the village square.   

    Many people stopped to watch, sneers and frowns across their faces. 

    “Father, why do they look so angry?” The man turned to his daughter, who’s thick black hair was in a low bun, his dark eyes glinting. 

    “Many reasons, Cassandra. But we’ll talk about that later,” he told her, before facing away. Her lips pursed, eyes staring into the side of his skull. 

    “Why can’t you just tell me now? No one can hear us anyway,” Cassandra remarked, looking at the other woman. He looked back at her, her equally dark eyes glaring defiantly. 

    “It’s not a discussion for impatient princesses,” he countered, lightly flicking her forehead. Her eyebrows furrowed, her hands flying to her head. 

    “Hey! I’m not a little girl anymore,” she retorted, causing him to let out a hearty laugh. He smiled warmly at Cassandra, shaking his head. 

    “Maybe not, but it’s not something to discuss in the open like this. I promise, I’ll explain it soon enough.” The conversation came to a stop as the carriage was halted. Standing, the man opened the carriage door and stepped out. Outside of the carriage, villagers lined the buildings of the square, essentially trapping the Royal Embassy. He grunted, turning to help the two women exit the carriage. 

    The sound of boots on stone made him look over his shoulder. A black haired man walked towards him, shrouded in armor with a cross in the middle of his chest plate. 

    “King Elroy,” the man greeted, stopping a few feet away. He crossed his arms, watching the King warily. Elroy lifted his head, stepping towards the man. 

    “Doran… It’s been awhile. I never expected for you to get so old you put pepper in your hair,” Elroy spoke dryly, the humor gone from his face. Doran grunted, head slightly tilted. 

    “I’m sad to say I expected it from you.. Your Highness.” There was a hint of venom in Doran’s words. Behind Elroy, Cassandra looked at the woman. 

    “Mother, who is that?” she whispered, glancing at the armored man. Her mother kept her eyes on the two men, but leaned towards her daughter as she answered, 

    “That’s Doran, the priest of Syphyx. Since it’s so small here, one priest is enough to lead.” Cassandra’s eyebrows furrowed, a tight frown on her face. 

    “Then why is Father treating him like an old friend?” she asked. Her mother breathed deeply, as if about to sigh, when the echo of children’s voices broke the air. 

    “Whoop, whoop! Get outta the way! Outta the way!” A young boy shouted as he ran through the crowd from a main road. More children followed, carving a pathway through the townspeople. The King, Queen, and Princess stared in confusion, while Doran rolled his eyes up to the sky. Two horses wheeled into view, howls now following the children. 

    Two figures rode on the backs of the horses, one clad in armor, the other dressed in brown drabbish clothes. 

    “Ah-whoo!” one figure bellowed, her head thrown back as they ran into the square. The man laughed as they raced around the water fountain, slowing the horses down to a stop beside Doran. “Look who won again,” the woman sneered, grinning at the armored man. He rolled his green eyes, smiling as he shook his head. 

    “Only because you cheated and ran before I said go,” he countered, reaching out to shove her. 

    “Oh, try that, and see what happens!” she shouted, backing her horse up. 

    “Alright, come here then,” he laughed, following her on his own horse. 

    “Boy!” The shout made them fall quiet, the pair turning at the same time. King Elroy stepped forward, face hard, as he stared at the young man. “That’s not how soldiers behave, now is it?” he asked. The young man raised an eyebrow before looking at the carriage. The woman had tense, her green eyes narrowing at Elroy. 

    “I never knew a soldier who couldn’t find enjoyment in the simple things of life,” she retorted. “Of course, when you’re royalty, you always have the much finer things in life.” King Elroy stared at her, his eyebrows furrowed. 

    “Who are you?” he demanded her. The golden haired woman sneered at him, disdain written all over her face.

    “Wouldn’t you like to know?” she taunted, turning her horse and riding away. The young man scoffed and closely followed the woman. A path was opened for the pair through the crowd and they watched as the duo galloped away. Cassandra watched with sharp eyes, wishing to follow the woman to demand answers. King Elroy turned to Doran, who looked amused. 

    “Tell me, Father,” Elroy hissed, “who is she?” The priest lifted his chin, now looking even more delighted. 

    “If she chooses not to say, that’s her choice,” he said evenly. “Now, if you wish to rest after your travels, you better keep up.” Doran walked away, disappearing into the crowd. Grumbling, Elroy turned to his daughter and wife. 

    “Abigail, round up the Royal Guards and have them help you carry our things. Cassandra, come with me,” he ordered. The two women nodded, Cassandra running after her father as he hurried after Doran. They make it to an inn, where Doran pays for the best room for the King. 

    “Remember that luxury can be found anywhere,” Doran told the royal pair. Cassandra looked at her father before hurrying to walk in step with the priest. 

    “Father Doran,” she started, “how do you know my Father?” The bearded man glanced at her, a light smile poking at his cheeks. Behind them, Elroy scowled, but didn’t stop his daughter. 

    “I heard rumors that Cedex’s only Princess was a curious bunch,” he said amusedly. “There’s a long story behind it, but if it matters that much, I was one of three knights that protected your Father,” he explained. Cassandra blinked, not expecting that answer. 

    “You.. were one of his knights?” she whispered, still keeping pace with the brisk man. Doran chuckled as he stopped at a door, looking her in the eye. 

    “Yes, I was. When he turned eighteen, I was appointed as one of his knights.” He turned back to the door and unlocked it with the key he had been given. “This will be your room for however long you visit,” Doran explained as he stepped inside. It was spacious, with two queen sized beds. Wide window let a cool breeze drift inside, and stained glass on the ceiling cast rainbows on the floor. 

    Cassandra stepped inside, her father sourly watching Doran. “Once you’ve all been settled in, you can come find me in the square,” the priest explained, walking back towards the door. Elroy said nothing, but Cassandra turned to Doran with a smile. 

    “Thank you, Father Doran,” she said. The man grunted, nodding in acknowledgement, before leaving them in the room. He made his way back through the hall, down the stairs, and out of the inn. Slowly, Doran walked through the crowd and back to the square. When he reached it, Queen Abigail, accompanied by her guards, walked across the square to join Doran. 

    “It’s been awhile,” she hummed meticulously, placing her bags down. The man huffed, his arms behind his back. 

    “It hasn’t been long enough,” he admitted darkly, his dark brown eyes glaring. Abigail only smiled, her eyes sinister. 

    “We all know that nothing can change what happened,” she reminded him, her voice cold. She stooped down to pick up her bags and made to walk off. A hand grabbed her wrist, lightly tugging her back. The Queen glared at the priest, but Doran’s eyes were like poisoned daggers. 

    “Every ghost has its past. And in each past, there lies a legacy,” he hissed. “You need to be the one to decide if that legacy is your downfall.” Doran released her arm, eyes harsh as she shuffled away from him. He broke off the gaze as he strode towards the water fountain. He sat there, watching as the townspeople shuffled back and forth. 

    The man could tell that they were unnerved by the Royal Embassy’s sudden appearance. Especially since the last time the royalty had been here, was when Elroy’s father was King. ‘Nearly thirty-five years and now you chose to show your face…’ Doran thought. ‘You’re lucky Eleanor isn’t here… Lillith will be enough trouble already.’ He sighed and stretched, mentally preparing himself for the days to come. 

*

    The sky was getting darker when Elroy made it back to the square. Standing off to the side, Doran was monitoring a sparring match between two young soldiers. “Mother, do you think I can begin training here?” Cassandra asked, studying the two soldiers. Abigail hummed, and the Princess suppressed a sigh. ‘Here it comes,’ she thought. 

    “Not until you’re older, and wiser,” the Queen responded. “Sword training is no easy feat. You’ll need to build up strength, along with wisdom.” 

    ‘There it is,’ Cassandra told herself scornfully. Sighing, the Princess looked up as Doran approached. 

    “So I have an idea,” the priest started as he joined the small group. “Tonight, I can show you the market. And tomorrow, I can show you the rest of the village.” Elroy nodded, stroking his beard. 

    “That’ll work,” he grunted. “When will we start?” 

    “Soon,” Doran promised, when the clomping of hooves gathered their attention. Slowly, and more calmly, the young woman and man entered the square. This time, they were accompanied by two dogs and two cats. Each cat rode with each rider, as if accustomed to being on horseback. 

    “Father,” the young man called, directing his horse towards the group. The young woman grunted, but followed him as Doran waved. 

    “Theo, Fay. It took you long enough,” the priest half joked, walking up to the two riders. Lillith rolled her eyes, pulling her horse to a stop. 

    “I really don’t see why you need me here,” she grumbled, shifting in her saddle. Her eyes looked up and met Cassandra’s. For the Princess, she stared back as calmly as she could. For the orphan, she stared with mild curiosity. Lillith broke the stare as she slid off of the horse. That’s when Cassandra noticed the sword on Lillith’s belt. 

    A small, rounded shield was strapped to her back. 

    “Silence speaks a thousand words,” Doran said to Lillith. “Don’t misuse it.” The young woman grunted, leading her horse over to a stall. 

    “If everyone else stayed on their own road, it wouldn’t get misused,” she countered. 

    “Oh, sis,” Theo gently scolded, joining the woman. “We all know that to you, no one stays on their road.” Lillith chuckled, shaking her head as she led her horse into his stall. 

    “Come on, Thatch, time to get down,” she said to the tabby cat, lifting him off of the saddle. He mrowed at her, rubbing his fluffy face against her chin. She walked out with him in her arms and joined Doran. Placing Thatch on the ground, she silently observed the three royals in front of her. 

    “Are you going to introduce yourself now?” The Princess suddenly piped up. Lillith’s gaze calmly met her’s, a blank look on her face. 

    “You would have better luck getting a dog to speak,” Theo snickered, standing beside Lillith. Cassandra redirected her attention to the young man, an eyebrow raised. 

    “Well, I guess I’ll have the most luck, because I will get her to spill it,” the Princess teased, looking back at Lillith. The golden blonde blinked slowly, her head slowly tilting side to side, before she walked right past them. Doran sighed, rubbing his face. 

    “This is gonna be one hell of a night,” he grumbled to himself as the group followed the woman. Cassandra was quick to catch up to Lillith, despite her pearl-white dress. 

    “Alright, why do you dress like you’re about to go on a hunt?” the Princess blurted. Lillith raised a brow at her, snorting. 

    “Because these are the clothes I chose to wear,” she responded, leading the Princess through the market. 

    “But if you have a sword and shield, that makes you a soldier of Syphyx. And all soldiers are given armor. So why don’t you wear it?” Cassandra countered. Lillith turned to fully look at the Princess, causing both women to stop. 

    “Why do you wear that dress?” Lillith asked, waving at the pearly dress. Cassandra looked down, then back up, confused. The soldier waved her hand, “Well? Why do you wear it?” The Princess wrung her hands together as she answered, 

    “Because it’s my favorite dress.” Lillith hummed at this response, her words short and dry. 

    “Well, the armor is not my favorite.” She turned and continued down the length of the market. Cassandra hurried after her, her lips pursed in annoyance. 

    “Okay, then… Why did you choose to be a soldier?” she asked. Lillith’s green eyes rolled up to the sky, exhaling a sharp breath. 

    “Because the soldier’s life chose me,” the golden blonde told her. Cassandra raised an eyebrow, opening her mouth to speak, but Lillith cut her off. “Just like you were born into royalty, to be a Princess, I was born to be a soldier.” Cassandra tilted her head, surprised by her response. Hurrying after Lillith, she fell quiet, silently observing the soldier. 

    Her gaze started with the hair, which cascaded a few inches past Lillith’s shoulders. The soldier had a strong jawline, but softer chin. The green eyes that flicked from person to person, reminded Cassandra of willow leaves. Lillith suddenly looked at the Princess, pausing. Her eyes playfully narrowed, and a light smirk tugged at her lips. “Didn’t your parents ever tell you that staring is rude?” 

    The soldier teased, taking a step towards Cassandra. The ravenette jutted out her chin, like her father did so often, and tried to retort. 

    “Well, y-you’re staring…” Lillith laughed, her eyes twinkling with the candles that glowed all around them. 

    “And your face is pink. I thought you’d be as white as a ghost the whole time, but it turns out even ghosts have color,” she taunted. Cassandra blinked, watching as the soldier walked off again. Her eyes scored Lillith’s body, noticing how she kept her left hand on the hilt of her sword. Cassandra rushes out of her, examining the clothes next. Lillith wore a gray-brown vest, made of some sort of animal pelt. 

    ‘Possibly deer,’ Cassandra thought as the soldier stopped in front of a merchant stall. The shirt was clearly cotton, but was dirty with age. She could even make out the spots where Lillith probably patched the shirt. Slyly, Cassandra glanced at the woman’s legs. She wore raggedy black pants, and equally raggedy brown boots. ‘Almost like a typical soldier,’ Cassandra noted, peering at the items laid out on the stall. 

    They were mostly statues carved from different types of rocks. One in particular caught her eye. An obsidian swan. 

    “Looking again, are you?” the merchant suddenly chimed, eyeing Lillith curiously. Cassandra glanced over at them as the golden blonde grunted. The soldier picked up a granite wolf, studying it carefully. With a sigh, she placed it back down. That’s when Cassandra noticed the necklace. 

    It was a plain silver chain, but had a diamond wolf charm dangling at the end. Subconsciously, her own hand grasped the obsidian swan charm that clung to her golden necklace. Lillith reached around, picking up a different statue. This one was a raven, carved from some type of black rock. Reaching into a pouch on her right hip, Lillith handed the merchant a few coins. “Better luck next time, Fay,” the merchant said kindly. 

    She only nodded, a sad look on her face. Cassandra pursed her lips, before grabbing the swan and handing the merchant her own coins. As they stepped away from the stall, Cassandra turned to Lillith with a smirk. 

    “Fay, huh?” she teased, as if she had beat the soldier. The golden blonde chuckled, shaking her head. 

    “That may be one of my names, but it is definitely not my first,” she told her. Cassandra frowned at her, retorting, 

    “Well, at least now I have something to call you by.” Just as she had finished, Theo bowled into Lillith. 

    “You sly dog, always managing to escape somehow,” he sneered, punching the woman in the shoulder. She grinned, laughing. 

    “Always, brother. I have to keep you on your toes in some way,” she teased. He chuckled, just as they were joined by Elroy, Doran, and Abigail. The Queen eyed the raven in Lillith’s hands, quick to remark,

    “That is.. mighty beautiful.” The soldier’s eyes flicked to the Queen and, for a moment, Cassandra could see a flash of something dark in Lillith’s eyes. 

    “Yeah, it is,” Lillith agreed, handing the raven to Theo. The boy’s eyes lit up, a grin on his face. He looked up at Lillith, his smile wide enough to tear his face in half. And all that the woman did was smile in return, patting the top of his head. Cassandra was reminded immediately of how her Father would pat the top of her own head. 

    “Are you two actually brother and sister?” she blurted, unable to control herself. The older adults seemed to tense, all eyes falling onto Lillith. Her smile fell, while Theo kept his eyes downcast. 

    “No.” Lillith’s voice was hard and cold, and for a moment Cassandra wondered if she crossed a line. Instead, the blonde lifted her chin. “Even if we aren’t blood, he’s still my brother. We were raised together after all. And you make a family by sharing a bond, not blood.” Lillith wrapped her arm around Theo’s shoulders, smiling at him again. 

    He grinned back at her, the two soldiers not noticing the pointed look Abigail gave Cassandra. The Princess swallowed, unsure of what to say next. 

    “Well then, how were you raised together? Who were your parents?” Abigail asked, stepping towards the female soldier. Lillith’s eyes narrowed and Cassandra could feel the tension rise between them. 

    “You’ll have to find out,” Lillith responded dryly. “Now, I’m going to go look for a stall with booze.” Releasing Theo, she started to walk off, before stopping to look at Cassandra. “You coming?” she asked. The Princess looked back at her Father, who was studying Lillith like she had done minutes ago. He grunted, waving them away. 

    “Go on. Have some fun,” he ordered his daughter. With a light chuckle, she hurried after Lillith. The two women disappeared back into the crowd as the others wandered around. 

    “So, Fay,” Cassandra called as Lillith led her past some food stalls. The soldier chuckled, shaking her head, but looked back at the Princess. 

    “Yes?” she asked. 

    “Who…” Cassandra hesitated, then took a breath and let it go. “Who are your parents?” Lillith looked at her annoyedly, shaking her head. 

    “Just because I didn’t tell your mother, doesn’t mean I’m going to tell you,” she retorted. The blonde continued through the street, as Cassandra frowned at her. 

    “Why are you so secretive?” she asked. 

    “Why are you so inquisitive?” Lillith shot back. 

    “Because you can only learn if you ask questions.”

    “You’ll only learn if you receive answers.”

    “Maybe so, but I’ve learned more than you probably thought.” This made Lillith pause, turning to the Princess. 

    “Oh, really?”

    “Really.” 

    “Like what, then?” The Princess jutted her chin out at Lillith, dark eyes narrowing. 

    “You’re silently hostile, and almost always ready for something to go wrong. Somehow you manage to keep a good relationship with those around you, which means you have to have a good side of sorts.” Lillith remained silent, her face unreadable. She then grunted, disappearing down an alleyway. Cassandra hurried after her, only to slam right into the soldier. Lillith smirked at her as she stepped backwards. 

    “That’s all you have to say so far about me?” she asked. Cassandra pursed her lips, glaring almost playfully. 

    “For the moment, yes.” Lillith nodded slowly, her head tilting. 

    “Well, what I’ve learned from you is that you still listen to your parents,” the blonde noted. “You looked at your Father, like you were asking permission to come with me. And yet I’m smart enough to know that you are old enough to make your own decision. I also saw the way your Mother looked at me before asking if Theo was my brother.” Lillith paused, arms folding over her chest, and stepped towards Cassandra. “Another thing for you to know.. is that I know when another girl likes how I look.” 

    Lillith leaned in close, watching the Princess carefully. Cassandra tried to hide her smile, ducking her head away from the soldier. 

    “O-oh, really?” she spluttered. Lillith laughed, leaning away from her. 

    “Yes. Afterall, you aren’t the first woman to give me those eyes… And you definitely wouldn’t be the last.” The blonde winked at the ravenette, turning and continuing down the alley. She suddenly stopped, turning to Cassandra with a snarky smile. “Also, I know how to tell the difference between being curious, and just plain snoopy.” Before Cassandra could ask anything in response, Lillith stepped out of the alley. 

    She hurried after the soldier and found her stopped  at an empty stall. Lillith stepped around the half door and inside the stall, digging around at the floor.

    “What are you doing?!” Cassandra hissed, partially flustered by what Lillith had said. Lillith rolled her eyes, pulling up a box full of fur clothing.

    “This is my market stall,” she explained, putting the box on the ledge. “Being a soldier doesn’t earn me money. So, in my spare time, I make clothes.” She lifted a white and black vest out of the box, holding it out to Cassandra. She reached out to feel the fur, taken aback by how soft it was. 

    “What’s that made out of?” Cassandra asked as the soldier hung it up on a rack. Lillith chuckled, pulling out another vest from the box. 

    “That one is made from rabbit pelts. This,” she held up the orange-brown vest, “is from fox.” The Princess blinked, admiring the clothes as they were hung up. 

    “How did you learn to do that?” she asked. Lillith smiled again, shaking her head. 

    “Theo’s mother, Eleanor, taught me. The pelts I get from animals that fall into traps I have set up,” she explained. Cassandra nodded, curiosity still buzzing at her. 

    “Have you ever used wolf pelts?” The question caught Lillith off-guard, blinking at the Princess like she had grown horns. 

    “Uh.. no, I haven’t,” she responded, almost dazedly. The ravenette tilted her head, noticing the way the soldier grew tense. “Wolves are not something you want to tangle with. They aren’t like foxes or deer. They’re fast, and smart,” Lillith explained. 

    “Weren’t we supposed to be getting booze?” Cassandra prompted as the soldier finished setting up the clothes. She shrugged, sitting down on a chair. 

    “Perhaps, but I don’t need it.” Lillith then leaned down and snatched up a bottle from a bottom rack. She put it on the counter, flashing a grin at Cassandra. “I already have some stocked up.” The Princess rolled her eyes, smiling. 

    “You really are prepared for everything,” she teased. Lillith shrugged, popping off the cork of the bottle. 

    “In some things, yes, but not everything,” the soldier hummed, taking a swig of the drink. This time, it was Cassandra’s turn to smirk. The Princess leaned down, face as close to Lillith’s as the bottle would allow. 

    “Well.. you do plan on sharing… Right?” Cassandra fluttered her eyelashes at the woman, and Lillith shook her head just slightly. 

    “For a Princess, you’re bad,” the soldier scolded, handing the bottle over. The ravenette laughed, taking the bottle and sipping from it. Lillith watched her carefully, before reaching back to the bottom rack and pulling out another box. Cassandra glanced at it and noticed it was full of wooden statues. 

    “Where’d you get these, Fay?” Cassandra asked. Lillith narrowed her eyes at the Princess, but answered anyway, 

    “I carved them myself.” The Princess nodded, looking up at the starry sky. 

    “So.. Fay.. you said you were prepared for most things?” Cassandra asked, peering over her shoulder at the soldier. Lillith studied her cautiously. 

    “Perhaps… Why?” she asked. Cassandra smirked again, taking another swig of the bottle. 

    “There’s this game I’ve always wanted to play…” 

    “A game?”

    “Yeah… You down to play, Fay?” 

    “... Bring it, Princess.” 

《☆》

End of Chapter Questions

1) What do you think of the characters; Elroy, Doran, Theo, Abigail, Lillith, & Cassandra; so far?

2) What do you think the game is that Cassandra wants to play?

3) What do you think Doran meant when talking to Abigail?

4) Who's ghost do you think he's talking about?