CHAPTER 6 LILITH
The caravan of three thousand silver masked soldiers in rugged, violet uniform under the command of General Azarios marched behind the God of War who had a little curve of smile on his face. Azarios hated beauty, his enchantment and face had never helped him.
When he was a child there were numerous court officials and their wives who wanted to make him their plaything once they had their eyes set on him. Azarios had remembered, their face and identity engraved in his memory as he climbed the heavenly ladder of power but today he was glad, this was the first time in his life that he was arrogant of what the goddess of heavens have blessed him with.
The way Lilith explored every inch of his, he could not help but feel immense warmth radiating from her gaze but then there was anger and resentment too burning and igniting the flames of jealousy.
Behind Azarios was a carriage made up of dark sangolian wood, gold leaf petals decorated every inch of the wooden frame in an embroidered fashion of hundred veins climbing the roof, a red eyed, silver carved dove with her wings wide apart was at the top of the roof indicating the status of the lady sitting inside the luxurious barouche pulled by eight white horses.
"Its the general's wife!"
"He can now only take concubines and no official wives."
"The mistress is as beautiful as the deity of eastern monasteries."
The people watched wide eyes, the entire capital bustling and turned upside down in chaos as people poured out on the streets to watch the procession. Seros was walking beside the carriage, his sword drawn out glinting in sun for quenching its thirst if anyone threatened to put the mistresss safety in risk, his shoulders broad and eyes securing the entire area cautiously but even he could not help but be astonished...impossible, Azarios took a wife and that too a woman from Gaerin.
Once Seros too a liking in a maiden from the enemy land but it was such a shame that she threatened to kill him if he did not left the boundaries, one second she saved his life and the very other ordered him to leave.
The man shook his head thinking while inside Lilith was in a complete placid form, they were going to pay their respects to King Alexander and his Queen, Empress Seycea and only then they could leave for the Lotus mansion that belonged to her husband.
While in one side of the city the people were rejoicing and maidens were crying for their loss, some where intrigued while others simply entranced the palace was having a cold war. Emperor Alexander was joyous that instead of taking a wife from an influential background and becoming a threat to his throne, Azarios simply married a commoner. The beast was the most magnificent warrior their regime has seen in five centuries so killing him would have been a trouble and a loss for him.
Empress Seycea was another story though, her heart was weeping blood tears while a rage furious enough to burn the kingdom was instilling in her very core. Azarios only belonged to her.
She was an Empress! How come an unworthy wench came from nowhere to compete with her.
I will claw your eyes out Lilith! a glass pot was thrown with force making it shatter in hundred pieces.
Azarios held Liliths hand as the couple proceed together in harmony near the King. Seros followed them half of the way yet stopping on at a farther distance.
The entire court was in absolute silence as some ministers who were dotting fathers gritted their teeth unimpressed that the man could no longer be with their daughter while others consoled themselves that once their beautiful girls entered his mansion even as a concubine, they would be able to replace Lilith.
"Greeting to his majesty." Azarios stood proudly while Lilith stepped ahead bowing down.
"This servant wishes the majesties live thousand of years, greeting to the supreme rulers." The beautiful soft voice made King Alexander somewhat uncomfortable while Azarios had amusement shining in his eyes. His wife was a lioness wrapped in a soft façade of sheep.
"Rise!"Seycea was the one to answer as her calm face did not sway, only gentle aura seeping out.
"This Empress had heard that you are as beautiful as a moonstone flower, will the Generals wife let us indulge in her beauty?" It wasnt a choice and King Alexander did not refute, he too was absolutely eager to have a look.
When Azarios heard the words his hands twitched, would it be alright to push his dagger right into the eyes of King, would it be fine to pour molten iron in the mouth of the empress, his wife wasn't some harlot that they wished to be indulged in.
When Azarios kept absolutely quiet not asking Lilith to remove her veil Seycea felt bitter. The courage of this General was too much to even put the imperial order as if a dog had barked.When Lilith felt the atmosphere was becoming tense, her fingers pulled the silk away from her face, revealing herself.
Seycea was stumped, the ministers speechless..how was it possible to compete with her, she made the entire female population look ugly in comparison, even the almighty queen appeared to be bland and plain infront of Liliths elegance.
The king looked at Azarios in jealousy, too much..this man had such good luck.
While the others were trying to come up with a tactic to insult the girl whom they found much above their station Seros was almost vomiting blood.
Lilith!
She was the girl who defeated his soldiers..she could kill the entire court before they even know it.
JEALOUS AND BURNING
"To which clan does the general's wife traces her lineage to? The empire of Ambrose has many extraordinary and respectful maidens from high society...from which one does the General's wife come from?" Seycea was gentle like a blooming chrysanthemum flower being seemingly completely immersed in kindness towards the new bride. To the courtiers she seemed like an Empress devoid of any malice and ill spirits always looking out for the aristocrats and her people.
Crimson red dress flowing like a hibiscus rose, she seemed to be an epitome of a goddess who will not let the ministers lose face and remind Lilith of her place.
She rejoiced when instead of his usual stoic face, Azarios looked at her with an emotion flashing behind those onyx irises. What the woman was unable to see were the exact meaning behind those. Azarios wanted to cut her vicious tongue with his blade, he was well aware of the schemes the woman was truly capable of but instead of the warmth that he felt for his wife he saw a greedy lecherous being.
On the other hand King Alexander was quite for a while, a strong hatred blossomed in him, what if Lilith was already married and he cannot have her, he will search for a woman much beautiful than her to add into his inner palace and then he would throw that into the face of the General who became a thorn in his heart.
Lilith did not meet the eyes of the empress pretending to be docile.
"This servant lost her elders when she was only a child. Raised by a relative from far away this servant never had the privilege of belonging, the Empress is kind as the great monk of Nine step mountains and must have heard that this petty servant was an abandoned fawn before the Great General rescued me. I wanted nothing....just a small place in the corner of the heart of my husband, becoming his wife.......the servant does not dare dream, even if he took me as a maid I would have complied."
Lilith looked down seemingly distressed, tears as small diamonds shining were seen escaping her eyes, the people who wanted to mock her now sided with the pitiful girl whose beauty could move hearts and soul. Azarios kept silent enjoying the play too much to intrude or stop, the bitterness and anger he felt in his heart was replaced with amusement.
The courtiers and the king himself felt as if the young bride had been wronged. The image of a great Empress, one that of a virtuous character had a black spot now, she appeared to be jealous of the magnificence of the girl and wanted to bring her down, who in the entire nation did not heard of the common origins of the bride and to think that the mother of the nation was unaware.....impossible.
What if the same bride took the position that their daughters deserved, she did not even wanted that..it was just fate that brought them together and even the ministers could not refute that who could dare reject a flower like Lilith, it was only natural that Azarios felt that way.
"The Empress did not meant to make the consort feel heavy in heart, to celebrate your wedding this Emperor bestows General Azarios and his wife with ten carriage full of gold and fifty spider silk rolls from northwest."
It was first time in a decade that the King did not even looked at the Queen and waved away his displeasure at her face, Seycea did not showed at her face but her heart was pouring blood with anger.
"This General requests his Majesty to withdraw from the court for the day, my wife is frail and this general would like her to take her rest." Just like that Azarios did not even kept up the pretenses and as soon as the King nodded with his lips in a straight line, he got hold of Lilith, covered her face and made her walk beside him getting out of the palace grounds.
Seros who was following the couple was ordered to go away by Azarios, his heart beating furiously...was his commander aware that this girl was an enchantress, she would be merciless to anyone who refuses to bow down to her.
"What are you doing?!" Lilith gasped when Azarios picked her up in his arms as they were reaching inside the western pavilion of his Lotus household making the servants gasp and bow looking anywhere but at them. The yellow fire lanterns lighting their way as they went deeper inside the castle grounds, it was evening past the sunset where everything was covered in a calm demeanor
The guards situated at every corner pretended to be a statue without life as their commander held their mistress close to his chest hiding her face from them.
"Do you want it any other way wife....want the people to suspect that I am the one who has stolen you?" When his hold tightened on her, Lilith blushed scarlet unconsciously burying herself closer to Azarios.
The beast walked to his room closing the gigantic doors.
"The Empress has a very keen eye on you......she loves you." Lilith broke free from Azarios, stepping down gracefully she moved towards the silver mirror in his room. A lavish bed with silk sheets waiting for her and her husband. Lilith trembled when she saw Azarios watching her darkly in the mirror as she took off the jewelry in her hair, dark locks tumbling down her shoulders.
"Why are you talking about another woman infront of your husband?" The displeased rumbling made her look at Azarios incredulously who rather gave her a steely look taking off his own wedding robe.
"Should I talk about a man then?" Faster than one could blink Azarios had Lilith pinned to their bed.
"This husband is not very patient little tulip, another man's name at your tongue and I will make sure to remove that person from this world." His lips ghosted over hers as he locked onyx eyes with her honeyed ones.
"Its good that the husband reciprocates this wife's feelings and possessiveness. What is mine is solely mine Azarios, if she looked at you like that again, Empress or not I will bury her alive......I may be your enemy my lord but always remember who owns you." Lilith pulled him closer whispering into his ear.
I imagine Azarios as: