Curiosity killed the cat, they always used to say. But what if what really killed the cat was knowledge?
Lillian Baker was born on a rainy night, at least that is what her mother always used to tell her.
She had been born earlier than they all expected, on the Hallow's eclipse, a rare phenomenon that occurred every century when the moon would lose her light and it would be the darkest night.
Her mother told that was why she had that strange birthmark on her neck, an ashen discoloration on her skin.
And she wondered if that was why she was so different from her family. Her people.
Even from the age of five, she knew there was something strange about her compared to the rest of the people she lived among.
She had always had a knack for seeking out things that supposedly weren't meant to be found.
And she didn't do it purposefully. It just came easy for her. She had a wild, almost uncontrolled curiosity that drew her towards things that dwelt in the dark, encouraging to put light to it.
But secrets remained secrets for a reason.
Her parents were worried for her, unsure if this curious nature of hers was a good or bad thing. At first, it had seemed endearing.
Lillian would shove her mother's necklaces and pearls in her mouth while she sat on her mother's hip, to see how it tasted.
She would play with the hilt her father's sword as it rested in its sheathe, curious to see what it was.
But as she grew, it became less endearing and more worrying. She had almost been killed and mauled by the wolves they bred because she was curious to see if they felt as fluffy as they looked.
She was the only child of duke and duchess of Alfadamia. And the little sweetheart of the whole kingdom.
Alfadamia was almost a perfect kingdom. No wars, no raids, no invasions, no battles, nothing.
And this was because there were no other kingdoms beside Alfadamia.
As King George, the ruler of Alfadamia ruled over the land of Alfadamia, there were no other kingdoms to oppose him so he ruled rather peacefully. He ruled over all the lands and he was a great king, the people of Alfadamia loved him as he had brought nothing but peace to the kingdom.
Now, the kingdom was only nearly perfect because like all things that seemed perfect, it had a great flaw...the Dark forest.
All Alfadamians were prohibited from nearing the Dark forest, for their safety and the safety of the kingdom.
The king told that within the Dark forest was a restless darkness, wild and wicked that awaited a foolish prey to step foot in it so it could lure and consume that prey.
It had even become an Alfadamian tale that parents usually told their children at night.
Unfortunately, the stories had not scared Lillian like it was supposed to. It had done quite the opposite as Lillian's curiosity had only been piqued.
She sat by her window, staring at the moon which rested right above the Dark forest in the distance.
"Mistress Lillian," a servant came into her room, knocking softly. "Your mother sends me to call you for dinner."
Lily turned instantly, her beautiful crescent eyes brightening in delight at the mention of dinner.
"Oh wonderful! I will be right there, Aurora!," she replied. The servant whom she had referred to as Aurora sighed, her expression a mirror of exasperation as she took a better look at the young mistress.
"Mistress Lillian!," her tone was chastising and Lillian immediately knew she hadn't cleaned up properly.
"You have been crawling in the tunnels again, haven't you?," Aurora asked, walking towards her. She grabbed the young girl, sitting her down at her dress table.
"I only explored for a few minutes," Lily muttered, her lips in a pout.
Aurora was the servant personally in charge of Lillian while her parents were busy. One could say Aurora was like an older sister to the young mistress.
Countless times, Lily had been caught by Aurora exploring in the catacombs beneath the mansion. And countless times, Aurora had lied to the duke and duchess for the young mistress' sake.
Now at the dresser, Aurora began brushing off the dust from Lily's beautiful golden locks. They were bright and vibrant, making it easier to spot every little speck of dirt in her hair.
Aurora sighed as she brushed off the last bit of dirt she could get to in time. "You are going to have to pray and hope your mother does not notice the dirt in your hair, Lily. You know how sharp her eyes are, they are just like yours!"
Lily nodded, grinning at her older friend. "Thank you, Aurora!"
She sprang up and dashed towards the door.
"If this happens one more time, I will be forced to tell your mother!"
But Lily did not catch her words as she was already rushing down to the dining room. She smiled at her parents when she saw them.
"Good evening, mother," she kissed her mother's cheek. "Good evening, father."
Her father received his kiss on the cheek with an affectionate smile. "Did you have a good day, Lily?"
"Yes, father," she replied, taking her seat beside her mother.
"Do you like the new governess, my love?," her mother asked. "She said you were obedient. That's wonderful."
Lily nodded. "I like her also...she is okay."
The servants came in to serve their dinner and they began eating. Lily, having nothing better to do, listened in on her father's n with her mother.
"I think he will make a fine partner for Lily," her father said. He turned his gaze to Lily with a smile. "What do you think of the king's son, Lily?"
"He is alright, father," she replied. "Why?"
"Would you like to someday marry him?," her father asked. The question had come suddenly and she hadn't expected it, causing her to choke on the water she had been drinking.
Her mother immediately began to pat her back, chuckling softly at her reaction.
"You want me to marry prince Gilbert?," she seemed shocked that her father had even suggested it.
"You are turning fourteen in a few months, Lily," her mother said. "You are getting older and your father and I want you to marry the best person we can find...and it just so happens that that best person is prince Gilbert."
"He is a sweet boy, isn't he?," her father asked her.
Lily laughed. "Father, did you like mother before you married her?"
Her father nodded as though her question was silly. "But of course! She was the most beautiful girl I had ever laid my eyes on. Immediately I saw her, I knew she would be one for me...the wife I want."
He glanced at his wife, his gaze loving and affectionate. She blushed, surprised at the unexpected pledge of love. He chuckled, placing his hand on his wife's.
Lily smiled at her parents. That was what she wanted, what her parents had. They seemed to fall in love with each other all over again with each and every glance at each other.
She also wanted that for herself. She wanted to marry someone who made her feel alive, someone who she would fall in love with instantly and constantly.
Prince Gilbert was not that person. The prince was good-looking, no doubt but for some reason, he did not like her.
He was cold towards her, constantly judging every decision she made. It made Lily feel uncomfortable around him and hence, made her avoid him.
One did not marry someone they did not like, did they?
Fortunately, her father's flirting had distracted both parents and they momentarily forgot about their suggestion to marry Lily off to the Prince of Alfadamia.
Lily was lucky that her mother did not notice her dirty hair. It was strange as her mother's senses were usually very sharp but nonetheless, Lily counted it as luck and was grateful for it.
After dinner, Aurora assisted her in having her bath. And as Aurora washed her hair, she chastised her.
"You need to stop crawling in mysterious places, young miss!," she insisted, her hands scrubbing the girl's scalp. "It is dangerous!"
"But do you not wonder about why the mansion is built on top of an old burial ground?," Lily asked. "The skulls of the deceased are even shaped different! Isn't that captivating?"
"Young miss, have you heard the saying curiosity killed the cat?," Aurora asked.
"The cat must not have been careful then," Lily giggled. "But I am. Don't worry about me, Aurora."
Aurora sighed, exasperation clear in her countenance. "Do you not feel fear, young miss? Burial places, especially ancient ones are no place to explore."
Fear.
Of course she felt fear. Every single time she made her way into the catacombs, she felt the cold hand of fear grip her heart, chilling her to the bones. But every time she made a move to turn around and leave, it would make her feel incomplete, her body and mind would be restless until they both agreed to ignore that fear and explore.
Her parents. Aurora. Everyone around her called it boundless curiosity. But she felt as though it was deeper than that.
What she wasn't sure about was if it was some kind of curse or some kind of blessing.