"There lies a somnolent lake
Under a noiseless sky,
Where never the mornings break
Nor the evenings die." - In the Past, by Trumbell Stickney
"And what was it like meeting your betrothed for the first time, Your Majesty?" Ezekiel's aide had asked once he had returned to their place of stay within an inn south of the Valdis estate; the question caused the young Emperor to pause as he recalled their initial meeting. Lilith had the aura of an aristocrat due to her upbringing as the only heir to the duchy before her father's death.
Ezekiel had instantly recognised the infamous eyes of Valdis, something her uncle did not have, and whether it was a blessing or a curse remains to be seen. He was aware of the legends surrounding her family– beholders of the Black Pearl and the architects of the empire, a history that the Temple of Mehir disapproved of. To them, it was blasphemous even to imply that a family of such origin be included in the orchestration of the empire. As a result, the Valdis family's ancestors retreated from politics and into the mountains until Victor Valdis took over as head of the family.
There were many rumours that Arthur had Victor framed for treason, supposedly with the help of Regef Valdis. Still, none of it was confirmed; it was just speculation, as Victor never denied the charge of treason and accepted his execution gracefully. Ezekiel could remember his father discussing it with his vassals, believing the temple was involved as well; the temple had long ago burned any record of the Valdis' involvement in crowning the first Emperor of Skyvale, cementing the idea that their God crowned the Emperor and with Victor's death, it roused suspicion of the temple once again.
For a family of such reputation and significant history to have fallen so far was something to lament; their prowess as a political force was undoubtedly missed, as Ezekiel recalled his late grandfather's words.
"An empire attempting to rewrite its history and forsake its most powerful asset is doomed to fall."
Many thoughts circled Ezekiel's mind. He remembered the despair on Lilith's face once she had signed the marriage contract; it was a given, as she could quickly tell what the condition concerning her death meant. Ezekiel had came to the same conclusion as her: she was to die before she was to ever make it to the palace.
Lilith's eyes flashed in his mind, darkly beautiful. As she peered up at him, he could recognise a look of awe in them as if she couldn't believe who she was looking at, a look he was somewhat accustomed to after arriving in Skyvale. Indeed, the Titus family was much bigger than the average human; the raw power in even their pinky fingers was overwhelming. An appearance that marks them as descendants of a great titan from before the time of gods. People of Skyvale have never seen such an appearance, and for the Arthurian soldiers, Ezekiel's simple silhouette became a hallmark of death.
The young emperor swishes the brandy around in his glass, amused by his thoughts as they drifted to Lilith, which happened more often than not ever since he discovered she was to be his empress; he remembered her delicate visage– could she indeed be the last remnant of the old gods? Her eyes are the sole confirmation of her lineage; no other being on the continent had the same eyes. Ezekiel stared at his hand, spreading his fingers, and he wondered how it would look around her neck.
He wanted to feel her breath beneath the palm of his hand, her heartbeat thrumming. Could he pluck it like a violin string? Make her blood sing? Ezekiel wanted to possess her, and he briefly thought that this, too– this desire to keep came from his titan bloodline. After all, he was made in their image. Did they, too, covet such precious things?
Ezekiel didn't know and surmised he would never know; the old Titans had long perished before his time, and he didn't care for dead things.
"Your Majesty?" His aide squeaks. "Y-your aura. P-please."
The room had become hard to breathe in, crackling with energy as if lightning were to strike at any moment. Standing close to him right now would make any person's breath difficult to catch. Ezekiel's boorish red eyes flickered at his aide's pale face.
"Apologies, Cardale. I was lost in my thoughts." He chuckled, and the room returned to normal. He sipped on his brandy and enjoyed the warm, burning sensation it gave him.
"No need to apologise, Your Majesty. It was my fault bringing up the topic of your bride."
"What makes you say that?"
A look of surprise crosses Cardale's face. "Are you not upset about this sudden marriage?"
"Why would I be?" He peered at his aide over the rim of the glass, another sip before he placed it down on his temporary workspace, a rickety desk with one of its uneven legs perched upon a stack of books to steady it.
"Lady Lilith is the daughter of a disgraced duke, Your Majesty." Cardale shifted his weight as he felt put on the spot. "Surely, you know this?"
Ezekiel hummed. "I do, but I'm not sure it matters."
"Of course, it matters; the Skyvale Emperor intends to humiliate you with this marriage," Cardale mentions Arthur Regan, who suggested marriage to end the war with nefarious intentions that were known when the marriage contract was to be read. "He wants to humiliate you in front of the Skyvale high society, Your Majesty."
He certainly knew what Arthur meant by choosing Lilith Valdis, but to care for it wasn't something Ezekiel could find himself to do once Lilith's portrait came across his desk.
Pushing back from the desk, Ezekiel rose to his full height, glancing at Cardale before turning to face the small window with his hands clasped behind his back. He watched as people wandered along the snow-trodden cobblestone, their faces hidden in cloaks of dark colours, a common sight in a northern community, bereft of any warmth.
"I'm aware of Arthur's intentions," Ezekiel casually uses the name of the highest person in the land; after all, they are equal in every sense of the word. "But reacting to it is exactly what he desires, and I don't intend to give him the satisfaction– I will accept Lilith Valdis as my empress, and I hope you will afford her the respect and dignity she deserves."
Cardale's eyes widened in surprise. He was used to his master's callous attitude, so to hear him graciously accept a marriage forced upon him in the name of peace was something he did not anticipate, let alone his declaration of Lilith becoming his true empress. It was absurd. A child of a traitor? Not even from one of the four noble families of Skyvale but an aristocrat?
Cardale was sure of it; Lilith Valdis is a magnificent woman of stature to have captured the cold Titan descendant's attention.
But the aide wasn't sure if it was a blessing or a curse as he watched a sardonic smile slowly appear on his master's face.
"Dispatch the shadows to protect the empress." Ezekiel commanded, "Arthur Regan and Regef Valdis are not to be trusted."
"Does that mean-"
"Yes, Arthur intends to start a war he cannot win."
"My lady, maybe it is time you rest." Lilith's maid, Heather, tentatively suggests as she watched Lilith leaf through the family history books.
"I will rest soon. Don't worry and take your leave."
Heather nodded and bowed before leaving; a stillness enveloped Lilith's room, causing her to release a breath she didn't know she was holding. She had been on edge since meeting her future husband, whose visage alone intimidated her. A battle-hardened man. Was he even a man? Lilith couldn't help but wonder that upon their first meeting, as he certainly wasn't ordinary, he towered over most men.
Lilith couldn't remember what happened exactly after signing the marriage contract; the stress of her incoming death had weighed down her mind and body. She wasn't sure how she got back to her room that day, she curled up in her bed and couldn't stop her body from shaking and eventually fell asleep.
The following day, she was met with one of Ezekiel's shadows, who had informed her that they were keeping watch over her before disappearing from sight; Lilith let out a sigh of relief. It meant that Ezekiel had come to the same realization that she did and had no intentions of letting her die. It comforted her somewhat, but it didn't mean her life was to be any easier, and definitely not after she essentially signed her death warrant.
Time will tell if she is truly safe with Ezekiel, so she knew she had to keep her wits about her.
She completely understood the emperor's weariness the moment she met Ezekiel Titus—no wonder Arthur Regan wanted to humiliate him. His superiority complex couldn't take the blow Ezekiel had dealt to his regime, so to not only humiliate Ezekiel, he ordered Lilith to be married to him so Arthur could have a reason to invade Zhuria if she were to die in suspicious circumstances.
Lilith sighs. What a foolish man Arthur Regan is. Ezekiel Titus is a formidable opponent who could not—would not—be easily beaten if war were to break out once again as if the various humiliations Arthur had suffered weren't enough; Lilith wondered if he was a masochist.
What goes on in Arthur Regan's mind is hard to tell. The war dealt him a significant blow in the eyes of the public, and criticisms of the imperial family were at an all-time high, hence why Arthur instigated a peace treaty in the first place. It just didn't make sense to use Lilith as a crutch for invading Zhuria once again. She couldn't come to a solid conclusion at all.
A shiver slithered down her spine as she recalled Ezekiel's bloodred eyes that had pierced her heart, a sign of Titan's blood running through his veins, but his eyes held no hatred towards her. She couldn't even entirely decipher what his gaze meant– curiosity? Lilith wasn't sure, but it was blatant in whatever it was, so much so that she felt completely naked under his watchful look.
He was a man of great stature; stories of him cutting down Arthurian soldiers left and right and the many rumours surrounding him came to mind. Mostly mocking as Arthurians didn't have a high opinion of Zhurians, always believing they were above them. It was a rather racist and close-minded way of thinking; Lilith held no preconceived notions towards Zhurians and studied some of their culture in the books in the family's library during her spare time.
Her thoughts have been confusing since she met Ezekiel, to say the least. Judging from his behaviour at the ball, he must've known she was his bride-to-be, or he just thought she would've known him; both were reasonable conclusions as Ezekiel was famous across the continent.
The brief thought of kissing him—as they would have to at the wedding—crossed her mind. Would it be light and brief? Tense and awkward? Romantic and tender? Lilith shook her head. How ridiculous. Why worry when it was inevitable? She would have to get used to having a husband and the duties of being a wife. Lilith's face fell when she remembered her aunt's words.
"You have to accept your husband, no matter what," her aunt, Georgia, told Lilith. "It doesn't matter how much it'll hurt; bear with it. That is the true virtue of being a wife."
Lilith frowned when she recalled that memory; her aunt had a strange look on her face when she told Lilith that, like her mind was elsewhere and wherever it was, it had to be unpleasant if her frown was anything to go by. It made Lilith wonder if that is what her aunt had to suffer through; she knew that Georgia's marriage to Regef was arranged by Georgia's family when Victor was still alive. Perhaps it wasn't all smooth sailing despite the façade her aunt kept up.
But Lilith couldn't spare any sympathy for her aunt; she had her own arranged marriage to worry about.
"Did you see the Titan Emperor?" A hushed voice spoke from the other side of the door, no doubt one of the maids cleaning the hallway, the whispers distracting Lilith from her thoughts.
"Our Lady marrying such a man? I can hardly fathom it." Another voice spoke, and Lilith strained to hear. "He looked like he could crush a man's head with his bare hands."
Lilith quietly giggled; he definitely looked like he could, which was undoubtedly an accurate observation.
"Makes you wonder what a man like that would be like in the bedroom."
She froze. Right. Lilith wondered that, too. As a lady, she must serve her husband in the bedroom and accept what may come of the first night, which made her anxious. Would she be able to accept him? Her knowledge was limited due to her conservative upbringing and as much as she tried to glean information from the passing conversations of the maids, they weren't beneficial either as they seemed to be primarily disappointing and it made Lilith wonder if Ezekiel was to be the same as the men the maids described.
If so, it'll at least be tolerable—but at first glance, Lilith had a gut feeling that Ezekiel was in a league of his own, and she felt way out of her depth.
Sleep eluded her that night, chased away by the thoughts of ruby-red eyes.
The following day, Francis brought terrible news for Lilith.
"My Lady, you've received a summons from the emperor of Skyvale."