Nuada stood still for a full minute before he began to move again. He slowly removed the crown from his head and stowed it in the pouch again.
"Lily is alive. She is back. There is no reason to do this anymore." Nuada said softly, shock still on his face.
No! Arwen couldn't let this happen! She was so close!
"But, my king-!" She began.
"No! No more! I have more important things to do! Such as checking on my unconscious wife!" He snapped at her.
He stepped down from the raised platform, not looking to see if Arwen followed. He walked out of the chambers of the Golden Army and mounted his horse. He rode quickly back to his castle. He would never openly admit it, but he was elated that Lily was back. Dare he say he even might have developed feelings for her? He would never say he had, he was supposed to hate humans.
Arwen panicked after Nuada left. Surely a hunt would have started for the person responsible for trapping Queen Lillian. She couldn't stay here, she had to leave or they would find her and kill her for treason against the crown. So she ran, she ran in the direction opposite of the kingdom. They would never find her if she had anything to say about it.
HBHBHBHBHB
Nuada dismounted his horse. He swiftly walked into the castle and straight to the healers. Lily sat up in a bed, clutching her head in her right hand. Her eyes were squeezed shut in pain. Nuala and Abe stood around her, asking her questions about her absence and her current state.
"Stop. Please. My head." Lily groaned out at the couple.
"Leave her!" Nuada shouted and swiftly moved to his wife's side. "I wish to speak to her."
Nuala was shocked Nuada talked to her like that, but smiled softly at his concern. She quickly ushered Abe and any healers out of the room. Nuada grabbed Lily's right forearm. His thumb stroked the skin there.
"You are really back." He paused. "Your absence almost ruined me. I almost unleashed the Golden Army, distraught and depressed. I was convinced there was no reason to stay peaceful. You keep me sane." He admitted.
Lily barely moved after his confession. Her eyes still squeezed tightly.
"I can't. My head. It hurts so much. Like my brain has been ripped out and replaced with a much larger one." She said, teeth clenched in pain.
"Have you asked the healers to relieve it?" He asked her, his eyebrows scrunched in worry.
"Yeah, but they said it's the after effects of the spell. They can't do anything." She took a few moments to collect herself. "That was sweet, though. What you said. I'm glad I'm helping you not commit genocide." She smirked at the end.
Nuada leaned down and kissed her gently on the lips. They parted and he stood.
"I will put a price on the head of the sorceress responsible for this. We will have closure soon." Nuada said briefly before leaving.
HBHBHBHBHB
Meldiron rode his horse steadily through the forest surrounding Bethmoora. He could feel strong magic in the air, the same magic he had felt near Lily. He had followed it for quite a while and felt it getting stronger. He knew he would find whoever was responsible in a short amount of time, and he would make sure they suffered for tearing Queen Lillian out of his life for a month.
He jumped over a fallen branch and his horse suddenly jolted to a stop. It seemed as if a magical barrier had been put up to prevent his journey. Meldiron was not discouraged, however, and he swiftly jumped off his horse. He touched the barrier, it sent a tingling sensation through his fingertips, and tried to identify the sorceress. He slightly pushed his hand into the barrier. It bent ever so slightly, but then would let him go no further. He smirked.
"Oh, you are clever. You doubt my determination though." He said out loud.
HBHBHBHBHB
Hours had passed since Lily had come back into existence. Her headache had lessen a bit, but not enough so that she no longer felt pain. Nuala and Abe stood around her, filling her in on the past month's events.
"Lady Arwen has been keeping my brother's company, but he does not feel towards her." Nuala explained.
"Arwen? That name sounds familiar." The words had only just come out of Lily's mouth when a sharp headache hit her. Her hand shot up to hold her head. "Oh, not another headache."
She shut her eyes tightly and soon the darkness behind her eyelids turned into shapes and colors. It was a forest. It was getting dark. She was running, she didn't remember the last time she stopped. She was so tired, but she couldn't stop. They would get her. And kill her. She had to keep running until she was out of the enchanters' range. What was that, that feeling? Her vision was getting blurry. Realization then extreme hatred hit her. Lily's vision turned bright then dark and her head felt like it had been split in two.
"Ahh!" Lily screamed. She flew backwards onto the bed. The wind had been knocked out of her.
"Lily!" Nuala and Abe both said, reaching for her to help her up.
"What happened?" Abe asked her, using his touch as an attempt to search her mind for the answer.
"I know who did it. I remember now. It was Arwen that locked me in that book. I saw her just now. In a forest. She's running and she knows I know where she is." Lily said in a panic. Nuala and Abe stared at her, mouths agape at this new knowledge.
The room was silent for a few moments as the information was absorbed.
"She will surely try to kill you now." Nuala mused. "You must be under constant guard. No doubt she will send her twin Alya to murder you. I will tell Nuada at once."
Nuala left the healers immediately to spread the news.
"Oh great, more people trying to kill me. Will it ever stop?" Lily said.
"Not as long as you are married to Nuada and pregnant with his child." Abe told her.
Lily sighed, putting her head in her hands.
HBHBHBHBHB
Arwen ran. She kept running. Through the forest, so far she lost track of where she was. She didn't falter though, she couldn't afford it. Lily knew where she was now and soon the entire kingdom will be closing in on her. She had enough time to send a telepathic message to her twin, Alya, though. She told her to kill Lily, but do it stealthily because the entire kingdom was on red alert. Arwen only hoped she could do it in time, before they found her.
HBHBHBHBHB
Alya received the death order from Arwen and cloaked herself in a spell. Everyone that saw her would only see a healer, not the twin sister of the traitor Arwen.
She walked to the healers, nodded in acknowledgement to the guards stationed there, and entered. Lily was alone, sleeping on her bed. The healers had refused to let her leave until her headaches stopped. Alya smirked to herself. Too easy. She pulled a dagger from inside of her cloak and walked over to Lily. The queen's chest rose and fell from her soft breathing. It would rise no more once Alya was done. She held the dagger over her head and harshly brought it down.
No! Another cliffhanger! I bet you're all ready to kill me now. Don't! Anyway, this whole Arwen story arc is almost done. Stay tuned!