III. Discovery – the act of seeing, learning of, finding, or gaining sight or knowledge of
"Lily, is that you?"
"Yes, father. You wanted to see me?"
"Yes. Come in." Lily walked and stood in front of her father, who was reading a book. He closed his book, and took his spectacles off. "I want to talk to you about something."
"All right," she said.
"You know Benjy is dead," he began. Lily nodded. "I have set up an agreement with the Land of Black."
"I'm a peace offering," Lily said nodding.
He peered at her. "They are here now. You will leave with them tomorrow."
"All right," she said. "Is that all?"
He looked at her. "Yes. You may go." Lily left, and walked quietly up to her room, where she sat on her bed and cried.
"She's amazing!" James said to Remus. "I'm seeing her tomorrow."
"That's great," Remus said, "too bad we have to leave in two days."
"Don't mention that," James said, burying his hands in his face. They were at the Evans castle. "I need to go for a walk," he said standing up. He got up and left the room. He spent a couple hours wandering around the castle. He wandered through the kitchens and picked up a bread roll. Then he went out to the garden. There was a girl there already. She turned to look at him when he entered.
"Oh, excuse me," he said, taking a glance at her.
"That's ok," she mumbled. She was sitting alone on a bench, not paying any attention to him. There was something familiar about her. He pretended to be very interested in the rose bushes. He kept glancing from the plants to her. She was just sitting, staring at the ground. She looked so sad. Then it hit him. Her hair.
"Emena?" he blurted out.
"Excuse me?" she asked looking up. And then she recognized him. "James? Is that you?"
"Emena!" he said rushing over to her. "What are you doing here? I thought you lived near the marketplace?"
"Oh… no… no… I—er—I live here," she stammered. "What are you doing here?"
"This is where I'm staying. I'm… leaving tomorrow," he said. Her face expression then changed.
"Oh, cool," she said looking away from him.
"But you're here! Right here in front of me! I've been thinking about you all day," he said taking her hand in his.
She smiled a small smile. "James… We can't do this."
He looked at her, confused. "But why?"
"Because," she started, "because you are leaving soon."
"What does that matter?" he asked.
"You don't understand," she said looking down.
"Then help me to," he said.
"I just don't want to – I mean -- I want to make it count," she said.
"Then let's make tonight count," he said, and pressed his lips on hers.
Before long they were creeping upstairs to Lily's room. Trying quietly to not disturb Belqua and have her catch them. So they spent the night together, making love and relishing in each other's limited presence.
The next day they spent on the shores, holding hands and walking barefoot in the sand. The wind blew through her hair, rippling it like flames licking a log. James had never felt so exhilarated, than he did when he was with Lily, or to him Emena.
Lily knew she had to leave soon, but she didn't want to realize or admit it. She didn't know what she would do and any time it came up she pushed it to the back of her mind. Yet she still felt a pang of guilt every time he called her Emena.
As the day came to a close James began to feel it. He didn't want to leave her. She had changed his life in the short few days he had known her and he was sad to have to leave her.
"I don't want to leave you," he told her.
"Let's not think about it," she said, pushing the subject away, like she had all day.
"But look," he said, pointing to the setting sun. "We're running out of time."
She turned to him and looked him in the eye. "If your feelings really are true, then time will never matter. We'll find a way." Then she kissed him, with all the passion and feeling she had been dealing with for the past three days. The arrival of Belqua a few moments later signaled the end of the day.
It was one of the hardest things James had ever had to do: say goodbye. And it was equally hard for Lily. She felt horrible. She would be marrying another man in a week, and she would never see this man again. She had never felt so empty inside.
"Goodbye, Emena," he said, with such sincerity she had to choke back tears.
"Goodbye, James," she said. He held her hands in his and looked deep into her eyes. They shared one last passionate kiss. She wished she could be in his arms forever, but knew she would have to leave eventually. "I have to go," she said, wiping a tear from her eye. James nodded looking down.
"I know," he said. They let go of each other and she turned away.
"Don't forget me, now," she said light-heartedly. Her voice was shaky and she was holding back all she could not to cry.
He smiled. "How could I?" She smiled back at him one last time, and then left.
James remained, a few moments longer, just staring out at the sea and watching the waves crash onto the shore. He stared out to the east, where he would be returning in a few days. He began to dread it. He wanted to stay in the west, where it was sunny and bright, and where he could be happy. But things never turned out the way he wanted.
Lily spent the rest of the night crying. Belqua tried to comfort her, but it did no good. She did not want to leave her home. She did not want to marry a man she had never met before. She wanted to spend the rest of her days growing old with James. She felt a connection with James, one that she had with no one else before. She missed him. She wanted to see him again.
The next morning, Lily was a mess. She would be leaving at 11 o' clock. She was dressed into a simple gown by a few maids. Her clothing was heavy on her. It was weighing her down and she felt helpless beneath it. She had no energy to do anything. At 11, she solemnly walked behind her maids to the main hall. A group of men were there, arguing. She heard her father's voice, but cared not to listen.
Belqua walked in front and introduced her to the men. "Gentlemen," she said, "I present to you Lady Lily Evans of Oloro."
Lily stepped slowly down the staircase, keeping her eyes cast downward. "Aah, Lily," her father said. He was waiting at the base to take her hand. His hand was cold to her, unlike James', which had been warm and soft.
"Gentlemen," he said, "my daughter." They bowed before her, and she lifted her head. There were four or five of them, most dressed in black.
"G'day, your ladyship," a scraggly young man said. He looked vaguely familiar, but Lily couldn't pinpoint where she had seen him. She nodded to him.
"Good day," she murmured.
"We will be shipping off any minute now," he informed her Your things have already been loaded onto the ship."
"Yes," she said, "thank you."
"I guess that's it, isn't it?" her father chuckled. "As you know, she will be accompanied by her first maiden."
"Yes, of course," said one of the men. "Then if all is settled, should we be off?"
"Right you are, Rodolphus," Evans said. "The dock is right this way." He led the way out to the dock. Lily entered after the men, but one man had stayed behind.
"Emena? Is that you?" he whispered. Lily's eyes snapped to the owner of the voice.
"James!" she said, flabbergasted. "What are you doing here?"
"I might ask the same to you!" he replied.
"Lily, my dear!" came her father's voice.
"Yes, Father. I'm coming!" she called. She felt her heart pounding beneath her chest. She stepped out on to the dock, where her father stood waiting. Most of the men had already walked on board. She could feel James move behind her.
"Goodbye, Father," she said.
"Goodbye, Lily," he said. She leaned in to give him a kiss on the cheek.
He pulled his face to her ear. "Don't do anything foolish," he whispered to her. "This is our only chance for true peace. You are our last hope."
"Yes, Father," she replied pulling away. Lily and Belqua then boarded the ship and it was cast off into the bay moments later. She stood by the side of her ship until her home was no longer in view. There were so many emotions running through her mind. The thought of never seeing home again. The thought that James was here, with her on the same boat. The thought that she would be married to a man she had never seen before. She felt so confused and overwhelmed by everything.
After they had been a few miles out at sea, Lily walked to her cabin that was sectioned off from the rest of the boat. Belqua followed behind her.
"What do I do, Belqua?" she asked, helplessly.
"I think now the truth could play a big part," Belqua said, sarcastically.
"Wait a minute," Lily said, "you were the one who told me to tell him a fake name."
"That was before you two fell in love," Belqua retorted. "You could have told him the truth, when you saw him the second time. It would have been more tolerable than finding out the way he did."
Lily sighed and stared out the window. "Will you send him in?" she asked.
James was at the stern, staring out at sea. Emena had lied to him. She had been lying to him this whole time. In fact, she wasn't even Emena, a humble girl who had been nothing more than a maiden. Now she was Lily, a soon-to-be Queen who would marry his best friend. He didn't know how to feel. He didn't know if he should be happy that he would be with Lily for longer. He didn't know if he should feel betrayed that she lied to him or if he should be depressed that she would be marrying his best friend.
Just then, Belqua came up behind him. "Excuse me," she said. Her voice was quiet and shrill. "M'lady asks for your presence in her cabin."
James nodded and followed Belqua to the cabin entrance, where she waited outside.
Inside Lily sat perched on a stool, sitting up straight with her dress spread out around her. "Hello," she said. James nodded but didn't speak. "I'm sorry," she said, "for lying to you." James looked away from her. "You don't understand," she pleaded. "I had to."
"I know you had to in the beginning," he said, "but why didn't you tell me later, like yesterday."
"I know, I should have, but I didn't. And I'm sorry." He nodded. "Can you forgive me?" she asked.
"You're marrying my best friend," he said, solemnly. "It wouldn't matter."
"Yes it would, James," she pleaded. "James, I… you… You make me feel so complete. You make me feel like I'm special. I've never felt that way with anyone before." A tear streamed down her cheek.
She stood up and moved closer to him. He remained still. "I—I love you, James," she said, taking his hand.
"It won't work," he said retracting his hand from her grasp. "You're marrying my best friend," he said. "I can't." He turned to leave.
"Don't you love me?" she asked.
He stopped and turned to look at her, tears running down her face. "That's why I can't," he said simply, then stepped out of the cabin.
Lily spent the remainder of the trip in her cabin, having Belqua fetch her any necessities she needed. She cried the majority of the time. Belqua was patient with her and helped her do things she didn't have the strength to. She helped her change clothes, and helped her brush her hair. She sang her to sleep and pulled the blankets over her.
Finally a tap was outside the door. Belqua answered it. It was a man to tell them they were nearing their destination. Belqua dressed Lily in her finest black robes. She packed up all her belongings and stowed them in her luggage, which would be brought ashore later. She led her outside where Lily took in a breath of fresh air.
Lily looked out to her new home. A fog was surrounding them and it looked endless to Lily. The land looked dark and damp. Nothing like where she had come from. She looked around the boat and saw James on the other side, staring off at the sea. She felt the urge to be close to him, but shook it away.
When the boat was tied in to the dock, Lily and Belqua were helped off. She was grabbed by two men on either side of her under the armpits and lifted her off. Nothing like home, she thought, where there were platforms and bridges.
She stepped into one of two carriages pulled by horses. In her carriage were Belqua and a man by the name of Rodolphus who explained the customs of the region to them. Lily did not bother to pay attention. Her new husband would have to take her as she is, with her own customs.
"What is his name?" she blurted out.
Rodolphus looked at her in disbelief. "Why, Sirius, of course."
"Oh, yes," Lily replied, "of course." A few moments later, the carriage stopped. The door was opened and Rodolphus stepped out to make the introductions. Following him was Belqua who helped Lily out of the carriage.
Lily was greeted by a small crowd of people, who clapped for her. She was led by Rodolphus, with Belqua behind her to the castle. The castle was large, and very dark. Ghouls and gargoyles were sculpted into the side. Lily got an eerie feeling from it.
Rodolphus again entered first to make the introductions to the King himself, and his court. When Lily entered, she saw James standing off to the side of a handsome boy, about her age, gleaming. She walked up to him, where he took her hand.
"M'lady," he said, kissing her hand. "It is a pleasure."
"Likewise," she said, giving a small bow. He held out his arm for her and she linked hers with his. He held out his arms to the others in the room, showing her off.
"Fellow friends and family, I give you my wife-to-be Lily Black."