Chapter 2

I should ask father about this when I get back home.

"So you know anything about this?" Warren stared at me.

I looked at him with troubled eyes not knowing anything about the situation or even how it happened.

"Maybe everyone got a pay rise?" He said.

"Really in this tarnished nation everyone got a pay rise all of a sudden and ends up going to a tavern from all other places?" I looked at everyone's sad and anxious faces like some kind of war started.

Before Warren could say another word I pointed at the guy behind us.

"How come the king is doing this to us!?" One of the men said in an angry voice, banging the wooden table with a fork in his hand.

" know right! I have kids to feed and this king wants to take more of our tax!" The second man's eyes were red with goosebumps covering him from head to toe.

No one was here for a party, more of an angry mob of men trying to file a complaint to no one but themselves.

"Ah so thats why their here kind of a stupid reason isnt it?" Warren scoffed, leaning from the chair. He didn't like the feeling of the atmosphere and I didnt like it either. Next time I'll remember to take an extra snack before I leave the castle.

"You know something about this?" I asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Of course I do, every guard came to the villagers' houses telling them about it".

"Is this about the taxes getting higher..?".

He didn't look me in the eye so I guess it does have something to do with it.

Father really is trying to rob everyone clean from their pockets but for what?

We have clothes, food and land. What else do we need from our people?

As I was the daughter of the king it was better for me to keep my mouth shut incase of any suspicion.

I wouldn't like it if anyone knew I was here.

While Warren and I were waiting silently Julia came back with our food and drinks.

"There you go guys! I hope you enjoy your meal!" We thanked her after she quickly rushed to another table to get their orders.

"Finally a good meal!" We both said in excitement, forgetting about everything else.

I picked up my fork slowly eating the partridge chicken with joy on my face. If you ever feel down, always eat a delicious meal so you won't feel the pain any more.

Well that's what my mother always said.

I drank my rose petal tea feeling the flavour of it gush through my mouth and the sauce making my body feel like it was in a dream. The flavour was sweet and enchanting me into a spell. The food made my mouth drool a little but it was perfectly cooked and made.

As we were eating Warren accidentally dropped his knife on the ground. He grumbled looking annoyed about to grab another one.

"Don't worry I'll get one for you" I stood up walking to the counter when I bumped into someone in the cramped tavern. I immediately apologized but I couldn't see their face.

Their whole body was covered in a black cloak which was old and dusty. I thought they were a homeless person or a traveler but they just stared down not meeting my gaze.

I could tell they looked shy so I neatly fixed their cloak, smiling at them.

"Try being careful next time a lot of people look grumpy today so it's better if you look out for yourself" I continue walking to the counter picking up an extra knife and fork from the display.

As I went back to the table Warren smirked at me giving the normal wink.

"So who is that you bumped into?".

"Dunno he looked like a wanderer so I wanted to help them".

"You're too nice these days Marissa one day someone is going to turn your back on you" With a sigh he took the new knife and started to cut his food up.

He was trying to protect me again which made me happy on the inside. We were eating slowly, taking our time.

Ignoring everyones frustrated emotion.

When we finished we were full as a buffalo, not taking another bite.

As Warren was thanking for the meal he ate, I took his plate and mine to the nearest disposal but all of it ended when a familiar face showed up.

"Well if it isn't princess Verena didn't know you will be here at the tavern in a time like this" Lilith stood in front of me with her gang behind her.

"What do you want now Lilith?" I say in a deep and serious voice.

"Oh Verena, stop being so guarded. I'm just here with my friends to have a good time at the tavern!" Her appearance was already troublesome and most of the people in the tavern turned around staring at me with bulging eyes. I didn't want to cause a ruckus so I turned around walking the opposite direction.

I never liked her and never will…..

As I was about to leave she grabbed my collar, throwing me to the ground. "Where do you think you're going!?" Her voice echoed around the room. Her face was plastered with a devilish smile yet they call her innocent.

I wanted to shout at her. Scream at her even but something inside me told me not to.

I could see Warren's face in the distance, shocked and frightened at the same time. He already had a bad encounter with them and I don't want it to happen again. I stood up brushing the dirt off my clothes. "If there is something you want to say to me it's better if you spill it out".

She laughed to herself in a shallow tone taking closer steps towards me. "Oh I have a lot of things I need to tell you and everyone else does as well" Lilith was different than most humans on this nation.

She was dark and cruel.

I thought she was different from everyone but she is just the same. A villain. The people closest to you can betray you like dropping a bloody rose covered in the love that you both shared and cared about that has now been crumbled and destroyed.

I reached into my pocket and threw out a bag of gold coins that I had with me. What else does she want from me. "Really you think that will work this time!?!" Everyone laughed beside her enjoying what they were looking at. A hopeless princess begging for mercy. That's what they all think of me even though I helped them and protected them from the things they fear most.

Did I really deserve this hatred?

"Name the price Lilith and leave me alone. This isn't a place to fight at and you know that very well don't you?" The bitterness in my voice scared many and luckily made Lilith jump a little.

She needed to compose herself not letting her guard go down.

"I don't want anything from a repulsive princess like yourself who is stealing the thing we worked most hard for!" She yelled from the top of her lungs, throwing a plate at me.

I dodged her attack while the plate smashed on the wall, frightening most of the customers.

"Lilith that is enough!" The owner of the tavern Alice shouted.

"Don't tell me what to do, old lady! This isn't your fight!" She barked back at her.

Alice stood in front of her pointing at the door.

"Leave now…".

I could tell Lilith was trying to hold back her tears. Nothing hurts more than the person you love betraying you.

"YOU DON'T HAVE TO TELL ME WHAT TO DO!" The words came blasting out of her mouth. Alice was startled to hear those words from her mouth but it wasn't anything new to me.

"I SAID GET OUT OF THE TAVERN YOU USELESS CHILD!" Alice couldn't take her nonsense anymore and broke out of her patience. Julia pulled her mother back trying to stop her from saying anything else.

"Mother calm yourself, there is no need to shout at Lilith!". "Shut up Julia, it's your fault for everything! If it wasn't because of you I wouldn't be living in this hell hole right now!" She and her gang knocked over some chairs and tables making a mess of everything while Alice and Julia stood there stunned.

I couldn't watch what was happening.

Everyone felt useless against them since they don't have powers or any kind of abilities like the other nations had.

But my body felt different. I lunged towards Lilith punching her straight in the face leaving a bruise to scar her for life. Everyone gasped in shock and mothers covered their own children's eyes.

Julia stuttered at the moment trying to say something but her mouth couldn't open one bit from the shock that left her body.

Lilith fell to the ground holding her jaw in pain as blood ran down her mouth dripping from each end of the smirk that was placed instead of an angry one.

"You really asked for it now didnt you stupid ass of a princess" She laughed her head of eyes wide as a owl raging with the volcano that exploded inside of her.

She stood back up not letting her minions help her.

Before I could say another word she dashed towards me taking out her pocket knife carved with wood from each of her sweat.

I dodged each attack trying not to miss a step.

Her laughter haunted me inside my head but I wasn't scared of death I was scared of what will come after it.

She was skilled enough to even hold one but I couldn't keep this up. My body panted for breath and my head about to explode into millions of bits.

That is when the same black figure from before pulled out their sword reflecting her attacks.

The sword cut a scar in her hand as she screamed in tragedy. "CURSE YOU ALL, CURSE YOU USELESS HUMANS" The anger in her voice yelled from the top of her lungs as the blood kept spilling never ending.

The black figure held me close with one arm wielding the sword and the other holding me close as I could smell their cloak from ash and dust. Their breath was hot and steamy and my face red from embarrassment.

Warren rushed towards me checking to see if I was alright not injured with the blood that covered Lilith. But the attention of the villagers was too much and the person with the black cloak took my hand and ran out of the tavern to a safe place.

Warren followed us holding my hand as well.

"Where are you taking us?!" I shouted trying to catch my breath.

But they didn't say a single thing and only continued running.

We soon arrived at an abandoned house sitting on the muddy ground processing what happened right now.

But all of a sudden I felt something or someone touch me.