Princess Batya

Batya bit into the apple gently and moaned softly, chewing on the fruit she looked at the anxiously waiting woman before her and nodded her head, swallowing and wiping her mouth, she couldn't help but praise the woman.

"It's very delicious Mrs. Hunter"...the princess said and the market woman smiled happily, she took a basket from her side and filled it with more fruits.

"Uh hmm"...the man beside her cleared his throat uncomfortably and the woman knew then to stop, smiled awkwardly and handed the basket to the beautiful girl. She said her thanks and bid Mrs. Hunter farewell before leaving with her knight by her side.

"That was rude"... she said but he behaved as if he hadn't heard her. Batya sighed and dismissed her not-so-friendly knight. Caden, her knight, was assigned by her father when she turned sixteen, when he noticed the guards found it hard keeping her from sneaking out of the castle and into the city, well for one she loved going to the markets, apart from the many delicious things she was gifted with she learned about the lives of the commoners and their day-to-day hustles and she grew to love it and two she loved their simple way of living. The idea that by given her a knight her movements could be restricted always made her want to laugh. She didn't need a knight, she was more than capable of protecting herself, her brothers had made sure to teach her some defensive skills and her father had trained her by the sword, there was no one she couldn't handle outside the castle gate. But she had been mistaken when she thought she could use her title as the beloved princess of the mighty Black Kingdom and use her father as the powerful Black King to intimidate him, she couldn't remember a time he had budged when she made one of those her threats, the aloof man will only look at her with those disapproving eyes of his and shake his head, when she threw a tantrum he will tie her up, put her on his horse and ride back to the castle with her kicking and cursing him and her parents would never complain however he handled, in fact they were rest assured with him around, her fate was sealed.

In no time she accepted her fate and did whatever he told her to do and it took her a while to realize whatever he did it was for her own good, she had sneaked off one afternoon to the stream when he had disagreed with her and she had met a couple of bandits on the way, if it wasn't for the fact he had guessed where she had gone to when her absence was noticed, she wouldn't have liked what could have happened even those defensive skills she boasted of didn't work for her, she had understood having him around was for her own protection.

Talking of that incident, she was supposed to meet with her friends for a bath, she didn't know about bringing her knight since she wasn't so sure if they will bring theirs, after all they were going for a swim, but looking at Caden's facial expression now, she doubted any excuse will work on him.

"I am meeting my friends at the stream"

"I know, I was there when the meeting was scheduled"...he replied dryly and she sighed helplessly, that meant he was coming along. Seriously what kind of knight will follow his princess to the stream and stand by when a couple of naked girls bathed, well they won't be completely naked but still, he was a pervert. She gave him a side-eye but he ignored her and grabbed an apple from her basket. She protested but he was already heading outside of the city, going to the stream.

The Black Kingdom was very beautiful, with its landmarks and location, it made the kingdom look both intimidating and marvelous. The kingdom had almost seventy percent of its land filled with water, their major trading routes were on the sea and the major occupation of the locals was fish farming. For decades the Black kingdom has been living in peace and as its neighboring kingdoms stopped threatening them with invasion, as if that will be possible, a kingdom as fortified as the Black kingdom was impossible to invade, not with all the eyes on its borders seeking for unfriendly intruders. And anyone who had succeeded crossing its borders never left the kingdom alive, either dead or they became slaves, because of this reputation none of the kingdoms dared to think of an invasion. At least not for now. Far ahead they heard laughter and Batya thought that will make Caden wait as she joined her friends but her annoying knight still followed her still eating her apple. Its been three years since he became her knight and still he nagged her with his silent looks, he was scarier quiet than talking. To win over him, she remember introducing him to a few of her very beautiful friends but he had rejected their attention so brutally that they swore to never approach him again. Oh Caden, how handsome he was, tall and dark with muscles huge enough to rip a boar apart, most young women in the markets always begged her to bring him along, and intentionally added more fruits for him, despite seeing all the signs her knight ignored them and treated them like they didn't exist, she wondered if he will marry and have kids, all men want to marry and have a family of their own one day.

Tomorrow is her wedding day, she was getting married to Allister, a handsome prince from the Ice Kingdom. He with his family should be near the Black Kingdom now, though far, but they were the closest to the kingdom. Their marriage was part of the alliance formed after the Great War, it was agreed a marriage will formalize the alliance, she got engaged a year ago and per her request her father allowed meetings those two to build a relationship. She had fallen for him by first look and that was it, her recognition of his other features came later after they became friends and so far things were great between them, though her mother suspecting the ice queen wasn't too happy about the alliance and made known her worry about her safety when she moves to the Ice Kingdom, but after seeing the way Allister treated her with gentleness and with care she was sure the young prince could look after her daughter, besides Caden will be going with her, he was the only one they trusted enough to fully protect the princess when she was away in an unknown land.

She spotted her four friends playing in the stream, right under the waterfall, they were in their briefs, she widened her eyes and looked at Caden but he had an indifferent look on his face as if he hadn't seen the young half naked women enjoying the freshness of the water.

"Battie"...Alaine, her dirty blonde hair friend called her when she saw her and then just after she screamed and dived in the stream until her head was only visible when her eyes landed on the knight...the others screamed simultaneously and did same, despite that Caden still stood beside her unbothered.

"Caden"...she said in a pleading voice.

"What, it's nothing I haven't seen before"...he replied still eating an apple, that was embarrassing, thought Batya

"Excuse yourself Sir Caden...." yelled Alaine angrily..."we are taking a bath, can't you see"...she was getting angrier and angrier but the knight barely cared, see that was the problem, he just didn't care.

"I don't mind him staying"...announced a shy Eve, she looked down even as she said this and she was the only one standing.

"Well I do mind Eve"... Elsa another friend, said with a scowl. Batya saw Caden smile with amusement and then to her surprise he moved further away from the group, to where he gave them absolute privacy, well isn't that interesting. Eve invited him to watch and he declined with a smile, whatever that was going on between them was none of her business, today was her last bath in this stream and she was going enjoy it to the fullest.

The five beautiful young women relaxed comfortably on a spread cloth and enjoyed the remaining fruits Batya had brought with her.

"Tomorrow is your wedding, aren't you nervous?"...Eve asked and the princess just shrugged.

"Should I be? Well you don't nervous when you are marrying the man of your dreams..." replied the princess with a smile. It was just that, should she be nervous? a worry wreck, thinking of things that will only stress her out? ask herself questions that will give her sleepless nights? No! Batya was just relaxed, she was out enjoying her last day in a place she has called home for nineteen years and will be leaving for an unknown place very soon, she wasn't scared and even if she was, she will be living with the man she loved for the rest of her life, her current life was worth sacrificing, for she will have a better life after her marriage. After tomorrow her life will never be the same, she will no longer be the free spirited princess and she will have new responsibility, marrying a future king meant learning the ways of a queen, though a life she never wished to have but she will only because Allister dreams of succeeding his mother one day, there had been a competition between him and his brother he had told her about it and then on his next visit he announced to her he was the next heir, she wanted to ask what had happened, what about his brother? but she gave up that idea, she didn't want to ruin his mood, not when he had travelled so far just to tell her.

"I'm envious....you are lucky, born a princess and marrying a prince, on top of that you will be queen one day..." Fiona, said with a sigh and the others did same except Eve as usual. Alaine, Elsa and Fiona are all daughters of privileged men, Alaine's father was one of her father's advisers. In fact they had more chances of marrying into a great and well established kingdom and becoming princesses of their own even without being a princess, among her friends the one she liked the most was Eve, she was her childhood friend and her best friend, Eve is the daughter of the butler and she came to visit her father in the castle, she was shy and very interesting to be with and she was so kind. Batya felt sad when the others made fun of her low classed family.

"and she also found love in an arranged marriage don't forget that"....added Alaine and Batya rolled her eyes, seriously she wanted to spend time with them not have them talk about how fortunate she was for marrying a prince.

"Lets go for another swim"....she said and they agreed.

"The last one?"

"Yes Eve, the last one"

*****

Caden silently listened to the conversations of the young women, disrespectful, they were all disrespectful, did they think because they were from high class families it made them special? so different from the rest of the people? how dare they mock Eve with her social status. They might not have said it but he knew that was what they thought, he wondered why the princess still had them around as her friends, they were so disposable. His thoughts were interrupted by a movement. He looked further into the woods behind him, he thought he heard something, something moved, he sure did see it, he wasn't mistaken. He had never been so sure about something as he was sure of this, something moved, he saw it. Making sure the princess was okay, he went deeper into the woods to prove himself right and there he saw it. A figure in black, all black and black mist were coming out of him or her, he or she had a wand in his or her hand. The figure gave him the chills but he still neared it, whoever it was he will find out why he was creeping in the woods and he was sure he or she will claim he or she had gone for hunting, it was broad day light besides hunting in this part of the forest was prohibited, so who could it be. The figure didn't move, not forward or backward he or she just stood there looking at him he was sure, it raised the wand and the weather started changing, a storm? It was impossible, his hand firmly gripped the handle of his sword, ready to draw if he or she tried anything stupid, but the wand was still raised and the weather kept getting bad...still he pursued, he was so far from the stream. Then just like that it disappeared, the weather started clearing, no way, had the weather changed because he or she raised that wand? He was talking of the fear that was gripping him like a bad cold and he hated colds, he felt so powerless even when he hadn't had the chance to see it up close, what was that?

"Caden!", the call so loud and scaring that he ran back to the stream, the young women were shouting for help...he rushed there and saw that Batya was absent.

"What happened?"

"Hurry, she went missing when we were in the water just now"....cried Eve. Without a second thought he jumped in the stream, though small it was very deep.

***

Who is this? Batya thought, she was beautiful, so unique and so happy...She was taking big bite of the water and yet all she could think of was the girl before her, where had come from, she didn't seem to be drowning like, in fact she felt so comfortable drowning, was that even possible? The girl swam towards her almond shaped face was one to look at and her long black her looked so good on her, she had a flower woven crown on her head and she wore white, she was beautiful. Was she getting married too?

She saw her open her mouth, she wanted to say something to say but Batya found it difficult hearing her, she saw her screaming but she couldn't hear a thing and then just like the girl's face was caught on fire, she saw the girl writhe and struggle and scream even she started screaming but she couldn't hear her onw voice, someone help her, she wanted to say but she wasn't heard. The the girl fainted and she saw her sinking below into the deepest part of the water, someone help. She dived in to rescue her but something was pulling on her leg, she looked down and saw the same girl, her face dark and so burnt you will believe she was once beautiful, she kept pulling her deeper into the water. Batya struggled, she fought and kicked and struggled but the girl tugged at her leg, she was scared now, did she want to kill her? but why? and then as if her hearing has been restored she heard the girl say. 'you will end up just like me, you cursed bride'.

Batya didn't understand what was she saying? She was fear gripped not able to move at all, what did she mean by that and who is she? she felt someone grabbed her and pulled her up.

Batya coughed the water out, and she greedily took in oxygen, so she was drowning, Eve brought her a cloth and her friends surrounded her, they were all worried.

"where is she?"...she asked the question no one had answers to.

"who are you talking about, you gave us a fright?"...Alaine said in tears.

"Enough, pack up"... Cadena and they did as told.

On their way home, Batya begged him and all of them to keep what happened a secret, yes her drowning, a secret. She didn't tell them what she had seen in the water or that some girl had tried to drown her and she even had the the guts to call her 'cursed' her 'a cursed bride' what a joke. But deep inside, she knew it wasn't a joke.

***

Caden sat across the table, he watched the old man for any reaction but he saw none, he told him what he had seen in the woods near the stream where the princess usually went for swim and the unusual change in weather he didn't forget the fear he felt when he stared at the figure and the way it disappeared.

"What did the wand look like?"...Marvel the wizard asked in a quiet voice, he hoped it wasn't who he thought it was, there were many witches and wizards in the world and most carried a wand, only very powerful ones were able to use their power without the wand, and most wands looked the same.

"It didn't really look like a wand, even that far, I could see it wasn't any wand I have seen, it looked like a twig".

"Caden, don't tell anyone what you have told me, not even the princess's accident" Marvel had never looked so serious and he knew the old wizard, he barely showed reaction to anything but a word of what he had seen in the woods and he was already telling him to keep it to himself.

"But why not?"

"Because that might be, per your description and the strange wand she possessed, only one person can hold that wand and that will be 'Lilith'...."

"the witch? but she died long ago" protested the knight, but the wizard was shaking his head, he was already on his feet looking through his ancient books on magic and biographies or warlocks and wizards and witches that had once lived on the surface of the earth. He pulled a small scroll, it was old, too old that its edges were almost torn but he held it with shaky hands...he hurried to his desk and snapped his fingers the place lit up.

He opened the small scroll and writings were foreign he had no idea of the language that laid before his eyes, Caden looked at the wizard, the old man had fear in his eyes and he was shaking all over, this was scary, was this Lilith so powerful but he said she is dead anyway, so what is he afraid of?

"Did the figure you saw look like this?"...he pointed at something on the worn out paper and he looked carefully, what the hell, it was the same figure including the wand and the way she held it, she was even in black too.

"yes"

"Lilith"....Marvel concluded and sat heavily on his seat with a sigh so shaky it scared the hell out of Caden.

"Caden, Lilith is the devil incarnate, centuries ago, a priestess had managed to kill her body, her soul fled....but she is has been quiet all these years...what is she doing lurking at the borders of the Black Kingdom?"

"She wants something..."

"Or someone...." the wizard said his hands still shaking, what was this he was hearing? a century old dead witch? Does it even make sense?

"Batya?"..."but why?"

"Even I don't know, the princess was born centuries after her existence even her death, why will her soul ascend from hell to go after an innocent princess? why?"

"Is this bad news?"

"Worse, hurry go, protect the princess, I will stay up to look into this more, remember tell no soul about this"...

***

Batya opened her eyes and when the bright sun shown in her face she shielded her face her hand. She looked around...today is her wedding.

***

Deep in the woods, hid a cave, so hidden you will never see it's a cave. Inside the cave was dark and bones of people laid scattered, the stench of blood and rotten flesh filled the small enclosure and it was horrible. Further from a pile of dried human bones stood a black clothed figure with a twig in hand. No it was longer than a twig, the figure laughed and the eerie atmosphere shook, animals nearby fled in fear, the aura coming from the person was deadly and full of killing intent.

"Alas, I will have my revenge", beamed the voice with so much malice.