AnnouncementHello, this is Lymsleiah and the author of Lily of the Valley. This is a BL story which focuses on two male characters and their retionship throughout the years. The old readers might have noticed the reduced chapter count. I combined some of the shorter chapters together since the chapters 30 and above have at least 2000 words.
Without further ado, I wish everyone a happy reading!
“Seize her!”
“Damned witch!”
Loud cngs and shouts echoed in the air as bystanders part ways to give way to armored men running along the road in pursuit of someone.
The woman ran along the streets then towards the alleyways, trying to outran the authorities pursuing her. Two months had already passed since their st encounter. Who would have thought the bounty on her head immediately skyrocketed?
“There she is!”
”Move!”
“Surround her!”
Said woman gnced back at her pursuers before turning left to the narrow alleyway. When she ducked to avoid the obstacles and reached another turning point, she found herself at a dead end.
“Uh…” she whimpered, finally losing strength in her limbs.
“Hah, finally we caught up to you!” The men paused as she backed against the wall.
The other men wiped off their sweats, still panting. “What if the execution fails again?”
“Hopefully not this time around.”
They looked at her now trembling at the sight of the incoming men towards her.
Something shifted in the air, alerting everyone present as a distorted voice echoed, “I finally found you.”
Gasps and murmurs repced the silence as the alleyway turned darker. The others frantically looked around, panicked at the sudden darkness overtaking them. As they squinted to adjust to the surroundings, they saw no one who didn’t belong to the order.
“It must have been your doing!” one knight shouted at the woman who shrieked upon hearing his loud voice. Her knees trembled and kept herself upright by leaning onto the wall while covering her head.
“How impertinent,” the distorted voice remarked.
“Who are you?” one of the knights shouted, tightly holding onto the hilt of his sword.
In the darkness, a faint silhouette of a robed figure appeared near the woman.
“Get away from the witch or you’ll be cursed!”
She yelled in a hoarse voice, refuting, “I told you, I’m not a witch!”
“Who would believe you, huh?” One of the men said while drawing his sword from his waist. “You destroyed at least three noble households and killed your past husbands! Even the staged executions were interrupted because you’re a witch!”
“I am not… I am not a…” the woman replied while trembling more as memories of the previous years resurfaced in her mind.
“So, you should—”
The robed figure finally unraveled himself. His torso emerged from the wall behind the woman and everyone stood frozen seeing it.
Unfazed, one among the knights walked towards them. “Hey, I told you to keep away from her—”
Said figure enveloped her in an embrace from behind. He lowered his head a little, whispering next to her ear, “Close your eyes and don’t open them until I say so.”
It was a calming voice—soft and baritone.
“Hey! Listen to us!”
“Damn it, seize them both!”
The woman shut her eyes clinging onto those arms caging her. The pursuers charged ahead to seize them but as seconds passed, their voices slowly decreased in volume and the surroundings turned colder.
Trembling hands clung onto the man’s arms tighter. The coldness of the surroundings seeped through her clothes, prickling her wrinkled skin and chapped lips. Sensation akin to an icy tundra, frosty like the towering peaks of Raise Ridge and yet the arms securing her only gave warmth and comfort.
Something shifted in the air as the coldness dissipated. And now, she heard of—waves?
Just then, a soft breeze fanned her face.
“Open your eyes now.”
The woman found herself on the beach, facing the expanse of a sea. No more dark alleyways or angry knights pursuing her; just her and the sea along with the sun slowly setting down the horizon.
The cool breeze fanned her awestruck face again as she realized what happened. In a moment of panic, she stepped back and bumped into someone behind her. She turned around, recoiling a few steps away.
“They call you… a witch,” he remarked. She could see how those lips moved, enunciating every word. “But, you clearly aren’t. People are always afraid of something they don’t understand, aren’t they?”
“Who are you?”
The robed figure hovered his hood down and the sun shone upon the golden streaks of his hair, the light reflected upon his crimson red eyes.
He smiled a little before introducing himself. “I go by the name Karel. And you are?”
Crimson red—a shade so malicious yet she couldn’t tear her gaze away from them. She stared more and found herself hypnotized, and noticed how tumultuous they became as seconds passed. Snapping out of her daze, she bowed her head and fiddled with her fingers as she remembered who she was.
“I am no one but a sinner.”
“You aren’t, witch.”
The woman looked up, terrified by what he called her. His face remained expressionless, however, but his eyes spoke the opposite. They welcomed and beckoned her to relent.
“I am Lei—”
???
“You’ve been dazed out a lot tely, Karel.”
Karel slowly blinked his eyes and gnced at the familiar figure standing beside his chair. He shut his eyes when the warm hand touched his forehead and thought he truly missed being cared for like this.
“You cling to me whenever you’re having episodes.” He ruffled his hair. “What is it this time?”
Karel’s hand unknowingly clutched onto his chest, feeling the neckce hanging around his neck.
“The past seemed to haunt me nowadays, father.”
His father squatted beside him and observed his face then brushed his thumb along his cheekbone. “You have trouble sleeping again, don’t you?”
Karel solemnly nodded.
“I see.” He sighed. “Sleep in my quarters tonight or else the wraiths will be after you in your vulnerable state.”
A sad smile painted his lips. “Thank you, father.”
He stood up to his stature and let him lean his head on his torso. “It will pass soon, son.”
