Revelations and Resentments

Lilith's father, worried about her injuries, entered her room quietly. He could see the anger and frustration on her face as she lay on her bed. His concern was palpable as he approached her.

"Lilith, my dear, I know you cherish your freedom, but your safety is paramount," he said, his voice gentle yet firm. "After what happened , I can't bear the thought of losing you. From now on, you won't be allowed to leave the palace grounds."

Lilith's eyes narrowed, and her fists clenched at her sides. She loved her freedom dearly, and the thought of being confined to the palace was suffocating. "Father, I can take care of myself. I don't need to be locked away like a prisoner."

Her father sighed, his expression pained. "It's not about your ability, Lilith. It's about the unpredictable dangers out there. Please, for your own safety, abide by this decision."

Lilith felt a surge of defiance and said loudly, "No, Father. I won't abide by this decision. It's unfair and unreasonable. You can't keep me here against my will."

Her father's face hardened and he said sternly, "Lilith, don't raise your voice at me. I'm your father and your king. You will obey me as your daughter and your subject."

Lilith scoffed and said sarcastically, "Oh, so now you're playing the king card? How convenient for you. You only care about your power and authority, not about my happiness or well-being."

Her father's eyes flashed with anger and he said sharply, "How dare you speak to me like that, Lilith? You're being disrespectful and ungrateful. I've given you everything you ever wanted, except for this one thing. And this one thing is for your own good."

Lilith shook her head and said bitterly, "You haven't given me everything I ever wanted, Father. You've taken away the most important thing to me: my freedom. And you don't care about my good. You only care about your reputation and your image."

Her father's voice rose and he said furiously, "That's enough, Lilith. You've crossed the line. You will not leave this room until you apologize and accept my decision."

Lilith's voice matched his and she said defiantly, "I will not apologize or accept anything, Father. You can't make me do anything I don't want to do."

Her father's patience snapped and he said coldly, "Very well then, Lilith. Have it your way. But don't expect any sympathy or compassion from me. You've made your choice, and you'll have to live with the consequences."

With those words, he turned around and stormed out of her room, slamming the door behind him.

Lilith was left alone in her room, feeling a mix of anger, sadness, and regret. She wondered if she had gone too far with her words, but she also felt that her father had been unfair and oppressive.

As dinner time approached, Lilith remained in her room, her resentment festering. She couldn't bring herself to join the others, not after her father's decree. A gentle knock on her door signaled the arrival of a maid.

"Miss Lilith, dinner is ready," the maid announced.

Lilith responded curtly, "I'm not hungry. You can tell them I won't be joining them."

The maid hesitated and said timidly, "But Miss Lilith, you need to eat something. You've been through a lot today. Please, come with me."

Lilith's patience snapped and she screamed at the maid, "Get out of here! Leave me alone! I don't want to see anyone!"

The maid flinched and quickly retreated, closing the door behind her.

Lilith sank deeper into her frustration.

A few minutes later, the door opened without a knock. Lilith turned to see Ava entering, carrying a tray of food. She set it down on a nearby table and sat down beside Lilith, her actions speaking louder than words.

Lilith protested, "Ava, I told them I'm not eating."

Ava remained silent, picking up a piece of fruit from the tray. With gentle determination, she brought it to Lilith's lips, offering it to her. Lilith reluctantly accepted, her anger slowly waning as she ate.

Once Lilith had finished, she looked at Ava with remorse in her eyes. "Ava, I'm sorry about our argument earlier."

Ava nodded, her expression softening. "It's not a big deal, Lilith. We all have our moments."

Then, Ava's tone turned serious, and her gaze bore into Lilith. "But I hope you now understand what it feels like to be betrayed and hurt," she said coldly. "I haven't forgotten what you did to me. However, since you've apologized, I'm willing to try and move past it."

Lilith frowned at Ava's words, feeling a pang of guilt. "By the way I agree with your father about his decision."

"You agree with him?" Lilith snapped. "I can take care of myself perfectly well, Ava!"

Ava's patience seemed to wear thin as she stood up abruptly. "You think I enjoyed not finding you, Lilith? Spending hours searching for you to see that you've been kidnapped by some fucking bandits and then seeing you fainting in my arms because of blood loss." Her voice trembled with emotion.

Lilith was taken aback by Ava's outburst. She paused, carefully choosing her words. "How do you know it was bandits who kidnapped me?" she asked, her voice softer and more thoughtful.

Ava's face turned pale as she realized she had slipped up. She tried to cover up her mistake by saying quickly, "I-I heard it from one of the guards ."

Lilith sensed something was off about Ava's answer. She looked at her with suspicion and said slowly, "Really? Because I don't remember seeing any guards when before I faint. All I saw was Red holding me in her arms."

Ava felt a surge of panic as she realized Lilith was onto her. She cursed herself for being so careless and wondered how much Lilith knew or remembered about what really happened.

She decided to play dumb and said innocently, "What are you talking about, Lilith? You must have been delirious from the pain and blood loss. There were guards all around us when we found you in the garden ."

Lilith shook her head firmly and said firmly, "No, Ava. Don't lie to me. I know you're hiding something from me. Something important."

She reached for Ava's hand and held it tightly in hers. She looked into Ava's eyes with intensity and said earnestly,

"Ava, please tell me the truth."