A cold hand touched her bruised cheek as she flinched from the pain of watching the woman below her wither away an not her latest injury. She reached up and took the fragile fingers in her warm grasp, her smaller hands covering her mothers and drawing it from her cheek to her lips as she kissed it and closed her eyes. Pain lanced her chest and failure sat like a wet cloak around as she pondered upon the days lost by the latest debacle just beyond the city walls. She was sent on a mission - a difficult one no less - but simply a task to retrieve the plant and she couldn't manage to get past the forest because of her wealth and title. She released her mother's hand and looked into the dull grey gaze as she smiled sadly. 

"I am sor.." she was cut off by a sharp raspy hush. 

"Do not apologize to me child for it is I who am sorry. Your beautiful face is marred because you foolishly thought to move beyond the walls of the castle. Your father should be taken to the gall.." she paused only to cough, red droplets splattering the lovely white sheet that held her only means of warmth. 

"Oh mom," Lillith whispered as she moved to gather a small cup of water and a cloth, cleaning her mothers lips as her violet eyes filled with warm tears. Her mother tried to assist, but the weakness of her approached death allowed it not. She finally gave up trying and watch the child she'd birthed take care of her, love overwhelming her in the midst of her fear and grief. 

"Lillith, promise me that you will not leave the castle again. You are too small and young to be doing these things." She breathed in a soft shaky breath and closed her eyes in an effort to stave off the pain that ate at her. 

"I cannot, mother. I would forfeit my own life for yours. The ends of the earth and hell itself would not hold me back from rushing toward a cure." Her mother started to talk again and Lillith stood and shook her head, long violet strands moving about her lithe figure. "No. Do not take away my hope. You and father have locked me in the castle for all my life and you are all I have. I will not watch you die. You cannot ask that of me."

Before the Queen had a chance to answer a knock resounded from just behind Lillith, one of the servants poking his head in to let the princess know that she would be needed in the throne room shortly. She nodded to him and turned back to her mother who had slipped off to sleep, or so it appeared. Lillith reached down and tucked the covers around her, kissing her cold forehead and praying over her with a soft whisper. 

Turning to go, she paused only a moment to look back, gaining strength from her beloved before moving to meet her father. A long purple gown adorned her body, a maiden stopping her just outside of the throne room to brush through her hair and pull it this way and that to ensure that she looked picture perfect should someone answer the summons of the king. Lillith finally slapped the girls hands from her and walked into the room, her father pale and losing weight much too quickly. Appearance was everything and from the looks of things their kingdom was slipping under the frail ice of peril.

She took her seat and looked to her father before the far door opened and a handsome young man entered. "I will go alone if no one is chosen. I'm not asking, but letting you know that you can send me with someone or turn your back as I go it alone, but I cannot stay here while she dies."

His eyes shifted toward her and he nodded. "You are your mother's child."

They both turned to look upon the young elven man as he approached, his words filled with belief in their derivative meaning and coated with a promise of victory. Her father stood from his thrown and touched the boy on his shoulder with his royal staff. "Come closer boy and tell me what means to you have to defend the princess? I sent ten of my finest men and they lay strewn and my daughter fought her way back to me. Tell me how this would be different if I allowed her to leave with only one man, someone such as yourself?"