Why the villainess ran away

Chapter 19

She woke up from her daze, staring through a high window in the Sanctuary of the Grand Saintess, the window panes letting through an ethereal light, creating images of tales long forgotten and long dead. A choir was singing, as always at this time of day, and night, a haunting tune sung by altos and sopranos. The hundreds of voices gave Lilith peace of mind, letting her forget she was now lost in this maze of corridors.

"Lilia, you must not gape at the landscape. Get a broom and get working!" a maid started, frustrated at her uselessness. She must've thought she could catch some slack now that Lilith joined the maids, of course using the fake name, Lilia and now having chestnut brown hair.
"Yes, of course, Ma'am."
They both started walking briskly towards one end of the corridor.It seemed never-ending, but eventually, it did and she came to a grand hall. Word failed as the maid looked toward the room's heart. Lilith followed her gaze, saw the statue of a woman, jewels hung like stars on her bleached, milky-white robe. The figure was colossal, towering forty feet above their heads, carved of gleaming marble stone. Small iron rings were embedded in the rock, about head height. In her hands she held a scale and a massive, wicked sword, broad as treetrunks, sharp as obsidian. Her face was beautiful. Terrible and cold. Lilith felt a chill trickle down her spine, the statue's eyes following as she walked closer. How could anyone think this to be all-loving? She felt threatened just by standing near the statue.

"What, You've never seen the Saintess before?"Antoinette, the maid said.
"It's just... overwhelming."
"The light is that way. It shows us the way and let's us see past the lies"

To Lilith, the statue burned something inside her, reacted to her like a cat to water, hissing. The light coming from a medallion at the statues necklace nearly blinded her, but had no effect on the maid. She quickly tore her gaze away.

Her footfalls rang like bells in the vast space. The only sound was the tune of what might have been a choir, hanging disembodied in the air. The hymn was beautiful, wordless, endless. The place had a feeling unlike any other she'd visited. There were no altars nor golden trim, but for the first time in her life, she felt as if she were somewhere ... sanctified.

The ground was slippery, just cleaned by one of the Hands, the maids of this massive Cathedral. If it could be even called that. It was the Sanctuary, a place where the Saintess would always reside and the only place she thought the villain of the story, namely Axion, was supposed to never set foot in, yet now she was proved wrong, and because of that stupid, stupid blood pact, she had to be here. The only way she could be here for days without getting caught: becoming a maid.

She saw him now, entering the room and she quickly slid out of view, pretending to be very focused on sweeping the floor.

He was tall, muscular, clad in soft dark leather. Long black hair framed piercing eyes and a jaw you could break your fist on. He wore a heavy black cloak and twin blades at his waist. Perfectly plain. Perfectly deadly. He spoke with a voice that made Lilith tingle in all the wrong places.
"Glory to the Saintess. Glory to the glowing Sun. I have come to pay my respects."

Hmm. Doubtful.
Almost rolled my eyes there.

He looked around the room and it seemed as if he saw straight through her, but he just continued on his way to the statue as if nothing happened. When he looked at the medallion though, she noticed a shift in his eyes. Something deep and dark and dangerous that could and would kill her if she was ever caught off guard. Hell, on guard as well. The thing in his eyes was other-worldly.

Damn this blood pact.

The head maid, Emilia, asked provocatively ," Did you need anything else from the Sanctuary? Or from me?"
The audacity of asking such a thing in "The abode of the Saintess" had to be astronomical.Lilith Scoffed, catching herself and turning it into a grunt.
A long pause, his eyes staring at her, uninterested.
"No, not from you. However i'm searching for a maid that can travel with me to another land far away. Somehow who is replaceable and can cook"

Well i'm afraid i don't match that description.
Ugh fine.

Lilith slowly crept up to them and glanced at Emilia, and then Axion, and then turned back, feigning hesitation.
"Well, Sir, I just started work today and It was my lifelong dream to travel... oh and uh my family does often mention I cook quite well, so uh... I humbly ask you to take me as your maid."
He looked her up and down, and she thought he was about to cut her neck off when he reached for his blade yet suddenly- he answered.
"Anyone is fine, as long as the monarchy doesn't find out." He looked to the side, in a brooding manner, as if he tasted something sour, and then turned back to Lilith who was trying her best to keep her facade, and not burst out laughing at the hilarity of it all. This guy, who is very likely kill her at any time if he ever finds out who she is, is hiring her and telling her to be trustworthy?

"If the prince catches wind of anything I am doing I will personally make sure the walls of this so called Sanctuary drip red from the blood of your loved ones."

Now her face wasn't forced. Before she would have scoffed; she had no loved ones left. Now she thought of her crew, her Kiara, now sitting, probably cooking something delicious in her new cottage. Waiting for Lilith to come back with news that she found a way to undo the blood pact. Her blood pressure rose, as did her blood thirst but as she looked at the sudden inquisitive expression on Axion's face, she pulled her temper by the ear and bit her tongue, letting out a small, purposefully shy "Of course, Sir."

"Good. Then let's go."
"Wait, I mean, I'm sorry Sir. Could i pack my belongings first?"
"No. I'll give you anything necessary and we do not have time for that. Or do you wish to make the Crown suspicious of me visiting the one place they cannot go into at their liking?"

ugh.

"No, no. As you wish... Sir"

He turned around on his heel and walked out through one  of the thirty doors in this hall, and Lilith right behind him, struggling to match his pace.

This is how they walked for a good 15 minutes, until Lilith was positively exhausted by the running she had to do up stairways and never ending halls, while Axion was calmly walking in front of her.

This is the only time in my life I have ever wished for my legs to be longer.

Finally, they arrived at a carriage which was quite non-descript, probably as to not catch much attention. The doors were opened by two guards, both with brown her and scars everywhere, and he ordered her to sit next to one of the at the front of the carriage.

The guard, Sam, motioned for her to sit and smiled.
"Hi, Miss. I assume you're our cook for the journey?"
"That I am, may I assume you're the one who guards A- Our master?
He laughed, his mouth twisting into something resembling a smile."Aye, sure am."
The small talk carried on but her attention was snabbed by the black haired head now sitting in the carriage, staring at some documents. How much do she even know about him? That he is the villain? So is she. That he is extraordinarily strong and now she is tied to him in a bargain? Pfft, yeah sure. Last part is true though, quite unfortunately, but she has no other choice other than sticking with him until she finds a way to get out or kill him. His muscles were peaking out his shirt, his biceps twice the size of her head as he continued writing, deep in focus. As if he felt her stare, his gaze lifted and their eyes met.

He's going to die soon anyway, or so the story went. Killed by the Prince himself.

She quickly looked to the side, feeling a pinch in her heart.
That ugly, pretentious prick.

She has not even asked where they're going; she knew either way. They were going to the enemy kingdom of Araysh. Was she going to meet his psychotic family too? Ugh, all she wanted was some peace.

A/N: okay so as you all know by now.... I cannot for the life of me be consistent. BUT, I will most certainly try for all of you. For now, hopefully my writing is getting a little better and you might enjoy the story! Happy Holidays everyone!