Chapter 56 - And Now A Liar

Getting back to Creona had Raymond facing the longest fifteen days of his life. He was restless the entire time; barely eating, sleeping, and lacking basic attentiveness. He had to convince everyone that he was fine but it was obvious that he wasn’t. His mind was not even with him presently. It was only on Lilith. Replaying all the conversations they had, all the times they were intimate.

“We are coming up on the eastern side of Creona, Your Majesty.”

That was the only sentence that broke Raymond out of his trance. He was sure that he had lost several pounds with all his worrying and sweating. He felt and probably looked horrible. If his relationship with Lilith was all a lie… then he would not know what to do with himself ever again. Who could he trust? And what would his mother say? After all of that convincing and persuasion. After sticking up for Lilith, she would turn around and stab him in the back? Raymond would never be able to live down the shame.

“Get me back to the castle as soon as possible,” he ordered as soon as the boat pulled into the port.

“Of course, Your Majesty.” one of his guards rushed off to the exit of the ship.

Lilith for sure was not going to be expecting him to get back so soon. It would have been a nice surprise if everything had gone the way he originally envisioned it. He would hand the gifts over to her and she would give him the most breathtaking smile as a result and then kiss him as thanks. And then he would have asked her to marry him properly. Redoing the night that she was taken from him. Erasing that memory and replacing it with something even better and more meaningful.

If this was Lilith’s plan the entire time, then did she actually think that she would have become the Queen? Raymond saw her as the only woman he wanted and would have taken advantage of that.

The more he let these thoughts run around in her mind, the more upset he got because of it. He wanted to give her the benefit of the doubt and let her tell her side of the story. But there was no story that he came up with that made sense or made her innocent.

Once he was back at the castle, he made sure to enter it secretly. Noise of his arrival was the last thing he needed when he was going to try and corner Lilith into telling him the truth. Before he left, he appointed someone to follow Lilith around as one of her guards but to also document everything that she did. He did it originally as a way to know if she did anything reckless, but now, it was to see if she was doing things behind his back.

“What has she been doing all of this time?” he asked the guard who had come to meet him as he walked through the castle.

“Well… uhh, Your Majesty…” the guard trailed off and cleared his throat. He seemed to be searching for words but coming up short each time. His reaction had Raymond’s stomach sinking into his feet.

“What is it?” he demanded.

“Umm, most of her days… are spent in your office… doing work. Her recovery has been going well and she is gaining energy every day. And so, she took it upon herself to stay in your office for the time being. She looks through your paperwork, noting things, organizing it, and from what I’ve seen, she’s been doing the work on your desk, for you.”

The two were walking to his office where she was currently. Upon hearing the guard’s words, a feeling of foreboding came over him. It crept up his spine and tingled his scalp, making him break out in goosebumps. His heart pumped harder in his chest and Raymond had to slow his steps to prevent his heart from bursting or palpitating.

When he was outside of his office door, he dismissed all of his guards. It was just going to be him and Lilith for this conversation.

Slowly, he opened the door and looked inside. His heart was beating in his ears and although he knew Lilith could not hear it, he still shrunk back. She was seated at his desk, her hair swept off of her shoulders and holding a paper in her hand while twirling a pen in her other hand.

Her lips were twisted and her eyebrows were scrunched in concentration. Raymond wanted to keep staring at her, absorbing her beauty forever. He did not want to wake up from this dream and come back to reality. But if he did it quickly then hopefully, it would hurt a little less.

“Lilith,” he called her, stepping into the room and closing the door.

Hearing her name, she looked up, and the one who called it was the last person she expected. But nevertheless, all emotions on her face were positive. Raymond searched her features for any form of guilt or fear or shock. But no, she gave him the breathtaking smile he had wanted to see for weeks.

“Raymond,” she basically hopped over the desk and ran to him, jumping into his embrace and wrapping her arms around his neck. Instinctively, Raymond cradled her. Worrying that she might hurt herself.

“Do not run like that. You surely-”

Lilith silenced him with a kiss. A passionate, endearing kiss that almost knocked him back. And he could not help but kiss her back. Lilith held his face in her hands, displaying how much she longed for him in her actions.

“I missed you. I missed you. I missed you.” she mumbled against his lips before kissing him again.

If this continued, Raymond was sure that he would be putty in her hands soon. He could not stall any longer. He deserved answers.

“Lilith,” he broke the kiss and released her, but her hands remained on his shoulders. Lilith looked up at him with all the stars in her eyes and the most loving smile. “Lilith I-”

“Did you miss me?” she interrupted him, brushing her fingers along his jaw.

Raymond let out an aggravated sigh through his nose. “Lilith I need you to listen to me.”

Immediately she shrunk back and gave him a worry-filled look. “What is it?”

The King clenched his fists and stepped away from Lilith, walking around her and going towards his desk. He stood in front of it, his back to her, as he formulated what he would say. Raymond had to prepare himself for the worst.

“Tell me the truth.” he turned back to look at her. “You’re not from Mertease are you? And you’ve never even been there have you?”

Slowly, every bit of joy Lilith was once feeling slipped out of her body and off her face. Lilith felt as if the world suddenly slowed down. She took in Raymond’s expression and it had her stomach in knots. The look in his eyes was one of betrayal and anger. He found out. He went to Martease and found out that she was lying.

Raymond did not want to believe it, but the expression on Lilith’s face was definitely guilt. She was caught in a lie. And she could not escape it.

“You… lied to me, Lilith.” Raymond forced out, every word seeming to weigh his tongue down. “There is no abandoned castle, never was. And that author, Rick Riordan, does not even exist. You told me all of these lies and yet you still had the nerve to… you had the nerve to act as if everything was ok. You had the nerve to make a fool out of me and act as if-”

Letting out a chuckle, Lilith cut Raymond off. It was a short one, but then another followed. And another and then another and soon Lilith was full out laughing. She held her stomach as she bent over, struggling for air.

Raymond was stunned into silence for a few seconds. It took him a lot longer to process the scene in front of him than it normally would. And once it finally registered, Raymond felt his head become hot with anger. He was being vulnerable and yet she laughed at him. This was a side to her he never thought he would see. Raymond never thought he could see Lilith being cruel.

The King took a step forward. “Lilith.” His voice shook. “Stop laughing and tell me the truth!”

“He… does…” she forced out through breaking breaths.

“What?”

“He does. He does exist.” her laughs were turning into hiccups and with her face downturned, he could not see her expression. Lilith let out another choked hiccup and then something resembling a sob followed shortly after. “He does exist.”

Lilith let out another sob and her body shook as her legs slowly gave out, allowing her to sink to the floor. When she finally looked up at him, he could see her tear-stained face, red and swollen. Raymond wanted to stand his ground and ignore her. If he was strong then he would get the truth out of her and not succumb to her tears.

But not to her, not to the woman he loved.