Beauty In The Walls

                                    

                                          
"Lilah....You can't hide forever, little rascal. You know that there is food waiting for you downstairs, and you need your energy if you're ever going to go play outside." There was a silence in the pink bedroom. The King sighed deeply until he heard a familiar giggle erupt from under the bed. With that, a smirk crept onto his lips as he inched closer to the bed. "My, my, where could my precious little Delilah be? I sure hope she wasn't...eaten by snakes....taken by giants...CURSED by an evil witch!" Little Delilah burst out from under the bed and into her father's arms. 
                          
"Papa! Don't let the witches get me!" Worry was etched on her face so distinctly, but with just the passing glimpse of her father's smile, she eased up. 
                          
"Oh, my sweet Lilah, no witch will ever get to you, not while I'm around." He swiftly picked her up and carried her downstairs for breakfast.
                          
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"BOY! GET DOWN HERE!" The little prince knew better than to try and stray away from his father's command. He bolted to the dining hall as quickly as his little legs would take him. When he arrived, he saw his father sitting at the head of the table, like always, with an entire feast in front of him. "Come." He walked to his father's side, his head hung in respect, with a touch of fear in his shaking body. "You want to eat, don't you?" He nodded quickly. "Well, go out and kill something. It doesn't need to be as large as a deer, but it cannot be as small as a mouse. If you are able to kill something successfully and bring it back, you can eat with me. If not, well I think you know what lies in store." He nodded quickly and scurried out like the fearful mouse he knew he was. If he couldn't do what his father asked, it would be a lashing for him, and that was the last thing he wanted. Little Prince Lennox, a weak prince, a useless prince. He would show them what he was capable of.
                          
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Time Skip~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
                          
"Princess! Princess, you must hurry everyone is waiting for you downstairs! It's not every day a young woman turns eighteen." Martha cried from outside the princess' bedroom door. 
                          
"I know, I know! I'm almost done." She was lacing up her heels and ran to the mirror for one last check. She smiled ever so gently at herself all decked out in gold. Her dress was a gold shimmer ballgown with silver accents on the sleeves and skirt. Her hair was curled so perfectly so each curl rested in his place without issue. She looked perfect. She felt perfect. She ran to the door and smiled at her maid before her. "I'm ready." Martha helps her down to the ballroom, music can be heard ringing through every hall but it's even more beautiful when one is this close. "I can't believe I'm eighteen, Martha.." Her bubbly expression drooped for a moment but quickly regained itself. "Tonight is going to be perfect."
                          
"Yes, it will. You may even meet a duke or a prince that catches your eye. Who knows." With an impish grin, she went off to help in the kitchen. Delilah dusted off her dress, took a deep breath and entered the ballroom with her head held high. 
                          
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"You know what to do, son." Worath knew that he would be killed on sight if Kenneth ever got a hold of him. But, of course, he wasn't going to the ball for the princess' birthday, Lennox was. Lennox has to seduce the young princess into loving him and soon the kingdom would be theirs to control. "Their kingdom is so perfect. All crops grow without a problem, no illnesses to be spoken of, nearly no deaths. It's seemingly unnatural compared to the dismal state of our kingdom. It won't be that way for much longer. Go and make me proud." Lennox nodded rigidly to his father and went off toward's the castle. The dear princess had no idea what was in store for her, and he almost pitied her oblivious nature. When Lennox arrived at the castle, they allowed him to enter without question for the state of his robes were enough to suggest royalty. It almost seemed too easy to infiltrate this horrid castle. With every passing moment, his pity turned to enjoyment. How stupid must they be not to know who his father is? When he entered the ballroom his heart stopped. He had been told of the princess' beauty. That even a glimpse of her was enough to make even the loveless men swoon. They were right. Her radiance could've lit this room, everything seemed to dim around her. He quickly moved to a long table and grabbed a drink, sighing softly to himself.
                          
"Dear Gods, Be still my beating heart...What being is this that shakes me to my core...catches me vulnerable without even a moment to look into her beautiful souls..."
                          
"That was beautiful..." His heart dropped as he turned to face the beauty before him. Her eyes pierced  into his and her smile made him melt. "Though, I have to ask who the lucky girl is to have caught your attention so harshly. She must be special. 'Catches me vulnerable without even a moment to look into her souls'...do you believe her eyes are that hypnotizing?" Words almost seemed to leave his mind. What could he possibly say to her. The silence seemed to drag on, but neither could stop staring at the other. 
                          
"My lady...I..."
                          
"Delilah...Princess Delilah." 
                          
"Princess...May I have this dance?" With a smile and a nod, she placed her hand in his, and moved to the center of the floor, enveloped in each other's arms and danced to the music with such grace and poise. For a moment, all exterior motives he had come to this palace to achieve melted away and his attention was attached to her.