Chapter 22: A mesmerizing woman

Lilith and Apollyon reached the palace. He left for his day's work while Lilith headed to her

chander with Karin, who was supposed to escort her.

As the doors of the chamber opened, Karin expressed his gratitude toward Lilith to show her

kindness to him. Since the day she had come to the palace, Karin only ridiculed her presence in

Apollyon's life.

"Would he have killed you if I didn't intervene?" Lilith inquired.

"Yes, Your Majesty," Karin replied.

Lilith was startled to hear his reply. How could Apollyon do that to Karin, who was his loyal? Was

Apollyon this cruel? She walked in and the doors shut behind her.

Zoey and the other attendants in the chamber greeted the Queen, who felt a bit awkward. Two

attendants stepped up to remove the cloak from Lilith's back and the other poured a glass of

water for her.

Lilith settled on the upholstered chair to rest for a while. She thanked the maidservant for the

water and took a few sips before placing it on the table.

"Your Majesty, Miss Elena has come to the palace. She is resting at the moment. She may

perhaps see the King and the Queen during the lunch time," Zoey informed Lilith, who didn't

expect Apollyon's sister would soon arrive in the palace.

Lilith recalled Apollyon's warning to her. Elena wasn't someone in front of whom she could

speak of her mind, if she wanted to live.

"His Majesty's sister has sharp eyes. I hope Her Majesty tackles her questions easily," Zoey

said, expressing her concern. Lilith hummed in response as she also wished the same.

"I do not know much about Apollyon. What do you think I should do? I would have asked

Apollyon, but he is busy at work," Lilith asserted.

"Even I do not know much, Your Majesty," Zoey replied. "Why doesn't Her Majesty ask His

Majesty's brothers?" she suggested to Lilith.

"I don't wish to talk to Jareth. He doesn't like me at all. Hatred is evident in his eyes for humans,"

Lilith muttered and bit her bottom lip. "I wonder if I should talk to Ragnar," she murmured.

"I heard from a fellow servant that Lord Ragnar is a little kind. Her Majesty should converse with

Lord Ragnar," Zoey advised her.

Lilith exhaled a deep breath and rose to her feet. "I will meet Ragnar then. Do you know where

he stays?" she asked Zoey.

"Yes, Your Majesty," Zoey replied and led Lilith's way to Ragnar's chamber.

Fortunately, Jareth was not with Ragnar, else Lilith might have hesitated to speak. The

maidservant in Ragnar's service allowed Lilith to go inside while Zoey stayed outside.

Lilith halted to reach the drawing room and they exchanged the greetings. "Have a seat, Queen

Lilith," Ragnar said with a smile.

Lilith settled on the sette and across from her, Ragnar took the seat.

"I am surprised the Queen desired to meet me," Ragnar affirmed.

"You can call me Lilith," she pronounced, clasping her hands.

"Sure," Ragnar agreed to her. "So, what does Lilith want to talk about?" he asked.

"I would like to know about Apollyon," Lilith replied.

Ragnar furrowed his brows together. "Shouldn't you ask this from Apollyon? He will tell you

everything about himself," he asserted.

"He is busy at the moment. I heard Sister Elena is here and she may ask me questions related

to Apollyon, which I will be unable to answer," Lilith truthfully said.

"Elena will see your honesty toward Apollyon. Of course, you cannot know him in a single day.

We are centuries old creatures, so knowing everything will take time," Ragnar explained to her.

"So, all I have to do is be honest," Lilith arched her eyebrow to confirm.

"Yes," Ragnar replied with affirmation. "Elena is older than us but younger than Jareth. Her

words may be harsh at times. If she witnesses any misbehavior towards Apollyon, she may be

strict. This could lead to a confrontation between Apollyon and Elena, so it's best to be mindful

of your words when she's around," Ragnar advised, his lips curling into an amused smile.

"Does she also hate humans?" Lilith inquired.

"She does," Ragnar promptly answered. "But you are Apollyon's wife, so she has to understand

eventually. Make her happy and you don't have to face our mother. She is quite dangerous and

may even punish Apollyon for marrying you," he proclaimed.

"I thought Apollyon is the strongest one," Lilith remarked.

Lilith remarked on Apollyon's strength, to which Ragnar explained, "Yes, he is undoubtedly

powerful. However, our mother might consider finding a more suitable match for him if she

disapproves of you. So, to secure your position, you must put in efforts to prove your worth,"

Ragnar advised, offering her his guidance.

"I never was interested in this marriage," Lilith stated.

"You are fortunate to have Apollyon. You should understand his worth. Had we discovered your

existence earlier, we might have posed a threat to you, Lilith," Jareth's deep voice resonated as

he suddenly appeared.

"Well, I am stating the truth," Jareth said, his hand the chalice in his hand. "It contains blood," he

informed Lilith, who looked inquisitive.

"Stop terrifying her, Jareth," Ragnar said and gazed at Lilith. He tried to ease the tension,

informing Lilith that Jareth was drinking wine, not blood as it might have seemed.

"Apollyon cleverly concealed the fact that it was a girl who woke him up. We tried hard to find

this human girl, but due to your mark, we could never locate you." Lilith was astonished to learn

the significance of the mark she was given.

"Apollyon never let us find out it was a girl, who would grow up one day into a mesmerizing

woman. Had we known about you, you would not be sitting in front of us today," Jareth

pronounced in his deep voice and took a sip of the wine. "That's why you should not blame our

brother for your miseries," he emphasized.

Lilith was shocked to know the truth. Apollyon never once discussed with her the real reason

behind that mark. While the mark provided her eyes the magic to burn the people who looked at

her with lust, but at the same time, the mark protected her from the devils around her.