Lily and Batu

In a rural village far from the capital city, there dwelled a family of aristocrats. This family consisted of a husband, a wife, and their daughter, Lily. The husband was away more than he was home. Although his wife had chosen to build their abode far away from his business due to her repulsion of large bodies of people, she often traveled with him for fear of infidelity on his part. As such, Lily was practically raised by the servants who attended the estate. Lily's nursemaid was kind enough, but she was not the maternal type; despite the time she spent rearing Lily, she never saw the girl as anything resembling a daughter. Only one of the servants had a child, a son, who lived on the grounds. Unfortunately for Lily, he was nearly grown and had little time to spare entertaining a child. When Lily was especially young, her nursemaid would bring Lily into the village to play with the children. She believed it beneficial to Lily's mental and social growth. The parents, aware of Lily's family status and of the girl's future status, commanded their children to befriend her. As it is with children, and often adults as well, to be forced into a friendship is to doom the relationship before it has even begun. The village children resented Lily and only played with her under the watchful eyes of the adults; but as soon as they were unsupervised, the children turned away from Lily and talked behind her back. They kept their jokes a secret and sneered at her in sliding glances. Lily was by no means a dumb child, and was certainly not so insecure and desperate as to accept such a false friendship. She soon refused to enter the village where the children resided. Instead, she confined herself inside of her family's property. Her sole friend and confidant was Batu, a stuffed snow leopard she had received as a gift from her father. He had bought it for her from a worldtradesman. Together, Lily and Batu explored the estate and the woods within it. The nursemaid tried to dissuade Lily of such endeavors, even shutting her in her room on many occasions, but to no avail. Eventually the nursemaid relented under the condition that Lily complete her studies. Lily readily obeyed. In fact, she took to her lessons with fervor. She surged through every subject, from history to eittiquette. Her parents delighted in their daughter's accomplishments. When they felt the time was right, they invited guests to their abode and proudly showed off their heir. They knew that finding Lily a high-ranking husband would be an easy feat, and with Lily's increasing beauty, their expectations rose. At first Lily bathed in her parents' newly directed affections; but she quickly realized that it was shallow, similar to the friendship that had been forced between her and the village children. She looked passed the vague love in her parents' eyes and actions and discovered their true motives: pride, selfishness, and greed. They had little interest in their daughter beforehand, other than the occasional visit and trinket, until she became useful to them. Once again, she locked herself away. This time, it was from everyone. Now she clung to Batu as if he was her lifeline. However, despite all of her protests, it was too late. Her parents had made a match, and it was everything they had hoped. When Lily came of age, she was to marry the prince. There were those who did not like Lily's family and were jealous of the engagement. One such group conspired against the marriage. Lily and Batu were taking refuge in the woods when she was attacked. She called for help, but she had wandered too far from the estate to be heard. Her assailants held her down. Two had to grip her legs to still her kicking. Lily glanced into their eyes and knew that her death would not be quick. They would get as much payment out of this mission as possible. Lily wept openly and prayed to God for help. She closed her eyes and tried to focus her mind on her home and the days she had spent with Batu. She wished that she could be with her friend again. One of the assailants leisurely traced a knife up her leg before resting it menacingly on her cheek. He flowed her facial structure, slowly leading it to her collarbone. With a wicked glee, he carved an intricate wound into Lily's chest. She cried out in pain. Her tormentor laughed cruelly. His laughter suddenly warped into a strangled gurgling. Lily opened her eyes and found the man on the ground, mauled and dying. His teammates backed away from Lily and attempted to flee. They were quickly halted and torn to shreds. Lily stared in awe at her rescuer. Before her stood a fearsome snow leopard. Its smokey gray fur was speckled with black rosettes and its maw was drenched in blood. Although it had easily dispatched three men, Lily was not afraid. She knew God had answered her plea. The beast drew near and Lily wrapped her arms around it. She held Batu in her arms and wept in relief. When her tears ran out, she headed for home. She bid Batu to stay at the edge of the woods and promised to return. Her wounded and bloodied state caused an uproar. The servants dashed to get medical aid and Lily's parents fretted over her. Her parents did not leave her side as the doctor tended to Lily's wounds. Lily was taken aback by their concern. Hope blossomed within her. After the doctor left, Lily was forced to rest. Pain awoke Lily. Restless, she made for her parents' study, hoping they would still be up. Their voices drifted underneath the door. Lily knew it was wrong to eavesdrop, but a part of her did not trust the concern of her parents. She sat outside of their door for hours and, when they were finished, Lily left the house. She never returned. Deep down, her parents might have loved her, but they were too busy thinking of status and personal gain to truly care for Lily. They were not, nor had they ever been, ready to be parents. What Lily had heard them discuss was their fear of the royal family rejecting Lily because of the inevitable scar. They had not mentioned a single word about her brush with death. Determined not to be another asset, Lily rejoined Batu in the woods. Side by side, they traveled the country, saving those in danger, and having adventures. Lily and Batu became heroes of the people, and were friends until the end.