Snippet #847178

Zahra started as she heard someone approach her from the end of the alleyway. Expecting it to be one of the men from the tavern, she looked up in tearful anger but was instead greeted by the sight of Lillian walking cautiously towards her.

In truth, Zahra did not want Lillian to see her like this, was not in the mood for the other woman's sweet naivety. Lillian, unlike herself, had accepted Martin's guardianship with open arms and felt it to be her duty to run after him like she was in his pay. Zahra, who had never much heeded an order in her life (not even from her father) could never bring herself to act in the same way that Lillian did and often, inwardly and outwardly, mocked her for it. But, as proud as she was, she could not help but be a little envious of her sweet disposition and the fondness that the knight obviously had for her.

And so, she attempted to inject a little graciousness into her tempestuous mind and hastily wiped away the streaked kohl from her eyes before accepting the fruit.

"Thank you, Lillian," she said, looking down at the berries the other woman had placed into her hands. They were like nothing she'd seen before- small, red and finely spotted with tiny yellow hairs.

When she bit into one of them, the sweetest came flooding into her mouth and she was suddenly reminded of those pomegranates she'd eaten in the shade of the cedar back home. She put the leafy cap of the fruit down onto the wooden barrel beside her and looked at the ground.

"It was a year ago today. When my father was killed, I mean," she said.