In the beginning, there was love. Love abounding, love overflowing. In love's perfect circle, beauty is seen and sewn, that love may delight in the radiance of what it has wrought. As an artist paints and as a father longs for children, love delighted to create. And so, love created a race to show love to, and which would love Him in return. This, then, is their story.

The day was perfection in all of its glory. The robins hopped over the ground, seeking out juicy worms to feed to their young, all the flowers were in bloom, and the delicious smell of cedars flavored the playful zephyrs. Two sets of footsteps padded softly down the garden path. The two who made them spoke not, simply walking side by side, perfectly content in their love. The woman turned a playful smile on the Man, and the Man returned it. He squeezed her hand, and their walk continued on.

The Man paused, and pointed off the trail. The woman looked, and giggled in delight. A pair of fox kits, closely monitored by their mother, were growling and wrestling with each other. As the woman looked on, smiling and laughing at the comical sight, the Man studied her face with a tender expression. The woman caught His eye. The Man's lip curled, and He planted a sweet kiss upon her lips, which she returned gladly.

"Let's go home," He whispered.

"Okay." she replied. She had no regrets for leaving the garden. She had no need to ever regret anything. She was happy to be anywhere, if the anywhere in question contained her lover, and it almost always did. He seldom left her side. But He always guarded over her. All was as it should be.

It was on one of these days when her lover was away that something unusual happened. The woman lay beside the garden pond around evening, listening to the frogs and the crickets. A set of footsteps made their way toward her. She looked up, expecting to see her lover, but it was another. A stranger, whom she was quite sure had never before set foot in the garden. He was tall, as was her lover, dark-haired while her lover fair, blue-eyes while her lover green. These eyes were trained on her intently as he approached. He paused, and bowed.

"My lady," he murmured, his head still inclined.

The woman got to her feet. "I don't think I've had the honor of meeting you here before, sir," she replied, smiling. "May I have the pleasure of your name?"

"Lucifer," he replied, offering his hand. The woman accepted, and he brought her hand to his lips. "It is a pleasure to meet you, my lady-"

"Lily," she supplied.

"-Lily." he murmured, and brushed her skin with his lips. He released her hand. "What a lovely gown you have, my dear. Pray, who gave it to you?"

"My lover, the King." Lily replied, fingering the pure lace cuff, which was sewn to the end of a long graceful sleeve, in turn, connected to a beautiful, simple, radiant white dress. Her feet were bare, but on her head rested a delicate tiara of white gold.

"Oh yes, the King." Lucifer said. There was something strange in his voice.

Lily's face took on a look of concern. "Is there something wrong?" she asked.

"No, nothing at all, my lady." Lucifer answered quickly. "I was simply thinking that you must be the one, since you are engaged to the King."

"The one?" Lily inquired.

"The one I was sent to search for." Lucifer clarified, smiling. "Your lover sent me to retrieve you. You are to come with me, He is in another land."

Lily's smile faltered. "He sent you to get me? To another land?" she asked hesitantly.

"Yes. We must waste no time of it, either. He is much yearning to see you."

"But-" Lily began.

"But my lady, we must be leaving at once."

"But He said to never leave this place. He said He would always come for me..."

Lucifer shrugged. "Apparently, He has changed his mind. At any rate, we are to be off immediately."

"But you don't understand! He said never to leave, or I would die!"

Lucifer raised his eyebrow. Lily wasn't sure she liked him very well. "Surely you wouldn't die by setting foot outside the trees? He must have been exaggerating. Perhaps He was worried you'd wander off?"

Lily was vastly troubled by this news. Her lover had never exaggerated before, and He had never expressed distrust for her... Well, she'd go to Him. She'd go to Him, and ask Him why He had done these things. Lily felt tears develop at the corners of her eyes. But she wished she could know now...

"My dear, it's all right!" Lucifer crooned, taking her in his arms and stroking her back comfortingly. Lily felt her muscles tense at his contact, but she did not pull away. "There's no need for tears! We will be with him soon," he whispered, running his fingers delicately through her hair. He moved his mouth over her ear. "And you can ask Him about it then," he whispered.

He drew back and looked into her face. He smiled reassuringly, and traced her jawline with his index finger. Lily dried her eyes, and nodded. Lucifer beamed. "Good! Then let's be off."

Lily walked toward the apple tree, intent on gathering provisions, but Lucifer called her back. "We can manage fine enough, you don't need to bring anything. There will be plenty to eat along the way." Lily smiled, and took his hand. "But you'll need to leave your crown behind," Lucifer added hastily.

Lily frowned slightly. "Why? My Lord said never to remove it."

Lucifer laughed, and stroked her shoulder. "My dear, you would not be pleased if you were to mislay it along the way, would you? It is of great value to you, I can see." Lily saw the wisdom of this, and removed the crown from her head. She padded over to the side of the pond, and laid it upon her favorite sitting rock. She paused. She felt a bit of misgiving, taking it off, but then, Lucifer was right. She'd be devastated if she lost it.

"Are you ready, my lady?" Lucifer asked, holding out a gloved hand to escort her. Lily smiled, and nodded. She placed her hand in his. "Good," Lucifer said, looking ahead and beginning to walk. "Excellent."

Lily had once thought that the region of the garden was endless, stretching out forever in any direction. But it took a surprisingly short time to reach the boundary. When they did, Lily froze. Lucifer turned a concerned look on her.

"I can't do this!" she wailed. She gripped his arm, and pleaded with him. "Can't I just wait until the King returns home? Surely He doesn't wish me to traverse this desolate land!" What stretched out seemingly endless in any direction was not in the least bit pleasant. It was the first land of its kind that Lily had ever laid eyes on. The very sight of it filled her heart with terror. There was no grass, and the ground was baked so that it more resembled stone than soil. Bits of burnt dead wood littered the ground everywhere, and the few trees that dared live there were gnarled, twisted and black with no leaves to offer shelter. The sky was filled with clouds, turned a bloody red from the setting sun.

"Do you want to see Him again or not?" Lucifer snapped. He jerked her around in front of him. "Well?" he demanded. "Do you?" Lily, sobbing again, nodded. Lucifer relaxed, and embraced her. "Then you must leave the garden," he whispered, barely audible over her racking sobs.

"But He said never to!" Lily wailed.

"But now, He has said that you must join Him. And to join Him, you must leave!" Lucifer snarled impatiently. "Now, are you going to obey Him, or are you going to sit there sniveling?"

"I don't want to go!" Lily wailed.

Lucifer pushed her roughly away from him, and she stumbled and fell onto the grass, weeping bitterly. "Then you don't love Him, wretch!" He sneered. "You'll see. He'll be in a temper when He returns. He will be so angry with you, He will cast you out regardless! And then you won't even have Him to console you!" Lucifer turned on his heel, and marched smartly away.

"Wait!" Lily screamed. Lucifer paused, his back still to her. A sardonic smile was on his lips. But he wiped it away before he turned back around.

"Yes?" he asked.

"I'll come with you," Lily wept. She got staggering to her feet. "I'll come." Lucifer pulled out a fine silk handkerchief, and dried Lily's tears.

"Then why all this fuss?" Lucifer asked, laughing with a smile. He put his arm around her shoulders, and led her across the border.

The ground outside was hot. The moment Lily's feet rested on it, she let out a scream of pain. And she wasn't the only one. As Lucifer scooped her up in his arms, a howl such as had never been uttered before split the air. In it, was discernible one word: Lily. It was the voice of her lover.

His terrible cries of "LILY!" echoed around the barren landscape. "WHY DIDN'T YOU TRUST ME?" Lily's soul filled with dread. What would He do to her?

"Run," she pleaded with Lucifer. "Please, run! He'll kill me if He finds me!"

Lucifer grinned. Lily blanched. "Lucifer?" she asked in a frightened voice.

"He's your problem," he shouted, laughing. He threw her from his arms, and with a shriek, she landed in a heap on the scorching ground. "Run, wretch!" Lucifer howled, laughing. "He's your problem now!"

"No! Please!" Lily pleaded. Lucifer made a sardonic bow, and vanished before Lily's eyes.