As Vettriana listened to Abby's life story, her composed exterior began to crack. The revelation of Abby's happy family, including a daughter, felt like a betrayal. Tears threatened to spill, but she held them back with a thin-lipped smile.
"That is commendable," Vettriana forced out a few polite words, concealing the turmoil within.
Abby, sensing Vettriana's internal struggle, placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. Vettriana recoiled at the touch, horror filling her eyes. The emotions she thought she could suppress surged to the surface.
"I-I am sorry, missis Brownmore, but I must go now," Vettriana stammered, her hands trembling.
Before she could make her exit, Willow entered the scene with tea, aware of the tension. "Something amiss? Surely, my grandma has not caused an offense?" She lifted her smile to lift the tension but Vettriana's patience snapped, and she couldn't contain her true nature any longer.
"Your grandma played the role of a gracious host, but therein lies the predicament. I was never a mere guest here," Vettriana's voice deepened, asserting her authority.
Willow set the teas on the table in confusion. "A-Am I missing something here, Abby?"
Abby just furrowed her eyebrows together in confusion, seemingly missing something as well.
"Yes, Abby, a revelation eludes you. The day ere your progeny's birth, the day ere your nuptials, the day preceding your union with your spouse." Her voice got harsher and more likely a demon voice. "You neither inquired about my name, nor were you ignorant. Did you recognize who I am, rendering me inconsequential?" She clenched her jaw in anger. Unknownly spreading a mist shadow around them from her.
As Willow sought to withdraw with Abby, Vettriana's gaze flicked to their clasped hands, consumed by jealousy and animosity.
"It is I, Vettriana Gaunt. The one you rescued before my kin's malevolence sealed my fate. The one you plucked from the clutches of a dire day to sustain me. Yet, the one you unequivocally Abandoned!!" Vettriana's words dripped with hatred and betrayal.
Vettriana's revelation hung heavy in the air. Abby, stunned and silent, struggled to find words. Willow, still holding Abby's hand, looked between the two women, sensing the tension.
"I... I know not where to find you," Abby finally whispered, regret staining her voice.
Vettriana scoffed bitterly, eyes narrowing. "Not knowing, or a deliberate choice? I was yours, Abby. The Forbidden Child you preserved and then abandoned to fend for herself."
Willow's grip on Abby's hand tightened as the reality of the situation sank in. Vettriana's anger radiated, casting a palpable darkness around them.
"I never forsook you willingly. I believed you lost in the tumult of that accursed Lylâk," Abby defended herself, her voice shaky.
Vettriana's expression hardened. "Lost? You could have sought me. You could have endeavored. Yet, you forged ahead, constructed a new life, a new family, leaving me to suffer, destined to be an heir of a Malphas."
Abby, her eyes welling with tears, struggled to comprehend the depth of Vettriana's pain. Willow, caught in the crossfire, felt a mix of empathy and confusion.
"Vettriana, I... I cannot alter the past, but I extend an invitation. A place where solitude won't be your companion," Abby implored.
Vettriana's lips curled bitterly. "A place here? In your idyllic family? No, Abby, I seek not your charity. I survived solitary, and thus shall persist."
With that, Vettriana turned away, leaving Abby and Willow behind. The hut's door closed with a heavy creak, sealing the wounds of the past and the present. Abby, burdened by guilt, sank into a chair, while Willow remained standing, torn between familial loyalty and the harsh reality of Vettriana's pain.
Vettriana stormed out of Abby's hut, her emotions in turmoil. The night air felt thick with unresolved tension as she walked away from the place that held both echoes of her past and the bitter taste of abandonment.
Meanwhile, inside the hut, Abby and Willow sat in a heavy silence. The weight of Vettriana's revelation hung in the air, casting a shadow over their small abode.
"I never knew she survived," Abby finally spoke, her voice filled with remorse.
Willow, still grappling with the unexpected turn of events, sighed. "Grandma, what stirred her animosity toward us?"
Abby looked up, her eyes filled with a mix of sadness and determination. "We can't change the past, Willow, yet amends we can endeavor. Vettriana needs time, perhaps one day she'll welcome us in."
Beyond, Vettriana navigated Camelot with determined strides. Conflicting emotions churned within her - anger, sorrow, the sting of rejection. The once-promising town felt transient, a place of fleeting connections.
As she walked, Vettriana noticed the townsfolk casting curious glances her way. Finding her somber figure still makes her beautiful.
Deciding that Camelot held nothing more for her, Vettriana made a silent resolution. She would continue her journey alone, away from the shadows of her past. The road ahead seemed endless, but her steps were resolute. Whatever lay ahead, Vettriana Gaunt would face it on her own terms.
Vettriana wandered through the outskirts of Camelot, the cold night air biting at her skin. The moonlight cast long shadows on the deserted path as she ventured into the unknown. Her thoughts were a tempest, a whirlwind of emotions she struggled to contain.
In the distance, the silhouette of a dense forest caught her eye. Without a clear destination in mind, Vettriana decided to seek solace among the ancient trees. The forest welcomed her with an eerie yet comforting silence, the rustle of leaves and the occasional hoot of an owl serving as the only company.
As she delved deeper into the woods, Vettriana's mind continued to replay the encounter with Abby and Willow. The wounds of the past felt raw and exposed, and the ache of abandonment lingered like a haunting specter.
In a secluded clearing, Vettriana found a fallen tree stump and settled upon it, her eyes gazing up at the star-lit sky. The whispering wind seemed to carry fragments of memories-both painful and cherished.
Lost in contemplation, Vettriana wondered about the choices she had made and the people who had shaped her journey. The weight of her destiny as a Gaunt, burdened with the legacy of darkness, pressed upon her shoulders.
In the quiet forest, Vettriana sensed a presence. Drakewyrm, her loyal companion, emerged from the shadows with a majestic sweep of his wings. His eyes, filled with an otherworldly intelligence, met hers as if sharing in the profound solitude.
"We are alone, but not truly alone," Vettriana whispered to the mythical creature beside her. The bond between them transcended the human and magical realms, providing a sense of connection that surpassed the complexities of her past.
With a deep breath, Vettriana vowed to forge ahead, embracing the uncertainty of her path. The forest became her sanctuary, a place where the echoes of betrayal and the whispers of destiny intertwined. As she closed her eyes, Vettriana sought clarity, determined to navigate the uncharted territories of her existence.
Just a menacing voice from Drykwrm, she knew there was a stranger with them. Vettriana, clad in her dark robes, maintained a poised demeanor, her wand gripped with a subtle threat in her hand. Night has passed them and the sunlight shone brightly to them.
Willow looks at her with tears streaming down her cheeks. She instinctively lowered her wand away to willow.
"What is it?" Harsh voice from Vettriana.
Through hiccups, Willow spoke, "Abby wishes to see you one final time."
She knitted her eyebrows together slightly at the words. What does she mean by that? But she shook her head in stubbornness, not believing her. After what she had said to them who would want her?
"How knewest thou of my presence?" More of a demand than a question.
"I sought thee far and wide. Inns, taverns, the market, everywhere. Even the forest, in case thou hadst sought refuge..." Her labor breath is saying it all for her hard work.
"I put no faith in fortune, yet thou I believe." She glared, wand raised in threat. "Now, away. I desire not to gaze upon thy grandmother's visage nor thine."
"But thou comprehendest not... I fear Abby is poised to depart this realm, even now."
Vettriana, disbelieving, regarded it as mere "thought," as Willow insisted. A mere thought; Abby's demise? Nay, mere speculation.
"I doubt thy words."
"I care not!" Willow glared back at Abby, posture stiff in tension. "She implores thy presence... Mine ears heard true; imagination or error it is not." Her voice softened to underscore the import.
Vettriana couldn't decide on what to do whether to continue her trip in order to follow something down on her pit heart or to watch Abby draw her last breath and replay it for the rest of her life. Vettriana realizes she is scared of death and the thought of Abby meeting death makes her tremble in despair.
Death seemed like an easy retreat, but Vettriana refused to surrender without experiencing the fullness of life - love, friends, school, and family. She hadn't savored these aspects yet.
In acknowledging her jealousy towards Willow, Vettriana released the strength she'd been holding onto, understanding that Willow's presence was merely a product of unfortunate timing. Despite her initial anger, Vettriana knew it wasn't Willow's fault.
Wand into her small purse, Vettriana declared, "Guide the way."
As Vettriana decided to follow Abby and confront the inevitability of death, the path ahead felt heavy with uncertainty. Willow led the way, glancing back occasionally to ensure Vettriana followed. The air was thick with unspoken tension.
The hut where Abby lay became visible in the distance. As they approached, Vettriana's heart pounded with a mixture of fear and an inexplicable longing. She wasn't ready to face Abby's final moments, but something within her insisted it was necessary.
Entering the humble abode, Vettriana saw Abby lying frail on a makeshift bed. The room was filled with the scent of herbs and flowers - a reminder of Abby's lifelong connection to the earth. The elderly woman looked up, her eyes reflecting a mix of surprise and relief.
"Vettriana," Abby whispered, her voice fragile yet filled with warmth. Willow excused herself, leaving Vettriana alone with the woman who had once saved her.
In the solemn room, Vettriana tightly gripped Abby's frail hands. "I have no right to utter those things I had said. I-"
"Hush, thou hast the right. I lament not finding thee sooner. My apologies for thy life's ruin. Lylak should have claimed me in thy stead." Tears flowed despite weariness, mirroring Vettriana's pain.
Vettriana, who hadn't shed tears in what felt like an eternity, found herself breaking down. It wasn't the day Lylâk died or the day Kauis left; it was now, in this vulnerable moment, that the dam holding back her emotions crumbled.
"I am sorry for everything. Our efforts to find the Manor of Lylâk were futile. We tried everything-" Abby's voice struggled to carry the weight of her words.
"Speak no more. I pardon thee, for thou art my only mother... I once deemed thee an aunt, yet through those wretched years, I yearned for a mother... Thee." Both wept, sharing a moment of profound understanding and forgiveness.
"My Triana. Willow, thy niece, not of blood, yet thou art kin."
Vettriana nodded. "I shall bear it in mind."
"A letter I scribed not long past. I wish thee to read it upon my departure."
"Thou shalt not leave. I vow it." Vettriana's words exuded confidence, the voice belying the sorrow within.
Abby smiled faintly. "Thou knowest not, only I." Her last words were a whisper, and with that, her breath departed. Abby's visage eased into death, a vessel void of a soul's command.
A soft sob emanated from Willow, heard and felt. "I am sorry, Willow." Vettriana did not gaze at her.
"It is well. A dream, merely. A nightmare, precisely. The most dreadful dream I e'er endured—look not upon me, I am a disheveled soul." Unheeding, Vettriana approached, enfolding her in a desperate embrace.
Willow's cries are the only source of noise in the hut. Her hair sticks damp to her cheeks and Vettriana's clothes wet from her tears.