Lilith had finished her duties early that morning, just as she had for the last two years. She didn't rush through them, mind you. She just forced her mind to wander less as she worked.
She walked out the door and walked through the halls of the castle.
When she first came to the castle she found the walls and doors beautiful and had dreamed of living there. She now grew to hate those walls, which became her prison bars. Trapping her from spreading her wings. No matter how beautiful or ornate the inside of the cage was, she would never be able to fly again.
Of course, her daughter had made it all worth it. She was her pride and joy. Amity was to turn three years old in a matter of days. She had spent weeks planning a perfect celebration for both the public and for themselves. Her baby girl was growing up so fast and never had she loved something so much.
A maid, who was carrying the girl, approached her. Lilith beamed, forgetting her pessimistic thoughts immediately.
"Amity!" she cried happily. Running slowly to her. "Oh my own heart!" she said as she picked up the girl and peppered her face with kisses. Her daughter scrunched up her nose like a rabbit as she did. She laughed at the sight and dismissed the nurse after thanking her. Her attention went back to the little girl in her arms.
"Did you miss me my darling?" she asked. Amity nodded her head shyly and started giggling. "I missed you too my love." Lilith responded, giving her another kiss on the nose. Amity kissed her cheek in return, making Lilith's heart burst. The moment was soon ruined by the father.
"Ahem"
They both turned their heads. When the brunette caught sight of him, she hid her face into her mother's neck. Lilith was well aware that her daughter was afraid of her own father. Sometimes she wondered if Amity knew that Belos even was her father. There were days she swore Amity didn't know.
"Yes love?" she asked. Unlike when she called Amity by the name, it had no real affection behind it. He ordered her to start calling him by it, and so she did. All with her real intentions in mind.
"Lilith darling, are you free later this evening?" he asked in a fake sweet voice. Lilith frowned upon hearing it.
"Yes. I was just done with my duties for the days." She replied, her daughter tugged at her earrings which made Lilith squawk in surprise, making the young princess giggle. When the young heiress made eye contact with her father, she immediately quieted down in fear. Lilith hated that he could do that.
"I wanted to talk to you this evening. I postponed the patrol meeting to this afternoon. I will be in our bedroom at 9. Do not be late." he said in a professional voice. From an outside perspective, he seemed almost kind. She knew better than that. How when they were alone he raised his voice and belittled her when he was upset or angry. How she was left alone in tears as he left to have his... affairs.
"Will do my love." she replied just as professionally. It was a silent agreement. They would be colleagues during the day, husband and wife for the public and only would he show his true colours when they were alone in their bedroom during the evening. Lilith hated the nights that he drank. Which did not come often, thank goodness.
He nodded and walked away into the door behind them. With just as much grace as his wife possessed. While her presence brought awe and admiration, his brought fear and obedience.
When the door behind them closed, Amity emerged from her hiding spot and furrowed her brows.
"Daddy's scary." she said very seriously. Which makes Lilith burst into a fit of giggles as Amity just blinks, making confused baby noises that only encourage her mother. She gave her little one a kiss and they both faced one another.
"Now now dear, we don't want your father hearing that now do we?" she told her daughter as she tapped her nose. Her daughter nodded and reached for her mother's earrings again. Lilith moved her head in attempts to pry them away from the girl's hands.
"No sweetheart. You can't touch them. They are very special to mommy. They are from your auntie Eda."
"Owl Lady?" She asked quizzically. Of course.
"Daddy may say that auntie is a bad woman but there is more to people than just their criminal records" she said matter of factly. Putting her finger up in the air to make a point.
Amity continues to coo in confusion as she didn't understand what her mother was implying. Lilith sighs in defeat.
"Would you like to go play with Willow?" She asked the brunette, changing the subject. Amity nodded excitedly at the mention of her friend. "Alright, lets go to the gardens then."
— x —
"WILLOW!" Amity cried, running towards her friend. Lilith chased the girl with worry.
"CAREFUL AMITY!" She yelled after her. Amity did not seem to pay any mind to her mother and continued to run to the garden. When Willow caught sight of her, she ran towards her as well.
"Ami!" She cried. The two hugging each other as a greeting. They later ran to the field of sunflowers, playing make believe and taking turns playing Azura she assumed.
"Clawthorne! Back on the field!" Cried a male from the rose bushes. It's an inside joke between them, a throwback to their youth years on the grudby field. She rolls her eyes at the buff man. His boots are muddy with fertilizer and his gloves are stained and worn from years of hard work. Yet there is a youthful spark in his eyes that seemed to captivate everyone.
"Morning to you too Park." she said teasingly. It was not the name he was born with, rather the name he had recently married into. He blushed as he pushed his glasses up, rubbing his neck in embarrassment. Lilith doesn't have many friends, but she's glad Samuel is one of them.
"How is Willow?" she asks. Samuel shakes his head affectionately. "My little girl is growing up. Almost ready for Hexside."
Lilith chuckles lightly. "Hexside huh?"
Samuel raises his eyebrow, but his smile never falls. "Scared your daughter will see you with your old hair and glasses?" he's teasing her again.
Lilith covers her face in slight embarrassment and laughs. "Heavens no! I quite liked my old hair actually. Why? You scared to have your daughter know you lost to me during grudby season?" she jabs him in the shoulder to make a point. He lets out a loud laugh and bows exaggertavely.
"Wouldn't dream of it your majesty."
-- x --
Nightfall had come but Amity's excitement did not seize. She continued to be energetic as ever, something Lilith wished she still had.
"Come on dear, you can play tomorrow. For now we have to go night night."
Amity pouted. "Night night?" she asked sadly.
"Yes, night night. It's late my dear." Lilith says as she brings the sheets up to her shoulders. She strokes her brown locks and kisses her cheek. Amity laughed as she did. "Tickles!" she said joyously. Lilith doesn't remember ever hearing something so sweet.
Lilith smiles and tucks the girl in bed. "Song or story?" she asked. Every night before she went to bed, Amity got to pick whether she wanted to hear a story, or a song.
"Story." she chirped happily.
"Alright then." She cleared her throat and told her a story of a foolish knight, who happened to be a woman. Who was only foolish for wanting to be a knight in such an unforgiving world. How she disguised herself as a boy to become a prince to save a princess from her suffering. How the horrible man tricked her into marrying him and how eventually they both escaped from the school (which was actually a prison).
By the end of the tale, Amity's eyes were sparkling in awe, hugging a plush Otabin close to her chest. She grinned from ear to ear and looked at her mother with determined eyes.
"I'm going to marry a fearless champion one day! And she'll become a princess too!"
Lilith was shocked, and looked at her daughter with a stunned expression. Amity's shoulders dropped to her sides and so did her ears. "Did I say something bad?" Lilith shook her head furiously.
"Of course not dear! It's just... " How was she supposed to tell her child that her father expected her to marry a man to produce heirs "the right way". Which was honestly ridiculous considering witches found other ways of producing children and had been doing so for hundreds of years.
"So, you want to marry a girl huh? How about a boy?" Lilith asked. She is met with her daughter shaking her head and fake gagging. "Boys are gross."
Lilith stifles a laugh. "So only girls?"
"Only girls." Amity responds with a smile. Lilith nods in agreement. "Then I can't wait to meet your future wife."
Amity sinks into her pillow as Lilith tucks her in again. Peppering her face in kisses as Amity's eyes droop. She turns off the lights and the stars she painted on 3 years ago start to glow. Amity's fast asleep and lightly snoring. Lilith is sure she could watch the scene before her forever. "Goodnight my heart." she whispers with only love for the girl.
She closes the door behind her and stares at the big clock in front of her. 8:45. She had 15 minutes to get ready. She walks to their bedroom door, hanging her cloak in the coathanger on the right. She takes off her hairpin and lets her bun loose. Instead, replacing it with a long braid. She changes into a more comfortable nightgown and shoes but keeps on her earrings.
By the time she's ready, the clock says 8:55. She sits by the bed and looks over one of her declarations. A demand for more elixir.
Eda needed a supply of elixir to keep the curse at bay, so she had to do all she could to make sure she had a good supply of it. If she could only pinpoint her location, maybe she could send her a good amount of it. She had no idea how much her sister was making, after all.
She sighed as she heard the doors creek, putting aside her papers. Belos is standing there, like a stranger that did not belong there, though it was his home. Lilith gave him an unamused frown at his nonsense.
"Dear, what did you want to discuss?"
"The child, Lilith"
Lilith was getting tired of this conversation, and how many times they had it.
"We are not getting rid of her, Belos" she said in a stern voice. Usually, she would submit to his every word. However, she put her foot down when it came to her daughter.
"Now now Lilith. Let's not assume anything." He said in a cheery tone. Which was terribly out of character for him. Lilith suddenly felt uneasy. What was this man planning?
Belos didn't seem to catch on to the younger woman's discomfort and continued talking. "I was about to say that I was coming around to little Amy,"
Lilith interrupted him. "Her name is Amity."
Belos frowned at her. "Right. As I was saying, I think I'm coming around to having little Amity around. She is quite the delight for guests and did inherit her mother's beauty. I hope she inherited my brilliance. That would sure be something, wouldn't it?"
Lilith looked at him suspiciously, pacing the room to calm her jitters. "Right... What exactly sparked this sudden interest in her?"
"She is my flesh and blood, and therefore she must be able to exceed my expectations. I expect great things from her."
She could tell Belos was smiling under the mask, which made her spine shiver. She couldn't help but feel like it was an ominous one. Belos stood up from his chair and pulled off his mask. He approached her and Lilith froze. No matter what her body told her to do, she couldn't move. As if her feet were frozen into the ground.
He was much taller than her. He had always towered over her in a way that evoked fear in her heart. He tilted her chin so she would face him. His eyes glowed and it was horrifying. He gave her a lingering peck on the lips and put his mask back on. His lips were still cold.
"I must go now, but do have rest my love."
Lilith watched him walk away, his footsteps echoing against the walls. She grabbed all of the confidence and bravery she had left and forced her voice to speak.
"What about... my sister's curse?" her voice was small and fragile. Barely audible for anyone not in the room. His footsteps stopped and her breath hitched. Maybe asking him when he was in such a good mood was a bad idea.
Belos didn't seem upset in the slightest when he responded. "You have yet to exceed my expectations Lilith. Try a bit harder." And like that he left the room at the same pace he had started. As if the question was no big deal.
But it was a big deal. It was everything to Lilith. It was why she put up with the abuse and the suffering in the first place. She shook her head, dismissing the thoughts in her head. Now was not the time to pity herself. It was Eda who was suffering the most, not her. She didn't deserve pity. If she had to try harder she would try harder. It would be worth it for her sister. It would be worth it for Eda.
-- x --
Belos entered the nursery to see his sleeping daughter. She clutched the Otabin plush close to her chest, as if it would protect her at night. He tucked a loose strand of her hair behind her ear.
Pathetic. He thought.
He picked her up for the first time in his life. Never had he held her close or even hugged her. Even in family portraits, he would not hold the child. He was glad this was the first and last time he would be doing so.
"This is for your own good." he whispered to her ear. Not that she could hear or understand what it meant. He drew a circle in the air and expanded it. It hovered over his body and soon they were outside of Blight Manor.
Outside stood Odalia Blight, dressed in soft shades of purple. Her green hair and red lipstick stood out against all her features. He smiled and handed her the sleeping girl. No longer was she his problem. She would have a new home, identity and parents. She would not grow up to be a princess of the Boiling Isles but rather a Blight. Which was the closest thing to royalty anyway.
"Have you casted the spell on your children?" he asked. Odalia nodded in silence, careful not to voice her displeasure of casting such a dangerous curse on her prince and princess.
"Good." he purred in satisfaction.
He walked away and he didn't look back. There was no need to. He had no regret or remorse for what he had just done. Because what was so bad about getting rid of a problem? If there is something wrong, one should do something about it. And that was exactly what he did.
Odalia looked at the little girl in her arms and sighed. She did not take after her mother very much thank goodness. It would have driven her mad to have a reminder of Lilith every waking turn. She gently brushed the girl's brown bangs away from her eyes. Odalia would need to tie it back, she thought. And perhaps get rid of the ugly brown color.
Odalia knew the little girl would need a bit of a push to be perfect. Unlike her prince and princess, she did not have the Blight blood that made her a natural perfection. Not to worry, she told herself. She would make sure the girl did not fall behind.
Unbeknownst to the little girl, she was a Blight now.
And Blights did not fail.