Wedding Day
Eda jumped out the window and landed on her staff. Okay, Lilith may have been right on the disguise thing, she blended in perfectly! And didn't need to hide at all.
Maybe I should stay a bit. Just to see her get married. She thought.
She stays put for a couple of minutes until the trumpets start to play, she turns around to see the Emperor emerging from the halls in the most ornate ceremonial garments she's ever seen. She would have commented on how ugly it was if everyone hadn't been so mushy about how good he looked.
He stood there proud and tall. What an egotistical jerk , she thought. Though everyone else seemed to be captivated by it. "What a bunch of clowns" she muttered under her breath.
She snickered at Kikimora, who fell over trying to keep up with the Emperor. Oh she really was as short as Lilith said she was.
Just as she thought of her sister, her sister emerged from the halls as well.
Oh poor Lilith.
The dress itself wasn't bad looking, but the fact that it was on Lilith of all people was the sad part. The sleeves were way too short for her liking and did they seriously give her a poofy dress? It was almost like she had no say in it.
...
She had no say in it did she?
Eda was a lot smarter than she looked. She may not be a nerd like her sister, but she wasn't stupid. There was no way Lilith married him on her own accord. He was keeping her there against her will. She clutched her staff tighter and snarled at him. How dare he?
"I have no say in this matter."
"Nothing you say or do will stop me"
God she should've taken her and ran. For titan's sake she should've done something instead of running like an idiot.
She could see her mother next to Lilith. Eda was never fond of her. Even when she clearly favoured her over her sister, she was never very present. She paraded her around like a trophy and didn't talk to her for days until her next achievement.
"I told you you just had to meet the right man!" her mother had told Lilith upon hearing about her engagement. Never in her life had she wanted to punch someone that day. If Lilith hadn't held her back she might as well have.
Despite her sister's veil, she could see that she was wearing the earrings she had given her earlier that day. It brought a smile to her face, to know that she had chosen to wear them, despite the more ornate earrings on her table.
She saw her mother bring Lilith close and whisper something to her ear. Judging by the way she shivered, it probably wasn't something good. Her blood boiled in anger. That misshapen excuse for a mother.
Eda wanted to run and take her sister off the altar when she saw the way her body shook when Belos lifted her veil and took her hands, but even she wasn't that crazy.
Her eyes go wide when the curtains close. She can see the silhouette of a shadow taking off it's mask and kissing her sister. She couldn't watch anymore. She couldn't bear to see the beginning of Lilith's suffering. She just couldn't.
She took her staff and slowly ran from the scene. Others were too busy wondering and whispering about what he looked like to notice her absence. Not that they were aware of her presence in the first place.
"I'm sorry Lily" she whispered as she entered the woods.
She did not look back at the castle.
--x--
Edalyn had been on the run for 9 years, and some pretty interesting things had happened since then.
For one, she had acquired a roommate, and a house demon. Her roommate was annoying and had a superiority complex, but one threat of rent and he would shut up. But deep down, they were good friends and enjoyed one another's company.
He claimed to be the feared King of Demons, but in honesty he was probably a spoiled child with a superiority complex. Though, after a while, she got used to him. He was caring, though he was willing to eat her own tongue before he admitted it.
"The King of Demons cares for no one" he would yell. He always attempted to sound menacing, but it either came out a cute squeak or annoying shriek. Oh and his squeak of rage, Hah! He sounded like a little tea kettle. It never failed to put a smile on her face.
Hooty, on the other hand, was a constant thorn in her side. He was annoying and had the most horrific voice in existence. But she put up with him as he was good security. He looked stupid mind you, but could beat up an entire fleet of the emperor coven's best guards. So yeah, he wormed her way into her heart.
Second of all, she had found a way to keep her curse at bay. Elixir. Simple and painless. Well, almost. It didn't exactly taste very good. Surprisingly, the prices had dropped when rumour had spread that she used it. Probably Lilith's doing she thought. That raven never knew when to stop babying her.
Speaking of Lilith, they hadn't seen each other since her wedding day. She missed her terribly, but there wasn't ever a chance to catch up. She was in hiding and she was paraded around like a trophy. They both despised it.
Despite being in hiding, Eda had made a name for herself in the Boiling Isles. She was known to many as the Owl Lady, the most powerful witch in the Boiling Isles. She wasn't in a coven, and therefore had access to all magic. Not just one. She took pride in that, being able to escape a corrupt government system.
It was a snowy day when she heard she had a niece.
"The Empress bears a child!" a man had cried from his shop stand.
All of Bonesburoug rejoiced at the news of a heiress. Eda couldn't help but feel a small smile tug at her lips at the news. Lilith was pregnant. She was an aunt. The joy didn't last long, as she remembered that she could not see her.
She sighed and walked over to her intended stand to get her elixir.
The curse was worsening, but she managed.
A part of her was upset because it wasn't fair. She was an aunt to the literal princess of the Boiling Isles and she couldn't visit her. Who would teach the kid to pickpocket and be wild? Who would teach her to frustrate her mother just for the fun of it?!
Yet another part of her was so happy for Lilith. She was gonna be a mommy and she would have someone other than that bastard in that damned castle. Lilith was going to love and be loved and that made her so happy.
She picked up an Otabin stuffed animal and slid it into her bag. She was not gonna pay for that. She took out a piece of parchment and scribbled a message and folded it. Tying it to the plush, she snuck over to the delivery cart and slid the toy in. The guards did not catch her thank goodness.
"Is that all?"
"Yes, Steve. We've triple checked everything, now please just let's pack it up and go back to the castle. Lunch break starts soon."
"Sorry, sorry. Just so excited for the princess! Do you think I'll get to babysit?"
Strangers were going to be more familiar with her niece than her literal aunt. Ugh, she thought, internally groaning at her misfortune.
Eda started running when she heard one of the Warden's minions call out her name. She blew a raspberry and fled on her staff... after she threw multiple balls of ice and fire of course. She was a Clawthorne. It was meant to be extra.
Eda's life wasn't perfect, but she managed.
--x--
A plush Otabin caught Lilith's eye, she didn't remember ordering it. Perhaps the guards had taken something by mistake?
Otabin was her favourite book as a kid. She read it over and over again and had a soft spot for it even now. It was what encouraged her to read and eventually she grew to love books just as much as she adored magic.
Lilith would read it aloud to her sister when they were younger. She taught that Owl obsessed woman how to read through it. So it was safe to say she was most certainly going to read them to her daughter.
There was a folded piece of parchment tied to it's leg. Lilith stared quizzically at it, picking up the soft plush and untying the note from it's soft limb. She gasped when she saw the familiar signature.
'Heard I have a niece now, that's nice. Thought she might need a friend and protector for when momma raven is gone. So who better than the one who inspired the inner nerd of her mother? Love you ya nerd,
The Owl Lady '
Lilith hadn't realized she'd been crying until a tear dropped on the note. Her hormones were a mess and she just couldn't stop crying. Ugly sobbing erupted from her throat and she pouted. She just missed her sister so much.
Yet it made her so happy that Eda felt safe enough to send her a little gift. She hugged the toy close to her chest. Remembering her own stuffed toys from her childhood.
It was good to know Edalyn was managing just fine.
--x--
Eda was shocked when she saw her wanted posters being taken down and replaced with new ones? Had they updated hers or did some moron beat her in bounty? She did not appreciate that at all. She and King worked hard to become the most wanted criminals in the Boiling Isles. The least they deserved was nice posters.
She wished even more that her posters had stayed there when she got a good look at the posters.
"Missing: Princess Amity. Reward: 1,000,000,000 snails. Bring to Empress Lilith"
The crowds filled with gasps and shrieks at the news. Soon enough several Emperor guards flooded into the crowds looking for the missing princess. Eda's mind thought of the worst. What if she was dead?
No. She was a Clawthorne and Clawthornes were strong. She was gonna be okay. If she was anything like her mother, she would find a way home.
Eda joined the search for her niece. And no one questioned it. The heiress was way more important than a petty thief. King was surprised by how worried she was. Edalyn Clawthorne doesn't get worried, or sentimental. Over anyone.
"You want the money or something?"
"What? No! That's my niece we're talking about. She's missing King!" Eda exclaimed to King. Did he seriously not get it?
"But you never get sentimental. You haven't even met this girl yet and she's making your hair go grey faster than your curse!"
Eda chuckled sadly at the thought. Could you miss someone you've never met? Could you love and care for someone you had never laid eyes upon? Was it simply possible?
She remembered the portraits, and how she finally saw Lily's actual smile in them. How she held her daughter the way she used to hold her when she was younger. She missed her sister so much. She missed her hugs and her baking because god she could use one of those chocolate muffins right now.
Perhaps that was why she loved her. Because she knew she was important to Lily, and therefore important to her. Titan's sake was getting soft. 'Ugh, why were emotions so complicated.'
Eventually, the princess was announced dead. That had been the day Eda had cried for the first time in many years. Her tears were hot and stained her face, but she did not sob. She did not scream. She did not yell. Her cries were silent.
There were rumours. About how you could hear the Empress screaming for her daughter, how you could hear her cries. Eda made sure to stay from the castle, she could not bear to hear her sister's suffering.
She wanted to run to her sister. Hug and comfort her. Tell her that she would not rest until she found her, but that was not true. As she was gone. Oh poor Lilith. Life had been cruel to both of them. But how could they have known it would be cruel enough to do that.
It hurt to go on like this. It hurts to live like this, but she refused to stay there on the ground. She had to keep going. Eda wasn't weak, she was strong and worked harder than anyone else. She always got up no matter how many times life tried to knock her down. She had to get up to tell life to try harder next time.
Edalyn's life was the farthest thing from perfect, but she was managing.