CHAPTER 82: SCAPEGOAT

"My mother could have easily left him but she didn’t want to," Lilith replied quietly. "She truly loved him, and I believe he loved her too... but he was an egotist and a very proud man, and wanted things to always be in his control. There were always problems between them about me, and he made it clear that peace would only come if my mother acted like I didn’t exist. That’s what he wanted, for me to be treated like a ghost." Lilith said.

"If he didn’t like you for the beginning, why did your mother agree to get married to him?"

"He wasn’t always like that. When he met my mother, he accepted both of us with open arms. He was kind and treated me with love. But everything changed when my mother became pregnant. And from that point on, it only got worse."

"After his daughter was born, it was as if I no longer existed. A few years later, I was moved into a tiny room that could barely fit a normal-sized bed. He dismissed the maid and forbade my mother from doing any chores."

"He wanted me to do everything. Still, I tried to stay positive, holding on to the hope that things would eventually get better. But they didn’t. It got worse. He began to hit me," Lilith said with a dry chuckle, though tears were welling in her eyes.

"I still remember the first time. I had been sent to the market to buy ingredients for dinner. I returned just a few minutes later than expected. As soon as I walked in, I saw him pacing in the parlor. I tried to explain the delay, but before I could finish, his hand came down hard across my face. I was stunned. He accused me of trying to starve them by making dinner late."

"I still made the meal. But he sent me to bed without eating." She blinked, wiping the tears that slid down her cheeks. With a soft sniffle, she continued. "It only got worse from there. He started finding fault in everything I did, because he wanted a reason to hit me. Eventually, his daughters joined in. They played tricks to get me into more trouble with their father. And when I got punished, they would laugh, mock me... like it was a game."

"Beside it all, I still continued to fight through everyday, accepting my life as it was, well that was until I was almost burnt alive and the prince saved me," She breathed out, mustering a small smile, "That was my life, not quite a happy story." She chuckled but Viktor just stared at her but now they had stopped walking.

"This is the first time, I have been utterly speechless. I honestly can not begin to imagine what you have gone through. Your stepfather is a horrible man and he does not deserve to have you in his life." Viktor said in a serious tone.

"Thank you very much. I will forever be grateful to the prince from taking me away from that place." Lilith smiled.

"What about your father? Do you have any idea about him?" He inquired.

"My mother doesn’t like to speak about him. She says he passed away when I was a baby, but I don’t believe that’s true. Every time I ask, she gives me an entirely different story about how he died. Eventually, she stopped answering altogether, telling me to just forget about it," Lilith said quietly.

"That’s quite strange," Viktor replied, his brow furrowing slightly.

Lilith looked ahead. "I believe she has a good reason for keeping it from me. Still, I would love to know more about him... maybe even meet him one day. I want to know what it feels like to have a father who truly loves me." She smiled softly. "Wouldn’t that be wonderful?"

Viktor stared at her for a moment before responding, "It would be nice." He looked away and up at the sky. "We should head back to the castle. It’s getting harder to ignore the freezing cold, I can hardly feel my toes, even with these heavy boots." His voice had grown lighter, almost playful.

Lilith chuckled. "I agree. We rarely had winter in Eryndor, and when we did, it was never as severe as this."

"This severe? This is far from that." He smiled. "It actually gets colder than this, when that happens, snow covers the entire landscape until it’s almost impossible for carriages to move. That period usually lasts for about twelve to fourteen days, with everyone locked indoors, sitting by the fire."

"Fourteen days? How do they manage to get food if they can’t leave their homes?" she asked, intrigued.

"Everyone in Valyron knows to prepare for it," Viktor explained. "So during the earlier weeks of winter, households stock up on food, water, and anything else they will need. Honestly, it’s not as hard as it sounds."

"I guess so," Lilith muttered thoughtfully.

The two turned and began walking back the way they came, falling into a comfortable silence.

"If you are set free from the duties of attending to the affairs of the prince. What would you like to do? What kind of life would you want to live?" He questioned in curiosity.

Lilith thought about it for a few seconds. "I would probably be traveling around the world. I have always dreamt of sailing on a ship, so that would be the first thing. Then I’d get a pet, especially a dog. I wasn’t allowed to have one at home, but I love dogs. They make me happy. After spending years exploring, I would settle down in a cozy cottage with a beautiful garden and a lake or stream flowing gently behind it. Then, maybe... I would get married and have a child or two."

She looked up at Viktor who was smiling.

"That sounds lovely and interesting, I might be convinced to do so myself." Viktor teased and Lilith laughed softly at his words. "You know, after you’re done helping the prince with the curse and all, I could speak to him, convince him to let you live out your dreams."

Lilith’s eyes widened, "You would do that for me!? Why?"

"I believe you deserve the world and every path to happiness." Viktor said, giving her a pat on the head twice.

Lilith’s heart warmed, "So, are we like friends now?"

"I mean, we can be friends. And I can, also be your elder brother that you never had, you know, I also wanted a younger sister."

Lilith arched her brow, "A younger sister? You have Charlotte, she is also like your sister."

Viktor made a gagging sound, nudging Lilith lightly on his arm with his elbow, "Please, don’t say that again. I might truly throw up."

Lilith rolled her eyes, giggling at his overdramatic behaviour.

~~~

Kathryn sat in front of her mirror, running a brush through her hair as she softly hummed a song her mother used to sing to her. She grabbed a handful of hair, twirling it around her fingers while admiring her reflection.

"I want to change the color of my hair to something brighter. I’m torn between red and blonde. What do you think, Cassie?"

She turned to see Cassidy standing by the corner of the bed, staring at her with a tense expression.

"Dear Heavens, what’s that look on your face, Cassidy? Did you just see a ghost?" Kathryn asked, turning her attention back to her hair as she heard Cassidy’s footsteps draw closer.

"The potion? How do you plan on getting it into the prince’s food?" Cassidy asked.

"That’s what the witch is for. She’ll take care of that," Kathryn said with a shrug. "And if she gets caught, she will have to bear the consequences of her actions and if she tries to drag my name into it. No one would surely believe that I would try to use black magic to make the prince fall in love with me. She seems far more desperate, she’d be the perfect scapegoat."

"And what happens if it works?" Cassidy asked.

"Well, that would be wonderful for me. The prince will be madly in love, and we’ll pick up right where we left off," Kathryn replied, smiling at the thought.

"What about her? What’s your plan for her?"

"I haven’t quite decided. I could demote her to the servants’ quarters and have her scrub floors, or maybe I’ll ship her off to another kingdom, far away. Either way, she isn’t quite a threat to me—not yet."

A moment of silence passed before Cassidy spoke again, her voice quieter.

"I’ll be honest with you, my lady. I think you’re playing a dangerous game. You know how ruthless the prince is when it comes to betrayal. I fear for your life."

Kathryn scoffed and rolled her eyes. "You’re overreacting, dear Cassie. I’ll be fine. I have everything perfectly planned. Nothing will go wrong, I assure you."