Disclaimer: I do not own Black Butler/ Kuroshitsuji. All characters from the series belong to Yana Toboso.
Lilly Willow belongs to me as do all characters that aren't in Black Butler.
Lillith loved her family. They weren't her biological family but they were real to her none-the-less, after all. They took her in when she had nowhere else to go...
"Lilly!" a voice behind her called. Lilly turned around to face the boy.
"Hello Milos," she smiled. Milosh was best friend ever since she first arrived at the camp ten years ago. The two of them went off to start the day's chores. Lilly finished her chores as quickly as she could. Little Catalaya was turning five and Lilly couldn't wait to say 'Happy Birthday' to her. Finally she finished.
"Catalaya! Baxtalo rodźendano!" she said hugging the child. Lilly had become almost fluent in Romani.
"Thank you Lilly." The little girl hugged her back.
"Excited for the celebration tonight?"
"Mm-hm!" she nodded.
Day turned into night and the celebration began. Lilly danced gracefully and sang perfectly. To the boys in the camp, she was the most beautiful woman of the caravan. Once the excitement had died down, Lilly sat watching the fire.
"Lilly, can you get more wood for the fire?" her 'mother' gently asked her.
"Of course mother." It had taken her a while but she had finally adjusted to calling the woman that. So she went to collect more wood, unaware of the terror on her return.
Lilly dropped the bundle of wood she had been carrying. The caravan was engulfed in flames. She ran as fast as she could, calling out the names of her friends and family. Panic began to fill her thoughts as she dreaded the worst. Suddenly, she heard a growl behind her. Lilly turned in time to see a tail of a great beast. The sound surrounded her and she didn't know where to look. She was becoming confused and dizzy and then... nothing.
A rich older couple were on a carriage ride through the countryside when they saw the damage.
"Check to see if anyone's alive," the man told his staff. The driver of the carriage and the footmen searched the destruction for any signs of life.
"Over here!" one called. He turned the girl over and placed a hand over his mouth.
"Stop gawking Jonathan, this poor girl..." he stopped midsentence. " This girl... she looks like our Rose..."
When Lilly awoke, she was in an unfamiliar room. Her injuries were tended to and she was dressed in fancy night clothes. She got out of the bed and inspected her surroundings. A photograph on the mantel piece caught her attention. An older couple with a child. A girl, about ten years old. She looked remarkably like Lilly. She heard a noise behind her and turned around. A woman in a maid's uniform had opened the door.
"Oh, you're awake. Please wait here miss," she said and left.
"Wait..." Lilly started, but the woman had already left. Lilly waited, looking at the various paintings and decorations. Finally, the woman returned with three other women.
"Hello Miss. My name is Flora; I am the Upper house maid. Might I enquire what your name is?"
"My name's Lilly. It's short for Lilith."
"Well Lilith, I have been instructed to dress you and bring you to the owners of the manor."
"A-alright," she stammered.
Lilly was lead to a study. Inside, there sat an older couple. The woman walked up to her and inspected her face, gently lifting it. Her eyes were brimming with tears.
"You look just like our dear Rose," she said.
"Petunia," the man said sternly.
"Oh. Yes of course," she said, returning to the side of her husband.
"You'll have to forgive my wife. We lost our daughter Rose at the young age of ten and you resemble her very much. My name is Admon Willow and this is my wife Petunia. Please, what is your name my dear?"
"I-its Lilith sir. Might I enquire how I got here?"
"We found you as were on our way back from our country manor. You were the only survivor as far as we know. What happened?" Lilly looked at her feet dolefully. I hope Milos and dear little Catalaya are alright. She thought.
"To be honest, I'm not entirely sure. I went to collect firewood but when I came back, my camp was in flames. I frantically searched for my family and friends but I couldn't find anybody. Then I heard a growling sound, like some kind of beast. The last thing I remember was waking up in that room." Lilly was almost in tears by the time she was finished. "The gypsies took me in after I had lost my own parents. After ten long years, they had become my family. I don't have where else to go." Her voice cracked but she didn't dare cry. Her pride wouldn't allow her to.
"Would you like to take residence here, as our daughter? Of course you'll need training in proper etiquette but you'll make a fine addition to the Willow family," Admon said. Lilly smiled and looked at him.
"I would like that, thank you."
Many weeks passed and Lilly learnt quickly. She was originally from a middle class family so she had the basic skills every aristocratic lady needs. Although the occasional question popped up, the Willows and Lilly had a silent agreement; Lilly didn't ask about what happened to Rose, and they didn't ask about her past. It was hard for her to adjust at first, but just like with her gypsy parents; Lilly got used to calling Admon and Petunia, Father and Mother.
Finally after all those lessons, Lilly was ready to be formal introduced. Lilly was anxious but she knew that she had to put on a brave face.
"Lady Lilith, you're trembling. Are you nervous?" Flora asked.
"A little. But that's to be expected, correct? I mean... I've never done something like this before."
Lilly waited until Admon had finished his introduction before she stepped in. The audience gasped and murmured as she walked down the stairs. Lilly felt even more butterflies in her stomach when she saw the size of the crowd. Some marvelled at her beauty, others gossiped about her sudden appearance, but all agreed she was absolutely stunning.
Lilly mingled with the crowd but one girl particular caught her attention.
"Your dress! It's so cute!" a blonde girl in a pink dress came running up to her. Her emerald green eyes were shinning with admiration. She was a few years younger than Lilly.
"Thank you," Lilly smiled. "and your dress is lovely too, Lady... um..."
"My name is Lady Elizabeth Ethel Cordelia Midford, but you can call me Lizzy for short. And you're Lillith right?"
"Correct," she nodded. "But if we're going to be so casual about things, you can call me Lilly."
"Lizzy and Lilly, that has such a nice ring to it," she giggled. "I know we're going to be such great friends."
For the rest of the night, Lilly mingled with the assorted guests but most of her time was spent with her new friend Lizzy. Eventually the party came to an end and Lilly was exhausted. Her 'parents' came up to her with smiling faces.
"You did well tonight Lillith," Admon said, placing his hands on her shoulders.
"We're so proud of you," Petunia smiled and placed her hand on Lilly's face, lightly caressing it with her thumb.
"Thank you both, so much. I'm glad that I didn't let you down."
Lilly went to bed that night smiling. She thought about her new friend Lizzy. She hoped that she would meet her again soon.