A/N: This is a pretty angsty chapter you could say. Hope you guys like! Also, I don't know much about the olden days or pregnancy for that matter so don't flame me for that, ok? There's gonna be a lot of problems and angst but- You know what? Just read it. And enjoy! Sorry if the chapters are short.
Chapter 2: A Fall From Grace
It's been 3 years now, and Cadbath and Serena have been happily married to one another. Now they reside in their small, stone cottage. It's nice. It's got a chimney, a cooking place. The whole deal. Just not very good spacious wise. They live happily enough. Sometimes, they even imagine that they are normal. It's a fun game they both play. Sometimes, they go to Cadbath's forest and they eat the ripe, juicy blackberries together. And on rare occasions, they dance.
Especially when the full moon is out and it illuminates them both in a magical way.
Right now, Serena is braiding her hair into a fishtail sort of style. It's pretty, but she finds the task a bit hard but not too. Finally, she gets her beautiful blonde hair into a fishtail braid and pushes it aside onto her shoulder.
She thinks about herself: blue eyes, peach skin, small yet petite frame. She eyes the mirror and her smile fades.
She'll never be a human girl. And she'll never be normal.
She exhales deeply before rushing into the kitchen to get some warm goat milk. She sips in silence. Cadbath is not back yet. She considers where he might be. The market, buying something for her? The forest, picking berries for her? An apothecary's, getting herbs to help the babies growth?
Oh yeah, that's right. She's pregnant. 9 months and expecting soon. Next week, maybe.
She sighs as she finishes the milk. Pondering over what Cadbath could be doing. But then, a sharp jolt of pain rushes through her. It sprouted from her stomach and channels through her being. She gasps in pain and drops her mug, shattering it on the floor. Oh, how expensive that was. She grips her stomach and the kitchen stove tightly.
Her eyes squeezed shut in pain. She groans softly as the contraction leaves her.
Opening her eyes, she sees the broken mug and breathes out slowly.
Serena gets up shakily and grabs the broom in the kitchen, swearing under her breath as she sweeps away the ceramic shards.
After cleaning up her mess, she stares wistfully out the window in the kitchen. It's sunset.
But where is he?
She decides to go look for him herself. She leaves the kitchen and puts on her long trench coat. Letting her hair free so it can partly cover her face, along with a large hat Cadbath got her for going outside. If it ever came down to that. Serena tips the hat forward, so it shadows her face more all the while hiding it. She slips out of their cottage and walks around the village town. She checks their usual places: the market, the meadow (a place outside, near the forest), The Forest and even the bakers. No trace. Maybe he'd gone somewhere else?
Upon returning home, she finds a woman, a beautiful one at that, with only a mouth and no eyes or other facial features.
"Excuse me, who are you?"
The woman smiles politely, "I am Katya. Cadbath's partner."
Serena's mind explodes into confusion. 'Partner?' What kind of partner? What does she mean? Serena shakes her head, maybe she's drunk? Most probably. They have crappy locks anyway. She just bursts in, one of them, claiming to be Cadbath's partner..? How does that even work?
A tall man figure suddenly appears from the darkness.
"Cadbath!" Serena looks at him in surprise, "Who is this?"
He stands up tall in his suit, he folds his arms professionally over his broad and muscular chest. "Serena," he whispers, "Katya is my wife." The words hit her like a ton of bricks. The pain seeps in like needles, making her nauseous and dizzy. Why.. Why is this happening to her? Married? WIFE?! Serena shakes off the head ache and gawks at him. " Serena. I must speak with you in private." Katya nods and leaves the room. After she'd gone, Cadbath drags Serena outside through the back door into the brisk evening air.
"Wife?" She asks him, after that, she fires thousands of questions his way. All of those he could not bear to answer.
"Serena.." He mumbles softly, massaging the area between his eyebrows in frustration. She she gabbled on, neverending it almost seems.
"Serena!" He shouts angrily, grabbing her wrists and trying to calm her down.
Once she could get her breathing right- he answers her: "Serena, I am truly sorry but.. I am not with you anymore. Don't get upset, I beg of you. I will come back- soon."
Tears fall from her black eyes, "Wha- you're leaving? With her?" She sobs hysterically now, grabbing on his arm sleeve desperately. "You- you're the only one.." She begs between cries of sadness and pain. Wincing at her; he pushes her away. "Stop causing a scene. I will leave you the house. But I take from you my love and devotion." Cadbath declares sternly. Serena gasps in shock and horror at his words. "You promised.. You said.."
" I never promised anything, Serena!" He snaps.
"I'm your only love..?" She sniffles hopefully.
"Not anymore. Not ever. So leave it be!" He commands, shoving her aside like trash and going back inside the house.
"But our baby!" She screams at his back.
"He stays my child.. But he's your responsibility." And with that, he cruelly slams the door in her face. She sobs and continues begging. Exclaiming many 'I Love You's at the silent and un answering door. She hears them teleporting away. Probably to another world, time or dimension. She shakily opens the back door of the house, stepping in to find it empty.
She continues quietly crying and wailing over her loss. So hard she feels she's going to loose all her tears, and God forbid she never cry again.
She tries to contain herself, slowly she begins to control her emotions more. More sniffling and coughing before she achieves utter silence. A jolt of pain hypes rough her body and leaves her groaning and crying out again. But not because of lost love. But because of a contraction or something. She grips a wooden chair very, very tightly before letting it go and composing herself by breathing calmingly.
He left her. Just like that.
He leaves as quick as he comes.
He mends as quick as he breaks.
The tricks. Oh, the tricks.
Why does this happen to her? Why did she have to fall for it in the first place?
It's all her fault now.
Serena did not realize, but now she does. The games. He was always bored when they joked. She did not realize that she was getting an old and tired toy. A toy to be used and thrown away. Only to buy another one. She wonders silently to herself.
Who else has he double crossed? Will he double cross that Katya? How broken will she feel?
But there is nothing more he can do with Serena. He cannot hurt her. He's taken it all and she's left with nothing.
'He stays my child. But he's your responsibility.'
His voice rings through her head.
"No."
"No, no, no, no!" She shrieks.
A/N: Hey guys! Just so you know I went through A LOT trying to get this chapter done. I even wrote while half sleeping! Sorry if it's a little fast paced or confusing. But I just had the idea that all the Sinister Brothers (yes, that's what I'm going to call them) were born by different mothers! And Cadbath double crosses each woman and steals the babies when they reach a certain age. So yeah. Next chappy coming soon.
