A/N: My update schedule is a little behind this month... But enjoy this chapter nonetheless.
StephiiDd - Thanks for the review! I'm glad you're enjoying the story so far.
Till next time,
D.L.D
~~~~~Sweet-Surprises~~~~~
"Enjoying yourself, my sweet?" The Supreme Deity seats herself next to Elizabeth, her silver hair catching the setting rays of the sun.
Like a blur, the day had passed in a flurry of motion and feeling. What had started as a casual morning/afternoon celebrating Elizabeth's final day in the village, turned into a celebration that was beginning to gently wane into the evening.
Young people were scattered about, still dancing and laughing as a few skilled musicians played away on their intricate instruments. They all tittered and chattered as they lined up, spun and moved around each other, working like complicated pieces of clockwork.
Small children were littered in between, some giggling as they danced with older siblings or friends, and some causing chaos among the tables. Many of them were now reaching their bedtimes, and so they were trying to make the most of the remaining playtime.
The adults were a bit more responsible, some already heading home, but most eating the remainders of the food that was leftover. They watched as everyone reveled and joked, holding quieter conversations.
Elizabeth had taken to sitting down after the weird green-eyed boy, taking the flimsy excuse of requests for dances growing too numerous. However it wasn't a complete lie; being stuffed within her heeled boots, Elizabeth's poor feet were aching. If she had stood for any longer, they would've been too sore for her journey the following day. And she needed her feet in tip-top condition for that.
So Elizabeth took the opportunity to sit alone, working her way through a slice of very delicious cake as she still stewed over that mysterious stranger.
While she ate and thought, Elizabeth watched. She predicted the small scuffles of the day, the scandalous shows of affection between certain individuals, and even the little antics of the children. Everything that happened, Elizabeth could expect, deduct.
However she had not expected her mother to come today. She had not expected her parent, role model and leader to appear at such a human and frivolous event. It was not logical - likely. Her mother was too glamorous and splendid to be spotted at something as insignificant as this.
But even so, the Supreme Deity had surprised, taking a seat right next to her daughter in all her glorious splendor.
"Yes, mother," Elizabeth nods a little, pushing her third slice of cake aside. It was just so addicting - but no more. She needed to focus. "Today was quite nice."
Humming, the Supreme Deity nods. She had a look that suggested pride, a sort of fondness that rarely showed breaking through, and it made Elizabeth's insides squirm a little. Her mother was never one to show her emotions outwardly.
"Well, I have one final surprise for you, dear," The Supreme Deity grows a smile, all her pearly whites visible. A painted nail belonging to a dainty finger taps Elizabeth's nose. "A very good one."
"Really?" Elizabeth raises a brow, swallowing the drying crumbs in her throat. They did not budge. Dread swims in her gut, spread thin but viscous, as her gut squirmed a little more. Elizabeth didn't have much knowledge of them, but she knew that surprises were not a very good thing.
"Yes," The Supreme Deity nods, her voice ringing with excitement. She clasps her hands, sighing happily. "Once you have killed that horrid monster, you shall be married to a wonderful and prosperous young man! In fact, you'll no longer have to worry about that cursed blood in your veins polluting your future."
"Young man..." Elizabeth frowns a little, gently pulling her cake slice back. She has a feeling she will need its sweetness to counter the sudden sour taste on her tongue. She will need it to counter the squirming of her gut, the ringing in her ears and the flickering darkness on her neck.
Tearing off a small chunk of icing, Elizabeth pops it into her mouth. The sugar immediately soothes her, calming her racing heart and flaring darkness. "I thought maidens of battle avoided distractions such as male attention? Didn't you always say that, mother?"
"You're a special case, dear," The Supreme Deity waves her question off, brushing it aside like a speck of dust. Running a hand through her hair, she continues to explain. "It's all finalized in fine print. Once you've completed your duties, you'll be married."
'That's terrible,' Elizabeth's darkness hisses into her ears. It slithers to curl around her ear, cool like ice and yet flaming like a fire. 'You'll never be free! She's keeping us chained down!'
'I'll handle it,' Her voice is already rebutting the darkness. The cursed darkness that continually ruined her purity. 'We don't have to marry him if we prove we're independent.'
'She'll find a way around it,' The darkness glowers, silent profanities slipping past its lips. Smugly but reluctantly, it retreats from her ears. 'Just like what she's doing now...'
"That's great, mother..." Elizabeth smiles, her teeth forced into the action. A sign to tell both her darkness and mother that she'd like to talk about something else.
Patches of darkness dotting her knuckles, Elizabeth's hand clenches tighter around its fork. Beneath the fist, her fingers tremble and nails dig. Her internal struggle was showing. "Just lovely..."
"Isn't it?" The Supreme Deity beamed.
Elizabeth could only sigh internally in response, ignoring the darkness swirling up her insides. It would now take a lot more than praying to banish its grating taunts.
Frustrated, Elizabeth takes another bite of her cake slice. This time it is ferocious, fierce, like a lion chomping down on its freshly caught prey.
It's like no-one considers how she feels.
It's like no-one ever considers what she wants.
~~~~~Sweet-Surprises~~~~~
Getting away had not been easy. To escape the prying eyes of her village, Elizabeth had to use her specially adapted gift of hiding well. That meant tip-toeing towards the table furthest away from the square, watching for the perfect moment to run away, and then sprinting off into the darkening dusk before anyone could stop her.
Of course, compared to her ultimate task of killing the next Demon King, escaping the villagers should be easy to Elizabeth. Escaping humans, distracted and at ease humans, should be as easy as plucking an apple from a wild tree.
It wasn't just humans she was running from though...
Letting out a weighted sigh, Elizabeth closed her eyes as she rested her head on the wooden counter top. Running away wasn't like her: she was someone who faced her problems head on. Running away was a coward's action. Running was what the guilty did.
Why did she run like a prisoner charged with treason?
"You ready to order yet, Elizabeth?" A barmaid approached, her corseted bodice exposing the fullness of her chest. Her brown hair was tied into a scraggly bun, blunt bangs hanging into her hazel eyes as she frowned a little.
"I'll have an ale," Elizabeth answered simply, deciding that lying on the counter to mope wasn't her best option right now. She needed to be in control. To seem normal. Even if she didn't particularly know why she was here right now.
"Anything else?" The barmaid raised a brow.
"Nothing at all," Elizabeth smiled simply, satisfied with her handling of the situation.
The barmaid seemed to think differently. Tsking, the woman sashayed away, her hair bouncing with the motion.
Frowning a little at the barmaid's lack of manners, Elizabeth's eyes decided to explore. They led to her absorbing the atmosphere of the room she was in, immediately notifying her to the brutish men and women who owned the cacophonous voices that filled the room.
Women, men, children - there was even a fairy - settled among the comfortable confines of the room. Groups of merry and bubbly people were spread around the space, all raising dull tankards of select beverages in an impromptu toast.
"To the end of the war!" Frothy foam sloshed from mugs to the polished wood floor, an old hound promptly moving to lick up the spills.
Red immediately filled Elizabeth's face, the young woman highly aware of her situation. In her haste to find a hiding spot, the female had ignored the important factor of her selected hiding spot. Now she was face to face with a group of rather raucous people, mostly travelers and merchants, who she most certainly did not belong with.
Well, people her mother wouldn't associate herself with. Maidens of battle weren't meant to be drunkards.
"Your ale," The barmaid placed a mug down rather harshly in front of Elizabeth, a smile forced onto her painted lips. "Enjoy."
Once again, she sashayed off with her nose held high. Snobbish.
Rolling her eyes a little, Elizabeth ignored the barmaid and took a full gulp of her ale. It immediately spread through her veins, pacifying her demon side and allowing her to mellow out a little.
A small sigh of relief left her lips. This, this feeling was something she could get used to.
"So, this is where you've been hiding."
Squeaking, Elizabeth's spine stiffens as she floods red once more. Kind laughter fills her ears, alerting her to the person who'd just sat beside her. He flashed her a gentle smile, guiding but not judging, as he eyed the mug in her hands.
"Something's bothering you," Mael continued, his brows furrowing a little. Resting his elbow on the counter, he turned to face her directly. "You only come here when you're upset."
"Is it that obvious?" Elizabeth sighed, hanging her head. A finger absentmindedly curls a silver lock around itself. She'd thought she was doing well at hiding her distress.
"You're not the best actress," Mael chuckles slightly, his shoulders shifting with the motion. The laughter dies into a solemn tone, the Archangel drifting off as his brows furrowed. "In fact, that's what makes me worry about you."
"Worry?" Elizabeth's brows pinched, her lips pressing. A hand curls around the mug, allowing the cool metal to counter its burning palm. "Why?"
"You know as well as I do that your assignment relies on your acting skills," Mael sighs, pulling a face. His brows touched the tops of his eyes, melding with his snowy locks. "But with how honest you are - sometimes I think about what might happen if you get caught."
Invading her face, pink blooms on Elizabeth's skin. She wasn't sure if she should be flattered or insulted at the fact that Mael was concerned for her. On one hand, it displayed that he cared a lot about her well being. His care was what showed he was a good friend. But on the other hand, it just made Elizabeth think of her destiny once more and the fact that her mother was marrying her off. It made her think of the fact that she was failing.
Instinctively, Elizabeth's hand tightened around the mug of ale. Why were decisions so hard?
"I won't get caught," Elizabeth finally breathes, stiffly taking a sip from her drink. Leaving bitterly, the words are carried by a solemn whisper. "I never get caught."
Questioningly, Mael raises a brow, "Is that what you really feel, or is it just the wisest thing to say right now?"
A small smile quirks on Elizabeth's lips. Meeting Mael's, her blue eyes fill with a little mirth as she chugs the remainder of her drink and sets it aside.
"You know me too well," Elizabeth shakes her head, chuckling softly as she left a few coins on the counter. Nodding towards the boisterous groups, she got up from her seat. "Everyone here knows me too well. But the demon race - they know nothing."
"Don't be so sure," Mael mutters, his eyes coasting the outskirts of the square. He follows her as she gets up. "They know more than they share."
"How would you know?" Elizabeth raises a brow, her hands resting on her hips. Even if it was just one drink, the alcohol was calming her usually jumpy and self-conscious nature. It made her at ease. It made her...more brash and honest.
"Let's just say demons tend to hide in plain sight," Mael smiled a little, already pushing Elizabeth towards the tavern's exit. Even though he smiled, the words left in a grim reminder, like a grave prophecy.
Elizabeth didn't notice.
"Like that boy with the green eyes?" She quizzed, whipping round to make Mael know she was really asking a question, not suggesting it.
Brows furrowed, Mael frowned, his confusion evident at her words. He had never seen a green-eyed boy, nor had he ever heard of one who resided close by to here. Green-eyed people were rare, many of them being linked to magic of some sorts, so he would know if there were any nearby.
"From earlier," Elizabeth sighed, shaking her head as she explained. Automatically, she continued her journey to the door. "He was dancing with me...and wished me a happy birthday. But something about him unsettled me."
"Green eyes, huh..." Mael hummed a little, still racking his brain for an explanation. None came. It seems he would have to call in a report about it. "I'll have to ask Ludociel about it. But green eyes are a enough common trait among humans."
"I guess," Elizabeth pouted a little, roughly yanking open the door. A cool summer breeze hit her face, pinking her nose and cheeks. "But then again, wouldn't it also be common in demons?"
Mael could give no answer, instead shaking his head and ushering Elizabeth back towards the village square.
When Elizabeth drank, she always had these questions. When Elizabeth drank, she was always herself.
~~~~~Sweet-Surprises~~~~~
Elizabeth had never pictured her final night in the village being spent in an apple tree, sipping away at a tankard of smuggled ale. She had seen herself doing her usual routine, praying in the spring, snatching a quick apple or peach, and watching the glorious sun set from the towering walls of the church. Dinah had always said that Elizabeth would wander around town and try to memorize everything in a final last-ditch attempt. Erin believed Elizabeth would spend the time with those she valued and loved the most. Others believed she'd be at the tavern across the valley, getting merry with the other patrons.
None of them had been correct.
Today, the final day, Elizabeth was sitting in the canopy of an apple tree, laughing with her friends, munching on the crisp fruits and watching as everyone cleared away from the earlier celebrations.
Sunset being an hour ago, the villagers had began to pack away from their merry making. Many headed in to start evening routines, small groups hauling tables and chairs, whilst also swiping leftover plates and platters.
Tablecloths, napkins and all sorts of smaller items were scooped up as well, not a single detail being missed. Small children tailed behind the adults, some running with colorful strings of bunting, a few toting lanterns for lighting and others dutifully carrying plates.
Only Elizabeth and a few others were loitering about, the group all spread through the grove of apple trees that grew not too far away from the village outskirts.
"So...what did your mother say?" Taking a firm gulp out of her smuggled pint, Dinah raises a brow. She was seated on a higher up branch, her longer legs and more shapely form always taking up at least half a branch. "She seemed to have some pretty big news."
"Plus you looked really upset," Erin nodded a little, shuffling closer to Elizabeth. The petite blonde easily fit on a branch with Elizabeth, especially on bigger trees like this one. "Did she change her mind about all this?"
Sinking dread filled Elizabeth's gut, the female knowing all too well what her friends were hinting towards. They had noticed her disappearance. They had noticed her dismay. Of course they had noticed. It would be odd for them to not notice.
But why did they have to notice it now?
"No," Elizabeth sighs and shakes her head, staring at the half-full mug in her hold. The amber liquid within still shone in the dimmer light of her healing glow, tinged with frothy white. "She wouldn't do that. It's just- "
Biting her lip, Elizabeth pauses. She almost said it. Almost.
"It's what?" Dinah leaned down from her post, green eyes wide and unblinking like a cat's. Her long legs dangled like strips of fabric, swaying from the slightest breeze.
"It's nothing," Elizabeth quickly answers. She stares ahead, expressionless, her features a pure mask of her readiness to go and face her destiny. She takes a quick sip of her ale. "It's nothing big and nothing to worry about."
"But- "
"Elizabeth!"
Light, ethereal and eloquent - yep, that was her mother. The voice rang too perfectly, carried too elegantly to not be Elizabeth's maternal figure. Plus it was paired with the swiftly approaching presence that often accompanied her mother when she stalked the country lanes for her daughter.
"Time to leave..." Elizabeth smiles wanly, already pushing herself up. "Let's hope she's not mad again."
In one fluid movement, she then stands steadily on the branch, like it was a level floor instead of an untrustworthy overgrown twig, and places a delicate hand on the rough bough of the tree. She's about to make her way downwards, when a hand latches around her wrist.
"Can't you stay just a little longer?" Dinah whined, clutching onto Elizabeth's arm like a cat floating on a piece of driftwood. Dangerously, half her body leans forward from the branch she sat on. "We can hide from her for a while! You only turn eighteen once!"
"Dinah..." Erin releases a gentle exhale, blonde wisps of hair curling with the motion. Tiny, dexterous hands then pry Dinah's hand from Elizabeth's wrist, capturing them both in a handhold.
"Elizabeth has to leave, remember?" Erin speaks slowly, already signalling for Elizabeth to begin her grand escape.
But of course, guilt got in the way. It made the most sense since Dinah was the most clingy friend Elizabeth ever had. They were like sisters, siblings that came from a different womb, the auburn-haired girl always tagging along wherever Elizabeth went. For eighteen years. To Dinah, it would be new to not have Elizabeth around. Just as much, it would be new for Elizabeth to not have Dinah around.
However, now they had to go their separate ways.
"I really wish I could stay, Dinah..." Elizabeth presses her lips, placing a gentle hand on Dinah's shoulder. It wasn't too difficult to make out her friend's pleading feline eyes in the growing gloom. "But I really have to go."
"Elizabeth!" Impatient this time. Agitated.
If there was hope that her mother wasn't mad before, it was all gone now. Elizabeth would most definitely get an earful about this on the way home, especially because her mother stressed the importance of being indoors at dusk. Not to mention the whole hanging around in taverns thing...
"Stay," Dinah begged, pouting as she stared at Elizabeth. Her bottom lip trembled as she shuffled closer, pushing Erin with her. "I'm really going to miss you when you leave, Elizabeth."
"I will too, but I have seriously have to go," Elizabeth sighed, a small, sad smile forming on her lips. Prickling filled the backs of her eyes, constant and warm as her eyelids blinked heavily. She was going to cry. "Please, don't feel bad, Dinah. I'll be back soon, promise."
Dinah blinked, tilting her head. She held out a pinky finger. "Pinkie promise?"
"Elizabeth!"
Oh yeah, her mother was pissed. Absolutely pissed.
Elizabeth felt her spine stiffen, even her internal darkness freezing with the mind numbing hostility within the call. She had around five minutes to find her ass down that tree and in front of her mother before she came marching up there and yanking her out like a killer predator.
"I'll pray for you," Erin smiles softly, still restraining Dinah's wrists. Her oak eyes revealed more concern than her words ever could, the blonde glancing worriedly towards the ground. "It sounds like you need it."
"I'll send you good luck too!" Dinah chirps, smiling broadly despite her constant squirms to escape Erin's deadly grip. She always grew cheery when Elizabeth's mother grew angry. Something about seeing such a controlled and refined lady loosing her temper always made Dinah ecstatic. It was dangerous trait of hers.
"I'm going to miss both of you," Elizabeth breathes, reaching up the tree to envelope them both in a hug. Both females return it, resting their chins on either one of Elizabeth's shoulders, their sniffles evident despite the rustling of the leaves. "I'll be back before you -"
"Elizabeth!"
At that final warning call, Elizabeth leapt down from tree, turned on her heel and dashed to catch up with her mother. Pumping faster than she ever thought possible, her legs carried her all the way across the grove, towards the small dirt track that led up to her home. Her lovely, childhood home.
Halfway down the path, she spotted her mother. Worry dotted her features, pinching her brow and lips into a puckered state which creased the usually ageless skin of her face. But when she spotted Elizabeth, the worry faded and formed into pure delight.
"There you are!" The Supreme Deity grinned, her eyes lighting up as she took in the sight of her only child. She enveloped the poor girl into a constricting hug, swathing her with rich fabric. "My perfect rainbow child!"
Elizabeth could only stiffen in response, the darkness racing faster than ever up her spine. Just the sight of her mother made her think of the future - her fate that came after her destiny - and that was not a relaxing thought to have.
A hand curls into the layers of fabric, the unpainted, ungloved nails of it being humble and dirty compared to the goddess they clung to.
"I love you too, mother," Elizabeth breathes into the night, her face still buried in the fabric. Tears welled in her eyes, burning and unshed as she silently uttered the words onto deaf ears.
From where, she did not know, but Elizabeth realised that in her eighteen years of life, her whole life, she had never heard 'I love you' uttered from her mother's lips. She had never heard, 'I'm proud of you'. All Elizabeth ever was, was a 'rainbow child' - a blessing sent to save the goddess race.
But what if she didn't want that? What if she wanted to be Elizabeth and not the destroyer of darkness? Would her mother abandon her? Disown her?
There was no doubt that she wouldn't.
That bitter realisation sat uncomfortably on Elizabeth's gut, the young woman hiding it behind a light smile as she pulled away from her mother.
"Now, we must prepare for tomorrow!" The Supreme Deity promptly clapped and turned on her heel, flowing skirts following in a luxurious fan. Her previous anger and panic - her perfect child - had been forgotten in her glorious planning of the future. "The journey to that horrid realm is long and torturous. I want you to have all you will need to bring success."
Silently groaning, Elizabeth rolls her eyes and obediently trots after her mother, head hung low. Tears burned in her eyes, threatening to spill, but always being held back by Elizabeth's own stubborn nature.
'This is the beginning of the end,' Her darkness flared, solemn and low instead of smug. 'The beginning of the end of our life.'
Elizabeth didn't respond.
It seems that her birthday was anything but happy. It was the same as always; a reminder of what she was destined to be.
