Her mind had gone numb, along with her heart. Betrayal was a feeling that blinded a person, she had read that somewhere.
Eliza marched with the satchel bouncing on her hip, her eyes narrowed and dark.
She could see Edward standing on guard, watching her approach. The tower got closer, until she stood beside the guard.
“Move.”.
Edward gave an affronted look. Clearing his throat, he sheepishly laughed.
“Who hurt you?”.
“Many, many people.”.
Edward bit the inside of his cheek, clicking his tongue at her. He shifted uncomfortably, peering to see any passers-by.
“Did someone find out?” He asked, leaning in with a whisper. To her surprise, he looked genuine.
‘Lucie looked genuine too, once.’ She thought, ‘How can I trust him?’.
“No.” She replied, irritated. “And if they did, what would it matter?”.
“It would matter a great deal,” Edward said, raising an eyebrow at her. “When did you become so careless?”.
She could sense he was not convinced.
“Listen, I need to speak to Lucie.” She mumbled quietly.
“I figured,” He replied, stepping out of the way. The door creaked open, and he held it for her to walk through. “Be quick, and Eliza?”.
She paused, peering around her shoulder. Edward stared her up and down, sighing heavily.
“Nothing,” Edward muttered, pulling the door closed. “Go on.”.
The door shut with a bang. The stone echoed beneath her as she stepped across, climbing the stairs. The silver goblets wobbled on the tray, and her grip tightened.
The stairs spiralled beneath, and peering down, she saw how high up she was. She stopped at the door.
A wave of nostalgia hit her, and a feeling did too. Not sadness, or fear. It was a feeling, but one she could not pinpoint.
Her fist raised to the barred, wooden door.
‘Open it.’.
She could not bring herself to, despite how she tried. It was easier said, than done.
Her hand shook. She bit her cheek, taking a moment.
It was not fear stopping her, but a self-awareness of what she would do. Swiftly, she reached for the lock, unscrewing it.
Pressing her hand to the wood, Eliza pushed the crooked door open. It swung to reveal the room, and one overexcited raven.
Dawn flew before she could see it, landing promptly on her shoulder. That bird, daft as it was, knew when she was near.
‘At least someone cares.’ Eliza smiled to herself.
Lucie, dressed in Eliza’s own clothes, marched over. She paused, noticing the deranged look in her eyes.
“Elizabeth?”.
“Save it.”.
Eliza shut the door. Lucie treaded backwards, holding up her hands. The girl smiled like it was a joke, with an insufferable smirk.
“Are you alright?” Lucie giggled.
Eliza was not even smiling. She was very-much-not ‘all right’.
“Isn’t that the question? You tell me.”.
Lucie stopped laughing. Eliza felt smoke coming out of her ears. In that moment, even the slightest twitch of Lucie’s face sent her rage into a frenzy.
Dawn flew from Eliza’s shoulder. The raven circled the ceiling, flying from corner to edge. Lucie played with her hands, avoiding Eliza’s eyes.
‘Playing the innocent card,’ Her mind said, ‘As always.’.
It was strange to feel so much hatred for someone you cared for, Eliza thought.
“Well,” Lucie began, realising she had to answer. “You don’t look good, you look upset.
Eliza shook her head, laughing. She laughed, but not in a friendly way.
The room surrounding them was dark, and the wind crashed against the windows. A deep shadow loomed over her, opposing to Lucie’s light.
“Why do you think I’m upset, Lucie?” Eliza shouted back, spitting the words out.
Lucie jumped, stepping even further back. Her eyes were wide, shimmering in the light.
“I don’t know...” Lucie whispered.
Eliza, blinded by hate, could feel no remorse for frightening her. She did not genuinely think she was. Lucie was extremely talented when it came to acting the victim.
“You don’t know?” Eliza replied, mocking her. “I’ll tell you.”.
Eliza stormed right up to her. She gripped onto the girl’s arm, forcing her to face forward.
“You lied to me, Lucie. You lied to me, and I—” Eliza winced, her rage turning to hurt, “I trusted you!”.
Lucie’s entire face fell, and Eliza could spot the exact moment where she realised. She dug her nails tighter into the girl’s arm, seconds from drawing blood.
“N-No…” Lucie sighed. “I promise, I can explain—".
When she did that, something clicked in Eliza’s mind. That face of fear, it was an act. She had saw Lucie do it, for sympathy or favour, one hundred times before.
“I’ve seen your sympathy act,” Eliza spat. “Tell me the truth, did you agree to marry him?”.
Lucie’s face, faster than she ever seen, fell from fear to a neutral look. The girl pulled her arm away, revealing white scrapes on the skin.
“Yes, I did.” Lucie began, her voice calm. “I thought you would understand, Elizabeth,”
Eliza masked her surprise, but internally, she was shocked by the change in attitude.
The manipulative act became clearer by the second. She swore not to fall for it.
“Understand? You knew he wanted me dead, and you said nothing.” Eliza scoffed, covering the hurt. “Is your father’s approval more valuable than my life?”.
Lucie’s face was void, unclear of emotion. The glimmering eyes, trembling arms, frightened expression. It all dulled.
“No,” Lucie answered, gazing up at her. “But what about my life?”.
Eliza did not expect that. Her head started to pound, as she stumbled away. She could not see how Lucie could justify it, at all.
“Your life? How is that more important than me dying?” Eliza shot out, her words turning into cries.
“I have a life ahead of me. My father was sending me to marry a stranger in France, to ship me off to France. My life would have been wasted.” Lucie explained, waving her arms around.
Eliza stood with her jaw fallen. No tears ran, she was not sure she had any left.
“I had a life ahead of me, before your scheme!” Eliza shouted, turning her hurt to rage. “Does that mean nothing to you?”
Lucie said nothing, averting her eyes to the left. There was nothing happy about the room, only bitter tension.
“It does, but—” Lucie paused.
“But, what? There are no ‘buts’ when it comes to friendship.” Eliza corrected, “Either you are loyal, or you’re not.”.
Lucie nodded, sighing heavily. Eliza was sickened that Lucie could agree to that, after she had been anything but loyal.
“I needed to marry well, Elizabeth. When Richard offered, it meant that I would get that and more. My father would finally accept me,” Lucie explained, “I did not know it would go this far.”.
‘Didn’t know it would go this far?’ Eliza thought, ‘Of course you didn’t.’.
“…I did not know why he needed information, I thought it was to do with your mother.” Lucie continued, “I saw an opportunity, and I took it.”.
Eliza stopped dead at that. She had a feeling in her stomach that Lucie did know. Still, she would never admit that.
“My mother?”.
“Yes, because she was a--.” Lucie paused, “A witch.”.
If Eliza’s blood had been boiling before, it was on fire. When it came to the witch-ideology, Lucie believed The King. She sided with him, and his absurd ideas.
“My mother was no witch, she was innocent, like me.” Eliza warned, edging closer to her. “Do you truly believe Richard’s claims?”.
Lucie’s eyes fell. Eliza knew the answer, but she wanted to hea
r it.
Rain poured outside, thundering against the windows. Shadow now draped over Lucie, instead of her. It was a dark, gloomy day.
There was still a question, digging at her mind. It rose in her throat, aching to be asked.
“Do you love him?”.
Lucie’s soft eyes shot up, staring right into Eliza’s. Her mouth dropped, prepared to speak. Except no words came out. She waited. Lucie could not give an answer.
The girl’s cheeks flushed, and she buried her head. Eliza’s fists clenched. There were unsaid words, and she needed to get her point across, before time ran out.
“Fine, be a coward.”.
“I’m not.”.
“No?” Eliza scoffed. “Then, why don’t you set the record straight?”.
Edward told her to be quick, but she had not done that well. She was too distracted, and as the words rose in her throat, her vision turned dark; shadowed.
Tears blinked in Lucie’s eyes, as she clenched them shut. Eliza watched carefully, as the maiden’s frustrations became clear.
“Richard knows who I could be, what I am capable of.” Lucie growled, gritting her teeth. “Richard trusts me to aid him, and I will.”.
“Richard had a wife.” Eliza spat. “He is manipulating you; he can’t love.”.
“No, you’re wrong!” Lucie shouted, in a desperate cry. “I have no choice, and even so, he will learn to love me. You never understood my life, how love was never an option for me. Marriage is a social standard, and people like me do not do it for love. We suck it up and learn to love!”.
Eliza wobbled backwards, surprised by the sudden outburst. Lucie’s breaths filled the room, as her eyes turned bloodshot, and teeth clenched.
“Oh, well I beg your pardon.” Eliza scoffed. “You live a life of luxury, have everything you’ll ever need, never went starving in your life. Yet, you must get married; how terrible it is!”.
“You don’t understand, you never did.”.
“Do I not?” Eliza scowled. “Go cry to your royal husband about it, because I could care less.”.
Lucie turned her back, her fingernails grinding into the palms of her hands. The maiden’s face flushed a flaming red.
“I did what I had to do,” Lucie sighed. “Good grief, I thought you would be the one who understood.”.
“I trusted you with my life, and you abused having that power. You were mean, you were selfish, and I—” Eliza stopped. A flush of rage came over her, a glimpse of red. Her voice turned to a scratchy scream; anger filled. “And I will never waste another ounce of my trust on someone like you!”
The girl’s face turned pale, and her eyes skimmed Eliza head-to-toe. Lucie’s chest heaved, and she shoved her away.
“Is that right? Well, I will never waste another minute of my time with a witch like you!” Lucie screamed, her nose inches from Eliza’s own.
“Fine!” Eliza shouted back. “Good riddance!”.
The two girls separated, glaring at one another. Lucie’s entire body was clenched, into a tight tension.
“Richard was right,” Lucie yelled, pointing her finger into Eliza’s chest. “You’re nothing but a filthy witch,”.
Eliza scoffed with a mocking-laugh. Lucie smirked at her, staring her up and down with a sick grin.
“…And I hope you get what you deserve.” Lucie murmured.
That struck her, right in the heart.
Lucie pulled on her head, yanking the wig from her hair. She fixed out her blonde waves, shaking herself with a smirk.
The girl headed for the door, but Eliza got there first. She threw herself over it, her hands over the lock. Lucie shot her a glare, growling up against her face.
“Out of my way.” Lucie snarled, hopelessly pulling at Eliza’s arm. She would not budge, and her friend’s light grip had nothing on her.
“Tell me, what did you tell Richard?” Eliza shouted, panting as she held on to the door with every strength she had. “Did you feel any remorse, betraying the one person who stood by you?”.
“I told everything. Your spell books, your potions, your mother…” Lucie drawled on, “He made me realise you were trouble, a damage to my reputation and my life.”.
“Your father could have told you that years ago.”.
“I should have listened.”.
It was clear the two would not come to an agreement, and neither of them wanted to.
Lucie pulled forcefully on Eliza’s arm. It was painful, but there were still more questions she had to ask.
“Those, potions and spell books, were studies for medicine.” Eliza clarified with a snarl. “I was trying to cure my father.”.
“Why? You knew those medicines might never work; it was useless hope.” Lucie scoffed.
“That is one thing you’ll never understand.” Eliza growled, gripping onto the girl’s shirt. “When you have nothing, you savour every crumb of hope you have.”.
Inside, Eliza knew there was still a part of her that did not want this. The part that wanted them to make it up, to have Lucie by her side again.
“Now, you have stolen a daughter, an only child, from her father. How does that feel?” Eliza asked, sniffing. “If I die, there’ll be no one there to remind him to take medicine. To wake him in the mornings, only to encourage him to rest. To spend every moment of their life worrying about him, because that’s what you do when you care for someone.”.
Lucie’s eyes flickered, for a split-second moment. Then, her face hardened again, like a coarse stone.
“Wouldn’t any reasonable person have done what I did? You were suspected no matter what.”.
“A reasonable person,” Eliza answered. “Not a good one.”.
One part of her wanted to hug the maiden tight, to give her the benefit of the doubt and reconcile as always.
Another part wanted nothing to do with the conceited, betraying, rotten maiden.
She realised Lucie had been speaking to her. Or rather, spitting at her.
“…Richard knows the potential I have. All my life, I have been underestimated, do you know how that feels?”.
Eliza, in fact, was barely listening. She was too absorbed in her thoughts, looking back on many moments.
“No, you don’t, because people overestimate you. They think you’re such a threat, that you’ll curse them in their sleep…”.
It was not she wanted to stay with Lucie, but that she did not want to be alone again. For the most of her childhood, she was, and it was terrible. Eliza wanted someone, but not Lucie.
“…Alas, soon you will see. When you reflect on your life, and all the unfortunate events of how it’s turned out…”.
That was why she forgave Lucie all those years. If she were reasonable, she would have lost Lucie years ago, but that fear of being alone was what kept her there. That was what kept her by Lucie’s side.
“…In the end, look at us. I am to wed a king, bring pride to my family and to be the mother to the future king…”.
Eliza had been alone all her life. Lucie did not know how that felt.
“…You’re on death toll, hated by everyone and whining for your father...”.
Eliza had zoned out, in a daydream of hard slaps of truth and hopelessness. Her eyes watered, and heart felt numb.
Lucie was well-liked. If she lost Eliza, it made no difference. It became clear that she and Lucie valued one another differently. She was Lucie’s main friend, but it would make slight difference if she were not.
“…And you can paint me as a villain, but this is all on you…”.
Eliza snapped back to reality, half-comprehending what the girl had said. Lucie gave her a mocking glare, smirking pridefully to herself.
“…If having a grand, fulfilling, and successful life is villainy to you, then believe me, I never want to be your version of a hero.”.
Lucie stormed up to the door, gripping onto the handle.
Eliza’s posture had sunk, along with any hope she had. The numbness in her heart and soul was d
eafening and silent, all at once, like a sonorous ring in her mind.
Lucie froze, with her hand trembling in mid-air. In truth, Eliza had given up.
It was over, and she was no better than she was at the beginning. In fact, she was worse.
She pulled the restrictive wig from her head, wiping the smudged makeup from her face. A smear of powder marked her hand, with streaks of red tint. Lucie stood with her hand on the door, watching.
“Shut the door on your way out, Lucie.” Eliza whispered, close to silence.
Lucie cautiously nodded, as genuine fear struck her face. The door creaked open, before slamming shut.
She was alone, and it made her wonder, when was she not?
Was the loneliness there all along, or a slow creep through her heart? Like a reminder of who she was, and who she would forever be. A bleak headstone on a pitch of grass, marked with her name.
Eliza felt her knees wobble, and her whole body trembled. Like a snapped piece of wood, she fell to the floor, her knees slamming against the wood.
Clutching her hands to her face, her throat croaked and burned. Tears ran from her eyes, as a scream bubbled in her throat. Yet, she made no sound.
Bewitched Page 19