She's A Liar [T.R. & R.B.]

VII

7| Bitter truths

Whoever said that the world runs by love and hate had understood nothing of the raw truth of the world.

And Bellatrix knew it well.

She had not had enlightenment out of the blue; it had been a slow and demoralising path. It had begun with promises of smoke and caresses of silk, masks created to hide the ideals of exploitation and manipulation that plagued the monster's mind. Yet she could not hold a grudge against the man she loved so much, she had tried countless times but Lord Voldemort would always be that irreplaceable something.

The missing piece she didn't believe she had lost.

She had always been at his side, she was the most loyal, the most suitable for every situation but this role had been brutally torn from her hands with cruelty.

His eyes on her were enough to make her realise that she would no longer be the privileged one in his ranks.

Neither love nor hatred moved the individual's intentions.

The most arcane emotion, seen with Lucifer and the humans, with Cain and Abel...

Jealousy was the rightful holder of the power wielded over living beings.

Bellatrix Black felt jealousy in its most ruthless form when she looked at Althea Yaxley.

She was now walking the corridors of the Black mansion, still populated by the entire family, excluding Sirius and Andromeda of course, and never had she felt so nauseated at having to walk through her own home.

A cruel twist of fate, as she liked to call it. Because to admit that the dark lord had intentionally chosen her and her sister to prepare the girl for the ball was absolutely humiliating.

The sound of her heels thudding in the cold corridor she couldn't help but interpret it as a scanning of her thoughts.

Knock

The dark lord chose you to humiliate you, he knows you don't like her.

Knock

He wants Althea to have all the attention on her, she must be the only one people will look at.

Knock

The dark lord likes to see Althea above the rest.

Knock

He puts Althea in a step below him while everyone else prostrates at their feet

They were irrational thoughts, she told herself, there's no way the dark lord would have replaced her already, it had only been a week and a few days since Althea's arrival.

Only a week and a few days. But her reassurances came desperately and lying to her own ears.

And now she was standing in front of the main living room, she could already hear her voice. She could not open the door, to see her perfect in her perfect dress with her perfect hair and perfect poise.

She was the new perfect girl of the dark lord.

jealousy jealousy

She didn't know how, but her hand wrapped around the door knob and with a yank she opened it only to be greeted by a terrifying vision.

Althea was standing in front of a triptych mirror with only her petticoat on while Narcissa pulled an unfairly extraordinary dress out of a black velvet box. But when Bellatrix saw the letter lying on the table, she felt the blood run cold in her veins and a bitter aftertaste washed over her tongue. The seal was all she needed to confirm her suspicions and let the castle of lies she had carefully built collapse and destroy its foundations.