The Forgotten Riddle: Darkness Descending

Chapter 18: Breaking Free

A/n: I'M SOOOOO SORRY! Like honestly guys I don't even know how I've neglected my story for this long. Merlin, I'm a horrible person. Anyway, please don't hate me as I've uploaded this in class during my sign language midterm so that should count for something right? Please comment vote and fan and ill upload in a few days. (I mean it this time cause I've already started the next chapter)

Love you all,

CourtneyNicole

Bellatrix POV: 3rd Person

Bellatrix paced restlessly around her cell, her bare feet splashing through the puddles on the stone floor. Every time she passed her tiny window, she glared at it as if she had been waiting for something to appear that never showed. In a way, it was true.

Ever since The Dark Lord had visited her and promised her freedom, it had been just about he only thing she thought about for weeks. She longed to be released from her cage and reek havoc at her master's bidding. She hasn't tortured someone since the Aurors Frank and Alice Longbottom all those years ago and she missed it. Torture had been her specialty. It was one of the reasons the Dark Lord favored her above all the other Death Eaters; She had no conscience. She was essentially the female Dark Lord and Bellatrix was okay with that. She felt closer to him based on that fact alone and it was this thought that held her over after that night that her daughter was...

Bellatrix shook her head hard, mumbling to herself. "No, you mustn't think of that. You do NOT have a daughter!" She told herself firmly. Her voice, raspy from dehydration, sounding worse as it echoed around the cell. Bellatrix hadn't thought about her secret for over a decade, but ever since her Master had spoken to her, the little vault the secret was hidden in in her mind had started to break open. Lately, she had often wondered what the girl looked like. Would she look more like the Dark Lord or Bellatrix? What would her name be? Was she powerful? A squib? What was she? Who was she?

Bella kicked at a tray of food she had been given. The unbeaten broth spilled over, mixing with the filthy water on the ground. Bella paced back toward the window and leaned her head out of it staring at the sky, letting the salty mist from the sea wash over her, coating her already ruined hair in salt.

Bella didn't know how long she had stood at the window before she felt a change in the air. She breathed in deeply, trying to figure out what she had felt when lightning ripped through the sky, striking the side of the stone prison where Bella stood, where all of the high security prisoners (mostly death eaters) were kept. Bella was thrown back by the force of the shock, and, as she stood, she felt a rumbling beneath her feet as the stone crumbled and collapsed into the sea. Cold air whipped around her as the dementors went into a frenzy over the exhilaration that could be they could sense coming from the prisoners. Bella scrambled over the rubble, smiling widely. Her master had kept his promise. She was free.

"Ready to go, Bellatrix?" A cold voice asked from behind her. Bella spun around to see the Dark Lord standing regally behind her, his dark cloak flowing around him and her wand in his hand.

Bella fell to her knees, bowing before him and kissing the hem of his cloak. "Thank you, Master," she simpered. "Thank you."

"I am a merciful Lord, Bella. I reward those who are loyal to me." The Dark Lord took her by the arm and spun in mid air. With a loud crack they disappeared along with the other captured death eaters. They were free.

Bella landed in a heap on a cool marble floor. She was not used to apparation after so many years of being stationary. She stood on shaky feet and looked around. She was in a large room that was impeccably clean, a fire roaring in the massive fire place. Even with the light from the fire, the room was dark. Everything was in black or different shades of dark green. The room was familiar to her but she couldn't pick a destination from her mind.

"Master," she croaked, "where are we?" There was a pause as Bella waited for an answer, but none came. Confused, Bella turned in a circle. She was, indeed, alone. Taking in her surroundings she curiously approached the mantle and got a glimpse of her reflection. She jumped back with a hiss as she got a look at her face. The skin was pale an stretched tight over her bones, her eyes were wild and her teeth had started to rot behind her full lips. Azkaban has robbed Bellatrix of much of her beauty and she was not happy about it.

"Bella!" A female voice gasped from behind her. Bellatrix whipped around, her wand out stretched at the figure, hidden in shadow, that had spoken.

"Who speaks?" Bella whispered, her voice feral. Hesitantly, the woman approached, careful not to scare Bella. As the woman steppe into the light Bella gasped. "Cissy." Narcissa, her sister, her best friend. The years had been good to her. Her hair was long and almost white blonde, hanging in curls down her back. Her face was stern but still beautiful and she was still as slender as she was before Bella was locked away.

"Oh, Bella, what's happened to you?" Narcissa asked as she took in her sister's frail form. Bella resisted the urge to snarl at Cissy. "Come, let's get you cleaned up." She took Bella's hand and led her up a massive staircase. As Bella walked through the manor she remembered it as Lucius and Narcissa's home.

Narcissa brought Bella to a large bathroom where a house elf stood drawing a bath. "You're to get in and wash up until you're completely clean. I've brought you some new clothes and when you've finished getting dressed ill fix up your hair." Bella rolled her eyes. Cissy, always the motherly one. "Go on" Narcissa said sternly. She and the house elf left, the door closing behind them.

Bella sighed and pulled off her tattered clothes, sinking into the warm water. She scrubbed at her body with soap until it turned red and washed her hair multiple times until it shone like it used to. Eventually, she left the tub when the water was black and dried off, pulling on the black dress and boots. Soon after there was a knock at the door.

"Good, you're done," Cissy said, poking her head in. She entered the bathroom and sat Bella on the vanity stool so she could do her hair. Narcissa gently brushed out the girls like she used to do when they were children, then she piled the top half into a bit of a pompadour, letting the rest of the hair fall down her sister's back. "There, back to normal," Narcissa smiled. Bella looked into the mirror and smiled. Her stolen beauty wasn't returned but it shone through her clean skin. Her eyes sparkled with delight as she scrutinized her reflection. The Dark lord would be pleased, she thought, very pleased.