Avernus || Book 1 ✔️

||Crowned||

The women guided me towards the back entrance of the castle, and I furrowed my brows as we walked out the door.

"Isn't the ceremony supposed to be held in the grand hall?"

My question, along with the many others I had voiced, remained unanswered and I huffed a slightly annoyed breath as I continued to be ignored.

My ankles shook in the heels I wore as I struggled to trek through the forest's grassy floor. Although my feet quickly became numb, and my hands grew clammy as memories from my last moments in this location peeked their way out of their firmly shut doors.

"W-wait, I don't think we're supposed to be here..."

My voice trailed off as I soon heard voices, many voices, all of them seeming to be engaged in chatter. My heartbeat calmed at the sound and after a moment, it willed me to move closer. In the time I had been standing there, I didn't even realize that the ladies had disappeared.

As I approached the noise, my head turned to the right, then the left, as I tried to spot where they had gone, but with no luck. I nibbled on my thumb in nervousness as I could now make out the beautiful melodies of stringed music, similar to the ballad that had played during my first night in the Castle.  Although as I spotted the first face I'd seen since being abandoned, I quickly pulled my lips away from my finger as I reminded myself that the soothing behaviour was not very 'Queen-like', and I would most likely smudge the lipstick that had been so meticulously placed on me, if I hadn't already.

The set-up was beautiful.

Pretty lights that hung from string crisscrossed as they sat atop large, oak-wood trees, providing the area with a mystical feel that felt so similar to back home.

What I could tell was freshly cut wood, was placed meticulously to form a walkway that stretched several meters until it ended at some kind of alter looking structure. But what had my eyes watering were the endless amount of pretty pink roses that lined the walkway, were weaved into the arch of the alter and were tied to every chair and placed in any crevice that could be found in the earthy scene.

"Primrose, my beautiful daughter."

My head flashed to the right, my eyes wide in shock as I heard my mother's voice for the first time in many full moons. The tears that had previously gathered broke past their dam, as she stood right before me, donning a watery smile.

"Mama" I choked out as I stumbled towards her. I withheld a sob as her arms wrapped around me in a maternal embrace and I squeezed her tight, not planning on letting her go any time soon.

"I know baby, I know." She hushed me as I cried, letting me rest my head on her shoulder just as I had as a small child when she consoled me over the loss of my favourite toy.

"I missed you so much."

I tried to speak through my cries, but the words came out in a jumbled manner. In response, she started to hum a calming tune and rock my body with hers as she consoled me.

I sniffled, letting myself savour her touch, and after a few passing moments I had calmed enough to lift my head from its resting spot and meet her soft, green eyes.

"Mama, something happened." I whispered. The words forced their way out of my throat, my eyes forlorn as I prepared myself to recount what had happened to me and reveal that I finally understood why she despised the world of daemons.

Although, to my surprise, she hushed me. A gentle hand raised to stroke my hair before lowering to wipe the tear stains from my cheeks.

"I already know, sweetie."