Chapter Text
The world had changed.
Sprinting though the trees, Lilith allowed herself to focus on this thought, her inner struggles finally able to flow throughout her mind like leaves in the wind. But she couldn’t fault herself for the panic she felt that swelled up deep within her chest, or the short and frantic breaths that threatened to take over her body.
The world had changed. And she wanted to go home.
“Lily! Wait!” Shrieked a familiar, light voice behind her. Lilith turned around and allowed herself to exhale a smile, perking up when she was able to free herself from her chaotic, ever so jumbled mind.
“You’ve gotten better at catching up, ‘Cella. Perhaps in a few years you’ll be as fast as me”. Lilith watched as her half-sister’s cheeks coloured and her pretty laughter echoed through the trees, as Myrcella finally jogged up to the young witch, now both in line with one another. Sister next to sister.
It was surreal, having a sister. Well, the whole situation Lilith was in would not be considered normal. Waking up in this land as little more than an infant, that with memories of a past life had been…well a surprising ordeal, to say the least. When she had initially opened her wide, green eyes in her new world, for a split second she had hoped she was restarting her old life, that she could correct her past. Save the lives lost in the war. Shame it was a world filled with people dressed almost medievally, elaborate hairstyles and a completely different language to her modern English.
But she was Harriet Potter, she had adapted before, she could do so again. She had, even if reluctantly living somewhere this unappealing.
Tugging on her curls, her sister snapped her out of her reverie. “Come back Lily”, her little sister whined, always showing her frustration when she would crawl into her mind. Lilith gave her a soft smile. Yes she wanted to go home, but perhaps she would take Myrcella with her. Tommen could tag along, of course.
One day. When she found out how to actually leave.
“It’s beautiful out here,” Lilith noted, taking in the green and all the trees surrounding them like a warm embrace. Calming too, almost as if she was in a bubble that would keep all the darkness and gloom in this world at bay. The confines of being a woman in this society, this wrong in this place that would not allow her to breathe, gone in these quiet moments.
“It’s scary". Myrcella corrected, looking around her as if she had seen the horrors of the woods for the first time. “Mother will be looking for me soon. She’ll get angry if she knows you took me here. I hate it when she's angry with you”.
“Mayhaps you should not have come with me then," Lilith gently reprimanded. "Besides, the Queen doesn’t scare me, 'Cella”. And it was true. Her stepmother may have threatened her on past occasions, but she was all bark with very little bite, if ever. It was actually embarrassing: she had defeated a basilisk, endured Umbridge, fought in a war, faced Tom.
A bitter woman glaring at her from a distance. Idle threats. Please.
“Well, I don’t want to get into trouble! It may also rain, and I don’t want to ruin my new dress! Please Lily, let's go home".
The former chosen one hadn’t the heart to tell her half-sister that the back of her dress was already covered in mud, so she just smiled, gave Myrcella her hand, and tugged her to walk with her back to King’s Landing.
Not her home, though. Never her home.
===
As it turned out, Lily and Myrcella’s hour long dash into the woods had quite the impact, with there apparently being search parties for the young princess and the legitimised bastard. The young witch had to refrain from rolling her eyes, search parties, Merlin, how dramatic.
After the two girls managed to convince the guards standing at the gate, that yes, they were the daughters of Robert Baratheon that had gone missing not two hours ago, and of course they needed to see their beloved father to tell him of their safety, they were escorted by a group of guards who sent Myrcella to her chambers under the orders of the Queen, and Lily to a bench near the throne room. Where the King would be waiting, to talk to her. Presumably after he'd finished with his whores, or wine. Most likely both.
Shivering from that grim thought, Lilith sat on the bench silently, idly picking at her dirty nails while wondering why her father wanted to talk to her. They'd spoken this morning already, having the long awaited chat of the betrothal situation. Her father had assumed his now legitimised bastard daughter would be keen to be married to a simple lord. Move to his land. Produce him little heirs.
To say Lilith had taken the chat badly would be an understatement.
Besides, Robert never took Lilith's actions seriously, clearly more amused by them if anything. They may not have been particularly close, but she did enjoy when he laughed at something she did, proud that she managed to interest the King. He was her father, after all (not her real one though, Merlin she wanted to go home-)
"You're thinkin' too much, little girl". Immediately, Lilith's mood brightened, turning from facing her grubby nails to the much more interesting maid Sabyne, standing in front of her in greetings.
The young girl’s bored visage formed into a genuine smile. Sabyne was one of the few maids who actually spoke to Harry as if she was a normal human being, none of that royalty bollocks that was lately pissing the young witch off more than usual. “The castle’s talkin ‘bout you n’ the little one’s nonsense, goin' to the woods n' comin' out all muddy. The bards’ll right songs,” she teased.
"Sabyne,” Lilith greeted, "Hello. I would ask you to sit with me, but I'm afraid you'll slip through the chair.” Ah yes, Sabyne being a ghost was something she couldn’t exactly ignore in conversation. That was a new development in this life of hers, one that she tried not to think about too much. No one could see what she could, how the spirits would be drawn to her, and her to them. It frightened Lilith a few years ago, feeling so lonely in Westeros with the translucent dead speaking to her when she wanted to be alone. Now she welcomed it.
It was all she seemed to have left of her magic.
And, when looking at the glass half full, Sabyne was funny. She had made her laugh on many occasions, including times where she really, really shouldn't have.
"Funny girl you are,” the maid remarked. "Hello? What silly language are you inventing now?"
"Hello was a greeting used in my world. That or 'hi', or 'what's cookin good lookin?'".
"Well now you're bein’ a right little liar, you are". Sabyne rested her hands on her hips in mock disapproval.
"Lilith, duckling.” Both the maid and Lilith froze, and she internally groaned, once again interrupted from her thoughts. But this time it was by a woman whom Lilith would never smile for, someone who would never make her laugh. Briefly, the former witch wondered what she had done in her past life to deserve seeing this woman on a daily basis.
Not that Cersei Lannister was unappealing to look at. No, the Queen was the most beautiful woman Lily had ever met, shining golden locks that travelled down to her waist. Eyes the most vivid emerald she had encountered besides her own bright green orbs. Face heart shaped and straight white teeth. No, the Queen did not curse anyone with her appearance.
It was her personality that was shit.
With a wink, Sabyne left her to endure her fate in wasting her time talking to this woman, the Queen who barely spoke to her let alone walked in her direction.
The Queen approached her with a group of guards following straight behind, all dressed in silver armour that glinted in the shining light of Westeros. She wore a red dress that flowed down to her feet, and her hair was styled in carefully arranged braids that framed her face, not even one stray hair out of place. She had a fake smile strapped on that Lilith didn't believe for a second; it looked like a puppet pulling the strings in order to upturn her lips.
Now she stood in front of her, seemingly analysing her appearance as if trying to see what she was thinking. What Lily told Myrcella was true; she wasn't afraid of her. But there were times when the Queen unnerved her, having the demeanour that she was superior, that she knew what Lilith was thinking and didn't care in the slightest. Briefly, the witch was reminded of Draco. But where Draco has shown compassion; it was clear Cersei had no idea what that concept was.
"Myrcella told me it was her idea to venture off into the woods, and that you seemingly obliged,” the Queen started, gently laying her hand on Lilith's shoulders. "It is a mother's gift, however, to known when their child is lying.”
Lily nodded. "It was me, your Grace. I wanted to go, and Myrcella wanted to spend time with me. If you want to place anger on someone, do so on me. I accept full responsibility."
The Queen hummed, bringing her other hand to Lilith's cheek. After a few seconds of staring at the young girl, her fingers on Lily's face squeezed, and the grip on her shoulder tightened.
"If you ever endanger my daughter again, I will have my men slit your throat and feed your eyes to the crows. Is that understood, duckling?" She near whispered, all the while looking directly at Lilith’s eyes, green meeting green.
Lilith did not cower. "I understand your Grace. Though seeing how Myrcella's life is currently safe, I suggest you remove your hands from me.” She hated bullies, and the blonde beauty had done nothing in Lilith's years to present herself as anything but. Evil stepmother indeed.
Cersei gazed at her for a moment longer, a subtle sneer on her lips before slowly bringing her hands to her sides and stepping back. It was clear she was not scared of Lily, but she was sure she unsettled her quite a bit.
They held a similar impact on one another.
"The King requests to speak to you in private," she gestured towards one of the guards and, allowing her lips to form into a smirk, practically mocked, "Enjoy, duckling." She turned, leaving the guards to follow her in her wake and Lilith to step next to the chosen guard as they made their way towards the throne room.
She wanted to go home.