The Heart's Desires

[Prompt morning at the FRIDOLF PACK]  

A lump rose in Liam's oesophagus that eventually caused him to cough out the water Elizabeth had just given him. His half-opened grey eyes peaked at the confused figure that was leaning in front of his sweating face. 

The first thing his bloodshot eyes caught was the haggard face, and a pair of vivid blue eyes— eyeing him with pure worry. "What is wrong with you? I'm not dead, am I?" He asked, helping himself up. 

"Are you joking right now? You passed out and yelled all night in your sleep!" Elizabeth's dulcet voice squealed while she ran up to give him a hand to stand up. The open window welcomed the sun's rays to flood and exert to overwhelm themselves in the room— accompanied by absolute intense glee. 

"I yelled? Tell me you're exaggerating! Why am I smelling medicine?" He questioned leaning towards his t-shirt. "Don't worry about that, you have a trip." Embarrassed to say, Elizabeth pushed him to the bathroom. 

                     •••

        [Amethyst Corvus]

One breezing morning Amethyst was lamely sauntering deeper in the quietened hallway five minutes away from the garden that was flooded with guests. She slouched underneath the vaulted ceiling that was covered with snow-white colours, touched by gold. 

Gargoyle figures were magnificently built. Each one of them had their mouths open and water hissing down the greens next to the hallway. It was believed and foretold that the water was the tears of 'NERIDA' in the early ages of '60—sadly that tales of NERIDA are now forbidden.

Two mischievous toddlers collided with her as soon as she was about to open a door to the balcony. "Miss Francis….can you read us the last part?" Little Michael's voice enquired, not knowing that it waved a web of frustration that gave birth to built up in Amethyst's system. 

She raised her head in disbelief that was stirred up with slight indignation. Her hands waved up in the air indicating denial and continued to venture into the depths of the castle. Shortly after taking five footsteps forward, she heard pairs of little feet pattering behind her. 

A slight grin merged onto her tiny—cracked diamond-shaped lips whilst her figure stood still to think of a good way of saying 'NO'. "Pretty please–s–s–se! Penelope did not get to hear the last pa-r-r-t….." Little Michael's voice squeaked the last word after noticing the rage that was painted on Amethyst's features. 

"Did NERIDA die?" 

Big Penelope hurried her tiny, mellifluous voice to enquire about the question that would thwart Amethyst's plan. She instantly covered her small lips while her eyes danced around, looking for uninvited guests close by. 

"Come here!" She yanked both the toddlers aside in the big hall filled with lavishly designed ornaments covering every piece of the furniture. Her eyes gleamed with inconspicuous rage. "These obstreperous brats will get me caught!" Amethyst huffs with slight indignation protruding from her features. 

"Listen!" Her eyes darted along the corridor and then closed themselves for a while. Penelope's tiny hands clung to Amethyst's leg, and none of the children would give up the fight for the story. 

Amethyst's eyes lighten up after witnessing Penelope's haggard face that was almost falling with the plea. A treacherous smile appeared on her lips and silently grunted while fixing her glance on the toddler's tear-stained face. 

Amethyst's eyes failed to fight the urge to avert themselves from the woebegone features in front of her. "Alright….I'll tell you the last part." She assured them while kneeling next to the toddlers.

"Now." Her hourglass figure looked around once again and then smiled at them. "CALLIOPE of the AQUA RAIDNE manoeuvred to swim closely to NERIDA's shrugging figure. Her eyes dilated, big and widened with terror. 

CALLIOPE plunged the blade into her throbbing heart, she flinched and froze with confused eyes. —CALLIOPE gnawed his mouth in mirth, completely not ashamed." 

Amethyst's voice now sounded as if it came from underwater. Her eyes fixed the children with a degrading glance that was slowly feeding into their intrigued souls. 

Her voice rang loudly in their heads to ensure that the story was displayed fantastically and deeply in their visions. Their faces glowed with unconstrained glee, her face gleamed with untamed avarice that consumed its hunger onto their innocent hearts. She rhythmically drummed her fingers on her thighs— gaiety, smiling under her sleeves.  

"Aqua!" She whispered, guffawing silently to herself—eyes glossing with hilarity. "The rain STOPPED!" Her voice uttered the last word synchronising to the lanterns in the room evading their light from burning. 

Silence, totally hushed. The children's eyes remained wide open while a set of smiles forced themselves to protrude on their features. 

The world around them seemed to float before their eyes and no reaction came out from them, no questions, no agitation. Her merciless demeanour did not contemplate telling the story in full, as long as she fed them with her ideology nothing mattered. Sudden palpitating footsteps were heard in the hallway that made her frown before undoing her spell on the kids. 

She immediately clapped her hands halfway through their faces and they blinked in confusion but proceeded to laugh their eyes out for no reason. 

The lanterns got their light back before the owner of the footsteps stormed in. A willowy young woman, unknown to Amethyst appeared in the doorway with a distasteful expression planted on her fair-skinned face. 

Her french braided, blond hair shone victoriously underneath the gleaming light. Her glistening blue eyes instantly dilated themselves in horror at the sight of Amethyst. "What in the goodness of Norse, do you think you are doing?" 

Her tiny, dulcet voice vibrated after uttering every one of the words. Her hands pressed themselves onto her tiny waist while her oblong lips geared up to utter a swear. 

 Amethyst slightly moved her body to the left with a hidden smirk. Her eyes steadied themselves to face the glimmering tiles under her feet. "Michael…... Penelope!" The woman called out while her glance was fixed on Amethyst. "Out you go!" Her voice squealed and the toddlers did not dare to waste time and considered galloping away. 

"And you…do I have to remind you of your place here?!" 

She asked with a rumbling voice that echoed around the hallway. Amethyst's glance remained in contact with the tiles while smiling to herself. "You're just a maid! And I hope this is the last time I remind you of this!" The woman immediately dragged herself out of Amethyst's sight. 

"He's Close! He is yours!" 

Disembodied whispers danced around Amethyst's head, confusion aroused from her system. 

                     •••

            "His hunger!"