Truth

The room was filled with an uncomfortable silence, thick as the weight of unspoken emotions. Ava sighed, her shoulders slumping, but she refused to break the silence with words. Lilith, sitting across from her, sensed Ava's turmoil and couldn't bear the distance any longer.

"Are you Red?" Lilith finally asked, her voice trembling with concern and curiosity.

"You're talking nonsense, Lilith. How can I be Red?" Ava replied, her composure slipping as her voice wavered.

Lilith leaned forward, her eyes intense. "Don't lie to me. Your mother told me that some demons can decide to show or hide their demonic form."

Ava met Lilith's gaze, her expression conflicted. She sighed once more, the weight of her secret becoming unbearable. In a moment of vulnerability, her appearance began to change. Her once-black hair turned a striking shade of mauve, her mauve eyes transformed into a fiery red, and two small horns protruded from her forehead.

Lilith gasped, her heart pounding. "Why are you hiding from me, or why did you change your appearance to approach me?" Lilith remembered that she had met Red before the ball where Ava and Lila's engagement should have taken place.

"I'm the future demon queen," Ava began, her voice steady as she held Lilith's gaze. "And the child of the people who killed your mother but you already know that."

"Before we got married, I thought you'd decided to be more open, and I was taking the time to get to know you," Ava continued. "Then we got married, and I was happy to think that I was going to have more time to get to know you. But when the wedding night arrived, you stabbed me, and that pissed me off."

"When your mother died, I was only 10 years old," Ava confessed, her eyes searching Lilith's for understanding. "I was just a child; I couldn't do anything."

Tears welled up in Lilith's eyes as she listened to Ava's words. The weight of the past, the burden of her mother's death, and the revelation of Ava's true identity pressed upon her.

"Maybe you don't want to talk to me now," Ava said, her voice filled with resignation, "but know that the first time I met you, I felt you were different from the others."

Ava paused, her gaze softening as she continued, "You were walking around with your wolves like nothing was wrong when your sister was supposed to be getting engaged to me, and that got me interested. So, I decided it would be you I married. I was really interested in you, and I've heard from others that you're a rebellious princess who does what she wants."

Ava smiled, and Lilith couldn't help but feel her heart flutter despite the weight of the situation. "I admit you're a rebel, and when I told you I was an assassin, you weren't afraid. Any sensible person would have run away, but you stayed, and I liked that."

Ava's eyes dropped, but she reached out, taking Lilith's hand in hers and placing a gentle kiss on it. "I think I've fallen in love with this side of you," she confessed.

Silence settled in the room once again, but it was a different kind of silence now, one filled with unspoken emotions, regrets, and a glimmer of hope. Ava broke the silence once more, acknowledging the tension between them.

"You haven't said anything since. I suppose you must be angry with me, Lilith. Well, I'll give you that," Ava said before standing up and leaving Lilith alone with her thoughts, a tumultuous mix of emotions swirling within her as she grappled with the truth and her feelings for the demon who had captured her heart.

Lilith lay on her bed, the words Ava had spoken echoing in her mind. The room was cloaked in shadows, and she couldn't escape the tumultuous storm of emotions swirling within her. Ava, the woman she had married, was also Red the person that had saved her life twice. The revelation felt like a dagger twisted in her heart.

" I think I've fallen in love with this side of you," Ava's words kept going round and round in Lilith's mind. Lilith was torn between her anger, her confusion, and an unexpected warmth that bloomed within her heart at the thought that Ava cared for her. It was a love that seemed impossible to reconcile with the circumstances.

As she lay there, the weight of her indecision grew heavier. Forgiveness seemed like an elusive concept, and Lilith didn't know if she could ever truly grant it. Her mother's death had left a deep wound that festered over the years, and now, learning that Ava was connected to that pain, it felt insurmountable.

With a sigh, Lilith pushed herself off the bed. She needed something to occupy her mind, something to help her escape the swirling chaos of her thoughts. Archery had always been her solace, a skill she had honed to perfection.

She left her chamber, making her way through the dimly lit corridors of the castle. The archery range was nestled in a quiet corner, a place where Lilith could find solitude and focus. As she approached, her steps slow and deliberate, she could feel the weight of her emotions still pressing down on her.

Taking a deep breath, Lilith picked up her bow and notched an arrow. Her movements were usually fluid, her aim impeccable, but today her concentration wavered. The first arrow flew wide of the target, embedding itself in the wooden wall. Lilith frowned, frustration gnawing at her.

She retrieved another arrow and tried again, her brow furrowed in concentration. This time, the arrow missed even farther from the mark, landing with a dull thud in the dirt.

Lilith's hands trembled as she notched another arrow. Her usually steady hands betrayed her, and she struggled to draw the bowstring. She released the arrow, and it sailed wildly off course, disappearing into the forest beyond.

Feeling defeated, Lilith lowered her bow and closed her eyes, taking a moment to collect herself. She couldn't escape the turmoil within her, no matter how hard she tried. She was lost in her thoughts when a voice from behind startled her.

"Well, you're not very good today. Something's bothering you," the voice said.