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Hell was not what Zelda had imagined. She expected screams, tormented souls, dead scenery… Basically, every single stereotype one could think of when thinking about Hell. She was surprised to find out that it actually looked… Normal. Granted, the castle she was currently in was not anything she would consider ‘normal’ compared to Greendale’s standards.
The ballroom was overflowing with gold and marble. It was full of elegantly dressed people and demons. The orchestra situated at the edge of the dancefloor was playing soft classical music. She felt ill at ease. She felt multiple eyes following her the whole night. Calculating her every move. It was lucky she was trained very early on by her mother how to present herself to the public. She held her head high, her back straight, she made sure her every move was dripping with confidence. Her mother’s words were ringing in her head, “show weakness and they’ll eat you alive”. She was sure her mother was speaking metaphorically then, but she wasn’t so sure her current audience wouldn’t literally eat her alive at the first sign of weakness.
It was an official event. Aristocracy, highest-ranking demons, members of the parliament, every important demon and creature was there. Lilith has invited her - insisting on her presence, stating that she should be present as she is the High Priestess of the Church of Lilith, and it would be inappropriate for her to not attend the ball.
And so she was there, dressed in a long black evening dress that was hugging her figure just right. Moving aimlessly around the room. A flute of champagne in her hand. Trying to ignore the whispers behind her back, the glances, the teeth bared in malicious smiles. She didn’t belong in that room, she knew. But the Queen of Hell wanted her there, and after all, it was her duty to serve her, was it not?
A gentle hand was placed on her shoulder, making her startle and spin around to face whoever dared to disturb her. A well-chosen remark died on her lips when she spotted the figure in front of her. She immediately bowed her head with respect, averting her eyes from her diety.
Lilith, clad in a golden gown, with her crown upon her head, pursed her blood-red lips in disapproval at the sight of Zelda’s subservient stance, but given they were in public she didn’t say anything about it. A twinkle played in Lilith’s eye as she looked Zelda up and down.
“High Priestess,” she nodded, giving Zelda permission to look up again. Lilith was still keeping up the appearance of Mary Wardwell but personally, Zelda thought it rather suited the Queen of Hell. She’s got used to seeing the same face on two different people. After all, it wasn’t like she was seeing a lot of Mary Wardwell nowadays, anyway. And she had to admit she liked Lilith’s version of Mary Wardwell better. (Not that she had anything against the mortal, she was cute in her own way, but Zelda just preferred Lilith’s flare). Lilith smirked at her as if she knew exactly what was going on in Zelda’s head.
“I’m told I have to dance tonight,” said the Queen of Hell, looking at her High Priestess expectantly.
“Is that so? Says who?” Zelda scrunched her eyebrows. Lilith didn’t say a word, she just looked pointedly above Zelda’s shoulder. She looked around and her eyes landed on a group of demons standing not so far away, whispering in their little circle, shooting them not-so-subtle looks. Zelda understood at once. The aristocracy of Hell. She turned back to Lilith to find her offering Zelda her hand, with her palm turned upwards, looking at her with her big crystalline blue eyes.
“Would you grant me the honor to be your dancing partner for the night?”
Zelda pursed her lips to keep herself from laughing. It would be inappropriate for her to laugh in the face of her Queen. But she couldn’t think to herself how ridiculous this was. And just as soon as her smile formed on her face, it had faded without any trace. Her memory taking her back to the last time she had danced. Her feet forced into an endless twirl. Her frame trapped in Faustus’ arms. A smile plastered to her face. She swallowed hard, her throat suddenly dry. Her hands gripped the flute of champagne she was still holding harder than necessary. She didn’t notice the concerned look on Lilith’s face.
“Forgive me, your majesty,” said Zelda, her voice strained and her smile forced. “I don’t dance, really. It’s the one thing I’m hopeless at. Or so my husband told me.”
A dark shadow passed Lilith’s face and she dropped her hand. She was blood-hungry ever since she’d heard what exactly Faustus Blackwood had done to her High Priestess during their brief honeymoon. If she had to be honest, she wanted to spill his blood long before that, she hated the man with a burning passion, but his Caligari Spell only spiked her hatred. She wanted his head, but the bastard knew how to hide. So she let Ambrose and Prudence hunt him down, secretly keeping an eye on their progress.
She pushed away the thoughts about the excuse of a man, focusing instead on the breathtakingly beautiful woman standing in front of her, who at the moment, had a rather unfocused look in her eyes that Lilith did not like one bit.
“You know…” she said moving a little closer to Zelda. She spared a quick glance at the members of the council that stood not far away from them and were shooting them curious looks. “I’ve heard it all depends on the partner you’re dancing with.”
Zelda looked at her. Her eyes gaining back some of their usual light. Lilith hoped Zelda wouldn’t think she was pressuring her into anything. The last thing she wanted to do was to make her uncomfortable. She hoped Zelda knew she could refuse her, even though she was her Queen. After all, she had told her times and times again that she wanted them to be equals. To work with each other, not for each other.
Slowly but surely, the High Priestess’ face changed. Her eyes sparkled, her lips curled up in a delicate smile that Lilith could stare at for decades. She felt a pull in her stomach while looking at the red-haired beauty. Lilith bit her lip and offered her hand once more.
Zelda rolled her eyes and took her hand, and Lilith could not help a huge smile that blossomed on her face. She led Zelda to the dancefloor, maneuvering them between other people - completely unnecessarily because everyone automatically cleared the way, seeing their approaching Queen. Once on the dancefloor, Lilith faced Zelda, bowed to her and reached out her hand once more, waiting for her High Priestess to take it. Zelda hesitated only for one second before she tentatively placed her hand in Lilith’s. The Queen of Hell smiled and placed her other hand on Zelda’s waist and brought her closer to herself. The music was slow enough for them to take it easy. One step after the other. Swaying awkwardly to the music.
Lilith could see out of the corner of her eye her advisors whispering between themselves angrily, shooting disapproving looks at their Queen. Lilith couldn’t care less about them. All she cared about at that very moment was the woman in her arms, pressed against her body… Accidentally stepping on her foot. They both winced - Lilith in pain and Zelda in embarrassment.
“I’m sorry,” said Zelda, trying to step away from Lilith to put an and to their disaster of dance, but Lilith held fast to her hand.
“No, I’m sorry,” she said, her eyes darting to the aristocracy around them. “There is a certain etiquette here. It is expected of me to dance tonight. And I’d rather do it with you than any of them.” Her eyes landed once more on Zelda’s face and there was a small sad smile on her lips. “I’m sorry for dragging you into this.”
They fell silent. Trying to maneuver their way across the dancefloor without any accidents. It was easy said than done. Lilith was leading and Zelda was more than happy to let her. Dancing was never her forte. She learned it, yes, but she was never good at it. A fact her mother and Faustus were more than happy to point out on more than one occasion. She found herself wincing every once in a while when her foot stepped onto one of Lilith’s, but her Queen didn’t seem to mind. In fact, she was laughing happily as if she was having the time of her life, and Zelda after a second or two found herself unable to stop her own giggle. She felt ridiculous but she couldn’t deny the fact that she was having fun, dancing with Lilith, ignoring the rest of the room. It seemed as if they were the only ones left in the world.
Zelda looked at the beaming smile on Lilith’s face. She couldn’t remember the last time she had seen her Queen this relaxed, this carefree, this happy. And she couldn’t help but feel a tugging sensation in her belly. The attraction had always been there, Zelda knew, from the moment Lilith stepped a foot in the Spellman’s mortuary, posing as Mary Wardwell. She had felt it then, but now… It was different. Now it wasn’t just physical. Zelda got to know Lilith during their endless hours of working together on the new texts, new books, new manifesto. She’s got to hear stories she doubted anyone else had ever heard. Well, maybe besides Lucifer… Which made her think back to something Lilith had said that evening.
“Did Lucifer have to follow that etiquette too?” she asked, looking above Lilith’s shoulder. Her eyes scanning the crowd. Here and there she spotted eyes directed at them. She looked at Lilith. The Queen’s eyes were directed at Zelda’s collar bone. She looked up and their eyes met, and Zelda felt her breath catching in her throat.
“Of course not,” Lilith chuckled bitterly, moving her eyes across Zelda’s face. “It was made plainly clear that they put it in place for me, specifically.”
“How dare they,” Zelda stopped moving, but Lilith tugged on her hand, making her follow her once more into a dance. Neither of them realized that the melody has changed a while ago so they were out of sync with the music. But then again, neither of them particularly cared about that. All they cared about was the feeling of having each other in their arms. Zelda frowned. Lilith saw she was looking at her with a shadow of outrage on her face. She had to admit she found Zelda extremely cute when she was all protective of her. “You’re their ruler.”
“I don’t mind,” she shrugged, a smirk playing on her lips. “At least not this particular thing.”
“How so?”
Lilith lifted her hand, making Zelda twirl and catching her once more, not without a painful collision, elbow to the chest, but she laughed wholeheartedly and soon enough Zelda followed.
She looked at Zelda. Really looked at her. She looked so beautiful that night. She always did, of course, but there was something in the way her face glowed in the light of hundred candelabras, the way her black dress hugged her body, the way her hair seemed like a liquid fire that night. Lilith looked and looked and looked, and she couldn’t help but notice the sudden change in gravity. It felt as if all forces were her pushing her forward, towards Zelda. Just that little bit closer. She looked at Zelda’s face, noticing the green eyes wandering on her own face too. Lilith’s eyes landed on Zelda’s lips.
“I’ve got to dance with you, haven’t I?” her voice came out raspy, her throat completely dry out of a sudden. Zelda’s eyes searched her own. She looked from one eye to the other as if looking for something. Zelda pursed her lips to stop herself from smiling.
“I suppose,” she said. Lilith was trying to take back control over her body. It seemed as if her body was acting on its own accord. She stepped even closer to the other woman, both of them unaware of the fact they have stopped dancing long ago. Lilith’s eyes fell back to Zelda’s lips.
“Lucky me, then.”