Arias knocked on the old witch's wooden door.
Inside, Cara was quickly packing her things; she was getting ready to leave the hole she called home for the past thirty-five years. She wasn't expecting any guests. Other than her deceased husband, she had no family nor did she have any friends.
She narrowed her eyes at the door as she clutched the shotgun close to her chest. Slowly, she approached, her steps quiet. Cara peeked through a crack in the woodwork of the house.
'An elf and a fairy,' she thought to herself. Her eyes traveled their figures, soaking in the luxury of their apparel and appearance. 'Must be members of the high society,' the old witch concluded. Her face twisted with an ugly grin. 'Have they come in person to invite me to be a member now that I'm a billionaire?'
Cara quickly adjusted her hair and clothing in a broken, dirty mirror on the wall before unlocking the five old, rusted bolts and opening the door.
"Olor," Lily muttered when the door opened. [sleep]
Cara immediately succumbed to drowsiness and collapsed on her back, falling into a deep slumber.
Lily knelt by the old witch's head and closed her eyes as she pressed her fingers against Cara's shriveled temples. Her lips moved quickly as she silently muttered elvish incantations, her mind flooding with the old witch's thoughts and memories.
A sigh left Lily's lips as she opened her eyes, retracting her fingers from the old witch's temples. She looked up at Arias, "She and her husband found her on a boat starving and alone." Lily got to her feet, brushing dust from her dress. "She later killed said husband and brought Celeste to Idril."
"That's it?" Arias questioned.
"It seems whatever is bothering Celeste happened before the witch and her husband found her," Lily responded.
"Why is it so important for you to find the root of her misery?" she questioned. "Isn't it easier to help her move on and regain her trust and happiness?"
"People don't just forget their misery and problems with time, Lily," Arias started. "Some traumas are engraved in the soul." He met Lily's gaze as he continued, "If I can find the root of her misery then I can fix her."
"Also," Arias added as he faced the door. "I didn't spend billions on a daughter who's going to be depressed all the time. I gave her my family's name and guaranteed her protection."
He left the wooden hut with the words, "The least she can do is satisfy my desire to be a doting father by being the perfect daughter."
Lily said nothing in response and was about to leave the house behind him when she spotted the doll Celeste always clutched closely on the ground. She remembered seeing it in the witch's memories.
'This doll.' Lily took it from the ground. 'It was created by Merfolk.'
"Lily, let's go," Arias impatiently called from outside.
Lily quickly tucked the blue-skinned doll into her dress before leaving the wooden hut. She knew Arias would hunt down every pod until he gets the information he wants. She had tolerated many things before, but upsetting the merpeople wouldn't be one of them.
"What were you doing?" Arias questioned her.
"Nothing," she lied through her teeth. "Are we heading home now?"
"We're going to the Northern Demon Kingdom," Arias told her. "I must pay the Empress of Heste a visit."
Lily's eyes widened at his words, "Are you out of your mind? She won't want to see you. Have you already forgotten that you outbid her earlier?" She folded her arms, "Demons are vengeful and petty; she won't help you simply out of spite."
"Yes," Arias agreed. "But demons can also be bought and swindled; they never turn down a good deal."
"You want to make a deal with a demoness!" Lily raged. "Arias, please," the fairy pleaded. "Try to help Celeste instead of trying to fix her for your selfish needs."
"Take me to Heste," Arias commanded in a monotone. He had no interest in arguing with Lily or forcing her to see things from his point of view; her opinion simply didn't matter that much to him.
Lily only sighed in response before conjuring a portal to Heste. She knew it would be impossible to convince him of anything; he was immensely stubborn since they were children, but she always tried anyway.
The Northern Demon Kingdom of Heste was engulfed in an eternity of darkness, its only lighting being the moon which played a dual role as the sun. It was a much smaller kingdom than its counterparts, but the empress that ruled was as beautiful as she was cunning and powerful.
In the middle of the bustling city of demons stood not a black castle at the center of a cemetery inhabited by crows, but a beautiful manor that featured medieval beauty with its brick walls ornamented by naturally grown purple-flowered vines.
Inside the manor sat a calm elf prince and an agitated fairy. They were immediately welcomed by the demoness' guards when they arrived at the manor's gate and were directed to the main hall where they were served tea and asked to wait.
"Reconsider, Arias," Lily whispered to the prince seated across from her. "Give me some time and I'll figure out how to remove Celeste's memories."
"Well well well," Danfres' voice came from atop the grand staircase. The corners of her red lips upturned with a mischievous smile, "If it isn't daddy elf prince."
She was dressed in a stunning black, glittering evening gown that perfectly hugged her curves and accentuated her cleavage. On her pale arms were shiny, satin black gloves that reached her elbows, and on her feet were a pair of black, strapless stilettos.
Arias got up from his chair and took her hand as she descended the last step. "You look stunning" he complimented her.
Danfres narrowed her eyes at him before smirking knowingly. "You must be quite desperate for my help." She whispered in his ear, "You'd have to do a lot better than that if you wish to woo me into forgetting your little stunt at the auction."
"I am desperate for your help," Arias confessed. "But don't misunderstand me; I didn't come here to woo you into forgetting anything. You either accept my deal or you don't; there are other demons with powers that equal or surpass yours."
Danfres noted the seriousness in his tone and snapped her fingers twice. A floating door appeared before them and she opened it before inviting Arias inside, "After you."
Lily stood to accompany them but...
"Stay here, fairy," Danfres commanded.
Lily met Arias' gaze, pleading with her eyes for him to not go through with this, but the door vanished immediately after it closed.