Days and then weeks passed by. Lilli's mind was fraying at the edges, as Adder was continually locked within his room. Sometimes it was quiet, but whenever someone tried to give him food or even approach the door, he would burst into a mad rage, the explosion of noise making everyone nervous.
"I heard that Nurse Marie almost got herself killed trying to evaluate him," a maid whispered to another in the hallway.
" I was nearby when it happened," Whispered the other. " She had a cut," The maid used her finger to trace from the base of her neck to the tip of her shoulder," like this. The blood was everywhere."
"Then the young master really has become…"
" A beast."
Both of the maids seemed to tremble in fear.
Lilli felt rage well within her, bubbling to the surface with violence. " HE ISN'T A BEAST! HE IS MY FRIEND AND HE WILL GET BETTER!" She screamed, not to tell them, but to tell herself. He will get better. He will.
The maids were stunned. One ran away quickly, hiding her face to avoid trouble with the Duke and Duchess. The other stayed. Lilli narrowed her eyebrows. The maid scoffed.
" A little kid like you wouldn't know. The friend you knew…" She paused and leaned down and over to Lilli's ear. " He's long gone. Only a monster remains."
Lilli, in a blind state of fury, threw herself at the mad, toppling her over. She grabbed at her hair and scratched at her face. She growled angrily, giving the woman exactly what Lilli thought she deserved for such slander. She pulled and scratched and shook her around until she ran out of strength. The maid cried.
Footsteps pounded from behind. It was Bennet, the guard and great friend to Adder. His face was pure shock and disappointment.
" Lilli what are you…" He clenched his jaw and looked at the young Lady in a way that looked so pitying and miserable that she felt shame crash over her like waves.
Lilli, now drained of the energy of anger that had fueled her, hung her head and murmured," She… said Adder was a monster." She looked at the woman, whose face was bleeding and a bit swollen. The Maid had passed out, but Lilli had know idea how long she'd been out. Lilli got off of her gently. "You won't tell, will you? She got what she deserved, right? For telling such slanderous lies?" She waited expectantly for a response. Her hope hinged on it precariously. Surely, as someone so especially so close to Adder, he would agree. Right?
He frowned, then looked away. His face was grim, and his shoulders looked tense. Slowly, he said," The young Highness… has definitely… changed."
"But he's not a monster." Lilli insisted, waiting for the guard to agree.
"I-I don't. I don't know." He looked miserably confused and hopeless.
"You do think he's a monster." Lilli was beginning to turn against Bennet in her mind.
"That's not what I…"
"You don't need to say it!" She snapped. " But I'll prove you wrong!"
Going through the hall as fast as possible, Lady Lilli ran to Adder's chambers. She burst inside quickly, the guards narrowly missing her. She moved the dresser in front of the door.
She looked around. "Where is he?" She thought. It was strangely quiet, and though the bed was in tatters, the prince was nowhere to be found. The window's curtains were open wide, a small bit of wind flowing making them billow. She looked outside, seeing the tall and proud magnolia tree's branches. Small, yet beautiful buds were forming on the bark. A sign of spring. Lilli felt a little peace.
A low growl sounded quietly, then gradually grew louder. Lilli felt like she was being watched. She turned her head, but before she could blink, he was barely a hair's length away from her face.
A flurry of attacks and blows, teeth gnashing, growling and screaming ensued. His face showed no emotion but animalistic rage. Lilli cried and tried her best to guard herself. She grabbed a large book from the shelf to cover her face.
It seemed like forever, yet only a moment at the same time. The guards busted through the locked door, footsteps pounding towards Prince Adder.
"Secure him!" One said.
The other, who was none other than Sir Bennet, seemed to be holding back tears, but pried Adder away violently, covering his mouth with his strong hands so he couldn't bite anyone.
"My lady…" The other knight, with cinnabar-colored silky hair tied into a ponytail, said, his voice full of worry. "Why have you done this? What possessed you to do something so dangerous?" He was kneeled by Lilli, who was sitting in the corner, hugging her knees and crying. The knight stroked her face softly, wiping away her tears.
" Oh Delaney, I'm so dumb…" She sniffled and hiccoughed. "I just wanted to-," she sobbed ," I just w-wanted to-o prove…Eughhh…" She buried her head in her hands.
Sir Delaney grabbed her hands and pulled them away from her face. He looked at her, face so beautiful and assuring. His dark eyes brimmed with kindness. "I know that you love your friend dearly. And that this is hard-no, impossible-to accept. But he's not himself anymore. You know that. We all know that." His brows furrowed gently, and his eyes drifted away, to a now shackled and muzzled Adder. He winced.
Lilli looked at Adder painfully, now taking in his new form. She saw just how different he was now. Two small horns, blue in hue, like water. Small blue scales surrounded them, shimmering in the sunlight. His toes and fingers ended in sharp claws. His face was the same for the most part, but he had slitted pupils and sharp teeth that could be seen through the grate of the muzzle.
A small whooshing noise drew Lily's eyes to a tail extending from Adder's spine. It was long with the same blue scales, and a tuft of pale fur at the end. He really just might be…
Adder lunged forward, but was held still by Bennet. Lilli's heart felt as if it almost leaped from her chest. She suddenly got up.
"Delaney let's go. We're finished here." Forcing herself to be calm, to turn away from the creature, she stepped forward.