VILLIANS IN FAIRYTALES.

Cold. So cold.

Lucinda tucked her little hand into her warm gloves, blowing on it for good measure as she navigate the hallways.

It was getting late. She had slipped out of the crowd of evergrowing guests.

Passing by a room, she paused as voices reached her ears. About dismissing it, the sound of a voice way too familiar, the one she has been searching for reached her.

She tucked her head into the room to inspect, then pushed in when she found no one.

Her polished new shoe glistened in the moon light, the heart of winter making her draw in her coat closer to her body. The room was un lit and the fire place at the fireplace cold in it hearts.

Today was a very special day. Albert her new clothes. Special as she called it. Very well designed by who little lucinda believed was the best seamstress in the kingdom. Dare she say the whole continent. And if all go well tonight, they're life would very much change to be better .

Papa will be proud. He would finally smile at her again. At mama also. The thought made her giddy with excitement.

Her hope was like a rekindle flame. She has to find her mama quick. Their lives were about to change today. She could feel it in the air. Along with the cluster of people all waiting to celebrate.

With a spring in her step she walked further into the room following the sound of voices to the veranda.

Her footsteps slowed at an abrupt loud voice. Gently she parted the side of the curtain.

Hagar. Her mother long time best friend held her mother arm. Her long blond strands like a golden halo in the sparse moonlight that dotted their white land scape. Her clothes dashing prior to her mother, a similarity with her mother. Instead of the calm steady smile she always displayed on her beautiful features, her face was twisted in an ugly scowl, eyes glinting with something. Something Lucinda has seen in flashes over the years. Something she would come to know of as jealousy.

In confusion Lucinda turned to her mother only to see her usually unfazed mother riled up. She glared at her best friend. From little of what she could understand. Her mother and Lady Hagar have a dispute, with the way they avoided each other recently. From what she could see, it looks like another one of their fights to break out . She stood there rooted. What should she do?

In other times mother had told her to stay aside to make quick work of Hagar, which she always had. But those times mama didn't have that much rage contouring her features.

She should get help.

About to turn on her stubby legs and look for the nearest adult a sharp hiss wrench through the air. She wiled her head back to see her mother wrenching her arm out of Hagar's grip , her finger nails scratching hagar skin and drawing blood.

"I'll say it one last time Hagar. Leave my family alone!" Her mother tone was fierce. Looking down on the wincing woman with her gaze cast down. Her mama long gracious hair flutter in the cold wind dishelved from the fight. The cold making her pale cheeks flush as steams of air escaped from her red painted lips.

Her mama jerk her coat tighter to her body covering the stunning display of work that was her most recent creation to be displayed at the ball. The dress was perfect albeit her mama rare words and was her mama's proud work, she too was excited for the grand reveal. With her head high and shoulders back she sauntered away.

That was a mistake…

For as the second she turned her back, guard lowered, Hagar with an unhinged roar lunged for her mama. Yanking her fur coat away with a feral grip.

Her mother expression reveled shock for a moment at being left bare of the cold wind and audacity of the situation. But before she could turn around. Hagar had grip the back of her garment and yanked her back. At that moment her mama's gaze met little lucinda's equally shocked ones, her hands reaching out for the little girl's and then, she was falling.

Lucinda could describe it as it was beautiful as it was painful. Her mother widened eyes as she realizes, her dark hair framing her sharp features in an artistic art, her marvelous work of creation catching the moonlight and the serene view of the falling snow.

THUD!

It happened too fast, yet too agonizingly slow . Too little time as the sickening thud reached Lucinda ears before she could finish screaming her mama's name.

Hilda.

Her mama's name was Hilda, and that was all that was left of her after that fall— no that incident. The one that still soiled the gravel grounds as blood rapidly pooled at the thin layer of snow-covered ground. Her art work of sleepless night now displayed for all to see in her cold wake of death. They were no gasp of astonishing, cheers of surprise or shining admiration in the socialites eyes, only horror and shrieks of fright as the nobilities lingering below gathered around her body.

Even as the news spread fast and wide, the sudden death— sucide as they called it. The great Hilda legacy was over before it even began.

And no one knew the truth. The truth with golden halo of hair and the green eyes of jealousy. The same one that barreled down on her upon sighting her witness to the treacherous crime.

And instead of nursing her wounds that night. Lucinda was welcomed with the scene of her father absent for months kneeling at the foot of her parents bedroom, a worried gaze filled with love and relief as he tended to golden halo of beauty wounds.

She wished she could have say that's what broke her that fateful day. But the disgusted look of contempt as her papa shut the door on her bruised face, told her all she needed to know about their world. And as sudden as her hope had kindled. It died down for good.

And suddenly the villians in the fairytales…. didn't seem so evil.

•••

Heavy puffs of air escaped from her parted lips her chest rising and falling.

This nightmare again. It must be drawing closer, lucinda remarked as her frantic gaze dart around the room. The anniversary of her mother's death.

Lucinda shaky hands reached for the soft curls of Theodore's hair, the only thing that calms her— only to come up empty. Her gaze whipped to beside her, to find Theodore gone.