Lily stood to attention in the centre of the large and ornately designed room. Her mother and brother stood at the sides of the room.

'This man you are marrying knows the true virtues of life.' Harry announced, he looked at Lily sternly before continuing. I've been writing to him through letter for a few months now and he is looking forward to having you within his household, he showed his respect to the blood relation of someone such as myself.'

Harry began walking backwards and forwards in front of her.

'His name is Lord Hastur.' Lily noticed her mother flinch at the name. 'He is well known, I'm certain you have read of him, how does that please you?'

'Oh yes,' Lily replied with fake gratitude 'I'm very happy, his reputation certainly proceeds him.'

'Yes, good, I can't have my daughter not knowing her future husband.' Harry turned to his wife and son, 'I expect you two to assist her in preparation for the marriage ceremony. It will be taking place here in just under a month on the twenty eighth.'

Lily looked at the date that her mother updated every day, it was sitting on top of the mantle. With the fire glowing brightly from the fireplace to fight off the winter's cold she found it was hard to see properly, she could just make out a thirty. She squinted and made out the month's number. Eight. She was to be married on the twenty-eighth of Aneeran. Her father stormed from the room and went straight to his grand office that was separate from the bedroom.

'Mother,' Lily said in sudden panic when Harry was out of earshot 'Lord Hastur, I've heard terrible things about him. Stuff like him being part of a cult and killing his servants.'

'I've heard the stories too, I don't want you to marry this lord, it will be the death of you.' Verona’s face suddenly drained of blood. 'I don't think all of the rumours are true my dear.'

'You can't let me marry this person, can you?'

'I can't stop it.'

'Then I will tell father I don't want to marry Lord Hastur because of his cult reputation, I… I'll say it could impact badly upon our family name.'

'It won't work Lily, Harry is a stubborn, he won't listen and will end up beating you, I can't have that happen.'

'I don't care what he does, if he wants, I can turn up to the wedding with bruises all over me and disgrace him even further, I'm not going to do nothing in the face of an eternity of hell.'

'Lily!' Verona said with fear painted on her face 'Please don't do it.'

'I'm sorry mother but I must, if I'm getting out of this house, I want to go somewhere better.'

'You have tried to run away before and it always goes wrong, I understand that this time is different, but you can't expect your father to respect your wishes, he will force you to marry Hastur whether you like or not.'

Lily's face turned a furious shade of red.

'He is not my father, he has never done anything fatherly for me and you should learn that, he hasn't done anything for you to be a good husband either, we have to stand up for ourselves some way, it doesn't have to be outright rebellion, why can't I carry out my rebellion in a more incognito way. I'll use reason that Harry understands to try and change his mind, his fucking ego.'

'Watch your tongue!' Verona growled raising her voice 'Your father feeds and clothes you, he also provides you with a shelter for your heads.'

'I don't believe it,' Lily said in exasperation 'He has scared the sense out of you it seems, what happened to the days when you would stand up for us and try and let us play outside with the other kids, what happened to the days when you would buy a little toy for Theo behind Harry's back. That's right you are gutless!'

'Lily,' Verona muttered sullenly after Lily's onslaught of slight 'You don't understand what it is like to feel helpless such as I am, it is true that I've all but lost my will, I'm just another sad case in the thousands, no, millions in the world. I'm not gutless, the situation I'm in is impossible to escape, it is like sinking sand or falling through a bottomless chasm. You can't say I'm gutless.'

Lily didn't speak, Verona didn't speak, Theo stood in the same spot as he did at the start of the conversation. He too did not speak.

'I guess I better make arrangements for your dress.' Verona said as she slowly meandered out of the room

Lily felt her heart empty. She said too much, opened her mouth about something that she couldn't possibly understand.

'Lily?'

'Yes, little brother?'

'What are you going to do?'

'I can no longer find any hint of enjoyment out of this marriage I'm going to be forced into. I was initially hopeful, I thought I'd be able to get out of this shit hole. But I'm just to be thrown over to another shitty place with some old creep. Not only that but now I have offended mum when talking to her about escaping it.'

Lily looked at the calendar with dread.

'It doesn't matter which of the two paths I take now, I will feel horrible about either. I guess I'll just give it some time and make my decision then.'

She went to bed that night and found herself unable to sleep, she was drowning in dread. She tried to read a book, but her head swam too much for her to concentrate on the words on the page. She instead masturbated, but it didn't give her any release at all. She didn't feel any better that morning either, instead she was accompanied by a headache throughout the several hour process of measuring her to get the right sized dress, one that would of course be tailored and adorned with all matter of gaudy decorum. Apparently, a white dress was too lacklustre according to Harry Vegarion and it was requested that a large, frilled neck piece among other things that would make her look rather silly and ridiculous were to be added.

She tried the same method as the night before when she found herself lying in bed, but history repeated itself and she instead donned a dressing gown and put a pair of slippers on her feet. She quietly snuck out of her room and down the stairs into the hall, she glanced quickly at the patch where her mother's blood once lay, she quickly looked toward the front door trying to erase that memory for the millionth time. She slipped out of the door and quickly descended the steps. She took a deep breath of the cold winters air. She felt the sting of the air against the bare skin of her face and legs, she used one hand to pull the gown's V-neck together. She looked around the Vegarion premises.

Snow caked the large expanse; the lack of crystallised water was only present on the smoothed cobblestone pavements. Large leafless trees were scattered around the yard as well, the gnarled limbs of the trees lent to a decayed look. She looked at the stone wall that marked the end of her father’s private land. It was tall and impossible to climb. A large iron gate sat in line with the oak doors of the house. Just the sight of the gate and the large rustic lock and chain around it made her feel suppressed. But she didn't need the gate to feel suppressed. She looked dreamily up at the stars. She spied the Caradon constellation, its stars burned brighter than those of the surrounding constellations making it easy to spot. Lily had invested a lot of her spare time into reading books, she read astronomy as well as books detailing flora and fauna, she especially enjoyed reading books or accounts recalling unearthly creatures. She knew that many a praised scientist had said such accounts were a farce, but she enjoyed the fantastical all the same.

She began to walk along the cleared path, she sometimes went out late at night and walked so that she could have space from everyone else in her family. She loved Theo thoroughly, but she sometimes just needed a break from constantly having a tail and she took her late-night strolls as her official break. On her other walks she would keep her head to the stars and name every constellation she found, she would memorize their look and location in the sky, but this night she kept her head trained on the wall. She wanted a way out. She had not spoken a word all day and no one took any care of it. Not even Theo. He was always a silent witness however, she knew he was smarter than he made himself out to be, she assumed it was his way to avoid Harry as much as possible.

She scanned every inch of the wall as she walked, looking for any indentation or abutment that she could use to climb over the wall. The only way out of the mansion's grounds was to use the key that Harry kept in his study on the lock, but being in the study, it was impossible to acquire. She only found impossibilities as she traversed the path and it was constant the whole way around, there was nothing to be hopeful for. There never was.

She finished her walk out of hope and out of patience, but the cold had woken her up somewhat. Still yearning for sleep of some kind, to at least be able to deal with the next day, she went back to her room. She yawned profusely but opened her diary that she kept hidden under her pillow instead and wrote of her day’s happenings. She began to write out her heart to nothing, and she felt nothing as she wrote the words on paper, she didn't feel any better for telling the paper how she felt and what she craved. She wanted to tell someone real what she wrote but she didn't have anyone to tell it to, Harry was out of the question, her mother was too and Theo, while a good listener, wouldn't understand her or maybe even think less of her.

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She closed the diary in frustration and pulled out a book from her shelf named "Fardiane Epic". She opened back to her bookmarked page and began reading again, she quickly found herself engaged in the character. Prince Evrian had escaped from the depths of the evil dungeon and traversed the land for the evil wizard Marbuk. He encountered many monsters along the way, each one more terrifying than the last one, but every time the prince managed to prevail over his adversary. She read long into the night. She read of the defeat of a devious dragon and then his eventual arrival at Marbuk's tower. He ascended the tower and had to overcome a wide array of puzzles to reach the top where Marbuk waited. The wizard tried to tempt the prince with riches and power, but the prince insisted for his wife, Maria, every time. Marbuk tried one last time by offering another woman to take her place but once again Prince Evrian denied the proposal and in a gruelling fight, he beat Marbuk. Lily finished the last few pages that detailed the happily ever after of the couple and their kingdom. She wanted a happily ever after. Her daydreaming caused her to nod off and fall asleep.

She suddenly awoke to yelling. It enforced her idea of escape. She rolled her head to the side and swore as she noticed the exhausted candle on her nightstand, the wax solidified in a dripping position down the side of its metal stand. She dressed herself and left her room, she checked the grandfather clock and noticed that it was one o'clock. Something was wrong. She would normally be woken at nine, especially with the upcoming wedding she thought that she would have been woken earlier. The yelling continued.

'...away from me! You will look at me and you will hear what I have to say this time since your thick skull is blocking me out. Theo is a man, and you can't speak to him that way, you may be his mother, but that is the problem, your gender. Theo is a male you see; his opinion matters more, and he knows what is right and wrong and you can never tell him not to do something. Do you understand?

'Yes, Harry, I understand.' Lily could barely hear Verona's words.

'Good, now you can get Lily downstairs, there are still lots of preparations to be done.'

'No need mother, I'm here.' Lily called as she walked the last few steps of the hallway staircase. She knew they were in the common room, and she bustled there with all haste

'Ah excellent.' Harry exclaimed as she entered, 'Lily, you have a lot of preparation, and we are fast running out of time. So, get to it.'

He stalked out of the room quickly, evidently to avoid any conversation that was beneath him.

Lily stood awkwardly in the room and didn't speak. It was completely silent in the large room and the air seemed to freeze in place.

'I...um...’ Verona began with her eyes looking at the floor. ‘I need to make sure that your posture and walk is proper when in the dress so I have this old dress to practice in so come up to your room and we shall change you up there and get some practice.'

Lily left the room swiftly and went to her room and took the dress that her mother handed to her. She placed it on the end of her bed and undressed herself and then put the dress on. She hated every minute of wearing it. She felt as though being dressed in the old wedding dress was like being bound by chains.

'Just... Just walk from your bed to the door then back again.' Lily did as she was told.

Verona looked at her disapprovingly. Lily shot a glare at her and met her eyes with an icy stare. Evidently she was not to a proper standard, everything about her had to be changed and she could not be herself.

'It won't do you any favours to keep your mouth shut, you haven't spoke to me in almost two days, I don't want you to hate me for trying to make this marriage as good as it can be for you.'

'Mum...' Lily began with a sharp tone, 'I'm never going to be happy about this marriage.’

Lily stared down her mother, not averting her eyes once for fear that she would think that she was not grown up enough to make decisions.

‘I finished Fardiane Epic last night, one of the books that Harry kept on his shelf, the thing that caught me the most wasn't how he could kill the dragon but that he stayed true to his one love. Everything about this family is fucked up.'

She paused as Verona shuffled in her chair when she heard the swearing.

'Do you see how fucked I am, how fucked up Theo is, and how fucked up you are. We are all fucked mum. All because of Harry, our supposed dad. I just don't want to recreate that you know. I don't want to have fucked up children, I want to escape and be free, settle with a man who is nice and values the things that a woman can bring, more than her physical assets. The thing is I want to escape from this place and when I tried to avoid the thing I wish to never do, you tried to stop me and then I’ve felt bad for the past few days for offending you. I said stupid things and acted like I knew what you were experiencing, and I don't mean any offence, but I don't want to turn out like you. I love you mum, but I always admired you standing up against him when I was younger but that all changed that one day, that hasn't stopped me from loving you or even made me love you less. I love you more than I did then. I just want to be different; I want to seize this opportunity to make things go someone else’s way as opposed to Harry's way. I don't want him to have another win and marry me off to some other asshole to ruin my life.'

Verona pushed herself out of the chair and walked over to her bed and sat down on the soft surface and sighed heavily.

'I'm just scared for my children,’ She explained sullenly, ‘But I guess I'm only looking a meter in front of myself and I'm not looking at the bigger picture. Yes, it is probably true that Hastur is going to ruin your life more than Harry ever could. And that is saying something as he has already ruined you. I don't know what to do or what to say. You can do as you wish, doesn't mean I won't be scared for you.'

'I know, I'll think about it over the night and make sure it is exactly what I want to do.'

'Come here and give me a hug.'

Lily ran up to her and gave her a big hug, squeezing her tight and feeling her anxieties melt away. That night she still couldn't get to sleep. She didn't try anything to calm herself down and instead she lay still, staring with disgust at the canopy of her large bed. She knew that getting married to Hastur would break her and she didn't want that, she didn't want to be broken, she didn't want to be a mindless slave. She also didn't want to bring harm to her mother and brother. She was conflicted by the two decisions. She knew that Verona would be hurt by her marriage either way and she wanted to avoid any hurt. Saying that the marriage was a bad idea was the only path she could see that could result in no harm done. The rest of her night was uneasy, but she still awoke early despite her lack of sleep. She dressed herself and left her room. She went in Harry's study and found him hard at work with some papers.

'Um... Excuse me.' she stuttered

'Yes, what do you want?' he replied brashly

Lily's legs trembled; 'I've been thinking-'

'That's not good.' he said dryly without looking up.

Lily breathed in before continuing.

'I’ve been made aware of Lord Hastur's reputation.'

'And what would that be?'

'His... Cult involvement.'

'They are just rumours I assure you, where are you going with this?' Harry’s voice deepened

'Well, I've been thinking that maybe this isn't a good idea, his reputation might be detrimental to our family.'

Harry turned to face her in his old swivel chair. He stared cruelly at her; a sneer was hidden under his thick moustache. He stood slowly, his bulky size kept growing and the shadow that hung over Lily grew larger and larger as he loomed above her, making her feel small and insignificant.

'You dare make such a comment?' he said his nostrils flared. He raised a fat finger and pointed at her. 'No, no. It wasn't you who said that. It was Verona.' he breathed out his wife's name with hate.

'That bitch!' he yelled

'No!' Lily yelled at him, 'It was me; it was me who thought that; it was all me.'

'Shut up you pug faced brat!' he pushed her over onto the ground. 'Your mother is a scheming virago. Oh yes, she is a dastardly shit. Scheming against this family by undermining this marriage. Trying to play to my care for our family's reputation. That is the lowest of lows, the epitome of the devil and his schemes. I'll show that bitch once and for all!' He scooped a knife he had been using as a letter opener from his desk and swiftly stalked out of the room. His footsteps resounding loudly as he stepped on the wooden boards. Lily leapt to her feet and ran after him.

'Please! Stop, she didn't do anything.' She cried as she tugged on his sleeve.

'Get off!' he turned to her and pushed her into the banister that snapped as she collided with it and gave way. She tumbled off the balcony and hit the ground hard, it knocked the wind out of her. She wheezed as she tried desperately to stand, to stop Harry from killing her mother.

'Harry what are you- no don-' Lily heard as she scrambled to her feet.

A high pitched, blood curdling scream filled the housed. Lily stumbled up the stairs past the ugly paintings. She ran into the art room where she found Harry Vegarion viciously stabbing at Verona's stomach. The artwork she was painting now had warm viscous blood covering it in a fine misty spray. Thick waves of blood began to excrete from the mess of cuts on her stomach with each beat of her heart. Her face was pale, and her mouth was gaped open in pain, blood welled up in it as Harry stepped back and spat on her, she fell onto the ground with a thud and a splat. Blood began to pool around her. Harry didn't look away. He just stared.

'Fuck you!' Theo yelled at the top of his lungs as he ran into the room and ran past Lily at top speed. He attempted to tackle Harry. The stark contrast in size and strength resulted in Theo bouncing of Harry and falling to the ground, Harry turned to face his kids. His face was wild. A mad grin plastered his face.

'The bitch is now dead, so I think it is time I show you two some manners that isn't influenced by her.' Lily ran out of the room and sprinted back to her parents’ room. She grabbed the sword hanging from the wall in a display with a shield and axe. She turned to find Harry at the door staring at her sternly.

'Now don't be a bad girl Lily, put the sword down.' he uttered quietly as he stepped into the room, his heavy footfalls making her flinch. He held his knife out before him, his whole hand and knife was painted in blood and plastered in cruor.

'Back away!' She yelled at him 'Just get away, I don't want to have anything to do with you, you are a heartless bastard who doesn't care for his family.'

Harry twisted his head to the side and his blood-flecked face grew stern; his psychotic smile now gone completely.

'I'm the greatest father, I'm the best there is because I wouldn't let anyone hurt my family. I'm the one in charge, I get to decide what happens.'

'Fuck you, you maniac!' She clumsily swung the sword that was far too heavy for her. Her father effortless stepped back, causing Lily to lose balance. He darted in and grabbed a hold of her. He dropped the knife to the ground and wrestled the sword out of her hand.

'You have been a very bad girl Lily' He seethed the words out through barred teeth. She struggled desperately to escape his grasp. He used his blood coated hand to hold her head still by grasping her cheeks. Lily moved her head back in repulsion and groaned in detestation. She began to cry.

'Now,' he said in a gravelly tone 'Say it after me; I have been a bad girl.' he paused but she just shook her head and began breathing heavily through fear. 'Come on! Say it, say it!'

He wiped Verona’s blood over her face and grabbed a handful of her hair and pulled it back so he could look into her eyes.

'Say it you whore; I've. Been. A. Bad. Gi- Argh!'

His yell quickly turned into a wheeze and then he coughed up blood into her face. He collapsed onto the ground, releasing her. Lily fell onto her hands and knees and spat out his blood that had gotten into her mouth. She wiped it out of her face then rolled over and sat on the ground. Theo stood in shock, holding a kitchen knife in his hand.

'Are you ok?' he asked, panic in his voice.

'Yeah, I'm ok... Physically.’

Lily looked at Harry who still clawed at the ground with one of his hands. No one would care or believe that Harry had killed Verona. They would blame the children, Lily knew that the Villagers in the town would tie them up and burn them at the stake. She looked at Theo. She would never let that happen. Not to Theo.

‘Let's just run.'

'Run?'

'We need to get out of here.'

'What about mum?'

Lily felt sorry for him, he already knew that their mother was dead. He was shocked. On the verge of catatonic.

'Theo, I'm sorry, go say goodbye to her, I'll grab the key and then we will get the fuck out of here… We will never look back.'