Chapter 37

“Such pretty flowers,” Liliana comments as she touches purple-tipped petals with her fingers.

Livia looks up from the book she had been reading in her bed, her gaze bored.

“You think so?” She asks her little sister, turning a page.

Liliana nods eagerly and spins around the table the flower rests on with a dreamy smile.

“Yes. They fit sister so well! The king is so gracious,” she says with a bright little laugh, then stops before the present that Livia has yet to open. Her head tilts to one side as she eyes it with open curiosity.

“Why haven’t you opened this, sister? Don’t you wish to know what is inside?”

Livia's eyes read over the condensed text of words with needlepoint focus and does not answer.

“Sister?”

Liliana skips over to where Livia sits on one side of the bed, with the covers pulled high over her belly, and cranes her neck to see what her oldest sister is reading. The language is completely unfamiliar, and she pouts. Liliana rocks on the balls of her feet, waiting to be noticed, but when seconds tick by, she quickly becomes impatient.

“Sister?” She calls out again but keeps her voice soft.

Livia looks up this time, “Yes, Liliana? What is it?”

Liliana points to the present across the room, “Are you not going to open it?”

She really wanted to know what was inside. Maybe it was a pretty pair of shoes made entirely out of crystals, or a beautiful necklace befitting of a future princess, or even a tiara! To think, her sister would be once again chosen to become the future queen of Wisteria! That was three times now. Liliana was so happy for her!

The moment it became dark again, Liliana had snuck off to her sister’s room despite her father’s warning not to. But she could not help it. It has been so long, and she missed her older sister terribly. Plus, Livia never minded no matter how busy she was. Her oldest, and only sister always welcomes her presence with open arms. And despite all the time they hadn’t seen each other, Liliana was happy to find this fact to be true even now. But even so, Liliana was careful to be mindful of her sister’s state and tried not to be too bothersome. Her nephew took a lot of energy to grow, after all!

Livia follows the direction of her hand, and eyes the gift for a moment, then, “No. But you can.”

Liliana blinks slowly. But wasn’t that improper? She could not. She tells her sister so.

Livia just smiles thinly, “I am tired, sister. Won’t you open it for me?”

“But...”

“It is fine. It is only us two here. Go on,” Livia coaxes, waving her on.

“Alright,” Liliana says, still looking unsure. She grabs the present and returns with it. She sits at the end of the bed, near her sisters' feet as she looks down at the extravagantly wrapped box in her hands.

“Um...”

“I thought you wished to know what is inside?” Livia asks, barely glancing up.

“I do...” Liliana fiddles with the black bow on top of the gift as she kicks her feet energetically.

Livia doesn’t say anything about the motion shaking the bed, and causing the book in her hands to wobble, but she does take note of it. Liliana had never been able to stay still for long, especially as a child. Even when she was bedridden, and sick to the bone, but she was always quick to run out of energy. To become tired or sleepy.

Liliana was just as pale as Livia, but before, she always had an unhealthy pallor of grey tinged in her skin, like she was always moments away from fainting. Her smiles had always been bright and sunny, but in the past, they did nothing to hide weak constitution. Livia always worried for Liliana. Even when her little sister eventually gained strength over the years, and became sick with less frequency, she had still been very delicate and could not leave the comfort of their home often.

But now, all of that seemed to have fallen away. Her sister was all rosy cheeks, bright glittering eyes, and suddenly brimming with unfound energy.

When Livia had returned home, Liliana once again greeted her with a running hug, babbling about her day while at the same time asking her oldest sister about her own. She had walked with a pep in her steps, and seemed unable to sit still for more than a few short seconds. Based on how the other servants stared at her sister, and how her mother and father stared in muted shock at her, Livia concluded that this behavior had only come about recently.

Almost as if the moment Livia returned, Liliana had been miraculously cured of her weak immune system.

Which, of course, should have been impossible.

Her sister was not an albino. White hair and red eyes were perfectly the norm in this world and were not an indication of a birth abnormality, however, her sister had been born with a very poor constitution. As powerful as standard magic could be, it had its obvious limitations. There was nothing it could do to cure her little sister long-term. Liliana would always be more likely to get sick than others. It had been a matter of fact. Or so, that was what everyone had thought, even Livia.

But now, Liliana kicks her feet happily, rocking from side to side as she considered the gift in her lap with deep concentration. She didn’t look the least bit winded from her actions or tired. She just seemed like a normal, hyperactive girl who was wide awake despite the late hour.

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It was curious. Almost as much as the strange feeling, Livia had gotten when her sister had practically fallen into her arms the night before. Livia could not explain it, but she knew something had happened. She was especially sure when she once again felt the same feeling when she hugged Liliana only an hour ago. It happened only for a split second, but Livia could not shake off the bizarre feeling of being reconnected beyond the physical sense. It was like a cord being plugged into an electoral socket. It was not a bond of any kind, but something else entirely.

Livia honestly had no way to explain it, even in her own mind. It bothered her greatly, and she wondered if she might have just imagined it after all. Yes, maybe she was simply overthinking it. Like her sister suddenly becoming so healthy and full of life. Instead of being skeptical, shouldn’t she just be happy? To put it out of her mind and focus on the now?

No.

It was better to go forward cautiously, second-guessing every shadow than to blindly hope for the best. It was in Livia’s very nature to be paranoid, and it got her this far. It would be foolish to be half-assed now.

“Alright, I’m going to do it!” Liliana suddenly declares, pulling Livia out her mulish thoughts and tugs on the bowstring with great gusto. It comes undone easily, and she lifts up the lid of the gift and tips her head to stare inside.

Her red eyes widen and her mouth falls open a silent gasp, “Oh, wow. It’s so beautiful, sister.”

Livia sets her book aside, and makes grabby hands, “Let me see.”

Liliana passes the gift over, almost reluctantly, and Livia tilts the box towards her to have a look inside.

Resting gently on black velvet, was a silver necklace with an amethyst jewel. It was as Liliana has said, it was very beautiful, and suited Livia almost perfectly with its strong coloring and almost snake-like design.

“You are going to wear it for seven days as is customary, right?” Liliana asks eagerly, “I’m sure the other candidates will wear their gifts as well. There must be some upcoming event to show it off! Maybe a ball or tea party. I wish I could go. I know my sister will be the prettiest lady there. If only I could see it,” She continues on as she sighs wistfully.

Then Liliana snaps out of it, and turns her attention back to Livia, “Will you try it on? Oh, look! There is matching earing inside as well! Sister, you must wear it. I want to see, please?”

Livia gazes silently at the jewelry, before lifts her hand and runs a single finger over the necklace. The moment her skin touches it, the hair at the back of her neck raises, and a chill goes up to her arm. She pulls her hand back instantly and smiles coldly.

Was it a hex?

No, it lacked a firm will.

Then a curse. One of slow death.

“...sister?”

Livia grabs the lid and places it over the gift firmly.

“...Liv? Is something the matter?”

Livia tosses the gift on her bedside table along with the book she had been reading and feigns a yawn.

“It is late, sister. I am tired. Do you mind if I lay down first?”

Liliana blinks slowly, looking from the gift to her older sister in confusion.

“Uh, no, of course not. I’m sorry. I should not have kept you up.”

Livia waves her off and tugs the covers down next to her, “You did no such thing. Now come, I think I have just enough energy to tell you a tale.”

Liliana's eyes brighten instantly, “Really?” She rolls to the other side of the bed and shimmies underneath the cover and rests her snow-white head of hair on the fluffy pillow.

“What do you wish to hear of this time?” Livia asks around a real yawn.

“A knight! No, a dragon!”

“Hmm, how about a dragon knight?” Livia asks, smiling.

Liliana's eyes round with buzzing excitement, and she beams, “Yes!”

Livia carefully moves so she rests her chin on the palm of her hand and forms the story in her head before she opens her mouth and begins to tell it.

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Long past the witching hour, when all is silent, Liliana is pulled from her sleep. She blinks blearily, and rubs sleepily at her eyes, wondering what awoke her. Then her vision clears, and she sees a silent shadow looming over her.

She stills instantly. Her body becoming frozen, her heart speeding up, but then the clouds part, a stream of moonlight peeks through the room, illuminating the figure hidden in the dark, and she relaxes instantly.

“Livy,” She sighs and cuddles further into the blanket.

Her sister says nothing.

Unmoving as a stone and eerily still, Livia continues to sit beside her sister with her head cast down, her long hair completely shadowing her face. Her arms are limp by her side, her back is curved to the point that the knobs on her spin are easily visible, and her pregnant stomach is all most squished under the weight of her horrible posture. Under her thin nightshirt on her belly, small little movements can be seen, as if the baby inside was protesting the uncomfortable angle.

Liliana shifts, swiftly wide awake. She moves to push up from her elbows, but suddenly there is a hand on her shoulder, pressing her back down gently.

“Livy,” Liliana protests, but the hand is stubborn, so she falls back with a little huff.

“Stay still,” Comes her sister's voice, monotone.

“You shouldn’t sit like that, sister. Won’t you at least make yourself more comfortable?” Liliana pleads.

Livia doesn’t reply.

But she does finally move.

Her hands come up like a puppet on a string, oddly limp and heavy like they are being moved against their will. They hover over Liliana, fingers spread wide. Livia's head bobs and then rolls on her neck before it lifts up. The curtain of hair parts with the movement, and Liliana only flinches a bit when she realizes her sister's eyes are open this time, but blank as a doll, unseeing.

“Will it hurt?” Liliana can’t help but asks, then she bites her lip and squeezes her hand into a fist. It had hurt yesterday. More than usual. She knew it sometimes could hurt, but it hadn’t in the beginning. It had gotten so bad; she had passed out. Liliana had never felt pain like that before, but even so, she had borne it without making a single noise as she always does. Because she knew...

“This is for your own good,” Her sister says above her, echoing her own thoughts.

Liliana nods, even as her heart thumps in fear, “I know, Livy. You always say that. But...”

“It’s for your own good,” Livia says again with no emotion.

“I know,” Liliana repeats, her voice wobbling.

“Let’s begin then,” Livia says.

And then every nerve in Liliana’s body alight, and she tenses as her mouth opens in a silent scream of pain. Even in the darkness of her closed eyes, she can see the light dancing over her skin, sinking into it, making her anew.

It goes on forever, and then some.

Seconds turn into years, minutes into eons.

Liliana passes out again.

When she wakes up, it’s hours later, and it’s still dark out. Beside her, her sister rests peacefully, completely oblivious to what she had done.

Liliana smiles because the pain had already become a distant dream, her body humming with renewed energy and snuggles closer to her sister.

She knows not to tell anyone.

Not even her precious older sister.

Liliana had made a promise after all, and it was for Livia’s own protection.

No matter what, Liliana could not tell anyone of Livy, her sister’s other self.