Let It Slip

Part XXI

Zelda stared at herself in the mirror. She had changed outfits multiple times, attempting to soothe the nervous butterflies in her stomach and had settled on a form fitting burgundy sheath dress. Her family harboured understandable preconceived notions about Lilith and even she wasn't sure if she would have allowed Lilith to get as close to her without death placing her in Hells hands.

"But now that I'm there, there's nowhere I'd rather be." The truth of her words and how vulnerable they made her made those butterflies flutter even harder.

As a nod to her Sovereign, Zelda opted to wear the spiked heels of Hell's executioner, a small part of her hoping they would please the Queen which then made her feel like a smitten teenager....which almost made her kick them off. Unsure of how Lilith would appear, Zelda decided to let the Queen of Hell announce herself as she wished, and entered into the parlour to pour herself a three fingered glass of bourbon.

Taking a long sip of the drink, she felt somewhat light headed, the alcohol of the future having been distilled multiple times for purity due to the dingey state of the world's water supply. The Spellman Mortuary lived in a timeless existence all its own and Zelda often forgot how advanced this century was when she was cradled in its cozy, nostalgic embrace but even as she looked around, she could see hints of the present. Sleek metal pieces peppered here and there - various futuristic contraptions, like communication systems or holograms, created to make human life easier but just collected dust in a house full of witches who could just as easily read minds.

Newspaper headlines reminded Zelda that the life she'd left was full of horrors she had turned a blind eye to for decades; the wealthiest of humans had destroyed the planet and Gaia was leading a rebellion, natural disasters had been a common experience for the last few decades, there was no fresh water left, and fires and drought limited the food supply. Sighing, Zelda turned away from the newspapers and took another long sip of her drink before abandoning it for a cigarette. Ironically, Hell was much more predictable and stable in comparison.

"I would like to think my presence as Ruler injects a bit of unpredictability and excitement into Hell, no?" Zelda spun around, a trail of smoke swirling around her, and broke into a smile as she took Lilith in.

The Queen of Hell's curves were draped in a knee-length black gown with a high collar and keyhole cutout, revealing the ivory swell of her cleavage, and a gold circlette adorned her head to signify her royal position. Zelda felt the heat of Lilith's gaze over every inch of her body and saw her brows lift as they ended at her shoes, "An unexpected tribute..."

"I suppose I am also unpredictable and exciting." Zelda's eyes sparkled as Lilith walked into her space and grabbed her around the waist, pulling her closer.

"Can we skip dinner and go straight to dessert?" The demoness' talons dug into the redhead's hips. Zelda dropped a kiss at the corner of Lilith's mouth, shook her head, and grabbed her hand.

"As discussed, this dinner is a necessary evil. Just like you." Chuckling softly, Zelda snuffed out her cigarette and pulled Lilith towards the dining room, their fingers laced together.

Hilda was setting the table and Ambrose was decanting some red wine as the witches entered the room. Ambrose straightened quickly and was about to scatter when he saw how tightly his aunt held onto the Queen of Hell, taking a deep breath he moved to stand behind the head of the table and pulled out the chair, motioning for Lilith to take it; "A pleasure to see you Lilith, err, your Majesty? Please accept the head of the table as this dinner is in your honour." His big eyes open wide, anticipating both disaster and ridicule for not knowing how to address her.

Lilith smiled graciously and shook her head, leading Zelda to the chair and insisting her lover take the seat, "While I appreciate the gesture, Ambrose, in this house your Aunt is the Matriarch."