𝙳𝚊𝚛𝚔 𝙿𝚊𝚛𝚊𝚍𝚒𝚜𝚎(𝙰𝙲𝙾𝚃𝙰𝚁)

𝖈𝖍𝖆𝖕𝖙𝖊𝖗 𝖋𝖔𝖗𝖙𝖞-𝖙𝖜𝖔**

i'm skipping to when the war is over. because i'm lazy

✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧

  Azriel was crying again. He was a year old, it happened. But he wouldn't stop, even as I rocked him in my arms. He was hungry; I knew that. And he likely had a fever.

    I knew what my brother needed, despite being a child myself. This cell was freezing. It'd been about year since the two of us were put in here.

       Belinda didn't used to hate me. She used to let me stay in my mother's room. She let me eat three meals a day and wander the grounds. But that changed when my mother got pregnant with Azriel.

       My mother didn't even get to hold him after he was born. Belinda wrenched him from the nurses, grabbed me by my hair, and dragged me down the stairs until we got to that cell.

       She placed my newborn brother in my arms and shoved me into the room, locking the door behind her. Belinda punished my mother for sleeping with her husband by imprisoning her children.

       I had been terrified that Az would die in my arms. He wasn't doing well for the first week. Once a day, they brought in a small serving of food for me, and a bottle of milk and a clean nappy for Az. It was cold, and he was only eating once a day. I didn't know how to take care of him.

       Eventually, he started to do better. He began to grow. He was already walking with assistance. I taught him. I guess I would eventually teach him everything.

       There was a toilet and a sink in the corner of the room. Once a week, I got a new roll of toilet paper. There was no bathtub. I could bathe Az in the sink, but eventually he would get too big. About once every two weeks, Belinda let me use a real bathtub during my hour out of the cell.

       Az was burning up. I had told Belinda three days ago. I told the guards. I told anyone I came in contact with during the hour I was allowed out. Nobody did a thing.

       The door opened, and a sigh of relief escaped my lips. They were a bit early for our food. Belinda stepped in with a man I'd never seen before. Neither of them acknowledged me. The man approached me and reached for Azriel.

"Don't touch him!" I snapped, my arms wrapping tighter around my brother. The man wrenched him from my arms. "Stop! Give him back!"

      Tears formed in my eyes as I got to my feet and went after him. Belinda grabbed me and yanked me away from him as he left the room holding my weeping brother.

"What is he doing? Where are they going?" I shrieked as I struggled against her grip. She shoved me backward and struck me hard across the face.

"Stupid little girl," she chastised. "He's a healer. Don't you want your brother to get better?" I sniffled, wiping my eyes and nodding at her.

"I'm sorry," I whispered, my hand coming up to soothe my stinging cheek. "I didn't realize . . ."

"Of course you didn't," she scoffed, pinching the bridge of her nose.

"When will he be back?" I asked.

"I don't know. Stay here."

"I can't leave? It's my hour."

"Not after that tantrum, no."

"What about food?"

"Absolutely not."

"He'll at least give Azriel his bottle, right?" I pleaded. "He's starving. He can't go without his bottle."