Flight of Frost and Aurora

Chapter 47

Things seemed to be going quite well for Alastor. He had found work, was creating his own good fortune, and often found himself in the embrace of the woman he loved. Soon, he would have enough to build a house and would be able to ask Lucifer for permission to court Charlotte. However, there is a downside to good fortune: once you have it, someone is always lurking, ready to take it away. You must fight for your happiness, especially when it's threatened by someone like Eisheth.

As the Christmas season came to a close, the greedy woman began to plot. She realized that if she wanted to seize Alastor's riches, sweet-talking him wouldn't suffice. She would need to marry him to Lute, ensuring that he would share his wealth with the two of them.

"But I don't want to marry him, Mother!" Lute snapped, her voice laced with frustration upon hearing Eisheth's scheme. "I hate him!"

"So what?" Eisheth retorted. "I hated your father, and I hate your stepfather, but money often outweighs disgust."

"Mother, he made me spit up toads and snakes! You want me to spend the rest of my life with someone who does that to me?!"

"Are you saying you don't want gold and jewels?"

"Well, yes, but we've tried this before. He won't give them to me."

"He will have to if you marry him. According to the law, a man's wealth becomes his wife's."

"And what makes you think he would marry me? I'm pretty sure he hates me as much as I hate him."

"Then seduce him! Fawn over him, be affectionate, hang on his every word! You can make him believe that you love him, and in turn, he might think he loves you. Men can be quite foolish, remember?"

"What about Lucifer? He'll never allow me to marry him. He thinks Alastor is a creep."

"Leave your stepfather to me. With a little sweet talk and some charm, I can persuade him to consider Alastor as a potential son-in-law."

"But, Mother..." Lute cringed at the thought. "Being married to him? Kissing him? Sleeping beside him? Touching him? Every single day for the rest of my life? I don't think I can stomach it, even for all the gold in the world!"

"You won't be married to him for long! Just long enough for us to claim his riches and finally escape this pathetic village. We'll live among the aristocrats and become the fine ladies we were meant to be."

"Can't we just take his riches and go now?"

"I've already tried that. He's hidden them well. They're not in the barn or the house; I've searched everywhere. Our only option is to secure it through matrimony."

"Oh... alright. I'll marry the freak."

Eisheth's eyes gleamed with triumph as she watched Lute reluctantly concede to her plan. She could already envision the wealth that would soon be theirs, the lavish lifestyle they would lead.

"Good girl," she said, a sly smile creeping across her lips. "Now, remember, you must play your part perfectly. Be charming, be sweet, and make him believe you're genuinely interested in him. It's all about the act."

Eisheth orchestrated a plan for Alastor to spend ample time with Lute, all while ensuring that Charlotte's days were filled with one chore after another. She adorned Lute with lavish clothing and painted her face, instructing her to embody the charm and sweetness that had been drilled into her. Lute was as talented as her mother, but Alastor was no fool.

"My daughter is both clever and beautiful," Eisheth boasted one day as she served lunch to the two of them. "I wonder who will be fortunate enough to marry her. He won't regret it, whoever he may be."