"Here. Your acceptance."
The crimson envelope glided across the table and stopped tight at the edge where the young woman sat. The flickering flames of the scented candles all over the room exposed the weariness in her eyes.
She flinched as every single light source dimmed down, casting an even darker shadow around her. The envelope's silver seal glistened in the near-darkness.
"Hiln!"
The stern voice shattered the young woman's trance. Hiln lifted her head to meet her aunt's cross sneer. Strome reclined in her plush seat, cradling a large pink snake against her chest. Wrinkled fingers trembled with vigour as she tenderly caressed the slumbering serpent's head.
Hiln knew her aunt's disdain too well. Both towards her and her father.
Especially towards her.
Maybe it was because she bore a striking resemblance to her deceased mother, whom she had never met. Or maybe it was the fact that her mother had chosen to create a family with such a 'measly' man.
Regardless, Hiln had no choice but to seek her help.
For years, her father had shielded Strome from their family's affairs, but now Hiln found herself at the mercy of this old relative. Deep down, she knew she shouldn't have come here. However, desperation had left her with no other alternative.
She had come crawling to the old woman's feet the minute she realised she would soon lose her father.
His illness had pushed them to the brink of ruin. It had taken months to find a foreign healer who could provide a diagnosis, and even longer to discover that the incurable illness finally had a cure.
But all that had cost well beyond their means… to the extent that even the neighbouring villages could not provide Hiln with any more loans.
And even with a lifetime of work, Hiln knew she could never repay what she owed, let alone afford her father's treatment.
In her darkest hour, she had turned to her aunt. The old woman was filthy rich, but despite all that was happening, Hiln very well knew that Strome would not let her have a penny.
But she did know how Strome came to have such wealth.
Melody, Strome's former servant and Hiln's long-time friend, had let her know of this after all.
So, here she was, mere days after she had grovelled and pleaded to the old woman for help.
While she had hoped for Strome's help with this, she could not conceal her shock when the old woman eventually agreed.
It was suspicious, but Hiln had come too far to back down.
The flames flickered to life and Hiln's gaze swept through the now brightly-lit room. Located on the outskirts of the village, the modesty of Strome's abode boasted more wealth than the pompous house of the village head's.
Strome stood to her towering height, and the heavy chair dragged across the carpet.
"For—forgive me." Hiln snatched the envelope.
"If you are here to waste my time, child, I will feed you to the serpents this very instant," Strome stated in a tone deeper than Hiln had ever heard her use, the aunt slowly drawing out each word to highlight the threat hidden within them.
The young woman's blood ran cold.
Her aunt wasn't referring to the creature in her grasp.
But rather, the vile species that had invaded their civilisation centuries before to cull the human race.
Hiln swallowed hard. She tore open the envelope, revealing the finest processed paper she had ever laid eyes on. With trembling hands, she delicately retrieved the white paper and unfolded it to eye the thin cursive ink that lined it.
The reality of the decision she had just made set in with the heavy thud of her heart.
She had to do this.
There was no other option.
Strome,
It is nice to hear from you. My Lord finds this to be a surprising request. So do I as you have hardly spoken about any other family members. Granted, I trust your judgement and so does my Lord. We will welcome your niece into The Castle's retinue. Let her come with this note.
Thank you, and fare well wherever you are, my dear friend.
A silent moan escaped Hiln's throat as her eyes welled up.
"Drink this."
The world came back into focus when the clink of glass against wood resonated across the room. Strome had placed a small vial on the table, its contents shrouded in mystery.
Her aunt's intent stare locked with Hiln's, and at that moment, she noticed a raw hunger she had never seen before.