a life full of lemons makes for sour lemonade

Plague invited her to come and meet his future children too long ago. Belle kicked herself for taking so long to get here ot the border. Doing anything, making herself do anything far outside the normal was difficult. Life wore on her, and she was not the woman she once was any longer. There were few joys in the world left for her, and she didn't feel like she deserved any of them. Guilt ate away at her, life moved quicker than she remembered.

She hadn’t really been able to leave Iolaire’s side since the golden green eyed fae returned to her arms again. The woman she once loved so fiercely wasa blessing Deathbelle didn’t feel like she deserved. She was a hollow shell of what she once was, but Iolaire had weathered as many years as she. They were two broken halves brought together. So of course, Iolaire was there at Deathbelle’s side when she faced Ashen’s borders once more.

There were many nights she lay awake wondering how her life might be different if she had only made a few different decisions. If she hadn’t fell for Archon, if she had stayed with Iolaire instead of running to Hannibal, if she had squashed the feelings for Sirius before she ever left her father’s pack…

Those thoughts never brought bright thoughts, but they plagued her as she stood before the vivid white trees that so reminded her of the man she had raised Ashen for. She leaned a little heavier into Io’s smaller frame, seeking her support as she faced this monster before her. Returning to Ashen was always hard for varying reasons, but there was light at the end of the tunnel. A tiny hope returning to her heart.

She stole a glance at Iolaire before she called out to Venom.