“Okay, why'd you really want to spend time with me?” Charlotte asks shoving her hands into her pockets as she follows Damien down the hall.

“I really just wanted to spend time with my new daughter,” Damien smiles as Charlotte’s brow arches, “I swear, making Lilith paranoid is just a bonus.” Damien raised his hands.

“Heh, so what are we doing?”

“I want to get to know you better.” Damien shrugs, “So let's do whatever you like. Go to your favorite places, meet your favorite people, etcetera etcetera” Damien waved his hand.

“Well you, Lilith, and Zachariah are really the only people I consider my favorite people,” Charlotte says, stopping at the end of the hall.

“Favorite place?”

“The garden.”

“Ahh, my wife loves the garden. I had it made especially for her. She thought the castle could use a little more color,” Damien smiles, “That's what we’ll do.”

“What?” Charlotte choked out before Damien grabbed her by the wrist and began running toward the center of the castle.

“Sweetheart!?” Damien yells into the seemingly empty circular room.

“What is this place?” Charlotte asks taking the room in.

“My art room,” a tall blonde says from the doorway across from them.

“Sweetheart, this is Charlotte, our new favorite daughter!” Damien says showing off his new daughter like she was a new model of vacuum on one of those infomercials.

“A pleasure to meet you,” the words seemed to slither off of her tongue like a snake as she sauntered over to the two.

“Charlotte, this is Laurelle, my beautiful wife, and your-”

“Mother,” Laurelle states, holding her hand out for Charlotte to shake only to pull the young woman into a bone-crushing hug, “It is so nice to meet you, sweetheart,” Laurelle says, pulling back just enough to make eye contact with Charlotte.

“Thank you, it's nice to meet you, Mrs. Morningstar.”

“Please, call me Laurelle.” the older woman smiles, taking a step back from the younger woman, “So, what are your intentions with my daughter?”

Charlotte frowns confused, “Intentions?”

“Motives. Wants out of this relationship you have with my daughter.”

Charlotte chuckles, annoyed someone could think so low of her, “I have no wants or motivations. But I do have if you will let me. If Lilith will let me, I will love, respect, and cherish her for all of eternity. If Lilith will let me, I will do everything in my power to get and give everything and anything she wants even if I have to go to the ends of the universe. If Lilith allows me I will do everything and anything she asks. Not because she is the future queen, not because I want power but because I love her, her love is all I want. And as long as she says yes I will do everything and anything to try and show her even a fraction of how much I love her.” Charlotte finishes, her voice echoing throughout the lightly furnished room. 

“And if the day comes that she says no?” Laurelle asks, stepping forward, challenging.

“Her wish is my command,” Charlotte shrugs.

“You can give up on your love that easily?”

“No. But if that's what makes her happy then I will try, for her.” Charlotte says with a grimace. 

“You’d really do all of that? Hurt yourself just to make our daughter happy?” 

“Yes.”

Laurelle smiles, “I like her.”

“I knew you would,” Damien smiles, wrapping his arm around his wife, “Now, who wants lunch?”