ACT I — CHAPTER XIII
Tʜᴇ Aᴅᴍɪʀᴀʙʟᴇ Hᴀɴᴅᴍᴀɪᴅᴇɴ

───  ⋅ ∙ ∘ ☽ ༓ ☾ ∘ ⋅ ⋅  ───

It was Sunday night, and Lydia Spellman was alone in her room, getting started on her break assignments. Even though Thanksgiving break didn't begin until Wednesday, her teachers had already begun assigning work. Typically, Lydia would put off all of her work until the Sunday before school started again, but she decided it was a good idea to be productive, for once, so here she was.

There had been some distractions along the way, of course. There had been about forty-minute phone call with Susie, which had originally started with Lydia asking for help with polynomials and ended with them discussing the best book-to-film adaptations. After that, she felt the sudden urge to read Little Women, and had spent about an hour and a half doing that. When she was finally about to start her work, Lydia heard her sister call from downstairs.

"Aunties! Lydia! Ambrose!"

Lydia pushed her homework to the side and entered the hallway. The moment she opened her door, the stench of rotting meat filled her nose.

"Ew," she muttered, before running down the stairs and seeing the source of the smell was revealed. What looked like animal guts had been nailed to their front door, and there was blood and excess guts trailing down the door.

"Can anyone explain why it looks like The Texas Chainsaw Massacre has been nailed to our door?" Sabrina asked.

"Oh dear," Hilda sighed, seeing the door, "I'll get some soap and sponges."

"And I'll get a plastic bag to collect the lamb entrails," Ambrose said.

As Hilda and Ambrose went into the kitchen, Lydia met Zelda at the base of the stairs.

"It's a message from the council, Sabrina," Zelda said, addressing Sabrina's previous question, "It means our family's been selected to participate in this year's Feast of Feasts."

Zelda went into the kitchen, leaving the twins in a state of confusion.

"Do you know what she's talking about?" Lydia asked. Sabrina shook her head.

"Okay, I just wanted to make sure I wasn't the only clueless one here."

The twins followed the rest of their family into the kitchen. Hilda and Ambrose were bustling around, gathering the materials needed in order to remove the lamb parts from the door. Zelda sat at the kitchen table as Lydia and Sabrina hesitantly walked up to her.

"Aunt Zee, what is a Feast of Feasts?" Sabrina asked.

"And why couldn't they tell us that we were selected for it through like, a letter or something?" Lydia asked.

"Well, for starters, the lamb is more of a traditional courtesy," Zelda explained, answering Lydia's question. The twins sat down at the table before Zelda continued.

"Now, Feast of Feasts, girls, is one of our coven's holiest holidays. It's similar to mortal Thanksgiving, but —"

"The menu is slightly different," Ambrose cut in, patting his cousins on their shoulders as he walked by.

"It's meant to honor the single greatest sacrifice a witch ever made to save her coven," Zelda continued.

"Praise Sister Freya, may we meet again," Hilda prayed, washing her hands in the sink.

"Who's Freya?" the twins asked, simultaneously.

"A queen amongst witches," Zelda began, "Centuries ago, the fourteen women belonging to the earliest incarnation of the Church of Night were chased out of the township of Greendale into the hills, the forest."

"The men of Greendale had hunted all the animals," Hilda continued, "So, you know, really, there was nothing to eat."

"The witches would've starved and died that winter, had it not been for the sacrifices of Freya, the youngest, strongest witch," Ambrose added, sitting next to Lydia on their bench, "She, um —"

He drew his thumb across his neck. The twins looked at him, brows raised.

"Freya slit her own throat and offered up her body so that the coven would have sustenance through the cold months, into the spring," Zelda explained very quickly, taking a long drag from her cigarette.

"Praise Freya," the three of them said, not looking the twins in the eye.

"I'm sorry, can we rewind a little bit? I'm really hoping that that isn't what I'm thinking it is," Lydia said.

"Are we seriously talking about cannibalism?" Sabrina asked.

"It's not unlike the Donner party," Ambrose argued.

"What the Donner party did was also not cool, I don't know why you're using them to validate your point," Lydia responded.

"The Feast of Feasts is an annual demonstration of our devotion to the Dark Lord," Zelda
said, "Fourteen families from the coven are selected to participate in a, uh, a lottery. The families then choose someone to represent them. A tribute, as it were."

"Only ladies are eligible because —"

"It is the Dark Lord's will," Zelda said, cutting Ambrose off, "In any case, the fourteen tributes draw lots to see who will win the honor of being Queen."

"What do you get as Queen?" Sabrina asked.

"You get to be the main course," Ambrose answered.

"Um, I'm sorry, what?" Lydia asked.

"The Queen is eaten?" Sabrina questioned.

"And you're telling me that witches willingly participate in this shit?"

"Language, Lydia!" Hilda scolded.

"I think now is when I should get some leeway with the 'language' thing."

"It is a sacred tradition," Zelda continued, ignoring Lydia and Hilda's conversation, "Our obligation is not to question, it is to obey and participate."

"But no one's starving anymore," Sabrina argued, "And we're talking about murder here."

"Ritual sacrifice," Ambrose corrected, "It's slightly different."

"I think the key word in that sentence is 'slightly'," Lydia scoffed, leaning back and crossing her arms.

"Since Hilda's excommunication, only Sabrina, Lydia, and I are eligible for the lottery, which means that I will represent the family at tomorrow night's drawing," Zelda said, standing up from the table.

"No, no, no. No. Aunt Zelda, you can't," Sabrina said, yanking Zelda back down into her seat.

"What if you get picked? We would have to eat you!" Lydia protested.

"Aunt Hilda? Ambrose? Back us up here!" Sabrina pleaded.

"We Spellman are endangered species. First our mom and dad, and now maybe you?" Lydia questioned, "Heaven, we're dropping like flies!"

"I don't want to lose you," Sabrina said. She looked to Lydia, and then back at Zelda, "We don't want to lose you."

"That's sweet, girls, but your Aunt Hilda and I have participated in many lotteries over the years, and the Dark Lord has never seen fit to reward us with being Queen," Zelda said, "I have no reason to believe this year will be any different. So please, the Feast of Feasts is happening, and like it or not, we are participating."

Zelda stood up from the table and took a large sip from the whiskey she had been drinking. She grabbed the rest of the whiskey bottle from the table and took it upstairs with her. Hilda bid the three of them goodnight and followed Zelda upstairs.

Lydia sighed, leaning her head on the table. Ambrose patted her back.

"It'll be alright, cousin," Ambrose said, trying to reassure her.

Lydia sat up in her seat, "You're only saying that because you're a warlock and don't have to participate."

"Well, I suppose you got me there," he said, standing up and leaving the kitchen, "At least you can leave the house whenever you want."

Lydia turned around, glaring at his fleeing figure, "Stop pitying yourself! You tried to blow up the stupid Vatican! You should consider yourself lucky that the house arrest was all you got!"

She turned back around and slumped into her seat. She looked at Sabrina, who had a similar expression as herself.

"Satan, I hate being a woman," Lydia muttered. Sabrina gave her a tight smile.

─ ༓ ─

"It's Thanksgiving week, class, and I want to talk to you about this town."

It was history class, and Lydia was only vaguely listening to what Ms. Wardwell was saying. She had one of the best seats in class, which was right behind Susie. She was wearing another dress. She had been wearing them more frequently ever since Jesse died.

"Your family trees tell the tale of Greendale," Wardwell droned on, "So, how well do you know your roots? For instance, you, Mr. Kindle."

Lydia, in all honesty, did not give two shits about Harvey's parentage, so she elected to continue staring at the back of Susie's head. She had always thought that her hair looked so soft. Lydia suddenly felt the strong urge to just reach out and touch it —

The bell rang, signifying the end of class. Lydia quickly shoved all of her belongings in her bag and began to rush out the door to meet Susie. That was, until, Sabrina grabbed her arm and pulled her back.

"What?" Lydia asked, slightly annoyed.

"We're supposed to talk to Ms. Wardwell. About the Feasts of Feasts. Remember?"

Lydia sighed. She still didn't like Ms. Wardwell, but she had agreed to ask about the Feast with Sabrina before they went to bed the night before.

"Alright, let's be quick about it, then," Lydia said. The twins waited until every other student had left before walking up to their teacher.

"Lydia, Sabrina. Is there something you needed?" Ms. Wardwell asked.

"Unfortunately, yes," Lydia answered, in turn receiving an elbow jab from her sister.

"Ms. Wardwell, have you ever heard of witches celebrating something called Feast of Feasts?" Sabrina asked.

"My former coven, the Church of Shadows, had a comparable ritual," Ms. Wardwell answered, "It's a —"

"I really don't care. Do you know if there's any way to not participate in it?" Lydia asked.

"Or even stop it?" Sabrina added.

"Not off the top of my head, but I could do some research, if you like," Ms. Wardwell offered.

"That would be great, Ms. Wardwell, and we'll do the same," Sabrina said, "Thank you."

The twins quickly left her classroom.

"With everything going on, I don't know how we're going to have time to research our family, let alone all the other break work we have to do," Sabrina sighed. Lydia looked at her, confused.

"Why do we have to research our family?" Lydia asked.

"It's our break assignment for Ms. Wardwell's class. Were you even listening?"

Lydia shrugged. Sabrina gave her a knowing look, "Of course, how could I forget? You have the best seat in class."

Lydia shoved her, walking away as Sabrina laughed behind her.

─ ༓ ─

Later that day, the twins arrived for school at the Academy of Unseen Arts. The moment they entered, they heard a conversation occurring between the Weird Sisters.

"Don't be jealous, girls. Maybe it'll be your turn next year," Prudence was saying. Sabrina immediately walked up to them, with Lydia trailing behind.

"Wait, Prudence, you're a part of this lottery?" Sabrina asked.

"There were entrails on her bed, but she's always been lucky that way," Dorcas and Agatha said, simultaneously. At this moment, Lydia understood why Ambrose found her and Sabrina talking at the same time so creepy.

"Lucky? Hang on," Sabrina began, "You actually want this? You want to be sacrificed?"

"More than I've ever wanted anything in my life," Prudence answered.

"But that's insane. Why?" Sabrina asked.

"You wouldn't understand, half-breed, you're not a real witch. But there is no greater honor," Prudence snapped. It took everything in Lydia not to roll her eyes.

"Imagine, an orphan being Queen!" Dorcas said.

"It would be the first time in the history of the Church of Night," Agatha added.

"You know, Sabrina, I don't understand how you and your sister are related," Prudence said.

Lydia's eyebrows furrowed, "What do you mean?"

Prudence just smiled, "Oh, nothing. Nothing at all."

"Nicholas, wait! Wait up!" Sabrina suddenly called. She grabbed Lydia's arm and pushed through the Weird Sisters, walking up to Nicholas and, indirectly, Thomas.

"Where do you stand on the Feast of Feasts?" Sabrina asked once they reached them.

"I'm a conscientious objector," Nicholas answered, "I think it's insane."

"Thank you," Sabrina sighed.

"You know, your father actually banned Feast of Feasts when he was High Priest," Thomas said, but he was looking at Lydia, "He said it was barbaric."

"If it was banned, then why is it happening again?" Lydia asked.

"Blackwood reinstated it when he became High Priest. He claimed to receive a 'revelation' from the Dark Lord to return to our old rituals," Thomas explained.

"Wait, you two aren't tributes, are you?" Nicholas asked.

"No, our Aunt Zelda is putting herself forth," Sabrina said. After a moment, her eyes wondered, "But I wonder how Aunt Zee would feel about the Feast if one of us were on the chopping block."

Sabrina looked at her sister, a mischievous smile on her face. Lydia could only sigh. Unfortunately for her, Sabrina had an attraction toward stupid ideas, and Lydia could never say no.

─ ༓ ─

"Okay, if it lands on heads, then I go. If it lands on tails, then you go, alright?"

The twins currently sat on Sabrina's bed. Sabrina currently held the coin that would decide their fate, as neither of them could bring themselves to let the other volunteer.

"Heads, you. Tails, me. Got it," Lydia said, nodding her head.

Sabrina gulped. Lydia touched her shoulder, reassuring her. Sabrina breathed in and out, and, with shaky hands, flipped the coin. She caught it and then flipped it onto the back of her hand.

Sabrina shared a final look with Lydia, before lifting her hand.

"It's tails," she breathed out.

Lydia's breath hitched, "Well, shit."

─ ༓ ─

"This is a bad idea. There's no way this is going to accomplish anything. Besides, we both know Aunt Zee loves you more, she probably won't do anything if I'm picked for it. If anything she'll probably be happy if I am," Lydia rambled.

The twins were walking through the woods to the Church of Night. They were speed walking, as the drawing had already started a few minutes earlier.

"Do you want me to do it?" Sabrina asked.

Lydia shook her head, "No way, I can't risk you being picked! Besides, the coin chose me, I'm just saying  the odds might not be in my favor here."

The church came into view, and the twins started walking even faster.

"Get ready, we're going to have to make an entrance," Sabrina said. Lydia nodded. they walked up to the church, pushing the doors open.

"Stop!" Sabrina yelled. The twins hesitantly entered the church as all eyes fell on them.

Lydia made eye contact with Zelda and gulped. Sabrina gave her a nudge, which made Lydia realize she had stopped walking. She started walking again, past the pews, up to Father Blackwood.

"There's been a bit of a mixup," Lydia explained, "I will be drawing for the Spellman family."

"Lydia, what in Satan's name are you doing?" Zelda hissed.

"I am fixing our mistake, as well as upholding a beloved tradition," Lydia told her.

"Unless, of course, you want to admit that this whole thing is barbaric, as our father believed," Sabrina said, who stood just a couple of feet behind Lydia.

Father Blackwood walked up to where Lydia stood, glaring down at her. Lydia gave a slight glare right back. She hoped that she didn't look too afraid.

"Sister Zelda, is there a problem?" Blackwood asked, but his dark eyes never let the girl

Zelda looked around the room, and then looked at Lydia. Her eyes looked conflicted, and for a moment Lydia thought that she might say something in protest.

That was until Zelda regained her composure, "No, Your Excellency. My brave niece is going to represent the family this year. So, Lydia, by all means, go ahead."

Zelda walked off the stage where the rest of the candidates stood. As she walked past Lydia, she spat out, "Select your paper."

As Zelda sat down, Lydia turned back to Sabrina.

"I told you this was a bad idea!" she muttered. Sabrina gave her an exasperated look, and Lydia slightly put her hands up in defense. Lydia turned back around, walking up onto the stage and claiming the spot where her aunt had previously stood.

She looked at Prudence, who was now to her left, and gave her a tight smile. Prudence raised her eyebrows in amusement. Lydia then turned to Lady Constance, who stood in front of her, holding the box of papers that held her fate. She slowly reached forward, grabbing the slip on top.

Lydia's gaze then fell to the candle, sitting on the table in front of her. She tried to keep a neutral expression in order to show she wasn't scared in an attempt to possibly anger Zelda. She wasn't so sure she looked emotionless, though.

Once everyone had grabbed their papers, Blackwood knocked twice on the table.

"Burn them!" he commanded.

With shaky hands, Lydia raised her paper to the fire and set it to flame. Everyone else's fire looked normal, but the smoke from Lydia's flame had turned red. Her heart was pounding in her chest. Did this mean that she was Queen? In just a few days, would she be eaten by those around her?

Then Prudence cried out next to her, and as Lydia looked to her left, she saw that the smoke from Prudence's fire was burning white.

"Prudence is Queen!" Blackwood announced. Lady Constance started clapping, and soon everyone else joined in.

Prudence walked off the stage, as Lydia kept her eyes on her flame. If white meant you were the queen, what did red mean?

"When will it be my turn?" the woman next to her whispered. Lydia looked at her and saw that the woman was crying. Lydia tried to hide her shock — she just couldn't understand why anyone would want to die in such a way.

"All hail, Queen of the Feast!" Lady Constance yelled, holding Prudence's hand in the air.

"All hail, Queen of the Feast!" the coven repeated. Father Blackwood walked over to Prudence and raised her other arm.

"Kneel before your queen!" he yelled.

Everyone kneeled, except for Lydia and Sabrina. Lydia's hands were still shaking as she looked at her sister, who had never looked more relieved in her life. However, when Lydia looked at Zelda, she couldn't read her face at all.

The second they were dismissed, Zelda walked up to the stage where Lydia still stood and grabbed her by the arm. Zelda dragged her out of the church, with Sabrina trailing behind them. As they walked home, Lydia could hear Zelda cursing her under her breath.

Once they entered the safety of the Spellman home, Zelda finally dropped Lydia's arm and stormed into the kitchen.

"She's going to kill me," Lydia stated, accepting death. Sabrina couldn't hold in her laughter, as she urged Lydia to follow their aunt into the kitchen anyway. Ambrose and Hilda sat at the kitchen table while Zelda stood by the sink, glaring daggers at the twins.

"Do you realize how close you came to being sacrificed?" Zelda asked, taking her gloves off and slamming them onto the kitchen table.

"Sabrina didn't think you'd actually let me go through with the drawing," Lydia argued, "Which is why she probably should've done it, you'd be more likely to stop her than me."

"Oh, so it's my fault that you and your sister decided to play a game of chicken with me in front of the entire coven. That's rich," Zelda snapped, "And do not turn this into a stupid competition of favorites, Lydia."

"Right, well, what's done is done. Let's just praise Satan. He decided to spare you both," Hilda said, stepping in before Lydia could respond.

"Not entirely. Lydia drew the lot of handmaiden," Zelda told her.

"Better to be the shepherd than the lamb," Ambrose said.

"Is that because of the red flame thing?" Lydia asked, "What does that mean?"

"The lamb is the Queen and the shepherd is the handmaiden," Ambrose explained.

"The Queen's exaltation is the highest honor, so for the next three days, while the coven fasts and prepares for the Feast, the handmaiden must indulge the Queen's every whim," Zelda added.

"So I'm supposed to spoil the girl who harrowed us?" Lydia questioned.

"Preferably with figs and wild berries to sweeten her meat before the feast," Ambrose said, a giant smile on his face.

"That's not even funny, Ambrose," Sabrina scolded.

"Oh, come on, cous, it is a little funny. Prudence getting her just desserts by literally becoming the dessert," Ambrose retorted. Lydia leaned her head back and sighed.

"Okay, what if, hypothetically, I just shot myself? Would I still have to be handmaiden then?" she asked. Sabrina hit her arm.

"Well, if you did that, we'd just eat you," Ambrose quipped. Lydia shot him a glare before turning her gaze on Sabrina.

"What?" Lydia asked, holding her arm.

"Every time you phrase a question or situation with 'hypothetically' we all know you're being serious. I swear if you try anything —"

Sabrina was cut off by the doorbell ringing, and Ambrose quickly got up to go answer it.

"Relax, 'Brina, I was only kidding. No need to be so serious," Lydia said, "Besides, Ambrose is right, you'd all just eat me, which would kind of defeat the purpose of our stunt."

Sabrina rolled her eyes which prompted Lydia to stick her tongue out at her.

"Are you five?" Sabrina asked.

"Are you five?" Lydia mocked, leaving the kitchen and walking to the front door. She had a feeling she knew who was there.

As suspected, Prudence was currently walking towards her stairs.

"Hello, Prudence," Lydia greeted through gritted teeth.

"Handmaiden," Prudence greeted, dropping her bag at Lydia's feet.

Sabrina walked into the foyer then, holding an apple she was going to eat. Prudence quickly plucked it from her hands and took a bite out of it. It took everything in Lydia to hold her tongue.

"I assume my room's upstairs?" Prudence asked, walking past her and up the stairs before Lydia could answer, "I'm dying for a warm buttermilk bath. And a plate of macaroons."

As Prudence left her eyesight, Lydia turned to Sabrina and Ambrose.

"Getting eaten by the entire coven actually would be better than this."

─ ༓ ─

This was most likely one of the worst nights of Lydia's life. She was currently washing Prudence as she sat in her bathtub, soaking in buttermilk and rose petals as she snacked on macaroons.

Lydia was very relieved when she found some macaroons shoved into the back of the refrigerator. Then she begged Hilda to make some buttermilk, which actually didn't take much persuading. Luckily for her, Hilda could cook or bake anything in a matter of minutes if she really put her mind to it. The roses she had to take from the vase that sat by Zelda's bed. Lydia would have to apologize to her later.

Prudence looked over at Lydia as she was washing her arm.

"You can do my back now," she said, a smug look on her face.

Prudence sat up in the bath as Lydia moved to the end of it. She began to wash Prudence's back with the washcloth.

"Tell me, handmaiden, will this be your first time supping on witch flesh?" Prudence asked. Lydia's eyebrows raised in the sheer bluntness of the question.

"Unfortunately, I will not be participating in Feast of Feasts this year," Lydia replied.

"And why is that?" Prudence asked.

"I'm a newfound vegetarian as of about three hours ago," Lydia explained.

They sat in silence as Lydia continued to wash her back. Sabrina had asked Lydia to tell Prudence that they wouldn't mind if she decided to run away, to escape her fate. She decided against it, though — Prudence seemed pretty content.

As she washed Prudence's neck, Lydia remembered something she had said earlier, something that had been puzzling her.

"Prudence, I have a question, if you don't mind," Lydia said, hesitantly.

"And that question is?" Prudence asked.

"What did you mean earlier, when you said how you didn't know how Sabrina and I were related?"

At first, Prudence said nothing. Lydia started panicking, wondering if she should've just kept her mouth shut.

"I think you're admirable, and that she isn't."

It shocked Lydia so much that she froze. Prudence, who had harrowed her and insulted her constantly, found her admirable?

"I — what?" Lydia questioned. Prudence laughed a bit.

"I know you share the same belief as your sister, that the Feast of Feasts is insane, yet you're not saying anything. You're not trying to talk me out of it or convince me to believe in your way. Even when you went in front of the coven tonight, you didn't call it wrong, or barbaric. It's admirable that you can understand that this is something I want, even though you don't necessarily understand it yourself," she explained, "Now, if your sister were here, she would be trying to talk me out of being Queen, she'd probably tell me to run away."

"She actually did tell me to tell you that we wouldn't mind if you did run away," Lydia blurted out. She didn't mean to rat her sister out. She immediately wished she could take it back.

Prudence laughed, "Of course she did. but then again, I suppose she — the both of you don't understand that I'm about to be transubstantiated."

Lydia moved back to her previous position by Prudence's arm, who was leaning back again.

"What does that mean? To be transubstantiated?" Lydia asked.

"After the coven consumes my body, I will be a part of every single witch in the Church of Night, forever," Prudence explained, "but that's not even the best part. My spirit will reside in the Dark Lord's heart, alongside the other Queens, basking in the glow of his glorious fire until the trumpets of the apocalypse are sounded."

"You really think that'll happen?" Lydia asked.

"With absolute certainty," Prudence answered immediately.

Lydia paused, thinking it over. Prudence obviously believed very strongly that once she died she'd still live on, but it sounded too good to be true in a way.

"But what if that doesn't happen? What if you're sacrificed and then, it's just nothing?"

"Is that what you believe?" Prudence asked her.

Lydia shrugged, "I don't know. In all honesty, I try not to think about what happens when we die. Some of the mortals at my school think they'll go to heaven and live there forever. I like to think that it will be similar for us witches, but sometimes it feels too good to be true."

That was the truth, a truth Lydia had never told anyone before. It scared her that she told Prudence so easily. Prudence simply nodded, thinking over what Lydia just said.

"Perhaps one day you'll figure it out," she said, sitting up on the bathtub once again, "You didn't finish my back."

Lydia moved back to the end of the tub, washing Prudence's back once again.

"Just because I think you're admirable doesn't mean I like you," Prudence said, "You're still a dirty half-breed."

Lydia couldn't help but smile. She was just glad Prudence couldn't see her face.

"Yeah, I know."

─ ༓ ─

Prudence ended up taking Lydia's bed, with Lydia sleeping on the floor at the foot of it. Sabrina, in protest, slept on the foot of her own bed as well. It made Lydia feel a bit better.

At 2:32 AM, the twins were woken up by music and voices coming from upstairs. Lydia groaned and put her pillow over her head.

"Where's Prudence?" Sabrina asked, her voice groggy. Lydia immediately sat up and looked at her bed, which was empty. She sighed.

"Take one lucky guess," she mumbled, standing up.

Lydia angrily stomped down the hallway, rubbing her eyes in order to wake herself up. She walked up the stairs that led to Ambrose's room.

"Ambrose?" she called. When she received no answer, she assumed her voice was drowned out by the music. When Lydia reached Ambrose's room, her jaw dropped and her eyes widened, not believing her eyes.

An orgy was the only word that could be used to describe the current situation. Prudence, Ambrose, Dorcas, Agatha, Nicholas, and Thomas were all taking turns making out with each other. Lydia hoped that this was a terrible dream.

"What the fuck?" she wondered aloud, thinking that no one heard her. Thomas' head quickly snapped towards her, followed by everyone else's.

"Lydia —"

"What's going on?" Lydia asked, cutting Thomas off.

"I invited them, handmaiden," Prudence explained, "and no plebe can deny a Queen on the days leading up to her sacrifice. It also helps that darling Tommy here is hornier than a toad."

Everyone quickly went back to what they were doing, but Thomas' attention stayed on Lydia.

"You could join us, Lydia," Thomas offered. Lydia blinked at him.

"Uh, hard pass," she said, her voice shaky. She was incredibly uncomfortable, but felt frozen as Thomas stared at her.

"If you'd like, you and I can go to your room. Just the two of us," he said, moving closer so that he was on his knees at her feet, "We wouldn't have to go through all these theatrics. I promise I'd treat you well, make you feel good."

If it was even possible, Lydia's eyes grew even wider. She didn't know what was scarier, the words he was saying or the earnest look in his eyes. Lydia felt more naked under Thomas' gaze than the rest of them, and they were literally all half-naked.

"Um — what — I —" Lydia's brain was not functioning.

"You're killing the mood shepherd," Prudence groaned, "Either get in or get out!"

This was all the motivation Lydia needed to move, and she quickly backed away from the situation and headed down the stairs and back to her room. She quickly laid back on the floor and pulled her blanket over her head.

"What happened?" Sabrina asked, obviously confused. Lydia shook her head.

"I don't want to talk about it."

─ ༓ ─

The next morning, Lydia relayed all of the previous night's occurrences to Sabrina, from her and Prudence's talk in the bathroom to the situation in Ambrose's room. She did, however, choose the leave out the part where Prudence said she was admirable. Lydia figured Prudence wouldn't want anyone to know that.

The twins got ready for school and then headed downstairs. They ate a quick breakfast with the rest of their family.

"Hey, Ambrose, where's Prudence?" Lydia asked as she got up to put her dish in the sink. Ambrose shrugged.

"Why would I know?" he asked.

Lydia pursed her lips and gave him a pointed look, "I don't know, Ambrose, why would you know?"

Ambrose looked at her, and then Lydia looked at her aunts, hinting that she would tell them about last night. While they wouldn't get him in any trouble, she knew Ambrose wouldn't want their aunts to have that vision of him in their heads. Ambrose sat up in his seat and cleared his throat.

"She's on the porch," he muttered. Lydia smiled.

"Thank you, " she said, and she and Sabrina walked outside.

They walked around the porch until they found Prudence, who was peacefully sitting, drinking a mug of coffee. Sabrina leaned against the house, while Lydia leaned against the banister.

"Good morning, Prudence. Did you sleep well?" Lydia asked.

"Like the dead," Prudence responded, taking a sip of her drink.

"I've been thinking about what we talked about last night," Lydia began, "about the whole death thing. I still don't really know what happens when it comes to death, and I'm not sure what to believe."

"I also don't know what to believe when it comes to death," Sabrina admitted, "but I believe that life, all life, even the life of someone who tried to kill me and my sister, is precious. Witch life, mortal life."

"Eternal life, which is what awaits me after the feast," Prudence said.

"And there's nothing we can say or do to make you change your mind?" Sabrina asked.

"No," Prudence asserted, looking at Lydia for a moment before looking out at the woods.

"Okay, well, if there's no talking you out of this," Sabrina sighed. The twins began to walk away.

"Wait, where are you going, handmaiden?" Prudence asked. Lydia turned back to her.

"Baxter High. I have a Biology test today," she answered.

"And we're going to live our lives. As fully as possible, for as long as possible," Sabrina added.

"The shepherd is meant to take care of the lamb," Prudence reminded Lydia.

"Yes, but this shepherd has an 88% in Biology, and this test might be what this shepherd needs to get to an A," Lydia explained, when she was suddenly struck by an idea, "You can always come with me, if you'd like."

"And why would I do that?" Prudence asked.

"Boys," Lydia answered, "Lots and lots of mortal boys. You can torment them, or seduce them, or both."

"Who knows, Prudence, maybe you'll find the meaning of life at Baxter High," Sabrina said, encouraging Lydia's idea.

"Oh, Lydia had me at boys to torment," Prudence said, setting her coffee down. She stood up and began to walk back into the house.

This would probably be the most interesting day of school Lydia had ever had.

─── ⋅ ∙ ∘ ☽ ༓ ☾ ∘ ⋅ ⋅ ───

REWRITTEN: february 2024
EDITED: july 2024
WORDS: 5,550

AUTHOR'S NOTE! this is my favorite episode from part one therefore these next few chapters are some of my favorites.

did i forget to update last week? yes. my bad guys i was on vacation

i said this in another author's note, but when i started writing this fic like five years ago i had some of the chapter titles planned out ahead of time, and this was one of them. i just always really loved this episode lol.

i hope you all enjoyed this chapter!! please vote and comment if you did :) have a wonderful day!