The child was born and celebrated. Kellen's father wouldn't accept any name suggested by Anthony, and Kellen didn't get involved in this conflict, which made Anthony very angry. The girl was called several names, since Anthony couldn't stop his father-in-law from giving her a name chosen by both of them. Every day he called her by a name, unaware that this would have repercussions in the future, and with the desire to cause confusion in his own daughter's mind. An emotion he hadn't felt for a long time. And he welcomed it back, even with pleasure, because Kellen's father forbade him to sleep in the same room as his daughter until the end of her confinement period, and he wasn't even allowed to see her. They only brought his daughter to him so that he could be with her, but when Anthony took her in his arms, he felt like she was a creature of darkness, conceived by a spell, and he couldn't look at her with love.
It was with immense joy that Anthony met Kellen in the dining room, forty days after the birth of his daughter. He couldn't remember how beautiful she was. He felt like pulling her out of her chair and taking her into the bedroom. She looked at him with her eyes shining and full of the same joy.
That night they went back to their normal married life. Not so normal. Anthony didn't believe that the happiness he experienced with her could be normal. It must have been the work of witchcraft. But it was such an addictive feeling that he didn't mind.
They were invited to their daughter's naming ceremony three months later. Anthony, as expected, didn't even remember her, or her name, and didn't care, either. Her father-in-law had taken her under his wing, and her parents only saw her on rare occasions.
Anthony noticed that the girl's hair had grown, and that she now had a golden hue mixed with her mother's red hair, and green eyes like hers. But she physically resembled him. This gave him great joy. His father-in-law might keep her, but her physical features would be a constant reminder that she didn't belong to him.
Anthony's father-in-law decided to name the child. Anthony thought it was a good choice and clapped along with the other guests, and was called to hold his daughter for the first time, who now had just one name: Brianna.
What he didn't expect was that that day would mark the beginning of the end of his happiness. Kellen gradually, almost imperceptibly, weakened. She began to refuse food, as she felt very sick. Anthony thought it was just another child coming, but he didn't know how wrong he was. However, he was still happy with her. The night they didn't make love, they were content to talk, cuddled up to each other in bed, until they were overcome by sleep.
Anthony saw that his daughter was growing healthily, while Kellen was getting paler and paler every day. It seemed that the child was sucking the life out of her. He couldn't bear to look at that child without lamenting his wife's fate.
...
When Brianna turned three, Kellen could no longer get out of bed.
Anthony felt tired, but he was still happy with her. Just the warmth of her body was enough to make him feel comfortable, partly, of course. For she still looked at him with joy, even if her words were few now.
During those years, Anthony avoided contact with his in-laws, and even with his daughter. He only came down for meals when he was sure he wouldn't meet any of them.
The child he was obliged to see more often, since Kellen wouldn't give up the hours her father allowed the girl to stay with them. However, Anthony always found a way to go out into the garden with the excuse that he was going to smoke, so that he wouldn't have to be near the child.
However, he found it necessary to look for his father-in-law when he realized that what Kellen had was more than just a malaise, as she always said. She had lost too much weight and her skin looked cadaverous.
Kellen needed a doctor, and Anthony had to ask his father-in-law for permission to take a healer there.
"She needs to be treated while there's still time." Anthony said, avoiding his father-in-law's eyes.
"What Kellen needs is peace. Not a doctor. She'll be fine. When you met her, she was bedridden too."
Anthony was thoughtful.
"That's true... What did you do to make her better? Maybe she needs to have this treatment again."
"Our elders gave us some herbs."
"Good. Let's use them again."
His wife's father looked at him with pity.
"The herbs have already served their purpose, so that the lineage of the Mists would not end in Kellen. The herbs have given her vigor and strength. But I'm afraid it won't work again."
"I don't care what you think. I'll treat her with those herbs again." Anthony said angrily, and went in search of his mother-in-law. He found her in the kitchen, chatting animatedly with the cook.
"Hello, Anthony. I haven't seen you for a long time. It's not like we live under the same roof."
"That was the intention... My father-in-law said that Kellen took a herbal treatment to heal herself when she married me. She needs those herbs again."
"What is my daughter feeling?"
"She's been refusing food for a few days now. I've managed to get her to eat a little with a lot of insistence, but she's very weak."
"I'll go and see her." Her mother-in-law said, and went into the couple's bedroom, with Anthony following in her wake.
She opened the door, and their daughter had her eyes closed, in a death-like position. Her mother-in-law approached her and sat down on the bed next to her, taking her hand and bringing it to her mouth for a kiss. Then she began to cry. Kellen opened her eyes and smiled at her.
"How long did it take you, Mom? I'm so glad you came."
"What are you feeling, my child?"
"I feel my life slipping away... Soon, I won't be here anymore."
"Don't say that. You're a beautiful young woman. You have many years of life ahead of you. You've been like this before, and you'll get over it again."
"Don't kid yourself, Mom."