Chapter 3: Chapter 2: A new mother
As the years passed, Laila grew older and the jar around her neck rested higher and higher, closer to the bottom of her neck. Her tanned skin grew more vibrant, tiger lily tones underneath a blanket of rich medium maple skin. Her irises grew into wide tiger eyes, brown like the gemstone and fletched with honey flecks and curiosity. Her hair flocked in dark, wavy cinnamon locks, spiralling down her back like a waterfall.
However, her father also remarried to a sneering woman, Baroness Catherine, and accepted her two daughters, Judith and Iris, into the household when she was just 10. The Baroness boasted light creamy golden skin, enticingly youthful and fresh. Her eyes were a deep blue like tanzanite, glittering with a hidden greed. Her hair whipped around in spindly black cords, thick and tied in a braid tailored into a scorpion's tail.
Judith had inherited her mother's fair honey like skin, mixed with a little milk and a beauty spot next to her lip. Her pitch black hair was thinner and held in a precarious bun, jewelled together with a sparkling clip. Her eyes fluttered a citrine shine, a light yellow like a cat's. Iris, by contrast, had a darker tone to her skin, more sun kissed and brown like light hickory. Soft wispy bangs of dark brown and stiff chocolate strands were tied in twin braids cast over her shoulders. Rich ocean blue eyes peeked out from behind the bangs, cold yet caring.
Excitement and nerves flowed out in invisible tears as Laila rocked on her heels, dressed up in her best clothes as she awaited the arrival of her new family. Her Abb had remarried to a woman of Spanish descent, a wealthy baroness who was a devout Christian. She apparently had two daughters and Laila, who had been a lone child her whole life, was excited to have sisters! Giddiness filled her and she wrung her hands as the carriage rolled in. Stepping out with a flourish, the baroness was the first person she saw. Dressed in a rich blue robe and a shimmering dress that showcased her collarbones, the woman looked down at the child. In turn, she looked up in awe, watching the perfect braid swing like a pendulum behind her. It swayed to and fro like the heavy pendulums in grandfather clocks, ticking the seconds to doom in her books.
"Excuse me, child. Is the-"
"Are you my new Umm?"
The woman was irritated at the cheerful interruption but her annoyance turned to disgust at the last word.
"Do not talk to me with that filthy language. You will address me as Baroness or not at all."
Laila flinched, never having heard such aversion to her mother's tongue before. The language her mother had taught her and that rolled over her wise tongue, sweet and smooth as her late mother had read the Quran to her before bed and kissed her forehead before whispering goodnight habibati.
"I...your hair looks really pretty!"
Laila blurted out, quickly moving topic and desperate to gain her new mother's favour. Blinking, the baroness sniffed and gently patted her head.
"I should hope it does, it's my hair after all. But your…squirrely brown hair doesn't look very bad either."
The compliment, if you could call it one, lit up the child like a lantern and she beamed her light out in a shining smile. Catherine awkwardly smiled back before moving on to enter the mansion which lit up a smile of her own, but darker and more twisted.
Out of the carriage peered two faces, one lighter skinned than the other. Honey calcite eyes flashing as she exited ahead of her sister, the first girl fixed her gaze on Laila and smiled, her beauty spot accompanied by dimples. She was in a yellow dress adorned with green patterns.
"Oh hi!! I'm Judith! That beautiful woman was my mother so make sure I am trea-"
"Ahhh! I'm Laila!! Are you my new sister, Judith?"
Laila clapped her hands excitedly as Judith's face morphed into confusion.
"Is your father the man my mom married?"
To her nod, Judith looked her up and down and smiled.
"You look like him! Yes!! I'm your new sister!"
"And so am I, Judith."
A quieter, firmer voice spoke up as the other girl exited, shy blue eyes brushing away her bangs. Curtseying, she introduced herself, her ocean blue dress matching her eyes.
"I'm Iris, it's a pleasure to meet you Laila."
"Ah yes! It's a pleasure to meet you."
Rushing to correct her manners, Judith mirrored the move and giggled. Laila laughed and curtseyed clumsily too.
"We don't need to do this! You are both going to be an ukht of mine after all!"
"Judith! Iris! Come to me! Now!"
Before either of the two girls could answer, an unmistakable sharp shout sounded from inside the house, belonging to the baroness. Quickly nodding a smile to her, Judith and Iris hurriedly ran to their mother as Laila's father arrived and swooped his daughter up in a big hug. Grasping their shoulders tightly, Catherine hissed at her daughters.
"What were you talking to that girl for?"
Iris blinked with confusion, scrunching her eyebrows.
"But mother, she's our sister! Laila's a nice girl-"
"Oh of course she's a nice girl but just give her one minute to talk and she'll start spewing that arabic nonsense like the rest of those islamic idiots."
Judith's eyes shone as she thought she could impress her mother.
"Yes you're right! Just now, she was about to call us something, I don't know what, but it didn't sound english!"
"Ahh my dear, don't let her freaky language frighten you. We'll work around it in time. But she is your new sister and… my new daughter so let us show her how we deserve to be treated, hmm?"
Judith and Iris nodded, thought the latter asked as she tilted her head.
"But mother, if 'islamic idiots' don't deserve a place in our family like you told us, why did you marry that man?"
Catherine hummed, tapping her chin before sighing.
"I loved him. I liked him but he was only up for a formal relationship such as marriage and when I found out he had this mansion in his name, it means he's immediately above the rest. But don't worry my sweet, we'll only have to tolerate acting like she's our equal in front of his eyes. Run along now and pick your rooms."
Bobbing their heads in simultaneous nods, they giggled and rushed off giddily as the mother smiled warmly after them.
CREATORS' THOUGHTS 
CTtrajan
CTtrajan Notes:
"Abb" means "father" and "Umm" means "mother". Adding an -i or -ee makes it "my"
"Ukht/i" means "my/sister"
Please tell me your thoughts on Catherine, I hate her :D
Thanks for reading!
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone