~O~

Something Beautiful

Alcina had listened to the sounds of the woman's sobs in her chambers for a few hours now.

She was hanging from her wrists, her clothes shredded, her body marked by her claws. She was pleading for mercy, words that fell on deaf ears as Alcina brought one of her claws up to her mouth, licking the blood from them. Her nose wrinkled with disgust and she shook her head.

"Ugh, you can't even taste better." she snapped. "What's wrong with you stupid girls? I've fed you on the finest diet, cleaned and prepared you properly and you repay me like this?"

The woman looked horribly confused and looked over when Hilda entered the room. She had a moment's reprieve when the old woman looked over at her now. There was no sympathy for her - such was how things went.

"Mistress, you should know that Mother Miranda has called."

Alcina frowned, annoyed. "What? Why?"

"She wishes for another meeting soon amongst the other Lords. The Spring season will come, I assumed that is what it was about." Hilda said, her tone a bored drawl. "She would not tell me much after that. I am beneath her, as you recall."

The woman hanging by her wrists looked from one to the next, sniffling with a perplexed expression. She looked at Alcina now.

Alcina rolled her eyes with an annoyed sigh. "Alright." she replied, patting the sides of her hair. "I will be there shortly."

Hilda nodded. She started to go, then paused and looked up at the woman hanging there.

"Sorry, dear Lisbet. Should have been more careful with the windows." she said.

The girl withered and trembled with anguish, knowing what fate was to come. When Hilda left, she turned to Alcina, who smiled maliciously at her.

"Now, where were we?"

O

Sofia and Radu had made their way through the caverns. She was holding his hand as he led the way with the lantern tightly in his other hand. He'd explained that he could see in the dark without it, but she needed it more.

"You're nice." Radu said, with a happy smile up at her. "Not like the others. Not like the bird lady. She doesn't talk to us except to hurt us."

Sofia looked down at him sadly. "I'm sorry."

"That's okay." Radu looked up, sniffed the air and his eyes widened before he quickly pushed her into a nearby stack of barrels. "Quick! Hide! It's the big one!"

Sofia hurried to do as he said; she lowered herself into the shadows, stayed silent and watched Radu from her hiding spot. It took only a few moments before she heard soft snarling sounds, heavy footsteps approaching the boy.

Radu was looking up at a towering man dressed in a long brown coat, covered in thick grey fur. His face was hard to see and he wielded the large hammer in hand that he'd spoken of. Thick, sickening breaths emerged from his massive throat.

"Hello!" Radu greeted, with a small wave, "I was just walking."

A rough grunt in response.

"No, no, I haven't seen any humans here." Radu continued, with that same bright smile, "I was hungry, though. Can I go out and get some fish?"

Another grunt.

"Thank you!"

A few heavy stomps and the towering man was gone. After a moment, Radu peeked his head into Sofia's hiding spot while holding a lantern.

"Come on!" he whispered. "Hurry, before they smell you."

Sofia nodded her head and followed him through the damp, stone tunnels. She could hear the sounds of snarling around her. Radu was walking ahead, his feet and claws pattering across the stone.

"He wants to hide me from the bird lady." Radu explained, "The big one. I didn't go crazy like the others and I was too young. He's afraid she'll hurt me if she sees me. But I'm allowed to stay by the water. She doesn't like coming around here. Smells too bad, I think."

Sofia wrinkled her nose somewhat. She didn't want to agree with the "bird lady". Not when the boy was helping her.

"So where are you from?" Radu asked, looking up at her. "The farms?"

"Yes." Sofia answered, with a small smile.

"They said you work for the big lady." Radu continued. "The one that Mr. Karl doesn't like. He calls her a name I can't say. It's a no-no word. My mama told me those words are bad and I can't say them."

Sofia agreed with a nod.

Then, she looked down at his hands, reached into her coat and pulled out a pair of gloves. She stared down at them for a moment before holding them out. Radu looked amazed, taking the gift and smiling brightly up at her.

"Thanks, Miss!" he said.

Sofia smiled, nodding her head. "For you." she told him, gesturing once to his tattered attire. "Not much. But...a little."

Radu grinned, letting out a laugh of delight. He certainly liked the gift.

Then, they heard the sounds of enraged snarls and looked over their shoulders. Several Lycans were pouring down the stone path toward them. Radu beckoned frantically for her to follow and she ran behind him.

"Quick! Faster!" he shouted, "Hurry!"

Sofia followed him down a flight of stairs and froze when she heard the thunderous roar of the "big one". She skidded to a halt and the other Lycans followed suit. The large one had jumped in front of her, clutching a hammer in hand. The force sent Sofia falling flat on her backside.

Sofia got a better look at him; she saw the thick mane of white hair around his head, pools of black eyes, rows of hideous teeth and tipped ears.

He raised his hammer and Sofia was stunned when Radu stood in front of her, letting out an angry, animal hiss that reminded her of a feral cat.

The large one stopped, blinked and stared down at the boy. Slowly, he lowered his hammer, an almost human frown on his face. Radu shook his head.

"Don't hurt her! Please, don't." he pleaded, "She was nice to me. She just wants to go home."

The large man looked like a shadow engulfing the entire chamber. The Lycans behind Sofia had stopped their chase, but watched her with a series of angry snarls and hisses, waiting for the command of their alpha. Sofia could smell their breath and she wanted to vomit.

"Let her go home," Radu pleaded again, "She's okay."

The large man glanced at Sofia, lowered his hammer to the floor and took a few steps away from a set of double doors, allowing her to pass. She smiled up at him rather hesitantly.

"Th-Thank you." she whispered. She looked back at Radu. "Thank you."

She started to push the doors open, but paused and gestured for him to follow. He smiled at her, shook his head and began to put on the gloves she gave him. He waved at her.

"Go, it's okay. I'll be fine!" he assured her.

Sofia stepped out into the cold, daring a final look back at them before the doors roared shut.

"Well, well, what do we have here?"

Sofia turned, stunned to see Lord Heisenberg approaching the Stronghold. He was putting out a cigarette with a single stomp of his boot when he saw her. A smile lit his lips and he tilted his head, clearly studying her clothes and condition.

"Did one of my mutts find you?" he asked, his tone light and almost playful. "You're one of Lady Supersized Bitch's, aren't you? How'd you get so far from home?"

Sofia blinked, righting herself. "The...well." she told him. "One of them f-found...me."

Karl's smile disappeared. "One of the Lycans came into the village?"

"Yes..."

"Well, that's just great." Karl said, with a laugh. "I bet that really set off Lady Goliath, didn't it?"

Sofia stared back at him. He removed his glasses and studied her in silent for a moment, eventually letting out a small sigh through his nose.

"Know what? Go on back to your master like a good little dog." he told her. "Not like you'd even survive the night under my knife."

Sofia watched him stroll back to the Stronghold. He was whistling to himself; it was a light, cheerful song she didn't recognize. For a Lord she had just met for the first time, she found him strange. He certainly didn't act the same way that Alcina did.

She looked up toward the setting sun. It was going to get dark soon and much colder. She had to hurry back to the castle.

O

It wasn't the same.

The stupid girl wouldn't stop screaming and despite her daughter's efforts, the blood didn't taste the same as Sofia's blood. Hilda had insisted on her purity and ripeness, but nothing about it pleased Alcina in any way. Her mood had soured considerably that evening; her painting had devolved into a monstrous thing without shape and form.

She merely stood on the balcony near her chambers, watching the setting sun and cradling a glass of wine in her hand.

Freshly squeezed. The girl had a flavor to her that was ripe, rich with bitterness that she could savor often, but not tonight. Her mind was riddled with distracting thoughts; the food had satisfied a physical need and nothing more.

Hilda stepped outside, dressed in her coat. She looked up at Alcina with a frown on her face, read the frigidness there.

"I don't blame you, Hilda." Alcina assured her, before she spoke. "I blame myself most of all, really. I have simply got to stop growing attached to my food."

"It's easy to, Mistress." Hilda replied, quietly. "I would never criticize your choice in girls. I'm sure Sofia's affection for you was genuine. The little goat was nowhere near clever enough to be after you for your wealth or position, so it must have been..."

A sharp look from her silenced the older woman. She smiled sadly, shaking her head. "Well, you know."

Alcina gave a small note of confirmation, her hard expression softening into a look of regret; it was one that she had hidden often from others and one only Hilda had seen a few other times. They watched the village below in silence for a long time. Hilda shuddered somewhat and Alcina caught the gesture from the corners of her eyes. She took a sip of her wine and turned to face the older woman.

"Get inside. You're going to give yourself a chill." she told her. Her tone was softer now.

Hilda obeyed and entered the castle, passing a few maids who had been busy finishing their evening duties.

Alcina watched her go before her mind drifted back into memory; a thought that had come unbidden of her first transformation before a young woman. She'd scared her, the girl had fled in terror.

"Why?" Alcina groaned, her voice throaty and terrible, "Why did this happen?"

Miranda had been watching her, studying the wings that had grown with a peculiar awe. She'd never seen such a transformation before; the way her torso had melded to a dragon-like form. It hissed, multiple jaws spilling saliva.

"Mutations are rampant without ingesting fresh blood..." she mused, her tone clinical. She seemed disappointed somewhat. "Pity."

Alcina's red eyes filled with tears. She clenched her teeth, snarling. Miranda glanced briefly up at her before she smiled, shaking her head with something resembling sympathy.

"Poor dear. You really need to take better care of yourself, don't you?" she continued. "Kill that girl and this disappears."

"What?" Alcina growled, her pale features horrified.

"She's disgusted and terrified at the sight of you." Miranda reminded her, with a disapproving frown, "Don't be so weak. Don't let her get away. Feed or remain in that form for the rest of eternity."

Alcina looked in the direction the girl had fled. Her features twisted.

It had to be done.

She found the girl hiding in the graveyard, saw the way she looked at her. She saw the defeat, read the acceptance as she was taken into the dragon's claws.

"You won't feel a thing." Alcina promised.

The girl had closed her eyes, breathed out a simple "This isn't your fault" before her neck was promptly snapped in her claws.

Alcina was tired, shaking the unbidden memory away. She had known how to managed that form, stop the creature from ripping the bars open.

Such a waste.

She shouldn't have left the castle.

Poor thing probably got ripped apart in seconds.

O

Sofia nearly slipped on the ice as she made her way back up to the castle gates. She pursed her lips, shivering at the blistering cold on her hands. She made her way to the front gates and knocked on them as hard as she could.

It took what felt like an eternity before Hilda answered. The old woman's eye widened in shock and Sofia smiled feebly at her in response. A few passing maids noticed them and began whispering in shock, herding themselves over to the doors.

"She's alive!" one of them gasped.

"How?"

"How did she survive?"

Hilda's shaken look eventually hardened again and she glared back at the watching maids. "Get a bath ready for her and stop staring! It's cold as the grave out there!"

The women quickly hurried to do her bidding. Hilda took Sofia's hand and the younger woman was taken by how kind she was being.

"Come along..." Hilda said, gently. "Let's get you warmed up. You have ice sticking to your nose."

She wrinkled her nose and Sofia laughed weakly in response. She was led to the bathing chambers for the servants and noticed Irina was already there preparing a fire. When the young maid saw her, her eyes widened in shock and delight.

"You're alive!" she gasped.

"Yes, yes, we know. Now get the bath ready and go occupy yourself with something useful." Hilda ordered, annoyed.

Irina looked at her in protest, but the hardened glare on Hilda's face spurred her out of the room hastily. Sofia watched her go, then looked down at the old woman. Hilda had turned to study her with a sigh before gesturing with one hand.

"Alright, off." she ordered, "Get those filthy clothes off and get into the bath."

Sofia nodded and began to undress. Hilda waited watching her as she stripped down completely. When Sofia turned, her expression darkened at the sight of the scars on her back and thighs. The old woman had seen many scars of every kind from the women who came and went; Sofia's had been brutal, that was certain and it was one of the rare instances that a girl had brought scars from her family rather than her blood-thirsty Mistress.

She was more relieved to see there weren't wounds to be made from potential scratches or bites. The Lycans must not have gotten to her. It was always believed that the bites could turn someone, though none in the castle had seen it happen before.

"Alright, in." Hilda said, evenly.

Sofia did as she said, stepping carefully into the bath. She didn't make a single sound short of a flinch. Hilda offered her a cloth to clean herself with, as well as a few soaps. Hilda watched her silently while she began to clean her shoulders.

"You have quite a bit of explaining to do, but I think that would only break you, wouldn't it?" Hilda said, dryly. "Mistress will be happy to know you're alive, but don't expect a warm welcome. She's known to be quite angry about these sorts of things."

Sofia looked at her, brow wrinkling.

"Oh, please," Hilda continued, with a sigh. "Don't think I haven't noticed the way you two are acting. It's not the first time she's played with a human and had her heart broken. Well, she's broken other hearts literally and figuratively speaking."

Sofia didn't seem scared of the idea. She simply removed the bandage around her neck, revealing the raw, healing bite marks left by Alcina's teeth. Scars would form there for certain. Hilda frowned, leaned in close to get a better look at them. They were healing nicely, but the old woman began to wonder if she'd let herself be fed from again.

"I underestimated you, little goat," she said, watching her expressions, "You were far more durable than I believed. I didn't think you'd lasted the night."

Sofia looked at her sadly. "A boy. Ra-du. He...saved me."

"Radu, eh?" Hilda furrowed her brow. "Where did they take you?"

"St-Strong...hold."

"Stronghold. There was a boy there?"

"Yes."

"Hm." Hilda wasn't so sure that she believed a boy was capable of surviving. "How strange. Didn't think they'd experimented on children. Still, you're alive, so that's what matters."

Sofia nodded. She was somewhat surprised that Hilda had been a little warmer toward her. Perhaps she had been worried all the same.

"Now then, Mistress will speak with you when you're properly cleaned and dressed." Hilda warned, "Don't expect a warm welcome when you meet with her."

O

She certainly didn't get a warm welcome.

Alcina had spent the better half of an hour chastising her for her foolishness, demanding answers as to why she'd felt such an impulse to go into a well. Sofia had quietly endured the verbal rant for a few moments, glancing briefly to Hilda; the old woman shrugged once at her, a look that said "see?"

"What could have been so important that you would climb down a well?" Alcina demanded, her teeth showing, eyes wide with frustration as she sought to understand. "What sort of foolish - "

Sofia had reached into her pocket, producing the necklace and cutting the older woman's rant completely short. She blinked, staring at the thing in her hand in disbelief.

"How is this possible?" she breathed, approaching to take it.

"Found it." Sofia told her, carefully. "F-Fell in the...well. Bones."

Alcina glanced toward Hilda and the old woman raised her eyebrows with an interested look on her face. That was interesting. So she assumed that the thief had stolen it, fallen down the well and died, left to get chewed up by the rats.

"Leave us." Alcina ordered Hilda, with a small wave of her hand. "I need to speak with this little goat alone."

Hilda dared a quick look at Sofia before she departed, leaving Sofia alone. The taller woman studied her with a perplexed frown on her face, as if she were an experiment she couldn't quite figure out. There was a wounded glare that passed quickly and she made her way to her mirror, taking a seat in front of it.

Alcina didn't look at her, but gestured with one hand and Sofia approached her. Alcina was staring at the necklace, running her fingers over each little detail before she sighed, staring at the woman. Her eyes fell to the healing wounds on her neck and she licked her lips thoughtfully.

"Mmm, I suppose I owe you a debt of gratitude for finding this," she said, her tone taking on that collected smoothness, "Though you were a fool to nearly die for it."

Sofia smiled hesitantly in response.

Then, she blinked and was pulled into Alcina's lap. She looked startled for a moment, clutching at the larger arm wrapped possessively around her, holding her close. She could feel Alcina's heart beating, though it seemed quicker than what she was used to. The smell of her perfume was a welcoming scent, along with the feel of her hair against her cheek. She closed her eyes to savor that feeling, leaning further back to give her access to her throat.

"What have you done?" Alcina mumbled, with a long, tired sigh. She sounded disappointed, perhaps mostly with herself. "Why must you do this to me, little one?"

Sofia held onto her arms, features smoothing out with sadness. "I...I like you... happy."

Alcina should have discouraged this. She really should have found something to terrify the girl away. Every time she grew attached to her food, they ended up dead. Scare her. Tear her away before she opened the cage and let the creature out of it.

"When you were in that room, wearing my mother's coat," Alcina began, "I went there with every intent to kill you."

Sofia lowered her eyes, her features still filled with sadness. She closed them after a moment, then nodded her head, accepting this truth.

"I know."

Alcina stared down at the woman in her arms, astonished by the confession. Sofia smiled and shook her head.

"I...thought you did," she admitted, "I knew...the looks."

Alcina's features wrinkled, studying the human in her arms. She didn't comprehend what drew Sofia to her and she sought to ask.

"Then why?" she questioned, "Why would you draw yourself close to me? Why did you offer yourself so willingly?"

Sofia was silent, staring at her reflection in the mirror. "To...make you...happy."

Alcina's heart clenched at the confession. Sofia's words were still trapped behind bars, a lifetime of abuse keeping her from saying what she wanted. What a foolish little goat. What a foolish woman she was. What sort of thing pulled themselves to her just to see her happy?

"Every day, I sought to end it," Alcina whispered, leaning her face against her throat. "Every day, I wanted to put you out of your misery. And every day, I knew I couldn't. Your little light was shining, stunning for one so simple and plain. Yet...even though there were those who harmed you, you still sought to be a good human. You still felt life. Something I had lost, I suppose."

Sofia hadn't spoken. She simply shut her eyes, waiting for anything to happen. Death. Life. Whatever would come, she seemed to accept it.

A soft rattling purr in the larger woman's throat stirred Sofia to lay back against her shoulder. She opened her eyes, looking up at the woman with a contented, yet exhausted smile. Alcina could have spent that night drinking from her again; her look was inviting, asking for something she didn't seem to understand.

But the girl was tired, had walked far. She needed her rest.

Cupping her cheek, Alcina leaned in close and when Sofia swore she was going to kiss her, she instead brought her lips to the soft shell of her ear and whispered.

"Not tonight."

Sofia blinked, the glassy look in her eyes fading. She felt her lips parting when a single thumb brushed against her lower lip. She watched the Countess pull away and take every ounce of strength to resist her. The smells of her blood, the pulsing rhythm of her heart and the feel of her skin.

Instead, she replaced Sofia's open hand with hers, covering it entirely with the necklace. The woman glanced down at it, surprise lighting her features. Alcina smiled down at her, watching as the woman looked up with a question in her eyes.

"Go on, take it," Alcina said, her voice light with pleasure.

Sofia raised her hand, hesitated once and eventually scooped it out of Alcina's palm. She turned it in her hands for study, marveling over each little design and shape of the gemstones.

"Have you ever held something like that before?" she questioned. "Short of finding it stuck in a well?"

Sofia shook her head. It took her a second to come back to reality and push aside the buzzing feel in her head. "No." she answered.

Alcina smiled pleasantly, watching her with a warm fondness.

"I would like to see it on you."

Sofia blinked, astonished by the request.

She watched herself in the mirror as the larger woman tucked aside her hair to fit the band around her throat. Each touch was slow, teasing little flames within.

The colors of the stones and the band contrasted rather beautifully against her skin. It made Alcina smile and murmur her approval as she stroked one hand across her shoulders.

"There. Rather lovely, wouldn't you agree?" she said.

A small nod, a shy smile followed.

"Yes. Lovely."

Alcina ran her fingers across Sofia's collar bone, running delicious ideas through her head. The dragon stared through the bars, longing for another change to bite.