~O~
Honest Hearts
"What are you doing, darling? Are you still scared?"
The maid was there to offer the soup and Sofia barely registered it through the tormenting voice of Mother Miranda in her head.
She was laying silent and still when Cassandra entered the room. The Dimitrescu daughter looked at the maid coldly, then to her.
"Get out." she ordered.
"B-But Mistress told me - "
"OUT!"
The maid retreated with a frightened whimper, leaving Cassandra alone in the room with Sofia. She regarded the lifeless human with disgust before she looked down at the bowl of broth, picking it up in her hand. She studied it for a moment, then laughed coldly with a shake of her head.
"She may not understand it, but mother's wasting her time on you," she said, looking up at the woman whose back was still to her. "You're hurting her. I hope you realize that. No, of course you don't. You humans are all the same; you're selfish, disgusting animals."
No response.
Cassandra scoffed, shaking her head again. She could not focus. "Days and days go by and you just sit there, wasting time and breath. And for what? You're nothing but meat. Meat mother just seems too attached to." she continued, scathing in her words.
Again, no response and that enraged Cassandra further. With a fierce shout, she threw the bowl of broth into the wall and it shattered on impact, sending soup and bits of china all over the floor and wall.
"You're a waste of breath and it should have been you in that coffin, not Hilda!" she spat, vicious and cruel with her voice higher than it had ever been, "She was worth more than you'll ever be!"
She stormed from the room and Sofia glanced back partially at her before sighing, shutting her eyes.
She was hurting, too.
"She's not wrong, you know."
Cassandra was storming down the corridors and she passed Daniela, who watched her go with a small grin on her face. She followed her sister and Cassandra didn't acknowledge her at first until they arrived at the kitchen.
"Cass, what's wrong?" she asked.
Cassandra picked through a display of fruit, drizzled with fresh blood. She picked up a strawberry, took half of a bite and ignored her sister. She was shifting a little on her heels as she often did when she was under distress.
"Come on!" Daniela pried, poking her side with one finger. "You're barely eating your blood-strawberries. You usually wolf them down in one bite."
Cassandra rolled her eyes at her. "Just not in the mood, I suppose."
"You miss Hilda," Daniela teased. Off of Cassandra's icy look, she continued with a little more gentleness. "I know you do. She was a tough old woman. I'm going to miss her, too. She wielded fear like an axe."
Cassandra swallowed thickly and the words seemed to affect her more than she wanted to show. She nodded. "Yes, she was," she said, "Not many humans in this castle who do as well as she does. But she died in service to our family. Mother tells us she wanted that. She wanted to die human."
"She got what she wanted." Daniela sighed sadly.
Meanwhile, Sofia was laying in bed when she saw them. The figures of her life circling her. The tea from Lord Beneviento had been constant, the images a torment. But in the end, they also felt like a reprieve from the real world.
She saw her mother's smiling face in her field of vision. "Wake up, sleepyhead."
"You're weak. You've always been weak." her father growled in the corner. His body was covered in lacerations; surely evidence of what Alcina had done to him. "And that's why Hilda died, because of your weakness."
"That's ridiculous."
Sofia blinked, looked in the corner where Hilda's image stood. She was bleeding from her midsection, a cold glare on her face. Her eye softened when she saw Sofia.
"I died the way I was meant to." she assured her. "I died years ago when I killed someone for the first time. I died long before this even happened. That wasn't you, girl. That was me."
Sofia looked at each face. Even the Child Sofia smiling gently at her from the bedside.
"It's better now." Child Sofia added.
"No, it's not better." Hilda snapped, with a shake of her head. "Nothing will get better unless you find your way."
Sofia's father scoffed in the corner. "She won't. That's why I had to beat it into her. She's weak. Always has been."
"What did I tell you, little goat?" Hilda knelt down before her, bringing her face level with Sofia's. "You can't be weak. You have to keep my family alive. Don't shed tears for me anymore. Not for an old woman. I'm long gone now, just like I wanted to be. I got to die human and defending the castle to my last breath. That was what I wanted."
She wasn't there.
She would never be there again.
O
Mother Miranda had performed a sermon for the common folk of the village. Alcina had a difficult time watching the scene play out; she felt tense, watching their stupid, filthy faces and only focused on the ones who had killed Hilda. Her mind was fueled with dangerous impulses that she had often tethered so well to the ground. The dragon behind the cage was snarling, seeking more blood to satisfy those murderous desires.
How dare they sit there and smile after what had been done? How dare they lead peaceful, happy lives looking at her after they'd killed Hilda and rendered Sofia to a husk? They did not deserve their happiness. They were ungrateful animals who were fed so well by Mother Miranda and they still sought to bring about her end.
How dare they.
Tearing them apart would make her feel so much better, but Mother Miranda would have never allowed such a thing. And she would never let these swine
There was a simple departure after the sermon and Donna was standing outside of the church, waiting for Alcina. The taller woman stared down at her and Donna gestured with one hand for her to walk ahead of her. Angie was silent, which was peculiar. The wretched doll had quite a lot to say.
"She still doesn't speak." Donna confirmed.
Alcina sighed. "No..."
"I am sorry to hear it," Donna replied, quietly. Her soft tone certainly suggested that she sympathized with her a little. "Have you talked to her much since I began supplying the tea for you?"
A nod. "Yes, I have. Often more than I should."
"I meant, do you truly talk to her?" Donna questioned, tilting her head, "She needs a reason to live. Have you given her one?"
Silence from the taller woman. That would mean far too much for her. She had never spoken to anyone other than Hilda of her deepest feelings. Sofia was a treasure she would not see broken. But she could not simply make herself so vulnerable. Not now.
Angie scoffed, rattling her porcelain arms. "Wow. And you guys say I'm the weird one." she quipped. "At least I say it like it is!"
Alcina bared her teeth at the doll with an annoyed hiss and Donna looked down at Angie.
"Manners." she told her.
"Right. Because the big girl's got issues. Got it."
Alcina dismissed herself with a sharp turn, making her way back into the castle. She was welcomed by Irina, who took her coat and hat upon her orders. She was careful to take them to their proper place and Alcina dusted herself off before making her way to her chambers.
Sofia was laying with her back to her. She gave a short, disappointed laugh and walked up to her, looking down at the woman whose eyes were closed. Her chest was rising and falling steadily. She looked sickly and weak.
"Ah, well, you're asleep, I see." she mused, taking a seat on the side of the bed. "I had finished what I was doing, spent time at a sermon. Mother Miranda insisted we be present as a reminder of what she is and what we are."
Silence, of course.
"I understand you now, little hummingbird." Alcina smiled sadly down at Sofia's still form. "You want to die. You don't fear it, do you? No, of course not. But I won't let you die, little one. You don't die and you never will die."
How could you fear it anyway? How do you fear it when you always look at me like I'm a thing so special to you. Hah. Such an outrageous lie, isn't it? To be special and to be so utterly precious to another being. Yet here you are, such a creature who looks at me like I am the only one you see."
Sofia's eyes opened and she didn't turn around. She could only listen to what she was saying. This was the woman without the walls. This was the vulnerable Mistress of the Castle speaking her mind when she thought none would hear her.
"Hilda was my last grasp to my humanity," Alcina continued, hesitantly. "I often killed and tortured many women to ease the agony." A pause and she looked back at Sofia with a small chuckle. "I won't apologize for that much. I quite enjoyed it, really. But that's not the point."
Sofia continued to listen. Something about her voice and tone suggested a vulnerability she'd never heard from her before.
Alcina laughed quietly. "I didn't tell you much about it, really. I thought it would be easy to keep you from seeing the real me. But I realize that is what my mother would have done. She lied often and I am not a liar. And I never want to do that to my family."
Sofia felt a large hand on her shoulder.
"Especially to you, little bird." Alcina's voice was gentle, but the stinging edges of pain lingered.
Sofia didn't move. She didn't breathe. She kept her heart calm and slow. She would ruin this if she so much as moved an inch.
Alcina's hand lingered for a moment, gently caressing before she rose, departing from the room, leaving Sofia blinking through the haze.
O
Daniela had entered the room during lunch and found Sofia sitting up in the bed. She grinned, delighted and rushed over to quickly embrace her.
"Oh! I knew when I killed that maiden it was going to be a good day!" she squealed. "You're up! Mother will be so happy!"
Sofia winced, grimacing weakly at the grip from the other woman. Daniela pulled away, cupped her cheeks to look at her closely. Her yellow eyes glittered and she grinned before moving to the table where a bowl of broth was sitting. Fresh. Ready for a maid to come in and feed her.
"Here, try this." she said, holding the bowl out to Sofia.
Sofia's hands were trembling as she took the bowl. Daniela sat at her side, watching as she feebly struggled to sip some of the soup. Daniela took her wrist and helped guide the spoon to her lips.
"Good! I'm glad you're up now," Daniela told her, "Mother's been hurt quite a bit. I don't like seeing mother like that."
Daniela's tone was still light and playful, but the edges were frayed now; tinged with hints of red and coldness that didn't go by unnoticed by Sofia. She was silent as she struggled to bring the broth to her lips again. Each little sip eased her stomach a little and brought warmth to her throat.
"No, eat all of it." Daniela ordered, when Sofia tried to set the bowl down.
A maid entered the chamber and she brightened when she saw Sofia sitting up. "Ah! You're eating!" she said. "Miss Daniela, this is wonderful to see you helping her."
Daniela chuckled, nodding her head. "Go inform mother, would you?"
"Yes, ma'am."
The maid departed and it certainly did not take long before Alcina was there. She stepped through the door, eyes widening and expression betraying her emotion only for a second. Daniela was smiling up at her, quite proud to see her mother's relieved smile.
"Sofia!" she whispered, stunned.
Sofia smiled weakly up at her in response. "Hello." she finally spoke.
Alcina gave a breathless laugh, then her gaze hardened and she looked down at the maid standing there. "Call for the doctor. At once."
"Yes, Mistress!" the maid quickly rushed to do that.
Alcina looked down at Sofia before kneeling down before her. Daniela watched the sight with a happy smile as her mother cupped her cheeks with two hands, studying Sofia with a mixture of hurt and wonder. She was just glad to see them together again.
"How are you feeling?" Alcina questioned.
Sofia looked down at the bowl of broth, gave a small laugh. "Hungry."
A grin from Alcina. She was happy to hear that. "I can imagine, darling." she said, almost playfully; it did little to hide the strain in her voice.
"The doctor will be here shortly, Mistress." the maid announced, returning to the chambers.
"Good. Meet her at the door."
"Of course."
A bow of her head and the maid was gone. Daniela rose and gave her mother a kiss on her cheek before departing as well, bidding Sofia one last wave. Alcina turned to Sofia now, her features grave as she pressed her forehead against hers to cherish the contact. The torment on her expression was startling and Sofia had no idea that her Mistress could look that way.
"Why would you do such a thing to me?" she breathed, voice rough with emotion.
Sofia lowered her eyes. She swallowed thickly. "F-Forgive..."
Alcina's eyes opened and they were bright yellow. She looked at Sofia with pain in her expression, brushing her thumbs across her cheeks. She leaned forward for a kiss on her lips, one which Sofia very slowly responded to with a quiet note in her throat.
"You have time to earn my forgiveness." Alcina whispered, parting only a fraction to breathe the words against her lips.
It wasn't intended to be a cruel response and Sofia felt herself smiling a little, that blush touching her cheeks.
O
The doctor was shining the penlight in Sofia's eyes. She watched each pupil respond to the light before studying her.
"Do you remember your name?" she asked.
Sofia nodded. "S-Sofia."
"Full name?"
"S-Sofia P-Pe-Petrescu."
Alcina raised her eyebrows. All this time, she'd never known Sofia's surname. Then again, she spent very little time learning much about her. That would have to be rectified after this little incident.
"Petrescu! You mean, the family who owned the Petrescu Goat Farm?"
Sofia smiled weakly, nodding. "Yes."
"Ah! I've sampled the cheese from the Petrescu farm. It was quite lovely."
Sofia didn't seem to know how to respond.
"Hm, did you eat a little?" the doctor questioned.
Sofia nodded once.
"Good! I'm glad to hear it!" the doctor continued, smiling warmly, "You should still take it easy for a while. Regain your strength, stick to soup if you can."
A nod from Sofia once more.
The doctor closed her bag and rose, turning to Alcina. She smiled nervously up at the taller woman and gestured once to Sofia.
"Well, just keep her off of heavy work for at least a week," she told her, "She needs to eat light foods and drink plenty of fluids. She'll be back on her feet in no time. Though I might suggest seeing the village mental health doctor. Just to check in every once in a while."
Alcina's brow wrinkled somewhat, but she gave her a small, short laugh anyway. "Very well. Off you go, then." she said.
The doctor departed from the room, leaving Sofia and Alcina to be alone. The taller woman turned to her, approached and knelt down to look at her at her level; still a difficult feat considering that she was still looking down at her from her superior height. Their eyes met and Sofia's filled somewhat when the sight had become too much for her. She smiled sorrowfully at Alcina, lips parting as if she wanted to say something, but changed her mind.
Alcina reached up once more to cup her cheeks and she leaned her head against her forehead. She wanted to kiss her, to hurt her for doing what she'd done. Emotions swirled through Alcina's head like a storm and she couldn't latch onto a single one.
But for Sofia, she knew the truth now. She knew what Alcina had felt.
It made Sofia close her eyes. She reached up to hold the hand at her cheek.
"My little bird..." Alcina breathed, her tone free of the arrogance it held before as she cherished Sofia in her hands. "How you will soon fly again."
And with that, she shared a kiss with the smaller woman once more. Her lips were soft, warm and gently rolling over Sofia's. It was purely chaste, something Alcina wasn't often known for when it came to that sort of thing. But she was not in the mood to ruin the moment. She wanted only to have some contact with her.
It felt wonderful to be needed and wanted, even after everything that had happened. Sofia uttered the smallest sound in her throat and felt one larger hand hold hers, pulling her as close as possible. She brought warmth to Alcina's colder body.
She felt alive again.
And all it took to make her feel alive was a little goat farmer.
She would have laughed to herself, really.
