Hey everyone! Thanks for reading. This chapter is a bit long. It includes all four lords together: Donna and Angie, Heisenberg, Moreau, Miranda and of course Alcina. Along with Cassandra causing more mischief. Hope you enjoy!
The village:
The old hag shuffled through the village. Many of the denizens who were out and about would either give her a wide berth upon passing her, or simply high tailing it back in the opposite direction.
The village was split between seeing the old woman as a blessing while others saw her as a curse.
She was walking in the direction of the church where many had begun to congregate. Praying to the lords and Mother Miranda for protection. All those who received Mother Miranda's blessing wore a necklace to ward off evil spirits and such. They also had Mother Miranda's emblem painted on the front of their home doors. Warding off the dangers that lurk in the darkness.
The old hag reached the doors and could already hear the villagers praying inside. She stopped walking and smiled at the voices. Closing her eyes and swaying back and forth. The hymn putting her in a rapturous mood.
The village was in a state of fear and anger. Every morning the villagers would be awoken by the sounds of another mother crying out. Their baby had gone missing. There was not a trace of it to be found.
Some claimed it to be someone from their village kidnapping the children. While others started to wonder if it could be something else. All congregated at the church where they prayed to Mother Miranda. Begging her to keep the babies and children safe from this new danger.
Once the praying had stopped, the old hag listened to the Reverend begin the sermon.
Crunch. Crunch.
She turned at the sound of footsteps drawing towards her from behind. She turned and observed it was Rowan. The village physician and with him was his wife, Myra, and daughter, Katja. They were bundled up, Myra and Katja staring at the old hag with slight distrust.
"Good morning, Sylvia," Rowan said politely.
She smiled at him.
"Going inside?" he inquired.
"Yes," she said.
"Allow me to help," he said, guiding her inside where she took a seat on a lone bench in the back.
"Thank you," she said to him.
He smiled at her, leading his family to a vacant bench and taking a seat.
The Reverend speaking and praising Mother Miranda for giving them a fruitful harvest of fruits and vegetables for the cold season. They started to sing and continue on with regurgitating verses.
Sylvia barely able to keep her eyes open, the door then burst open and in staggered a disheveled man. A bottle of whiskey still in hand, he shouted.
"Liars! Blasphemers! None of us are safe. Mother Miranda is a fraud."
The congregation started to murmur and whisper to one another. Many looking at the man with hatred and slight fear, too.
"I prayed to Mother Miranda. Wore the necklace and painted the emblem on my door, but my family was still killed! My son went to be an apprentice with that Lord Heisenberg, but he never came home! Then my daughter went to work for Lady Dimitrescu at the castle. Only to return from the castle changed! She was mentally unhinged until she finally took her own life!"
"Matthias," Rowan stood up from his bench and walked up to the man, who was shaking and in tears. "Please, my friend, go on home and rest. We are all deeply sorry for your loss, truly."
Matthias eyes flashed, then. Swinging his arm around to remove Rowan from his sight.
"You are all under her spell. Every single one of you is completely blind to it. Especially you Rowan the 'Hero'. You think you are just as high and mighty. That all should worship at your feet for rescuing the village when everyone had fallen ill. The death count immeasurable." He took another sip of his bottle, shaking his head. "This village is a curse. Is cursed. Eventually we will all wind up like my son and daughter. Mark my words!" Matthias shuffled back to the door, glancing over at Sylvia and spitting at her before leaving.
The Reverend refocusing the congregations attention back to him. No one noticed Sylvia slip through the door and transform back into her original form.
"I think it is time we start to weed out all the non-believers and start fresh…," Mother Miranda said. "Which means starting with our friend, Matthias." She watched the man staggering down the path and back to the tavern.
{-}
Alcina tapped her foot irritably, drawing once again from her cigarette. Mother Miranda had called her to meet her in the old abandoned church. She hadn't the slightest clue as to what it was about, and of course Mother Miranda had not told them until the last minute, or rather showed.
Alcina was glaring at the peasant man-thing chained to the floor. He was wide awake and staring at them in wide eyed terror. Not believing he was seeing all the lords and Mother Miranda herself before his very eyes.
"Thank you all for coming…" Mother Miranda had begun the meeting, but Alcina was not listening, now eyeing over each of her new 'siblings' with disgust. She had known of their existence for some time, but never had she met them.
One was a hunched back fish creature named Moreau. Another was a woman named Donna who wore all black garbs and seated on her lap was a demented doll named, Angie. And lastly was a man named, Heisenberg. It was this foul; arrogant bastard she detested the most.
He kept staring at her with a smug countenance, reminding her of Roderick. Just watching him suck on his cigar and blow the smoke in her direction, she had the urge to chop his head off, or perhaps turn him into one of her scarecrows. The image made her grin…
Mother Miranda continued on with her news. Her words a jumbled mess of incoherent twaddle to Alcina's ears, and Heisenberg interjected his opinion on every other word was more than she could bear.
She breathed out the smoke, closing her eyes and thinking of her daughters. She did not like leaving them for long periods of time.
The three still had trouble coping with her absence. The longest she had finally managed to remain away from them was about an hour. It would always be Daniela who found her first followed by Bela and then Cassandra.
'They just laid down to rest. Perhaps I can make it back home before they wake.'
"Alcina!"
Alcina so deep in her thoughts had not realized Mother Miranda had been speaking to her. She was caught completely off guard, cursing inwardly at such a childish mistake.
"A thousand pardons, Mother Miranda, will you kindly repeat the question?"
"She was askin' if you would like to join us sometime today, Super-sized Sis," Heisenberg sneered.
"How dare you speak to me in that fashion!" Alcina snarled sharply, standing right up out of her seat. "You filthy piece of scum." Unable to control herself, she allowed her claws to elongate on her left hand. "Perhaps I should teach you a lesson on etiquette when in the presence of nobility!"
"Oh-ho, touchy, aren't we? Forgive my rudeness, my lady, I meant no disrespect," he purred, tipping his hat to her. "Lovely nails by the way."
"Are you quite finished?" Mother Miranda interjected.
Heisenberg remained silent, continuing to draw from his cigar with that glint of impudence in his eyes. She hated him. Loathed him. He cannot be trusted. Mother Miranda would be wise to dispose of him. He will prove disloyal to her. Mark my words. He is a creature made of only deceit.
"As I was saying, there have also been many foreigners arriving in the village," Mother Miranda went on. "Alcina, since you oversee the village, have you noticed any of these newcomers?"
"No," Alcina shook her head, curious as to why Mother Miranda would be so concerned by them.
"Keep an eye out, all of you," Mother Miranda said. "I was uncertain if any of you have heard of a rumor going around."
"Rumor?" Alcina murmured.
"Word has reached my ears there may be mercenaries in this village. You see the village at the moment is divided. There are those who worship us and there are others who wish to do us harm. For example our friend Matthias here. Upon following him into a tavern, I observed him speaking with a cloaked figure wearing the emblem of a two headed dolphin."
"I knew it all along," Matthias spoke up, getting himself up into a kneeling position. "You are the old hag, aren't you? Yes. There is no question in my mind now."
"Silence!" Alcina boomed, upon him in two strides and pointing her claws near his head. "How dare you speak in her presence."
The man stared up at Alcina unafraid, in fact, he started to laugh.
"What the fuck is wrong with him?" Heisenberg purred. "Hey buddy. Ya know you're not at the tavern anymore, yes? Besides our pissed off Giantess here, we are all trying to have an adult conversation. So if ya could be so kind and shut the fuck up, we would all greatly appreciate it."
"Lord Heisenberg," Matthias went on, acting as though he hadn't heard him at all. "My son, Liam, went to be your apprentice. You had accepted him along with three other boys, but none of them returned from your factory…"
Heisenberg dropped his cigar to the floor and stomped down on it.
"I told you to shut the hell up!"
"And you," he turned his focus to Alcina, his eyes growing dull as though he were in some kind of dream. "My daughter, Emily, worked as one of your maids. She was so overjoyed, but when she returned home she was nothing but skin and bones. She was bruised and had cuts all over her body. The light was gone from her eyes and then she… she, she killed herself. Hanging from the lone tree near the village gates."
"Boo-fucking-hoo!" Heisenberg was now on his feet, his hammer in hand and swung over his shoulder as he approached the man. "So what? Now you thought yourself to be the goddamn village avenger? Come to take us all down in honor of your pathetic children? Ha! Cry me a river."
"No," he shook his head. "I will not be avenging my family, but there are others who will. They will come and destroy you. They will."
"That's it. I have heard enough bullshit."
"Quite."
Alcina raising her claws to slice the man apart while Heisenberg raised his hammer both stopped at Mother Miranda shouting:
"Enough! I have given no such order for him to be destroyed."
They both stopped in mid-poise, turning and glaring at her.
"Keep him alive? Why?" Karl snarled.
"I have already decided his fate. One that I suspect you will enjoy, Heisenberg."
"Oh," he started to grin, tipping his hat to her. "Of course. Many pardons, Miranda."
"Alcina, if you will take a seat now…"
Alcina did as she was told, continuing to glare at her mother. Clearly she had chosen Heisenberg to deal with the man, but why? A clear slap to the face to be second rate compared to that foul-mouthed caveman.
"As I was saying the village must be kept in order. The Lycans will continue to purge them as well, but it is all of your responsibilities as well. I specifically am talking to you, Alcina and Karl."
"Of course, Mother Miranda. I will not let you down," Alcina said, glaring over at Heisenberg who said:
"More pigs to the slaughter. Let these mercenaries come. It makes for a more exciting show."
Moreau nodded in agreement, making grunting noises to emphasis his approval.
Mother Miranda continued to speak, but Alcina listened on with indifference. Resting her knuckles against the side of her cheek when Miranda concluded and allowed Heisenberg to take the floor. Using his hammer to set the man free, all watched the mortal disappear down a hole in the floor where he would face his demise.
Wrinkling her nose at her 'siblings' who were content with the silly entertainment, Alcina just shut her eyes. Thinking about Mother Miranda's words. Truthfully she did not care if there would be an uprising. So what if the villagers tried to revolt? She could easily dispose of them. No one could do her any actual harm, but then there were her daughters. Still helpless and susceptible to bodily injuries. She was tapping her foot faster now. The urge to get home right away her immediate concern.
{…}
Cassandra was the first to awaken from her slumber. She had sensed her mother leaving the castle. At first an overwhelming fear had started to creep into her heart, but dismissed it upon something else that had started to stir within her.
She was never allowed to explore the castle as extensively as she'd like. Her mother always seemed to keep her on a shorter leash. Never could she sneak away without her mother knowing.
She shot a glance over at her siblings who were still fast asleep in their beds. She started to grin, giggling softly as she crept out of her bed; over to the door, and out into the hallway. She had no idea where to explore first. The castle was so vast and intimidating, but Cassandra would not be deterred. She'd follow her instincts and see where they led her.
Twenty minutes later and Bela had awoken next, alarmed to find Cassandra missing.
"D-Danie-la. Daniela."
Her little sister rolled over on her back, rubbing her eyes awake and yawning.
"What i-is it, Bela?"
Bela's vocabulary still limited, she merely pointed to Cassandra's empty bed with a look of worry.
"Look for her," Daniela said.
Bela nodded, getting out of their beds, the two sisters wandered for some time. Trying to access rooms that were locked, they'd move on to the next and the next. Daniela came to an abrupt halt, causing Bela to stop and look at her in confusion.
"Come," Bela said.
"No, we sh-should go…ba-ack."
Bela shook her head, reaching out and capturing her sister's arm comfortingly.
"Come," she said again.
"Okay," Daniela said, the two now arm in arm as they ventured further through their home. They had not found any sign or trace of Cassandra, but there was one room in particular they stumbled into that was much to Daniela's liking.
The library.
Daniela gazed around in awe, dashing over to the nearest bookshelf and going through all the books she could get hold of.
"Bela!" she motioned for her sister to join her, piling book after book into her sister's arms until Bela's face could just barely be seen. The two sisters each carrying more than their weights worth of books with ease, started for the door when a blonde haired maid entered inside.
She came to a halt, stunned to find the young mistresses out of bed and carrying the books.
Both Bela and Daniela's mouths started to water at the sight of her. They could smell the fresh blood pumping through her veins. Daniela started forward when Bela nudged her and shook her head.
Daniela understood.
Their mother had specifically told them they could not kill any of the maids unless she said so, but it was Bela who had a better idea.
"Re-rad," she frowned, struggling with the word.
"'Read?'" the maid said.
Bela's face lit up, nodding.
"Read or…" she started to chomp her teeth together, giggling at the horror crossing the maid's countenance.
"A-all right, but allow me to help you carry those books back to your room."
It took a few trips and finally the room was filled with stacks of books. The two girls laying on the floor and flipping through pages of a picture book.
"Ho-hors-e." Daniela slowly pronounced the word.
Bela opened her mouth, but could not form the words.
"Hor-se. Horse." Daniela said again.
"Ho-r-s-e. Hor-se. Horse," Bela giggled, clapping her hands. "Horse!"
"Tiger," Daniela said, flipping to the next page.
"T-i-g-e-r. Tiger!"
Daniela then flipped to a page of an animal she did not recognize. She tapped her finger on the picture, looking up to the maid who lingered in the room out of fear rather than being commanded.
"Read," Daniela ordered.
Bela giggled.
"Read or…," she chomped her teeth together again, making Daniela laugh.
The maid keeping her distance from them, took a look at the picture.
"Elephant."
"Elphat?" Bela said, quirking a brow.
"E-l-e-p-h-a-n-t." the maid picked apart each letter. "Elephant."
"Elephant," Daniela tried.
"Yes," the maid said. "Elephant."
"Elephant," Bela chirped in. "Elephant!"
Pleased with picking up another word, the two continued to finish the book while the maid started to put the books onto an empty shelf.
"My ladies, may I read to you?"
The word 'read' captured both their attentions instantly.
The maid showed them the book that did not have a picture on it. The only thing it showed on the cover was the title in gold writing.
Both girls looked at one another and then back at her.
"This is a book called, 'Little Women'. I think you both will enjoy it."
"Li… Lit-tl-e," Bela cocked her head to the left, straining to get the words out. "Litt-le Wo-m-en."
"That's right, Miss Bela."
The maid took a seat in the chair near the hearth and started to read to the girls. Both soaking in the words like sponges, reading with the maid to get a fuller grasp on some of the more difficult language.
The time ticked by unnoticed by either daughter. Daniela eventually falling asleep against Bela, who remained wide awake, telling the maid to 'read' whenever she paused—hadn't sensed Alcina's arrival. She entered the room so quietly even the maiden hadn't noticed. Not until Alcina's shadow loomed down upon her did she stop reading and got right up to her feet.
"My lady! My apologizes. I-I."
Alcina shot her arm out as fast as a snake striking, fingers wrapped around the maid's throat and hoisting her into the air with ease. Deep rage filling her bloodshot eyes.
"Why are you in here? Did you break in here and disturb my daughters?!"
"N-no, my lady. I-I found Miss Bela and Miss Daniela in the library," she gasped.
Alcina turned her eyes now on Bela, who was staring with rapt attention at the scene playing out. Her mouth partially open in hopes her mother would open the maids throat and allow her to consume her blood.
"Is this true? Did you leave this room?"
Bela lowered her head submissively and gave the faintest of nods, causing Alcina to growl. Clearly she had forgotten to lock the damn door in her haste to get to the meeting and what was even worse…
"Where is Cassandra?" She squeezed her fingers tighter around the maid's throat.
"I-I don't know, my lady!"
"What?" she snarled.
"I-I only came across Miss Bela and Miss Daniela," she repeated.
Alcina growled angrily, throwing the woman away like she were a rag doll; Bela clapped her hands in amusement, laughing as the maid struggled back up to her feet.
"Useless creature," she spat, closing her eyes and concentrating in order to find her Machiavellian daughter. "Cassandra!" Her eyes flashed open, making Bela jump and accidently wake Daniela, who was blissfully unaware of what was happening.
"Mother," she said. "Read to u-s?"
"After, dearest," her tone softening towards her youngest. "Mother just needs to find our dear Cassandra first…"
Daniela groaned lowly, releasing a yawn and snuggling up beside Bela who was watching her mother like a hawk. The way she walked with such elegance, poise and power. Her words instilling such fear into all the workers, and even into Bela's own heart. In the eyes of everyone else she was a terrifying matriarch, but in her eyes Alcina was her mother and her goddess.
"Mother?" Bela said.
"Stay here both of you, I will return shortly."
Alcina did not have to look far for Cassandra. She had pinpointed her daughter in the dungeon. No doubt she had been feasting on the maidens down there. Months it had taken to keep those girls until their blood had reached the exact date to be drained. It was what made her vintage all the more desirable.
She could already smell the blood before she even got downstairs.
How many did she kill?
At first she thought some of them would be safe from her daughter with the cells locked, but that was not the case. Cassandra had managed to somehow get in, but how?! The bodies of all the females lay dead. Not a single one had survived her daughter's slaughter.
"CASSANDRAAAAA!" she roared, shaking the very foundation of the castle.
She could hear rapid feet headed out of the dungeon, swiveling around she stormed back up the stairs, continuing to follow after the menace.
"CASSANDRAAA!' she bellowed again, now standing in the middle of the Main Hall. "Running is only going to make this worse for you!" Alcina turned her attention up to the stairwell, and there seated on a step—staring at her in-between the railing— was Cassandra. The evidence of what she had done coated all over her face.
Alcina approached her child, who shrank back with each step her mother climbed. With one hand on the railing, Alcina bent down so her nose was inches away from Cassandra's.
At first Cassandra tried to feign a sweet, innocence smile.
Alcina's countenance did not shift. The intensity of her stare instilling more fear in her and erasing the smile.
"Do you have any idea what you have done? All that hard work! Gone because of you! Their blood was to be prepared for my specific brew." Alcina grabbed Cassandra by the scruff of her black dress and carried her up the remainder of the steps.
She did not fight back. Of course she never would do such a thing, remaining like a limp fish as her mother took her back into the nursery.
Bela and Daniela were now fast asleep on the floor and remaining that way when Alcina entered. Plopping Cassandra down on her bed, Alcina grabbed a cloth from out of one of the dressers and started to clean the blood off Cassandra's face.
Cassandra grunted, trying to pull away.
Slap!
The smack was not hard, but it was enough to leave a red mark on her cheek. Tears bubbled in her eyes from both the pain and shock.
"Do not ever do that again," she said. "When I tell you not to do something, you will obey, do you understand me? Do not ever test my resolve. /Ever/. Now hold still so I can clean the rest of the blood off you."
Cassandra sat as still as a statue until her mother had finished. She then crawled under the covers and remained there.
'I am sorry, Cassandra,' Alcina thought, carefully picking up Bela and then Daniela—setting them in their beds and tucking them in. 'But you must learn your place in this household. Your time as a matriarch of your own house may come someday, but for now you will obey me. For your own safety, you must follow my rules. Danger lurks outside of these walls, and there will be times where I won't always be there to rescue you.'