Chapter 1: A Plan is Born.
Miranda found herself distracted as she mulled over her latest research into potential vessels for her dear Eva. Her youngest, Karl, had been brooding, sharp tongued and on edge for several weeks now. Her children's generally terrible temperaments never bothered her, not everyone could wield such power as herself and stay so level headed. But, during these long hours in her lab she found herself drifting towards the paranoid notion that one of them may believe they could be better off without her.
Ridiculous.
Nevertheless, keeping a closer eye on the boy was not too over the top. Luckily for Miranda, she had been blessed with the perfect scapegoat to enable her to gain more insight into what exactly her son was doing whilst holed up in his little factory without arousing suspicion that his mother was watching.
Once again, Alcina and Karl had devolved into baseless insults the minute they were allowed to speak during the latest meeting between Miranda and her children. Supposedly, Alcina had caught wind from that blasted "Duke" who floated around Miranda's village without permission or consequence, that Karl's factory was akin to a landfill.
"Someone with this level of apathy for their own home, gifted to them by Our Blessed Mother Miranda, does not deserve the title of Lord"
"Oh shut your maw you parasite, how bored are you in that dust coated castle of yours that you're gossiping with the Duke?"
"Dust-coated? Mother Miranda this attitude towards his own kin, his village and himself is vastly unfit for the title of Lord, I personally believe that Heisenberg should be stripped of all land and titles until he learns to look after himself and his belongings like any toddler is capable of doing"
"Listen up you whal-"
"ENOUGH". To Miranda, Alcina and Karl were like warring ants, so wrapped up in their intense battle and completely unaware of their insignificance to the much larger and more advanced world they lived on. She'd treated herself to a large glass of wine that night, a common occurrence after such blowouts, but there came the idea, the golden opportunity to put her paranoid thoughts of disobedience and mutiny to rest.
The plan was set the next morning, where Miranda had announced a secondary, private meeting between her two quarreling children at Alcina's castle. Her daughter had been delighted, always desperate to be in favour, Miranda often wondered if she'd been rejected often by a parental figure or object of affection during her human years that left feelings intensified by her cadou. She'd yet to delve into the psychological impact of cadou implantation. Psychology bored her.
In a private parlour room within the castle, with both her children forced to sit next to each other on a plush, luxurious settee, Miranda informed them of her plan.
"The topic of conversation from our meeting yesterday has made me consider some things. Alcina", her daughter's eyes were beaming from the acknowledgement, pathetic, "you may be correct. Your brother cannot maintain his factory by himself, it is unfeasible to expect it of him whilst he is also maintaining his factory and the lycan population." Her son shifted uncomfortably, despite his loud barking at his sister at any given opportunity, and his love for theatrics whenever given the chance to punish wandering travelers or the odd villager, her son returned to the shy boy she caught an age ago, a lost soul from somewhere in Germany, who'd been shipped off to Miranda's village under the pretense of being put into the care of a long lost aunt.
"To resolve this issue, I ask you, my daughter, to lend one of your staff to live and work within Heisenberg's factory for the time being."
Heisenberg did not speak as Miranda had assumed, she thought the boy would rise up, puff his chest like a gorilla and start shouting. But instead he stewed in his evident rage, the air in the room nearly crackling with the static energy he was producing. Alcina on the other hand looked dumbfounded, Miranda admitted it was rare for her to ever "take a side" between her children, since both of their opinions often meant nothing to her.
"Why yes, of course Mother, I will select a maid at once-"
"No need, I have the perfect person in mind" Alcina's face dropped, as if she knew she was about to have her favourite toy taken away from her.
Miranda didn't know of all of her daughters maids, as they expired so quickly there really was no point, but one in particular had caught her eye ever since Alcina had requested she be gifted with a cadou and become a fourth daughter to the Dimitrescu family. It had taken every fibre in Miranda's being to not laugh in Alcina's face at the audacity of the request, to waste such a precious being onto some maid who'd probably be a corpse or a bottle of wine within the week anyways. Out of curiosity however, Miranda complied to see the girl, who had the coherence and intelligence of someone who hadn't spent their formative years within the village, Miranda's control over the village via the Megamycete did have it's side effects, but nothing too worrying in her opinion. Everyone was expendable for the cause.
The girl had been slight, pale and gaunt like all other maids. She was well spoken and polite. She had explained that she'd moved to the village at age 12 or 14 to care for her grandmother, Miranda had ensured that all memories related to the outside world were suppressed in all who lived within the village for an extended amount of time. She had started working in the castle around 16 after her grandmother died, and was one of the longest standing maids. The girl expressed the usual devotion to Miranda, less crazed and obsessive but again, she hadn't been exposed to the village's control until she was already undergoing puberty.
Miranda didn't remember her name, it wasn't necessary, but did remember her ending sentence of devotion to what the girl perceived to be her Goddess.
"I love and respect my Lady very much. But there is no comparison to my devotion to you. You are God, Mother Miranda. There's no contest."
A pleasant gesture at the time set this maid's fate in stone. Miranda would need someone with enough brain capacity to be aware of what was going on, to read between the lines of Karl's words for hints of deceit.
"Remember that girl you suggested to be gifted? She will be sent to Heisenberg's factory tomorrow morning."
"Mother Miranda I must protest I-"
"There is no room for argument. My decision is final. As your Mother." Miranda didn't care for whatever feelings or relationship Alcina may have with this girl, it wasn't a secret that both her and Karl had their fair share of relations with girls from the village. Miranda ignored it, whatever kept them busy and compliant. Although she did make a note to monitor any of Karl's conquests in the chance that he may impregnate someone. It would be a fascinating experiment to follow a second generation cadou host during gestation but alas, the poor boy simply must lack the ability to progenate.
Miranda rose from her seat, ending the meeting before Karl could find his words and give his mother another migraine.
"Now, I am done here but before I go I want a private talk with the selected maid. Alcina, collect her for me."
If possible, the giantess would have burned red with indignity, she always did believe she was too good for anything. A lazy, pampered lout was certainly not what Miranda was looking for to bring back Eva. She sputtered out few words before hurrying to one of the dozens of phones littered around the castle, barking demands for an "Iris" to be sent to the parlour at once.
Even at the obvious display of embarrassment from Alcina, Karl still wasn't spurred on to talk. He instead stood until signaled by Miranda to leave, grumbling a short "Mother Miranda" as a farewell. Miranda hoped his sulking was down to having to share his space with another living being, he was the most antisocial of the Lords, even Donna had her dolls, and Moreau his workers and "projects".
"She is on her way Mother Miranda, would you like me to-"
"Leave."
The giantess shuffled out the room with an indignant sniff, leaving Miranda some precious moments of peace before her meeting with this maid, "Iris".
Note: Chapters are relatively short for the first few chapters.
