Author's Note: First and foremost! Thank you for all the views, follows, and favorites! I have a perfectly good reason as to why I haven't uploaded in a while...kind of haha. First, my bf got me to play Fate/GO and I got addicted to it since my account seems to have A LOT of luck when summoning for servants on a free to play. Second! I needed to figure out how I wanted to go about doing this chapter as well as the next 2 chapters since it'll be kind of similar to this one. There will be an end note for my explanation (but you can skip over it if you like ^^) sorry if it's long.
Disclaimer: I do not own the Resident Evil Franchise, all rights belong to Capcom! Any grammatical errors or inconsistencies that you find I do apologize and hope you can forgive me. Happy reading everyone!
"Alcina!" Selena greeted as soon as she walked through the double doors of the castle, thrilled to see the tall woman who was waiting just by the short staircase.
"Selena!" Alcina greeted back just as eagerly, walking over to engulf Selena in a bone-crushing hug that swallowed the blonde woman. "I'm so happy that you're here! And your dress is so magnificently gorgeous! It's a pleasant change compared to the other outfits you've worn." Alcina swayed from side to side as Selena's muffled laughter could be heard before the taller woman sneered at the person that had accompanied Selena. "If today wasn't so important I wouldn't have invited you."
"If it was up to me I would've stayed holed up in my factory. Believe me, sister, I didn't want to come." Karl sarcastically remarked before nodding his head to the woman Alcina was smothering in her arms. "I'm here because Selena forced me to come along."
"Now, now." Selena's voice came out muffled as she gently tilted her head upward and looked up to Alcina and then to Karl. "Today is a momentous occasion and we shouldn't be fighting. Save it for another day." Selena tried to mediate the situation as she carefully pulled away from Alcina. "So? Where are they? Where are the girls?"
"Exploring." Alcina's features softened. "Precious darlings who seem to get themselves into a lot of mischiefs on a daily basis. They're proving to be too much for my maids to handle, but I believe that with my guidance as their Mother they will soon be molded into perfect little angels." Alcina proudly boasted. "I advised them to be on their best behavior today for they will be meeting such important people in our lives. I just can't wait for you to meet them, Selena!"
"I can't wait to meet them either, Alcina." Selena said. At some point during their constant visits, Selena had dropped all formalities with her siblings and simply called them by their first name. "Will the girls be okay to travel to the Opera Hall? I know you said that they didn't do well in the cold weather."
"They'll be fine so long as they don't go outside." Alcina assured. "Those rascals have a knack for finding ways to maneuver around the castle, avoiding being exposed to the outside air, and finding places that I didn't even know existed."
"Sounds more like pes-" Karl mumbled under his breath, unable to complete his sentence as Selena jumped in to intervene. "Who else has arrived?"
"You two are the first to arrive." Alcina sighed sadly. "As much as I would like to personally escort you, as a respectable host I must wait in this section of the castle to properly greet the others. I shall inform one of the maids to take you to the Opera Hall."
"Oh, it's okay Alcina." Selena held up her hand to prevent Alcina from calling for a maid. "We'll be fine on our own, I remember the way.."
"If you're sure…" Alcina hesitantly said before her hand hovered above Karl's head, pointing condescendingly down at the man. "Do not touch my property. I don't need you manhandling such priceless items and breaking things in my home because you don't know how to respectfully behave." Alcina snarled before crossing her arms under her bosom. "Selena, keep an eye on this unrefined mutt."
Karl growled under his breath, triggered by the tall woman who continued to look down at Karl. Selena let out a nervous chuckle as she began to tug on Karl's arm in an attempt to separate the two, but just before Selena could fully leave something unfinished and covered with a large white sheet had caught her attention on the wall in front of her up the short staircase. "Alcina, what's that? I don't recall that being there the last time I visited."
"Ah! That is the newest commission I requested from the local painter. A portrait mural encapsulating the beauty that are my daughters!" Alcina's mood instantly changed as she went over to the white sheet. "It has yet to be finished so I can't show you, but once it is complete I shall inform you right away."
"What a waste of lei…" Karl silently commented, causing Selena to loudly cough in hopes to cover up Karl's comment.
"I'm sure your daughters will appreciate such a touching gift." Selena said as she reached over to tug on the cuff of Karl's sleeve. "Let's go to the Opera Hall."
Once they had put enough distance between themselves and Alcina, Selena let out a dramatic sigh. "Can't you at least pretend to be nice?"
"When it comes to that woman? Absolutely not, and I refuse to play nice." Karl adamantly refused.
"What if Alcina was nice to you?" Selena asked, and one look from Karl was all the answer she needed. "Yeah, I realize now how ridiculous that sounded."
"I don't understand why we even have to attend this stupid 'important' meeting." Karl mumbled as he was fumbling with the clothes that he wasn't used to wearing.
"We have to attend because it's important to Alcina." Selena argued, her black, off-the-shoulder tulle formal evening gown swaying with each step they took. The dress was something that no one had ever seen before, a dress that was provided by the Duke as well as the fur shawl that was wrapped securely around Selena to shelter her from the cold while they walked to the castle. Selena also had a few surprises and gifts for Alcina to congratulate her on her recent success. It was out of her comfort zone since her closet was mostly filled with clothes made by Donna. Selena reached up to make sure that not a hair was out of place in her updo hairstyle before letting out a content sigh.
Now, why were two Lords all dressed up to the nines and visiting Castle Dimitrescu you may ask?
Well, a few days ago, Alcina had made a call to Selena informing the woman that she had finally made a breakthrough. Alcina was excited as she had spoken in-depth with Selena about what she had been doing the past several weeks and thought that this time she had finally done it. That she has finally produced something that Mother Miranda could be proud of. That this time she can present something spectacular and worthy of Mother Miranda's praise.
Alcina over the phone spoke about three girls that had been delivered to the castle to work as maids, three girls that Alcina took great interest in. She had spoken about the treatments that she had administered to the three girls and at first, Alcina had thought that she had initially failed when the girls had stopped moving, seeming almost dead. That is until a living insect flew out of the eldest girl's mouth. It wasn't much, but it was a reaction compared to the past experiments Alcina had done on her other subjects. In the span of six days since the treatment began the mass of flies that replaced the bodies of the three girls came together and recreated the human bodies once more. Alcina described the moment as newborns staring back at her, no memories of their lives before…a blank slate, and it was then that she felt a familial bond between herself and the girls.
When she heard that the girls had awoken with no memory of the life they lived Selena couldn't help but think that their situation was quite similar to hers when she first woke up in Mother Miranda's lab. At first, Selena had assumed that placement wasn't an issue, that no matter where the cadou was implanted in the human body the results would be the same: rejection or acceptance. But now, with Selena and the girls having something in common, maybe it did matter where the parasite latched on to in the body. It's highly possible that different areas prompted different results. At this realization, Selena made a mental note while she was listening to Alcina to talk this over with Karl. Maybe this could help him figure out what he wanted to do with the parasite he was given.
Alcina excitedly announced to Selena that she finally got the daughters that she always wanted and Selena couldn't be happier for the tall woman who continued to fawn over how perfect she thought the three girls to be. Alcina even came up with the perfect names for the three girls that Selena adored: Bela, Daniela, and Cassandra.
Today, all members of the family were invited to the castle for some 'fine dining' as Alcina had put it, and was hoping to show off her girls to Mother Miranda. Alcina even requested for Selena to play a piece in front of everyone to commemorate such a special occasion. At first, Selena had declined due to not feeling confident enough to play for such a 'large' audience, but Alcina wasn't going to take 'no' for an answer and practically begged for Selena to grace everyone with her beautiful music. Hearing her older sister beg made Selena realize something: she couldn't say no no matter how much she wanted to. Alcina was in such a jolly mood that she even told Selena that Karl was invited without sounding like she despised the man's existence.
Selena then thought that the next problem she would have to deal with was trying to convince Karl to attend the party, and she was right. Karl at first had vehemently denied the invitation, proclaiming that he had better things to do than play house with everyone. Such resolve crumbled when all Selena had to do was purse her lips and pout, doe red eyes pleadingly looking at Karl and the man caved in. This is where the two currently found themselves, standing in the silence of the Opera Hall waiting for their other siblings to arrive.
"This stupid tie is suffocating me…" Karl continued to complain as he fiddled with the tie around his neck.
"Here, let me help you." Selena offered as she moved closer to stand in front of Karl, reaching out for his tie only for the man to gently bat Selena's hand away.
"I don't need your help." Karl protested only for Selena to push his arms out of her way.
"Yes, you do." Selena persisted as she reached out to fix Karl's tie.
"And how would you know how to tie a tie?" Karl asked as he watched Selena take apart his work.
"I asked Sal to teach me." Selena pointed out, properly tying the tie around Karl's neck, soothing down the collar of his dress shirt before stepping away to admire her work. "See? You're useless without me."
"Sure I am." Karl rolled his eyes, watching as Selena silently giggled before motioning to his body. "I look silly in this, buttercup. Why couldn't I just wear my usual outfit?"
"Because your clothes were dirty." Selena reasoned before crossing her arms over her chest and glared at Karl. "And because I wouldn't have let you."
Karl held up his hands in surrender, knowing full well that repeating this silly argument would sour both of their moods, and decided to move on to a different topic. "Where did you even get this suit? Not to mention find the time to make it fit me."
"Donna is very observant. I asked her to make one for you and she already knew your size." Selena smugly said as the clacking of her simple, black-toed heels against the varnished floor echoed around the room when she made her way over to the grand piano.
"And what are those for?" Karl pointed to the cloth bag that Selena bought along with her on their trip to the castle.
"Those?" Selena turned to look back to Karl, her back touching the piano as she blissfully enjoyed the atmosphere the Opera Hall was providing. "They're gifts for Alcina and her daughters."
"She didn't get you anything when mister caretaker was presented to everyone." Karl snidely commented.
"Alcina didn't have to get me anything." Selena defended. "I got them because Alcina sounded so happy now that she finally got the family that she always wanted. I just wanted to congratulate her."
Karl opened his mouth to say something else, probably to say how silly it was to have gotten a gift for a family who has everything before a sudden buzzing sound pierced the ears of both Lords. The loud noise caused Selena to recoil as she frantically hurried back over to Karl's side as the man instinctively placed his body in front of Selena's as a shield against the sudden intrusion.
"New arrivals! How fun!" A light, higher-pitched voice, squealed, echoing around the room as the two Lords searched for the source.
"Easy Daniela, Mother said we would be meeting our family today. These two could be Mother's siblings." A lower, level sounding, sultry voice responded. Almost like this person was replicating the inflection that was heard when Alcina would speak.
"Yes, Daniela, Mother says we must be on our best behavior today." A taunting voice teased, drawing out her words.
A swarm of bugs began to fill the room, circling the two Lords before the swarm began to separate into three individual swarms. Each mass then began to take the shape of a figure before three maidens dressed in white manifested in front of Selena's and Karl's eyes. At such a sight Selena let out a sigh of relief, already knowing who these girls were, but Karl had yet to lower his guard as the girls approached them.
"Bela, are you sure that they're family and not maids?" The black-haired maiden came up to trace the side of Selena's face. "A shame, this one is quite beautiful, I would love to have the opportunity to have a bit of fun with this one."
"I'm sure Cassandra, look at them." The dark blonde maiden stated, pulling Cassandra away from Selena only for the red-headed maiden to stand where Cassandra once stood.
"Blonde hair and red eyes? I know this one!" The red-haired reached out to hold Selena's face still before swiftly going over to hover around Karl. "Then this one must be the insufferable one with the inferiority complex Mother was talking about that always hung around the blonde one! Right, Bela?" The red-haired maiden looked back to Bela. "What was his name! What was her name!"
"Forgive my sisters, they get so eager when it comes to new faces that they just can't seem to control themselves." Bela apologized for her siblings' behavior, going over to pull the redhead away from the fuming man. "Daniela, manners, remember?"
"But I don't wanna!" Daniela pouted as Cassandra gravitated back to Selena's side, latching onto the woman as she watched the youngest begin to argue with the eldest.
"You three must be Alcina's daughters." Selena laughed as she tried to calm the two siblings.
"You've heard of us!" Daniela excitedly glided back over toward Selena's free side, catching Karl off guard as she bumped him to the side and away from Selena. "Does that mean you will stay and play with us? The other maids are so boring!"
"Alright, that's enough, shoo!" Karl interjected, speaking through his teeth as he tried to shove the two girls that had latched onto Selena, but the moment Karl was about to touch Daniela, the red-haired woman hissed and recoiled away just as Cassandra had.
"That's not fair! We saw her first!" Daniela hissed before deciding the best place to be would be hiding behind her older sister.
"You saw her fir-" Karl balked, stuttering at the sudden statement before growling back at the hissing youngest daughter. "I'm the one she's known the longest."
"Karl, don't argue with the children." Selena laughed, already seeing what type of relationship these two would have in the future to come as they continued to playfully argue back and forth. Though…to Daniela, it was playful banter, but it was just grating on Karl's nerves.
"Lady Sinclair and Lord Heisenberg." Bela, paying Daniela no mind, nodded her head. "You're just as Mother described, right down to the disheveled appearance. Even though you've cleaned up, there's no mistaking your haggard appearance. Unless of course, you're Lord Moreau…highly doubtful." Though that last statement wasn't directed toward Selena as Bela was staring challengingly in Karl's direction.
"Just as infuriating as your Mother…" Karl grumbled before another voice cut in.
"I see that you've met my daughters." Alcina's voice interrupted Karl just as he was about to retaliate against Bela's comment about his appearance.
At the sound of Alcina's voice, the three girls went over to greet Alcina as from behind the tall woman Donna, Salvatore, and Mother Miranda entered the Opera Hall.
Alcina smiled lovingly down at the three girls before looking at Selena. "Darling little things aren't they."
"Darling is far from what I would call them." Karl grumbled and at that moment his eyes caught Daniela's once more and the two continued to glare at each other.
"Now that everyone is here!" Alcina clapped her hands and on command, several maids filed into the room holding trays upon trays of food and slender champagne flute glasses filled with red wine. "Please enjoy the evening! Eat and drink to your heart's content! Come girls," Alcina proclaimed before motioning for the girls to follow her to where Mother Miranda stood. "Mother Miranda! I would like you to meet-"
Alcina's voice became distant as she began to proudly display her daughters to Mother Miranda, leaving the others in the room to mingle amongst themselves.
Donna had quietly made herself comfortable upon the low single sofa situated beside the pillar in front of the fireplace closest to the grand piano while Selena had gone over to speak to Salvatore. While Selena loved to speak to Donna and Angie, she knew just from a glance that Donna needed a few seconds to collect herself since the woman rarely left her house for anything other than the rare meetings they had. After getting to know the puppeteer Selena knew Donna was mentally exhausted and wanted the chance to recover in silence, instigating a conversation at that moment would only stress Donna out if she didn't get the chance to settle first.
The conversation between Salvatore and Selena was about nothing in particular, but it was something that Salvatore was excited about. Practically beaming, Salvatore spoke about this new thing he was recently introduced to that was the greatest invention he's ever set his eyes upon: the television. There was so much being shown on such a little screen that he had received from the Duke, a new thing that was introduced to the world outside of their village that he couldn't wait to show Selena on her next visit.
When Karl had come over to see what the two were talking excitedly about, Salvatore was in the process of explaining to Selena that while his new toy was an amazing invention he thought that something was wrong with the television set. When Karl's imposing figure saddled up to Selena's side Salvatore immediately froze and clammed up when his eyes settled on Karl. This was the first time that Salvatore had to deal with the other man face to face, and Karl's brow had quirked up at such a strange reaction. That is until Selena, oblivious to the awkward exchange, relayed to Karl the problem Salvatore was having with his television since she knew Karl was incredibly good at fixing things.
To Salvatore's surprise, instead of scoffing like he had thought Karl would do…what many had done, Karl had advised that it could be a wiring issue since such a high-end technology like that would have a few unforeseen issues that the inventor didn't take into account. Spurred by such a 'positive' reaction, Salvatore had asked Karl if there was anything that he could do to fix it to which Karl responded that without knowing about such technology, Salvatore could just make the issue worse. When Salvatore deflated at the thought of losing his one form of entertainment, Karl sighed and offered to stop by and take a look at it if it was alright with Salvatore. The old Lord happily accepted Karl's offer and even said that Karl should come with Selena, then he can show both of them the amazing things that were being shown on the little box. Karl only agreed if Salvatore permitted him to study the intricacy of the box in hopes to replicate such a contraption or even improve on it. At Salvatore's hesitancy, Karl rolled his eyes and promised that he wouldn't destroy it and that caused Salvatore to meekly agree.
While the two men talked, Selena's eyes had caught Alcina's across the room who was looking in their direction, and when their eyes met Alcina had motioned with her head toward the grand piano. Selena knew what that meant even if Alcina couldn't speak due to being preoccupied with Mother Miranda and her daughters. Alcina wanted her to play, and going unnoticed by Salvatore or Karl, Selena had snuck past the two men and made her way toward the beautiful instrument.
On her short walk, Selena wasn't sure what she was going to play even if she had listened to many recordings given to her by Alcina to prepare. Selena was nervous, feeling her hands shake as she could physically hear her heart beating loudly in her chest, and decided that she would just go with whatever song first came to mind. Selena would give herself over to the music, trusting that whatever she was feeling would reveal the right song to play.
The moment Selena made herself comfortable on the piano bench, her fingers landing gracefully on the white keys, Selena closed her eyes and began to play. The second Selena began to play the beginning of the piece, the notes echoing throughout the Opera Hall caused all chatter in the room to cease.
The piece started slow, yearning, and drawn out, inducing all those listening into a dream-like state as the notes continued to flow together seamlessly. When the piece came to a short break, Selena's right hand slowly lifted off the keys almost in a show of the note resonating throughout the room before continuing as the piece began to pick up the pace and grow in volume. This drew everyone's attention, drawing everyone closer to Selena and the piano she played as those present were too stunned to speak as this was the first anyone had ever heard Selena play. Alcina, proud at the stunned silence, smiled as she instantly recognized the piece.
Karl watched Selena in awe, eyes wide open and mouth slightly parted, entranced at Selena's performance as he watched her hands dance flawlessly across the keys of the piano. There was an ethereal glow around the woman he'd known practically his whole life. Even if he wanted to look away Karl found that he couldn't because when he tried Selena would always draw him back. Every emotion was on full display as he watched the small twitch under the lid of Selena's eyes when her brow would furrow as she poured all that she was feeling at this very moment into the piece she was playing. It was expressive, giving the listeners a sense of peace and longing, even though there were instances in the piece that sounded heart-wrenching as the notes were pulled and stretched out. Karl found himself mesmerized at the performance and felt the corner of his lips turn upward as he continued to watch Selena play till the very end.
When Selena played the final chord, slender fingers created a wave-like effect that started from her wrist and flowed to the tips of her fingers as her hands lifted gracefully off the keys before settling back into her lap. All this happening in one, fluid motion.
Silence, stunned silence created an awkward atmosphere for none could figure out how to react as those present tried to register what exactly they had just witnessed from the 'youngest' in their family.
"Stupendous, Selena! Simply marvelous!" It was Alcina who was the first to break the silence as she enthusiastically began to clap her hands together which instigated the others to follow suit. "Liebestraum No.3 is simply a favorite of mine to listen to when I'm drinking a delectable glass of red wine."
The spell that was cast by Selena's playing was broken as she stood to her feet and gave a small curtsy before bashfully averting her eyes to the side. The woman wasn't used to receiving such high praises, the red on her cheeks brightened, standing out among her alabaster complexion. "Thank you, Alcina."
The sudden performance invigorated the small audience so much that even Donna had taken to introducing herself to Alcina's daughters…through Angie of course. The conversation groups would switch, topics jumping, and when the clock had signaled that another hour had passed Selena and Karl decided that it was time to retire for the day and head back to their respective territories.
"How could I, your best friend, not know that you could play the piano. I'm a little hurt that I wasn't the first to find out." Karl jokingly stated as the two made their way over to where Mother Miranda was, now back to conversing with Alcina. "Any other surprises you're keeping from me, buttercup?"
"I wasn't keeping it from you. Alcina had a piano and one day I had the urge to play it." Selena whispered with a cheeky smile. "If you had a piano in that factory of yours I'd gladly play for you."
"If I build one does that mean you don't have to keep coming to the bitch's castle?" Karl smirked down at Selena who simply shook her head at how silly the man was being.
"Don't be absurd." Selena jabbed Karl gently in his side the moment they got within arms reach of Mother Miranda and Alcina signaling for him to be quiet. "Alcina. Mother Miranda. I must apologize, but we will be the first to leave."
"So soon, Sinclair?" Mother Miranda asked as Selena nodded her head before hearing Alcina let out a quiet whine of disappointment.
"Must you leave together? I'm sure Heisenberg can find his way back to his factory by himself." Alcina snarked. "I wanted you to spend some time with my darling little girls. They've waited so long to meet their beloved aunt."
"I'm afraid we must." Selena apologetically smiled. "Karl and I are currently in the process of conducting another test concerning the cadou as well as doing a few check up's concerning Ianto."
"And then there's the issue with Selena's greenhouse, can't do a thing without me around. Final checks and all that." The corner of Karl's lips twitched upward, his attempt at maintaining his composure no matter how much he wanted to rub it into Alcina's face that Selena would rather spend time with him than with Alcina. "Unless you want Selena to continue to be exposed to the dangers of the outside world."
Alcina couldn't say anything back to Karl, and that left her fuming in her spot because if she did have an issue then it would mean that she does want Selena to be in danger…and that's not what Alcina wanted at all. So, relenting, Alcina turned her gaze away from Karl and began to pout in her own way without looking immature in Mother Miranda's eyes.
"Before we go." Selena reached over to the cloth bag she bought along with her to the party and produced four identical, thin, square jewelry boxes. "We bought gifts."
"Selena, you didn't have to." Alcina was touched before lifting a brow. "And quite out of character for you, Heisenberg."
"I didn't-" Karl began to deny before Selena bumped her hip into his, a bit silly due to their height difference, but it successfully kept the man quiet.
"These are for you and your girls, to congratulate you on finally having the daughters you've always wanted." Selena said before the three girls began to crowd around the two Lords.
"Gifts you say!" Daniela yelled out in excitement, jumping and extending her hand out expectantly for Selena to place one of the boxes into them. "What did you get us, Aunt Sinclair? Uncle Heisenberg!"
"Daniela." A stern warning from Alcina immediately reigned in the overly excited girl, reprimanding the girls as they all immediately stood patiently in their spots and waited for Selena to hand out the boxes.
Selena knew which box went to who, handing them out according to the small single letter of their first names perfectly etched into the top right-hand corner of the box. When each of the women got their boxes, in unison, they had all opened them and were taken back to what was inside.
Each box held a pendant with a different colored jewel in the center, but there was a slight difference between the daughter's pendants and Alcina's. Alcina's pendant was the only one that was pure gold while the daughters all had silver pendants with each jewel being a different color. Alcina and Bela's jewels were blood red to represent the closeness Selena thought the 'first born' would have to Alcina. Cassandra's silver pendant had a yellow gem and Daniela's held a dark green gem.
"Selena, these are so beautiful…" Alcina gushed over the pendant, slightly choked up by such a touching gift as she looked down at the three girls. "Bela, Cassandra, Daniela? What do we say?"
"Thank you, Aunt Sinclair and Uncle Heisenberg!" The three girls fawned over the beautiful pendant as they looked over to inspect the other as well, practically giddy at having something identical and matching to each other's to solidify the familial bond they all had with each other.
"You're very welcome." Selena said as she welcomed the hugs that the girls would briefly give her, catching the woman off guard with each embrace and how strong they were as she looked up to Alcina. "I wasn't sure which you would prefer, a necklace or a pin, so I left it for you to decide. You would just have to take it to the village jeweler to put in the necessary attachments."
"I shall have the Duke assist me." Alcina said as she inspected the gem. "For such a large man, he's always been good with his hands."
"You'll come back to visit, won't you Aunt Sinclair?" Daniela eagerly asked. "The next time you visit you'll play with us a lot right?"
"Of course." Selena assured the younger Dimitrescu, a positive response that caused the girl to rush back over to squeeze Selena as tightly as she could. Selena lifted her hand and smoothed out Daniela's hair. "We'll see ourselves out."
"Don't be a stranger." Bela waved as she clutched the pendant close to her body. "It gets boring seeing the same old faces around the castle, a change in scenery is welcomed."
Selena gave one last wave before the two Lords retraced their steps back the way they came, and once they were out of earshot of the Opera Hall Selena couldn't help but let out a chuckle. "I'm sure with the newest addition, there will never be a dull moment for Alcina in her castle now."
"Sure, now her castle has a bug infestation." Karl stated as Selena sent a scolding scowl in Karl's direction.
"That's not a very nice thing to say." Selena stated, causing Karl to sigh.
"They're literally swarms of bugs…" Karl pointed out.
"Yeah, but that doesn't mean you get to call them an infestation." Selena said as Karl brushed off her words. "At least Alcina wouldn't have to be alone anymore."
"We're all alone here, sweetheart." Karl stated. "Dimitrescu is just putting on a face, a means to try and fill the emptiness in her life, but no matter what we do. No matter how much Mother Miranda points out that we're family, we're still very much alone. This fantasy that that woman is creating for herself, that Mother Miranda is attempting to create will pop one day and their world will crumble while the rest of us live in reality with our sanity intact."
"That's hurtful, Karl…" Selena pouted, the smile on her face long gone as she briefly stopped walking. "I didn't feel alone, and I hoped you didn't feel alone either." Karl had stopped and looked back at Selena when he realized she wasn't following, but once he turned Selena was already attempting to walk past him. "I pinky promised…"
"Wait, I didn't mean-" Karl let out a frustrated sigh as he reached up to furiously mess with his hair in irritation before reaching out to stop Selena from walking any further. "We don't count, buttercup. Our situation is…special." Karl stepped closer to Selena as the man contemplated his next words carefully. "We weren't created just to fill a void…we didn't create each other to stave off our loneliness. By chance, we were together during our times in Miranda's laboratory and it was thanks to that chance that we relied on each other through our fucked up childhood." Karl's cheeks took on a red tinge when he realized he was holding Selena's hand longer than necessary. He immediately dropped her hand and let out an awkward cough. "Unlike those girls who were created, bonding to Dimitrescu due to the feeling of complete emptiness. We're different."
Selena couldn't help but smile, she knew Karl was terrible with his words. The man spoke what was on his mind without thinking and when he makes a mistake he's not sure how to fix things that didn't deal with anything mechanical. But when he was able to get the right words out, it was special, she knew Karl was being sincere.
Selena reached out to link her arm with Karl's as the two continued to walk back toward the entrance of the castle. "So—sweetheart?"
"Who?" Karl feigned ignorance which caused Selena to laugh, any sign of displeasure or distress from Karl's previous words vanished the instant Selena made the mood lighter. A common response when either of them hurt the other's feelings accidentally.
At the front entrance when the door opened, the cold winter air had picked up causing Selena's dress to lift. The chilly air caused Selena to tremble as she huddled closer to Karl in hopes to soak up his warmth and gain his protection from the biting winter cold. "God…why is it always so chilly in these parts?"
"It should be getting warmer." Karl assured, feeling the cold run up his spine. Being in the castle, he had begun to sweat through his formal wear, but when exposed to the outside air it had created the uncomfortable feeling of cold sweats. But even though he was uncomfortable, Karl allowed Selena to do as she pleased when they walked back to the main village, secretly welcoming her warmth as well.
"Not by much…still feels frigid to me." Selena complained.
"That's because you're too skinny." Karl said as he poked her side for emphasis. "Come on, let's get you home before you freeze to death."
Time was irrelevant, as Selena and Karl have learned, when Selena saw people growing older…their bodies growing frail and brittle the two had looked at their own bodies and realized that nothing felt different since they first arrived. Their physical appearance had been touched by Father Time, but only to a certain extent. While Karl and Selena had indeed continued to grow after they were first introduced, at some point they had stopped growing…stopped aging. And with nothing around them to remind them of the passing of time, it didn't seem important enough to keep track.
Most of their time is spent doing their own little hobbies whether it be new or old. Learning a new skill, expanding their knowledge, taking care of their land…they did whatever they could think of, but time was something that none of them ever paid attention to. The rising and setting sun only signaled for the Lords when it was time to wake up or to sleep.
This was what Selena was thinking about as she roamed the halls of Castle Dimitrescu, stopping in front of the many portraits that she had seen time and time again every time she had visited her sister. Even the interior of Alcina's castle remained unchanging aside from the new faces of the maids that bustled from place to place. Carrying out their designated duties assigned to them by the Grand Chambermaid of the castle. Their eyes were averted to the ground as they shuffled from place to place, dusting, wiping down the floors and walls, making sure everything was spotless, keeping themselves as busy as they possibly could…a little too busy from Selena's observation. It was almost like they feared what would happen if their hands stopped moving.
"Lady Sinclair?" A meek voice caught Selena's attention as she turned to see one of the maids dressed in the typical attire expected for the women waiting for Selena to respond. Selena was surprised how the maid had snuck up behind her without making a single sound. The maid's hair was neatly tied up in a bun, not a hair out of place, with dark bags under her eyes as she motioned for Selena to follow her. "The Mistress instructed me to find you and inform you that supper is ready."
"Thank you." Selena graciously said as she allowed the maid to escort her to the Dining Room, which wasn't that far from where Selena stood as she had been waiting on the second floor of the Main Hall. "I've never seen you around the castle before."
"I just started working in the castle about a month ago." The maid responded. "I'm mostly assigned to clean the spare rooms by the Grand Chambermaid, but due to being short-handed I was asked to help serve dinner to the Mistress, her daughters, and Lady Sinclair."
'There was something wrong with this maid.' Selena concluded as she chanced a glance at the maid walking beside her though the maid had made it a point to stay a step behind Selena. Aside from the bags under her downcast eyes, her lips quivered as her hands seemed to visibly shake…the more Selena observed the maid she realized that it wasn't just her lips and hands that quivered, but her whole body seemed to vibrate the closer they got to the door leading to the Dining Room. Was she nervous being around Selena? Nervous being in close vicinity of her sister and her daughters?
"You're free to not answer me," Selena spoke up, watching as the maid jumped slightly to attention. "is my sister not treating you well?"
The maid vigorously shook her head from side to side, still with her gaze averted to the ground before letting out a squeaky response that came out a little too quick for Selena's liking. "The Mistress treats us all with the utmost care and kindness. A warm bed, delicious food, and work to provide for our families. It's more than any of us deserve." The maid took a chance to glance around, and when she was sure that no one was around, the woman's lips pulled into a thin line. "I just haven't been sleeping well Lady Sinclair, so I apologize if my appearance has upset you in any way." The maid stopped at the large double door that Selena knew led to the Dining Room. "We're here, my Lady."
"Before I join my sister and her daughters." Selena reached out to carefully place a hand on the maid's shoulder so as to not spook the young woman. "May I inquire what your name is? How old are you?"
"…Natasha." The maid, Natasha, responded after careful consideration. "I'm 15, my Lady."
"And your family, they reside in the main village?" Selena asked, gentle and quiet as if she was speaking to one of the children from her village. Selena was surprised by the reveal of the young lady's age, Natasha may have said she was 15, but her haggard appearance made her look older than she was.
"No, ma'am." Natasha shook her head. "My mother died when I was little, and after years of fighting my father succumbed to his sickness." Natasha was unable to look Selena in the eyes. "I-I came to the Mistress's castle because I had nowhere else to go…no way to provide for myself."
"I see…" Selena regretted asking, she was hoping to lift the young girl's spirit by talking about something nice, but instead, it only caused the maid's demeanor to deflate. "Natasha, I apologize for asking you such a question."
"It's fine, ma'am, you did not know." Natasha dismissed, causing Selena to smile at how strong this young woman was being. "I-I feel honored to be welcomed into the Mistress's castle."
"Natasha, working hard is commendable, it is a quality that my sister is lucky to have in all her maids, but do take some time to put your health first." Selena smiled even though the maid still refused to show her any type of reaction. "I admire your dedication, but I would hate it if one of my villagers were to work themselves to death. I always encourage them to take at least a couple of days to focus on their health and well-being." Selena spoke up as she went over to the double doors of the Dining Room. "I shall let myself in, I'm sure there are other preparations that need your immediate attention. Thank you, Natasha, for coming to get me."
Selena dismissed Natasha who had taken that moment to stare at the back of Selena in admiration, it had been so long since someone had cared for the maid that for the first time since coming to the castle, Natasha had shown a genuine smile. Though, all this went unnoticed by Selena as the woman was immediately dragged further into the room to one of the empty chairs by Daniela.
"Sit by me! Sit by me!" Daniela excitedly tugged on Selena's hand and was placed in an empty seat at the table with Daniela and Bela sitting right across from them. Where the young lady got all this energy from Selena would never know.
The youngest Dimitrescu had taken an instant liking to Selena the moment they first laid eyes on her during their introduction to Mother Miranda. Every time Selena would visit the castle, Daniela would be the first to greet her, even when she was joined by Karl who was making a house call by the demand of Alcina, Daniela would still be there. Daniela would animatedly talk to the two of them, sentences and topics blending together, and the young maiden purposely made it her life mission to grate on Karl's nerves. Daniela, from the moment her eyes landed on Karl, the woman had a knack for knowing which buttons to push to annoy the metal man and Selena found their interaction endearing.
Karl had mentioned that he preferred Alcina pretending he didn't exist then Daniela's constant pestering. Daniela was sucking the energy out of the man every time he would visit, and still, Selena couldn't stop laughing at Karl's misfortune much to the man's annoyance, but she was always there to put an end to the antics when it became too much.
"I apologize that you had to wait, Selena." Alcina said from the head of the table. "It must've been quite boring seeing the same scenery every time you visit. I assure you, the next time you visit for dinner I will be sure to have everything prepared before the designated time."
"Nonsense." Selena, seated close to the head of the table, assured with a shake of her head as she smiled at Alcina as Daniela continued to retell the day she had to Selena even though the woman's attention wasn't on her at the moment. "I will never grow tired of your castle."
"That's good to hear." Alcina let out a sigh of relief before the attention was drawn toward the door that led to the kitchen as maids carrying individual trays of food began to enter the Dining Room.
Each maid went over to place a tray in front of each woman, filling their empty glasses with dark red wine that Selena probably couldn't pronounce. While enjoying the display, Selena did notice that the contents in her glass were slightly different compared to Alcina and her daughters, though it could've been the lighting. The meals presented to the family seated around the table varied in presentation as well as contents. Selena wasn't sure what it was that she was eating, but if she were to guess it could've been beef. Whatever it was, Selena simply took the fork and knife into her hands that were placed on either side of the tray and remembering her manners, ate as a lady should. And while the women sat and ate, conversing amongst each other, the maids were waiting on both sides of the room. Prepared to serve whatever was necessary or do whatever any of the women would request from them.
"Selena, dear, I heard an interesting little rumor that you are close to replicating what you did with that caretaker of yours." Alcina was the first to decide the next direction of the conversation.
Selena solemnly nodded her head. "With the completion of my greenhouse, I can now focus on doing what Mother Miranda expects from us. Though, I'm starting to think that my dear caretaker's success was more of a fluke." Selena nervously chuckled, not wanting to lie to Alcina, but knew that it was necessary due to how close she had seen the tall woman and Mother Miranda. "I'm finding it difficult to replicate my previous work…even with Karl's assistance."
"Maybe you're not the issue, Aunt Selena." Cassandra offered her opinion under her breath that didn't go unheard by Alcina who smiled proudly at her daughter. Cassandra's eyes never left the plate of food in front of her as she continued to speak. "Have you considered doing such experiments without Heisenberg?"
Selena simply laughed without humoring Cassandra with an answer. Though these girls did have their opinion about Karl, to Selena he's been a great help and she would never exclude him from anything she does. Selena also knew that she could turn blue in the face and even that wouldn't change their opinion about Karl, so the best possible response would be to just allow them to say what they wanted to say about Karl. The man could care less about the opinion Alcina and her daughters had toward him so why should she.
The remainder of supper was spent with the three girls telling Selena the things that they found interesting, the hobbies they've developed due to being confined in the castle as well as taking certain interests with some of the maids that frequented the castle. While Bela's interest seemed to be more on the 'normal' side, spending almost every moment shadowing Alcina and taking on a similar interest to their mother figure, Cassandra's and Daniela's interest unnerved Selena…Cassandra's more than Daniela's.
Cassandra spoke about the thrill of the hunt, about the fear that would flash across the eyes of the prey when they were cornered before she would allow them to think that there was a small glimmer of hope to escape. Cassandra took great joy in reminding them through the hunt that escaping from her was futile, the emotions that would flash across their eyes…of hope turning into instant despair as Cassandra continued her game of cat and mouse. Cassandra was practically gushing just at the thought as if she was on a hunt right now with how she described such a game in great detail. Selena knew that the girls couldn't go outside due to their bodies so she knew that it was 'who' Cassandra was hunting and not a 'what'.
As for Daniela? Well, Selena wasn't sure what Daniela was interested in. It was difficult to keep up with the red-haired woman because every time you think you figured out what she was talking about she would quickly move on to something else. One second she would be telling a story, the next she would veer off and talk about a hobby she recently read about but quickly gave up on because it became uninteresting. Another moment she would be agreeing with Cassandra about the thrill of the hunt getting their blood boiling, and the smell of fear was enticing enough to spur Daniela into a hunting frenzy. Daniela was all over the place! Selena thinks Daniela even mentioned seeing a groundskeeper that she wished she could play with and begged Alcina to allow the person to come into the castle.
Secretly…Selena was thankful that the girls couldn't go outside. She could only imagine the amount of chaos Cassandra and Daniela would bring about as well as the constant fear that would spread throughout their region.
"Aunt Selena, are you feeling okay?" Bela suddenly asked.
"I'm feeling fine, Bela, why do you ask?" Selena inquired as Bela simply shook her head.
"Are you sure? You're not feeling a tad bit hotter than usual?" Bela cocked her head to the side as her brows furrowed together in concern. "Or is it just me."
"The seasons are changing my dear, summer is rolling in, and the castle is bound to get a bit stuffy." Alcina reasoned though it fell on deaf ears to Daniela as she began to groan louder once it was pointed out by Bela that it was indeed hotter than usual.
"You're right sister…it is hotter than usual." Daniela dramatically complained. "Why must it be so hot…"
"If it wasn't for Bela pointing it out, you wouldn't have noticed Daniela." Cassandra muttered as she glared across the table to Daniela before muttering under her breath. "Great job, Bela. Way to go."
"Apologies, I forgot how our sister can get." Bela whispered as they watched Daniela continue to complain while asking Selena if she, too, felt how hot it was getting in the world outside.
"If you are hot, Young Mistress, then shall I open the window just a bit to allow some cool air to enter the castle?" That voice, Selena recognized it to be Natasha as she turned to see the dark-haired woman already in the process of unhooking the clasps that kept the windows in the Dining Hall tightly shut. Selena didn't even get the opportunity to warn poor Natasha who didn't know any better, nor did Selena expect such a panicked reaction when the window was only cracked open by an inch.
Just as Selena blinked, Alcina had stood straight to her feet, her chair toppling over and banging loudly when it came into contact with the floor. Her legs bumping into the table caused the glasses of red liquid to spill and stain the white table cloth as Alcina's amber eyes zeroed in on Natasha. The three daughters began to loudly hiss as they scrambled away from the cracked open window, teeth bared as they began to shriek in unison: "SHUT IT! SHUT IT NOW!"
Selena was already on her feet, having seen but reacted too late when Natasha had offered to open the window, and went over to the shaking maid, reaching around to quickly close the window and lock it shut.
While the three daughters were recovering by the door that led back to the Main Hall, Alcina had stomped over to where Selena and the cowering Natasha were standing. Alcina reached down and placed a firm hand on Natasha's shoulder. "Leave. I'll deal with you later."
Natasha didn't need to be told twice, the maid scurried out of the room in fright out to the Main Hall, and as Natasha passed the three daughters they hissed and smiled in pure delight at the retreating young woman as if knowing something that Selena didn't.
"I'm sorry Selena," Alcina apologized as she motioned with her head to one of the other maids that were stationed around the room. "I shall have the maids clean up this mess, and hopefully, after…we can salvage our evening." Alcina placed a hand in the space between the base of Selena's neck and shoulder to lead her away. "I must ask that you wait outside while I oversee the maids who need to be reminded of the rules."
Alcina's daughters gleefully giggled just as the doors closed behind Selena, leaving the dumbfounded blonde woman to stand out in the Main Hall. Selena was at a loss on what to do now that she was kicked out for the time being. Still in the process of wrapping her brain around how fast things took a turn for the worse, she almost failed to hear the muffled sniffles of someone close to having a full-blown meltdown.
With nothing better to do, Selena followed the sound of the muffled cries, walking in the direction when the sound got louder and backtracking when it sounded like the cries were getting further away.
Selena finally found where the crying was coming from and who was making such a noise. It was coming from the room that Selena knew the Duke would frequently occupy when he had business to take care of in this castle.
When Selena opened the door she saw Natasha's shaking body huddled over on the wooden floor, one arm was supporting her up as it looked like her legs had given out from under her while the other was covered over her mouth to stifle her cries.
"Natasha?" Selena carefully approached the young woman who suddenly began to furiously wipe her face when she heard that she wasn't alone anymore. "Natasha…it's going to be okay. You didn't know."
"None of that matters…ignorance is no excuse." Natasha exhaustedly argued, her voice tight as her shoulders began to shake once more. "I don't know what to do."
Selena let out a hum before deciding to go over to Natasha's side, folding her dress to match the bend of her knees as she slowly lowered herself to the ground. Selena folded her legs to one side, away from Natasha, as she kept her posture straight when she sat on the ground. "You're in distress…shall I talk to my sister in your defense? Explain that this whole thing was an accident?"
"It doesn't matter what we do, I made a mistake…and everyone in the castle knows that one mistake means that it's your time to go to the cellar." Natasha hiccuped, on the verge of another breakdown.
"The cellar?" Selena lowered her voice, gentle as if she was talking to a crying child to appear small and welcoming, to coax Natasha to trust Selena enough to speak to her about what caused this episode as well as to keep her from bawling her eyes out once more.
It worked, Natasha turned to look at Selena, her chest still heaving in an attempt to get some air into her lungs. "The cook, whether it was to spook us or if he spoke the truth, told us a story. Maids who've been bad are sent to the cellar. Those that are sent there are never seen again. Your blood is drained and your soul cursed to wander the halls of the castle." Natasha whimpered. "At first, I thought they were trying to scare me because I was new to the castle. But just two weeks ago Adela, another maid, had made a mistake and Miss Daniela had slashed her face with a knife. I've…I've never seen her again after that incident and I heard that she had been taken to the cellar." Natasha, with trembling hands, reached up to place them over her ears. "I wanted to not believe it, but at night…I can hear wailing, ghostly wailings…and at one point I thought I had heard Adela's voice echo throughout the castle in agony." Natasha began to sniffle. "It keeps me up at night…the things that wander this castle. I am afraid Lady Sinclair."
This came as no surprise to Selena, she knew that Alcina as well as her other siblings must be doing similar things that Mother Miranda had done in their own way, but she never bothered asking Alcina to expand and give her a detailed description of what she got up to inside her castle. It was almost like a silent understanding that no one would divulge or interfere in the extensive process of their next project, but wouldn't shy away from boasting about their newest achievement. Her siblings, minus Karl, never revealed anything because they all wanted Mother Miranda's approval…if someone else replicated the process that was told to them and succeeded when the other failed, utter chaos would ensue as tension would rise between the Lords. Selena's reasoning as well as Karl's for keeping the others in the dark was to simply put up a facade to keep them and Mother Miranda off their back. As the saying goes: when in Rome, do as the Romans do.
But seeing this young woman shaking like a leaf, never-ending tears falling from her eyes, and failing at taking deep breaths to calm herself, Selena could only deduce the hell everyone in the castle was being exposed to. It broke Selena's heart, but just as she didn't want anyone other than Karl involved in her work, she didn't think Alcina would take too kindly if Selena got involved in her business…even if Alcina treasured Selena as a precious little sister.
"Natasha, I-I can't save everyone. Even if I could, others would take their place and be exposed to such horrors." Selena was unsure what she was doing, she just suddenly began to speak, but this woman reminded Selena of when she was a young girl in Mother Miranda's laboratory. Except, Natasha didn't have someone like Karl to make such a horrid place seem bearable. "I shall speak to my sister, maybe I can request for you to work for me…"
Natasha's head shot to the side to look at Selena, suspicious eyes looking at the blonde woman, hesitant to take up such an opportunity after what she went through when Cassandra had previously done something similar to her. "You-you would do that for me, Lady Sinclair?"
"I cannot promise that my sister would agree, but I can at least try." Selena offered.
Natasha, at first, looked hopeful before shaking her head due to thinking that what Selena was offering was just a feeble dream. A sweet treat dangling in front of her desperation that Selena would soon take away. "Why would you do that for a mere maid who has nothing to offer you…"
"Because it looks like you need help." Selena responded. "That you need someplace safe to live, and I think my region can offer what you're seeking."
Natasha carefully considered Selena's offer, in the month that Natasha had been working she had caught glimpses of Selena whenever she would visit Alcina.
At first, Natasha was caught by surprise by the woman's beauty, just as she was with the Mistress of the castle when she first met the woman, but what separated Selena from Alcina was the smile that she wore when she greeted the Mistress and her daughters. Compared to the cynical, knowing smile that hid a deep dark secret, Selena's smile was warm like the sun and her eyes held no malice whenever her eyes would catch one of the maids. The words spoken by Selena were like a tender embrace drawing Natasha in and asking those around her to trust what she was saying, to have some faith in her.
Numbly, Natasha nodded her head, and spoke without needing time to consider. "Please, Lady Sinclair…help me."
That was the first time I ever offered someone outside of my village sanctuary, offered someone a safe place to stay.
After speaking to Natasha I had ordered her to stay in this room, it was imperative that she heeded this order, because this room would be beneficial for her until I returned. No one knew this, but the Duke had a strict rule: no one was to step foot into his room unless they were planning to do business with him. Bela, Cassandra, and Daniela had no reason to talk to the large man and Alcina rarely went to visit the Duke since there was nothing he could offer her that she wanted. The room Natasha had escaped to was the safest place to be in, but sadly only so few found this loophole. Those that could've known, didn't make it to the room in time before they were dragged away by Alcina or her daughters to the cellar.
Dinner was quickly prepared and I had a talk with Alcina about Natasha. While Alcina assured me that the maid would be properly dealt with I had requested that she turn her over to me. When asked for a reason, I had simply stated that I was angry that my evening with my lovely sister and my precious nieces were ruined and I wanted to personally punish the one responsible, and what better way to do it than expose her to my own experimentations. I had previously pointed out that I was having issues replicating what I had done to Ianto, and I also mentioned that most of my subjects were males…so maybe a female would garner a more positive reaction to my process.
Nothing more was said, it was justifiable after all, Alcina easily agreed and I left the castle with Natasha following close behind me. I never had any intention of using Natasha for my experiments, but I said what needed to be said to convince my sister to hand Natasha over to me. Natasha lived out the rest of her years in my greenhouse, welcomed warmly by my villagers and put to work to earn her living. I still visit her on the anniversary of her passing, she was a sweet kid…a life that, in my opinion, was taken far too soon. But she was smiling to the very end compared to the short life she would've lived had she stayed at my sister's castle.
In the years to come, the Duke would inform me that someone wanted to do business with me, others who wished to be smuggled to my greenhouse to live out the rest of their mortal lives. A few maids or workers around the castle going missing went unnoticed, after all…there were so many people that Alcina lured to her castle that the turnover rate was incredibly high. Meaning that while more people came to work for her, more people ended up missing, either taken to the cellar to sustain Alcina's hunger…or secretly moved to my village.
An explanation! So, my interpretation is that the daughters were already 'grown-ups' as we read in the "Guest Book" about being delivered three females, and because I just can't see little girls in the diary written by the maid slashing someone's face. But I can see a temperamental Daniela doing it since she is kind of unstable. Second! In regards to the 'Maid's Diary', I personally don't think the maid who wrote it was Ingrid. When the first demo was released it was titled "Maiden", I think that was the tale of Ingrid. So, I created Natasha who wrote "A Maid's Diary".
Through these next few chapters, I'm hoping to show a more 'human' side to these characters we only briefly encountered in the game and giving them my version of their backstory. Going from good to over the years becoming the characters we were introduced to. Even if it was a facade or when things were 'good' at one point in their lives we must never forget that they are still monsters that have killed and ruined people's lives for someone they believed in. Hopefully that makes sense haha
If you are enjoying my story and looking forward to more chapters then leave a nice little review, favorite, and follow to let me know =D though it is not mandatory. But make no mistake that anything is greatly appreciated! Just by reading my story makes me so happy! Thank you everyone for reading! Sending lots of love, positive vibes, and big hugs your way! See you in the next chapter!
-SO