Author's Note: So, I have no excuse haha I've been juggling with playing my many games (mobile and console) and then realizing that I've spent hours playing while my chapters remained half-finished. I'll try to do better lol thank you for all the views, favorites, and follows! Sorry my notes are always so long xD
I forgot to include it in the last chapter! Happy anniversary to Resident Evil Village (May 7th, 2021) I deeply regret not saying it in the last chapter. It's still such an amazing game lol
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! (PS. I can't say that I've tasted socata...so if I'm wrong I apologize, I simply looked up what kind of non-alcoholic drinks are usually served in Romania to guests lol)
"Is that Lady Beneviento and Lady Sinclair?" A childlike voice of a boy spoke up as the two Lords walked through the main part of the village toward the ceremony site displaying separate doors that branched off into individual sections toward their respective residences.
"Shh child…don't stare and don't point. It's incredibly rude." A woman, seemingly the boy's mother, chastised.
Today, instead of walking with Karl back to her greenhouse, Donna had invited Selena over to her domain because she had wanted to show Selena something that she had created just for the woman. When Selena asked if it was a new dress, Donna kept her mouth shut, but Angie had simply giggled and sneakily said that it was something that Selena would cherish and take great joy in.
"Why does Lady Beneviento always cover her face with that black blanket?" Though the boy attempted to whisper Selena had heard and she was sure that Donna had heard so as well. "Is it because her face is scary?"
"Quiet child else you incur the wrath of the Great Ones." Another adult had shushed the boy and just as the two women passed the mother who was tugging on the child's arm to quickly move out of the way. When the boy had stumbled over his own feet, their short legs unable to keep up with the older adults who were in a rush, Selena had stopped in alarm and rushed over to help the boy back onto his feet.
The child couldn't have been older than five and due to having skid his knees, he began to tear up, whimpering and close to bursting out into a tearful wail. But before the child could begin to bawl their eyes out Selena had knelt and began to let out a low soft coo as she assured the child that they were going to be fine. She reached out under the boy's arm and lifted the boy back to his feet and began dusting off the dirt from his trousers.
Just as the boy was close to calming down Donna had come up from behind Selena and immediately the child froze as his eyes stared up in fear at the woman who was covered from head to toe in black. Unable to see Donna's face the child began to shiver as fresh new tears began to prickle the corner of the boy's eyes due to having felt that he had angered Donna by disrupting their walk.
"Hey, it's okay, there's nothing to be afraid of." Selena, catching on to where the fear was coming from, motioned for Donna to kneel beside her. Donna had hesitated for a minute before copying Selena's posture, bending down to crouch in front of the child to show that they aren't as threatening as they may seem. "See, nothing to be afraid of."
Donna, through her veil, stared at the small boy who still seemed frozen in place, his chubby face reminded the woman of one of the many dolls that she had collected and created. Donna then turned to look to Selena for guidance only to see that Selena was already giving the woman an encouraging smile. This was a new and strange experience for Donna since she rarely interacted with people outside of Mother Miranda's little circle.
"Little boy! There's no reason to cry!" Unable to speak, Donna resorted to her one and only comfort, Angie. The little doll waddled up to the small boy that at the sight of the wooden doll closed the gap between him and Selena, burying his face in Selena's shoulder to shield their eyes from the doll. By Donna's control, Angie had cautiously waddled closer to the child and gently tapped them on his shoulder. When the child chanced a peak, Angie had covered her eyes with her wooden hands and after a second uncovered it with a calm but sharp: "Boo!"
When that didn't garner the response that she was hoping for, Donna tried once more with Angie. Donna now made Angie do a little dance, a silly dance that caused even Selena to laugh, this created a chain reaction as the boy lowered his guard and started to giggle at the doll's silly antics, even going so far as to copy the moves.
The child finally began to laugh as they seemed to play around with Angie for a few minutes, the two going back and forth as Selena and Donna simply watched…though Selena more so since Angie was being controlled by Donna.
The two Lords were so lost in their attempt to cheer the boy up that they failed to realize that the small audience that was gathered was beginning to panic…the mother of the child especially. They revered these women along with Mother Miranda with the highest respect, in their minds they were not worthy to speak to such people or be in their presence when they walked through the village. Yet, here they were…speaking to the child, and the child, having not yet paid respect to these well-respected women, was dancing and laughing freely with Donna and Selena. The adults present were worried that, even if the Lords seemed harmless at the moment, the child would do something or say something disrespectful that would anger them.
"Lady Sinclair! Lady Beneviento!" The mother finally spoke up, stuttering as she came up to the two ladies who were bent to the ground as she motioned for the boy to return to her side. "I deeply apologize for my child's disrespect…he doesn't know any better."
"The child was not being disrespectful in any way." Selena assured as the child, listening to his mother, left Selena's arms and went back to their parents' protection. "The child fell, and I couldn't ignore them."
Selena, with slight unease and strain to her back, returned to her full height as well as Donna causing the mother to bow low from her hip as she forced her child to do the same. Selena had tried to tell the mother that such a gesture wasn't necessary, but unbeknownst to Selena, the mother was attempting to appease the two Lords. She was hoping that Donna wouldn't take an interest in her child, after all, the rumor was that a lot of Donna's playmates never returned when they caught the marionette's attention.
"Selena! I grow bored of being here." Angie's head turned to the blonde woman. "Let's go back to my home!"
Selena nodded her head before giving one last wave to the small child and as the two Lords began to walk away the lingering villagers had kept their heads lowered, eyes transfixed to the ground as they all voiced in unison: "Glory to the Great Ones."
While the two Lords had put a few strides between the child and themselves, the distance growing with each step, Selena was still able to hear the silent murmurs that were circling the two though none of the villagers dared to reveal themselves as they kept their heads lowered when they passed.
"That poor boy, I'm sure they had caught Lady Beneviento's attention…"
"Should he be invited to the house in the valley…if they see what's under the veil…"
"He'll be turned into one of her playthings!"
"I feel sorry for the late Lord Beneveiento and his wife…to have lost his daughter and for his other daughter to turn out this way? Suppose it was luck that he didn't live to see how she turned out."
"If only the child wasn't born with such a deformity."
"Maybe the late Lord and Lady would still be with us had their children been born…normal."
"Have you gone mad! Do you wish to invite the wrath of the doll maker?"
"Or worse…" The voice had suddenly lowered in volume as if speaking the name would invite death itself upon them. "Mother Miranda…"
The villagers thought themselves safe, whispering amongst themselves, but they weren't as quiet as they thought. Selena, avoiding drawing Donna's attention to herself, turned back to glare at the villagers they had passed.
Normally she would refrain from doing such a thing, leaving such actions for Karl since he loved to scare and intimidate those that dared stare when he walked by, but when she felt Donna tense at the mention of the previous Lord, her family, as well as her deformity Selena couldn't help herself. Selena didn't quite know much about her older sister's family history, but she suspected that it was a touchy subject with how Donna reacted as well as what she heard the villagers whisper behind their backs. Selena felt protective of Donna since the woman was dealing with her own demons that prevented her from normally interacting with people outside their circle.
The villagers immediately closed their mouths and began to scurry away like roaches when the light got flipped on in a dark room.
Satisfied, Selena smiled triumphantly, though she did feel slightly guilty for abusing such power. She wasn't ignorant of the fear the villagers had toward herself and her siblings, as much as possible Selena didn't want to be viewed that way, but she couldn't help herself, especially since Donna was unable to speak in her defense.
"Don't mind the villagers, Donna. They speak out of fear and nothing more." Selena said as she turned to where Donna was only for Selena to realize that she was now standing alone in the middle of the village. "Donna?"
Selena couldn't see where the woman had gone off to, she didn't seem like she would've stayed in the village so the blonde woman continued to the only place that she knew Donna would feel the safest: back to the house that overlooked the waterfall.
As fast as Selena could go she made her way through the valley of mist, she remained unbothered by the surroundings in Donna's territory after having walked the path many times before, though she still hesitated when it came to crossing the rickety bridge. But when Selena got to the house she immediately noticed that the front door was left wide open which was a concern. Donna was always careful when it came to shutting the door to her house when she left or returned.
"Donna?" Selena called out when she entered the house, her voice bounced and echoed throughout the empty foyer, carrying up to the house's second floor. Selena walked further inward, toward the dining room area and still, there was no Donna in sight. "Donna, are you here?"
Selena's attention was turned to her right as she heard the creaking of the floorboards behind the door. Selena walked across the room toward the door beside the cabinet that held shelved books in the glass display case and gently pushed against the door. The door opened up to a long winding hallway that, as Selena followed the path, led to another elevator lift.
'Where could this go…' Selena thought to herself as she approached the elevator, pressing the only button that pointed down. 'could Donna have gone this way?'
Selena wasn't sure, the area felt quite ominous…as if she was trespassing in an area she wasn't allowed to be in, but as she stepped onto the lift and watched the gate close in front of her, Selena knew that there was no turning back. Aside from feeling like she shouldn't be doing this, she also felt worried for Donna since she had suddenly disappeared without notifying her where she was going considering Donna was the one that invited Selena to join her at her house.
"Donna…" Selena whispered as she quietly poked her head out of the elevator the moment that it had opened to the floor below. No response was returned which caused the woman to venture out further. Due to no signs of life, Selena decided to do some more exploring in hopes that Donna would suddenly appear.
The more she explored, Selena found what looked to be a study room, and further inward she stumbled across a strange-looking workshop with wooden limbs hanging from the ceiling and a half-finished doll laying on the examination table in the center of the room.
'Steel yourself, Selena…' The woman encouraged herself, still having a slight fear of dolls, as she quickly turned to the next room on her left which looked to be a room stocked with medicine and a place where you would look after a patient. Selena wasn't sure what this room was exactly for, maybe it was for Donna's experiments that she did in the name of Mother Miranda? Whatever that may be, she didn't stew on the thought for long as she continued into the next area which seemed to be just another hallway.
Selena was about to pass one of the doors that held a relief sculpture on the frosted glass part of the door that, at first glance seemed locked, until Selena heard the sound of a door creaking open just after she had passed it. When Selena took a step back she saw that the door was cracked open by an inch… and Selena was sure that the door had previously been closed shut.
A bit hesitant, Selena had placed her hand on the door and gently pushed against it, hearing the door creak loudly throughout the empty house, before seeing a set of stairs leading down to the next level. Following her gut feeling, Selena shouldered on and continued forward, passing by what seemed like a dim-lit kitchen before finding another door at the end of the hallway when she had turned left.
Selena was sure that she had come to a dead-end and was prepared to turn back around to go search the rest of the floor before Selena had heard the distant sound of a muffled sniffle. At first, she had thought she was hearing things, the silence of the house messing with her hearing, but as she shuffled closer to the white door she heard labored breathing coming from the other side.
"Donna?" Selena gently called out, reaching up to lightly tap against the door and hearing a sudden squeak as a response. "Donna, it's me, Selena. I'm coming in."
After giving Donna a few seconds to compose herself, Selena reached out to turn the knob of the door and let herself in. There, sitting on her flower-patterned comforter still dressed in her typical black attire, was Donna while Angie was placed amongst the piled-up pillows that were neatly leaning against the headboard, but Selena noticed that Donna's veil was slightly askew.
Selena walked over to the bed, sitting just beside the woman, and reached over to pat the older woman's hand that was laced just in the middle of her lap. "Was it what the villagers were saying?"
"The villagers can talk all they want." Angie's voice responded as the little wooden doll came waddling close to Donna before making herself comfortable between the two women. "Their opinions don't matter to us one bit."
"…doesn't mean that it doesn't hurt." Selena responded. "Those villagers shouldn't have said what they said."
"When I was…a little girl…" A soft-spoken voice came out after a minute of silence. To Selena's surprise, the voice came from Donna instead of Angie. This wasn't the first time that Donna had attempted to talk to Selena without the help of Angie. The first several times that it had happened, Donna would stutter out her sentence, and all Selena would do is smile and encourage Donna even if it was just a few words. Selena was patient enough to give Donna the time to get her thoughts out, and as time went by Donna had improved, though she continued to use Angie even with such progress. In time, her stuttering had gone away the more she talked to Selena even if it came out a little choppy. Donna was happy to finally talk to Selena without stuttering over every word.
"The children…in the village…wouldn't come near me. They were all…afraid of me. My only friends…were the dolls papa would…create." Donna lifted her hand and placed them over her veil where her right eye would be. "One day…I was told my sister died…it made mama and papa sad. Then…they died…and I had no one. No one…except for…" Donna turned to the doll seated between her and Selena, Donna unclasped her hands and allowed Angie to crawl into her waiting arms to sit in Donna's lap. "Angie. The last doll that…my papa ever made for me. Angie…listens to me. Angie…talks to me. She…never judges me." Donna lifted her hand and began to caress Angie's head, smoothing out the fabric of Angie's white veil. Selena watched as Donna's hands stilled before lifting her hand to the veil that always covered her face. Donna's hands clutched the fabric and pulled the veil off to reveal the protruding tumor where her right eye should've been, this was the first Selena had seen of Donna's full face. The protrusion pulsated and Selena had to wonder if that was where Mother Miranda had implanted the parasite. "Mother…she welcomed me as her daughter…it was a blessing." Donna turned to Selena, a dull dark brown exhausted eye staring back at the woman. When Selena didn't instantly say something Donna had begun to panic, averting her eye to the ground and trying to cover up her scar. "Will…you be afraid of me too…Selena?"
Selena knew there was probably more to what Donna was saying, things she didn't know and that Donna wasn't quite ready to share, but Selena didn't care. Didn't care about Donna's disfigurement, didn't think any less of the woman or fear her. In Selena's opinion, Donna was simply misunderstood and was alone for so long.
Selena scooted closer to Donna and rested her head on Donna's shoulder. "To me, Donna is Donna."
It would seem that such a simple answer was enough for Donna as her eye had widened in shock before she had begun to tear up. The woman moved her hand to grip Selena's, giving it a tight squeeze as her hands trembled from the thought of being rejected by Selena.
Selena remained silent, relaxed, and closed her eyes as she waited for Donna to be comfortable enough to decide when she was ready to move on and focus their attention on something happier.
It was only when Selena was in the between, the time when a person is close to falling asleep but still conscious of their surroundings, did Donna stand to her feet and placed Angie in the area she previously sat. Selena was jostled from her half slumber as she watched Donna make her way to her dresser, reaching in and taking out the thing that Donna had initially wanted to show Selena when she had invited her over.
Previous concerns about the villagers or Donna's worries were forgotten as Donna remembered in that instant what she wanted to give to Selena as she motioned for the blonde woman to come over to see.
While Selena obliged, getting up from the bed and going over to take a look at what Donna was so excited about, Selena hadn't seen Angie's head turning to watch them without the help of Donna. White eyes blinked as the doll watched the two women enjoying their time together.
"Whatcha got there, buttercup?" Karl asked after having been forced out of his concentration with his latest project the moment Selena had placed a giant white box onto his workbench.
"It's a gift from Donna." Selena said as she left Karl with the box for just a second before returning with her swivel chair, parking it just beside Karl before making herself comfortable on the chair.
"Why would that woman, whom I've never spoken to since being introduced to this family, give me a gift." Karl asked as he stared at the offending box skeptically.
"Not you, us." Selena said as she, too, stared at the box but more out of curiosity than skepticism. "Donna said it was something she wanted to give to us to celebrate being welcomed to Mother Miranda's family."
"I wouldn't want to celebrate that…" Karl scoffed as he went back to work. "Whatever's in there I don't want it."
"Oh come on, it can't be that bad. Donna took time out of her busy schedule to get something for us." Selena argued, trying to convince the man who had already lost interest in the thoughtful gift. Selena glared at Karl who she could tell was attempting to avoid meeting her eyes. She watched his body turn away from her causing Selena to huff, giving up and turning her attention back to the box. "I'm still going to open it."
"You'll do it even if I tell you not to open it." Karl muttered under his breath as Selena shook her head and reached for the lid of the box. What greeted her when she lifted the lid and peered inside made Selena gush over whatever was inside.
"Aw! It's so cute!" Selena squealed in awe. "I must thank Donna the next time I see her."
"What's inside the box that's got you so excited?" Karl curiously asked, causing Selena to dramatically sigh.
"You couldn't just be honest and say that you were just as curious as I was? You had to be stubborn about it and say you didn't want it." Selena said before she saw Karl begin to lean over to take a look inside the box. This caused Selena to shove the lid back down to prevent the man from catching a glimpse of the gift. "Hey! You said you didn't want to know so you don't get to see what Donna gave us."
"Just let me see inside the stupid box." Karl argued as he tried to reach around Selena for the box only for the blonde woman to place her hands on Karl's chest, pushing against the man to keep him away from the present. It was a feeble attempt on Selena's part since all she was accomplishing was exerting unnecessary energy as Karl remained fixed in his spot. As entertaining as it was for Karl to see Selena try to keep him away, Karl was simply humoring the woman by allowing Selena to think she was keeping him away when he could easily push past Selena. At some point though he had let out his own dramatic sigh. "Don't be so difficult Selena, just let me see what's inside the box."
"No!" Selena's cheeks were puffed out as she remained firm with her decision. "You didn't want it in the first place so logically it now belongs to me and me alone."
"You said it was intended for both of us…so!" Karl leaned back, watching in amusement as Selena almost fell forward in her chair from the lack of body that was keeping her straight, before flicking his wrist dismissively. The chair that Selena was seated upon turned opposite from Karl and rolled a bit away giving Karl just enough time to take a peek inside the box. "It's rather cute of you to think you can overpower me, buttercup."
Selena swiftly turned her chair back around to face Karl, but she didn't make a move to stop the man, all Selena did was pout and glare in Karl's direction as the man lifted the lid off the box.
There was a moment of silence between the two as Selena's pouting turned into a smirk when Karl continued to stare dumbfounded down into the box. "…what the hell am I looking at?"
Inside the box were two stuffed, not wooden, dolls. Both resembling Selena and Karl from their hair right down to the outfits they were typically seen wearing. It was a gift that Selena adored while Karl had mixed feelings about how uncanny the tiny doll looked like him…about how much he was perfectly recreated as a doll. The metal man reached into the box and took out the small stuffed doll that resembled Selena and held it closer to his face to further inspect the creation. "I wouldn't be surprised if this thing ends up moving and talking on its own like the rest of her creepy little creations. How is this, in any way shape, or form, cute?"
"I think it's cute!" Selena rolled her chair back over to Karl, her chair bumping his away as Selena took back the box. "I'm keeping it even if you don't like it." Selena then held her hand out to Karl expectantly. "Give me back my doll."
"Why should I?" Karl childishly teased as he lifted his arm over his head when Selena tried to snatch it back. "You said these were gifts from our dear sister to us, right?"
"Need I remind you that you said you didn't want it!" Selena whined as she still stretched her arm up to take back her look alike. "And if you did accept Donna's gift, you would get your doll! Not mine!"
"Well, I changed my mind." Karl leaned back, using his momentum to propel himself up and out of the chair, subconsciously making sure that Selena didn't fall off of hers when he made the sudden movement move to get up. Karl had gone over to his shelves where he kept his tattered books and placed the tiny Selena doll on the very top of the bookcase. Completely out of Selena's reach. "If you want your doll, I welcome you to take it back."
Selena was about to rise to Karl's challenge as she stood to her feet, taking the chair she was on and rolling it in the direction of where the doll sat before the chair suddenly decided it wouldn't budge from its spot.
"Without help, buttercup." Karl smugly stated causing Selena to turn on her heels and get into Karl's face.
"You know very well that I'm too short!" Selena grumbled causing Karl to let out a hearty laugh. It took a second for Karl to regain his composure, and just as Selena was about to throw another small tantrum about giving back her gift from Donna, Karl had grabbed his own tiny doll and placed it between their faces. "Relax Selena, you still have Donna's gift. See?" "But-" "Donna gave you a gift, she didn't specifically say which was mine and which was yours did she."
Karl had Selena there, Donna didn't say what exactly was inside the box or what belonged to who. All Donna had said, with an overly excited smile, was that this was a gift for both Karl and Selena…she never specified which was for Selena and which was for Karl.
"That's what I thought." Karl said as he moved his doll closer to poke Selena's nose. "Just hold mine, no big deal."
Selena's face flushed as she grabbed the doll out of Karl's hands and held it close to her body before turning her back to the smiling man. "…you and your technicalities."
Karl won, and he didn't make an attempt to point it out this time around, he simply went back to his workstation with a smug smile plastered across his face leaving Selena to stew in her spot. Scheming up ways to steal her doll back.
Selena was happy to be holding on to Karl's doll that Donna made, but secretly Selena had wanted both dolls to stay together then separate them since Donna had commented that it was meant to be a set. Selena wasn't sure what Donna had meant by that, but Selena had assumed that a set meant that they should and would need to stay together.
"Lady Sinclair?" A gentle voice called out to the blonde lady who was in the process of returning to her home from Donna's house. With Selena's attention caught, the woman had turned to see an older man wearing a long-sleeved shirt, loose pants, a wide-brimmed hat, and in his hand, he held a pair of gloves. The man smiled in greeting as he walked up to Selena and gave a respectful bow.
"Hello." Selena greeted with hesitancy due to not recognizing the man after passing through this area many times in the past. "I don't believe we've met."
"No my Lady, we haven't met, please allow me to introduce myself." The man continued to smile through his exhaustion as he reached up to wipe some sweat that had accumulated on his forehead. "My name is Josef Simon, I am the caretaker and gardener for Mistress Beneviento."
"Oh!" Selena brightened at meeting another who shared her enthusiasm for gardening. "Strange that I never see you around when I come to visit my sister."
Josef simply let out an awkward laugh. "I keep myself busy most of the time, the garden won't take care of itself. If I leave it alone for just one day the weeds grow out of control and the path toward the house gets overgrown, not to mention the vines would overtake the headstones."
"I completely understand! If I don't take care of my flowers I suddenly see some weeds taking up the spaces not to mention it stunts the growth of my plants! Though I have people in the village who offer to take care of it in my absence, it doesn't feel the same." Selena agreed enthusiastically as she excitedly approached Josef. "There's just something amazing about getting your hands dirty and feeling the accomplishment when you see all the pretty flowers flourish under your care and hard work."
Josef blinked slowly, caught off guard by the sudden outburst from the woman before letting out a true, barking laugh that eased away any tension or fear he may have had toward the woman. "I had heard you dabbled in gardening, but I never suspected a woman such as yourself to be so passionate about it."
Selena realized that she had allowed her emotions to overpower how she was supposed to act in the presence of others that weren't her siblings, the persona of a respectable woman had fallen at the mere thought of someone who shared her struggle and passion. Selena had let out a forced cough in order to compose herself. "Apologies, I reacted before thinking."
"Nothing to apologize for." Josef assured before going back to the reason why he had called out to the woman on a whim. At first, he wasn't exactly sure if it was Selena who was passing through the property or a trick of the eyes, but now that he knew he was hoping to talk to Selena just for a few minutes. "Were you on your way to something important, my Lady?"
Selena shook her head. "Just headed back to my house."
"Then, would you mind if I trouble you for a few minutes of your time?" Josef asked. "There's something that I've been wanting to tell you, but I wasn't sure how to gain an audience with you, Lady Sinclair."
"Of course, I have nothing important that needs my attention at the moment." Selena nodded her head. "Lead the way, Mister Simon."
Josef and Selena continued on the single path in the direction of the suspension bridge before Simon had come to a large gate to the left of the path that led to his house which was a bit uphill. It was a short walk, it was natural for someone who is supposed to be the caretaker of the land Beneviento owned to be living close by, and when the pair reached the front door Josef had held it open for Selena to first enter before following close behind.
Upon entering his home, Josef had taken off his hat and headed toward the backroom. "I don't have much that would suit your fancy, Lady Sinclair, but would you like something to drink? I have this delightful socata that I can prepare for us? I grow, ferment, and preserve the elderflowers myself."
"I don't know what that is, but I would like to have some, thank you." Selena said as she took a seat on one of the empty chairs, waiting patiently for Josef to prepare the necessary ingredients he had in his cabinet in the tiny dining area as well as what was stored in the backroom. The man made quick work, diligent, and not one to want to waste the opportunity he was so graciously given to speak to Selena about what was on his mind for the past few days. When Selena had blinked her eyes a worn-out, dull blue, mug was placed right in front of her and she accepted it with a smile. "Thank you."
Josef, though appearing collected, was on the edge as he anxiously waited for Selena to give her honest opinion on a drink that he had made. After a few sips, Selena's eyes brightened as her body felt instantly re-energized. "Sweet. Citrus. Delicious." Selena praised as she continued to happily sip from the mug.
"It does my heart good to know that you enjoyed such a simple beverage." Josef said with a sigh of relief, a sigh he didn't even know he was holding at the time before he eased himself down onto the free chair opposite Selena and placed his hat on the top of the table. While Selena continued to enjoy her drink, Josef cradled his own cup of socata in his hands as he struggled to organize his thoughts on what exactly he wanted to say. He was deciding if it would be best to make leisure talk first or to get straight to the point on why he had invited Selena over to his house in the first place. Josef wasn't sure if Selena would also grow irritable for wasting her time at his attempt at small talk so he decided instead to just come right out and say what was on his mind. "Lady Sinclair, I would like to get to the point on why I asked for an audience with you today."
"Oh! Yes." Selena placed the cup back down, folded her hands on top of the table, and waited patiently for Josef to say what he wanted to say.
"I'm…I'm not sure where to begin." Josef let out a breathy sigh through his nose as he nervously bit the bottom of his lip. "I suppose…I should first say thank you, Lady Sinclair."
"For?" Selena asked with her head cocked slightly to the side.
"For…helping Mistress Donna." Josef said as he smiled sadly down into the contents of his cup, unable to look Selena in the eyes. "For generations, my family has always tended the garden for the Beneviento family…for years we've always looked after the family. And sadly, our family lines end with myself and Mistress Donna. You see, I served the late Lord, Mistress Donna's father, and knew both Donna and her sister when they were just babies. Then…tragedy befell the Beneviento family. Donna had lost her sister…the cause remained a mystery…and her parents had taken their own lives…" Josef had choked up and shook his head as if dismissing the memories that were beginning to surface leaving Selena slightly confused as Josef refrained from continuing on that line of subject. "Mistress Donna was left alone, the little girl had shut herself off from the outside world and only spoke to Angie. My heart went out for the little girl who was left alone in this harsh world for you see, I had lost my wife and child just before Mistress Donna lost her parents. I may not be her father, but I've worried and taken care of Mistress Donna as if she were my own flesh and blood." Josef was stressed, you could see it from the wrinkles that formed when he furrowed his brows as he recalled such trying times. "Countless hours worrying about the young lady who children feared, who never spoke to anyone after the death of her parents…who would hide away in her room day after day. I wasn't sure how to help her and before I knew it…in a blink of an eye, so many years had passed me by. Those years were spent wondering how I could help Mistress Donna see that there was so much to live for in life."
"…I had no idea Donna had gone through all that by herself…" Selena whispered as she allowed such information to completely sink in. Selena knew Donna had gone through something quite traumatic, but Selena thought it wouldn't be right to divulge and reopen wounds that may set back the recluse woman in her 'recovery'.
"So, it came as a surprise when Mistress Donna had suddenly decided to speak to me. After years of avoiding me, she chose to seek me out…and more so I was caught off guard when I saw that while time had aged me, Mistress Donna remained untouched by father time. She told me about her being accepted by Mother Miranda, being given a gift that allowed her to retain her youth…as well as a gift of great power. In all my years I never thought I would see Mistress Donna sound so…happy. So…open as she was in that moment even if she was talking to me through Angie." Josef finally lifted his head to look at Selena, reaching across the table to place his hand over her folded ones to show his sincerity. "And I think such a positive progression was because of you and Mother Miranda."
"I'm sure it was more Mother Miranda's doing than mine." Selena bashfully pointed out causing Josef to shake his head.
"Lady Sinclair, when Mistress Donna paid me a visit she spoke so highly of you as she does with Mother Miranda." Josef stated. "You see, as a child, Mistress Donna never associated herself with the village children. At that age…children feared those who were different…refused to play with those who didn't act 'normal'. They stayed away from Mistress Donna due to the scar on the right side of her face." Josef smiled as he recalled how happy Donna was as she spoke to him through Angie. "You, Lady Sinclair, are probably the first friend that Mistress Donna has ever had…a sister she's been missing." Josef closed his eyes and poured his feelings out hoping his sincerity could be felt by Selena. "So I wanted to say…thank you Lady Sinclair, and I hope that you can continue to be by Mistress Donna's side when there comes a time that I can't be there for her anymore."
"You really do care for Donna, don't you Mister Simon." Selena smiled and was touched at hearing such a genuine statement.
"As I've said, I care for her as if she was my own daughter." Josef nodded. "Please say that you will continue to look after Donna for me."
"My siblings and Mother Miranda are the only family I know." Selena pointed out as her smile widened as she thought of her siblings. "I will always be there for Donna, she's my sister." Selena then let out a hum. "But in return, I must ask that you share with me your process on how you make this…socata."
Selena was joking, of course, she would always be there for her sister, for all of them, but she really wanted to know about the drink she was sipping on as well as the flowers Josef had used to make it, and thankfully the gardener had interpreted it as just that: a joke.
"But of course! I think I still have some of the seeds in my room that I haven't planted that you can grow in your garden. And I shall write down what is needed to make this drink." Josef was about to get up to retrieve the item before repeating himself once more. "Again, thank you, Lady Sinclair."
A few days later, on a day Selena had been leaving Donna's house, the woman had decided to seek out Josef Simon once more. The blonde woman had at first gone looking for the man around the garden area just before the door to the elevator lift in hopes to ask him more about the other types of plants he had grown…only to find that he was neither there in the roundabout or at the tool shed. Selena had then decided to go to the house and found it strange that he wasn't there either…the house felt empty and void of life.
"Mister Simon?" Selena called out as she walked further into the house and saw that the door to the backroom had been left wide open. When Selena had taken a step into the room she noticed that there were clothes strewn about, the dresser full of Josef's clothes was open and the drawers pulled out…as if the man had been in a hurry to dress and quickly leave out the door without locking his place up.
'Strange…' Selena thought as she took a glance around the room before her eyes settled on an open book placed on the small desk in the left corner of the room by the door. Selena went over to inspect the contents of the book in hopes to find out where the gardener had run off to and realized that it was a diary belonging to Josef Simon.
- 1/4 -
November 10th
It came as a surprise to me when Mistress Donna had suddenly appeared before me, the years have been unkind to me yet Mistress Donna remains as youthful as ever.
I found out that Mistress Donna had been adopted by Mother Miranda as her daughter. In all my years, I've never been this overjoyed.
Ever since childhood she has always feared others, due to the scar across her face.
After her parents' death she locked herself away and would only talk to Angie, the doll her father made her.
I will forever be thankful to Mother Miranda's infinite compassion.
- 2/4 -
November 27th
Mistress Donna seems happy. It might just be my imagination, but I feel like her doll Angie is even more lively than before.
She came to me in the garden today and used Angie to talk to me. We had a mighty conversation.
Something about receiving a gift of power from Mother?
Mistress Donna spoke extensively about Lady Sinclair, a woman I had only seen as a passing figure through the mist. Compared to the other Lords, Lady Sinclair seemed otherworldly, it scared me, but if that woman brought Mistress Donna such joy, it seems only right that I speak to her and thank her.
After all, I think it is because of Lady Sinclair that I could finally see something I never thought I would see in my lifetime: Mistress Donna talking to someone other than her dolls.
- 3/4 -
November 28th
Lady Sinclair is not who I thought she would be.
I had first thought her to be similar to the other Lords, intimidating and frightful, but that was not the case. To my surprise, she was a charming young lady who shared a similar passion to my own. I was able to thank the young lady for all that she's done for Mistress Donna.
I can rest easy now knowing that when I am gone, Mistress Donna will never have to be alone anymore. I'm not getting any younger, I feel the aches in my bones worsen as the days go by…age is finally catching up to me.
I hope Lady Sinclair can continue to be her support when it is time for me to go. This is the least I can do for such a kind-hearted woman who has gone through so much pain in her young life.
- 4/4 -
November 29th
Mistress Donna gave me yellow flowers and told me to plant them in the garden.
I planted them in front of Miss Claudia's grave. I don't know if it was the scent of the flowers, but I felt light headed. Then, like a dream, I saw my departed wife.
I mentioned this to Donna and she seemed thrilled by it. She told me to go to the house tomorrow and see her. She said I could see my family once more.
I'm not sure what she meant by that, but she's so kind.
That day, I left the house and the book undisturbed and returned to my home, never to return to the house again.
After that one encounter, I never saw Josef Simon again, but I did see those yellow flowers planted on Claudia's grave that were mentioned in the diary. Never knew at the time what became of the sweet gardener who had asked me to look after Donna when it was his time to go…the man who shared with me his secret recipe of his delicious socata. I thought maybe he knew he was dying which was the reason he requested such a thing from me.
I never got a definitive answer to what happened to the man, only theories and speculations on my end, until I grew much older and wiser. Now I knew what could've happened to him after the rumors began to circulate.
In his last diary entry, the pollen caused Mister Josef Simon to hallucinate and see his dead family…I think by going to the house, led by the hallucination created by Donna, he had followed the image over the edge of the cliff. Fell straight to his death, his body swept into the rapids of the waterfall.
Josef Simon, from that one meeting, was a sweet man who cared for his employer. I wish I knew for sure what had happened to him, I never got the courage to ask Donna, so I can only go off what I hear of the rumors circulating in the village.
That man spoke so highly of Donna, loved her like his own…and continued to cherish the image he had of her till the very end. The last page of his diary always gets to me whenever I think back on his final entry…how incredibly kind she was to allow him to see his departed wife and family.
I never made the beverage after I came to terms with what happened to Mister Simon…but the bushes of the elderberries I planted remain a constant reminder of another poor soul that fell prey to my siblings. One of many souls that I could not save due to the blind loyalty they had toward my family, and maybe in the end...I was not meant to save everyone, but that didn't mean that each soul that I came into contact with doesn't weigh heavy on my heart even if the contact was brief.
I can't help the 'what ifs' that run through my head when I'm left to my own devices…like what if I had opened my eyes and saw the signs sooner instead of blindly looking away because they were my family. Would that have made a difference? Could I have secretly been able to help more people? Would I be tormented by my sense of loyalty and doing the right thing if I grasped and came to terms with what type of people my siblings truly were? Or maybe it wouldn't have made any difference in the end.
I keep myself busy daily to chase away these haunting thoughts…I fear if I remain idle for long periods of time such thoughts would swallow me whole and consume me.
I'll be honest, I have my own little Karl stuffed doll and he is the absolute cutest thing ever! Hehe =) I hope my intention is coming through correctly, these events in these chapters (from Alcina's, Donna's, and the upcoming Salvatore chapter) are happening over time. A glimpse of years passing by that will lead into the present time and the present Lords we know.
I had to alter the Gardener Diary to fit my narrative lol I know the diary states that Donna went to the gardener and told him about Miranda as well as the power she inherited, but hear me out. As a recluse woman who is socially closed off and stunted since she was a child, she wouldn't have told the gardener the moment it happened. BUT! With influence and growing out of her shell with outside help (Miranda and Selena), I'm sure she would've gone to the person she knows still frequents her territory (and is close to Donna) and told them everything that has happened.
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. Just viewing and reading is already greatly appreciated and makes me happy! Thank you everyone for reading! Sending lots of love, positive vibes, and big hugs your way! See you next chapter!
-SO