Aqua Kizuna was a small-town girl, at least from what the villagers would tell you, Father Orizont was the only thing keeping the blue-haired girl in control, acting as the village's priest, being the only form of compassion to the teen. Orizont had gotten a job at Moreau's Reservoir many years ago, and he had hoped the Duke would help in getting Aqua a job with him, knowing his daughter had her mother's supernatural strength and desire for combat, she would be more suitable for Lord Moreau. Aqua loved fighting if she wasn't shooting Lycans with her shotgun, she was battling drunks at the local bar, and the rare time she fought Lord Heisenberg, for the hell of it. But that was only one side of the villager's story, she had her mother's heart of gold, and willingness to befriend anybody outside of Alcina's castle or Mother Miranda herself.
Aqua was cold, as she blew into her hands, her brown gloves did nothing to protect her hands from the cold harsh winds of the mad village. She quickly looked around the Duke's square as the other villagers made their way to work, her father was almost off of work, and they had planned on meeting the Duke to see if he could help her get a job at the Reservoir.
"I'm sure he'll be here soon, Ms. Kizuna. Orizont is a strong man. If his faith in you is strong then I know he'll survive the journey back here!" The Duke said attempting to give Aqua some comfort, as she felt her fingers dig into the wooden stock of her shotgun. She wanted to charge into the horde of people and drag her father to the Duke herself. Every day it was the same nightmare, Aqua would see her father dragged off to the factory or reservoir, just like how mom was taken to the castle, she would never see them again, and be all alone in the cold village. Some days were painful living in the mad village, but the day before the workers' pick always made Aqua nervous. Each year she dodged the ultimate bullet, but this year was different. Every eighteen-year-old was ordered to work for whichever lord chose them. Aqua could feel the stare of the castle ruler looking above her, making her hope that her father had some luck with their lord.
"I hope you're right, Duke! I can't lose him, not after Miko. I still have so much to learn from him, and he's my only chance at not being forced into working for Lord Alcina." Aqua said, muttering the last part of her sentence under her breath, the Duke hearing every bit of it, but staying silent, as the sounds of heavy footsteps could be heard within the villagers.
"Aqua, good you're with the Duke, I was beginning to worry that you had forgotten about our meeting today!" Orizont boomed, as his footsteps echoed across the half-frozen ground of the square. Aqua looked up to the man, she had called father, his dark brown hair, flowed under his helmet, it was funny to the blue-haired girl, everyone in her family would end up with long hair at some point in their lives, it was the reason why she and Orizont loved her mother Miko so much, she was so beautiful to see despite being the town's doctor, and maiden. She had taken the role after the death of Beneadetta Beneveinto, and most of the Beneveinto family had died. Aqua would have liked to say she was happy for her mother, but like every other maiden with good looks, and a family, it didn't last once Alcina claimed her to work for her and those vile daughters of hers last year.
"Duke, you're looking well! Making sure my little girl is fine under the watch of Mother Miranda's eyes, I hope!" Orizont said, fishing out a bag of lei from his right pocket, wasting no time pointing at different types of meats, vegetables, and items. The Duke nodded happily at the father's spending, knowing that Orizont was the strongest man in the village outside of the lords and Lycans. Duke liked the tall gentleman, his years of hard work and determination for his family and village never waivered, leading to them becoming friends after the loss of Miko.
"Why, Aqua has been doing well, we were just talking about tomorrow! She's worried about Alcina, and if you talked to Lord Moreau about her joining you for a job in the reservoir." Duke said, handing Orizont some coins, and thanking the man for his business, Aqua grabbed the sack of food from her father, this was probably the last meal she would have with her father, so the family was planning on having a good night. Aqua didn't see the look in Orizont's eyes, as he looked beyond the Duke, the man knew the harsh truth of the matter. Lord Moreau had told him that he wasn't taking his daughter, Alcina had already asked for the teen before he did.
Orizont sadly knew the bitter truth the only way to save Aqua from going to the castle was for him to see another lord, and offer more than he had to them for the chance to save his daughter from her horrid fate in the castle. Orizont knew he had two options, Lord Heisenberg was unlikely due to taking strong men, and he didn't care about the villagers, so he was impossible, and probably asked a higher price than the other lord. Besides he commented that Aqua would be the best form of entertainment at the castle during the Vampire's next dinner between the lords, so he was off the table. Meaning he had one option left, and it was the most risky option outside of Betraying his faith in Mother and running into the Lycan's domain, he would have to visit the dollmaker.
"Aqua, please go home, and start dinner. I have one last thing I must do, I'll be home by the time dinner is ready. Once we've eaten, then it will be time to talk about tomorrow!" Orizont commanded, his voice boomed, making Aqua jump for a second, Orizont never spoke to her with that tone, the tone used for those with whom he had a great deal of importance. Aqua blinked at her father for a second, then ran back to their house by the cemetery and Luiza's fields.
"Orizont, I know what you're planning, do you think she'll help? I know that you'd give anything to save Aqua but tell me is it worth going there? She is still heartbroken after their deaths, she just killed the gardener and any staff that even breathed near her, let alone talked to her. So please tell me that you have a plan, or something to sweeten the pot." Duke whispered, but Orizont didn't listen to the merchant, as he walked over to the door to the Beneveinto lands. Donna Beneviento was the only option he had left, even if it meant death, he would save his daughter from the fate of the castle. Orizont fished out a bag, containing a ribbon, a photo, some blue hair, and his family's treasure, a blue diamond ring. He was willing to give up his wife's most valuable treasure, all for their most prized thing of all.
—--
Orizont opened the door to the lands of the Dollmaker, he looked around, walking through patches of dead grass, vines, and brushes. The sight of hanging dolls greeted him, as the thick fog that covered the land made him walk slower. Normally he would be terrified, he could feel it when he took a breath of the cold, dead air. It was like a sense of dread and misery had overtaken him, telling him to go back or die, but he had to keep going, Donna was his only hope, even if it was unbearable.
Aqua's life was on the line, by Mother Miranda's grace, he would make it to Donna. Even if he died in the process, Aqua would be saved, he would make sure that the vampires never got their bloody hands on his child. He decided to follow the fresh footsteps that pressed against the snow, someone had heard him talking with the Duke, and Orizont knew that it must have been Donna, it couldn't be anyone else as she had no staff to use, and her dolls footsteps were too small to be buried under the never-ending snow.
—--
Orizont made his way deeper into the cursed lands, the old rope bridge, and the lingering feeling of death and dredge in his stomach, none of it was stopping Orizont, as he etched closer to Donna. That was until he arrived at the gardens, and a figure looked at him, standing in a field of yellow flowers.
"Miko! So the rumors are true, you have her gift, and yet seeing her again both curses and blesses me with the sight of my wife. Why do you take her form, it brings me no comfort in seeing her again, all it does is drive the wound in deeper. Reveal your true self to me, Donna, it's time for us to chat, I know you could hear me speaking with the Duke!" Orizont spoke, looking at the features of his wife. Her long blue hair that rivaled the sea, the pure white outfit that looked like snow, the soft grin on her face, that Aqua had mastered to warm his heart even in the coldest winter.
"Orizont! Why are you here?" Donna said Orizont felt his heart skip a beat, the dollmaker sounded like his beloved wife, she had truly become a copy of Miko. But Orizont had to stay strong, Donna was his only hope at saving Aqua, so he took a deep breath, seeing Miko gave him a little hope, so he just hoped that things would be ok.
"I have come to bargain with you, my lord! You are the latest in the Beneviento household to take up its head. I simply wish to ask for mercy upon my daughter, Lord Moreau can't claim her under his roof, as that foul demon in the castle has eyed my Aqua. The only way for her to find mercy is for another lord to claim her, as you know each lord gets a maiden alongside any villagers. I humbly ask that you save my daughter from Mistress Dimitrescu. Please, I'm begging you, save her from the fangs, and the pain. I have lost my wife to that woman, I can't bear to see my daughter go through the same fate." Orizont said, planting his face near the snow, and placing the bag of items in front of him as an offering to the dollmaker. Only for a hand to be placed on his shoulder, Orizont looked up to see the face of Miko. She was smiling, but he didn't know if it was Donna's smile or a lie to give him hope.
"I am that desperate to save her! I would gladly die or be enslaved to you, or Lord Moreau just to keep her safe!" Orizont whispered to the lord, his fingers burned in the cold snow, Donna looked at the bag, seeing all of the family money, Miko's treasured, and a photo of Aqua. Donna sighed as she snapped her fingers, she hated seeing families suffer at the hands of Miranda, she may have been a lord for a year, and utterly hated the idea of seeing, let alone talking to people, but just this once, she would see why the village priest was fighting for his daughter.
"I will see about saving your daughter, under two conditions, the first is if I save her she serves under my rule for six out of the seven days of the week, the seventh day will be for her to be free. She will clean the manor and garden until it is workable, and lastly, she must become mine, and Angie's friend. If she is to work for us, she must play with us till I am happy, and the allotted hours have been figured out. She will be given pay, but be warned if she misses a day, or I am unhappy with how she performs, you'll both wish that I hadn't saved her from the castle. That is my first condition, the second is one that I would do unless I found it necessary. Me and Angie are coming with you to dinner!" Donna declared as Orizont's eyes widened, he was speechless. Donna in the year that she had been a lord of the village had never gone beyond her doors, unless it was for the monthly meetings or the workers' pick. So the idea of having a lord over, let alone the shyest one of the bunch, was something Orizont had never thought possible, but it was to save his daughter so he would make sure that Donna was taken care of. He just hoped that Aqua would be ok not just with her in his house, but working for the lord.
—--
"I hope you are in the mood for Bird, and Beast Pilaf, with bread, I wasn't planning on a lord coming over when I planned dinner with Aqua, last night. So it'll be simple, but Aqua can cook a bit, so hopefully things will be to your liking." Orizont let out, standing up, his hands were shaking under the weight of Donna's gaze. She didn't speak, didn't move, it was like she was looking into his soul, ready to claim it for the stupid meaning of a simple meal.
"Why, that sounds nice! I just need to get Angie, and I'll be over by the time it's ready!" Donna whispered, gently parting her veil so that Orizont could see her sad smile in between the illusion of Miko disappearing, and the silhouette of a mourning garb taking her place. Orizont nodded as he ran as fast as he could back home, he didn't bother to think about how Donna knew where he probably lived, or the idea of her being in the same room as Aqua, and the nightmare that would become. He'd have to break out the wine and make sure the house was clean. But for a moment he smiled, for the first time since Miko was taken, just for tonight there was a chance for his daughter to be saved.
Orizont just hoped that things would go well, after all, it was only the beginning of his daughter's future, he just prayed that things would end happily.