Thank you all for reading! I hope you enjoy.
A cold chill ran up Dorothy's spine. Once Lady Dimitrescu locked her yellow eyes upon her, Dorothy could not move a muscle. Not until Lady Dimitrescu wiggled her fingers for her to step closer.
One foot after the other she marched until her knees were just brushing against Lady Dimitrescu's legs.
"We have a little time on our hands before Daniela returns," Lady Dimitrescu said. "And I am going to give you two options. Two paths to choose from. You will either take the punishment for Robin, or you will step aside and let Robin take the punishment." She reached out to stroke her hair when that sharp pain in her temples returned. She grimaced, curling her fingers into a fist to stop the pain. "I-I am willing to let this error go unnoticed since it is only your second day."
Dorothy was caught off guard by how Lady Dimitrescu's tone had softened. It was unexpected. Another side of her that was fighting to emerge. One part of her begging Dorothy to choose the second option, or else the other half would be forced to enact the punishment.
"You needn't punish either of us," Dorothy said. "I am certain neither of us made the error."
"Are you calling my Daniela a liar?"
"No, my lady!" Dorothy said.
"You best understand quickly, Dorothy, that you are going to find yourself on the knifes edge. I offer you an alternative, but you chose to ignore me. So now I will make the decision for you."
"Please, my lady," Dorothy said, dropping down to her knees and bowing to her. "I beg of you."
"You are a determined child. Stubborn."
"I suppose I get that from my mother."
Lady Dimitrescu winced as if Dorothy had just stabbed her, and just as Dorothy suspected the mention of her mother would make Lady Dimitrescu pause; hopefully redirect.
"Your Mother would have done well to teach you some manners."
"My mother gave me her all before her death."
Lady Dimitrescu stared at her in silence before she said:
"Look at me."
Dorothy did as she was told, waiting quietly as Lady Dimitrescu searched her face. So much sadness and loss Dorothy could see there. Pain. Hatred.
"I have promised to keep you out of Mother Miranda's hands, but my daughters are now a greater threat."
"I understand that quite well," Dorothy said bitterly. "After all, you permitted Daniela to beat me senseless last night."
"I must uphold standards for all my staff. If I were to show you any favoritism or leniency, I would be seen as weak."
"What about those too weak to continue working for you? What happens to those souls you send below?"
Lady Dimitrescu sat back in her chair, scrutinizing Dorothy on how she even knew of such a thing.
"Continue your noncompliance and you may soon see."
"Has Harriett already been sent below?"
"Stop worrying about these peasants," Lady Dimitrescu said, barely keeping her temper under control. "For god's sake, child. It is why I implore you to tell me the truth. Tell me Robin is at fault."
"I cannot!" Dorothy snapped. "She is not to blame!"
"You are quite passionate about this, aren't you?" Lady Dimitrescu said, reaching down and raising Dorothy's head.
"Show mercy," Dorothy said, lowering her head.
Lady Dimitrescu chuckled at her.
"You amuse me, little Dorothy, but here I will inquire another question to you, and that how you came to find me."
"I searched for my mother in every spot I could think held ties for her. One place led me to your old estate, and in the town I searched for more answers. Sadly no one was able to help me until I met a lone merchant. He claimed he knew of you and your whereabouts. I paid him what I could for a toll fee and he drove me to the outskirts of your village. He told me to follow the path and I would emerge at the village gates. Sadly I got a bit turned around and lost my way…" she did not mention Malkin and Gabrielle rescuing her from the ferocious storm.
"You were at the Dimitrescu estate?" Lady Dimitrescu whispered.
"There was nothing left of the beautiful mansion my mother described."
"No… no there wouldn't be."
Dorothy noted how Lady Dimitrescu seemed to have retreated into her thoughts, but there was one thing that had physically changed. Her eyes. No longer were they yellow, but blue.
"I read it about the fire in the newspaper. It was said to have been an accident."
"Oho, is that all it said?" her eyes ablaze with fury in an instant. "Did it mention how Roderick Stanislav rallied his supporters and burned it to the ground. How he killed half of the employees, and burned the vineyard?!" Her voice was rising in her rage. "Did you also hear how my husband, my Fredric was murdered by his very own brother on that property?!" she was breathing heavily, teeth bared to reveal sharp fangs elongating.
"Mother Miranda is at fault!" Dorothy shouted back. "She showed me your history. She controlled Roderick to do those things to you."
"Showed you my history? How on earth did she manage that?" she snarled, grabbing hold of Dorothy's arm to pull her straight up to her feet with ease.
"Your mother fought to protect you from Mother Miranda since you were a child," Dorothy winced in pain as Lady Dimitrescu's grip on her tightened.
"What a weave of lies you spin," she whispered. "I briefly remember my mother's face, but what I remember was when /he/ destroyed it all. Everything that had belonged to her. All she had done. The blood, sweat and tears she put in to restore that mansion and business gone! Gone because of a jealous; spiteful little man!"
"I am sorry, Lady Dimitrescu," Dorothy said, feeling as though her arm were about to be pulled right out of the socket. "I am so very sorry."
"Oh, but it gets worse much worse. The man-thing held me and my two children hostage. Abused and forgotten we were, but not until-" her voice suddenly cracked unexpectedly. "Not until…" Lady Dimitrescu diverted her gaze from Dorothy, who was now dangling a few inches off the floor, and to the corner of the room.
Lady Dimitrescu gritted her teeth. Closing her eyes as a sudden ringing buzzed sharply in her ears. She knew Dorothy was speaking. Yipping another apology, but she could not hear her words after that.
"Mother."
Lady Dimitrescu gasped upon seeing Helena seated behind a large piano. She was wearing a beautiful blue dress with matching sapphire earrings and a necklace. Her black hair pinned up in a high bun and bringing out the color of her eyes.
"Helena."
She smiled, placing her fingers down on the keys to play a gentle melody.
"I have been practicing, can you tell?"
"Y-yes," Lady Dimitrescu said, swallowing down a sob. She could have been no older than eleven. Practicing for some performance she no doubt forced the poor child to attend.
"Will you stay and listen?"
"I would love that more than anything, my darling, but I—"
The door suddenly creaked open, dainty feet pitter-pattering across the floorboards.
Hot tears surfaced.
She knew those steps. Those petite feet.
"Helena!"
Lady Dimitrescu nearly crumbled. Rigorously rubbing the tears away to get a view of her…
Her image was blurry, but there she stood. Her six year old. Her pretty girl… Fredric's smile breaking out across her face at the sight of her mother.
"Jos."
"Mother!"
She dashed straight over to her mother with a delighted giggle.
Lady Dimitrescu opened her arms wide to catch her, but there was no impact. Just a hollow emptiness.
Dorothy now on the floor and favoring her right arm.
The ringing had ceased. Her eyes yellow once more.
"Mother?"
Lady Dimitrescu looked over to the door to spy Daniela standing there.
"D-Daniela?" she took in a breath to compose herself. "Have you collected Robin?"
"She is here."
"Excellent, dearest, please bring her in."
Daniela shoved Robin into the room. The child visibly shaken.
"My daughter has made a claim a book called, Origins: A History of Romanian Wine and assorted letters have gone missing. Alice does not recall seeing these items, can you tell me if you recollect seeing them this morning?"
"I placed them on shelf C, my lady."
Lady Dimitrescu motioned for her to draw closer with her pointer finger.
"My Daniela says they. Are. Missing."
"Perhaps Miss Daniela overlooked th—" Robin was cut off, her mouth wide open in a silent scream.
Dorothy released a shrill scream, making Daniela cackle wildly.
"Do you see, Alice, you should have made your decision. Instead you have given me a severe migraine. Now Robin's blood is on your hands."
Drip. Drip. Drip. Splat. Splat.
Dorothy could not believe her eyes. Lady Dimitrescu had grown long claws that had pierced straight through Robin's chest. Her blood running down the claws and hitting the floor like raindrops.
"What a shame, too, Robin had such great potential…" she retracted her claws, grabbing hold of the child and sinking her teeth directly into her throat.
Dorothy watched in horror, her stomach curdling at the sound of Lady Dimitrescu ripping Robin's flesh and devouring it. She covered her mouth to hold in her vomit as the feasting lasted about five minutes before Lady Dimitrescu flung Robin's body to the floor.
"Dear me, I have made a mess," Lady Dimitrescu laughed. "And she was just about to be promoted to one of my personal maids." She tutted, rising out of her chair. "But not to fret, for I have just the girl in mind who will replace her…" she was staring straight down at Dorothy."Now you know why they call me 'monster'."
"Mother? May I have a bite?" Daniela inquired.
"No, Daniela," Lady Dimitrescu said, curtly. "I must go and have Anya clean up this mess along with me."
"But what about my book?" she pouted.
"I will purchase you more, dearest," Lady Dimitrescu cooed, patting her cheek gently. "Now do Mother a favor and bring her along."
{…}
A bath was precisely what the doctor had ordered. The smoke from her cigarette wafted lazily up from the end of her cigarette as she drew in more.
"Shampoo my hair, Allison," Lady Dimitrescu said.
"Yes, my lady," she answered. "Elastine?"
"That will do."
The young woman placed a big glob of the shampoo into her palm and rubbed them rigorously together before expertly massaging it into Lady Dimitrescu's hair.
Lady Dimitrescu moaned in satisfaction, leaning further back in relaxation. Exhaling the smoke through her nostrils before drawing in another lungful.
"Once I am finished with your hair, I will begin scrubbing your skin."
Lady Dimitrescu just smiled.
Outside of the bathroom another servant was preparing a new dress for Lady Dimitrescu. Ironing it out and making sure there were no wrinkles, holes, or marks on it. She was favoring a black and blue eye and her lip was slightly cut; the worst wounds were hidden by her clothes. The marks left behind by Lady Dimitrescu herself.
"Move along with that dress, Harriett," Anya snapped at her, reentering the room with fresh dresses in hand. "You have ten more to iron out."
"Yes, Miss Anya," Harriett said hoarsely, watching her leave from the corner of her eye. Quietly she hung up the dress and grabbed the next one. Over and over she worked on each dress. Thankful to finally be on her last one. She had just laid the last one out when the bathroom door opened. Out stepped Lady Dimitrescu in a long black robe and behind her was Allison.
She bowed her head to Lady Dimitrescu, awaiting her order.
"Where is the dress?" Allison asked Harriett.
Harriett grabbed the hanger the dress was on and handed it to her.
Allison took it and examined it over.
"Is all in order?" Lady Dimitrescu said.
"Yes, my lady," Allison said.
"Good, let us go collect someone so you can teach her how this is done."
Allison looked most confused at her words.
"My lady?"
"Harriett, go and fetch Alice for me. She is currently in the Hall of Ablution."
Harriett left the room, leaving Allison and Lady Dimitrescu alone.
"Who is Alice, my lady?"
Lady Dimitrescu took a seat on the round chair, examining her face from the mirror on the vanity.
"She is the new blood, and will now be a part of our team. I will entrust you to teach her the ropes of what it means to be my personal maid."
Allison bowed her head, though a visible vein had begun to protrude from her temples.
'How is it she has not been here for a week and already she has been promoted? It took me a year and five months to reach the status I am currently. No matter… soon I will take Anya's place as the grand chamber maid and remove the tumors from this house. Lady Dimitrescu will not be disappointed in me. I will do all I can to please her…' she vowed to herself.
In the hallway, Harriett entered the room and spied Alice scrubbing the large in-ground bathtub. The first smell that came to her every time she entered the room was iron. Rumors were that this was where Lady Dimitrescu and her daughters bathed in the blood of maidens. Maidens that failed to meet their expectations would be bled in the tub.
The evidence clear from the rag and sponge Alice was using to clean it out. The bucket of water was already turning red.
"Alice?"
Dorothy slowly looked up. The whites of her eyes bloodshot with heavy bags under them like she had been crying. Her complexion was as pale as wax.
"Harriett? Harriett, are you all right?" she stood up with a weak smile.
"I am fine, what about you?"
Dorothy held her smile, but did not answer.
Harriett was disturbed by how deflated she seemed. It was like she had completely given up.
Dorothy, setting down the sponge, walked up to Harriett to examine her face closely.
"Did she do this to you?"
Harriett self-consciously touched her face, her cheeks burning pink.
"I was punished for the wine incident the other night," Harriett murmured, lowering her eyes.
"She is a monster."
"Alice!" Harriett glanced back at the door in fear. "Do not say such things aloud."
"It is the truth," Dorothy said."She murdered Robin!"
Harriett's face dropped at her words.
"That is what happens."
"How can you be so dismissive?" she said disgusted. "A person was killed and you act complacent."
"I am not complacent, but you cannot speak your mind, or else it may—"
"Get me killed?" she finished for her.
The two stared at one another for a moment before Dorothy averted her gaze away.
"I am glad you are okay," Dorothy said. "Truly."
"Thanks," Harriett said, lowering her voice as she added. "I am sorry to tell you this, but Lady Dimitrescu has asked me to collect you. She is about to be donned in her dress and requires you to help her. Go ahead and clean your hands in the sink there."
Dorothy said nothing, walking to the sink and scrubbing the residue off. Some of it stuck underneath her nails, wincing upon feeling a blister forming on the side of her thumb.
"Ready?" Harriett said.
"I have no choice," Dorothy replied, following Harriett out of the room and walked down the short hall.
Harriett knocked on the door, Allison opened the door and let them both in.
Dorothy came to a halt, staring at the young woman she guessed to be nineteen.
"I was concerned you had gotten lost Harriett," Lady Dimitrescu spoke up, still seated behind her vanity.
"I am sorry, my lady," Harriett said.
Lady Dimitrescu ignored her words and turned her sights on Dorothy.
"Allison will be your tutor today, Alice, so you best pay close attention."
"Yes, my lady," Dorothy said.
"You may raise your head," Lady Dimitrescu permitted her, rising off the seat and allowing her robe to fall to the floor in a heap.
Dorothy felt her cheeks burn at the sight of her naked frame.
Lady Dimitrescu tittered at her.
"No need to be bashful, Alice. Allison, dear, be sure you show her everything or else a punishment will ensue."
"Yes, Lady Dimitrescu," Allison said, shooting Dorothy a foul look.
It took a good hour to get Lady Dimitrescu in her dress. Allison showing her how to button up the back, she left Dorothy to finish that while she got started on brushing Lady Dimitrescu's hair.
"Well done the both of you," Lady Dimitrescu praised them, looking to Allison. "I will expect to see you before dinner, my dear, I take it you already have an outfit for me in mind?"
"I do," Allison said.
Lady Dimitrescu smiled at her.
"I cannot wait…" she then turned her gaze to Dorothy in thought. "Though another idea has struck me. A good-natured competition with a wonderful prize in store."
Both Allison and Dorothy stared at their mistress confused.
Lady Dimitrescu took hold of her cigarette from the vanity and lit it herself. She inhaled a lungful of smoke and blew it out of her nose before continuing:
"I want you both to pick out a special dress for me along with the jewelry to go with it. I also expect you both to have an idea how my hair will be addressed. Whomever I decide has the best outfit will be permitted to join me for a private dinner later in the week."
Allison could barely contain her excitement, glancing over at Alice with a smug expression. There would be no possible way this peasant would beat her. This would be no competition, and in some ways, she almost felt sorry for how badly she was about to lose this game.
"I will have Anya collect you both and bring you to my chambers an hour before dinner is served," she explained, blowing out another long stream of smoke. "Do not disappoint me," she said that straight to Dorothy, who was avoiding her gaze as much as possible, causing Lady Dimitrescu to frown in irritation.
"I will not fail you," Allison said.
Lady Dimitrescu looked to her with a flickering smile.
"I am pleased to hear that… you are dismissed Allison. As for you, Alice, you will continue to clean the Hall of Ablution. Harriett will lend you a hand and then you will join her in her next assignment."
Dorothy gave her another bow before she left the room.
Lady Dimitrescu exhaling the smoke in her direction as she left.
When Dorothy returned to the Hall of Ablution, she found Harriett was cleaning the spot she had left off on.
Harriett gave Dorothy a smile, trying not to ask what had occurred within. That was just fine, for Dorothy told her everything as she went on her hands and knees beside Harriett to scrub the floor.
"That is a great honor to dine with the Mistress alone, but Allison is tough. No one has ever beaten her."
"So all the girls go through this?"
"Only those who are Lady Dimitrescu's private maidens."
"I do not wish to participate in this silly game," Dorothy said, turning her back to Harriett to scrub the next spot.
"You could beat Allison, though!" Harriett moved beside her. "She needs to be taken down a peg. I have wanted to see that bitch be put in her place for many months now."
"Why?"
Harriett looked to the doorway to ensure no one was listening before saying:
"Allison is cold and ruthless. She is almost as bad as the Dimitrescu daughters. She has no issue throwing the other girls under the carriage. In fact, I know from my own eyes that she got two girls sent away."
"Killed?" Dorothy blanched, not wanting to believe that fact.
Harriett did not remark, but it was the look on her face that said 'yes'.
"Be very careful around her. She will not hesitate to stab you in the back. All she wants is to take over Anya's position, and I have no doubt she will if not challenged."
"I already told you I do not wish to accept this challenge. I want nothing to do with any of this."
"Sadly that is no longer your say," Harriett said. "You have caught the eye of the Mistress. You are an unwilling favorite. The more you try to get away, the tighter she will hold you."
She sighed in defeat.
"Even if I were to entertain this silly game, I feel I am at a great disadvantage. I do not know Lady Dimitrescu too well. What are her favorite colors? What about her hair styles? Favorite jewelry?"
Harriett patted her arm with a knowing smile.
"I can help you there…"
"Really?" Dorothy said.
"I can. I have been in this castle long enough and close enough to Lady Dimitrescu to see her in all sorts of attire. Of course there are the whispers from the other girls on what she fancies the most."
"Such as what?" Dorothy asked.
"She loves her reds. I recall seeing her in this dazzling ruby dress for a little party she had held a few years ago. The dress glittered like stars in the light. Her earrings and necklace matched her attire to perfection."
"What about her hair?"
"Down. Always down, but she is precise."
"Precise?"
"Yes, you must brush her hair exactly one hundred times."
"Do you think she will make me brush her hair tonight?"
"She might," Harriett shrugged. "But if she does remember one hundred times and be gentle. Any small yank and she will send you flying."
"So back to the dresses, do you think I should play it safe with red?"
"I am sure Allison would probably pick a red dress. After all, she has different shades of the color."
"Then again she may risk it all and pick a color other than red."
"And what other color do you think she would pick?"
"Purple, blue, green… the list goes on and on. I would just look around and see which dress speaks to you. I know it sounds ridiculous, but there may be something in her closet that speaks to you. If the feeling does not come, I would stick with red."
"Thank you, Harriett," Dorothy said honestly. "I am truly grateful for your help."
Harriett gave her a smile.
The two fell silent as they worked together to finish cleaning the bath. Once that was finished, the two went on their hands and knees and scrubbed the floor.
"Be sure to clean the sinks, too," Harriett said, glancing over at Alice who was reading the gold plaque. "I never was able to make heads nor tails of that."
Dorothy kept examining it and then turned around, her eyes going from Harriett to the four statues.
"Believe it or not, I think it has something to do with the statues."
"Really?"
Dorothy nodded, reading the plaque out loud.
"The gentleman on the horse should be facing the lady. The peasants should be facing the gentleman on the horse and the maiden should be facing the lady to pour her the wine… or so I believe it will go."
"Should we attempt to move them in that order?"
Dorothy walked around the statues, attempting to push them to no avail. Harriett joining her to see if she could help, and to their great surprise, the statue turned.
"Oh my god," Harriett said.
"Help me with the others."
"What if Lady Dimitrescu enters and sees what we are doing?"
"She will not," Dorothy said, determined to see what would happen with the statues.
The two continued to move the statues when a sudden click made them look down. The bath opened to reveal a ladder descending down into another level of the castle.
Dorothy was the first to walk down the stairs and investigate.
"It stinks," Harriett commented, covering her mouth and nose to fend off the smell.
"Come on."
Harriett grabbed her arm.
"You can't be serious."
"I am. Perhaps this will lead to the dungeons where I can find Wendy."
"Wendy?" Harriett blanched. "Why would you be looking for her?"
"Because her parents' helped me," Dorothy said, wrenching her arm away from Harriett and carefully getting on the slippery ladder. "You coming or not?"
Harriett cursed in Romanian as she followed behind Dorothy down into the depths of whatever hell lay before them.
Once they reached the bottom, Dorothy looked at her hands to see the residue of blood on her palms. Quickly she rubbed it off on the black part of her outfit.
"Ouch!" Harriett groaned, slipping on the last part of the ladder and hitting her hand.
"Are you all right?"
"Yes, just a little scratch," Harriett said, once again wrinkling her nose at the stench. "This odor is making my eyes burn."
Dorothy, too, was feeling a bit nauseous by the overwhelming smell of iron, and they were quickly to see why. They took no less than ten steps forward and discovered a horrific scene.
Blood.
Blood that ran like a stream flooded the room with dozens of barrels set out to make it look more like a maze. Bodies hung from the ceiling that were cut in half or had their throats slit.
Harriett just about to scream at the sight, Dorothy covered her mouth with her hand upon hearing something else.
A loud hissing.
Dorothy took a cautious step forward, eyeing around to see the source of the sound, but there was nothing she could spy.
"Can we go now?" Harriett shuddered.
Dorothy nodded, turning around to leave with her when a hand launched out from the blood and grabbed her ankle.
"Alice!" Harriett cried, watching as the clawed hand pulled her back into the blood.
There was no time for Dorothy to react as she fell back into the blood with a 'splash'! The creature then stood up behind her and continued to hiss. Never had Dorothy seen anything so horrific. It was gangly with sharp claws as fingernails and equally sharp teeth. Its face was not like the wolf-creature she had seen, but more human. Female to be exact.
She attempted to rise up to her feet, but the creature descended down upon her in a flash, its claws digging into her shoulders as it snapped its jaws at her.
Dorothy released a scream as she used her strength to push the creature away, but it was unbelievably strong.
"Alice!"
She could hear a splash as Harriett entered the blood and pushed the creature away. It hissed in rage as it staggered back and once again approached them.
"Get up! We need to leave now!" Harriett yelled.
Dorothy managed to rise up to her feet, the two starting to run back to safety, but they were cut off by three more creatures blocking their path.
"Where did they come from?" Harriett asked.
"I do not know," Dorothy said, keeping an eye on the one behind. "We must go back."
"Back into the blood?" Harriett's eyes were rolling with fear.
"We must!" Dorothy took her hand and pulled her along.
Once again they splashed into the blood, Dorothy ducking from the creature as it swiped at them, she followed the maze and torches to what she prayed was safety.
"There are more coming!" Harriett cried.
Dorothy foolishly took a glance backwards to see ten were staggering behind them.
"Do not look back," Dorothy said, gasping in shock to feel one snatch at her leg from below. They were crawling around the barrels and rising up from the blood.
"We are going to die down here."
Dorothy did not respond, her only focus was to find a way out. There had to be a way out…