You slept incredibly well that night. Maybe the sea was the reason? Maybe just being out with the horses was the reason? Maybe... maybe it was Alcina? Whatever it was, you woke up feeling good. You were free today, so you didn't know what you'll do. You're greeted by your maids after you leave your room.
"Hello, my lady." They say, bowing at the waist. You nod and continue to walk. What can you do today... You can't be bugging Alcina every day, asking to hang out and you can't distract your working maids. You sat down with your breakfast ahead of you. Same usual routine. You sigh and look at the table's surface, your ring still sitting where you left it yesterday. You ignored it.
You went back into your room and changed. Again, you wore something comfy and breezy. You went outside. Today was cold, but a comfortable cold. You walk towards the opera hall. You sit at your grand piano.
"Piano piece..." You mumble, flicking through the pages of your note book. You land on your favourite, which put a smile on your face. You knew this song off by heart, so the book was unnecessary. You began to play, your movements began to move like fluid. Holy god, you loved this piece. "Vigil", David Ross Lawn. You found this piece when you were cleaning through your mother's stuff after she died. You found it in her own piano book. This was the piece she used to play when you were younger, every time before bed...
"Y/N..."
You pause and your movements stiffen. That voice was familiar. You look up from your piano and meet a pair of eyes.
"Alexander..." You mumble. He stood in the doorway of the opera hall, leaning against it.
"Hello, Y/N..." He mumbled, a smile developing on his face.
"What are you doing here?" You ask, avoiding eye contact with him and keeping your face neutral. He sighed and walked up closer to you.
"Y/N please, I miss you."
You look at him and scrunch your face up.
"Miss me? Miss my castle and bossing me, seems more right."
"Y/N, I-"
"No, Alexander. What is your business back in my castle?" You ask, "What do you want?"
"What will I say for Cristian's birthday? We broke up? We are legally still married."
You inhaled through your mouth but stopped yourself. He was correct.
"No one knows, except Mrs. Maro herself. You're lucky Mr. Maro is away these nights." You reply.
"He's coming home later today. I need to stay back here."
You sigh.
"Fine."
Yep, that's the day ruined.
You sat at the dining table, with a book in hand. Alexander was at the end, chatting to one of your messengers.
"Y/N, I'm inviting Darius over."
You nod with a little hum. At least Alcina may come over? You sure hope she does because Darius and Alexander on their own is horrible, chaos.
"Is Alcina coming over too?" You speak your thoughts. You didn't intend to say that publicly. Alexander looked at you with a confused look.
"She can? I see no problem."
Your face burned up. You nod and hide your face into your book.
"Take Cosmo over to Castle Dimitrescu, okay?"
Your messenger nodded and left the room.
"What's the occasion for having Darius over?" You ask, your face cooling down.
"For a drink. Why do you want Alcina over?"
You struggle to find words.
"So she's not excluded." You manage to say. Alexander looked at you with a confused look on his face. You sensed a feeling of suspicion from him. What he said the last time, about the way you look at women must be running through his head. Does he think you and Alcina...
"Okay." He mumbles. For some reason, it felt like some weight was lifted off your shoulders.
"You and Alcina seem to be great friends." Alexander mumbled, looking down at the village newspaper.
"Yeah, she's quite nice." You reply, looking down at your book. That feeling came to you again and it made you smile. You felt Alexander's gaze on you so you wiped the smile away. He was definitely sussed about you.
You were in your room, getting changed when you heard a carriage arrive. You continued to stand as your maid fixed your corset. After a few days of not wearing one, it felt a bit uncomfortable.
"It will get more comfortable the more you wear it, my lady." Your maid said, like she read your mind.
"I hope so." You chuckle.
"I promise it will, my lady."
You smile.
"Alcina, Y/N is upstairs if you wish to see her. She must have forgotten you were coming today." Alexander said, pouring a beer for Darius. Alcina nodded and left the room, up the stairs to your room. She knew where it was, surprisingly. You gently knocked with the tip of her knuckles.
"Come in!" You say, guessing it was Alexander. Alcina walked in and covered her eyes immediately.
"I apologise, I didn't expect you to be dressing." She said. You shake your head.
"It's alright, Alcina. You don't have to cover your eyes, we're both female."
"I do not wish to make you uncomfortable, Y/N."
"You won't, don't worry." You smile. Alcina uncovers her eyes and stood next to the door. Your maid finished your corset and helped you with the rest of your gown.
"Thank you." You nod, dismissing your maid. You're left in the room with Alcina.
"Sorry I wasn't down to greet you, Alcina. I feel bad."
"Don't." Alcina spoke, moving up to you. She looked at your gown.
"Your gown is gorgeous."
You smile, a small blush on your cheeks.
"Thank you. Yours is beautiful too."
A blush appeared on Alcina's cheeks, which surprised you. You take your eyes off her face.
"Are the boys drinking some beer?" You ask. Alcina nodded, looking out the window. You look out too. She was looking in the direction of the beach. You looked back at her face. Her side profile was gorgeous. It reminded you about the sketch you said you'll do. You quickly dash for your sketch book, which startled Alcina.
"Stand still." You mumble, picking up your pencil and opening the book.
"What are you doing?" Alcina asked, watching you. You close your eyes, the shape of Alcina's nose in your mind. You began to draw. Alcina watched you closely, looking down at the book now and again. She noticed what you were sketching and her eyebrows raise. You began to draw her lips. She watched with amazement. You connect the nose and mouth, to create her side profile. You look up at Alcina.
"Wow." She mumbled. "I never knew you sketch."
You smile.
"Your side profile was on my mind since yesterday." You spoke your thoughts... again. Alcina chuckled and smiled.
"It's absolutely gorgeous."
You nod as a thank you and rip the page out, offering it to her. She takes it. You began to put away your sketch book but you were stopped.
"Can I see your other sketches?" Alcina asked. You pause for a minute, then nod. You brought the book over to your bed and sat down.
"Sit beside me." You smile. Alcina does so and smiles. You opened the book on the first page. Alcina was met with drawings of hands, eyes and random body parts. You began to get a bit nervous, remembering some of the drawings in this book. Alcina flipped the page, seeing a drawing of a feminine hand and on the other page, was a picture of a female in a dress. Alcina looked impressed.
"You love feminine stuff." She chuckled. You smile and nod. You hid your nervousness. She flicked through the pages, looking at everything. It got closer and closer to the sketch you didn't want Alcina to see. She flicked the page then there it was. On the page sat a sketch of a nude woman statue. Alcina's eyebrows raise again. You watched Alcina's eyes look at the drawing up and down.
"You did this?" She asked. You look at the drawing and nod.
"Yep. It's one of the statues out in the garden."
Alcina nodded. You notice that she seems hesitant to speak. You remain silent, waiting for her words.
"Do you..."
You look at her in the eyes.
"Do I?" You mumble, with a questioning look.
"Do you like women?" She said, looking right back at you. You gulp and nod quickly. Alcina looked away from you and she intertwined her fingers.
"So do I." She mumbled. You pause, the book sliding onto the floor.
"I knew it." You mumble, not expecting Alcina to hear you.
"You did?"
You tense up.
"I didn't expect you to hear that..."
Alcina looked away from you.
"I thought I was the only one..." Alcina said, fiddling with her fingers.
"You were forced into marriage too?" You ask, chuckling slightly.
"M-hm." Alcina nodded. You began to blush like crazy. The feeling was back and you finally realised what it was. You liked Alcina, not just as a friend. You liked her more than just a friend. A crush? You guess so.
"Does Darius know?" You ask. Alcina looked at you.
"He'd murder me if he knew. Alexander doesn't know, correct?"
"He knows... but he thinks it's gone. I married because I was found kissing a female when I was younger."
Alcina's eyebrows raised once more.
"You didn't know? I thought everyone did." You chuckle.
"Nope, never knew till now." Alcina giggled. You smile and put a hand on Alcina's intertwined ones.
"I'll keep this secret. Thank you for telling me."
Alcina looked into your eyes with a smile. She wrapped one of her fingers around your finger. You look down at her hands and yours on top.
"Your hands are always so warm." You mumble. Alcina looks down at them.
"Yours are always cold." She said, taking one of her hands out from the other's grasp. That familiar yet comfy silence fell between you and Alcina. Alcina gently ran her finger over yours, like she's familiarising them. This... this is what you love, the actions but also the person doing those actions. It finally came to you, the feeling, the everything. It's all making sense. You always looked at Alcina differently than you do to your other friends and the feeling was always there, but too weak to be noticed. It seems to be going too fast but you didn't complain. But lord, her hands were gorgeous. Her fingers were feminine and delicate looking. They'd be fun to sketch. Alcina's finger soon glided over to the few freckles on the back of your hand. She connected them with her finger which made you smile. The silence was interrupted from the drunk laughing downstairs. Alcina took her hands away from yours. You looked at Alcina.
"I don't trust Darius... not since last time. Should we go down?" She asked, looking over her shoulder to you.
"Alright." You nod, standing up and picking up your sketchbook. "You must let me sketch your hands, Alcina."
"I will, don't worry. Maybe another day." Alcina replied, putting the sketch of her side profile into the pocket of her dress. You nod with a smile and leave the room with her.
"Well, there's the two ladies." Darius laughed. Alexander chuckled.
"How was your little chat?" Alexander asked. You sigh and take a bottle of wine and two glasses.
"Alright. How are you two?"
"We were just chatting about those nude women statues and how hot they are!"
You groan and roll your eyes. Alcina looked at you, expecting more of a reaction.
"Let's drink outside." You smile, walking towards the main doors. You sit next to the river.
"I was expecting more of a reaction from what the boys were chatting about." Alcina said, taking a sip of the newly poured wine.
"I didn't want to cause to much conversation. I was surprised." You reply, leaving the wine bottle on the ground.
"They really prefer statues over real women." Alcina laughed. Gods, her laugh. You looked at her face as she laughed. The wrinkles next to her eyes were absolutely gorgeous. You look away before she notices. You must sketch her laughing some time soon.
"Alexander really thinks they're there for him." You cunningly giggle.
"Same with Darius. Those statues ain't for him!"
"Yes!"
You two laugh in unison.
Later that night, in Castle Dimitrescu, Alcina was undressing. She took your sketch out of her pocket and left it on the beside table. As she undressed, she thought of what happened. The coming out, the hand holding... She sighed and wrapped her dressing gown around her. She picked up your sketch again. The noticed your signature at the corner, which a small heart beside it. Alcina smiled and looked back up to the main part of the sketch. You drew it so well. She left it in one of the presses of the beside table and sighed. She lay back on her bed, wishing she could have done something to hint it to you, hint that she likes you. Her usual doctor has warned her on how her days are coming to an end due to her blood disease but Alcina is trying to ignore it, although it's constantly on the back of her mind. This new doctor, Dr. Miranda is saying the same, but she's also saying that she can cure the disease, which Alcina refuses to believe. The new doctor seems trustworthy but it's just the worry of it all. Alcina will be the first person to retrieve this "cure". What if her body doesn't react the way it's supposed to? What if she doesn't enjoy her last days, expecting the cure to work but then it doesn't? She groaned and sighed. She must tell you soon about what's going on and the feelings she has...
"Soon..." She mumbled, "Soon."
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Hello everyone! I've lost my patience and began to get into the lovey side of things. It probably feels so rushed and I'm so sorry! 😭😭