The Duke was bored senseless doing the only thing he could do without moving his giant body too much. He had a small kitchen set up with the ingredients for his recipe with arms reach. A small table folded for meat cutting as he slapped a bundle of fish on it with a skinny knife. He was a master at his craft despite his appearance slicing through the fish and vegetables with ease. He heard a gate open and looked up to see me and Donna hold a conversation as she held Angie within her arms. She didn't need the doll to speak to me anymore, but rather have Angie speak as her own being. The Duke called out in a loud voice.
"Hello there Mr. (L/N)."
Turning my head I saw him and smiled excitedly.
"Duke!"
The Duke chuckled and waved a hand over. Donna saw me run up ahead and she quickened her walk to keep up. I stopped in front of his shop and observed the small table.
"You made me food? You shouldn't have." I joked.
"Unless you procure coin I am willing to share a helping with you and...Mistress Beneviento?" The Duke turned to Donna puzzled. "To what do I owe the pleasure?"
Donna stared with wide eyes. She never met the Duke before so she didn't know how to react other than turn to me for help in what she should say. The Duke noticing her silence cleared his throat.
"Forgive my manners Ms. Beneviento. Call me the Duke." He tried making a bowing gesture.
Donna stared and bowed in kind.
"So what are you making anyway?" I asked observing the meat.
"A fine exquisite dish known as Sarmale de Peste." He stated. "It has such a wonderful effect on improving stamina among the locals ever since the right herbal ingredients have been added to the original recipe. It dates far back than to when the first founders had discovered this land."
Donna seemed enthralled at the small description. She seemed easy to impress it seems.
"How much for some grub?" I asked him.
"400 lei please."
"Alright. Oh wait." I recalled. "You still have my bag right?"
"Ah yes." He pulled out a giant bulging sack full of coins. "Do you wish to spend some from your stock?"
"Yes." Donna looked at me in a pleasing expression. "And some for Donna as well."
Angie tugged my leg and held out her wooden hands in a cup formation. I looked at the doll and shook my head.
"Oh come on you're made of wood. You don't even have a digestive system."
The Duke chuckled and prepared more of the dish. Once he let us converse as he cooked he let out a small whistle signaling it's readiness. The aroma of the cooked fish filled the air causing my mouth to water.
"Please. Enjoy." The Duke handed me and Donna each a plate and a fork. "Time to dig in."
We thanked him for the meal and one bite of the cabbage-rolled fish had me delightedly humming. Donna as well also enjoyed her meal as she ate slowly.
"You definitely should become a chef. Make some more coin or even just teach me a thing or two." I spoke taking another bite.
"My services aren't free you know." The Duke chuckled. "I am available for such an offer however, so do come again."
Seeing me and the Duke converse the way we did had a smile on Donna's face. A giggle came out of her mouth having me and the Duke pause. Her laughter grew louder until she stopped revealing her beautiful smile to me.
"Quite... popular." She said to me.
"I tend to have that effect." I finished up my meal and handed Duke the plate and fork.
He accepted and set them to the side along with his own plate. Donna was almost done and she told me she would walk for a minute with Angie. I nodded and watched her walk a few feet away.
"I have heard Mistress Beneviento was peculiar in terms of behavior around others, but she seemed to prove the rumors wrong." He leaned forward. "If I may ask. Why is it another lord of this land is within your range of connections Mister (L/N)?"
"Well she's someone dear to me now as is my family. I have become a part of something that hardly any other in a lifetime will recieve. To answer your question I honestly have no idea." I laughed. "It just happens."
"Well I suppose not many could answer such a question. Considering the... circumstances of your arrival and stay." The Duke responded.
I heard buzzing close to my ear and sure enough I saw a fly right in front of my sight. It landed on my nose. My eyes went cross eyed staring at the creature as it just stared back with it's multiple eyes. The Duke raised his eyebrows.
"A friend perhaps?" He suggested.
"Daniela, Cassandra, or is it Bela?" I asked.
"The third." Bela announced tapping the back of my head.
"Hey you." I turned around and hugged her.
She hugged me back and the fly receded back into her body. Her lips as dark as ever along with her eyes shining so brilliantly.
"Care to explain why Aunt Donna traveled outside her house all the way here?" Bela asked.
"Well...I'm not sure how Alcina is gonna take it, but..." I paused.
"Absolutely not." Alcina shook her wine glass.
"But she doesn't have anything else other than that lonely house." I said.
"Then she has no reason to stay here in my castle no less. This isn't an Inn for anyone to come and go as they please (F/N)!"
"Well I'm here aren't I?" I retorted. "Imagine if that was you living all by yourself with no form of company and completely cut off from every other living thing. Imagine yourself being that."
Her silence gave away she heeded my words. The memory of life in the castle before her daughters were many cold restless nights with only the sheets to keep her warm rather than the company of another.
"You do realize we are kept in our own governing places for a reason." She spoke calmly. "She has a purpose there as I do here."
"Oh yeah? Tell me. What is her purpose? To watch the water and wallow in her own self misery with not a single soul to converse with. She has no one and I guarantee you that this "Miranda" does nothing for her!" I shouted. "You have a family while she has nothing."
Alcina winced and closed her eyes taking a deep breath.
"I'm sorry I got heated there." I said coming to her as she leaned back into her chair. "I want to do something for her. I only ask you if you're willing to open up yourself to this."
"You are playing a dangerous game (F/N). I can merely interpret your action as having another woman to fondle and parade through as a child does with a toy, but I know you. You're not like that even for a man." She took a drink before letting out a long sigh. "Fine... I will...allow this woman to stay."
"Thank you." I spoke softly leaning forward to kiss her.
Her lips tasted of grapes from the wine. It wasn't blood, but rather a normal drink. I felt her hair and had a half-smile. It was even softer than I last felt my fingers through her strands.
"You look more beautiful with and without long hair." I said.
"I tend to switch between whatever strikes my fancy. I... appreciate the compliment." She cleared her throat. "It's splendid to have you return."
"Does the great Dimitrescu get embarrassed over a compliment from a mere human." I said mockingly.
"Shall I flay your entrails and make use of that heart as a keg source?" She smiled.
"Only if you let me finish inside." I winked.
"Good god." She gruffly said. "I may take back what I said about you being different than a vulgar man."
"Just matching the tone nothing more." I rubbed her pale cheek. "I love you Alcina."
"I reciprocate your feelings (F/N)." Her voice spoke in elegance.
I gave her one final kiss before opening the door to not only see Marianne, but Angie and Donna listening with their ears against the walls.
"..."
"......" They stared.
"How long were you there?" I asked.
"We just got here you know." Angie cackled.
"Y-yeah like the doll said." Marianne's chimed in. Her voice sounding higher than before.
"Riiiight..." I rolled my eyes.
My eyes trailed to my daughter who seemed to be slightly bigger looking the same as always only a little taller.
"Marie."
"Yes father?" She asked smiling.
"Did you grow since I last saw you?"
"I guess I did." She answered nonchalantly.
Alcina soon came to the door after hearing our voices.
"Last night my granddaughter had difficulty resting and explained she had small pain in her legs and to her chest. I gave her some herbal medicine, but once sunrise came I noticed her body began to grow."
"Was it the herbs?" I asked.
"Oh no no no. There are no hormone inducers within those plants. She naturally grew a year older it seems." She looked to Marie. "Quite an alarming sudden change, but she is quite healthy."
I sighed in relief at the last line.
"Its true father. I'm ok." Marianne smiled. Her golden iris sparkled while her other merely showed a reflection. "I'm just slightly more of a big girl."
"Hmph yeah you are." I patted her head then ruffled her hair.
Donna knelt a little with her head down and looked aside embarrassed.
"...Seeking praise are we?" I did the same to her and she smiled shyly.
"Beneviento, I will allow you to reside in my castle. I only ask you do not break anything valuable to me and everyone else here. You will have a room available and have Bela escort you. As for you my little princess." Alcina knelt to Marie. "Would you be so kind as to have your Aunt Daniela come to me."
"Okie dokie Grandmother." Marianne picked up Angie.
"Wai-" Angie said before Marianne ran off with her in her arms.
Donna held out a hand to reach for Angie, but Marianne was already gone with the doll swaying within her grasp. Her hand fell down and she watched Marianne run off.
"Do you want me to go get her back for you?" I turned to Donna.
"No...it's nice to see her be with another." She spoke.
"I suppose so." I said. "She has taken quite a shine to you I must say."
Donna felt a blush rise in her cheeks and held hers hands close to her stomach in a formal manner. Although she acted composed, she had a much more shy nature that mostly came out whenever I would speak highly or even in a nice tone to her. It was quite adorable whenever she didn't know how to respond to it with words, but rather through her akward body language.
Bela soon phased into the room leaving a cloud of flies in her wake before they receded back to her. Her arrival suprised Donna for a brief moment.
"I take it you will need a guide?" She asked turning to Donna.
Donna nodded and gathered her items before Bela lead the way out of the room. The only sound throughout the room was the small drinks Alcina took with her glass until it was empty.
"Oh by the way." My eyes trailed up to her.
"Hm?"
"That wine. It wasn't human was it?"
"No no. It was a normal bottle I drink on occasion." She set the glass down on the table. "Regardless of my unique appetite I do still retain my normal tastes of winery despite substitutions of my prescribed diet. What I was enjoying was a finely aged grape wine imported from the finest refinery in Italy."
I sat down on the couch seat and leaned back.
"So you're telling me that you need to consume blood? Exactly as a vampire should?" I asked.
She walked over explaining with each slow step before stopping behind me.
"Similarly yes. However, vampires are much more weak and prone to be much easier to destroy. Not to say they do or don't exist, but my condition is... special compared to them." She started to play with strands of my hair. "When Miranda gave me this gift of life I merely had to adjust. To which I did with ease. I attained immortality, wealth, status, and power." Her hands tied 4 strands into a small braid on my side. "Granted I'm not always proud to consume mortals. I must do it in order to retain this form or I become a monster."
"You a monster?" I smiled. "Impossible."
Her laugh was welcome and sweet, but her eyes turned hazy.
"It's no jest. The woman you see before you isn't what lies underneath this form."
My hand rested on her hand stopping her.
"Alcina. You are not a monster. You're not a god either. You're a beautiful creature capable of being so much to me and your daughters. You're a compassionate mother figure."
My soothing words left a small grin rise on her cheeks as she slowly let a singular nail enlarge into a blade.
"Could a beautiful creature have such a dangerous claw in her paws?" Her nail tapped my leg gently.
"Indeed." I stared at the nail as it retracted back into her finger. "Indeed they can."
"You're very lucky I spared you after all this time." Her voice let out a hearty laugh "Honestly it still amazes me I did such a wild action."
"I'm more lucky than any 4 leaf clover I could ever find in a lifetime Alcina Dimitrescu." I spoke closing my eyes.
She leaned down until her face was inches away from mine. I opened my eyes to see her eyes reflected back unto me. Her beautiful face so close to mine. Her lips soon ready to quiver in anticipation for connection with mine. I leaned forward and pressed my lips against hers. She closed her eyes as I did with mine as we shared a long kiss. She didn't have her hat on as much whenever we spent time together so her hair naturally flowed down covering parts of my chest. She parted her lips and opened her eyes. I patted the seat next to me and she obliged sitting down.
"I wish I could hold you in my arms." My voice softened.
"As do I." She looked sad.
A silence fell across the room as I looked over at Alcina. My question adding sound once more.
"Do you know Daniela and Bela are pregnant just as Cassandra was?" I asked.
"Indeed." She smiled. "They were excited to tell me even though Bela was reluctant to admit so. So silly those daughters of mine."
Unaware of our attention Daniela stood behind the doorway listening.
"It's an amazing thing and I'm happy for it." I held my hands together while voice turned serious. "With what happened between Marianne and that Miranda treating her as if she was some "thing" to be studied just sickens me to my core. Much less if she did that to my other children." I looked to her. "Do you you know what I mean?"
"I understand your concerns and I can assure you I won't allow that kind of abduction happen again." She said confidently.
"Thank you."
"Do you assume we are defenseless?" She smirked.
"Of course not." I half-smile. "I want my family to be safe and able to live happily as we should. You, Daniela-"
Daniela perked up hearing her name.
"-Cassandra, Bela, Marianne, and Donna. All of you I want to prosper and not live under Miranda's thumb."
"Bold words to speak ill of her." Alcina said.
"Well I don't appreciate being kidnapped and having my daughter almost be an experiment." I retorted.
"Fair point." She tilted her head.
Daniela opened the door and did a small wave before waddling over to me.
"You needed to see me?" She asked.
"Indeed Daniela." Alcina straightened. "It's regarding your child."
"What about it?" She sat down on my lap causing me to wheeze for a minute when she leaned back into my chest.
"Have you decided a name?" Alcina curved her lips.
"...no." Daniela laughed. "It's a little too soon to tell mother. It could be a boy or girl." She shrugged. "Though they are quite big surprisingly..."
"The bloodline will be female only as our tradition always has been." Alcina struck a false bravado pose.
"...I'm hurt." I said.
The girls laughed and shook their heads.
"If anyone has a chance at having a boy it would be Bela." Daniela snickered.
"I could see that being a possibility given her unique personality." Alcina agreed.
The conversation derailed into Bela being the subject. Like her sister Bela listened and groaned as she shook her head standing outside the hallway. Marianne looked up at her.
"Why are they being mean to you?" She asked.
Bela looked at her with closed eyes and a smile. Her hand rubbing her head.
"Because they are just gossiping harlots."
"Ohhhh...what's a harlot?" Marianne asked.
"I'll tell you later. Let's go back." She held out her hand.
Marie took it and they levitated towards to the main hall.
*KLANG KLANG KLANG KLANG
The sounds of clambering metal hammers and chisels thundered in triumph as the factory was set in it's almost seamlessly endless cycle. Piercing flesh from drills and screws set into skull faceplates. The groans of life were heard as a red glow illuminated their mechanical eyes.
"Soon enough. That bitch will get what she deserves. I swear it!" He slammed his hands against the metal table causing cracks to break through.