✶⊶⊷⊶⊷❍❍⊶⊷⊶⊷✶✶⊶⊷⊶⊷❍❍⊶⊷⊶⊷✶
To say that yesterday's picnic went well would be an understatement. It was to say the keast- ineffable. Alcina and you returned home that evening giggling like schoolgirls— absolutely head over heels for one another. You get her hand as you walked into the castle carrying the picnic basket. Upon your entrance through the castle doors, you were greeted by the three robed women.
" Did you take your little plaything out today, mother?" Daniela asked, cashing you to frown at her.
" No, my daughters. Y/n is one of us now. I trust that you will treat her with the same respect that you show me." Alcina responded, placing a protective hand on your shoulder.
" Yes, mother."
The three daughters looked at you for one brief moment before transmuting into swarms of flies and flying away.
" Sorry, draga mea." Alcina sighed and turned to you.
" Will they ever warm up to me?"
" In due time. But right now, I want to relax with you." Alcina played with your shirt collar absentmindedly.
" What do you have in mind?"
Alcina suddenly picked you up bridal style and kissed your cheek.
" A lovely bath with something yummy."
You looked at Alcina with a smile, nodding as you nuzzled your face in her neck. She smiled as you grew comfortable in her embrace.
She carried you upstairs to the bathroom, placing you on the bathroom counter as she ran in the bathwater.
" Draga, would you like to bath with my new salts?" She asked, getting bath towels ready for the both of you.
" Sounds good." You smiled, jumping off the counter to test the temperature of the water.
Alcina smiled and approached the bath, getting it fully prepared for the both of you. You got dressed in the meanwhile and walked behind Alcina, lifting your hands up to unbuttoned her dress — standing on your tip-toes. She let you remove the dress entirely and it polled to the floor. She stepped out of it absentmindedly whole admiring you. She undid some pins that kept her hair in style and she shook her head— letting her dark silky hair fall in smooth, angelic waves just above her shoulders.
Alcina stepped into the bath first, reaching her hands up to you. She picked you up from under your arms and brought you to lie down in the bathtub — you were practically lying on top of her. You lay between her legs, resting your back on her torso.
She ran her fingers up and down the sides of your waist, you let out a content sigh, melting into your lover's touch. You eventually shifted your body and cupped her cheek, looking at her and smiling.
" I love you, draga." She whispered.
" I love you too. " You whispered back and kissed her cheek before lying back down on her chest.
There was a long moment of silence before Alcina spoke.
" I know that you have a lot of questions." She searched your eyes and caressed your cheek. You nodded. " I promise to answer them truthfully."
" Thank you, um, Alci?" You met her eyes.
"Mm?" Alcina began playing with your hair.
" Why is Mother Miranda the leader?"
Alcina thought for a brief moment before smiling with a small sigh.
" Well, she is considered a holy figure. Not only is Mother Miranda very wise, but she is also a Priestess." Alcina explained softly.
" A Priestess?"
" Well, not a regular Priestess. She serves the Black God. When she first discovered the Mold and began conducting her experiments, she delivered sermons in the local church."
" How did she discover the Mold?"
Alcina let out a thoughtful sigh, trying to figure out how to phrase her response.
" Well, Draga, Mother Miranda has suffered a tragedy like me. Her daughter passed away from the Spanish Flu. Afterwards, Mother ventured to a cave where she discovered and became infected with the Mold."
You nodded and thought for a moment, you looked at Alcina, thinking about how she was feeling, having discussed this. Absentmindedly, you began playing with your Tri-Rose necklace.
" Draga?"
" Mm?" You raised your eyebrows, snapping out if your trance.
" You okay?"
" Just thinking." You searched her eyes. " It must be difficult for you to talk about this, Alci."
Alcina smiled at your concern and lifted your head up by your chin with her fingers, making you look at her.
" I said I would answer your questions, yes?"
You nodded hesitantly and Alcina sighed.
" Draga, my story is different from Mother Miranda's, it's okay."
You nodded and nuzzled your face into Alcina's neck.
" Still."
Alcina chuckled. " Draga, I am still heartbroken by what happened. Life has altered you and I, and the Cadou has mutilated us, but we have to live on, yes?"
You nodded. " Mm, so Cassandra, Daniela and Bela..."
" I bonded with them. They were an experiment and have forgotten about their lives before the Cadou. We created this little family." Alcina explained and held you tightly. " But, dear, they will never replace my initial daughters." Alcina smiled, tears sprung to her eyes as she filled with your necklace.
" I know."
" Draga, there is a life inside of this house that has been hollowed out over the past years. Thank you for reviving it." Alcina wiped her tears and kissed the top of your head. She wrapped her strong arms around you and began drawing lines on your skin with her fingertips.
You and Alcina did end up bathing eventually when you noticed that the water was beginning to get cold. Alcina wrapped you up in a towel and handed you clothes after she had wrapped herself in her custom-made bath towel.
" I had these made for you." She said with a small smile.
" Oh, thank you!" You smiled and took the clothes, making Alcina chuckle in amusement.
Alcina and you slipped your dinner clothes on and headed down to the dining room where her three daughters sat. They were already digging into their food with a desperate urgency.
" Now my daughter's, what did I teach you about manners?" Alcina asked, raising an eyebrow at them as she took a seat at the head of the table.
They all mumbled little apologies and began to eat at a slower pace. You took a seat next to Alcina, and as usual, your food was different to theirs. Yours was less carnivorous.
Alcina poured her glass of traditional wine — Sanguis Virginis: Latin for ' Maiden's Blood '. You eyed her glass out before looking at your own glass, hoping that you had normal wine.
" Don't worry, Draga. I wouldn't let you drink this." Alcina said, placing a reassuring hand upon yours, seeming to read your very thoughts.
" Okay, yeah, sorry." You chuckled, shaking your head, trying to keep the haunting thoughts away.
Alcina smiled to you, and you both began to eat.
Deep down, you know that Bela, Daniela and Cassandra would warm up to you, but you didnt want to push it. You didn't know them very well, and in all honesty, you didn't make a very good first impression.
" So, you're infected." Cassandra said, looking over to you.
" Oh, uh yes I am." You respinded uneasily.
" And you're mother's little toy?" Daniela added in question.
" Oh—" before you could speak, Alcina interrupted you.
" Stop with that talk. Y/n is my lover and I am hers. She will not be diminished by the label of my 'toy' as you say." Alcina said, gritting her teeth slightly.
The girls nodded and played with their food.
" So you're family now?" Bela asked.
You looked to Alcina and she smiled. " Yes, my draga is part of the family. I want you to make her feel welcome."
" I wouldn't think you'd like women, mother." Cassandra said, making the others chuckle.
" Well, why else would I stuff those men and keep the maidens?" Alcina raised her eyebrows.
You were utterly confused and planned to ask Alcina about this later.
After dinner, you and Alcina got ready for bed together and slipped under the covers after doing your night routines.
" Draga?"
You looked to Alcina as you climbed into bed next to her.
" You've been awfully quiet." She commented.
You sighed. " I'm confused. Why...the...what's the stuffed men and maidens about?" You said with a shaky voice.
" I have a WANTED poster for a reason, Draga." She responded hesitantly.
You immediately looked into her eyes. " You-you stuff m-men?" Tears welled up in your eyes.
Alcina looked at you with a worried expression.
" Oh dra—"
" No, and that wine, it's maidens blood. The ones that you hire." You were shaking now, tears were streaming down your face and you kept wiping them away.
" I know. I'm a monster. I know." Alcina's voice was shaking.
" Do you have to kill?"
" For my survival." Alcina lay down flat on the bed and looked up at the ceiling.
You were conflicted. Yes, you loved Alcina but you couldn't ignore the fact that the maiden's were innocent.
" Alci, you're not a monster. Monsters can't love like you do." You took her hand and she turned her head to face you.
" I know it's immoral. I mean, old me, the old me, she would hate the person I have become. But as I've said, life has altered me, as it has altered you."
You nodded and took a shaky breath.
" This is immoral. But I know that I love you too much to lose you." You whispered out.
" I can't lose you either."
" Um, so we keep the status quo?" You frowned and squeezed Alcina's hand.
" Yes, I'm afraid so. But perhaps we can confront Mother Miranda and see if there is another way of keeping me and my daughter's alive."
You nodded and kissed Alcina's cheek.
" When I told you that I loved you. I meant that I love all of you. Your good and your evil. Because in everyone, there is an equilibrium between the two. And with this knowledge, I assure you that I will love you regardless." You explained softly.
Alcina's golden eyes met yours and she smiled.
" I love you too, draga. My y/n, my angel, I love all of you too "
You smiled and kissed Alcina lovingly. She wrapped her arms around your body and played with your hair, lulling you to sleep.
" Goodnight my draga mea." Alcina kissed your head and fell asleep too.
❍⊶⊷⊶⊷✶✶⊶⊷⊶⊷❍✶⊶⊷⊶⊷❍❍⊶⊷⊶⊷✶
𝙁𝙄𝙉𝘼𝙇𝙇𝙔 𝙪𝙥𝙙𝙖𝙩𝙚𝙙. 𓆙𓆙𓆙