"Daughters." Alcina greets as she enters her study.
Alcina sits herself in the chair by the fire. Her daughters gather around her, waiting for her to begin the conversation. Before she speaks, Alcina lights a cigarette and holds it to her mouth. She takes a deep inhale, pulling the chemical smoke into her lungs. She holds it for a moment, then releases the burning haze into the room.
"Tell me what you know about Ethan Winters." Alcina speaks.
"We don't know much about him, Mother." Daniela says.
"What we do know, you're already aware of." Cassandra chimes in.
Alcina let's out a huff, displeased with her daughters response.
"I may know more than the two of them." Bela says calmly. "Heisenberg made me aware of a few minor details."
"Go on." Alcina requests, narrowing her eyes and taking another puff of her cigarette.
"Ethan Winters has already stolen a fragment of the child. He was successful at robbing Moreau and had moved on to Heisenberg. To his dismay, Heisenberg trapped him and now has him secluded in a cell." Bela explains.
"I suggest you tell me something I don't already know before my patience wares thin, child." Alcina warns.
"I'm getting there." Bela continues. "During their altercation, Heisenberg discovered that Winters can regenerate flesh. His wounds quickly mend themselves. We aren't sure why, nor is Mother Miranda. He's seemingly invincible."
"Impossible." Alcina scoffs. "He's a mortal."
"But what if he's not?" Daniela asks.
"Don't be foolish, Daniela." Alcina warns.
"Mother, she may be right." Bela says. "What if Mother Miranda was wrong? The child might not be in the same bloodline as her mother."
"Are you insinuating that Ethan Winters is the one within the mutant species?" Alcina asks, perplexed by her daughters assumption.
"It could be possible." Cassandra chimes in. "Although the mutant species is more common in females, we've seen the rare exception before. Moreau and Heisenberg contained the same blood that allowed her to implant Cadou within them."
Alcina narrows her eyes at her daughters as she puts out her cigarette.
"Mother, If my assumption is correct, I'm afraid we have no idea of how to stop him." Bela says.
"His wounds may heal, but they can't heal all at once." Alcina stands, grabbing a bottle of wine from the liquor cabinet and pouring herself a glass. "If he steps foot onto the castle grounds, slice him to shreds. Rip him limb from pathetic limb for all I care. He will not leave here with the child. And he absolutely will not leave with my maiden." Alcina turns back to her daughters. "Is that understood?"
"Yes, Mother." The sisters chime.
"Good." Alcina takes a sip of her wine, savoring it's iron bite.
"Mother, you never explained why Winters would want anything to do with Y/N in the first place."
Alcina slowly paces back to her seat, sipping her wine as she walks. She rests herself back in the chair, crossing her legs. Pulling the wine glass from her mouth, she purses her lips.
"That's because I haven't the slightest idea as to why he wants her." Alcina huffs. "He seemed to have recognized her when she stole the blood of the child. He thought Y/N was her mother. Claiming that the child was hers. I have the suspicion that Winters may have had relations with Y/N's mother. But, to my knowledge nobody else is aware of this. And I expect that it stays that way."
"So... the child is Y/N's sister?" Daniela mumbles.
"It's possible. But, we cant be for sure." Alcina takes another sip of wine. "Truthfully, I don't want to find out. If Y/N is of the same blood..." Alcina's words trail off into silence.
"She could be in danger." Bela exclaims with concern.
"Mother..." Daniela sighs.
"Yes. She very well could be in danger." Alcina sets her glass on the table beside her and stands. "However, I expect that you will do everything you can to protect her. As will I. If any harm comes to her, don't assume I will show mercy to anyone who crosses my path."
"Does Mother Miranda know?" Cassandra asks hesitantly.
"Not to my knowledge." Alcina sighs. "And I pray to a God I don't believe in that she never comes to the realization. If she did... I fear that would be the end of my beloved."
"We won't let anything happen to her, mother." Bela exclaims.
"Keep your guard up, daughters." Alcina warns. "Although I pray Ethan Winters remains locked away, we can't be sure he won't escape. Nobody is to leave this castle unless I say otherwise. If something so much as seems the slightest bit suspicious, Inform me immediately."
"Yes, mother." They respond in unison.
"That will be all. You are dismissed." Alcina waves her daughters away, requesting that they leave her.
Daniela and Cassandra burst into a swarm of flies, leaving Alcina's study. Bela watches as they dissipate from the room. Once they are gone, she speaks.
"You haven't told Y/N, have you?" She asks.
"No, I have not." Alcina sighs. "She's not happy about it either."
"Are you going to tell her?"
"That Ethan Winters intends to kidnap her? Absolutely not. She'd lose her wits if she found out." Alcina says.
"Mother, you have to warn her of the danger she may face. If you don't-" Alcina cuts Bela off.
"I suggest you stop right there, Bela." Alcina warns, her eyes piercing Bela's. "I will warn Y/N of the possibility of Ethan Winters arriving. However, she is not to find out his intentions. Understood?"
"But, mother..."
"Am I understood!?" Alcina barks.
"Yes, mother." Bela sighs.
"Your only concern is keeping Ethan Winters out of my castle. Don't put your nose where it doesn't belong. Now, you are dismissed." Alcina says with a firm voice.
Bela nods and leaves the room. Once she's gone, Alcina takes a deep breath. Her hand grabs the sides of her forehead, pressing into her temples.
"All of this for a fucking child." Alcina mumbles to herself. "I swear Mother Miranda and her nonsense will be the death of me."
Bored of your book, you snap it shut and place it at the top of your pile. The fire has grown dim, leaving little to no warmth radiating from its dwindling flames. Your lycan lifts his head, glancing up at you from his groggy slumber. You reach down and stroke his fur. Alcina still hasn't returned from her meeting with her daughters. Not that you completely expected her to come find you afterward anyhow. You've barely spoken to each other since your outburst this morning. It's late afternoon now, edging on evening; sun slowly fading behind the tops of the trees. After reading for a few hours, you were able to ease the frustration you had been feeling. Now, you were starting to feel a pang of guilt for how you had treated Alcina. You hoped she would come find you, but it's starting to look like she's decided otherwise. Heart sinking a little, you rise from your chair. Your lycan stands as well, his muscular body towering next to yours. He lets out a low groan.
"I'd like to go to my bedchamber." You tell him. He grumbles and steps out of your way.
You leave the library, heading to yours and Alcina's bedchamber. You're overwhelmed emotions and excessive reading has caused you to grow exhausted. In your opinion, this day couldn't end soon enough. You make your way down the hall, lycan following close by. Part of you is annoyed you don't have the ability to be alone, but part of you is also thankful for the company of your mangy canine. As you reach the bedchamber, your lycan pushes the door open for you once again. Glancing around the room, you see no sign of Alcina. You sigh, feeling as though she may be avoiding you. Although understandable after the way you acted, your heart aches for your Mistress.
Wanting to calm yourself once again, you decide to take a warm bath. You enter the bathroom, turning on the tap of the tub. Steaming water begins to pool in the basin. You add a few drops of scented oil, filling the room with sweet and calming lavender. As the tub fills, you grab fresh towels from the linen closet. Your lycan watches closely as you get things rounded up. Once you are ready to enjoy your bath, go begin to close the bathroom door. Your lycan stops you, placing his large paw in the doorway. A rumble echo's in his throat.
"You can't be serious." You groan. "I'm just going to take a bath."
Another rumble sounds, his foot still stopping you from shutting the door.
"You can stay out there. Nobody can get in or out as long as you guard the door. I promise I'll be quick. Please, just let me have some peace." You plead.
He stares you down for a moment, then lets out a huff. He removes his paw from the doorway, allowing you to shut the door. You close it, secluding yourself in the steam filled bathroom. You undress yourself, tossing your clothes onto the floor. You glance at your naked body in the mirror. For some reason, you feel slightly disgusted with yourself. You sigh, then enter the warm water within the tub. It sucks you into its bubbling heat as water still floods into is body. Once the water reaches just below your neck, you turn off the tap. You relax into the side of the tub, crossing your arms and setting them on the edge. You rest your head down, closing your eyes and soaking up what you can of a quiet moment to yourself. You stay like this until the water starts to cool. Before it looses its warmth entirely, you quickly wash yourself. After rinsing the suds from your hair and body, you step out and dry off. You dress into your nightgown and wrap your robe around you. You open the door, revealing a resting lycan a few feet from the bathroom entrance.
"A lot good standing guard does when you're fast asleep." You mumble.
You look around the room to see if Alcina had snuck in while you were bathing. The room is empty of her presence. The only body In the room being your snoring lycan. You walk over to the vanity in search of a hair brush. Not seeing it resting on the surface of the wood, you assume that Alcina still has it packed in her suitcase. You find her luggage sitting next to the wardrobe. You set it down and open it, digging through its contents to find the brush. Pulling back layers of fabric, you uncover the black jar labeled R.W. You don't touch it, just examine it. The glass is hard to see through, clouded by the dark tint of the jar. Your heart sinks in your stomach, slight nausea overtaking you. You ignore your urge to lift the jar from its resting place and continue digging for the hair brush. Removing a few more layers, you finally find it. Just as you pull it from the suitcase and stand, the chamber door opens.
"Digging through my things again?" Alcina steps into the room.
She looks exhausted and a little irritated. You lift the brush, giving it a little wave to show her that you had only intended on retrieving it so you could brush your snarled hair. She nods and walks over to the liquor cabinet. You watch her as she removes a bottle of her blood red wine and pours it's liquid into a glass. Once it's filled, she takes it in her hand and slowly paces over to her chair in front of the stoked fire. She sits, takes a long sip, then sets her glass on the table. She glances at you, eyes softening as she catches your attention on her.
"Come. Sit." She gently pats her lap.
You hesitate for a moment, but slowly make your way over to her. Your eyes veer away from hers, focusing on your feet moving against the cold stone floor. When you reach her, you set yourself onto her lap with your back facing her.
"Brush, please." She holds out her hand. You set the brush within her grasp. "Thank you, dear."
Alcina gently moves your hair from your face, pulling it behind you. She begins to run the bristles through your damp snarled strands. Occasionally, she catches a knot with the brush. She's careful not to pull too hard as she works to unravel it. As she continues brushing your hair, you begin to relax a bit. She seems to be working extra slow, savoring her current ability to have you near her. The two of you remain quiet for quite some time before Alcina breaks the silence.
"How much longer are you going to give me the silent treatment, little one?" She asks, still gently pulling at snarls in your hair. You keep quiet, not yet sure you're ready to speak. Alcina sighs.
She continues to brush your hair, removing the tangles from it's strands until the brush runs through its length with a smooth glide. She does a few extra passes, just to be sure she's successfully removed all the knots. Once she's finished, she sets the brush onto the table. Expecting her to be done with you, you begin to slide your body from her lap. Before you can fully remove yourself, she pulls you back to her. Her hands return to your hair, pulling it into three different sections. She begins to weave it into a delicate braid. As she tilts your head back, you catch a glimpse of her sweet honeycomb eyes. The corner of her mouth lifts into a gentle shrugging smile. Pausing, she slowly lowers her lips to your forehead; giving you a soft kiss. At her touch, your eyes squint shut. Pulling away, she returns her focus to your hair. She adjusts your head, now tilting it downward so she has better access to the length of your hair. She finishes the last little bit quickly, tying it off with a small ribbon. Once she's done, she leans back and grabs her wine. You remain sitting in her lap, still not allowing your body to fall back into hers. After she takes a few sips, she sets her glass back down. You feel her fingers gently caress your back, teasing your skin below the fabric of your clothes with her soft touch. You lean back a little, allowing her motion to continue.
"Draga mea..." Alcina says softly, but you stop her words.
"I'm sorry." You utter quietly. Her touch falters for a moment, pausing at the small of your back. "I'm sorry for my outburst and how I treated you today. I was harsh to you. You didn't deserve that." You pause for a moment, trying to collect your thoughts. Once your nerves begin to calm, you let out a soft sigh and continue. "I know you're just trying to protect me."
Alcina is quiet for a moment, processing you're apology.
"Draga mea, please look at me." She calmly requests. You slowly turn your body to face her. When your eyes don't rise to hers, she gently lifts your chin. "Look at me, little one." Your eyes meet hers, swelling with tears. Her thumb begins to stroke your cheek as she continues. "I understand your frustration. However, I didn't appreciate your way of communication, nor the lack there of."
"I'm sorry." You lightly mutter.
"I know you are, love. I forgive you." As a tear slides from your eye and down your cheek, Alcina wipes it away. "Now, tell me what's going on inside your precious mind."
"I thought you were going to get rid of me." You quietly sob.
"Why on earth would you think I would do such a thing?" Alcina's face flushes with hurt and worry.
"I don't know. It seemed as though whatever was going on somehow had something to do with me. I didn't know if I had done something to displease you or if you had simply grown bored of me. I don't know why the thought crossed my mind, but I assumed our trip was a last hurrah of sorts. Then, you were going to send me away or dispose of me some other way. Just like my mother intended to do."
"My sweet girl." Alcina tenderly coos. "You are not disposable. There's not a single thing that would make me want to send you away or dispose of you as if you were only a temporary play thing. I'm a little shocked that you would even consider that as a possibility."
Your eyes fall from hers, sending more tears rushing down your face. Alcina removes her hand from your chin, pulling you closer to her. You rest your head on her shoulder, grasping bits of fabric from her dress within your fingers. She holds you tight as she continues.
"I'm sorry you felt that way, my love. I never want you to question my care for you." She says with a gentle loving tone. "I'm sorry I wasn't truthful with you. I was just trying to protect that lovely mind of yours from spiraling into worry. I see now, my intentions failed. I hate seeing you hurt, draga mea. I'm sorry that I caused you worry and pain."
Her hand rubs your back, attempting to calm your nerves and ease your sorrow. Your tears slip from your face, melting into the cloth of her dress.
"I owe you an explanation." Alcina sighs. "The reason Bela called is because Ethan Winters has been slinking around, attempting to take his daughter back. He was successful at stealing a fragment from Moreau. However, when he tried to break into Heisenberg's estate, he was captured. He put up a good fight. And, apparently, has the ability to heal himself. He's no mortal. He's a mutant. Which means he's more dangerous than we had thought. He fully intends to make an escape and continue searching for his daughter. Which means he could show up here at any time. I didn't want you to be scared to come back home. That's why I didn't tell you."
You lift your head and look up at Alcina. Your eyes are wide as they meet hers.
"What happens if he shows up?" You ask her.
"You needn't worry, my dear. My daughters and I will see that he doesn't cause any harm." She replies.
"Why would he hurt us if he just wants his daughter?"
"Because he won't get her as easily as he did the first time. He'll most likely put up a fight if given the chance. Mother only knows what he is capable of." Alcina explains. "That being said, If he shows up, I need you to follow my orders. The last thing I need if for another foolish man-thing to break in and hold your life in their hands. Understood?"
You slowly nod.
"Use your words, please." She requests.
"I understand." You say softly.
"Good girl." Alcina praises you. She wipes away any remaining dampness from your face, then gives you a little smile. "Is my sweet girl ready to come back to me yet?"
Your lips curl into a gentle smile. You release her dress from your hands, lifting your arms up and wrapping them around her neck. You hold her in a gentle and loving hug. She sighs, wrapping her arms around your body and holding you close. You nuzzle your face into the nook of her neck. Her delightful jasmine perfume fills your sense of smell. You close your eyes, sinking into the feeling of love and care. Your worries wash away as Alcina holds you to her warmth. You adjust your body, cozying yourself against her. Together, you savor every tender moment. The day had been exhausting; full of frustration and worry. The fire crackles beside you, lulling you into pure content relaxation. As the sun sets outside, there's nothing that could pull the two of you apart.
That is, until the penetrating sound of the phone ringing echo's through the still room.