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lllbluejasminlll · 6 months

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Secret Benefits (Part 5)

Sugar mommy!Larissa Weems x fem!reader

Previous part here

A/N: Hello, hello! See, I kept my promise and didn’t let you guys wait months for this part! Most of this was written when I had a few drinks, so if you’d like to complain to anyone you’ll have to wait until tipsy me shows up. Sober me is not responsible for whatever this is. As always, I hope you’ll enjoy the turmoil and horrors I’m putting these two through. Have fun!! <3

TRIGGER WARNING: there are some unpleasant things in this chapter. I’m being evasive because I don’t want to spoil the whole thing. Read at your own risk!

Life without Larissa had been excruciatingly painful, you’d found out. Not just for the money part. Every time you’d close your eyes you’d see her blue eyes filled with sadness. You betrayed her.

She would move on, you’d tell yourself. She was a wonderful woman, in every way possible. Surely she would move on. And you would have to move on too.

The first couple of weeks were easy. You used Larissa’s cheque to pay your tuition, which had lifted a huge weight off your shoulders. But then… Then you had found yourself in need of more. Wether it was more money or more Larissa, you didn’t want to think about it. And so you were back on that goddamn app, Secret Benefits.

Women’s profiles were scarce. You’d opened your conversation with Larissa only to find out that she hadn’t been active in weeks, not since the two of you had started seeing each other, which only made you feel even more guilty.

You swallowed thickly and scrolled through the endless men’s profiles on the apps. Married men looking for some fun away from their duties at home, rich men just looking for some fun without any fuss. Nothing you really wanted to be a part of, to be honest.

And then you’d stumbled on Alan’s profile. Alan was in his fifties, he had a doctorate in Egyptology and was looking for “someone to spend some time with” as he had put it. And so you’d send him a message.

You’d talked for a few days, which allowed you to find out more about Alan’s work. He’d often travel to Egypt for some excavations or whenever he was needed over there. It seemed like a fun job, being around mummies and thousands of years old artefacts. He seemed genuinely nice, really. He was polite and respectful which you appreciated.

“I think I would like to meet you.” He’d said after a few days of chatting with you.

“That sounds like a good idea. Do you have anything in mind ?”

“How about Friday night? 7 pm at the Velvet Vesper?” He offered.

“Never been there before, but it sounds lovely. I’ll be there.”

And that’s how you had found yourself trying on outfit after outfit on a Friday night. What would Alan like? A dress seemed like a good idea. You’d searched the bar’s name online and it was obvious that it was a place where only wealthy people would hang out. A dress then. Not something too fancy, but still.

You eventually settled for the Simone Rocha dress that Larissa had bought you for your first date. How you missed her. You missed the way she’d pick your outfits and your food. You very much doubted Alan would do that.

One last look in the mirror and a deep breath later you were sitting in an Uber on your way to the bar. You had booked the Uber yourself, not Alan. Larissa would have done it, you thought. Larissa would have taken care of everything.

You were lost in your thoughts when the driver cleared his throat and you realised you’d arrived at your destination.

The Velvet Vesper was located in an old beautiful Haussmann building, something that looked like it belonged to Paris more than Jericho. Alan was nowhere to be seen and the two of you hadn’t talked about meeting outside or inside, so you eventually walked in after waiting for a few minutes.

It was a fairly nice place, with dim lighting and velvet sofas all around the room. It also had an impressive wall of whiskey bottles, you noted as you walked past the bar, and it was eerily calm. Most people seemed to be speaking to each other softly, creating a low hum that echoed on the high ceiling alongside the faint jazz music that was playing. It was very different from the bar you worked at, you’d usually come home from your shift with a migraine that would last for hours.

You suddenly heard your name being called, making you spin around only to be met by a man waving at you.

“Alan!” You smiled and joined the older man at his table, sitting down on the velvet armchair in front of his.

“You look lovely.” He said looking down at your dress.

“Thank you, it’s really nice to meet you. I’ve never been here before, it’s very cozy.”

“Isn’t it ?” Alan smirked as he looked around the place. “What will you be drinking ?”

Larissa would have picked for you.

“A margarita would be nice.”

“Ha, you’re a fancy girl aren’t you ?” The man chuckled and gestured for a waitress to come over, ordering a margarita and a glass of brandy for himself.

There was a long moment of silence then, which you tried to fill by saying something, anything, but inevitably failed to do so.

“So, you’re a student ?”

“Yes, I study economics. And you’re an Egyptologist, right? I had this phase when I was younger, I was obsessed with ancient Egypt and the mythology.”

“Really?!” A smile stretched across the man’s face and he took a sip of alcohol before starting to tell you more about his last trip to Egypt.

It felt nice, having someone sharing things about their personal life with you. Larissa was very discreet about hers, almost as if she had wanted to keep you out of it. You shouldn’t be thinking about Larissa.

“Another margarita ?” Alan offered, snapping you out of your thoughts.

You looked down at the empty glass in your hand and nodded. You had stopped listening to him about ten minutes ago, somewhere between a trip on the Nile and a mummy identification. It’s not that it was boring, but your mind simply wouldn’t stop wandering back to Larissa.

You excused yourself and got on your feet, asking your waitress for the way to the bathroom and locking the door behind yourself once you were in.

It’s not that it wasn’t going well, but Alan just wasn’t a good match for you. You weren’t sure if “being a good match” meant anything when all you were supposed to do was spend time with him and get paid for it, but still. You didn’t feel that spark. Not like you’d felt it with Lari-

“Enough!” You quietly scolded yourself looking at your reflection in the mirror.

You needed to move on. No more Larissa.

“No more Larissa.” You mumbled as you walked out of the toilet.

You sat back down in front of the older man and pushed a smile. Another margarita had been placed on your side of the table and a glass of brandy on his.

Alan started talking again, something about him thinking he might be on the right path to find out the location of Cleopatra’s tomb. You almost laughed hearing this. As if.

You took a large sip of alcohol, crossing and uncrossing your legs as you tried your best to look interested in whatever your companion was jibbering about - which proved to be increasingly difficult the more you sipped on your drink.

“I think I need some fresh air,” you eventually interrupted him as you placed your glass down. Your head was spinning and it felt like the walls were closing in on you.

“Are you alright, darling ?” You heard Alan say. He was on his feet in a second, wrapping his arm around your midsection. “Let me help, we’ll go outside for a minute.”

The cold wind hitting your face didn’t help as much as you’d hoped it would. If anything it only made you feel more dizzy. Alan’s arm left your back and a moment later a blazer was placed on your shoulders.

“Are you feeling alright ?” The man’s voice echoed through your head as you tried to take a step away from him.

“N-no,” You shook your head. No was an understatement. How much alcohol had they put into that damn margarita?!

“Come, I’ll take care of you.” Alan said, wrapping his arm around your back once more.

You weren’t sure what that meant, whether he’d take you home or anywhere where you could rest. You had hope, really, that he was a nice man. That was until your back was pressed against what you assumed to be a brick wall and a body - which you assumed to be Alan’s - was pressed against yours.

Fuck off, you tried to say but all that came out of your mouth was a loud growl.

“Come on, don’t make this harder than it has to be!” The asshole groaned and pressed his lips against your jaw.

A sudden nausea surged in your stomach and you thought it’d be nice to be sick right there and then. Surely that would deter him. You could barely keep your eyes open, fainting was probably more likely than throwing up.

Don’t faint. Don’t faint. Don’t faint. The small voice in your head kept repeating. Do not fucking faint!

You could feel hands groping up and down your body, pushing up your dress as a tongue was shoved inside your mouth.

“I wouldn’t do that if I were you.”

A voice. Not Alan’s. A stranger’s voice. A man from what you could tell.

A strong hand had gripped Alan’s shoulder, pulling him away from you.

“What the-?!” Alan half turned to look at the man behind him. He was tall, at least half a foot taller than Alan.

“I said, leave the lady alone or I’ll smash every tooth in your head.” The voice said calmly, too calmly.

Alan completely let go of you then, muttering something about how sluts shouldn’t be surprised to be treated like this before disappearing out of the alley.

“Are you alright ?” The man asked, taking off his woollen coat and placing it on your shoulders.

Your lack of answer and half-closed eyes told him everything he needed to know.

“Listen,” he said. “I very much doubt that you’ll trust me after what just happened to you, but I won’t hurt you. I’ll carry you to my car, alright ? I can see you’re struggling, you can just close your eyes.”

After that, all you remember is an arm being placed behind your knees and another one behind your back as you were lifted off the ground by a man whose scent was strangely familiar.

And then everything went black. For god knows how long.

“Careful,” You heard someone say as you blinked your eyes open and tried to sit up. “I think you should stay lying down.”

You were back in your flat. You could tell by the pictures of your friends hanging on the walls above your head.

“You’ve been out for a couple of hours, I didn’t want to leave you alone.” The voice came again from the kitchen. The man opened a cupboard and pulled a mug out as if he’d been there before. “Tea might help.” He said, pouring boiling water on the tea bag inside the mug.

“Who are you ?” You managed to push out of your dry throat.

“It doesn’t matter.” The man said as he placed the cup of tea down on the table and carefully helped you sit up.

You were able to take a proper look at him then. He was in his forties or looked like it. White hair, blue eyes. He was a stranger and yet seemed oddly familiar.

“What were you doing out there ? Did you know that man ?”

“No,” you muttered and took a few sips of tea, relishing in the warmth it brought to your body. “It was my first time meeting him. We’d been chatting online.”

“Wasn’t he a bit old for you ?” The man asked, taking a seat on the sofa across from you.

“I wasn’t exactly looking for a relationship.” You said, hoping you wouldn’t have to further explain yourself.

“Ha, I see.” He gave a nod and rubbed his hands together.

“Thank you for helping me.”

“Of course, anyone would have done it.” The man shrugged.

There was a moment of silence which he eventually broke by clearing his throat.

“Well, I’m not telling you what to do but maybe you should stay away from this kind of meetings for a while.”

“Yeah,” you looked down at your feet and sipped on the tea again. “I don’t think I’d ever be able to find a match, anyway.”

“Why’s that ?” He suddenly looked interested, leaning forward a little.

“There is someone. Was, there was someone. We were… Seeing each other. Not romantically, I mean-“ You took a deep breath. “It was a mutually beneficial arrangement, that’s what I meant.”

“I see. I suppose something happened since you were looking for something new.”

“I fucking messed up, that’s what happened.” You chuckled sadly and placed the mug down before pulling your knees against your chest. “I went into this telling myself I wasn’t looking for a relationship. We had agreed on no intercourse. I would spend time with her and she’d help me financially, that was the agreement.”

“How did it end ?” He asked.

“I used her. I knew she was attracted to me and I used that to get money out of her. The thing is, I think she was more than just attracted to me, you know ?” You said, looking up and meeting the man’s blue eyes. “And I didn’t realise that until it was too late. If I had known, I wouldn’t have done what I did. I’m not cruel.”

“Well, I’m not sure exactly what you did to her but have you tried getting in touch with her ?”

“No, I could never.” You admitted. “She said I’d never see her again. And I just feel too much guilt and shame. I could never.”

“That’s a shame.” The man pushed a small smile and got on his feet to pick up the empty cup from the table. “You should try and get some sleep, you need to evacuate whatever it is that he slipped in your drink.”

You gave a nod and lay back down, pulling on the blanket that was bunched up at your feet. You heard the kitchen tap running and the sound of dishes being washed. And then nothing.

When you woke up the next morning, you could barely remember what had happened the previous night. You blinked a few times, taking in the rays of sunshine that were coming in through your open curtains.

Something was off.

You’d gone to the bar to meet Alan, had a few drinks and then… Flashes of what had happened came rushing back to you, making you shiver. You were fine. You were fine. And it was only thanks to that mysterious man.

Something was off.

You slowly sat up and groaned as your head immediately started throbbing. You would have to call the bar and let them know you wouldn’t be able to work that night.

Getting out of the couch took you great effort but your mouth was awfully dry and your bladder awfully full and you needed to take care of at least one of these things.

Slowly you walked to the kitchen, the thought of a cold glass of water nearly making you drool.

And then you finally registered it, what your brain had been trying to tell you for the past few minutes. Someone was sitting at your table, hands wrapped around a fuming cup of tea.

“Larissa ?” It left your lips barely audibly when your eyes met hers.

The woman pressed her lips together in a thin line before giving a nod.

“Sweetling.”

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lllbluejasminlll · 1 year

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Alcina's New Maid Pt. 10 Lady Dimitrescu x Reader

Summary: Lady Dimitrescu brings you in as one of her maids, at least, that's what you thought she brought you to the castle for.

Warnings: 18+ minors DNI

Tags: flirty, fluff, slow burn, smut, angst.

Notes: Part 10! This one is a tad longgg but it's cute and fluffy so enjoy! Also: Should the notes be in cursive font? I felt like it took away from the content of the notes but let me know what you all think!

Click here for the rest of the series

Over the course of the next few weeks, a sense of peace was restored to castle Dimitrescu once again. Things between you and Alcina still weren't back to where they were before everything happened, but you've been happy with the progress the two of you have made. Alcina has respected your boundaries; taking things slow and giving you the time and space you need to regain your trust in her.

You still haven't had dinner with them, but you've been having lunch with them almost every day and breakfast a few days a week. On the mornings you decide to have breakfast in your chambers, Alcina personally delivers you your tray while you sleep. Around the third or fourth time she brought you your meal, you found a little handwritten note left on the tray.

The very first one you found made your heart swell a little. In her beautifully perfect cursive, she wrote:

I am still uncertain if I am worthy of your forgiveness, or worthy of a second chance, however I am forever grateful that you think otherwise. I will spend the rest of my eternal life proving my loyalty and devotion to you if I must. I give you my word, I will do everything in my power to make the changes needed to regain your trust. Thank you, for gifting me this second chance, for allowing me the opportunity to fix this mess I've created and to attempt to heal the wounds I've caused you. I will be indebted to your altruism until the end of time. Forever yours, Alcina

After reading the note you held it close to your chest, it was the most hope you've had about things changing for the better since you both agreed to try and reconcile.

Ever since then, a note was left on your tray each time Alcina delivered your breakfast. In some letters, she expressed her regret and how she resents herself for what she had done.

. . . I fear that no matter what I do, I will never earn your forgiveness. I am finding it near impossible to forgive myself for the pain I've caused you. I know for certain if I were in your shoes I would resent the person who hurt me so deeply for the rest of my life. I promise to never stop trying, in hopes that one day I will be truly worthy of your forgiveness. . . .

In others she talked about the hope she has that things will one day return back to where they were.

. . . In times of desperation I look to your eyes, when I feel that all hope is lost I find it within you. The hope has once again breathed new life into me and the spark is reignited in my soul. The fickle ember in my heart burns solely for you and if I must reach out for it every day with my bare hands to keep it alive, I will gladly accept the burns. . . .

In total you have nearly a dozen of them, keeping them in the drawer of your bedside table. Although the two of you haven't talked for as long as you did that night, knowing that Alcina takes the time every morning to confess her deepest thoughts and feelings, pouring her soul into each letter touches you. As if it's her way of apologizing every morning without bombarding or overwhelming you. She's able to express herself while still being able to give you the space and time you asked for. There are some mornings where you want to have breakfast with them, but decide against it just so you can get another note. On mornings when you wake up and feel the sadness or numbness lingering in your chest, the feelings subside after reading what she's poured out onto the page. They bring you a sense of comfort, making you feel seen and loved.

Early one morning you're in a deep sleep, you didn't even hear the door open or the clinking sounds from the tray as Alcina places it on your bedside table. You barely register the feeling of the mattress sink when Alcina gently sits on the edge of the bed.

"Y/n." Alcina says softly. She smiles as she watches you sleep, gently sweeping the hairs away from your face.

You finally begin to wake up when you feel a large hand rubbing small circles across your back.

"Y/n."

"Hmm?" You mumble, still mostly asleep.

"Come on, it's time to wake up."

Waking up, you roll over towards her and prop yourself up on your elbow.

"What time is it?"

"It's still early," Alcina says, gently brushing away the hair that had fallen onto your face. "but I have a surprise for you this morning."

"You do?" You squint at her as you adjust to the morning light, sitting up in bed you rub the sleep from your eyes. "What is it?"

Alcina chuckles.

"If I told you it wouldn't be much of a surprise now, would it?"

"Oh, right."

"I brought you breakfast. I was hoping I would be able to join you this morning, if you don't mind." She says, almost meekly, grabbing the tray and placing it on your bed between the two of you. Looking up at her, she's exuding a shyness you haven't seen before.

"I would love that." A smile crosses her face when she hears your response. You look down at the tray to see if there was a note, mostly out of habit and a look of disappointment must have flashed across your face for a moment.

"Is something wrong?" Alcina asks, her eyes worriedly scanning the tray.

Looking back up at her, you see the worry on her face.

"Oh, no. Sorry, I was just looking to see if there was a note, force of habit at this point."

Alcina visibly relaxes.

"Oh," The look on her face goes from relief to touched. "have you been reading them?"

"Yeah, every time you leave one. I really enjoy them." You say, looking away as a small blush crept across your cheeks.

"You do?"

"Yeah, of course."

Leaning over the side of your bed, you open up the drawer of the nightstand and pull out the small pile of letters.

"I keep every single one."

Alcina's eyes gloss over when she watches you open up the drawer and pull out every letter she's written you since she started leaving you notes in the morning. Carefully taking the stack from your hands, she looks down in disbelief.

"I can't believe you kept them all."

"Of course I did, what did you think I was doing with them?"

Looking away, a little ashamed, Alcina replies "I honestly thought you were throwing them away."

"I would never throw these away, they mean a lot to me Alcina."

"They do?" She asks as her golden eyes widen.

"Yeah, of course. Truthfully, now I look forward to each morning when you bring in my tray because I know there's going to be a note from you on it."

Alcina gently tucks a piece of hair behind your ear and rests her hand on your cheek for a moment. Neither of you have said "I love you" since that night, but you can see it in her eyes. Her hand leaves your cheek and you take the letters back from her, putting them back in the drawer and closing it.

"This smells amazing." You say, looking down at the tray of food.

"Go ahead, eat. I'm sure you're hungry."

The two of you enjoy a quiet meal together. This is probably the first time you've ever had a meal by yourselves, but you enjoyed it. As you ate you both lightly chatted, making each other laugh every so often. It was nice being able to enjoy each others company in private for a short while. You could feel the foundation of your new relationship solidifying as you ate breakfast together, and it felt good.

After you finished eating, Alcina placed the tray back on the nightstand.

"So when do I get this surprise?" You ask.

"Very soon, go and get yourself ready and come get me when you're done. I'll be in my chambers. Okay?"

"Okay. Anything in particular I have to wear or something?"

"No, dress as you wish. But we will be outside for a bit and it's supposed to be a beautiful day out." She says with a smile.

"Okay."

Alcina stands and grabs the tray and head towards the door. She opens it and turns back and gives you one last smile before ducking out and closing the door behind her. After she leaves you throw the covers off of you and hop in the shower.

Down the hall, Alcina sees a maid and gives her the tray to bring back down to the kitchen. She makes her way down the stairs and finds the girls in one of the sitting rooms.

"Is everything all set girls?"

"Yes mother!" Bela says.

"She's gonna freak out." Cassandra says.

"Oh I can't wait to see her face!" Daniela all but yells.

"Very well, thank you daughters. I'll be in my chambers, please see that everything is ready to go when we come back down."

"Yes mother!" The three girls say in unison.

Alcina heads back to her chambers and sits at her vanity, touching up her makeup and hair. After a little bit she hears a small knock on her door and takes a deep breath in and out before getting up and opening the door.

When she opens the door she's taken back when she sees you in the sundress she had bought you.

"Is this okay?" You ask, looking down at the dress.

"Yes," she breathes. "it's perfect." Her eyes meet yours and you get lost in her bright golden orbs for a few moments before you both snap out of it.

Alcina calls for the girls and Bela appears next to you.

"Is everything ready?" Alcina asks.

"Yes mother! Everything is ready for the both of you."

"Thank you my dear, we'll be down shortly."

Bela swarms off and she turns towards you.

"Are you ready for your surprise?"

"I think so!" You say with a smile.

You genuinely have no idea what she planned, you hope it's not an expensive gift or something extravagant, but you're still excited to see what it is.

Alcina leads you downstairs and towards the courtyard. Before she opens the doors she looks down at you with a big smile on her face, she looks excited and it makes your heart flutter.

"I know there's one thing that you've wanted since the day you came here, and I wanted to personally make sure it happened."

Alcina opens the doors and it takes a moment for your eyes to adjust to the light. When they finally adjust, you see the kids, all five of them, running around the courtyard with Daniela, Bela and Cassandra.

Freezing in place, you can't believe they're here, in the courtyard, playing and running around like they always do. Tears begin to fill your eyes and Alcina places her hand on your back, gently pushing you forward.

The fears that you had of never seeing them again vanish into thin air. As much as you didn't want to admit to it, there was a small part of you that was worried Alcina was lying about letting you see the kids again just to give you some piece of mind. Fearful that she never had any intentions of letting it happen. But here they are, right in front of you, and Alcina was the one who organized it and planned a surprise visit.

"Y/n!!!" You hear Ana yell.

All of the kids stop and look at you, in an instant they're running into your arms. Kneeling down on the ground, you do your best to wrap your arms around all of them as the tears fall from your eyes. Your heart feels so full it's about to burst.

"Oh, I missed you guys so much." You say softly, burying your face into them.

Daniela, Bela and even Cassandra look on with huge smiles on their faces. Alcina looks down at you, her heart swells from seeing you so happy. She hopes that this surprise conveys how much she cares for you.

One by one you give each child a hug and a kiss on their head. The boys quickly go back to the game they were playing as you finish saying hi to the rest of the kids.

You hug and kiss Crina, the second oldest of the three girls. After her you hug and kiss Ana, the oldest.

"How are you doing love?" You ask as you hold her in your arms.

"I'm okay."

"Yeah? Are they listening to you at all?"

"Barely." She says, rolling her eyes.

"Oh boy, I'm gonna have to have a talk with them then." You say with a laugh.

"Are you okay?" She asks, looking up at you with concern on her face.

"I am."

"You promise?"

"I promise kiddo, they've been really good to me here."

"Good." You give her one more hug and turn to the last of the kids, Elena.

You bend down again and outstretch your arms towards her and she jumps into your embrace, almost knocking you over.

"Woah," you say, balancing yourself. "hi my little angel."

Elena doesn't respond, instead you feel her starting to cry. You stand up with her in your arms and hold the back of her head.

"Oh, it's okay honey, it's okay. I'm here."

"I missed you so much." She cries into you. Just when you thought you were done crying, tears begin to fall again.

"I missed you so much too baby."

"When are you coming home?"

"Oh honey, I'm not sure. But I promise we're going to keep seeing each other, okay?"

She nods into you and you rub circles on her back, soothing her.

"Do you like it here more than at home? Is that why you won't come back?"

You feel your heart break a little, hating that Elena thinks you're staying away because you like being here more than you like being with them.

"No, not at all El. There's a lot of complicated reasons why I can't come home, but it's not because I like it here more, okay?"

"You promise?"

"I promise sweetie, but I want you to know, I think about you every single day."

"You do?" She asks, pulling back to look at you with tear stained cheeks.

You wipe away her tears and cup her little face.

"Yes, every morning when I wake up I think of each one of you, and I do the same thing every night before I go to sleep."

"I think of you every day too y/n."

You kiss her on the forehead and hold her tight and she squeezes you back. Looking up, you see Alcina sitting on one of the large benches across the courtyard, watching you with Elena with a soft smile on her face.

Only having seen you interact with the children once, and just for a very brief period of time, Alcina studies you with the girl in your arms. The very same girl being the reason the two of you even met in the first place. If she didn't stay back in the road and almost get trampled by the carriage, you never would have had to run in front of it and knock her out of the way. The carriage never would have halted and Alcina and the girls would have gone back to the castle and their lives would have continued on without ever having met you.

Although Alcina would never harm a child, she's grateful that little girl put herself in harms way that day. Because if she hadn't, the two of you never would have met and the empty space in Alcina's heart, the one she either didn't know was there or blatantly ignored for so long, would still be residing in her chest.

As she watches, she notices how naturally caring for these kids comes to you. Sure, it could be from years of practice, but something in your eyes, something in the way that you look at that little girl in your arms, says otherwise.

"You would make such a wonderful mother, draga mea." Alcina thinks to herself.

Your aunt walks up to the two of you and you smile at her.

"Hello y/n."

"Hi."

"How have you been? Have you been," she pauses for a moment and her eyes shift from Alcina back to you and lowers her voice. "treated well?"

You watch as Alcina's smile fades into a scowl when she hears your aunt, thanks to her supersonic hearing, and you have to hold back your chuckle.

"Yes, I have. I promise. They've treated me exceptionally well." You decide it's best not to mention the events that have occurred over the last couple of months.

"Well I'm glad to hear that. Are you one of her maids?"

"I was, but I don't do many of the maids chores anymore."

"Why is that?"

"I, uh, bonded really well with the girls-"

"The girls?"

"Yeah, the Lady's three daughters." You say, nodding to the three girls as they play with the kids.

"Oh right, they're, peculiar."

"They're good kids. But I got close to them, to all of them, including the Lady, really quickly. Within just a few weeks I was promoted to being her handmaid. Although I haven't been here long, they accepted me right away; they really made me feel like I'm part of their family." You look over at Alcina and you can tell even from this distance that her eyes glossed over a little as she listens.

"Family?" You aunt scoffs. Alcina's softened look hardens and her eyes narrow at her.

"Yes, their family. They have a mother and three daughters, they're a family."

"How can they be a family when they're mon-"

"Don't." You say, cutting her off. Alcina's body tenses with anger as she focuses on the two of you. "Do not say that. You don't know them." Anger begins to bubble inside of you, an instinct to want to protect them, to protect your family, begins to kick in.

"Surely you must know first hand of the horrors that-"

"I don't expect you to understand. But I will not let you talk about them like that. You don't know anything about them," You go to speak again but stop when you see a tall shadow loom over the both of you.

Alcina walks over, she has a smile on her face, she looks happy but you know her better than that.

"I do hope you're enjoying yourself and that you are finding Castle Dimitrescu to be a suitable home for your wonderful niece." She says, gently stroking your cheek. Alcina has a smile on her face, but you see a hint of murderous rage in her eyes begin to develop as she looks at your aunt.

A little frazzled and scared your aunt stutters for a moment.

"Oh, uh, yes, of course. It is incredibly beautiful here, t-thank you for opening your, h-home to us, and to her."

Staring down at your aunt, Alcina doesn't have to do much to intimidate or scare her. Her presence alone can be quite frightening. She begins to tremble lightly and you decide to change the subject.

"Is uncle here?" You ask your aunt.

"No-"

"My apologies draga mea, but a longstanding rule in Castle Dimitrescu is that no men are permitted to enter the premise. So that, manthing, was unable to attend."

You feel your heart skip a beat when she calls you "draga mea" and your aunt gives you a bit of a look despite her frazzled state. You know she said it mostly for appearances, but you didn't realize how much you missed hearing Alcina calling you by your pet names.

You're pulled out of your thoughts when Elena tugs on the shoulder of your dress to get your attention.

"What's up love?"

She cups her hands around you ear and whispers to you.

"She's very tall."

Unable to contain it, you let out a laugh and nod your head at the girl.

"Yes, yes she is." Looking up at Alcina, she has a smile on her face. Any trace of the murderous rage in her eyes is now gone.

Cupping her hand around your ear, she whispers to you again.

"Are you scared of her? I'm scared of her."

The amusement in Alcina's eyes disappears, fading into a look of sadness that she quickly masks. You feel your heart sink in your chest when you see her reaction to Elena's question.

"No, I'm not scared of her at all. I actually like her quite a lot. I know she's very tall, but she's not scary. Remember when we talked about how some people are different from others, but just because they look different, doesn't mean that they are different from you or I on the inside?" Elena nods her head. "This is a perfect example of that! See the Lady is very, very tall, so tall she has to bend down through doorways to get into rooms." Elena giggles and Alcina shoots you a playfully annoyed look. "But, besides that, she's not much different from you or I."

Elena whispers into your ear again.

"People in the village say she's really mean."

"You should never let someone else's opinion of a person influence your opinion of them. There were a lot of people in the village that said mean things about me, do you think any of them were true?"

Elena shakes her head "no."

"Exactly. So why don't I introduce you to her, so you can find out for yourself if she's as mean as the villagers say. How does that sound?"

Elena shakes her head "yes" and you turn her towards Alcina.

"Elena, I want you to meet my friend, Lady Dimitrescu. Lady Dimitrescu, meet my youngest cousin, Elena."

Alcina bends down so she's eye-level with the girl and gently holds out her hand.

"It is lovely to meet you Elena. Please, call me Alcina."

Elena looks at you, unsure of whether or not she should be afraid.

"It's okay." You say.

"There's no need to be afraid little one, I don't bite." Alcina says with a smile. You eyeballs almost pop out of your head when you hear her. Alcina's eyes meet yours, you see a mischievous yet playful look in them before looking back at Elena. Looking over at your aunt, she's lost all of the color in her face, she looks like a ghost.

Elena, who's none the wiser, puts her tiny hand into Alcina's. It's comical at how small it looks compared to hers. Alcina gently closes her fist around the girl and shakes her hand.

"Now say 'it's nice to meet you too, Alcina.'" You say, encouraging her.

"It's nice to meet you too, Alcina."

Elena looks at Alcina with wonder in her eyes after she lets go of her hand. With her fears slowly melting away, Elena observes the woman in front of her with curiosity.

"Elena! Y/n! Come play with us!" Crina yells from across the courtyard.

Elena begins to wiggle in your arms, you let her down and she runs over towards the rest of the kids. Alcina returns to her seat and your aunt sits on the other side of the courtyard, trying to put as much distance between the two of them as possible.

You join the kids as they play with the Dimitrescu girls. For the next few hours, all of you are running around, playing tag and other games. The entire time, Alcina and your aunt watch on.

It's been so long since you've had this much fun. Of course spending time with the Dimitrescu women was entertaining, but you missed running around and playing with the kids like this.

During a game of tag you're it, you go after Daniela and right before you tag her, she bursts into a swarm of flies and ends up behind you.

"No fair!" You laugh.

The kids, and your aunt, give questioning looks and the two of you brush it off as a fun magic trick to evade any more questions. The kids immediately buy it, although Ana might not have been totally convinced. Your aunt however, was not convinced at all.

Running up behind one of the boys as he runs away, you grab him around his waist and lift him into the air, spinning him around.

"Got you!" He cackles as you spin him, the laughter is like music to your ears.

Cassandra eventually gets bored and sits next to Alcina. Your aunt watches the two of them carefully. Alcina looks down at Cassandra as they talk, she brushes some of Cassandra's hair out of her face and looks lovingly at her daughter. Out of the corner of her eye, Alcina catches your aunt watching them. Glaring at your aunt, she wraps an arm around Cassandra and pulls her in close, as if she's protecting her and turns her attention back to her daughter.

Quickly looking away, your aunt is unsure of what to make of the interaction between the two. On one hand, she knows the rumors and the few first-hand accounts she's heard about how ruthless and horrific the four women could be. But on the other, the Lady of the castle just seems like a mother, caring for her daughters and, for whatever reason, her niece. She's still unsure of how such monsters can have a "family" but she begins to think about what you said to Elena earlier.

Zina walks out into the courtyard and announces that lunch is ready. You all head into the dining room, Alcina pulls out the chair next to hers and offers it to you and you gladly sit. Once all of the kids are seated, the maids begin assisting the children with making their plates and Bela, Cassandra and Daniela head into the kitchen.

"I expect you three to come out looking as clean as you do in this moment. Understand?" Alcina says to the girls.

"Yes mother." Bela says.

"Yeah, Dani." Cassandra says.

"Shut up Cass!" Daniela yells at her sister.

Alcina lets out a low growl and the three girls fall silent and head into the kitchen.

"Are your daughters not joining us?" Your aunt asks.

"No, they will not be. They will be taking their lunches in the kitchen. The girls have a, peculiar, appetite so it's best that they eat away from the children." She replies with a haunting smile.

Petrified once more, your aunt quietly eats her lunch as Alcina sips on her wine, pleased with herself.

After lunch is finished, Bela, Cassandra and Daniela enter back into the dining room, much to both yours and Alcina's surprise, clean. Daniela gives you all a brief tour of the castle, the kids are fascinated when they get to see your room, given it's nearly the size of the living room at their house. The tour comes to its conclusion at the library, of course, since it is Daniela's favorite room.

All of the kids pick out a small book, one of the boys picking up "Poems of Sappho" which you quickly take out of his hand as he pouts.

"Sorry bud, this isn't a book for kids."

Alcina walks over and plucks the book from your hand.

"I'll take this one." She says with a smirk, her voice smooth as velvet, and takes a seat on the couch near the fireplace. You sit next to her and Elena crawls into your lap while the rest of the kids sit around you while you read to them.

After a little while you notice that Alcina had stopped reading the book in her hand. With one long leg crossed over the other, she fiddles with the loose string on the armrest cover, listening to you read to the kids.

By the time you finished reading each book a few hours had passed, dinnertime is now right around the corner. Alcina goes to stand but looks down to find Elena's head resting on her leg, the rest of her body curled up in your lap, fast asleep. Looking over at Alcina, you notice she's looking down at something and you follow her eyeline to find Elena. You both look up at each other with smiles pulled across your faces.

Gently lifting Elena up, you pass her off to Daniela as your aunt begins to wrangle the kids, getting them ready to leave.

"I'll be out in a minute." You say to Bela as she leads everyone out towards the main hall.

The library door closes, leaving you and Alcina alone. She stays seated when you stand and you turn towards her, the both of you practically at eye-level. You wrap your arms around her neck and hug her, your action taking her by surprise a bit. She hesitates for a moment, but decides to wrap her arms around you, holding you tight.

Tears begin to well up in your eyes when you think about how much her surprise meant to you. You were so genuinely afraid that you would never see the kids again, that they would grow up thinking you abandoned them without a second thought and didn't care about them. Alcina knew your fears, and she promised that you would see them again, and she followed through with that promise. Her keeping it a surprise for you made it all the better.

When you were racking your brain trying to think of what the surprise could be, seeing the kids never once occurred to you. It was the best surprise of your life, and you are so grateful for her for doing it.

"I hope you liked your surprise." She says.

"I loved it." You say softly as a few tears escape. "Thank you."

Pulling away a bit, you look into Alcina's eyes and see hope, and love. She gently wipes away your tears, cupping your face with her hand.

"I can't tell you how much this means to me Alcina, really."

"I know this doesn't make up for everything, but I hope you know, I am trying."

"I know."

"I will do anything and everything to regain your trust."

"I know, and you are. This today, this meant everything to me. You heard my fears, you listened to the one thing I wanted more than anything and you made it happen without me having to ask you to. It doesn't make up for everything, but, this, the letters, it's exactly what I meant when I said I wanted you to put in effort to make things better. And you've been doing it, and it means so much to me. It really does."

As you look into each other's tear-filled eyes, you feel butterflies for the first time in a long time. Your eyes wander from hers, down to her lips and back up. A nervousness you're not accustomed to floods your body, like a teenager about to have their first kiss.

Your first kiss with Alcina was rough, passionate, on the heels of her teasing you for weeks. It led straight into your first of many long, glorious, nights of intense passion.

Right here, right now, the sexual tension is nonexistent. The only thing drawing her to you in this moment is your love for each other.

You watch as her eyes shift down to your lips and back up, you can tell she wants to make the move, but is hesitating, not wanting to overstep or make you uncomfortable.

Gazing into her eyes once more, you can feel them screaming "I love you" at you. Truthfully, you feel like your eyes are doing the same. With your heart feeling like it's about to burst, you tuck a strand of hair behind Alcina's ear and cup her face. Slowly, you begin to move in, you feel your heart beating out of your chest, you think you can feel hers pounding as well.

You both close your eyes as your lips gently meet. A jolt of electricity is sent through your body, as if you've finally been woken up after months of being asleep. Her soft, cool lips feel like home to you, a place you haven't been to in so long. A lump begins to form in your throat as you slowly kiss, you love her, so much. And you've missed her more than you ever could have imagined.

When your lips part you wrap your arms around her and hold her tight again as tears fall. Alcina holds you tight and buries her face into your neck.

"I love you, draga mea." She says softly.

"I love you too Alcina."

The two of you were so enthralled with one another, neither of you noticed your aunt had come back into the library, witnessing most of your tender moment together. Quickly, she slips out before either of you notice.

Pulling back a little bit, Alcina brings her hand to your face once more, studying you as if she's looking at a work of art. You gently nuzzle into her hand and close your eyes, letting yourself relax into her touch. It's almost a relief knowing that you'll have her back soon enough. Although you know the road the two of you have ahead is a rocky one, deep down you know that if you both keep putting in the effort you have been, the two of you can overcome anything together.

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