Chapter Text
Alcina did not prefer hiring new help. Though she knew her reputation ran counter to such a statement, she in fact found it much more infuriating to wait for new staff to adjust to the rules and customs of her castle. Could she keep a handle on her daughters’ appetites and her own…well, she would prefer an experienced staff. But the violent whims of her family had not proven compatible with such a dream. And so again Alcina found herself observing a batch of new hires.
The new servants were lined up in the main hall, waiting to be addressed by the Lady of the castle. The summer heat was nearly unbearable, causing even Lady Dimitrescu herself to produce a fan and wave her face gently with it. The five servants themselves sweated in the clothes they had arrived in. On the whole they all seemed nervous. Whether arrived to pay off debts or simply escape their previous lives, Alcina did not much care. She only hoped that her castle would be a better home for them than that infernal village. So long, of course, as they could keep themselves busy and out of the way.
Alcina’s daughters, unlike everyone else in the main hall, thrived in the heat and buzzed excitedly around the new staff. Bela stalked down the line of them, leaning in dangerously with her sickle brandished. Cassandra glowered at them, unashamedly biting at the blade of her sickle as she made eye contact with each one of the new maids. And Daniela flitted between them all, testing their reactions as she swarmed in and out of her flies just by their ears.
“Oo,” Daniela cooed at one girl, moving to peer into the young woman’s face. “What’s your name, human?”
“Maria,” the girl said, a slight warble in her voice betraying her nervousness.
“Hmm…” Daniela hummed. And then she cackled as she danced around the next maid, a blonde who looked close to tears. The redhead stopped and poked the girl in the chest, tearing a gasp from the girl. Daniela cackled. “Weak!”
“That’s quite enough, Daniela,” Lady Dimitrescu said, raising her chin slightly to reveal her face to the assembled maids. “No need to scare them to death so soon.”
Bela smirked at her chastised sister, arms crossed beside Cassandra. The middle child swung her sickle dangerously in hand as she stared at the assembled staff.
“Yes, Mother,” Daniela said dutifully and swarmed back to her mother’s side, but not before she could send Maria a teasing wink.
Alcina cleared her voice and stepped down the line of new servants, leaning in to observe each of them. Maria, Angelica, Irina, Opal, and…
“What is your name?” Lady Dimitrescu questioned, standing tall above the servant.
They were of above-average height, long dark hair pulled back into a reserved ponytail, a curved nose, bright gray-blue eyes, and of a slightly heavier build. Charming, if Alcina were honest with herself. Which she tried not to be, not when it came to maids. Easier to maintain emotional distance if she cared quite little for her staff.
“[Y/N],” the new servant said, gazing up at the taller woman.
“[Y/N], my Lady ,” Alcina corrected sharply, taking the servant’s chin between her thumb and fist.
A faint blush crossed the servant’s cheeks, but they did not break their gaze. “Yes, my Lady.”
Alcina felt a flush rise on her chest as she stared down at them. Perhaps it was just the usual flood of pride and confidence that flooded the Countess when her staff submitted to her. Perhaps it was the way this young person looked at her unflinchingly. Perhaps it was merely the summer heat.
“Very good.” Lady Dimitrescu hummed, a bit taken aback but trying to conceal it with her fan.
Alcina stepped back, taking in the new hires as she fanned the heat away from herself. They were good enough.
“Honesty, loyalty, and hard work,” Lady Dimitrescu stated, glancing down the line. “It is all I require. Get them settled, Bela.”
***
Winter crested over the castle, thin and cold air invading the courtyard and threatening to press through the windows. Alcina had ordered the maids to keep the fires stoked around the clock just last week, smelling the coming cold in the air. And she was grateful for such preternatural senses. Else, dinner with her daughters would be much less pleasant. Instead, they would have found themselves huddled around the fire in their mother’s room, shivering and teeth chattering.
But all was well this winter. A castle well stocked with wood and a full, healthy staff. At least for the most part. Alcina’s usual wine server was missing, replaced with [Y/N], one of the newer hires. Curious.
“Where is Henriette?” Lady Dimitrescu snapped as [Y/N] approached with an uncorked wine bottle in hand.
The servant, dressed in the typical maid’s uniform and looking a bit nervous--if only for being around the family of the castle, no doubt--cleared their throat and tightened their grip on the bottle. “She is ill, my Lady. I am filling in for the evening.”
Lady Dimitrescu hummed, eyes narrowing slightly. Perhaps it was not a total loss. After all, [Y/N] was more interesting to look at. Not quite so waifish and shaky, fearing her and her daughters endlessly.
And though [Y/N] was not well-versed in serving wine--a drop had fallen to the white tablecloth beside Alcina’s goblet. Her daughters had seen it and stared at the stain with wide, excited eyes.
“I...I’m so sorry, my Lady,” [Y/N] stammered, moving to step back from the table.
Before she quite knew what she was doing, Alcina grabbed the servant’s wrist and stopped them in their tracks.
“Give me the bottle,” she said smoothly, holding her other hand out for it.
[Y/N] handed it over, and Alcina could feel the faintest shiver from the servant. Alcina lifted the bottle of Sanguinis Virginis and filled another glass, twisting the bottle to end the stream of liquid without a drop. Then, she handed it back to [Y/N], ignoring the bewildered faces of her daughters.
“That is how you pour without spilling. Inform Henriette she will be stoking the fires during dinner from now on. You will report here, six thirty sharp, and serve us wine.”
The servant’s eyes widened as they took the wine bottle back. “Oh,” they said dumbly before remembering themself and giving a slight bow. “Of course, my Lady.”
A moment passed. A moment in which Alcina could not quite look away from them. They really were quite charming. Beautiful.
Alcina remembered herself quickly and snapped, pointing down to her daughters’ empty goblets. “Carry on. Quickly.”
[Y/N] did so. This time not spilling a drop, not even when Daniela bared her teeth and snapped at them. Across the table, Bela gave her mother a questioning look. To which the Countess gave not an inch, remaining expressionless as she brought the goblet to her lips and drank.
***
In the spring, it was not unusual for some of the maids to assist the groundskeeper Reka in rejuvenating the courtyard and grounds in general. Debris needed to be cleared, bushes and plants repotted and planted, fallen trees to be broken down and chopped.
From her office window, Alcina had a pleasant view of the blooming season. The sun shone brightly, though she wouldn’t be surprised by rain. The grass on the grounds had just regained its brilliant green, and even some of the flowers had begun to bloom and attract bees. Alcina also had a spectacular view of her staff. Convenient, if she felt particularly malevolent, to pick out mistakes or laziness. Today however, she found herself not distracted by ineptitude, but by...well, that damned servant.
[Y/N] had been selected to help out around the grounds, and so was out of their usual uniform. Instead, a pair of work pants and a loosely fitted shirt with the sleeves rolled up. They were laboring in the sun, dragging cut portions of fallen trees to the chopping block and then splitting them. They were not particularly muscular, but something about the way their body moved had caught Alcina’s eye. The solidness of them, the concentrated crease of their brow, the sweat dripping from their neck.
Alcina found herself paused in her work, fountain pen staining a large black spot into her ledger. [Y/N] finally delivered the wood to the chopping block and, after wiping the sweat from their face with a rag, took up the nearby axe. It gleamed in their hands, forearms flexing slightly as they got a grip on it. Lady Dimitrescu watched, lost in the view, as the axe swung up into the air, and struck down into the wood, splitting it in half. From this angle, she could just see the ripple of their back muscles beneath their shirt. The wood fell to the wayside, quickly replaced with a fresh cord. Alcina couldn’t look away as [Y/N] gripped the axe once again and—
“Mother?”
When had Bela entered? Alcina snapped out of her distraction, finally noticing the spilled ink on her ledger and her eldest daughter, standing with a questioning brow near the door.
“Ah,” Alcina breathed, cursing that distracting servant as she unsuccessfully attempted to blot the ink away with a handkerchief. “What is it, Bela?”
“I have reports on the harvest,” the blonde reported, holding up a dark green ledger. “Are you feeling alright?”
“Of course, of course,” Alcina muttered, wiping her hands of ink and turning from the window. “Come, sit.”
Bela wandered over, glancing curiously out the window. The Countess saw her daughter’s brow raise, the smallest of smiles tugging at her lips, and then she finally sat down.
“Do you want that servant to serve your tea, as well, mother?” Bela asked, almost teasingly.
The Countess’s mouth went thin, as did her eyes. She drummed her nails on the cover of the ledger to attract her daughter's attention. “Focus, sweet Bela. We have no time for such distractions.”
***
“Good morning, my Lady,” [Y/N] said quietly as they brought a tray of tea into Lady Dimitrescu’s office.
Lady Dimitrescu simply hummed, catching a glimpse of them in her desktop mirror. She adjusted it slightly to watch them work, placing sugar into the teacup and pouring the steaming liquid over it.
It had been nearly a year since their arrival at Castle Dimitrescu. They were reserved and hard-working, qualities Alcina appreciated in any servant of her castle. And they were...cute. Alcina couldn’t deny it, try as she might. A soft face, broad and curved body, intelligent eyes. They filled out the maid’s uniform in a way that drew Alcina’s eye without fail.
For a time the Countess had considered propositioning them to join her in her bed. Something she did on occasion when the nights grew too long and lonely, and she hungered for a maid to make senseless from sex and blood loss. But Alcina couldn’t tell if such a thing would be well received from [Y/N]. They were so quiet. And seemed, in a way, inherently uncomfortable with themself. An issue that Alcina could not comment upon, not without making herself vulnerable--something she categorically refused to do.
Besides, Angelica had made herself quite available. The blonde seemed eager to give herself up and earn the favor of the Lady of the castle. And she served Alcina’s needs. Nothing more, of course. Alcina had not entertained the thought of more since Laura’s passing. And why should she? None could compare to Laura.
However, it didn’t hurt to have someone nice to look at. A simple pleasure she could indulge in with discretion and private satisfaction. No one ever needed to know she was orchestrating her own eye candy throughout the day.
“Here you are, my Lady,” the servant murmured, setting the saucer of tea on the edge of Alcina’s desk.
The Countess did not speak, but reached immediately for the tea. The servant still held it in their hands, though. And the brush of their hands ignited more in Lady Dimitrescu than she would have ever liked to admit. The clattering of the porcelain cup against the porcelain saucer snapped Alcina back to her senses, and she drew her hand back just as quickly as [Y/N] did.
“My-my apologies,” [Y/N] stuttered.
But instead of looking down at the floor like most maids would, they met Alcina’s eyes in a genuine and revealing gaze. Alcina found herself caught in their stare. Very few ever dared look at her so directly. And for some reason it still surprised Alcina. Even Angelica clenched her eyes shut as she came, perhaps still too fearful to meet her Lady’s voracious gaze. But this servant had no such fear, looking deeply into Alcina’s golden eyes.
There was something hauntingly familiar in their eyes. A warmth, a sensitivity, an openness. It almost scared Alcina. She read very little fear in this servant. Instead, a raw and almost uncomfortable honesty. It struck at something in her chest, something that had long laid dormant.
Such things wouldn’t do. Such...feelings wouldn’t do. Alcina waved her fingers in dismissal and took her teacup in hand. The door to her office clicked shut as she took a sip. Delicious