Fair Maiden - Alcina x Fem Reader

6: Poor Little Bird

Lady Dimitrescu returned to her chambers with supplies in hand. You had almost forgotten that you were covered in open wounds, bandages stained with dry blood. Just thinking about your sores makes them pulse with pain. You still haven't gotten a good look at yourself to see what kind of damage has been done. Knowing what had happened, you are almost positive it's an unhappy sight.

"Let's get you cleaned up. I sent my maid to run a hot bath for you." Lady Dimitrescu gave you an assuring look. You could see the care in her eyes as she looked you over, contemplating where to start.

"May I remove your gown, Dear? It will be much easier to assess the damage if I can get a better look at you." Her eyes meet yours, staying there for a moment.

She has already witnessed my awful state, there isn't much need to hide the rest from her.

Still not fully sure you want the Mistress to gaze at your bare body, you hesitate and start to fiddle with the hem of your gown. It's dirty, crusted it dirt and blood. You wonder how much of it is your own blood. A good amount of it had to be your fathers.

"I do not mean to make you uncomfortable, my dear. I only mean to help you." Her words are encouraging. Soft spoken to ease your discomfort. You slowly nod, giving her permission to remove your tattered clothing.

Lady Dimitrescu removes her leather gloves and hat, setting them on the ground next to her as she gets onto her knees before you. Here eyes continue to look you up and down, traveling across each inch of your body. You begin to tremble.

"Relax, little bird." A single finger rests below your chin, pulling your face to meet hers. "I promised you I would take care of you. Protect you. I am going to do just that."

Her fingers slowly move towards your neck. Caressing the angry marks your father left on you. Her touch is cold, sending a shiver down your spine. Her sharp eyes fill with anger for a moment, but she pushed that emotion away. She doesn't want to frighten you. She begins to move the straps of your gown off your shoulders. They slide down your arms, falling to your waist. She Lifts you up gently, fully removing the gown before setting you back in your seat.

You feel your rosey cheeks fade as the blood rushes from your face. You feel her eyes on you. She doesn't move, doesn't say a word. She just stares. You are aware of what caught her attention. There are dozens of scars covering your body. Nobody has ever seen them before. Only you and the man who made them.

"Oh... you poor sweet girl." Your Mistresses face went paler than it already was. She was shocked by the stripes of scars layering your skin. In an instant, her voice changed. "Who did this to you?" Her voice was flat and stern.

You held back tears the best you could. Your lip trembled and your throat clenched. You push out the two words that identify who caused this. "My father." You begin to sob. There was no holding it back. Everything rushed out of you like a tsunami striking an ocean village. Pain nailed you everywhere as your body convulsed with each cry.

And then you felt arms around you. Strong, protective. It was Lady Dimitrescu. You fell into her, letting your tears melt into her dress. She didn't seem to care about that. In fact, she seemed to welcome it.

"Let it out, but remember to breathe. You are alright. I've got you." She consoled you, trying to calm the raging sorrowful storm inside you.

When you finally catch your breath, she pulls away and rests her finger on your chin once more.

"You will never feel this kind of pain again. I don't understand how that man-thing could bring such harm to the beautiful daughter he helped create. Shame on your mother for not stopping this. How dare she be so stupid and not protect a precious gift such as yourself." Her voice was strong, frustration seeming to rise in her.

"My mother is dead." Your eyes drift away from hers. "She was torn apart by Lycans in the very forest I was found in. That was months ago. My father never laid a hand on me until she passed. I guess I reminded him of her a little too much. Or maybe he blamed me for her death. I'm not sure. When I took over mothers chores, I always tried to complete them to the best of my ability. I wanted to make my Father proud. Show him that even though mother was gone, he didn't have to worry. But... If I did not complete the tasks to his liking... He lashed me with his belt or a whip. That is where most of these come from." You gesture towards the scars. "Other times, it seems like he hurt me for his own enjoyment. I never understood why. I always thought parents were supposed to protect their children from harm... not cause it. I grew used to it though." You went quiet, realizing that you had just poured the darkest information from your heart out onto a complete strangers lap.

Lady Dimitrescu was quite for a moment too. Taking in all what you just told her.

"Look at me." She waited for your gaze. Once you met it, she continued. "I apologize for my words. I should not have said such a harsh thing about your mother when I had no idea of the truth. That is my wrong doing. Your father may have been grieving the loss of his spouse, this is true. We all grieve differently. However, he had no right to raise his hand to you. No right to hurt you in such a cruel way."

It feels strange hearing these words. I always felt as though I deserved his beatings. After all, It was my childish mistakes that caused them.

"Don't you dare think that his evil actions were your fault." She pushes the words at you forcefully, making sure you hear them. Although you don't believe it yet, maybe it is possible that it wasn't your fault.

"I think it's best that we step away from this conversation for now. I can see that I have upset you. That was not my intention." She flashed you a warm smile. "Now, lets mend your wings and get you cleaned up, my sweet little bird." Lady Dimitrescu was careful not to inflict anymore pain than you had already endured. Her touch was soft, warm now. She meticulously removed bandages and cleaned the wounds with alcohol. It burned, but you held in your groans of pain. You didn't want your Mistress to think that she was hurting you. You noticed that she was observing the open lesions intently. Almost too intently. But, you ignored it. She continued until, finally, all your cuts and scrapes were clean.

"Ah, that's more like it." She cleared her throat and gave a proud nod at her hard work. "Time to bathe all of that grime off of you. Do you think you can stand?"

You place your feet on the ground. The stone is warm from the heat of the fire blazing a few feet away. You plant them down firmly, letting your body adjust before trying to stand. Your legs wobble under your weight. Your legs are just about to give out, but your Mistress catches you before you fall.

"I am going to take that as a no." She chuckles. Once again, you are in her arms. This time, her hands are holding your naked body. You shrink into yourself, feeling strange that the mistresses hands are touching skin that is deemed sinful to expose. She notices your sudden discomfort, but instead of easing her grip or moving her hands away, she holds you firmly.

"I suggest you get use to this for the time being. This wont be the last time I lay my hands on your bare body."