Failing Grace

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POV switch

Alcina

Lady Alcina Dimitrescu marched up the stony steps to the main castle with the elegance and poise of a thoroughbred aristocrat accompanied by her daughters, Daniela and Cassandra. The two girls had moved about shutting off the candles on every sconce of the cellar, a practice which rarely took place. When she had asked, Cassandra had almost unwillingly explained that the girl they had left behind seemed to be more comfortable in the dark. It was certainly curious for one of her daughters, especially Cassandra, to show any type of kindness to anyone who wasn't part of the family or certain maids given their nature. Even then the act had seldom occurred. Alcina wondered if the girl being an experiment, another mutant made by Mother Miranda, had been the reason.

Finally up in the main castle and after having closed the door behind them she and her daughters headed towards the main sitting room. Daniela was humming and at some point Cassandra had reluctantly joined in after her sister had pestered her long enough. Alcina smiled down at the two but in her head the image of the girl in the cellar remained.

19-04 was... different. Alcina had never encountered someone quite like her. She stood at the same height as her daughters, was just as lean and pale, though a bit more rosy cheeked than any of them. Her long hair held in a poorly made braid was white, which was certainly peculiar for someone who looked so young. That alone clued her into what sort of experiments and studies, or 'trials' as the girl called them, she had been subjected to. Bring a human or mutant enough pain and fear and their physical attributes go haywire. The girl's eyes seemed to have a mind of their own. Alcina had watched them glow irregularly throughout their interactions. Cassandra had told her that a few times she had seen the silvery glow turn gold. She had witnessed that odd change herself the moment when she had reached out to take her chin. The moment 19-04 grew silent. Just before she told the girl she could make her into a moroaică.

Alcina didn't exactly mean that of course but the girl hadn't known that and she had so liked the idea of hearing that heart race for her. Her teasing had the effect she normally enjoyed, unabated fear. The twitch in the face, the skin blanching out, the rapid beating of the heart, the dilation of the pupils, and that panicked stillness. The reactions all called to her. Called to the beast inside.

19-04's panic should have left a sweet taste in her tongue, being her prey and all, yet that wasn't the case. She almost regretted uttering the words but she was  Lady Alcina Dimitrescu. Instilling fear and inflicting pain was part of her everyday life and she quite enjoyed it. Furthermore, why should she regret anything? The girl was given to her as a gift. She was nothing more than a pet for Alcina to do with as she pleased. And yet despite not regretting anything at all she tried to ease 19-04 out of her trance. Nevertheless she highly doubted the girl had heard her when she had said she would not be wasteful with Mother Miranda's gift. The girl seemed to have completely regressed into her own head, just going through the motions when Cassandra and Daniela had helped her change her out of her torn and filthy clothes.

Daniela gently tugged on her dress, immediately bringing her out of her thoughts. Her daughter beamed at her and she smiled back, gently stroking her face. Daniela leaned closer and closed her eyes just as she had done earlier. Once more, Alcina was brought back to the girl in the cellar. 19-04 had flinched when Alcina had reached for her daughter, as if expecting her to strike the redhead. It made her question the ways in which Mother Miranda had shown her love. 

It had to have been love that Mother Miranda had shown for the girl, a subject, to have begged to go back with her. If she was honest though she couldn't picture Mother Miranda showing any kind of affection. Alcina was her favorite among the Four Lords and Mother had never graced her with a caress or a hug or as much praise as Alcina did her own daughters.