Phantom of House Beneviento (Donna X Fem Reader)

Chapter 18: Investigation

You couldn't sleep, all night you tossed and turned violently, threw the covers off you just to cover yourself back up. Exhaustion crept in slowly and eventually you fell into a dreamless, cold, sleep only to be woken up a measly few hours later. The sun leaked through the cracks of the curtains and illuminated the room in a soft, yellow glow. You sighed in frustration, you could hear the faint ringing of bells and presumed that it was meant for the maids to start their day. Your mind couldn't stop wandering back to Donna, hoping that she'll be okay and that Mother Miranda hasn't already interrogated her.

Breakfast was quiet, Alcina watched you like a hawk watching a mouse scurry across a field. Cassandra broke the silence by requesting to go to the village with her sisters, you perked up to join them but Alcina refused before you could let out a breath. She granted her daughters permission but made it abundantly clear that you would not be going anywhere. After the sisters were dismissed you started to stand when Alcina raised her hand to stop you, she motioned for you to sit back down and you obeyed. She sighed heavily and leaned back in her chair, she crossed her ankles and looked out the window adjacent to the dining table.

"Walk with me." She suddenly said.

She stood up and walked to the double doors directly behind you, you got up from your chair and followed behind her into the courtyard. It was cold. You shivered and hugged yourself in a futile attempt to warm yourself, silently wishing you had Donna's cloak to keep you warm. Morning mist blanketed the courtyard, Alcina stopped walking underneath a gazebo in the center breathing heavily before she reached into her own cloak and pulled out a metallic box. Inside was a row of cigarettes neatly holstered on one side with an intricately detailed lighter on the other. She looked over at you, silently asking if this would bother you and you only shook your head.

The cigarette was placed delicately between her perfectly painted lips, you couldn't help but stare at her as your breath crystalized and disappeared in front of your vision. The lighter flicked to life and the end of the cigarette caught aflame, she tucked the lighter back into place followed by the metallic case. She took a long inhale of the addictive chemical before blowing it out into the empty space above her. After this moment of tranquility she seemed to remember you were there too, she shook her head alert and chuckled embarrassingly.

"Oh my dear I apologize. Here."

Alcina shimmied her shoulders to remove her outer cloak, underneath she was wearing a body-length, eggshell dress with long sleeves that hugged everything. She wrapped the cloak around your shoulders, the sheer size threw you off first for it never occurred to you just how tall she really was. The cloak swallowed your entire being with part of it dragging on the ground, the smell of her and cigarette smoke drowned you in a dizzying cloud. You wouldn't deny that the warmth was welcomed, but the lack of Donna's scent pained your heart. Alcina cleared her throat and drew your attention away from your thoughts and back to her as she looked down at you.

"You know, Tatiana was one of my best maids. She was more like family than a servant really, her parents passed from a horrible disease when she arrived here. We were all she had. Mother Miranda wants to bury her in the village graveyard, but I hope she'll allow me to bury her in the family graveyard here at the castle. It's where she belongs." Alcina spoke quietly.

"I'm really sorry for your loss." You whispered.

"Why? You had nothing to do with her death, but I would be a fool to think that her death was accidental." There was a long pause as Alcina snubbed her budd out in a tray nearby.

"It was Salvatore." You blurted out.

Alcina turned to look at you, "Do you have proof?" She asked.