Castle of Blood and Beauty

Shedding away falsehood

The dinner table was clean for the most part, except for the corners etched in dried blood. Fitting I suppose given the nature of the denizens. After following the tall woman she stood beside her chair as if she was waiting. Realizing what she was waiting for almost immediately I pull back her chair for her.

"Ah a gentlemen. How rare." She eyed me with a smirk and sat down in the chair.

Sighing in relief at the comment Cassandra was taken aback for a moment at what I did, but walked over to her seat at the table as if it didn't occur. I spotted an open chair on the tall woman's right side and sat down. Crystal clear plates were set out among the three chairs which I assumed were for the daughters and a bigger one for the tall lady.

Buzzing was heard all around until the two other daughters appeared in their chairs. There was silence and confusion among the two upon seeing my slowly put up a hand to wave. The crimson haired one was the first to break the silence and stillness within the room.

"Ooh our toy is here to dine with us" she clapped excitedly staring to me then to her mother. "If so please let me taste first."

The blonde wasn't amused and scoffed hearing her sister act like a child.

"He is offered a rare opportunity to remain a slave in this castle Daniela. We all will get what we want from him." The tall woman leered at me. "I trust that to be clear?"

I opened my mouth about to protest to this, but I realized if I did I may have lost it permanently. To my dismay I remained silent and observed the daughters reactions to the declaration.

"Bela, Cassandra, Daniela. Please make sure to keep him alive until the time comes should he choose to rebel. If he remains in the place he was meant to serve in he will become our entertainment permanently." The tall woman chuckled to herself.

That laugh sent shivers through my spine. "A slave. To these...these...things?!" I thought to myself with two mixed emotions. Fear and anger were all that I felt. My fist clenched hard under the table cloth still bearing my fearful face.

Bela eyed me and focused onto the dish that looked much like small intestines and began consuming them. The others fell suite while I watched unphased. I lost my appetite if I even had one to begin with.

Cassandra stopped munching on her meat and gave me a reassuring grin.

"It's animals. We prefer the cattle over mortals so you can stop with the look. We are fine ladies, not monsters."

"I see... sorry." I apologized.

The tall woman ripped into the meat in a delicate manner while her daughters ate like savages. It was almost funny to watch that I let out a small laugh. No one either heard me or cared enough because the feasting continued. The only thing to pass time for myself was to watch them eat or observe my surroundings.

There was something that felt odd on my shoes. I raised my eyebrow at whatever I was feeling could be. I lowered my head under the cloth to find a small swarm of insects move across my pants leaving small holes. I jumped and tried swatting them off as carefully as I could. The insects only placed themselves on my ankles trying to pierce my flesh. I scooted back my chair used both of my hands to swipe them off. They receded back once I started swatting at them.

Daniela was giggling gazing at my panicked gestures. I met her gaze to see the flies phase into her body. She licked a piece of meat on her lip seductively and winked at me. I only sat back down staring at the cloth.

"How the hell will I survive this nightmare. I'm just lucky enough its women and not a bunch of those wolf-like creatures in that village." I thought to myself. "But where did they come from-"