Her Maiden

Chapter Eight: Cocoa

You found yourself filled with disappointment when Alcina did not follow you to her bed after you had finally gotten out of the bath.

As you sat on the plush, luxurious sheets expectantly, you could have cried as she began redressing herself, rather than joining you.

"You're not staying?" you asked, trying to keep the neediness out of your voice - though you knew all too well it was still obvious.

She turns and looks at you, a smile playing on her lips as her eyebrow raises.

"No, pet. I have a gathering I must attend."

You look at her in confusion. It must have been almost midnight, if not later. She hadn't mentioned any kind of gathering before now.

"A gathering? Could I come..." you begin, suddenly realising you don't want to be left alone by her.

"...Absolutely not." she cuts you off, firmly, turning to pick up her hat which she places carefully on her head, so as not to tousle her perfectly styled hair.

Your heart sinks a little and you look down. There was that coldness in her again. You still knew so little about her, that it felt like stumbling your way through a mine field as you tried to navigate between her moments of loving tenderness and their less than pleasant counterparts.

You wonder if she will keep you around long enough to become familiar with her temperament, her boundaries, her desires. Somehow you find that difficult to imagine.

She's about to leave, making her way to the door. You look up at her and before you can stop yourself -

"My lady?"

She stops and turns back, a look of irritation. She says nothing, seemingly waiting for you to overstep - to force her into having to correct you.

But you gaze at her and softly say -

"You look really beautiful."

Her face softens entirely and you are blessed with that small yet deeply authentic smile which alights a twinkle in her glowing eyes.

"Thank you, pet. Rest. I'll see you tomorrow."

And then she's gone.

You lie down for a while, glad to be back in this bed rather than the grimy floor of the dungeon. You realise now that the scent of the sheets no longer seems strange to you, rather it is familiar and comforting. You lie in the darkness and breathe it all in, shutting your eyes and waiting for sleep to come.

But it doesn't.

You should be exhausted, you realise, but you simply can't switch your thoughts off. You can't stop wondering where she is now, or if she wished she could have gone to bed with you too. You wonder if she's thinking about you right now too.

God damn - you hated yourself for getting so wrapped up in her. You needed to clear your mind and lying naked in her bed was not going to achieve that.

You get up and slip on your thin dress. A walk around the castle could help distract you and tire you enough to actually get some sleep tonight. There's a thick throw over the armchair, embroidered with the Dimitrescu sigil of a rose, pierced by two swords. You drape it over your shoulders for an extra layer of warmth and make you way out of the room.

The castle is quiet and the padding of your bare feet echo throughout the hallways as you walk. During the small hours, the servants knew better than to hang around - unless they had a strange desire to go missing, for some reason.

You realise this means the kitchen - your old workplace, was most likely empty right now too.

You lick you lips, remembering the large tin of cocoa powder it stocked. A hot cocoa might just be exactly what you need.