The Maiden

Chapter 41

Freya's parents are homophobic in this chapter and Mother Miranda kind of fucks up

*Freya's P.O.V*

I sat towards the back of the church, purposefully avoiding some of the people that were attending the wedding. In particular I was avoiding my parents who were sitting in the front pew of the church. Alexandru didn't seem very happy to see them but he didn't say anything about it.

I noticed a certain crow was sitting in the window closest to my pew, staring at me with its beady little eyes. I purposefully avoided looking at it, knowing that I would be dealing with Mother Miranda later anyways. I tried to ignore the crow as the wedding started, trying to pretend that I hadn't done anything.

The wedding went by without a hitch, both Miriana and Alexandru looked completely in love as they stared at each other. Alexandru had actually started crying when he saw her in her wedding dress. I was glad that I had gotten to attend their wedding because I was pretty sure Alcina would never allow me to leave the house again.

It may have seemed like I was disrespecting her by deciding to call her by her first name but it felt a little bit better to me than calling her Lady Dimitrescu all the time. Besides, her name was pretty and I liked saying it. I would never call her Alcina to her face but unless she was a mind reader then I was safe to think of her as Alcina. I shook my head as I focused on the wedding, I didn't need to think about her right now. I focused back on the wedding, watching how Alexandru placed the ring on Miriana's finger.

As soon as the wedding ended, everyone seemed to head outside. I was one of the last ones out there and I stayed off to the side as the couple exited the church. Everyone was quick to offer their congratulations to the couple. I noticed my parents were rather close to the couple so I made sure to stay back slightly to avoid their notice.

That plan didn't really work when Alexandru made his way over to me. He was pulling Miriana after him and I noticed the way both of my parent's eyes narrowed when they spotted me. I looked away from them as Miriana hugged me.

"It's been so long Freya, how have you been?" Miriana asked as I hugged her back.

"I've been well, how have you been?" I questioned as I pulled back, noticing that she was studying me rather closely.

"I've been great. Where have you been all this time?" Miriana asked. I looked away from her for a second and flinched slightly when I noticed that my parents had silently made their way over to stand behind them. Miriana noticed my flinch and turned to look behind her, frowning when she saw my parents.

"Yes, what place takes in people like you?" My mother's words were sneered and I felt a pang of sadness shoot through me. I knew she hated me, I had accepted that a long time ago but it still hurt to hear that hatred in her voice.

"I work for Lady Dimitrescu and her family," I said simply as I stared at the ground. I heard a soft caw and realized that Mother Miranda was still around so at least I had some support.

"Figures they'd hire someone like you," Father's words were cold and harsh. "Freaks and Monsters get along after all," he stated. My heart shattered hearing his words and I felt tears of anger fill my eyes.

"I realized a long time ago that even if I wasn't attracted to women then I would never be good enough for you but guess what? I don't give a shit anymore," I said softly as I met his gaze. "Cause I have a family who actually does like me now," I stated simply.

"You were never family, our family doesn't have your kind in it," Mother stated. I looked at Alexandru whose mouth was open and closing as he tried to say something.

"I should go Alex, your wedding day shouldn't be filled with fighting," I whispered as I hugged him goodbye and also gave Miriana a quick hug. I brushed past my parents, pausing after a moment and turning to look at my mother. "I wouldn't worry about praying to Mother Miranda anymore, she's probably too busy being a freak like me," I said softly, noticing the stricken look on my mother's face before I turned away.

I went to go back to the stables to get my horse, sighing when Mother Miranda's crow followed after me. I ducked into the shadows, waiting for her to form. I shivered as I felt her cold hand rest along my cheek. I looked up to meet her gaze and noticed that there was sadness deep in her eyes.

"I would do anything to have my daughter back," she whispered sadly. "But your parents would do anything to push you away," she murmured as the golden talons on her fingers gently tapped my face.

"Liking the same sex is the biggest sin one could commit in their eyes," I muttered as I leaned into her touch. She cleared her throat as she looked away, her eyes hardening after a moment. She suddenly gripped my chin and held my face so that I was forced to look up at her.

"Alcina can not lose you, you foolish girl," she stated simply. Her golden talons were digging into my face slightly and I whimpered softly as she pinned me against the wall. "It would kill her to lose you so stop being so stupid because one day you will get hurt," she said. Her eyes were hard, dark with an emotion I had never seen before on her. There was so much anger in her eyes and I suddenly found it hard to breathe.

"You're hurting me," I whispered as I became hyper aware of the bricks that were digging into my back. She jerked away, her talons catching across my face and drawing long scratches across my cheek. Her eyes widened in horror when she saw the blood trickling down my face. I reached up to touch my cheek and noticed that the sticky blood coated them.

"Freya, I am sorry," she whispered as I stumbled away from her. I bolted out of the alleyway, ignoring her calling my name. I entered the stables, planning on getting on my horse and going back home. That was interrupted when I ran face first into a lycan in the stables, standing over the now dead horse.

As soon as it saw me, it lunged and I fell back on the ground, barely dodging it. It spun around before I could get up and its teeth were suddenly lodged deep into my throat. It jerked away and my vision started to go black as I saw the skin of my throat clamped in its jaws. My head hit the ground with a thud.

'I'm going to die,' was the only thought that was running through my mind at the moment. 'I'm sorry Alcina,' was my last thought as my consciousness faded out.

I know how you all hate cliffhangers so this has another chapter already written. It will be up about ten minutes after this one.