Chapter 8: Proving the Theory
4289 Words
Chapter 8: Proving the Theory
Tiana swallows hard at the vampire lady’s question. W-what does she mean? Proving the theory out—, the botanist’s line of thought is disturbed by a circular motion of Alcina’s thump. The vampire lady’s large hand dances below Tiana’s face, touching, teasing, and caressing the botanist until she can’t think of something else.
“Would you mind?” Alcina brushes her thump lightly on the botanist’s lower lip. Tiana can only nod as she loses herself to the mysterious aura around the tall lady.
Alcina’s shining orbs search into Tiana’s for confirmation. She wants to know if the botanist really alright with this before it’s too late. Cautiously not to startle her little prey, her ladyship bends herself down. And in the meantime, half-consciously, Tiana’s also tiptoeing, trying to get closer to the alluring vampire lady quicker.
Oh, Tiana…This’s why I find you amusing, Alcina thinks.
The botanist’s cute gesture put a smirk onto Alcina’s face while the two close the distance between them. Before Tiana knows it, her ladyship captures her in a soft, caring kiss. And miraculously enough, the nervousness Tiana feels just disappears the moment their mouths meet.
Alcina’s plump lips are cold, covering Tiana with a chill winter breeze while kissing. However. It’s nothing near winter underneath the botanist’s flesh. She can feel the fire—Tiana’s burning from the inside out with an indescribable heat. The botanist’s mind goes blank as electricity running through her nerves, tickling her whole body. Tiana losses control over her limbs to Alcina’s unpredictable kiss. At one point her ladyship is gentle, but then she turns into a passionate strike of all sudden.
“Mmm-” Tiana falls to suppress her wail when she realizes there’s still a small gap between the two. This rouses a scoff from Alcina before she would slip her hand behind Tiana. Supporting the botanist as her legs are giving up.
The flame inside Tiana’s chest burns even hotter when she finally accepts that she has been yearning for the vampire lady’s touch. Her deepest desire of wanting to be Alcina’s woman gives the botanist power to fight through her flabby body, pressing herself onto the vampire lady further. At the motion of wriggling herself closer, Tiana can feel the tall lady smiles against her lips. As well as hearing a pleasing hum coming from Alcina’s throat.
‘Quite an aggressive prey…I like it’ Alcina admires the botanist’s boldness and gets her fangs ready. Then at the heat of the moment, Alcina spikes her canines into the botanist’s lower lip.
“Mm!” A weak sound of pain slips out from Tiana because of the bite.
However, the vampire lady doesn’t let Tiana go. Taking her time, Alcina fully enjoys the flavorful red fluid provided by her little prey, as well as drowns herself in the warmth of this petite human. Her ladyship only lets go of Tiana when the tiny hand weakly shoves her out. She removes her blood-stained lips from Tiana’s with a wide grin. Alcina then looks down to the smaller figure who experiences lightheadedness and in needed of air after that intense interaction.
“Was that enough to prove your theory?” Alcina asks with a sneer.
For a minute straight Tiana can’t bring herself to look into her ladyship golden eyes. She can’t say anything out either except whining in embarrassment and hiding her face within both hands.
“Did I scare you, little prey?” When Tiana doesn’t speak a word yet, the vampire lady experiences her long-lost feeling again—She feels uneasy. Anxious and concern about Tiana for some reason. It’s familiar to when Alcina worries about the girls, but more…profound.
Despite not quite understand herself, the tall lady chooses to push it aside. She wants to focus on this wordless Tiana first. Thus, Alcina takes one step back while still holding onto Tiana’s shuddering body to make sure the botanist wouldn’t fall. Gently, Alcina brushes a strand of hair away from Tiana's face to get a good look at her. However. Since the botanist’s covering her face with her hands, Alcina can see nothing much. So, she tries petting the botanist's head lightly to relax the inarticulate prey down instead. And that's when a faint whisper comes out of Tiana’s mouth.
“My lady…you’re so cruel”
“Hm?” The vampire makes a doubting sound, unsure what her little prey means.
“How could I think straight after that…kiss?” The botanist’s last word is barely audible as she’s speaking through gaps of shielding hands. Alcina elevates her eyebrow in equal pleasant and inquiring.
Inside Tiana’s head, everything she likes about the vampire lady rushes to her like an unstoppable train—Beside Alcina’s spectacular natural appearance Tiana already fell for, the botanist finds herself admires her ladyship’s grace and poise which is emphasized by that white long dress. The way Alcina does her velvety ebony hair in a neat bun and matches it with that slick hat just leaves the botanist dumbfounded. Tiana also adores the cultivated atmosphere Alcina has with the reading glasses on and the enigmatic her ravishing golden orbs hold. How can one’s optic is as sharp and formidable as an eagle’s, yet as bright and warm as the sun at the same time? ‘And I’m not even starting with her personality’ Tiana thinks. She aches for the tall lady’s attentive and thoughtful character. What’s not to love when her crush gives her the attention? With all these combined, there’s no wonder why Tiana will never be able to get over Alcina in a million years.
Tiana tries her best in keeping her fantasy at bay. She isn’t yet properly communicated back to Alcina, so she sneaks a glance over her ladyship, trying to develop an appropriate word. But when her eyes set upon her ladyship’s pulpy lips which are now tainted with her blood, Tiana recalls their kissing scene and loses her ability to speak once more. She drives another sheepishly wail out, does her best collecting her composure back, and subconsciously asks what’s on her mind.
“Did you notice I have a crush on you? That’s why you kissed me…right?” Says, Tiana. Hands still on her visage as she isn’t ready to look at Alcina yet.
“Well. I indeed took notice of your feeling toward me. And for the kiss—At first, I only intend to take a bite on your neck, proving I’m a blood-devouring vampire. But when you tiptoed toward me and acting cute like that...it’s almost impossible of me to hold onto my moral for long”
Tiana can only groan in embarrassment as a reply while Alcina chuckles. The tall lady kneels to Tiana’s level and tries to move the little prey’s hand to look at her face. She carefully pulls Tiana’s hand, lowers them down, holding them delicately, and says, “Now, I’ll ask you again—Since we already confirmed what I am, then what’re you going to do next?”
“I…” The botanist locks her vision on their holding hands as she finds it awkward to gaze into those shining pupils after the vague kiss.
And for the vampire lady’s question, Tiana isn’t sure how to answer that either. She’s now more confuses and indecisive than before. She’s happy that the vampire lady kissed her. How can she say otherwise when she falls for Alcina head over heel? However. For the graceful lady in front of her, that kiss is nothing more than an act of testing out the theory. Go with the flow, according to the mood and the situation. Upon concluding an event, Tiana can’t be entirely happy about this. ‘Will she kiss me still if I didn’t tiptoe to her back then?’ Tiana quizzes herself inwardly with a rueful smile.
“Well?” Alcina nudges Tiana a bit when her little prey goes silent again.
Biting her lower lips, Tiana thinks, ‘Since it comes to this, I should as well as confess my feeling aloud then’. After all, what else does she have to lose? So. The botanist swallows all her doubt and nervousness down, gathering her breath and finally speaking.
“I really like you, my lady. I don’t mind if you’re a vampire. And I don’t care what the villagers say about you—You’ve been nothing, but nice and caring to me all this time” The botanist’s voice starts to shake from a flood of emotions. Hence, she takes a while, composing herself, and goes on. “Could I still be here?”
“Hm?” A sound full of intriguing resonates from Alcina. “Are you sure you want that? You’re only here for a couple of days, so it’s reasonable if you don’t know how unpredictable and vicious I and my whole family could be”
Alcina stops for a brief. She changes to hold Tiana’s both hands only with one of hers, so she can use another for other purposes. The tall lady uses her forefinger to tilt Tiana’s chin up then peers into the botanist’s soul, describing her true nature for this little prey to be known.
“By far I’ve ever tasted, I favor your blood the most, little prey. If you’re over a century old as I am, eating only a few types of foods can strip them off of their charm. But yours—Ooh. Just with its scent alone is enough to make my mouth watering” The vampire lady smirks at Tiana, showing her canines out threateningly to verified her thirstiness over the botanist’s blood as real.
“*Gulp*” Tiana swallows, anxious by Alcina’s intimidation. She only realized now that when her ladyship called her ‘little prey’, Alcina indeed means that—Tiana, a vulnerable quarry, has served herself as a main course to the fearsome predator, the mistress of house Dimitrescu, on her own free will!
“It gets me looking forward to the meal and I haven’t felt this much tempting from sânge for ages. What if one day I can’t tolerate my thirst and end up sucking you dried, hm?”
The botanist’s pupils widen to the word ‘sânge’. She doesn’t know much of Romanian, but she knows that means blood. In the meantime, while Tiana’s freaking out, Alcina grows her claw of her thump out a bit then scrapes it along the cat’s claw-like scratch mark underneath Tiana’s left eye.
“Ng!” The botanist yelp puts a smug on Alcina’s features. The tall lady wipes a droplet of Tiana blood and licks it with the tip of her tongue.
“Are you sure you up for that?” Alcina queries with a snigger.
“I-I—”
Before Tiana can answer, a phone rang on the tall lady’s desk. The loud incoming sound startles Tiana, makes her jump in place, and stagger forward the tall lady. Alcina titters. She scoops the botanist into her arms as she doesn’t want to let Tiana go just yet. The tall lady goes to sit by her desk, positions the botanist on her lap, and then picks up the call.
Tiana can’t put who’s at the other end of the call as her mind’s occupied by how close she is to Alcina. She feels like having a heart attack and will die on the spot from this intimacy alone.
‘Stay calm, Tia. Stay. The. F_ucking. Calm’, Cursing inside her head, Tiana bites her lips into a thin line to suppress the obvious fact that she’s shaking. It’s not because of fear. She doesn’t feel any threaten whenever she’s with Alcina, to begin with. Her heart’s simply racing because of bashfulness.
At long last, the conversation over the telephone comes to an end. Alcina puts it away with a soft click before turns to address the botanist.
“Little prey. I got something for you—Good news or the bad news first?” Sending an eye to the small figure in delight, Alcina asks the shuddering botanist on her lap.
“Y-yes?” Even with her best effort, the botanist fails to control her voice and body not to shake.
“Come on. Choose one” Though, the vampire lady’s entertained by sight, she doesn’t want to push Tiana for this kind of reaction too much. So, she pats Tiana back idly, intends to slowly calm her down.
It’s true that Alcina takes joy in Tiana’s embarrassment. But it won’t do her any good if the botanist would die of an excessive heartbeat at this very moment. Because if that’s the case, Alcina would lose her chance to fully enjoy every expression Tiana can make, as well as lose her chance to recall those long-lost, pleasant feelings she feels whenever she’s with Tiana. Human is just a fragile creature, after all, Alcina smirks at her idea.
“Well…good news first?” Eventually, the botanist replies.
“Good news is the call earlier was from Donna. She phoned in to say sorry for how Angie…treated you during her absence. Thus, Donna wants to make an amend” The vampire lady stops, wanting to tease the poor botanist for a quick brief before continues “She invites you over to conduct plants researching at her manor, starting tomorrow until you’re satisfied—I’ll also make sure my sister will do everything she promises and more as your deserving compensation”
“A-are you serious!? Mein Gotto! —This’s already all I’ve ever wanted! Thank you so much, my lady!” As the excite takes control of her, Tiana laces her arms around the tall lady’s neck, pulling her into a hug. The vampire lady stuns by the sudden embrace, but she soon enjoys it and hugs the botanist back.
“Now, now. Don’t you want to hear the bad news?” Alcina pats Tiana’s back, asks her to let go.
“Hehe. Pardon me. I can’t help it— *Ahem* So, what we have for the bad news?”
“Actually, it’d be only your bad news, not mine” The vampire lady wears a tiny wicked grin, tempting Tiana’s curiosity with her alluring side-eyes then says, “Your status as a guest to house Dimitrescu will be terminated since Donna also offer to take care of your accommodation and meals throughout the researching duration”
“W-what?” Tiana’s face turns pale. She’s happy and grateful to receive lady Beneviento’s hospitality, but she doesn’t want to be anywhere near that Porcelain doll. At least, not now and not this soon. So, she has to say something about this before it’s too late. “B-but my lady—”
“However,” Alcina, who expected this kind of reaction, cut the botanist’s sentence with her own. “If you still want to reside here, in the castle Dimitrescu, with me and my daughters, you can stay …under one condition”
Tiana doesn’t know what’d be the said condition nor what to expect from this benevolence vampire lady, though, it’s not like she has a choice.
“If I’ve to choose between you and, um, the doll—I assume her name’s Angie, correct?”
“Yes,” Says, Alcina as she continues rubbing Tiana’s back.
“I-if I have to choose between you and miss Angie, I’m definitely choosing you, my lady”
“Even when both of your choices are equally evil?”
“I mean no offense to miss Angie nor lady Beneviento or even you, but at least I can beg you to spare my life?”
The botanist’s statement brings her ladyship into thunderous laughter while Tiana simpers. Alcina stops her patting motion then says.
“And how do you know I’ll listen? Who knows? Maybe you won’t even last through this dinner”
“Well. I’ll gladly take in the consequence then” The botanist shrugs, “This’s what I chose for myself, after all”
“Hmm. Your courage and sense of responsibility are worth admiring” The vampire lady shifts to caresses Tiana’s cheek and say, “Since you said you like me, willing to take in my flaw as a vampire, and even chose me over my sister’s cursed doll, I see no reason to push you away--You can continue living with us house Dimitrescu, but only as my plaything”
Tiana squeaks in surprise at her ladyships’ unusual condition. Yet, when Alcina places both her immense hands over the botanist’s shoulder and asks, “So, what’ll you say? Do we have a deal?”, the botanist can only nod her head yes.
“Oh, what a good, obedient prey you are—We’re going to have so much fun, miss Engelbrecht” The tall lady mumbles loud enough to be heard, smiling with her fangs out mischievously.
‘What am I got myself into?’, is the last thing on Tiana’s mind before the two would leave her ladyship office to the dinner.
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The first dinner Tiana has with every lady of house Dimitrescu present goes smoothly than she expects. Her ladyship properly introduces her 3 daughters to Tiana as the last time the botanist faints before they’d get a chance to introduce themselves—Bela, the eldest daughter, blonde hair with a quiet and mature personality. Cassandra, the middle child, brunette hair and can be...quite a sadist. Particularly enjoys tormenting her victims before killing them. And the last one, Daniela, red hair with the normal childish personality of the youngest child.
“Nice to meet you all. I’m Tiana. Tiana Feniksas Englebrecht. But please call me Tiana. Or just Tia is fine too”
“Ooh. I see you’re not faint this time” The botanist simpers at Daniela’s remark while Alcina warns the youngest about her manner with a glance.
“Yes. I’m sorry I fainted when we 1st met. It’s just…too much at all sudden, I guess” Tiana scratch the back of her neck sheepishly.
“That’s one word for it” Bela mumbles, snickers lightly when Tiana flinches over Daniela brutally tears her chunk of meat with fangs and claws.
Meanwhile, Cassandra swiftly slashes her meat into pieces. She stabs one to her mouth, chewing it through before continues, “You must be special since mother allowed you to join our table”
“Girls, be nice” Alcina forces herself into the conversation. “Tiana is no longer a simple guest from an outside world anymore”
“How should we regard her as then?” Politely, Bela quizzes which her mother answers, “My plaything, or course”
The girls whistle and tease both Alcina and Tiana mercilessly when that word comes from the vampire lady on her own account. The botanist can't bring her eyes up from her plate the whole dinner from embarrassment and eats her fill with noticeably redden cheeks. Despite was making fun of now and then by the girls and the mistress, Tiana doesn't really mind. She instead finds the dinner enjoyable with how lively lady Dimitrescu interacts with her daughters. Besides, her ladyship is considered and kind enough to had the maid prepare a normal human meal for Tiana. Therefore, the botanist won’t be rude, destroying the mood, or leaving any leftover. Once the starter and main course are done, the maids clean plates out and set up desserts while everyone carries on with the talk.
“Bela, my dear. Could you do me a favor?” Alcina dabs the corner of her mouth with a napkin, waits for her daughter’s reply.
“Of course, mother. What’s it?” Bela perks from her share of traditional Romanian pie which the botanist believes its filling to be nothing near the grated apple. How can it be an apple filling when it’s that red?
“Can you accompany my little prey to Donna’s manor?” The botanist chokes on her drinks as she doesn’t expect Alcina to call her like that in front of the girls. Both Cassandra and Daniela giggle openly at the scene while Alcina hands a napkin toward Tiana. Bela also finds it funny, but she keeps it inside because she doesn't want Tiana to feel too humiliated. The blonde just pushes onward with her talk with her mother.
“I see no problem at all since I also want to visit aunt Donna too” Bela tilts her head to the side, “But why would you send her back there again after what happened?”
“As I told you all earlier, Tiana’s here to research plants with your aunt. Donna and I already worked things out about what Angie did and she wants to apology Tiana for that. So, tomorrow, Tiana was invited by your aunt to try her luck there again”
“Ooh. Can I go too? I don’t want to miss any fun that may or may not happen” Cassandra adds while eyeing the botanist, playfully teases her with a mischievous grin.
“Yeah. I want to tag along too. It’d be a good chance to get to know Tiana since now she’s your plaything” Daniela also begs.
“Actually. I already have tasks for the both of you—”
“Please mother? Can’t we do that task the other day?” The brunette pouts.
“Pretty please mother? If you worry that we’d fight with Angie or pull a trick on Tiana, you don’t need to—Cass and I promise we’ll be good. Right, Cass?” Daniela elbows her sister to support her.
“I can’t entirely promise, but I’ll try. That counts for something, right mother?” Cassandra’s vague promise doesn’t bring Alcina any assurance.
The vampire lady kneads the side of her head with faint laughter at how overbearing her daughters can be sometimes. But just as the redhead says, it’d be nice to let them bond with Tiana. The vampire lady doesn’t know how long she will keep Tiana around yet, but it wouldn’t hurt her playmate to have a good relationship with the girl in advance. So, in the end, Alcina only sways her head and permits them.
“Fine. But make sure not to put Tiana in the firing range if things go south between you and Angie. And if you really have to pull a prank on Tiana, please don’t do anything dangerous or extreme—She’s still a human. Don’t forget that” Alcina enjoins her daughters while the girls shout, “Yay!”
“Don’t worry too much mother. I’ll be with them all the way” Bela adds.
“I know I can count on you” Bela beams as her mother pats her head fondly.
The vampire lady knows her eldest daughter would be able to keep her sisters in line in her stead. Hence, Alcina lets go of worry about the girl and instructs Tiana.
“And for you, little prey—Make sure to come back safely. It’d be a waste if you die before I’d got a chance to properly play with you”
The last thing at the dinner to be heard at the dining hall is Tiana’s whimper, along with the joyous laughter of house Dimitrescu ladies before everyone would call it a day.
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To Be Continued >>
- Writer
