Chapter Text
Your life at Castle Dimitrescu was way less of a torture than people would make it to be. To be fair, it was almost a blessing in this mess. It's been a few years since Alcina Dimitrescu found you, lost in the cold snow of the unforgiving East-European winter. She could have eaten you, sucked you dry with her daughters, she intended too, but she saw in you something that made her reconsider this option. What fell in front of her that day, was a broken woman.
You never liked your life, it was not the worst one could have, but clearly not the best either. You came from a normal family... or almost, if it wasn't for the constant cursing and screaming at home. At you, at each other, at nothing and everything... You ended up not caring about them anymore. You ended up not caring about anything... Almost. You constantly tried to avoid thinking by drowning in your favorite thing: music. It was also the object of your studies, an honor musicology student you were ! Piano was what you could play best. Along with your best friend Jessica, and your boyfriend, Derek, it was your only salvation from this existence. The day he proposed to you was the happiest you've ever been, pulling you out of a dull and foggy constant state of mind. But that happiness and the dream were short lived.
Your dream always was to be able to enter a prestigious Music Academy, to become a pianist. The selection was tough, for it you had to have studied musicology in the first place, send to them a portfolio of your music pieces, then, finally, pass an audition in front of a jury. You had the perfect musical piece for it. A piece you wrote and composed yourself, for your beloved fiancé. Jessica, however, convinced you to not play this piece, she convinced you to play something more classical instead. You agreed, she was probably right ! This is what you did. Derek was here, behind the scenes, watching. The jury was very attentive. You played with all your soul, with every fiber of your being. Your performance was great, truly, but... When you saw the next person in line to audition, you could not believe it. Jessica. Of course you knew she played piano, like you. You two were studding it together... but she never told you she wanted to audition for The Academy... You naively hoped you could get in together... until she started to play. To play the very piece you were supposed to play, and that she told you not to play. “It is a piece I composed myself, for my beloved” she stated before doing an okay performance. Jess was not bad, far from it, but there was no doubt you would have played it better. You could not believe your eyes... Your own best friend, stole your work away, claimed it as hers and played it to enter the academy of your dreams.
After the multiple performances, every attending young musician was invited to wait in a big hallway, on hold for the results. You wanted to confront Jessica. To have an explanation. But when you looked for her, what you saw just added insult to the injury. She was there, smiling, in the arms of your fiancé. Maybe it was just a misunderstanding you thought... until he kissed her. It was too much, even for your calm and soft nature. You stormed in, practically running to them, loudly begging for explanation, tears starting to form in your eyes. She claimed loud and clear, in front of everyone around, that she did not know what you meant. That the song was hers and that her and Derek was a thing since a while, and that you knew it. You were astonished... The worst part ? She got accepted. Not you. Why ? Because she played something original, that she “wrote herself”, while you only played some classical musical piece. Your entire world crashed down. Your dreams shattered. The only thing that made you smile, that kept you away from a dull existence, were taken away from you. Everything you worked for... stolen.
Of course, you broke things off with Derek. That jerk somehow though he could save your relationship, by claiming it was a mistake, by saying Jessica forced him, by inventing lies after lies. You may be rather candid and naïve, you were not stupid. This asshole just wanted the two of you in the same time, he though he could marry you while keeping Jess attached to his cock behind your back. You told him to go fuck himself and cut off with the two of them. And then you were alone. Your parents ? As usual they were too busy working and fighting to pay attention to you. Did they even register something happened ? Probably not. They never did. You had nothing left... no purpose, no dreams, nothing. Days passed as you stayed closed in your bedroom, just scrolling online, watching videos... until you found the vlog of a person who wanted to “reconnect with themselves and put order in their life”. And for this, they went to travel across East Europe. As an impulse, without thinking more about it, you decided to do the same. You needed to find yourself again, to find a new purpose in life, new dreams. And most importantly, to get out of here. You packed a few thing, vaguely told your already not very worrying family that you needed time for yourself and you left for East Europe.
At first it was nice, travelling around, seeing the nature, small towns, other cultures... It was a much needed breath of fresh air. It was very cold, but you did not mind, you always enjoyed the snow. The landscapes were calm and beautiful, bringing you a comfort and an inner piece you never experienced before. That definitely was the right decision.
As you left a small town you spent the night in, the villagers warned you about a supposedly cursed village, deep in the forest. A local legend you though. You walked to said woods but felt very uneasy very quickly. No birds were singing, no animals were making noise, nothing. It was all too calm and too silent, which was unusual for a forest. You started walking faster when you heard it. A big, menacing and frightening roar. A bestial scream that made your blood freeze... You ran. You ran as fast as you could, but something was running faster than you. You heard a howling, and as you were looking everywhere around you, you finally saw. It was just some silhouettes at first, blurry shadows, menacing forms dancing among the trees. When it got more precise, you found yourself facing creatures you never saw before, a mix of men and wolves... Your guts just told you to keep running, running until the dark came, until the sun fell down. The air was getting colder by the minute, snow making you trip, the frozen air biting your skin. You finally saw it. A small village, but as you kept running to it and hearing the howling getting closer, you saw that nobody was around. Your cries for help was received by a chilling and deep silence. Panting, crying and on the verge of throwing up, you looked up and the shape of a big castle caught your eyes. Gathering your remaining forces, you headed toward it, each step harder than the previous. Maybe... maybe someone would be there... you hoped for it. As you arrived to the big wooden door, you used all your last strength to knock, begging for someone. Then you fell on the stone floor as you heard the heavy entrance opening. You could barely believe what you saw. A giant woman, looming over you, her expression menacing. But as she looked in your eyes, it changed. For something you could not describe.
“p-please...h... elp... me... I... b-beg you...”
Then you lost consciousness. The person who opened the door of this big Castle, looming over you, was Lady Alcina Dimitrescu. And what she saw in your eyes that day made her not want to eat you.
Things went strangely from here. The woman who saved you seemed to get quite an interest in you. She told you she should have kill you for trespassing, and feed you to her three daughters, but that she changed her mind without understanding why. You were lost, dizzy and scared. Her three daughters, Cassandra, Bela and Daniela, also scared you. They always looked at you with a creepy smile, but did not seem to have any intention to harm you, as their mother forbid them to. You learnt her name, Alcina Dimitrescu. She requested you to call her Lady Dimitrescu, which you did. But before you could ask any question, you had to answer a few. What were you doing here. Who were you. You told them everything, where you came from, what happened, why you came here. When you spoke about the Derek part, Alcina got visibly upset
“ Stupid man-things ! None of them can be trusted ! ”
You never though you would, but you silently agreed with her. Derek broke your heart, Jessica betrayed you and stole your dreams from you, and your parents did not care about you... Clearly being stuck in a castle in some sort of cursed village, with a giant woman and three creepy-looking girls was not something you expected, but the lack of any attachment to your life made you not care that much. You were broken, alone and hopeless. And that is what Alcina saw. That is what made her want to take you under her wings. The three daughters seemed to agree, even if disappointed at first to not eat you. They asked you to become the fourth daughter. Was it your new purpose ? It was certainly not worse than to be eaten alive in the woods by what you learnt to be lycans. Fascinated by the giant and refined lady, you accepted.
When you met Mother Miranda, you were fascinated and terrified by her. You silently stood here as Lady Dimitrescu pleaded for her to turn you into one of her daughters, to make you one of them. You took a look at the other people arounds, the other Lords. A very calm and discrete woman, covered in a black veil, was sitting on a corner, a doll in a wedding dress wiggling on her lap. You learnt that it was Lady Donna Beneviento and her doll Angie. Next was Lord Salvatore Moreau, and you could only describe him as... deformed. His stench was something reminding you of rotten fish and moldy sea water. He had a hunchback and was covered with a big black coat. Alcina did not tell you much about him. Last but not least, was Lord Karl Heisenberg. A scraggy looking man, wearing a hat and round sunglasses, a long and dirty trench coat and swaying around a giant hammer. He looked like he never saw a shower in his life, had a neckbeard and unkept salt and pepper hair that reached his neck. He looked at you, stared at you like he was looking down on some lost and beaten animal. You frowned. Alcina told you about him, she told you that he was the worst, a pathetic man-thing, a gross and vulgar child, and that he could not be trusted. You had to keep away from him, or he would hurt you, because he was one of them, one of those pathetic men that only hurt and broke women. You already disliked him greatly. Miranda finally spoke, her voice sharp like a knife, motherly in the most frightening way.
“ Y/N, I believe this is your name, isn't it ? “
You nodded, obediently.
“ Y/N, Alcina here requested that I make you one of us, a part of our family, and one of her daughters. Now I can see the potential in you, but is it a fate you desire as well ? “
“ I do, Mother Miranda. “ you answered, bowing your head obediently. You can see that Heisenberg's did not leave you. You shivered in disgust.
The woman smiles and nods.
“ Very well. So be it. “
What happened next was one of the weirdest and physically most painful event of your life. Miranda implanted a Cadou in you, like she did with all the others apparently. It was painful, terribly painful. But you survived eventually. They explained to you that you were given a gift, that you were now part of the family, that you were now one of them. You did not know how to feel about this. All you knew is that Miranda scared the shit out of you, that Alcina was kind to you, and that you wanted to stay the fuck away from Heisenberg. Just like them, the cadou made you grew some abilities, despite not very powerful. Your powers were simple, but also... exhausting. You could hear people's minds and you discovered soon enough that all this was far from a gift, that it was more like an eternal curse. And the worst part was that you had agreed to it.
Your life at the castle was... something. Lady Dimitrescu turned to be more of a mother than your actual biological mother, and the three girls, even tho they kept teasing you and push you around, was overall not so bad to you, calling you sister. But what was a hassle was to constantly hear other people's thoughts... it was like a constant noisy mess, an unbearable cacophony that never stopped. You could never really understand what they were thinking, because it was like everyone was talking in the same, directly inside your head. However, your powers highly interested Miranda... She informed Alcina that it was imperative that you learnt how to control them, as they could be beneficial for her big plan. Of course, in her limitless devotion to her, Lady Dimitrescu agreed and decided personally to train you, her now beloved daughter.
The first months were rough, learning how to control this new ability was way trickier than it seemed, and Lady Dimitrescu's patience not being unlimited, you always tried your best, in order to not make her angry. Between two failed tries, after a meeting with the “family” she kept telling you how men were inferior creatures, and how Heisenberg was the worst. You had never interacted with the man, but you saw your mother constantly arguing with him, despising him with all your being. You hated him with all your guts, just like Alcina taught you to, your past experience with Derek not helping the case.
Finally, after almost two years of hard training, you were able to find a way to control your power. You pictured a radio in your head. If it was turned off, you was left alone with your thoughts, but when you turned it on, you just had to focus on the presence of the person you wanted to hear. And it worked. Mother Miranda was pleased with your progress, and kept praising you, making Alcina proud of you. You always smiled and nodded respectfully, but always terrified. Your old life was behind you and the ease with which you were able to put it behind you was terrifying, but your new life here was not much better. In fact it was a mess you still had troubles to comprehend. All that you knew is that Mother Miranda terrified you. And that you did not like her, you found her wicked and you hated the way your mother worshiped her.
Today, she called a meeting, and stated that you specifically had to attend. It sounded important. She was apparently going to make an announcement about you, and Lady Dimitrescu was thrilled. She kept saying how proud of you she was, how right she was to adopt you and to make you her daughter, and that big things were awaiting for you. As usual, you just kept silent, bowing your head in respect and thanking your mother for thinking so highly of you. Lady Dimitrescu insisted to dress you in a grandiose way for the meeting. She made you wear a black lace dress, that was nicely highlighting your waist, the delicate handwork on the fabric making you look at your best. Your hair was pinned back in a nice bun, the girls insisted on styling it for you, stating they were proud of their little sister. When you and your mother finally joined the church and took place, you felt again Heisenberg's glare on you. Damn, that man never stopped staring at you, and you hated it. You gave him back a spiteful and disgusted glare, to which he answered by a chuckle. You always greeted the other Lords, but never him.
“ Well dollface, looks like this meeting's about you today, so why don't you bless me with a hello for once huh ?”
“Do not dare to speak to my daughter this way, you filthy child !” Alcina spit.
Heisenberg doesn't have the time to protest as Mother Miranda makes her entrance, demanding silence. You sit quietly at your mother's side, Heisenberg's disgusting smirk still directed at you. With her usual motherly yet frightening tone, the black-winged woman starts talking, her icy blue eyes shinning under her golden mask.
“ My beloved children. I have a very important announcement to make today, about our dear Y/N.”
You feel your mother smiling with pride as Miranda keeps talking.
“Alcina. Almost three years ago, you requested me to make her one of us, to make her one of your daughters. And I agreed. You raised her greatly, took care of her and turned her into a lady, into a delicate young woman. You taught her to control her interesting ability, and you taught her loyalty. You made me proud of you, Alcina.”
Lady Dimitrescu was brightly smiling, practically drowning in pride.
“ You honor me, Mother Miranda.” she answered, bowing her head.
The woman smiled, a smile you did not like.
“All the honor is for me, Alcina. And today, I want to offer Y/N and you, a reward. A reward that will be beneficial to us all. That will make our family bonds stronger. Today, I announce that Y/N shall marry the most powerful lord: Lord Heisenberg.”
Silence. A painful and excruciating silence. Your painful existence was apparently not painful enough. The only ray of light you had those last years is going to be taken from you, again. Your life at castle Dimitrescu with Alcina, Cassandra, Bela and Daniella, would be traded for a life with... that man ?! A life of being the wife of this disgusting man-thing ? Your dreams of a wedding with a man you dearly loved and who loved you dearly were long gone since Derek betrayed you, but you still did not picture marrying a fucking disgusting monster either ! Lady Dimitrescu was the first to finally speak up. Her tone was filled with a rage she tried to contain in front of Miranda.
“ Mother Miranda, I must protest ! Out of all the people my daughter could marry, Heisenberg is the most unfit and I do not want to allow such horrendous thing to happen !”
“ Do you contest my authority, Alcina ? “
“ O-of course not, Mother Miranda...”
Miranda's tone was sharp like a steel knife. There were no discussion possible. You were stunned in place. You felt tears polling in your eyes but you did not want to cry in front of Miranda, and even less in front of Heisenberg, whose expression was as dumbfounded as all the others. The meeting was dismissed and you went back to the castle. As expected, Lady Dimitrescu threw a massive fit once the door closed, slaming and breaking things, screaming that it was unacceptable, that such a horrible thing shall not be allowed. Finally, you were no longer able to hold back your tears. You slowly fell on your knees and let out a breathless and helpless sob.
The following days were torture, and Lady Dimitrescu's anger did not diminish. Understandable, you were going to be given to the worst of the fourth Lords. She did try multiple times to convince Mother Miranda to not make you marry Heisenberg, but the answer was always the same. It was your fate, and by doing so, the bonds of the family would only grow stronger. What a joke... What a poor excuse for a family... and what a wicked woman... You would have preferred Moreau, at least he would not have treated you the way Heisenberg was probably going to treat you. You were already sick thinking about all the horrible things he was going to force you to do for his pleasure... Miranda announced that the ceremony would take place the upcoming week, and she wanted you to be ready. You had no idea how Heisenberg reacted to the new, but you though that he probably felt some sort of wicked satisfaction at the idea of having a new toy to break. That or he would be very pissed to have someone in his way. In either way, it was bad for you. And not a single day passed where you did not cry. Cassandra, Bela and Daniela did not even tease you, they just felt bad for you.
In the end, the dreaded day came. You could not sleep at all during the night, crying in the arms of your sisters, mourning the loss of that poor small light you had while spending time with them. What you dreaded the most was the wedding night. Alcina kept ranting about how she did not want you to let him put his filthy hands on you. You were no maiden, your virginity long lost in the arms of past lovers in your previous life, but it did not mean this whole wedding night was not a big deal for you. The idea of Lord Heisenberg's disgusting body touching yours, entering yours, made you sick. You vomited multiple times at the though. But you had to get ready and meet your fate. Lady Dimitrescu and the girls decided that you should wear a black gown, to which you agree. A black gown to mourn your loss... But mother Miranda insisted on you wearing white. As symbol of the purity of your upcoming union. God you hated it. Endlessly. As usual, you had no choice but to bend to Miranda's wish. A simple white lace dress, and a white lace veil to cover your face. Your hair let free, the only thing that would be free today.
“ It is time, sister... “ Cassandra said with a low voice.
“ I know... “
Your town was broken. And your three sisters could not even come with you to the ceremony, as getting exposed to the cold would kill them. God you wished it would kill you too, so you would not have to leave. Lady Dimitrescu took you to the church, walking in silence. Just before you entered, Alcina stopped. She bent in front of you, her hands pressing your shoulders gently.
“ Y/N. I am sorry for what is going to happen. Just know that it was a pleasure to have you as my daughter during this short time.”
“ For me too... Thank you mother. For everything.”
Tears came to your eyes as you crossed the door of the half decayed stone building. The monster was here, not looking every different from usual, except for his attitude. He was stiff, looking away from you, his usual cocky grin and shitty attitude gone. Mother Miranda was here too, at the altar, awaiting for you. Lady Dimitrescu at your side reluctantly brought you to the altar, next to Heisenberg. She leant to you and motherly kissed your forehead before angrily glaring at Heisenberg. She mumbled with spite and hatred:
“ If you dare to put a finger, or even just lay an eye on her, I will slice you to ribbons.”
Miranda did not hear that, but you did, and so did Heisenberg. You expected the man to fight back with his usual pathetic yet cocky attitude, but he did not say anything. He did not flinch, not even looking in your direction. Lady Dimitrescu went to sit on her usual spot, fuming with anger. All the other were looking at you. You learnt during your stay that this cursed village was in fact inhabited, and that they worshiped Miranda like a goddess. God you hated that. And those said villagers were here, outside the church, to celebrate the wedding of one of their beloved Lords. The though of people celebrating the worst day of your life like some sort blessed event made you want to throw up again, but your empty stomach would not give you anything to throw up.
As the ceremony went on, you could not hold back your tears. Your dreadful fate was getting sealed. You caught Heisenberg looking at you. And he did not seem pleased with the situation either. Finally, you heard the words you feared the most.
“ By the blessed powers that are gifted to me, and under my motherly and holy authority, I am today bonding the two fates of Lord Karl Heisenberg, patriarch of the four houses and master of metal, and of Y/N Dimitrescu, adoptive daughter of Lady Alcina Dimitrescu, and reader of minds. By this union, the power of our Holy Authority and blessed family shall become stronger and greater. I am proclaiming you, Lord Karl Heisenberg, and you, Y/N Dimitrescu, husband and wife. May your union grow strong and cast protection upon this village.”
That was it. No “I do”, no vows. Just Miranda making you two husband and wife. In the end, if she did ask you if you wanted to take Heisenberg as your spouse, you would probably have said no... Your tears did not stop rolling down your cheeks. You though it could not get worse at the moment, until Miranda requested that Heisenberg kisses you. A shiver of disgust shook your spine. You looked towards Lady Dimitrescu with plaintive eyes and a helpless expression on your face, and you saw how deeply upset she was, clenching her fist in total helplessness. You felt Heisenberg's look on you. Reluctantly, you turned to him, your eyes filled with disgust, despair and pure hatred. He put his hand, his warm gloved hand, on your shoulder and you heard Lady Dimitrescu gasp. He looked almost apologetically at you before leaning over you. You closed your eyes, bracing yourself with all the strength that you had when his lips reached yours. It was... unsettling, to say the least... his lips that were so rough looking, felt surprisingly soft and warm against yours. The contact was light and timid, incredibly tender... But as he kissed you, Heisenberg also made you let down your guard, inadvertently enabling you to read his mind. You heard two words: “ Poor girl...”
You immediately pulled out from him, your cheeks red with anger and even more covered in tears. You heard cheering, the whole village, outside, was chanting the greatness of Mother Miranda, of their Lords, and of your union with Heisenberg. You saw Angie dancing around, also screeching around, saying something aroudn the lines of “ Long live the newlyweds”. It made your stomach twist in itself. Moreau was also clapping, praising Miranda for her greatness. Lady Dimitrescu was silent and stiff, just like you and Heisenberg.
“ Come on Alcina, aren't you happy for your daughter ?” Miranda asked with her usual soothing yet very menacing tone.
“ Of course I am, Mother Miranda. Greatly.” she replied, trying her best not to explode of rage.
Miranda turned back to you and Heisenberg, her cold eyes and frightening smile looming over you.
“I wish you to be happy together, my beloved children. Heisenberg, take great care if Y/N, and you Y/N, take great care of my adored son.”
“Of course, Mother. ” Heisenberg replied.
You could not reply. You throat was killing you, unable to produce any sound. So instead, lowered your head in submission. You hated this woman so much... You were now his. His wife. And he could do what he wanted with you. He did, however, look as uncomfortable and as unhappy as you. At least you had that in common.
The day was long and painful, you were forced to sit next to the monster that was now your husband, and to seem like you were enjoying this supposedly blessed day. Cursed day for you. Cursed, just like your fate. You had to attend this pathetic party that the villagers threw to celebrate your union with him, and each second of it was torture. Donna was sitting in silence as usual, Angie dancing around, and Moreau was nowhere to be found. You looked for him with your eyes, which Heisenberg caught on. He opened his mouth but closed it immediately. He wanted to talk to you, but could not gather the courage to. He knew how much you hated this situation, as much as he did, but not for the same reasons, and he did not want to make it worse. Lady Dimitrescu did not quit him with her menacing look, which he avoided as much as he could.
The end of the day was near, the sun setting in the sky. The wedding night that terrified so much was approaching, and your body felt so sick you almost passed out several time.
“ You alright Y/N ? “ Heisenberg asked, a hint of concern in his soothing voice.
“ No.” you sharply said.
“ Yeah... stupid question... “
Suddenly, Miranda declared that it was time for Lord Heisenberg to bring you to your new home, where apparently all your belonging were already taken to. Oh no you did not want this... Heisenberg sighted and got up, giving you his hand for you to follow him. Your eyes must have spoken for you, because he retracted it immediately as you got on your feet. The village was chanting again as he lead you to out of the crowd. Lady Dimitrescu stopped you two, stepping in front of you before taking you in her motherly embrace. You held her back. Her silence spoke volumes, so did yours. Heisenberg did not say anything again, just waiting. Time seemed to have stop, and god you wished it did. Finally, Heisenberg cleared his throat and spoke with a blank voice.
“ Y/N, we must go.”
“You disgusting man-thing ! Can't you see I am hugging the daughter you just took away from me ? ” Alcina spit.
She had to let you go eventually, which she did. You felt your heart ache again. More tears came to your eyes as you followed Heisenberg to his factory, the chanting and praise of the villagers growing more and more distant. The walk was silent and heavy, your stomach did not stop hurting and your throat was burning. You finally reached the gates of your new home and followed Heisenberg inside. He did not say a word, and you were grateful for that. Hearing him talk was the last thing you needed right now. As the gates of the factory closed behind you, you felt a part of you drying again. Your fated was now sealed, and you were terrified of what was coming next...