You Left Me to Wither Up and Die
Lady Dimitrescu x female reader
The Countess was there when the human had life and hope in her eyes, when she learnt the ropes of human emotion, and when she came to a standstill… tied down by the vines. Flowers caressing her mouth - petals stuck to the lip balm she wore. Sparking jealousy within the Countess.
She was also there when the human fell to her knees after tearing out her own heart - laying it bare on the ground for the world to see, in all it’s decay and beauty. Mottled with small flowers. The distinct sickly sweet smell of death permeated the air. Alcina was there.
The Lady was no stranger to this ailment. She had been the cause of it for many, and victim only once. This particular case shook her to her core.
The human was a shell of her former self, a heart no longer of any use - a soul once naive in its innocence now shielded itself; much like a dog licking its wounds. Time and events had jaded it.
The Countess was there to gather the human in her arms, she was also there to hold her during the many nights that followed. The wrenching sobs of those evenings still haunt her. Despite the years that have passed - darker thoughts make unwanted guest appearances.
The Lady has watched this human lose themselves all over again, but she has also seen them build themselves up - a true testament to the resilience of humans. And every time, the Lady is there to help her.
Occasionally the Countess will catch a glimpse of flowers that have flourished - and a flurry of what ifs rush her mind. What if her darling had not survived… what if she had not the strength to tear out a part of her. What if… she lost her human to a bed of petals that smell so sweet?
There is no point in worrying… the past is set in stone. Nothing can be done about it. You will decay - just like the human’s heart - if you cross the fine line between reminiscing and fixating on the past.
The human heart died but in death there is a chance to grow. A chance to flourish, and exceed what you were before you died. Alcina watched as this fragile being learned to trust again, learned to love, and to be loved. The Countess was also lucky to be the one to teach her, and in turn was taught many things of human nature by her lover simply growing and becoming themselves again.
Slowly but surely the life and hope that was diminished was relit by Alcina. It was a small flame but once the Countess worked hard to protect and grow.
The days when Alcina witnessed the human - the one made for her - fall for another were gone, the air clear now, her human was hers, as she should have been from the very start. And Alcina hers.
A jar of wilted flowers - crisp and dried, a yellow brown skin - sits in an ornate vase, Alcina can see them just past her human’s shoulder. A reminder that all those what ifs did not happen. Her human was alive, she was happy. And she was loved. Above all, Alcina’s lover knew she was loved… this love was one that was requited.