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In the early hours of the morning, Daniella, Fiona, and Hewie walked.
The sky was a dull lavender. The sun rose as they walked, blocked out by the clouds. Daniella felt as if the shadow of Belli Castle still loomed behind them, even though they had left hours ago. The forest just seemed to stretch on for miles.
Daniella had seen the morning before, but only through the windows of the castle. She never really set foot outside the castle: that was Debilitas’ responsibility as the groundskeeper. She always stayed inside, completing her mundane chores and every single order that was assigned to her. She didn’t know what life was like outside the castle, besides what Lorenzo and Riccardo had told her from time to time. She wasn’t exactly curious about it, nor did she think much about it.
But now that she was breathing the forest air, feeling it pass through her artificial lungs, Daniella couldn’t help but wonder about what the outside world had to offer. She was witnessing the morning for the first time in her life. She didn’t know what to expect from the rest of the day.
She wasn’t certain if she, Fiona, and Hewie would even make it to night. They had been walking through the forest for hours.
But she had seen it herself. Fiona and Hewie had escaped through sheer force of will. In a way, Daniella had escaped as well, even though she thought of her dilemma more as her simply leaving the castle.
But Daniella had no idea where they were going. She was simply following Fiona’s lead. However, even Daniella could notice the utterly exhausted look in Fiona’s eye. Perhaps she didn’t know what they were going to do next either.
Fiona was leaving behind her birthright. Hewie was leaving behind his imprisonment. Daniella was leaving behind the only place she had ever known. What were they even going to do next? What were they supposed to do? Daniella wondered if anyone else had experienced this.
She doubted it. Her situation was too unique. Fiona’s situation was too unique.
Would anyone believe what they had experienced? Would anyone understand what Daniella was? Well, Daniella didn’t really care about the latter. Fiona understood, and that was all that mattered to her.
The trio walked down a forest path, as the castle was surrounded by shrouded woods. Fiona said that the path must’ve been for “hikers”. She would have to ask Fiona what that meant later.
“Excuse me, miss,” Daniella began. “But where exactly are we going?”
“An inn or a town, hopefully.” Fiona replied, her voice quiet. “There has to be some people out here.”
That was true. Debilitas had captured Hewie from a nearby town or village.
“And you don’t have to call me ‘miss’.” Fiona clarified. “Fiona is just fine.”
“I see… Fiona.” Daniella replied after a long pause.
That name still felt foreign on her tongue. It felt strange hearing it out loud, coming from her own voice.
She didn’t need to call her “miss” anymore. She wasn’t the maid of the castle anymore. She had abandoned her only purpose in life. She thought about going back to the castle, but she knew that she couldn’t. Not after what Fiona had done for her. Not after what Fiona had made her feel.
Fiona had protected her from Riccardo in the castle. Daniella hadn’t realized it at first, but Fiona had been spying on her and Riccardo when he was interrogating her. For some reason, Fiona had told Riccardo to stop hurting her. She almost got herself killed in doing so, but she made her escape from the room, while Daniella sat there, dumbfounded.
Fiona’s actions confused Daniella at first. They would confuse her for the rest of her life.
But after that? Daniella didn’t know if she could live without her.
She would have to return the favor, then. It was going to be a long day. Daniella had to make sure that Fiona, and Hewie as well, wouldn’t get into any trouble. The castle was perilous, but Daniella had the feeling that the outside world could be worse. It was unknown to her, and that terrified her.
Fiona looked so tired. Hewie looked like he was just happy to spend time with her.
And Daniella? She still didn’t know how to feel about leaving the castle, her life, behind. She didn’t even know if she was Daniella anymore. Maybe that was something she had to figure out later on.
It didn’t matter. Her goal was keeping Fiona safe.
Daniella’s pale eyes drifted to Fiona yet again.
When she first met her, what Daniella felt towards Fiona was a cross between fascination and obsession. Now, she only felt regret and some kind of longing she had never experienced before.
Suddenly, Fiona stopped in her tracks. She looked down at the ground, her hands balled up into fists. She looked unhappy. Distraught. Why? She had escaped. Was that not a good thing?
“Fiona…?” Daniella said. “Are you alright…?”
“My parents really are gone, aren’t they?” Fiona uttered, her breath hitching. “W-What am I going to do now?”
Fiona began crying, teardrops running down her cheeks. She just stood there, her quiet sobs morphing into loud weeping.
Daniella had never seen Fiona cry before, as she only really screamed and cowered in fear in the castle. In fact, she had never seen anyone cry before. She had no idea how to approach this. She couldn’t really understand how Fiona felt: the closest thing she had to a parent was Lorenzo, her creator, but she could hardly call him a parent. She only felt apathy and contempt towards him. Meanwhile, Fiona presumably had a good relationship with her mother and father.
But Riccardo had killed them. They truly were gone.
Hewie soon noticed Fiona’s distress, stepping over to her and nuzzling her leg. She crouched down, burying her face in her hands.
Daniella looked around awkwardly, unsure what to do. She knew she couldn’t provide the same comfort and unconditional love that Hewie could, but she would try her best to follow his example.
Joining Fiona on the ground, Daniella raised her hand, hovering above Fiona, questioning if she was doing the right thing. She then brought her hand to Fiona’s shoulder, trying her best to offer her some comfort.
Surprisingly, Fiona didn’t flinch, still crying into her hands.
The trio sat there on the forest path for a long time, Daniella’s hand on Fiona’s shoulder while Hewie licked her tears away.
When they reached the edge of the forest, the trio found themselves on a long road that would eventually lead to civilization.
At least, that was what Fiona said earlier. She had gone to Italy with her family before, but she wasn’t exactly familiar with this area in particular. She just hoped that they could find someplace to stay soon.
On either side of the long road were patches of emerald grass and towering trees. The road was devoid of any automobiles. Daniella knew what a car was. She had read books, after all. She just initially believed that she would’ve seen more once she stepped outside the castle.
How long could they keep walking for? Daniella herself didn’t mind, but she knew that Fiona and Hewie could become exhausted soon. They hardly had any rest, due to Daniella and the others’ constant pursuit of them back in the castle. Daniella didn’t really like thinking about what she had done.
Sometimes, she wished Riccardo had never created her. Maybe then she wouldn’t have to face such odd feelings she surely wasn’t built to endure.
Daniella still wore her maid uniform, and Fiona was draped in the hospital gown Riccardo had forced her in. She was barefoot, too. All of this walking was most likely hurting her soles. She was about to offer her her own shoes (Daniella didn’t mind, as she felt no pain), but Fiona once again stopped walking.
“Look.” Fiona pointed a finger at something in the distance. “Do you see that? Over there?”
“What is it?” Daniella asked.
“It looks like…” Fiona’s eyes lit up. “No! It can’t be!”
Fiona started running towards whatever she had seen, Hewie and Daniella following after her.
Moments later, the trio reached what Fiona had seen in the distance: the wreckage of Fiona’s parents’ car, completely crushed from the front by a tall tree.
Daniella remembered when Riccardo had left the castle. He told her that he was preparing for Fiona’s arrival, and this was part of the aftermath.
“Do not.” Daniella said, grabbing Fiona’s wrist before she could step closer to the wreck.
“But I need to be sure.” Fiona begged, her blue eyes meeting Daniella’s pale ones. “Please, Daniella.”
Daniella’s eyes drifted from the wreck to Fiona. She knew she couldn’t argue with her, and she couldn’t get the way she said her name out of her head.
Finally, she nodded.
Fiona looked at her one last time before slowly walking towards the wreck of her parents’ car. Hewie joined her, clearly curious about the whole ordeal. Daniella stood a few feet away from the wreck, a soft breeze passing through her lavender curls, an odd sensation of guilt washing over her.
Riccardo was responsible for the death of Fiona’s parents, but that didn’t stop Daniella from feeling horrible about it.
“They’re gone.” Fiona uttered.
“What do you mean?” Daniella asked as she stepped closer to Fiona.
“My parents. Their bodies.” Fiona clarified, her voice full of emptiness. “They’re gone. The car is completely empty.”
Daniella didn’t reply. She knew what Riccardo had done. She watched as Fiona opened the only unlocked door, finding a small electronic object inside. Hewie tilted his head at the sight of it, sniffing the object. A sort of telephone perhaps? Even Daniella had never seen a telephone like that before.
“No service.” Fiona furrowed her brows. “We’re stuck. There’s nothing we can do.”
Fiona still stood by the car, as if she was waiting for her parents to come back. Hewie stared up at her and barked, nuzzling against her leg, once again trying to comfort her.
“We cannot stay here.” Daniella reminded. “We must keep moving. We must find shelter before nightfall.”
Silence followed, as if Fiona was lost in thought.
“We can come back to this spot for what you need later.” Daniella said quietly, knowing that the remnants of her and her parents’ belongings were most likely still in the car. “At the moment, we need to focus on your safety. Do you understand?”
“Yes.” Fiona nodded after a long while. “I… I do. You’re right, Daniella.”
“Fiona.” Daniella began. “Is there anyone you know that can possibly help us? Once we find shelter, that is.”
“My aunt on my mother’s side.” Fiona replied. “Maybe we can find a payphone and call her. Then we can go home.”
Hewie barked at that. Would he ever return to his village, or would he stay with Fiona and Daniella?
Home. Daniella didn’t exactly understand the word, but Fiona wanted her to come with her. She had protected her. She had saved her life.
After what happened in the castle, Daniella supposed that she would.
“Why don’t we try hitchhiking?”
“Hitchhiking?” Daniella tilted her head. “What is that?”
Fiona, Daniella, and Hewie walked on the grassy side of the road, the afternoon sun shining in the sky. They had reached a somewhat busy area, which surprised Daniella. She had never seen so many cars before in her life. Was this truly how humans went from place to place? Fiona had tried getting the attention of the drivers that passed by them, but they unfortunately paid her no mind.
Perhaps that was a good thing. After everything that had happened, it would be best if Fiona was more wary of strangers.
“Here.” Fiona demonstrated. “You do this.”
Fiona extended her arm out towards the road and closed her hand into a fist, but stuck her thumb out. Hewie observed Fiona and tried to copy her, sticking his paw out.
“How can this assist us?” Daniella questioned, genuinely confused by the gesture.
“Most drivers recognize it.” Fiona explained. “It means that we need a ride. The driver that decides to help us would pull over to let us know.”
Daniella didn’t understand half of what Fiona had told her, but she would have to trust her. Fiona knew more about the outside world than Daniella, after all. But that slightly confused her: back in the castle, Fiona was naive and scared of virtually everything. It led Daniella to believe that she had a sheltered lifestyle, her parents giving her anything she had ever wanted. Quite different from Daniella’s upbringing, indeed.
Truthfully, it made her a bit jealous. Angered.
Could hitchhiking help the three of them, or would they find themselves in more danger?
“Where did you learn that?” Daniella asked.
“You sure ask a lot of questions,” Fiona replied, a small smile forming on her face. “But my mother taught me that. I might be… inexperienced, but my mom taught me a lot about her adventures when she was young. Just in case I ever found myself in that situation, you know?”
Daniella just nodded, intrigued by the new information Fiona had told her about herself. She also felt slightly guilty, knowing that Fiona would never see her mother and father.
“Come on.” Fiona said as she stuck her hand out again. “Let’s see if anyone will help us, and we won’t give up.”
Hewie barked excitedly at that, as if he was in agreement. Once again, Daniella silently nodded.
And so, they began this “hitchhiking” that Daniella was so unfamiliar with. Hewie barked whenever a car passed by. Daniella followed Fiona’s lead, trying her best to follow exactly what she did, sticking her thumb out. One car in particular produced a loud noise that frightened Daniella, causing Fiona to explain that the driver was “honking”. They were just saying hello.
And yet, the driver didn’t pull over and offer them a ride. Perhaps that was a good thing.
Two or three hours passed. Daniella had lost count at that point. Not a single car had stopped for them. Daniella wondered why. Was it the way they were dressed? Was it because they had a dog with them? Something else entirely? It was starting to become hopeless, and Fiona seemed to agree.
“Maybe hitchhiking wasn’t the best idea.” Fiona admitted sheepishly, sounding a bit dejected. “We should keep walking.”
Daniella agreed.
By midday, the trio came across a small cabin.
It was located on the side of the road. Fiona, Daniella, and Hewie hadn’t seen any cars in about two hours, causing Daniella to wonder why this cabin was even here in the first place. Was it abandoned or inhabited?
They were indeed closer to civilization, then. Daniella was a bit nervous about meeting with a human that wasn’t Fiona, but she would have to abandon her worries if she was going to find shelter. She would eventually have to meet Fiona’s aunt, whenever they found a “payphone”. She still had no idea what it was. A telephone one pays for…?
“Does anyone live there?” Daniella asked.
“Looks like it.” Fiona said as she peeked inside one of the windows. “But no one’s home.”
Hewie barked as he approached the cabin, staring up at a white piece of paper tacked onto the front door.
“What is it, boy?” Fiona asked, glancing at the paper and reading the text aloud. “I’m on a trip. I won’t be back in a week. Please call this number if you need me. Thank you. Love, Sofia.”
A clothesline was located behind the cabin, numerous clothes hanging from it and blowing gently in the wind.
“Strange.” Daniella hummed. “The homeowner left her laundry out.”
“I can’t find a reason to care.” Fiona replied sadly as she picked out a white long-sleeved shirt and a black skirt from the clotheslines. “I… I hate to say it, but we need these more than her. She would understand if we told her our situation.”
Daniella doubted that. The only person that understood her was Fiona. Even then, there were still things about her that she hadn’t told Fiona. And besides, could humans truly believe in the existence of homunculi? Daniella supposed that she herself could pass as human, but she wasn’t certain how long that would last.
Folding her hands, Daniella stood on the back porch of the cabin and watched Fiona and Hewie investigate the clothesline. Hewie barked as he played, the white drapes passing over his head. Fiona searched through the pockets of the pants, skirts, and coats.
“Stealing is wrong, Hewie.” Fiona said in a very serious tone of voice.
Hewie barked in response. Daniella just nodded, even if Fiona was talking to Hewie.
“Do you want new clothes, too?” Fiona asked, turning her head to face Daniella.
“No, thank you.” Daniella said after some thought, even if she was growing disgusted with the uniform Riccardo had forced her in, ever since she was created.
Fiona nodded in response and returned to searching for… whatever it was she was looking for in the pockets of a pair of blue jeans.
That was when Daniella realized that Fiona was still barefoot, but there didn’t seem to be any shoes in the back of the cabin. Daniella would have to find a pair, then.
While Fiona and Hewie were preoccupied, Daniella turned to face the back door, but it was locked. Perhaps the homeowner was smarter than she appeared to be. Instead, Daniella tried one of the windows, discovering that it was unlocked. She stepped through the window, beginning her quest for a pair of shoes.
The cabin was very different from Belli Castle. There were personal objects and trinkets littered about, causing the cabin to feel very lived-in, unlike the sterile and isolated nature of the castle she was created in.
Could Daniella ever live in a place like this? She was uncertain. She felt as if she didn’t belong. If she did stay with Fiona, would she want her to move in with her? Spend the rest of her life with her, living among humans? It wasn’t like Daniella could do anything else. After everything that had happened, she couldn’t leave Fiona.
But a small part of her still yearned for the castle. She yearned for familiarity. Everything was so unknown to her. She feared that it would only become worse.
Regardless, Daniella found what she presumed was the homeowner’s bedroom. She opened the closet and found a vast selection of shoes. She ultimately decided on a pair of black boots that seemed to be Fiona’s size. They would keep her warm, as well. Daniella picked out white socks too, for good measure. She closed the closet, even if she didn’t quite care if the homeowner believed that she had been robbed.
Before she could return to the back porch of the cabin, Daniella heard Fiona saying her name.
“Daniella!” Fiona called. “Where are you?”
“I am here.” Daniella announced once she stood on the porch, shoes and socks in her hand.
“Oh, there you are.” Fiona sighed in relief, Hewie following behind her and wagging his tail. “I was wondering where you ran off to.”
Fiona had changed into her new outfit. She looked… beautiful. Daniella felt a sudden surge of jealousy at the sight, but she quickly discarded it.
“I have shoes and socks for you, miss.” Daniella held up the footwear, but quickly corrected herself. “Fiona. I apologize.”
“Wow! They’re gorgeous!” Fiona’s eyes sparkled as she gently took the socks and shoes and put them on. “Thank you so much, Daniella. They fit perfectly. They’re wonderful.”
Fiona searched through her skirt pocket and held a bracelet out to Daniella.
Strange. No one had ever given a gift to Daniella before. She didn’t quite know what to make of it.
“Here. I brought you something, too.” Fiona explained. “I know you said you didn’t want anything, but it reminded me of you. Especially your hair. I couldn’t help myself.”
Daniella quietly picked up the bracelet, inspecting the jewelry. It was small, with plastic gems mimicking amethysts. After a long pause, Daniella slipped the bracelet around her wrist. It gently jingled whenever she moved.
“Thank you, Fiona.” Daniella only said, as she couldn’t find any other words.
“No problem.” Fiona replied. “You look so pretty.”
Pretty. No one had ever described her in such a manner.
Fiona and Daniella simply stood there on the porch, the wind gently blowing through their hair. Hewie looked between them and tilted his head, seemingly confused by the conversation. Somehow, Daniella could empathize. She had no idea why Fiona was treating her so kindly when she had tried to kill her multiple times, even if Fiona had saved her from Riccardo.
Daniella wished that Fiona would’ve left her in the castle to rot.
“Look, Daniella.” Fiona said, breaking the silence between them, rummaging through her pockets and picking out numerous bills and coins. “I found us some money. If we make it to a town, we could use it for food or the bus or anything else we need. We could use it for the payphone to call my aunt, too!”
Daniella simply nodded yet again, struggling to catch up with Fiona’s relieved words. Daniella had never seen Fiona so happy before, even if she still retained that exhausted and frankly traumatized look in her blue eyes. Daniella couldn’t decide if she liked it or not. Truthfully, she still harbored some resentment towards Fiona, regardless if they had escaped from the castle together.
With each passing moment, Fiona continued to confuse and perplex Daniella.
“We’re lucky.” Fiona sighed. “I was worried that money would be a problem for us later on.”
“I suppose we should return to walking, then?” Daniella proposed as she closed the window and stepped down from the porch. “I believe we have a few more hours until nightfall.”
“You’re right.” Fiona nodded as she joined Daniella. “I feel refreshed, despite everything.”
Hewie barked and happily circled Fiona and Daniella, eager to get back on the road.
Suddenly, the bracelet felt oddly heavy around Daniella’s wrist.
Daniella wasn’t certain if she could ignore it any longer.
Miraculously, before sunset, Fiona, Daniella, and Hewie arrived at a small town.
That surprised Daniella, as she had initially thought that they wouldn’t survive long enough to reach night. Fiona had said that her first instinct was to go to the local police, but she immediately disregarded it. No one would believe them. What happened in that castle would only be seen as a fictional horror story to normal, everyday humans. Daniella agreed with her.
Instead, the trio went to the first diner they spotted. Due to the money they had taken from the various pockets of the articles of clothing from the clothesline, Fiona said that they had enough for food and a stay at a motel.
Daniella didn’t exactly want to eat, as she still could not taste. Fiona and Hewie had to be starving, though. Regardless, Daniella would go with them.
She was already so far away from the castle. There was no turning back now.
When the trio stepped inside the restaurant, Daniella immediately felt out of place. There weren’t that many humans present. Wasn’t it dinner time? Perhaps most of the humans that lived in this town chose to eat in their own homes. The few people that were in the diner looked at Daniella, their eyes drifting to her uniform.
“Don’t pay attention to them.” Fiona whispered to Daniella. “They just haven’t seen us before. It’s a small town, you know? We’re practically strangers.”
“I see…” Daniella replied.
She knew that she was different from Fiona, and human women in general. Her jerky, robotic movements alone probably unnerved the other patrons at the diner.
The waitress, a young woman who seemed to be around the same age as Daniella, led the trio to a table, doting on Hewie in the process. He seemed to enjoy the attention, but he preferred to stay by Fiona’s side. Hewie had warmed up to Daniella, although it took some time for him to realize that she wasn’t a threat to Fiona.
For now, at least. Daniella had no plans to harm her anymore, but she still felt the occasional surge of jealousy and contempt towards Fiona.
The waitress took their orders (plain pasta for Fiona that she could share with Hewie and a glass of water for Daniella), and left the trio alone. But before she did, a frankly strange interaction occurred.
“Is she a cosplayer or something?” The waitress asked curiously, pointing at Daniella. “We don’t usually see cosplayers around here.”
“Cosplay…?” Daniella tilted her head.
“That’s just her work uniform.” Fiona brushed the waitress off.
The waitress simply shrugged her shoulders and walked to the kitchen. She looked at them like they were outsiders, though. Daniella knew what she was truly thinking about.
“We’re lucky this place let Hewie in.” Fiona sighed, scratching Hewie’s fur behind his ears. “Most of the restaurants back home don’t allow pets.”
“You consider Hewie your pet?” Daniella asked.
“Well, I plan to bring Hewie home with us.” Fiona explained. “I’m not sure if he wants to go back to his home, if he even has one. He had a collar, so he couldn’t have been a stray. Maybe his owners weren’t very kind to him, even before Debilitas captured him.”
Us. That word kept replaying in Daniella’s mind. Us, as in Fiona and Daniella. Fiona truly did want to live with Daniella, despite everything she had done to her.
And Debilitas… he was still in the castle. Maybe one day he would leave, but no one would ever accept him. If he were to escape, the world would shun him.
It made Daniella question if leaving Belli Castle was truly what she should’ve done. What was worse: staying in the place where she was constantly abused and belittled, or entering a world where no one understood what she was?
Well, she supposed she had no way of telling just yet. It had only been a few hours since she escaped. She didn’t exactly have an opinion on it, besides her uncertainty.
“I saw a payphone in the front. I’ll call my aunt after we eat.” Fiona said. “I just have no idea what I’m going to tell her. How can I explain… everything to her?”
Daniella didn’t know how to respond. Hewie simply rested his head on Fiona’s lap, looking up at her. She smiled and began petting him, but Daniella could tell that Fiona still had her own fair share of doubts.
When the waitress delivered their food, Fiona thanked her. It reminded Daniella of how Fiona had done the same for her when she brought her clothes and food. It reminded Daniella of how Riccardo and Lorenzo had never said those words to her before, in all her years rotting away in the castle.
Daniella slowly drank the glass of water, honestly feeling a bit parched, despite the fact that she still couldn’t taste it. It was strange. She never really felt exhaustion before. She supposed she was becoming more human the more time she spent with Fiona. Was that a good thing? Wasn’t that what she was seeking?
She wasn’t certain anymore.
After they finished eating, Fiona paid the tab and walked to the front of the diner with Daniella and Hewie. Fiona reached the payphone and dialed her aunt’s number. That left Daniella and Hewie to their own devices.
Hewie curled up by a bench, as if he was telling Daniella to join him. She truly had nothing else to do, as Fiona was preoccupied. She stiffly sat down, placing her hands on her lap. She truly didn’t know what to do with her hands if she wasn’t carrying a broom or a fire poker. Again, she still felt out of place. She also found it odd that she was being served in the diner, and not the other way around.
Was it possible for her to be more than a maid?
She was brought out of her thoughts once she noticed that Hewie was licking her hand, trying to get her attention. She jerked her hand back a bit too quickly at that. Hewie had never been so friendly with her before. She sighed and slowly outstretched her hand towards him, knowing that he wouldn’t be satisfied until he was pet. Daniella attempted to mimic what she had seen Fiona do in the castle, carefully petting him on the head.
She couldn’t exactly say for certain, but Hewie’s snow-white fur must have been soft. Even if she couldn’t feel, she couldn’t deny the pleasant experience of petting a dog. A small part of her wondered why she hadn’t done such a thing sooner.
Riccardo always killed all the dogs he forced Debilitas to steal from the village. Hewie was the only lucky one.
“I’m happy to see you two are getting along.” Fiona smiled at the sight, placing the telephone back in the receiver.
“What did your aunt say?” Daniella asked, pulling her hand away from Hewie and standing up from the bench
“She’s already planning a flight to Italy.” Fiona explained. “I told her about you and Hewie. She didn’t mind at all. She said we could live with her, too. I’m just worried about Hewie. Can he handle being on a plane? Will you, boy? Will you be on your best behavior?”
Hewie barked in response as Fiona cupped his face in her hands, playfully petting him.
Daniella’s eyes drifted to the road in the distance. Fiona’s aunt had said that all three of them could live with her, that Daniella could live with her.
Perhaps Daniella never would return to the castle, and she felt her stomach churn at the very thought of it.
The motel Fiona had picked was… interesting.
Fiona called her aunt again and told her the motel’s location, informing her that they would wait at the bus stop for her. They checked in for two nights, just in case Fiona’s aunt didn’t make it to the Italian countryside in time. Fiona had told Daniella that a flight to Italy from Ireland was around three to four hours, but actually getting to whatever town they were in would most likely take longer.
It caused Daniella to wonder if the people in the surrounding area and beyond even knew about the existence of Belli Castle. The only visitor Daniella had ever met was Fiona.
The only visitor Daniella had ever met had helped her escape.
The clerk accepted them without question, even if Daniella still received strange looks from the townspeople. They had no problem with Hewie, either. It caused Daniella to wonder if all motels were this accepting, which she highly doubted.
A problem arose, though. The rest of the money from the clothesline could only afford them a room with one bed.
That was how Daniella ended up standing awkwardly in the corner of the motel room, Fiona sitting on the edge of the bed and Hewie fast asleep on the carpeted floor.
The sun had already set at that point. Rain thudded against the glass window of their motel room, the lavender drapes blocking out the moon. Surely everyone in the motel had retired to their beds at that point.
Except for Daniella and Fiona.
She truly had no idea how to feel about sharing a room with Fiona. Would it be best if she waited outside the room, in the hallway? She didn’t want to disturb Fiona. Sharing a room with the homunculus that pursued her so relentlessly back in the castle… that must’ve been comparable to Hell for Fiona. If she was in her shoes, she would’ve hated her.
And yet, Fiona didn’t complain. She still sat on the edge of the bed, combing her hair with a brush she had found in the drawer of the nightstand.
“We should get some rest.” Fiona announced, setting the comb down. “We have a long day tomorrow.”
Fiona looked over at Daniella, a somewhat doubtful expression on her face.
“Do you want to join me?” Fiona asked. “You need sleep too, right? I wanted to ask you about that while we were walking, but I couldn’t find the right time to do it. To be honest, I’m pretty curious about you, Daniella.”
“I do sleep, yes.” Daniella confirmed. “Only for about three or four hours. I had chores to attend to.”
“You don’t have any more chores, though.” Fiona offered. “You can do whatever you want now that you left the castle.”
Daniella could do whatever she wanted. She had abandoned her plans to take Fiona’s Azoth for herself, so what did she truly want?
She glanced at Fiona once more before joining her on the bed, lying over the covers with her hands at her sides, staring up at the ceiling. Fiona folded her hands over her stomach, still wearing the clothes she had stolen from the cabin. They laid there together, listening to the raindrops.
And yet, Daniella still felt her skin crawling.
Daniella couldn’t be silent about this another moment longer.
“Is this… alright with you?” Daniella asked carefully. “Does it bother you?”
“Does what bother me?” Fiona replied, her voice quiet.
“We are sharing a room and a bed.” Daniella explained. “Does that not make you… uncomfortable?”
“No.” Fiona shook her head after some thought. “Not at all. Why would it?”
Daniella laughed at that, genuinely believing that Fiona was playing dumb with her.
“What’s wrong, Daniella?” Fiona frowned. “You’re acting strange.”
“I wish you had left me there.” Daniella said blankly, as if she was the only person in the room.
Honestly, she had forgotten Hewie was with them, still dozing off on the floor.
She was used to being alone. She rarely interacted with Debilitas. Lorenzo and Riccardo only spoke to her when they felt like ordering her around or belittling her.
But Fiona treated her with respect. Care. Something else she couldn’t find the name of.
“What?” Fiona asked.
“I wish you had left me there.” Daniella repeated. “You needn’t fret over me. I belong in the castle, not… here. Such a place isn’t for me. I am unsure of what I want from this world. All I wanted was your Azoth. But now that I have little interest in it, what should I do? What will we do next?”
Daniella wasn’t naive. She knew what she had seen, what she had done. She was unsalvageable. She was a disgrace. She was a monstrosity. Even if Fiona had saved her from Riccardo, Daniella knew that Fiona would never forgive her.
It wasn’t like she wanted her forgiveness, either.
“What happened in the castle… it wasn’t your fault.” Fiona began quietly, as to not wake up Hewie. “Your creator was a horrible man. He hurt you. He hurt me. He hurt… us. I just couldn’t leave you alone there. If I did, I would’ve never forgiven myself.”
Fiona paused, thinking for a moment.
“A part of me is scared of you.” Fiona admitted, causing Daniella’s head to perk up. “But I’m still sure that Riccardo and Lorenzo are the ones to blame. They’re gone now. They’re… dead. They can’t hurt either of us anymore.”
“That is true…” Daniella agreed, even if she was still grappling with the fact that Riccardo and Lorenzo were dead.
She found it difficult to believe. For most of her life, she only knew her creator. He was her world, just as Fiona’s parents were the same to her.
But he always mistreated and abused her, unlike Fiona, her parents showering her with love and gifts, like the precious princess she was. Daniella still harbored resentment and jealousy towards Fiona for that.
But Lorenzo, Riccardo, and Fiona’s parents were gone.
Only Daniella and Fiona remained.
“Plus, you were the first person to show me kindness in the castle.” Fiona said. “You gave me clothes and food. Surely that has to count for something, right?”
“I suppose so.” Daniella replied, recalling when she had sewn Fiona’s outfit in the castle.
The outfit that Riccardo insisted Fiona wear. Reflecting upon it caused an artificial drop of sweat to roll down Daniella’s pale skin.
“We’ll all go live with my aunt.” Fiona reassured, looking at Daniella. “I don’t know if I can return to university. Not after what happened. I don’t know if I’ll ever go outside again unless I have to.”
Daniella understood how Fiona felt. Both of their lives had been completely changed. They would never return to the women they once were.
“I left my garden in the castle.” Daniella lamented. “There is no one to look after the mandragoras anymore.”
“Why don’t you start a new garden when we go home?” Fiona offered.
There it was again, that word. Home. Something so unfamiliar to Daniella, but Fiona wanted her to have. She wanted to stay with her. She wanted to be with her.
And for once, Daniella was oddly content with that.
“I could.” Daniella continued. “If you would join me from time to time…?”
“I would love that, Daniella.” Fiona smiled, a tired look in her blue eyes.
The two women simply looked at each other after that, enjoying the silence and the rain.
Daniella cared for Fiona. She had realized that Fiona cared for her, even if she still struggled to understand why. She was still in disbelief that Fiona had saved her.
Perhaps she couldn’t rot away in Belli Castle any longer. There was no one to order her around anymore. Was there truly more to her existence than being a maid? Could she break away from what she was created for?
Fiona seemed to believe so.
Daniella fell asleep with Fiona at her side that night, wondering what the rest of the world had to offer now that she was finally free.
The next morning, Fiona, Daniella, and Hewie waited at the bus stop, preparing for the arrival of Fiona’s aunt.
Hewie slept on the ground, curling up. Daniella and Fiona sat together on the bench.
Fiona rested her head on Daniella’s shoulder, and she did not flinch.
She knew that they were all broken, but perhaps they could be repaired as time went on.
Daniella was lost, but for the time being, she knew that she belonged with Fiona and Hewie.