Work Text:
Chapter 1
The devils path
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As she awoke, Biene heard the loud clang of a pan hitting the ground, she jolted out of bed and ran to the kitchen, finding her younger sister trying to pick up a pan from the ground, she noticed the basket of eggs and pitcher of salt next to the stove, a stool pressed up against the counter. Biene walked over to the small girl, picking up the pan and placing it on the stove, she turned back to her younger sister.
It was both of her younger sisters' birthdays, so today they'd be making an omelet, a breakfast they only had on special occasions. She had been preparing ingredients all month for this occasion, even going so far as to go to the next town over to grab spinach, which couldn't be grown in this climate, for the omelet, and vanilla extract for a small cake with strawberries and a cream coating that she would bake later while her sisters played outdoors.
¨Do you need help Emily?¨ Biene asks, squatting in front of her, Emily nods, the frown on her face growing to a big grin. ¨I´ll need a helper to crack the eggs, can you help me?¨ Biene says in a playful voice.
¨Yes I can bubba!¨ Emily says vigorously through a big toothy grin.
So biene grabs her sister's hand and guides her to the counter, then goes to grab a bowl, carrots, leeks, spinach, and parsley. ¨Alright my lil Em, I need you to crack 8 eggs into this bowl alright?¨ Biene says, handing the bowl to Emily who nods and starts grabbing eggs and cracking them into the bowl, grabbing out any shells that land in the eggs.
Biene starts cutting up the vegetables, placing the cut ones in with the eggs. Soon, all the eggs had been cracked and Biene was handing Emily a wooden spoon to whisk the eggs while she finished cutting the veggies. Once all the ingredients had been added to the bowl Biene started to pour the contents into the pan, just as her second sister came out from their shared room, ¨Bonjour Marrie, how did you sleep last night?¨ she says, turning her head slightly to the side to look at the small girl walking drowsily towards her.
¨Goo–¨ it looked like she was going to say more but was cut off by a big yawn where she pauses and does a big stretch with it, only to continue forward and hug her older sister around the leg, Biene picks up the girl in one arm and continues to stir the eggs.
¨Em, can you set the table please?¨ Biene asks, looking over to her young sister who had laid down on the ground.
¨ Of course bubba!¨ The girl says, bouncing up, Biene grabs 5 plates and hands them to her, walking to the dining table and placing them in their respective spots, Biene grabs down the glasses and hands them to Emily, who then does the same, returning once again to grab the silverware.
Just as Emily finishes setting the table, Biene's step-father enters the room, Emily runs from the table to her father, hugging his leg, ¨Papa papa, guess what! I got to crack the eggs for the omelet!¨ Looking up at his face, Emily does a big toothy grin at him.
¨Oh really? Well that's kind of Biene to let you help her.¨ he says, in an almost strained voice, glancing at Biene, still cooking at the stove, ¨well then im sure its delicious¨ he says, smiling down at Emily.
Biene looks over to the man, "Good morning Mr. Drogna." Biene says, then goes back to cooking the eggs.
¨Good morning Biene, I assume everything is almost ready for my girls special day¨ he says in a monotone voice.
Biene nods, ¨Of course it is Mr. Drogna, the only thing needed is to make the meals for today, which I have covered sir¨ She says, then turned her attention back to the sister she was holding as she started to ask about something she had learned at school.
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Everyone sat around the table, Emily and Marrie talking over one another about the things they would be doing today, Bienes mother walked out, a bag in each hand, the morning went as it usually did on these special occasions, the girls getting new dresses and each a straw doll, Biene finished eating early and started on the cake for the girls.
Everything had been going well throughout the day, her sisters had been having a great time, and she had even gotten to skip mass this year to help her sisters decorate the backyard, afterward her sisters had convinced her to take them to the river in the woods, they had played there until the sun was just past halfway through the sky, meaning Biene would have to get back in time to start cooking dinner, which she had prepared for, getting steaks from the local butcher and collecting the potatoes she'd grown over winter. For dinner tonight, she would be cooking steaks, making a potato salad, with mashed potatoes and gravy on the side; her sister's favorite dishes.
After her sisters party had ended and she had finished the rest of her chores, Biene had been allowed to go for her evening walk, what she hadn't known was just after she left, the villages high priestess had come to her parents door and demanded they hand her over for convening with the devil and being a witch, stating that she was to be burned at the stake.
Biene wandered the woods for an hour or two, walking along fallen logs, jumping over small creaks, and picking wild berries, it had gotten darker by the time she arrived home, when she walked through the back door, she was immediately grabbed by her step-father, being forced towards the front door, ¨We are finally getting rid of you you vermin. This world will finally be rid of your disgraceful soul.¨ He says in her ear, a smirk falling across his face.
Biene just lets it happen, knowing her chances would only slim the more she resisted, but her step-father stopped just before the door, a small voice coming from behind them, ¨papa, where are you taking bubba?¨ he turns around, looking to see Emily standing in the hallway, his face moves to a fake smile as he moves closer to the little girl, ¨oh dear, me and Biene are just going somewhere, I just need help and she offered, we’ll be back later, dont worry¨ He says in a calming tone, trying to reassure the girl, ¨Why don't you go back to bed?¨ He says, tilting his head to one side, the girl nods and turns around, heading back into her and her sisters room.
Tears almost fell from bienes eyes, she would never get to see them again, but she composed herself, she couldn't show weakness, not right now.
Her step father sighed, ¨You really have caused this family a lot of trouble, she´ll get over it though, it is your fault that she will be sad though, you brought this upon yourself¨ He says, putting on a fake frown she's seen so many times, he continues to the door, opening it and stepping outside into the cold night, ¨you'll be staying in the church till the ceremony is ready, maybe that will give you time to pray to the lord for forgivness.¨ he scowls.
They walk through the town, all their neighbors throw tomatoes at her, yelling vulgar slurs and words at her, loud sounds ringing in her ears, she´s walked to the church, dragged along by her wrist, she's brought inside and thrown into one of the rooms and the door is locked. She gets up from the ground and sits in the corner, tears start to fall from her eyes once she's finally alone, gods she didn't want to die.
Biene didn't want to leave her sisters alone, she didn't want to have to run, she had been able to survive here, but she supposed she'd never be able to thrive, never able to actually LIVE while she was here. She wouldn't get to see her sisters ever again… oh gods, Emily and Marrie, how would this affect them, they would be devastated, who would help them with their work, who would comfort them when mother came back drunk and yelling, who would be there for them when she was gone? Biene buries her head in her hands, tears fall quicker down her face, curling her knees up to her chest, choked sobs come from her as she shivers in the room.
A bell chimes somewhere above her, calling everyone to the church for the burning, Biene knew that that meant they would be coming to get her soon, so she composed herself, taking in deep breaths, they wouldn't get to see that they had gotten to her, that she had been vulnerable. She blinks the spots from her eyes as the door to the room clicks and opens, a man holding a lantern walks in and pulls her off the ground by the wrist, dragging her out the door and out into the main hall of the church… the ceremony was about to begin.
Biene was walked down the aisle, every adult from the town stared at her, scowls on their faces. She was placed down on the pedestal and bound, her mouth gagged and hands and feet bound, she was stripped and put into a white gown. ¨We gather here today to witness the burning of Biene Corvus Roveshnal, She has been found guilty by the church for walking the devil's path, worshiping him and following his practices, bringing a plague and bad omen to the Drogna household.¨ The priestess announced to the room, she was then lead to the water bath on the side of the hall, she was placed in and forced under, she held her breath till she was let out again, she could hear the priestess saying words but wasn't paying attention to any of them, she was brought out again and let get another breath before being pushed under again, being brought up once more for air then being pushed under for the third and final time.
She was dragged out of the water and brought back to the pedestal, the priestess started spewing a prayer, then she was brought down to her knees, and the bounds where cut off, she felt a blade come to her arms, them bandaged up, the pain flaring up and down her whole body. She's forced to stand and walk past the aisles and out the door, every one following. Her one thought throughout this,
´ I'm not going to die today´