Summary: Alcina Dimitrescu is blessed with three beautiful daughters to call her own. It takes blood, sweat, and tears to raise the girls alongside having to deal with the rest of her peculiar little ‘family’. But when a jealous Mother Miranda tasks her with every mother’s greatest nightmare, will Alcina have to disobey her in order to protect her daughters?
Chapter: 2/8
Word count: 5.074
< Chapter 1
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December 23rd, 1957
It’s been over a week since I took the girls under my care.
They’ve been nothing but obedient and endearing. And their mental growth has been remarkable! Their vocabulary expanded to the point you can barely imagine they struggled to formulate full sentences up until a few days ago.
I speculate they kept all their physical abilities after the Cadou transformation and only lost their memories. I don’t think they’ll ever regain it, but I will replace them with new ones.
When I called Mother Miranda she told me to continue
observing them.
I’m not sure how she might respond if I tell her I want to foster the girls.
I will just have to carry that uncertainty with me
until the next meeting.
That’s when I will ask her.
Lady Dimitrescu paused her hand so she could read over it once more. She was not looking forward to that particular family meeting. Especially not because she was going to have to discuss something so personal in front of all her ‘siblings’. But she knew it was the only moment Mother Miranda would be willing to talk. If that was what it took to get the girls to be hers, so be it.
Taking a sip from her wine, she dipped the quill in a little pot of ink and continued her diary entry:
The girls have developed a lot. Both Cassandra and Daniela have gotten better manners, but I still have to remind them about it often.
Especially the eldest, Bela, has improved a lot. She has a strong sense of responsibility for her sisters. I’m glad for that. Even though I love them dearly, it’s relieving to have her watch them for me sometimes.
‘’Mother! Mother!’’
Before she even got to finish writing that sentence, two of the mentioned girls burst through the door which swung against the wall with a loud bang. They ran behind the chair Lady Dimitrescu was sitting on and crouched down so they could hide behind their mother’s form. This was the perfect hiding spot. After all, mother would protect them.
Alcina held back a sigh. So much for one moment of peace and quiet. She looked down at Bela and Daniela, who were staring at the opened door from under the armrests. ‘’What are you girls up to?’’
‘’Cassandra is ‘It’!’’ Daniela exclaimed excitedly.
So that explained why they had forgotten the house rule of ‘no running in the halls.’ Cassandra was the most skilled when it came to agility and often convinced her sisters to let her chase them in a game of tag. They loved playing it, but it never took very long for her to catch them.
‘’I see. And you’re willing to sacrifice your own mother and use her as a living shield? You’re breaking my heart.’’ Alcina teased, acting out her obvious sarcasm by placing a hand on her chest like a sad mother would.
‘’We wouldn’t do that!’’ Bela said, staring up at her apologetically.
Daniela didn’t respond, she was too focused on keeping her eyes on the only entrance to the room. Cassandra could pounce on them at any moment. Even if mother was with them, it wouldn’t stop her. ‘’We need to find a better hiding spot.’’
Alcina said nothing, even though she had long since noticed the swarm of flies crawling along the ceiling. Daniela got up from behind the chair to sneak out of the room, only for her sister to dive from above and transform right behind her.
‘’Rawr!’’
Daniela shrieked and pushed the brunette away from her.
‘’Cassandra! No fair!’’ She wailed. Cassandra hollered with maniacal laughter as she continued to chase her in a circle around the room. They were running like headless chickens, bumping into furniture and nearly knocking over a lamp.
Alcina just shook her head and placed down the quill before they would run into her desk and mess up her handwriting. ‘’Do you girls never get tired?’’ She mused.
Bela seemed to completely abandon the game and she dropped her arms onto her mother’s desk to rest her head on them. Cassandra was too busy keeping Daniela in a headlock to bother chasing her now anyway. Mother was right; they were always bustling about and getting themselves into trouble. But she wasn’t like her younger siblings. She understood Mother must be tired, so instead she was going to be obedient and calm.
When Alcina noticed her daughter staring at her sweetly, she smiled and gave her a pat on the head. It made Bela giggle. She was the most moderate of the three, so she cherished any and every moment Mother gave her attention whenever the other two weren’t there to steal it away.
Alcina made sure to give each of them an equal amount of affection. But she would be lying if she said it wasn’t hard. The last week had left her exhausted. Normally she would spend her days alone; occupying herself with a task for Mother Miranda or enjoying one of her hobbies. Now all her free time was put towards her daughters. Keeping them in check and taking care of their basic needs. They had grown a lot, but they still hung around her like clingy monkeys.
Or maybe flies circling around a lamppost would be a better comparison.
Either way, she didn’t get much time to herself nowadays. Lady Dimitrescu didn’t mind for the most part, she loved them and wanted nothing more than to be around them. But there were moments she wished she could have a little bit of privacy. Like on those first few days; they wouldn’t even let her go to the bathroom alone!
Not to mention the number of times one of them stood at her bed in the middle of the night. It was a different reason every time: they had a nightmare or this branch was constantly ticking against the bedroom window. One time Daniela came in bawling her eyes out because ‘Bela had kicked her out of bed.’
It was truly exhausting. But Lady Dimitrescu knew beforehand that the life of a mother was never a quiet one. She was willing to put up with it all, out of love for her daughters. Even if it did take all her patience and energy to keep doing so.
But she was reminded how much it was worth it whenever she watched them play and learn. Or when they proudly showed her a drawing they made. Or when she tucked them into bed every night and watched their cute little faces as they fell asleep. She was so very proud of them.
‘’Stop it, that’s cheating!’’ Daniela’s high voice suddenly pierced through the room. She broke free from Cassandra’s clutches so she could turn towards her mother to yell even louder: ‘’MOTHER! CASSANDRA IS CHEATING.’’
“No, I’m not!”
Alcina closed her eyes as she suppressed a sigh. Still… just one night of undisturbed sleep. That would be nice.
‘’No fighting, girls.’’ She warned, not even bothering to turn around. Her tone of voice was enough to get them to stop wrestling.
Bela poked at the crimson glass on the desk, causing it to wobble dangerously on its thin balanced foot. ‘’What is this, mother?’’
‘’This?’’ She picked it up before Bela would knock it over. The girl nodded. ‘’This is called wine, my dear.’’
‘’Oo, can I have some?’’
‘’Absolutely not.’’ Lady Dimitrescu said sternly. She lifted her chin up in a decisive manner, making sure her daughter understood there was no room for argument.
But that still didn’t stop Bela from giving her best pouty-face. ‘’Why not?’’
‘’Because it’s a drink for adults. You’re not an adult yet, so you cannot have any.’’
‘’I am an adult!’’ The blonde girl protested. ‘’You always tell me I’ve grown so big!’’
Clever girl, Alcina thought with a chuckle. Her daughter’s wit never failed to amuse her. ‘’You’re very grown indeed. But not enough to have alcohol.’’ She explained, letting her hand ruffle through the girl’s blonde hair.
Bela just sighed in defeat. When Mother says no, it’s a no. But she felt her own throat go dry as she watched her finish the wine with a last tip of the glass. She just hoped she would become an adult soon so Mother would let her taste it.
‘’Mother, I’m hungry.’’ The girl then grumbled, letting her head fall back dramatically against Lady Dimitrescu’s arm.
‘’I’m sure dinner will be ready soon, my dear.’’
‘’But I don’t want dinner…’’
That made Lady Dimitrescu look down at her daughter.
“Of course.” She smiled, immediately understanding what the girl meant by it. It had been a few days since got them their last drink, so it wasn’t surprising she was asking for more. ‘’How about we go get you something then?’’
Bela clapped her hands together in excitement. “Yes please!”
Lady Dimitrescu turned to the other two. ‘’Come along now, daughters. I believe it’s time for some refreshment.’’
Cassandra and Daniela, who were roughhousing on the carpet, stopped in the middle of their game and jumped up to follow Lady Dimitrescu out of the room. Daniela immediately went for Mother’s hand to hold while she walked them down to the cellar. She normally didn’t take them below the castle. They only ever saw her come from the wine cellar with a fresh new bottle, always decorated with those silver flowers.
That was until four days ago when Alcina found her loving children sinking their teeth into the flesh of a dead maiden. She had quite literally been torn apart on their bedroom floor. The girl had been unfortunate enough to walk in on them when the Dimitrescu girls felt a sudden, ravenous craving for blood. They jumped her, her cries of pain ending quickly in a gurgle of blood as sharp teeth slid right through her throat. Once the maid stopped struggling, they crouched down around the body like a pack of feasting wolves.
Alcina felt a little taken back when she found them like that, drinking from the bloodied corpse. Once she realized what had happened, she blamed herself for not realizing sooner her children required human blood to function like she does. She had noticed their increased hunger in those past few days but didn’t think much of it, assuming they were just going through a growth spurt. Now she regretted not acting on it sooner and losing a maid that would otherwise have made a lovely bottle of Sanguis Virginis.
She got the girls to clean up the mess themselves before taking them down to the wine cellar so she could fully satisfy their thirst.
They took the same route now, passing by her personal wine storage and down the stairs to the dungeon. Bela and Cassandra ran up ahead with Daniela and Lady Dimitrescu walking after them, as she was slowed down from having to keep her head low in the cramped hallway. Their giggles echoed off the damp walls and their running footsteps splashed through the puddles.
Once they made it to the bottom of the stairs, Daniela let go of her mother’s hand and walked towards one of the locked cells. She grabbed onto the iron bars and squeezed her head between them, the cold metal pressing into her cheeks. Hidden in a dark corner sat a girl, pressed up against the wall. Her arms were tied together in metal shackles above her head. The maid outfit she wore was dirtied and her eyes stood dull.
She barely even reacted when a hyped Cassandra ran up to the cell, curious what her little sister was looking at. ‘’Who’s that?’’
Alcina walked up behind them and turned them away. ‘’Don’t bother yourselves with her. I’m just keeping her here for a little while until I make my next batch of wine.’’
The girls obediently followed her to a small room further down the hall. Wooden barrels were stacked up against the wall and a small puddle of red had gathered underneath them from earlier spillage. Lady Dimitrescu picked up three tankards and filled each of them with the juices from a tap in one of the barrels. She stored some pure blood away for later use whenever she had to get rid of any maidens early on. It had been processed slightly, but there were no traces of alcohol. It was perfect to help quench her daughters’ thirst.
They took the beakers with gratitude and gulped down the sweet-tasting blood. They drank vigorously and gasping for air between swallows. Alcina sighed and retrieved a napkin. She crouched down to their level so she could wipe the corner of their mouths. ‘’Come on, darling daughters. Why do you always make such a mess?’’
‘’Sorry mother.’’ Murmured Daniela as Alcina roughly rubbed away at the bloodstain on her lips.
Bela quickly wiped her own mouth clean with her sleeve, but Alcina noticed and gave her a disapproving side glance. Bela tittered apologetically and quickly dropped her hand, knowing mother disliked it whenever they acted ‘unlady-like.’
Cassandra finished her portion and placed down her cup with a satisfied ‘’aaahh.’’
Lady Dimitrescu folded the napkin in her hands and stood back up. ‘’Go back upstairs now. I think dinner should be ready. I’m going to do some work, we can’t let fresh blood go stale.’’ She looked from the corner of her eye at the sound of rattling chains. She could make out the shaking form of the maiden in the shadows. Poor thing must have heard her. She could smell her fear from here.
Lady Dimitrescu wasted no more time and gave her daughters a small push in the back. ‘’Get a move on, girls. Come on. I’ve got work to do.’’
All three of them made their way back upstairs. They went to the dining room where a couple servants had already set up the dinner table. They sat down together at the same side of the enormously long surface. Cassandra already went for a bread roll despite the usual customs and Bela gave a disapproving glare. ‘’Mother would say you’d have to wait.’’
“But Mother isn’t here right now,” Cassandra said as she took a large bite. ‘’Besides, she would tell you to not keep your elbows on the table.’’
Bela gave an exaggerated sigh and leaned out further. ‘’Whatever.’’
A bunch of maids came and went from the kitchens. They placed down multiple dishes, all served in beautiful silver or bronze pots and bowls. One of them filled their glasses with clear water and another used a large spoon to prepare the soup. Daniela held up her nose at the sight of a tray with steaming green sprouts being placed near her. The smell was terrible. ‘’Ugh, I’m not eating that crap.’’
‘’They’re not that bad.’’ Said Bela as she watched the maid put a spoonful on her plate. Daniela just stuck her tongue out at her.
The same girl took another portion and lobbed it on Daniela’s plate. With one swift motion, the mistress grabbed her knife and slashed the maiden right across the face. She fell to the floor with a cry, her hands covering her features.
‘’I said I didn’t want any!’’
Cassandra gasped and her lips curled into a devilish grin. ‘’I’m telling Mother you did that!’’
‘’No you won’t!’’ Daniela spat as she turned to her sister sitting next to her. Her grip around the now blooded dinner knife tightened threateningly.
The maid on the floor tried to keep in her sobs as she quickly rushed back to the kitchens. The rest of them stood silently by the door, afraid to react in case one of them would become the next victim. None of the Dimitrescu girls paid it any mind as the two sisters toed each other up. ‘’Don’t be a snitch!’’
Cassandra held up both hands in surrender. ‘’Okay, okay. Calm down.’’
She sat back in her chair, acting like she completely gave up on the idea. Daniela relaxed enough to sit down as well and slammed the knife back on the table. Right at that moment, Cassandra dashed from her chair and burst into a swarm of flies so she could quickly slip under the door.
‘’You liar! I’m going to kill you!’’ Daniela screamed as she ran after her. Their yelling quickly fading in the distance as they raced to be the first one to find Lady Dimitrescu.
Bela only shook her head. She was in no mood to go after them and scold them for their misbehavior. They would listen better to Mother anyways. She felt responsible for them but no way in hell was she going to babysit them all the time. She had completely lost her appetite by now and frustratingly pushed her plate to the side.
‘’I’m not hungry. Clean up this mess.’’ She ordered grumpily. The maids said nothing and obeyed. They had spent hours preparing the meal, but no one was going to protest after what they had just witnessed. They kept their heads low and did what was asked.
Bela shoved her chair to the window where she sat down to stare outside. The soft background noise of plates and streaming water coming from the kitchen lulled her into a relaxing daydream. Popping her arms onto the windowsill, she watched the fluffy snowflakes falling from the grey clouded sky. It was such a beautiful scene; with the castle’s dark towers peaking up high above as if they pierced right through the atmosphere, cutting it open to let the snow fall out like the fillings of a pillow.
Her peaceful trance was interrupted by Cassandra coming back in through the double doors. Bela didn’t look up, even when her sister loudly dragged another chair from the dining table and took a seat next to her with an audible grunt, crossing her arms.
‘’And? What happened?’’
‘’Nothing. You know how Mother is. That brat can get away with anything.’’ Cassandra scoffed. Daniela had once again managed to talk her way out of trouble. Nothing fun ever happened in this boring castle. She put her feet against the wall and leaned back so her chair was balancing on its two rear legs.
‘’Yeah, Mother never really gets mad.’’ Bela smiled a little. She and her sisters often caused quite a bit of trouble. They sometimes broke a vase or spilled food on the carpet. But Mother never raised her voice at them. Even after they killed one of the maids, she didn’t seem to be too upset about it. Sure, Mother corrected them often enough and they had to clean up all that blood by themselves. But would that mean she’s too strict? Bela didn’t think so.
Cassandra sighed and closed her eyes as she rocked back and forth in her chair. ‘’I swear I’m going to lose it if I have to spend one more day with all of you in here.’’ She said.
Bela knew that in reality Cassandra didn’t mean that. They got along quite well, even if the three of them did get into fights every once in a while. Mother always said it’s normal for sisters to bicker with each other, as long as they always made up in the end. But Bela had to admit she sometimes felt the same way. No matter how big the castle, it still felt cramped at times with two crazy sisters and nowhere else to go.
She pressed a finger against the cold glass of the window. ‘’I wish we could go outside.’’
Suddenly she noticed a bright blue color pop-up in the garden surrounding the courtyard. It was the petals of a flower, the kind she had never seen before. Despite the layers of snow, it had managed to sprout and bloom. It completely stood out against the whites and greys of the rest of the outside world and Bela’s eyes lit up with a sparkle as it gave her an idea. ‘’I know something fun! Let’s get mother a gift.’’
‘’A gift?’’ Cassandra said, cracking open one eye as she watched her suddenly enthusiastic sister get up from her chair.
‘’Yes! She does so much for us and deals with us every day. Especially you and Daniela.’’ She mutters quickly, receiving a narrowed-eyed look from her sibling. Bela just ignored it and moved in front of the door to the courtyard. ‘’Flowers are nice. I’ll get her one as a gift.’’
Cassandra raised an eyebrow at that. ‘’Mother said we can’t go outside.’’
‘’As if you always listen to everything Mother says,“ Bela grumbled. The dark-haired girl, who remained seated by the window, only gave a shrug. That was a fair point.
Turning away from her sister, Bela closed her hand around the doorknob. ‘’I’ll be fast. Just don’t try to snitch on me like you do with Daniela, understood?’’
With that, Bela determinedly turned the knob and swung the door open. A rush of cold air and snow swooped into the room. It lifted and fluttered her dress in a swift motion, illuminating her body in the late daylight, as if it was greeting her brightly. Even that one gush of wind already sent a shiver down Cassandra’s spine. Before she could mention it, Bela had already stepped outside and closed the doors behind her.
As she basked in the revelation of the outside, she felt the sharp cold prickle her skin like little knives. The wind howled around the castle towers far above her head. Small snowflakes swirled down into the courtyard, landing on her black clothes. Bela focused on the blue flower, dancing between the white-covered bushes only a couple feet away. Cassandra watched from the window how she cautiously took a couple steps on the slippery, icy tiles.
Another gush of wind blew hard in her face. The hood flew back from her head, setting her golden locks free to be pulled and pushed and twisted in all directions before the wind set down once more.
It was so cold.
Bela felt her breath waver, a cloud escaping from her lips. Her face, which at first stood so excited and confident, tensed up in discomfort as a sharp pain stabbed into her chest. She lifted her hands and looked at them. They were shaking violently and her skin turned sickly pale from the frost. Dead flies fell from her form, gathering in a circle around her on the ground.
‘’My… body…’’
She gasped. Shivered. Then lifted her head. Her vision tunneling on the now blurry bit of blue in the garden. She was so close. If she could just get a little bit further. She tried to take another step, only to sink through her knees and fall to the ground.
From within the castle, Cassandra was forced to watch helplessly as her sister fell into the snow. ‘’Bela!’’
She wasn’t getting up. Cassandra immediately turned around and ran to her mother’s bedroom. ‘’Mother! Mother!’’ She cried out.
Lady Dimitrescu had just been brushing through Daniela’s hair as her second daughter burst into the room. She looked up annoyed, expecting another cheap excuse for the rude interruption. But Cassandra didn’t skip a beat to explain.
‘’Mother!’’ She panted. ‘’It’s Bela. She’s outside!’’
Alcina froze, her eyes widening in horror. It caused her to drop the hairbrush which clattered to the floor. She got up and ran past her daughter to get to the courtyard as fast as she could. Never before had she literally pulled up her dress above her feet to sprint down the stairs, ducking hastily under the doorframes to the dining room.
The girls followed after her, but as Lady Dimitrescu slammed open the outside doors, Cassandra stopped and held her sister back by holding out an arm in front of her. Daniela was about to give her a pissed-off glare but stopped dead when she saw the horrified look on her sister’s face. Cassandra could already feel the biting cold from here. They couldn’t risk going out there and have the same thing end up happening to them. There was nothing they could do.
Lady Dimitrescu rushed over the girl shivering on the garden path. ‘’Oh Bela. It’s alright, it’s alright, I’m here.’’ Alcina panicked as she scooped her daughter up in her arms. The girl whimpered and tremored. She quickly brought her back inside.
‘’Get blankets and hot water. Quickly.’’ She commanded to her girls who each gave a nod before disappearing into a swarm of flies. Lady Dimitrescu dropped down onto the couch in front of the fireplace, wrapping her arms tightly around the freezing girl. Bela buried her face in her mother’s neck, choking on her own sobs. You could hear the pain in her voice.
‘’Sshhh. Don’t cry, my dear. It’s going to be alright.’’ Lady Dimitrescu comforted. She rubbed the girl’s shoulders to warm them and brought her dead cold fingers to her lips to blow hot air between them. Her body was shivering so badly.
‘’Here mother.’’ Daniela appeared beside her holding a heap of rumbled blankets. She helped wrap them tightly around her sister. Then Cassandra appeared shortly after, contributing another two blankets which Lady Dimitrescu hastily pulled over Bela’s shaking form.
Cassandra felt her heart tighten up at the soft, muffled cries of her sister. This was bad, really bad. Even mother couldn’t fully hide her panic. She tried to keep calm and comfort her child, but you could see the absolute dread in her eyes.
Was she….. was she going to die?
The dark-haired girl perked up at the sound of the doors opening. A maid had come in to bring an old-fashioned heating pad filled with hot boiled water like Miss Casandra had ordered her to do when she ran into her in the hall.
The Dimitrescu daughter ran up to her and pulled it out of the maiden’s hands. The poor girl stood confused, peaking around at the Mistress who was sitting in the middle of the room with one of her daughters cradled in her arms. ‘’Is Miss Bela alright?’’
‘’SHUT UP! GET OUT!’’ Cassandra screamed. The maiden stepped back with her hands raised between them defensively. It was probably best for her to go before Miss Cassandra would completely lose her mind, so she did without saying another word.
Cassandra flew back over to the couch and handed her mother the heater, which she placed between the blankets. Bela had not yet stopped shaking though. She looked like she was in absolute agony, gritting her teeth and trying to hold in the hiccups between her sobs. She was trying to stay strong in front of her sisters, or maybe she was in so much pain she couldn’t even cry. Cassandra didn’t know which of the two it was. But she hated it and it hurt having to see her sister like that.
‘’I-it’s my fault. I should have done something, I should have stopped her-’’
Her rant was instantly cut short as Lady Dimitrescu gently took her by the arm. ‘’It’s not your fault, Cassandra.’’
The girl pursed her lips and turned her head away. She knew Mother didn’t blame her. Yet, she couldn’t shake the feeling that she could’ve done something to prevent this. She knew there had to be a reason Mother always told them that to stay inside and keep the windows shut. It all made sense now.
A tear managed to escape from her tightly closed eyes and rolled down her cheek. Alcina moved her hand to wipe it from her face before pulling her closer. Cassandra gave in and let herself drop onto the couch with them. She buried her face into the blankets and cried. ‘’Bela…’’
Daniela joined them, placing her hand at her sister’s side. ‘’Is she going to be alright, Mother?’’
That question struck Lady Dimitrescu a lot harder than she would’ve liked for it to show. She looked down at the pale girl in her arms; Bela’s face stood pained to the point she couldn’t even open her eyes. But she was strong. Alcina knew she was strong. She was going to be alright. She had to be. ‘’She’s going to be fine. Don’t worry.’’
And so she sat with her by the fire, all night long. Even after she had sent the other two to bed, Alcina stayed on that couch and kept Bela close. She cuddled her, stroked her hair and kissed her forehead and whispered her words of comfort whenever she whimpered. After a while, her sobbing finally stopped. And eventually, the shivering did too. She didn’t feel as cold anymore.
But Lady Dimitrescu stayed in that position for even longer. She had to get her daughter warm. She kept her eyes on the fireplace, making sure the flames didn’t die out.
It was then that Bela spoke, very quietly and with a lot of effort. ‘’Mother?’’
Alcina looked down at her, brushing one of her blonde hairs out of her face. ‘’Yes, my darling. I’m here.’’
Bela had trouble forcing a swallow, her breathing slow and difficult. She couldn’t even keep her eyes open well, still fighting back the pain from when she’d stepped outside into the cold. ‘’I just… wanted to get you a flower… I wanted to get you something nice. I’m sorry.’’
Alcina gave her a sad smile. To think she’d almost risked her life for a small thing such as that. She was still a child; she hadn’t known any better, but still. ‘’It’s alright Bela. Come now, you need to rest.’’
Bela stared up at her from under her tired eyelids. ‘’Will you stay with me?’’
‘’Of course. I won’t go anywhere. I’m right here with you, sweetheart. Always.’’
Bela managed a weak smile. She was exhausted. But knowing her mother was with her, she knew she was safe. Everything was going to be alright. She cuddled into her embrace and slowly fell back asleep.
Alcina gave her one last kiss. She held her close, reminding herself with every stroke through her hair that her daughter was with her, that she was alive. She was safe now. She was going to be alright.
She loved her daughters more than anything in the world and the thought of how bad that little accident could have ended made her shudder.
Losing her children…
That would be her absolute worst nightmare.
Author’s Note:
Yeessss. It’s here. I really enjoyed writing this, even though I found it surprisingly hard to do write! It was so fun to explore the kind of everyday life Lady D and her daughters go through. A little bit of angst at the end there as well, because as mentioned in the tags: the Village is not a happy place. XD
If you’re curious, I’m assuming the mental age of the girls at this point in the story is somewhere around 7-10 years old, but with a bit more vocabular advancement than kids of that age would have. They are technically adults in this story, but because they lost all their memories (as mentioned at the beginning of this chapter) they have to relearn everything. But because their bodies have already gone through this, growing up before while they were human, it’s a sped up process.
The reason Bela didn’t just go back inside the moment she felt the cold damaging her body, is because as a child you often don’t fully grasp the sense of danger or are consciously aware of pain. When I was very young I once grabbed a tray of freshly baked cookies right out of the oven with my bare hands! I didn’t even realize it hurt until my mother suddenly rushed over to me in a panic. Same thing is happening here with Bela, she doesn’t realize what’s going wrong until it’s too late. Luckily Lady Dimitrescu is a very good mommy and she came to rescue her just in time.
Because truly, her worst nightmare would to be to lose her children.
And we all know how that went in the game haha. Absolute P A I N
Thanks for that Ethan :)
I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Please feel free to reshare and review. Share me your thoughts! It’s a big motivator and I like hearing from you guys.
Until the next one,
~Pie