"Mother?" Daniela called, glancing around the Matriarch's bedroom, her head poked between the door and the frame. A noise

“Mother?” Daniela called, glancing around the Matriarch’s bedroom, her head poked between the door and the frame.

A noise came from the bed, followed by the rustling of the sheets, and the youngest stepped inside, gazing at the bed.

“Mother? May I come in?”

Alcina stirred again, one eye opened as she gazed towards the door and the small voice that spoke from beside it. She hummed in response, her golden eye blinking, before she moved the quilt aside and patted the space beside her on the bed.

“Of course, little dove… Come here.” She spoke, her voice still powerful although it was just a whisper.

The youngest of the Dimitrescu daughters closed the door behind her before moving to the bed, crawling up beside Alcina before sitting at her mother’s side.

“What troubles you, little one?” Alcina questioned, gazing up at Daniela with furrowed brows. “Is it the storm outside?”

Daniela hummed in response, grabbing the edge of the quilt and fiddling with the fabric between her fingers. Alcina, sensing her daughter’s discomfort, wrapped her arm around her waist and pulled her down, pressing the young one’s back against her chest, holding her close as a clap of thunder echoed outside.

“I hate thunder…” Daniela whimpered, curling closer to Alcina. “It’s so loud… And it hurts my ears…”

Alcina gave a small chuckle before pressing a kiss to the back of Daniela’s head, reaching down to pull the quilt up over the girl’s body.

“Then stay here with me, little dove… You need rest.” Alcina breathed, her head returning to her pillow as her hold on Daniela tightened just a little more, though not enough to cause the young woman any discomfort. “Listen to my heartbeat, darling one… Let it sooth you.”

Daniela curled closer to Alcina, turning her head just slightly so that her ear was pressed against Alcina’s chest, listening to the gentle thrum of her heart. Alcina began to hum a gentle lullaby, her voice low and strong, while the study vibration in her chest soothed Daniela closer to the cusp of sleep.

When thunder once more clapped in the night sky, Alcina was quick to sooth her daughter once more, keeping her close to her body, increasing the volume of her humming.

The sound of swarms came from outside the door, and she smiled, calling the other girls in when they knocked.

Bela flew to her other side, while Cassandra curled up against Daniela, pressing her face into her sister’s red hair, trying to drown out the sound of the storm.

“Alright, my little ones… Settle in. Pull the quilt up.”

The girls did as instructed, burying themselves in the soft comfort of the quilt.

Alcina wrapped all three of them up in her arms, pressing a kiss to each of their heads, before resuming her lullaby once more.

Each girl slowly drifted off to sleep.

Bela was the first, her face pressed against Alcina’s side, wrapped in the safety of their mother’s arms.

Cassandra was the second to doze off, her eyes drifting shut as Alcina gently stroked her hair with her free hand, soothing the young woman until she could no longer stay awake.

Daniela was the last the drift to sleep, her hands clutching the front of Alcina’s nightgown, forehead pressed against their mother’s chest, listening to the gentle song she hummed for them. When her eyes finally drifted shut, Alcina smiled, continuing the song she hummed until it drifted off at the end.

She held them closer to her, allowing her own eyes to finally drift shut as the fire continued to dance in the hearth.