Chapter Text
Your lungs burned with the exertion of running for your life. Your panicked gasps for air weren't the only thing you could hear. You could hear her. Her giggling and cackling right behind you. You could hear flies swarming and you felt them nipping at your heels.
“What's the matter? Don’t you want to play with me?” Lady Daniela Dimitrescu’s voice sang out. Her manic laughter filled your veins with pure dread. “There's nowhere to run off to! Nowhere to hide, little mouse!” She cackled again.
You kept running as fast as you could. The burning of your lungs and the pain in your legs did nothing to slow you down. You turned down another hallway, almost hitting the wall as you fled down it. The maid who was cleaning the vases startled at your sudden appearance. You saw her eyes widen in fright as she noticed Daniela hot on your trail. She gasped as you sped past her, then screamed as the red headed daughter careened right into her. You didn’t look back as you could hear the screams as Daniela Dimitrescu tore into the maid, laughing maniacally as she ripped her limb from limb. She had forgotten all about you, it seemed.
You knew you shouldn’t have stuck your nose where it did not belong. You went and snooped through the hidden passageways, and found out more then you ever wanted to: how the Matriarch of Castle Dimitrescu made her infamous wine. You knew that whoever was sent down to the basement never made it back alive, but you had no idea that they were used for that. Slaughtered and drained of blood and stuffed into barrels. If only Lady Daniela didn’t find you down there. You barely made it out of the basement without suffering a sickle to the face.
If you could somehow get outside, perhaps you could climb the iron gate and escape into the forest. Maybe you could even make it into the village and get help for everyone else trapped inside the castle. The diary you found mentioned that the Dimitrescu daughters were intolerant to the cold. If you could make it outside, you would be safe from them.
You reached the foyer and practically flung yourself down the grand stairway, nearly tripping as you went. You could see the large ornate doors that blocked your path to the outside world.
Twenty feet from the doors.
Ten feet
You let out a sob as you closed in, just mere inches from the handles. You just had to reach them, and you would be free. You didn’t care about anything else.
Just as your hand was about to touch the handle, the door slammed open. You let out a startled yelp of shock as you took a few steps back, barely missed being clipped, in disbelief at what was unfolding in front of your very eyes.
Lady Dimitrescu stepped through the doorway. Blocking your escape. Blocking the way to freedom. Her monstrous form cast a shadow over your tiny frame. She was larger than life itself in that very moment. Her inhumane golden gaze swept over you with an air of superiority that was wholly deserved. You felt as if you were a mere ant standing next to a dragon. She adjusted her large brimmed hat as her red painted lips turned up into a smile that made you quake in fear.
“My, my. What do we have here?” Her voice was as cruel and musical as it always was. “Don’t tell me you thought your little escape attempt would actually work, now did you?” She chuckled, the sound reverberating deep in her chest.
You couldn’t help but take another step back, but you didn’t get far. Her hand stuck out, faster than what you could comprehend, and wrapped itself around your throat. She lifted you up as if you barely weighed more than a kitten. You choked and sputtered, grasping her wrist in your own hands, trying to elevate the pressure she had on your neck. Tears were flowing freely now. You were so close, only to fail at the very end. You would die here at her hands. You couldn’t help but think on how unfair it was that you made it this far.
The Lady hummed as she turned your body this way and that, not at all concerned that your air was being slowly cut off. She looked closely at your face. Golden eyes met blue, apparently searching for something in them. She must have found whatever she was looking for because she smiled even wider and then nodded.
“Yes. I think you will do nicely." She hummed. She didn’t comment further as her grip tightened. Not hard enough to snap your neck like you knew she so easily could, but enough to slowly choke the life out of you.
Darkness had begun to seep into the edges of your vision. Little black spots danced across your eyes but still you could see the gold gleam of Lady Dimitrescu’s gaze as you started to pass out. The sounds of your choking were starting to fade from your ears, but you could still hear her chuckling as she watched you fade out from existence. You couldn’t breathe. Your lungs had no more air in them. It was over. Your last thought before you faded completely was that at least this was a better death than what was in store in the girls in the basement.
You always assumed that death was nothing but darkness and silence. A forever sleep. While your death was indeed dark, it wasn’t as silent as you expected. It started off slowly at first, but you could always tell that something was there. Speaking to you. You could never make out the words, but something was speaking to you. You weren't sure why, but it brought you little comfort in your darkness.
Over time, the words became louder and clearer. You still couldn’t understand, but they were soothing. It comforted you in your loneliness. The something would speak to you a lot. Or it a someone? Whoever or whatever it was, it spoke to you in a manner you felt yourself craving. It always was so soft and beautiful, and left you wanting more. It eased the pain of your passing and your grief over how pitiful and lonely your life was when you were alive. You felt sadness when the voice went away; the relief when it came back was impalpable. You couldn't get enough of it.
It felt like months later when you began losing the memories that you had. It became harder and harder to remember who you used to be. You could hardly recall your childhood. Flashes here and there. Working in the bitter cold till your fingers were numb. Trying so hard to be worthy of someone else, and the shame for failing them. Resentment of being compared to another’s achievements and disappointment for not being able to match them. Trying to sleep on an empty stomach and the pain keeping you up all night long. Even the memory of your death was difficult to recall. You knew it was terrible and frightening, and that you failed at accomplishing something. Were you being chased before your death? You recalled your lungs were struggling to get enough air in. It had hurt. Gods… it was so hard to think.
It felt like years until words were comprehensible. You could have cried with joy if you still had the ability to when the soothing voice came back, told you that you were doing fine and progressing nicely and that they couldn't wait to meet you. That they couldn't wait for you to wake up and join them. You weren't sure what they meant by that, but you were happy. So happy that someone who brought you joy in your little darkness wanted to meet you. You weren't sure how you would wake up, you were dead after all, but you so very much wanted to join them. You wanted to please them.
“Your sisters and I are so excited to finally meet you. It has been so long since we had a little one running around the hallways.” The voice sounded beautiful and feminine. Deep, but lilting. You were absolutely enthralled.
“Bela is your eldest sister. She is looking forward to teaching you the process of wine making. She is especially excited to show you our vineyard and how we tend the grapes that grow on them.” The voice chuckled lightly, full of pride. You found yourself wanting to meet Bela almost as much as the one who spoke to you.
“Cassandra is excited to show you her tool shed. She is an exceptionally talented weapon-smith, you see. She wants to show you all her wonderful creations. She even has a gift in store for you, I believe.” The voice laughed again. “I would not be surprised if she even taught you how to fight. She so does enjoy fighting. Cassandra is your second eldest sister, you know.” The way she praised Cassandra, and her work, made you wish you could wake up from the dead now. You wanted to meet her too.
“And I'm sure Daniela would want to show you the library. She spends so much time in there. It makes my heart glad to see her sitting next the fire reading. She has mentioned that she would love to sit and read with you. And I believe that the prospect of finally being a big sister, to have someone look up to her, has made her the most excited out of all of us.” Her wonderful, lilting voice was so full of fondness. “It has been her that has been mostly feeding your insects and keeping them strong and healthy. She has been so attentive to your needs.” The absolute pure love that poured out of this mother for her daughters made your heart ache to be a part of that.
You couldn’t remember if you were loved before your death. You didn’t think you were, nothing to this level of magnitude anyway. Why did you have to die before finding love like this? It felt so unfair. You wanted to join this family, feel the love for yourself, and love them in return, but how could you? You died, but this soothing voice sounded so sure that you would wake up. You didn’t want to disappoint her.
“Oh! Your insects are becoming more active!” The woman's voice sang out. “I wonder if you can hear me now. Cassandra’s insects got more active near the end when I spoke to her when she too was turning. Yes, my dear, we are all looking forward to seeing you. Both your sisters and I. I have not introduced myself to you yet, have I? I'm your mother, my little Eliza. I am your mother, and you are my daughter. And I cannot wait to see who you will become.”
It felt like eons had passed when your eyes opened for the first time. You blinked in confusion as you slowly sat up. Weren't you dead? How was waking up possible? Did the woman... Mother? Somehow bring you back to life? You blinked a few times more, your surroundings coming into focus.
You were in a large, soft bed in a very big room. A roaring fire made the space comfortably warm. There was a huge bookshelf that expanded from floor to ceiling filled to the brim with books of all kinds. A large chair and a small couch sat near the fireplace. It looked like a lovely spot to sit and read. The walls were a beautiful dark blue with golden floral swirls intermixed with crests of flowers and swords. The other side of the fireplace led to a doorway that looked like it held a bathroom.
Your musings were interrupted when you felt a sharp pain in your stomach. You wondered how long it had been since you last had anything to eat. Was it years? You felt starving. Your hunger for food drove you to leave the bed and go outside of the room that you woke up in. You needed to find something to fill the void in your stomach.
The hallway that you entered was empty. You had no idea where you were or where to go, but the hunger you felt pushed you forward. You had a craving for something warm and delicious and fresh. You had no idea what it was, but you were sure that once you find what you were looking for, you would know.
You wandered the halls looking for anything or anyone at all, but this place was so large. More than once did you run into a dead end. With the pain in your belly rapidly getting stronger, you felt your mood shift from curiosity, to irritation, to anger. You were hungry . You could hear a slight buzzing and clicking the more irritated and angrier you grew. You had no idea where it was coming from, but it seemed to be in cadence with your anger.
The longer you travelled, looking for whatever it was, the anger seemed to grow. You could hear a consistent clicking and it irritated you further. You felt a snarl forming on your lips, and the low growl from your throat would have shocked you if you weren't so angry.
You rounded another corner and came face to face with a woman. You both froze in place. A maid. Your mind supplied the word from a long-distance memory that you no longer could, or no longer cared to remember. You could hear her heart rate pick up. You could smell the scent of her blood pumping through her veins. It smelled like perfume and spices to your senses. You found yourself inhaling deeper. You liked the scent. It smelled wonderful.
The maid didn’t say anything, too frozen in place with mounting fear. You could see the whites of her eyes as she watched you in horror. She hardly blinked as she watched you with dull brown eyes. Still neither of you moved, stuck in place. She must have been extremely uncomfortable in your presence because she cleared her throat a few times before finally speaking.
“Y-you must be Lady Eliza. We were told that you would be joining us soon. If you would f-follow me I'll show you where your mother is waiting for….” She broke off as you tilted your head at the word mother, but you still didn’t say a word. Too entranced with how her throat bobbed as she swallowed. The delicious scent was strongest there. You couldn’t help the flare of your nostrils as you continued to inhale. You wanted to taste it. The clicking noise that you heard was back. You must have been too distracted with the maid to hear it before, but it was back, and louder than ever before.
The maid must have realized something was wrong. She gulped again as she took a step back.
You didn’t like that. You felt your lips curl in a silent snarl and took a step forward, following the maid step by step.
The maid, sensing that she was indeed in danger, turned on her heel and ran. She ran away from you. How could she! Didn’t she know how hungry you were? A vicious snarl tore through your lips, and you gave chase.
The buzzing and clicking and snarling should have alarmed you, but you didn’t care. The bitch was running away from you, leaving you in hunger and in pain. She would pay for leaving you like this when she could make it better.
She was screaming in terror as she fled down the hallways, with you right on her heels. You would not let her get away.
She didn’t make it far when you tackled her from behind, her screams turned to shrieks as you brought her down to the ground. The force of the impact didn’t faze you one bit, but it momentarily dazed her as she struck her head on the hard floor. You wasted no time as you flipped her over on her back, holding her down by her neck. She was smaller than you. You vaguely remember not being as big as you were now, but that didn’t matter in the moment. What mattered was that her blood was pumping wildly, her fear wafting in the air.
Your teeth gnashed in anticipation. She tried to hit you, tried with all her strength to push you off, but you were far stronger. You caught one of her flailing hands in one of yours, and tore it clean off. You were momentarily surprised with how easily the appendage came off. Her shrieks drowned out the sound of the clicking as she wept. Holding her bleeding stump of an arm, she screamed and cried for help. You hated that sound. She needed to be quiet. The moment your hand released her throat, your mouth descended on it, gripping her jugular with your teeth. You felt blood pouring into your mouth, and you moaned at the taste. Clamping tighter with your teeth, you pulled, tearing her throat as you yanked your head back.
The taste of her flesh was divine . It was exactly what you were craving. Her gurgles were music to your ears as you chewed her flesh. At least she wasn’t screaming anymore. You swallowed your mouthful and couldn’t help the moan that left your lips again.
You began feeding from your prey in earnest. Tearing chunks of meat and sinew from the body. You couldn’t sate your hunger fast enough. You were covered in blood and gore, but it did nothing to slow or stop you as you continued to feed. You vaguely heard someone gasping from far away, but you didn’t care enough to look, too preoccupied with your meal.
You were just starting on the arm you tore off when you heard laughter. With a snarl you turned to face whoever was disturbing your meal and saw a few feet away was a woman in a black dress. She had dark brown hair and dried blood covering her face. You couldn't help the hiss that tore through your throat as you moved slightly to block her view of your prey.
She laughed again and took a step forward, her golden eyes watching you with glee. You hissed again as you stood up, nearly tripping over the body, ready to defend your catch from this unwelcome intruder, your teeth bared in a clear threat. The angry cadence of clicking and buzzing was back in abundance. The other woman giggled but held up her hands, taking a small step back.
“Little sister, I would never steal from you. You're finally awake!” She laughed, her eyes still glowing in delight, despite your hostile greeting. “We have been waiting for so long!”
You felt your eyes narrow. You heard that word before. Sister. Your snarl lessened but your face still scrunched up in anger. You observed her carefully, making sure that she was, indeed, not a threat to you or your food. She made no more moves toward you, keeping her hands up in the air to show that they were empty.
“Who are you?” You asked sharply. Your voice came out surprisingly clear and soft, despite the evident anger dripping from your words. “You won't take this from me.” You warned her, indicating your prey. You didn’t want to share, not when you still felt so hungry. She only laughed her sweet laugh.
“I'm your older sister, Cassandra. I know you must be famished since you just woke up. We have been waiting for you for so long!” She repeated.
“It has only been a week, Cassandra.” A new voice from behind you made you whip around with another hiss. Another woman, this time with blonde hair stood further back. Her hands rested calmly at her sides. She had a kind smile on her face, even despite your distrusting demeanor. You felt yourself falter at that. Hadn't it been years?
A shriek of happiness made you turn around again as this time, a woman with red hair forming out of a swarm of flies, arms open and coming right for you. “You’re finally awake!”
You let out a vicious snarl again as you lunged at her, feeling threatened. Your bodies would have met but Cassandra pulled back the red head in time. You stopped short, right over your food, like how a wolf guards its own prey. There were too many of them. You knew you couldn’t fight them all.
“Don't overwhelm her, Daniela! She doesn't know who we are!” The blonde scolded, looking just short of angry. The red head, Daniela, pouted. Her lips puffed out like a child.
“But she is finally here, Bela! Aren't you excited to see her too?”
“Of course I am! But can't you see how defensive she is? She just woke up!” The blonde nearly growled. “We don’t want to stress her out any more then we already have.” She said with an authoritative tone.
When the three started bickering among each other, you reached down and grabbed your prey and dragged it to the wall, a better position to defend yourself and your food from any attack. All three glanced at you, and Daniela looked sheepish.
“I'm sorry, Eliza. I didn’t mean to upset you. I've just wanted to meet you for so, so long! We all have!”
The answering growl in your throat died down when you heard clicking of heels. All three girls perked up and smiled widely. You couldn't help but tense up. You had no idea who or what was coming for you now. You just wanted to eat. The harsh snarl plastered on your face died when you heard it. When you heard her.
“ My darlings, be calm.” The soothing voice. It was back. The voice that made your death bearable. Made you happy whenever you heard it.
The voice was real?
She was real?
She stepped through the same doorway you came through when you discovered the maid. She was beautiful and larger than life itself. You felt your body slacken with shock and awe. Unable to understand that this was real. She was real. She wasn't a figment of your lonely imagination. Her painted red lips curled up in a soft smile, her golden eyes glowing in radiance. She didn’t seem at all disturbed by you being covered in blood. She looked at you with pure love. You couldn't help the tear that escaped.
“My dear Eliza. I'm so glad you're awake.” You never moved when she crossed the great distance to you with only a few strides. Too star struck to move or even hiss at her. She did not hesitate to reach a soft, warm hand and cup your cheek, her thumb wiping the tear away that you didn’t know had escape. She knelt to get a better look at you. “You're as beautiful and fierce as I knew you would be. As beautiful and fierce as a true Dimitrescu,” she said lovingly. She looked at you, you with adoration. You couldn’t help yourself. You flung yourself into her embrace. She didn’t seem to care that you were getting blood all over her dress.
“Y-you're real? You're really here?” You couldn’t help but blubber out how you thought she was simply a figment of your imagination. She hushed you, holding you tightly.
“Of course I'm real. And so are your sisters.” Her voiced was, as always, soothing. “We will always be here for you. We are your family.”
-Several weeks later-
Lady Alcina Dimitrescu let out a sigh as she set the phone down. While she was always glad to speak with Mother Miranda, she was looking forward to retiring for the evening and spending time with her children. After all, her youngest was reborn only a few weeks ago and still required much of her attention.
She smiled softly at the memory of finding you in the hallway. Covered in blood and gore and glaring at your older sisters in defiance. You were strong and magnificent in that moment. Not like how you used to be. Quiet and weak and full of fear. Meek as a door mouse. Never able to look at the ladies of the castle directly. Now you were full of life and joy. Laughing and playing and learning from your elder sisters.
Alcina stood from her chair and grabbed her wine glass and set out to find her daughters. The maids made sure to keep out of her way, eyes downcast. She could smell their fear and hear their hearts race. Alcina didn’t spare them a glance as she glided past. Instead, she let her mind wander on the events that transpired since your awakening.
She remembered the time where she observed Bela trying to teach you how to master swarming. How your eyebrows furrowed as you concentrated on your eldest sister's every word. How Bela comforted you each time you failed to properly swarm. You still hadn't mastered the skill yet, but you were improving with each day.
The time when you came rushing excitedly into her room, brandishing the new sickle that Cassandra gifted you. How you marvelled at the curve of the blade and how pretty it looked. You couldn't wait for Cassandra to teach you how to use it.
The time when Daniela showed you the library and how you looked at all the books with awe. The two of you spent hours in there, reading all kinds of different books. How you developed a taste for fiction and horror. Alcina promised to get you more books from the Duke when he next visited the castle.
Alcina looked back at her own interactions with you. How on the second night after your rebirth, she was woken up by you climbing into her bed, shivering with fear from a nightmare. A nightmare of choking and gasping for breath. How the world around you turned dark. You tried not to disturb her and curl up at the foot of her bed but as soon as you laid down, Alcina was wrapping her large arms around you and tucked you into the sheets right beside her. She held you in her arms and whispered soothing words and stroked your hair till your shivering subsided and the warmth of your mother lulled you to sleep. Alcina woke up that morning with your face pressed into the crook of her neck, still deeply asleep. You have had a few more nightmares since then, but they were becoming more manageable.
She remembered feeling exasperated when teaching you table manners. That using your hands was unladylike and would not be tolerated. You were a Dimitrescu after all, so you were expected to act like one. That included the use of a fork.
The time when she and Bela were in deep discussions about the harvest, when suddenly a maid came bursting through a doorway, screaming and bloody and eyes full of terror. She didn’t even seem to notice the matriarch and her heir as she streaked down the halls. A moment later you, Cassandra and Daniela appeared, chasing down your prey. All of you laughing and giggling as you hunted the maid down. The chase must have triggered Bela’s predatory instincts as she quickly followed suit, joining in with the game. Alcina chuckled when she noticed that her older children opted to run with you, and not burst into their swarms. It wasn't long until she heard the screeching of pain that echoed in the hallways, followed by four sets of laughter. Alcina let a smile grace her lips. Dinner that night was delicious.
The Lady's musings were interrupted by soft voices up ahead. Alcina rounded a corner and stopped in her tracks. Up ahead was the maid who was assigned to refresh all the flowers in the castle and make sure that their vases were clean and polished. The maid had a soft but nervous smile as she spoke to none other than Eliza.
The youngest of the Dimitrescu’s had a smile of her own. Confident and proud, but it held no malice. You were speaking quietly to the maid. About what, Alcina couldn’t hear. She frowned. What were you doing?
Alcina watched as her youngest said something, and the maid giggled. Your laugh soon joined hers. What you did next shocked the matriarch. You plucked a fresh flower from the vase and deftly snapped the thorns off, then gently placed it in the maid's hair. The little maid's blush could be seen brightly from where Alcina stood.
Alcina didn’t know where the rise of jealousy bubbled up from. She had no reason to be jealous. You were hers. All of you were hers. Bela, her responsible and level-headed heir. Cassandra, her fiery warrior and protector of the family. Daniela, her joyful, carefree dancer. And little Eliza, who she was only beginning to see the playful and curious side of you. You were still just discovering who you were.
Alcina stamped down on her jealousy. She had no need or reason to feel such pitiful emotions. You were all hers. No mere maid could change that. With that, she turned and left. Retiring to her personal rooms; she knew that her children would find her later. She would later send Cassandra to question that tiny scrap of a human, and remind her of her place within these stone walls.
Before your awakening, Alcina gathered all the house staff together in the foyer. She warned them all that they were forbidden to tell you about your past as a maid and as a villager. She didn’t want her youngest to be confused and uncertain in her place, the way Bela had been when she discovered who she was early on. It took Bela a long time to feel secure in her own place in the hierarchy of House Dimitrescu.
Alcina threatened pain of death to any who broke their silence. After, to prove her point, she took one of the maids who was known to gossip and spread rumours and sliced out her tongue. Her screams and gargling as her older daughters took her to the basement was unearthly. Music to the Matriarch's ear. The rest of the staff understood completely. She had made her point.
It didn’t even take an hour for her daughters to find her. Alcina was reclined in her chaise lounge and reading by the fire, make-up washed and dressed in her nightgown. She could hear her children's footsteps moments before they appeared.
A smile graced her lips as Cassandra came in first, followed by Bela. Daniela and Eliza came in together, both grinning ear to ear.
“You did so good! That was such a good move with the rose!” Daniela praised. “Very smooth, baby sis!”
You giggled when Cassandra snorted, and Bela rolled her eyes. Daniela stuck her tongue out at them.
“She has better things to do then to learn how to flirt with the maids” Cassandra complained as she leaned on Alcina’s bed frame. “She would rather want to learn how to use her sickle from me.”
“She should be learning how the wine business is handled.” Bela said as she sat down next to her mother, a frown on her lips. “She has to learn the ropes eventually.”
You had breezed to the back of the chaise lounge and draped yourself over it, purring in pleasure as your mother reached over a large hand and stroked your cheek. You nuzzled into it before looking at your sisters with a toothy grin.
“I can learn them all. I want to learn from all of you. How to flirt, how to use weapons and how the wine is made. I can do it all.” You said eagerly, wanting to please your big sisters.
“Is that what you were doing, darling? Learning from Daniela?” Alcina asked, still stroking your face lovingly. Her smile widened when you nodded eagerly.
“Yes! Dani says that I need to practice how to flirt like in the books, so that I can break hearts with ease.” Both you and Daniela descended into giggles when Cassandra scoffed loudly as she fell back onto Alcina’s bed and tossed an arm over her eyes.
“Why break hearts figuratively when you can break them literally.” She sighed.
Before Daniela could respond, Alcina interrupted them. “Let’s settle down now, darlings. I would like to enjoy a peaceful night with you all.”
There were quiet conversations then, asking of how each of their days went and what things they did. Soon the family descended into comfortable silence.
Bela was looking through her notes for tomorrow’s work, flipping through pages quietly. Daniela settled herself on the floor, back propped up on the chaise lounge while reading a new book she was excited about. Cassandra hadn’t moved from her spot on the bed, arm still thrown over her eyes. Her youngest was still draped over the back of the chaise lounge, watching the firelight that blazed in the fireplace. Alcina noticed how your eyes drooped as you rested your head over crossed arms. Alcina nodded to herself as she went back to her book.
It must have been half an hour when Alcina looked up from her book. The room was quiet except for a few pops from the fireplace. Bela was asleep, papers laying on her lap, her head propped up by a hand. Daniela dozed with her head leaning on Bela's knee, her book closed and resting on the floor. A quick glance told her that you were asleep, head buried in your arms. She wondered how you were still draped over the lounge. She knew Cassandra was asleep by her deep, even breaths, her arm still covering her eyes.
The matriarch closed her own book and stood up. Her bulk was surprisingly agile, never disrupting her sleeping children. She settled Cassandra on the far side of her bed first, who never made a noise as she was moved. She turned and grabbed her youngest. You groaned in your sleep and shifted slightly in her arms. You settled down once she laid you down next to Cassandra. Next was Daniela, whom she carefully picked up off the floor. Daniela threw an arm over you as soon as she was in the soft sheets. Alcina moved Bela's notes to the side table and held her heir in her arms securely as she went to lay her down. She brushed the hair that fallen in her face behind her ear, then smiled at each of her daughters. She loved them all dearly. She bent and kissed each one over their tattoos and settled in beside Bela. She watched each of them sleeping peacefully.
What would I do without them? She wondered to herself.
She let sleep slowly take over as she put an arm over them all, holding them all closely to herself. She felt happy and contentment deep in her heart. They were hers, and she was theirs.