Oh, Darling Mine [Lady Dimitrescu] [REVIII]

PROLOGUE

Fire crackling filled the great castle's hall; only the ever so random maniacal laughs of the three daughters dared disrupt the calmness that usually reigned.

Lady Alcina Dimitrescu was far too lost in her own thoughts to even acknowledge the mess currently happening in the kitchens, not that she really cared much about it in the first place. She sat on the couch by the fireplace peacefully; amber-colored gaze remained fixed on a random spot on the nearest wall, nimble fingers absentmindedly played with her ever so faithful slender cigarette—she was rarely sighted without it.

Time ticked away, minute after minute, soon an hour passed.

The laughter in the kitchens died down, the soft crackling from the fireplace now fully reigned in the giant hall.

Alcina sighed. Dropping her gaze to the immaculate floor below her feet, she came back to the present time, yet still not really leaving behind all of the thoughts that inevitably kept clouding her mind.

She had everything; eternal life, obedient daughters, a massive castle for a home. And yet, Lady Dimitrescu felt not complete. A key ingredient, still unknown to her, seemed to be missing and keeping her from achieving her unspoken wish for a perfect life. That empty, dark void she never seemed to be able to fill up ate away at her, growing her frustrated, tired—almost to the point where she even doubted her goal in life.

She dared question why Mother Miranda had trusted her with such powerful abilities, with life eternal; she even dared question her own choice from years and years back, when she begged Mother Miranda herself for a family of her own. She was given three amazing daughters, and that alone made her feel complete at the time—the bond they shared, Alcina cherished dearly.

But the feeling of emptiness came back, and perhaps too soon for the lady of the castle.

Not even the cheerful laughter of her daughters as they materialized in the hall made Alcina smile truthfully; instead, a somewhat forced smile tugged at the corner of her lips, and it did seem to widen just a tad at the sight of her daughters' blood-stained faces and dresses.

A small sigh escaped her blood red lips, followed by a roll of eyes—the daughters simply giggled, knowing fully her dear mother already figured out what had happened without even asking.

"Alright, my darlings," Alcina spoke softly as she stood effortlessly, sending a warm smile to the three standing right before her large form. "I believe you've had your fair share of fun tonight—do behave from now on."

"Yes, mother." The three girls spoke in unison, sharing a mischievous grin with one another before bursting into thousands of flies, leaving their dear mother alone once more.

And then, she left, leaving the fire crackling behind and whatever mess her daughters had made to be dealt with sometime the next day.

The heavy tapping of her heels accompanied Alcina all the way to her private chambers, marking a steady rhythm as she went—the echoing sounds around her helped her stay focused on the task at hand, much to her relief. The thoughts that kept coming back to tormenting her she, for once, managed to keep at bay.

Once inside the room, she let the door close behind her softly. Her eyes fell immediately on her ornate vanity; the drawn curtains allowed the moon to shyly reflect on the mirror, covering the beautiful and intricate design with a silvery-colored touch. Alcina moved casually to the vanity and took a sit, taking a drag from her cigarette as with her other gloved hand she grabbed the phone, swiftly marking a certain range of numbers she knew all too well.

Soon, a familiar voice reached her, loud and clear.

"Good evening, Mother Miranda." Lady Dimitrescu started politely, smiling at herself in the mirror. "Please, forgive me for calling at this hour—I'll be concise: I am in need of more maidens."