Oh, Darling Mine [Lady Dimitrescu] [REVIII]

Chapter II

The Mistress of the castle awoke right at the break of dawn the next day.

Sitting at the edge of her bed, Alcina subtly stretched her back and neck, groaning slightly at the feeling. She could already hear her darlings' sweet laughter echoing through the castle hallways, and so she chuckled; she was not surprised to know that her own daughters had got out of bed even earlier than her.

The ladies were quite excited for today's special event, after all.

This event was nothing more than just a family tradition they had had for a few long years, and made having new maidens working at the castle even more interesting—the maids were tested throughout the day: at breakfast, lunch and supper. Their culinary abilities were judged, and it would be this way that Alcina could determine who would stay in the kitchens as her new Cooks, and who would remain as Chambermaids.

Alcina grew even more excited at the thought of this, a toothy grin quickly decorated her features. Oh, how much she loved this day. To say she was starving after just thinking about it was an understatement, for there was always someone that completely exceeded her expectations, and quite high demands.

The phone ringing loudly, abruptly interrupting the nice and quiet atmosphere in her private chambers pulled her out of her pleasant thoughts, however. A low growl left her pale rosy lips, still waiting for their usual thick layer of dark carmine lipstick. A scowl took over her visage as she turned to glare at the apparatus; deep down, she grew worried, and quietly pleaded that nothing important, that required her presence, would happen today. Her instinct told her otherwise, however, and so it would be foolish of her to think of it differently; but she liked to dream a little.

With just a few long strides, and the scowl still on her face, Alcina reached the phone. As soon as she pressed it to her ear, she heard Mother Miranda's voice, serene and firm as she usually was.

Lady Dimitrescu closed her eyes softly, withholding the heavy sigh that threatened to escape her form. "A meeting? Right now?" she repeated Mother Miranda's words, feeling her heart sinking a bit. "Yes. I understand, Mother Miranda. I will be there shortly."

Breakfast had to wait.

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Although thankful for having Mother Miranda requesting her presence, to remain a witness of a new, grand experiment of hers, Lady Dimitrescu couldn't help but loathe each and every time an event of this category took place and thwarted all of her plans.

The meeting lasted far too long, and her so-called siblings only made it worse for the Countess; this caused evident discomfort in the tall woman, not to mention the fury that ran through her veins after a heated discussion with her dear brother, Heisenberg. There were no words that could describe how much she despised that poor excuse of a man and his pups.

Her arrival at the castle wasn't exactly subtle, or well-mannered for that matter; she threw the main doors open with a hard push, had her high-heels soon clunking onto the marble floors as she walked—stomped—her way across the halls and to the dining room, the echo reaching far and beyond across the castle like a thunderstorm. Her face held a constant frown of discomfort and anger, however she did her best to take back some control.

She couldn't lose it, or there would be consequences.

Yet, after having not eaten a single bite or drunk a smidgen of blood all day long, the Countess had little to no patience right now. As soon as she made it to the dining room, she took a seat on the first chair she reached out to.

Before she could ring the handbell resting atop the table, the doors to the kitchens opened far and wide. Alcina immediately saw one of the maids walking out, too focused on taking off her already dirty apron to even notice the lady's impatient form. Only when the maid glanced up and met her golden colored eyes did she notice her presence. A small gasp escaped her form at the sight of the Mistress of the castle, for it was the first time they actually truly met in person—of course, her size did more than just surprise the innocent maiden.

Lady Dimitrescu recognized said maid immediately—[N]. She supposed her own daughters had made the honor of choosing the new Cook of the castle for her.

Now it was her turn to confirm the choice.

"So, we finally meet. [N], right?" She asked firmly, managing to stay patient enough to keep a proper conversation. Upon seeing the maiden's nod, she spoke again. "Please, bring me something to eat, now. I'm starving." She ordered.

"Right away, my lady." [N] replied quickly, putting the apron back on. "I have made an extra meat casserole per your daughters' request. Shall I bring—"

"Anything will do, but do it quickly."

"Y-yes, my lady."

Without hesitation, [N] disappeared back into the kitchens, only to come out just a minute after with a golden tray—on it, a steaming plate of delicious food among other things. It smelled wonderful. With swift movements, the new Cook had the Countess' meal served and ready within the minute, much to her delight.

"Thank you," Alcina was pleased. "Now, go upstairs and fetch me a bottle of Sanguis Virginis—I'm sure Tatiana already told you which one it is, so handle it with utmost care." She demanded with a sway of her hand.

"Of course."

And so, the girl left.

Alcina didn't wait for the wine, she couldn't. She took a bite, and another, and another, not paying attention to anything but the amazing taste of the food she ingested. After almost starving herself to death that day, this meal felt incredibly satisfying. Not to mention that it was the most exquisite meal she had had in months.

She had finished the whole plate when [N] came back with said bottle of wine. Delicately, she poured a large glass for the Mistress, who silently observed the maid with interest. Just as carefully, [N] placed the bottle on the table and stepped back a few feet, slightly bowing her head as she did so.

Everything Alcina had seen from this girl so far had impressed her greatly.

Softly wiping her red lips with a napkin, Alcina cleared her throat to get [N]'s full attention. "I must say, I am pleased with your cooking, [N]," she smiled delightfully, "now I know why my daughters have chosen you as the new Cook. Congratulations; it is not easy to please them."

[N] smiled, nodding at her words. A soft rosy tint plagued her cheeks at the obvious compliment, which Alcina found quite amusing and adorable. "Thank you, my lady."

"It's official: you're the new Cook. You shall clean up the wine room as well, however." Alcina added, taking a big sip from the glass. "Only you and Tatiana are allowed in. Please, notice that it needs cleaning every day. Understood?"

"Of course, my lady." [N] stood proudly by the end of the table, hands held together at her front as she nodded yet again at the Countess' words.

"Very well." Even more pleased now, Alcina picked up her glass of wine, still half full, and rose to her full height, not missing the look of pure awe [N] sent her way. It resulted quite hard to withhold the proud grin that threatened to take over her features after that. While gracefully moving to the courtyard's doors, she added, "after you clean up, you may retire to your quarters."

"Thank you, my lady."

With one last glance at the maiden, Alcina smiled and stepped out onto the snowed courtyard, fully satisfied and pleased with how such a horrendous day had actually come to end. She felt the cold night air refreshing her skin as she walked, a contented smile still tugging on her lips.

She took a mental note to keep an eye on this particular maid from now on—[N] had truly picked her interest; she couldn't really tell exactly why just yet.