Blind Devotion

Chapter Two: The Family

"Anna!" Lady Dimitrescu called from her private chambers, sitting at her vanity, applying her makeup like she always does first thing in the morning. She didn't want to scare the maidens more than she already does, with her ghostly pale skin. Her height already intimidated them and not to mention her temper.

"Good morning, my lady!" Anna smiled warmly as she approached the woman. Anna was one of the six maidens Alcina Dimitrescu actually valued in the castle. Having worked for the countess for more than 15 years.

"Good morning, dear. Please inform the kitchen that I won't be having breakfast here this morning. Please make sure that your maidens keep busy. There is a lot that can be done. Don't have me come back and find something not up to my expectations, am I understood?" She had the ability to speak with a warm and kind voice, yet at the same time, she was incredibly intimidating and stern.

"Of course, my lady. Anything else?" Anna asked, holding her hands behind her back.

"Yes, I almost forgot. Make sure the guest bedroom is ready and prepare dinner for two tonight." She applied a deep red lipstick, eyeing Anna through the ornate mirror.

"Of course, my lady. I look forward to seeing Lady Beneviento again." She glanced toward the Lady's massive king sized bed, spotting a bloodied dress laying on the floor next to the bed.

"Did they hurt you, my lady? Last night? We heard them attack again."

"Don't worry yourself, Anna. You may have been working for me for a long time, you still know very little about me. Besides, I enjoy going on a hunt fromtime totime. I heard that someone was spreading rumors in the village. Apparently I murder the maidens that work for me." She gave a half-hearted laugh.

"That's ridiculous! I thought after Mother Miranda spoke to them that they would stop. I am truly sorry, my lady. For their despicable behavior." Anna pouted.

"It's quite alright, dear. Eventually they'll get bored and move on to harass my other siblings." Lady Dimitrescu laughed, standing up from her vanity, towering over Anna's small human figure. Anna would be lying if she said she wasn't scared.

"Now, I am off. Please ensure that my carriage is prepared for my departure. And make sure a competent maiden drives the horses this time. They are still spooked after the last incident." She walked over into her massive walk in closet and took out a luxurious black coat.

"Right away. Safe travels, my lady!" Anna curtsied with a warm smile and left the countess in her room. Lady Dimitrescu reluctantly glanced over to the four poster bed and sighed loudly.

"Come on, Rachel. Get up. You're late for work. And if I hear that you've been telling the other maidens where you've been spending some nights, there will be consequences." She said in a monotonous voice, putting on her gloves.

"Yes, my lady Alcina." A blonde maiden answered from behind the curtain of the canopy of the bed, covering her bare chest with her arms.

As she arrived at the mansion, she mentally prepared herself, feeling both excited and annoyed. Excited, because she was looking forward to see her siblings again. Annoyed because even though she had great respect for her adoptive mother, Miranda never treated her well, always looking for something to judge her on, or looking for a way to get her upset. She would do anything for Miranda, but lately she's realized that she was not being treated the way a daughter should be treated by her mother.

Alcina was the eldest of the four siblings, who loved them dearly, willing to do anything for them. She was the protector, being a nearly 3m vampire countess.

The second oldest sibling was Lord Salvatore Moreau. The 'gift' Miranda had bestowed upon him did not treat him nearly as well as his siblings. His figure was grotesquely disfigured and his back hunched over. He was able to mutate into a fish-like beast with several eyes. He was a cowardly man, and did not stand up against Miranda like his other siblings. He was obedient, but out of fear, not loyalty.