The Love of Lady Dimitrescu X Female Reader || One-Shots

To Be Immortal

With the prick of a needle, you watched its entire length inserting into your skin. Feeling its sting, you hissed and averted your eyes from it. "So, this is to boost my immune system?"

"Precisely. An immunity booster," Mother Miranda replied, focusing on pushing down on the syringe. "If this proves effective, you should let me administer this to Alexandru and Elana. You say they are sick?"

"Yes. They just haven't been able to kick this crud for the last couple of weeks. It started out with a sore throat, leading to having high fevers and chills, throwing up, and then circling back to having their throat be so raw they can't speak. You should hear El try to talk. She sounds like a screaming tea kettle. It's driving her brother and sisters mad."

"I imagine so." She then patted your shoulder and helped you up like a mother would their child. "And we are done. Let's hope you don't catch their malady."

You rubbed your sore arm and got out of her chair, again looking around at her lab out of curiosity. "I hope so. I started feeling a bit unwell this morning."

"Well, I'm certain you won't get any sicker. In fact, I think you'll be feeling much better very soon."

Throwing on your winter cloak, you hadn't any idea what she meant by that, but you were grateful for her help. A simple visit and favor of her giving you a more potent medicine for your twins to alleviate their unpleasant symptoms. She even graciously offered to give you a health booster. Although you had mixed feelings about Mother Miranda, she was the one who aided you with the delivery of the twins. That, and she had your wife's absolute trust. There was no reason for you to question her motives. "We can only hope, huh?"

She turned on her heel and began to leave. "Come. I'll walk you back."

You began to protest. "Oh, no, you don't have to do that, Miranda. I'll be just fine."

Pausing in her steps, she rotated her head at you, her fierce face softening. "Nonsense, dear. Do you really think Alcina would forgive me for letting you walk all the way to Castle Dimitrescu alone? Besides, didn't a villager bring you harm once? Allow me the honor of being your escort. The twins must be missing you terribly by now, don't you think?"

Furrowing your eyebrows, you clasped the neck of your cloak tighter. "Well, if you insist. Thank you."

"It's my pleasure. You are family." And that was why, in Mother Miranda's warped mind, she'd do whatever she could to protect you. For the twin's sake. For Alcina's sake. For yours.

Upon exiting Mother Miranda's makeshift labs from beneath the village and ceremony site, you started your trek back to the castle with her. Your arm felt heavier. You were mostly familiar with the possible side effects of receiving medicinal injections, but this one was incredibly debilitating. You struggled with putting one foot in front of the other. A headache was coming on. Something about the daylight was offensive to your eyes. Miranda's shrouded figure even appeared skewed in your vision, like she was walking backwards at a slanted angle. "Uh, Miranda? I think whatever booster you gave me is affecting me."

She pushed on, not bothering to spare you a glance. "Don't worry about that. That is to be expected. The side effects should wear off by the time we get you home. Just stay closer to me."

You tripped over something on the ground before you caught up to her, ambling adjacent to her. As much as you didn't want to do this, you had to lean on her for support. Without missing a beat, she hugged your side and brought you in. If you were a fledgling, she'd cover you with her wings to provide you shelter from any storm. "Listen to my voice and we'll be there in no time."

She proceeded to hum a Romanian folk tune to calm your nerves. It was working. At one point, you shut your eyes to enjoy the loveliness of her voice, which nearly lulled you into a trance. You then realized that Alcina wasn't the only one who could sing. Miranda had many hidden talents, it seemed. The known goddess and divine deity amongst the village. Her dominant influence would elicit feelings of fear or reverence depending on the villager and what she had done for them, or to them. Some would worship the very ground she walked upon, while others would throw out their string of curses and wish her dead.