From Dusk Until Dawn

Chapter 6: Daniela

Rue blew onto her hands, warming them up as she stepped inside the Castle before turning to close the door behind them as Alcina stepped inside. The woman looked up at the Countess with a smile and the woman smiled back down at her.

''I'd like to invite you for tea with my daughters and I.'' she said in a polite tone.

Rue just looked up at the Countess, her heart swelling with curiosity and eagerness. ''I would love to, my lady, but I must decline.'' Alcina looked down at Rue, strangely disappointed that the woman had declined her invitation. ''I must get back to work, perhaps another time however.'' she said, bowing before leaving the Countess by herself.

The brunette groaned heavily, pressing her hand against her forehead. Her heart hammered against her ribcage as she moved further and further away from Lady Dimitrescu. A distraction was just what she needed to calm her rapidly beating heart. Tiding up the library should do the trick, besides, it was the next thing on the chore list she had memorized.

Within a few minutes, she made it to the library. She quietly slipped inside, thinking she was the only person inside. For a moment, she glanced at the bookshelf before curiously flipping through it and skimming through the story.

''What are you up to?'' Rue nearly jumped out of her skin, dropping the book and turning around. Curled on a comfortable looking couch with a book in her laps was the youngest Dimitrescu, Daniela.

''Oh, I apologize, Lady Daniela. I didn't realize you were in here. I can come back another time if you wish.'' Rue said, bending down to pick up the book she dropped before setting it back on the shelf.

''It's alright, I don't mind. Do whatever you're here to do.'' she gave her a child-like smile before returning to her book. Rue couldn't help but smile a little before beginning to wipe of layers of dust that lined some of the shelves. She had glanced over at Daniela, who was absorbed in her book, more than a few times. It was something she tried to stop herself from doing, but Daniela just made her feel uneasy.

About a half hour later, Rue had largely finished cleaning. It would take her maybe another half hour to an hour to completely finish.

''Do you like romance?'' Rue turned around, seeing Daniela pointing at the book she had been reading.

''A little. But my brother is much more into romance novels than I am.'' Rue said. She had never really been one for romance with little to no conflict.

''You have a brother?'' Daniela asked, her eyes sparkling. ''Can you tell me about him?''

''Only if you want me to.'' she answered. In response, Daniela moved over, patting the spot next to her, signalling for the ravenette to sit down. Rue smiled softly before sitting next to an eager looking Daniela. ''Well, he's a huge sucker for romance novels. When we were little, we would read to each other. Both of us shared a room for a long time because we were both scared of being alone.''

''What was his name?''

''Kory. Kory Frostbite.'' Rue said, smiling sadly as she remembered just how much she missed him.

''He sounds very handsome.'' Daniela said with a slight blush.

''While, Kory and I are twins after all.'' Rue winked with a playful laugh. Her eyes landed on the cover of the book in Daniela's lap. ''The Right One?''

The redhead looked down at her lap before handing it to the woman so she could get a better look at the cover. ''Yeah, it's about a woman caught in a love triangle with her an arranged husband who loves her and treats her like royalty but it super protective of her and the husbands brother, who encourages her recklessness because it's what brings her joy. The two brother constantly argue about what's better for her and she has to choose who to be with.'' the girl let out a breathy sigh. ''I wish I could have a relationship like how she had with the two brothers.''

''Why do you say that?'' Rue asked curiously. 

Daniela looked at her with a confused look. ''Well... isn't that how people find happiness? Find a guy like in these books and live happily? I've tried doing that but every man-thing we catch goes to the basement and they don't respond to my flirting other than trying to hurt me. I don't get it, I try everything in these books but nothing works. I wish I could have the relationships Bela has.'' she said, bringing her knees to her chest and hugging them tightly.

''Like Bela?'' she questioned, kindly ignoring the fact that she called a man, 'man-thing'. Perhaps she'd figure out why she called them that eventually.

Daniela nodded. ''She's dating a maid, Sora. She's so pretty, especially her friend, Dina.'' she said with a faint blush before shaking her head. Rue made a mental note of that. ''Bela and Sora both look so happy when they're with each other like the men and woman in the stories I read. I just don't get it. They both look so happy.''

Rue nodded, setting the book aside and hesitantly placing her hand on the girls' knee. The redhead looked at Rue's hand before staring into her green eyes. ''Are you happy for your sister?''

''Of course I am. I just... these stories... all of them are men and women loving each other. It's always beautiful and ideal.'' the girl sighed with frustration. ''She has the relationship I want and is always taken seriously. I've tried being serious like Bela and mysterious like Cass but nothing ever works. All I want is to be like then and maybe... maybe a guy would like me  and I'd have a happy story-like life with him.''

''Lady Daniela, my I speak my mind for a moment?'' Daniela just nodded. ''I know I may be completely out of line here, but I think you're romanticizing these books a bit too much. And you do know you can still get the same satisfaction in a relationship with a woman?''

''I can? But the books...'' Daniela looked around the room where multiple books that she had read so many times. All the time she spent here imagining the perfect relationship with a man and still not feeling happy. She just thought that if she was in a real relationship with a man, she'd be happy. 

She just squeezed her eyes shut, shaking her head for a moment before leaning against Rue. At first, she tensed but began to relax when she realized Daniela had no intention of harming her. She just sat there before placing her arms around the girl to give her some comfort while she got lost in her thoughts. Daniela didn't protest the hug and even leaned into it, looking at the floor with a fixed stare. The ravenette began to soft play with and braid parts of Daniela's hair like how her brother use to.

Daniela hummed, leaning into the touch and closing her eyes. She didn't seem fully relaxed; most likely still sorting through her thoughts. That's when she suddenly bolt up, staring at the door. ''Man blood.'' she said in a strangely flirtatious tone before bursting into a swarm of flies and leaving the room.

''Lady Daniela!'' Rue called out as a pile of bricks set in the pit of her stomach. A horrible feeling plagued her mind as she got up and chased after the youngest daughter.