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two: princess
She doesn't speak a word for the three days she spends among them.
The nest is in a state of unrest, despite some of them having human companions.
A child is something new.
Many look at her like she's a quick snack, but they won't touch her. Not with Isabel watching over her. They're not used to having a child around. For food, yes, but never for keeping.
She doesn't speak. Maybe in the end that's for the best. By the time she does learn to speak to them, she will long have been accepted in the nest. But that is yet to come.
Most of them begin regarding her with curiosity, having been deprived of anything so innocent for quite some years. Decades even.
"My my, aren't you just the cutest thing?" Stan says on the first day he sees the young one. She's only four, but already knows that Stan will be someone to be careful around. He likes his humans for food only.
"Her name is Illeana, Stan," Isabel says, and holds the girl close. "And you won't touch her."
Stan puts his hands out in surrender, but smirks as he walks away. He thinks Isabel's again-found maternal instinct will only last so long, but he doesn't dare to cross her until those feelings fade. A woman's wrath – a vampire's wrath – was something to be reckoned with indeed.
For three days Illeana lives like a vampire. She sleeps during the day, so Isabel can make sure none of her nest mates touch her. Especially Stan. She is awake at night. The young one doesn't seem to have much problems with it.
But she doesn't speak. It's almost as if she's observing, cataloguing their behaviour for future reference.
"Your attachment to this child is irrational," Eric tells Godric when he finds the child in the nest. He doesn't rule here, but he's entitled to have his opinions. That won't change in years to come.
"There is no attachment," Godric answers calmly, unmoving. He knows that there is some kind of hold though, but for now he's labelled it as curiosity. Why did the vampires that killed her parents, leave her alive? "I merely wish to give her a home."
"This is irresponsible. She threatens everything we keep hidden," Eric complains, knowing that Isabel can hear it, but he doesn't care. This is going too far.
"She's just a child, Eric. She can do us no harm." That is all the disagreement Eric allows himself, and all the disagreement he knows Godric will tolerate. He knows that once upon a time, Godric could have left or killed her without so much as blinking. But something has changed in his maker.
"You know you can't keep her, right?" Eric asks Isabel when he finds her sitting on the living room floor, the child playing with crayons some of the others bought her. It sickens him to see this thing so accepted in their closed circle.
"She will be here until we find her a home," Isabel stands between him and Illeana now.
"This is insanity," Eric sneers, "We are not responsible for every human life a vampire touches!" he moves towards Illeana, not one bit sure of what he plans to do if he actually were to get his hands on her.
"ERIC!" Godric raises his voice, a sound rarely heard. The shock of it all, echoing through the entire nest, starts Illeana crying.
"That's just great," Eric rolls his eyes.
"It's okay, little one," Isabel has her in her arms again in no time. "Shhh. Don't cry," she rocks the child in her arms, but her tears continue. Illeana hasn't spoken for three days, let alone cry. "I don't know how to do this," Isabel despairs, and puts the child down on the floor again.
"It's alright, princess," Godric crouches down beside Illeana. Eric leaves the room; he can't even look at this. Godric reaches for the little girl's ear, and conjures up a coin from behind it.
The little girl gasps, and grabs for her ear. But there are no other coins there.
She giggles when Godric hands her the coin. "We won't let anything happen to you," he says, tracing a finger softly up her cheek, almost as if he tries to push the tears back where they belong.
do you feel like you lost everything you can lose
this is it, can you hear me
when you cry, do your tears reach up the room
calling out in a moment of need
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