There is not much to say, honestly. This chapter went well, though published a bit late.
The poor, tongueless woman could only try to mumble some words out gently, but with the removal of the majority of her tongue, it came out rather mumbled.
Dani frowned and looked down and felt ashamed. She would usually just forget about those she violently mutilated and/or murdered, but this was the first time she was truly seeing the results of her actions. The poor woman was like a hurt puppy, trying to back away from its attacker. It was pitiful.
"I… can't understand you. Are you from the local villages? Are you literate enough to write?" Dani asked, trying her best to ask in a way that didn't imply the other woman was a simpleton. The maid just nodded and then reached towards a pencil and notepad that already had writings on it, most likely from talking with Adina about her health.
"Good, good. As I just said… I wanted to apologize."
The maid was quickly writing down a reply before Dani even finished, hesitantly showing it when done. Dani leaned forward slightly to give the paper a read. The handwriting was a bit sloppy, but that was to be expected of the panicked woman.
For what, My Lady?
"For…" Dani gestured towards the maid. "For hurting you. For ripping your tongue out." Dani sat for a second, waiting for the reply to come.
It was my fault, my Lady. I was the-
Dani pushed the notepad back towards her, "Stop that. No, it wasn't. You were mad at Ethan for his actions. He hurt your friend." Dani sat back for a moment and had a bit of self-reflection. She chuckled a bit before adding, "Sometimes we do something stupid when angry. Sometimes we say stuff that we didn't mean just to get back at the person we are angry with. Sometimes we can't control ourselves when our friends are hurt. I understand that now… I am not saying you should've been forgiven for spitting on him, but perhaps you should not have been punished either. Or at least, punished in such a way…"
As the maid began to-
"What is your name, by the way? If I am to be speaking with you, I'd like to call you by your name…"
Stopping her writing to look in shock for a moment, the maid scribbled something quickly before presenting it.
My name is Nadia, my Lady. I am confused, my Lady. Why do you wish to apologize?
"Well, Nadia, Ethan Winters is the main reason. He has been… helping me to reflect on myself and my actions." Taking a quick peek out from behind the curtains, Dani whispered, "I wish to be better. I'm tired of the stories that follow me around. Can I… trust you with a secret, Nadia?"
Scribble scribble…
Yes, Lady Daniela.
"I… don't necessarily enjoy it when I hurt people, and most of the time I don't even fully remember it. I black out. I've only told a few people that. Not even Mother. Honestly, the earliest memories that I can recall in clarity are those after my shock- do you know that story?"
Nadia nodded her head yes.
"Good; saves us time and embarrassment. Well, most of my memories before that are in a hazy fog that I can't fully recall. I don't know why, to be honest. Ever since then, I have just been doing what has been expected of me, but I never really cared. Until recently. Ethan. He… made me realize that I am not the monster I once was, that I was just being what others thought I was. I don't want to be that monster. I want to be… well, me. I want to be Dani. Not Daniela Dimitrescu. Just simple Dani. That is why I wanted to apologize; because that is what Dani does."
Nadia just looked at Dani with wide eyes for a moment, clutching her pad to her chest, trying to comprehend the words spoken by Dani. The woman's unblinking gaze started to make Dani uncomfortable…
"Ahem… this is the part where you write…"
Springing into action and almost dropping her pencil, Nadia wrote out her response.
That is a shock to hear, my Lady-
"Stop calling me 'Lady'. I never liked it in the first place…"
-and is very noble, if you don't mind me saying so. That will be very challenging, and I'd dare say that the rest of the Dimitrescu family might not take it that well.
"Perhaps. My sister Bela knows about my quest, so I have her support at least. Ethan's as well. Also, do not worry about being forced to leave the castle or lose your position; Ethan and I have worked out an arrangement with my mother and I will be taking you back into the kitchen staff once you are able to work again. Take as long as you require to recover."
When Dani revealed that last portion to Nadia she began to tear up with joy if the smile on her face revealed anything. She tried to write something on the pad but had to keep wiping the tears away, though a few snuck their way out and dripped onto the paper. Eventually, she showed the paper to Dani.
The first thing she noticed was that there was a spot where Nadia started to write 'Lady' but barely erased it.
Thank you so much!
The short sentence had been underlined twice as well.
Nadia glanced toward where Ethan had been located on the other side of the curtain and frowned. She then wrote on the pad once more.
What happened to him? Why is he here?
"Long story that I am sure would be better if you didn't know… In short; Cassandra happened. She practically forced him to drink mold to save himself and Magda. It… didn't end well. For anyone involved. Mother was furious."
Nadia slowly nodded while peeking out the curtain to look at the sick man.
"I must be going. I have things I need to get to, Nadia. Watch Ethan for me. Goodbye, for now." Dani said as she stood up and waved to the woman. Walking out, she gave Ethan one last sorrowful look. Ethan had spent at least half his days here in these beds or unconscious at the least. It was starting to become an unhealthy habit.
Walking towards the kitchen, Dani realized that she had no idea what time it was. She was sure they had all missed breakfast but she didn't know if it was nearing lunchtime or not. She got her answer once she walked in though, and saw the staff busy at work constructing different types of salads and smaller sides of fruit and yogurt. "Lunch it is then…"
Addressing a few questions and concerns that some of the staff had, Dani quickly fell into her rhythm and began to relax at the familiarity of her job. The smell of sweet fruit began to catch the attention of Dani's stomach and it demanded she takes her share now. At first, she tried to ignore it, but the growling and grumbling finally got to her. She casually took a small bowl of fruit and snuck away around a corner into a storage closet to devour it. She felt like a rat that had just pulled a piece of cheese from a trap without setting it off and was now snacking on its loot.
In her initial state, however, Dani didn't notice the two maids she walked in on. More precisely, she didn't notice their kissing and how they were enveloped in each other's arms. The two maids stood petrified of Dani, frozen in dread. When she finally noticed them, she froze as well. Dani had never found herself in such a strange situation before. She's caught servants sneaking off to places during times they shouldn't, but not like this. Not with a fist full of fruit ready to be shoved into her mouth.
A second or two ticked by and no one made a move.
Dani then slowly moved the bowl towards the other too and offered them some fruit.
The two women shook their heads no.
Shoving the fruit in her mouth, Dani used her now free hand to make a 'shh'ing gesture before devouring the rest of the fruit. At first, a thought crossed her mind to drink the two as punishment for sneaking off, but she waved it off. Dani would be a hypocrite if she punished someone for allowing them to get caught up in a moment. Something also whispered in the back of her head to paint the room with their blood, devour their insides, and stuff the leftovers in a jar to save for later.
She shot that idea down before it could even take off, then set it on fire.
Instead, she decided to just talk to the maids and verbally reprimand them.
Swallowing the last bit of food, Dani spoke, "You two know that this could have waited until later, correct?"
The women just nodded their heads in silence.
"Don't just nod your head, it's disrespectful," Dani said heatedly, then tried her best to reel in her emotions.
"Y-yes, Lady Daniela. I am so sorr-"
"Silence. I didn't ask for an apology. You two knew this could wait and yet you didn't?" Dani set the bowl down, focusing on the two delinquents instead. "What's wrong, could you two not control yourselves?" The two servants tried their best to answer, but it was just stuttering and fumbling. "I asked a simple question; could you two not control yourselves around each other?"
"No, Lady Daniela. We could not… contain ourselves." A maid answered while averting their gaze to the floor.
Dani pinched the bridge of her nose. While she wanted to throttle them both for sneaking off and ditching their work, she knew that would be a step in the wrong direction on her quest for self-improvement. She had to figure out a punishment that would fit the crime but also prevent it from happening later and not add to her reputation as sadistic.
"You two know what I have to do now, right…?" Dani asked a bit threateningly. She couldn't help but tease them a little. The two women began to shake in fear as they clenched their eyes shut and waited for their beating. Or death. Or blood-letting. Or all three.
"...I am going to have to put you two on different work schedules here, and I will have Bela do the same for your work outside the kitchens. You two couldn't handle being close during work, so now you will be separated. This will go into effect tomorrow. You two will work in the kitchens for the remainder of the day, but do not let this happen again. If I have to separate you two again in just a few hours, you'll wish I just beat you now instead. Now get out of here and get back to work!"
The astonished maids snapped into action and fled the room, back to their work. Dani smiled with herself, though. She felt her 'punishment' of just separating them would be far more effective than smashing their heads on the floor. Walking out of the storage room, she looked among her staff and began to critique their work. Most were up to her standards, and those that weren't were still very close. She even tossed in a few 'good jobs under her breath to the really outstanding ones. Most of them felt it was sarcastic, though, and just doubled their efforts.
Hearing the door to the main dining room open and close, Dani walked through the kitchen access door to see who it was. Slightly panicked, she saw that it was alright; a still visibly angry Mother. Ever the vigilant hawk, Mother's eyes shot to Dani and she grimaced slightly. This worried Dani… a lot"
"Daniela." Mother spoke curtly.
A short, cold acknowledgment from Mother was never good…
"Mother, are you… angry with me?" asked the confused Dani.
Mother, however, completely avoided the question. "I am famished, Daniela."
Taking the hint, Dani quickly nodded and stepped back into the kitchen.
"Mother is in the dining room and is hungry. Serve her." she ordered to no one in particular. A few more seasoned servers gathered a small cart and Mother-sized portions of food and pushed it out the door. A few moments later, they walked back in, though one was holding a napkin to their now bleeding wrist.
Dani grumbled, a bit annoyed that one of her more trusted servers had messed something up. "What did you do? Why did Mother punish you?"
"She didn't, Miss Daniela." The older maid answered calmly. "Lady Dimitrescu simply asked for… 'salad dressing'. I offered my 'services'." To make the euphemism blatantly clear, the woman shook her wrist.
Dani took the wrist and removed the napkin to inspect the cut. "She avoided cutting a main blood vessel. Good. I hate it when you people bleed on my floor. Makes it all sticky. Go to Adina and have her look at it, can't have you bleeding on things you're not supposed to."
"Right away, Miss Daniela." Without hesitating, she reapplied the cloth and walked out of the kitchen to see Adina. Adina, that poor overworked woman, should be getting paid double for all the people that have been sent there this week.
But 0 multiplied by 2 was still 0.
Bela and Cass soon joined their Mother in the dining room to quickly get some lunch. Cass adverted her eyes from Mother as she sat down. Bela placed a hand on her shoulder to console her sister before taking a seat next to Mother.
"Mother," Bela started, "I think Cass has something to tell you. Some good news."
"Oh? What is it." Mother inquired.
"...me and Dani talked. While I do not necessarily forgive her, I've come to understand her reasoning for what she did."
"Well, I suppose that is all I could ask for…" Mother said with a sigh. "...but she has still come clean to me about what she has done."
"Mother… I don't think you should concern yourself with that anymore. As far as Dani knows, you still think I am the one who said those things, but yet we all know she did, and she has apologized for it and Cass has… more or less moved on."
"It's not just about that, Bela. It's the fact she in effect lied to me and allowed you to take the fall. That is what I am most concerned about now."
Bela thought for a moment before shaking her head, "I think you will have to confront her about that, Mother. I am sure that Dani hasn't even thought about that, and I am sure she won't now since Dani and Cass have made peace."
"Perhaps you have a point, dear. I will talk to her later, after dinner tonight." Mother took one last bite of her salad and rose up from the table. "I will see you both later. Good day for now, Bela. Cassandra."
"Good day, Mother."
Bela waited until Mother dipped her head out the door before she leaned over to Cass and whispered, "She's still extremely pissed at you…"
"Thank you, Bela. I couldn't tell." Cass responded back with annoyance, tossing a piece of fruit at her. Bela dodged it and chuckled a bit evilly at her sister.
"I swear Etha has been a bad influence on everyone here. Since when do you make jokes a snicker?"
"Oh hush, Cass. I know you don't like him and that's understandable, but he has not given us a reason to be suspicious of him. Well, more suspicious of him I should say. I suppose we shouldn't be too trusting. Anyway, the point is he hasn't even tried to escape yet. Not since you found him that day in the dungeon. Since then he has been well-behaved."
Between bites of fruit, Cass grumbled. She was loathed to admit it, but Bela- like always- was right. Ethan hadn't exactly done anything damaging to the house of his own accord…
"I still don't like him."
"And no one is asking you to, Cass." Bela looked over with a look of exasperation. "Just… try to not rip his head off anytime you see him. I mean that both figuratively and literally."
"Fine."
As the two sisters munched away and idly talked about how their respective days were going, Bela couldn't shrug off a bad feeling she was having. The flies in her body were buzzing nervously like something wasn't right somewhere…
"Excuse me, Cass, I just remembered something I forgot to take care of."
Cass looked up at her sister, a bit perplexed. "You? Forget something?"
"It's been a hectic few days, ok? I am allowed to forget things, Cass. At least I don't forget to bathe sometimes." Bela shot back, walking out of the room.
Cass called back, offended. "I've only done that twice!"
As Bela approached the medical room, she heard shouting and struggling from within. Racing the last couple of feet, she burst into the room to see Adina and two women she didn't know struggling to keep a screaming Ethan on his bed. His eyes were wide open but there was no look of intelligence or login in them. He was still more or less unconscious.
"Bela! Help us restrain him!" Adina yelled, desperate to keep the man from falling out of his bed. Without hesitation, she ran over and pressed on his chest, pinning him down with ease.
"Why is he like this? Didn't you administer medication to stop this!?"
"Yes, but he must've quickly developed a resistance to the drug already. I have to up the dosage. Hold him down and still while I inject him." Adina instructed while rushing to fill a syringe.
Bela reached over and grabbed one of Ethan's arms to hold it steady for Adina to stab the needle into him. Without waiting, Adina poked him and depressed the plunger. For only a moment, the flailing continued. Then slowly, Ethan slowed down, his movements became weaker and he relaxed. His eyes shut, and he drifted back asleep…
Bela turned to Adina, very confused. "How the hell did he already develop a resistance in just, what, 12 hours?"
"I suspect the mold has something to do with that… Let's just hope it also can do something about his fevers and nightmares. I don't know how much longer I could've kept him down. Thank you, Nadia, Irina." Irina replied with a 'no problem', while Nadia only nodded and grabbed her notepad, and walked back to her bed.
Bela took another look at Irina and realized she was from Dani's kitchen staff but had a bandage wrapped around her wrist. She began walking out of the room rather quickly. Looking at 'Nadia', Bela judged that it must've been Dani's victim from the other day if written replies on the pad were any hint.
While Adina was busy with Ethan, Bela walked to Nadia to look at her. Ever the stealthy sister, Bela stood at the foot of Nadia's bed, staring at her. Nadia rightly freaked out to turn around to see the Bela sister inspecting her, gave a bow, and began writing.
Lady Bela. Is there something I can help you with? I am sure Adina won't be much longer if you needed her.
"No no, I just wanted to see how you were recovering. I hear Dani is to be helping with the expenses related to your recovery. Namely, paying Mother for lost work. You know… you will be in her debt. Hell, you're also in Ethan's debt. Even if Dani overreacted, that doesn't change the fact this was still a result of your actions."
I know, Lady Bela. I can't even think of ways of repaying either of them, let alone both. I apologize for insulting Ethan and your family, Lady Bela.
Bela raised her hand after reading the apology, "Stop. If I wanted an apology, I would've asked-"
This elicited a snort from Nadia. Bela raised her eyebrow in the slight offense. Nadia quickly wrote a reply to save herself.
What's funny was that Miss Daniela said the same thing when I tried to apologize earlier.
"You two spoke earlier? About what?"
She wished to apologize and explain some things. She also informed me that she would be paying Lady Dimitrescu herself to allow me to stay past the one week usually allotted for recovery and that I would be welcomed back into the same position.
"Hm. It seems my little talk was unnecessary then. Don't take advantage of this kindness from Dani. If you do anything to betray Dani, you will wish that it was her former self torturing you instead of me…"
Nadia gulped and furiously shook her head yes.
"Good."
Bela left the woman alone.
She would support her sister all the way, but Bela would be damned if she let someone take advantage of her during this little self-exploration stint. Sometimes being the 'Big Sister' was exhausting.
Bela decided to hang around for a while, just in case Ethan started to thrash again. She was curious as to what he was dreaming that would cause him to enter such violent episodes. Ethan had faced down Cassandra with nothing but a smile and apparently lived through something horrific back in his homeland, yet these dreams seemed to be crippling him.
'On second thought,' Bela contemplated, 'Perhaps I don't really wish to know…'
She dapped a bit at his forehead with a rag and absorbed some of the sweat away. He had been slowly getting better, visibly at least, that much Bela could say. Even if the few minutes she sat with him, keeping his face dry, she could see the color creeping back up and the heat radiating from him reducing. It wasn't quick, at all, but noticeable. Adina mumbled that at the rate he was healing, he could be back up by dinner again, or if not, breakfast tomorrow. Though she did follow that up with 'now that's pretty much just a wild guess on my part…'.
Bela had to agree though, this was all just a guess. Ethan could be asleep for days or pop up in a few minutes. These were uncharted waters, and even Mother Miranda didn't have all the answers. Standing up to stretch, Bela decided that she spent enough time around Ethan. She was sure he would at least sleep a few more hours before Adina had to increase his dosage.
"I am going, Adina. Good day."
Adina raised a hand to wave goodbye without looking up from her papers, "Good day, Lady Bela."
Going back to her room/office, Bela decided to sort some schedules and set up things for tomorrow. Stick to her door was a note from Dani about separating two maids on the work schedule, something about them being too distracted with each other. Bela shrugged but took note of the names listed and began to write a note to constantly remind herself in the future to keep them away from each other.
Checking names, seeing who was allotted days off, who was available, and filling empty slots was always a sort of therapy. It always relaxed her so much and released tension in her body. She felt her mind wander as she scribbled with her pen…
Cassandra was walking around the halls, just trying to decompress and think about the last 24 hours. It has been one hell of a day and it was only just past lunch. Mother was still mad, Ethan was still unconscious, and her sisters were still upset with her even if they didn't say it. Cass knew they were still disappointed with her. She could see it in their eyes.
There were many conflicting feelings inside her as she walked. Most told her to cry. It was all so frustrating how they were all trusting Ethan- the manthing- and they kept saying how he wasn't as dangerous as she believed. Yet, she couldn't help but admit there was truth in those words. Ethan hadn't really done anything yet, but that didn't mean he wouldn't. He was still very much capable of heavy destruction, even in his more human form.
Cass chewed her nail, thinking about the different ways Ethan could bring this castle to its knees, and tried to plan ways to prevent them. Most of them required Mother to guarantee victory, and that's what the problem was. Mother wasn't someone who could be anywhere at any time. She wasn't as powerful as Mother Miranda who could shapeshift and teleport short distances.
There were no surefire ways to contain Ethan in the event he consumed mold.
The way seemed things right now, she would also just have to live with that fact.
Looking around to see where her feet carried her, Cass saw the large doors leading to Mother's room. Gently rapping her knuckles on it, she walked in without waiting. Mother spun around in her chair with a furry, but Cass just kept walking towards her.
"Cassandra, what on Earth-?"
"I wanted to protect them." She blurted, unsure what was making her say this.
Mother pulled back a bit, perplexed. "I… what? What are you talking about?"
"Bela. Dani. I… feel like Ethan is a threat to us- to them. To my family. I wanted to protect my family from Ethan, Mother." Tears began to well up in the corners of her eyes, but she fought them back.
Mother stood up and quickly closed the gap to pull her daughter into an embrace. "Shh, Cassandra. It's ok my darling. I understand. Calm down…"
"I'm sorry, Mother. I just put them in more danger instead. It was terrifying… when he changed. All that control, all our power over him- gone. Suddenly, we were specs beneath him."
"It is ok, Cassandra." Mother lowered herself down to one knee and took her large-brimmed hat off. "It is alright. We all make mistakes and sometimes mistakes cause more harm than good."
Pulling Cass away for a moment, Mother explained, "Do not worry, my darling daughter. Mamma is here. I will protect you three from whatever goes bump in the night." she said with a chuckle.
Cass playfully batted at the giantess and pouted. "I am not a child, Mother!"
"But you will always be my precious babe, Cassandra. Forever." Mother said, wiping a tear from her daughter's face. Rising back up and placing her hat on the table, Mother looked out a window. "I do not think you should concern yourself with Ethan, darling. He has many reasons not to hurt us. His daughter and himself, for one. Logically we hold all the cards. Nothing short of up-ending this castle could change that. On top of that, Dani and Bela have seemed to begin to befriend the manthing."
Cass let out a subtle huff and rolled her eyes.
"While I am sure Ethan had no qualms about burning this castle down around us to rescue his daughter at first, I am sure that things have changed. He does not seem like the type of person to simply toss aside friendships. He has extended generosity towards the maids and your sisters alike. If he only tried to trick us, then he would not be roaming about with our workers and talking to them. That and he does not seem to be in a large rush to get out of this castle. So please daughter, do not worry about him, it will do you know good while he remains here."
"I am not sure I follow, Mother?" Cass admitted, confused. Mother turned to give Cass a sort of sad smile.
"I believe that Ethan will be staying here for… some time. Perhaps a few weeks. Maybe a few months…"
"Months!?" Cass all but screeched.
Wincing, Mother nodded while heading towards her vanity and makeup. "Maybe a month or more. Maybe. Mother Miranda has informed us that some unforeseen complications were coming up, and on top of that, it seems Ethan wasn't exactly alone out there. A group of men has been proving a thorn in our sides. You three girls would be best at tracking them down, but with it being winter…"
Shaking her head from the memories, Mother continued. "So Mother Miranda sent out orders last night; our focus is shifting to other things for the time being. The situation regarding Ethan and his daughter is to be postponed for now, but that does not mean it is any less important."
"Is that why she is coming back today? The daughter, I mean." Cass asked.
"Yes." Mother confirmed. "Mother Miranda is sending Rose back here for safekeeping."
"But… isn't that sort of a bad idea? Keeping Rose and Ethan together in the same building?"
"Perhaps," Mother agreed, "though she does not trust any of the other Lords to care for baby Rose, and Mother Miranda herself is far too busy. It was the only logical choice as well; giving the baby to a well-established woman who has experience with taking care of others. On top of that, my castle is warm, safe, clean, and defensible. The only other Lord that could perhaps care for Rose would be Lady Beneviento, but not only is her home more… hazardous, that accursed doll Angie would no doubt be troublesome."
"Don't talk about Auntie Angie like that!" Cass yelled playfully.
She loved that doll.
"I wish you wouldn't call that doll- never mind, that is unimportant!" Mother waved her hand as if the waved the topic away like smoke. Cass pressed the inside of her cheek with her tongue, she always liked pushing Mother's buttons when it came to the other Lords. Lady Beneviento herself Mother didn't mind. It was just everyone else- and she meant everyone- that she hated. It was all just lesser degrees of hate.
"I don't know how we got this far off track- but anyway; yes. Ethan will be staying here, in the castle, for some time. I have no idea for how long. Other situations will have to improve first before we refocus on them. He will be here for at minimum a couple of weeks."
"What about at maximum." Cass asked.
Mother tried to dodge the question. "Hm? What, dear? What about what?"
"Stop it! At maximum, how long could Ethan stay here for!?"
"...Four months. That is just a guess, more than anything. It could be 1 month. Could be resolved in just a few days. Who knows."
"It could be a year…" Cass whispered. Locking eyes with Mother, she spoke with heat in her words. "Since we have absolutely no idea how long this could take, it could take a year. Perhaps multiple!"
"Cassandra, calm down. Calm down girl, I extremely doubt it will even come close to a full year. Mother Miranda was quite furious when she put a pause on current affairs, I doubt she will let this go on for too long."
"That is still a long time for Ethan to be here, just wandering around. Surely he will eventually grow impatient and attempt something, Mother…" Cass reasoned, biting her nails. She was beginning to lose herself down a rabbit hole of worry, but Mother pulled her out of it.
"Perhaps, perhaps not. That is something we will have to address when the time comes, dear. Everything will be alright, dear you will see."
Cassandra relaxed her shoulders a bit and rub the back of her next. "Thank you, Mother, truly. I appreciate your words…"
"Consoling my daughters is part of my job as your mother. Now. Since you are here… I think it best that we discuss your punishment for last night."
"P-punishment! Why!? It's what happened already punishment enough!?" Cassandra attempted to reason.
"To some extent, yes, but I also want to get it past that thick head of yours that Ethan isn't a danger to us. So, once Ethan awakens and recuperates, you will not only begin to practice with him again, but you will also take him along for your little security walks around the castle. On top of that, you two will be having lunch together as well. I want you and Ethan as close as possible for the next week or so until I say otherwise. I'm not doing this so you learn to like him, sweet pea, I am doing this so you learn to tolerate him. He is not going anywhere anytime soon, best to learn to live with him for now."
"But-!"
"No 'but' about this, Cassandra!' Mother raised her voice to silence Cassandra. "My decision is final. Once Ethan is well enough to hear it, you will tell him about this yourself. Do you understand me?" Mother narrowed her eyes.
Grumbling and averting her eyes, Cassandra could only shake her head yes. Mother left no room for discussion about this, that much was obvious.
"Good. Then if that is all, I need to get back to my work, darling. Orders are still coming in and I need to process them."
"Good day, Mother," Cassandra spoke, walking out of the room.
"Good day, my dear." Mother replied back.
Cassandra stopped by the infirmary to look at Ethan, both angry and confused.
'How could Mother expect me to be around him for that long?' she thought to herself. She had her arms crossed and gave a death glare to the unconscious man. Adina was trying her best to remain calm and write. She had nothing to write about, honestly, so she just started dragging her pen around to make it look like she was busy.
"How long until he wakes up?" Cassandra called suddenly, causing Adina to jump slightly.
"W-well, Lady Cassandra, I can not say for certain. He is getting better with each passing minute, and it shouldn't be too much longer until he is physically well. The issue is inside his head. While his body could be completely fine, he could still remain unconscious for some time. I have no way of saying for sure when he will be awake. My best guess is by tomorrow morning he should be awake."
Cassandra was annoyed with this answer. "Is there no way to just wake him up?"
"That could prove dangerous… his dreams have been very vivid. In fact, he has been awake multiple times today, but whatever he has been seeing in those dreams has left him extremely panicked. Every time he opened his eyes, he was completely delirious and didn't react to anything in the real world. He would just thrash around and scream. We must let whatever is wrong with him pass on its own."
"Why is he so calm now, then?" Cassandra asked and pointed at the man.
"Drugs. I've medicated him."
"Hm. Well then, once Ethan awakes, send for me."
"Yes, Lady Cassandra. Good day, Lady Cassandra."
Without another word, Cass turned and left, going to make her rounds around the castle and hunt for any servants not doing what they should be.
It was hours later, after dinner, that Ethan awoke. He shot up out of bed with a horrific gasp for air. His throat felt ragged and dry, and his brain was scrambled. Memories came flooding back, some hazy, some clear, all full of pain. Grasping at his chest, the last clear memory he had was a sword sticking out there.
Scrambling, tears welling up in a panic, Ethan tossed the blanket off of himself to inspect the wound, but found it close and healed. Collapsing back onto the bed, and breathed deep and fast. A grim feeling had engulfed him when he first woke up, but it was now receding. Disappearing back from wherever it came from…
His mouth felt extremely, so Ethan looked around for water. When none was found, he looked around the room even further. It was dim, only lit by a small bulb- a nightlight.
'Adina must've retired for the night.' Ethan thought as he carefully swung his legs off the bed and stood up. He was a bit shaky but was able to stand upright and stretch. His muscles felt exhausted already, but he knew he had to move around a little bit. Taking small, exhaustive steps toward the sink, Ethan slowly made his way. Once there, he grasped onto the edge of the counter and turned the water on. Dunking his head under the stream of water, he began to gulp down the water. His hand slipped against the surface and he knocked a glass cup down to the floor by accident. It made a god-awful noise.
Only a moment passed before Adina, like some sort of vigilante of the night, whipped open door to the infirmary and threw the lights on. Wielding a baseball bat high, she yelled "Which one of you druggy fucks think they can break into my-! Oh, Ethan!" Adina exclaimed in shock, dropping her baseball bat to the floor to rush over to him. "Sit sit sit! I will get you some water."
Ethan looked at the woman a bit nervously. With the nightwear she had on and her hair a bit messy, it was obvious she was resting in bed when she heard the crash. Ethan assumed her bedroom was right next to the infirmary. "What was that bat for?" Ethan asked in a bit of a rough voice.
"Oh, that? A few of the maids are hooked on painkillers. Lady Dimitrescu gave me the green light to beat the hell out of anyone who breaks into the medical supplies to get their fix. So I take that bat, break their faces, and refuse to treat them until they get clean." she said like it was no big deal.
"That's one hell of a 1-step program." Ethan chuckled but it turned into a dry cough. Sitting back down on his bed, Adina pushed a cup of water into his hands. He drank most of it, while the rest dribbled down his face. Adina quickly took the cup and refilled it. "How are you feeling? Headaches, dizziness?"
"My head feels a bit foggy, but nothing is actually hurting. I think I'm having some phantom pains from where I got stabbed or hit, but when I touch the areas there's no real pain."
"Yeah, that will go away in a bit. It's just the last thing you remember feeling. Anything else aside from that…?" Adina asked, handing the cup back. Ethan was a bit worried about her tone, it sounded as if she was looking for a specific answer.
"My mouth feels dry as hell and my body is sore, but other than that, I feel fine." He answered.
"Do you… remember anything from when you were asleep? Dreams, perhaps? Maybe… nightmares." Adina probed.
Ethan grimaced and tried his best to remember. He knew he dreamt something, but whatever it was escaped him. Trying to remember, however, made him feel anxious. Like something was wrong. Like he needed to leave before whatever was lurking in the shadow pounced. Shaking that feeling off, though, Ethan replied, "No. I don't remember anything from when I was asleep. How long was I asleep, actually."
"Well, it's almost two hours passed dinner. You were out a bit longer this time, but that was to be expected. I assume you are hungry?"
Ethan patted his stomach, now feeling the hunger hit him like a ton of bricks. "Yeah, I'm starving."
"Ok, I will go find something small and simple in the kitchens. I may be a moment, I have to inform the others you have woken up." Adina said leaving the room, and leaving Ethan to lie back down…
"Wait, others?" Ethan said out loud to no one in particular but got a response anyway. A curtain pulled open next to him, revealing the tongueless Nadia. She looked just as sleepy as Adina did. She handed him her notepad with something written on it.
Struggling to focus in the low night for a moment, Ethan made out words… Romanian words.
"I uh… Can't read this. I don't speak Romanian, let alone read it." Ethan said sheepishly. The woman smacked her hand to her forehead and quickly scribbled something down, then handed it back.
Adina was told by the Dimitrescu family to inform them when you woke up. She must be also stopping by their rooms to let them know. You might have some visitors soon. Also, Miss Daniela told me about what you are doing for me. Thank you, many times over.
Ethan gave a childish smile, "Oh, yeah. It's honestly no problem. It's the right thing to do."
Though Lady Bela was quite threatening when she heard. She told me how I am now in Miss Daniela and your debt.
"What, no. No, you are not in my debt. I am the reason you ended up here." A finger raised by Nadia silenced him while she quickly wrote a counter.
That may be true, but it's also true that my own actions started all this.
"No, stop that. It wasn't your fault-"
An irritated Nadia threw her paper at Ethan and pointed to the same sentence again as if trying to yell it at him. "Ok, I get it. I suppose you're right, but that still doesn't excuse my behavior or Dani's."
I never said it did.
"Oh, well… fair I guess." Ethan conceded, handing back the paper to Nadia. "How long have I been asleep, actually? Adina didn't really give me a time frame."
A little less than 24 hours.
"Hm, kind of shocked I wasn't out for longer, truth be told."
What exactly happened?
"Well, in short, Cassandra lured me into a room to fight me. She was holding Magda hostage and told me to fight to save her. For a moment, I wasn't actually doing too bad, but I let my guard down, and… Cassandra stabbed me through the chest with a sword. I think I almost died. Then she basically held out a bottle of moldy blood and said I can either die or drink it and live. So… I chose the obvious. After that, nothing. Only bits and pieces, all of them fuzzy."
Must have been one fight. The Dimitrescu Sisters all seemed rather ragged and exhausted all day.
"I don't even remember what happened with them." Ethan said with uncertainty. "I don't doubt I fought them, that is very much likely, but I don't remember what happened, or how it even ended."
From what I overheard, you had passed out. Adina said something about your body starting to reject the foreign mold.
"Gotcha. At least in the end, no one got hurt I suppose."
I heard from one of my visitors that Lady Dimitrescu was extremely upset with Cassandra.
Ethan laughed a bit, resisting the urge to cough. "Oh, I bet! Cassandra damn near killed me, and Alcina's orders were the exact opposite of that!"
Nadia pulled back a bit, her expression a bit startled. Ethan gave the woman a curious look. "What? What is it? Something wrong?" He asked, worriedly.
You called Lady Dimitrescu by her first name.
"Yeah, she asked me to. Sort of. Something about 'earning the right' or whatever. I don't know. I chalked it up to weird rich people stuff."
Nadia shook her head but gave a gentle laugh.
"So tell me, how is your recovery coming along?"
Eating is difficult, and it's only semi-solids. Adina said I am lucky to only lose so much of my tongue, that I can still learn to eat and speak soon. She says some are not as lucky.
"Well, try not to think too much about it. You are doing well, and that is what matters. How is your friend…?" Ethan asked, the question growing quiet as he became nervous about bringing it up.
For a moment, Nadia was angry with Ethan all over again, but then remembered how her friend had awoken already and was back to light work.
She is fine, now. She is back to work and is still a bit weak, but recovering fast. Adina says she should be back in perfect health in just a week or two.
"That's good to hear." Ethan smiled as he sat further up on the bed, trying to get comfortable. A moment later, Adina walked in with a small plate of sliced fruit, a torn-off piece of bread, and a small cup of beef broth.
"Here. This should be easy enough for your body to handle." She said, handing Ethan the items. "I had to inform the family that you are awake, but I requested they give you a moment to eat. They will be here in 10 or so minutes, so I suggest you get to it."
Ethan did not need to be asked twice. He quickly dunked the bread into the broth and ate it. It tasted like utter heaven. He quickly soaked the rest of the bread and ate it, before washing it down with a gulp of broth. Sighing, Ethan tossed a piece of sweet but strange fruit in his mouth and chewed it.
The first to come through the door was Dani. The poor thing looked like a nervous wreck from having to wait. She came in quiet and slow at first, like trying to sneak up on a cat. She sighed loudly and quickly padded over when she saw Ethan sitting up, more or less wide awake. She hugged him gently at first, before pulling away and sitting on the neighboring bed. "Thank goodness your awake. I was starting to get worried, though Adina did a good job of reassuring me. How are you feeling?"
Ethan patted his chest, "I feel fine. Not great, I still get a tingle where I got stabbed every minute or two, but Adina told me that would pass. I'm a bit tired, I will admit, but I'm good to stay up for a while, at least until I talked to everyone."
"Well don't worry, it's only Bela and Mother waiting to see you, and I don't see Bela staying here and talking for a long time. Mother will have some important things to tell you, I'm sure, but she will get right to the point. It's good to see you awake and in high spirits. You looked so sick this morning. It honestly is astounding you recovered so quickly." Dani then got up and squeezed his shoulder. "I am glad you are alright."
Ethan nodded in reply, smiling back. "Thanks, Dani. I appreciate the worry."
"Well, then I will be going. I will send in Bela after me. Good night, Ethan."
"Goodnight to you as well, Dani!" He called back.
Dani walked out, leaving the door open for their sister to enter. Bela walked it, not as worried or as quick as Dani did, but there was a bit of energy in her step. "Ethan, it's good to see you awake."
"Bela. How are you? I hope you haven't been pulling your hair out over this mess."
"Oh, no. Don't worry, we've been through a lot worse. This is nothing." Bela said stoically with a wave of the hand.
"Really? Huh." Ethan reacted, surprised.
Then Bela sat down next to him hard enough to make the bed creak and sighed loudly. "Fuck no, this was one of the worst fucking days in a long time. I wanted to strangle both my damn sisters. They are lucky I didn't beat them half to death with each other."
"Wait, both? What did Dani do?" Ethan asked, worried.
"Don't worry about that. It's done and dealt with. I could use a drink…" Bela said, glancing at Ethan with a bit of a smirk. He chuckled but shook his head no.
"Sorry, but I can't. I'm tired and sore still, and you look about the same. Rain check?"
Blea stood up with a smile. "Rain check. I will see you tomorrow Ethan, good night."
"Night, Bela."
Ethan held his breath. He knew his last visitor was going to Lady Alcina herself. He couldn't even imagine how furious she was with him. Ethan didn't even have time to think about what she was going to do when she walked in.
The first thing that got him was how she was in her nightgown. He vaguely remembered seeing her in it that night with Bela and wine, but it was not a clear picture. The gown was damn near a dress, with ruffles and frills and whatever else Ethan didn't know the name for. Her hair was still styled and her make-up was still perfect.
"Miss Alcina. Good evening to you." Ethan said as politely as possible. His voice was a bit wobbly, though.
Lady Dimitrescu herself looked at Ethan for a moment, a bit annoyed, but continued on towards him without reply.
Gulping, he began to crane his neck trying to look up at the woman. Lady Dimitrescu was intimidating at normal standing height, but when one is sitting down on a bed looking up towards a woman who was hunched over, quite literally over top of you, it was a whole other world.
"Y-yes, Lady Dimitrescu?" Ethan asked, hoping to get a reply this time, trying to be even more polite.
"I told you to call me by my name."
"R-right, sorry Miss Alc-"
"Drop the 'Miss' as well, makes me feel old."
"My apologies, Alcina."
She looked at him one last time before dropping her stoney expression, turning into one of exhaustion. "You have a child, Mister Winters, I am sure you can understand when I say I am utterly exhausted. Those damn daughters of mine. I love them dearly but sometimes they can be…" Alcina trailed off, having trouble finding a word to best describe them.
"Yeah, I know. But, they are worth it." Ethan said a bit whimsical.
Alcina took a seat on the bed next to Ethan, though it creaked and cried and threaten to break under the massive woman. Sitting up prim and proper, she looked at Ethan a bit neutrally. "I wish to extend an apology on behalf of Cassandra, she doesn't always behave herself."
"Honestly? Don't worry about it too much. I survived. They survived. We all survived and are well now. She was just doing what she thought was right." Ethan explained.
However, Alcina didn't agree. "She disobeyed my orders- Mother Miranda's orders- and attempted to kill you. What she did was selfish, dangerous, and outright stupid."
"That is true, you are right, but don't be too hard on Cassandra. She just thought she was doing what was right. It wasn't but still. She did what she did out of love for her family, right? Then how can you fault her for loving her family too much?"
Alcina was rendered silent, at least for a moment, before scoffing and rolling her eyes. "She did what she did because she was blinded by hate, and then love for her family. She acted like a silly girl with a vendetta."
"I suppose you do have a point." Ethan conceded. Alcina dug in her heels and would not let Ethan talk her down from her anger. "At least things worked out well enough in the end, I suppose, we should be happy about that."
The bed cracked a bit again as Alcina stood up, smoothing out her nightgown, and getting ready to leave. "Well, I must be returning to my chambers and let you sleep. Oh, before I go, I have some news. Some good, some bad, some… well, both."
"Oh?" Ethan asked nervously. "What is it"
"Firstly, as punishment, I have ordered Cassandra to take you along for her duties and she will also be starting your little swordplay again."
Ethan felt dread well up inside him. "Oh…"
"That punishment is to also help her get used to your presence… as you will be here for some time. Longer than initially anticipated…"
"Wait what? How long!? Why!" Ethan began to panic, yelling out questions before they could be answered. Alcina did not like this response.
"Silence! As to 'why', it does not concern you. The length of your stay is also yet to be determined, but expect it to be longer than a month." Alcina coldly stated, fed up with Ethan. Ethan decided to just nod in acceptance of his current fate. It wasn't like this was a negotiation.
"Is that all you wished to tell me, Alcina?" Ethan solemnly.
"No. There is one more thing… Come to my room tomorrow morning, before breakfast. Adina!"
The long-forgotten woman let out a mild squeak of surprise. "Y-yes, Lady Dimitrescu?"
"Make sure Ethan is awake and presentable half an hour before breakfast tomorrow. I trust you can manage that, yes?"
"Yes, My Lady, consider it done!" Adina replied firmly.
"Good. Now, good night to you both." The giant woman turned and walked out the door, returning to her own quarters.
Ethan and Adina both looked at each other and let out a breath. It was always scary dealing with Lady Dimitrescu.
"Well, I suggest you get some rest. You'll need it. It's late and I will be waking you up early. Good night, Ethan." Adina said as she handed him one last glass of water.
"Good night to you too, Adina." Ethan replied, before taking a sip of water and laying back down to get some rest…
"Ethan, wake your lazy ass up!"
"I just closed my eyes!" Ethan whined, dragging a pillow over his eyes.
"No, you didn't. You've been asleep for 6 hours. Now wake up before Lady Dimitrescu skins us both alive!" The voice, now registering as Adina in Ethan's mind, was screeching. Or so Ethan thought. He did his best to try and push the banshee away, but her strength was unmatched.
Adina then grabbed the glass of water and emptied it on Ethan. The man shot up like a lightning bolt and gasp for air. "Sweet fucking Jesus that was cold! Damn it, Adina! Now I'm soaked!"
"You need a bath anyway. Get up. Use the one in my room. I already have a hot bath ran, towels, soaps, and clothes readied. …stop looking at me and go! You do not want to be late!" Adina said, giving the bed a kick to jostle Ethan.
Ethan glared his eyes a bit and said, "You are the meanest doctor I've ever had."
Adina rolled her eyes, "Good thing I'm not a doctor. Now get your lazy, smelly ass in that bath, or I will knock you out and bathe you myself."
"I'm going, don't get your panties in a twist- ow." That comment earned Ethan a thwack on the head. "Alright, mom, I'm- ow!" That one earned him another. "Fine! Damn, woman… I should only need less than 10 minutes."
"Good. Because that's all you have. It took me way too long to wake you up. We are cutting it close. Now go, shoo!" Adina all but pushed Ethan out the door and towards her room.
Walking towards the only door near him, Ethan carefully pushed it open and walked into Adina's room. It was a bit like his, but a little bigger with some personal decorations and possessions. It was more homely and Ethan liked it a lot. If he was to be staying in the castle for some time, maybe he could start to make his room into a little home, at least for his own sanity. Be able to exert some control over the situation.
Stepping into the bathroom, he was excited to see a steamy bathtub with shampoos and soaps. They all looked to be the 'girly' kind, but one of Ethan's guilty pleasures was using Mia's shampoos. He may be a guy, but he still liked smelling like a strawberry shortcake sometime.
Quickly stripping and all but jumping into the water, Ethan began to scrub. Adina did a good job of washing most of the filth off him, but she didn't get it all. Quickly lathering up, he felt like he was stepping into a fresh body. The oily feel in his hair quickly rinsed away and the dried blood quickly wiped off. Pulling the plug to allow the water to drain, Ethan dried himself and got dressed. Quickly walking out of the rooms, he met back with Adina.
"Alright, I am ready, I think."
Looking him up and down for a moment, Adina nodded. "Alright, good. You don't need me to walk you to Lady Dimitrescu's room, do you?"
"No, I think I can manage."
"Alright then, better get moving."
Ethan walked back out, saying "Thanks for letting me use your bath, Adina. See you later."
Jogging down the halls, Ethan was starting to worry. He had no idea just what time Lady Dimitrescu was expecting him, but he figured it was close to it. Quickly finding her room, he stopped, smoothed out his clothes once more, collected his breath, and knocked.
"Enter." came Alcina's voice. Stepping into the room, Ethan immediately recognized the sounds of a baby's coos.
His baby, to be exact.
In Lady Dimitrescu's arms was a smiling, giggling Rose.
For a moment, Ethan saw red. He wanted to slaughter Alcina where she stood and take his daughter back. He was so furious she had her hands on his daughter.
Taking a breath though, he calmed down enough to put on a facade.
"Alcina. Good morning to you." He said politely.
"Good morning to you as well. I suppose you already figured out why I had requested you be here this morning. Your daughter. Rose." Alcina said, a bit teasingly.
"I see that." replied Ethan, at a lack for words.
"You have some time before breakfast, and before you have to spend your day with Cassandra. I make the most out of this rare moment…" Alcina said, before gently extending his daughter towards him. With gentle and shaking hands, Ethan looked between Rose and Alcina to see if this was some sort of cruel joke. She simply stared at him with a neutral expression.
Taking a hold of his daughter, the little one's eyes dart to him and it takes her a moment to place the face of her father. Once she does though, she lets out a shrill scream but a large smile, happy to see her father. She reached up at his face and began to squirm, trying to get closer.
"I missed you too, Rose." Ethan whispered as he coddled the baby close to his chest, leaning down to place a gentle kiss on her forehead. Finding the nearest seat, Ethan carefully sat down and just watched his daughter for a moment, forgetting about the rest of the world. Tickling her a bit, she thrashed around in giggling bliss and dazzling coos. Ethan had stars in his eyes watching his daughter, happy she was healthy.
Lady Dimitrescu watched this for a moment, finding the interaction a bit silly but endearing in a parental way. It was always nice to see another parent shower their child in love. Looking at the duo, a pang of sadness crossed Alcina's heart, and she grimaced a bit conflicted. She looked out her window, looking across the snow-covered courtyard, and looked back on her own memories of her daughters.
"How is it?"
"...sorry, what? How is what?" Ethan asked a bit distracted.
"Raising a child."
Ethan looked at Alcina a bit confused. "You should know? You have three, that's two more than me, and you've had yours far longer."
"No," Alcina said, barely turning her head. "I mean having a baby. A newborn."
"What? Did you not raise Bela and them since they were babies? Did you adopt them…?" Ethan asked a bit hesitantly. Alcina tilted her head a bit thinking about that question.
"In a way, I suppose I did. They were not babies when I took them into my arms, no. Until she got here, we'd never had a baby in these halls. It is a very strange change. So, I am asking you, Ethan Winters… what is it like raising a child from the moment they are brought into our world." The low, soft voice she spoke in told Ethan she was putting down some of her defenseless. She was being genuine in her question.
"Rose isn't that old, just passed 6 months, so I don't have much experience, but… its both hell and heaven. Some days I'm so stressed and nervous if I'm doing the right thing and she's healthy, that I can't even think. Other days, it's… bliss. Her laughter, babbling, and coos are just so beautiful. She's so delicate. There are so many things that can hurt her and just the thought of that leaves me…"
"Debilitated. I know what you mean." Alcina finished. Ethan looked sadly at Rose for a moment, thinking about all the things in the world that could hurt her. She was so small and defenseless.
"She's safe here. It's warm. She's being fed well. She always has someone tending to her. She will become spoiled before long." she said with a chuckle. Ethan smiled a bit as well. She was Ethan's firstborn daughter, of course she was going to be spoiled. "Ethan… I can't promise you will see Rose often. I can't even promise that you will see her again for another two weeks. However, if you behave yourself during your time here, I can promise you that you'll at least get more chances like this one to see her."
"Thank you, Alcina. I understand." Ethan said, with a bittersweet tone.
"Ethan. Make no mistake that I am doing this because I wish to be nice. I am doing this because I know what it's like to be a parent. Do not mistake this act for generosity or kindness. If you place one foot out of line, you are going back down to the dungeons, never to see your daughter- or the light of day- again. I will keep you drained of blood, but just enough to keep you alive."
Ethan gulped a bit but nodded. "I understand."
"Good. Now, we have about 15 minutes before breakfast, so I suggest you make every second last." Alcina said before sitting down at her desk, mulling over her work for the day. Ethan heard the woman whisper, 'never-ending paperwork' under her breath.
"Why don't you get some maids to shuffle papers for you? Perhaps something similar to an assistant?" Ethan tossed out advice.
Alcina gave an annoyed laugh before responding. "Tried that once. Didn't work out so well. The majority of the women in this castle are, to varying degrees, illiterate. Being women in this rural area means that whatever education is available, their access to it is even further limited. Men…"
"You don't really like men, do you Alcina?" Ethan asked.
Alcina responded with sarcasm. "What gave it away?"
Ethan gave a little laugh at that. Looking at his daughter, he also thought back to Jack from Lousianna. "You know…. There are definitely bad men out there, but that doesn't mean all men are bad. Maybe you've just gotten unlucky and met shitty men. I doubt the male population around this area are very open-minded people."
For a moment, Alcina didn't give a reply. For a moment, Ethan thought she just ignored him to go back to her work. Until he noticed her take a quick, but inspecting glance towards Ethan, and heard a faint 'perhaps' slip out from under her breath.
Deciding to leave the subject for now, Ethan went back to his adorable daughter and blew a raspberry in her belly, smiling at the cute little laughs she made.
I think I will write one more chapter before a small time skip (possibly only around two weeks of time passing).
Thanks for reading!