#author pat | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

valleynix · 2 years

Note

Ooh just got to the part where the reader saw a bit into Bela’s mind and her past! Do you have any headcanons on how the dimi daughters were when they were first reborn?

i actually do! these are for TPtM's universe, anyway :D

(A/N: this got a lot longer than I was anticipating. I may have gone a little overboard and went into a little more detail about their backstories than you probably wanted, but here we are :D)

Bela Dimitrescu

i imagine all three girls were originally from the village before getting to the castle and where they are now, and Bela (at least in TPtM's universe) was from a rather poor family

her parents were never really proud of anything she did and thought of her more as a burden than an actual child, something she still holds onto even after she can no longer remember this part of her

it's why she constantly tries to prove herself to Alcina, why it hurts her so deeply when anyone is even slightly disappointed in her

she probably ended up falling in love with another woman in the village, and this was likely frowned upon at the time

more so because Castle Dimitrescu was taking more people than usual lately, and they needed more children around (something the lady of the castle refused to take in the night)

her parents likely tossed her to the street for being weird and not accepting their demands to marry a man with more money than they had

word spread quickly, and she was looked down upon from everyone in the village

even the woman she'd fallen in love with ignored her and called her a freak for what she's done

she's come to find that everyone leaves her, eventually

she's heard the rumors and stories surrounding Castle Dimitrescu, and one fateful night, she decides to seek out the woman living there

she has nothing else to live for, abandoned by those she thought would love her unconditionally

Alcina is very skeptical of her at first, mostly because she found Bela wandering around her castle in the middle of the night

she's in a sorry state; blonde hair matted and messy, clothes torn and face dirty, brown eyes filled with so much despair

normally, Alcina wouldn't think twice about sending some strange woman to the cellar to be dealt with later, but part of her - the part that still clings to her humanity - takes pity on her

and she sees the opportunity that could arise out of this situation, as well. someone malleable who can be taught to handle the things she's too busy to deal with

she feeds Bela, helps her bathe, brushes the matting out of her hair, but only on the condition that she sign a working contract for Castle Dimitrescu

Bela does, of course. she'd be a fool not to

Alcina develops a bond with the strange woman she'd seen wandering her castle, often gifting her with the praise she'd so desperately sought out from her own flesh and blood

she feels like a mother to Bela, something she finds she's always searched for and could never find among the heathens in the village

so, when the time comes for Mother Miranda to experiment once again, Alcina sees the opportunity that could arise

she loves Bela dearly, as one should their own child, and to have the chance to keep her around for much longer than an average human life? she'd take that risk any day

it's nighttime when she brings up the question, and Bela is... hesitant

Alcina assures her that nothing will go wrong, not as long as she is there to keep her safe, and that settles it

Miranda arrives the next day, and Alcina sits with Bela on her bed, holding her hand, giving her the comfort and reassurance she's never had

Bela does not want this to go wrong, but she understands that if it does, she will be free

she won't have to suffer from nightmares any longer, she won't have to hear her parents' disapproving voices in the back of her head

she will be safe and she will be loved

isn't that all she's ever wanted?

she winces when Miranda makes the incision on her head, but she is fine. she has to be strong for her new family

everything is fine, at first

then the pain starts

it spikes through her skull and she fights almost immediately. she tries to sit up, to get away from whatever is crawling in her brain, but Alcina holds her down, even as tears stream down her cheeks and ruin what little makeup she usually has on

she screams and writhes, begs for someone to help her, and Alcina gently coos at her, caresses her face, whispers that she’s fine, it’ll be over soon enough, just be strong-

and she tries, she really does

but she’s so scared

she doesn’t want to die

she thinks of her parents and that woman, of everything she wants to say to them, every bit of pain she wishes she could inflict on them for everything they’ve done to her

her fear turns into anger as she continues fighting against Alcina, as her legs kick out and one smacks against Miranda’s golden mask, knocking it off her face

tears continue streaming down her cheeks as her lip curls and she bares her teeth in fury

it feels as though something is eating at her skin, biting and gripping and sticking-

in the end, she passes out from the pain of being eaten alive

she doesn’t expect to wake up

everything is peaceful in that state of blackness, and for the first time in a long time, she is safe

when her eyes eventually reopen, bugs buzzing around her materializing hand, she’s so... lost

the room is dark, and it seems she’s the only one in it

she can’t remember who she is or why she’s there

she doesn’t remember anything

Bela sits up in the bed she was laying in, bringing a hand up to her head, hissing through her teeth when her palm brushes against a rather sore spot there

“easy,” comes a soft voice at her side

she looks around, eyes landing on the large form of a woman sitting in a chair next to her bed. she smiles gently, reassuringly, and Bela cannot help but feel a sort of attachment to this woman, despite not recognizing her

“my name is Alcina Dimitrescu. do you know where you are?”

she shakes her head, blonde hair falling into her face

the woman smiles at that, lifting her chin and revealing more of her shadowed face. two glowing, golden eyes stare back at her, sending a chill down her spine

“good,” the woman says. “then we may begin.” she clasps her hands in her lap, tilting her head to the side. “it’s wonderful to finally meet you, Bela.”

it takes time for her to adjust to her new body - longer limbs than she’s used to, making her rather clumsy, and the bugs that appear when she’s feeling any kind of emotion

she feels just like a newborn learning how to walk and speak, but some part of her, deep down, feels as though this is where she belongs

she becomes the eldest Dimitrescu daughter, a title she learns to hold with immense pride

she lives her life as Alcina’s shadow, doing the things her mother wishes of her, always met with a head pat and verbal praise when she completes any tasks

Bela can’t help but feel this is where she has always belonged

Cassandra Dimitrescu

she’s always been a protector

it’s just in her blood; she protects those she cares for, though they are few and far between

she is a huntress for her family, for her younger brother, all of whom are incapable of doing so themselves

they are working to repay their debt to Castle Dimitrescu, and Cassandra provides food for their table

it’s not a bad life. she doesn’t mind the reputation that follows her, the whispers she hears when she walks through the streets of the village

she’s just glad to be alive another day, and she will continue doing what it takes to keep her family alive

she knows the Dimitrescus - there are two of them now - will come for her family eventually, and she supposes she’s trying to prepare for that time

she doesn’t mind being known as a sadist around the village. she hunts and protects. it’s all she’s ever known

she takes on all the responsibility of her younger brother to keep him safe, to prevent him from witnessing the vile sides of their parents

he deserves a better life than this

in her spare time, something she rarely has, Cassandra will sit outside, hidden in the trees, and sketch what she can

the buildings around the village, a dead lycan, a goat, even the maiden statue in the middle of the village

part of her actually enjoys the fear she sees when she walks through the streets, weapons strapped to her back and sides, and she finds herself smiling at the realization

what does it matter to her, that these idiots are afraid of her? it means they’ll keep away

even after her rebirth, this sticks with Cassandra. she knows she’s not as pretty or well-spoken as her sisters are, and she’s fine with that

she will not let anything else happen to her new family, going to any lengths in order to prevent these horrible things from happening

there is one night, after an intense yelling match with her younger brother, that Cassandra leaves and hides for hours

her parents had wanted her to take him out of the village on a hunting trip for the night, something completely out of the ordinary, but she argued with him before she even remembered what she was supposed to do

it was something stupid, and she knows he’s too young to really know why she’s gone all the time

she left her small and crowded home as the sun was disappearing beneath the mountains, and it is well into the night that she hears screaming

she thinks nothing of it, at first

it’s not uncommon for the newest Dimitrescu daughter to have nightly outings in which she will take her newest victim back to the castle

she watches the forest move and breathe, trying her best to calm down before she returns to her home with a cleared mind

lycans howl in tune with the Dimitrescu daughter’s cackles, and Cassandra wonders if she should return now, but she does value her life

she knows her family is safe. nothing would happen to them while she was around

some time later, the screams stop, and so do the giggles and laughter

Cassandra resigns herself to return, and she stands with a sigh, brushing she snow from her legs

the cold had long since settled in her bones, but she was used to it, now

she turns to make her way back to the village, only to be stopped by the person she sees standing among the trees, hidden by the shadows

two glowing, golden eyes stare back at her

“i see i missed one,” the Dimitrescu daughter says, her voice almost kind

she steps further into the moonlight, blood splattered on her clothing and dripping off her jaw and chin

Cassandra swallows and reaches for the knife she usually has on her, holstered at her hip

she grasps nothing but air

her heart stutters in her chest, and it seems the Dimitrescu in front of her realizes at the same moment that she is defenseless

“your family put up quite the fight.” Cassandra’s heart drops to her stomach as her eyes widen. “it’s a shame they couldn’t repay my mother. you might’ve had more time with them.”

as she stares at the Dimitrescu, she just sees red

she should have-

this is her fault

she knows she shouldn’t, but she can’t stop herself from yelling out in frustration and lunging for the Dimitrescu in front of her

she’s dodged with ease, but Cassandra has been hunting for years

after a few minutes of listening to the Dimitrescu cackle and mock her, she manages to grab a rock in the snow and stab at the bigger woman with it

it goes straight through her shoulder and part of her chest as her form becomes flies

the Dimitrescu pauses as Cassandra pants and watches her body materialize again, becoming a solid form once more

“well,” she says as her eyes find Cassandra’s, “Mother is going to like you.”

the next thing she knows, a sickle is raised, and the end of it is bashed against her temple, sending her toward the forest floor as she blacks out

she wakes intermittently, eyes blurry as she tries to focus

she’s being dragged through the forest, then part of the village, and finally, through what looks like a hallway

for her crimes against Alcina Dimitrescu’s daughter and for offending her, Cassandra is sentenced to death

but, the daughter, whose name she learns is Bela, offers her a choice for being such a good huntress and actually getting the drop on her

go through what she did, become an experiment

there is the risk of dying, but if she survives, she will become like her

and she believes, then, she can enact her revenge

so, she goes through the experiment

she grits her teeth against the pain, eyes boring into Bela’s, hatred fueling her, the only thing keeping her awake and alive, she thinks

the Dimitrescu daughter only grins back at her, blood dried on her lips and cheeks

she has no support, and her hands are bound to the bed

Alcina Dimitrescu stands nearby as the incision is made on her head, and she is given some kind of weird smelling liquid to help with the pain

instead, it forces her unconscious

when she reopens her eyes after spending what feels like an eternity in that state of darkness, a woman with blonde hair and brightly glowing eyes sits with her, watching her, almost studying her

Cassandra freaks

she doesn’t know why she does, but her first instinct is to fight, even if she’s not in any immediate danger

she lunges for the grinning bastard, grabbing a hold of her shoulders and tackling her to the floor, fist raising to bash her face in-

she only gets one hit off of the woman before a large hand grabs onto the back of her clothing and yanks her off, almost like one would a kitten

she’s held in the air, fighting for a moment to get back to the woman on the ground and inflict pain on her, but she gives up after it’s clear she won’t be getting down anytime soon

she frowns and crosses her arms over her chest, glaring at the woman as she stands and swipes the back of her hand across her bloody nose

“well,” she sighs, eyes drooping as she stares up at Cassandra. “it seems it worked, Mother.”

“perhaps a little too well,” someone behind her mumbles. “do you remember anything, young one?”

Cassandra kicks out a leg, still pouting in the air, even if she would never admit to doing such a thing

“what do you want from me?”

someone hums, and then she’s being set back on the floor. a hand finds its way to her shoulder, and then she’s being turned to face a tall woman, watching her carefully

then, she smiles warmly

“welcome to the family, Cassandra.”

it takes time for her to adjust, though she’s given free reign around the castle she now inhabits

Bela, someone she comes to accept is her older sister, shows her around, informs her of everything she now is

she comes to see Alcina Dimitrescu as a mother, and despite having a family, despite belonging...

she can’t help but feel something is missing

she doesn’t understand what purpose she has while she spends her days inside Castle Dimitrescu

some part of her seeks to hurt in order to quell the pain she feels in her head, and so, she spends most of her time in the cellar, unable to comprehend what she’s feeling

she wonders if she hurts the disobedient maids as a way to protect her newfound family

if that’s the case, she will learn to enjoy it

Daniela Dimitrescu

she’s never had what one would call a normal family

the youngest of three, she was nothing more than a mistake, something she was shown and told time and time again by her older siblings and struggling father

she tries to be like them as much as she can, in order to gain her father’s approval

nothing ever works, and it becomes something she still latches onto, even after she finds a loving family and two older sisters that love and adore her simply because they can

Daniela comes to seek approval from anyone around her, hoping someone will take an interest in her, and she latches onto anyone that does

the woman at Duke’s stall that pays for a book she wants, the man that offers to help her get home, the older woman that pats her head and tells her that everything will be fine, soon

nothing ever gets better, she finds

all she’s ever wanted was the approval of her family, something that would give her the love she so desperately craves

she doesn’t know what it’s like to be cared for unconditionally

her brothers and father speak of her mother often, someone that died giving birth to her

it’s why they hate her so much, why they wish she was never born in the first place

months ago, she’d seen the woman around the village everyone feared, the one that hunted and always had at least four weapons on her at all times

one night, Daniela thought of finding this woman, thought of seeking her protection and care

everyone struggles in the village, though, and she likely has her own issues to deal with

so, she tries to remain quiet and nothing more than a little shadow no one can pay attention to

as soon as she becomes of age, her father sells her to Lady Dimitrescu

she wants to fight, wants to beg him to let her stay, to love her

instead, she keeps her mouth shut, silently crying when the grand chambermaid comes to investigate her

a week later, she’s brought to the castle

she’s reassured that she will be taken care of here, that no one will hurt her and she will be fed

her wages will go to her, not her family

she settles in rather easily, but she’s still an outcast

she’s different

Daniela recognizes some of the women working in the castle, ones she’s seen from the village

she imagines that is why they refuse to talk to her

they don’t go out of their way to make her life harder, but they sure as hell don’t make it any easier

about two weeks into her time spent working at the castle, she does begin letting her guard down a little

she’s fed, she has a steady roof over her head, and she hasn’t heard a word from her father since arriving

at the same time, though, she is assigned to clean the Dimitrescus personal wing of the castle

it’s something she knows is a death wish

around noon, she’s given the task of scrubbing the floors from what looks like a pool of blood, though there’s no body to accompany it

bugs buzz around her ears not long after, and she completely freezes

two figures materialize in front of her, and she keeps her head down as best she can

“working by yourself?” the oldest mumbles. “how unlike the grand chambermaid to assign such a thing.”

the younger one hums and crouches. “are they trying to get you killed?”

Daniela lifts her head, heart thundering against her ribcage, and watches the brunette carefully

she smiles back, a little sinister, sending a chill down Daniela’s spine

“Cassandra,” the oldest sighs. “be nice. this is the one Mother warned us about.”

Daniela’s brows furrow as she watches the siblings. she’s reminded of her older brothers, of their larger forms overpowering her and sneering at her as they mocked any little thing she did

her limbs shake as she looks back at the bloodied ground, tears welling in her eyes

she doesn’t want to be seen as weak in front of this family, she doesn’t want it to be like before

they end up leaving her to her own devices, and a few hours later, the younger one returns with a small muffin and hands it to her with a simple, “you’re doing a good job. i’ve spoken with the grand chambermaid.”

she doesn’t want to think on why she doesn’t see the older woman anymore

over time, the Dimitrescu siblings start spending more time around Daniela, something she doesn’t quite understand

surely they had better things to do?

she slowly starts to belong with them

she spends most of her time around the younger one, who usually waits nearby while she cleans or prepares her bed

sometimes she’ll make idle conversation, asking about Daniela’s family, something she intentionally refrains from ever speaking about

eventually, there comes a time, months later, than both siblings wake her up before the sun has even risen

they take her to the library, a vast room filled with shelves upon shelves of books

it’s like Daniela’s heaven

she’s told that this is her task: every morning, she is to clean the library and rearrange the books however she sees fit

once she’s done, she’s able to read whatever she wishes until the siblings find something else for her to do

and, if there’s nothing to clean, she’s allowed to simply sit in the library and relax until someone finds something for her to do

a year after her employment, she celebrates her birthday with the two siblings, who seem to think of her as their younger sister, something that makes this birthday so much better than any she’s ever had before

they give her the day off, something they say they’ll hide from their mother, and they give her the option to see her family again

she’s always turned them down before, but maybe...

she does end up going back to her family, something she despises calling them now that she has a sense of belonging with the Dimitrescu sisters, and she decides to rub in their faces that they tried to get her killed, and she is thriving

it ends up being a mistake going back, and once she can sneak back out of that wretched house that night, she rushes back to the castle, sobbing and aching and just wanting to be held and comforted-

Cassandra finds her hiding in the library as she sobs and curls in on herself, tucked into a corner behind a large shelf

she panics for just a moment as the older woman stands tall and imposing above her, and she’s reminded of her brothers doing the same thing

she flinches when Cassandra crouches and reaches for her, and that must cause her to refrain from touching her

she watches the older woman carefully, hands still outstretched, frowning as she watches Daniela

the latter sobs as she lunges forward, wrapping her arms around Cassandra and holding her tight

the Dimitrescu sister sits on the floor and holds her close, keeping her safe and out of harm’s way

Bela ends up finding them, and she asks what happened, why Daniela is crying and hiding

she tells them both, and a few days later, word spreads around the castle of an unfortunate accident involving her father and brothers

both Dimitrescu siblings deny being involved in such a thing, but Daniela knows better

she smiles and sleeps a little better at night

about a week after that, as Daniela is tucked into a sofa in the library lost in one of her books, Bela and Cassandra enter

they ask her if she’d like to become like them, whatever that means

they were just... human, weren’t they?

she doesn’t understand why everyone is so afraid of them

when she asks for clarification, Bela tells her, “if you do become like us... you won’t have to fear anyone ever again.”

that settles it for her

she doesn’t want to be afraid, and she doesn’t want to be alone

they bring her to their mother, asking her then about their plan to help Daniela become one of them

their mother is skeptical, at first, but she agrees when both siblings say please

they stay with Daniela throughout it all, giving her some kind of tea that eases her anxieties and helps her fall asleep

they promise to be there when she wakes

it takes her longer to finally wake up after her rebirth, and when she does, the first thing she notices is that her head is so crowded

she has these urges to act out on, but for a while, she manages to keep them under control

that same control snaps when she’s incredibly emotional

two women she doesn’t really remember - who she finds are named Bela and Cassandra - show her around, all giddy that she’s awake and they can finally be around her again

she learns to recognize them as her sisters, and they fully accept the notion. they keep her safe and protect her, and Alcina Dimitrescu, her new mother, spoils her and gives her whatever she asks for

there is a time, months after she’s settled in, that Daniela asks if she had any family before. she can’t seem to remember

Bela and Cassandra share a look from across the dinner table, and it’s the former that answers as they wait for their mother to join them

“we’ve always been your family.”

Daniela, despite not remembering anything of her past, despite not knowing who she was before she became a Dimitrescu...

she realizes, after some time, that this is what home should feel like

#asks #to promise the moon #to promise the lore #bela dimitrescu #cassandra dimitrescu #daniela dimitrescu #alcina dimitrescu #lady dimitrescu #i just love them so much your honor #and i love that alcina probably knows the families they came from #what happened before they became mutated #and she just spoils tf out of them #gives them the life they never had as humans #bela finds that she belongs as an older sister #as someone who can protect those she cares for with the authority of her mother #and she finally gets some head pats <3 #cassandra finds her purpose in protecting her family #and more importantly #in keeping dani safe #and poor baby dani #she gets the family she's always wanted #even if she doesnt remember ever wanting it #the found family trope is so good and i do not take criticism #alcina finally gets to be a mother and care for three wonderful (murderous) girls she loves as if they were her own #and they get to be a part of the family they never really had #or had taken away from them #my babies <3

56 notes · View notes