Sisters of the Fallen

"Fascinating," Mirela remarked honestly as her finger swirled around the rim of the wine glass she wouldn't be drinking from. "So there was no contact between the branches of the family once my ancestors departed this land? I never heard any mention of the Turenaus from my father or grandfather."

"No," Turenau answered slowly. "We are isolated from the rest of the realm here and hesitant to leave the home we fought and died for. The price the Turenaus paid for victory was a great one. It was only when your family recently suffered your troubles that we even learned you had returned to Transylvania. That is why we wanted to help, to repay an old family debt."

"I want you to know that we are so very grateful for your kindness, Count Turenau," said Mirela. "You don't know how much this means to us."

Turenau inclined his head toward his distant relation. "It was nothing," he said. "I was sickened to learn that none of the other lords were willing to help one of their own. Not so very noble of them for all their power and pretty titles. I have purchased the debt on your manor so I suppose I am the true owner of the property now. But I will gift your home back to you debt free."

Mirela looked over at her sisters with wide eyes. Free from debt! They could keep their home! Even Bianca couldn't help smiling at the prospect, though oddly Loredana's mind seemed to be fixated elsewhere because she made no reaction to the news. Their troubled times were over and soon they could all be on with their lives.

Bianca broke the silence she had maintained throughout most of the dinner when she asked asked, "What exactly are you expecting in return for these great services you've rendered unto us, my lord?"

For the first time tonight, Mirela saw Turenau's face break into a wide grin. "The pleasure of your company is all I desire," he said. "Let me get to know my nieces... or perhaps cousins would be more accurate. Stay on for a while and enjoy the hospitality of Sidexes for a few more days and then we will send you on your way back home."

"That's not much of a price," Bianca remarked.

"Isn't it, though?" Turenau asked ominously.

Bianca pushed her chair out, stood up, and said, "Well, I think that's plenty of sustenance for us. Need to watch our delicate figures and all. Would you kindly show us to our guest rooms?"

"Bianca..." sighed Mirela.

"Of course," said Turenau. "You must be very tired from your travels and it is getting late. Your rooms are easy to locate. Go up the staircase you passed before entering this hall and take the first right down the hallway. Your four rooms are right next to each other."

"Do we have to go already?" Loredana whined. "I'm actually enjoying myself."

Loredana took another drink of wine and spilled a trickle down her lips to her chin on purpose. She licked her tongue around her mouth deliberately slowly for Şarpe's benefit as she retrieved the spilled wine. Loredana collected the dribble flowing down her chin with her finger and stuck that digit inside her mouth to suck the wine off her finger. Şarpe had become fully erect from Loredana masturbating him with her toes and she could tell he possessed a large, thick cock. He performed admirably at masking his reactions to what Loredana was doing to him with her foot though he couldn't help grunting quietly a few times. She couldn't wait to see and touch Şarpe's prick and maybe put it in her mouth too.

"Loredana can stay and visit with us for a while longer if you three would like to go up and slumber," Şarpe suggested. Loredana seemed very agreeable to this idea as her chin nodded up and down vigorously.

"No!" Mirela cried with more insistence than she had intended. She looked at the rest of the table apologetically. "Forgive me. I'd just rather us stay together. For tonight, at least."

"Of course," Şarpe said as he scooted his chair out from the table and stood up. He had willed his cock into deflating so no one would notice the bulge of the erection that had been showing through his pants less than a minute ago. Loredana wore a pouty look on her face. She did feel reassured knowing they would be here for several days longer though. Plenty of time to make the Viscount hers. Loredana vowed that before the week was out she would feel the tremble of Şarpe's body and listen to the quickening of his breath as he moved inside her.

The sisters stood up and bowed to the Count and Countess. Turenau said, "I hope you enjoy the rest of your evening, my ladies. I find the nighttime to be when Sidexes is at its most beautiful."

"Thank you, Count," replied Mirela. "We shall visit again in the morning I am sure."

Bianca tugged on Bela's arm to compel her to stand and the youngest sister trailed behind her siblings like a sheep as they exited from the hall. Loredana turned back before she left and gazed longingly at the beautiful face of Viscount Şarpe. She blew him a kiss and sighed with resignation before following behind her sisters.

The Pierocents approached the staircase leading upward to the guest rooms and stopped. "Here we are, sisters," said Mirela. "Follow me."

Bianca wasn't listening and instead of stopping she continued walking down to the other end of the hallway. "Bianca, what are you doing?" Mirela called.

"I want to see what is down this way that these Turenaus are so intent on hiding," Bianca explained. "You all can run along now, you don't have to follow me."

"We need to stay together!" Mirela said insistently. "Plus we shouldn't just be wandering around in someone else's home, poking our heads in places where we may not be wanted.

"Mirela is right," Loredana agreed. "If they don't want us down there I'm sure there is a good reason for it."

"If you lambs want to go upstairs and get tucked in to bed like good little children, be my guest," Bianca said patronizingly. "I'm going to explore." Bianca turned away and continued walking down the corridor.

Mirela stood in place seething with anger before throwing her hands up in the air. "Damn you!" she cried.

Loredana gasped. She could never remember Mirela cursing or losing her composure this much. Mirela took Bela by the hand and more forcefully than she intended Mirela pulled Bela along as she rushed to catch up with Bianca.

"Come along, Loredana," sighed Mirela. "We will indulge Bianca for a moment and then I'm finding the key to open that crypt and locking her down there for the rest of the night."

Mirela, Loredana, and Bela quickly caught up with Bianca. Mirela glared at Bianca but Bianca merely smiled back at her sweetly. Bianca had to admit she did feel better with her sisters accompanying her. This castle was too creepy to be walking around alone in. They reached the end of the hallway that opened into a small chapel lit by candlelight from two stands on either side of the altar. There were thirteen rows of pews before a set of steps leading up to a stone altar. Several narrow stained glass windows stretched high to the ceiling similar to the rest of the windows in this castle. The strange thing about this chapel was there was no Christian symbology to be found anywhere. Nothing displayed on the stained glass, no crosses, no crucifixes, nothing.

"What is this place?" Bianca wondered softly.

The sisters fanned out and inspected the chapel, with Mirela keeping a tight grasp on Bela's hand as she looked around. Mirela noticed that this room had been in use more recently than others in the castle. The layer of dust and cobwebs that seemed to permeate nearly everywhere in Sidexes were not present within this worship hall. Loredana seemed to only want to inspect the stained glass windows. The pictures were strange and nonsensical, showing beasts like snakes and wolves rather than the lambs and angels that were more typical of these types of chapels.

Bianca wandered to the front of the chapel and walked up the steps to the altar. Rather than the ornate altarpieces that were found in every church in Europe this was a simple stone slab that was about five feet long and a few feet deep. There were no symbols or writing upon it, and certainly no Christian imagery. Bianca did find some unexplainable dried black stains covering the altar as well as the floor surrounding it. Bianca's foot accidentally kicked up some dust or soot piled beneath the slab and uncovered something written on the floor near the altar. Bianca got down on her knees, uncaring that the dust would cover her dress below her shins. She cleared the majority of the soot away with her hand and gently blew the rest of the dust away. Written on the floor near the altar was the words of a strange language that Bianca didn't recognize and etchings of pentagrams and other unholy symbols.

"Pagans," hissed Bianca.

"What?" Mirela asked.

"These people are heathens and heretics," Bianca said as she raised herself to her feet and pointed at the etchings.

"Bianca, this chapel is probably original to the castle," Mirela said skeptically. "You heard Turenau when he told the history of Sidexes. The Turenaus didn't live here until over three hundred years after it was first built. Who knows what Prince Sidexes did or didn't believe." Mirela wouldn't admit it, but seeing these devilish symbols disturbed her greatly and made her begin to rethink the Turenaus' hospitality.

Bianca scoffed. "I don't believe a single word the Count says."

"Why are you so intent on hating them?" Loredana asked. "Their ways may be strange, but they have shown us nothing but kindness since before we even arrived here."

"I don't hate them," Bianca explained. "I just don't trust them. The only people left in this world that I trust are standing in this room with me."

As they spoke, a strange wind blasted through the hallway and into the chapel. The wind chilled their bones and snuffed out the two candles, plunging the room into darkness.

Bianca said, "You know, sisters, I think it might be time to go to our rooms now."

"Finally we agree on something," replied Mirela.

The Pierocent siblings traversed back down the hallway and climbed the stairs to the upper floor. They followed Turenau's directions and soon found four guest bedrooms in a row with the doors hanging open. They peered inside and were relieved to find their luggage lying on the beds in each room and also to discover that the rooms had been cleaned recently. The furniture was thankfully dust and spiderweb free and the linens and bedsheets had recently been washed clean. Each room was lit by candles on the windowsills and the nightstand.

"Unpack your things and use the privy if you require it. Then meet me in my room before you prepare for bed," Mirela instructed her sisters. "I have a few things I want to go over before we spend our first night here."

A few minutes later, the sisters convened in Mirela's room where they ate some of the food they had packed for their travels to compensate for such a dissatisfying meal. Bianca fumed. "They went through our luggage!" she complained. "I'm missing jewelry, a pocket mirror, and one of my knives!"

Mirela sighed. "Yes, I'm missing some jewelry as well," she said. "The silver crucifix that Mama gave me for my eleventh birthday is absent."

"These servants must have very light fingers," Loredana said. "They are living so remotely here, I doubt they can hire the best help and must make do with whatever servants they can find."

Mirela was beginning to become quite annoyed with the way Loredana explained away every fault they were finding in the Turenau's household. In truth, Loredana was very upset that her favorite silver necklace was among the stolen items but didn't want to be too quick to blame their hosts.

"There are no mirrors in any of these rooms," Bianca lamented. "How are we to ready ourselves for bed and then again in the morning? Tell me what kind of good Christian household doesn't have a single cross adorned on any of the walls either, Mellie?"

Bianca began pacing back and forth across the room while her sisters sat on the bed silently watching her. "I'm sorry Mellie, I know you were trying to do the right thing but we should never have come here," Bianca stated. "That carriage won't be back for over a week and there is no way we can stay here that long. We should raid the larder tomorrow and collect as much food and supplies as we can find so we can start making our way down the mountain path while it is yet morning."

"Mirela," pleaded Loredana. "Talk some sense into her. If we try to make the path on foot we'll die from either starvation or exposure or else be torn apart by wild animals. We have nothing to fear if we stay at Sidexes."

"I...I..." Mirela hesitated before answering. "I agree with Bianca."

"What?" Loredana and Bianca asked in incredulous unison.

"I don't for one second believe Count Turenau's generosity is purehearted," Mirela admitted. "They want to use us for something, but I just haven't figured out for what yet. Turenau isn't telling us everything."

"Thank you!" Bianca cried as she gestured with her arms outstretched. "Finally there's someone else who sees it."

"This is madness," Loredana groaned as she placed her head in her hands.

"Tomorrow I wish to speak with some of the servants and try to learn more about our benefactors," Mirela explained. "They may know more than the Count is telling us. Then maybe we can find some way out of this place and so we can make our way back home. I hope you all realized the implications of Turenau owning our manor. We can't go back there now. We will have to make our own way now. Just like we have been doing these last months, only without a home."

Loredana began to sob. Bianca wasn't made of stone. She sat down next to her sister and held her close. Bianca stroked Loredana's long, pretty red hair while she wept against Bianca's shoulder. "There there, dear one," Bianca whispered. "We'll be okay. Everything will be fine. You don't have to be afraid, I'll protect you."

"Until we know the lay of the land I don't want any of us going off by ourselves," Mirela commanded. "Always keep a sister close by. Always. That includes even when you are sleeping or making your toilet. I suppose we will have to share one room for at least this night."

Bianca looked down at the bed she sat upon. "We aren't going to be able to fit four to a bed," she observed.

"Hmm, even just three would be awfully uncomfortable," Mirela admitted. "Fine, one of you can sleep with me in my bed tonight. The other two will move their things to the room adjoining mine and sleep there so we can all be close by."

"Good plan," Bianca replied.

Mirela said Loredana's name to get her attention. Loredana looked up from the shoulder of Bianca's dress that she had soaked with her tears. Even with red-rimmed eyes and tears staining her cheeks she looked gorgeous. Loredana wiped the teardrops away using the sleeve of her shirt and replied, "Yes?"

"I want you stay away from Şarpe," ordered Mirela. "I mean it. He clearly has intentions toward you and I don't like it. Keep him at arm's length. Be polite as you would be to any lord but don't allow him to take advantage of you."

"O-" Loredana breathed deeply and sniffled before continuing. "O-o-okay."

"Who is going to room with Bela tonight?" Bianca asked as she indicated the youngest sister. Bela sat upon the bed with her hands folded in her lap as she stared at the wall completely oblivious. "Somebody needs to take care of her."

"I'll do it," Loredana said quickly as she raised her hand.

"Thank you," said Mirela. "I appreciate you volunteering. Please keep her safe and remember to lock your door."

The arrangements with luggage were all made with Mirela and Bianca helping to move Loredana and Bela's things to the bedroom adjacent to Mirela's that was originally intended to be Bianca's room. After moving Bianca's belongings to Mirela's room, Mirela and Bianca gave their younger sisters hugs and kisses on the lips good night before retreating to their room. Once Mirela closed the door and locked it, Bianca pushed one of the armoires across the floor until it blocked the door from opening. Mirela raised an eyebrow at her sister.

"What?" Bianca said with a shrug. "You can never be too safe."

The sisters stripped down to their shifts and readied themselves to slumber. Mirela let her hair down and Bianca couldn't help staring at it. She didn't understand why Mirela always wore her hair up in a bun when it looked so pretty long. In the absence of a mirror, Mirela and Bianca took turns stroking each other's hair with a brush until their tresses were tangle free. They giggled throughout their brushing as they recalled they hadn't done this for each other since they were little girls. Servants had left pitchers filled with water and more of that horrific wine on the nightstand before they arrived. Mirela and Bianca used the water from the pitcher and mixed it with soda powder they had packed to wash out their mouths and they decided to just spit the mixture into the wine pitcher. They both laughed uproariously as they did so, with Bianca making the most exaggerated facial expressions as she spat to try and make Mirela laugh even harder. Mirela was glad that despite all the darkness that had infiltrated their lives they could still find joy in small things.

As Bianca unpacked the rest of her clothes and folded them into the dresser, Mirela kneeled beside the bed and clasped the palms of her hands together with her elbows resting on the mattress. Mirela murmured imperceptibly softly to herself as she rocked back and forth.

"What do you think you're doing?" Bianca asked.

Mirela shushed his sister and replied, "What does it look like?" before returning to her prayer. When she was finished Mirela nodded to herself and stood back up.

"Do you actually think that works?" Bianca wondered. "If our prayers were ever answered we never would have been in this predicament."

"Of course it works," Mirela answered fervently. "God is just testing our faithfulness. We will be rewarded as long as we continue to follow His way."

"What do you pray for?" Bianca asked seriously.

Mirela regarded her favorite sister and said, "I pray for Mama and Papa of course, that their souls will find peace. I pray that Bela will someday recover and become the sweet, gentle girl she once was again. I pray that Loredana might find satisfaction of the spirit rather than of the flesh. And I pray that you will find love again."

Bianca looked away from Mirela's eyes and down to the floor as her sister spoke of love. The thoughts brought up too many uncomfortable feelings and memories. Without looking up, Bianca asked, "What do you pray for yourself?"

Mirela was silent for a moment before replying, "I pray that I might find clarity and guidance to help my family. I pray that my piety will be rewarded."

Bianca knew her sister too well and knew that couldn't be the only thing troubling Mirela enough for her to pray for. Her sister must feel so lonely all the time and Bianca's heart went out to her. Bianca made her own little prayer that Mirela might someday find a man not intimidated by her strength and intelligence who actually deserved her. Bianca knew of one who would love and appreciate Mirela the way she deserved, but she wouldn't, couldn't speak of it.

"It's been a long day," Mirela said with a yawn. "I'm going to bed."

Mirela put out all of the candles except for the one next to the nightstand. She pulled the bedsheet away from the mattress and plumped the goosefeather pillow before snuggling beneath the covers. Mirela laid there for a minute with her eyes closed before realizing that Bianca hadn't joined her. She looked over and saw Bianca sitting in an armchair with a blanket draped over her legs. Bianca sat watching the door with a long dagger clasped between her hands.