Give me back my girlhood,
it was mine first.
⏤ Taylor Swift
When news of what happened to the Dragomir Family broke out all over the Dominion all hell broke loose. Everyone wanted to know who had survived and if the two most favourite potential heir to the Moroi throne were dead, who would take their place.
The Moroi Queen and the Guardians who worked for the Dragomir Family were the only ones that were aware of everything, the Guardians reporting back and forth any new news from the three survivors.
Princesses Mirela and Vasilisa Dragomir and Dhampir Novice Rosemarie Hathaway were all hospitalised in the Hospital of the Moroi Royal Court in Transylvania, Romania, all three having undergone surgery to treat their internal injuries.
Besides their share d bruised ribs, Mira had to have her arm screwed back into place, Lissa had to have her leg reset and screwed back into place, but Rose had more internal damage, internal damage that when she was in surgery showed some minimal healing, just the bare minimum for Rose not to die.
Thankfully, all three girls pulled through, Mira and Rose had lost their consciousness at the crash site while Lissa had been the only one to not lose consciousness after awakening from the collision.
Lissa and Rose shared a room while Mira had one for herself, mostly because of what had happened on site, the explosion of all four elements that was heard, felt and seen from a distance, destroying everything behind the tree in which her twin brother was pinned to, behind the location in which she was found on unresponsive on the dirt.
So far, no one had heard or seen any Moroi lose control of their element, much less the 3 elements that they hadn't specialised in during any and all traumatising times, in such a devastating way like Mira had.
Lissa had been bound to a wheelchair when she wasn't in her bed, and she alternated between Rose's bedside and her remaining living family member's, although she was always supervised in Mira's room in case the elements went awry. Lissa spent the week and a half after the crash praying to all the Saints and God to not let either of the people she loved that remained perish.
Almost unsurprisingly, Rose was the first to wake up, on New Year's Day, December 31st, a Saturday, 2 weeks and 2 days after the accident.
With the extent of her injuries Rose's prospects hadn't been all that good, but when the Dhampir woke up in the middle of the night, sending her heart monitor into a frenzy, every Doctor, that had also been bound to the Hospital floor that they were locked and secured in, breathed a hearty exhale of relief.
Rose's first question had been where everyone was, and who had survived, the terror and despair on the young novice's face had been almost heartbreaking, and to watch it crumble as she was told of the passing of Princes Eric and Andre and Princess Rhea, was almost enough for them to break down themselves.
Lissa had, with obvious reason, nearly kept out of her wheelchair when she returned to their room from praying on Mira's bedside, and had to be physically held back by the nurse that was pushing her wheelchair.
Mira's awakening took 3 weeks and 1 day, coming to on a Friday, on January 6th, 2012, since the accident to happen, And her awakening had only been perceived by the fact the the ground under the Seat of the Dominion shook enough to cause small ripples of power outage, tremors stronger than the ones she'd caused while unconscious.
It had been only, because of protocol, that she'd been found awake.
She'd been placed on a medical induced coma after the end of the second week when she showed no signs of improving, and had a machine breathing for her.
The nurse who came to check on Mira's vitals, because of the tremor, was accompanied by Guardian Grant Miller, a Guardian that had been Prince Eric's dhampir Guardian since they were about 12 years old, he'd been there when Eric met Rhea for the first time, when Eric and Rhea married, when the twins were born at home, when Lissa was born in the hospital, catching Eric as he fainted from happiness, when each of the Dragomir children were dropped of at school for the first time and every time since.
His family was the Dragomir family, he was the honorary uncle of the Dragomir children much like Prince Viktor Dashkov was. He was as family as a Guardian could be, and due to his dedication to the Dragomir family, he hadn't been able to grieve the lost of his closest and best friend, who had treated him like a brother, the woman he considered his sister-in-law and his honorary nephew, simply because he needed to know, he needed to pray and continue to protect his, now, current main charge.
The new, but not yet official, Heiress of the Royal House of Dragomir, Mirela Rhea Sorana Dragomir.
He entered before the nurse, just in case there was any danger, and before the nurse could step into the room, Grant caught the sight of Mira's eyes moving as she looked at the ceiling. Everything in him broke, his heart, his spirit, his stony Guardian facade, and he felt like the ground had opened up beneath him as his eyes filled with tears that escaped from them before they could properly form.
A strangled and relief filled gasp trembled past his lips as he rushed to Mira's side, gently grabbing her non-injured hand tightly in his and placing his other hand on the top of her head as he looked down to her with a teary smile.
"You're okay, you're safe Mira." his words were coated with happiness and relief as well as pain. His almost caramel eyes locked with Mira's. Mira's blue eyes held nothing but relief to see him, relief that she was alive, emotions that lasted only seconds before she remembered the events that led up to where and why she was looking up at Grant.
Grant watched as Mira's eyes began to fill with tears, matching his own, her hand in his began to clutch his ever so tightly. Grant had to watch Mira's world crash coming down, had to watch her world come apart, he had to soothe her so she didn't hyperventilate and attempted to take the tube out in her panic.
No one had informed the other two survivors about what was happening, the medical team needed as much room as they could get. It was almost painful for everyone to see the now head of the Dragomir family attempt to hold in her emotions until she was free of the breathing tube.
Grant held both of Mira's hands as the tube was gently taken out, so as so not damage her vocal cords. Warning her that she shouldn't speak as soon as the tube was removed. How devastating it was to not be able to cry her lungs raw, but Mira clung onto Grant as she wept into his chest.
The news of the now oldest Dragomir child and now Head of the Dragomir family having woken up was carried to the Queen of the Moroi, who'd been having breakfast with her family.
It was certainly the type of news that would split the Dominion in half, more than it already was split. Almost all the Royals wanted all of the Dragomirs to perish in the accident, and if they could start sucking up to the Queen in order for her to chose them, or rather favour them.
Along with the news that Princess Mirela waking up, the Queen was also informed that the Princess needed to rest her voice due to having had a tube in, which was the reason that the Queen didn't show up immediately after.
The winter vacations had finished on Monday, the 9th of January, about 3 weeks and 4 days after the accident that day, the day in which the Moroi Queen entered the closed off Hospital floor, flanked by her Guardian, all but speed walking to Mira's room.
She all but ignored the sea of bowing heads that when until she entered the room of the eldest Dragomir. Inside she found Mira, with her right arm to her chest and in a cast, Lissa, bound to a wheelchair with her left leg in a cast, while Rose had bandages on her head and peaking from under her hospital gown.
All three girls were smiling and talking, all three had dying bruises visible on their skins, almost normal coloured. But there was a certain constant sadness in their aura and eyes that was visible even to the blindest person. And unfortunately, all three held a toll that no 17 and 15 year olds should.
Rose was the first to notice the Queen, having allowed her eyes to wander to the door as she laughed, and as soon as her dark eyes caught the sight of the Queen, she all but leaped out of the bed and fell into a deep and Dhampir-like bow. Mira and Lissa were a bit slower to comprehend what was happening, but when they realised and were about to follow Rose's actions the Queen dismissed them by curtsying to them in return.
"I should be the one to bow to you after what happened." The Queen said as both she and Rose ended their curtsy/bow. Queen Tatiana approached the bed and gently placed a hand on Rose's shoulder as soon as she was close enough.
Rose stiffened, this action often coming with a scolding from someone.
"The Dominion does not yet know who has survived and who has perished, but I have mourned the lost Dragomirs." The Queen started, "And I have thanked the Saints that all three of you survived-"
"I'm the Head of the Family right?" Mira cut the Queen off, her question was loaded with anguish and pain, displeasure even.
The Queen took a few moments to reply, and when she did, the Queen merely nodded, her light coloured eyes filled with sorrow. It was then with that question and the Queen's presence that all three girls understood what was going to happen that day.
The Queen turned to one of her Guardians, one that was holding a briefcase and nodded at him. Lissa and Rose turned their eyes to Mira. Whatever was in the briefcase was surely nothing good, especially if the Queen was there with it.
Queen Tatiana Ivashkov opened the briefcase and picked from inside the briefcase, a bunch of papers.
"If you are well enough, we can deal with your parents will and testament and plan the date for the funeral." Queen Tatiana said softly, showing that she so clearly didn't want to disturb the peace that had just settled between them.
Lissa kept her eyes on her sister, knowing that with their parents and Andre dead, Lissa now had to follow Mira in everything. Mira glanced briefly at her younger sister before she nodded, allowing the Queen to sit on the chair that was placed beside Lissa's wheelchair while Rose sat back down on the bed.
"I've already signed the death certificates for Eric, Rhea and Andre, they are sitting on ice, ready for the funeral to happen." Queen Tatiana started, watching as a small amount of relief lifted off Mira's shoulders. "As you and everyone most likely perceived, Mirela is now the Head of the Dragomir Family, which means any and all assets that your parents and even your brother might've owned, are now yours."
This came as no surprise, they remember how it was when Eric inherited the title and position of head of the Dragomir Family after his father passed away. Mira nodded slowly while tightening her hold on Lissa's hand, using her as an emotional crutch.
"The funeral should happen soon enough, 5 weeks have passed since the accident and I fear that your family cannot be on ice for much longer without the Dominion finding out." Queen Tatiana continued, turning over the page, to a page that showed the proper procedure for the funeral of a Royal-Moroi.
"The funeral and the crowning must happen on the same day, or within a week of each other. Putting the Dominion as ease is the first thing to do, as much as they are loyal to the Crown, everyone wants the wears the crown."
"Will Mira still be your chosen heir?" Lissa asked, moving her pale jade eyes to the Queen for the second time since she arrived.
The Queen nodded, surprising the trio that had expected her to decline such rumours. "Truth be told, I had never really decided between Andre and Mirela, who would be my chosen heir, both hold the best qualities to lead the Dominion to Greatness for at least 50 years." The truth was strangely refreshing for the surviving girls to hear.
Silence ensued, each of the survivors taking in the news, their emotions regarding them mixed.