Archive of Our Own ^beta

Nobody had exactly planned for the name to stick, but thinking back on it, perhaps it was inevitable that it would.

They started being called Elizabeth's girls because they were always around Elizabeth, or maybe Elizabeth was always around them? Either way, it was what they were first called when each of them had initially arrived, because it wasn't known immediately that they were this generation's soul riders.

Even then, once everybody knew, Elizabeth was still always there, so it stuck, because they were still Elizabeth's girls.

And they always spoke so highly of her, just like how Elizabeth had no end to the praise she gave them, to their face or otherwise. So they were still Elizabeth's girls, both because Elizabeth had taken them under her wing, and because they wanted to stick by her.

At some point they started being Elizabeth's girls more than anything because, when they were actually around, it was Elizabeth they went to first, and often Elizabeth exclusively. They returned from some mission or other, what kind nobody else had any idea about, checked up with Elizabeth, and then they were gone again soon after, only to once again return to Elizabeth first.

They were Elizabeth's girls because they might as well only be her girls at this point.

And then she died.

And they were Elizabeth's girls then as well because she died for them.

Because they were there and they saw it happen and they swear up and down that they're to blame.

But everybody knew that Elizabeth would do anything for those girls.

Even die for them.

And die for them she did.

So they were Elizabeth's girls until the end, regardless of if they wanted to or not.

But even still, weeks, months, years, after her passing, they haven't forgotten her, and they won't let anybody else forget her either.

Because they are still, above all else, Elizabeth's girls.

And such, they would always remain.

Because what were they, if not Elizabeth's girls?