Author's Note:
Having seen Dracula Untold, I couldn't resist writing a fic of my own. There was much to be desired with the ending. My mind was making up all kind of scenarios on where Vlad and Mina's new life would take them...so here I am. And I've just seen the movie again today! The movie was good, even if a bit weak. Working on this chapter, I've had to rewrite it over and over because each time it just didn't seem right to me. I'm not exactly sure of what time frame the movie ended in, but it looked modern but writing this story in a completely modern setting just isn't setting with me...so this is not quiet going to be FULL modern. Maybe not as modern as today, but modern enough. I may in-cooperate part of Bram Stokers Dracula, as well. So we'll start from here...so here we go.
Read and enjoy! And remember, your reviews mean the world to me and inspire me to keep this going!
Chapter One
Neither this life nor the next would keep them apart.
London buzzed with life, the people flowing around him effortlessly to get to their destination. He had watched as the city had built itself from the ground up. The nightlife was amazing; but that was all he knew. The night.
Mankind...they never ceased to amaze him.
But what stopped him wasn't the allure of loud voices, not even the lure of blood that surrounded him. It was one soft laugh in the surrounding market place that had him pausing in mid-step. One familiar voice that had him turning his head. And there she was, just a scant two feet away from him, her fingers trailing over the bouquet of flowers in her hands. Mirena. Mirena. Her name whispered through his mind.
The memory of her had haunted him through the years with sorrow. She'd begged him to drink her blood—she'd begged him to kill her—to save their son. He'd gained immortality. Through her selfless act, he'd achieved everything.
She'd died in his arms, her death a bitter sweet taste in his mouth. He remembered the exact words he'd said. Neither this life nor the next will keep us apart.
But there she was...everything about her was exactly as he remembered, except the length of her hair.
He lifted his head to the skies. He—they—were being given a second chance. Hope. An awareness that they would be together again. Seeing her, he couldn't walk away. There was no chance of that. Elation filled him, a softness he hadn't felt in years. Vlad took that first step towards her, the heels of his shoes nearly silent. His lips curved when he reached her side.
"Beautiful." He said softly, a smile on his lips. And she turned those memorable eyes on him. If his heart hadn't already been dead, it would have stopped beating all over again. He could see himself reaching out to touch her skin, to run his fingertips over the smoothness of her cheek but on the outside he did nothing but smile. When she looked up at him, startled, he added with a nod of his head, "The flowers, my lady."
"
My lady? Where are you from?" She asked with a small laugh.
He chuckled. "A long way from here." Her voice had his smile deepening.
"Well...goodbye." She said in a final farewell and moved around him.
He couldn't let her go; Vlad knew that. She had taken two steps when he spoke. "...why think separately of this life and the next, when one is born from the last?"
She turned to face him again, her soft smile blossoming. "That's my favorite poem."
"It speaks to you of longing, of days gone by."
He returned her smile. He had thought it would be. Had had known it would be. If only she knew that it wasn't Rumi who had spoken those very words. He continued. "...the wolf and the lamb, the lion and the deer—"
"—so far away, yet together." She echoed the ending with him, their voices echoing over each others. There was a soft joy in her expression that touched him. He took in every detail of her face. Beautiful, as he had said before...
She smiled then. "I'm Mina."
Vlad chuckled and reached out with a gloved hand and lifted hers. Bowing over her hand, he curled her fingers into his palm and kissed her knuckles, his eyes meeting hers. "Vlad." He said simply, inhaling her scent. So familiar, so sweet and longing.
Not Mirena. Mina. There was no recognition in her eyes, but she was there. This was his Mirena. His Mina. He flipped a silver coin towards the clerk behind her and plucked a red rose from the arrange of flowers. "And a rose for the beautiful Mina on my behalf?"
She gave a soft laugh again, the look in her eyes showing that she was a little shocked at his behavior, but she took the rose. Her fingers brushed his gloved hands. "Thank you..." She said. Her appreciation had his smile deepening.
He held his arm out to her. "If you will allow me to escort you to..." Vlad offered in a teasing manner, anything to see her smile again. He could sense her hesitation, but she placed her hand over his then and he turned in the direction she motioned to.
"Of course...I was meeting a friend for dinner. You may join us if you like..." His Mina let the offer hang in the air between them and he accepted readily. Her 'us' made it clear that they were not going to be alone. He was, after all, a complete stranger.
But he knew her better than even she knew herself.
"
If you don't mind me asking, where are you from?" She asked from his side. "Your accent, your..." She motioned with her hand towards him, the way he spoke, the way he acted.
"A gentleman?" Vlad offered with an upraised eyebrow. He couldn't help himself. He knew that wasn't what she had been asking, but it was close enough an answer. "Transylvania." He finally said.
"Good God, why would come all the way here?"
Vlad couldn't help himself, he laughed at the sheer shock of her question, the way she spoke it. "Why would I not?" He asked in turn.
"There's so much..." She lifted her hand and motioned towards the buildings and the brick homes lining the streets, the market place. "...surrounding here. But in Transylvania, you have vast lands, mountains..."
He arched an eyebrow. "You prefer the vast lands over the London lifestyle?"
"They are beautiful..."
She didn't answer his question, but Vlad knew none the less. She was his Mirena, of course she would. She belonged there. At his side. As she had been once before.
"Once upon a lifetime, I suppose."
Once upon a lifetime indeed...
He lifted his head when someone called her name, following the direction of her gaze.
"Mina!"
It wasn't hard to miss the woman in question. The red head was baring down on them, waving.
"Lucy." Vlad could hear the emotion in Mina's voice, the envy for the woman approaching; a dear friend. She left his side to embrace the female, each other greeting the other with a kiss to the cheek. The other woman in question, ah yes, Lucy, cleared her throat, drawing his attention back to her.
"Now Mina, are you not going to introduce me to your friend?"
Vlad arched an eyebrow; he could sense her peaked interest. He bowed over Lucy's hand and lifted her hand, his lips barely grazing her knuckles. "Vlad. It's a pleasure to meet you, Lucy." He was, after all, still a gentleman and a Prince with manners.
"Oh, but Mina, you do find the most interesting ones." The red head said with a small laugh, fluttering her eyelashes his way.
"There is nothing of interest, of that I assure you, my dear." Vlad said smoothly. His interests would have her running from London in terror.
"You're still welcome to join us if you like..." Mina offered.
"Be it that I could ever say no to such beautiful ladies." He said with a chuckle. He kept to his feet until both Mina and Lucy were seated and then took the opposite seat. There were already wine glasses waiting and he lifted his in a toast in Mina's direction. "Cheers."
She echoed his move but frowned. "To what?"
"To second chances." He meant every word, though they were few. He knew she didn't understand the sentiment. She didn't need to; he did.
"Yes...to second chances." Lucy mimicked, lifting her own class.
The stench of the wine filled his nostrils and while the women across from him took a sip, he lowered his. His eyes flickered over Mina's face. She was a delight to behold. She spoke animatedly, laughing over something Lucy said. He remembered when they had done this very thing and the background behind her faded in his minds eye, forming into a stoned wall and Mina stared back at him, long hair twisted over her shoulder as she spoke his name, laughing...
"And how are you and Jonathan? Has he proposed yet?"
"No...he's away and we haven't—"
The wine glass in his hand shattered.
Vlad looked down to see his hand clenched into a fist. Blood seeped from between his closed fingers from where he'd suddenly held the wine glass too tight. He barely noticed the fleeting pain. He opened his hands and broken shards of glass clattered to the floor and the women gasped. Before Mina could reach for his hand, he was closing it into a fist again and standing.
"I'm quiet alright, I assure you..." He murmured, and though the blood stained his palm, he already knew the cuts were healing. What Lucy said echoed in his mind. Has he proposed yet? What fool would dare take Mirena from him? No one. "If you ladies will forgive my sudden departure...I've prior engagements I must attend to." He turned to Lucy and lifted her hand. "Lucy." He said.
He turned to Mina and repeated the gesture, pressing his lips against her knuckles in a more intimate touch, seconds longer, his eyes meeting hers. "Mina..." He murmured. He took in her appearance once more before turning away, not because it would be his last—it wouldn't—but because he needed to. He turned and left and was gone.
His eyes narrowed as he stared ahead. He'd meant what he said. Neither this life nor the next would keep them apart. Fate had torn them apart; destiny had brought them back together in this life.
If he hadn't already been damned, he'd be damned before letting her slip away from him again.
