Dracula's Castle

NPOV

Obviously, I was terrified. I had just witnessed a vampire drink a human's blood, and with no shred of remorse for the life he'd just taken. I was surrounded by bones and rotting corpses and freshly dead. The smell of blood and decay surrounded the room, and it was revolting. I couldn't breathe in this room without having a gag reflex. I started breathing with the skirt of my dress covering my mouth and nose.

He'd left only seconds before. For some odd reason, I was even more terrified with him not here than with him here. At least he was something pleasant to look at. I only wished I could have seen all of his face. The only parts that the moon's light through the window had shown me was his eyes. Those horrific, scarlet red, eyes. But, somehow, I could tell that those eyes belonged to a very handsome man. Probably just the way his eyes were shaped I suppose. And his voice was another thing. Even when it was angry and harsh, it was the most beautiful voice I'd ever heard. It was like listening to a song in a symphony of a deep, baritone sound. Not at all the voice I imagined would belong to Count Dracula. No. Titus?

I had no idea where he'd left. I only knew he'd left. I couldn't see very far and what little light from the moon was getting in was hardly enough for me to see. I didn't even hear him leave. His footsteps were inaudible. I didn't even know he was moving until I felt the emptiness of the room worsen with his departure. I didn't try to move from the spot I was at. I was scared that I might fall down a pit or something if I dared move. But suddenly, there was a stand of lit candle sticks in front of me. All I saw now were shoes.

"I'll show you to your room now. That should provide you with sufficient light for the time being." I was surprised to find that it was the Count. Or Titus. Whatever he was called. Calling him the monster seemed a suitable enough name to me. I hadn't heard him leave or come in. And he was only absent for a mere five minutes.

I picked up the stand of three large, long, lit candles and stood up. It was easier to see now, but not by much. Now I saw his back as he walked away slowly. I tentatively followed after him despite my nervousness and concern. I was hoping that, if he were in fact going to kill me, he would have done it a while ago.

I followed him through the dungeon and up a flight of stairs, which at the top of, he opened a large wooden door. He held it open for me as I walked through and into a long, narrow hallway. I looked forward at the portrait that was in front of me. It was a portrait of a torture scene which I assumed symbolized everything that happened in that dungeon. In the middle was a man being impelled by another, lowlier man in black rags. Behind him, pointing at the victim of the torture, was a man in fancy garb from fifteenth century Romanian royalty with a large red hat and dark hair. The portrait was gruesome.

"This way, my dear." I looked towards the heavenly voice, but he was already walking in the direction he wanted us to go. I followed closely behind him.

I suddenly realized he had an accent. It wasn't heavy, but noticeable. It reminded me slightly of another accent. The accent of a catholic priest that had come to Transylvania from the Vatican. It was so long ago that happened. He came to our village and started sprinkling the grounds and houses with holy water. He was the one that told all of us to start putting rings of garlic on our windows, keep silver stakes, holy water, and nail crosses on our rooftops. I was but a small child when he'd come to us. Five if I remember correctly.

He'd also dared what only one person had done before him. He dared to go to the castle and fight off our vampire directly. And he met the same fate as the vampire hunter. The vampire hunter's body had been drunk dry and crucified to the church doors the morning after he'd left. The priest's public display was the one I remembered. I remembered it all too clearly. I was one of the first ones to see it. I'd gone out to gather some water from the well outside the church, and that's when I'd seen it. The priest's head had been placed on the cross that towered over the roof of the church, his blood running down the cross. His body was never found. I'd never been able to get that image out of my mind after that. I'd cried for days.

If I hadn't seen him kill Marishka with such indifferent leisure, I would never think he was capable of such horrors. His voice wasn't that of a killer. It was more like the voice of an archangel.

After the walk down the long, narrow hall ended, we came across another flight of stairs. I followed after him, staring at the stairs the whole way up. When we reached the top of these stairs, he opened another door and we walked through it. It was still dark, but the windows provided good light from the moon. I followed the now distinguishable figure down the hall, looking at the pictures as we went. They were mostly pictures of a man with dark hair and varied fifteenth century outfits. I thought out loud.

"Is this Dracula?"

"Yes, it is." I looked at him, then blushed. I hadn't meant to speak aloud. I didn't expect him to continue. "He died in 1472 in Hungary after his loss to the Turks. That's what was represented by the man in the portrait you saw getting impelled. Dracula enjoyed impelling his Turkish prisoners as well as all his other prisoners." I held my head down as he spoke. I didn't really want to talk to him. Knowing that I was in the same vicinity with the vampire that had starred in my nightmares my whole life made my skin crawl. Even with such a beautiful voice.

I followed him through the many hallways and up one more flight of stairs before we got to a place that I assumed was the bedroom he spoke of giving me. His face was shadowed as he opened the double doors to the room and I walked forward to look inside. The room was stunning, I wouldn't lie. The room was draped in red and gold fabrics with dark woods and portraits of a beautiful woman whose identity I didn't know. The bed was at a wall in the middle of the room with a large, dark wooden chest at the end of the bed.

The frame of the bed, I could even tell from here, was intricately designed and done so flawlessly from what I could tell. The sheets were red and there was a long, transparent sheet coming down from the canopy of the bed. It covered the end of the bed. On the right and left of the bed, the transparent sheet was tied back for access, but taking them down was an option.

On both sides of the bed were nightstands of the same dark wood. Each were covered in white candles. The wax that ran down the candles indicated that they'd been used before. Each stand had six candles arranged in a fancy style.

I couldn't tell what color the rug was in this light, but I could tell that it was huge. To my right in the room, there was a small table that was covered in stationary and an ink bottle with the feather fountain pen waiting inside. To my left was a large closet that had a carving of a woman on the front. There was no mirror beside it, though. There must be a mirror on the inside of the armoire. I walked in slowly while taking in the look and feel of the room. I didn't look around this time when he spoke to me.

"This will be your room from now on. You are free to move about the castle as you please. Any rooms that you shouldn't go into will be locked. Keep in mind that those rooms are locked for a reason. If you need anything, all you need do is ask." With that, I heard the doors close behind me.

I did look around then, but when I did, he was gone and the doors to the room were closed. I looked back at the bed and started walking to it. The reality of the situation was only becoming greater with time passing and I started feeling a great pain in my chest.

When I reached one of the bedside tables, I lit all the candles using the ones I had in my hand. When those were lit, I went to the other nightstand and lit the rest of the candles. When the room was lit up, I could see everything much better than before.

When I had all the candles in the room lit, I walked over to the stationary table and put the stand down on the table and blew out those candles. When they were out, I walked back to the bed and sat down, looking at the room again. The room was beautiful, but somehow so dreary. One could tell that it's been centuries since a human being had last been in this room.

It smelled nice in the room. Much better than the dungeon. It was a sweet smell. I couldn't think of what the smell was. There was a hint of vanilla and pears. They smelled as if they'd been cooked in sugar and cream. The other smell, I wanted to say, was chocolate. But I wasn't sure. That smell had been stronger when I was standing close to him.

He had smelled sweet and his voice was like velvet. Nothing like what I'd always pictured when I was little. I always pictured Count Dracula having a monster's growl for a voice and smelling of blood and decay. And I never imagined him as anyone but Count Dracula. Now he was Titus Valerius. I would admit that the name was far more appealing than Count Vlad the impeller Dracula. But that didn't make him any less the monster I grew up knowing him as.

I sat in the room in silence for a long time. Longer than I think would be normal for anyone. I imagined that I must look like stone right about now. I didn't feel any emotion on my face. Everything was in my chest. A painful pressure that wouldn't let up.

I started thinking of my family. They would find out I was gone soon. I wondered if they would try to send help. I doubted it. No one had the courage, or the foolish nature, to venture near this castle or even wonder into the woods. And I knew I didn't have a prayer that my 'fiancé' would come save me.

His name was Hallem Boroi. I'd known the man for two minutes before father told me I was marrying him. He didn't strike me as a man that would waste his time going on a suicide mission to save a bride he could easily replace. His age certainly wouldn't help him any, either. Boroi was forty eight years old. A mere five years older than my own father. The thought made me shudder. His only appeal was that he was a wealthy man that lived in Dobrogea. The Romanian state that was the farthest away from Transylvania. My family was to leave Transylvania in a fortnight to make our way to Dobrogea. But without me, my family wasn't going anywhere.

I'd hated father for forcing me, his freshly turned eighteen year old daughter, to marry a man that was pushing fifty. My only chance at happiness if I were to marry him was the hope that he would die soon. But now, given the present circumstances, I would choose that over this any day. At least if I went to Dobrogea, I was guaranteed that my husband would most likely be dead within the next few years. Here, I had no idea what to expect or what would happen to me.

What if he changed his mind about killing me? And even if he never did, what was I going to do here? I had no intention of leaving this room. I had no idea how many, if there were more, vampires lived here. Nor did I know what other unholy beasts he might have roaming around the castle. I didn't feel completely safe in this room, but it was better than being out there.

After having sat on my new bed for more time than I could count, I fell onto the bed and let my head rest on the soft, feather pillows. I suddenly realized I was crying when I felt the tears roll down my face as I went down. I touched the trail the tears had left and looked at it. I'm not sure why.

After laying there for several minutes, I felt my eyes become very heavy. Eventually, my eyes closed, but I didn't fall asleep right away. I think I was too scared to. That if I fell asleep, I would never wake up again. But I forced myself to fall asleep, hoping that if I did wake up, that I would discover that this was all just some horrible nightmare.

I awoke to a smell. It was a familiar and homey smell that reminded me of my mother. It was the smell of eggs and sausages. I opened my eyes with the hope that last night really had been a dream. But my heart sank when I looked at the room I was in. It was the room the monster had put me in. It was the room I remembered from last night. It looked so different with the sun showing through it. The reds were more vibrant and the image of the woman on the armoire was easy to see. It wasn't a religious relic of any kind. It was just a woman. I later discovered that it did, in fact, have a mirror in it. It had the mirror and a place where dresses could be hung and a spot where makeup and perfumes could be placed.

I looked at the food that was placed next to my bed on a stand that wasn't there the night before. All of the candles had been blown out before they were half way used. I remembered falling asleep with the candles on. He must have come in here. That realization terrified me. I reached down the collar of my dress and took out the rosary I wore around my neck. My father had given this to me when I was only a little girl. He told me that as long as I always kept it with me, I would be safe from evil.

I got up from my bed and walked over to the door of my room. When I reached the doors, I took my rosary from around my neck and tied it around the knobs of the door. I didn't know how well that would work, but if it kept him out of this room, that would be enough for me to feel at least a little bit safe here.

Once I had tied the rosary to the doorknob, I turned back to the bed and saw the food that was next to my bed. I wouldn't lie that I was hungry. But at the same time, I wasn't comfortable with the idea of eating anything that came from here. I walked closer to my bed, all the while smelling the delicious scent of the sausage and eggs that were next to my bed. I looked around the room to find something to occupy my time with. I found a book on the stationary table and walked to that.

When I opened it, I saw writing and dates. It looked to be a diary. There wasn't a name on the diary, but it looked to be feminine hand writing, so I assumed it was the hand writing of the woman whose picture was on the wall in the room. It wasn't the most thrilling thing I'd ever read, but it was better than nothing.

I read the diary in two days, all the while, the monster leaving me breakfast, lunch, and dinner every one of those days. Breakfast would always be at my bedside when I woke up. Lunch and dinner would be outside my door and I would hear a knock on the door when it was brought. But I wouldn't eat it. The food I hadn't eaten would always be gone and replaced with fresh food the next morning.

Once I'd finished reading the diary, I looked for something else to occupy my time. When all else failed, I started writing. I wrote letters to my mother and father, I wrote a diary, though I knew that it was such a boring read, and I would write poems. Nothing good, just something to keep my mind occupied. For a month, I didn't leave my room. It was a week before I ate any of the food that was being left for me. I'd gotten so hungry that I caved in and ate the food. It was delicious, and it hadn't made me sick. It was clear to me that he really didn't intend to kill me. Now, instead of feeling fear, I felt a sense of boredom. I really had nothing to fear. I had nothing to do except write or read a boring diary of a woman whose name I didn't know.

After the month of staying secluded in my room, I gained the courage to come out of my room for the sake of my own sanity. Being in that room with nothing to do but write was driving me mad.

I opened the door to my room tentatively before coming out. I wanted to make sure that there was no one in the hallways. I at least knew that the monster wouldn't be out during the day. Father always told me that vampires hide in their coffins during the day so they won't burn. For a moment, the thought crossed my head to look for the coffin and maybe kill the monster with a silver stake. I doubted there were silver stakes anywhere in the castle, but perhaps I could kill him simply by breaking a whole in the wall and letting the sun hit him when I opened his coffin. If I was able to kill the monster, that would give me the freedom to leave and not worry about him following me or taking me back.

So that's what I did all day. I looked high and low through the castle trying to find where he kept his coffin. I started looking in the towers. While looking through the castle, I couldn't help but admire it. The castle was flawless in its structure despite the years past. I assumed that the monster took good care of the castle. I couldn't imagine where he found the time, but I didn't think too much about the matter.

When the towers held nothing, I started looking through the many rooms in the castle from top to bottom. I found a library on my search. This excited me. The library was filled with books that would surely better occupy my time from now on. I even saw a piano in the corner of the library that looked in perfect condition and without a speck of dust like everything else in this castle. I'd expected everything to be covered in dust from centuries of neglect. But that wasn't the case at all. The castle was clean and presentable. I wondered why the dungeon hadn't been this clean.

I walked over to the piano in the corner of the room and played keys randomly for a moment. It was tuned. I found that odd, but took a seat on the piano bench anyway and played a sweet song that my mother had taught me when I was little. I wasn't as good at playing the piano as my mother was, but I did like the piano. Especially now. It had a nostalgic feeling to it.

I played for several songs, letting myself get taken away in the sound of the music. Playing the piano helped me to forget where I really was and let me pretend that I was somewhere else, with my family. As I was playing my fourth song, I felt an odd presence behind me and turned around violently with a small scream. There was nothing behind me when I turned around. I put my right hand over my heart willing for it to slow and calm.

When I was able to calm down, I took myself away from the piano, not wanting to again attract whatever had been behind me before, because I knew something had been there. I left the library all together after that, and remembered my search. There were still a few rooms that I hadn't checked. All the rooms I'd searched, including the dungeon, had been open and held no coffin that I was looking for. Around sundown, after searching high and low through the castle, I was about to give up. But I noticed a door at the end of a hallway that was near the basement of the castle, further below than the dungeon.

I walked down that hallway and let myself into the room. When I opened the door, there was another hallway. It twisted and turned like a maze, but I followed until I found an end. The end I found was frightening. I found a large, black door. I looked at the door a moment and realized that it was painted steel. I walked over to the door to try and open it, but when I tried, it wouldn't open. I then realized that the door was welded shut. I wondered why he would do such a thing. Then it came to me. This must be where he kept his coffin. That also meant that it would take much longer than I would have liked to get in. Days even. Time I didn't have. He would no doubt notice it if I took days.

Then suddenly, as I was feeling the door, I heard a slamming against the door and it made me jump. I saw a dent form in the door and it made me stare in horrified wonder. I looked out the window and saw that, though it was setting, the sun was still up and bright. The banging on the door continued and I started to hear roaring barks coming from the other side of the door. Those barks did make me scream. When I screamed, the barking and slamming became more violent.

It didn't take long for me to start running the direction from whence I came. When I reached the wooden door that had led me in, I slammed that shut and started running more until I was at the top of the stairs I had come down and made my way for my room as fast as I possibly could. I didn't hear any footsteps following me, but that didn't make me run any slower. I ran as fast as my feet could carry me.

While I was running up a flight of stairs, I stepped on the skirt of my dress and it tore, making me trip on the stairs. I was about to hit the steps face first, but something grabbed me and steadied me. What had grabbed me felt like cold, hard granite. Statue like even though I felt it moved. When my hands were gently placed on the stairs, whatever was holding me let go. I didn't turn around to see what it was behind me as I sprinted off up the stairs as fast as I could, ignoring the tear in my dress.

When I was finally out of the staircase, I ran down the hall, never looking back. When I finally reached my room, I swung open the doors and slammed them. I looked around the room for something, anything I could use to block the door. I settled on several chairs that were placed at the stationary table and jammed them into the doorknob. I saw the water that was left on my tray from breakfast and took that in my hands. I recited every prayer I knew repeatedly, hoping it would work to make the water holy. I tried remembering the prayers the priest had used, but they'd been in Latin, so I couldn't remember them clearly.

When I was sure I couldn't pray anymore, I splashed the water onto the chairs and doors and back away to my bed, clutching my rosary at my breast. I kept breathing in and out over and over again, trying to stop the shaking and the racing of my heart. I still didn't hear any footsteps or any other sounds coming towards my door. Eventually, I started to calm down, but not by much. I stayed in bed trembling until I was finally able to fall asleep.

I woke up to a feeling of water on my hand. It was hot, but not uncomfortable. I woke up and saw a bathtub filled with water and looked around to realize that I was in the bathroom to my room. After looking at the tub, I looked at my dress and finally saw the tear that was on my dress. It was horrible. It was torn beyond my ability to repair it. Mother had always tried teaching me how to sow, but I could never seem to do it right. I could make small repairs, but a tear that went around and straight down was beyond my power.

I stood up from lying against the tub and took a deep breath to help regain my balance and get some feeling back into my legs. When I finally had balance and could feel my legs again, I looked around the bathroom and noticed the door to the bathroom was open. I looked out the door into my room and saw a new dress sitting on my bed and a bathrobe next to it. Atop the dress was an envelope. I took that in my hand and opened the flap and saw a piece of paper that had been folded in threes. When I had it out and opened it, I saw a letter written in the most beautiful handwriting I'd ever seen.

Dear Nicoleta,

I apologize for the fright you had from last night. I assure you that the creatures on the other side of that door are well kept and will not bother you as long as you stay away from that room. I noticed that your dress was badly torn from your fall on the stairs. I've left you a new dress and a robe for you to use. If you do not like the gown, I will fetch you a different one. The bath should calm you down some too. Once again, if there's anything you need, simply leave a note and it will be yours. I will also send to have your other dress repaired if you wish. Again, please forgive last night's incident.

Titus Valerius

I swore reading this note, I could hear his voice in my head. I remembered his voice so clearly. Much more than I expected I would. After reading the note, I put that down and looked at the dress that was left on my bed. It was a dark purple dress with shades of red and black lace. There was a corset under the dress as well.

I looked around my room again. The chairs that I'd placed in front of the door were now arranged neatly around the table like they'd been before and there was no water on the floor or door. I started shaking now. It hadn't worked. I suppose I should've assumed it wouldn't work. I wasn't a priest. I did find it odd that there was no sign of forced entry. The door was in the same perfect condition it'd always been in and there was nothing else that was broken.

I took another deep breath, trying to get a grip of myself. When I was calm, I looked around the room once more before taking off my dress. It felt nice to take it off. The dress had been the only thing I had to wear for the past month and it was dirty.

When the dress was off, I put on the robe. It was a silk green robe that had several shades of green to form what I thought looked like a caterpillar or a butterfly. It looked like something that only the wife of a wealthy man would have. I walked into the bathroom and closed the door. I checked the water again before stepping in. It was still nice and warm. There were fragrant soaps for me to use. They all smelled like vanilla.

The water felt nice when I stepped in. I hadn't bathed since I came here and I really had felt dirty. I rubbed the soap on every inch of me I could get it on, including my face and hair. When I was clean, I just sat in the tub and let myself relax. I'd been through so much in the past month. It was funny how a hot bath could make you forget about your problems.

I didn't get out of the tub until I noticed my fingers start to prune. I took the towel that was on a hanger and dried off as best I could. I dried my hair as best I could, but it was still damp when I was done. When I walked out, the armoire was open and stocked. There was a brush and comb and it was filled with new dresses and my old dress was gone. All the dresses in the armoire were of every color a woman could want. There were pinks, greens, reds, purples and many other colors, light and dark. Every dress looked expensive and royal. It was overwhelming.

It took a lot of effort to put on a corset by myself. Somehow, I managed to get it as tight as I needed it to be. I did the same to the dress. I looked at the dress on me for a few minutes after I put it on. It was truly a beautiful dress. It felt strange having such a low neckline, but it was a flattering look. But my hair looked so out of place in this dress. It was just starting to get dry after I'd brushed it and it was down in wavy locks.

I looked through the armoire and found several hair pieces that I could use. I went with the easiest thing I could do. I French braided my hair as best I could and tied a ponytail at the bass of my neck so that the rest of my hair was hanging low. I put purple flower barrettes in when I was done. I took time to look over my work. It wasn't as nice as it would be if I'd had someone else do it for me, but it was better than just having my hair down.

When I was dressed, I worked up the courage to leave my room again. I looked both ways of the hallway to make sure it was clear and walked to the library when I was sure it was safe. When I was in the library, I looked at the book selection and was impressed with what was here. There were war stories like the Iliad and the Odyssey. A Tale of Two Cities. Several books by Jane Austin, and plays by Shakespeare.

While I was looking through the library, I couldn't stop myself from thinking about yesterday. I wondered if his coffin really was in that room whose door was welded shut. It made sense for him to make sure that one couldn't just walk in there freely. But what else was in there? Dogs, obviously. But those dogs had barks that were far more vicious that any dog bark I'd ever heard.

It was clear to me that he wasn't planning to kill me. That I had figured out a long time ago. But that had raised several other questions. If he wasn't going to kill me, then what did he want with me? I couldn't imagine what he would want me for other than to kill me and drink my blood. It bothered me more than the thought of him killing me.

After worrying about it for the rest of that afternoon, I got sick of worrying. I knew I wouldn't be able to get out of here and there was no way anyone from the village was going to save me. So I might as well make the best of the situation. So that's what I did. It became my daily routine. There were plenty of books in the library and I could play the piano whenever I didn't feel like reading.

I threw out the letters I'd written to mother and wrote new ones. I decided I would tell them I ran away to Serbia. I wrote that I didn't want to be tied to a man that I didn't love and that was far too old for me. I knew that if the monster were to take these to them, they would be angry at me, but I rather they be angry at me than spend their lives thinking I was murdered. It would also make them less likely to do something reckless.

I wanted to write enough letters so that it looked like I'd been trying to write letters for months. I took my time writing the letters. I didn't want them to sound fake. I tried being as sincere in my letters as possible. I started looking through the library for maps and country history. And I made up finding a job at the house of a wealthy man that took care of me and his other servants very well. I figured it was as close to the truth as I was going to come in my letters.

I took three months to write all the letters. And whenever I ran out of ink, there would be more the next day. Same thing for when I ran out of paper. And if the piano in the library was out of tune, that would be fixed the next day too. And every night when I would come back to my room, a bath would be drawn for me that would have hot water and soaps ready.

I caught myself becoming reliant on the monster. Every need was met, both physical and material. I started spending my time thinking about what he must really be like. Growing up, I was always told he was a monster. Count Dracula was a monster with claws, fangs, pasty skin and an evil glare with piercing red eyes. The red eyes I remembered. But I had a strange feeling that he wasn't what the village had painted him as. But at the same time, I remembered everything that he'd done. I was beginning to have a hard time thinking of the monster that way. He was so diligent in seeing to my needs.

After six months, I decided I wanted to send my letters. I knew they would make my family ashamed of me, but I would rather they be ashamed than mourn for me when I wasn't really dead.

I was about to right a note to make my request, but something told me that the monster was nearby and listening. I'd been isolated for so long and hadn't spoken to anyone in so long. I wouldn't care how silly it made me look. I was desperate to talk to anyone, even if I couldn't see who I was talking to. The only image I had of the monster was his eyes and his back silhouette and his voice. I pictured those things I knew of the monster, took a deep breath and stared halfway to the ceiling.

"I know you said that if I need something, all I needed to do was ask." I looked at the ground and took another deep breath. "I have a request to ask of you. I have letters that I've written to my mother and father. I don't want them to think I'm dead, so I've fabricated a story that I was in Serbia.

"I'll understand if you don't take the letters to my family. What reason do you have to trust me? But it would really mean a lot to me for my family to know that I'm alright and that they have no reason to worry about me."

I walked over to the table that held all my letters. I gathered them up and organized them into a neat stack on the table and tied them together with a ribbon that I'd found in the armoire a while ago.

"I'll leave them here on the table for you. If they're still here in the morning, then I'll understand. If they're not here in the morning……..thank you." With that said, I left the letters on the table and walked away from them. I went about my day after that as I normally would. I spent my day in the library playing the piano. I'd found some music sheets and was playing with those.

At the end of the day when I came back to my room, the letters were still there. I was sad to see them, but reminded myself that I'd given him until the morning. I went to sleep that night hopeful that the monster would follow through with my request. It took a lot of time for me to fall asleep that night, but I was eventually able to fall asleep. When I woke up that morning, a tray of breakfast was next to my bed as usual.

I lifted myself from my bed and looked right at the table that had held my letters. When I saw the table, my letters were gone, and I smiled widely. I looked around my room again with a wide smile on my face. There was another letter on the table that hadn't been there the night before, though. I got out of bed and walked to the table and looked at the letter. It had my name written on it in a gorgeous script that I remembered from the last letter I'd received from the monster. I opened the letter and looked at the note with a smile still on my face.

Dear Nicoleta,

I have sent your letters to you mother and father. They will receive them when they check their mail today. Feel free to continue to write them letters if you wish. And I will bring you any letters they send to you in return. If there's anything else you need, feel free to ask for it.

Sincerely,

Titus Valerius

I smiled wider after reading the note and I held it close to me. I really could rely on this monster. Titus.

As he said I could, I continued writing letters to my parents. I even received a letter a few days after the monster….Titus..took my letters to my family. The letter made me laugh in a manner. The whole letter was in my mother's handwriting and was spent telling me how stupid I was for running away and that they were disappointed in me and would never forgive me for running away and ruining the family's chance at a life outside of Transylvania. Mother even found time to mention that Boroi was planning on moving us all to America.

When I was done reading that letter, I wrote another letter in response. After that letter was sent, I never received another letter after that. But I kept writing letters to my mother if only to feel like I was talking to someone. And every time I sent a letter, Titus would take it to my parents and he would always leave a note letting me know that they hadn't responded.

It seemed that the longer I stayed at Dracula's castle, the safer I started feeling. I still had no idea why he was doing this, but I was almost grateful to him now. He freed me from having to marry a man more than twice my age and a future in a country I wasn't familiar with. He was taking care of me and was attending to my every need. I could swear he was even there for me one night when I was having nightmares.

A few months after I was brought to the castle, there was a really bad thunder and lightning storm. I was always scared of thunder. And the thunder was especially frightening that night. I had managed to fall asleep after several hours of tossing and turned, but when I finally was able to sleep, I had a dream.

I'd dreamed that I was outside in the open during a thunderstorm all alone. But when I started shaking and was beginning to cry, a set of cold arms wrapped around me. It was an embrace like ice cold granite, but it was still comforting. When I woke up that morning, those arms were gone. I looked all over my room but found nothing. It had felt so real. After I'd had that dream, I started writing letters to Titus. He was the only other person in the castle that I could talk to.

My first letter was random and uneventful. I went through my day and told him about everything that I'd done that day. What songs I'd played on the piano, what books I'd started reading and so on. I also thanked him for all the dresses and other things that he'd provided to me. I thanked him for everything else I was able to think of and remember, such as the stationary and hair pieces. When I was done writing the letter, it was three pages long, front to back. Even an individual letter to my mother hadn't been that long. I put the letter into an envelope and sealed it the same way I would any other letter and wrote his name on it, indicating that it was for him.

I tried forcing myself to stay awake that night. I wanted to know when he got my letter. I found my eagerness to be odd and ironic. I'd spent so much time hating this man and being afraid of him my whole life, and now, here I was, eager for him to receive a letter I'd written him, even though the letter would probably bore him to death. But after lying in bed for several hours and hearing nothing, I couldn't force myself to stay awake anymore and I let my eyes close and I fell asleep.

I woke up the next morning a lot later than I usually did. Normally, when I woke up, the sun was still slightly dim and coming up. This time, the sun was bright and vibrant, indicating it was later in the morning. My breakfast was still at my bedside, but it was a little cooler than usual. This morning, there was a baked apple with some buttered toast. Even though it wasn't hot, it was still aromatic and smelled delicious. The first thing that came to my mind, however, was the letter. I looked at the table where my letter had been and I smiled.

In the place of my letter was another envelope with my name on it and a rose sitting next to it. The rose was red at the bass, then faded to pink as it ascended up the rose. I got out of my bed and walked over to the table, completely ignoring my breakfast at the moment. I immediately recognized the handwriting that I'd come to know as his in these past few months. When I started reading the letter, it was similar to what I'd written. He told me about some things that he did during his day and night.

That part had surprised me. I'd thought he would only tell me about his nightly activities, but he spoke of the whole night and day. He told me of the songs I played and how he enjoyed hearing me play. He told me about how he thought it was wonderful that I most enjoyed reading books about science, and even recommended a book to me and told me where I could find it in the library. He said he would leave it on top of the piano for me. He also mentioned that he noticed I seemed to be getting bored with most of the sheet music I was provided, so he had gotten me new sheet music and hoped I would enjoy it.

Most everything that he mentioned had gone on during his day was bring up what I was doing. I assumed he'd been watching me, but I never thought he'd be watching me during the day. Reading his letter made it clear that the sun didn't hurt him. But if the sun didn't hurt him, than what did he need a coffin to hide in for? Did that also mean that holy water and crosses didn't hurt him either? I wanted to ask, but it seemed too broad a subject to ask him at such an early time in our speaking to each other. Or writing to each other more accurately.

I decided to look in the library after I finished eating breakfast to look for the things he'd mentioned in the letter. As promised, there was a book on top of the piano and there were several pages of sheet music on the bench of the piano. The science book was notes and writings of Da Vinci. The sheet music was songs that I'd never heard before. There was no name to the song or composer either. I played the songs hoping that I might eventually remember them from somewhere, but I didn't.

Each song was extremely melancholy and had a sense of extreme loneliness. But each song was still beautiful. It took hours to go through each song. None were longer to play than three or four minutes, but there were so many. By the time I'd played all the songs, it was already mid afternoon. When I finished playing all the new songs, I took the book with me to my room. It wasn't a very long read. A lot of the book were pictures of designs like his war designs and plans for a flying machine.

It was nighttime when I finished reading. The sun had set a long time ago and I'd needed to light a candle so I could continue reading it. When I was done, I put the book on the other side of the bed and got out of bed to walk to the stationary table. I took out a piece of paper and started writing another letter to Titus, telling him that I enjoyed the book and the songs he left me and thanked him for them. I also thanked him for the rose and asked if I could have a vase of water to put it in.

When the letter was written, I folded it into an envelope, sealed it, and signed his name on it. I then went to the bathroom and took a bath. The water was still hot when I got in. The soaps were fresh and the candles were on all over the room. The candles even smelled of vanilla. I wondered how he knew I liked vanilla so much, or if he's just a really good guesser. I lingered in the tub for a while, almost falling asleep in the water. I did eventually force myself out of the water and went back to my room. I noticed that the letter that had been on the table when I'd left wasn't there anymore. Its absence made me smile.

I fell asleep quickly that night. I'd come to find that the robe he'd given me was a comfortable thing to sleep in, so I started sleeping in that. The next morning, my breakfast was, as usual, at my bedside when I woke up. I'd started waking up to the aroma of baked fruits and savory meats and eggs with apple juice. My breakfast this morning was a fresh pomegranate. I wondered where he was able to get a hold of a pomegranate, but dismissed the thought when I saw what was next to it.

Next to my breakfast was a large vase filled with assorted shades of roses with a note lying against it. I took the note and looked at my name written on the envelope for a moment. I truly loved his handwriting. It was far more beautiful than my own or any others handwriting that I'd ever seen. I opened the envelope and took out the note and unfolded it to read. It was a short note this time, but the handwriting was mesmerizing. I honestly wished I remembered exactly what his voice sounded like. I'd only heard his voice for a brief point in time and I'd been suppressing thoughts of him for so long that his voice was now gone from my mind.

Dear Nicoleta,

I'm pleased that you liked your rose. But one rose didn't seem like enough. So I took it upon myself to give you more. I think it fills up the vase more attractively. And since you appeared to enjoy the music I left for you yesterday, I've decided to give you the rest of the sheet music. There's one song in particular that I hope you will enjoy. I'm sure you will know which one it is when you come across it. I will warn you, though, it might take a while for you to find it.

Titus Valerius

I smiled after reading the note. I took time to admire the flawless script before putting it back in its envelope. When I had it tucked inside again, I got out of bed and walked to my armoire and opened the doors. I opened the top of the interior counter drawers and took out a small stack of letters. I'd been keeping all his letters, even from the time I'd first come here. At first, this spot was a place to hide them so I would never have to look at them, and I never did since letters from him at that time were so few and far between. Then, once I was openly writing to him, it became a treasured spot where I kept all his letters together. I kept them tied together with a sweet red ribbon so that they would all stay together.

I placed the letters back into their drawer and went to my bed to eat the breakfast that was left for me. When I was done, I then changed and went to the library so I could see the music he said he'd leave for me. When I arrived at the library and started walking to the piano, my jaw dropped. There were stacks and stacks of paper, all divided by each song being placed differently in the stack to indicate a different song. One stack reached about my height. I looked through all the music, trying to find one that caught my eye. Eventually, I just picked a song at random and went from there.

It took me four months total for me to finish going through all those songs. None of the songs stuck out to me at first. I couldn't seem to find a song that he said would strike me. But on the fourth month after I'd felt like I'd played all the music, I came to the piano and saw some sheet music I'd never seen on the stand waiting to be played. The music looked far different from all the other songs that I'd played over the past few months. This one had higher notes and what looked like cheerier note changes.

When I finally played the song, it really did jump out at me. It was a far happier song. It still had a lonely undertone, but it was happier. It made me think of two people finding each other or being about to find each other. I felt myself get teary eyed as I played the song. It was beautiful. More beautiful than any of the other songs in fact. I played that song over and over again throughout the day. It cheered me up and made me think of a peaceful place.

That night, I left a note thanking him for all the music he'd left me and that I especially loved the one that he'd left for me to play. As I was writing the letter, I looked outside and had to sigh. It was fall. My favorite season. Fall was so colorful and I loved the sound of crunching leaves at my feet as I walked. And it had been months since I'd last set foot outside. I missed the fresh air and the sun. So I decided to add a request to go outside and walk around for a while. With that written down, I ended the letter, took my bath and went to bed, hoping for the best.

The next morning, I woke up to the smell of breakfast as usual. And next to my breakfast was a note. I rose from my bed quickly and reached for the note anticipating his response. I opened the letter as fast as I could and looked at the letter with great eagerness. I almost felt silly for wanting his permission so badly. I knew that I would probably at least try to walk outside with or without his approval, but for some bizarre reason I couldn't pinpoint, I felt the desire for his approval.

Dear Nicoleta,

I'm thrilled you enjoyed the music I left for you. I feared you would find them boring truthfully. I understand that you wish to go outside and walk around, it being fall and such. If you wish to go outside and walk around, feel free to do so. I only ask that you not wonder too far away from the castle. I plan to stay close by to assure that nothing happen to you. And I want you to promise me that you will run back to the castle if you hear or see anything suspicious, no questions asked. You may leave at any time of the day, but come back before nightfall. Werewolves are usually more active at nightfall. I don't foresee that being as much of a problem during the day. Please enjoy you're walk. I will remain close by to keep you safe, so you needn't fear anything.

Yours,

Titus Valerius

I was beaming after reading his letter and I didn't even try to hide it. It was one thing for him to be alright with me going around outside, but the thought of him being there to protect me was a whole other thing of its own. I'd come to feel truly safe with him, even though I'd never seen more than his eyes and silhouette. Before starting my breakfast, I looked around my room and finally settled my eyes towards my ceiling, not knowing where else I could look.

"I promise to stay close to the castle and come straight back if I see anything suspicious. Thank you." I continued to smile despite the silence that followed. Half the time, if I didn't know better, I'd say he didn't exist. There are times when I question his existence, but his letters always remind me that he really is there.

I finished my breakfast and got dressed as fast as I could. I picked one of my deep burgundy dresses to wear. It fit the fall colors. I did my hair up as nicely as I could manage on my own. There were several hair combs to choose from. I was happy to see leaf barrettes and combs that I could put in my hair. I was sure to use several, but tried not to over indulge myself. I was really pleased with how my hair looked by the time it was done. My hair was out of my face and up in a messy French twist. Some strands of hair went free, but they were shorter parts of my hair, so that was alright. There was a burgundy shawl in the armoire that I saw and decided to bring with me. I wasn't sure how cold it would be outside.

It took me a moment to find my way to the main door of the castle, but was happy to find it. When I reached the door, I let myself out and took a deep breath as the autumn air blew against me. I was glad I'd brought the shawl. It was a little on the cooler side.

As I promised I would, I stayed close to the castle. Luckily, there wasn't anything strange happening and I didn't hear or see anything that would cause worry, so I didn't need to run back to the castle at any time. I was even able to take a small nap while I was outside. I took a nap under the shade of a tree and breathed in the sweet fall smells, like apple butter and damp leaves. I could even smell some burning wood in the distance. It smelled like maple. Then I could smell the food they were cooking using that wood. I couldn't tell what it was exactly, but I knew it was meat.

That night, I wrote a note thanking Titus for letting me go outside and asked if he would mind me continuing to do so since today went so well. I was happy to receive his note the next morning saying I was free to go outside as often as I wished as long as I continued to go by his two requests that I stay close and that I come back to the castle before sunset. I complied happily and enjoyed my time outside in the fall.

I started bringing books with me so I could read under the shade of a tree. I took up reading Taming of the Shrew first. When I was done with that, I read Pride and Prejudice. Then Sense and Sensibility after that. By the time it was almost the end of fall, I was starting the collection of stories by The Brothers Grimm. I loved reading their stories. Tales of Rapunzel and Rumpelstiltskin made me feel like a child again.

The last of the leaves were falling. It was late afternoon. The sun was about to set. I would leave my spot soon. I just wanted to finish Cinderella before I called it a day. I was at the part of the story when the prince fit the glass slipper onto Cinderella's foot when I started hearing something. It sounded like soft footsteps. I looked up and towards where I heard the sound coming from. It was close and gaining, but it was going at a slow pace. I never took my eyes away from the direction of the sound as I rose from my spot under the tree slowly, trying not to make a sound. But as I kept looking forward, I started seeing the shape of what was approaching me. It was a man. This confused me. I started smiling then. It was Titus. It must be. But my heart sank and confusion returned when I was able to see the man's face. It was a man I knew. He looked at me with shocked eyes when he saw me.

"Nicoleta?" It was Victor. A man that I'd grown up with. He was slightly taller than me with pale skin and short dark hair.

"Victor? What are you doing out here?" His face remained confused and started looking scared and concerned.

"I might ask you the same. I thought you were in Serbia." I knew I looked panicked.

I never thought I would need to come up with a backup plan to explain where I'd been all these months. I never thought I'd ever be able to leave the castle in the first place to need one. And then I found it unlikely that I'd ever run into anyone anyway with all the horrors that came with the woods next to the village. I searched through my mind for an excuse. Any excuse. He noticed my nervousness.

"Nicoleta?" I finally answered with the first thing I could think of.

"I was. I just came back." He remained confused.

"When did you come back?" I shrugged and tried to look innocent.

"Just yesterday actually. I just stopped here to read was all." His face became horrified and scared.

"Nicoleta, are you out of your mind?! Did you not notice the sun setting?!" I looked up and pretended not to have noticed.

"Goodness. I didn't." I laughed nervously. "How silly of me not to notice."

"Why are you even out here? Why didn't you go to the village?" I looked at him with nervousness in my eyes again.

"I……….I…got lost. I got lost was all." Then Victor started looking around, then back at me again.

"Don't you have a horse or carriage?" I nodded awkwardly.

"Yes, of course. It's just…….a little further from here. I walked around and found this spot." Victor rolled his eyes as his annoyance grew.

"Well, show me where it is and go back to the village. I've got to be truthful, your parents won't be happy. They have several words for you about running away."

"I know. I got their letter. I tried writing more, but they never responded." Victor gave me a look like what he was about to say was obvious.

"Of course they wouldn't. They've disowned you." This news took me off guard.

I had known that my family was angry for my 'running away to Serbia'. But I never thought they'd disown me. I wondered if Titus had known about this. And if so, why wouldn't he tell me? As I was holding my head down in thought, Victor approached me and took both my arms in his hands. But it was gentle, so it didn't startle me.

"Nicoleta, it's not so bad. If you come home now, I'm sure they'll forgive you in time." I looked up to face him. His voice was more eager than I would think it to be. I saw that he looked hopeful, but still had worry all over his face. "And I know you can't marry Domnule (Sir in Romanian) Boroi now, but you have other options. You could marry me." I was shocked now, and I wasn't hiding it.

"What?" He nodded.

"I'd asked your father before for your hand in marriage, but he told me you were to wed Boroi. But Boroi found another woman to marry after you left. Now that he's no longer an option, you and I could marry." I was sincerely confused. I held my hands up in front of me.

"What are you talking about?" His face began to look hurt. I'd never thought Victor had feelings like this for me. He was like a brother to me. I tried looking for a subject change and grasped at the first one that came to thought. "Wait, why are you in the woods? You never answered my question." Victor seemed to catch my desperateness to change the subject and let go of me. Than his face fell further. Turned to anger.

"Celestina is missing." My eyes widened in sincere shock.

"Your sister's missing?!" He nodded.

"She came out to the woods to look for her damn dog that ran out of her sight and we haven't seen her or the dog since. It happened this morning. While the sun was still down I might add." His eyes wondered to the castle accusingly as he said this. I gave him angry eyes.

"What makes you think it was him?" He looked at me shocked. "How do you know it wasn't a werewolf that took her?" He shook his head lightly in angered confusion before he looked at me and started talking again.

"She was close to the village when she was taken. We didn't hear any screaming or any roaring from the woods. Who else could keep a kill that silent but that monster, Dracula?" I flinched at the word monster, even though I'd thought of him as such not long ago myself.

"How do you know she was close to the village when she was taken? Maybe she wondered far enough away that none of you heard the attack." He was becoming angrier by the second.

"Why are you defending that monster?! What does it matter to you?!" After that, his eyes became aware, then pained. He looked in the distance and noticed how close I was to the castle completely alone and I'm sure started factoring in everything else. I swear I could hear his heart pound when he spoke again. "Nicoleta." I started backing away.

"What?"

"You've been here. All this time, you've been here. He's been keeping you here." I kept backing away.

"Victor?" He started coming closer to me.

"He didn't change you and didn't kill you? Then what does he want with you?" I looked away from him.

"I don't know." His eyes were furious now.

"He's controlling you somehow." I looked at him with equally shocked and furious eyes.

"What?!"

"That must be it. How else would you find it in you to defend such a vile creature."

"Stop calling him that!! You don't know him!"

"I don't know him?! I don't need to know him! Look at what he's done all these years! The girls, the hunter, the priest, several of our soldiers, our defenders! You've seen the mutilation he's done and the pain he's caused to a lot of families! You know it as well as I do! He's a monster Nicoleta! That's all he is, and that's all he'll ever be till the day we finally destroy him!"

His words hit me like a slap. All these months he'd been so kind to me. So caring. I was beginning to forget about everything that he'd ever done in the past. It was starting to seem out of character for him. But the truth of the matter was that he had done all that and that I knew he felt nothing for it. I couldn't explain the pain I felt knowing that, but it was a stinging pain that brought tears to my eyes. I didn't let them show though. I wouldn't let them through.

"That doesn't mean he's responsible for Celestina's disappearance." I walked to him so that we were standing face to face. "And for the record, I'm under no spell. I truly believe that Titus had nothing to do with it." He looked confused.

"Who the hell is Titus?!"

"There is no Dracula! There never was a Count Dracula! Dracula died a long time ago. Titus Valerius is the one that was living in that castle all those years. He's the vampire you and the villagers hate and want to destroy." He was shaking his head again.

"It doesn't matter what his name is! He's a murderer!!" We both heard a loud roar then. It sounded like howling combined with a human scream. It was like nothing I'd ever heard before.

Victor and I started backing away from where the sound was coming from. I thought about running back to the castle, but it was too late. The creature had already reached us. And within moments of hearing its roar, we saw it force its way through the trees bearing its fangs. It was taller than Victor, but not astonishingly large. It simply looked like a man covered in thick dark brown body hair and large canines. It had long claws that looked a lot like really long human fingernails. I couldn't form a scream when I saw the beast. Victor was already reaching into his belt to retrieve his gun.

"Nicoleta, get back!" Without a shred of thought, I did as he said and started backing away. But the werewolf noticed me do it and made a full sprint towards me. Victor shot at it, but it did no good. It bit into his arm and backed back away when Victor shot it again.

This time, the beast didn't bother with Victor anymore. It looked at me and started running to me again. I didn't even scream then. I think I was too much in shock to form anything. But instead of feeling the beast's teeth sink into my arm, I felt freezing cold stone step in front of me and push me out of the way. When I landed on the ground, I couldn't stay awake anymore. I felt myself going under and finally, blackness took over.

TPOV

I forced the werewolf away from me and away from Nicoleta. It hit against the tree and was immediately trying to pick itself up again. I glanced at Nicoleta to be sure that she was alright. Thankfully, she was. No blood, no bites, just a loss of consciousness. I could simply place her back in bed and let her wake on her own.

I looked back towards the werewolf and noticed the man that had been talking to Nicoleta. He was glaring at me but with fear in his eyes. As the beast recovered and charged for me again, he reached for his gun again and tried shooting me. I caught the bullet before it could hit me, ran around the beast so I was on its back, and cracked it's neck as soon as I had a grip of its head. When the beast fell, it fell with a loud plop on the ground. I walked around the dead creature to where Nicoleta was lying. I heard a gunshot go off again and hit my shoulder. It felt the same way it would feel if someone were to slap my shoulder with the head of a hammer, but significantly less painful.

"You get away from her!!" I stopped and turned to look at the man. I looked at his arm and laughed. I'd already smelled the blood, but I'd been planning to ignore it and let him be.

"You were bitten."

"Get away from her!!" I sighed and turned around completely and started getting closer to him. He tried shooting me between the eyes, but the bullet didn't even pierce my skin. It just flattened and fell to the ground on contact. It hurt, but not enough to make me flinch. He looked at me in horror. I kept smiling at him mockingly.

"You were bitten. You know what that means I assume."

"You took my sister." I shrugged.

"I've taken a lot of sisters. Why would I think of your sister specifically?"

"Don't mock me you monster. You took her from us today. She was minding her own business and you took her!" I laughed.

"I already know it wasn't me, then. I was at the castle all this month. I haven't hunted yet." I looked at him a little closer. The virus in the beast's saliva was rushing through his veins, making his blood smell like wet dog. But the clean blood didn't smell half bad. "Perhaps you could remedy that." He started backing away and trying to lift himself up.

"Stay away!!" I rolled my eyes at him and sped up so that I was right next to him and holding him down by forcing my foot on his torso.

"Think of it this way. I'm saving you from becoming something less than man." I crouched down so that I was closer and facing him. "Do you know what happens to you when a werewolf bites you?" He didn't respond. He tried pushing me away. "The virus is in their blood and saliva. It's similar to what you humans call rabies. But the difference between the rabies and the werewolf virus is that the rabies a werewolf carries is mutated.

"What it does, is that it eats away at the frontal lobe of your brain, taking away all human personality traits you have. You'll start growing thick hair all over your body and you'll go through a painful teething process where your canines and other teeth will increase in size. It's a very painful and long transformation. It could take as long as two weeks before the transformation is complete. All the while, you'll go through tormenting and relentless pain."

"I'll take that gladly!" I chuckled at him.

"I'm sure you would." I stood up and grabbed the front of his shirt and pulled him up so he was dangling above the ground. He grabbed onto my arm and was trying desperately to twist or break my arm. "Unfortunately, I am not in agreement."

He looked as if he would say more, but I brought him to me and bit his neck before he could say a word. Now, he was grabbing onto my head tightly and screaming from the pain of the bite. I didn't take my time with him. I drank his blood quickly and he stopped twitching and died from blood loss within seconds. When he was dry, I tossed his limp, dead body to the ground and sighed contentedly. The burn in my throat was almost completely gone. One more and it would be completely gone.

I looked back at Nicoleta and started walking back to her. When I was in front of her, I lifted her securely into my arms and ran back to the castle at top speed. I was in her room in seconds and placed her back into her bed when I was there. I looked over her once more to be sure that she was okay. When I was sure, I pulled the covers over her and let her rest for however long she needed.

I watched her sleep for a few hours. Watching her sleep was oddly entertaining I'd come to find. She had many different facial expressions throughout the night. I could always tell when she was having a good or bad dream. Her face always gave it away. I had come to love watching her. It didn't matter what she was doing. I watched her and I watched her closely. Even after all these months of her being here, I still couldn't figure out what it was about her that I'd grown so attached to. It started with wondering why I didn't have the heart to hurt her. Now, the thought of being away from her or losing her made me feel sick and empty.

I'd become so attached to this young girl in such a short time, and I couldn't understand why. But whatever the reason, I swore I would protect her, and I would do just that. I will never let her out of my sight again, even for an instant. The moment I left her side, she ended up in trouble. I wouldn't let that happen again.

But as of lately, another desire for her had been forming. We'd spent all those months exchanging letters to one another. But now, I felt the need to speak with her, face to face. No pen and paper, just us. I hadn't done it for so long simply because I wasn't sure how she would respond to me and I didn't want to startle her. But I think now, after she woke up, would be a good time to finally come out of the shadows and talk to her. I only hoped she wouldn't ask about that man she was with earlier. I didn't want to explain his death, considering I had no idea how close they were if at all.

When it was close to dawn, I left her bed and left her room. I would need to go retrieve her breakfast. I hoped she wouldn't be out for too much longer. I was eager to finally let her see me face to face. I wanted to give her a face to associate with the name. I didn't know why it mattered to me so much. But I didn't care. I just knew I wanted it that way, so I would make it happen.