A/N- Yeah, I've finally gotten around to updating. Sorry it took so long, moving and reality got in the way. And to explain Rainia's shock over her engagement to Vlad, when she was first told about it, she brushed it off. I mean, would you believe your parents if they said a prince asked to marry you?
Disclaimer- I own Rainia. If I owned Dracula, I wouldn't be writing this story.
Chapter Four
Sitting close to the fire, with a warm fur blanket draped around her, Rainia let out a shaky breath. Her parents would be furious when they found out she had snuck out of the house but she didn't care at the moment. "You and I..."
"Are to be married, yes." The Dark Prince replied from where he sat in his high winged-back chair, staring into the fire. The dancing flames reflected in his dark green eyes, giving the impression that the fires of hell were in their depths.
Pulling the fur tighter around her slim body, Rainia bit at her lower lip. "I'm not royalty, milord." She replied, her silver eyes studying the floor.
"No matter, it's doubtful anyone will question it." His tone spoke of indifference to the situation and she could almost hear the shrug in his voice.
"I'm afraid I don't understand...why me?" Rainia said, finally looking at him.
Vlad raised a curious eyebrow. "You would object to marrying a prince?" He asked, sounding politely incredulous.
"No... of course not." Silver eyes studied him before their owner spoke once more. "Just...why choose the daughter of a Transylvanian noble over a princess?"
Taking a glass of wine from a servant that had entered the room, Vlad swirled it around slightly. Green eyes watched the motion of the blood-like liquid before he finally spoke again. "Would you have the truth or have me fabricate some fantasy for you?"
"I would expect no less than the truth from someone who is to be my future husband." Rainia replied after a moment's pause.
The corners of his lips twitched, almost as if he was trying to smile. "Good answer." He admitted, sipping at the richly colored wine. "There are several reasons why I have chosen to marry you. One of which I refuse to admit until I know myself that it is true." He said, studying the goblet in his hand with an almost indifferent expression on his face and in his eyes. "Then there are of course, the political reasons and a few personal reasons."
"So...it's not just because everyone is pushing you to get married?" Rainia's tensed muscles relaxed finally, having been taught as a bow-string since she had arrived.
"I could've sworn I just said that." Amusement tainted the velvet-over-steel voice that seemed to only belong to him. Honestly, he probably didn't need to face a person to intimidate them with a voice like that.
"O-okay...I think I can deal with that." Rainia's tone sounded borderline hysterical verging on slightly nervous.
Vlad sighed and placed his glass on a table before leaning forward towards his fiancé, a strand of midnight hair falling from his loose hair tie. He fixated his gaze at Rainia, his hands folding under his chin. "Rainia…" Her name fell from his lips like honey, "what is bothering you?"
She sucked in a shaky breath, and rubbed her slightly burning cheeks which were turning redder for every moment he kept his gaze on her. She didn't understand why she was feeling like this, her stomach flipped and knotted itself, and she felt a flutter within her chest. Not unlike nervousness, but this was something different. She squired a little, unable to get comfortable under his scrutiny. "I…" She stumbled for something to say, "I'm just tired is all."
Not quite believing her, but willing to let the matter drop for now, Vlad moved his gaze back towards the fire. Its flames were starting to die down, and a grayish light from the approaching dawn filtered through the windows. "It has been a long night; I don't doubt you're quite fatigued. But," He moved his green eyes back to Rainia. "That is not the only reason you are uneasy."
Rainia flushed at being caught at her lie. The corners of Vlad's lips twitched before returning to a solemn line. "We will continue this conversation later, understood?" At Rainia's nod and wide eyed expression, Vlad's emerald eyes softened and he rose from his seat, towering over Rainia's figured as she was dwarfed by the large blanket covering her. He kneeled, now at eye level, his green eyes looking into her own silver ones. He gently caressed her face with his calloused palm, twining her dark hair with his long fingers. Slowly, he lowered his face to hers and gently brushed his lips against her slightly parted rose pink lips.
Startled at the sudden contact, Rainia gasped as his lips touched hers. As he pressed closer to her, the twisting in her stomach changed to something completely different and her skin began to tingle. Her cheeks reddened at the foreign sensations Vlad was causing and nearly jumped when his tongue traced her bottom lip before slipping into her mouth. The sensations he was creating in her were making her dizzy as they all arrived at once. Vlad broke the contact a few seconds later, and Rainia couldn't decide whether she wanted him to kiss her like that again or not.
Vlad smiled slightly, it was a different sort of smile then what Rainia was used to, it was almost mischievous. He trailed a finger along her jaw and around her reddened lips. Her eyes were wide and staring at him, confusion, shock, and lust whirled in their depths, and Vlad was internally gleeful that nobody had kissed her quite like that before. And nobody else would, he would personally see to that.
He wrapped a strand of hair around a finger before whispering in her ear, his velvet voice filled with unrestrained lust. "Sleep well, love." With that he rose and left a flustered Rainia in the room, and signaled for a servant to show her to a room.
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Stephan Baviere was not a happy man. After finding out from his mother-in-law what his daughter had done the night before, he had nearly fainted. His wife had barely managed to calm him down, pointing out that he could always ask if her intended had seen her. Arms folded over his chest, his long fingers drummed an annoyed pattern against his bicep. "How much longer?" He snapped angrily at the driver.
"Not too much farther, sir." The driver responded in turn, whipping at the four horses to go faster.
Stephan sat back angrily, glaring at nothing in particular. As the castle neared, his annoyance sputtered like a flame in the wind. He had better calm himself before talking to the Prince, unless he wanted to end up like one of the unfortunate people who angered him. Repressing a shudder as he passed the rows of impaled corpses, he mentally counted to ten and let out a shaky breath.
The carriage halted at the doors of the mighty fortress and the footman opened his door. Stepping out, Stephan walked confidently towards the doors as the sentries posted there opened massive oak doors. Three staircases led to the upper floor of the castle, one on either side that curved slightly and one dead center. What he saw there stopped him dead in his tracks. Prince Vladimir himself stood on the center staircase, arching a single brow at the nobleman. "Lord Stephan." The prince said as he descended the stairs, stopping before his future bride's father.
"Your Highness." Stephan replied, bowing slightly in respect.
Vlad nodded his head slightly in acknowledgement of the bow. "I take it you are looking for, unless I'm quite mistaken, your daughter?"
Stephan blinked in astonishment, completely taken aback by the apparent indifference of Vlad's tone. "She's here then?"
"Arrived last night, soaked but otherwise fine. She's asleep at the moment but I can have a servant wake her if you wish to see for yourself." Vlad said as he began to walk towards the throne room.
"No, that's quite alright." Stephan replied, cheeks reddening slightly in embarrassment. "I was just worried something else had happened to her."
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Dressed in one of the most elegant gowns Rainia had ever worn, she slowly descended one of the three staircases. She had barely been able to sleep, still in shock over the fact that Vlad had kissed her. Upon awakening, a servant had brought her breakfast and the beautiful deep blue dress she wore now. Her hair was done up in an elegant knot with two slightly curled tendrils framing her face. Stopping suddenly at the sight of her furious father, Rainia gulped at the realization she was in trouble. "Dad, what're you doing here?"
"I work for our Prince, remember? What in the world were you thinking? Running off in the middle of the night like that?" Stephan fired off the questions in rapid succession.
"You didn't even notice I was gone until this morning!" Rainia fired back, fury burning in her eyes.
Stephan flushed but didn't deny her accusation. "That's not the point, Rainia. Why did you run off?"
"Maybe because my parents decided that my future was to be decided without my consent!" She practically snarled, reaching the bottom of the stairs and rushing away from her father.
Rainia huffed in annoyance as she furrowed her brow and glared out the window, scowling at bleak weather outdoors. Internally, she was still fuming at her father. Even though she knew that her behavior was unacceptable towards her father, and while in front of the prince- her fiancé to boot! She sighed. She really needed to learn to control herself better else who knew where her temper would lead her in the future.
"Do not frown so, my lady, the sun should be making an appearance soon." A voice spoke close to Rainia's ear, startling her. She spun around on her heel and stepped back at the proximity of the stranger that stood no more then a foot away.
The man smiled as his brown eyes sparkled in amusement. "I did not mean to frighten you, my lady."
Rainia stuttered for a moment before remembering her manners. "It is alright, good sir. It was my own fault for not paying better attention." She lowered her head and curtsied. It really wasn't like her to loose herself in her thoughts like she just did.
The man's shaggy blond hair fell across his eyes as Rainia rose. "Might I have your name?" While his tone was overall pleasant, Rainia couldn't help but notice that his eyes weren't quite level with her own, they were more pointedly staring at her breasts. As well as the fact with every little step back Rainia made, the stranger seemed to move even closer.
Finally with her back against the window behind her, Rainia had to choice other then to answer the man. "Rainia Baviere, sir" She really hoped he'd back off, or even someone anyone would walk by and distract this… this leech!
"A lovely name to go with a lovely woman." He smiled again this time it was less charming and more lecherous. He moved closer to her and placed his hand on the wall beside her head. "What do you say, Lady Rainia, that we get a little more… acquainted?"
Rainia's eyes widened in outrage at the man's forwardness and daring to approach her as if she were a common wench! She was just about to give him a piece of her mind when a sharp voice floated in from the closest doorway.
"Ah, Lord Leonte. I see you've met my fiancé…" Vlad let his voice trail off as he stepped into the room. His eyes hard and burning with anger at the bastard's advances towards Rainia, who he could see, was looking ready to strangle Lord Petru Leonte with her bare hands.
Petru's brown eyes widened as he recognized the man the voice belonged to and jumped back from Rainia. He all but cowered as Vlad advanced. The look in his green eyes burned fury and Vlad nearly laughed at the horrified expression that appeared on Petru's face.
"Milord!" Leonte stuttered while falling on his knees. "Forgive me! I didn't know she was your fiancé! Please have mercy!" He choked at Vlad grabbed the slightly shorter man's collar and shoved him up against the wall, hard. Vlad delighted as Leonte's head struck hard against the stone wall and how a spot of blood began tickling down the wall and staining the man's blond hair.
Rainia's gasped at Vlad's actions and nearly screamed when Vlad fluidly took a dagger from a hidden sheath in his boot and brought it to Lord Leonte's neck. Vlad held the dagger against Petru's neck with just enough pressure to break the skin, causing a thin river of blood to fall. Petru struggled against Vlad but only gasped and little out painful whimpers as the more he move the deeper he pushed the dagger's edge into his neck.
"Yet you still had the guile to speak to any woman in my domain as you did?" Vlad hissed before directing his voice to Rainia who was standing against the window still, here eyes wide open in near terror. "Rainia. Leave!"
Rainia didn't need to be told twice and quickly ran out of the room and down the hall towards to stairs. Screams of pain and anguish followed her and haunted her mind for the rest of the day and late into the night. Filling her dreams with blood and terror.
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Shivering, she braced herself against the cold stone of the castle wall. Tears formed in her eyes but she refused to let them fall. Rainia knew that Vlad was called Tepes - Impaler - for a reason. Choking on a sob, she exhaled shakily. A part of her was screaming in terror, wanting nothing more than to flee and never return. Crossing her arms over her stomach in an effort to not become physically sick, she closed her eyes. The noble's death was on her hands, even if it was her fiancé that had killed him. Sinking to the floor, she buried her face in her skirts and finally let the tears fall.
After seeing that Petru was taken to the dungeons for now, Vlad turned on his heel and went to find Rainia. When he finally found her, he wasn't prepared for the sight of her small frame being wracked with gut-wrenching sobs. His footsteps faltered a moment, obviously unsure if he should approach. With a firm resolve, he walked over to her and went down on one knee beside her. Gently touching her shoulder, he tilted his head in an effort to see her face. "Rainia?"
Looking up, dark grey eyes met concerned green ones. "What?" She manged to choke out, tears streaming down her face to land on her dress.
"I'm... sorry you had to see that." He replied after a moment, brushing a stray strand of her hair behind her ear.
"You killed him." Rainia accused, hicupping in an effort to breathe and control her tears.
"No... I had him taken to the dungeon. His death isn't on your hands." Vlad replied.
When she threw herself into his arms, Vlad barely managed to keep his balance. Her arms wound around his neck and buried her face in his collar bone. Blinking in astonishment, his arms found their way around her back, pulling her closer to him. Gently placing a kiss on her temple, he rested his cheek on her hair and let her cry in his arms.
Author's Notes - Here it is! Chapter Four, at long last! Thanks as always to Lady Draculea, who without, this chapter and story wouldn't even be here. Review please!
