Author's note: Hello to every reader of this story, and much more to every reviewer of it (thanks a lot guys)! Sorry I didn't update earlier, but I wasn't in the mood for writing, as a result of my heavy schedule… Anyway, let's forget about that. About the chapter, I don't quite know if they organized balls in the 1400s, but since it serves my plot, they do in my story. Ok that was all. What are you waiting for? Read the chapter, and if you are kind enough, review!
The Dark Saga
The Ball
Targoviste, the 19th of September 1447
I am in my bed chamber in the palace, making myself ready for the ball this evening. Balls are not really my fondness, but it's a good opportunity to meet new people, and especially beautiful girls. I remember now the first time I saw Daciana in a ball three years ago. It was the second ball I went to. Daciana was blonde and pretty, and she glanced at me often as she danced with various men; and I had my eyes on her almost constantly. Then I decided to ask her for a dance. She accepted joyfully. The next thing that comes to my mind now is the two of kissing in the balcony, hidden from the public eye. My relationship with Daciana ended with the end of the ball that very night. Nothing else ever happened between us.
But I'd say that I feel I'm missing a woman's company. Now, at my twenty-three, I often catch myself worrying more about finding a girl than improving my skills in my training to become a Knight. I know for good that I am no child anymore. I would like to consider myself a man now, but sometimes I don't think I'm mature enough.
I look at my reflection in the mirror. Truly, I have changed a lot over the last few years. As a child I was rather thin and not exceptionally tall. Now I have grown tall indeed. I am significantly taller than Vlad and most of the other people I know. My facial features are rough, rugged you could say, and my long brown hair falls to my shoulders in loose locks. I have quite a big body now, my shoulders are broad and I look well-built. I suppose training has a lot to do with it.
Then suddenly I hear a short knock on the door that shakes me out of my thoughts, and then the door opens. I catch a glimpse of my brother's reflection in the mirror as he enters my room. He is dressed in a very dark red costume and has his hair gathered back and low in a neat ponytail. Vlad has also changed, but not as greatly as I have. He has a lean but well-trained body, and his features are always sharp and elegant. His black hair glistens and makes an interesting contrast with his pale skin. And there is this air of pride and aristocracy about him that I lack. I think that this air will never leave him. It's one with his nature.
"Brother, you're taking too long!", he calls at me and forces me back to reality for good. "What, are you a girl? Only girls need to spend so much time in front of a mirror!", he teases me.
"Ah, stop it! I just didn't start readying myself early enough, and now I have to rush, that's all! By the way, this dark red looks weird…", I tease him back. We will never truly grow up.
"What? I like it! Do you think you look better in your dark green suit? You should have picked another color!"
"No time for it, brother. You are the Prince after all, go get all girls!", I tease him again.
"Is that jealousy? Ha-ha! Gabriel, I didn't know you are jealous of me!"
"I'm not! Why should I be? After all, I, in fact, get more girls than you do…"
"That's not true! I get more girls!"
"No way…"
"Ahh…! You got me annoyed, well done! We'll see in a while at the ball who gets more girls! Now, can we leave, at last?"
"Sure", I say and then we leave for the palace's ball room.
When we get there it's full with guests. I can see the King and the Queen, Vlad's parents, chatting joyfully with some important people. The sight of them reminds me of my own parents and I suddenly feel a longing for them. After my father's death the King offered me his hospitality and a room in the palace. A huge manor was just too much for an adolescent to handle. Since then he treats me like his son and I feel grateful, but nobody can really replace my parents in my heart… I had often been asked if I wished to return to Rome since there was nothing binding me here, but I did not want to return to Rome. None of my parents' relatives has ever asked about me after father and mother died, and I don't think they'd care to see me ever again. So I don't want to go back. I want to stay here. Here I have a brother and there is no stronger bond than that.
"It's really crowded", I say to Vlad, while we walk through the people, pushing away my previous thoughts.
"The more crowded, the better", he tells me with a wicked grin.
I don't really feel in mood for a ball tonight, on the contrary to Vlad who seems to be enjoying himself already.
"Uh, I'd rather stay here", I tell him. I don't want to go to the centre of the room.
"As you wish. Your loss!", he yells at me as he moves towards a specific young woman and asks her for a dance.
I stay in the background and don't dance. I observe my brother's swift and elegant dancing moves. He dances with grace. It's like he's got dancing inside him, and his moves are a flawless flow of grace and pride. None of the women he takes as dancing partners really matches his skills. Except for one.
I keep observing him as he dances now with that specific one. She has pale skin, even paler than Vlad's, and her chestnut curly hair is neatly done up. She wears a green dress that matches her eyes. In a way she reminds me of my mother. I can see that Vlad is very attracted to her, and she to him. They make an excellent couple, and I think that Vlad got himself another girl again. Lucky him. I decide to give myself a chance and dance with a few women, but nothing special happens. I can't spot Vlad for the rest of the evening and neither can I spot his girl. When the ball ends, I go up to my room to rest. I don't know where Vlad is, but I have some suspicions.
Confessions
Targoviste, the 21st of September 1447
I see myself in Vlad's room. He invited me here saying he wants to talk to me about something. I do suspect what this something is, but I will wait for him to speak about it the way he wants.
I sit on his desk's chair and he on the edge of his bed. He's got the window slightly opened and a cool breeze enters the room. After a few moments he decides to speak.
"Well… you must be wondering what I want to tell you", he starts with some hesitation.
"A bit", I answer him and raise an eyebrow to him.
"My brother, I feel… different!" he says in a sudden outburst of enthusiasm.
"Different? What do you mean by saying different?", I ask him, really in need of some kind of explanation.
"I don't really know... It's… her! She's so special, beautiful, intelligent…", he says dreamily.
"Her?"
"The woman I met at the ball."
"I see…"
"Maybe you were wondering why I disappeared in the ball, weren't you?"
"Hmm, what shall I answer you?"
"The truth."
"Well, not really."
"No?"
"I know you, Vlad. I can suspect why you left… with her. Was it good?"
"What?"
"Making love to her."
"How do you know?"
"Come on now, Vlad... Well?"
"It was… unimaginably great! I have never felt like that before! My brother, can you understand me?"
"Well, I'm trying!"
"I'm in love, in love, in love…!", he exclaims and then he falls back on the mattress, probably dreaming of her.
"What's her name?"
"Mina! Isn't it the most beautiful name in the world?", he says as he rushes back to his previous sitting position.
"My brother, you truly are in love!", I say and laugh. "I'm happy for you! But does she have the same feelings towards you?"
"She does, Gabriel, she does! I feel like I'm flying…! I've never felt like that before! She's the perfect woman for me! You know, Gabriel, if I'm ever to marry a woman, it will be her!"
"Whoa! You sound serious now! But come, please tell me about it."
"About what?"
"How it was when you made love."
"Uh, I can't talk about that…"
"Come one! Don't tell me that the great and fearless Vlad just got shy before his brother!"
"I'm not shy!"
"Tell me then! I'm dying to know!"
"Oh, alright then… It was… She was… She is perfect! Her skin trembled at my touch, and I melted under her delicate fingers… Oh, such a divine sensation to kiss her pale lips… Such a dazzling feeling to kiss her breasts! And when I entered her and we became one, it was the ultimate emotion that made me feel… a man!"
"Wow… Lucky you! I wish I were at your place…"
"Your time will come, Gabriel."
"I'm really happy for you, Vlad, and I wish you eternal happiness with your Mina!"
"Thank you, my brother. You will understand better how I felt when you feel so yourself for a woman. But please, do not say a word to anyone that I slept with her! If anyone knows, imagine the scandal that will break out! Please, keep it a secret!"
"You don't need to worry. You can trust me, Vlad."
"Thank you, Gabriel", he says to me and right then I hear a knock on the door. "Who is it? Come in", Vlad says. Then the door opens and a servant appears.
"My Prince, your father asks for you in the main hall", the servant says.
"Ah, alright. I'll be down in a minute", Vlad says and the servant leaves. "I hope what father wants to tell me has nothing to do with… you know what. Even the walls have ears here. Just wait for me brother, I'll try to be back soon."
"Alright, I'll be here then. Good luck!", I say and laugh a bit. Vlad rolls his eyes and grins wickedly. Then he leaves.
I stand from the chair and push the window open a bit more so that I can breathe the fresh air. The breeze that enters flips some papers on the desk. The sound catches my attention; I look down on the papers and realize it's Vlad's diary. I know it's not proper to read someone's personal thoughts and I try to resist, but in the end curiosity takes the best of me and I allow myself a short glimpse of his last entry. It's about his night with Mina:
… she willingly followed me to my room. I lit no candles as we entered. There should be no evidence that we were there. Also, the darkness and the pale moonlight made everything glow eerily blue and silver. I've always loved this sensation, and the thought that I would make love to Mina only by the light of the moon sent thrills down my spine.
We stood facing each other for a while, and then we rushed to a heated kiss. Her lips parted and my tongue was free to explore her mouth. She tastes so sweet… I still have her taste on my lips.
Then she pushed me a bit, and did something I was not entirely prepared for. She untied the laces of her dress and every little thing that kept it on her body, and slowly pushed it down to her feet. There she stood, naked in front of my hungry gaze, with the moonlight glowing on her. Her sight was breathtaking!
I admired her for a few moments, my breath caught in my throat, my heart beating like a drum, and my manhood throbbing in my trousers. Dear God, the love and lust I felt for her was immeasurable!
Following her example, I rid myself of my clothes. There was no uneasiness between us. Everything seemed so natural, so right, and there we stood, both naked, but comfortable under each other's gaze.
Soon our bodies locked in an embrace. The feeling of her breasts pressing against my chest and of my penis against her belly excited me even more. Swiftly, I laid her down on my bed and moved on top of her. She parted her legs with no hesitation, and I made contact with her entrance for the first time. She was so hot and wet! I moved against her and entered her a bit, making her moan in pleasure. Giving her the time to adjust a bit, I let my hands roam all over her body, and she did the same. Then I pushed inside her deeper and felt her hymen breaking. She gave a small cry of pain, but she soon got over it and encouraged me to go on. Is started then pushing in and out of her until we both climaxed…
That night was the best of my life. I don't want to ever forget it. I want to remember every detail of it, and if writing it down helps to keep that image in my mind and those feelings in my heart forever, then this is what I did: I wrote everything down. Her picture is always in my mind and will not leave. She made me feel so special… Our lovemaking was worth taking all the risks. I finally felt what it means to be a man…
Lucky Vlad… I desperately want to feel like he did. I want to feel how it is to have a woman beneath you and be truly a man… Flipping the pages, my attention is caught by a past entry:
… he's a very good man. He is the brother I never had. As I think of the past years, I can only recall good moments between us. We truly are like brothers. Gabriel is never jealous of me for being the Prince, he doesn't care about such things. He's got a solid character. I admire him. Life has been so cruel to him; he lost both his parents one after another, but he hasn't collapsed. He is really strong. I don't think I could be that strong if I was in his place. And he listens to me, he understands me, he supports my ideas, he keeps my secrets. I often wonder how it is possible for a man to be so perfect, flawless. Even his looks aren't those of an ordinary man. Sometimes I catch myself staring at him, when he doesn't know. His face has something unearthly about it at times… But that's only my impression, of course. Nevertheless, he often looks so serious for a man of twenty-two years of age…
So Vlad thinks I'm perfect? God, that terrifies me, for I'm everything but perfect! But I'm moved by his words.
Suddenly I hear the door opening and Vlad comes in. I turn to face him, hoping that he won't suspect that I looked at his diary.
"I'm sorry it took long! Fortunately it had nothing to do with my mischief!", he exclaims and approaches me.
"Good…", I say in a low voice, still affected by the words in his diary.
"Gabriel, are you alright? Is something wrong?", he asks me worriedly. The look of my face must have betrayed me. Suddenly I need to talk to him. Not about the diary, of course.
"Yes, I'm fine… Thank you, Vlad. For staying by my side all these years."
"Hey, how did that come to you now? You don't need to thank me. I've done for you no more than you have done for me", he says seriously. "Now what about taking a walk outside, huh? It seems to me that you need some fresh air", he suggests and I nod positively. Soon we take our walk in the back yard of the palace.
"You know Vlad", I start, "there's something I'd like to tell you. I haven't told anyone about it before", I say and pause for a while, searching his eyes. They are full of concern and curiosity. "Knight Massimo di Fredi and his wife Domenica were not my real parents", I confess to him.
"What? Are you being serious now?", Vlad asks me, quite shocked.
"Yes. My mother used to tell me when I was little that I was a gift from God to her. On the evening of the 12th of October 1424 she found me in a basket outside the door. She and her husband decided to keep me with them and raise me like their own child. And the love I received is immeasurable."
"Jesus… Now that is a revelation!", he says and we remain in silence for a while before he speaks again. "Don't you know who your real parents are?"
"No. I asked my parents several times while growing up, but they only told me this: when they found me I had a silver bracelet around my wrist. And a name was inscribed. The name was Gabriel Van Helsing. My mother believed that this was a sign of God, that I should have this name. I am not Gabriel di Fredi, Vlad. I am Gabriel Van Helsing."
"What are you telling me now, my brother… I'm utterly shocked! Have you ever looked for a family by that name?"
"No. My father used to say he had looked again and again as I was growing up for a family with the name Van Helsing, both in Italy and across Europe, but to no avail. And I believed him. I know he would never lie to me. So, the explanation of my origin remains a mystery… But it didn't matter to me much. I had a wonderful family and my parents loved me very much. If only they were still alive…"
"And what about that silver bracelet? Do you still have it?"
"No… I put it around my mother's wrist a while before she died. Now it is buried with her."
"My brother, you have such a mysterious past and you weren't spared the pain in your present . But I want you to know that you have people here too, that love you very much. My parents, and especially my father, love you as their little son. And I love you, too, Gabriel."
"I know, Vlad. That's why I thanked you. You have my love as well."
"My brother… come here!", he says and then we embrace each other.