Hello, dear readers!
As I'm writing more, I'm sort of wondering what you guys are wanting for the remainder of this story. Would you like me to try to wrap this up in the next few chapters, or extend it a bit longer? I have quite a few ideas floating around my head, so let me know what you guys are wanting and I'll roll with it! Thanks again for all the reads and reviews. You all make me smile!
Lots of love,
The Author
Also, once again, please forgive the google translated foreign languages.
OOO
Alfred did not expect to see her smiling.
She'd been so upset this morning (evening?) that he had not anticipated her smiling. He certainly had not anticipated her smiling in the presence of that great monster. Yet now as Alfred saw them together, he could taste the bitterest of wines burning down his throat.
Alfred could see the two of them sitting side by side in the grandiose library. He wanted Sarah to be frightened of the castle's master. He wanted her to be gazing on him in fear, but a smile lit her face as she spoke to him. It seemed she bubbled with whatever she was speaking of and it seemed the monster found it most amusing. Snakes reared in Alfred's stomach, twisting and biting venomously. No, no it could not be. Sarah had to have some feeling for him, she had to. She could not behaved as she had if she did not. Yet there she sat with that beast, talking with him easily and Alfred felt deeply and utterly empty.
That was how he felt: empty. Like everything had been drained from him by Sarah. Not just his blood, but his whole being, and it was clear she did not feel the same. The Count forced a bond upon her, he reminded himself. He'd forced his disgusting blood into her system, forcing their psyches to connect. Forcing Alfred from her mind for good. Oh yes, The Count was a manipulative monster. He was a very smart monster. He was a hunter by nature and Sarah his most desired prey.
Why couldn't he have picked someone else? That beast could have had anyone: he could have picked someone else. Yet that thing had waited years for Sarah, over a decade, and Alfred could not fathom why. He'd spent his whole life studying the supernatural and still could not figure out why. Sarah was beautiful, Alfred knew. Sarah had this light around her that he could not name. Perhaps the monster saw it too. He wanted to keep the light all for himself. He was selfish. Selfish, old, and evil. Why was Sarah smiling at him? Why did Sarah care for him?
"If you promise to cease your brooding, I'll walk you about the grounds." Herbert's voice had startled Alfred from his thoughts. Turning, Alfred saw the man standing a bit too close to him but that seemed to be a reoccurring theme with him. He continued, "And I hope you won't be stupid enough to try to run again. For I am much older than you, Alfred, and I guarantee I will catch you."
"How old are you?" Alfred inquired but the blonde vampire had already begun to walk away. With one final look to Sarah's smile, Alfred turned and followed the son.
He answered, "Four hundred and thirty seven years old." He turned, flashing a fanged smile to Alfred. The flickering candlelight shown upon his smirk. "I was twenty four when I died." They continued down the long corridor. The terrifying corridor. Alfred knew not how anyone could live in so dark and dank a place as this.
Alfred asked, "And your father?"
"Four hundred and fifty two," Herbert answered easily as they continued on their way. Thirty nine, Alfred did the math easily in his mind. Twenty one year's Sarah's senior and still how she smiled at him… Alfred thought of visiting her in her bath. She had not wanted to leave. Sarah had never wanted to leave. She'd gone with them because they'd forced her. She'd kissed him because she'd wanted his blood. Sarah did not love him. Sarah would not love him and yet… And yet how sweetly she'd cried in his arms. Yet there was this string that seemed to bind her heart to his own. Alfred could not just forget Sarah. Alfred could not…
"This way, chéri!" Herbert pushed open a large door into the snow filled outdoors. Alfred was nearly blinded by it, though the sky around them was black as night. The cold did not affect him in the slightest, he soon realized. Alfred stepped out into the snow, and it felt no different than leaves or grass. Even the falling frosty bits did not shake him as they once had.
Herbert smiled, "You won't feel cold anymore. Or heat, come to it. The dead need not bother with such trifles. Now, come on!" The blonde vampire continued and Alfred had little choice but to follow him. As he thought about it, it seemed all Alfred did was follow. He'd followed his school master, than the professor, and now this flamboyant vampire. He supposed he followed Sarah as well. Well, if I've all of eternity ahead of me, I best stop being such a follower.
"Where are we going?" Alfred called through the snow storm.
The vampire answered, "A bit closer to the village, chéri. If you're good, I might show you how to hunt."
OOO
Sarah saw hardly anyone all day. Well, she saw Alfred and the son for a moment. She glanced a few others staring at her as she walked. Mostly, she saw The Count. Whose name she learned was Emilian. It felt strange for him to have a name. Of course everyone had a name, but his having one was so odd. He'd always been so otherworldly to her. Otherworldly people, she'd supposed, did not have names.
But his name was Emilian and he was very kind to her. And he was not so scary after a while. Yet still when he came to close, Sarah felt her heart pounding and her whole body shutting down. Then he'd move away from her. Then she would feel empty again.
She was unsure how long this was to go on. She was unsure why exactly she was here at all. Why she had these pretty dresses. Why he would not leave her alone. She'd followed him about the castle all day like some child, for she knew not where to go or what to do. Sarah could've kicked herself. This had all been ridiculous this dream of hers. How she had craved this castle, this immortality, this man, and now what was she meant to do with all of it? He would not tell her. He would not tell her anything at all.
But he was kind to her. She'd blather on about something ridiculous and he'd smile at stare at her so strangely. Why had she fascinated him? Sarah found nothing about herself to be entirely fascinating. And what was she meant to do? God, how she had dreamt of this! And when she'd dreamt of this, it had been adventure after adventure. Wild passions and wild quests. They'd dance and laugh and have a party every night. Yet this castle was quiet. There were other creatures here, she was sure, but they would not speak to her. Sarah could feel them staring. She knew not why everyone was so fascinated with her.
He'd not really answered any of her questions the whole day. He'd not really told her anything about being what she was. He'd hardly even spoken to her. Then, at the end of the night, he'd kissed her hand and left her by the room to her bedchamber without another word. What was she meant to do? Just sleep? Just sleep and wake up tomorrow in another equally confusing day?
Back to the red and gold bedchamber she went, undoing her gown and finding the whole ordeal rather tedious. Why was she to wear such a beautiful dress if they didn't do anything? Why tie herself up in a corset if she was not even to leave the house? He'd told her not to leave the castle: yes, he'd stressed that many times. Count Emilian Von Krolock was very keen to keep her, but for what purpose he would not reveal.
And it was stupid. It was all ridiculous. They were vampires. Vampires! They should be doing things exciting. Things taboo! Things that no humans could dream of doing! Sarah didn't even know what she could do. Magic, she imagined, but he'd not told her how to do magic. He'd told her his name. He'd told her not to leave. She'd blathered on like some idiot about anything and everything just to fill the silence and he'd told her nothing at all!
To the bed Sarah went, pulling tight the thick curtains around her. The room's windows were planked over, so she assumed she'd be safe from the sun's rays. Unless he wanted her to burn. Maybe this was all some scheme to burn her so he wouldn't have to deal with her anymore. Why go through all this nonsense to keep her and then do nothing with her. Did he care for her at all? What was she meant to be to him? A pet? A lover? A wife? A daughter? Sarah had absolutely no idea.
The nights before the ball… The nights before the ball, Sarah had thought she'd known what he wanted. She'd thought he'd kissed her and she'd known what he wanted. Maybe he had not kissed her at all. Maybe it was all some wild hallucination he'd given her to stay. Now he had her, like some priced porcelain doll, and meant to do nothing but gaze at her. Yes, Sarah gathered she was just some thing to him. Some thing to be left on the shelf and gazed at, but never handled too roughly.
Her mind went empty as she lay upon the bed. Sarah wondered about these other people in the castle. She wondered who they were and how many of them were here. They were here, that she knew. Sarah had felt their eyes upon her. Their eyes always upon her and…
…understand. Though there is something, I suppose, about her but…beautiful and I'd take one as young as…save us, save me…monsters, beasts and…where is she now…one, two, three…monster…something unnatural…
Sarah gasped, sitting upon from her bed. Voices. She was hearing voices but not… Not voices they were… Thoughts, Sarah realized in an instant. She was hearing thoughts. Yet whose were they? Suddenly, a thousand of them were filling her ears. A thousand thoughts from a thousand people. Some in languages she could not understand and they needed to stop. How could she make them stop? They were flooding in. Flooding in from all over and Sarah knew not how to make them stop. He'd not taught her how to make them stop and…
There was a hand upon her shoulder. She knew who it was without turning.
"Do you hear that?" Sarah pleaded, her hands grasping absentmindedly at his clothing. Her hand found his shirt as she turned to finally look at him. This was not helping with the growing yearning inside of him. Her innocent eyes staring up at him were not helping either. "I hear voices."
"Yes." He agreed, keenly feeling her little hand upon his chest. "Your hearing is greater now, dear one. You can hear much now."
She shook her head furiously. "No, not this is different. Thoughts. I hear thoughts. Is that normal?"
Again, he eyes gazed up at him and again he was completely enthralled by her. Why on earth had he left her here alone? He should've brought her with him, rested her against him again. She'd gone frightened away from him, and he'd felt ill away from her. When he'd sensed her discomfort, he had come to her side immediately. Why had he left it? He brushed back the hair from her gaze, but her gaze did not stop. Answers. Her insipid answers she wanted for everything.
"For some," he explained. It was mostly the truth. Some could hear thoughts, but he knew not what Sarah could do. He knew there were things peculiar about her. He was not sure what they were yet. "You need not be frightened."
God, he wanted her. He was in hell with the wanting of her. Easily he could have her. Sarah did desire him and so easily he could overpower and... He dismissed the thought immediately. She was frightened. Sarah was frightened by all of this and he'd only frighten her more should he try to be with her. But, God, that would be ages. It could be ages before she moved to want him as he wanted her. So could he not just will it? Could he not just have her?
"I'm not frightened." Sarah brushed his arms away from her rather aggressively. Over him she climbed, pushing away the curtain and standing up in the bedchamber. The sun was nearly risen. The slabs over the windows should keep it out, but the idea of her standing unprotected from its rays was setting deeply in his chest. "Stop thinking I am. I am fine."
"Come back to your bed," he told her. "The sun will be out soon."
He watched as the girl sauntered about the chamber, tiptoeing along the wood in some dreamlike manner. What she was intending, he had no idea, but Sarah was proving to be a most peculiar character. A rather infatuating character, but still a most peculiar one.
She spoke, "It burns us, doesn't it? The sun."
"Yes." He spoke with trepidation, for she had moved near to a window. He rose, "It burns us very badly."
"Keep talking," Sarah requested suddenly. Her strange quest around the room continued. "It…it shuts out the voices. I can't get them to be quiet so just keep talking. How do I get them to be quiet?"
"Sarah-"
The girl huffed, "I don't like the thoughts. I don't like what they are thinking about me. Keep talking."
Thinking about her? They were thinking about her? What were they thinking about her? Damn whatever it was: their opinions were futile. Their opinions were useless. Sarah was placed above them all now and above them all is where she would stay. They must forget their ill opinions of her if they wished to stay in his protection. He watched as Sarah's walking became more rampant, a pacing. A pacing to get these thoughts from her mind. He wished to pluck them from there and uncover the conspirators. He'd kill them all for thinking ill of her.
Sarah snapped. "Why do they all think so ill of me? They all say things about me."
"Do not listen to them." He told her astutely. "You need not heed them. They are beneath you."
It seemed the advice did little to help her. He wished to stand up, to go to her, and in that very instant she snapped. She turned, walking towards him abruptly, a possessed look in her eyes.
"Why did you want me?"
"Sarah-"
"That's what they all wonder: why did you want me?" She blinked, stepping back. "Sorry, I'm sure that was rude. I don't feel like myself."
He rose, "Hush now…" And Sarah pushed him back so strongly that he fell to the bed again. This seemed to be a night of surprises from her.
"No!" Sarah bellowed, her eyes glowing red. "No, I will not hush!"
He was not used to such disrespect. No, not such disrespect from anyone in his court, or anyone in the village for that matter. One from the court or one from the village would be punished for such an outburst. Even Herbert at his most rebellious would receive some sort of punishment for his behavior and yet Sarah… Von Krolock saw the fear rising in her eyes. Her eyes that looked browner now than red.
"You must," he stated simply. He did not even rise. "The more enraged you become, the more the power grows. You must calm down."
It would be best for him to leave, that he knew. Young vampires were so volatile, and young people were as well. Sarah's dissatisfaction with him was only going to grow. He knew he must be being rather irksome to her. He did not wish to overwhelm her. He did not wish to confuse her when he was not even sure what she was. Yes, there was something peculiar about Sarah. She looked different than the others. The air around her was different than the others. It was like she had changed, but not changed in the way all others did.
She sighed, "They won't stop." He could not leave her.
"Come. Lie down."
The girl heeded his words finally, moving into the spot next to him in her bed. Von Krolock pulled the thick curtains shut, closing out all bits of light from their view. Still he saw her perfectly well in this darkness. Perhaps he even saw her better in it. She was beautiful. Yes, very beautiful, and they were very alone. Yet of course he would not… He would not, but it did not stop the thoughts that passed into his mind. He wondered if she could hear those. For her own sake, he hope she could not.
Easily, he could induce a sleep upon her. If these rampant thoughts she was having did not pass, he could place a sleep upon her rather easily. Let her sleep and then leave her alone as he should. As he should until she had her bearings down.
Damn that. Have her. She is yours. She would not be here if it were not for your own will. Have her. Pleasure her and caress her for she is yours. Stop masquerading as some hero. You are no hero. You are a villain. Have her. You want her. Have her.
Sarah held tightly to him, as though she could will the thoughts away if she concentrated enough. Which was the exact opposite of what he had said, but she didn't really care anymore. At least he was speaking to her. This was the most he had spoken to her all day. Now his hands brushed back her hair and that felt nice and familiar. That felt like her angel she had dreamt of for years and years. Yes, now that she considered it, this had been for years and year. Soon, she had drifted off to sleep and then-
...strange to think of and yet...unschuldige Schönheit...he's so small that I...stop, don't stop, stop..monstre dégoûtant...beautiful she is...vile it's vile…
Why had they started now, anyway, these horrible voices? Why so suddenly did they fill her silence with unending noise? Sarah brought herself tighter against him but it was not working. The voices would not just be quiet. Sarah recognized a few. Alfred, the son, one that sounded like her mother, and one that sounded like her father. They'd all float away before she could make anything out of them. Mother. Sarah missed her mother bitterly. Father too. All of them. All the stupid people at the stupid tavern.
She could not leave. The Count had not told her much, but he'd told her she could not leave.
Sarah wondered if she could hear his thoughts. No voice that had passed through had sounded like his own. Not that she'd heard much of it, mind you. Still, Sarah wondered if she could try. There had to be some sort of way to master this, right? She remembered little of what Maria's father had taught her about vampires, but she remembered that they had control of their powers. They weren't wandering about tormented by them at all hours.
What did he think about her? Sarah gandered this could be quite a useful power if it allowed her to see what he thought about her. If any of this had been real. If any of it had meant anything at...
She sat up, brushing her hair over her shoulder and glancing over to him. He was sleeping. She thought as much. It explained the quiet thoughts and his completely lack of empathy. Well, the later had been prevalent for a while, she imagined. Sarah drew back the curtain then felt his arm reach for her again.
"Where are you going?"
"I can't get it to stop."
"Stay in bed, Sarah. The sun is out. You must rest."
"I don't want to," she groaned, feeling horribly sick again.
"You're hungry," he said and Sarah did not know what he meant. She was not hungry. She had not been hungry since she'd done the awful thing to Alfred and that had certainly not felt like this. "And you're very tired. You must rest, my precious one."
She sniffed, "I'm not tired."
"Stay here with me." He said again and Sarah felt his hand brush down her arm. It sent a shockwave all through her thought she did not want it too. "Stay here with me, dearest one."
Von Krolock slipped his fingers into her own and tried to will her near to him again. The girl was weak from exhaustion, and slid back into the bed easily. And she was so beautiful, was she not? So light and so beautiful with her large eyes and porcelain skin. Sarah sat upon the bed, her back on the headboard and stared off into the thick curtains. He slid the one she'd opened shut, but the girl caught him before he could move away from her.
"Why did you want me?" She asked abruptly. Her large eyes were staring at him as he halted in front of her. It seemed she would not be satisfied with silence.
He sighed, "Sarah-"
"No," she grasped his shirt. Sarah thought it strange to seem him so casually dressed. She had not considered how very strange that was until this moment. Her fingers grasped the fabric of his clothes until he was very near to her. He wanted her, she knew that. Sarah was not an idiot nor was she a child. She knew what this man wanted of her. Perhaps she could use it as some leverage to get him to fucking speak.
Sarah breathed, "No. Answer me. If I'm to stay her forever and ever, you, at the very least, could answer me."
"Darling..."
"Why?" She sat up but did not break the breath of a space between then. Her thoughts went to her mother's words for a moment. Her mother's words that she was tempting a devil. Tempting and teasing a vampire. Sarah had known that was just a vicious lie, but now saw some merit in it. Yes, she was tempting a vampire. She was teasing a vampire. It if worked, perhaps she'd get her answers.
He breathed, "You fascinate me."
Sarah was unsure if that was truthful, but a large part of her had stopped caring. It was odd that he was so near to her. Stranger still that she liked it so much. It sent a very hot flame up from the pit of her chest. He was just an inch away from her. Closer still. It did not frighten her like it should to have him so closer. And he just kept staring. Why was he always staring?
"Would you like me to leave?"
Sarah kissed him. She kissed him and the voices ceased immediately. A new and different voice overtook her mind, but this one was not as frightening as the others had been. This one was entirely new and entirely alluring. It spoke to her in languages she did not know and yet she understood. This was a wonderful voice. And it guided her as they kissed and it guided her further.
They did not stop kissing for a long time.
OOO
"I feel ill," the boy groaned as he pressed his head into the lining of the coffin. Perhaps Herbert should've given Alfred his own place to sleep, but after tonight it felt unwise to leave him alone. The boy had been rather shaken by his own newfound nature. It was best to keep him near, where he couldn't drive a stake through his own heart.
Herbert tisked, "I told you not to drink form drunkards."
"There was no one else around!" The boy insisted, groaning again in his agony. It was ripping at Herbert's heart, it truly was, but it was the fiendish bit delightful. Herbert had not taken a new vampire under his wing in…in a very long time. Alfred was proving to be most amusing. Even if he was prone to be morose. And spent all his time brooding over Sarah.
"I didn't even want to be like this." Alfred continued in his woe-is-me attitude. "I hate this. I hated that."
"Well, you should've stayed away from our little tart and then perhaps you'd have a different fate."
A bad thing to say, certainly, for Alfred groaned at the notion of Sarah again. Herbert had thought hunting might make Alfred more jovial. Might make him forget about the girl. It seemed to only make him worse, and the drink was only making him more emotional. Alfred needed to forget the girl if he wanted any chance of a decent life. For father was… father was not one for sharing. He certainly wouldn't share the girl. Herbert would not be the least bit surprised if father kept her locked in a room and away from view. His obsession with her was…unhealthy. Deity-like. No doubt that all would be kept from her. She'd be locked away. His own personal little pet.
Herbert huffed at his cynical thoughts. His thought were always so cynical. Perhaps that's what comes after four hundred years of life. And here he was berating Alfred for his own negativity.
Herbert sighed, "We'll try again tomorrow. Find you some beautiful, young virgin without a drop of drink in her veins."
"Don't say drink…" Alfred whined, his hands clasping his stomach. "How is it so much worse now?"
"It's in your blood, dear. It's the most acute sort of poisoning."
Alfred groaned again, tossing to his side in his self-pity. Herbert wanted to tell him to 'chin-up' but couldn't think of the right way to say it so he stayed lying upon his back. He wondered if the boy would truly ever forget about the girl. Even if he was not… That is to say, even if he only ever saw Herbert as a friend that would be a welcome change. They so rarely got anyone in the castle who was the least bit interesting. The girl seemed amusing, but again, Herbert knew father would not share her.
"Why isn't he down here?" Alfred asked suddenly. He nodded towards the other coffin.
Herbert clicked his tongue, "There's hundreds of rooms in the castle. Perhaps a change of scenery."
"He's with her, isn't he?"
"Oh, I don't know, Alfred," Herbert snapped. "But I gander that's not too farfetched of a guess."
The boy groaned again.
Herbert huffed, "Really, Alfred, you're getting to be drool about this whole thing. The girl is gone: move past it."
Alfred was unmoved by this statement. Herbert figured as much.
"Now, sleep, else you get ill. Mind you, if you get ill in my coffin I will have you clean it up."
Alfred said nothing, but tossed further onto his side away from Herbert. Good, Herbert did not wish to talk to him anymore regardless. The boy was brooding and annoying and a complete mess of emotions. A complete mess that Herbert did not have to take control of. He could leave him to the dogs. He could have father send him away as father had intended to do.
But he looked so sweet as he slept. Young vampires were rather intriguing, Herbert realized. He'd always found them irritating but Alfred was not too horrible. Not at all. And maybe, in time, he-
No. No, the thought was ridiculous. Now who's being fanciful?
He would brood no more. Herbert drifted to sleep not long after his friend.
He wondered what Alfred dreamt about.
