Dracula pushed open the doors to the castle's main hall, it was little used now and cobwebs and dust marred much of its grandeur but it was still an impressive room.
He gazed about the hall in mild nostalgia, remembering the many happy times of his previous life and some of the bad.
He remembered dancing in this very same hall, different dances to those he now participated in at Budapest, but dances nonetheless. He frowned slightly as he remembered Tryphaena's experience at the last ball, he knew she was still traumatised by the incident, he would watch her mumble and toss in her sleep, occasionally he couldn't help himself and he would hold her until she settled.
But there were pleasanter memories of that night; dancing with Tryphaena was one of them, he hummed the tune they had danced to as he moved around the room, occasionally pausing to inspect something.
You're in my arms A life goes by
And all the world is calm
The music playing on for only two
So close together
And when I'm with you
So close to feeling alive
Romantic dreams will stop
So I bid mine goodbye and never knew
So close was waiting, waiting here with you
And now forever I know
All that I wanted to hold you
So close
Seized with the urge to move he began to waltz around the room, still humming the tune, pretending he was back in Budapest, with her.
So close to reaching that famous happy end How could I face the faceless days So close
Almost believing this was not pretend
And now you're beside me and look how far we've come
So far we are so close
If I should lose you now?
We're so close
To reaching that famous happy end
And almost believing this was not pretend
Let's go on dreaming for we know we are
So close
And still so far...
He finished his circuit around the room and looked up to see Tryphaena standing in the doorway, he stopped abruptly.
She looked torn between disbelief and amusement, "What are you doing, Master?" she asked.
Dracula pursed his lips at the note of amusement in her voice, "Dancing, you silly girl, what does it look like?" he said gruffly, hoping she wouldn't notice his discomfort.
"Why?" she asked, clearly starting to lose the battle against her laughter.
Dracula narrowed his eyes, "Practice makes perfect, isn't that what they say?" he paused, at her bubble of laughter, "Speaking of practice it's certainly something you could think about," he informed her.
She lost her amusement and regarded him, "Is that a challenge?" she asked, Dracula shrugged a shoulder.
"Only if you choose to make it so, my dear," he replied, his voice like velvet.
"Well then, Master, take it away," she said, Dracula noted the amused twinkle in her eye as she took his hand.
Tryphaena smiled to herself as she danced about the deserted hall with Dracula, it was a less impressive setting than the ball at Budapest but it was more enjoyable.
She caught Dracula's smug grin every time he spun her, causing her heart to flutter a little, she narrowed her eyes determined to repay him for that later.
But for now she would enjoy the feel of his arms around her as they whiled away the winter afternoon.
…
So it was, by unspoken agreement, we would meet every afternoon that winter for dancing. Sometimes we would dance to an old music box but more often than not my Master would hum the tune we had danced to in Budapest.
It wasn't until much later that I discovered that the song actually had lyrics.
I cried when I read them.