The castle was grander than she had imagined.

Of course Mina should've expected something grand, but everything was so strange in Transylvania. Strange, but still very beautiful. It was a land of forests as her husband had told her it was. She had been overwhelmed by the snow covered trees as they rode a carriage to his castle in a ride that took far too long but not long enough. Everything was vast and green and white as she stared at the hills. This is to be my home now.

No, Mina looked at the castle, this is to be my home now. And some home it was. Gorgeous and grandiose and old and gothic and everything she loved. Yet it terrified her. My castle, Mina thought in amazement. How was she meant to run a castle? Well, she supposed the running might be a bit different from a normal castle. Yet still, she could not help but be overwhelmed by the size of it. It looked like a great dragon resting upon the hill.

What would its insides be like? More importantly, what would the creatures inside it be like?

Someone opened the large door for them before they even approached it. Mina had been thinking they'd knock, which she now realized was silly. This was their home. They need not knock. Still, it was rather a strange thing to just walk inside of it.

"Maestru."

Mina nearly jumped to the voice that came from behind the door. A small man with black hair and pale skin nodded and her husband nodded back. Mina gave a small smile that the man seemed unaffected by. He just kept staring at her with this wide eyed expression she did not much like. Mina was clutching Alexander's arm so tightly she thought she might be hurting him.

"Ioan," her husband spoke softly to the man who'd just called him 'master'. The man nodded and shut the castle door behind them and Mina finally saw the splendor of the place.

It was not in ruins, nor crumbling in the slightest. It was gorgeous and pristinely clean. A stairway like one in a gothic novel dominated the hall in front of them with a beautiful chandelier hung above them. Carpets in red hues covered the ground and ceilings tall and vaulted stood above them. It was breathtaking and Mina felt her grip loosen as she took it all in. Candles in candelabras casts shadows onto the walls around them like dancing ghosts upon the tapestries. Lit hallways she could not see all the way down gave promise of more to explore, more to uncover.

"Mina!"

Of all the things she expected to see, Lucy Westenra was not one of them.

Lucy bounded down the stairs in an absolutely stunning red dress. Her hair was down and wild, looking extra fiery atop of her gown. How Lucy had beat them to the castle, Mina had no idea. Nor did she particularly care. It was so good to see her friend. It was so good to see someone that she knew. Though Lucy did look a bit different. Mina could not put a finger upon what.

Suddenly, Mina was engulfed in her friend's arms. She hugged too tightly for a moment before remembering herself and letting go.

"You two took absolutely ages to get here!" Lucy spoke quickly. "I took the Orient Express and was here in less than a week!" Lucy's eyes were deep red now. They'd lost their emerald color. It hit Mina in the chest to realize it. Then Lucy's hands took Mina's face in them. "It's absolutely splendid here, Mina. We've all been waiting for you."

It seemed in that moment that Lucy finally noticed Mina's husband.

"Count Dracula," Lucy said with a strange little curtsey. It seemed oddly formal to Mina yet her husband made no reaction to it. Then suddenly there was another voice, far nearer than Mina had expected one to be.

"Maestru," purred an oddly familiar voice. Mina could not think of how she could know anyone in this castle until she turned and saw the woman standing beside them. Magda: the woman from the dream Mina had had weeks ago. Well, the visions she'd seen weeks ago. The woman from her husband's memory that had shared the bed of him and his wife. Suddenly, Mina felt her face go flushed at the sight of the woman. She was very different now. Still beautiful and sensual was she, though the air around her was cool and domineering now. Her black hair was pulled back and her clothes very modest, yet still she had the red eyes of them all.

"Magda," spoke Mina's husband to the woman in Romanian. Like a great bird, her eyes studied him astutely. They then flitted to Mina and seemed to think her not as interesting a study. They came to back Alexander. "It is good to see you again."

The words were not languorous or loving in the slightest, yet full of respect they seemed. It was Magda, Mina realized either through her own mind or Alexanders. Magda had held the castle for the century in which Alexander had vacated. Magda had ruled upon it and run it and held the lands in order. Her cool looked seemed deserved now; perhaps she had not anticipated the running of the castle.

It was then Magda's eyes flitted to Mina, the slightest of smirks beneath her eyes. No doubt she knew Mina's condition. No doubt Magda knew absolutely everything. Her husband had said he'd contacted these creatures, so Magda knew everything, Mina was sure.

"My wife," Alexander placed his arm behind Mina's back. "Mina: this is Magda Shonen. She safeguarded the castle whilst I was away."

"Mistress," Magda gave the slightest of curtsies with the smirk still ablaze in her red eyes. She had spoken in English. "We are all so elated to have you here."

"Thank you." Mina did not know what else she was meant to stay.

Magda looked to Alexander, "Many others have come in the past weeks." She spoke Romanian now, but Mina knew the words. "Most do not wish to stay here, though we oft converge at night. No doubt many have sensed your return and will be here soon."

"I will see to them," Alexander answered astutely. "But my wife will need to rest."

"I will stay to see them," Mina spoke in their shared language. An impressed look from Magda, a confused one from Lucy, and a strange one from Alexander. Yes, damn. Courtly manners. Mina forgot about those damned, sexist things. She was not meant to speak for herself in the realm of courtly manners. Truth be told, Mina had paid little attention to the lessons about it that Lady Westenra had given her ages ago. She did remember that one: only speak when spoken to. Sorry, Mina grumbled to her husband and despised herself for it.

"Your dear friend said you were quite clever, Mistress." Magda's smirk had moved to her red lips now. "Do stay up if you'd like. No doubt they'd all want to meet you."

"Mina needs to rest," Alexander's hand was stiff behind her back. She did not much fancy being talked about as though she were a child. The child. Yes, that's what he was thinking of now. They all wanted to meet her because she carried his child. That also seemed mildly sexist. "We've had a very long journey."

Long journey? Not so long. Not from the boat, at least. Mina had said her goodbyes to the Dalcas as Alexander had seen to their luggage. Georgeta hugged her and promised to write while the Grandmother blessed Mina with some Romanian words she did not know. Frederick promised to see a doctor for his hand thanked her ardently for her help. He apologized again for his behavior. The worst part was the look upon his face when he saw her husband again. Such fear in his eyes showed that Mina felt her heart shattering all over again.

"Be careful," Liana had said in her usual ominous way. "Be careful with him."

"I can show Mistress to her room, should she like that." Magda spoke now in an English tongue. "Your luggage has arrived, though I do not believe it has been sorted." She met Mina's eyes. "We haven't much of a staff at the moment, Mistress. One had not been needed, though we will have one soon."

Mina tried a smile, "It's quite all right. I'm sure we can manage."

"We'll hire staff soon," Alexander said in his strange, new matter-of-fact tone.

Lucy jumped in, "Let me walk with you as well. I can show you the rest of the castle should you like, Mina. It's absolutely stunning."

"Our mistress needs to rest, pet." Magda placed her hand upon Lucy's shoulder in an extremely familiar way. Mina soon wondered what sort of relationship her friend had with this woman, and it seemed Lucy noted the confusion in Mina's eyes. "Perhaps she'll feel more alert tonight and you can show her the castle then."

Happily, Alexander had noted Mina's discomfort and walked with her as they followed Magda. Lucy had stayed behind, the strangest look of guilt upon her face. Magda was extremely silent as they walked to the bedroom down large hallways and sweeping corridors. Portraits and statues she could not see in the dim candle light lined the walls, yet everything was clean and perfectly arranged. If Magda had not liked her job of running the castle, it seemed she had been quite good at it.

They reached the final door of one wing and the bedroom door opened to a room grander and more beautiful than even the suite in Paris had been. Done in dark colors of red and black it was, yet this room was oddly familiar as well. It seemed everything about this castle rang in familiarity in her mind. It took just a moment for her to realize how she knew it. In those visions of glamour Alexander had once give her, this was the room in which their passion plays played out. The room was not exactly this but extremely similar. This must've been his own room.

"Should you require your own personal bedroom, Mistress, there are several you can have." Magda gazed about for a moment before crossing towards the door. "We've kept this room in top condition for you, Master. We hope it is satisfactory."

"Thank you, Magda," Alexander spoke. The vampire woman nodded then left the two of them alone. Further into the room Mina paced, wanting to touch every beautiful thing before her. It was gorgeous, this bedroom. This castle even was magnificent. It was something from the pages of a gothic novel, which she supposed was only suitable. It was hers. This castle was hers now. A strangely remarkable thought it was.

The room was absolutely phenomenal. Old and gothic it was, like how rooms would always be in her fantasies. A castle. She had her very own castle.

Mina spoke, "I don't need to rest. I'm absolutely awake." Their luggage was set near the wall. Mina figured that they would need to unpack that soon. "I want to see the castle: every bit of it." The room was so vast that it seemed to take ages for Mina to walk to the large window on the far wall. It led off to a balcony, thought the windows themselves were covered in thick, red curtains. Of course, she figured, all the windows must be covered in this castle.

"You might've warned me that Magda had been your curator all these years." Mina turned and sauntered to look at the bed. Her husband had frozen at the door, the most peculiar look upon his face. "Alexander: are you all right?"

"Fine, darling," he responded far too quickly. Too quickly again he was by their bedside and place a kiss upon her hand. "We're here. You will be safe here."

Mina blinked, "I know," and she sat upon the bed. A bed far more comfortable than she had been anticipating. She'd sort of assumed it would not be so grand, seeing as vampires did not need to sleep, but this bed was as fine as the one in Paris and certainly finer than the one upon the ship. Though she did not want to linger for too long else her husband think her tired and send her off to bed. Mina walked towards a door set against the tapestries and opened to find a bathroom. It seemed they really had prepared for her.

She sighed, "I'd murder for a bath." Next to the gorgeous tub she walked and touched the porcelain lovingly. She had not had a proper bath in ages.

"Have one," her husband said. She was not sure if he'd appeared behind her or simply walked to her and she had not noticed. "We'll have one drawn."

"I can draw my own bath," Mina responded with a small laugh. His arms came around her slowly. "Besides: I want you to show me the castle."

"I will, darling," her husband said after silence. "But I'm afraid I must speak with the ones already here before I give a tour."

"Oh," Mina responded meekly. "Was that what you and Magda were discussing?"

"They're all very anxious to see me." Alexander let go of her and paced towards the covered window. He opened it, looking out like was expecting to see a line at the door. There was a hardness about him she did not like. A deep and strange resentment as well. Mina paced towards him grasping his hand as he turned and gave a sad smile. "I'll be quite all right, Mina, but I'm afraid it's one I must do upon my own."

"Of course," Mina replied. Part of her wanted to be stubborn and fierce and demand she go to speak with them too but such a thing felt odd. The strangest, smallest part of her was terrified by the prospect. That small man who answered the door, Ioan, had frightened her. Would her husband become like that? The man had barely looked human and stared at her so oddly. They all knew about her, she supposed. They all knew about the baby. Yes, yes, it was better Alexander spoke to them first. He knew them and she was a stranger here.

He kissed her hand, "We'll have a bath drawn for you."

"I'm quite capable of-"

"Nonsense," her husband gave a little smirk. "You are Countess Dracula: you'll have your bath drawn for you."

OOO

There were about thirty in all gathered in the ballroom to speak with him. Fourteen are staying here while the others are from the village, Magda had explained coolly. There was clearly a resentment she had for him but he hardly cared: Magda's resentment meant nothing. He was the Count: this was his castle and this was his court. Leaving her alone had been unfair, that he knew, but now he had returned and had no intentions to leave again.

Count Dracula looked at the faces of those gathered: some he recognized and some he did not. They all stared in awe and fear and it stirred a deep feeling inside of him to be looked at thusly. Like before, a century before, he felt a power rising in him that he had kept at bay for a long time. That creature he had been was rising to the surface and began to pour out as he spoke.

"Good evening, my friends," He spoke to those in attendance. "I'm glad to have returned to you."

Nervous bows and murmurs of thanks rang from those in attendance. It was strange assuming this role again and finding how easily he slipped back into the skin of it. Magda stood near him, for he had permitted her to do, to help with what to say.

"We welcome you back, Master." Magda did not step forward but stayed in her spot. Courtly manners he somewhere remembered in the back of his mind. "You and Madame Mina. We are all pleased you have returned to us."

More murmurs. More bows.

"Things will be different from before, my friends." Alexander felt all their eyes upon him. Those who had not known him looked upon him with such reverence and fear he had not seen in ages. "My wife is human. Our castle will operate in the day as well as the night. I aim to reestablish ties to the village. I aim to keep our resources as they once were. You might find things quite different. If this upsets you, feel free to leave."

It seemed they all looked upon him with fear now. It seemed they all remembered just what he was capable of.

"I know many of you flocked here because of Mina. However miraculous you find her, I advise you first to remember she is mine. You must all remember what happens to those who harms what is mine."

There was a silence at this. He had expected as much.

"May I speak, Master?" Magda asked after the tense silence. He nodded solemnly and she stepped forward, obviously very comfortable with this role she had previously had. "There is a group that calls themselves The Protectors. Some of you know they have visited us recently."

They were here. They were here and Magda had not told him. The conniving woman, keeping such secrets from him. Rage, hot and red, filled him as she spoke to those in attendance.

"Those who did have been taken care of," she said with a glimmer in her eye. "They aim to harm our Master and Mistress. They think themselves stronger than us." Magda said the last sentence with a smirk and a few of the older vampires chuckled darkly. "Our allegiance lies with our Master and our Mistress. Above all else, we follow their will and protect them from harm." Slowly and with intention, Magda turned and bowed to him. The others very quickly followed suit. Magda resigned her power with her one last little display of it. The Protectors were here. They were here and they would not find Mina.

A voice burst from the crowd, "Is it true?"

Alexander looked up immediately, trying to find the source of the sound. From the back, a young woman with dark black hair stepped forward. She was young, he could sense it. This woman had not seen his reign before. And doesn't seem to know to not talk out of turn.

"About the child," the woman continued. "The prophecy. Is it true?"

OOO

"Lucy!" Mina gaped when the source of the knock on the door was revealed. Alexander said he'd send someone to draw her bath but he hadn't imagined he'd send Lucy. Having Lucy as any sort of maid or servant felt horribly wrong and bizarre and something she hoped was not going to continue.

Lucy beamed, "Mina, dear!" She trotted into the bedroom, shutting the door behind her. In her hands were too large buckets so it seemed he had sent her to draw the bath. Lucy shrugged, "Your husband sent me with these for your bath. I honestly believe he just didn't want me in the meeting."

"That's odd," Mina noted as Lucy walked off to the bathroom. The lamps were lit and Mina wore her dressing gown yet did not feel uncomfortable in front of her friend.

"Well, if they're all just getting reacquainted, then I'll just be in the way. Besides, I've met them all and Magda has already told me how things will be when he's here." Lucy did not explain what that meant and instead rushed to Mina and took ahold of her hands. "And I'm happy to be alone with you for I'm positively going to burst if I don't tell you how very happy I am for you!"

"Happy for me?" Mina asked then realized immediately what Lucy was referencing. God, did everyone know? Alexander had not mentioned telling anyone. "Oh."

Her friend laughed, "A baby, Mina!"

"How did you-"

"Magda told me," Lucy piped in. "Your husband told her when you found out just so everyone would be…prepared. I have the funniest feeling Magda already knew, however." She was speaking too fast and Mina couldn't hardly make out each word. "But it doesn't matter: I'm going to be an auntie!"

Mina laughed half-heartedly as Lucy spun her friend around in a small circle. It seemed Lucy was all giggles and laughter and yet Mina was absolutely teeming with questions. Half of them she wasn't even sure Lucy could answer. Mina wanted to ask her husband, but he was busy and she understood that. No doubt he'd be occupied all night by the others. Would it be like this every night? Mina could not stay awake all through the day and all through the morning. And she liked having her nights with Alexander. Which was stupid and a bit selfish for all he did was lie this with her while she slept. That was silly indeed.

"What are they even meeting about?" Mina asked after Lucy had filled up the pails and poured them into the tub. Mina stepped and offered to help, but Lucy dismissed her quickly.

"It's no trouble," Lucy insisted and did the whole deal herself. "I assume it's basic ground rules for the castle. No chaining people in the dungeons, no streaking through the castle, all that rot." Lucy was teasing yet Mina's mind wandered. How would things be in the castle? Her mind instantly turned to that world of horror Alexander had once described. "And there's definitely going to be a 'touch Mina and I'll kill you' addendum."

"He's not going to say…" Mina hesitated. "No, you're right. He is definitely going to say that."

That made Lucy giggled and soon Mina did too. After a moment, they were both in fits of laughter and it felt like they were girls again. She felt so much younger again. It was nice to have Lucy here. She had been wary about it, but Mina soon realized such wariness was misplaced. It was so wonderful to have her friend.

"He just wants you safe," Lucy said with a nudge before she got up to put more water in the bath. "Which I understand: some of these creatures are rather odd. Especially the ones that don't get out much, they're…bizarre. Not harmful, but still strange." Lucy hesitated, "Magda says it's important to go out into the villages and be around other people. Most people can't tell what we are, especially if they're a bit drunk or aren't superstitious. And I think they care less about it if you're a woman."

"How is Magda?" Mina tried to inquire as coolly as she could. Her mind went back to that memory of her husbands. Of course Mina wondered just how often they had shared a bed. All three of them doing that together and-

Lucy smiled mysteriously, "Magda has been so kind." Then the light in her eyes changed. "A few days after I came, Thomas followed." Mina wanted to speak, but Lucy continued. "Magda killed him because he tried to take me away." Mina said nothing. "He came and tried to get me to go with him, but I didn't want to. Magda asked him to leave, but he said he was my maker so I was to go with him. Magda said I was under her protection now. He tried to fight her and…lost."

Mina continued her silence as she friend glanced at her with a small smile.

"And good riddance. I despised the man." She poured more water. "But I suppose I'm under your husband's protection now. Don't decide you dislike me then, Mina. I think he'll listen to you more than he'll listen to me."

"Never," Mina promised, nudging her friend playfully. Lucy smiled and giggled and it seemed everything was as it always had been. For a brief little moment, nothing was odd at all. "So you like it here?"

Lucy nodded, "I really do. Magda has been helping me with…how to be what I am. Everyone else has been kind, albeit a bit odd. They're rather fanatical about your husband and you." She put the final bit of water in and went about pouring in soap. "He was their leader for three hundred years or something insane. Though you probably already know that."

"Yes," she responded and felt something pull in her chest. No doubt Magda told Lucy all the other things Mina's husband had done as well. The not so good things. Perhaps Lucy would warn her again to leave and get away from him. Lucy certainly thought her friend mad for being with him.

"And all that prophecy nonsense," Lucy began with trepidation. "No doubt you know that."

Mina unconsciously rested her hand on her abdomen. There wasn't a raised bump of anything tangible for her to hold onto, but she knew it was there. Her impossible little baby was there.

"But that's silly," Lucy suddenly splashed water on her friend and Mina gasped a loud. The red headed girl laughed, ducking out of way as her friend splashed some back on her. "Now take your bath, Countess Mina, and I'll show you all around the castle when you're done."

OOO

Mina had been too tired after her bath to take Lucy up upon her tour, but Lucy claimed it was quite all right and that she'd show her the castle tomorrow. Mina's husband, Lucy had said, was still talking to those members of his court and that made Mina's stomach twist for some reason. She should be down there with them, shouldn't she? If she were to be Countess, she should go and speak to her court. Yet Mina was too tired to get dressed again and greet them, so she supposed it could wait until the next day. She worried for her husband, of course, and found her mind drifting to him.

I'm all right, darling, he said in her mind as she tried peering into his.

Should I come down?

Sleep, he responded softly. I'll come back as soon as I can.

She was far too tired to argue with him and found herself trapesing to their beautiful and comfortable bed and lying beneath the deep red covers. Very soon after she fell asleep and found her mind lost in a dream.

"A lovely melody," her husband spoke in this dream world. "Will you play it again?"

Red. Everything was red but it was not rage. This was not anger. Alexander had seen rage and he had seen anger. That night when they'd taken her, that had been rage. Ages ago, when they had killed Viktoryia, that had been rage. Rage was not an emotion Alexander felt often, but red was very common. Red with jealousy and lust. Red with the hunger for blood, the hunger for vengeance, the hunger for flesh. Red with power and red with madness: it was a feeling he knew as well as himself.

He had been red when he's mutilated Frederick and red when he manipulated Renfield like he was nothing but a toy. He had been red when he's followed Mina and kissed and he'd been red when he made her his familiar. He'd been red when he first made their bond, he had desired her so desperately. Alexander was completely mad in his desire for her. Completely terrified he'd terrify her. He did terrify her. This terrified her.

Mina watched the horrors: she suddenly saw the horrors both he and her mother had spoken upon. Stupid girl, was she not? Mina thought as she watched the castle she'd toured become a place of horrors. A place of monsters and of mayhem. Her husband watching over it all, her husband taking these women and manipulating them, her husband the killer, her husband the monster, her husband feared and revered by everyone in the village. The monster on the hill. The handsome demon who lived in the castle. Mina grasped her pillow in reality as these nightmares played before her.

Fire. It felt like fire. Her hands moved to her abdomen and there it was cool. There it was calm. Baby. Their baby. Mina could feel it, which made no sense. Barely two months pregnant, she should not be able to feel the child. The nightmare: hormones. That's all it was. Nightmares happened during pregnancy, and that's all this was.

Go to sleep.

Mina heard a very strange voice speaking to her. A voice that she knew, somehow, but could not truly remember. It sounded male, but not malicious in any right. The voice was calm, soothing, strangely alluring, and not her husbands. This was a voice she had heard not many times, but time enough. It was soothing and light. Something brushed her arm them brushed her stomach yet it did not scare her.

You know me, Mina. Do not be frightened.

Know him? Yes, she supposed she did.

Sleep.

A cool hand brushed against her temple and Mina did not dream again.