Chapter Thirty Three (POV Switch to Leila)
Leila curled into Vlad's warmth as a repetitive sound kept trying to drag her out of her sleep. Distantly she felt the rumble of Vlad's voice as he snarled for the person to come in, but her mind was already drifting back to sleep now that the knocking was gone.
Before she could go completely back to sleep, she felt a careful nudge against her side that made her groan. "Leila, wake up. Mira has something to ask you."
The name of the little girl they'd rescued helped snap her to full consciousness. Dragging herself up to sit against Vlad, the dawn's hold making it considerably harder than it should be, she brought her attention to Mira.
She was half hiding behind the door now, but Leila could easily make out the tears streaking down her cheeks. The sight ripped at her heart strings, making her move to get up in the next second. "Thanks Samir, I've got it now."
With a bow, the man left. Mira relaxed once he was gone, but didn't move from the door. Leila could practically feel Vlad's irritation from being woken only for the girl to not say what she wanted. Reaching under the blanket she stroked his side, mumbling low enough for Mira to not hear. "Vlad, she's scared."
He heaved a sigh but the sharp bite against her subconscious lifted. He gestured for her to enter when she hovered a moment more. "You had something you wished to ask Leila, did you not?"
She let out a quiet eep before inching forward as bid. Stopping a few feet from the bed, she mumbled. "I had a nightmare…"
Vlad's shields cracked as a flash of pure disbelief filtered through. Before he could say anything that in his sleep deprived mind would reduce the girl to tears, Leila jumped in. "There's nothing to be ashamed of in that, I have them all the time."
Her head perked up as hope broke through her expression, "Do they get better?"
Considering what her nightmares were about, Vlad would probably be the better one to ask on that… Leila hesitated, glancing at Vlad covertly from the corner of her eye. Catching his wife's gaze, he sighed.
He couldn't stay irritated with Mira, she was scared just as Leila had said. His wife was the only person in this castle, aside from himself, that she may trust after her captivity. It only made sense that she'd go to them when something like a nightmare hit and in this case he understood why Leila was hesitant to answer.
When it came to similarities, he and Mira were near mirror images and not just physically, although there were some impressive comparisons to be made there as well.
He'd met very few people who had copper eyes the same shade as his own, although hers lacked the emerald ring of the Dracul line.
Their pasts were similar as well, held in captivity for a portion of their childhood although he wasn't sure just how long they'd held her yet. The brief glance he'd had at her scars made him guess at least a few years.
So, with some reluctance, he answered. "Time eases some of them, although you may never feel completely comfortable with touch. I certainly don't unless I've allowed it ahead of time."
Mira stared in open wonder as the pieces clicked into place, her voice was quiet as if sharing a secret. "The bad men hurt you too?"
Her eyes filled with sympathy and sadness, despite not knowing him she mourned that he'd been through something similar to her own experience.
As the last of his irritation with being woken only a few hours after he'd gone to sleep drained away, he nodded. "It was long ago, I wasn't much older than you, but yes."
The wonder came back as the pain faded, "But you're so strong."
He let a dry chuckle pass his lips, feeling as Leila curled against his side for comfort through what she knew was a sensitive subject. Absentmindedly he allowed his arm to curl around her waist as he considered how to answer.
"I wasn't at your age." It was the truth, it'd taken him many years of honing his strength through training before he reached his current power level. Even to this day he still had much to improve on.
She inched even closer now, hovering closer to him than Leila as she questioned hopefully. "Does that mean I can get as strong as you too? So no one can hurt me again?"
Something twisted in his chest at the thought of her going through half the thing's he had to get where he was. While he had adjusted to modern day life well, there were some things he still had to work on, such as not wishing women to be on the battle field. But as he looked down into her hopeful and scared eyes, he sighed.
One of the first things he'd done after he'd been released from captivity was train his body to it's current physical form. He hadn't wanted anyone to be able to best him just for the reason she didn't, he couldn't refuse her the right to the security it had brought him.
"With many years of training, yes. Although, I received a gift from my sire that proved useful in expanding my battle prowess, you most likely could sharpen your skills to fend off most attackers."
Immediately after he finished, he knew that most of the words had gone over her head. The slight tilt and furrow of her brow further that belief and made him reword it to be easier for her to understand. It'd been so long since he'd had to consider dumbing down a statement for a child, he wasn't use to doing it anymore. "Yes, but you'd have to work hard for a long time."
She perked up a bit, "I can do that." Anything to never have to let someone touch me like that again.
The thought was eerily similar to his own when he was younger and human. Shaking the thought to the side, he prodded. "Will that be all?" He'd like to get some sleep tonight, after all. While he wouldn't snap at her for asking questions that only he could answer, he may get a bit sharp if she stopped him from sleeping for much longer.
He'd have to make a point of explaining to her tomorrow that the middle of the night was not the time to ask questions, if she wrote them down and brought them to him tomorrow he would answer them happily…
She ducked her head, toeing at the ground as she mentally fished for something else to ask. The desperation to stay and talk confused him before understanding dawned. She didn't want to go back to bed. Again, that wasn't something he would fault her for. When he had nightmares nine times out of ten he would work and the last one he would distract himself with Leila, who was more than happy to work as distraction from the darker memories. Though lately that had been happening more than going to work since his wife insisted on playing distraction… Shaking the thought off, he focused back on the little girl.
She didn't have that option.
Seeing the problem, Leila jumped back in with ease. She remembered when Gretchen had used to get nightmares after their mother had passed and their dad had been less than sympathetic. Maybe the same trick would work now…
Leila shifted so her legs were over the side of the bed and she was face to face with Mira. "How about this, I have a friend my mother gave me when I was about your age and he kept my nightmares away. I don't know if he'll do the same for you, but if nothing else he can be your friend and I'll tuck you both back in. Alright?"
Vlad marveled at her handling of the situation, he hadn't even thought of that. Though to be fair he hadn't used his child rearing knowledge in five centuries, Leila had much more recent experience, though briefly, with Gretchen.
He sat back and watched as Mira nodded, the nerves seeping out of her at the thought of having a friend.
Moving over to the closet where her mother's chest rested at the back, she dug until she found the stuffed animal. It'd been cleaned up from when she'd last used it, the blood stains now gone to her relief, and the sight of it stung less now than it had all those years ago.
Crouching to offer it to her, Leila smiled. "Here, my mother made him for me so you have to promise to be very careful with him."
Mira nodded, her eyes wide as she hugged what was supposed to be a bear close as she cuddled it. She let out a quiet thank you before burying her face in its head. The sight twisted her heart but she didn't let it show as she stood while offering her a hand. "You're welcome, now then. Let's get you back in bed, yeah?"
She nodded again, taking Leila's hand as she led her back to where the kids were staying. One of the guards stood outside as Vlad had ordered, while he'd hoped that there wouldn't be anymore incidents it was better to be safe than sorry. Due diligence.
Once she was back in bed, Leila tucked the blankets back around her with the bear curled against her side. "Good night Mira. Have sweet dreams."
She waited until Mira had dozed off again before rising, nearly tripping over her own feet when she found Vlad leaned against the wall outside waiting for her.
Not saying a word, he offered his arm in invitation and led them back to their chambers. It was only after they'd gotten settled that he addressed what just happened. "You like her, don't you?"
Jerking at the unexpected question, Leila hesitated. "Yeah, I kinda do. She reminds me of a mixture of both of us. For obvious reasons."
Vlad snorted, yes between her past mirroring his and her appearance looking akin to Leila, he could easily see where she'd come to that conclusion.
He could also see where this was going.
"I take it you want to adopt her?"
Leila blinked owlishly up at him as if the thought hadn't even occurred to her and, after a moment of consideration, maybe it hadn't. She'd always known she would never have children, so maybe it truly never crossed her mind to adopt Mira.
After a moment of thought, Leila shrugged. "I honestly hadn't even thought about it. I know you probably don't want them, what with your history, so I just shut the whole topic down as a hard no."
She trailed off, leaving it for him to decide without actually asking. And just like that it was all on him.
Leaning his head back against the headboard, he considered the situation. He'd only just admitted, albiet mentally, that Leila would make a wonderful mother had she been given the chance. While he knew that if he told her no she would never hold it against him, he remembered allowing Mircea's mother to sleep with others with his knowledge because he hadn't wanted to rob her of motherhood.
Looking down into Leila's guarded eyes, he wished that he could hear her thoughts again. If she hadn't shut the conversation down he doubted that she didn't want Mira, but where exactly did she stand on this?
"I am not completely adverse to the thought, but there are problems to be considered. Such as your electricity, though wearing gloves can negate that, and my enemies choosing to use her as they have used you."
The thought made Leila grimace, while they'd dealt with Sylagi and Mircea, his two worst adversaries, there would be more. Mira couldn't stay locked in the castle for the rest of her life, it wouldn't be fair to her. Though she seemed to want to be trained, how strong would she have to be to stand against Vlad's enemies?
As the questions rolled over in her head, an answer blared through them all. "Magic."
Immediately Vlad scowled, but he didn't tell her to stop. After a moment he gestured for her to go on, despite the frown on his face.
"Ian mentioned that Veritas cast a spell that repelled all magical or physical attacks on him. Ian knows magic right? We could ask him to cast it on her and when she's older, if she wants to, she could probably learn it herself. It definitely gave Mircea an edge enough to be a threat so she'd be able to hold her own against any enemy you make from here on."
Vlad hummed as he considered the offer, it would work. Mencheres probably knew the spell, which meant they wouldn't have to involve the insipid whore either. And while he would never admit it, he was beginning to become attached to Mira. Whether it was the sympathy of their shared childhoods or her striking similarity to Leila with the addition of his eyes, he wasn't sure but there was definitely a draw there.
She would also need help growing up, questions that he was best equipped to answer for her and problems that few would understand.
Nodding resolutely, he locked eyes with Leila. "We'll discuss this more tomorrow, but know that I am open to the possibility." His mouth curled sardonically, "If the looks I was seeing between Damien and your sister are any indication I expect to have Maximus coming soon with a formal request to adopt the boy."
The thought made Leila smile, she'd seen how easily Damien and Zelda had gotten along too and couldn't be happier for them. While they couldn't keep tabs on all the kids to ensure they had good lives, at least this way Damien and Mira would.
Curling into Vlad's chest, she let herself relax again. "I'm glad for them, they'll make good parents."
Vlad hummed, his arm tightening around her. "And you will too."
His confidence in her was nice, but she didn't miss that he hadn't included himself in that statement. "And you won't?"
The briefest flash of uncertainty showed before he scoffed. "You do remember that one of the boys I raised as my son is now dead and the other is in the dungeon after trying and nearly succeeding to kill you?"
Leila sighed, of course he was going to hold onto that. Cupping his face, she disagreed. "Vlad, the reason Mircea went off the deep end was a mix of his own poor decisions and abandonment issues. It wasn't as if you left him behind on purpose either, you did it because you were too busy trying to keep your country from falling into enemy hands. Last I checked that isn't an issue this time and while yes, you do get snappy when stressed, you won't be doing it alone. The only thing you need to worry about in your parenting style is if you actually want to emotionally invest yourself in a child. Because she's going to cling to you Vlad when you least want her to, she's probably going to want hugs and encouragement and all that from you because if she sees me as a mother you're going to be the father. She'll also wonder into your meetings, demand attention when you don't have time and probably want to do things like play in the snow because she doesn't understand reputation or why you'd need to look a certain way to other people. So before we actually decide to adopt her, can you be her father? Because I'm not doing this solo."
She refused to explain to a heartbroken little girl why Vlad wouldn't love her, she'd lived that shit and wouldn't wish it on anyone. Least of all the girl they were contemplating adopting.
Vlad stared intently into her eyes as he rolled the question over. She had a point. His neglect of Mircea had played a key role in the outcome for what he was now. While he wouldn't waste time on what ifs, it was important to learn from his mistakes and not repeat them.
So, as he settled into the bed, he thought on if he could do as asked. Kids were a handful, though a rewarding one. Mira was already starting to look up to him, he'd heard it when she'd been asking him questions before. It wouldn't be long before she began to put him in the father role and expect all the things that came with it.
He let his mind wander to what it would be like, should they adopt her. He'd already shifted his image considerably by marrying Leila, adding Mira to the picture shouldn't change it by much. He'd have to explain that when visitors were here she couldn't expect open affection as it would make him appear weak in front of other masters, but aside from that?
He thought back to five centuries ago when he would come home from a battle to Vladimir all but catapulting at him for an embrace. Replacing the image with his home and Mira, he didn't mind the thought as he figured he would. Leila was also more likely to stay home to help watch Mira, therefor keeping her out of the battles that weren't absolutely necessary. He certainly had no problem with that.
Nights like tonight, where nightmares would attack, she'd want to sleep with them. She'd wanted to this time but her nerves had stopped her from asking. As he considered it, the smaller black haired girl curled between them, he found the thought almost comforting.
With a sigh, he nodded. "I would be equally as responsible for her upbringing as you would be. You wouldn't be raising her alone, that I assure you. Though I will insist on tutors, it was customary for those of the Dracul line to be well read and I won't let that tradition die."
Leila easily agreed, with stipulations. "As long as the course load isn't horrible for someone her age then I agree. Hell I wish I'd been able to stay in school, but after my ability came in I couldn't risk breaking out into a screaming attack because I touched the wrong textbook."
He squeezed her in comfort, knowing that her lack of education was a sore point for her. "Of course, I despised most of what I was learning though I had to be educated in courtly duties, which she does not. Her studies would be the basics of mathematics and language, both Romanian and English. Things that any child should know, as she ages the difficulty will increase. If she seems to be having difficulties in an area we can focus on it more and adjust the schooling as needed."
He was more talking to himself as he considered the many things that he'd have to do before they could officially adopt her.
"I can make the call to Mencheres tomorrow, if I'm opening myself to a child again she will be protected. There will be no repeats…"
Old pain sliced through their bond, making her tighten her arms around him. She'd never thought he would even consider having a kid, what with the pain from Vladimir's death still so fresh despite the five centuries of time between when he'd lost his son. She couldn't be prouder of him for doing this.
Kissing him soundly, she nodded. "You're not alone in protecting her Vlad, you have Mencheres, Maximus and me this time. She'll be okay, we'll make sure of it."
Sighing through his nose, he nodded. "Let us sleep, we shall have a busy day come tomorrow and we'll need the rest."