CHAPTER 14:

Summer in the South

Hello dear folks! As hinted the last time, Balaurs are leaving England to travel the Europe. At first, they head South to an ancient city, that breathes with history and brings them to other times, resembling the era of great warlords and powerful rulers.

I had to split this chapter into 2 pieces as it was too long. Here is the 1st one … little bit spicy, but sweet as well. Enjoy and let me know how you liked it Second part coming soon …

P.S.: Thank you all for lovely comments and discussion! Keep it up!

Never during his long life has he been so far on South. Surely, during his mortal life, he did not sit in his castle and only in his homeland. He took part in many battles and fights, that involved traveling to distant lands, however mostly to the East never so close to the meridian. His fear of Sun and its torturing effect on his immortal body limited his traveling routes even more. Now though, he is enjoying the warmth of the Languedoc region to the fullest. With a wide smile on his red lips, with sunglasses shielding his chocolate eyes and an arm around the waist of his beautiful wife, Count Dracula enjoys the view in awe. Carcassonne. A fortified city that breaths with history brings him back to the glorious medieval times. For the ruler born in the 15th century, it seems like an ideal residence. Majestic, large and unconquerable.

- My love, this would be an ideal home for us. - with a nostalgic look in his dark pralines, Count Dracula evaluates appreciatively and looks again at his wife, who is amused by his words. - What do you say, is there a chance to purchase it and claim it for the Balaur dynasty? -

- Dynasty needs to have more members, darling. And as you can see, it ends with us. - Agatha wants to laugh over his childish approach to purchasing everything he wants, even though she is quite certain he only jokes, however, Agatha is sure, that this is not the appropriate time since his needs to secure a new lineage of his own blood, produce a new generation of valiant warriors and beautiful maidens grow ever since her own maternal instincts became more obvious. - Though you never know what the corrupt minds of mortals would do for money. Try to call UNESCO and arrange a meeting with their real estate agents. - as a joke it sounds good, nevertheless, Dracula wouldn´t hesitate to follow this advice.

- Hahaha. Funny. - he responds quickly, probably thinking indeed again about the lineage preservation topic and her unambiguous refusal. - Now let´s see how does it look inside. Then we can decide and maybe contact some powerful, corrupt people. There´s never a lack of them. Luckily. - Good mood is fortunately not lost. - And with your great mind-manipulating abilities, the persuasion process might be quite easy and simple. Just imagine it, my dear Countess. -

- At first, I won´t use my great skills for such a faulty intention. Learn it yourself, darling. Don´t be lazy. - Dracula raises his forehead and purses his tasty lips, defending himself instantly.

- I am not. You are just refusing to reveal that secret to me. -

- There´s no secret, Vlad. I´ve told you already. - how she does it, is a mystery even for her. - Maybe if you haven´t had manipulated the minds of other only by draining them, you would know better. To change someone´s mind even from distance is much useful and less complicated. - and not that messy. - And returning back to the castle purchase, my title would be Viscountess, degrading us to lower aristocratic titles. I cannot accept that. -

- Since when do you particularly care about that, darling? -

- Since we attended the ball at Peterhof, probably. -

- I knew, you would love it. - this is really a happy grin. - The title can be changed certainly. Just imagine. - a dreamy sparkle glitters in his eyes. - Count Dracula conquers the ancient city of Carcassonne and declares himself its ruler. Languedoc region celebrates the autonomy it gained from the French government and welcomes its new ruler with honest salutes and excited salvo. -

- Where´s your army hidden if I may ask? - it´s impossible to remain silent and not succumb to a smile. Agatha just burst into laughter and Dracula joins her gladly.

- My charm is enough as is my predeceasing fame. It would be an honour everyone gladly accepted. -

- Repeat this to yourself and maybe you will dream about it tonight, but that´s all, my dear Count. The times of warlords and conquering are long gone. -

- Are they? - war was and always will be a part of human history and nature. There are always people yearning for power, not minding at all the costs ...

- The medieval ways, definitely. -

- Are you sure? - it´s maybe not a sword slayer but the modern ways, he had heard how seem to him even more cruel and destructive. Agatha would probably share this opinion eventually, nevertheless, she is in no mood to discuss such a topic.

- My dear husband, are we on a vacation or on some political conference? -

- Vacation with interesting discussion. - Agatha just rolls her eyes and decides to direct his focus on something else. They can discuss the current situation of world politics when playing chess

- Before you claim the castle yours… -

- Ours! -

- Alright, ours, let me tell you about its history. -

- Fine. Enlighten me, Agatha. You are right, know your enemy before you start a fight. - Vlad´s intention to make her giggle again works out. Countess, with an amused sparkle in her calming eyes, places a peck on Count´s cheek and then starts speaking about the famous Cathar city ...

-/-

Suddenly, the kisses are slowing down, and eventually, his lips stop moving in regular, circular motion completely. Agatha´s confusion creates a deep wrinkle on her forehead. She doesn´t like it at all. The fire burning inside of her needs to be put out and he is the only one who can do that!

- Vlad? - she addresses him with audible remorse.

- I have an idea. - Count Dracula starts to grin mischievously and caresses her slim waist, which is still covered in the blue silky nightgown.

- Idea? What?! Now´s no time for thinking! - the combination of the tone of his voice (seducing, provocative, and dangerously sexy low) and his facial expression (mysterious, naughty, and exciting) brings her only worries. All her thoughts seem to be written in her face, at least Dracula knows very well what the path of them is.

- My dear Countess, you have never made love with your beloved Count in an actual castle. - he points out as if that should explain everything. Agatha though rolls her eyes and impatiently pulls down his pyjama pants.

- We have a Manor. - that´s enough aristocratic for her and she hoped that for him as well. As she already explained to him many times, the era of his ruling is long gone. But do tell that to almost a 5 centuries old warlord … Dracula though disagrees.

- It´s not the same. - he claims, absolutely persuaded, pulling his pants up. Agatha groans in disagreement. Anyone can have an enormous villa and call himself a millionaire, but only a few can live in an actual castle and be members of proud, long-lasting, aristocratic dynasties.

- Heavens, what do you intend to do? - now only the slightest hint of an idea of what might come creeps into her mind and it makes her feel uneasy. Agatha is quite sure; he is not talking about his own castle in Transylvania and the closest one is ...

- Make your secret wishes come true. Kidnap you. - once more, Count Dracula surprises already shocked Countess and kisses her senselessly, distracting her enough to whisper: - Again. - and in a blink of an eye, the ruler of the night starts a process of a transformation that he never tried this way before. Agatha doesn´t even have time to scream out from a tremor as her mind advises her when everything starts to spin and her head starts to feel heavy. Suddenly the darkness encircles her and even though she should be scared, all she can feel is excitement accumulating in her abdomen. Strong arms are still holding her, even though they are nowhere to be found. A thousand kisses caress her cheeks, nonetheless, Dracula´s lips are absent. His masculine fragrance is stronger than ever, yet all she can feel is a warm evening breeze that accompanied them the entire evening. She is looking for Dracula´s handsome eyes, though only stars shine above her head. She feels him between her legs, however, when she tries to encircle his waist with her long legs, there´s a void with no actual physical form. Something is amiss and all she can do now is to wonder. Maybe, Vlad is drinking my blood this time and "kidnaps" me indeed to his Transylvanian castle. This final evaluation seems to be after all the most logical one. That´s it. Calmness returns to her features and instead of frowning, Agatha Balaur, Countess Dracula of Wallachia starts to smile again, enjoying every second of this exciting adventure, being curious how their marital bedroom in his castle might have looked like. What she doesn´t realise is that it takes much longer than usual to transit from reality into a dream-like state. The sudden objectification of one's mind in a different era or a distant place is not happening. Almost ten minutes pass and a shattering of a window can be heard when everything starts taking its shape again. Where the cloud of dozens of bats hoovered a moment ago, now two figures in an embracement stand. Half-naked Count and his dear scantily clad Countess find themselves in the middle of a large bedroom, with thick stone walls and an ornamented bushy carpet that is encircled by trammels that prevent the visitor from crossing past its boundaries and reach the spacious bed, by which Agatha and Vlad Balaur now stand. Agatha´s jaw drops as she realises where they are.

- You foolish man! How did we get here?! We can´t stay! Take us to the villa! Right now! - she scolds him whispering and demands immediate action. Looking around as afraid that some security guard might come and caught them here, she clings to Dracula even more. Her level of anxiety rises and my husband just grins foolishly, eyeing me from top to toe … He can´t be serious!

- Not before I make love with you right here and right now, Agatha. - with those dangerously sexy words, Count Dracula takes her unexpectedly into his strong arms. This time she gasps in surprise and emits a negligible yelp. Moving the palms to her buttocks, strong warrior from medieval ballads, lifts his astonishing maiden, positioning her thighs around his hips, and in an inhumane speed lays them on the large bed that perfectly suits the well-known Count. Hunger for her is written all over his attractive face. The lust is more than palpable and a strong erotic aura hangs above them like a heavy cloud in the middle of a summer storm. Blizzard. From the look in his dark eyes and stiffening manhood, that is to come. Agatha unable to fight her likewise desires is already soaking, her body shivering from arousal and multiplying pressure inside her abdomen, is wordlessly screaming at him to fill her as fast as possible. Silent pleads of her body are heard upon in a second. Count penetrates her, moving at first torturingly slow, intensifying the growing tension inside their bodies to unbearable levels. Agatha, panting as if in the middle of complicated labour, scratches the lower back of her husband with those sharp nails, rupturing the skin a little, and moans his name. A loud growl escapes his occupied lips and so Dracula pushes faster. The passion is so consuming and overpowering. Usually, he would take his time to spoil Agatha´s body with tender touches and soft kisses. Every inch of her body would be admired by his lips or fingers. Not a single spot would escape his thirsty mouth. Mr. Balaur knows very well that Agatha would act exactly the same when in charge. Straddling him proudly, his body would ache for her and before she let him reach the peak, he would be weakened by her unconditional love. Her lips everywhere, her teeth softly teasing his skin on the most sensitive parts of his flesh. Hours they can spend in the bedroom just teasing, playing, relieving each other before such a strong passionate outburst exhausts them completely. This time, however, it´s different. The room itself gives them the impression of a different era. Now they feel as being apart for several centuries. Not seeing each other, not hearing the voice of the beloved one, not feeling the flesh and skin of their spouse. The magic of Carcassonne castle is so stimulating that they orgasm after a few minutes of merging into one body. In awe, they look at each other and smile in a pleasant wonder. Experienced Count Dracula would never say that sex could bring the pleasure he feels right now. It´s crazy, calming, torturing, relieving, beautiful, magical, unearthly, natural, rough, tender … it´s his Agatha. Neither a scientific mind of doctor Balaur would believe that the fruits of the body could enslave her and one loving stroke of her husband´s fingers free her at the same time.

- Heavens, woman. - he detaches his swollen lips from Agatha´s mouth, looking her straight in the eyes. - What a beauty you bring for me to this world. -

- Do I, Vlad? - the named one only nods and closing the distance again, Count intends to kiss Agatha once more, but before he could do so, her words stop him anew. - If only I was so poetic as you are, my love. - being with him, she discovered how romantic he can be, not only with words but gestures as well. When she met him, she thought that if there is anything like a love he could have felt, it was directed only towards himself. Self-praise, self-confidence, egoism, flirty behaviour of a seducer could have only meant that love is something unknown to him. It was. Then. It isn´t. Anymore. Even Vlad is startled for a while. A long time ago has he discovered that Agatha is not an overly emotional woman and that was something he liked about her. That´s why he felt more than flattered when she seduced him first, when she kissed him bravely when she admitted that love might have sprouted between them. Caressing her soft, cold cheek, Dracula smiles, kissing her swiftly.

- Agatha, you don´t need to be a poet to tell me you love me. I know that. These simple words mean the world to me and are more than enough to make me feel heavenly. -

- Do they? -

- Yes. - he nods with a soft smile. - Now where have we been? - he asks jokingly. With the same sparkle of jolly Agatha takes his hand and placing it on her left breast squeezes it, hissing in returning pleasure.

- Exactly here, my dear husband. -

-/-

It´s almost dawning. The night sky has long lost its indigo colour. Cold tones of the darkness are replaced by shades of crimson red mixed with rich orange tones. The sun is slowly waking up unlike Agatha´s husband, who in a completely human-like and not a morbidly rigid position rests peacefully on the bed that does not belong to them. In fact, they broke in to the castle and within next few moments will have to leave unnoticed. Agatha Balaur feels no regrets and admits that her husband was right. Making love in a medieval castle is magical. Now her imagination takes the lead and thus, looking through the wide windows into the distance, at the massive fortifications and tiny-looking mortal´s tenements, she can very well imagine what it must have been like in his times. Not leaving this bedroom, Agatha can very well imagine a fire crackling in the large hearth and how she would cuddle to her well-build husband if a cold breeze made her shiver. Agatha can picture quite well how the 2 of them would sit in the vast council hall and with their allies plan the attack or defence. It´s tempting, but luckily only for a while. Now she cannot even imagine her life without running water and the candlelight is sufficient only in the bathroom when the tub is filled to the top and her husband inviting her to join him in.

- What made you leave the bed and my arms so soon, my dear? - suddenly, a sleepy voice of Mr. Balaur tickles her on the nape of her neck.

- Apart from the fact that we might be caught in flagranti, naked, in a bedroom, a castle, that doesn´t belong to us? -

- Yet. - maybe he is joking, maybe not. She cannot tell and doesn´t care at this time. - And yes. -

- The change of scenery, I guess. - it´s a unique view, that she might never see again. - It is indeed a beautiful view from above. -

- It is. - Dracula´s arms encircle her again, pressing her back to his chest. - Now what do you propose we do? -

- Apart from leaving unnoticed when there is still time? -

- Yes. -

- Touch me, Vlad. - it´s not a command. Today, he has a choice … do I? We both very well know that I would never resist her. Thus, he places his right palm on her abdomen, meanwhile, the left admires her breast.

- Like this? - not that there would be the need to ask. A soft huff should be an adequate answer and it is …

- Hm. - nodding contently, Agatha leans back to him even more. - Your right hand. Move it lower. - she purrs. This is an instruction worthy to follow. Slowly, his fingers march through the sensitive skin. The vampiress giggles at first, as does her husband, though when he touches her clitoris, the smile disappears and is replaced by awe. Agatha closes her eyes, giving in to the excitement, that fills her as those clawed fingers sink deeper and deeper. Biting her lower lip, she almost gasps when Dracula bites her … with human teeth … leaving only an imprint instead of a scar.

- Is my right hand satisfying your wishes enough? - he kisses the marked spot on her shoulder to soothe the non-existing pain. Agatha, tilting slightly head to the left, burrows her nose into his neck.

- Perfectly. - Count´s slender fingers are already covered in a coat of orgasm, his manhood, hard as the stone walls surrounding them; pressing at Agatha´s buttocks. A new day is beginning and they don´t have much more time before leaving. The last instruction is to be given because the end of their night adventure inevitably nears. - Replace your fingers with … your cock, Vlad. - it´s only a short hesitation. After all, she never had an issue asking for what she wanted or needed. Not from Dracula. - Let´s conquer the city together, Count. From here. Now. Again. - Count is stunned. Impressed. His obedience is complete, thus he takes out his fore- and middle fingers from her inner, turning her around slowly, so he can face her once again.

- My love, how good such words to the battle sound in my ears. - he smiles widely and with an appreciative sparkle in his eyes, caresses her left cheek. - You truly are a woman worthy of the Countess title. Have I told you already? - he asks, putting the finger into his mouth, ostentatiously licking her juices from them. Agatha swallows empty, but nods. He called her his Countess even on Demeter, though only recently she started to believe, he had meant it. - I am a man of a tradition. The warlord. I like to conquer. -

- And I know that. - now embracing him around the neck, Agatha presses her breasts on his chest and lifting her left leg a bit, gives him an unambiguous hint. - Shall we? -

- For the glory of our Dynasty! - with a battle cry, which makes Agatha laugh again, Count Dracula penetrates the fortresses in a poetic way and slowly laying his wife on the stone parapet, to grant him a better entrance, welcomes the new day with a mighty roar. The beast is gone. Agatha can see only a powerful ruler, her heroic warrior, that leans over her just to be closer to her lips that he loves to kiss. First rays of Sun enter the room, beautifying the love scene even more. In Vlad´s eyes, there has never been anything more beautiful than Agatha immersed in sunlight, calling him by his first name. In Agatha´s mind, no one has ever looked at her with so much love and admiration as Count Dracula and she is certain, nothing else could evoke such an outburst of endless joy and happiness in her heart. For the glory of our small Dynasty …

-/-

One of the advantages of being a vampire is the zero susceptibility to pain. Only thanks to that can she walk after riding her husband all day and night long. No sore thighs, no headache, just a slight tension inside her that constantly reminds her how much she gained by giving him a second chance. Sitting on the wooden bench, under the pergola, Agatha waits for Dracula to return from the tiny cafe. This time, no worries fill her mind. After the rough and exhausting night, they had, both consumed an increased level of blood, which reminded Agatha to order another supply from Carfax. Only then decided they tour the hidden parts of the city and as regular mortals stopped here at Vlad´s request. Surprisingly.

- Ice cream? - she asks as soon as he leaves the inner space and joins her outside. - You want to consume all of that?! - she points out at the large bowl of tasty-looking dessert that they cannot digest. Dracula shrugs his shoulders, sitting next to her.

- I just want to taste it. Everyone here does it. - it´s truly impossible to meet someone without that treat. Agatha though points out one important fact:

- You are not everyone. -

- C'mon, darling. I´ll just lick it with the tip of my tongue. I won´t swallow. - that sounded strange even in his ears and thus Dracula joins his wife in laughing. - Share with me. - how generous offer it would be…if only they could.

- I don´t know, Vlad. What if you won´t be able to stop? -

- I can control my tastes. - he reassures her, looking once at the colourful scoops of summer delicatessen, once at her. - Now, we can guess what does it taste like. If you remember the essence of regular food. -

- For that, the tip of your tongue won´t be enough, Vlad. Do I need to educate you on the anatomy of taste buds on your problematic tongue? -

- Which´s magic you absolutely love. - it´s a simple wink and following smirk that wins her over.

- Since you have chosen, it would be unfair if your eyes remained open. -

- I´ll close them. - his eyes are immediately shut, so Agatha has simply no choice. An ice-cream. Once a luxury, today a regular treat you can purchase whenever you want … unless you cannot. Count´s bowl contains at least 5 different flavours. She chooses randomly one.

- Open your mouth. - and he does, with a suppressed need to grin like a silly little boy once more. A small wooden spoon in Agatha´s hand reaches its destination. At first, Count notices the cold texture, thicker than blood. He awaits an explosion of impressions but nothing comes. His eyebrows furrow and Agatha can guess why. - Pass it further, Vlad. The very tip won´t tell you anything. -

- Oh! - her advice takes effect. Sweetness mixed with a hint of sourness and tart. - I recognize that taste! - he does but cannot remember to what fruit it belongs. His quick response surprises her.

- And the answer is? -

- Delicious. - with a delicate grin, Count Dracula answers, though Agatha raises her eyebrow, demanding more.

- What fruit? -

- No idea. - again, he opens his eyes giving up gladly. - Which colour was it, Agatha? -

- One of the reddish ones. - and she points at the correct scoop.

- That should be a raspberry. - those he did not taste since his childhood. Transylvanian forests were full of such thorny bushes when the days were longest and outside temperatures highest. - Now you. Close your eyes. -

- Why? -

- To play a fair game, my sweet vampiress. -

- Don´t say it aloud, Vlad. - the named one rolls his eyes and takes the spoon and bowl from Agatha´s hands.

- Your eyes. - she huffs, but closes them, meanwhile opening her mouth. It´s been ages since she tried normal food and didn´t resist.

- Vanilla. - she says almost immediately, surprising her husband. It wasn´t hard at all.

- How did you know? -

- Because all the others in the bowl look like fruit colours and this one tasted really sweet, without a hint of sourness. -

- Alright, let´s try another one. - Count is already thinking about his following strategy, musing which savour to select for her. Agatha though has a different opinion.

- Your turn. -

- No. This time I´ll give you a fruit one, it won´t be that easy, - Dracula gives her a seductive wink and leaning closer, lowers his voice in a whisper: - I promise. -

- Want to bet? - Agatha is trying to keep that neutral look with a raised eyebrow but has a hard time when Dracula continues his game and kisses her on the cheek.

- Yes. - now she rolls her eyes. It´s after all not a fight and even if, she certainly wins.

- Alright what will I get if you lose, Vlad? - the most important question is asked with lips pursed in a provocative gesture. Dracula, however, has an answer already prepared. With almost a victorious grin, he presents it immediately:

- That historic parade you wanted to attend tomorrow evening. -

- That was your wish too! - that´s true. Ever since he saw that large poster at the gates of the Cité, he wanted to secretly take part in it as well.

- In the costumes. - he adds. It´s an attractive bait. - I saw a small shop near the Southern gate with medieval period clothes. Don´t tell me, you wouldn´t like to dress like a Countess. - the memory of their evening in Peterhof pops back to her mind. It was an exquisite feeling and an unforgettable event. This might be too, even if not that real and equivalent, as the meeting with the most famous Tzarina of all times.

- And if I lose? -

- We will spend another night in the castle. Different bedroom this time. - either way, it´s a win win … even though breaking another window and terrorize the sleeping city with an unexplainable flock of bats is riskier. She does not want to cause any damage on historical sites … well, he sent 500 Euros to the renovation fond of the castle immediately…

- Alright, Vlad. Prepare to lose. - afterward, Agatha closes her eyes. Let´s the fun begin. Now Dracula tries his hardest and selects a flavour that might be difficult to guess. Especially when you are allowed only one little spoon at most.

- I´d say orange, but this one is not so acidic. - it´s much sweeter. It cannot be lemon. It´s not citrus, not a typical one. - Apricot? - she muses further, but still this answer doesn't satisfy her. There's something lacking. - No. - it´s definitely not that, but very similar. - Less sweet than that, if I remember correctly. - Dracula is surprised how quickly she names the flavours and distinguishes between various kinds of fruit. Agatha has, however, only one last second until the spoon of ice cream fully melts. The taste is immediately gone, only the memory of the pleasant feeling of its richness remains.

- Peach. - nothing else comes to her mind.

- I stand no chance. - in his eyes, it´s an uneven fight. Why? - You are much younger than I am, honey. No wonder that you remember what the normal food tasted like. - the defeat is admitted, no shame felt, quite the opposite.

- Nevertheless, I won, my dear husband. - even though it´s nothing significant, it makes her happy. - No more trespassing. - on the other hand, she has already admitted that the kidnapping of the previous night can be counted as one of the best things that she ever experienced …

- You still might change your mind, Agatha. - and taking the spoon again, one by one, he tastes all of them, feeding once her, once himself. Even though almost an entire bowl will end in trash, the afternoon walk with a small ice-cream stop will remain a cherished memory of the Balaur couple.

- TBC -

Although I have never been there, Carcassonne is a beautiful city that I believe would fascinate even our Count Dracula. I know that he is captivated by the modern era as well, at least that´s what we have been shown in the series, but I believe, he will remain that warlord born in the 15th century and such environment would be close to his dead heart.

We have never been shown how he got Agatha out of the convent to the ship (which would be interesting to discover), so a little kidnap scene was added I hope you liked it all and let me know your impressions… Until next time