Chapter Eleven
Roderick's Suspicions
June 1094
Cronquist Manor
Weeks had passed since Mathias's transformation and life at the Cronquist manor was becoming increasingly difficult. Roderick had grown suspicious of his nephew's activities. During the daylight hours, Mathias's bedchamber remained tightly bolted from the inside and it always remained silent as a tomb during the daylight hours as well. However, after the sun slipped over the horizon, Mathias would permit people to enter his bedchamber. It was all too bizarre. Coupled with that, there had been many murders at the manor. The stable boy, several guards, a chamber maid, even one of Ann-Marie's nursemaids had fallen victim to a vampire attack. But it was the same all around the countryside. Hordes of vile monsters emerged from the Forest of Eternal Night and had been slaughtering the peaceful inhabitants of the city. Fear and panic washed over the countryside, no one and nothing was immune to this swarm of evil converging on the city.
This morning Roderick was walking down the hallway toward Mathias's bedchamber. His new regimen of bolting his door during the day unnerved him terribly. He just needed some assurance that his nephew was okay. It appeared that Mathias had completely lost his senses. It was ambiguous if it was the loss of his wife or if the forces of evil at work in the town that has changed his nephew. One thing was certain however, he had to know what was wrong with Mathias. Finally coming to his bedchamber door, Roderick pounded his fists against it demanding that Mathias let him in.
"Son, if you do not open the door I shall break it open with my bare hands."
With no answer forthcoming, Roderick began to shove his full body weight against the door in an attempt to smash the bolt open, but to no avail. After many attempts, Roderick admitted his defeat and walked away. But he had to know if Mathias was alright, alas he had to wait until nightfall to find out.
Defeated, Roderick went into his wife's bedchamber and sat down in a chair near her bed. Ann-Marie was lying on the bed, nursing one of the twins when her husband entered the room. She saw the sorrowful look on his face and in his eyes and she instantly knew all was not well with Mathias.
"All was not well I take it." Ann-Marie said softly.
"You are perceptive my love." Roderick sighed. "I do not know what to do for our nephew."
"I know it is frustrating my Lord." She said softly. "But you must believe that he will pull though this. You must give him some time."
"I have never seen him this way." Roderick said. "I have never known him to not play with the children or speak with one of us. And this new behavior of bolting his bedchamber door."
"Perhaps the news of the murders has him frightened." She said in a desperate attempt to allay her husband's fears. "It is very unnerving for all of us."
"Never the less." He broke off and sighed deeply. "There is something strange going on with the boy. I would feel more at ease if he would come and speak to one of us."
"I know you would my Lord." She said pulling the child gently from her breast and gently rocking the child to sleep. "But you must understand how profound his grief must be. His one true love has perished; it must be terribly agonizing for him."
"I can only pray that you are right my love."
Roderick removed himself from the chair and walked over her and gently caressed her beautiful brown hair. His dark eyes then drifted from his wife's beautiful face, to the face of his child. Seeing the innocent babe sleeping in his mother's arms seemed to make his worries subside somewhat. Perhaps he was overreacting, but there was just something different about Mathias, it was a feeling he just couldn't shake. Tonight, he was going to find out the truth.
Night swept once more over the manor. Mathias, after quenching another deadly thirst, went back to the Cronquist manor and prepared for another boring night of visits from his family and friends. He wanted nothing more then for this all to be over, however he knew if he was patient, everything would work out for the best.
Unexpectedly there came a harsh pounding at his bedchamber door. He knew it had to have been Roderick, so he sprang into bed and covered himself up with the blankets. Then using his powers, he removed the bolt from the door without even stepping up to it. Roderick thrust his entire body weight onto the door and it flew wide open, he nearly fell to the ground, but was able to recover just in time.
"Mathias?" Roderick said startled at how the door became unbolted. "Where have you been all morrow?"
"I." He stuttered. "I have been here uncle."
"Have you?" Roderick asked suspiciously. "Then why didn't you open the door this morrow when I arrived?"
"I wished not to see anyone."
"I see." He said cautiously. "Your auntie and cousins are very worried about you son. If you are feeling well enough, why don't you join us tomorrow for a prayer in the chapel?"
"No thank you uncle." Mathias answered. "I refuse to ever leave this room again."
"I understand." Roderick said mournfully. "That's what Lord Belmont said. Son, will you be alright? It has been a year since Elisabetha's death, perhaps it is time for you to leave this bedchamber, venture out into the light of day again."
"Forgive me uncle." Mathias interrupted. "But as I've said before, I shall never leave my bedchamber again. If you don't mind, I wish to rest now uncle."
"Well son." He said sadly. "I shall leave you alone then."
"Thank you for coming to see me uncle." Mathias said kindly.
Roderick nodded to Mathias and left the room. He couldn't put his finger on it, but there was something very wrong with Mathias. He seemed so cold, so distant. Seemingly not human. Try as he might to shrug off the feeling he knew, deep down inside that his nephew was lost forever.
June 1094
Cronquist Manor
Weeks had passed since Mathias's transformation and life at the Cronquist manor was becoming increasingly difficult. Roderick had grown suspicious of his nephew's activities. During the daylight hours, Mathias's bedchamber remained tightly bolted from the inside and it always remained silent as a tomb during the daylight hours as well. However, after the sun slipped over the horizon, Mathias would permit people to enter his bedchamber. It was all too bizarre. Coupled with that, there had been many murders at the manor. The stable boy, several guards, a chamber maid, even one of Ann-Marie's nursemaids had fallen victim to a vampire attack. But it was the same all around the countryside. Hordes of vile monsters emerged from the Forest of Eternal Night and had been slaughtering the peaceful inhabitants of the city. Fear and panic washed over the countryside, no one and nothing was immune to this swarm of evil converging on the city.
This morning Roderick was walking down the hallway toward Mathias's bedchamber. His new regimen of bolting his door during the day unnerved him terribly. He just needed some assurance that his nephew was okay. It appeared that Mathias had completely lost his senses. It was ambiguous if it was the loss of his wife or if the forces of evil at work in the town that has changed his nephew. One thing was certain however, he had to know what was wrong with Mathias. Finally coming to his bedchamber door, Roderick pounded his fists against it demanding that Mathias let him in.
"Son, if you do not open the door I shall break it open with my bare hands."
With no answer forthcoming, Roderick began to shove his full body weight against the door in an attempt to smash the bolt open, but to no avail. After many attempts, Roderick admitted his defeat and walked away. But he had to know if Mathias was alright, alas he had to wait until nightfall to find out.
Defeated, Roderick went into his wife's bedchamber and sat down in a chair near her bed. Ann-Marie was lying on the bed, nursing one of the twins when her husband entered the room. She saw the sorrowful look on his face and in his eyes and she instantly knew all was not well with Mathias.
"All was not well I take it." Ann-Marie said softly.
"You are perceptive my love." Roderick sighed. "I do not know what to do for our nephew."
"I know it is frustrating my Lord." She said softly. "But you must believe that he will pull though this. You must give him some time."
"I have never seen him this way." Roderick said. "I have never known him to not play with the children or speak with one of us. And this new behavior of bolting his bedchamber door."
"Perhaps the news of the murders has him frightened." She said in a desperate attempt to allay her husband's fears. "It is very unnerving for all of us."
"Never the less." He broke off and sighed deeply. "There is something strange going on with the boy. I would feel more at ease if he would come and speak to one of us."
"I know you would my Lord." She said pulling the child gently from her breast and gently rocking the child to sleep. "But you must understand how profound his grief must be. His one true love has perished; it must be terribly agonizing for him."
"I can only pray that you are right my love."
Roderick removed himself from the chair and walked over her and gently caressed her beautiful brown hair. His dark eyes then drifted from his wife's beautiful face, to the face of his child. Seeing the innocent babe sleeping in his mother's arms seemed to make his worries subside somewhat. Perhaps he was overreacting, but there was just something different about Mathias, it was a feeling he just couldn't shake. Tonight, he was going to find out the truth.
Night swept once more over the manor. Mathias, after quenching another deadly thirst, went back to the Cronquist manor and prepared for another boring night of visits from his family and friends. He wanted nothing more then for this all to be over, however he knew if he was patient, everything would work out for the best.
Unexpectedly there came a harsh pounding at his bedchamber door. He knew it had to have been Roderick, so he sprang into bed and covered himself up with the blankets. Then using his powers, he removed the bolt from the door without even stepping up to it. Roderick thrust his entire body weight onto the door and it flew wide open, he nearly fell to the ground, but was able to recover just in time.
"Mathias?" Roderick said startled at how the door became unbolted. "Where have you been all morrow?"
"I." He stuttered. "I have been here uncle."
"Have you?" Roderick asked suspiciously. "Then why didn't you open the door this morrow when I arrived?"
"I wished not to see anyone."
"I see." He said cautiously. "Your auntie and cousins are very worried about you son. If you are feeling well enough, why don't you join us tomorrow for a prayer in the chapel?"
"No thank you uncle." Mathias answered. "I refuse to ever leave this room again."
"I understand." Roderick said mournfully. "That's what Lord Belmont said. Son, will you be alright? It has been a year since Elisabetha's death, perhaps it is time for you to leave this bedchamber, venture out into the light of day again."
"Forgive me uncle." Mathias interrupted. "But as I've said before, I shall never leave my bedchamber again. If you don't mind, I wish to rest now uncle."
"Well son." He said sadly. "I shall leave you alone then."
"Thank you for coming to see me uncle." Mathias said kindly.
Roderick nodded to Mathias and left the room. He couldn't put his finger on it, but there was something very wrong with Mathias. He seemed so cold, so distant. Seemingly not human. Try as he might to shrug off the feeling he knew, deep down inside that his nephew was lost forever.