Chapter 9

It was around nine in the morning when D opened his eyes. He blinked once or twice to wake himself up a little. He was lying on his bed in the grand bedroom, the white, silk sheets covering him. In his right arm was Inga, who was quietly sleeping with her head on his chest.
The previous night was still fresh in his mind. He smiled a little as he remembered the fused passions. It was the most amazing and tiring thing he had ever done, but he would do it again with Inga if he had the chance. However, the most important thing of all was the fact that Inga was his, all his.
He relaxed into the pillows and put his free hand behind his head. He closed his eyes and rested, not wishing to disturb Inga. He looked down at her and brushed his fingers up and down the bare skin of Inga's exposed arm. He smiled and kissed the top of her head when she snuggled closer to him as a result.
Inga slowly opened her eyes and looked up at D, giving him a soft smile. He smiled back and gave her a small kiss, caressing her cheek afterwards. She moved herself up so her head rested on his shoulder. D put both his arms around her and held her close.
"What are we going to do today?" Inga inquired.
"Make love," D replied with a smirk.
Inga giggled and D laughed.
"Seriously though," Inga said once she recovered.
"I'll most likely get some supplies and see what's going on around here," D replied.
"Sounds like fun," Inga said sarcastically and kissed his neck, sucking on it slightly in a playful manner.
D rolled over and pinned her down. "You trying to get me going again?"
"Just making sure you'll be fine for later," Inga replied and winked.
D laughed and gave her another kiss before he got out of bed.
Inga rolled over onto her stomach and watched him get dressed. She wished that she could always be this happy, always.
D finished dressing and put on his hat before giving her a kiss on her temple. Inga closed her eyes and the gentle touch of his soft, sweet lips on her skin.
"I'll be out getting food for us and the horse," he said, still bent over her.
"Do you want me to come help?"
D shook his head. "I need to go around and show everyone I'm here because they know me, in a way. It would be better to keep them from getting upset with two dunpeals in town, especially a female one."
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"They all knew my mother, and they know I'm the son of the vampire king, so they treat me like a god. Many of the village women, and some men, feel that if they do things for me that they'll get a good reputation with my father, or somehow a woman will have one of my children and gain special privileges.you know what I mean. I just don't want them attempting to hurt you, or kill you just because you're mine."
Inga pulled him down and gave him a kiss. "Understood."
"There's a bath two doors to the left if you want to clean up."
Inga smiled and nodded. D walked out and gave her a smile before closing the doors behind him. Inga wrapped a sheet around her and went to one of the windows, which overlooked the yard and the stables. She watched D ride out before she got herself ready.
She first walked to the closet and found and black and red silk robe, which she put on and glided over the soft carpet on her way to the bath.
She opened and black and white door and blinked when she saw the large, white, baths. To her left was a bath with hot water and to the right was a cold water bath. In the middle, towards the back, was a shower, encased in a slightly transparent material.
She headed for the shower first and found the necessary materials for cleaning available. She washed herself thoroughly before stepping out and into the hot water bath. She soaked in it and let it relax her muscles and course through her pores.
She waited a bit before going into the cold water bath, which was more like a small swimming pool. She jumped in and swam around for a bit, gaining new energy from the cool water.
She came out of the baths most refreshed and looked around for the bathroom. She found it next to the cold bath. She walked into it, and smiled a little, seeing how it was also a white color. However, the handles of the faucet were gold and there were three mirrors above it. In the center was a fountain, which had carved vines around the base and up to the top. The fountain itself was made of a shiny, silvery metal in the shape of a weeping willow, billowing with the wind. In the far corner, slightly enclosed by a wall, was the toilet, which was Inga's main purpose in her quest to find the bathroom.
Once she had finished with her business, she went back to the main bedroom and back into the closet for some clean clothes. It was warm out since it was still summer, so she picked out a white tube-top and a pair of green pants. She found a pair of brown sandals that fit and braided her combed and washed hair. Now she was ready to get to work.
Her first job was the laundry. She took her clothes, as well as D's, and went downstairs to find the washroom. She used the senses that her power gave her and went right to it. There was a washer and a dryer, but the detergent seemed to be missing.
Inga blew out some air, then put her hand over the machines and discovered that the detergent was already in the machine, and all it needed were the clothes and for a person to turn it on. Inga put the load in, set the dials, and turned it on.
While the laundry was going, Inga went to the kitchen, and it was a mess. It had not been used in years. Inga took a deep breath and called a rag to her hand. It came obediently, and with it she went to the sink and turned on the faucet. It sputtered a bit before it spewed out the brown water. Inga grimaced and narrowed her eyes. This would take much more time that she thought it would.
She let the water keep running so it could clean itself out. Once it started flowing steady and clear, she wet the rag and began the task of dusting with a mask over her nose and mouth. After a good two hours and five rags, the counters were finished, and my how they sparkled in vast comparison to the floor.
Inga put the rags in the wash and commenced cleaning the floor with a mop. By the time she was done, the kitchen shined and glistened in the afternoon sun. The windows sparkled as well, clean and letting the warm sunshine through.
Inga cleaned out the main room and the dining room, which took her the rest of the day and many trips to the washroom, but by nightfall, the three main rooms were clean. The others would come later. Once she was done, she went into the living room and collapsed in a chair. The sky was dark and Inga wondered where D was.
However, Inga began thinking, since it was the only thing she could really do, and all the "what if" questions came popping into her head. What if D was in trouble? What if D had decided to be with another? What if she was being betrayed? What if she was going to die? What if more vampires were coming after her?
Slowly, piece by piece, Inga withdrew from the world around her and into her own realm. Her emotions sank into a temporary slumber and were slowly being bottled away. As her heart screamed and cried with every reasonable thought and question that came into her mind, her countenance became that of an ice queen-cold and unfeeling.
In her withdrawal, she did not hear the clatter of hooves, nor the sound of boots clicking on the bare, newly cleaned floor. The only light around her were the few candles in the living room.
"I'm back," D announced as he stepped into the main hall, but there was no sound of anyone moving. Inga did not come running to greet him. He walked around the lower level first, going to the kitchen, which was clean, to his amazement. He put the food and supplies away before continuing to look.
He entered the clean dining room, and found she was not there, but he saw the light of some candles in the main room, so he went towards them. When he walked in, he saw her in the chair, but she looked like a doll, and he was afraid.
The way she sat and the look in her eyes made D truly afraid. What happened? Was she hurt? Was she.dead? He wanted to wake her, yet her doll-like pose frightened him. However, he had to know, so he walked towards her, slowly and cautiously.
He was three steps away when Inga lifted her head and looked at him with her violet eyes, so sad for some reason.
"You're back," she said quietly.
D nodded slightly, afraid of doing anything too rash or large.
"What took?" she inquired in the same, quiet tone.
"Some of the supplies were sold out, so I had to go around and find them," D began. "Afterwards, the mayor wanted to see me, so I went there, and the man wanted me to marry his daughter. I told him that I had someone, but he wouldn't have it. He insisted that I go see her for myself so I was dragged into the girl's bedroom and his daughter's lying there in her undergarments. By the time I got my bearings since they knocked me out, I was locked in the room with her. I finally got out in one piece and I came straight here, I swear it."
Inga looked at him, then lowered her head and his her face in her hands and started crying. Was what he said really true? How could she really know? Did she want to know?
"Inga," D said with alarm and fell to his knees in front of her. "I'm would never hurt you like that. I'm not a vampire."
However, Inga did not look at him and continued to hide her face in her hands. D stood up and took her with him and he pulled her to him. She moved her face from her hands to his shoulder and cried on that.
"There's no reason to cry any more, Inga," D said. "I'm here now, everything in tact, and what reason is there for me to leave you? There's no reason for you to cry."
Inga raised her head and looked at him. He wiped away any lingering tears and gave her and gentile kiss.
"You're taking a bath," Inga demanded with a twinkle in her eye.
"Scrub my back?" D asked in return with a one-sided grin.
Inga raised an eyebrow. "Just your back?"
D laughed and gave her another kiss before walking up to the baths, an arm around each other's waist.