Chapter Four:
"Why don't I just change?" Chesshika asked hurriedly. "Good idea," Aleera said. "Ooo, can I do your hair?" Verona pleaded. "It's so thick...I used to do Marishka's...it was about the same length, too." Aleera shot Verona a quick and hard look. "DON'T say HER name here! If he heard you..." "Marishka died," Chesshika supplied. "Van Helsing killed her." "Yes. He murdered her..." Aleera and Verona wailed. "He killed our sister..." They sobbed together for a moment, and then Aleera straightened up. "We were lonely." "That's why you're here!" Verona said. "He needs another bride. You're going to become our sister! Isn't that nice?" Aleera hissed at Verona. "He doesn't need another bride. He doesn't even need two." "And I suppose you would like to be his only bride?" Verona asked back, wide-eyed in innocence, but the sarcasm in her voice reflected her anger. The two vampire women fascinated Chesshika, but she didn't want to be around to see them kill each other when their fight broke out. "I'll just..." she started, sidestepping toward the door. "Oh, no! You mustn't leave. We're going to help you get prepared!" Verona said in dismay. Chesshika wondered if they could prepare her without killing each other first. "Yes," Aleera purred. "He's waiting for you."
Half an hour later, Chesshika was dressed in the gossamer creation, hair swept back from her face, and arrayed in a manner of jewels. She kept twisting a ring on her finger around and around, and Verona kept pleading with her to take it off. It was a simple gold band, and Chesshika had worn it for three years. "Please, just take it off. It doesn't fit with any of your other jewelry," Verona coaxed, to no avail. "Never,' came the swift retort. It was true; it really didn't fit in with the splendor of gigantic and precious jewels that she wore around her neck, arms and fingers. Chesshika looked down at herself. She even had some of her own jewelry at the manor that was nicer then this that Velkan had given her. She laughed at the thought. 'The human boyar beats the immortal monster at yet one more thing,' she mused to herself. "He gave it to her," Aleera said suddenly, startling Chesshika out of her revere. "The dog." Verona's eyes widened, and she looked back at Chesshika's finger that the ring sat on. "Oh, that's so romantic," she sighed. "I never had rings before I came here. And he's not that bad at all when he's not wearing fur," she said, a glint in her eye. "Quite handsome." "Yes, Velkan is," Chesshika said, bristling at Aleera. "He's not a dog." Aleera shrugged. "Wears fur and walks on four legs three nights a month during the full moon; what's the difference?" Chesshika snarled at her, and Verona stepped in between them before she could jump on Aleera. Chesshika stopped short of the dark girl, not wanting to hit her when she was after Aleera. The door opened, and all three turned. Dracula stepped into the room, and immediately, the two vampires went to him, cooing and purring. Chesshika stayed where she stood, wary of the Count. "Oh, come now. Join us. You will be soon, anyway," he said, sweeping Aleera aside to create a space next to him. Aleera pouted and tried to walk back to his side, but he pushed her aside again, motioning to Chesshika to take her place. The vampiress shot Chesshika a look of pure venom. Chesshika glared back, and stood firm where she was, refusing Dracula. "Now, what's this game?" he asked. "Fine. If you won't come to me, I'll go to you," he reasoned, leaving Verona and Aleera behind and walking to Chesshika. "You look stunning, darling. Absolutely ravishing," he said, gathering Chesshika in his arms and pressing his face into her neck. She reared her head back, distancing herself from him. "Oh, don't play coy," Dracula admonished her, pulling her back. Suddenly, he was kissing her, his hot mouth devouring hers. She felt dizzy, and her mind screamed in joy. 'My lord is kissing me! My lord is kissing...' She became confused, her mind feeling fuzzy. Determined, she shook of his hold on her mind. 'He's no my lord...Velkan was my lord...IS my lord...will always be my lord...why is he?' Something about it just screamed wrong! in the back of her mind. She instantly realized what was going on. 'Oh my God, he's going to make me serve him! I'm going to be this monster's bride!' Dracula deepened the kiss, his hands sliding to her waist and the back of her neck. She lost her thoughts for a minute as his power over her flooded in ecstasy. Gaining it back, she thought frantically. 'But I thought I was going to end up marrying Velkan...he was the only one I wanted...he was going to be the one I married. Not Dracula. Not like this...it was going to be different. I loved Velkan...now, I'm going to be forced to betroth this monster...' Two lone teardrops trailed out of her eye, and Dracula stopped, looking up at her. "Come, we can't have this," he whispered softly, licking the salty tears off her skin. She flinched, trying to back farther away from him. Looking up, she realized that the two other brides had disappeared. She was alone with him. The knowledge made her struggle harder, but he grabbed her wrists and pulled her hard against him.
"Why don't I just change?" Chesshika asked hurriedly. "Good idea," Aleera said. "Ooo, can I do your hair?" Verona pleaded. "It's so thick...I used to do Marishka's...it was about the same length, too." Aleera shot Verona a quick and hard look. "DON'T say HER name here! If he heard you..." "Marishka died," Chesshika supplied. "Van Helsing killed her." "Yes. He murdered her..." Aleera and Verona wailed. "He killed our sister..." They sobbed together for a moment, and then Aleera straightened up. "We were lonely." "That's why you're here!" Verona said. "He needs another bride. You're going to become our sister! Isn't that nice?" Aleera hissed at Verona. "He doesn't need another bride. He doesn't even need two." "And I suppose you would like to be his only bride?" Verona asked back, wide-eyed in innocence, but the sarcasm in her voice reflected her anger. The two vampire women fascinated Chesshika, but she didn't want to be around to see them kill each other when their fight broke out. "I'll just..." she started, sidestepping toward the door. "Oh, no! You mustn't leave. We're going to help you get prepared!" Verona said in dismay. Chesshika wondered if they could prepare her without killing each other first. "Yes," Aleera purred. "He's waiting for you."
Half an hour later, Chesshika was dressed in the gossamer creation, hair swept back from her face, and arrayed in a manner of jewels. She kept twisting a ring on her finger around and around, and Verona kept pleading with her to take it off. It was a simple gold band, and Chesshika had worn it for three years. "Please, just take it off. It doesn't fit with any of your other jewelry," Verona coaxed, to no avail. "Never,' came the swift retort. It was true; it really didn't fit in with the splendor of gigantic and precious jewels that she wore around her neck, arms and fingers. Chesshika looked down at herself. She even had some of her own jewelry at the manor that was nicer then this that Velkan had given her. She laughed at the thought. 'The human boyar beats the immortal monster at yet one more thing,' she mused to herself. "He gave it to her," Aleera said suddenly, startling Chesshika out of her revere. "The dog." Verona's eyes widened, and she looked back at Chesshika's finger that the ring sat on. "Oh, that's so romantic," she sighed. "I never had rings before I came here. And he's not that bad at all when he's not wearing fur," she said, a glint in her eye. "Quite handsome." "Yes, Velkan is," Chesshika said, bristling at Aleera. "He's not a dog." Aleera shrugged. "Wears fur and walks on four legs three nights a month during the full moon; what's the difference?" Chesshika snarled at her, and Verona stepped in between them before she could jump on Aleera. Chesshika stopped short of the dark girl, not wanting to hit her when she was after Aleera. The door opened, and all three turned. Dracula stepped into the room, and immediately, the two vampires went to him, cooing and purring. Chesshika stayed where she stood, wary of the Count. "Oh, come now. Join us. You will be soon, anyway," he said, sweeping Aleera aside to create a space next to him. Aleera pouted and tried to walk back to his side, but he pushed her aside again, motioning to Chesshika to take her place. The vampiress shot Chesshika a look of pure venom. Chesshika glared back, and stood firm where she was, refusing Dracula. "Now, what's this game?" he asked. "Fine. If you won't come to me, I'll go to you," he reasoned, leaving Verona and Aleera behind and walking to Chesshika. "You look stunning, darling. Absolutely ravishing," he said, gathering Chesshika in his arms and pressing his face into her neck. She reared her head back, distancing herself from him. "Oh, don't play coy," Dracula admonished her, pulling her back. Suddenly, he was kissing her, his hot mouth devouring hers. She felt dizzy, and her mind screamed in joy. 'My lord is kissing me! My lord is kissing...' She became confused, her mind feeling fuzzy. Determined, she shook of his hold on her mind. 'He's no my lord...Velkan was my lord...IS my lord...will always be my lord...why is he?' Something about it just screamed wrong! in the back of her mind. She instantly realized what was going on. 'Oh my God, he's going to make me serve him! I'm going to be this monster's bride!' Dracula deepened the kiss, his hands sliding to her waist and the back of her neck. She lost her thoughts for a minute as his power over her flooded in ecstasy. Gaining it back, she thought frantically. 'But I thought I was going to end up marrying Velkan...he was the only one I wanted...he was going to be the one I married. Not Dracula. Not like this...it was going to be different. I loved Velkan...now, I'm going to be forced to betroth this monster...' Two lone teardrops trailed out of her eye, and Dracula stopped, looking up at her. "Come, we can't have this," he whispered softly, licking the salty tears off her skin. She flinched, trying to back farther away from him. Looking up, she realized that the two other brides had disappeared. She was alone with him. The knowledge made her struggle harder, but he grabbed her wrists and pulled her hard against him.