Chapter Two: Invoked
Reveka
Velkan Valerious. A name that most people in this country knew well. I never thought I would actually be meeting him, or, even staying in his own house! Why, up north, such a thing was laughable. And yet here I was, gracing his presence (though "gracing" was a questionable term). At that, he seemed almost eager to help me. Something in his eyes seemed to say something about freedom and cages. Yet I could not decode it.
The manor was spacious and well furnished with gorgeous furniture. It was all very ancient looking to me. I felt honored to be surrounded by such treasured artifacts. It was truly a blessing I was here, and truly a curse that I would have to leave. The young prince was all too kind to escort me into his house and we sat awaiting his sister Anna. I had heard stories of these two siblings, and of some kind of inseparable bond between them. It was truly endearing to think such things still existed among family members, especially the royal ones. It seemed to me that with a royal title came an inherent corruption by greed and loneliness.
After some terribly awkward conversation, Anna arrived seemingly, right on time. I was so close in divulging some of my deepest thoughts to him. After all, it had been quite some time since I had had proper conversations with people. But luckily, Anna walked in the door just as the urge to expose hit me.
"Velkan dear, you did not inform me we were expecting company," she said, entering the room and setting her rapier by the fireplace. Velkan rose from his seat.
"Anna, this is Reveka Kisslinger from the north. She is venturing to Rome," Velkan said. Anna turned around and sized me up. I stood and smiled. "And Reveka, this is Anna, my sister." I shook her hand politely as she continued to scrutinize me.
"Welcome to Transylvania," she said, a bit on the cautious side. She eyed Velkan, rather knowingly it seemed (I wasn't sure what the mutual knowledge was, however) and Velkan shifted his stance nervously. "What brings you to our city, Miss Kisslinger?" She finally asked.
"Just a stop," I stated, smiling, "Your brother invited me to spend the night. Don't worry though. I will be gone before dawn."
"She is being hunted, Anna," said Velkan.
"By what?" Anna asked, raising a brow. Now she seemed interested. I sighed, shrugging, and adjusting my stance to a more comfortable pose.
"I do not know," I answered.
"Oh, that's good," Anna said sarcastically, glaring at Velkan, "So you take in a woman you do not know who is being followed by a creature she doesn't know. Bloody brilliant, Velkan." She stalked up the stairs, leaving us alone once more. I looked awkwardly at Velkan.
"Perhaps I should stay at the inn?" I suggested. Velkan shook his head, looking after his sister. He seemed bothered by this, but un-phased.
"I have never done something for myself…" He muttered.
"Really, it's no problem," I refuted, gathering my things up. He stopped me, putting a gentle hand on my arm. I stared at him. He really was quite handsome. I was surprised that the stories said nothing of this. I wanted to smile, but the situation wasn't exactly smile-worthy.
"Don't go," he said. His eyes were earnestly enchanting. I faltered.
"Why?" I finally asked softly.
"Because I want you to stay," he answered. I just stared at him.
"But why do you want me to stay?" I asked in a low voice, "Your sister is not glad of my presence."
"My sister is a bit wary of travelers," Velkan said, "Please… do not let her be the reason you leave…"
"I leave for everyone's comfort," I stated, "It is a shameful thing to disrupt the peace."
"Your morals intrigue me, but stay, nonetheless," he pressed, "It would do me great pleasure."
Great pleasure? I was caught off-guard by this terminology and just stood there staring at him awkwardly. My soul felt like it was on fire and I felt a bit dizzy.
"I…I do not know what to say, Prince Valerious. I am... honored that you would say such things," I finally fumbled. He seemed to be getting closer. Was he getting closer?
"Say you will stay," he persisted.
"I cannot," I finally said with a sigh, "I have dishonored your sister somehow." I picked up my things and walked towards the door. He stood in my path.
"You do me greater dishonor to leave," he asserted. I was annoyed now. I was grateful that my presence was so wanted, but honestly, this was a bit radical.
"Prince Valerious," I said firmly but kindly, "As much as I would love to stay, I feel that the circumstances are not in your favor or your sister's favor. Something follows me, this is true, and it is something foul. I would not want it to enter your household."
"Fouler things have haunted this household; believe me, it is nothing, Reveka," argued Velkan. His eyes looked almost fiery, and very intent. I raised a brow and sighed, looking down at my bags.
"Let me stay at the inn. I would feel too guilty to remain here," I finally said meekly, not looking at him. He did not answer. I looked up and shook my head, tilting my face to look at him sidelong. "It would be best for your sister, that I stay at the inn," I said gently, "But I appreciate your hospitality, Velkan." I wondered how he would feel about me using his first name. It didn't seem to bother him. He just stared at me intensely, as if he were contemplating something. But then he heaved a sigh and backed away.
"Right… it would be best for my sister," he answered, looking down. I nodded and opened the door, cold air hitting me as I did so. I breathed.
"Just remember Velkan…" I turned and looked at him. His eyes perked up and looked at me. "Do not be a slave to your past forever." With that, I exited, closing the door.
The street was icy cold but I did not care. I would soon be entering the comfort of a warm inn. I approached the nearest one (Conveniently called "The Traveler's Stead") and knocked on the door. A rugged crucifix was hung above the door, which reminded me of how superstitious people were. But I had trouble believing in actual vampires. Even the full myth of werewolves seemed a little strange to me. I thought that maybe they were just very large wolves.
The door swung open slowly, creaking. A middle-aged man stood in the crack, looking at me. "Can I help you?" He said suspiciously.
"I seek a staying room," I said, "Only for a little while to rest." He scrutinized me for another minute before opening the door. I smiled and pulled the crucifix necklace out from underneath my blouse, just to prove that I was safe. He nodded, smiling now.
"Welcome to the Traveler's Stead," he said. He was about 5' 6": a rickety sort of fellow with long gray whiskers and a softly aged face. He looked kind to me. I smiled again.
"I am honored to be here," I said politely.
"Let me show you to your room," he said, going up the crooked wooden stairs. I glanced over the railing into the bar and saw a few people drinking and talking amongst themselves. They all looked gravely troubled, but I shrugged, following the man. "My name is Armstid," the man finally said, "I am the manager of this inn."
"It is very quaint. I love it," I replied. We finally reached the end of a hall and he opened a door, handing me a spare key.
"I suggest you keep your doors and windows locked," he stated, "Foul things can even lurk in the hallways of this inn. Have a good night, miss." He bowed out of the room and shut the door. I locked it and went to my bed to test its comfort. It was a nice, soft bed. Suddenly, I remembered. The horses! They were still in the Valerious' barn! Oh well. I would just have to get them in the morning. Hopefully I could get in without causing too much of a disturbance.
After I unpacked all of my things, I went downstairs to have a bite to eat, and maybe some whiskey. It was going to be a cold night. As I sat alone in the corner of the lounge, my thoughts strayed to Velkan. There was something about him that caused strange sensations within my soul and heart. Could it be…no, that's just silly thinking… it could never be…
I retired early, figuring I could use a bit more sleep. Whatever was chasing me seemed to be closer, and if it got there tonight…
Velkan"Anna!" I fumed, rapping on her door, "Anna!" I had not yelled at my little sister in years. Something had finally just broken in me, and I was absolutely furious. She finally opened the door and stared at me through her wild eyes.
"I don't like it, Velkan. I don't like it at all," she said calmly.
"She was an innocent traveler!" I protested, looking at her sternly, "Anna…!" My rage had to vanish looking at her, however. I realized no matter what, I was going to be catering to her will for eternity, whether she released me or not. Still, Reveka's words were hanging in my mind… I could not be a slave to my past forever. But what would I do to escape?
"If I didn't know you better, Velkan, I would say you were attracted to this stranger," stated Anna bluntly, crossing her arms and quirking an eyebrow at me. I froze in mid-sentence, a finger raised. I think I may have blushed. I finally laughed.
"Anna, you are a silly girl," I finally commented, turning my back to her, "You know I fall for no one."
"Mhm," Anna said, watching me. I could feel her eyes. My smile faded and I stared out the window longingly. "What's wrong, Velkan? You know you can turn to me when you are troubled. What is wrong?"
"I do not wish to trouble you with my troubles, Anna," I said, my eyes trailing across the darkness outside.
"Velkan…" She walked over to me and placed a comforting hand on my shoulder, "You do not need to turn to strange women to feel complete. That is not the way."
"Then what is the way, Anna?" I asked, "I do not know. I am inexperienced in these matters."
"You spend far too much time paying attention to me. You need to follow your heart," she advised, smiling fondly at me. I stared at her blankly. She pushed a lock of hair out of my eye affectionately, "Velkan, you are older than me. You need to find someone."
"Find someone?" The thought was foreign to me. I pondered it still. "I do not know where to start," I finally admitted.
"Well, who do you feel for, Velkan?" She asked, looking into my eyes imploringly. I paused, staring at her, my heart pulsating as I thought.
"I feel for you, Anna, as my sister," I finally answered, "And…" No, it could not be, could it? Was I mad? "I feel for Reveka, I think." This was crazy. I had never felt for a woman like this, more over, a stranger!
"Reveka is a stranger," Anna said gently, looking at me, "Love comes with knowledge. Anything else is not true."
"I don't care if it's true, Anna," I finally said, "I liked that feeling…" I stared off again, my eyes hard, "I liked it a lot."
"Well… I suppose you've got to start somewhere… I do not trust strangers in the least, and you trust them too much!" Anna laughed slightly, "So I suppose the choice is yours. Are you going to fall for a stranger by nature, or are you going to search for something real."
I pondered my sister's words for a long time and then shook my head. "I can't just watch her walk away like that… I barely know her, but I just can't…" I looked at Anna, and noted that she looked slightly disappointed. "Anna…do not give me that look… I have never done anything selfish."
"No, you have not," Anna admitted, still looking at me. We were silent for a few minutes.
"I must go to her," I finally said, "It is getting late." The feelings were rushing through me like wildfire. I could not interpret.
"Then go," Anna said with a sigh, moving away from me, "I trust you, Velkan." She bowed, "I trust you with my life." It made me feel like a traitor, but I could not deny my heart at this point. It was beating too strongly for me to resist the urges within.
"Thank you," I murmured, grabbing my coat and heading out the door. My heart was breaking, but it was pounding harder than ever. What would I say to Reveka? What could I say? Hopefully, God would give me the words when I saw her; otherwise, he would just steal them away from me with her breath-taking beauty, and I would be lost again.
Reveka, Reveka! It sounded like a forbidden dream!
A/N: Behold, cheesiness!!!! AHAHAHAHAHA!