You walk into the ball poised with a grace that is not yours. On Dracula's arm, under his spell, you are his slave, and a puppet. When the people see you, you hope that they realize this isn't you, and only a hollow form under control of Dracula, that imitates you with near perfection.
"Would you like to dance, my dear?" He asks in a mocking tone. Your mind screams 'no!'
"Yes, my love," comes your voice, and to your dismay, you smile, falling into the waltz with him. The room is a-swirl with dancing colors and drifting music.
"See how alive your town can be, when I am in control!" He says to you, as you float gracefully across the tiled floor. "Music and dancing!" He drops you, a hand fixated on your lower back, the other running down your neck coldly. "Life," he whispers, almost excitedly, drawing you back up to him. You step back into the waltz, flying across the dance-floor. Inside, you are already exhausted by the force he exerts on your mind, but your body seems as if it will never tire. Your hate for him expands with every step, until you think you will burst. He smiles at you, undeniably satisfied with his actions. "How does it feel to be forced, my princess?" He asks darkly, restoring your ability to speak freely. You wonder why.
"I think you are a despicable creature, Dracula," you state, trying to sound strong, "You can bring no joy to this city, or any other place where happiness should dwell unthreatened." He drops you again, suspending you just high enough to keep your head off the ground. "You have no heart."
"Correct," he answers, almost philosophically, pulling you up with formidable strength, "But I could feel again," he whispers close in your ear, "If you would so kindly replace my brides with yourself." He caresses your neck continuously, exerting an incredible amount of seduction (that seems to be working) on you. You close your eyes, slipping deep into the sensations, and gripping his shoulders as you draw nearer to him.
"I could never," you finally answer, your eyes opening to blaze at him. You stare as his eyes rise to meet yours, glaring.
"I can make you silent in an instant. Do not push your freedom," he snaps, pulling you back onto the floor for the last few beats of the dance.
"Do you really think you can win?" You ask, as a tango commences.
"My dear," he replies, a brow raised, "I know I will." With that, he pulls you out to the middle of the floor and controls the rigid movements of the tango.
"This is not some kind of game," you counter, "It is my life."
"Your life is in my hands," says Dracula coldly, as you move gracefully across the floor, "Every time I have had your life in my hands, I have crushed it without question." He pulls you through an intricate series of spins. People are watching and speaking amongst themselves. "You remember well, my princess, 1452 and 1673…"
"I choose to forget when possible," you answer. He laughs, spinning you into his arms.
"October 9, 1452…the death of Adriana Valerious," he says coldly, as you dance across the floor in perfect rhythm, "To be wed to Count Vladislaus Dracula."
"I was never in love with you," you say in a low voice. He wrenches your waist and you cry out in pain. "Still angry, Vladislaus?" You ask, your body aching in incredibly agonizing pain. His eyes burn through you. "You are still angry that I loved your rival—" He releases you abruptly, almost threatening to smash your head through the floor. He hovers over you, dipping you dramatically.
"…Cause of death unknown," he whispers threateningly, before dragging you back into the dance.
"He came after you, didn't he?" You ask, eyes narrowed, "And he caught and killed you in 1462."
"Yes," hisses Dracula. There is silence in speaking until a ballad starts. Then he smirks as the dance floor fills again. "August 8, 1673…Princess Talia Dulaq murdered sometime after midnight. Identity of killer unknown. Has suffered incredible blood-loss that surgeons cannot explain," he states.
"You have a very good memory for being so old," you say harshly.
"I remember everything down to the last drop of blood I tasted," he hisses.
"Pursued by your rival once more," you state. Dracula smiles triumphantly.
"Yes, but that time it was I who was the victor," he says. He draws you smoothly into a side room, curtained with dark sheers. The wind blows softly through an open balcony as you enter the soft candlelight. You are still dancing, but it is like you are floating. You are caught in his dark eyes and trapped by the smile etched upon his lips.
"He will conquer you yet," you say weakly. He ignores the comment.
"Every last drop of blood," he whispers, arching your back softly over his arm. "One brief moment of pain…"
"You said that to Anna," you whisper back, closing your eyes in helplessness.
"…and we can be together forever," he continues. Chills rake your back, trickling along your nerves. In his obsession and concentration, he loses control of your body. You pretend he still has control, however. He pulls you back up, tilting your neck from behind. His fangs retract, moving slowly towards your neck. As he does so, you reach into your bodice and pull out the vial inconspicuously, uncapping it. Just before either of you can complete your action, a voice cuts in rather hurriedly.
"Vladislaus! Count Vladislaus!" Says a voice. Dracula's fangs vanish and he whirls about, releasing you. You quickly replace the vial.
"What is it?" Dracula hisses.
"Gabriel Van Helsing has been seen within the city," says the voice. A little noise of relieved surprise escapes you and Dracula glares at you. He turns back to his messenger.
"Bring him to me," Dracula says angrily.
"Sire, we do not know his whereabouts. He was not alone, either," replies the messenger. Dracula hesitates.
"Meet me outside with our forces," he says. The messenger bows and exits. Dracula turns and glares at you, approaching. You back away instinctively, falling against a pillar in fear. "Did you fail to mention something, my love?" His eyes are blazing. You gulp. "I tell you truly…I will not be second-guessing anymore. Next chance I get, I will take you and I will kill Van Helsing. Without him to stop me, we will rule the world together, princess…" You are too mortified to reply. He grins and sweeps you up in his arms. He runs towards the balcony and transforms into his flight form, bringing you to the tower, and dropping you on the bed. You are too shocked to respond right away, even after he leaves, slamming the windows shut. Then it finally occurs that you have a window of time in which to escape. You leap to your feet and run to the closet, grabbing your belongings and bringing them back into the room.
You pull out the vial and put it aside, trying to undo Dracula's lacing job. After several minutes of struggling with it, you realize it is impossible. Tears rake your tired eyes as you stuff the vial back into place and collapse in defeat on the bed. You suppose you will just have to attempt escape in this huge ball gown. You change into your leather boots at least, and then exit the room with caution.
The torchlight does not illuminate the dark corners of the stairwell, but you find your way down in the near-darkness. You find yourself on the fourth level of the castle, and slip along the corridor, headed towards the stairs that lead to the backdoor. You hear a commotion in the street and run to the third level, throwing open the windows to see. In a flourish of torchlight, you see Dracula and his forces, putting Van Helsing in irons!
"Van Helsing!" You cry, out the window in disbelief and dismay. Dracula turns and smirks up at you.
"Behold your savior, Mira!" He says, laughing coldly. "And behold the cause of your stupidity, Gabriel!" Van Helsing lifts his eyes, looking at you wearily. You begin to weep in defeat and shake your head, denying the sight before you. Dracula laughs still. "To the dungeon. I will deal with him after I have gained my prize." You pick up your dress and flee upstairs frantically.
Through blurry tears, before you reach your room, you see some source of console. A sheathed sword lays on a table in the shadows. "Thank you, God," you mutter, grabbing it and running into your room, locking the door. You thrust the sword under the bed and secure any place where Dracula might enter. You pull the thick velvet drapes shut, sit in your bed, and pull the canopy drapes shut. You sit in darkness, shuddering. There is no noise except for your breathing.
Then, slowly, you hear it. It is the sound of soft footsteps coming up the stairs. He tries the handle, but it does not open. "Oh Mira," he says gently, "Will you be so kind as to let your conqueror in?" You can hear a smile on his voice. You do not answer. He sighs. "You make things so difficult." The door clicks almost immediately and opens, closing after he is within. He locks it again, and approaches the bed. "I think your hero will enjoy a visit from you tomorrow night…after you have become my bride," he says, circling the bed. Your heart is pounding out of control. "Don't be afraid, my love," he says. You follow his voice and anticipate his movements. "I think you will find the transformation quite enjoyable," he whispers, flinging aside the canopy curtain. But you have slipped out the other side and into the closet. You keep your hand on the handle, feeling him try to turn it on the other side.
"The more difficulty, the more pain," his voice warns. Your eyes tear up, and adjust to the darkness. On the other side of the closet is a door. Your mind races. "I would not try that door if I were you," he says, reading your thoughts, "It leads nowhere." He exerts amazing power and flings open the door. You hide in the racks of garments, listening to his footsteps that move lightly across the floor. He wanders the closet quietly, sniffing the air and listening. You are utterly silent. His steps finally cease and you rise slowly, searching the room. It is dark, but he does not appear to be present any longer.
You back away towards what you thought was a wall, but suddenly his arms grab you. You screech as you jerks your head back, holding you in place. "Eternity awaits you," he growls. You struggle desperately, but his grip is like stone. His fangs dip down, brushing your neck, drawing blood to the surface of your skin.
"Oh…" you moan, partially in pleasure, partially in fainting, and partially in pure hatred. He pulls you away and takes you into the bedroom, your body limp in his arms.
"I can feel…your pulse…" he whispers, slipping his firm hands through the lacing, loosening it effortlessly. He kisses you passionately, gripping you close and running his hands along your neck. "Not so bad, is it, my princess?" He asks seductively, laying you on the bed underneath him. You murmur something inaudible and he moves in on you. "What was that, my love?" He asks, a smirk on his face. You have been slipping in and out of his hypnosis, and now you come flat out and glare at him.
"I said, get your hands off me, you twisted bastard!" You yell, forcing him off, rolling to the floor, grabbing the sword, and landing on your feet. He moves to get up with a snarl, but you slam him squarely in the jaw with a powerful kick, and fly to the door. You unlock it and slam it behind you, flying down the stairwell.
Frightening noises are arising from behind you as you whisk yourself down the stairs in desperation and make a bee-line for the crowded ball room. You hear the sweeping sound of wings behind you and pick up your pace, flinging yourself through the ball room corridor and sliding across the floor on your stomach, getting lost somewhere in the crowd with seeming ease. You know the vast amounts of color will likely confuse his eyes while in bat-form, so you take advantage and slip along the sides of the ball room, headed to the coatroom. You see some people you know and hold a finger to your lips.
"How long until dawn?" You ask, crouched low as Dracula swoops into the ballroom and lands gracefully on the upper level, searching the crowd. Most of the dancers retract in fear, as a slight chaos breaks out on the floor.
"Minutes only, miss!" The lady replies.
"Good. We will soon be delivered, I promise," you say, slipping off to the coatroom, un-noticed by Dracula. You hide yourself expertly in the coats, so you can be seen by no one. Then, the morning bells chime. You sigh as Dracula lets out an awful cry from the ballroom, and then he takes flight once more and vanishes from the room. You sigh, sinking tiredly down to the floor. You are completely exhausted, but now it is day. You are going to need the entirety of this day in order to discover how to defeat Dracula, because you know death awaits you tonight. And it will be the first full moon of the month tonight.