Hello again! Surprised to see an update? This chapter isn't very long this time, it's a nice little ending I thought would be good to the Verona/Vladislaus section. She'll still be around but I'm moving now to the Marishka/Vladislaus story. I hope you enjoy this chapter as much as you have the others (thanks to all the reviewers so far!!) And yes, I still do not own these characters!

Dracula's Brides

Chapter 4: Mother Verona

In the depths of his castle Vladislaus heard the horrified cries, for the fourth time, of Verona as she saw what she had produced. In over a decade the had only been able to conceive four times successfully, and each time lifeless sacs were left hanging on the abandoned walls of his castle. He was almost envious of Verona because she felt the sorrow of seeing her unborn children- they were his too, he did not know why he was robbed of feeling what he yearned for! And now he was robbed of what he dreamed for as well. Verona would now put herself somewhere secluded and hide away for months on end, he had tried to convince her it was just a mistak because he was disgusted at the length of time she would not allow him to even touch her. There were many times when he forced her to let him near her, and this was one of those times. He grew restless now without her because he was used to her being around him day and night. Verona was the only person he could depend upon to do what he wanted, she didn't whine as much as she used to. With age she grew accustomed to what he expected of her. She was just as confident as he was in their bat forms now, she even had greater skill at hunting than he, but he always made it clear to her- he was the master.

Verona was lying in her separate coffin especially made for these hard times, when she heard him come in and shut the door. Anger flooded her mind and she made herself ready to attack him if he tried to force himself in there with her like he had before. But there was no noise, and after a time she became curious as to where he was. She lifted the top of the coffin to peer around the corner when suddenly the top was lifted off completely and he was standing right beside her.

"It's time," he said, "that I should find myself another." He paused and looked to her face for a reaction, when finding none he shot quickly, "Verona, my dear," he spat viciously, "I'm tired of always waiting for you. Have I not made myself perfectly clear when I said that I was the master of this castle. I make the rules as you know, I do everything for you, I gave you life!" He grew angrier and frustrated until he heard her wail.

"I try master, I try! My heart is filled with sorrow, it is too much to bear. My unborn children are lying in the room next to us and I can do nothing about it!I am powerless to save them! I went to them the other night and tried to save one of them, I took one out- and look!" Verona lifted a lifeless bat creature and she broke out into tears again as he took it in his arms with wide eyes, "My body cannot bear them anymore for a while Vladislaus." The plain rejection set into his mind instantly, even still after giving her everything there was in the world, she would reject him out of her coffin for the night because she could feel what he could not. Pulling aside some strands of loose hair he placed the bat back into Verona's arms. It was something he was not prepared to see, and he would never forgive her for showing him what one of his children looked like dead.

"As I was saying as before, it is time for me to get a new bride!" He was cut off again with her wailing at the shock of this rejection. "I grow tired of it Verona! If you had been more pleasant with me, perhaps I would have forgiven you after so much we have been through together. But this is beside the point, I have found myself another bride, and she will be mine."

"Vladislaus," she begged, "please, forgive me, I need you. After this new bride joins us, will I be forgotten?" Her eyes grew wide as she looked hopelessly into his, and he replied softly,

"No, Verona my dear, I could never forget my first bride. To her you will be a mother. You shall teach her what I taught you and both of you will be mine and we shall try again and again, until we find a way to bring my children to life." This new prospect into being a mother of his new bride excited and pleased her greatly.

"A mother! She will look to me for answers, and I will love her like a daughter, my own daughter." Vladislaus laughed as she thought this over in her head, it would be like her own flesh and blood, they would all be connected by blood.

"You, Verona, will be my queen. To my other bride, she will look to you, and then to me!" Verona laughed with delight at being a queen. She and her master would live together like nothing had changed. Vladislaus wrapped his arms around her and laughed along with her.

The next night after spending the day in his coffin with Verona, his queen, he took flight once more to find his new bride. Verona was left on the balcony hidden by her offspring hanging in sacs against the wall.

She was looking forward to meeting her daughter.