Anna shook her head. "I love Gabriel."
"He killed you!" shouted Dracula, shaking her shoulders.
"It was your fault!" she shouted back through her tears.
He let go of her, moved inside, and turned to face her from there. "Nobody, nobody, will ever love you as I do," he said simply.
"You lie!" she sobbed. "You're a pathetic liar!"
"I only want to make you happy," he sighed.
She gestured pathetically to her tear-streaked face. "Great job, Count," she said, her voice laced with sarcasm.
Dracula looked sad. "Gabriel doesn't love you, Anna," he said.
Anna flew at him then, beating her fists on his chest, screaming, wanting to cause him as much pain as possible. It wouldn't happen. He was too strong, and she was too weak. He held her at arm's length, and she fell still, her curly hair hiding her face like a shiny dark veil. She half expected him to get mad at her for attacking him, but he seemed even more upset because of it.
"Anna, please," he whispered. "I don't want to hurt you."
She raised her eyes slowly to his. "I want to hurt you. I want to hurt you so bad. I want to make you bleed!"
"So strong in spirit," he murmured.
They stared at each other, his eyes wide and unbelievably loving, her eyes twinkling with unshed tears.
"This is some trick," she said, shaking her head. "Something to hurt Gabriel with."
"No," he muttered fondly. "No, I love you, Anna Valerious."
She shook his hands off her wrists. She stormed over to the bed and collapsed on it, curling into a small ball. Dracula didn't try to follow her. He merely looked at her sadly from his place by the window.
"I am sorry," he said. "But believe me, there is no other way."
Anna whimpered in reply. He sighed. "There will be dinner in the dining hall in ten minutes," he told her huddled form. "There are clothes on the chair. I hope to see you there."
With that he walked out. Anna lay still for a while, confused. What had Dracula told her? It was unbelievable. She decided to go down to dinner and see if she could negotiate her way out of here. She walked across to the chair and picked up the clothes he had selected.
She felt disgusted as she picked up a tight, clingy, low-cut bustier of black silk, a long rustling skirt of red calico, with a wide slit up one side, sheer black stockings and pointy, heeled black ankle boots. Also here was a long red silk scarf, no doubt meant to hold her hair back. She decided to tie this around her throat, to protect it from Dracula's mouth, and also to attempt to save some of her decency.
She changed quickly, scared in case she was being watched. Then she made her way downstairs.
"He killed you!" shouted Dracula, shaking her shoulders.
"It was your fault!" she shouted back through her tears.
He let go of her, moved inside, and turned to face her from there. "Nobody, nobody, will ever love you as I do," he said simply.
"You lie!" she sobbed. "You're a pathetic liar!"
"I only want to make you happy," he sighed.
She gestured pathetically to her tear-streaked face. "Great job, Count," she said, her voice laced with sarcasm.
Dracula looked sad. "Gabriel doesn't love you, Anna," he said.
Anna flew at him then, beating her fists on his chest, screaming, wanting to cause him as much pain as possible. It wouldn't happen. He was too strong, and she was too weak. He held her at arm's length, and she fell still, her curly hair hiding her face like a shiny dark veil. She half expected him to get mad at her for attacking him, but he seemed even more upset because of it.
"Anna, please," he whispered. "I don't want to hurt you."
She raised her eyes slowly to his. "I want to hurt you. I want to hurt you so bad. I want to make you bleed!"
"So strong in spirit," he murmured.
They stared at each other, his eyes wide and unbelievably loving, her eyes twinkling with unshed tears.
"This is some trick," she said, shaking her head. "Something to hurt Gabriel with."
"No," he muttered fondly. "No, I love you, Anna Valerious."
She shook his hands off her wrists. She stormed over to the bed and collapsed on it, curling into a small ball. Dracula didn't try to follow her. He merely looked at her sadly from his place by the window.
"I am sorry," he said. "But believe me, there is no other way."
Anna whimpered in reply. He sighed. "There will be dinner in the dining hall in ten minutes," he told her huddled form. "There are clothes on the chair. I hope to see you there."
With that he walked out. Anna lay still for a while, confused. What had Dracula told her? It was unbelievable. She decided to go down to dinner and see if she could negotiate her way out of here. She walked across to the chair and picked up the clothes he had selected.
She felt disgusted as she picked up a tight, clingy, low-cut bustier of black silk, a long rustling skirt of red calico, with a wide slit up one side, sheer black stockings and pointy, heeled black ankle boots. Also here was a long red silk scarf, no doubt meant to hold her hair back. She decided to tie this around her throat, to protect it from Dracula's mouth, and also to attempt to save some of her decency.
She changed quickly, scared in case she was being watched. Then she made her way downstairs.