A/N: For Madeline; blood may be thicker than water, but who gives a damn?

2: Dark Father (circa 1843)

Ordoghaz was a large mansion outside of Budapest, hidden away from the troublesome eyes of mortals. It had taken several days for Viktor to bring Selene to Hungary, as the girl had still been quite weak from her transformation. Once or twice, while Viktor remained awake and stared at his young charge, he wondered if he had made a mistake. But then he would think of Sonja.

Viktor would then swear to make Selene the best damned vampire that ever lived, even if it took him all eternity. She would be everything Sonja had been and so much more. However, it seemed there would be setbacks, since Selene was not a pure born vampire.

It had taken Selene two days before she realized she could no longer let any beam of sunlight touch her. Just after he had turned her, Viktor had taken her to a large, expensive inn outside of London. They had stayed the night there because Selene had been exhausted and sunrise was approaching. Viktor was quite protective of his new 'daughter,' and she seemed willing to be protected.

Selene had slept through the rest of the night and woke up just as Viktor was closing the heavy velvet drapes, keeping out the light. Selene had watched him with curiosity as he tied the curtains shut, making sure they were secure. He looked very tired and worn out, but when Viktor turned to her he had managed a fatherly smile. Selene had smiled back at him, silently thanking him for everything he'd done. Then, she had accidentally bitten her lip because she still wasn't used to her fangs. Drawing blood, she winced, and Viktor clucked his tongue at her impatiently.

Immediately she had bowed her head in submission, mumbling an apology under her breath. Viktor sat on the edge of the bed and beckoned her toward him. Selene had obeyed without question, and he wiped the blood from her lips. "I have come to understand that becoming a vampire can be troublesome at first," he had explained kindly, "but soon you will get used to your new body."

She had nodded then, and her chestnut eyes flickered to the drapes. "My Lord," she said, "why are the curtains closed? It's a beautiful day outside."

"It is a wicked day, just like every day when the sun is out and bright!" Viktor had retorted fiercely, making Selene flinch. He frowned and touched her face. "The sunlight is deadly to you now, my child. You will grow accustomed to your new sleep cycle soon enough."

With that, he had shooed her from the bed, and Selene moved from him as he slid beneath the blankets. He looked at her with his soft eyes, which could instantly become murderous, and he reached for her hand. She gave it to him and he kissed her. "Good day, sweet Selene."

"Good night, Viktor," Selene had replied with a small smile. Her new immortal life was quite perplexing to her, but she hadn't questioned it. She had embraced it, glad that Viktor had saved her from the monsters that slaughtered her family.

But as the hours of that day had crawled on, Selene had started to become bored. She paced back and forth restlessly, trying to remember everything Viktor had explained to her so far, and that was when she had noticed the tiny ray of sunlight that had permeated the heavy drapes. Curious, she had knelt down just inches from the sunbeam and stared at it, unsure of how it could be so dangerous to her new form. If I'm no longer a slave to old age, she had thought, how can I be afraid of the sun? Slowly, determinedly, she moved her hand to where the sunbeam touched the marble floor.

Her fingertips had been centimeters from the ray of light. Curiosity killed the cat, Selene, she had thought, but not sunlight, and forgot all about Viktor's warning. The light fell upon her hand.

Selene waited. Nothing was happening. Was this some cruel joke her sire had played, some sort of initiation right? Just as Selene began to feel irritated, her sensitive nose had found the scent of burning flesh. My flesh! Selene had thought, looking at her hand. Smoke was rising from it, and suddenly the searing pain had hit her full force. She was on fire. She had shrieked and ripped her hand back, clutching it tightly to her chest. Viktor had heard her scream and awoke, looking around wildly. His eyes, brilliant blue again, had landed on Selene as she was trying to back into a corner of the room, whimpering. Then he had noticed the tiny beam of sunlight. With an impatient sigh, Viktor had climbed out of the bed and walked over to Selene to check her hand.

As he had inspected the damage, Selene hadn't looked at him, like a disobedient child feeling guilty. Finally, Viktor had tenderly patted Selene's hand and had said, in a scolding tone, "See? This is why we don't play in the sunlight." Selene, still feeling her flesh blistering, had nodded fervently.

Now, three days later, they rode in a carriage that pulled up to the iron gates of Ordoghaz. Several times, Viktor caught Selene gawping in awe. She was finally starting to regain some of her strength, and she was full of boundless amounts of energy. Viktor had quickly learned that Selene had just turned twenty-two in mortal years, and he had determined that she was the epitome of a maiden. Virtuous, kind, and beautiful, the young vampiress was eager to learn everything Viktor had to teach her, even if she was a bit stubborn and wild at times. "This is Ordoghaz," Viktor said. "It will be your new home."

"It is amazing…" Selene murmured under her breath. She suddenly looked at Viktor with cold, penetrating eyes. "I will learn to destroy the lycans here, won't I?" Viktor nodded solemnly, and he noticed Selene's eyes glittering with a mix of tears and hatred. "Viktor…my Lord…" she said, and turned to him. He looked at her delicate, flawless face and nodded, showing he was listening. "Thank you." She said quietly.

Viktor smiled. "No, Selene, thank you." And then he smiled at her. "I know that you'll make me proud."

"Yes, my Lord," Selene replied, bowing her head.

The carriage stopped as two servants were pulling the gate open. Then the carriage rattled forward as the gate was closed behind it. Selene craned her neck to get a good look at the young male vampires (for she knew they were vampires, she could tell by their scent) but Viktor twisted her face forward. "Do not stare, it is uncouth." Selene snapped to attention, hearing the fierce tone in his voice. "Hold your chin up. There. Like a lady." Viktor was instructing her, making sure that she would represent his taste perfectly. She did everything as he said, wanting to prove herself as quickly as possible. "Keep your back straight. You do not need to pay any mind to the servants. In our coven, vampires younger than a century are rarely treated with respect. You will be one of those exceptions, my child. And stop fiddling with your hair."

The carriage came to a stop a second time in front of the large oak doors that led into Ordoghaz. Selene gazed up at it in wonder. She was about to be led into Viktor's house, into his coven. She was about to be led into a new family. Would they accept her as readily as Viktor had? Nervously, Selene glanced down at the long, black gown Viktor had given to her. A large ruby was set above the bosom of the dress, and Selene fingered it apprehensively. She had never liked beautiful gowns such as this, but Viktor had insisted, so she wore it and tried not to be proud; she'd never felt so beautiful in her life.

Beside her, Viktor exited the carriage. He glanced slightly up at the crescent moon hanging overhead and walked around the carriage to Selene's door. He pulled it open and smiled reassuringly at her. She stepped out, taking the hand he offered, and practically gawped at Ordoghaz. Viktor put his fingers beneath her chin and popped her mouth shut. "Remember, Selene, tonight you are a princess in a grand palace. I'll introduce you to some of the older residents, then show you to your room. Tomorrow, you can start to train."

Selene stiffened as Viktor signaled to the carriage driver. Training. She would learn to kill lycans tomorrow. It felt so far away from now. Viktor crooked his arm and Selene wrapped her hand around his elbow, feeling nervous again. So many emotions fluttered inside of her. Desperation, fear, anxiety, sadness, and that overwhelming curiosity she would never be able to rid herself of. Viktor patted her hand and led her up the steps of Ordoghaz. Selene took in an awed breath and tried to put on a stoic face. Viktor pushed the doors open. The only thing that stopped Selene from dropping her jaw in shock was Viktor's scolding glance in her direction.

The main hall was gorgeous. Beautiful furniture was placed throughout, lined against the walls or set in little circles in the middle of the room. At least two dozen vampires, male and female alike, sat laughing and talking to one another, drinking from crystal goblets. A large clock was near the winding stairs. There were several doors leading in every direction. Tapestries, paintings, and marble busts decorated the room. It smelled of roses, but the faint, coppery scent of blood also lingered there.

When Viktor and Selene entered, all eyes fell upon them. The vampires all stood respectively and bowed to their coven leader. Viktor nodded at them in return and gestured to Selene. "I present to you all," he said in his strong, booming voice, "the newest member of our coven. This," he pushed his young companion forward slightly, "is Selene."

The vampires did not bow to her, but they did incline their heads in respect. Selene, not used to this kind of attention, nodded back, feeling anxious again. Viktor took Selene's arm once more and led her toward a tall, handsome vampire with dark, wavy hair and piercing eyes. The vampire bowed low. "Welcome home, my Lord," he said.

"It's good to be back, Kraven," Viktor replied. "Selene, this is Kraven, the man who killed the legendary lycan called Lucian. Kraven was the only one to survive the horrors of that night. But I will let Kraven tell you about it one day. He loves his war stories." Kraven eyed Selene with an odd look, then smiled and bent forward to kiss her free hand. As his lips touched her flesh, Selene shuddered.

"What a beautiful addition to our home, my Lord," Kraven said. "Welcome to Ordoghaz, Selene."

"Thank you," Selene said quietly, pulling her hand away from him as quickly as she could. Kraven had a strong grip. His eyes never moved from Selene's face, and it made her uncomfortable. Sensing this, Viktor nodded to Kraven and led Selene away from him. She was glad for it.

As Viktor led her to another vampire, Selene looked around in awe, trying to hide her naiveté. She realized that most of the vampires were now whispering to one another and glancing in her direction. They're talking about me, she thought. Selene wasn't looking forward to the rest of the night.

They walked up to a dark-skinned vampire male wearing all black and inspecting a long, silver-tipped arrow. When the vampire noticed Viktor, he straightened like a soldier and bowed low. Viktor said to Selene, "This is Kahn, our weapons master. He will teach you everything you need to know about being a Death Dealer."

"A death dealer?" Selene asked.

"We kill the lycans," Kahn said with a thick Cockney accent. He then glanced at Selene up and down, differently than Kraven had done, and looked at Viktor. "You want her to be a Death Dealer, my Lord?" he asked.

"She will begin training with you tomorrow." Viktor said simply, and led Selene away. Out of the corner of her eye, Selene saw Kahn shaking his head in disbelief. Selene frowned. She was definitely not looking forward to the rest of the night.

Viktor seemed to have noticed Selene's growing anxiety and thankfully let her turn in early. He led her through the mansion, making sure that she would remember the directions that he gave her, and finally bringing her to a long hall. "This is your room," he said, opening a door on the left. She stepped through, eager to get some sleep, to get away from everything she had been forced to learn so quickly. "Selene, if you need anything at all, tell me." Viktor said. Selene looked at him, about to thank him, but stopped short. He looked so sad just then. She had only known Viktor a few days, but he seemed to be a strong, no-nonsense ruler. What on earth did he have to be sad about? "I have been treating you with special care, these past days," he said calmly, "so that your adjustment to being an immortal would be easier. But from now on it will not be so."

Selene understood. "Yes, my Lord," she said.

"I won't dote on you as I have been." Viktor said sternly. "At least, not in front of the coven."

Surprised, Selene blinked. Viktor leaned forward and planted one last kiss on the vampiress' forehead. "Get some sleep, my child." With that, he turned and walked away. Selene watched him for several seconds before closing her bedroom door. Thinking of Kraven, she locked it as well.

Then she turned to get a good look at her new home. Several shelves full of books lined the walls, a desk sat in one corner covered with parchment and ink, a dresser sat beside what looked like a spacious closet, and a large bed with downy sheets and comforters was in the other corner. A vase of roses was placed on top of a bedside table, and several candles were placed about the room. There was a window with heavy velvet drapes pulled shut. Selene wasn't tempted to open them for any reason.

She walked over to the bed, her legs shaking beneath her. Finally, the despair she'd been hiding the past few days overwhelmed her, and she fell onto the bed and sobbed uncontrollably into the pillow. Everything reminded her of her family. The desk, the books, the bed, everything. She couldn't get them out of her head.

Visions flashed through her mind, of Dawn getting married, of the day the twins were born, of every birthday since then. The girls' sixth birthday had passed only two months before. Selene would have screamed if she wasn't afraid of attracting unwanted attention. Instead she just bawled, letting out all of the hurt and despair inside of her so she wouldn't have to worry about it later on.

But other visions flashed across her mind as well, and she pictured her family, slaughtered, and the werewolves who had caused it all. It was all their fault, she realized, and she would be true to her vow and avenge her family's death.

Selene the naïve girl died that night. Selene the warrior was born.