Disclaimer- None of this belongs to me.

A note lay on the bed stand scribbled hastily. Peter, who was bothered by the silence coming from Alexia's room, came to check on her. She wasn't there, but the lamp she had lit earlier that morning was still burning, even though the flame had began to fade. He found the note shortly after dropping in.

My dearest Peter,

Miss Helga Brakshtein has been so kind to invite me over for the night, I will not be back until later tomorrow. Thank you for the lovely breakfast today, and I hope to see you some time later.

Sincerely Yours,

Alexia Van Helsing

I had left the note after Dracula and I had taken flight. I knew that Peter would stop by again, so I wrote him a quick letter. We reached a group of soaring mountains and nestled between them was an icy fortress. He landed gracefully on his feet when we reached the front gate, but I didn't. I missed my landing completely and crashed onto the hard pavement. I shook my head, and to my surprise, Dracula offered me his hand. I stared at it with a confused look for a moment, but then took it reluctantly as he helped me up. He then took the liberty of brushing off my dress. I looked up cynically and frowned. I had no intention of thanking him.

The gates flew open before him and bunches of servants bustled around murmuring, "The master is home! The master is home!"

The palace was bare, except for the many pits of fire going up the long, dark corridor. Spider webs hung from the baroque pillars and elegant mirrors. I stared into one, very beautiful gold Victorian mirror, but all I saw was the castle, no reflection. I turned around and saw Dracula standing next to me, he had no reflection either. I gasped, and realized that I was becoming a full fledged vampire. At first I didn't want to believe it, I thought that I was in a ludicrous dream and would wake up in a cold sweat like I always did. I touched my face to see if it was real, but all I felt was the cold paleness that I could no longer see with a mirror.

"Where is my room?" I muttered sadly.

Dracula led my up a flight of stairs to a long corridor with elegant paintings and statues. Many of the paintings depicted epic battles, knights swooning their fair ladies, and dragons spitting out fire. One picture caught my eye as I walked past it. It portrayed a man, with dark hair and a small smile. His eyes were dark and sparkled with ambition.

"Is this you?" I enquired pointing to it, "It's very good, you seem happy in it."

Dracula turned around, "It was me, a long time ago."

"Were you a knight?" I asked observing his arrogant countenance.

"I suppose you could say that."

He opened the door for me and guided me in. I suspected a lavish room, adorned with pictures and statues, a large four posted bed in the middle of the room, and a finely carved bureau to hold all my things. The pictures were there, and the bureau, but not the bed. Instead, there was a large stone coffin with a silk interior.

"You expect me to sleep in that?!" I said angrily, "That, that thing is to carry dead people!"

"My love," he said with a smile, "It is either this or the floor. Choose the one you would be most comfortable in."

I scowled and stamped my foot to protest. He laughed silently a stomped over and poked the sarcophagus. I expected the smell of embalming fluid, but it must have been his.

"Well," I mumbled, "It looks like a tight squeeze, but I'll give it a chance."

"Wonderful," he laughed, and then clearing his throat, "Now, I have business to attend to. I hear that you enjoy reading, I have a library down the hall." I then took my hand and kissed it lightly, "Farewell my love." He walked out of the room and quietly shut the door behind him.

Surprisingly, it made me blush. Some thing about his devilish charm and his eloquence, and not to mention his good looks, made me think highly of him. Part of my mind was sighing and wanting to please him, but the other part was screaming are you out of your mind!!!

Yes, I am out of my mind! He's controlling me with his charisma; he's hypnotizing me with his eloquence! I can't let him get to me! I must fight it!

All these things were screaming at me and I couldn't do anything about it. I decided to go down to the library and read to calm my nerves. I followed the long corridor to a door that was closed. I peeked in, but it was bare so I moved on to the next one. The next room was full of broken lab equipment and globs of green goop. It smelled awful, so I shut it immediately. The next door I tried was across the hall, and it was the library.

Bookcases stood all around me, with books piled up on the shelves. Every book I had ever wanted to read was there, from Homer's The Iliad to the classic Pride and Prejudice. I wasn't sure which to choose first, so I found Romeo and Julieton the second shelf and tried to remember my place. I have a problem with reading one book, then finding another and start reading that one and completely forget about the one I was reading first. I was almost finished with Romeo and Juliet and Romeo had just now drunken a goblet of poison thinking that his beloved was dead. Juliet awakened only to find her love sprawled out on the floor dead. She then plunges a dagger into her and dies. I, being a very emotional person and usually weep over these types of things, was surprised when not one single tear was shed.

I closed the book and sat silently for a moment. This sort of heart wrenching story would make me cry. I felt no sorrow.

Dracula returned about an hour later and surprised me by showing up abruptly in the library. I was pondering over the many books he had, even reading two or more at once. I looked up and gasped, but then laughed. I had no reason to be afraid; he had already done his work on me.

"What are you reading?" asked, suddenly appearing behind me and glancing over my shoulder.

"The Iliad," I replied, "I've wanted to read it for quite some time now." He smiled, "Where did you go?"

"That is none of your business," he said smugly, "It is interesting that you are the only bride of mine that enjoys reading. The rest preferred gossip and other petty things."

"It's all just a bunch of rubbish," I said while closing my book, "I was taught to never slander another person. Do unto others..."

Dracula laughed, "What do you think of La Traviata?"

"Oh, I have never been to the opera before. But I have heard it, the music is so beautiful." I blushed, I felt so rustic compared to him. I had heard Carmen while walking past the opera house. My heart skipped a beat when I thought of myself dressed in an elegant gown sitting on the balcony. I was beginning to think differently, about all my girlish fantasies. I looked up at Dracula and smiled.

"Well," he said taking my hand and helping me up, "Tonight we shall go then."

Author's Note- Thank you for all the reviews! Love you all!