Chapter 13
I had been squirming and talking in my sleep. Calling his name. Anna had heard me and come inside, worried for my safety. She shook me awake firmly, saying my name.
"Christine!" she whispered loudly. Her soft voice is what awoke me. My eyes shot open and I flew up into a sitting position on the bed. I found Anna sitting on the end of my bed. A thin sheet of sweat covered my brow, and my heart beat loudly in my chest. I slowed my quick breaths as I fully awoke. In confusion, I ran my hand through my tousled hair and quickly looked down to my waist, strangely enough longing for his touch once again. I shook the sick feeling away, finally looking at Anna.
She was as beautiful at night as she was during the day. Her hair she allowed to cascade down her back, her full lips gleaming in the night. How Dracula would ever have the heart to kill her, I didn't know. She smiled at me, and I looked away guiltily, noticing the expensive sleeping gown she wore.
"Are you alright?" she murmured quietly. "I heard your talking as I passed." She said, her accent thick and heavy. I looked to her and smiled.
"I am ok." I said. "It was only a dream, nothing more." I replied. Anna nodded, reaching out to pull back my hair from my face.
"Get some rest." She said silently. She reached for a handkerchief and dried my forehead. "You look like you are unwell, go to sleep and I will wake you in the morning." She said. Slowly, Anna rose from the end of my bed, smiling and turning away towards the door. She lingered at the threshold for a moment, debating whether she should go, but eventually went, leaving me alone once again in silence.
I heard her soft footsteps down the hall, growing softer as she left me. Soon, all I heard was silence, and the soft click of her bedroom door as she closed it. I was alone again, hoping against hope that my cousin would arrive to help me.
I looked around the room, and soon found the spot where the Count and I had embraced. I shuddered, remembering his lingering touch on my breasts. My body still tingled, merely thinking of what had happened. I rose from my bed and for a few moments paced my room, back and forth. Had he truly visited me, as he had promised, or had it only been my overactive imagination?
Velkan…his name still lingered vividly in my memory. Did he truly want me? My spirits lifted at the mere thought. Did he long for me as I did him? How I hoped that some smidgen of it could be true! I would find the answer the next morning. So awake was I that I could not sleep for hours afterward, his face erasing the thoughts of Dracula. How angry the Count would be if he knew that…I said to myself.
I do not even remember falling asleep, though I vaguely remember the clock chiming six in the morning.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I moaned groggily and stretched, scarcely opening my eyes. The sun barely shone through the thick green velvet curtains, a thin line of it casting onto the ground and across my bed. My eyes slowly opened wider, my memory of what had happened the night before almost attainable.
"I see you've awoken." I heard suddenly. My eyes shot up to see Velkan at my door. He did not smile. My breathing quickened at seeing him again so soon. How he drove me to the tips of madness and longing, I do not know. I slowly slipped from my bed and walked directly towards the small closet I had, pulling from there a robe. I wrapped it tightly around myself, and turned to face him, trying my hardest to appear indifferent to his presence.
"Good morning, Velkan." I said coldly. "I did not expect to see you there. Is Anna up and about?" I asked. He shook his head no.
"No. She hasn't awoken yet." He answered. A questioning look in his eyes, he motioned as to whether he could enter. I nodded yes, and he closed the door quietly behind himself. If only he knew how handsome he looked…his hair so messy from the night before. My eyes drifted downward. His shirt collar had been loosened and opened, revealing his neck and just a bit of his chest. He still wore his pants, unfastened just a bit at the waist. I felt my cheeks begin to burn with embarrassment.
"Is there something wrong?" I asked, turning away from him and taking a seat at my vanity table. I reached for a brush and slowly began to comb my hair, smoothing the tangles. He watched me for a moment before responding. He ran his hand through his hair, trying his best to muster the words he would use. I smiled inwardly at his awkward attitude.
"I would like to apologize to you, Christine." He said quietly. As he said this, I suddenly noticed his accent as well. It was not as thick as Anna's but beautiful none-the-less. "It was terribly rude of me to act the way I did last night to you. I do not know what came over me, I honestly do not know." He voiced. My eyes drifted to him and I smiled.
"There is no need to apologize." I said quietly. "We all were not in our right frame of minds, if I can remember correctly. It is not your fault." I continued. He shook his head in denial.
"Please." He said. "At least say you accept my apology." I looked down and smiled. I did not reply for a moment.
"Your apology is accepted." I said simply, suddenly. "But, I believe I must ask your forgiveness as well, for responding so coldly. I did not mean to hurt you." I continued. I stopped brushing my hair and rose from my seat and approached him. He looked at me somewhat confused before accepting my apology with a silent nod of assent.
"We will start again at the beginning." He said simply. He held his hand out for me to take. Smiling, I reached out.
"My name is Velkan Valerious, Prince of the Gypsies." He said. I reddened in embarrassment as I heard his introduction. "Now you introduce yourself." He ordered. I shook my head.
"This is childish…" I said seriously, my eyes glowing. He smirked before replying.
"I suppose it could be considered childish, but it must be done. Pretend as if we have never met before." He said. "If you must, close your eyes and talk to me as if I were a pure stranger. Speak to me as if you have never met me before." His voice sounded suddenly so commanding. I laughed quietly.
"As you wish, my prince." I said sarcasticaly. Taking a deep breath, I continued. "My name is Christine Naiara Aveire, and it is a pleasure to meet you, sir." I said, closing my eyes. He said nothing for a second, but I felt him release my hand. I refused to open them again, perhaps because I was slightly afraid to see him standing opposite me, afraid to see his expression. I heard him laugh playfully. He reached up and touched my burning cheeks.
"Why are you blushing?" he asked. I opened my eyes to find him looking innocently back at me. I looked away from him.
"This embarrasses me, acting as if we are children." I lied. His smile slowly faded and looked away.
"Sometimes I wish I were a child again." He said quietly to himself. "Then I would not have to pretend as if every day of my life were normal…" he continued, his voice trailing off. My smiled slowly faded. He looked up at me, and brought a smug smile to my face.
"Well, now that we have gotten the apologies out of the way, I hope we can be friends." He said. My heart felt as if it had been ripped from my chest. But, forcing a smile to my lips I nodded in agreement.
"Yes!" I said, trying my hardest to sound enthusiastic. "I hope we can be friends." He smiled, satisfied.
"Well then, would you like to join me downstairs?" he asked. He looked down and noticed I still wore my nightgown. He laughed in embarrassment. "After you are dressed, of course." He threw in, as I looked at him. I nodded my head yes.
"It would be a pleasure." I said simply. He smiled and turned away, heading towards the door. He opened it, and turned back to me and said a silent goodbye before leaving and shutting the door behind him.
He had lifted my spirits, and made me forget Dracula, if only for a moment. I was grateful to him for that, even though I also hated him for saying we were only friends. I turned away from the door and walked to the vanity table and looked at myself in the mirror, wondering why in the world I could not have the only thing I wanted: him.
A/N:
Hmmmm….so what did you think? I sorta like how this chapter came out, not too rushed! I think it's a great follow up to what I wrote in the previous chapter! I was just curious about the story itself, I haven't really read every chapter in succession, so I was wondering whether everything seemed a bit rushed… I would love it if you answered honestly!!!! I'm trying my hardest to not do that, but sometimes I feel as if I am! Well, please review and let me know what you guys think!
Countess Alana: No Dracula in this chapter, regretfully, even though he got many mentions! But I'm hoping he'll be showing up in person soon. Perhaps he might even pay a visit to Anna…I don't know. Let me know what you think!