During the next few days my mind was far away as I attended the funeral ceremony and was comforted by family. I could see pity written on the faces of everyone who looked at me, and I wondered to myself exactly how much they all knew about my husband's death.
I went through everything as if in a haze; some sort of horrible nightmare that I kept praying I'd wake from. I greeted the family of the count, most of whom I did not know, until I felt that I could take no more.
Two days after Vladislaus had been killed, he was buried in the Valerious cemetery where his ancestors lay.
The reality of it all was just beginning to sink in, and as I watched him being lowered into the ground I began to cry again. I had tried to be strong up until then, but I could no longer hold it back.
My nights were even worse than my days, and for hours I would sit in the library and try to read. Finally I would fall asleep staring at the fire, to be awoken by my father hours later and taken to my chamber. For several nights this went on, and my father and Lord Valerious did their best to comfort me.
To my surprise neither one was angry with me, and they only seemed to regret what had happened as I did.
Early on the morning after Vladislaus had been buried, I sat alone in the dining hall. I had been unable to sleep, and decided to wait for my father and Lord Valerious to arrive for the morning meal.
There was no movement inside the castle that I could tell, and outside still raged a violent thunderstorm. It had started early the night before and had not stopped since. Thunder was the only sound that was to be heard in the dining hall, and I sat listening to it for some time.
Finally I stood up and walked around the enormous room, remembering happier times there. I had never gotten a chance to study the many paintings and tapestries that hung on the stone walls, and I noticed one that made me catch my breath.
Hanging next to a portrait of Lord Valerious was a large painting of the count, done not long ago from what I could tell. He looked exactly as he had in life, and stared down at me with a stern face. But then perhaps it was not stern at all…
I continued to stare at the portrait, tears streaming down my face, until a flash of lightning through the tall windows illuminated the hall. It was followed by crashing thunder and pouring rain.
And then from behind me was a familiar voice.
"Still thinking about your dear, dead husband? I would have expected you to leave with Van Helsing, the two of you were so close."
I turned around slowly to face the man that spoke, and nearly fainted. There before me stood the count, looking back at me intently with cold eyes. I found that I could not speak, or even scream.
He looked much like he always had, only pale and with bits of soil clinging to his clothes. He stepped towards me with a cool smile.
"Speechless, my love? I had thought that you would be happy to see me alive again."
"How?" I finally managed to whisper.
The count laughed, and the lightening flashed again. "I was given new life, another life. A life that will go on forever."
I did not understand his meaning, and I began to grow very frightened. Backing away from him slowly, I shook my head.
"What in God's name are you?"
He gave me a smirk. "God has nothing to do with what I am, my lovely Katrina. And I have nothing to do with God. He has forsaken me, and so I have forsaken him."
I continued to back away, looking at him with confusion and dread. "Then if God did not bring you back, who did?"
He grinned and a clap of thunder rang throughout the hall. "Satan," he answered.
I looked at him only for a second before turning in the opposite direction and running. I did not get far, however. Running into something solid as steel, I fell to the floor.
I looked up, and standing before me was Vladislaus. Or, I realized, what used to be Vladislaus.
He held out his hand to me. "Do not fear me, Katrina. I could never harm you."
Reluctantly I took his hand, and he effortlessly pulled me to my feet. I stood looking into his eyes, which now seemed different somehow. They were colder, and appeared more aged. He stared back deep into my eyes, and I began to feel calm and unafraid.
I no longer feared him as he spoke softly to me. "You are even more beautiful than you were the morning I left you, my dear. Your face was the last thing I saw in my mind."
He brought his hand up to caress my face, and then leaned in to kiss me. I realized that I wanted him to badly, and as our lips met I returned his kiss.
I was so glad to be held in his arms again; I did not care then what he was or how he had returned.
Pulling away slowly I opened my eyes, and my gaze met his. I forgot everything looking into those eyes; for a few moments life seemed so much simpler.
I was brought back to reality when I heard footsteps on the stone floor and voices. Looking around I saw my father and Lord Valerious entering the dining hall, unaware of our presence for the moment. The count looked up at them too, and at that second his father saw us.
He stopped suddenly, unable to speak. My father too looked up, and had the expression on his face of one who has seen a ghost.
Vladislaus merely smiled at them, still holding on to me firmly. "Hello, father. Lord Vorkovus," he said nodding to my father.
There was a long silence, and then at last Lord Valerious spoke. "Vladislaus…?"
The count turned to them, continuing to hold on to me with one arm. "Yes, father. It is I, your son."
Lord Valerious shook his head slowly in disbelief. "My son is dead. You cannot be he."
Vladislaus laughed and a bolt of lightening struck very close by. "Death did not suit me very well I'm afraid, father. And I received a much better offer."
I found that I could not take my eyes off of him, and as I stared up at him I realized that something about him was very different than before. He looked from his father back to me.
"But of course I could not leave my beautiful bride so soon after our marriage."
Lord Valerious took a few steps forward, still watching Vladislaus as if he were a wild animal.
"I would have given anything for you to have lived, my son. But the dead must stay dead. Even if their hearts are still in this world," he added looking at me. "That is God's law; it must be obeyed."
Vladislaus looked up at him, and I could see pure hatred in his eyes.
"God? I asked your God to grant me one day with the living again -- one day to say goodbye to those I loved. And I was refused." He released me and began to walk toward his father.
"But then I was given a much better offer. To live for all eternity, to never age, to never grow weak and tired. That is something that God did not offer."
I looked over at my father, who was now watching the count as if he were looking at the devil himself. He glanced over at me and then at the count, then slowly began making his way to me. He must have feared for my safety, but for some reason I was not frightened at all.
Vladislaus noticed his slow movement, and gave him a cold smile. "Do not worry, Lord Vorkovus. I did not return to seek my revenge on my lovely Katrina or on Van Helsing."
"Then why did you return?" asked Lord Valerious.
"Is it not obvious? I returned for her," he said motioning to me. "I would not allow time to be stolen from us. And I thought that you would be a bit happier to see me as well, father."
The older man shook his head. "What you have done is unspeakable. You are no longer the man who was my son."
There was a long silence while Vladislaus looked at his father, a cold, lifeless expression on his face. The storm still pounded down on the castle, and lightening flashed across the sky. At last the count spoke.
"Think what you will father. But I have returned from the dead to walk among the living…forever. That is something that not even you can say you have achieved." He then looked at me.
"It has been a very long night, and I think that my bride and I shall retire to my chamber." He then held out his hand to me with a smile. I reached out to take it, but my father stopped me.
"I will not allow this," he said firmly to Vladislaus.
"It does not matter what you will allow, my lord. She is my wife, and does what I wish her to do," the count said, growing a bit angry I could tell.
I realized that he had changed; he would never have spoken that way to my father before, and he would never have shown such control over me. But still I found myself unable to resist him. I came to realize that part of this was his doing, his control over my mind, but that the other part was simply my love for him.
Then, before my father could protest, Vladislaus took my hand and led me from the hall.
In a matter of minutes we were in his chamber, and I was receiving fiery kisses from him. I could tell then that he had not brought me to his chamber to talk.
Even the way he made love to me had changed. He was not as gentle, and it seemed that it was lust in his kisses instead of love.
As I lay in his arms later that morning, I realized that I was extremely tired. I had not slept in days, and at last I felt exhausted. As my eyes grew heavy and slowly closed, I felt Vladislaus stroking my hair softly.
"Sleep, my Katrina," he whispered into my ear. And for the first time in several days perfect sleep came to me.
I went through everything as if in a haze; some sort of horrible nightmare that I kept praying I'd wake from. I greeted the family of the count, most of whom I did not know, until I felt that I could take no more.
Two days after Vladislaus had been killed, he was buried in the Valerious cemetery where his ancestors lay.
The reality of it all was just beginning to sink in, and as I watched him being lowered into the ground I began to cry again. I had tried to be strong up until then, but I could no longer hold it back.
My nights were even worse than my days, and for hours I would sit in the library and try to read. Finally I would fall asleep staring at the fire, to be awoken by my father hours later and taken to my chamber. For several nights this went on, and my father and Lord Valerious did their best to comfort me.
To my surprise neither one was angry with me, and they only seemed to regret what had happened as I did.
Early on the morning after Vladislaus had been buried, I sat alone in the dining hall. I had been unable to sleep, and decided to wait for my father and Lord Valerious to arrive for the morning meal.
There was no movement inside the castle that I could tell, and outside still raged a violent thunderstorm. It had started early the night before and had not stopped since. Thunder was the only sound that was to be heard in the dining hall, and I sat listening to it for some time.
Finally I stood up and walked around the enormous room, remembering happier times there. I had never gotten a chance to study the many paintings and tapestries that hung on the stone walls, and I noticed one that made me catch my breath.
Hanging next to a portrait of Lord Valerious was a large painting of the count, done not long ago from what I could tell. He looked exactly as he had in life, and stared down at me with a stern face. But then perhaps it was not stern at all…
I continued to stare at the portrait, tears streaming down my face, until a flash of lightning through the tall windows illuminated the hall. It was followed by crashing thunder and pouring rain.
And then from behind me was a familiar voice.
"Still thinking about your dear, dead husband? I would have expected you to leave with Van Helsing, the two of you were so close."
I turned around slowly to face the man that spoke, and nearly fainted. There before me stood the count, looking back at me intently with cold eyes. I found that I could not speak, or even scream.
He looked much like he always had, only pale and with bits of soil clinging to his clothes. He stepped towards me with a cool smile.
"Speechless, my love? I had thought that you would be happy to see me alive again."
"How?" I finally managed to whisper.
The count laughed, and the lightening flashed again. "I was given new life, another life. A life that will go on forever."
I did not understand his meaning, and I began to grow very frightened. Backing away from him slowly, I shook my head.
"What in God's name are you?"
He gave me a smirk. "God has nothing to do with what I am, my lovely Katrina. And I have nothing to do with God. He has forsaken me, and so I have forsaken him."
I continued to back away, looking at him with confusion and dread. "Then if God did not bring you back, who did?"
He grinned and a clap of thunder rang throughout the hall. "Satan," he answered.
I looked at him only for a second before turning in the opposite direction and running. I did not get far, however. Running into something solid as steel, I fell to the floor.
I looked up, and standing before me was Vladislaus. Or, I realized, what used to be Vladislaus.
He held out his hand to me. "Do not fear me, Katrina. I could never harm you."
Reluctantly I took his hand, and he effortlessly pulled me to my feet. I stood looking into his eyes, which now seemed different somehow. They were colder, and appeared more aged. He stared back deep into my eyes, and I began to feel calm and unafraid.
I no longer feared him as he spoke softly to me. "You are even more beautiful than you were the morning I left you, my dear. Your face was the last thing I saw in my mind."
He brought his hand up to caress my face, and then leaned in to kiss me. I realized that I wanted him to badly, and as our lips met I returned his kiss.
I was so glad to be held in his arms again; I did not care then what he was or how he had returned.
Pulling away slowly I opened my eyes, and my gaze met his. I forgot everything looking into those eyes; for a few moments life seemed so much simpler.
I was brought back to reality when I heard footsteps on the stone floor and voices. Looking around I saw my father and Lord Valerious entering the dining hall, unaware of our presence for the moment. The count looked up at them too, and at that second his father saw us.
He stopped suddenly, unable to speak. My father too looked up, and had the expression on his face of one who has seen a ghost.
Vladislaus merely smiled at them, still holding on to me firmly. "Hello, father. Lord Vorkovus," he said nodding to my father.
There was a long silence, and then at last Lord Valerious spoke. "Vladislaus…?"
The count turned to them, continuing to hold on to me with one arm. "Yes, father. It is I, your son."
Lord Valerious shook his head slowly in disbelief. "My son is dead. You cannot be he."
Vladislaus laughed and a bolt of lightening struck very close by. "Death did not suit me very well I'm afraid, father. And I received a much better offer."
I found that I could not take my eyes off of him, and as I stared up at him I realized that something about him was very different than before. He looked from his father back to me.
"But of course I could not leave my beautiful bride so soon after our marriage."
Lord Valerious took a few steps forward, still watching Vladislaus as if he were a wild animal.
"I would have given anything for you to have lived, my son. But the dead must stay dead. Even if their hearts are still in this world," he added looking at me. "That is God's law; it must be obeyed."
Vladislaus looked up at him, and I could see pure hatred in his eyes.
"God? I asked your God to grant me one day with the living again -- one day to say goodbye to those I loved. And I was refused." He released me and began to walk toward his father.
"But then I was given a much better offer. To live for all eternity, to never age, to never grow weak and tired. That is something that God did not offer."
I looked over at my father, who was now watching the count as if he were looking at the devil himself. He glanced over at me and then at the count, then slowly began making his way to me. He must have feared for my safety, but for some reason I was not frightened at all.
Vladislaus noticed his slow movement, and gave him a cold smile. "Do not worry, Lord Vorkovus. I did not return to seek my revenge on my lovely Katrina or on Van Helsing."
"Then why did you return?" asked Lord Valerious.
"Is it not obvious? I returned for her," he said motioning to me. "I would not allow time to be stolen from us. And I thought that you would be a bit happier to see me as well, father."
The older man shook his head. "What you have done is unspeakable. You are no longer the man who was my son."
There was a long silence while Vladislaus looked at his father, a cold, lifeless expression on his face. The storm still pounded down on the castle, and lightening flashed across the sky. At last the count spoke.
"Think what you will father. But I have returned from the dead to walk among the living…forever. That is something that not even you can say you have achieved." He then looked at me.
"It has been a very long night, and I think that my bride and I shall retire to my chamber." He then held out his hand to me with a smile. I reached out to take it, but my father stopped me.
"I will not allow this," he said firmly to Vladislaus.
"It does not matter what you will allow, my lord. She is my wife, and does what I wish her to do," the count said, growing a bit angry I could tell.
I realized that he had changed; he would never have spoken that way to my father before, and he would never have shown such control over me. But still I found myself unable to resist him. I came to realize that part of this was his doing, his control over my mind, but that the other part was simply my love for him.
Then, before my father could protest, Vladislaus took my hand and led me from the hall.
In a matter of minutes we were in his chamber, and I was receiving fiery kisses from him. I could tell then that he had not brought me to his chamber to talk.
Even the way he made love to me had changed. He was not as gentle, and it seemed that it was lust in his kisses instead of love.
As I lay in his arms later that morning, I realized that I was extremely tired. I had not slept in days, and at last I felt exhausted. As my eyes grew heavy and slowly closed, I felt Vladislaus stroking my hair softly.
"Sleep, my Katrina," he whispered into my ear. And for the first time in several days perfect sleep came to me.
