I awoke late that evening, well after the sun had set. I found myself alone, and dressed quickly. Starving and remembering that I had had no food all day, I made my way down to the dining hall.

I saw no one on the way there, but as I grew near the great hall I heard raised voices. Quietly I eased down the grand staircase to see what was happening. Soon I saw Lord Valerious and Vladislaus, in the middle of an extremely heated argument.

Though I had stopped on the staircase and made no noise, Vladislaus seemed to sense my presence somehow. He looked up at me, and I was frightened by the wild, dark look in his eyes.

However it quickly faded, and he smiled at me. "There you are, my love."

I looked from him to Lord Valerious, who was red in the face and breathing hard from the argument.

"Forgive me if I interrupted the two of you."

The count stepped up the stairs and took my hand, leading me down. "Oh no, my dear. We needed to be interrupted I think."

At this he glanced at his father and let out a cold laugh.

"Now," he said turning to me. "Was there anything that you needed? Food, perhaps?"

I nodded my head, feeling like I had not eaten in days. We left Lord Valerious standing there, and together went into the dining hall. Vladislaus had fresh food and wine brought to us, but I noticed that he did not eat. I asked him about this, and he replied that he had eaten earlier that evening.

Over the next few weeks, I slowly began to notice more and more changes in Vladislaus. His personality was in some ways the same as before, but there were also many new, darker elements to it.

He was much shorter in temper, and several times he barked at me for minor things. I would of course become upset, and only then would I see the soft, gentle side of him that I had once known and loved so well.

I was not the only one who had noticed these changes, however. Both my father and Lord Valerious had, not to mention several of the servants that I was close to.

Vladislaus also took to sleeping mostly during the day, and at meal times would be absent or refuse to eat.

Yet he seemed to lose no weight. Over a month passed in which I saw him eat nothing at all, but he remained his usual size.

It became whispered by the servants that Vladislaus was the son of the Devil himself, and that he was behind the strange murders that had been taking place in the village.

In the back of my mind I believed them, but I could not admit to myself that the man I loved was a demon or murderer.

Nearly two months after Vladislaus had mysteriously risen and returned to us, I noticed one morning that Lord Valerious was absent from the dining hall. He was not there at noon as well, and finally I asked my father where he had gone.

Taking me aside, he explained to me that Lord Valerious had left first thing that morning for Rome. He was going there to seek forgiveness from God for having sired such an evil being as Vladislaus Dracula.

He was also seeking help from God on how to deal with the situation, and prayed that he would find his answer there.

My father had remained behind to watch over things, and to make sure that Vladislaus was controlled. I could tell that it greatly bothered him that I was with the count so much, partly because I wanted to be but also because I was forced to be.

Vladislaus and I had our conversations as we always had, but fewer of them I noticed. He had a lust that I could not seem to satisfy, and I began to fear that he was growing tired of me.

Several more weeks past when at last Lord Valerious returned late one afternoon.

I sat with my father in the library when he entered the room quickly and asked me to excuse them. This I did, but upon closing the library door I stood and listened to what Lord Valerious had found out.

He told my father that a voice had spoken to him while praying for forgiveness in Rome, telling him that he must destroy the demon which he had sired. The evil had to be removed from his lands; it could not be allowed to remain there.

He told my father that he had sworn to kill Dracula, and in return he had been told that his entire family would receive eternal salvation.

I listened to all of this in disbelief, my mind racing. Surely Lord Valerious would not kill his own son?

I knew deep in my heart what Vladislaus had become, but I refused to accept it. Part of him was still there, it had to be. Sometimes in the way he looked at me, the way he spoke or touched me, I could see what he once was.

Suddenly I heard footsteps in the library, and hid myself just as the two men left the room in a hurry.

Listening to their voices, I heard them planning to get rid of Vladislaus, and how it was to be done. He would be waking up soon as he always did, after the sun set. I debated in my mind about whether or not to tell him, and finally I decided that I could not.

Several days passed, and Lord Valerious had yet to act against his son. However, it was as if Vladislaus knew what was going on in his father's mind. He was even colder than usual to everyone, and watched his father constantly.

I was unnerved by the fact that he had never asked where his father had been, nor acknowledged his return. Lord Valerious, however, looked to grow more and more troubled each passing day. I knew now that he could not kill his own son as he had been instructed to do, and I wondered what other plans he had in mind.

Nearly a week after his return, I walked past the armory one night to see Vladislaus and his father speaking to each other. The older man wore an extremely stern and determined look on his face. I supposed that this was how he looked when in battle.

Their voices were raised, and as I drew closer I listened to their argument.

"I know that you have been instructed to destroy me, haven't you father? But you are too weak to kill your own son," Vladislaus spat.

The armory echoed with the sound of Lord Valerious slapping the face of his son. Silence followed, then cold laughter.

"You are nothing compared to me now, father. You are just a mortal, destined to die soon, old and weak. But I," Vladislaus continued, stepping toward his father, "will live forever."

Lord Valerious looked at him in complete disgust. "With a damned soul, my son. You will live on, property of the Devil, a hollow creature existing forever in God's disgrace."

The count's eyes appeared to grow darker at this.

"God's disgrace means nothing to me!" he hissed. "I am no longer made weak by God or by emotions. I feel nothing. Nothing!"

"Not even love for me?" I suddenly heard myself ask.

I had entered the room, but still stood a good ways away from the two of them, and until this time they had not noticed me.

They both stared at me now, and I thought that I could see something of sadness behind Vladislaus' eyes. But it was Lord Valerious that spoke first.

"Your husband no longer knows how to love, Katrina. The damned do not feel."

Vladislaus made a move to strike his father, but the older man moved out of the way just in time.

Just then my father entered the room, and silently came to stand beside me.

"I may not be able to kill you, Vladislaus, but I will not see you disgrace my household any longer. Tonight I banish you forever from these lands."

With this Lord Valerious pointed to the great map of Transylvania on the wall behind his son. Suddenly it began to frost over, and the map completely vanished to reveal a mirror.

Vladislaus looked at it calmly, and then turned back to his father. "If you are foolish enough to believe that banishing me through that doorway will rid you of me, then by all means try."

Lord Valerious looked at his son coldly, but I could see a hint of sadness in his eyes.

"Once you step through that doorway, you can never return. It will not allow anyone back from the other side."

I looked now at Vladislaus, who still stood calmly watching his father. Just then I realized all that he once was, and what he was now. He had been a great man in life: a skilled warrior, a lover of books and knowledge, and to me a loving husband.

And now I was looking at a shell of what he once was, but still I found that I could not abandon my love for him.

He had told me that death could not stop his love for me, and he had kept that promise. Now, no matter what he was, I could not forget that and let him go alone.

I had made this decision quickly, and I surprised even Vladislaus when I stepped forward and took his hand. I heard my father's protests and felt him try to stop me, but I ignored him and looked up into the eyes of the count.

"I want to go with you."

"Katrina, no--" my father and Lord Valerious both began, but were interrupted by Vladislaus.

"She has made her decision. She is my wife, and belongs beside me. Forever," he added still watching me, a pleased look on his face.

"I cannot allow this, Dracula," my father said sternly, stepping toward us.

"It is what she wants, is it not?" he asked my father. "Would you deny your beloved daughter what she truly desires?"

My father looked at me. "This cannot be what you want, Katrina. I cannot let you do this."

"It is what I want," I said looking at him. "You began this, father, five years ago. You told me that I would love him someday, and I do. Love is not something that can be thrown aside, father."

He said nothing else, but looked at me sadly. Lord Valerious spoke next.

"Katrina, you do not love this…demon," he said, glancing at his son with regret.

"You love the man that he once was, but not he who stands beside you. He is no longer the man that you married…the man that you still love."

"I know what he is, my lord. And I know what he was. But my love for him remains, regardless of all that."

There was a long silence and then Vladislaus put his arm around my waist, still holding on to my hand.

"Come, my beautiful Katrina. The night is still young, and we have yet to make ourselves at home in our forbidden kingdom."

Then he looked up at his father with a smirk. "Goodbye, father. This may be the last goodbye that we share…but then, perhaps not." At this he gave a cold laugh.

I looked over at my father, and wondered if I would ever see him again. His eyes were full of worry and sadness, and it made me want to cry. But somehow I didn't, and I told him goodbye.

Before he had a chance to answer, I felt the count's strong arm spin me around. Together we went through the cold doorway, and into our own private hell.