A/N: Thanks to my reviewers again. Sorry that these chapters are coming so slow, I'm writing and posting the chapters whenever I can. Thanks to those of you who are still reading this story as well! I hope that you are still enjoying it. I didn't intend for the ending to take this long to get to, but it has. So hang on a little bit longer, the ending is coming. :-)
I had never been completely free to make my own decisions, and now that I was I saw the world differently. Everything was new and amazing for me, and I found that over the years the shadows of my past slowly went away. Perhaps it was because I was no longer under Dracula's control.
After that night in Rome, it would be several centuries before I would speak with him again. But I always knew that he was with me at times, watching me from the shadows.
A presence as dark as his is not easily hidden, and in each city that I went to I could feel him there. This continued for years as well, and at times I would catch a glimpse of him. I knew that he would haunt me for many years, and so he did.
I went from city to city trying to escape from his presence, without any luck. After Rome I had gone to Madrid, hoping that he would not expect me to go to Spain. I should have known that he still had some access to my mind, or perhaps he knew me that well. Either way he found me there, after only a few nights in the city. I hated that I had to leave it so quickly; it was a spectacle of Spanish culture like I had never seen before.
I fled to many other countries after this: Germany, Austria, Poland, Czechoslovakia, even far into Russia. But he never ceased to appear, no matter where I went. After years of playing this game with him I fled to England, knowing that he would still find me there. But it had to end somewhere, and I could not allow him to chase me throughout eternity.
I made my way into the old city of London early one night, and finding one jewelry store that was still open I rid myself of some of the jewels that I carried with me. I had sold them slowly, using the money to pay for suitable townhouses in the cities that I visited. Houses which I had never stayed in for more than a few days.
After a few more days I was living comfortably in a large house in the city, enjoying the atmosphere of downtown London. However I did not allow myself to get too comfortable, expecting to find the count watching me at any moment. But for some reason, that moment never came.
Weeks and then months passed by, and I neither sensed nor saw him anywhere in the city. I began to relax and enjoy myself, and after several years London was like home to me. I loved its shops and markets, and the old buildings that somehow reminded me of my old home.
I used a great deal of the money that I had with me to invest and buy and sell property, and after a few decades I had enough money to do anything that I wanted. I bought a private country estate just outside of London, still keeping my old townhouse in the city. It was a beautiful manor, with surrounding meadows and forests. I felt more content and at peace with the world than I ever had.
It was at this time, two hundred and fifty years after my immortal life had began, that Dracula came to me.
It was a cool English evening, the chilly night air just beginning to surround the manor. The sun had only set an hour ago, and I peered out one of the large windows to watch the sky slowly darken into night. After a few moments I sat down at the large, ornate piano that was in the room and began to play a slow, sad tune that was one of my favorites.
After several minutes I finished the song, to hear clapping behind me. I knew who it was before I even turned around.
Behind me, an amused expression on his face, sat Dracula. I turned slowly to look at him, knowing that my happy life here could be over. He looked the same as he had when I last saw him: dressed neatly in black, his dark hair pulled back smoothly. He was extremely handsome sitting there, an image of aristocracy and power.
"You are even more beautiful than I remember, Katrina," he said with a smile. He looked around at the lavishly decorated room. "And I see that you've done very well for yourself. I must say that I am surprised."
I continued to watch him as one watches a wolf. "Surprised?" I asked.
His eyes returned to me, still with an amused look in them. "Yes. I have to admit that you have achieved far more than I ever thought possible. Of course, I should have known that you would do well."
"I do have you to thank for a great deal of it, I'm afraid," I said smiling.
"Oh really?" he asked with a grin.
"Yes. If it had not been for your many jeweled gifts I would not be so successful."
Dracula threw his head back and laughed. "So that is what you did with all of those jewels I gave you? I knew that you had a good reason for taking them."
I continued smiling, but asked him the question that I had been wondering. "And I'm sure that you have a reason for being here as well."
He looked at me again, his smile fading only slightly. "Do I have to have a reason for coming to visit my wife?" he asked innocently.
"You know what I mean, Vladislaus," I answered. "I thought that we had an agreement." He stood and began to pace the room, pretending to admire the ancient paintings on the walls. "I recall no agreement, my dear. You wanted to leave, and so I let you. And now I have returned."
I stared at him with an icy intensity. "It has been two centuries since you let me go. Why do you choose to bother me now?" At this he turned back around to face me. "I miss your wonderful company, if you must know." I knew now that he was only playing with me, but I was growing tired of it.
"I'm sure that you do. But I can't imagine why, with all of the other brides you have now."
Dracula ignored this comment, and casually walked over to where I sat. I could tell that he was serious now. "If you must know the truth, I came to give you a personal invitation." I looked up at him. "An invitation? To what?" Taking my hand, he pulled me to my feet. There was not a great distance between us, but to my surprise he did not pull me to him in the seductive manner that he always had.
"An invitation to my All Hallow's Eve ball, to take place one week from now. I thought that since you have not attended a ball in two hundred years you might enjoy it." I looked down at my hand, which he still held in his. "I am truly grateful for your invitation, my lord. But I am afraid that I will not be able to attend, due to matters of business."
The count gave me a small smile. "I knew you would say something like that. But it is your decision, decide what you will. But I would greatly enjoy your company."
He must have read my thoughts, for then he added, "And don't worry, if you come you are free to leave at any time. I do not wish to repeat history." With this he gave me a small smile and stared at my face for a moment. Looking up into his I suddenly felt the desire to kiss him, and without thinking I did so. He returned the kiss, but without the forceful lust that I had come to expect from him. For a moment it felt like I was being held by the man I had once loved.
The count looked at me one last time before turning to leave. "Think about what I have said. This is not any kind of trap, Katrina, I only wish for your company. I have missed it these last two hundred years." He then kissed my hand and left the room, as quickly and quietly as he had entered.
For a long time I sat thinking about what had just happened, and how odd it had been. Dracula had been different; far less forceful and more gentle than he was two centuries ago. I was confused by this, but I knew that I should not be. He was very cunning, and he knew how to make me do what he wished. I watched the rain fall outside, listening to it pound at the windows. For hours I thought about his visit, and at last I made my decision.
For some insane reason I believed his word. He had been a great man once, who would never have told a lie. Although I knew that most of this man was gone, I still believed that some of his honesty remained.
With that hope I told my servants to begin preparing for my journey east to Budapest. No doubt that his masquerade would be one of incredible magnificence; everything that he did was. Therefore I packed one of my fanciest gowns, which I had bought for such an occasion but had never used. It also contained hidden pockets for small weapons, in case any of Dracula's undead guests got too close.
I was almost excited to be attending such an event, for although I was at the height of English wealth and power I attended few social events. As I made my way to my private chambers to rest for the day, I once again thought of the count. I had no intention of remaining with him in Hungary or Transylvania for that matter, although I would like to have seen my homeland just once again.
I wondered if this was all just another one of his games, and I swore that he would pay for it this time if it was. But no matter how much I hated him, deep down another feeling was still there. And it was then that I realized what he had told me years ago: that we were bound to each other, our lives and our fates. We existed together, he and I, and I could never escape from that.
So I decided to attend and enjoy the spectacle, for that was surely what it would be. Of course I discovered far later on that it was largely the count's manipulation of my mind that influenced my decision. But perhaps his offer had been innocent; either way I was soon to find out.
