Disclaimer: I own nothing except what I made up. Fair enough.
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"Call me that again, and I will put a bullet through your head," Gabriel snarled softly, pointing a pistol at Dracula angrily. "We are no longer brothers in arms."
Dracula moved away from Lucia, heading back over to Gabriel. "No, Gabriel, you do not understand me, I fear. We were brothers; literal brothers, blood brothers, in the past life we shared."
"No," Gabriel whispered. His expression was one of soft disbelief, his eyes flashing. The rain was sticking his hair to his shoulders. He tightened his grip on the pistol. "It isn't true."
Dracula stopped just before Gabriel. "I can assure you it is," he smirked. "The Dragulia brothers; Velkan and Vladislaus. You, in case you're wondering, were Velkan, the eldest and most charming. But then, we both fell for the same woman- the beautiful, amazing Lucia Valerious. And that's how all of this started."
"I assume I was Lucia Valerious," Lucia said flatly, watching Gabriel sigh and roll his eyes.
"Leave it, Lucia," Gabriel said suddenly. "Some things are best left forgotten." His eyes fell on Dracula once more. "I don't want a history lesson, Dracula; I don't want to know how things came to be as they are."
Lucia licked her lips. "I do," she said quietly. "I want to know how things came to be my fault." She forced herself not to cringe as both men looked at her, Gabriel quietly annoyed, Vladislaus amused.
"You shall know," Vladislaus replied smoothly. "I'm going to show you both, then perhaps you will see things in a different light..." As his voice faded out, something happened. Lucia suddenly felt very weak, and the world was spinning. She heard Gabriel cry out her name as she fell to her knees...
Lady Lucia Valerious looked at her reflection in the tall mirror in her bedroom. She looked beautiful, she had to admit. She reached up to brush away a stray lock of brown hair with a small, pale hand, then went back to examining her new dress. It was long, heavy and blue; the exact same dark blue of her eyes.
"Lucia, you are a true angel," her father, Lord Valerious, said as he entered slowly, his emerald green robes trailing the floor. "You look simply stunning."
"Oh, Father," Lucia replied, blushing as he kissed her cheeks, "how I missed you. It is so nice to have you home. I have been ever so lonely this past year..."
"It is hard for you, I know," Lord Valerious apologised. "But I have commitments, my child. I am a Knight of The Holy Order, I have been ever since your mother passed away in childbirth twenty three years ago, bless her soul. I have to work hard to keep the world safe."
"I am proud of you, Father," Lucia sighed, "but that does not make it any easier. Perhaps when I wed, it will be easier. I will marry someone close to home, someone who never leaves."
"That reminds me," he said slowly, pushing a greying lock of dark hair out of his eyes. "The Knights at the ball tonight... I do not want you to be wooed by any of them, and believe me some will try. It is frowned on, and I don't want my only child to be disgraced like that."
Lucia's full lips fell into a pout. "Father, please, have some faith in me." He merely smiled, shook his head, and took her arm, leading her down.
&&&
"How are you enjoying the ball?" Lucia politely asked Lady Ana, her cousin, as they observed the dancing from their corner, sipping wine.
"It is not bad," Ana replied, shrugging her skinny shoulders. Ana was a plain, unremarkable woman, who was currently rather unhappy because her husband was ill with some sort of flu. He had been unable to attend the ball. "I would prefer to have someone to dance with."
Lucia opened her mouth to reply, but closed it again at the sight of her father bustling over, grinning madly and nodding politely at the people he passed.
"Lady Ana!" he exclaimed politely to his niece, kissing her cheek warmly. "I must say, you are looking beautiful this evening." She snorted, and he turned to his daughter quickly. "Lucia, my dear, come with me. I have two men you simply must meet..."
Lucia tried to look excited as her father took her arm once more and took her across the room, avoiding all the dancing couples, and finally ending up by the staircase. Two men were here; one was tall and muscular, with a chisled face and long brown hair which fell rather messily to his shoulders. His eyes were warm and brown, and sparkled as they found Lucia's face. He was sitting down on the stairs, legs crossed, tapping his foot in time to the music. The other was slightly shorter, and leaner, with long straight black hair which was clipped neatly back, a softer face, and large, sea-coloured eyes. He was leaning against the banister. They were dressed in the same black cloaks and clothes.
"Lucia, this is Lord Velkan Dragulia, who has saved my life three times on the battlefield," Lord Valerious said, with a nod at the brown-haired one. "And this is his younger brother, Vladislaus, who promises great things. Men, this is my daughter, Lady Lucia Valerious."
"It is a pleasure to meet you," Lucia said formally, inclining her head.
Velkan stood up and kissed her hand, holding it even after kissing it. "Alas, fair lady, the pleasure is all mine, I am sure." His eyes held her own, and she felt her stomach surge.
Vladislaus shook his head with a lazy smile. "Mine as well, I can assure you all." Lucia laughed softly, turning her attention to him. He blushed slightly, and looked away.
"Will one of you be so kind as to dance with my daughter?" Lord Valerious asked. "She has been by the wall all evening, and I fear it is not doing her any good..."
Velkan opened his mouth, but Vladislaus spoke suddenly. "I will, it would be an honour." He took her hand from Velkan and held it awkwardly as they walked away from her father and his brother.
"I am quite surprised you do not have a dance partner already," Lucia told him, as they began to twirl around with the other couples. Vladislaus held her lightly.
"I am shy," he said quietly, spinning her expertly. "You may have noticed."
"Not too shy to ask me to dance," she observed, noting that he was a very good dancer. He pulled her up against him suddenly.
"It was too good a chance to pass up," he whispered, leaning close. She thought for one excited moment he might kiss her, but he tugged her back and spun her again, dipping her down low, then bringing her back up.
"Are you a Knight as well, Lord Dragulia?" she asked.
His eyes filled with sorrow briefly. He sighed. "Yes, I am, unfortunately." He forced a polite smile. "Please, call me Vlad, my Lady." He twirled her away from him, then brought her back in.
"As you wish, Vlad, but I must ask you to call me Lucia." She smiled. "You really have no need to be shy. You are a very interesting man, and I am enjoying your company." She moved to kiss his cheek, but he moved slightly in time to the music, and her lips ended up squashed against his for a long moment. Luckily, nobody noticed, but she did, blushing as she moved back. "I am sorry..."
The music ended, and as he began to assure her it was alright, she quickly made her way away, deeply ashamed. It probably wouldn't have mattered so much if she wasn't so attracted to Vlad anyway... she cursed herself silently, and decided to sneak outside and get some air.
To her great surprise, she found the other Dragulia brother out here, sitting silently by the fountain, watching the water with a small smile. He looked up as she exited, and quirked an eyebrow.
"You look flushed, Lady Valerious," he observed, gesturing for her to join him on the stone wall. She sat down beside him, crossing her hands in her lap. "Tell me, did my brother get boring so quickly?"
She wondered how to answer. "He was perfectly enjoyable company, Lord Dragulia."
He laughed. "That's why you came outside, I presume? So perfectly enjoyable that you are seeking time away from him?" His smirk was annoying, his amused tone irritating.
She clenched her fist. "What exactly are you implying, Sir?"
He didn't answer. A slightly pointed tongue slipped out of his mouth to trail across his bottom lip. His fingers covered her fist, and he leaned slowly forward. She realised what was going to happen a moment before it did; their lips met in a slow, long, passionate kiss.
&&&
"My Lady?" Lucia's eyes flittered open slowly, and she sighed at the sight of her handmaid standing by her bed. Early morning sunlight drifted through the window. It had been three months since the night of the ball, the night Lucia had given the flower of her virginity to Velkan Dragulia. She hadn't heard from him since; he and Vlad had left the following morning and had not been in touch. Her father had left a week later.
Lucia yawned, and closed her eyes. She ran her fingers through the dark hair on the pillow beside her, turning her cheek into the silky softness. "What is it, Ava?"
"Lord Velkan Dragulia and Lord Vladislaus Dragulia are on their way here," Ava replied. "We recieved notice this morning, my Lady. They will be here soon."
Lucia was suddenly wide awake. "Velkan," she whispered, sitting up and opening her eyes. How she had longed to see him again. Would he wed her? No, he could not. It was against the rules of the Holy Order. But they could be together secretly, couldn't they?
She thought of his brother, the quietly amazing Vlad. She supposed she was attracted to both brothers. Velkan was more obviously attractive, but Vlad's eyes held a certain deepness Velkan's lacked. Lucia thought of those amazing eyes as she took her drink of water from Ava. Ava left, and Lucia sipped the water. Would it be awkward between her and Velkan?
Her question was answered right then as there was a knock at her window. She almost choked in surprise. Her bedroom was three stories from the ground. Her shocked eyes took in the image of Velkan's face outside the glass. She slid out of bed and hurried over, opening the window to find Velkan hanging from the ivy.
"Good morning!" he exclaimed, handing her a small red flower. "You are a sight for sore eyes, I must say." And with that, he climbed easily into her bedroom.
"I... I... what are you doing here?" Lucia asked, caught utterly off-guard as she closed the window once more. She watched Velkan sit down on her bed and take a long swig of her water.
He cocked his head to indicate she should come over. She did, and he pulled her into his lap, looking up at her with a small smile. "Aren't you pleased to see me, Lucia?"
She returned his smile, cupping his face in her hand. "Of course I am, Velkan. I'm just surprised." She pressed her lips against his in a slow kiss as he began rubbing the fabric of her thin nightdress. He deepened the kiss, and rolled them over suddenly, so that she was lying down on the bed with him leaning over her, their lips still together. She pushed him away gently. "Velkan... I must speak with you. Where is Vlad?"
"He is still in the inn, sleeping probably," Velkan smiled. "He won't be here until afternoon. We're meant to be coming as a friendly gesture; we promised your father we would check in on you." He resumed his passionate kissing, but she pulled away once more.
"I've hardly been able to stop thinking about you," she told him, looking away. "I missed you so much."
"I feel the same," Velkan said. "It is amazing to know that you are mine, and only mine. I'm so glad I found you, my beautiful Lucia. You are truly wonderful."
"Velkan... this is wrong," she whispered. "You are not meant to have relationships, you're a Knight of the Holy Order... I want it, but I know I should not."
"Nobody need ever find out," he promised, and then the conversation stopped as he began to strip her, trailing his lips across her bare, burning flesh.
&&&
That day blossomed into a hot, dry afternoon as Lucia sat comfortably by the fountain, watching the water thoughtfully. She was in love with Velkan. She knew it. But then... what about Vlad? She wondered how she would feel when she saw the other Dragulia brother.
Two soft hands covered her eyes. She jumped and laughed, reaching up to wrap her hand around the other person's wrists. "Who is it?" she asked, trying in vain to get them off.
"Good afternoon, my Lady," Vladislaus Dragulia said in a light, teasing tone, sitting down beside her and smiling. His eyes shone at her. She took them in; so intricate, such a beautiful mixture of blue and green. Around the pupils were flares of gold. And she loved him. She loved him because when she looked into his eyes she could see into his soul.
"Vlad!" she breathed, smiling widely at him. Her heart raced in her chest. "It is so lovely to see you again. How are you?"
"I have something to tell you," he said slowly, looking shy and nervous once more. "It is... quite serious. Lady Lucia Valerious, I feel I have fallen in love with you. I have been quite unable to stop thinking about you. I can't have a relationship with you now, for I am a Knight... but I won't be forever. If you can wait a year, maybe less, then I would like to marry you."
She gasped, covering her mouth with her hand. "Oh my, Vlad, I don't know what to say! I love you too. I would greatly love to marry you, but you must consult my father first."
He nodded in agreement, then pressed a kiss to her forehead, holding her hand. They sat for some two hours talking, planning, even coming up with names for their children, completely unaware of the fact they were being watched.
&&&
When Vladislaus kissed Lucia goodnight outside her door that night, he must have little suspected he would not see her alive again. Licking her taste on his lips, he headed to the room he was staying in, quickly changing for bed, and sliding into it, smiling into the darkness for several hours, until he heard the scream.
Lucia's scream.
He ran as fast as he could into the hallway, where maids were already milling about. His hair tumbled wildly about his face as he sprinted down to her room, tears of panic in his eyes. Not his love.
The door was ajar when he reached it, and he shoved it open, freezing in the doorway as the light from the hall spilled in on the horrific scene before him. Lucia Valerious was lying dead in bed, her head on her shoulder, facing the doorway, her eyes open, her mouth stretched in a silent scream. The white of the sheets and of her nightdress was tainted with vivid blood. A sword was sticking through her stomach. Vlad knew that sword. He didn't even have to read the inscription on the handle.
The inscription that said Velkan Dragulia.
"Velkan!" he cursed, rushing over to the bed, and pulling the sword from her, tossing it to one side. "Why? Why did you do it, Brother? Why did you kill my love?" Velkan was not in the room, but the answer came to Vlad anyway, and he knew with a bitter sob it was true. Velkan loved Lucia too.
&&&
"It will be alright, my darling," Vlad whispered, placing Lucia's cold body down on the stone table in the creaking, breezy outhouse. The candle in his other hand cast a pale light over the abandoned building. "He has not taken you from me forever."
Then, he was muttering a spell. A spell he should not have known, but one he did know. A spell told to him by a dying gypsy. Words in the harsh language spilled over his lips, each one hurting his soul more than the last. Finally, he finished, and all was silent. Then, the candle went out.
"You have summoned me, mortal," came a deep voice, echoing around the small outhouse. "You have summoned Satan. What is it you want? Speak, now."
Vlad fell to his knees. "Please, please... I want Lucia back..." A tear rolled down his face.
"She will be reborn eventually," the voice said. "I do not have the power to bring her back to you now. She is in Heaven."
"I want to wait for her. For however long that takes..." Vlad closed his eyes. He knew what he was giving up, what this would involve, and he hated himself.
"You are prepared to work for me? To live as the undead?"
He was sobbing now, crying, clutching Lucia's cold, limp hand desperately. "Yes..."
And it was done. The candle became alight once more, and Vlad looked at Lucia, feeling his soul drain from his body. He licked his lips, and hoped it would be worth it. Then, his brother burst in.
"What have you done?" Velkan demanded, glaring at his younger brother. He was brandishing his sword, the one that had killed the woman on the table. "What did you do?"
Vlad laughed.
TBC.
