A/N: gee, thanks for the reviews.. i had counted on some, but not with this kind of content... thanks all, and please read on!
Chapter V
After sleeping for a few hours, I woke up in the middle of the night, unable to fall asleep again. I felt something gnawing in my stomach, making me uneasy. There was something I felt; a weird feeling, and there was anticipation, but fear, too. I didn't understand this at all. I decided to get up and go for a night walk. Sneaking to my travel chest, I took out a travel coat made of leather and put it on.
I slid out the door, not meeting anyone I took notice of because I was too consumed of the gnawing in my gut. I suddenly realised I had found my self on the way down the steps of the Vatican. A moment I just stared at the sky. The moon could no longer be seen. Suddenly something triggered me and it was dawning on me what the hurt in my gut meant, but before I could find it out properly, it was pushed aside by a voice from behind.
"No werewolves tonight," a voice said. It was Vladislaus I saw, as I turned around. The chock of hearing him so nearby, made adrenalin pump in my veins, making me feel more exhausted than I already were.
"Good evening," I said. He walked up to me and put an arm around my shoulders, and I leant into him, thinking, just as he did.
"Will you accompany me for a walk, Cassandra?" he asked, thoughtful.
"Of course," I said.
Then he took my hand and we walked further down the marble steps and strode to the heart of Rome.
We walked in silence as Vladislaus led me down several roads and cosy alleys, which, despite the time of night, were full of life, light and joy. The aroma of Rome was caught in by me, and I savoured it, loosing my self to the beautiful and alive scent. The romans smiled happily, obviously enjoying themselves. At bars, people were dancing, and at a particular loud and alive place, we went over to. I stopped dead, pulling my hand away from Vladislaus.
"What is it, Cassandra?" he asked, walking up to me.
"I... I don't want to go inside. I went out for a walk, Vladislaus. If I had wanted to sit down, I could have done that in my bed," I said firmly, trying to talk him out of the idea of going inside this tavern, probably filled with nauseous drunk men and women. He looked at me with a note of surprise on his face. He then smirked.
"Cassandra, if you must have a taste of Rome, you can't settle for a sip!" he said enthusiastically, nuzzling against me, looking deep into my eyes.
"I know what you fear Cassandra. And I promise you; this place does not house any bad people. I will protect you from what evil there might come upon you. And that," he went down on one knee taking my hand in his and looking into my eyes, "is a promise, a oath, an pact, that I will keep, for ever! If you do not believe in this, in me, then you do not trust me. Do you trust me, Cassandra, mi amour?" he said, looking seriously at me, an almost pleading look in his eyes. I thought for a second, and I had to admit that I did trust him, very much, in fact.
"Yes," I said, "But you sure do make a big deal out of it, just to get a love-stricken girl into a tavern," I continued, not being able to help the smile that was playing about on my lips.
He smiled broadly at me, got up and pulled me with him inside, ordering wine for the both of us. We sat down at a table and I looked around at all the people there: laughing, dancing, drinking, enjoying themselves in dark corners, of which there were quite a few of.
He put the red-purple liquid down and pulled me from my chair, and asked if I would like to dance. It surprised me that he had asked, especially because I had never expected Vladislaus being capable of dancing; and he was most capable! A song was played up by the live orchestra, which look more like a couple of people enjoying the tones of music, which they so beautifully were capable of expressing on their own instruments; they looked rather well-used.
The song had a dancing-beat, but at the same time it was slow. People just started dancing, though not some slow must-be-perfect-waltz, but an improvising dance, which were made perfect only by their own performance. And of course Vladislaus joined in, urging me to dance along. I had hardly started my own dancing, feeling incredibly stupid while doing so, before he grabbed me and twirled me around.
It was breathtaking and very sensual, and hard not to fall into; all you needed was a partner, instincts and senses to guide you. The tavern was much crowded, and more people came and danced and the space was lesser and lesser, and keeping apart from Vladislaus was getting harder, and harder to avoid, not that I truthfully wanted to.
Dancing with Vladislaus was art; he twirled me, dipped me, steered me into the perfectionism of a dance made by lovers. His eyes had a glint and he put much effort into the dance. He dipped me slowly backwards as he lowered himself to the floor, laying me backside-down over his thigh and leant over me and nibbled at the tender flesh of my neck, flickering his tongue over my skin and licked along my jaw line, gently, with the tip of his tongue.
As he was doing this, his hand fingered the line where my coat were buttoned together, then, just before going over my breast, he drove his hand, caressingly, out on the side of my body, and his hand continued up my flank and onto my back, massaging my shoulder blades with a light pressure of his fingers. Suddenly it all stopped as he pulled me up, sharply, crushing his body to mine and I felt uneasy and uncomfortable about it, but I had said I trusted him.
As the song ended, he twirled me around one single, and swift, time, then swung me over his thigh, and leant back and away from me. People, who had stopped to watch us, were applauding, and Vladislaus savoured their admiration, giving of a devilish smirk, which I am sure only I caught sight of. We made our way back to our table, but unfortunately, it was occupied, and Vladislaus led us to another table in one of the many dark corners of the tavern. He threw himself into a couch, which was built into the wall, while panting.
"How did you like it?" he asked nonchalantly. I smiled and panted slightly as well.
"Oh Vladislaus! It was wonderful! How do you know how to dance like that?" I asked exasperated, leaning against him, snaking my arms around him, and placing my head on his stomach.
"Ah... That is for me to know and for you to find out," he said with a secretive smile, as he continued to stare at the dancers. He then looked down at me with a mild expression, bending down, kissing me gently. He pulled me up, before he cupped my face with his hands and looked at me, his thumbs caressing my cheek bones. The look in his eyes was unmistakable. They glinted with lust, and for that moment I didn't mind being wanted by him.
He pulled me close and closed his mouth over mine, and put his left arm behind me, so my back-bone rested on the length of his arm, just to steady my back and head. I lifted my legs up onto the couch, and stuck my left leg behind his back and the other around his stomach, encircling him, which led him to put a hand to rest on my right leg, just below my knee-cap, as he continue to deepen our passionate kiss.
I put my hands around his neck and sat in his lap, parting my lips, as his tongue sought into mouth to explore every little part of it. He then slid his hand up my leg, up to my thigh. First, he caressed it on the outer side, but then on the inner side, as his hand went under the night dress, continuing to slide further up.
As it dawned on me what he was doing, I tried to escape his playful hand, and he just thought I was playing with him. When he wouldn't stop, I panicked a little. I pulled away from him faster than lightning and stared at him, my face expression a cross between incredulousness and hurt.
He looked back, surprised, and confused as to why I had pulled away from his love and touch. He, of course, had just meant it lovingly, but I still got up. I looked down at him, and he looked as though the world had come crashing down on him. He looked sincerely apologetic at me, though he couldn't quite understand where he had gone wrong. He looked as if he regretted ever laying a hand on me, and was stunned by stepping over my boarder, which he, now that I thought about, had promised me to protect me from.
"I'm sorry Vladislaus I can't go through with this," I said, not understanding his muffled response. I edged around the tables, catching good-natured claps on my flank on my whole way outside, Vladislaus following me the whole time. I got outside and he got up to me and stood in front of me, holding my forearms, and boring his eyes into mine.
"What is wrong, Cassandra? Did I do-...?" he started unhappily.
"No... no, it's not you. It's me, and I can't... I can't do it, Vladislaus. I'm sorry, but I can't," I said confused, walking past him. He went in front of me again. He looked wildly into my eyes searching for something, hurt showing in his eyes.
"Why, Cassandra? Is there something wrong? Please tell me, I beg you?" he asked, a pained look on his face, as if he had done me harm, by slapping me or something like it.
"I-... not here Vladislaus... later... tomorrow," I said rapidly. I looked away to seek other words to assure him. "I... love you Vladislaus, I know it! And believe I would do anything for you, but I am not ready. I want you; God knows I do, but I-... I can not! Now, you can stay here, or lead me home, either way I am going... I need time, space. I have got to think... Alone!" I said confused, looking wildly around, wanting Vladislaus to take me home, to the borrowed rooms, and hold me through the night, tightly. He looked helplessly at me, taking in what I had just said. He seemed to have read my mind and said,
"I will follow you home, Cassandra, and I-... I love you, too. Almost ever since..." he trailed off slightly, to smile at me, "Ever since I saw you for the first time. I don't want to ruin anything... to ruin this... Now, please tell me what's wrong-?"
"No! Goodnight Vladislaus," I half cried, half breathed in a pained voice, walking away, the pain of loss rushing through me. I wanted him so badly to follow me but I did not dare turn around, and make him.
'Follow me Vladislaus, please!' I thought. But he did not. I turned, stealing a glance at him as he sat down, against a house wall, with his face in his hands, sighing loudly, shaking his head lightly.
I kept walking, and I walked for a long time, beginning to think I had gotten lost. I stopped and leant against a house wall and sat down, burying my face in my knees, as I held around my legs. I heard steps to my right, but they did not belong to Vladislaus, which I had anticipated. The person who knelt down, and took up my face, belonged to Gabriel, and I realised that too late as I, very quickly, said 'I'm sorry,' and gave him a deep, but soft kiss. He didn't pull away right away but relaxed for a moment into the kiss. Then he pulled away, looking surprised, both at me and himself, actually he looked very distressed
"Gabriel, I-... excuse me," I said getting up, feeling very embarrassed.
"Cassandra, I let me follow you home. You can't wander home alone," he said walking up to me.
"Thank you Gabriel, but no thank you. I want to walk back alo- aiee!" I screamed, tripping over a loose stone and falling to my knees.
Gabriel was there in an instant, pulling me up to him by my forearms. There was complete silence around us, smoke billowing about, and my warm breath was visible in the night air. His breath warmed my face, and wasn't at all that uncomfortable. The concerned look in his eyes was replaced with spiteful longing. I was enthralled by this for a moment, but walked past him, but his hold on my forearms was tightening up and he pulled me back to him.
He looked at my eyes as if he tried to search my soul. He looked as though he was in doubt whether he should do something or not. He seemed as though he had decided, and then his lips were on mine in a second, and his tongue frantically broke through my now parted lips, which he greedily had forced open. It was hard at first but then he softened op and continued gently, as his tongue massaged mine. 'He's tried this before, for sure,' I thought. Then, guilt washed over me, and was eating me alive, as I kissed, and continued, this gentle kiss, which reminded me of Vladislaus' way of handling my lips. I pushed him away. I stood for a second looking down into the ground, before speaking, sounding rather shaken.
"Bye, Gabriel, or I will tell this to someone," I said, pushing past him.
"I am sorry, Cassandra!! I didn't mean to!" he said, sounding despaired, and choked over his actions.
I didn't care, but just continued to walk. I regretted kissing him, and if I didn't tell Vladislaus about it, I would burst with shame, and I would ask and plea for forgiveness from him. 'I would do anything for him,' I thought. I kept thinking about how stupid I was, not seeing where I went, but I was back at the Vatican, and entered and went back to bed. I decided with myself to confess tomorrow, and that I would beg for forgiveness from God, for having deceived Vladislaus.
A/N: hoped you liked it, so please continue on the path of rightiousness... and R&R!!!!
