Chapter 8: Are You Lecturing Me?
AN: Told 'ya this was the longest chapter. Three pages, personal record. I'm having a fcking hard time trying to get past this one point in chapter ten. It sucks. I have the whole rest of the chapter planned out but can't seem to get them to leave. (you'll understand) but I thought, what the hell? I'll post this chap anyway. 'Ta blazes with my plan. I don't need it anyway.
I will RUE this one day. I know it. Oh well.
I spent the next few days planing my dress for the festival. Deciding to try something different, and to stand out from the Brides whom I suspected would be wearing their usual tinted white, I went with the theme of red and black. The dress was made of black satin with a tight waist (but I absolutely refused to don a corset!) which led to a sweeping black skirt opening on a deep red petticoat embroidered in gold. The bodice had a similar red and gold stomacher. The neckline was broad and square, alibi a tad low, and the bell sleeves were slightly puffed from shoulder to elbow, where they were gathered by a gold band.
I figured that the masked ball's guest list, since Dracula was going, wasn't going to be entirely human. Keeping that in mind, I planned that my only jewelry was going to be my silver cross pendant. It had been in the pocket of my nightdress when I came here. That should discourage any impromptu snacking.
I hoped.
The task of nearly four days completed, I finally left my room in search of some other pastime. I am, I thought as I prowled around various hallways, I think, doomed to a life of endless wandering, at this rate anyway. There is nothing interesting here.
Wrong.
I think it was at the third floor above ground level that I stumbled upon the library, and a marvelous one at that, containing rows upon rows of bound volumes stacked neatly on shelves nearly as tall as the large vaulted ceiling.
"Glory," I whispered, running a finger lovingly along the spine of a book. I had always admired Lord Cyril's library, on the occasion that I had been in there to clean or such. Even though the large bay window was missing, the library still felt very warm and familiar. Maybe all libraries were just like that. The fire in the ornamental fireplace had died down, so I built it up before inspecting the contents of the shelves.
Hmm, Torture Methods of the 15th Century? I think not. Better try a less violent section. A History of Money: Politics Behind Coin Production!? Boring! Oh… this looks interesting. I pulled a heavy tome off the shelf and staggering slightly under its weight, set it down on a table. It was a reference book on supernatural and mystical creatures that I was used to discarding as merely myths.
Hee hee. Wrong again.
Well, I'm living in a vampire's castle. The thought of what some on my friends among the servants would say if they found that one out amused me to no end. Curling up in an oversized armchair and balancing the book on my lap, I couldn't decide if they would run in terror, bemoan my 'sad and sorry fate' while dividing my small paycheck between them, or mount a rescue attempt.
The last was so far-fetched and laughable that I wondered what had possessed me to think of it in the first place. I laughed at the mental image of Mikal charging the castle on a horse, sword in hand. He'd kill himself before he even got to the door.
'You seem happy.'
I groaned to myself, cursing as I focused on an illustration of a Chimera.
'And? Listen Dracula, if you've got a point to make, make it and leave me alone.'
'That was cold.' His mental voice was amused.
'So? If you'll excuse me, I'm trying to read.'
"That's actually a relatively interesting book." I jumped about a foot and cursed again as I realized he was leaning over the back of the chair.
Damn it.
"Have you been reading over my shoulder the whole time?" I demanded, perversely irritated with him. I hated that ability that allowed vampires to move so quickly from one place to another.
"Such language. And no, I just came in to see where you've been hiding for the past four days."
"I thought you're little mind-bond could locate where I was," I pointed out.
"The general area, not a specific spot in a certain room."
"Mmph." Shrugging, I turned back to my book and pointedly ignored him. However, when I looked up five minutes later, he was still there, alibi searching through the shelves. To my extreme embarrassment, my stomach picked that time to growl with hunger. With a sigh, resigned at having to ask him for help, I stood, smoothed my burgundy skirts, and placed my book on the desk. Crossing the library, I tapped Dracula on the shoulder.
"Um…sorry to bother you, but…" I trailed off. He turned.
"Hungry?"
I nodded slightly and also to my extreme embarrassment, felt a blush spread over my face. To make matters worse, Dracula noticed this as he led me out of the room and laughed.
"Your face is really the most interesting shade of red, Destiny."
I muttered something that, while it adequately expressed my feelings on the matter, could not be repeated in polite society.
Causing him to shake his head in mock-disapproval. "Where you learned a phrase like that…" he said, patting my cheek. I growled slightly, debating whether to bite his thumb or not. Seeing as we'd finally reached a dining room, I decided not. But judging by the way he pulled his hand away with a slight smirk, I wouldn't have succeeded anyway.
A dark wooden table in the middle of the room contained just enough food for one human of an average appetite. I had no idea where it came from, but it looked good. I took one of the high-backed chairs, Dracula took another.
Vampires. I snorted. Masters of creepy lurking and not good for much else. Bothersome, irritating creatures. I stabbed a piece of meat with my fork and chewed thoughtfully, looking around absently.
"What happened?" I pointed my fork at his hand, specifically, the one I'd noticed was missing a finger. "To your finger?" Picking up the goblet, I took a sip of water.
He looked down at the stub of his ring finger.
"An old…friend was so kind as to remove it for me," he said tightly, clenching his other fist tightly, as if he were imagining strangling this person who'd cut it off, probably when he was mortal, because vampires regenerated pretty quickly. Obviously he really hated this guy, his whole face was tensed and his eyes looked almost electric blue.
Bang. The sound of my cup being brought forcefully down on the table caused Dracula to look up.
"If you hit me because of some personal vendetta against someone long dead," I told him sternly, "Then know I will hit you back, harder, and in a place you won't like very much."
While it didn't have exactly the effect I intended, he did calm down slightly.
"Are you lecturing me?" he asked wryly. I scowled at him.
"Yes." I was nothing but defiant in that. He gave a short laugh.
"No one has lectured me in 300 years."
"It's about time too," I muttered.
"I heard that."
The picture of maturity, I stuck my tongue out at him. It gave me childish satisfaction (well, I was only eighteen. What did you expect?). "You were supposed to."
"Your maturity astounds me."
The hilarity of this situation finally dawned on me and I laughed, really laughed for the first time since I'd been brought to his castle. Here I was, lecturing and bantering with the Dracula, blood-sucker extraordinar, over dinner of all things! Which reminded me. I'd been here a week and not needed a meal 'til today. So I asked him.
"You're immortal," Dracula said by way of explanation. "You won't need to eat as often."
"Mmph," was my only comment. "Verona told me about Budapest, by the way. Sounds interesting."
"Oh it most assuredly is. Budapest is so…alive, if you know what I mean." To which I gave a slight shudder. "That reminds me." He looked at my thoughtfully. I put down the remainder of my bread.
"What?"
"We will need to teach you how to fly. It's the fastest way to get there and I can imagine it would not be comfortable to be carried for two days."
Flying. The word filled me with so much joyful anticipation that I did something that even to this day still surprises me.
I flung my arms around his neck and kissed him, before running off through the castle, my euphoric laughter bouncing off the stone walls.
Please help appease my conscious and review. That'll trick it into thinking I did the right thing. Kekeke.