Where You Truly Belong
Areyah awoke suddenly a vivid dream crashing through her mind with the subtlety of a herd of elephants. She saw a young woman running through the dead of night, through the village and she stopped outside the bakery and placed the small bundle in her arms as carefully as she could on the doorstep and placed a letter inside it.
"Please darling, don't cry, I love you so much my heart is breaking, but I'll always be here and someday you'll know the truth, you're better protected here, from Dracula and my family." The woman whispered before running away through the dark.
"Anna!" Areyah called but she didn't look back and Areyah ran over to the little bundle where she knew she'd see herself.
Areyah realized her dream was probably the past and she scowled, no doubt it was Dracula's doing. She sat up and realized she was in a rather large bedroom and had been placed on a king-size bed. She stepped off the bed and looked around herself in wonder, directly opposite the bed was the ebony wood door, and to the right of the bed were two glass doors that lead onto a balcony. On the left wall there was a huge ebony bookcase stacked with old novels and a plush red leather chair. Directly next to her bed on the left side was a huge wardrobe, also made of ebony, and on the right there was a little chest of drawers with a lamp set on top of them. And finally she noticed an old writing desk in the corner near the balcony, and it was covered with sheets of parchment and quills. The whole room was painted crimson and even the bedspread followed the black and red design.
Areyah ran over to the wardrobe and pulled it open gasping as the saw the beautiful clothes inside.
"All chosen by Aleera, Marishka and myself." A quiet voice murmured behind her. Areyah whirled around and saw Verona stood in front of her.
"Good evening Verona," Areyah smiled politely, though secretly she felt hatred coursing through her blood.
"Good evening Areyah, would you like me to help you choose a dress and please, darling, I have not yet eaten and your hatred only proves to make the smell of your blood more enticing." Verona replied, smiling. Areyah calmed herself and frowned, this vampire did not seem to ant her dead, perhaps she could find out more about herself, her past.
"I shall tell you more of yourself Areyah, but only after you have washed dressed and dined with me, now go!" Verona pushed Areyah out of the room and her melodic voice followed,
"The bathroom is first on the right, make sure you lock the door!"
Areyah sighed and went into the bathroom and ran herself a bath. As she bathed she thought of what Verona might tell her. She finally got out and dried herself and wrapped herself in a red silk dressing gown and walked into her room where Verona was waiting.
"Areyah! I have your things ready for you, come and meet me in the dining room when you are ready, turn right and go along this corridor, you'll eventually come to some stairs, go down them and turn right and it's the room directly in front of you." Verona disappeared before her eyes and Areyah stepped back a little in shock. Glancing at the bed she saw the clothes Verona had picked for her, a red corset trimmed with black lace and a long black skirt. Verona had also laid out some jewellery and make-up for her and Areyah dressed readily in the finery she hadn't even had the privilege to touch before. Areyah dressed quickly leaving her hair flowing free. She ran down the corridors and arrived at the dining room just as Verona ordered some food to be set down. Aleera and Marishka were sat with her and beckoned her to sit with them. As Areyah slipped into the seat she noticed all three vampires had a silver goblet in their hands filled with ruby red liquid, Areyah didn't like to think what it was.
"Darling you look beautiful!" Verona smiled.
"Oh, you're wearing the necklace!" Marishka gasped and smiled touching the silver chain around her neck picking up the pendant of a black bat, it's feet clasped around a red ruby in the shape of a blood droplet. Areyah glanced at Aleera and saw how resentful she was towards her and decided something needed to be done.
"Aleera, I'm sorry for injuring you, I was desperate and did not know then what I do now, do you accept my apology?" she asked swallowing down the repulsive feeling she felt.
"Of course! Darling I know exactly what you mean!" Aleera smiled, but her eyes were still frozen cold and narrowed filled with a flaming hate and jealousy. Areyah was shocked. Jealousy of what? The other two bride's attentions? Dracula's attention? Areyah picked up her glass goblet in front of her and took a sip of wine. It was warm and sweet but with a bitter taste at the back of her throat, almost instantly she knew it was mixed with blood. She smiled slightly but set it down with a cold look on her face.
"I don't belong here, I don't belong anywhere…" Areyah said with disgust standing up from her seat at the table. She picked up the goblet pouring the liquid to the floor before dropping it to the floor and watching the shards spin across the room. She turned and fled the room, running through the corridors, tears streaming down her face, her make-up running down her face, she ran through her room and out onto the balcony, the rain pouring down, soaking her through in minutes.
"Why?" she screamed as she leant over the edge, "Why me? Why couldn't I be part of a normal family, away from this godforsaken place? I want a mother, I want a father, I want to be oblivious to anything but the happiness of having parents instead of being daughter of vampire and a princess who never wanted me! I want… I want…" She slipped to the floor, sobbing, soaked to the skin, distraught. She felt arms around her and pick her up gently.
"My dear, all these things you cannot have, except a father, though I'm afraid I'm a little lacking when it comes to it." Dracula breathed as she sobbed into his shoulder. He ran his fingers through her hair and sighed, the one thing that she needed though, he couldn't give, wasn't able to give, as much as he was protective of her he couldn't giver her love.
"Areyah, you do belong somewhere now, this is where you truly belong." He walked into her bedroom the balcony doors slamming behind him, placing her on the bed he smiled, kissed her gently on the forehead and swept out of the room.
"Verona!" He called as he walked down the corridor to the library, she appeared in front of him, anxious about Areyah.
"Watch her, make sure she is comfortable, I will not have time for her at the moment as regretful as that is, Gabriel Van Helsing has been alerted about our return, I must deal with him." Verona nodded and disappeared down the corridor, and Dracula's feature's hardened,
"This time, I cannot be defeated."
Areyah changed into a clean and dry red velvet dress and sighed.
"Why does his nature change so much, he is vicious but gently, kind but cruel and he is my father, and I cannot accept that, oh why must I be in this situation?" she cried as she sat in the armchair. She stood up and began searching for books on vampires, on Dracula, somehow she had to find out his history and she was prepared to risk anything.
