The child awoke with a start several hours later. She found herself lying on a roughly made wooden cot, with a beautiful lady leaning over her.
"Good. You're awake" she said, in a thick Romanian accent.
"Who are you! Why am I here! I suggest you take me back to my house. I'm a Valerious. I have much power in Transylvania. I would not suggest doing any harm to me"
Verona turned her back to her.
"And I would not suggest annoying a Dragulia. You may have power, but are you immortal?"
The child swallowed hard. This was not good at all.
Tell me your name, child" Verona spoke kindly to the child of her mortal enemy.
"Dianna"
"Dianna. Now that you're awake, I'll introduce you to Sera. Get off the cot"
Dianna complied. Verona's long-nailed fingers wrapped around her arm and walked her to a huge pair of double doors. She rapped on them, then they open. There, on a large four-poster bed, was a small girl, who appeared to be about her own age. But the similarities ended there.
Where Dianna was muscled from work, and sturdily built, this girl was tall, slim and looked as though she had never worked a day in her life. Dianna's eyes were green-blue. Sera's were a deep and piercing emerald. Dianna had slightly wavy brown hair, Sera had black, silky, stick-straight ebony locks. And while Dianna had a face tanned and weather-beaten, this child had a beautiful moon-pale face, marred only by a massive scar from temple to temple. She stepped in, shyly, and Verona closed the door.
"Come. Sit on the bed" commanded Sera. Dianna did.
"Who are you? Are the vampires keeping you here too? Did Dracula do that to you?" gasped Dianna, gesturing at the gash across Sera's face.
"Oh no! Daddy would never hurt me" A horrible, vicious smirk spread across her mouth as Dianna realized, in horror, whom she was speaking to.
"D-Dracula...is your father?"
Sera merely curled her lip, exposing a long fang.
"Oh my God" whispered the young Valerious.
"God won't help you here" she spat the word God as if it made a bad taste in her mouth.
"There's only me...and you"
She lunged. In a single second, Dianna whipped out the cross she wore about her neck, and held it before her, pressing it into the flesh that showed above the vampire's nightdress. A horrible hiss escaped Sera, and she recoiled. The skin had burnt black against her chalky paleness, and steamed slightly. Sera closed her eyes, tears spiking her eyelashes, fists clenched, and willed the skin to close over the wound. It did, but slowly. Ever so slowly. Dianna watched in horrified disbelief. Suddenly, her foes hand shot out and grabbed her by the neck. For all the muscle she seemed to lack, she was strong. Inhumanly so. Suddenly, the doors opened again. Dracula stood, framed in the doorway. Sera dropped Dianna guiltily.
"Master" she bowed her head. Dracula smiled.
"You can have her when I am through with her" he said, speaking as though Dianna wasn't there.
"You are most kind, master"
Dracula sighed. He really preferred father or papa. But...
"You. Come with me" Dracula gestured at the terrified Valerious girl. She was breathing heavily, her eyes glazed with fear. Sera snarled, catlike, at the girl, and Dracula grabbed her by the base of the neck, eyes a weird blue/brown shade between happiness and anger. Dianna did not faint, but her entire body trembled, and she had gone very white. He strode from the room, the girl on her toes to keep from being strangled. Sera laughed, wiping away a fake tear, then laughing.
"Goodbye" she whispered into the ever-darkening room. Midnight approached. Sera left her bed and chose a dress, green/blue layered silk, and stepped, barefoot, down the stairs. Her huge eyes picked out three Dwergi, roasting something large and disgusting, in a corner, and her aunt, Aleera, looking bored in the other. Sera loved Aleera. She was the youngest, and more prone to childlike actions. Sera ran to her.
"Auntie Aleera! They found a Valerious child! Did you hear? Did Master tell you?"
Aleera grasped her by the hands and swept her in a circle.
"This is good news, Sera!" she purred. Sera gave her aunt a kiss on her cold, dead cheek and skipped from the room.
---
Aleera sat upon the bed in her chambers, the pink silk tickling her bare feet, which were curled beneath her. Marishka combed her hair with diligence, working small snarls from her companion's thick red curls.
"The Valerious child! Can you believe it?" Marishka asked.
"I can" Aleera said vaguely. Marishka looked at her.
"What do you mean?"
Aleera smirked.
"He was a fit, healthy, handsome mortal man. He must have had a wife somewhere or another he was hiding from us. Remember Annika Valerious?"
"Boris's wife? Yessss" Marishka purred, her eyes alighting gold.
"She screamed loudly that one..."
Aleera turned her head to look at Marishka.
"Exactly my point. We killed the wives first...every single one. Velkan was smart enough to hide his away, and their child as well"
Marishka blinked.
"You're right, sister" she placed a long nail, painted gaudily with gold polish, to her chin.
Aleera got up, tossing the fat, shiny curls over her shoulder.
"Let's ask the master if we can go to the city...I need a new dress for the ball anyway"
Marishka gave her a look of complete astonishment.
Aleera threw open her wardrobe. Hundreds of lavish gowns in various colors and bedecked with precious stones were stuffed inside. Marishka nodded wisely.
"I see what you mean...come on"
---
"Masterr..." whined Aleera. "Please?"
Dracula stared stonily at her.
"I don't like the idea of you going into Budapest by yourself. It's a long fly there and Van Helsing is about"
Aleera widened her brown eyes to their full extent, fluttering her long ginger lashes.
"I'll take Marishka. Please Master..." she looked at the ground modestly. "In the recent events...Van Helsing and Sera and all...we could all use some fun"
Dracula swept his arm in a derisive gesture.
"Fine. But take Verona as well. She needs to spend more time for herself"
Aleera smiled her thanks and curtsied extravagantly, flaunting her cleavage quite nicely. He smirked, and she left.
It was cold, and Budapest was a long way away, especially if you're flying there several thousand feet in the air. By the time they touched down in a shadowy, secluded corner behind a store, all three were glad for the long sleeves and heavy skirts of the gowns they had chosen.
"I feel so...-" Aleera started, eyeing the heavy fabric of her dress.
"Not naked?" Verona said sardonically. Aleera glared playfully at her.
"Common" Aleera said. Verona shrugged understandingly. Their normal wear was sheer, revealing, and exposed as much flesh as possible. Preferably encrusted with jewels.
"Come on...Budapest has too many shops, and we have too little time" Marishka said, taking off as fast as her gold heels would allow. The other followed.
Verona found a dress quickly, and purchased it with no fuss. Marishka took longer, but fell in love with the gown she found, and would not let it out of her arms until it was safely boxed. Aleera took the longest, trying to decide the image she was trying to go for at the ball. The Master always dressed in black, and it would be utterly picturesque to match him, but then again, Aleera love bright color and pattern. Finally she chose, and ended up quite happy with her decision.
The dressed were packaged and sent to the Summer Palace, where the servants would put them away until the ball. But Verona made one more purchase before they once more took to the skies, and packaged it secretly, and handed it to the salesman. Neither Aleera nor Marishka could really keep a secret anyway.
((Argh, short, I know. But the next chapter will be really fun! The MASQUERADE BALL!))