Lightning clashed outside the castle dining room's window. I, Watson, Helsing and our gracious host, Alucard took our seat at the long dining table in the somewhat lit dining room. I sat the opposite of Alucard. Watson sat to my right. Helsing sat near the middle on the left and Alucard sat at the very end, near the entrance across from me. Alucard lifted his hands in the air and clapped them together, calling for our meals. Through the curtain on left came a woman. But not just any woman. It was in fact the woman we were sent here to find.
"Mina, please, greet our guests." said Alucard.
Mina curtsied to us all, which seemed to have angered Helsing.
"What did you do to her you devil?!?" shouted Helsing, standing from his chair.
"Nothing." answered Alucard "She... and I... are engaged to be married."
Alucard took Mina by the hand, who seemed to be rather... unaware of her surroundings.
"My dear..." spoke Alucard softly towards Mina "Please bring in the meals."
Without saying a word Mina stumbled back to the curtain and went back into the room behind it. Helsing, who looked unamused, sat back in his seat. Admittedly the whole thing seemed strange, but I didn't question it. I only sat there, waiting for the dazed woman to come back with the food.
After the dinner Watson, Helsing and I went to our rooms to get some rest. Although neither did much sleeping. I heard a knock on my door. When I opened it Watson stepped in, looking rather frazzled.
"Holmes, I believe it is best we left this castle." said Watson, trying to gather himself.
"We can't Watson."
"Why not?"
"We promised that we would find Mina Harker first." I inform my nervous partner, closing the door behind me.
"We found her. She was downstairs serving us."
"No. That was not her."
"What? Wasn't her? You've seen her picture, it looked just like her."
"I am aware of that Watson." I said, taking the photo of Mina from my coat and showing it to Watson "Do you notice something in the picture Watson?"
"No. Am I supposed to?"
"Look closely at her hands."
"There's a wedding ring on her finger." breathed Watson after examining the photograph.
"Exactly." I said, tearing the photo from Watson's hand "How can a woman go missing, end up in a castle, married to the gracious host, yet have a wedding ring from someone else?"
"Unless she left her previous husband." suggested Watson.
"But normally women would keep their wedding rings on their fingers." I exclaimed "And if you didn't notice, the woman that served us had no ring."
"Maybe it's likely she threw it away, sold it, anything could have happened to it."
"I suppose." I pondered "But that look in her eyes... she didn't look like she wanted to even be in the same room as everyone else."
"Maybe she was shy." explained Watson "Most people get that way around strangers. It's possible she's one of them."
"Watson, weren't you just saying that we must leave this castle?"
"I was, but now I think I'll stay." yawned Watson "You don't mind if I retire in this room tonight do you? The bed in the room was too hard."
"Of course. Feel free to take the bed and I'll sleep in the chair." I answered, pointing to the green chair on the right of the bed.
"Oh no Holmes, I don't want you to sleep in that uncomfortable chair."
"Well I'm not going to sleep with you, if that's what you're thinking." I joked.
"No no." laughed Watson "I just don't want you to have a restless night tonight. I feel you really need it."
"I appreciate the concern, but I'm afraid I won't be doing much sleeping tonight."