The sea voyage was as calm as possible, well the sea in it self was calm but the (and I quote) "road trip from hell" was far from over, Aleera and Marishka continued their fight, Anna and Verona had stopped and been replaced by Olivia and Corinthia (Van Helsing was certain that they did this on purpose, so was Misha), they were now the ones causing the noise and it was the brides turns to demand ear plugs and ear muffs, they would climb the rigging, hide in the bilge and shriek at each other and, well, you can probably imagine what happened, but if you can't, here it is; they tried to assassinate each other!
When they got off the boat Pescara, Van Helsing was looking like a Zombie, the brides were messy and feeling very unladylike. Olivia and Corinthia were still in the middle of a fight and the prospect of more time spent together did not go down well with them.
"I SWEAR ON THE LUCIFER THAT I WILL DIE IF I SPEND ANYMORE TIME WITH MARISHKA!" screamed Aleera.
"I LOATH YOU" shouted Marishka. "And you can't die again anyway"
"I LOATH YOU TOO" yelled Aleera.
"I LOATHED YOU FIRST" bellowed Marishka.
"WILL...YOU...ALL...SHUT...UP!" shouted Verona, tired of their arguing.
"Of course they won't, they love fighting" said Olivia coyly. "tut, tut, so unladylike" she added, waving a finger and feigning innocents.
"But of course you are really no one to talk, Oli" said Corinthia.
"And why might that be, Cori?" asked Olivia.
"Because you enjoy fighting just as much" answered Corinthia, smirking.
"Oh please, you lot" moaned Misha. "Please shut up"
"You know what?" said Verona.
"What?" they all asked in unison.
"You are all acting like children" answered Verona. "that is, all of you except Misha because she is acting her age" she added.
"You like Misha better than us, don't you?" accused Olivia.
"You think she is perfect because she has got herself a husband" said Corinthia.
"No I don't" said Verona, trying to be patient with them. "I just think that you lot should stop fighting and try to get along, I know that we have all been cooped up together for a long time but still you should try"
"We have tried" pouted Aleera. "And I tried to stop, but Marishka wouldn't" she shot her a death glare. "She didn't want to let the fight stop, she likes it too much"
"I am with Verona" said Misha. "You should all stop fighting and get along"
"I'm with Verona and Misha" said Van Helsing as they shot him a questioning glance. "You should all stop fighting, it's just stupid and pointless"
"Right" said Verona, suddenly brisk and business like. "Misha, could you go and make certain that everything is ready, Aleera, Anna, go and check that we have everything and Marishka, Olivia and Corinthia, go and check the weapons and the maps, we don't want to meet Werewolves and be unprepared again"
They all went off to do the things they were asked to do and left Van Helsing and Verona alone; Van Helsing went off to check the horses and Verona went to look at the sea, it was beautiful, a shining mass of opaque silvery, blues, greens and greys; she had been brought up by the sea in Ostia, so close to here, she remembered so well the day when a man had come to her father and asked to court her with the intention of marriage as soon as she was of age. Draguilia. Vladislaus Dracuilia. That had been what he had said his name was. She had been giddy with excitement at the thought of marrying such a handsome man; that was until she discovered his wives as he called them, Disstaya and Pollyanna, and that she would soon become his third wife, then on the day of her twenty first birthday, they and their 'Master' as they called him had taken her and bitten her. She had hated those women, with their high pitched maniac laughter and bitching, they were always horrid to her, at least until they had had stakes put through their hearts by the Valerious family, she had nearly cried with happiness when that had happened.
"Verona" called a voice, waking her from her musings and bringing her back to the real world. "We're ready to go"
"Oh, coming" said Verona, she walked over to her horse and mounted, still lost in thoughts of her homeland and her husband.
They continued and soon they could see the Gothic architecture and massive aqueducts of Rome.
They came to the main gate and entered the city, soon, to soon to be real, the Vatican was looming over them like a huge, monotonous, fortress of God, like the forest of Dunsinane advancing; it seem so great that it blocked the very sun from the square in front of it.
They walked past the huge statues of Christ on the Cross and entered the sacred realm of the holy order, over to the big black doors and down the great marble staircase, down corridor after corridor and finally they came out into they great stone rooms and inventing area, full of the fathers and fryers of the new Roman church.
"Van Helsing?" called a voice. "Van Helsing is that really you? You've been in England for ages!"
"Carl!" cried Van Helsing, embracing the young man. "It's great to see you again! And, as in answer to your questions: yes it really is me, and yes I have been in England for ages"
"Good and I hope you're not such a bastard now, I can see you've found yourself another woman" said Carl. "Or seven" he added after counting. "You must introduce us, Van Helsing"
"Oh right" said Van Helsing. "This is my fiancée, Misha and these are Verona, Aleera and Marishka, I think you know them (a horrified look from Carl) these are Misha's friends, Olivia Grey and Corinthia Merola from England and you know Anna Valerious"
"God, Anna, it can't be you" whispered Carl, looking dumbfounded. "You...you died"
"I did" said Anna. "But God said I could come back"
"And um, how come the brides are back, Van Helsing?" asked Carl
"Lets just say that the Lucifer said they could" said Van Helsing. "Dracula's back too and, well, we've come here to do some research on a vampire called Viktor Vesorion. Prince Viktor Vesorion, you know him?"
"No" said Carl. "But the name 'Vesorion' rings a bell, yes it definitely rings a bell"
Authers Note: Oh I hope you like suspence 'cause there is lots to come. Just for those who have, possibly, been wondering, Lucifer is another word forthe Devil.