Your Princess is in Another Castle
Chapter Five: All Water Under the Bridge
Bella swore she was slowly losing her mind. The imprisonment was digging in under her skin, making her itch, turning her mind hyperactive on thoughts she should not be having. Other princesses might be content in staying put, in making a tapestry even, but Bella was not that type of princess. She had learned to fight before she had learned to speak politely. She had learned to ride horses before she had learned how to dance. She hated impassivity. She wanted action.
Lord forgive her, she was almost craving Victoria's company now because she was dreadfully bored. There was only so much reading and staring out windows one could do. She found the vampryess a sight for sore eyes and enjoyed feasting upon her good looks with dreary and resigned eyes.
Bella began to wander the castle, looking for an excuse to run into the red haired woman but she remained elusive, even when Bella did her best to rage and destroy the furniture there. She would kick over chairs, knock books off shelves and rip down paintings. But no matter what work she did, she would turn around and find them back in place. It was maddening. It was infuriating. And Bella was powerless to do anything about it.
And then one day she stumbled into a secret room, all the way up on the top most floor, hidden behind closed doors. It was a garden of sorts. Full of plants brimming with life. And Bella wondered what they were here for, for surely vampryes did not eat so all these herbs served no purpose. Bella gazed upon them, inhaling their wonderful scents and bent over to touch a vivid rose that was so big and beautiful. Slender fingers outstretched she reached for it, but before she could so much as touch it an angry voice snarled out at her.
"What do you think you are doing?"
Bella was so startled she lept back and cut her finger on a thorn. She barely had time to register the pain when Victoria was in front of her in big angry strides. She looked furious. "What are you doing here in my garden?!"
This was Victoria's place? Who knew the vamprye had a penchant for gardening. And she was highly defensive of it, given the barely concealed trembling of her body. Of the shaking going through it. And the way her eyes flashed like hot iron. "I stumbled upon here," Bella said as evenly as she could. She did not want Victoria launching herself at her. Bella had intentions on making it out alive from this dreaded castle.
"You do not get to come here. This is off limits!" Victoria's growl cut off midway as her nostrils twitched. Her eyes narrowed in on Bella's hand and with quick motions she wretched her hand up. Bella let out a little hiss of pain at the rough touch.
"Would you care to be more gentle?" she cried out, trying to pull free but knowing it would be futile. Victoria's grip was like iron and it hurt more than the simple cut. Yet, the vampyre for all her good hearing could not hear Bella's words. She kept on staring at Bella's finger, at the tiny red drop there as if it held all the secrets to life.
"Victoria?" Bella questioned hesitantly, unsure as what to do next. Her heart thumped wildly in her chest and it only seemed to draw Victoria closer to Bella, until there was barely a breath between them. Now Bella was getting really worried. Was she in danger? Would the vamprye suck her dry?
Her throat bobbed as she swallowed nervously, uncertain as to what to do next. Victoria did nothing except stare, her gaze intensely focused. It seemed like she was fighting an internal battle.
The vampire was utterly immobilized. Entranced, by Bella's blood. Suddenly Bella had an idea. An idea that was unsavory and dangerous but that might just work. She needed it to work. She was going to lose her mind otherwise.
She would use her blood to draw Victoria away from her senses. To distract her. And then she would make her bid for freedom, finally. She could bleed herself and then place the blood somewhere to lead Victoria on an incorrect trail before heading out in the utter other direction. Victoria would not notice Bella's disappearance until Bella was hopefully, long and truly gone.
But first, she would need to confirm some facts for her own satisfaction.
At long last the vamprye pulled herself free of what ever inner turmoil was going on inside her and dropped Bella's hand as if it singed her, offended her personally. She took two trembling steps back and pressed a hand to her nose to stifle the scent of Bella from her. "You need to depart. Hastily!" and Bella did not think to question that, simply did as asked.
As she left she noticed Victoria stagger over to the balcony window for fresh air.
Bella wondered if all human blood affected vampryes like this. Or if it was only Victoria that was affected by human blood in such a manner. Bella hurried off to her bedchambers to scheme up yet another plan for her escape.
This one would take careful timing and placement. And that became difficult when it quickly dawned on Bella that Victoria was keeping her distance around her. This must be a resultant of the blood incident in the garden and it frustrated Bella. How else was she to get close enough to Victoria to test out her thesis on Victoria becoming drawn and distracted by Bella's blood. The princess knew this was a deadly game she was playing. The vampyress could just as easily dispatch Bella if she lost control of herself. But Bella was becoming increasingly desperate for freedom, for seeing her betrothed and for reuniting with her family.
She felt like a madwoman possessed to achieve her goals. And she knew if she kept her cross around her neck it would offer her some protection from the vamprye as they reputedly did not like crosses. With no time to spare, she set her little experiment into motion. Using the fish knife she had stolen from the kitchens in the prior days, she sliced the palm of her hand open.
The sting was mighty and she got a bit dizzy looking at all that blood but she clenched her hand tight, hid her knife back in her drawer and exited into the hall, intent on seeking out Victoria. She needed to know how much blood would keep the vamprye transfixed for a long enough window of time for Bella to disappear. She was going to smear it on a nearby pillar and then watch from the distance on how long Victoria stood there. She did not get that far.
As the blood dribbled from her palm, crimson red on pale white, Bella hurried on, hoping the cut was not too deep for it to heal. She had not taken more than twenty paces when she suddenly found herself whirled against the flagstones in a burst of cold air.
The gasp hitched in her throat and she found herself staring into the blackened eyes of Victoria. Bella has never seen such dark eyes, so big that the pupil is eaten up. So intense that Bella feels drawn towards them even as they spell her doom.
She froze, heart thumping in her chest like a caged animal. Victoria had one hand pinned by Bella's head, body angled towards her, trapping her in, other hand holding her bleeding hand in a vice like grip.
Mesmerized, Victoria lifted the bleeding hand up closer to her face and Bella worried, will she become supper? Will this be the end? Or will this work? Will Victoria be distracted enough before she snaps back to reality that Bella can exploit this weakness of hers? Victoria's tongue flicks against plump lips, eyes lidded, nostrils flaring with each intake, as if she can't get enough of the smell of Bella's blood.
A small whimper exits Bella's throat but it's the most she can do, suddenly too scared and entranced by Victoria's near idolization of her crimson life force to do anything. Why had she thought this would be a good idea? It was not. If the monster lost control than it was over for her. Bella should have simply drained a bucket of her own blood and left it to Victoria's devices.
She is filled with instantaneous regret and wishes she could change things, but it is too late for that.
Slowly, almost as if afraid, as if trying to fight something that quickly buckles under her sheer desire, Victoria lays her lips against the blood streaming from the cut. She lets out a moan, opening her mouth, letting her tongue roam freely. The taste of this blood, so rich and heady. She lets out another moan before she can stop it, lost to the sensations of the sweet dance on her taste buds. She laps everything up dutifully, Bella's fingers clenching and unclenching at each ministration. Victoria's tongue is wicked and it does something to Bella's stomach, sends electricity shooting down her arm and to it.
Victoria follows the deep cut, all the way up to the tip of Bella's middle finger, flicking off the last drop of blood there. Bella's hand is no longer bleeding, clean of blood but wet with vampyre saliva that tingles against her skin. Victoria does not let go, instead lowering the hand but twining her own fingers with it, cold against hot.
"V-victoria, what are you doing?" Bella asks in a whisper, fearing for her own safety. The vampyress's face is dark, eyes glazed over with hunger and a look that stops and starts Bella's heart. She's only ever seen it on men's faces towards her when they have less than pure intentions. It is lust.
Victoria nears and Bella shrinks under her, trying to become one with the wall. "Victoria, stop. James has forbidden you from biting me." Bella's voice wavers and she wishes she was stronger, wishes she had the strength to wretch herself free and fight this demon latching onto her.
But she is human and her free hand goes to beat upon Victoria's shoulder, doing nothing to the vampyress, her fist's blows like water down a duck's back. Victoria's other hand comes up, cranes Bella's neck up as her hips press against the princess's. Her dark red eyes follow the vein running through the smooth neck and Bella knows her frightened pulse will likely be very visible and only tempt the monster more. She wills herself to calm down but how can she when she is about to be bitten and drained of life?
"Victoria, you cannot kill me! Stop it!" she cries out, hoping her words will register with the redhead. But Victoria's lips are already on Bella's neck, brushing gently and among her fear another reaction registers with Bella: arousal.
She cannot fathom her body's own reaction. She is betrayed by it. Why does she feel this way when Victoria is about to harm her? But something deep in her body tells her that will not happen, that if Victoria had intended to, it would already have already been over before she knew it. Victoria's motions are slow, tentative and her lips come down in a kiss on Bella's neck right over her jugular. There is no pinprick of teeth, just the wet administration of a tongue all the way up the underside of Bella's jaw. And now Bella is trembling not out of fear but for another reason. Anticipation.
Her free hand curls around Victoria's shoulder, relaxing and smoothing the material of her shirt there before it trails up to Victoria's locks. They are thick and silky and Bella cannot help herself from threading her fingers there. To pull Victoria's head away, she assures herself except it does not happen. Not yet. Victoria kisses down Bella's collarbone, down to where her cross is. It has no affect on her except that it hangs in the way of Bella's skin. She growls in frustration and that only makes the burn inside Bella stronger.
She finds herself shaking now, needing to hold onto Victoria to stay up despite wanting her far away. The hold on her left hand has loosened and she lets it wrap around Victoria's waist. She no longer knows what she wants. Prior she had been afraid of her fate at Victoria's fangs, but now she is oddly sure that the woman will not hurt her. Victoria has other ideas on her mind. Designs that Bella does not comprehend the vampryess should have of her, especially since they do not get along.
Perhaps blood lust and lust are linked together? Either way, Bella has a hard time deciding what to do since these ministrations feel so heavenly. A small groan slips out her lips and it makes Victoria's head jerk up. She cocks her head, intrigued by Bella's sound before burying her lips in Bella's neck and sucking hard on the pale skin there. Bella has to try hard to not let her eyes roll into the back of her head.
Victoria once more jerks her head up when Bella unwillingly lets a groan out of her mouth. This time, she nears their faces, her breath cold yet so delicious smelling on Bella's lips.
It is when Bella sees Victoria's eyes dip to her lips that reality jars her abruptly. What is this behavior she is conducting? It is foul! And not like herself!
She has laid herself nearly bare at the monster's behest. Her eyes flare open and she gasps loudly, a noise that startles Victoria. She pulls away, enough that Bella can maneuver out if she so wishes. Victoria's eyes remain dark and her speech redacted.
Bella feels shame and guilt flood her. She had fallen under the monster's spell. Had almost...had almost shared passion with her! Bella is a mess. She cannot stand to be here any longer. To be next to Victoria.
Bella runs, for she knows not what else to do. She runs and locks herself into her room, pacing by her bed, clenching her hurt hand and unmarred hand touching the spot on her neck where Victoria's sweet caresses lay. Her heart thumps and her stomach churns as the spot between her legs burns.
This is wrong. Wrong in so many measures.
Her body should not have reacted the way it did, yet it had. This could not be because Bella felt some sort of affection for the vampryess. Why would she? Victoria had been nothing but rude to her, had done nothing but hold her against her will here. She was Bella's enemy and despite her dashing good looks, she was evil. She was planning to hurt Edward's family.
It simply had to be because Bella's body had not had human contact in a long while. That was why her body had greedily latched onto what Victoria offered. Yes, that had to be it. Yet, even as Bella concluded this, her mind and soul and body revolted against the idea.
Tis not the case, they told her in unison. Victoria's motions and touches had felt so very welcome. So very right in a life that had gone so very wrong. Bella had wanted them, had welcomed them. A part inside of her, a part very deeply buried and just now struggling awake, told her there was some secret connection between her and Victoria. A connection she needed to explore.
Bella could not have that. She shook her head. She loved Edward. And only him.
With a cry of despair Bella threw herself onto her bed. Her hands were shaking and she felt lost and confused. As she glanced down at her hand she saw that it was all healed. No scar left behind. Almost as if Victoria's mouth was magic.
Bella briefly wondered where else that mouth could go and what else it could do that would feel like magic as well. As soon as that thought crossed her mind she banished it with despair growing in her chest. She got to her knees and bent her head down, clutching the cross around her neck. The cross that could not harm Victoria.
She chanted prayer after prayer under her breath, begging for God's forgiveness. For Edward's forgiveness. Asking God to give her the strength to resist Victoria. She stayed like that even as her knees cried in protest, even as the sun dipped behind the horizon and sister moon came out.
She was only paused when Victoria barged into her room, disregarding the lock on the door. "We need to talk," she said gruffly, eyes trained to the left of Bella's face.
"I think not after you conducted yourself like a heathen. Barging into my room, pining me against the wall and thrusting your foul mouth on me."
"I did not mean to," Victoria grit out behind clenched teeth.
"And I do not mean to listen. I am in the middle of prayer, or does that not mean anything to you barbarians?"
"Praying to God will not lessen your sin," Victoria scoffed sharply and this caused Bella to whirl to her feet, fuming, because an insecurity was touched upon. She feared that indeed God would not forgive her for her indiscretions towards the holy union of her love for Edward.
"And what would you know about God?"
"I know enough of him that his symbols do not hurt me. That he listens to my prayers as he does yours."
"And how would you know that?"
"The cross on your neck will do me no harm. As neither would walking into a church. It only hurts those who do evil. And I came...close to almost losing my immunity to such things," Victoria said, and her tone softened here. It almost sounds like she might apologize genuinely. She walked a little to Bella's window, gazing out into the night sky. "To drink human blood turns us to evil. Forcefully gained blood, of course, especially if the taking of it kills the gifter. If it is given mutually than it is fine. And those who drink human blood are marked with red eyes. Those who do not, have golden eyes, for they feast on animal blood and other substitutes."
Bella is wary of Victoria's presence. Ever since the incident earlier in the day, she cannot trust the woman to behave. And neither can she trust her own body. Her neck tingles where Victoria's lips set upon it and she hates how her body cannot be disgusted by such a caress. "Why are you telling me this?" Bella barks out and stands on the other side of her bed to give her space.
"Because, I suppose, I want to explain to you that...that your blood has an odd draw on me. You see, vampryes are naturally inclined towards blood. The blood lust at first is practically insatiable and uncontrollable. But with time and expertise and guidance, it can be controlled, can be dampened, until it barely scratches the mind. It becomes only a necessity not a desire and so any kind of blood is right for consumption. I have not desired blood in the way I do yours in a long time." Victoria paused here, taking in a breath she did not need to continue.
Bella felt her stomach clench. Victoria was attracted to her blood? Was that not dangerous? Why would James put her in her care then, when Victoria was unstable?
"And what does that mean for me?" burst out of Bella before she could contain herself.
"It means that I need to control myself better when I am around you. Typically it is not a tremendous effort. I simply do not affect breathing around you and thus do not draw in your scent. But when you bleed...than it becomes difficult. Much more." Victoria swiveled on her heel and the motion startled Bella who had not been expecting it. The vampryess was looking directly at her, eyes somber and face lacking that arrogance for once. "I did not mean to scare you today. To lay my hands and mouth on you in such a vulgar manner. I hope you can forgive my trespasses."
Victoria was apologizing to Bella. It was a momentous moment. One that Bella would let run its course for as long as it could. "You owe me," she insisted, crossing her arms over her chest.
"Say the word and it shall be yours. Everything and anything, bar your freedom."
Bella was not stupid enough to ask for her freedom. She knew it would not be an option. Instead she wanted, "that garden upstairs. I want access to it." For the few minutes she could be up there, it had calmed her. Had made her forget she was trapped in a gloomy castle with the undead. And she knew it had some value to Victoria which would make it all the sweeter when Bella could access it for it would irk the monster to see her there.
"No," Victoria's answer was swift and sharp, like a beheading.
"Then I shall inform James of your lapse in control."
That lent a stormy look to Victoria's face. "You would not!" she thundered and Bella would have flinched if she did not have the upper hand.
"I would. Now, shall you give me access to that garden, or will James have to deal with you?"
Victoria very much looked like she would love to say no once more but she bit her tongue. "Fine," said with venom and hatred.
"I am pleased. Consider your indiscretion forgotten," Bella hummed, pleased she had gotten one on Victoria. The vampryess stormed out of the room, slamming the door shut so strongly that it splintered in half.
"Great." Now how would Bella seek privacy?
Sighing, and feeling emotionally exhausted, she decided to head to an early bed time. Yet, despite forcing her eyes shut it would be hours before she could drift off into the sweet embrace of sleep for her mind could not stop replaying the incident with Victoria. With her lips so soft and smooth and chill on Bella's skin.
And neither could Bella escape her in her dreams for they were filled with the red haired beauty and Bella woke up riddled with guilt and took to prayer to help ease her of this internal pain. She blamed the monster's vile nature on her weak resistance. Even the weather mirrored the princess's sour mood. Wild winds and snow whipped through the air, making the trees bend and shake and covering the world in white.
Bella would hate to go outside in such weather and she was grateful for her shelter in this castle. She spent the whole day in her room, trying everything in her power to not think about Victoria and what had transpired between them but it was nearly impossible so she got dressed in a simple dress and made her way up to the garden.
Inside she found Victoria working on some plants. She jerked up when she heard Bella come in. She looked guilty and shamefaced and she still had a hard time looking right into Bella's face. There was dirt on her normally pristine white shirt, the sleeves rolled up to give her hands some freedom. They stood there a moment, unsure what to do or speak next. Bella had been trying to avoid the vampryess, to forget her for the day but it seemed even the garden would not help with that. So, Bella took a deep breath, deciding she needed to be the bigger person here. "I did not know you enjoying gardening."
"I do," Victoria answered, glad to be given something to say that would lessen the tension between them. "It calms me. Or it did. But I suppose with you here you will ruin even what little peace I can have."
Bella smiled at Victoria's bitterness. "This is justice for you trying to sully a lady yesterday." She paced a bit closer to one of the flower beds, wary of her distance to Victoria at all times. Her body stayed strangely on edge and even though the flowers had helped before they did not do their job now that the vampryess was here.
The tulips were beautiful. How was it possible for such beings to be alive even when such weather howled like a hungry beast outside?
"I did not mean to do it. Your blood drew me to you. I could not contain myself. And I am mollified by my own actions."
Bella could not get enough of this, of Victoria's usually arrogant nature tossed to the side as she had to beg for forgiveness, to admit to her faults. "Does it seem like a lowly little human like me made quite an impact on you?"
"Do quit that. I will not deride myself further for your amusement," Victoria said with tight lips. She turned her back on Bella and went back to gardening, pulling weeds out with delicate hands. She really treasured her plants.
Bella watched her back, unable to keep her eyes off of her. She was more in tune to Victoria now whether she desired it or not. The way her shoulder blades shifted under her tight shirt, the way a serene expression took home on her face.
She looked happy. Bella had never seen her happy before. "Why do you like gardening so much?" she inquired. It did not seem like Victoria would answer her but after a moment's pause she did.
"It fills me with joy, simply. I love nature. The beauty of it being able to die and be reborn again."
And with that statement she had revealed so much of herself. It gave Bella something to latch onto to. "Do you wish you could die?"
Victoria sighed out, upset at herself for slipping up that much. "Immortality is not a gift but a curse." She did not say more on this and Bella did not press her. She had been trying to avoid Victoria, but had failed in that, and now that the two of them were here, Bella insanely wanted to stay more by her side. Wanted to be in her presence. Yes, she truly must be losing her mind if she wanted to be by the vampryess. She tentatively approached the woman who shot her a look.
"What are you doing?"
"I want you to teach me how to care for plants. I do not know how to do so."
"A princess digging in the dirt? My, how the crown has fallen from your head," Victoria chuckled but could not do anything to hide the panic in her eyes.
"I am serious. There is not much else to do here."
Victoria's lips twisted up. "Do you not fear me? I told you that your scent has an unnatural draw to me. I could hurt you."
"But you did not last time. You did not bite me." And yes, that was a concept that did not make sense in Bella's head. The vampryess had Bella against the wall, had her at her mercy and she did not drink her blood, merely kissed her. And if Bella had not interrupted them then Victoria would have pressed a kiss upon Bella's lips as well.
"I already told you that your blood-"
"But that does not explain your tender touches," Bella's eyes are insistent on Victoria, digging for an answer. "I need to know why that was."
"It was a mistake. I was lulling you into compliance and safety so I could drink from you," Victoria said quickly, rising to her feet and dusting her hands off.
"That does not seem-"
"That is the only answer you shall receive," Victoria said with finality and stormed out of the room.
Victoria was not telling Bella something and Bella did not know if to continue upon the path of finding it out. She might discover something that would change their relationship irrevocably.
Dissatisfied Bella sat among the flowers and touched their pretty petals until she felt a semblance of peace return to her tortured soul.
The storm raged outside for three days straight, much like a storm raged inside of her heart and soul. Each day she spent a quarter of praying for forgiveness and forcing herself to think about Edward. Lately her thoughts on him had been lacking and it frightened her to realize that. So she thought back on his crooked smile, on his slender and tall build, on his hair swept to the side. She thought of all the good times they had shared. Of the delicate kisses under the trees, of the walks by the pond or in the park. Of heated promises to come once they had consumed their love.
But even as she thought of him she grew frustrated. Where was he? Why was he taking so long to be found? Surely if news spread that his wife to be had been stolen away he should be looking for her. He should be riding here on his way to help her. She was doing everything in her power to escape but she was no match for the vamrpyes holding her here.
Her memories of him was wavering as was her patience. His face was a blur in some of them and she could not find his face no matter how hard she tried.
This was all so vexing! And it was that damned vampryess's fault. If she had not laid lips on her, it would be easier to think of Edward. If she had not been so good at catching Bella than it would be easier to be with Edward.
Bella needed to stop thinking about all this but it was hard to do so when even her good wolf friend was not outside the window to distract her. She wondered how he was faring in this bitter weather.
On the fourth day there was a break in the storm and when Bella peered outside the window she saw that the river by the castle had frozen over. It was another escape route that was open to Bella and she did not think much on using it, simply packed up some cloaks, the remains of a secret stash of food in her room and headed out. Ever since the incident between her and Victoria, the vampryess was giving her a lot of space. This would bond well for Bella's umpteenth escape attempt.
The snow crunched underfoot and some of it got into her shoes, freezing her toes. Outside it was frightfully cold and Bella pushed past the frozen brambles and brush as she neared the iced over river. once she got to it's banks, she tested her weight on the ice. It only creaked lightly but it held her up. Still, it would do good to be careful and she took measured steps as she edged further out onto the river, holding her arms out for balance. Progress was slow and the river wide but soon she began to get closer to the middle of it.
Perhaps this would be the attempt that would finally be successful. Bella held her hopeful breath captive.
suddenly she heard a loud groan and creak and she froze, afraid to even look down. But she had to assess the situation. The ice under her was spider-webbed. The ice out in the middle wasn't strong enough to hold her up. She had to go back. But she needed to move slowly. Painfully slowly she shuffled one foot back and then the other, the cracks following after her.
She quickly muttered out some prayers to the skies above. God willing she could do this. As she shifted the bag on her back, one of the oranges she had stashed away fell out.
Bella could only watch as it fell down and broke through the ice. The cracks spread lightning fast and the ice under Bella gave way.
She screamed out as water closed over her head and sucked her down. She struggled against the element but it was in vain.
There was only darkness and cold and Bella was sinking in deeper and deeper and she clawed at the water around her as her lungs begged for air, as she begged for salvation. The cloak heavy with water only sunk down more and the light above her that signaled freedom only began to grow smaller and dimmer. Her eyes slipped closed and she felt frustration and despair grow in her chest. She had only ever wanted to be with Edward. She had only ever wanted to go home.
Her eyes dropped closed as she resigned herself to a fate too early when suddenly something was grabbing her, pulling her up with powerful strokes.
Her eyes opened and she could make out the vivid red of the thing pulling her up before her head hit the surface and she was gasping for air. The hold on her neck did not loosen as she coughed and spat out water and allowed it to touch her. Bewildered and confused she allowed herself to be retrieved from the frigid water into a frigid hold as the landscape whipped around her.
She found herself dripping in her bedroom, all over the carpet, her legs too weak to support her. So she sat to the floor, coughing and sputtering still.
"What were you thinking!" hollered a voice above her. Victoria was next to her, drenched like a rat and furious. "Did you have a desire to meet your Maker so early on?"
Bella had no response to that, except to cough and shake her head. She was trembling with cold and fear and shock.
"The stupidity of humans never ceases to amaze me!" Victoria spat before searching through Bella's drawers for a change of clothes. "Quick, put this on. We must get you next to a fire so you do not catch a cold." Bella took the articles of clothing with shaking fingers and made a feeble attempt to put them on. Her limbs felt slow and tired. Victoria lost patience for it.
"Do you not know how to dress yourself? Must I baby you?" but even as she said this with disdain she helped Bella up to her feet and using her super speed, undid the dress and put a new one on Bella who trembled from cold the whole time.
Then, Victoria roughly pulled her to the fireplace in the bedroom and working quickly, got it into a raging inferno. Bella sat in front of it, blanket wrapped over her shoulders as Victoria fretted over her. "Stay here, I'll bring you some warm tea."
All Bella could do was nod her head as she stared into the bright flames. She could feel her skin pink from how close she was to the heat but she wanted it, because maybe then it could disrupt the fingers of cold water that still clung to her. Victoria returned shortly afterwards with a cup of hot tea. Bella held it in her hands, taking small sips so as not to scald her tongue.
She could feel Victoria watching her, assessing her. At last she let out a long sigh. "Perhaps now you will think twice about your escape attempts. You could have died had my senses not been sharper."
At this Bella nodded her head, suddenly overwhelmed with how close she had come to losing her life. To her horror tears streamed from her eyes. "I...I did not mean to. I did not mean for it..." she hiccuped and sobbed and Victoria awkwardly stood around, not sure how to deal with this.
"Do not fret. You are still alive," she tried unhelpfully and knelt down by Bella, running a soothing hand down her back. Bella threw herself into Victoria's cold arms, hugging her tight. Victoria let out a slightly choked sound at this action and stiffened up. "I was so scared! I truly thought my world was over!"
"You are safe now," Victoria said, patting Bella on the head and feeling entirely out of her element.
"Please, do not leave me." Bella was not in her right mind but she could not be alone right now.
And said in such a pleading tone of voice, Victoria could not deny her. She lifted Bella up and gently placed her on the bed, tucking her in. she was warmer now and her skin and hair had dried some.
"Try to get your rest. And I shall sit by your side as you slumber."
Bella nodded her head, and despite the fact that Victoria was a monster and kept her trapped in this castle, and was drawn to her blood unnaturally, Bella trusted her in this moment.
She closed her eyes and let sleep take her, the image of Victoria sitting perched at the end of her bed the last thing she saw.