Crina's POV
I never understood why the Count always made us sit together as a " family" at the table. It was clear to everyone I hated them and " they" meaning the brides had mutual feelings towards me. It was all a façade in my opinion and personally if I had the option to , I would have had dinner in my room. Cleaned up finally from head to toe I actually looked decent in a white blouse that tucked into my black riding pants. The top half of my hair was pinned up in a bun while the rest my of curly locks went down my back. At all cost I tried to ignore the Count as I could feel him staring upon me while taking sips from my glass. Totally and utterly disgusted by the events that happened earlier , there was nothing I wished to say to him nothing at all.
" Feeling better Crina I see?" asked the Count. I didn't reply, but the long outdrawn silence that followed thereafter seemed to irk him before he felt compelled to speak again. " Don't fret my dear over that dog, like I said earlier you ended his suffering." He said before wiping the remaining blood off his mouth with a napkin. The same feeling arose in me like many times before when I first arrived here, they all knew something I didn't. I absolutely had no clue what ,but I felt like I was a pawn in a game created by the four of them. I was not to know of rules or who was to be the winner and who was the loser. Why I kept thinking Arnold would save me from this place when I was no longer his problem didn't any make sense to me in the slightest. I guess I was wishing for anyone at this point to free me from this deep dark place for which I found my thoughts lingering about lately.
Dracula's POV
She refused to make eye contact with me, but I knew she couldn't stay mad at me for long. I grew weary that she was catching on to my plans and loosing trust in me rather rapidly. Perhaps it would be wise to lend a listening ear for it maybe could mend the rough start we have had. " She must be hard of hearing or feebleminded if she can't even reply to your question." Said Aleera before cackling aloud. Sometimes I forget my own strength when Aleera's insult towards Crina caused me to crush my glass into several pieces within my one hand. My actions startled Crina as she spilled blood from her cup all over her white blouse. The shards of glass felt like splitters in my fingers and I slammed my first down on the table in frustration. Immediately Aleera and Marishka stopped laughing knowing very well I was in no mood.
" Please don't subject us to anymore torment due to your insecurities Aleera! You know very well I hate that behavior of yours." They did this every time I brought another woman into the picture. You would think after two, three hundred years they would simply get over it , but I guess old habits die hard. I quickly arose from my seat at the head of the table and offered Crina my hand. She was covered in blood from when my anger escalated rather quickly and I gave her an apologetic look hoping it would coax her to follow me.
Crina's POV
His bad temper was a little scary and if i could help it I didn't want to get on his bad side. Grasping his hand I followed him out of the dinning room. It seemed the glares from the brides as we exited could've burned a hole right through me. This again was why I hated family dinners just another reminder of why I hated people increasingly each day. The count brought me to a room that seemed to be his own personal study. I thought it was quite welcoming as the warmth of the fire hit my ice cold skin. It sent shivers up my spine in a good way as I stood before the fire place to warm myself up even more. The purple, orange, and red flames reminded me of dawn. It was bittersweet thing to watch for I knew I'd never see the likes of daylight again.
Just when I getting used to the warmth on my skin , the Count's icicle likes fingers grasped onto my shoulders. It startled me as his mouth was to close for comfort to my neck for I could feel his breath on my neck as he still grasped my shoulders. " I apologize about Aleera's behavior earlier. Do understand she has been the youngest of my brides for some time." Said the Count. He reached over my shoulders carefully one at a time unbuttoning my blouse. I swatted his hand away before turning around to look at him. " What do you think you are doing?" He was giving me that devilish smile of his that I've seen once or twice before and instantly knew he was up to no good. " Why I brought you a change of clothes , figured I'd help you undress." Said the Count as he pointed to a red nightgown on the sofa before the fire. I didn't recall him leaving to grab me some clothing nor did I need anyone helping me undress.
" Thank you , but I think I got it from here." As I went to turn my back towards him he appeared right in front of me scaring me in the process. I still hadn't quite mastered the ability to teleport at will it seemed it happened when I didn't concentrate as much. " Will you stop doing that, you keep giving me a fright!" I said as I lightly slapped him on the shoulder. " Jumpy aren't we? Still much you haven't learned yet I see, but I'd like you to sit with me and have a little chat." He gestured his hand to the sofa and I took a seat at the far right end side. " Do you not care or understand that I wish to be left alone? You must be daft to think I should forgive what you did earlier so easily." I said. The man was extremely infuriating to me for he just looked amused while he sat on the opposite side of the couch from me. It was sickening to me that I actually thought the man was attractive earlier when I first met him.
" I wouldn't say I don't care , but remaining mad at me won't help matters. I brought you into my study to get more acquainted with you since we haven't had the chance to do so yet." For a few moments I wasn't sure what the Count was staring at as he was talking for he definitely wasn't looking at my face. He kept looking down which caused me to look down to see my breasts were almost exposed underneath my blouse. My cheeks turned red due to embarrassment and quickly went to button my blouse back up. " Are you sure? For a second it seemed you wanted to get acquainted with my body than my personality." I spat back.
" Please forgive me for I maybe dead ,but my lust for beautiful women hasn't seemed to diminish." All I could do was roll my eyes at his remark for I knew he was full of it. I watched him reach over for a book on the end table and began flipping through the several pages it contained. Plopping the book into my lap once he found the page he was looking ,I then picked up the heavy novel in my hands. " What am I supposed to be looking at?" " Please read paragraph three on page forty two ." said the Count. My eyes skimmed the contents of the third paragraph described a creature in detail of its traits/abilities. Next to the literature was a picture of the monster, it had the black spikes like the ones from earlier that covered my body. Truly the creature looked menacing , but it made sense as to why he was showing this. " You believe me to be a Nelapsi ? I guess that sheds some light onto the mystery of what happened earlier before my bath." " I have a hunch I'm correct ,but will need to wait for a reply from Arnold to confirm this. In the mean time we shall still try to enhance your powers and also prepare to announce our engagement at the ball." Said the Count.
Dracula's POV
" Surely you can understand that one I don't know much about you to even consider the thought of marrying you and two after what both you and Arnold did to me, I don't trust men it seems anymore." Said Crina. Her face seemed to sadden when she mentioned Arnold. Feelings for ones master never truly diminish even when apart, I knew this for it was that way with my other brides. Though I did not pick up she felt any love for him it seemed more along the lines of feeling safe when around him. The Valerious woman was not too skilled at blocking her personal thoughts from others yet again I don't think she knows she has the ability.
" Crina as much as I truly understand your concerns , I feel you could be quite useful to me plus with such beauty you possess , I'd be a fool to pass up on the opportunity to make you mine." Bashful indeed she was for she looked down to the ground with a smile reaching from ear to ear which caused me to smile in return. " Not used to compliments I take it?" I said as watched her tuck a part of her bangs behind her ear. " Arnold used to tell me all the time how beautiful I was, however in hindsight now I don't know if he was just saying anything that came to mind in order to use me. Can I confide in you Count?" asked Crina.
Well that didn't take much I thought to myself. Some simple compliments and offering a listening ear, seemed all she needed in order to feel secure. " I feel abandoned by Arnold…. He turned me into this monster and offered me little to no guidance as to how figure out these new powers I possess. My memories along with my identity he robbed from me and to add insult to injury used my body for his gain. You say you knew of me before all of this happened, did I do something to deserve this fate?" I had no words of comfort to offer her for I may have done far greater harm to her than Arnold ever could, she just didn't know it . If Arnold hadn't gotten to her first there was no doubt in my mind that she would've been hunted down and killed by brides. They had an equal blood lust for the Valerious family to come to an end just like myself.
" Maybe then you should think of being here then as a fresh start if you will. Now you may not agree with my methods on training you, but do trust I do know a thing or two about being a vampire for nearly four hundred years now. Lets also not forget that I haven't taken advantage of you or your body….yet." I said while laughing to myself. Crina didn't seem to find it amusing however if she was to be my bride she better get used to idea of being intimate with one another. " You know you're really fowl at times right?" asked Crina. " So I've been told…. However something tells me deep down you enjoy it." She stuck her tongue out in disgust it almost made me laugh for facial expressions seemed over the top at times. " Ya ok… let's change the subject, upon reading that one paragraph it said Nelapsi could tolerate sunlight. What I don't understand is why Arnold insisted me sleeping in a coffin? He always warned me how the sun would kill me." Said Crina.
I knew better as to why Arnold did what he did , it was no different then me lying to her about her background and having her kill her own family. Personal gain was obviously in both of our thoughts when the lies started spill out of our mouths. Being the son to father of lies it was to my benefit to incorporate truth within the lie so that when the truth indeed came out well least I wasn't being hundred percent dishonest. " Perhaps it is because you are vulnerable once turned into a fledgling that you must over time build a tolerance to the sun light. All things develop with time like our courtship for example." I glanced outside the window to see the sky growing lighter in color signaling that dawn was fastly approaching. Today was a trying day I felt for all of us especially Crina and with Dawn approaching I embraced it whole heartedly for I was in need of sleep. " Time flies when you're having fun I take it, shall we retire?" I asked before standing up from the couch. " I suppose , but if at all possible can we move my coffin into my room? I'd like to have some privacy." " If that is what appeases you than it shall be done after you awake." I said before offering arm to escort her to my chambers.
Arnold's POV
It had been days since I wrote that letter to my dear friend the Count days that seemed to drag by without even a reply. Maria and I weren't on speaking terms at the moment for she was angered by my decision to try to Scarlette back. It wasn't like I didn't attempt to comfort my wife but it always ended the same way her dismissing me just before I could get a word in. Even the best of me thought this was foolish to risk a thirty year old relationship on a woman I didn't know for very long. However my thoughts were filled with nothing but her. I could almost remember her voice even though it hadn't been that long since she left my estate the memory of her slowly dwindled.
Alone in my study once more I reached over for the wine bottle at the corner of my desk. It seemed as if could tell the future for every day was almost exactly the same. I would awake feeling positive that today would be a better day only for it spiral out of control ,with Maria starting an argument for no apparent reason and me soon after go into hiding inside my study with a huge glass of wine to pass the time. Pathetic was an understatement to how my days went anymore not even the sweet merlot I sipped on could change that. Perhaps it wouldn't hurt to pay my old friend a visit. I needed to clear my mind of Maria and this estate for a couple of hours. Looking out the window I saw the rays of light from the sun shine through. Keep forgetting that he normally sleeps at this time of day for the sun no longer affected me and little did i need sleep. I watched as I tipped the bottle over my glass once more to see a few more droplets make it in. Off to a rough start I thought to myself as I drank myself completely out of wine.
A stroll to the wine cellar also another routine I found myself doing frequently. Stopping by to select another bottle from my collection in the cellar. " You drunken bastard do ever stop drinking?" said Maria as I passed her room . " What is it to you Maria? Hmm?" I now turned around to see she was now in the hallway . Arms crossed as usual wearing a white collared blouse that tucked into a long flowing earth brown skirt that came to her feet. " You change when you drink. I don't like it at all one bit." said Maria. " You don't like much of anything Maria so why would my drinking be any different? Maybe I drink cause of your constant complaining and nagging. Maybe you should be grateful that I drink for it stops me from wanting to ring your neck!" I said. My last comment seemed to shut her up for brief second only for her to dash back into her room slamming the door behind her. I stood there in the hallway silently as I could hear her crying in her room.
Never was it a good feeling that overcame a husband when he caused his own wife to cry. Guilty I felt so I went towards her room and creaked the door open ever so slightly. " May I come in?" I asked while knocking on the wooden door frame. " Go away Arnold , I've heard enough from you today." Pushing the door open more to see her face buried in a pillow on her bed while laying down. She didn't even so ever budge as I walked over to her bed and took a seat next to where her body lie . My fingers grazed gently back n forth on her back as a soothing gesture to calm her down. She lifted her head so now that her face was laying sideways on the pillow. With blood shot eyes she managed to look up at me while I continued to rub her back. " How did things between us become so unpleasant? You are almost estranged to me and I blame that whore you brought into our home. We never had these issues till.." "Silence!" I said sternly for that is all she wanted to argue about and my guilt was turning into annoyance rather quickly. " Why don't you get undressed and ill give you the attention you've been craving for some time now. Isn't this why you pick arguments with me anyway?to get my attention? Well Maria you have my attention now , so please proceed with undressing so we can have intercourse and maybe spare me some peace thereafter for a lousy fifteen minutes before you start your complaining again."
The look on her face was priceless as her mouth dropped open out of shock from what I just said. Yes the guilt I felt earlier lasted point five seconds and I arose quickly from the bed to exit her room. Back to my original plan I thought, to the wine cellar for another bottle and in a few hours take a flight to Transylvania.