"Is it true?"

Victoria looked to her side, the sight of Maria catching her eye. It had been over one week since she had met the Prince Velkan and he had seen her every single day, spending as much time with her as he could. She did not know why, but she did not complain. She often found herself laughing when she was in his company, telling him stories which she doubted he cared about but listened to regardless.

He was kind and compassionate, sitting by her side behind the house she lived in. A small stone well occupied them as she sat next to him on the ledge, their arms barely brushing yet their pulses racing.

"Is what true?" Victoria wondered as she sat on the wooden bench, looking into the mirror as she brushed her hair over her shoulder. She wore a simple white nightgown after finishing her work in the tavern for the night.

"You and the Prince Velkan," Maria responded, sitting on her bed still wearing her normal gown. She had her legs crossed and her elbows rested on her kneecaps, her palms cupping her chin as she arched a brow, waiting for an explanation. "I have seen you with him outside. You two sit and talk as though there is nothing to worry about."

Victoria sighed, knowing exactly what there was to worry about. She knew that the Valerious family were dangerous to be involved with. She knew that there were hardly any of them left, and their life would be spent in purgatory if they could not kill the monster in the mountains.

"I know of his family," Victoria promised Maria. "I know what he goes through. He watches his father risk his life to try and save his afterlife. He has told me all of this."

"Yet you still go to him," Maria concluded and Victoria delicately placed her brush down on the dresser the three girls in the house shared. The surface was cluttered with empty goblets, perfume bottles and brushes between them. She looked in the mirror to see Maria's reflection, her friend looking sceptical.

"He is a nice man," Victoria concluded. "If he wishes to speak with me of his family woes then I am more than willing to listen. Everybody needs somebody to worry with."

Maria snorted in an unladylike fashion. "And do you simply think he wishes to speak with you? He is a man, and a Prince at that. I think friendship is not on his mind."

Victoria took a deep breath and spun on her seat, turning to look Maria in the eye as she shook her head back and forth.

"I enjoy his company," Victoria spoke. "I have known him for a week. I scarcely know him. Can you just be happy that...well...I am content for once."

"No one is content in Transylvania," Maria scoffed. "We all live in fear that we may not survive to see the next full moon. The chances of you making it there are slim if he knows that you are in leagues with the Prince."

Victoria rolled her eyes and stood up, wrapping her arms around herself as she felt the chill of the night run through her sheer white gown. She climbed into her bed, pulling the covers up to her lap as Maria did the same motion.

"I am sure he has more important matters than chasing after me," Victoria spoke, wondering what he was like. The vampire who hid away. The vampire who caused everyone to live in fear.

"Not if he knows that he could affect the Prince through you," Maria warned her.

"You are being ridiculous," Victoria laughed. "There is nothing to worry about, I can promise you that. Speaking of worry, do you think we should wait up for Diana?"

Maria chuckled again and shook her head. "She is spending her nights with Felix these days."

"I suspected as much," Victoria agreed, resting her head on the pillow once more. "I simply wish she would tell us she is leaving. She goes with no word and leaves an empty bed."

"She's Diana," Maria offered the only explanation they truly needed. "She does not give a care for anyone but herself. I doubt it will be long before she moves in with Felix and marries him. God, if you leave for your Prince then that means there will be two new girls in the house."

Victoria shook her head, closing her eyes and yawning gently. "I doubt you need to worry about that just yet."

"You know what David is like," Maria reminded her of the man who owned the house and lived on the ground floor whilst the three girls occupied the first floor, each one of them paying for their lodgings through their work. "His wife is pregnant again. Hopefully she can keep this one so that means more money needed. He already takes more than he should."

"Well," Victoria sighed loudly, "we will just have to wait and see, Maria."

"You are very calm about this. Normally you worry over everything. Are you sure you're not falling for the Prince?"

Victoria shook her head and leant on her elbow to blow out the candle on her bedside table. "Goodnight, Maria." She spoke her words without giving rise to the conversation. She didn't want to speak about it with Maria, not whilst it was so raw to her.

...

"When I was a little girl my mother used to read to me until I fell asleep." Victoria spoke as she sat besides Velkan one misty evening. They were by the well in the back garden, perched on the crumbling stone as the Prince draped his cloak around her shoulders, keeping her warm as he handed her the book he had purchased.

"I saw it and I thought you may appreciate it," he nodded slowly. "Fairytales always used to be Anna's favourite. I think they still are; regardless of how grown up she says she is."

"No, I love it," Victoria promised him, resting the book in the lap of her skirts as she pulled his cloak tightly over her shoulders, her knuckles turning white from holding onto it too tight.

She had to admit that Velkan looked pristine in his white undershirt and black waist coast, his hair was neatly combed and pushed behind his ears as his hands rested besides him on the cold stone.

"I am glad," he smiled back to her, the notion genuine and warm. Victoria dared to move closer to him, her lips pecking him on the cheek softly. Velkan inhaled sharply at the motion, moving his own hand out to cup her cheek tenderly.

"It is nearly nightfall," Victoria muttered as she drew back from him, taking his fingers from her cheek as a sudden sharp pain flew up her spine and she winced suddenly. She did not know why, but she suspected the cold must be taking its toll on her.

"It is," Velkan sighed in agreement. "My father is due to return this nightfall."

Victoria smiled then, standing up and offering him her hand. He took it, his fingers curling around hers as he stood and she pushed her hair behind her ear awkwardly.

"I pray he returns safely," she promised the Prince. "I know how much he means to you. He is your father...of course he means a lot...I know."

Velkan smiled sadly and kept his hand inside of hers, moving one more step forwards to stand closer to her. She looked down, almost as though there was something which troubled her over his proximity. She couldn't quite put her finger on it, but there was something inside of her which ached every time he touched her, something which almost told her that she was doing something wrong.

She always tried to push the feeling away, knowing that she wanted his touch. She enjoyed the warmth of his hands against her cold skin. She enjoyed the way he would wrap her in his cloak whenever she felt cold. Her entire feelings were askew for some unknown reason.

"You know that I care for you, Victoria," Velkan suddenly spoke. "I have known you for just over a week, but there is something about you which...well...I can barely explain it."

"You need not say anything," she promised him. "We are still getting to know each other. I enjoy the time we spend together and that is enough, is it not?"

Velkan allowed a small smile to form on his face. He did not truly know what to say to her in response. The smile on her face was enough to content him for now. He knew his sister would call him a fool for not leaving the girl be. He knew what was at risk being around her. He knew she was at risk.

He would kill Dracula and then he would allow himself to fall for Victoria further. For now, he intended to keep her hidden. He wanted no one to see her with him, and he wanted no one to know she existed. It only happened by chance that Anna found out, but she was his sister. She had promised to keep quiet on the matter.

"You should go," Victoria urged him, the book in her hand as Velkan slowly nodded in agreement.

He turned on his heel, his fingers slipping from hers before he heard the loud screech which burned his ears. Victoria too froze, looking up to the sky for any sign of the incoming creatures. Panic fluttered through her veins and she grabbed harshly onto Velkan's hand.

"You need to come inside and hide," she urged him. "If they see you here then they will kill you. You know that, Velkan."

Victoria dragged him inside as he continued to look around. He took a moment to come to his sense before he moved with haste, his arm moving tightly around her waist as he pushed the door open and the two of them moved into the kitchen. Velkan slammed the door shut, locking it for good measure before he took hold of Victoria's hand again.

"Where do you usually hide?" he wondered from her and she shrugged.

"Anywhere within the house," she whispered softly, leading him down the corridor of the empty house. She wondered where Maria and Diana were, only to hope that they were safe as she saw their empty shared bedroom.

Velkan looked around the staircase as he followed her up the steps, keeping quiet and hoping that they didn't know he was in the village. He looked around Victoria's bedroom as she checked the window was locked. Three beds lined three walls whilst a dresser sat besides the window, cluttered with personal belongings. The rooms wooden floors made it cold, not even the addition of a small rug could warm it.

"I can see nothing," Victoria told him as she tried to look out the window, her nose pressed against the glass. "Perhaps it was a false alarm?"

"No," Velkan replied, grabbing hold of her arm and hauling her away from the window. He closed the bedroom door and took a seat on the edge of a bed away from the window, giving her no choice but to sit next to him on the edge of it, both of them leaning forwards as they heard the shrieking grow louder.

Victoria gulped loudly and felt her arm brush against Velkan's, looking over to him as his gaze remained firmly on the window. It was only when he felt the intensity of her stare did he move his orbs and see the fear in her eyes.

Why did she stay here? What was keeping her here if she was terrified of staying? Velkan had no idea, all he knew was that he felt the overwhelming urge to wrap his arm around her waist and hold her close to him as they waited for the slaughter to finish.

...

He continued to pace the length of the room, his hands behind his back as he walked towards the wall and then straight up the wall towards the ceiling, hanging there as if it were normal. It was only when he saw the familiar sight of three women fly into the room did he move down.

"Well?" he snarled at them, his voice laden with anger as he did so.

He looked at each of their faces as they stood where they were, slowly changing back into their humanlike form, their eyes looking at each other before they stared back at their master.

Verona, Marishka and Aleera. His loving brides who had doted upon him for years on end with no question.

"We took one," Verona spoke slowly to her master, knowing full well what he wanted to know. They all knew who he was looking for. He had kept his eye on the same girl ever since he had heard of her return to Transylvania, but he had kept his distance.

He could feel her close. He could feel her presence. He had not laid eyes on her in four centuries. He wondered what would happen if he went to find her for himself. He did not believe in reincarnation until he had made a deal with the devil to grow immortal. It had all been in vain. He had made the deal and there had been no time to save her.

"And?" he snapped again and they all looked lovelorn towards him, their hands clutching their chests as they wished he would forget about her. He had never said anything about her before and they had stopped trying to prise information from him after he declared his reluctance to speak of her.

"She was with him, master," Aleera crooned. "We could smell his Valerious blood with another...they were in her house...but we did not attack."

"Good," he responded.

He did not know what would happen if his brides attacked the girl.

"But he is a Valerious," Verona hissed, the name dripping like lead from her tongue as she did so. She took another step forwards on the cold stone, her hands clutched to her chest as she bent at the waist slightly. "He is the one who is trying to kill you, master."

"No," he replied. "His father is that man. Only after his death shall he take his place...and then I will kill him or have a better use for him. A use which will take him away from her."

"Her," Verona suddenly snarled and she shook her head back and forth, her glimmering hair flowing down her waist as she did so. "Who is she? Why do we spend our time looking for her? She is a human...worthless..."

The other two brides stood still as their master moved towards Verona, his scream echoing through the room as his teeth pointed and his lips curled. The sound filled his brides with terror as he looked at them, his fangs still pointing as he recalled what happened all those years ago. He remained panting for a moment, his arms dangling by his sides as his fangs slowly retracted back to his teeth.

He could only close his eyes and imagine how warm her skin would feel against his, how he could possibly feel joy at the sound of her shrill laugh, and how he could feel the warmth of her blood under her skin.

"I ask one simple task of you every month," he hissed. "Is that so much to ask? Am I so unreasonable to do so?"

The brides finished their squealing and moved closer to him, their arms outstretched as they waited for him to embrace them tightly. He did so promptly, all three of them filling his arms, but none of them providing him the warmth he had longed to feel for centuries.

"No, master," they all cried out. "We will do it."

"We just want to know who she is," Aleera whispered soothingly. "We want to know."

"One day," he replied in a whisper. "One day, my brides."

...

A/N: Thank you very much to musicluver246 and CupcakesAndAlice for reviewing the first chapter! I hope you enjoy this one also and do let me know what you think!