Velkan ignored Victoria for the next two days, avoiding her gaze and conversation whenever possible. He didn't know what to say to her or tell her. He only wondered what would have happened if he had gone through with his actions. He would have bedded her. He would have taken her. That was not him. He did not pursue women and ruin them. Yes, there had been some trysts in his youth, but he had never taken a woman's virtue. Yet he had been prepared to fuck Victoria on a table.

She deserved better. She deserved to have someone to call her own and please her. And Velkan wanted to be that man. The more he thought about it, the more he knew that it was dangerous. He knew that marrying Victoria would anger the Count. He knew that having children with her would burden them with his family's curse if he and his father could not lift it.

Yet he wanted it. He wanted to marry her. He wanted to make her his.

While he had done his best to ignore her, he knew that she would feel worried at their lack of contact. She showed her worry by hiding away in her chamber and refusing to come out except for meals. She would lock herself away and Velkan had no idea how horrid she felt about the other day.

It took Velkan a while to dare himself to go into her chamber, knocking once before hearing her soft voice ask him to enter.

Walking into the room, Velkan looked to the vanity she sat at, dressed in her nightdress as she tugged a brush through her curls. She didn't bother to cover herself up as he moved towards her, kicking the door shut behind him as he sat on the edge of her bed.

"I know the past few days have been tense," Velkan informed her and she scoffed.

"I know that you have been avoiding me," she informed him and he chewed down on his tongue before she sighed and placed her brush down, watching Velkan in the reflection on her mirror. "But, I confess, I have been avoiding you too."

Velkan did let himself smile at hearing that before Victoria turned around her stool to face him, the skirts of her nightgown catching around her thighs as she pulled her hair over one shoulder.

"It seems we are both running away from what happened," Velkan said and Victoria nodded, her cheeks blushing as the Gypsy Prince clasped his hands together and watched her intensely before he saw the way her teeth chewed on her lip.

"That is the issue," Victoria responded. "My mind has been my own, Velkan, you need to know."

"I believe you," Velkan promised her.

"And even though I do not remember what happened, even though I have an idea," Victoria said and Velkan inhaled, "it does not stop me from wanting you."

"You have me," Velkan promised her, moving to kneel before her, his hands moving to take hold of hers inside of his own, lacing their fingers together as she shook her head, her hair falling into her cheek as Velkan moved one of their entwined hands to the back of her cheek.

"I know that I have you," Victoria told him, "but I want…Velkan…every time I think of what I could have done that night, it makes me feel something. I feel burning…I feel wanting…and I know that it is wrong. I know that I should not feel this way. I should not act so lustful, but every time I see you I cannot help but wonder what happened that evening."

Velkan took his turn to blush at hearing her as he shook his head, his hair flailing around his head as Victoria allowed their entwined hands to drop back to her lap as the Prince closed his eyes.

"It is not wrong," Velkan assured her.

"Then why is it all I can think of?" Victoria complained. "I have never thought of things like this before…until the other night. I have always found you pleasantly attractive, but I have never wanted you physically."

"I do not know whether to be insulted or relieved…" Velakn trailed off and Victoria moved to hit him on the chest, but he caught her wrist in his fingers, stopping her from moving away from him as he smiled to her and she returned the motion, her lips parting to reveal her teeth as Velkan sighed softly.

"Do you think that I do not feel the same?" Velkan dared to wonder from her. "That night…before you called me by his name…I…I was prepared to dishonour you, Victoria. I would have taken you and thought nothing of it."

Her mouth gaped then as Velkan moved to stroke her cheek soothingly.

"But I would not do that to you," Velkan said. "You should be married and your husband should have that honour. You deserve to be worshipped…to be held…not taken on a table like an animal in heat."

Victoria had never heard him speak so tensely before.

"And if I want to be taken like an animal in heat?" Victoria suddenly wondered and Velkan's eyes widened at hearing her before she shook her head and rolled her eyes, moving to push a hand through her hair and wishing that she had never said anything. "Forget what I said. I should not speak in such a manner."

"No," Velkan shook his head, his hand moving back to stroke her cheek. "It appears we are both not as virtuous as we seem."

Laughing, Victoria couldn't help but let the noise out at Velkan's sentence. He remained silent, his mouth pulled up in a wide smile as he did his best not to think of making her his at that moment in time.

"I love you," Victoria suddenly declared to him, bending down to kiss him swiftly on the lips. "And I do want you, Velkan. I cannot imagine wanting anyone like I want you."

"I feel the same," Velkan assured her. "And that is why I need to ask you something."

"Oh?"

He remained silent for a second as he pushed himself onto one knee instead of kneeling. He took her hands inside of his and held them tightly, inhaling a sharp breath before Victoria's brows furrowed together and her mouth began to gape, wondering if Velkan was truly going to ask her the question she thought.

"Victoria, I want to do everything I can to keep you safe. I cannot imagine being without you or letting you go. You mean more to me than I can say and I would love…I would love it if you married me…became mine."

Victoria struggled to do anything but nod in agreement, her eyes lighting up as her hands clasped Velkan's cheeks tightly. She laughed as the Gypsy Prince stood up and her hands moved down his cheeks to his shoulders.

"Yes," Victoria agreed with him as she stood up and his hands moved to her waist, picking her up and twirling her around his arms. "Velkan, yes!"

Laughing, Velkan moved to press his lips against hers, wondering if this would be enough to save her from that monster.

…

"Marrying her would be foolish, Velkan."

Velkan had been prepared for the onslaught from his father over the matter, but he was his own person. He could make his own decisions and his mind had been made up. He wanted to marry Victoria. He wanted to make her his and he wanted to do it within the next day.

"No, it would not be," Velkan disagreed. "Marrying her would make her mine. She would be my wife."

"And do you think that would stop him?" Boris demanded, storming around the library he was stood in with his son, his hands on his hips and his glare strong and harsh as Velkan remained by the fireplace, his hands clasped together as he bit down on his lip.

"Do you think that marrying her will stop him from wanting her?" Boris asked. "If anything it will anger him more. You will not save her by marrying her. You will ruin her."

"She wants me," Velkan said, his hand on his chest as he bent forwards slightly, watching his father with an annoyed glare. "She told me that she wants me, father. She does not want him. Why should we not marry?"

"You have known her for a few weeks, Velkan," Boris informed his son. "I know that you love her and I do not doubt your feelings for her, but I know that marrying her would bring you ruin."

Shaking his head, Velkan moved towards the door of the library, refusing to listen anymore to his father's words. He would not be dissuaded from doing this. He would do what he thought was best. Marrying Victoria was for the best. He knew it. It had to be.

"You can protect her without marrying her," Boris informed his son. "You have shown that. You managed to take her from him. You spend your every minute in her company…but marrying her…I fear that is one step too far, Velkan. If he finds out-"

"-She is not his!" Velkan yelled loudly and Boris arched a brow at his son's passion.

"He does not see it like that," Boris informed his son.

"He shall go nowhere near her again." Velkan swore. "I came her looking for your blessing, but it appears that I do not have it."

Shaking his head, Boris stopped his son from leaving the room before they had a chance to discuss his true feelings. Boris's hand fell onto his son's shoulder and he looked Velkan in the eye. He saw the same stubborn glare that he had. He saw the same determination. If someone had told him that he could not do something then he would have done it anyway. It was a Valerious trait. No doubt Anna would be the same eventually.

"It is not that I do not give you my blessing," Boris promised his son. "She is a charming girl, I cannot deny that. I can see that you both love each other…I just worry, Velkan. I worry for both of you."

"Nothing will change, father," Vekan declared. "My feelings for her will not change. I shall always want her."

"And you are determined?" Boris checked with his son.

"I wish to marry her as soon as possible," Velkan declared.

"Then you need to give her a ring," Boris spoke, his voice softer and admitting defeat. He knew that there would be no way around this scenario. He could not stop his son from doing this. He could only support him and be there for him should anything happen.

He moved his fingers into his shirt, pulling out the silver chain he wore around his neck. He looked to the gold band at the end of it, the red stone on it shimmering in the candlelight before he unclasped the chain from the ring, dropping it into his son's hand.

"That was mother's ring," Velkan declared.

"And she would want you to have it and give it to your wife," Boris promised his son, folding it into his fingers. "Go back to Victoria and tell her I shall escort you both to church tomorrow with Anna. No one is to know of this except us."

"Agreed."

…

Victoria was still in shock. She sat at the dressing table the following morning, tugging a brush through her hair and waiting for Velkan's father to come to her. Velkan had gone to the church already, leaving Victoria that morning and telling her that he had final arrangements to prepare. She had been shocked that he had suggested marrying her the following day. She had initially been worried, but she had finally agreed with him.

The ring on her finger felt unusual and heavy, but not entirely unpleasant. The dress she wore that morning had been borrowed from Anna's wardrobe. It was the closest colour to white they could find, but it was slightly too tight meaning that her chest was more pronounced and she felt her stomach clench every time she tried to move.

Looking to the window, Victoria heard the sound of rain against the glass and she wondered exactly what it would be like once they were married. No doubt Velkan would want to share her bed and she wished to share his, but she was worried. She did not want him to be disappointed with her, nor did she want to speak his name on their wedding night.

All of her thoughts then turned to him. He was constantly in the back of her mind, regardless of how much she wanted to get him out of her mind. She hated him more than she thought possible.

"Victoria, my dear," Boris's voice sounded from the door and Victoria moved with haste, dropping her brush and almost tripping over her dress as she opened the wood to see Boris stood there with Anna behind him. The younger Valerious sibling wore a tight fitted corset with a red blouse, her tight fitting leggings on her legs as she looked to Victoria.

Anna liked Victoria. She thought that she was a clever and polite girl. But she was weak. She was too weak to adopt the name Valerious. She was too weak to take on their family's curse.

"You look lovely, my dear," Boris informed her and she smiled over to him.

"Thank you," she spoke. "And thank you, Anna, for lending me the dress."

"You're welcome," Anna said.

"I know that you love my son, Victoria," Boris said and Victoria could not help but think that there was some form of inquisition about to take place. "And I do not doubt that Velkan loves you, but you know of our family's curse and we know of Dracula's obsession with you."

"None of that changes anything," Victoria promised them, her voice crystal clear. "I know that it might be safer for me to run and leave this place, but I cannot. I cannot leave Velkan. I want to help him and he wants to help me. Please do not try to talk me out of this. Your son is the only one who matters to me."

Nodding, Boris sighed as his daughter took his arm.

"I thought as much."

….

Velkan was beyond nervous as he stood outside of the church with the reverend, waiting for Victoria to make her appearance. The villagers were all milling around, clearly wondering what the Gypsy Prince was doing there. No doubt they would jump to conclusions when they saw him enter the church with Victoria. Yet he did not care.

"Perhaps it would be more prudent for you to wait inside, Prince Velkan?" the reverend asked, but Velkan shook his head. He would wait outside where Victoria could see him.

"I want to make sure she arrives safely," Velkan said in a soft voice.

There was no more discussion then as they lapsed into silence. It took a few more moments before Velkan saw the carriage make its way down into the village. Clearly his father had asked for the carriage rather than ride on horseback. Velkan burst into a smile as he saw her eventually.

His father helped her from the carriage, her hand inside of his as she stepped down, her hands picking up the hem of her dress as the villagers began to whisper about her white dress and the ring on her finger.

"I thought that this was supposed to be a secret," Victoria informed Velkan with a sad smile as soon as she saw him and he offered her his hand.

"Nothing stays a secret for long in this village," Velkan responded to her and she laughed softly before wrapping her fingers into his, allowing him to take her hand.

Velkan walked faster than usual into the church and Victoria was well aware that he wanted to begin the ceremony rather than wait around. He wanted her to be away from prying eyes and he also wanted her to be back home where he felt safer. As he entered the church he ignored everyone else who whispered and gossiped behind their backs. They did not matter to him. They never would matter to him.

The only thing that mattered was walking by his side.

…..

News travelled faster than he had anticipated. His spies in the village had been quick to inform him of the news and he had unleashed his anger in the Castle, destroying anything that sat in his path. His rage knew no bounds as he watched glass shatter and rocks crumble underneath his touch. His brides made no move to try and calm him, knowing better than to do that.

He knew that he would be too late to stop the ceremony, but he knew that there had to be a way to stop her from going any further with the young Prince. He flew as fast as he possibly could towards the castle that had once been his home, his true form shining through as he looked down for any sight of them. And finally he saw it. He saw their carriage.

…

Boris and Anna had remained in the village following the ceremony, informing Velkan and Victoria to return home whilst they dealt with business there. Victoria and Velkan had not complained, merely agreed.

"My love," Velkan whispered once she had stopped pressing her lips against his in the carriage. Velkan knew full well that it would not take them long to reach the castle and he only hoped that their driver was not watching on.

"Hmm?" Victoria wondered from him as she continued to press her lips against his neck, her hands on his chest as she twisted slightly on the bench.

"Are you truly unable to restrain yourself?" Velkan joked with her and she rolled her eyes, pulling her lips and hands from her new husband and sitting back in her seat, pouting and playing coy.

"Apparently not," she informed him, remaining still in her seat as Velkan watched her.

His brow arched at her feeble attempt to play him and he chuckled. "As tempting as it might have been to continue with your antics, I would rather wait for us to get back home."

"We still have a while before then," Victoria responded.

"That we do," he promised her. "But I do not wish for anyone to see my wife straddling me in a carriage."

Chuckling, Victoria rolled her head to the side, looking at Velkan with a genuine smile as her eyes glowed with warmth. "Wife," she repeated the word. "Is that not strange to you?"

"Strange? Yes, but I would have it no other way," Velkan promised, moving to peck her on the cheek as she remained silent, her hands moving to take hold of his shoulders before she kissed him squarely on the lips.

It was only when they parted did the carriage jolt to a sudden stop. Victoria lurched out of her seat, collapsing on the floor in between the two benches before the door was ripped from its hinges and discarded metres away. Victoria moved her hands to the floor, pushing herself upwards as her legs remained underneath her and Velkan sat askew on the bench.

"Did you think that I would let you take her?"

Looking to where the voice came from, Victoria flinched at the sight of him stood there. Velkan moved with haste, trying to find the gun he kept concealed on him, regardless of the fact it would do no good. But Dracula was faster.

Moving with haste, he reached in the carriage and dragged Velkan out of it, his hand around his throat as he threw him against a tree trunk, the driver of the carriage looking on in fear.

"No!" Victoria roared, pushing her body from the carriage and stumbling on the mud, the ends of the gown turning brown as she stumbled towards Dracula who had his fangs bared.

"You married her!" Dracula roared. "Why? Did you think that you could claim her and I would forget about her?"

"No," Velkan struggled for breath as Victoria moved to grab hold of Dracula, but to no prevail as he stopped her from moving him. "I love her."

The roar Dracula emitted echoed throughout the forest, the noise chilling Victoria and causing the hairs on the end of her arm to stand up straight. His grip on Velkan increased and Victoria wondered what she should do to stop him. How could she move him when he was as strong as he was. And then it came to her.

"And I love him."

Her whisper was enough for him to stop his movements on Velkan, dropping the Prince to the floor and turning to look at Victoria. He allowed his hands to hover around her face, clearly showing how he was unsure of how to react to her. She kept silent, knowing that speaking would only anger him. She walked backwards, careful not to trip over her gown as she went.

"I love Velkan…I love him more than you can possibly understand. I would do nothing to hurt him. You may think it is only lust I feel for him, but it is not. It is love."

"No," Dracula shook his head. "It is not love. It is not his touch you crave, but mine. You know that. It is my name you call when you are in the throes of ecstasy."

"But it is not your name that I use to declare my love for," Victoria replied, her breathing harsh and laboured as she struggled to stay upright moving backwards. "It is his."

It was then when Velkan appeared again, a branch in his hand as he used it to hit Dracula around the back with, but the vampire did not move. Instead he remained stood still, frozen to the ground with his gaze focused on Victoria.

"You only need time," Dracula nodded his head confidently. "Time to remember who I am."

"No," Victoria shook her head. "I do not need time. I…I cannot be with you…yes, I may be the same woman you loved, but things have changed. Everything has changed."

"Nothing has changed," he seethed at her. "Your love for me will never change."

"It has!" Victoria desperately tried to make him see sense.

"And you think that I will let him touch you tonight?" Dracula demanded from her, this time he did move forwards and dare to tilt her chin upwards for her to look at him, his finger curling underneath her as she looked up, her breath catching.

"Get off from her," Velkan demanded, but Dracula moved his spare hand out, using his control to stop the Prince from moving.

Closing her eyes, Victoria parted her lips, taking leave of her senses as the Count moved his body against hers, their chests brushing together as he watched Victoria, his gaze running up and down her body as he moved a hand into the small of her back and then up and along her spine, her body shuddering under the movement as his hand stopped at the back of her head, his fingers curling into her hair to tilt her head back.

"Tonight," he whispered into her ear and she moaned, her lips trying to reach upwards for any available space of skin she could find. "When he touches you…we both know it won't be real…you will crave it…crave the warmth and the pleasure…but you will imagine me…"

Her moans continued to echo in the forest as Velkan watched his wife try to press her lips against Dracula's skin. But the Count was avoiding her movements. He didn't want her to touch him under his control. He wanted her willingly.

"And when you realise it is me you need then I will come for you," he whispered, finally dropping both her and Velkan from his control.

Velkan knelt on the floor as Victoria stumbled backwards, blinking profusely and wondering what had just happened. Shaking her head, her hands moved to her forehead as she looked up to Dracula. All he gave her was a knowing smirk before he fled the forest, knowing full well that the Gypsy Prince would not take Victoria to their marital bed that night.

…

A/N: Thank you so much for reading so far! Do let me know what you think!