Victoria knew that the time was fast approaching. She had been in the home of the Valerious' for three weeks and there had been talk about him leaving to try and finish what had started. Victoria had mainly kept herself to herself, knowing that her presence was hurting Velkan. He was constantly hovering aroud her whenever she was outside of her chambers.

He looked at her with such longing that Victoria did not doubt a word he said to her. There would be times when he was simply civil with her, bidding her good morning and engaging in polite conversation. There were other times when he would forget that she was not the same Victoria he fell in love with. He would talk to her and call her love, tell her how much he adored her.

She knew how difficult it was for him, but she felt even worse whenever she let her thoughts turn to Vlad. Despite him not returning for her, she could not rid herself of him. She would constantly fall asleep, dreaming about the days they spent together when he was human. She would long for them. Often in the night she would wake up, panting for breath as her dreams turned to nightmares and she remembered how he had killed that man without a second thought.

But then she had heard how Boris Valerious intended to lead another charge one evening to try and destroy Dracula. A part of Victoria had wanted to protest; the part that desired him to still be her Vlad. But he was not the same man. He was not the same man and the Valerious family were doing all that they could to avoid a fate of purgatory.

"You leave with your father," Victoria stated as soon as Velkan had told her he was travelling for a few days.

They were both sat in the library, Victoria holding onto a book in her fingertips that she had closed once Velkan had entered. He had sat in the chair across from her, folding his legs over each other and then told her the news. He had watched her with intrigue, trying to understand her reaction to his news. She seemed quiet and thoughtful, her mind whirling as she nodded her head.

"Anna will stay," Velkan informed her. "If you need anything then simply ask her. She will be more than happy to help."

"Your sister has been kind," Victoria agreed. "But if you go back to him…try to kill him…do you not worry what might happen?"

Velkan chuckled, lacing his hands together. "I worry all the time," he informed her. "I suspect it is the hazard of being a Valerious. But we have to do it…the thought of going through purgatory does not sit well with any of us."

"I can imagine," Victoria promised him. "I just wonder if it is wise to go against him now."

"There is no opportune time, Victoria," Velkan told her. "He…he will try to kill me whenever we go after him, even more so now that I am married to the love of his life."

Victoria scoffed, shaking her head back and forth. "I do not think that is true," she whispered. "I might have been the love of his life once, but now…he has changed and perhaps I am not entirely the same as I was, but I cannot be with him. He is not the same Vlad I loved."

Velkan didn't know what he felt at hearing her speak in such a manner. All he could do was allow his chest to ache slightly as he watched her stare back at him, almost as though she was trying to weigh something up. She moved a hand to rake through her hair before Velkan stood up and Victoria spoke again, not wanting him to leave.

"You must truly have loved me," she declared. "If you married me…went against Vlad…endangered yourself further for me…"

Velkan chuckled, scratching the back of his neck. "That's because I do love you, Victoria. When I look at you I still see the same woman I married and I cannot forget that. I won't forget that."

"I know," Victoria responded and moved towards him. She pressed her hand against his arm, holding it softly as Velkan inhaled at the motion, peering down to her as he moved to curl a hand underneath her chin.

"Try to remember," Velkan whispered down to her. "Just try…for me…my love."

Victoria said nothing, hearing the desperation in his voice as she felt his hand move down to curl around her neck, his fingers tangling into the hairs at the nape. She moved a hand to his chest, her palm flat against him as he moved to kiss her on the forehead, inhaling her sweet scent before he pulled back from her, not wishing to push her too far as she remained still, unsure of her movements.

"Stay safe," she urged him and he nodded, his hand running over her cheek one final time before he left her alone in the library.

…

The night was dark and the rain was lashing against the window pane as Victoria struggled to sleep. It was the second night of Velkan's departure and she had been worried about him ever since he set foot outside. She had been moving between the library and her bedchamber, wondering if there would be any news.

She had prepared for bed that evening, wrapping her body in a blue robe after bathing and washing her hair. She had taken to sitting on the stool by the dressing table as she combed her hair, tugging a brush through it as she tried not to wince at the noise of the rain on the glass.

She was about to change and pull her nightgown, but she had no chance. A knock on the door snapped her out of the daze she had been in and she moved with haste, pulling the wood open and looking at the man stood there. She ushered him inside of her room, closing the door as he instantly fell to the floor.

Moving to kneel besides him, Victoria wrapped her arms around him as tightly as possible, pulling his body to hers as he burrowed his head into the crook of her neck, the tears still falling down his cheeks as his body shook. Victoria knew something bad had happened. How could it not have? Pushing him closer to her, she moved a hand to his cheek, her chin resting on top of his head.

"He killed him," Velkan's voice broke and Victoria closed her eyes, inhaling a sharp breath at that piece of information. "He killed him…he took him…"

Boris was gone. Victoria knew that was what had happened. She closed her eyes too, unsure of why she felt such sadness wash through her body. Peeling her eyes open to look at him, she felt a small tear drop down her cheek as Velkan continued to grieve, clearly unable to move.

"I am so sorry," Victoria whispered, wondering exactly what had happened. Vlad had killed Boris; she was certain of that much. Vlad had murdered yet another person and by doing it he had driven Victoria further from him. Any chance she thought he had at redemption was slowly diminishing and becoming impossible.

She said nothing more as Velkan remained on the ground for another hour, unable to control his cries. It was only after the hour when he begun to sit up, moving his hand to her cheek as Victoria offered him a sad smile, trying to show him that she was there for him. But then he moved upwards, his hand pushing her hair behind her ears while his forehead moved to press against hers.

"Velkan," she whispered, warning him in a soft tone as she felt his hand move down her neck and rest against her chest, some of his fingertips tickling her bare skin from where the robe didn't cover her.

"Victoria," he whispered her name and she watched his eyes, still red and watery as he moved his lips closer towards hers.

"Velkan," she spoke again. "This is grief…do not…"

"This is not grief," Velkan told her. "You are my wife…this is how I feel…please…help me forget…"

Victoria didn't know what else she could say, but she had no chance as she felt Velkan's mouth press against hers and she kept her eyes open at the feeling of his cold, chapped lips moving against hers continuously. She said nothing at the feeling of it, instead allowing him to kiss her. It was only when his lips moved from her mouth to her neck did she put her hands on his shoulders.

"This will not help," she assured him a small voice. "You need to see, Velkan."

But he ignored her for a moment, his lips sucking at her neck and Victoria could not deny that she moaned at the motion, her eyes rolling into the back of her head as she tilted her head back and his teeth nipped along her neck.

"Velkan," Victoria spoke again as she felt his tongue against her chest, his fingers trying to peel her robe from her body. She grabbed his hands then and stopped him as he kept his lips still on her chest. She dared to move her hands to his cheeks, bringing his gaze back up to meet hers.

"This is not the answer," she promised him. "I am not the answer."

Velkan nodded and Victoria stood up, straightening the robe on her body as she offered her hand to Velkan. He took hold of it and allowed her to peck him on the cheek before she looked to her bed.

"Just stay here for the night…sleeping," she clarified.

"Will you stay?" Velkan asked and she nodded at him.

"Of course," she said.

Velkan moved to the bed, laying on top of it while Victoria pushed the duvet back and climbed into the covers. She moved a hand to wrap over his waist, still keeping her distance from him slightly as she closed her eyes and wondered what would happen now.

…

"Kill me, Count," the voice demanded and Dracula looked over to the man he had imprisoned in the cage hanging above the derelict ballroom. He was pacing underneath it, his hands behind his back as he listened to the man above him.

"Not yet," Dracula responded. "You see, you have a use and you will serve that purpose before you die."

"I would rather die than help you," he snarled, his hands wrapping around the bars to the cage he dangled in as he looked down to the monster beneath him, anger welling throughout his body.

"Don't say that," Dracula responded. "You don't know what your purpose is yet, Boris."

Boris shook his head slowly and his head fell forwards, his forehead pressing against the metal bars as he closed his eyes and considered the lives of his children. Would they ever escape this hell that they found themselves in? Would they ever find a way out? He wanted them to. He knew they had to if they were to leave purgatory.

"She will not want you when she finds out what you have done," Boris said, testing the Count's patience. It didn't take long before Dracula looked up to him, his eyes narrow and his cheeks huffed out as Boris continued. "If she discovers you have killed me then she would never want you."

"She does not want me as I am," Dracula responded, flailing his arms by his side. "Victoria will soon understand the error of her ways, however. I shall see to it."

"How?" Boris demanded from the vampire. "Do you intend to manipulate her? Have her ruined to bend to your will? That girl might not remember my son, but everything inside of her is filled with goodness and we both know that. She would never be with a monster like you."

Boris didn't know where the creature had gone as he seemingly disappeared. He took a deep breath, only to scream in fear as his cage shook and Dracula hung from the outside of it, his face filled with rage and beginning the transformation.

"I suggest you keep your mouth shut if you know what is good for you," Dracula demanded from him, his voice a snarl as Boris held his head high, refusing to show how scared he truly was.

Dracula dropped down from the cage and moved off, hands behind his back as he considered what the Gypsy King had just said to him. He shook his head back and forth, brushing off his comments. He would prove him wrong. He would prove them all wrong when he had Victoria back by his side.

…

A/N: Do let me know what you think!