Hello, hello my dearies!
So, I'm curious… did anyone stand in line for hours to get Halo 3 at 12 a.m. the 25th? Or at least, know someone who did? Well, one of my brothers is a HUGE Halo fan, and my other brother and dad play the games, so we waited from about nine to a little after midnight at a GameStop to get it. I thought it would be really boring, but they had competitions going on and everything. It was slightly strange, though, because the scale was 1 girl to like 100 guys. Yeah, too much testosterone in one area – I'm surprised they didn't kill each other. :P If you don't know what Halo 3 is, let me just inform you that it is the highest grossing entertainment launch in history. It made $170m on Tuesday alone, beating the previous record holder, Spiderman 3, which made $151m over an entire weekend. If only the nerds would stop trying to beat each other's records and band together, then they might accomplish owning our souls. Mommy, I'm scared…
While we are on entertainment news, Marishka was the first to get the boot on Dancing with the Stars. Wait, did I say Marishka? I totally meant Josie Maran. Maybe it's irony: the first to go off VH, the first to go off the DwtS. Oh well. Too bad, so sad.
Alright. Onwards, to the chapter…
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It was one of the first days in January – the month of fresh beginnings and new starts, a time to reflect and learn from the past but also move forward with the hope, courage and strength of a new year. And although nature lay dormant, waiting for the arrival of spring… some things had already begun to blossom and grow.
Sophia couldn't see it, but she had undergone many internal, personal changes since arriving at the castle two-and-a-half months ago. The biggest leaps and bounds had been made from the day she started taking reading and writing lessons from Dracula – eight weeks ago – up till now.
With the final release of her family and past, she had quickly adjusted to her new surroundings and over time learned to accept the castle as her new 'home.' She treated all around her with kindness and utmost respect, even the ones below her status, winning over the hearts of many people who had at first disliked her for unjust reasons. Mary had somewhat started to open up too, but only to her, and genuinely smiled and laughed more often. It seemed Sophia's warmth and positive spirit was rather contagious and was something everyone in the castle was enjoying.
Well, everyone but Nedezda.
That woman was filled with green envy, mostly because she was forced to use all of her charms for the Prince's attention, yet Sophia got it handed to her without so much of an effort. She had nothing but ill will for Sophia and if it were her decision, she would have her banished from the castle, from the village, from all of Wallachia. Unfortunately for her, however, she didn't have that power. Still, that didn't keep her from waiting for the opportune moment when she could cause Sophia to fall from her position of favor in the Prince's eyes.
Oblivious and naïve Sophia was to these battles raging about her in the castle, but that didn't mean she wasn't dealing with any struggles at all, for she was already caught up in her own changing emotions and feelings. During the last few weeks her view had drastically changed of the Prince and to her own bafflement, she found the highlight of her week to be her few hours spent with him. Furthermore, she found herself waiting all week in anticipation for that one day!
This was what was on her mind as she stood in the still and quiet library; staring into the bright, warm flames of the fire, awaiting the Prince to come for her tutoring session.
How was it that she enjoyed this time so much? Was it really Prince Dracula that she liked spending time with? If so, what was it about him that she couldn't get enough of? Was it that he treated her with respect now and she could have a serious conversation with him? Or was it simply his mannerisms and fine looks that she just desired to be in the presence of? Was it the beginning of true love? Or just a silly infatuation?
The sound of a creaking door came to her ears before that familiar sound of boots on stone and then carpet. She turned to see the Prince coming towards her.
"Pardon my lateness, my dear," he said, as he watched her take her seat at the table. "As you know, people love to impose upon my time."
Sophia laughed for she did know. Almost every week he was late by some amount of time, but then he was the Prince and had other things more important to attend to, at least in her mind. If only she knew how important these meetings were to him.
He took a seat beside her at the table and the lesson started like it did every week.
"Did you find this week's reading to your liking?" he asked.
She pulled out the book he had given her as her reading assignment and flipped it open. It was up-to-date on the military battles won and lost by Vlad Dracul, the strategies of all, and the way he lorded over his kingdom.
"I was not too fond of it," she said frankly.
"Not too fond? Elaborate for me." He raised an eyebrow.
"It was, with all due respect, dull," she was sure to emphasize on the last word.
"How could it possibly be dull?" he asked, a perplexed crease across his forehead.
She shrugged. "I am not entirely sure… It was all about battle tactics, wars, and such."
"That was what the book was intended to be about," he said, rolling his eyes and shaking his head.
"I knew that," she said, her eyes narrowing, "but that does not mean it is any less dull."
"Nevertheless, how do you find it to be dull?" he asked again, trying his hardest to see from her point of view. "It contains detailed and accurate accounts of the wars my father led and fought with the Muslims – the Turks in particular. How can frays and skirmishes not have something interesting to them?!"
"It was not the battles, it was the way they were told," she said, watching as she confounded him even more. "It was all the formalities and strategies, there were no genuinely memorable stories or heroics within."
"If it were not for those dull wars, Romania might not be what it is today. Nor would it be of the Christian faith… it would be Muslim."
"Yes, that is true, but it takes a very important or unique battle strategy for people to remember. Stories and tales, however, people will pass down from generation to generation," she said, and to his complete and utter frustration.
"Not every battle has something memorable in it!" he said, and sighed loudly.
"You are correct, which is why that book was dull," she said triumphantly. She bit her bottom lip, doing her best to prevent a sly smile from forming on her pretty mouth.
"Women are impossible to please!" he announced, allowing his open hand to fall on the table loudly. He was doing his best to not mimic Sophia's face because he knew what she was getting at. They did this every so often – push each other's patience.
Her jaw dropped, more for the dramatics than real shock. "You did not… That is not true and you know it!" she snapped.
"Oh, but it is true," he said dryly, the side of his mouth twitching for want to smirk.
"No, it is not!" she cried. "Take it back!"
He chuckled at her. "I will not take it back when it is true."
"But it is NOT!" she all but shrieked.
"Well then, prove me wrong." He couldn't help it anymore, the smirk that had been aching to get free, was released and it spread quickly, creasing his cheeks at the corners of his mouth.
"You have not done anything to give me cause to prove you wrong!"
"As I said: women are impossible to please," he said, matter-of-factly.
She opened her mouth but snapped it shut – there was nothing to say, he had played a cunning argument and beat her royally.
He chuckled to her irritation and decided to stoop to her level by adding, "I win."
"Oh, you!" she cried. "You are just cross because I told you that your choice of reading was dreadful."
To this he just laughed even more, frustrating her further.
"One day, Vladislaus! One day when you do not expect it–…" The words died off her lips when she noticed he had suddenly stopped laughing and was staring at her with a look of disbelief. "What?" she said, guessing it was something she had said and trying to recall her words. It clicked in her head the same time he spoke in astonishment…
"You used my name."
Sophia's lips parted, as she blinked, the most dumbfounded expression on her quickly flushing face. She couldn't believe she had let that slip. It was only in the deepest recesses of her mind and the most secluded places that she ever used his name. She often used it in conversations with herself but she had always been careful around him to not use it. Although, she had pictured this moment, the first time she used it, only it was sweeter, less blunt, and less… embarrassing.
On the other hand, Dracula was nearly as shocked as Sophia. He had given up on her using his name and it had merely been a far away dream that she would. It was music to his ears, the way her melodic voice took the letters and made them dance. If only the warrior, the soldier, the commander, could muster the courage to ask her to say it again.
"Um… shall I begin my writing now?" Sophia barely got out in words.
"Yes, of course," he said hesitantly, still trying to regain his composure. Nothing shocked him… but that did.
In an awkward and uncomfortable silence, Sophia pulled out some parchment paper and a quill then started on her writing.
Dracula shook his head, pushing aside what had just transpired and began to plan and write out her assignment for the next week. Periodically he would look over to check on her work, making sure she was doing it correctly. She was usually good at it though, but sometimes she couldn't seem to figure out how to form the complexly detailed words, or at least to his standards. Much like now…
"No, no, no," he chastised her, leaning over and closer to her so he could get a better view of her writing.
"What?" she asked, lifting her quill from the paper, not even realizing she was doing something incorrectly.
"Rewrite the word, 'winter,'" he told her.
She dipped her pen in the ink and then started forming her letters with as much care as possible.
"Not satisfactory," he said. "You are struggling forming and connecting the letters. Try once more."
With a frustrated sigh, she tried again… but not to his satisfaction.
"It is still not correct."
"I do not see what is wrong with it," she snipped at him.
Without a word, he pushed his chair back and rose.
"What are you doing?" she asked, bewildered, as he came up behind her.
He rested his left hand on the table beside her, then leaned down over her and took her right hand in the firm grasp of his own. His smooth, pale face was just inches beside her head and she let out a silent, heavy and shaky breath. Was it her overactive imagination or did he smell really good?
"Allow me show you," he said, the warmth of his breath tickling her ear. He positioned his long fingers over her small ones perfectly, before dipping the pen in the ink, tapping the excess off, and then beginning on the paper with smooth and flawless strokes, slowly creating words.
Sophia's heart beat faster with every letter he wrote, until he had reached the edge of the page and stopped. By then, she was dizzy as if his very presence was intoxicating. She turned her head slowly and looked at him; her expression was one of complete awe.
Straight away, he noticed her gaze on him and turned to meet it. Those perfect lips of hers were parted, looking even more enticing than ever. Lord help him if he was about to make the wrong move…. Cautiously, he leaned in, allowing her time to pull away, but she didn't. He drew closer to her, until his lips lightly brushed hers and then he stopped, waiting for her to respond to his first actions. Her eyes fluttered and she tilted her head back more, desperate for him to continue. To which he gladly complied, at last locking lips with her.
Never in his life had he been so gentle, so careful with someone. His lips barely caressed hers, giving her the feeling that he wasn't being overbearing, but she was still very unschooled with such things, so he continued, unbeknownst to her, to lead. She moaned softly into his mouth, her head falling further back and his left hand slipped up to her neck, his fingers weaving into her fine hair. The quill pen slipped from her hand to the table without so much of a sound as his fingers above entwined between hers, and she curled her fingers under, pressing them to her palm.
Their lips worked in unison, with each stroke and rock seeming to have a beat or pattern, like they were truly coming together. Soon enough though, the chaste kisses ceased, leaving them both in pleasant wonder at what just happened.
"I suppose we can conclude this week's lesson," he said quietly.
"Uh… huh," she barely got out, nodding her head.
With one unexpected and huge step, a once forbidden boundary had been broken, opening many paths to them. The only question that lingered was, were they ready to take the same one?
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Talk about a lesson! I'd take one of those from him ANY DAY. Seriously.
dancinglemur: I'd totally like to see Dracula tiptoe also. I bet Mary was wondering what the heck had gotten into him. :P Exclamation points rock, btw!!! See?
Well, hope you liked it. If so, please review. That'll be all. xD