I awoke the next morning to the sounds of birds outside the windows. The sun had risen and it was still quite early as the sun was still low in the sky. I pulled myself off the bed to open a nearby window and sit in the chair next to it. The cool breeze felt nice on my aching bones. Using my magic I plucked the book Alucard had handed to me the night prior and started reading again, using the sun as my source of light.

I had finished most of the normal chapters about natural earth resources before the book started into the chapters about edible night creatures. It felt unnatural to eat something filled with dark energy, but the pages went on and on about which ones were the safest to eat and which ones you should avoid altogether. Fear washed over me as flashbacks of my nights came rushing from the recesses of my brain. I had fought like hell to keep myself alive: using ice, water, fire, and electricity to fight my nights away. Unknowingly, tears started flowing out of my eyes. My eyes quickly darted to the door as I heard keys jingling in the lock.

"Here's breakfast. Oh?" His posture softened and his eyes looked right through me. He walked towards me with soft steps. He set the plate on the side table next to the chair I was sitting in and knelt down beside me.

"I have a feeling I'll regret asking, but what's bothering you?" He put an annoyed hand to his forehead trying to justify his actions toward me. I glared at him,

"If you want to know how I'm feeling… Ask next time with sincerity." I barked back. I wiped the tears from my eyes swiftly and held back the tears that were still pushing at my eyelids. I set the book, pages open, next to me and looked sternly out the window. Alucard studied the book quickly.

"Is this what's upsetting you?" He pointed to the pages. I nodded no in response. It was the memories of the night creatures that haunted me. The death of my parents at the hands of the night creatures and how I somehow made it out alive. Guilt and fear wilted my days. I stood up and leaned slightly out the window absorbing the day air, trying to get myself to relax.

"Have some water." Alucard offered the glass to me and I accepted it. I took a small sip and finally turned back to face him. My light blonde hair shone brightly in the window light and my eyes looked at him cautiously. The nightgown clung to my small body. I was always very thin, no matter how much I ate. I let my face soften, trying to show that I wasn't a threat. Not that there was much I could do to defend myself against someone who was far more powerful than I.

"I'm sorry…" He whispered.

"You have nothing to be sorry for. All you did was ask a question. I have no reason to be defensive. You've shown me nothing but kindness, I can't keep my guard up forever." I breathed back. He stood up and looked at me. A small smile crept across his lips. Alucard towered over me, his height was almost overwhelming. But, I had always been small. Alucard reached for the plate he had set down earlier and offered it to me. Freshly picked berries and homemade biscuits greeted my nostrils. I took the plate from him and sat back down.

"How are your ribs feeling?" he asked softly.

"I think fine for once. It was nice not to wake up to handfuls of blood. Oh… And thank you for breakfast." I looked at him gently. Offering my thanks with a smile. I watched as his face softened fully for the first time. The stern look between his eyebrows dissipated and he seemed much more approachable with this look.

"What happened out there?" He pointed to the woods just half a mile off from the castle walls. He watched my face as I searched for a thoughtful answer.

"I'm sure you're familiar with the dumb night creatures," I paused for a moment before continuing, "Every night there was more of them. It was as if they knew my whereabouts day in and day out. I felt as if I was always watched… Always something lurking in the distance just outside of my peripheral. I fought like hell to get out of there alive, but I knew my days were numbered because of the lack of food and sleep. Then you came along…" My words trailed off. I didn't know what else to say other than that. It had been weeks out in the world, fighting every day for my place in Wallachia. Alucard closed the book next to me before putting in his two sense,

"I understand that this world is a disgusting place. Just be grateful you're even alive. Many out there never made it this far… And if they did… they were met with betrayal and a sword." He turned away from me. His eyes never met mine. He was hurting deep down and there was little I could do to change that. At least right now, I could tell he felt less lonely, but there was no trust between him and me.

"I don't even want to imagine what you've been through, but just know I won't hurt you," I spoke quietly, knowing damn well he could hear every word. "I know that isn't really a reassurance to you, but it is for me." I popped a berry in my mouth and gazed out the window. I knew Alucard turned to face me, his eyes locked on me. I listened as Alucard left the room.

I set the empty plate down beside me and took another sip of water. I felt refreshed but still dirty. I had no idea when the last time I bathed was. I noticed another door on the left side of the room that I hadn't paid much attention to last night. I walked over to it and turned the handle expecting it to be locked, but it opened with ease. A master bath greeted me.

A large marble bathtub was placed in the middle of the round room. Towels neatly folded on a white pouf next to it. The standard toilet and sink sat on one wall and on the other a wall full of full-length mirrors. A small dangling chandelier hung above the bathtub illuminating the room in a sparkling haze. I proceeded over to the tub and turned the hot water on, letting the crystal water slowly fill the tub. I found a small bottle of soap and added it to the water and watched as the bubbles glittered under the lights of the chandelier.

I gently let my nightgown fall around my feet and I removed the bandage that Alucard had wrapped around me. I knew I'd have to ask for a clean bandage after this and I had no clean clothes, but I continued to move into the hot water. I soaked my body for what felt like hours, or at least until the water was lukewarm. It must've been at least two hours because the sun sat in the middle of the sky. I wrapped a towel around my body and walked out into the bedroom. A set of clean clothes lay on the middle of the bed along with a fresh roll of bandages.

A clean pair of black pants and a warm velvety dark blue knitted sweater greeted me when I unfolded the clothes. Alucard must have silently snuck in while I bathed. Not only did I think that was slightly creepy, but all the clothes laid on the bed were my size. A black leather coat was also there if I wanted to wear it. It almost felt as if he was preparing me to leave, to put me back out in the world. However, there were no shoes. If he wanted me to leave, he would've given me at least a basic pair of shoes and my weapon back.

I noticed that the plates from breakfast and last night's late dinner were gone as I dressed. I sat down on the edge of the bed as I concluded dressing. I was at a loss. Why was I here? And why hadn't he killed me yet? There had to have been a simple explanation, but I couldn't find one.

"You look lost in thought," Alucard spoke out into the silence of the room. I turned towards him,

"Why are you doing this?" I pointed to the clothes and around the room.

"I have no justification to kill you. It's not like you actively tried to fight back when I flung my sword at you. It's almost as if you wanted to die…" He looked directly at me. He wasn't just talking to me, he was asking me a question.

"I can't say that you're at all wrong. I've lost a lot, but death still feels like the easiest option. Not a lot left for me here in Wallachia." I met Alucard's gaze. He looked somewhat disappointed, but he kept moving about the room in silence. He looked over the spines of dozens of books. I noticed he put away the book about natural food sources out in the wild and was searching for something new, maybe something less appalling. He pulled a black and gold spined book off the shelf and pointed towards the fireplace,

"Could you light that for me?" He walked towards the bed as I walked towards the unlit logs. Using my magic I lit the fire with ease and it roared to life, breaking the silence of the naturally quiet room.

"I'm fairly positive you could've done this," I stated as I walked back towards the chair next to the window.

"Oh yes, I could have. But I wanted to see what you were capable of with my own eyes. Is fire all you can control?"

I shook my head, "Lord no. My parents taught me all the magic they knew." I never faced Alucard as I spoke, but I ran through what I could do by making things in the palm of my hand. I made sure he could see what I was doing, maybe it was to show I had some sort of power, even though I couldn't do anything to him without him killing me in an instant.

"So you're a magician?" He asked with a raised eyebrow.

"I guess you could say that. I never considered myself one, but when you ask… It is the only thing that makes sense if you want to put a label on things. I know a lot of different kinds of art. I was taught how to defend myself from a very young age. All my parents cared about was if I could kill someone if I needed to, but I know when someone is stronger than I am." I finally turned to face him, locking my eyes with his so he knew, I knew he was stronger than I was. He stood up from the bed and walked over to me, offering the book in his hand.

"Then maybe you'll find this intriguing… Read it and tell me what you think. I've got some business to attend to." He groaned walking away from me.

"The castle's empty. What business is there to take care of?" I said slyly. Alucard stopped. His back facing me,

"How do you know that?" His voice never wavered. His mean, crisp voice echoed throughout the room.

"Alucard… You really wanted me to believe that you're here with other people. By the looks of this room, no one has visited the castle in some time. Not to mention, the castle feels cold. There are no occupants besides you and me." I turned to look back out the window.

"Keep your opinions to yourself…" He said gravely before slamming the bedroom door behind him. I giggled to myself knowing I had finally wedged myself under his skin. I had no idea what his intentions were, I needed him to know that I wasn't some useless human he was caring for. As grateful as I was, I needed to protect myself to some degree.

Days had passed that Alucard hadn't visited my room. He would shove food through a small opening in the door and wouldn't breathe a word to me. I hadn't been trying to escape, I sat quietly keeping the fire going and sifting through the pages of the book he wanted me to read. The book was a history of some of the most powerful magicians of the ages and what powers they held. Telepathy was one power that piqued my interest, but a side note on the page noted that the spell was useless against vampires.

I spent days rereading the book, searching for other things I was missing. That was when I noticed the cover of the book. A large impression of a jewel or jewel-shaped object was missing from the large cover. I paced around the room, looking for an object that could fit into the space.

"You're a very curious person aren't you?" Alucard said through a light laugh. I spun around to find him leaning against the wall. He held a large black diamond, the perfect fit for the cover of the book.

"I never heard you come in…" I answered him briefly.

"Do you forget who I am?" He smiled at me.

"No." I sighed.

"I think… You're looking for this." He held out the diamond to me,

"It took you way too many days to realize that a book about magicians would require magic to delve deeper into its pages." He laughed again and I was slightly caught off guard by it. His laugh was like music. Melodic in nature and held no hint of sarcasm this time around. I walked towards him and held my hand out to him. He tilted his head at me; I was unwilling to even touch him. It was out of my place to even do so. Taking the hint, he dropped the diamond in my hand.

"Thank you," I muttered to him. He nodded. I studied the jewel for a moment, noting its internal colors of purple and pink, even a hint of red. It was almost as if someone had taken a sunset and locked it inside a precious gem. I gently placed the jewel in the slot of the cover and watched as the book 'unlocked'.

"Incredible," I whispered in amazement. My parents never had books like this. And if they did, I was never able to lay my hands on them because of their value. I opened the 'new' book to the first page. It was no longer a book about the history of the land's greatest magicians, but a book on how to learn and use their spells effectively.

"Why would you let me read this?" I asked as I turned to look at him.

"You said you wanted to leave as soon as I fed you. I figured I couldn't let you go back out into the world without being able to defend yourself better. If someone like you is able to easily express magic in the palm of their hand, I figured some of those spells would do you some good." I studied his face after his reply and asked another question,

"Why are you helping me?" My words stuttered. I needed to have a reason for his kindness.

"I'm not. I do you a favor… You do me a favor." He smiled at me.

"There it is… What can I do for you?" I asked setting the book down on my bed.

"I need something cleaned. I thought you'd be perfect for the job. But don't do anything stupid while you're outside of this room… Or I'll kill you." He spoke with grace. Everything he said was calculated before it even came out of his mouth.

"I understand."

"I put some shoes over there. I suggest you put them on." He pointed to a corner of the room and I turned to gaze at it. A pair of black boots sat before me. I strutted over to the corner and slipped them on. They fit perfectly. After a couple of weeks, I was still baffled as to how this man knew my sizes exactly.

I followed Alucard down a long corridor and down a few sets of stairs to lower levels of the castle. We stopped at a long corridor covered in nothing but glass. A rough stone floor and shelves upon shelves of either empty or full wine bottles. I looked at Alucard as he turned to face me,

"This part of the castle has become a pigsty and I refuse to let it be like this any longer. Consider this… A favor for a favor." He gave me a sarcastic smile and walked away, only after throwing a broom in my direction. As much as I wanted to put up a fight in this situation, there was a part of me that knew this was only fair. He gave me lodgings, meals, and knowledge; the least I could do was clean a wine cellar.

Hours passed of me walking up and down the hallway sweeping shards of broken glass into one corner. I spent another hour taking the empty bottles off the shelves and starting a separate rack for them, maybe someone other than myself could use them in the future. Around nightfall, Alucard blessed me with his presence once again. He stood, almost in awe, of how well I had done cleaning the corridor.

"Thanks…" He whispered. After discarding the last of the pile of glass shards, I took a step toward him.

"I hate to say this, but…" I hesitated for a moment, "It's the least I could do." Alucard studied me briefly, before softening his posture and his gaze. It almost seemed like he was showing me an ounce of humility, but I couldn't completely read him.

"Come with me." He spoke while waiting for me to walk with him.

"You've been eating in your room alone for a couple of weeks now, I figured we could eat together." He turned to let me see a small dining table set with food. The smell of freshly cooked vegetables and meat filled my nostrils. I looked at him with soft eyes, giving him my deepest thanks. He walked towards the table and pulled out a chair, silently motioning for me to sit.

"Why do you trust me so blindly?" Alucard questioned as I sat in the open chair.

"Because you've given me no reason not to. I mean besides locking me in a bedroom against my will, you haven't done anything to make me think that I'm in danger or in fear of my life. I could ask you the same thing, Alucard. What leads me to believe that you trust me?" I replied. He sat down across from me before giving me a thoughtful answer,

"I don't usually trust humans. Regardless if they need help or not. All humans have ever done is come to kill me or fight for things that aren't rightfully theirs. You, for some odd reason, have a different air about you. I find you and all you ask for is food and to leave just as quickly as you came. I've found that humans usually have deeper motives. You had and wanted nothing but to leave and I still can't explain that. Deep down, I know that you can't hurt me, even if you tried. But I know you won't."

I nodded at him, confirming that everything he just said was true. I had no reason to hurt Alucard. Yes, he is a vampire, but I had never come into contact with a vampire before in my life. The only things I knew about them were stories and legends I had heard from townspeople.

I looked down at my plate of food to get away from Alucard's studying gaze. I always felt as if he could read my thoughts. I felt unsure eating in front of him. This was the first time, ever, that he wanted to be in my presence longer than that of five minutes. Or was it that he was just trying to make me more comfortable here? I doubted that eating together would have any sort of benefit for him.

The dining room was quaint and felt homey, unlike the rest of the castle with large rooms and closed curtains. This room felt more familiar than any of the other few rooms I had seen thus far. Almost like a human used to touch these walls and used this room regularly.

"You're thinking," Alucard said, pausing between bites of his food. "Your eyebrows are furrowed and your smile is gone. You can share if you want…"

I looked back at Alucard, peeling my eyes away from the walls and decorations that filled it. I thought about my answer for a moment while I watched him take another bite of his food. He was patient, and every move he took was calculated before he made it.

"I.. Uhh… I guess this room feels normal. Like something you'd see day in and day out. Almost like a tavern. Filled with warmth. Not filled with books and items that may or may not have meaning to the individual."

He nodded in understanding. "This was where my mother spent a lot of her time. She had a study, but being in the kitchen is where I knew to find her."

"Hmm." I acknowledged him gently.

"My mom was human. So, I guess like what you just said, she didn't care much for the large rooms and halls in the castle."

"You're half-human?" I asked confused.

"You know very little for the times we are in right now." He replied with a laugh. I smiled back at him, admiring the laugh he gave with sincerity.

"My parents only taught me what they deemed necessary. I guess the knowledge about vampires was one they skipped over entirely." I replied with a smile, "Also… Thank you for cooking again. At some point, you'll have to let me cook for you." He grinned, accepting my offer for some time in the future.