Chapter 18

Castle Dracula

Carolyn paced the floor of her mother's room; she was dressed in another 15th century heavy cream and pink gown of velvet and satin. Her hair was dressed with ribbons and pearls. Giving her the look of a promise of spring yet to come. There it was again, the screams from the mad woman down the hallway. "My God mother they need to sedate that woman, I do believe she had gone quiet mad."

Liz walked to Carolyn's side and glanced up as Maggie joined them in her room. "I don't know how much more I can take of that screaming, it sounds like she is being tortured." The sound of a door opening and closing and the shouts of guardsmen in an attempt to chase the runner down the hallway, then a subdued sound of someone being gagged and dragged back down the hallway. Carolyn crept to the door and peered out. She saw Angelique thrashing against her captors hands as she tried to scream through the gag. Finally, a man in a white coat came and injected her with something and she collapsed into the castle guard's arms, falling into a drugged induced unconsciousness.

Elizabeta's bed chambers

Vicki stood in the hallway watching dispassionately. Though she felt somewhat sorry for Angelique, she remembered all the cruel things she had done to those she had come to love. This was for Josette, Jeremiah, Barnabas, Sarah, and Naomi. She knew that each time Angelique tried to sleep she would relive and feel the cruelty she had given to those innocents. She watched until they carried Angelique back to her room, then she closed her door leaning against the hard surface. The look on her face made her less the Victoria Winters she had been in 1795. No longer would she be that innocent and vulnerable to the darkness and evil that had surrounded her in those days.

From the corner of her room she heard a soft male voice. "Victoria, do you really feel nothing for that demented being that was just tied to her bed?" Vicki looked up to a man with sweet calming features.

"I feel sorry for her but this is her own doing, what she is experiencing is what she made others suffer at her hands for the purpose of darkness, evil and her own means. All I did was deliver back to her what she did 10 fold. She has one more day of feeling their pain, I fear this is better than sending her back to hell from which she was spawned."

The man stepped further into her room and sat on stool in front of the fire. "Does she not deserve mercy? Does she not deserve pity or forgiveness?"

Vicki walked to the window and peered out, "Where was the mercy for Naomi Collins? Where was the mercy for pity or forgiveness for Barnabas Collins? Where of all things was the mercy or forgiveness for Sarah Collins, a sweet innocent that never deserved to have her life ended way before her time, she will never know love, of a man, or to be a mother or to be a wife. No, Angelique Bouchard Collins must learn her lesson, for the spell I cast was not a severe one it was tailored to what she had done to others and is that not the golden rule? Do unto others as they should do unto you?" Then she realized she had admitted to casting a spell.

She looked down, "Do not worry my dear, I knew you had placed a spell on Angelique. I am your guardian, the one that will help you with what powers you have been granted, I just needed to know if you were committed to the right reasons for why you did what you did."

Vicki sat on the window seat, still watching the snowfall she sighed, "I feel sorry for her. I hope she learned from her past mistakes and I could have tailored the spell to last the rest of her life, because we know she has done more harm in her lifte time than any others. So, I am committed to be the one to make sure she understands what is happening and the why." Turning her attention back to the handsome youth she asked softly, "What should I call you?"

He shifted to stand behind her, "Call me Michael. Vicki, you are a dear sweet soul that is now caught in something dark, wicked and evil. You were given powers at birth that would be called into play now, in your direst hour of need. You must remember there are always ways and means to meet your objective you just cannot do it for personal gain or at the pain of another innocent. What you did to Angelique is just, and you showed good wisdom in not allowing it to go to the point she would die. You need to continue with how you conduct your powers and you will be rewarded. However if you abuse your powers you will be punished severely. "He had added as a precaution.

Vicki smiled, "I won't hurt anyone and would choose to protect with my powers as you say. I only want to do well. I feel sometimes I am loosing the battle for what is right and just. There is so much evil here that I feel sick to my stomach."

Michael smiled and placed his hand on her stomach. "Here, give me your hand and close your eyes." Vicki looked curious; handing her hand to him, he took it and placed it over her stomach, then put his hand there. "Listen." He spoke softly; Vicki closed her eyes and listened.

She could hear the fire crackling in the fireplace, the wind blowing the snow against the window panes, the settling of the castle, then ever so faintly, she could hear something, cocking her head she heard it again, the sound was ever so soft but rhythmic. "There Victoria, there is the new life, the life you had hoped to have with your beloved Barnabas, listen to the sound of your daughter's heartbeat."

Vicki smiled and the look that filled her was of wonder, awe and peace. Here was something she wanted, needed and prayed about. "A girl?" she whispered back.

His voice was soft as well, "Yes, you carry little Josette in your womb now. She will grow into a beautiful woman that will do more good for this world than you can imagine. You are bringing forth the prophecy that has been told in the underworld and realms of righteous and just. The prophecy was told; that you would bring a champion that will bring hope for the hopeless and peace to the tormented. A champion that would battle against the antichrist"

Vicki smiled opening her eyes, she saw Michael in his true form, glowing with the light of goodness. "When I leave here you will not remember me being here, you will not remember this gift I gave you of knowing you were pregnant. You will only remember that you must have fallen asleep by the window."

Vicki nodded, "I actually understand why this must be and I accept it. Before you go, Michael may I ask you one favor?"

He cocked his head, "If it is permitted to grant the favor I will consider your request."

Vicki tucked her head, "Will I . . ." Michael sighed leaned down and kissed her forehead, "Victoria, you will undergo a transformation, it is necessary for you to bring forth the bearer of your gifts and her own. Are you strong enough to allow the transformation to occur?"

With those words, he began to fade and waved his hand over her face; Vicki closed her eyes as she felt the glow of the fading sun bath her in its continual beauty. Softly, she said, "Yes." The words falling in a room that was growing dark only lighted by the crackling fire in the fireplace and the afterglow of the setting suns reflection on the snow covered mountain.

"Princess wake up." Radu knelt before Vicki studying her face. She appeared to glow holding her hand over her stomach and smile.

"Yes, Radu I am well." She opened her eyes and smiled at him, gently touching his face with her fingertips. Radu took her fingers and kissed them.

"Your maid will join us shortly, she will help you dress, and you have an important night ahead."

Vicki looked at him curiously, "Oh, and what is that?"

He released her hand stood and walked to the fireplace, "Tonight Vlad will announce you are to be married in 3 days time."

Vicki stood and joined him. "This displeases you?" She asked him laying a comforting hand on his shoulder.

"I am happy for you and the Prince. He will finally have you back in his life."

Again, Vicki questioned, "But this displeases you?"

He turned and cupped her face in his hands. "Princess had we met under different circumstances at different times, I would have claimed you; for you have claimed my heart." Slowly he lowered his lips to hers and kissed her deeply.

Breaking the kiss he looked away, "I will not do that again, unless you wish it."

Vicki pressed her fingertips to her lips. "Radu, I don't know what to say."

He turned and studied her; seeing how beautiful she was and how much he wanted her. "I will be nothing more than your devoted servant from this day forward. All you need to do is ask and I shall obey. I am yours to command."

He was all business and matter of fact. She studied him in return and her compassion and concern was written on her face. "Radu, I only command you to be happy and to not hurt Maggie, or as you call her Lady Margaret."

Radu smirked and she was once again reminded of the first time she met him in the hallway on the night of her engagement party. He bowed and she could hear the sarcasm in his voice. "As my lady wishes." He turned with a flare of his cape and left the room.

Lady Margaret's bed chambers

Radu marched down the hallway to Maggie's room, he knocked and without waiting for her to invite him in, he opened the door walked over and grabbed Maggie pulling her close. "My Princess has ordered me to not hurt you. Vlad has given you to me, I need to have a question answered." Without further preamble he drew her into his arms and kissed her. Startled Maggie gasped, felt his lips on hers and closed her eyes not wanting to respond but unable to resist the demand of his lips on hers, she returned the kiss.

He released her smiled and bowed then left her standing confused and shaken in the middle of her room. "What just happened?" She spoke to no one in particular but she had to admit the kiss had shaken her resolve to dislike him.

Hallway outside Elizabeta's bed chambers

Radu took up his place by Vicki's chambers door. He was conflicted, his loyalty was being tested and he did not like the feelings that were growing inside him. He had in the past found women for Vlad, he had hunted women as prey to seduce and then take their lives without any thought to what he was doing.

However, this witch in the room he guarded had woven her charms around his heart and now he found what he could always have on a whim, was now denied to him. Clinching and unclenching his fist he tried to focus on the red headed beauty down the hall. She was nothing compare to his Princess. Though a beauty in her own right as far as mortals went, she certainly was that. Still she did not compare to the woman that stood behind the door he guarded.

He watched in the dark hallway as a figure in white began to form and drift towards him. He studied the form and could not believe how much she looked like the woman he just left, Lady Margaret. She drifted towards him an air of sweet flowers surrounding her. What was that scent, ahh, yes it was jasmine a sweet perfume he had smelt once before when he was in the Collins house known as the old house. Unafraid he spoke, "Why do you come here Josette duPres Collins."

She smiled at him, "I come to ask, no beg of you to protect her from the monster that wishes to make her one of you."

Radu, looked down, "I cannot do that. She is Elizabeta and she must stay with him, she is his first and only true love."

Angelique screamed out which distracted Radu, causing Josette to disappear leaving Radu to watch the guards ran towards the witch's room. They paused and looked to Radu who nodded for them to enter her locked room. Opening the door, Angelique using her powers threw the guards out of the door. Rushing to the door, she paused, turned and glared at Radu. She began to babble a chant, "She who looks like one that belongs to another shall assume that personality, she who lives now will make one that lived long ago she is the same as she who he lost to the rivers below, let it be that the personality of Elizabeta of Wallachia and Victoria Winters of Collinsport merge and be the same!"

Vicki's door opened and she stepped into the hallway and Radu watched as the ghostly figure of Princess Elizabeta appeared and merged into Vicki's body. Angelique smiled "It is done." Angelique then collapsed on the floor as Vicki collapsed into Radu's arms Vicki opened her eyes briefly and she was Elizabeta, "Help me Radu, let me rest let her go, she does not deserve this life, help me Radu." Vicki's eyes fluttered shut.

Elizabeta's bed chambers

Radu carried her into her bedroom and put her on the bed. "So the witch has captured the soul of Elizabeta and put her in Victoria's body. The Prince should know of this deceit and then perhaps he will let her go." Covering Vicki, he walked from her room ordering the maids to be sent in to prepare Vicki for dinner and then posting another guard at the door. As soon as the door closed, Vicki sat up and smiled. "Now, to wait and see what happens next," Vicki walked to her bathroom and once again hid the components in the ancient vase. Looking one last time at the tablet to the spell of truth she had just cast on Angelique. She thought a moment, "Ut oh, looks like this is one of those things that will be visited upon Angelique."

Angelique's bed chambers

True enough when Angelique laid down on her bed, she closed her eyes and in her minds eye she saw Josette battered and bloodied rising up from her watery grave, she drifted to the castle and began to search each room until she came to Angelique's room. Angelique watched in horror as Josette approached her sleeping form and then melted into her body. She awoke screaming. The door burst opened and Nicholas hurried into her room. 'Angelique wake up!" He shook her and she jumped up from the bed; pacing across the room to turn and glare at Nicholas.

"You have got to figure something out Nicholas there is no other way I can deal with these horrors."

Nicholas sighed, "What was it this time?" Angelique began to pace, "It was when I had Elizabeta possess Vicki to convince Vlad that his wife had come back to him through Vicki."

Nicholas thought about this. "I am still trying to find the witch that has done this Angelique but I am hindered, what with your mad screams and acting like a lunatic, I am not so sure I can accomplish all you ask."

Angelique eyes filled with tears. "You must do something Nicholas I can not go on like this." Nicholas sighed then assured her he would continue to try and locate the witch and left her in the room.

A soft knock on Angelique's door; then it opened and Vicki entered her room. "Angelique Bouchard Collins, are you sorry for your deeds and your curse against the Collins family?"

Angelique wanted to claw her eyes out. She spewed her venom to Vicki, "If I had it to do over, I would visit the horrors of nine hells on the Collins family and you my dear, I would have rather seen burn at the stake."

Vicki sighed, "Then so be it, enjoy your last night on these earthly planes."

Vicki turned that is when Angelique lunged at her grabbing her by her hair, Vicki screamed and as she did, Radu entered the room seeing Vicki being strangled by Angelique he entered the fray pulling Vicki from Angelique while two of his guards held Angelique back. "Princess why did you come here, you know she is dangerous."

Vicki began to tear up. "I was worried about her and only offered to help."

Vlad entered the open door watching the scene play out in front of him. "What has happened here?"

Radu release Vicki and she rushed to Vlad's arms. "I was worried about her because she has seemed so tormented and she attacked me."

The truth of what Vicki had said was clear enough with a handful of Vicki's hair being held in Angelique's hands.

Angelique lifted the hair and began to chant. As she chanted she began to choke, she dropped the hair and grabbed her throat her eyes bulging. Then she collapsed on the floor. "Take her to the dungeon, break her fingers and gag her so she can not speak. She has attacked the Princess and that is intolerable."

Vlad pushed Vicki away from his chest and looked at her over from head to toe, the top of her head bled from a scratch she had received. "Tomorrow the witch will burn, she will burn in front of her beloved husband, I understand he is arriving tomorrow."

Vicki forced herself not to tense up upon hearing this. "My Lord, please do not do this. I beg you, she is mad and is to be pitied."

Vlad peered into her pleading eyes and sighed, "My dear Elizabeta, she is a danger to you, you must harden your heart to her. For what she has done to you alone should give you cause to wish her end."

Vicki slid down to her knees and looked into his eyes, "My lord, I forgive her for what she had done to me, she has obviously slipped beyond reason, I beg you please do not harm her, allow her life to be spared."

Nicholas had arrived to witness this scene and paused in the doorway. Was Victoria Winters begging for Angelique's life? Angelique now gagged and bound, eyes wide watched waiting, never had she been so afraid as she was now, surely this was far worse than the nightmares and tricks that had been played on her to this point. Resolving should she be allowed to live, then she would seek her vengeance on Victoria Winters making her pay for what she had done to her. All her emotions were now bundled up in her rage her eyes widened hearing the bitch that had caused this; was now pretending to beg for her life. She struggled against those that held her.

Vlad pulled Vicki from the floor, "Radu, take the Princess to her room, I charge you with her safe keeping." He looked to his guards, break her fingers and chain her in the dungeon. I will decide what is to be done later."

Nicholas stepped forward, "Prince Vlad, surely the sentence is too harsh, I ask you to spare her and not break her fingers, by all means chain her gagged in the dungeon, but do not break her fingers."

Vlad turned and glared at Nicholas, "You were charged with keeping her under control. Beware warlock or you might suffer the same punishment."

Nicholas glanced around the room, then he turned back to Vlad and bowed, "I am only a brother concerned for his sister's welfare. Please do as you see fit but also consider that Miss Winters might be filled with guilt over such actions."

Again Vlad turned his cold ruthless stare on Nicholas. "I will deal with my future wife's feelings. Her name is not Miss Winters her name is Elizabeta Balan, you might do well to remember that warlock."

He nodded to the guards who began to pull Angelique from the room, when Nicholas spoke softly, "Return us to the depths of hell from which we were born."

In front of everyone in the room, Angelique began to scream as her dress caught fire and she began to burn. The guards back away from the witch now hysterically screaming with her body being consumed in flames. Angelique then disappeared before their very eyes. Vlad turned on Nicholas, "That was very foolish of you warlock, seize him." Nicholas smiled and in a flash he too disappeared from the room leaving only the smell of brimstone behind. "Search the entire castle find him and do to him as I ordered done to his sister!" The guards dispersed, hurrying out into the hallways going from room to room searching for Angelique and Nicholas. Vlad turned to Radu, "Take the Princess to her room and stay with her, should either of them show up in her room, kill them."

Radu bowed to him; turning to Vicki by the arm he escorted her back to her room. The sight of seeing Angelique consumed in flames had unsettled Vicki and she moved to the fireside chair and slumped onto it. "That was horrid, the poor woman did not know what she was doing."

Radu stood before Vicki lifting her chin to peer at the cut on her forehead. "She hurt you." Licking his finger, he glided the dampness over her cut and watched as it healed leaving behind only the faintest of scars. "If she had harmed you more, I would have cut her heart out and served it to the wolves."

Vicki leaned back in her chair and closed her eyes. "I am so exhausted from all of this, I fear I may not be well enough to attend tonight's dinner."

Radu frowned, "That would be unwise my dear Princess. I would suggest you attend long enough to hear Vlad's announcement then plead a headache. I will then escort you back here so you may rest."

Vicki gave him a feeble smile, "I will do as you request Radu, but I fear I may become ill. Excuse me."

She stood and walked to the bathroom where she immediately emptied her stomach of what she had eaten for lunch. Waiting with a cold wet cloth, Radu watched her bathe her face and rinsed her mouth. He stepped to her and began to gently wipe her face. "I hope this helps you feel better."

Again, Vicki stayed his hand and placed a light kiss on his fingers. "Thank you, my champion." She swayed on her feet; Radu reacted sweeping her up and carrying her to the bed. Gently, he laid her on the bed and covered her

"When Doctor Stokes gets here, I will ask her to check on you, for now I will leave a guard in here with you to protect you." He walked to the door and shouted, "Alexandros!" A young guardsman stepped to the door. "Stay with the Princess until I return." He saluted Radu entered the room and smiled tentatively. Vicki looked at him, feeling wan and worn out emotionally; after all the drama she closed her eyes.

Petru hearing his sister was waited for Radu to leave and then entered the room; peering over Vicki's sleeping form, he pulled a chair by her bed and sat watching her. "Elizabeta, I am here. I will help protect you against the witch."

Alexandros stepped to Petru's side and asked him, "Iartă-mă onoarea ta, va fi prințesa bine? Mi-e teamă de ei, ea pare atât de palid și bolnăvicios."

Prince Petru smiled kindly at the worried young guards man and replied, "Da, ea va fi bine, ea a avut doar o zi încercând, cu toții vă faceți griji pentru sănătatea ei și păstrarea în condiții de siguranță."

Vicki opened her eyes, in a voice soft and sounding weak she asked Petru, "What did you just say and what did he say?"

Petru smiled stood and sat on the edge, "He asked me if you were going to be well that he was worried for your health you looked ill. I told him that you would be fine and that we all worry for your good health."

Vicki smiled at the young guardsman, "Tell him thank you for his concern, I am just very tired after all the drama from Angelique." She watched Petru's face cloud over the mention of the witch's name.

Doing as she bid, he spoke to the guardsman. "Sora mea a spus mulțumesc pentru grija ta, ea este pur și simplu epuizat peste drama de la vrăjitoarea cea rea Angelique" He looked down and spoke softly, "My dear sister, if that she devil had hurt you in anyway, I would not like to be her when Vlad was done with her."

Vicki smiled, "It is all right Petru, she had her day and now she faces the punishment of her master, she burst into flames and was sent back to hell by none other than her own brother Nicholas. Kind of fitting do you not think?"

He held her hand and brushed the hair from her face. His touch was gentle and he could easily see how Vlad thought she was Elizabeta, she was kind, gentle natured, and forgiving. He resolved that even if she were not his sister, he would make sure she would never suffer at the hands of that witch again.