Seras felt her body go limp, her hands falling from the vampire's back as his teeth remained in her. After several moments, she felt the pressure release from her neck. His deep voice was the last thing she heard as she fell.

"I want you Seras. And now you can be mine. You will die if I don't turn you. Do you want to die?" She shook her head slowly. "Then you wish to be mine? I can give you eternity. If only you'll be mine." I'm not ready to die. She nodded lazily, and once again felt a sharp sting in her neck.

She fell asleep.

Seras awoke to a soft voice calling her name. The voice grew louder as she was roused into consciousness. Suddenly, she remembered the night before and gasped, clawing at her neck and her eyes opening wide. "Oh god! I'm dead! I'm dead!" She screamed and an arm quickly made its way around her, her face being shoved into a large chest before she had time to focus on her surroundings. The voice belonged to the chest, and Seras recognized the voice as being Vlad's. Vlad spoke once more, just as Seras began to panic, sweat covering her body as she panted.

"Seras, what on earth are you talking about? Are you ill?" She couldn't understand why he was being so calm, especially when he had just killed her.

"I'm dead, a corpse, a monster! My life is gone, forever, oh god," she felt hot tears fall from her eyes and grabbed onto his soft linen shirt. His hand stroked her hair softly and she shuddered.

"Seras Victoria, you're dead? You certainly seem alive to me." She wanted to scream at his careless teasing, but her tears choked her. "Darling, it was but a dream." She whimpered her words in a quiet reply.

"A dream?" Her face remained against his chest.

"You've been asleep for quite some time. I should have woken you earlier, but you didn't seem as though you were having a nightmare." He chuckled, playing with her hair. "A very vivid one, at that. Pray tell, whatever was it about?"

A… A dream? A nightmare? It seemed so very real! When did I go to sleep? I'm so confused. "I'm so confused." She pulled away from his chest and wiped her eyes, noticing the wet spots she had left on his clothing. He looked as though he had woken up not long ago, his thick hair tousled and messy. His eyes were soft, a small smile playing on his lips. The vampire cocked his head slightly, before grinning. He took his hands away from her body, allowing his fingers to stroke her cheek softly before sighing and placing them in his lap.

The two sat atop his bed, blankets and sheets surrounding them, falling off of the bed. She looked around, not taking in much but calming down. She fingered her neck, noticing the absence of wounds. She looked to the back of her wrist, noticing her faint pulse. She sighed in relief, falling back into the soft blankets. She laughed. "I'm alive! I'm still alive! Oh, praise all that is holy, bloody hell!" She still didn't remember the previous night's real events, however.

"You're such a silly girl." Seras watched, smile still on her mouth, as Vlad laid down next to her, leaning on his elbow. Her eyes wandered his face, looking for any hint of annoyance. All she found was tired humor.

"What time is it?" She noticed it was dark in the room, aside from several low burning candles.

"A little past 2 in the morning." Is it really? The clock was just out of her vision.

"What happened?" An eyebrow arched.

"To what?"

"To me. All I remember is my dream, and I haven't the faintest idea why. So, if that hasn't happened, what did?" He was silent a moment, studying her face.

"You truly don't recall?" She shook her head slowly. He hummed before speaking. "Last night you came onto me, rather forcefully, might I add. We kissed for a bit. Made love." Seras gasped.

"We did not!" Vlad laughed, grin wide on his handsome face.

"No, we didn't. But would it have been so bad if we did? How insulting."

"What happened? Tell me!" She pushed his chest.

"Apparently you had a bit too much to drink last night. So," he placed a hand on the back of her head, once again playing with her blonde hair, "as I was doing something like this…" Vlad dipped his head quickly into the crook of her neck and she squealed. He chuckled and suckled at her flesh gently, planting small kisses on her. He quickly nipped her, scratching her skin with his teeth but not drawing blood. Her nightmare started coming back to her at his action. He brought his face back, grinning at the shocked human.

"But I…"

"As I was doing that, you mumbled something about 'not wanting to die' and then… you were asleep. A highly uncomfortable experience for me, you should know." Not wanting to die? Wait…? Did… Did I really dream or did I just think something else happened?

"I'm still confused."

"Then tell me what you thought happened. Apparently you have quite the fear of death, little Seras." She smirked at her. "Or perhaps you're just so incredibly attracted to it that you want it in another way?" She ignored his comment and sat up.

"I thought you bit me and turned me into a vampire." Vlad was silent and Seras turned to him, expecting him to be angry or upset. His face was blank until he laughed loudly, eyes closed tight. She furrowed his brow. "What? Why are you laughing?"

"You… You thought I turned you?! Oh Christ!" He continued to laugh. "Me? Turn… Turn you? Ridiculous!" Her mouth fell open.

"What the bloody hell is so wrong with me? Huh? Why wouldn't you want to turn me into a vampire?"

"Oh, because. That would be cruel."

"I thought you were a cruel man." She crossed her arms. His laughter stopped slowly.

"I'm not that cruel. You deserve to live. Even if it is only for an hour, or a day. You deserve life." He came up to her. "I wouldn't want to be the one to take it from you."

"And if I wanted you to?" She didn't understand why she was asking these things, she just felt offended by his reaction. Vlad raised an eyebrow.

"If you wanted me to… I suppose that would be different." She huffed and turned away.

"I don't remember drinking."

"Wren said you had several cups of wine. I don't think you can handle your liquor, little girl."

"I've never been drunk in my life. At least not to the extent that I started hallucinating."

"Then you've certainly been missing out."

"I feel like an idiot. Why would I imagine such a thing?"

"Don't think about it too much. I'm not bothered by it. In fact, I'm quite flattered."

"Why?" She suddenly felt his breath on her neck as he purred in her ear.

"Because it means that you want my teeth inside you." She felt heat rush to her cheeks and she slapped the air by her ear, making him move.

"You're disgustingly vulgar."

"Me? I was just pointing something out." She narrowed her eyes at the smiling vampire. Sighing, she laid back down on the bed.

"I just don't understand. So, nothing I thought happened really happened the way I thought it did? It all happened a different way? A less romantic and sweet way?"

"I wouldn't quite call drunken kisses romantic." He laid down next to her.

"What exactly did I say to you? What did I do?"

"You didn't exactly say much. You said things like I intrigue you, and you moaned quite often when I kissed you. I was completely taken aback, of course, but you whined every time I tried to stop. It was rather ridiculous, actually. Quite exhausting. But who am I to deny the lovely Seras Victoria gentle kisses?" He smiled at her, the scene charismatic and Seras couldn't help but smile back and laugh.

"I remember that, though. So you're sure you didn't bite me?" Vlad nodded. "I honestly don't remember drinking any alcohol. He shrugged.

"Wren said you kept pouring more and more cups of vodka."

"Vodka? What's that?" Vlad sighed.

"Something you probably shouldn't continue to drink."

"I thought it was water. My mouth burned a bit, but I just thought… I don't know what I thought, actually."

"Well, now that we have determined you were drunk, are you out of questions?" She nodded slowly after a moment. "Good. Now, go to sleep. And don't have any nightmares." The candles suddenly went out, shrouding the room in darkness.

Seras lay next to Vlad, slightly shocked by his sudden action. As she focused, she did indeed feel her head swimming with the onslaught of a hangover. I just can't understand why I twisted reality so? And why is he so casual about kissing me? I should just sleep and forget about this. He seems to have already done that. Lord, Seras, you really are a mess, aren't you?

Seras turned on her side, getting comfortable in a bundle of blankets. Vlad hummed and came to her side, casually cradling her body against his. She smiled, pushing the bad thoughts she had had earlier to the back of her mind. This is nice.

"No."

"But sir-"

"I said no."

"Well-"

"No. Don't ask me again." A sigh.

"Yes Master." Another sigh. Something tightens around Seras' waist.

"Anything else?"

"No, I suppose not."

"Good. Now get out and tell him to ask me directly the next time he wants something, the coward." Seras stirred, moaning lightly at the disturbances going on around her. She was semi-conscious, aware of what was being said but not why, or what the words meant. She opened her eyes slowly, unused to the bright light that suddenly filled her senses. "Oh, it seems that the princess is finally waking." Vlad chuckled. She tried to break free from his tight hold, but the arms wrapped around her didn't budge.

"I'm hungry." She squirmed in his grasp.

"That's unfortunate." She craned her neck to look into his dark eyes.

"I'm going to go get some breakfast. Is there anything we need to do today?"

"No, Sebastian is heading home today, though. Perhaps we may go and attend a ball tonight."

"A ball?"

"Mm."

"I've never been to a ball." Vlad didn't reply. "Who's ball is it?"

"Her name is Evianna Elenora Marielle," Vlad over accentuated every syllable of the woman's name, making Seras laugh.

"Is it really?"

"So she says."

"And just who is this Lady Evianna?"

"She is a noble, a vampire. She made her way into the highest ranking of vampiric aristocracy through the means of which every woman possesses."

"And what's that?"

"The sway of her hips and her ability to draw a man's eye to her most special of places."

"You included?" She felt a pang of jealousy at the way he described her, even though his tone displayed utter distaste.

"Evianna is not my type. I'm not interested in petty whores." She smiled softly, feeling reassured.

"Don't you think you're being a bit harsh?"

"You'll see when you meet her."

"When I meet her? So we're going then?" He sighed.

"I suppose. Not only she will be there, but as will many other nobles. You should get yourself acquainted if you intend on staying with me."

"Will Sebastian be going?"

"No, he isn't very fond of parties, believe it or not."

"If there are going to be vampires there, are there going to be any humans? Or am I to be the main course in some sort of demented meal?" She only half joked with her last statement.

"No, there will be other humans. They're typically serving the guests. Or being eaten. But you're a guest, you won't fall to that fate…" He paused. "Unless it's by me, of course." Seras wanted to both laugh and scream in frustration but she did neither, instead maintaining her silence and trying to push his arms from her body. "Oh, stop that. You're just exhausting yourself." Seras sighed and dropped her hands, giving in to his grasp.

"Will I have to wear a," she shuddered, "a gown?"

"Well, it is customary, but you needn't wear anything extraordinarily elegant. More so, I'll have somebody find something nice for you."

"So, I'll be accompanying you? As your date?" She felt him bristle.

"Well… I… Yes, I suppose so." Seras thought it was cute to hear him so flustered, even if she couldn't see his face. She could hear the nervous excitement in his voice, despite him trying to hide it.

"I hope you introduce me as such, and not just as your maid." Vlad laughed.

"Why not both?" Seras thought for a moment.

Why not, indeed?

Seras realized very quickly that wine was not her friend. Her head ached and her vision was blurry most of the day, even as she spoke to Maya about the previous night.

"Aye, Wren did say he saw you wobbling away after supper. I could hear you from the kitchen, slurring and saying the oddest things about my Master when you spoke to the boy. I guess he was just having too much fun with you like that, damned boy. I," the red-haired woman pointed at Seras, "would have told you. I just don't understand how you didn't know how much you were drinking." Seras shrugged.

"I had other things on my mind, I guess."

"You're certainly different, aren't you? No wonder Master has taken such a shine to you." Seras smiled at the comment.

"Really? Sometimes I can't tell if he's being serious or just teasing me. It must be fun for him, but it's close to mental torture for me." Seras spun the bright green apple by its stem, her head resting on her face. Her thoughts poured from her lazy mind. "I still haven't seen the dog you all talk about. I think you've just been teasing me too." Maya laughed, the sound high and musical.

"Oh, Baskerville is around the grounds somewhere. He always comes back from the forests at dark. He may be large, but he's sweet." Seras finally bit into the apple, sour juice filling her mouth. She resisted the sudden urge to spit out the fruit, instead swallowing it quickly and nearly choking. Relieved that she didn't meet her demise at the hands of an apple, she shook her head and looked back to Maya, who was casually leaning against a counter.

"So, what are vampire parties like?" The woman examined her long nails. Seras looked to her own short ones and envied her femininity for a moment.

"It's like this: a large room filled with undead bigoted aristocrats and noblemen fighting silent wars of 'who looks the best,' and 'who has the most money, the most beautiful mate'. It's absolutely ridiculous. But sometimes," Maya giggled, "sometimes, a pair get into a fight, or even worse. Vampires fighting against other vampires is truly a sight to be seen. They usually don't stop until one or the other is dead. Or until somebody of higher ranking intervenes and makes them stop. These fights are usually petty, but still end in bloodshed and destruction. Especially if it's a fight over a mate, lord! It's great entertainment, but if you've never seen a fight like it, you're likely to be shaking in your boots."

"Why? I've seen fights before." Seras took another bite, this time prepared for the rush of sour.

"Not like these. Vampires can and will summon their familiars, and those, too, will fight amongst themselves to protect the vampire. Vampires have many powers that you can't even begin to comprehend as a human, love." The human girl didn't pay much mind to the mention of 'familiars', instead on something she heard before.

"What is a 'mate'? Is it like a partner? A wife, or a husband?" Maya turned her head side to side.

"No, mates run much deeper than that. Vampires mate for life, or until the other dies. And if that happens, they'll likely never find another. It's as if the two are bonded, deep to the core of the person; sometimes, it's as if the two are one. I would say that the two are in love, but it truly is much more than the human emotion." Seras took in the woman's words, playing them over and over in her head until she spoke again. "Vampires are very protective of their mates, eviscerating and destroying anything or anyone that dares to threaten them. Threatening a vampire's mate is not a smart thing to do, unless you know you can handle the fight."

"How do you know so much, Maya? Did you have a mate?" Maya froze, her face unmoving and Seras immediately regretted asking. "No, it's fine, you needn't answer. It doesn't matter."

"His name was Louis. He was the one who taught me, after my maker left. He… he's gone now." Maya chuckled, cheerily. "Obviously." Seras was taken aback at the woman's cheery tone.

"What happened?"

"He got into a fight, and lost. I tried to protect him, tried to help, but it was useless. He was doomed from the moment he said 'I bet you couldn't even win a fight against me'. What stupid words. He wasn't always the brightest." A smile crept onto Maya's mouth, likely due to the memories of her lover swimming through her mind.

"Who… Who did it, if you don't mind?" Was that too much? I should be more respectful.

"The King." Seras' eyes widened.

"You mean Vlad? Vlad killed Louis?" Maya nodded.

"Tore him apart. The fight didn't even last thirty seconds."

"Why would he do something like that? Why do you still work for him?"

"It was before I began working for him. It's how we met. And the King kills all who question his authority, and Louis did. I suppose he felt something akin to pity for me, as I fell to the ground, sobbing my eyes out." She paused, cocking her head. As she did, her curly hair bounced atop it, carroty waves flowing in and out of each other. "It must not have been pretty. After he killed him, he came over to me and offered me a job, and protection, so long as I didn't share my mate's opinion. I didn't, so I took his offer."

"How long ago was this?"

"Oh, years. Time moves differently for vampires; for some it can be an unbearable process, for others, it moves quickly. I happen to think I'm in the latter. I didn't stop holding animosity towards my Master until about two years ago, though. I'm sure he knew how I felt about him, but he never said anything. Thank the lord."

"I'm so sorry. I don't know what that would have felt like. It must have been horrible to have the person you care so much about ripped from you. The closest I have to that is the wolf I met before I had to leave my village, but I know it's not even the same." Maya laughed, eyes crinkling at the edges.

"It's exactly the same. Except you risked your life for that dog, I… I just watched. I'm not sure if I regret it or not, perhaps in the moment I did. But I rather like living." Seras laughed this time.

"Did Vlad ever apologize?"

"He doesn't apologize. For anything. Even if something was obviously his fault, he's the King. Kings don't apologize."

"He's apologized to me, though I don't know if he was teasing. Like I said, he's so cryptic around me. It's as if he doesn't want me to get too close, or too far away. It's frustrating. Was Louis like that with you?"

"For a while, yes. But once he understood that I wasn't going to leave him or betray him in some way, he calmed down. But, certainly you're not interested in my Master the way I was my mate?" Seras was quiet, eyes on her browning apple. "Certainly not?" More silence. "You're just charmed by him. Maybe even fancy him a bit, like a child. You're not in love with him, you can't be. That would be stupid." Maya spoke as if she was reassuring herself, words quick and breathy.

"I said things to him when I was drunk, things I only meant to think to myself, things I didn't want him to know. And then I kissed him. He kissed me back. That means something, doesn't it? If he didn't feel something for me, he wouldn't have kissed me back. And he wouldn't have saved my life. There's something in his eyes when he smiles at me, speaks to me, looks at me. I know there is. He wants me like I think I want him. He makes me feel so very safe, and I know he tries to.

If he didn't feel something, anything for me, he would have killed me, drank me blood, left me to die. He wouldn't have made an effort, would he?" Maya stared at Seras as the blonde rambled. "I just wish he wasn't so coy all the time, pretending he feels nothing for me. Pretending I'm nothing special to him. He says things, but his actions say things much different, much louder. He says he plans on killing me, which I honestly don't know if he's being serious about, but then he'll cuddle me as we sleep, run his hands over my thighs." Seras sighed, spinning and leaning her back on the counter.

"Seras, you sound insane."

"He wouldn't kiss me, laugh with me, listen to me, compliment me. He certainly wouldn't ask me to accompany him to a ball. Even more so, he wouldn't have just let me sleep last night, when he could have just taken advantage of me. This means he cares, at least a little bit. And that means he feels something for me. Doesn't it?"

"Please stop talking, you're going to make me ill." Seras snapped her head around, glaring at Maya. The woman truly did look ill.

"Well it's not as if I can talk to him about this."

"Do you love him?"

"Do I… love him? I… I'm not sure. I don't really know what love feels like. I might." I truly think I might. I love Vlad. She played with the words in her head, seeing if they sounded right, felt right. I love him. I am in love with Vlad... Am I?

She smiled. "I am."