Chapter 5: Nineteen to Twenty-seven

Seras hummed an unfamiliar tune as she pruned her flowers, cutting away the rotten stems and plucking away the dying leaves, she carefully tended to her plants. Her mind was elsewhere at the time as she worked, she would every now and then look out to the window and beyond the walls of the city, just staring out at the distance. Vlad paused for a moment, looking away from his documents and forms that had to be signed and dealt with. He looked up at Seras who was perched on his windowsill still pruning her flowers, the tune of her humming changed as she worked. It sounded foreign and strange but nonetheless he liked it. He stretched his arms and got up from his seat, sauntering up to her as she worked. She peered up from her flowers with wide blinking eyes in question, he sat next to her as took one of the thrown away stems of the flower, twirling it in his fingers.

"Your mind seems to be elsewhere. What are you thinking about?" Vlad murmured as he stroked her hair. She seemed to always be looking out the window these days, and despite haven taken the throne as the rightful Voivode of Wallachia she always seemed to be in a despondent mood. He was on the throne for only half a year and she seemed to be worried than usual. She took his hand and placed his much larger in her hands. The palm facing up, she studied his hand for a moment and finally with a huge sigh she placed his hand down once more.

"What? What is wrong?" Vlad persisted, turning her chin so she would face him. His eyes furrowing in confusion and worry. She looked up at him, her lips pursed in reluctance.

"Prepare your troops, my lord. You will be soon helping your cousin Stephen ascend the Moldavian throne, against Petru Aron", Seras mumbled as she looked away. Vlad blinked his eyes slowly, as leaned back against the window. His fingers drumming against the window panes as he thought.

"How soon?" Vlad said as he watched Seras's expression, it didn't change. If she was worried about this than was there something terrible to happen to him or her? Or something else far beyond his knowing? He did not know.

"In exactly half a year, Vlad" Seras said as she got up, dusting the stray leaves off of her tunic. The shimmering gold was complimentary of Vlad who had showered her with jewellery and gold and more silk than any women could ever wear in their entire life. But to Vlad's smugness he knew Seras would live many lives so he made use of that excuse to buy her more and more expensive ornaments and trinkets and many other baubles. Seras was reluctant to wear such things considering how costly they were, but Vlad was soon able to persuade her and she wore them. But she never strayed away from her main clothes which never changed no matter what occasion. Vlad had recognized it as some sort of religious robes, or perhaps what a priestess would. But the design of it was most definitely from the Roman Empire and its time of conquest. It made Vlad think about how old Seras really was, but the more he thought about it the more it clouded his vision of her, so he never delved too deep into her past. There were a few several times where she mentioned her past but nothing too deep, saying that one day when he was old and on his deathbed would she reveal her life before she was the witch he sees before him right now.

"I owe him and my deceased uncle that. Very well I shall send a letter of support to Stephen", Vlad got up and strode past Seras who placed the vase of flowers back as the centrepiece of one of his tables. Fluffing up the small leaves and petal a little, a small but content smile on her face as she was quite pleased with herself. Vlad pulled his chair out and sat back down, dipping his quill into the ink and scrawling against the parchment in his elegant handwriting. The ink splattering in a few places, as the nib of the quill scratched across the page, "Useless", Vlad muttered as he threw away quill, which its nib was now crooked and bent.

"Shall I meet him as well? I did show myself to them while you were in their care", Seras said absentmindedly, wiping her hands on a piece of silk. Vlad immediately stopped what he was doing and looked up at her with wide eyes. Standing up abruptly from his chair, which violently fell onto the floor he walked up to Seras grabbing onto her shoulders and shook them lightly.

"Did you not erase their memories when we left so many years ago?" Vlad said, worry clouding his features. She couldn't erase his memories now, not now after so many years have passed. If Stephen was to suddenly not remember who this 'Seras' was, that would be too suspicious. She still looked exactly the same as the last time he saw them. Seras slowly blinked as she retraced her memories, she shook her head in response.

"No. We left in such a hurry I did not even think about it", Seras said. She saw Vlad opening his mouth in protest and the anger that would come along with it but she placed her finger on his lips to stop him from talking. "But that is no worry", Seras said slowly. She pried Vlad's hand off of her shoulders and took a step back from him. "Now let's see, we met them in the year of 1448 and now it is 1456. So eight years have passed", she mumbled to herself as she did the maths in her head. "I have the appearance of a nineteen year old so now I should look like a twenty-seven year old. Alright then", she took another couple steps away from him, as she mumbled a few words. She clenched her hands into tight fists, letting her fingernails dig into her flesh and draw out some blood.

Her eyes closed briefly, and when they opened the light crystal blue turned into a dark indigo, dark tendrils swarmed around her and encased her in a dark smog like cocoon. A flash of crimson red darted around the dark patterns and grey like substance which faintly smelled of ash and burning wood, and finally when it dissipated Vlad had to rub his eyes a couple times to make sure he was seeing the same woman which emerged from it. It was Seras, the same old Seras who had not changed over the fourteen years he had known her, but except she was older?

Her hair reached her feet in locks of golden tufts which stuck out in odd areas and was scruffier near the top of her head but smoother down the bottom. Her baby fat had disappeared and there was small but evident lines underneath her eyes, her jawline was sharper and she was no longer the child-like seductress but a sultry temptress with a swaying body full of curves, she was also slightly taller, with more slender and longer legs. She tapped against her lips as she thought for a moment 'ahhing' as she almost forgot one more thing. The last finishing touch of it all was her eyes, normally they were a sharp blue, clear as a crystal. But now suddenly the sharpness faded and turned mellower, much like the stillness of a pond rather than the raging of a river. She patted down her robes which remained the same and walking past Vlad who was still in shock admired herself in the mirror.

"I think this is what I would look like, I mean I never did grow beyond nineteen, but now that I think about it. It wouldn't have been too bad!" She laughed as twirled around as she continued to peer at herself in the mirror. "I will have to cut this hair though…" Sera mumbled as she stepped on her hair, pulling up bunches of her hair high up and quickly braiding it. Vlad slowly turned around to see Seras still standing in front of the mirror, fiddling with her hair.

"Is that…what would you look like if you were my age?" Vlad said slowly. His breath almost airy and light at the revelation of the fact, his first step towards her were shaky and hesitant but seeing that it was only her appearance that had changed he came closer once more. She nodded most innocently, smiling right at him.

"Well this is what I'm a assuming so, I'm not too sure myself. After all I die-…" Seras paused and looked down, her eyes suddenly distant. "Never mind…But that is beside the point, is this convincing enough?" Seras said gleefully as she danced away from his reach, twirling around in circles as her dressed swayed around her waist in the most seductive way. She looked much older so she didn't seem as innocent of right now but more of a seductress with a sultry and sensual sense of rhythmic beat, she didn't realise this as she danced around the room. Laughing as she spun around, bowing to Vlad with a wry smile on her face, her arms outstretched. She was child-like in nature with her intentions nothing but innocent and virtuous, but in Vlad's mind he thought of something much different.

"This form…how long can you keep it up?" Vlad came up to her, stopping her of her prancing as she looked up at him. His arms on her waist as he drew her closer to his form. She realised what he was doing and deciding not to incite anymore of his desires she quickly drew herself away, but as soon as she did that Vlad pulled her back into his reach.

Seras frowned is disapproval, but Vlad simply ignored her. Sighing she decided to just answer his question and leave things be, "As long as I want", Seras said shortly. Vlad raised a brow in amusement, wrapping his arms around her waist even tighter, enwrapping her in his scent.

Deciding enough was enough her body collapsed into a heavy body of smoke, swirling away from him underneath his feet. The smoke travelling away to the balcony, soon materialising into a solid form. "Careful, Vlad", Seras said with her eyes deepening in colour, "I will bite". Seras didn't like this, Vlad was becoming more and more daring with each passing day. It wasn't that his sexual desire wasn't being met but more like he had particular preferences. And he had been hounding for Seras for many years, but she never gave him a chance. There were plenty of women for him to lay with but they were nothing but pieces of meat, nothing inside their heads. Thoughtless and single-minded, there was never anything to talk to them about.

And Vlad was totally fine with that, he wouldn't had wanted them anyways. They all wanted two things from him, his utter attention and to be his wife. He would give neither, however Seras was now giving him lists of potential wives from noble families with money and power. It cut him deep every time when she came with a new candidate for a wife. And he had no choice, he would have to marry.

"Why don't I just marry you?" Vlad said with a cheeky smile etched on his face, his chin resting on his knuckles as he leaned back in his chair. His eyes following her form as she paced around the room, deep in thought.

"Haha, very funny Vlad", Seras said sarcastically, as she flipped through her list which she had meticulously created for Vlad. "Now pick, I don't have all day. I need to remake your sword which had been broken by your recklessness", she said showing him the list and with the complimentary drawings that came along with. She had actually travelled to the candidates abodes and in the shadows drew many sketched of them, making them realistic as possible. Putting down key pointers of them and hobbies, likes and interests and their strong points. Almost everything about them that was appealing to Vlad, but of course she also put down their weaknesses and things that would upset Vlad just to be sure. His eyes looking up at her, as she tore out a few pages and threw them into the fire cursing softly.

"Look here, doesn't she seem nice", Seras remarked pointing out one of the females in her list. Vlad barely batted an eye, showing indifference. Seras sighed and sat down next to him, placing the list on his hands. "Fine then, you look at it yourself", she said scratching her head.

Taking a sip of wine, from her cup she tapped her fingers on her arm rest absentmindedly. Unbeknownst to Vlad she couldn't actually taste the wine, nothing but ash. She drank the wine simply because it dizzied her vision for a couple moments. It made her senses dull, but she had to drink copious amounts to actually feel these affects. There was also the fact that it made her feel human, even just for a moment. Technically she didn't even need to eat, her body's metabolism was too fast to actually absorb the nutrients and protein. Defecating was also a long gone use, she didn't have the feel for toiletry needs or the hunger for human food. She kept herself full by simply taking in small bits of energy from living organisms around her. Whether it be plants, birds or other humans which she walked past on a seemingly normal day. Taking small amounts from each separate being was safe in her opinion.

They never realised, but there one person she never dared to take energy from. Vlad. Never once did she take any of his energy. That was his alone and she wouldn't dare.

Looking outside she could see the sun was soon setting, and in a far off distance she could see a crow, coming ever closer and closer. She let out a huge sigh as the crow neared she held out her arm, letting the crow land down onto her forearm. His talons digging into her soft flesh but she didn't feel the pain.

"How have you been, you little rascal", Seras murmured, stroking the back of his neck, ruffling his feathers a little. The crowed cawed pleasantly as he felt his Master's soft and gentle touch, leaning in for more. "You look tired…" Seras remarked quietly, cupping the crow in her hands she brought him inside, Vlad stared at the crow which he suddenly felt the irrationality of jealousy.

"That bird is…?" Vlad started, as he stared down at the large tuft of black which she was holding.

"And old friend", Seras said as she scratched the crow's jawline and the top of his head. "He has been with me since I was a child, through the tough and thin of it all", a small but pleasant smile spread across her face as a flood of fond memories encased her thoughts. The crow cawed softly, its small beady eyes looking up at Vlad with wary and distrust. "I'm serving him right now", Seras clarified. The crow cawed once more, and to Vlad's surprise she knew exactly what the crow was saying. "You don't like him?" She giggled, "Yes well, he is a hard character to be around at times", she said softly. The crow hopped from her hands and hopping up along her arm and up onto her shoulders her watched Vlad carefully with its black eyes.

"I hate him already", Vlad said dully with like a child-like anger. It was impulsive with no real reasoning other than just hating for the bird for being itself.

"What?" Seras said exasperatedly as she stared at Vlad with wide eyes. Was he serious? The crow cawed loudly at Vlad, its feathers ruffling and spread apart. Seras petted him to calm him. "You know he understands human speech", Seras stated while still trying to calm the crow down.

Vlad snorted, "Good, no need for you to translate my words then", he leaned in, until he was just a few sort centimetres away from the bird. "Get your own woman", he hissed. The crow suddenly violently launched forward, with full intentions of pecking one Vlad's eyes out, but Sera managed to catch him and pull him back. Vlad had a short sword already drawn out to cut the bird in half, Seras growled a little when she saw the menacing look in his eyes.

"No Alabastrites! You cannot", Seras said angrily, as she flicked the crows wings. "And as for you", she turned to Vlad, "Don't rile him up", she pinched him arm.

Vlad sat back on his bed leaning back against the headboard, Alabastrites hopped off Seras's shoulder and with burst of energy he flew up onto the top on the bed, standing on one the posts as he preened himself.

"Don't stand there Alabastrites, I'll take you to my room", Seras said calling out to the bird. He immediately swooped down from the top and landed down onto her head. "I'll be going to sleep Vlad", Seras said but she didn't even wait for his answer as she and her crow disappeared into a dark haze of smoke, slipping from underneath the door and past the unbeknownst guards. Vlad looked at where she was previously standing, seeing that there was also a small black feather on his rugs. Heaving himself from his bed he picked up the feather, twirling it in his fingers he almost missed a very important question. "How old is that bird then?" Vlad said with narrowed eyes in confusion, he placed the feather on his desk as he ran his hand through his inky hair as he thought about the bird. He could ask the bird for the answers which he had so yearned for many years, it sounded ridiculous but he had seen enough crazy things in his time while walking on this earth that he was willing to talk to a bird and be labelled as crazy.

One would've thought that it is strange for one to talk to another in a room despite being told that only the King was allowed in his private chambers. Well due to a small but useful spell, Seras enchanted the doors of his room so no-one would be able to hear anything. Even the walls were enchanted, no sound could be heard from the room itself.

Only when the doors were opened would the enchantment cease to work, but Vlad never left the doors open. They were always closed. He didn't spend much time in his room anyways, always in the royal halls and kings chambers where he heard the problems and other minor issues. He had barely had his position and he was already swarmed with so many duties as the Voivode of Wallachia, which he accepted. It kept him busy, he never had the time to be idle.

When he would have children of his own and no duties he vowed that he would travel the world. He would take Seras with him, and they would travel the world together. Even if his life was near its end.

Alabastrites - Onyx, stalagmites (latin)

I think I will add some fighting scenes the next chapter, just a thought. I feel this story is lacking action and political strife, so I need to add that. I don't even know the name of Vlad's first wife, the one who suicided, I know the second one. So I need to do a flashback or something like that in one of the later chapters to explain some things. And yes, Seras doesn't really feel attracted to Vlad, you guys can wait for any sort of romantic notion. I'll add it later when the the story further digresses.

I'm trying to historically correct, but I can't get everything correct so don't stab me. Small mistakes tend to happen, the same goes with my spelling errors or missing words. My beta reader is at school right now, I'm at home because I'm sick. I can't bother her, so I need to proofread myself. I've been sitting in the same chair for three hours so cut me slack.

Fave, follow, review.

Peace out.