et sanguine

by SerahWatson

TTS shih ig

Et Sanguinem Innocentem Posted originally on the Archive of Our Own at /works/30721859.

Rating: Mature Archive Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con Category: F/M Fandom: Biohazard Resident Evil (Gameverse) Relationships: Alcina Dimitrescu/Original Male Character(s), Bela Dimitrescu/Original

Male Character(s) Characters: Alcina Dimitrescu, Bela (Resident Evil), Cassandra (Resident Evil),

Daniela (Resident Evil), Heisenberg (Resident Evil), Original Male Character(s), Mother Miranda (Resident Evil), Donna Beneviento, Salvatore Moreau

Additional Tags: Blood and Gore, Blood Drinking, Horror, Vampires, Werewolves, Smut, Torture, Slow Burn, Death, Not Canon Compliant, Unhealthy Relationships, Unhealthy Coping Mechanisms, Older Woman/Younger Man, Bittersweet Ending, Sad Ending

Language: English Series: Part 1 of Tales of the Village Stats: Published: 2021-04-16 Completed: 2024-02-21 Words: 222,453

Chapters: /series/3415672

Et Sanguinem Innocentem by JormungandrRagnarok

Summary

A newly arrived young man finds solace in the Village, hoping to start his life anew and in peace, but it is evident that there are malign forces at play, and soon he will find himself in the clutches of the Lady of the Castle.

Notes

Welp, here I am hopping on the Lady D bandwagon. I finally managed to gather enough ideas to begin writing this story, and I'm still contemplating if I should wait until the game releases... but I guess that I will fuck the canon anyways, so here goes. Also, I will state this here, Sanguinis et Mortis from Wraith17 was of inspiration, and what gave me the courage to publish, so go check out their story, it is tremendously excellent.

See the end of the work for more /users/JormungandrRagnarok/pseuds/JormungandrRagnarok

Blood and Innocence

"Fuck."

Victor cursed in the frigid air of the Romanian winter. Small puffs of vapor arose from his open mouth, displaying the stark contrast of temperatures.

But the attention of the young man was mostly focused on the roof of the wooden house; more specifically, it was focused on the set of tiles that were either cracked, loose or outright broken.

"Fuck!" He cursed again, his hands coming to grip the short brown hair that covered his scalp.

Calming down, he let out an exasperated sigh, for he truly was exasperated. Yes, he had only moved in less than a month ago, and it was a given that the transition might not have gone in a completely smooth manner. There were bound to be some problems.

And this one regarding the broken tiles was no different. "The fuck... I thought I had paid good money to have the roof fixed." He muttered under his breath, crossing his arms over his chest.

Once more, he sighed, and began to move up the old wooden staircase that led up to the main and only entrance of his home.

Each step creaked under his weight, but other than that, it held firmly.

Victor opened the wooden door and crossed the portal, being welcomed by the warm inside of his small and humble home.

He twisted the lock on the handle, hearing it click, but did not bother to do the same with the dead bolt that had been installed.

The heavy black jacket that he wore was taken off from his form, and he deposited the piece of clothing upon the vertical standing rack in the corner of the room.

Bending down, he also began to undo the laces of his boots, and placed those to the left of the door. "Alright, mental note to remind myself to go out and purchase some new tiles, nail, a hammer and a ladder..." Victor was by no means a carpenter, in fact he had never even touched an instrument that was common to the role in his life.

But he was confident enough in his capabilities of finding a good tutorial video on Youtube. He would simply manage it.

Briefly, the nineteen year old teenager passed by his sink and washed his hands with some soap. His blue eyes wondered over to the working dishwasher, checking its status.

With nothing else to do, he walked into the center of his home.

The house that he had purchased wasn't big; no, it was quite small, consisting only of a single floor which contained a bathroom, a shared bedroom and bathroom and a basement.

When he had bought the place, it was falling apart: the wood was rotting away, whatever commodities had been here had obviously withered away and fallen into decay. That justified the low price for what he payed.

But it was just his luck that the simply house was located near an isolated village that was lost in the cold frosty heights of the Romanian mountains. The village itself seemed to be perpetually stuck a century back, Victor had barely seen any cars, and those that were there were virtually unusable.

Hell, even the only phone booth was broken and damaged beyond repair.

To many people these conditions would have been a turnoff, but to Victor, it was a score. This was exactly what he wanted, and needed.

He thanked whatever higher entity that existed in the cosmos for making it so that the American dollar was valued at more than four Romanian lei. What would have been an expensive cost to restructure and rebuild the house into a decent and livable space proved to be only mildly troublesome.

In fact, the cost for basic goods in this village were lower than what they were in the rest of country, and they were definitely lower here than back in the States.

All in all, he was off to a good start, minus the damaged roof tiles of course. The insulation of the walls was at least of good quality, and did an excellent job at keeping out the cold from inside the house.

Victor proceed to take the small staircase that led him to an entire level beneath the ground, to his basement.

There, he opened the door that awaited at the base of the staircase and entered in his layer. The basement was by far his favorite room in the entire abode, for it was here that he kept all of his equipment and most prized possessions.

He was glad that the workers had installed wires and running electricity, by using the power station of the factory nearby. And by far the most miraculous boon that he had obtained was the fact of having a good internet connection speed. Eighty glorious megabytes a second to be more precise.

And for his job, that was truly an absolute necessity that Victor needed. It was imperative in order to effectively work as a software engineer, and he could not be gladder of having that speed.

Technophobe, techie, nerd, he had been called all of these names in high school, but Victor took pride in them, because they represented his passion.

Whenever there was something only mildly related to computers and operating systems, the teen was immediately interested in it.

His basement housed his workspace, which included a couple of laptops, a custom built pc, a high end gaming pc, and other things as well.

Truly, he was ravenous when it came to it; Windows, Apple, Linux, he had them all, and in his opinion, he was damn good at using them too.

And much to his surprise, he learned that Romania didn't really have a large community of programmers, much less software engineers like him.

Many websites, systems and controls were outdated, having been written in what were now considered to be archaic programming languages, which had not been updated accordingly to the passage of time and the ever evolving virtual world that was the web.

Finding clients was very easy, and there was an abundance of opportunity. The best part of it all was that it paid good money too. Very good money in fact that it bordered on being ridiculous, but Victor was not going to complain.

He stretched his arms upwards, hearing his back let out some pops. He was going to likely spend a good amount of time sitting down, so it was best to get comfortable. He quickly switched his laptop on from sleep mode, and the dark screen of his ide programming platform greeted him, along with the many lines of scripted code.

"Hmm... now why is it that the program won't compile?" The soft clacks of his fingers on the buttons of the keyboard filled the room.

Time passed like this for what seemed to be an eternity, with Victor seemingly being lost in his own world. "Why the hell does this output an error? Unitialized class type... the fuck?" The red line of code grated on his nerves. This particular bug in the debugging process was lighting the fuse to his temper.

He focused on fixing it, and finally it worked. "Good, good, now compile... no errors, and run." It executed perfectly, and Victor clapped his hands in satisfaction.

It was truly wondrous: the feeling that he got whenever one of his projects worked efficiently and without stop. "Alright, now all that's left to do is to repackage this and send it back via email to my client."

He quickly composed the message and pressed send. A short while later, he received his reply, and the transfer of money to his bank account came to pass without a hitch.

Out of curiosity, he unlocked his smartphone and checked his savings. They were quickly growing, which of course pleased him to see.

Victor also took note of the time: it was a little more than an hour from lunchtime, and he could allow himself to relax for the rest of the game. He got out of his chair and moved to another wall, which hosted another desk and his large quled television, marvelous piece of technology that it was.

His fingers tenderly brushed over his gaming consoles, trailing over the ps4 pro before ultimately stopping on the ps5. "Hmm, damn I was lucky to get this." He had managed to buy the piece of gaming hardware by chance, but did not question it.

"And the Series X will arrive in a few days." He thought to himself. If there was one negative aspect about living here, it was the fact that having things be sent to his address took many days. But most infuriating of all was the fact that the villager who's task was of that to bring these items would always deposit them in the center of the small collection of houses.

Victor did not think that it would have been too much of a challenge to walk two hundred feet up the hill to his abode.

And that was another thing: the villagers themselves were plain off rude and hateful. Maybe it was because this area still seemed to be locked in time a century behind the rest of the world, and perhaps it was because he was an outsider and a stranger (Victor barely spoke a sentence of Romanian) but they apparently despised them.

It was for this reason that Victor had taken to lowering his interactions with the other people to a minimum. Of course, being lonely would not be that much of a problem, it never had been for him, and it certainly would not begin right now.

Putting on his headphones, the teen plugged his phone into the charger, and set a timer to alert him on when the clock would reach 1:00 pm.

"Ah, alright then, time to go make lunch." The American stated quietly as he turned off the monitor and console.

There was some leftover chicken from last night's dinner, and he wouldn't mind eating it cold with a side of peas and chopped carrots. "Plate... fork... knife..." He murmured, reaching inside the many cabinets to grab the necessary objects.

Again, it was a simple dish that he was making, but it was healthy enough... at least he hoped so, for it contained the average amount of calories that google recommended.

Victor sat down at the table, looking out of the window as he did. Already, he could see that the sky was darkened with grey clouds, promising a barrage of snow. If he was to fix the roof tiles in the same day, then he would have to quickly consume his meal, and that was what he did.

The young man proceeded to put he dirty dishes away in the sink, he would wash them later. He grabbed his jacket, put his boots back on and made sure to grab a few lei as well.

Victor shivered as soon as exited the house through the front door. The cold still got to him as it had always done; but this wasn't time to think about that.

He steadily made his way down the hill, walking on the small path with some clear snow. "Dammit." Victor cursed at seeing its current state: he had shoveled the snow away in the morning, but it was already building up again.

Arriving at the edges of the town, the American immediately headed to the local hardware store, or at least what the equivalent of it was.

The few citizens that he passed by gave him cold glares, but Victor ignored them. They could fuck off for all he cared, and it wasn't like he had been a bad neighbor to the rest of the community.

When he arrived at the shop, he internally groaned at seeing that there were four customers before him. The owner of the place briefly glanced at him, before returning to whatever he was talking about with the lady that was at the front of the line.

With nothing else to do, Victor resolved himself to simply look at the bland and frankly demoralizing interior of the shop. Other than the mounted deer head on the wall, there was nothing else that was worth a mention of interest. He began to eye the stacks of materials and instruments that lined the walls, already spotting the caskets of nails and the simple hammers.

Victor spent the next few minutes waiting in the line, and when the next client came forth, he took out his phone to check the time. Letting out a small sigh, he began to tap away on his device, scrolling through the latest news feeds, and checking his email for any more employers.

The old woman in front of him turned around a little and scowled at what he was doing, muttering something in her native language. Victor was willing to bet that it was something about him being a fool no doubt. That was the treatment the townsfolk reserved exclusively to him.

From the corner of his peripheral vision, he saw that the line had moved up. Only two more people were left to serve before his turn came.

It was then that his connection cut off, as there was no wifi here, and his paid data could not connect, likely due to the rough weather. "Great, too much interference." He said to himself and put away the phone back into his pocket.

"Stranger, what do you want?" These were the words that the shop owner gave him when he walked up to the counter. His english was heavily accented, but understandable enough for him.

"Nails, a hammer, a ladder, and roof tiles if you have them." The villager still did not let go of his untrusting demeanor when he moved to grab the mentioned items. "No ladder."

"Why not?" "There is no ladder stranger. It is not difficult to understand." Victor took out a few of the coins and placed them on the sturdy wood of the countertop.

"You can keep the change." "As you say stranger." He reached out to grab his purchased instruments, but the shopkeeper did not even move to catch the hammer when it fell down to the floor.

"Watch yourself stranger. These days it is dangerous to be alone." Victor huffed as he picked the object up, "You know," He began to say, "It wouldn't be the end of the world if you wouldn't make me feel like an outsider." "You are American, long way from home. You will not last long here." "Oh, but I plan to stay here, and I most certainly will." He replied back, not bothering to even say goodbye as he turned his back to him.

But it seemed that fate wasn't in his side, for immediately after he left the store, Victor promptly collided with someone else, causing him to loose his grip on everything that he held. "Ah, fuck." He raised his hand to the other individual, "I'm sorry, my bad."

Having once again gathered everything in his arms, Victor turned to the villager, but was caught back by the peculiar sight of the man. He was dressed in dark clothing, which seemed worn and aged, a couple of black glasses framed his bearded face alongside his hat.

But what startled him was the height of the individual: he must have been at least over seven and a half feet tall, if not more. Victor quickly shook out of his surprised, and repeated his words, "Sorry for that, I wasn't paying attention to my surroundings."

The other chuckled, his white teeth showing, "Don't worry, it's not a problem. I was doing the same as well." His eyebrow raised up, "You aren't from around here, are you?" He asked.

The hairs on the back of his neck raised upwards, he did not like the way in which he spoke, it was off putting.

"Oh no, I just recently came here from the States." The shorter man quickly explained. The giant offered a handshake. "Well then, my name is Heisenberg, it is nice to finally meet someone new." "I'm Victor, nice to meet you as well." He was thrown off at the strong grip of the Romanian.

"Huh, quite the muscle you got there." The other chuckled some more, "Yes, you definitely aren't from these lands, you actually have a sense of humor!" It was then that he noticed, the stamped symbol of a horse and a horseshoe. He had seen that mark somewhere before, but he just couldn't place where exactly, and it irked him some.

"So what brings you to this desolated village?" He decided to play safe and keep his answers slightly vague and not too specific: "Well, work, some opportunity, amongst other things... and a general interest to try something new." "Hmm, then you must be surprised at this place huh? I'm sure it's not the same as from where you hail." And that reminded of what needed to be done, guaranteeing him a viable way to exit the conversation without appearing condescending or rude.

"I'm afraid I must go, I've got some roof tiles to fix. Have a good evening." "You as well." His shaded eyes followed Victor's retreating silhouette. "Interesting."

The young man couldn't help but feel thrown off a little by the encounter... something just didn't seem right about this Heisenberg guy, and not because of his size.

There was something... else, for a lack of a better word, and his gut had begun to churn in those instances, as if being thrusted in a fight or flight situation. And for some strange reason, the village had been deserted when he left the shop, with no one in sight; which was slightly eerie.

Victor brushed it off as nothing, as there were more concerning matters to worry about, "Now how will I fix the damn roof without a ladder?"

Half an hour later, he had piled enough snow into a small mass to properly begin nearing the top of the house. He used one of the spare wooden chairs to elevate himself higher still.

A little shakily, Victor climbed on top of the chair, wincing at the tremors that cursed it as it sunk further into the snow. "Steady, steady..." He moved the nails, roof tiles and hammer up on the solid awning.

"Come on gravity, don't fuck with me here." Whispering to himself, he stood up with his other foot as well, balancing himself by holding his arms out to the side.

"Fuck, fuck, don't do this to me gravity." With a grunt, he numbed onto the roof, landing on the edge of it with a thud. Victor struggled to pull himself up, the heavy jacket certainly adding to the difficulty of dragging his body up on the plank.

"Oh come on! It shouldn't have been that hard!" He panted then, laying on his back and looking up to the snowy sky.

After a couple of minutes, he righted himself back up, and took his smartphone out. "Alright, now let's check the web for a tutorial."

The hammer gently pushed the nail in place, and positioned the last remaining roof tile on it, securing it to the metal underneath.

Victor crossed his arms and sat down, breathing deeply. The operation had proven to be much more time consuming than what he had calculated, and it was much, much harder than what was shown in the video.

But the work was done, and he wouldn't have to worry about the cold and rain seeping inside his home.

He peered his head down to the base of the snow ridden ground. There were maybe ten feet of height from where he was. Logic would dictate that coming back down would be easier, so Victor was comforted by that fact.

Gently, he threw the instruments on the pile of snow, before soon following.

"Ah... fucking blanket of snow! Why is it so deep?" The American cursed as he huffed and pulled his legs out from the white mass.

The standardized procedure of taking off his boots and jackets followed, and Victor placed the tools in a makeshift compartment.

Now it was time to shower. The bathroom itself was very small, but it did not matter much, given that he was the only one using it.

He stilled for a moment, when he heard howling coming from outside. It was still a bit jarring to him: growing up in a modern city certainly did not give ample opportunities to become one with nature's wildlife, and so Victor was always caught by surprise when he heard of the pack of wolves that roamed around these mountains.

"The townsfolk aren't worried about them, besides, there wouldn't be a logical way for the wolves to break in." Though it still made him contemplate if buying a gun would be a good idea, to minimize the chances of falling prey to the beasts, however improbable it was.

Taking off his clothes, Victor showered quickly, mindful of not wasting water. The heater could only warm so much water at the time, so unless he wanted to be frozen, he needed to take care of his business as fast as he could.

Some deodorant and grey pajamas later, Victor found himself rummaging through the house's fridge.

As he ate his meager dinner, he thought about what he would do the next day. Victor didn't really feel like doing work, so he would simply ignore whatever messages or requests he would get from his mail.

"A little walk around the edge of the forest would be nice..."

But before doing that, Victor would need to sleep, as it was only natural. Calmly, he proceeded to wash the dishes, while turning his headphones on and listening to some music from his playlist.

It probably was counterintuitive: that of using water and soap whilst wearing an electronical device, but he was careful, and this wasn't the first time that he had attempted such a thing, barring a few minor close calls.

The silence was comforting, so unlike the noisy streets of New York. He slipped in under the covers of his singled bed, and plugged his charger to the port of his Iphone. The alarm clock for 8:00 am was placed, which would give him just the right amount the time to snooze in bed as the last snowflakes would settle on the ground.

Victor closed his eyes, rolled onto his side. Breathing more deeply, he allowed himself to relax, and waited for the gentle hug of sleep to catch him and lay him to rest.

"Wolves, wolves, what is up with them?" Victor rubbed his eyes. He hadn't slept well at all.

Whatever had excited the feral beasts was enough to make sure that they kept him awake for a few hours in the middle of the night.

They had never done anything like this before. In the end though, he simply supposed that this would be a one-off coincidence. But it did throw a bit of a wrench in his plans for the day: he wasn't really feeling like doing anything productive, and the thought of having to shovel away the piles of snow was depressing.

Now he began to wonder why he had even bothered to get out of bed in the first place. "Coffee it is then." He put the machine at work and rested on the table, tiredly opening his phone and checking through his work emails. Sure enough, he found a new employer.

Victor composed a reply, stating that he would look further into negotiating a contract the following day. He really felt like utter shit.

"Fuck me, I'm going back to bed." That was what he said as soon as he finished.

A knock on his door stopped him in his tracks. Victor gazed at the piece of wood. This was highly unlikely, and unexpected. With some caution, he looked through the small hole at the center of the door, and saw the shop owner from the village. "The hell?"

Victor unlocked the door, and opened it. "What?" "You wanted ladder, here it is." To his credit, a wooden ladder stood leaning against the wall of the house.

His nerves were pricked at. "And you said you didn't have any?" The Romanian scoffed, "Take ladder." "Hey, hold up. Why the sudden change? Do you mind explaining that?"

The gruff old man scowled at him, "It is a gift." Victor wanted to laugh, "From you?" "No." The silence stretched on for a little, and the American waved his hands, "Off you go then. Leave."

Thankfully, the villager didn't say anything. When he was far away enough, Victor turned his head to the ladder, his glare hardening. "What the fuck was that all about... son of a bitch, the hell is his problem?"

Shaking his head, he took the object inside, and settled it on the floor. Taking a metaphorical pill, Victor calmed down, and flopped on the mattress.

He was too lazy to care about pulling the covers over himself, he was warm enough.

"What is it today? The wolves first, and now the shop owner?" The American audibly sighed.

"Hmm, still always better than being with those ones." He rested his head on the pillow just focusing on relaxing a bit. Yes, he could feel the sleep returning now: he just had to keep thinking these thoughts, of the cold winter air from outside and the warm confines of his home.

It naturally caused him to smile to himself and wrap his arms over his torso. Yes, now he was feeling sleepy.

With a final push of energy, Victor gathered the strength to get up and move the sheets away. And then he was once more trapped in the welcoming embrace of the bed.

A small, rational part of his mind argued that he would likely awaken in the evening, but he did not care for that. Right now, Victor wanted to only gather and experience the rest that he had been denied oh, so unjustly.

The clock showed that it was past four pm now, and Victor got up with a small groan. Rubbing his eyelids, he checked the phone, and to his surprise saw that his other gaming console had arrived.

"Hmm, the delivery sure was fast this time." Stretching, he checked a few things on his computer and laptop, before eventually maki g his way to the village.

The trek proved more difficult now, as he had not cleared the accumulated snow. The teen stomped his feet on the clear ground to rid his boots of the white, and resolved to pass to the butcher of the house, as he was in need of some meat for the next few days.

Rubbing his hands together, Victor breathed in them, watching as the puff of air was taken away in the wind.

The townsfolk were few at this time of the day, and much to his satisfaction, he found no other customers inside the butcher's shop.

"Two pounds and a half of lamb." He told the Romanian while already taking out his wallet and picking out the money. The man grumbled something and walked deeper into his house, to grab the requested good.

"It will be thirty-six lei." Victor handed him the paper and took the bag under his arm.

"Outsider," He stopped before he could fully exit the meat shop, "You are waiting for... care este cuvantul... package?" The American raised an eyebrow, "Why do you ask?"

"The man who bring package will come tonight." "Oh." He was not expecting that at all. A little awkwardly, he rhythmically tabbed his fingers on the warm material of his pants, "Thank you for letting me know." He gave him a small smile.

The one that he received in return though made him wary... it was a dishonest one. "Good evening to you." Victor quickly left, feeling uneasy.

The hidden sun eventually set over the horizon, casting the frozen forest in a orange light, which shined in the refraction of the icy formations on the trees and pines.

Victor was setting up dinner, casting a look from his window down to the village. The truck still had not arrived, and it was nearly seven.

"Well, its still sooner then when it usually comes." He told himself, sitting down on the table and beginning to eat his food. Some music in the background was provided once more by his smartphone, and Victor ate alone, in silence, as he always did.

The wait was starting to get to him, given that he was excited of receiving the new gaming console that was still so damn hard to find.

The night rose as the sun fell, and still there was no sign of the vehicle. "What is it now? It's gotta be here soon, there's no way to safely drive in these conditions!" It was snowing, and heavily too.

Finally, as by some miracle the teen spotted the lights of the truck, and watched as it stopped at the center of the village.

Dressing up on his jacket and locking his front door, Victor jogged down the hill, mindful of not tripping over the hidden rocks.

He waved at the driver, "Hey, could you tell me which- He did not have time to finish as the driver slammed his foot down on the accelerator and left in a puff of smoke, leaving Victor alone in the village.

"What was his deal?" Mildly annoyed by the clear rudeness, he turned around to look at the many boxes that were laid out on the stone pavement of the village well.

"Why won't the other ones come out? The snow will bury these packages... oh well, it's their loss." Now he only needed to find out which one was his.

Fifteen minutes later, he concluded that his package wasn't here. "What the fuck! What the hell!"

A noise from a few feet away made him turn his head around. It was dark now, and Victor could not see further than what the flashlight on his phone would let him.

"Hello? Is anyone there?" He received no answer.

Shrugging, he began to walk back, but stopped once more when he heard another sound, it was... giggling?

"Is there anyone over there?" The teen called out again. And again, no one answered him. This did not feel right at all, and Victor felt some fear trickle into him.

"What the fuck..." He began to walk away, at a faster pace, up the hill.

Then, his blood froze as he heard a growl behind him. Without even bothering to look back, Victor bolted forward, hearing the heavy steps of something following him.

Demonic growls reached his senses and the American dared to look back.

Something... a giant black wolf was chasing up the trail, snarling and growling, walking on two feet!Victor screamed in pure terror and ran faster, coming up to his house.

He fumbled with his key and unlocked the door; with all of his speed, he slammed it shut behind him and locked it again, just as the beast slammed against it.

Victor was thrown to the floor from the sheer force of it, and the metal groaned heavily. Scrambling up, he dashed to the door of his basement and locked himself there, as he heard heavy growling and the noise of crashing wood from upstairs.

"What the fuck is this?!" He was hyperventilating, and he felt ice cold, his entire body trembling like a leaf as the tremors shook the entire house.

Grunting, he pushed the wardrobe of the basement against the door, trying to put a shield between him and whatever the hell was upstairs.

And then, a yelp sounded, followed by a roar. Something was going on outside, but Victor could not possibly understand what was happening.

He heard, more yelling and slashing sounds, as if something was being cut, and more giggling again, until finally, there was silence. Breathing shallowly, and still sweating tremendously, Victor backed away from the door.

He dialed the emergency number on his phone but received no answer. No one was picking up his call.

Terrified and scared out of his mind, he pressed his back to the wall and slid down, clutching his knee close to his chest.

He was alone now, against the monster outside, with no one to help him.

A faithful meeting

Chapter Summary

We see the fallout of Victor's encounter with death, and the Lady herself finally appears.

Chapter Notes

See the end of the chapter for notes

The clock on his Iphone showed that it was a quarter of an hour past eight o'clock in the morning. Victor looked up to the door, still hearing his pulse pounding in his ears.

It had been hours since he had last heard any other noises... since that... thing had nearly killed him.

Victor felt horrible, the pressure in his gut was crushing, and he was seemingly trapped.

"I-it must be g-gone..." He whispered to himself, and slowly edged his way to the blocked door. Delicately, he pushed the wardrobe away, trying as he could to avoid making noises.

He would cringe whenever the wood would creak as he settled it down on the ground, doing it carefully to the point that his arms began to burn because of the strain.

When that was done, he turned to look back at the door once more. Swallowing thickly, he walked up to it, and turned the lock. Cracking it open by a fraction, Victor peaked his eye out, and tried to see if the monster was still there.

He could see nothing, and that only worsened his fear. Pulling the entry open further, Victor placed a foot on the first step of the flight of stairs, and nearly retread back when it made a sharp noise.

Breathing through his nose, he gathered his courage and climbed up to the other step, and then the next until he began to slowly come to the first floor.

He could hear the wind, and the atmosphere was much, much colder than he remembered it to be. Squeezing his fists, the teen put his head out and looked to his house.

There was no monster, no beast to tear him to shreds, and Victor collapse to his knees in relief, pooling out all of the stress that he had accumulated by trembling, shaking and taking short intakes of air.

Coughing, he wiped the tears that had formed on the edges of his eyes away, and looked back up, fully coming out of the flight of stairs.

The first thing that he noticed was the front door, or rather, the lack of it. It was not there anymore, the entire fucking door was not there anymore.

There were shards of wood and metal on the floor of the kitchen, the post where he would hang his jacket was knocked over, and the hinges of the destroyed frame were loosely hanging from their screws.

But the red on the damaged sides of the wall made him step back in fear again. There were flecks of blood on them.

He froze, as if expecting the beast to lunge through the doorframe and gut him. But still, there was silence. He was still alone. Victor finally stepped through the broken doorframe and what he came to see on the ground in front of the house shocked him even more.

There big, thick pools of blood, staining the pure white of the snow. It was everywhere, the red seemed to swallow all of the space of ground. But if he looked to the side, then he would see the blood straighten into a trail. Someone... or something had gone towards there.

That must have meant that a battle happened here, "But who could have possibly done something like that? Who was giggling?" The bile had begun to churn in his stomach, and Victor looked away from the red.

He brought a hand up to cup his forehead. God, he felt nauseous, and confused... and he just didn't know what to make of this anymore.

Shakily, he clapped his hands together trying to convince himself that everything was alright, that it was all good for the moment. Victor watched the village. He could see some of the townsfolk move around, off to do whatever it was that they did during the day.

But then the young man frowned: why... why had no one come out? Why had no one come come to check at the house? Surely, someone must have heard, the black monster was extremely loud.

And then, Victor remembered the butcher of the village had told him yesterday... he had said that the truck would arrive late at night.

Gritting his teeth together, Victor huffed in the air, "Fuck! What the fuck is wrong with this place!?" He began to march down the hill, the fear slowly turning into rage, and then into fury.

When the townsfolk saw them, many had surprised looks on their faces, a stark contrast to the usually self contained and cold treatment that they were ought to always give him.

Frustrated, Victor walked up to the butcher's shop and roughly pushed the door open, causing it to crash against the door.

That startled the Romanian, "You are here." Was all he said. "You're damn right that I fucking am!" He stepped close to the counter.

"Tell me what the fuck was that!" The butcher, turned around, "I do not know what you speak of. Leave, am not open yet."

Victor reached forward and grasped his arm, pulling him back, "You're not going anywhere until you fucking tell what is going on in this place." He practically growled out.

The villager wrestled his arm out of his grip, and began to raise his voice as well, "Leave! You, nenorocit de prost!" The teenager pointed an accusing finger at him, "You told me that the truck would come earlier, and you knew that I would want to know of it!"

"There is something out there in the forests, and you fucking sent me outside anyways!" He slammed hai hand down on the counter, making it rattle as spit flew from his mouth.

"You need leave house now!" The butcher's fingers wrapped themselves around the handle of a cleaver on the table opposite to him. They held eye contact for a bit, before Victor turned around and left, knowing that things could quickly turn ugly.

As if to spite him, the villager followed him until he was outside and spit on the earth behind him, before locking himself in.

"Fucking cunt, lying piece of shit, son of- "And what has happened to darken your mood so much Victor?" The American stopped his ranting and finally saw that the towering man was only an inch away from him.

He was frightened for a moment, but then remembered who he was. "Jesus Christ, you almost gave me a heart-attack." Victor rubbed his eyes.

"Hmm," Heisenberg hummed, the rays of the sun catching a glint in the black lens of his glasses. "Didn't sleep well, now did we?" "God, you have no idea. Fuck me, I'm going to start going insane over this..."

The other merely laid his hand on his shoulder, and the teenager froze, "It sounds like you could use a drink. Come, I'll pay for it."

The sheer strength of this individual was staggering, and Victor found himself forced to walk forward, towards the direction of another building.

A little awkwardly, he entered the tavern, with Heisenberg following shortly after as he had to duck his head to fit his impressive height. All of the chatter that had been present stopped immediately when the patrons noticed the arrival of them.

The American noticed the way that all of the townsfolk seemed to inch away from the bearded man, "Victor, sit down, and then we can talk."

Warily, he did so, "So, what would you like? A beer? Some mead?" "Oh, I don't drink, water will be fine." "Suit yourself." He smirked and turned to shout at the owner of the establishment who shrank under his gaze, "Aduceți o bere și o sticlă de apă."

He put his hat down on his lap, and stared at Victor once more, "Well then, what has you in such a troubled mood this day?" He rubbed the back of his head, "Listen... it doesn't really matter, you'll just call me insane."

Heisenberg took the cup of beer from the shaking girl who had come to serve them, another detail that did not go unnoticed to Victor.

"Hah! I won't be able to do that unless you tell me what is troubling you." The younger man sighed: "Fine, the thing is that yesterday night I was attacked by a werewolf."

To his complete shock, Heisenberg did not even raise a questioning eyebrow. "And? Continue on." "Well, I locked myself in the basement, and when I came out this morning I found the front door to be completely destroyed."

Still, he did not comment, rather he took another sip of his drink. "You are not surprised? Or at least not even wary in the slightest?"

"No." Victor sat back, lips drawn in a thin line, "You're kidding, right?" "On the contrary, I believe you quite indeed." He finished his beverage and put the cup down on the table and steepling his hands.

"And now I would even ask you to show me your home, so that I may see the damages to your property." Victor felt insecure, "You," he raised his finger to him, "You want to come, to my house?" Heisenberg kept his gaze on him and nodded, "Yes."

"You know what, fuck it," He held his arms up, "I'll show you, but I'm expecting some answers to my questions." "And I shall provide them Victor. Shall we get going?"

His host payed for the bottle of water, and they began to trek back up to the top of the hill. "So what do you do for a living Victor?"

He made a mental debate on whether it would have been a better idea to lie or tell the truth, but for this occasion, Victor decided that it was better to come clear.

"I... am a software engineer, more specifically I'm a programmer." He paused, giving Heisenberg a small frown, "I hope you do understand what I'm saying, I know that this can sound..." "Strange to a man who lives in an isolated village in the mountains? Do not worry, I know what computers are."

"Ah, ok, good." He was a little relieved, for he did have doubts about how much the townsfolk even knew about the current state of technology. The only things of relative interest that Victor had seen were a few rusty tractors and the occasional truck, but other than that and the running electricity, there wasn't much else.

"This is it." The American indicated to the ruined state of the front of the house.

Heisenberg kneeled down in the snow and gently collected some of the blood on his finger. He brought it close to his nose and smelled it.

"The fuck..." Victor whispered as he witnessed the strange gesture. The other one hummed and got back up to his feet, shaking his dark trench-coat free of whatever snow had clung to it. "Yes, that beast really did do a number on your door."

He walked up to it and touched the broken hinges. "The carpenter will need to fix this, or you won't be able to live inside here." He put his hands in the pockets of the coat, and turned around to face him.

"Well, would you mind telling me what the hell that werewolf was?" Heisenberg looked off to the trail of blood that led into the forest.

"That was a werewolf, a lycan, mind you." "Wait, so you're saying- He held his hand up, "I understand that this can be quite worrying, but there is no need to fret." That did not convince him, as he could tell that the Romanian was deep in thought in regards to the matter.

"Oh, and since I just remembered, are you expecting a package? Something that had to do with... an x box?" Victor shuffled his feet, "Yes actually, I did not find it yesterday when I came out, before... before the beast attacked."

"Hmm. Well, I shall bring it to you later today. I only need to pick it up from the factory." That made something click in Victor's head, "Wait... you're the owner of that factory downhill?" Heisenberg smiled as he looked to the sigil that was embroidered in his coat, "You are very observant Victor." "Yeah, no shit," He muttered, "That's something you need lots of when you're scrolling through lines and header files of code."

"I'll see you later today then." He gave him a pat on the back and began to walk away, the snow crunching under his boots.

"Oh, and Victor, who put you in such a foul mood earlier?" "The butcher..." "Thank you for telling me." There was something else in his voice, something... darker, dangerous even.

Breathing through his nose, Victor entered his home, and started to clear out the broken pieces of wood from inside the house, tossing them outside.

He would clean the interior first, and then he would go and call the carpenter.

Later...

Victor never really had the opportunity to go sightseeing around the village, so this was truly the first time that he was doing so.

It turned out that it was bigger than what he was expecting, much bigger in fact.

There was a small church with a cemetery and a small field of grain too. What sparked his curiosity was the small, candlelight wood construction, on which a little

goat was placed in it.

"A gift?" Victor walked closer to it and reached his hand to touch it, but a voice stopped him, "Outsider! Do not touch it!" A villager pushed him away, "Whoa, I didn't know that I couldn't. Fuck, there's no reason to get all defensive like that." He backed off from the scowling man.

This was depressing: all of the buildings where lifeless and cold, with no paint and variety to them other than the occasional two story house.

It was a challenge to get the townsfolk to talk, it he managed to get the gist that the carpenter was currently out and away from his home.

Victor decided to pass the time and see what there was to see, which again, wasn't much.

God, he still could not wrap his head around the fact that there were literal werewolves running around the forest. The young man looked up to the marble statue of the holding the shield and sword. "Such an odd thing to sculpt... I wonder what's the story behind this?"

It was then that he caught sight of a villager walk up to the house of the carpenter. His suspicions were proven correct when he saw the individual take out a key and insert it in the lock.

"Hey," He called out and jogged up to him. "Hey, listen I need help with replacing my door, it was destroyed." The other looked at him in confusion, "Străin, ce vrei?" "Ah, shit." He quickly whipped out his phone and began to type on Google Translate, having realized that the villager did not speak English.

He showed him the screen and the other nodded. Once he had gathered his tools, Victor helped him carry the spare door.

At Victor's house...

"So I will pay you, get it? Pay." Victor emphasized the word and gave the man some lei to make him understand.

"Victor." He jumped and turned around, "Jeez, how the fuck are you so silent?!" The teen told Heisenberg as the other chuckled deeply. "I am silent when I want to be. Here, I believe this is rightfully yours." He handed him the package.

"Sorry, but the external wrapping had already been taken off when it was brought to the factory." "It's nothing, it's what's inside that counts."

"Victor," He called out again as he was going inside the house. "Yes?" "I found you a client who would be interested in employing you." The American raised his eyebrows in surprise, "You did?" "Yes, and they wish to meet you." "Now?" The other nodded.

"Alright, give me a second and I'll come." He deposited the console down in the basement next to the others. "There's someone else that actually uses technology around here?" Victor

whispered to himself. "Who would have thought?"

As he went back outside, he noticed that the carpenter kept casting glances to Heisenberg. It was obvious that he was scared.

Silently, they made their way down to the village, and again, all of the townsfolk retreated into their homes. Victor began to slow down, "Say, Heisenberg," He gave him a grunt of acknowledgment, "How come everyone is afraid of you?"

"I will simply say that my history with the villagers is a... particular one." He then noticed the fact that the young man had stopped completely, and turned around. "Don't tell me you too are scared?"

"Listen, I'm still reeling from the fact that there are fucking monsters around here. I... God I still feel vulnerable." "Then have some words of advice, don't go out come the moon. Trust me, if you stay inside your home, then you will have nothing to be afraid of."

"I'm holding you accountable, you know that right?" "Yes. Now come, your employer is expecting you." They had reached the center of the village. "Wait, where are we going exactly?" "To the castle."

Victor's eyes snapped up to look at towering collection of gothic architecture that looked over the village from the mountain on which it was built.

He felt a shiver go up his spine as he eyed the many dark and pointed towers, the snow creating a white fog that hid the rest of the keep from his vision. It was startling, how it could be so titanic and yet fear-inducing.

They passed by the church, and arrived at a stone wall, which showed a mural depicting a winged demon and an armed woman. "Give me a moment." Heisenberg stated as he placed both hands against the intricately carved surface of the stone.

With a mighty grunt, he pushed the slabs apart, and Victor now understood that it was a door. "Yes, it's been quite some time since I've last used this." He beckoned the younger one forward.

"Here you go." Victor froze, "You're not coming?" "I have some other matters to attend, but don't worry, you need to only follow the trail. This is the shortest path to reach the castle." He crossed his arms behind his back, inhaling the cold air of winter.

"And if you need any clarification once you arrive, just say that I sent you, got it?" Victor nodded, "Yes... see you later, I guess..." "Until next time."

Then, he was left alone. Victor looked over to the path; he could see that it lead to a mighty and imposing gatehouse, even if it lay in a state of obvious ruin.

"Come on Victor, this can't be that bad..." He told himself and moved the jacket a little so that it was more comfortable against his skin.

By all accounts, it was evident that this path hadn't been used, as Heisenberg had previously stated. The overgrown bushes and trees that framed the sides of it.

His footsteps where the only sound that he could hear, and it inverted him. Victor was still expecting the werewolf to appear and lunge at him, but nothing of that sort happened.

The gatehouse held a drawbridge which was currently laid down, allowing him to cross the small river that created a natural barrier and defense, though the water was frozen in ice, given the freezing temperature.

And speaking of the temperature, it was definitely getting colder now, and Victor began to shiver, so he rubbed his palms against one another. "Dammit, I should have worn a heavier jacket." Of course, he could not have known that he would come to the castle of all places, so it wasn't as if he could do anything to change his situation.

"I can't believe that this place isn't abandoned..." In his month of living in the village, he had not once seen a light coming from it, but it was also true to note that it was never clearly visible, thanks to the clouds full of snow.

But the townsfolk, for what he had know refused to speak of it, as if it were cursed. A month ago, Victor would have laughed at this, and would have waved this fear off as the simple and illogical beliefs that were common around places like this.

But up until yesterday, he did not believe in the existence of werewolves.

Now... he didn't feel so sure as before. Victor stopped. He was more than halfway to the castle: he could begin to see the staircase of snow that would lead up to the rest of the manor.

"Come on, wake up, he said that it was safe..." The American whispered. Fuck, now he was beginning to miss New York, even with all of its flaws.

When he finally arrived on top of the flight of stairs, his mouth hung open at the sight of the sprawling castle. It baffled even his wildest imaginations... it was beyond what he could have thought achievable.

"What the hell... this... insane!" The encompassing mass of it was startling, and the intricate detail of it all even more so. The many large windows that dotted the towering walls were clean and clear, the ramparts where decorated with architectural shapes that were pleasing and eye catching.

But it was also true that a profound sense of power was present: the gothic style and pointed forms where a clear indication of something more, of a higher class. Nobility and power, those were the attributes that came to mind, and as he scanned the large statues that guarded the perimeter of the castle keep, Victor came to the logical conclusion that whomever was the lord of this citadel, must have been extremely wealthy.

"Right, so it's time to meet this employer." Victor checked the time, and hoped that he hadn't been too late to arrive.

He walked up the steps that brought to the massive set of double doors, and he grasped a knocker that was shaped in the head of a screeching demon. Grunting due to the heaviness of it, the young man slammed it twice against the hard, ebony wood.

A thud echoed in rippling waves beyond the gates, and Victor was momentarily taken back by the loud noise. He waited, looking up to the rest of the door for a couple of minutes, before he heard the sound of a lock being unscrewed.

With a groan, the door was opened a little, enough so that the owner could see him. But what surprised him was to be met with the pale face of a maid, who looked at him; some form of fear was present along the edges of the few wrinkles that had barely begun to form along the sides of her mouth, and her eyes were quickly looking him over, as if expecting something terrible to come from him. It was off putting, the fact that she looked so old and weathered despite being clearly only a couple of years older than him at best.

"Uuhh... hello? I am here to be of service to my employer." He started to talk, but the poor maid did not waver, "Oh, yes, Heisenberg sent me this way, he told me to follow the trail over there." He pointed to the way from which he had come.

It was then that the maid finally spoke, with a heavy accent, "Yes, forgive me sir, come in." The door opened fully, allowing him access inside.

"Oh, don't worry it's not a problem." He spoke gently, trying to soothe her. "I can understand your concern miss, I too would be- oh. Wow." The words were taken away from him once more as he looked over the interior of the castle.

The foyer was enormous, and unlike what Victor had been expecting: the walls and and columns were engraved with golden designs, and the twin set of stairs that led up to the second floor were constructed out of prized, white marble. The floor itself, large enough to host a ball was also built in marble, and had several geometric curving shapes to them, along with symbols and letters along them.

Golden baroque-like shards of gold and crystal decorated the surface of nearly everything, and with the combination of deep brown wood, there wasn't a shadow of a doubt that the owner must have been extremely wealthy.

"My god... this is..." He was at a lost, his eyes traveling upwards to the set of the four chandeliers hanging from the top of the foyer, painted murals depicting subjects of women and winged beasts in a neoclassic fashion.

This was so much to take it in, that Victor lowered his gaze when he heard the maid gasp besides him, "What's wrong miss?" She was trembling, her gaze lowered to the floor, indicating that there was someone in front of him.

The American turned around back forward,and his breath hitched in freight at seeing a woman clad head to toe with black embroidered and clothes. But it was her face and eyes that caused him to pause most of all: they were cold and reserved, and they were colored a piercing yellow.

On her forehead was a symbol, a mark engraved in black ink. "G-Good afternoon miss." Victor decomposed himself from his surprise. The woman did not offer a greeting of her own but harshly reprimanded the maid at his side, "Ți-ai uitat lecțiile? Serviți-ne oaspetele!"

He had no clue on what she said, but it caused the servant to bow her head, "În timp ce porunci domnișoarei Bela, te rog, iartă-mă." She held her hands out, "Please sir, allow me to take your jacket and deposit it elsewhere."

She sent him a pleasing look, and Victor felt compelled to do as she asked, "Thank you." He told her, but she had already turned away to a secondary exit.

Victor looked back at the lady, her arms neatly folded behind her back. "Come, Mother does not like to be kept waiting." She began to walk past the second portal of the foyer.

The teen questioned the particular term, but followed nonetheless. They walked through many halls, and Victor had the chance to take a good look at many paintings.

Still, it was strange to see that this woman was dressed that way, it was a stark contrast compadres to the rest of the keep's interior. And he still could not understand how she managed to move so quietly... was he really that lost in his own admiration?

It was like a maze, continuing through endless twists and turns, until finally they stopped at another door. This one held more decorations than the others that he had seen: the wood was colored ebony, and it created a rectangular outer edge that enclosed a carving of a shield crossed by two rapiers, made possibly out of heartwood.

The unsettling woman knocked on the door once before turning the handle and walking through. He could not see who she addressed, for she stopped at its front, "Mother," She began in a respectful tone, bowing her head, "Your guest is here."

A second voice echoed out, "Thank you my dear Bela, please, allow him to come inside." It was heavenly... and warm, alluring too to his ears.

The now named Bela stepped away and allowed him to pass. This room was warm, thanks to the lit fireplace, and was as luxuriously decorated as the rest of the castle.

But his gaze immediately went to the towering figure that stood in the center of the chambers. Victor was stunned by her sheer height, he had not seen one person in his entire life that could even come close to comparing with hers.

She was hauntingly beautiful, dressed in pure white that complimented the porcelain and unblemished skin, her bodice clung tightly to her generous bosom, the necklace of pearls adding more attention to her complexion. The large black hat cast some shade on her face, but it only made her golden eyes glow all the more, and her full red lips formed a smile.

"So we finally meet Mr Victor." His mouth was dry, and he swallowed, fumbling over what to say, "It is a pleasure to meet you too ma'm."

"I am Lady Alcina Dimitrescu, the Countess of this Castle and I welcome you to it." She presented herself, offering another grin, "And may I know of your full name? It would only be right given courtesies."

He nodded, "I am Victor Press." "Well then Mr Press, please be seated." She returned to her own armchair, which was titanic in size.

The table besides her hosted a bottle of wine and silver crested glass which was halfway full.

"I do apologize for the hour, the walk up to your... impressive manor was a long one." He was trying very hard to keep eye contact with her face; dammit, why was he acting this way?! Puberty had left him a long time ago!

Lady Dimitrescu chuckled, and he found the sound to be relaxing and pleasing, "Do not worry Mr Press, I understand that the walk from the village is not brief in its length."

He clasped his hands together and briefly looked over the luxurious chambers, "Heisenberg told me that you wanted to employ me?" "Yes, I found myself needing some particular help for a little project of mine, and now I have that help."

Victor could not help but flush a little from her compliment, "I hope that I can be of service to you my Lady." "I am certain that you are well versed in and very talented with your work Mr Press."

Again, he had to look away as to not embarrass himself further, "What do you need me to do?" The woman in white smiled, "Castle Dimitrescu is famous for its wine, it has been the family's specialty since the early fifteenth century and it still is to this day." There was pride in her voice, she was content of teaching him of her house's history.

"With the passage of the centuries, our product has become more known, and demand is on the rise. I called you here to my keep so that we may discuss a contract." She had his full attention, "It would greatly please me if you would create a website, as it is called, from which to further our prospects of expanding our market."

Victor raised his eyebrows, "Alright, that's not exactly what I specialized in as a software engineer." He watched her stiffen, a glare replacing the amicable gaze that had graced her beautiful features. "But I have experience in creating apps and stuff, so it shouldn't be a problem."

Thankfully, her red lips tilted upwards once more, "Excellent, Karl was true to his word when he said that you would provide useful." "Karl?" "Karl Heisenberg, the head of the other house and the owner of the factory downhill." His mouth formed an o in surprise. "I did not know he was a noble..." He stopped droning off and resumed the conversation: "Excuse me my Lady," Victor took out his phone and opened the Notes app.

"I will need you to be more specific with the kind of site that you need, and please tell me of ideas that you have in mind and I'll work something out."

The Countess sipped her wine again, eyes still piercing his own, "Shall we begin then?"

Chapter End Notes

I'm happy to see that people are interested in reading the story, so I tried to write this as quickly as possible, so there may be some mistakes; I hope I did Lady D justice, and I hope that I've managed to keep you entertained. Please leave a comment with your thoughts or ideas, and I will gladly answer them.

Plotting

Chapter Summary

Some truth is shed on the past, and a nefarious plan is hatched.

Chapter Notes

See the end of the chapter for notes

"Alright..." Victor muttered as he closed his phone, nodding his head. He had around thirty- one percent of battery left, so he was now making sure not to safe anymore.

"I can work with that." "Excellent." Lady Dimitrescu's melodic voice reached him.

"Uhh," He started to talk, trying to make some more room for conversation, "Eventually I'll have to take some pictures to then edit them with photoshop, and then I should also tell you that you would need to pay a yearly fee to register a domain online that will get bigger the more things you want to put on it."

The Lady chuckled, gloved black silk fingers touched her chin, "That will not be a problem Mr Press, as you can see I am more than capable of up keeping the tax." He nodded and locked to the table at the beautifully wrapped wine bottle.

"I'm guessing that that's one of your products." "Ah yes, Sanguis Virginis, it is the most prized of my wines. Here," She took the other glass that had been present on the table and poured some of it, "It would only be right if you had a taste of it." She purred and Victor felt his lower self strain against his jeans.

He moved his legs a little to hide his arousal, terribly embarrassed with how he was acting. It felt so hot, unbearably so. "I'm afraid that I can't my Lady, I'm not even of legal drinking age, so... yeah."

Her half-lidded eyes observed him attentively, "Oh, and how old may you be Mr Press?" It seemed as if the question was innocent enough, but Victor knew that this woman was too sharp for that.

The teen laughed a little nervously and rubbed the back of his head, "I'm nineteen, actually."

The towering Countess leaned back, "My, my, you are most certainly experienced for being someone so young, barely out of boyhood." The way she said it made that desire bloom even more inside him. He was convinced now: she was deliberately teasing him.

"A small sip won't hurt anyone now will it?" She offered the ornate chalice to him, "I would advise that you take up the offer Mr Press, not many get to taste my most sought after

beverage."

At this point, Victor shrugged and took the glass in his own hand and tilted it to the side, watching as the thick red liquid sloshed inside. It was a little strange to see how much thicker it was than usual, but Victor wasn't one to judge.

"Is something wrong Mr Press?" He shook his head, "No, but thank you for your concern, I just don't really know that much about wine." The Lady crossed one long leg over the other, and sat up straighter, "Then would you care to delight me with what knowledge you may have?"

Dammit she was driving him insane! He had never felt so embarrassed before now! "Well... I know that this is a red wine, due to the coloring and... that's it... actually, I know nothing else."

"Then this is indeed a special occasion, but it is a shame." She looked off to the crackling fire, "May I ask why my Lady?" She smiled, staring at him with the corner of her eye, "I fear that you shall remain dissatisfied with all of the future vines that you shall taste." "I certainly hope so Lady Dimitrescu."

Internally sighing, he brought the glass to his lips but stopped when her voice ordered it: "Wait." Victor lowered the object a little, "Am I...?" "You should inhale the scent of the wine before you drink it, it renders the sensation more... exquisite." She huskily replied and demonstrated it.

The young man raised the glass up again, brining it close to his mouth and smelled it. Lady Dimitrescu watched with interest, and something more predatory as well.

Victor copied her movements and did so as well, he was taken back by the strong taste of it: there was an unmistakable sour and metallic edge to it, but it was sweetened, resembling the addition of something like honey and sugar.

"Oh, this is good, like really good." The Lady smiled, lips colored a deeper red thanks to the liquid. "I am gladdened that you enjoyed it. Now," She uncrossed her legs and stood up to the mind boggling height of over nine feet; likely more than that, for that was what Victor thought.

"I will go and retrieve the contract Mr Press, so that we may discuss your payment. Please wait here in the meantime." She walked away, Victor tried and failed to prevent his eyes from greedily looking over her ethereal form. He had to stop himself from groaning in lust at simply seeing the slight swaying motion that accompanied her fair hips and rear.

Of course, she had to duck down to exit the door, but Victor finally managed to take his attention off of her when his phone began to vibrate in the pocket of his jeans. "What is this?" He whispered to himself at seeing an unknown caller id.

Hesitating for a moment, he decided on closing the call directly, half expecting it to be a scam.

Drumming his fingers on the armrest, he looked over the decorated walls once again, simply admiring their texture and look.

Her footsteps told Victor of the Lady's arrival, so he prepared himself, having taken care to recompose himself and to try and calm his raging hormones.

"Here it is Mr Press, and please, take your time with reading all of the conditions." "Thank you my Lady." Victor meant forward and tenderly took the parchment paper from her hand, it was here that he caught a whiff of her perfume, and like all of her being, it was stupendous. If he had to take a guess, then he would say that it was from roses, but there was a likely chance that something else was added to the concoction.

The teen read the beautifully handwritten words, and he immediately knew that it must have come from her own hand; it was simple, yet elegant and striking, so much like her own personality.

Victor stopped when he read the number of dollars that he would be payed. "Is something wrong Mr Press? Is the payment not satisfactory?" "Not satisfactory? This is- He stopped himself and apologized for his small outburst.

"I... I cannot accept this Lady Dimitrescu this... too much, I can't accept fifty grand just like that." "And why not?"

He rubbed the side of his head, "It would be wrong towards you my Lady. I will settle for even less than a tenth of the reward."

The elegant lady called him by his name, drawing him to look at her, "I understand that this is a different formality than in the United States, but it would be uncalled for to refuse such a generous gift from a noblewoman." Her voice was low now, and it made him weak in the legs. "You may have not realized it yet, but the village pays close attention to the manner of respect to the four houses." He nodded his head, understanding that the generous money was truly a boon, given that she had seen fit to award him, of plebeian origin, with it.

"So I ask of you Mr Press, to accept this payment, so that we mustn't try other methods of differing approach to concur, for some of them may be unpleasant." There was something else in that last word; a promise, that would deliver pain and agony beyond any imagination, and Victor could not help but shiver a little.

"You need only to sign your name, and the contract will be completed." "Ah, yes, excuse me." He took hold of the pen that she had laid on the table, and he carefully signed it.

Naturally, his handwriting looked like utter shit compared to hers, and if he was being completely honest, Victor could not, in good faith, remember the last time that he had used a pen.

A pleased smile emerged on her features, "Well then Mr Press, I will be eagerly awaiting to her news of any kind. If the need arises, then do not hesitated to return to the manor." "Thank you my Lady, I will return home then." He got the cue to leave, and so he took.

"Oh, and Mr Press?" Victor turned around, "My daughter Bela shall accompany you back to the village, for it is at this hour that we let our hounds loose." "Oh," He attempted to make a joke, "I can imagine that there would be many people willing to risk their lives to get a taste of your wine."

The Lady laughed heartily, "You are indeed correct Mr Press." His hand reached to the decorated door handle, but the it opened just before he touched the gilded gold. The woman from before stood in front of him, and Victor masked his surprise. "Mother." Was all she said, bowing her head to her.

"Mr Press, follow me." She already knew what to do. Victor looked at her and back to grab room in confusion, asking himself how she could have possibly known. But then he realized that Lady Dimitrescu must have told her when she had gone to fetch the contract.

Taking the same path as before, or at least he though it was the same; he still could not tell with certainty if the halls and corridors were the same ones again.

The servant that had originally let him enter was waiting by the set of double doors, holding his jacket in her hands and presenting it to him. "Mr, I hope that you are satisfied with its condition." "This is fine miss, thank you for keeping such good care of it." He put the item of clothing back around his shoulders.

With that, they left through the doors, and Victor cast a glance to the woman next to him, his eyebrows raising at seeing that she had not even bothered to wear anything else besides her black attire.

"Uhhh miss?" The blonde turned her yellow eyes to him, "Aren't you cold in this weather?" He idly gestured to the flecks of snow that kept falling to the ground. "No." Was all that she answered.

Shrugging, he followed after her, as she had already begun to walk towards the proper gates of the castle.

It was whilst they were walking that Victor finally took the time to talk to her: "Miss Bela, I didn't thank you earlier for bringing me to your mother, and now for making sure that I get back home safe. That is really kind of you." She just stared at him, and it unnerved.

"Ahh, yeah... not much of a speaker are you?" "I only speak when it is necessary." "Oh, ok. I'll keep that in mind then." They crossed over yet another drawbridge, and now he could make out the outline of the tall, imposing outer wall that seemed to enclose the base of the mountain.

"I'm sure that Lady Dimitrescu is very proud and content to have a daughter like you." When she didn't answer to that, Victor resigned himself to simply keep following her in silence.

To his surprise, they met with another woman, dressed in black as well, just like Bela. She too carried a symbol on her forehead, and Victor deduced that must have been related to Miss Bela.

But unlike her sister, this one's features were not schooled and she seemed a little... unhinged. From the way that her eyes looked him over, it seemed more as if she was admiring a piece of meat.

"Good afternoon." He waved at her, a little unsure. A wide grin spread on her lips, and the teen could not help but swallow. Then, she giggled, and Victor felt his mind recall to the memory of the night before.

"Cassandra. He is mother's employ." Whatever the brown haired lady was about to say was cut off from her sister's statement. With a huff, she walked past them, and presumably, back to the castle.

Victor was weirded out by the interaction, and truly scared, but did not bother to question Bela about it. "Alright, thank you once more... I'll get going then." With some awkwardness, he walked away, returning to a smaller trail that eventually lead to the outskirts of the village. When the gate was out of view, he collapsed against the nearest tree, and began to hyperventilate. Could she have been? Was she the one?

Thousands of questions kept tormenting his mind. Victor stated there for quite some time, incapable of doing anything else but to try and calm down.

He passed by the center once again, but slowed down once he saw a flock of townsfolk standing outside of the butcher's shop.

The teenager could see that many where whispering and looking lost and horrified. Victor slowly edged closer, feeling that something was definitely not right.

He managed to make his way up to the front door, and what he saw inside nearly caused him to puke.

The inside of the shop was lathered in blood, and he could see that the entrails of the butcher had been hanged by the wooden bars that were at the roof.

His cold, lifeless head had a clearer shoved down the middle of it, nearly splitting it in two perfect halves, and the eyes had been pecked out, and could be seen laying on the floor. Victor backtracked away, holding a hand up to his mouth as he felt bile rise up to his throat.

He inhaled a few times, trying to calm himself down. "When... when did this happen?" He asked another man, "Only an hour ago, we heard the screams."

Mad cackling was heard behind them, and some of the group turned around to look at the old lady who was laughing. The trinkets and skull on her walking stick jingled as she bellowed. "Death," The hag rasped, "Death has visited him!"

Victor turned again to the same villager, "Who is she?" "She is damn witch, she lives in the church by the cemetery."

"He has received his due, the sacrifice has been completed!" But these words only confused Victor more.

Not knowing what to do, he left the village and trekked back up to his house.

The carpenter was finished, and his door had been successfully replaced. Taking out his phone, Victor went on Google Translate and began to type a message to the Romanian.

After gauging out the price, Victor payed him three hundred lei, as for his work. The older man left in a hurry, and the American could not help but feel a tad bit sorry for him.

It was only when he settled in his home properly that he broke down finally, letting go of the stress that had accumulated in his mind.

Victor puked in the toilet, violently regurgitating what little food had been in his stomach. Trembling fingers gripped the top of the device, and he sputtered out some more gunk, aggressively spitting whatever ropes of saliva that had clung to his lips.

"Oh... god..." Swaying, he got back up feeling light headed, and stopped by the sink to regain his sense of balance and direction. Tired and scared blue eyes met his as he looked at the mirror. Sighing, he turned the switch to the cold water, and splashed some on his face, eyes and especially mouth.

The nauseating taste of the vomit would likely stay there for some time, and the only thing that he could do was to brush his teeth and try to use the mint flavored toothpaste to combat the other egregious taste.

There was something else in that castle, something wrong and dark. Lady Dimitrescu... no mortal had the right to look that breathtaking and ethereal, and that was because she was not mortal.

Who was he kidding? Now that Victor properly thought about it, everything had yet to make sense: the fact that she was so damn tall was not natural, nor was her porcelain white skin and molten gold colored eyes.

She was something else, definitely not human. And then came the matter of her daughters, and more specifically the one named Cassandra.

He shuddered at the thought: she was the one that he heard the last night; she was the one who had been giggling. "What the fuck is going on here?"

Maybe coming here might have been a mistake in the end... perhaps it would have been better to simply look for another place to stay instead of this remote village.

Fuck it all! It seemed so good when he had arrived a month ago! Isolation, and thousands of miles of distance from... them.

Victor was too afraid to move out now: with roaming werewolves, and other unknown dangers, it was ironic that the safest place to be was the village.

"Fuck, fuck... why is this happening?" He pressed his hands to his head and sat on the edge of the toilet. "What the hell..." Tears began to stream down his cheeks, and when Victor took notice fo then, he harshly wiped them away with a snarl.

"A shower... yes... a shower will do." He had to try and relax right now, and the American could think of no better way of doing so than to utilize the hot water.

He undressed and put his clothes in the bag of dirty laundry, before entering the small box of plastic and glass, and turning the spray of water on.

The liquid soothed his tense muscles, and allowed them to relax some. Victor placed his arm on the bathroom wall and leaned his forehead against it, sighing as the droplets coated his hair and ran down the edges of his vision.

A couple of minutes later, he finished washing off the soap and shampoo, and opened the shower door.

"Shit!" Victor cursed as his freshly cleaned and wet body came into contact with the less than warm temperature of the room. "Why is it so cold?!"

Having dried up, Victor put on his pajamas, but could still not stop shivering, and got goose skin as a result.

Walking down to the basement, he opened the door and sat down in his chair, turning his pc on.

He checked the notifications and saw that the employer from the previous day had emailed him once more, asking to discuss the contract. Sighing, Victor composed a reply in which he said that he would have to respectfully decline the offer, as he had had a miscalculated accident. And that did not stray from the truth of the facts.

Then, he began to first create the prototype version of the website. But what he did notice was the fact that he was still cold, and a headache was beginning to annoy him.

Not even twenty minutes later, Victor felt like he was sick. He pressed his finger to his wrist and checked his pulse, and found it to be slower than average.

"Dammit, don't tell me that this is a fever." Saving the changes to the prototype, he got up and walked back to his kitchen, from which he retrieved a thermometer.

"Thirty eight degrees celsius... or otherwise known as," He searched for the conversion, "One hundred degrees fahrenheit." He did have a fever, and a strong one at that.

The young man checked the time, and saw that it nearly six o'clock. Groaning, he decided that it was time to wind down.

He needed to absolutely sleep... he simply could not cope with so much shit in a single day. Victor did not even bother to eat dinner, much less cook it. He was far too tired and sick to do that.

The door had been replaced and fixed... but the boy did not feel as safe as he had been in the previous week. What was to stop another monster from just plowing through it again and make mince meat of him?

Shaking his head free of these lingering and abrasive questions, he pulled the curtains over to cover the few windows that were in the house. If something was going to break in, then it wouldn't do much to stop it.

But at least Victor felt as if he had added another, small layer of protection, no matter how insignificant it might have been if taken under a critical eye that valued realism over emotions.

Sighing, he gathered another blanket from the closet, and added that to the already laid out sheet of the bed. It would be imperative for him to keep warm right now, if he wanted to let this fever pass as quickly as possible.

Victor climbed on the mattress and laid down on it, resting on his side. He had turned the lights off and was now engulfed mostly by darkness, save for the few rays of the stars that made their way into his room, even through the heavy red curtains.

Everything would end up well; that was what he told himself. "Tomorrow things will be different... and they will be good." With these last few words of reassurance, Victor closed his eyes and dozed off to sleep.

"The boy noticed."

Cassandra scoffed at her older sibling, "He did not... but he was scared, I could smell the scent of fear coming from him." Her lips parted and her fingertip dragged over the bloody edge of her sickle.

Bela looked to the brown woman and kept her hands by her sides. "He could have found out, had you not been so messy in your torture of the butcher- "I cleaned myself of the blood." She spoke in an exasperated manner, eyeing one of the servants who was dusting a statue.

The young girl noticed the deranged gaze of the mistress and whimpered. But before the vampire could enact her sadistic tendencies, the clear sound of a pair of heels clacking against the marble floor caught their attention.

"Girls." Bela bowed her head, "Mother, I accompanied Mr Press back to the outer wall." The Lady smiled tenderly at her daughter, "Very good my dear, and Cassandra," She turned to her middle daughter, "I take it that the butcher has received his punishment?"

"Yes mother! He squealed like the little pigs that he guts! But he did not taste that good, not as sweet as other man blood." The towering figure chuckled, "Now, now my sweet, I am sure that you will have many more opportunities to quench your first."

"Now," Eyes of gold looked between them, "What had you on the verge of fighting?" "Mother, Cassandra was careless in her actions, and nearly revealed ourselves to your guest."

"Is this true?" The brunette fiddled with her hands a little and lowered her gaze to her feet, "Yes mother."

The Dimitrescu matriarch clasped her hands together as she addressed her in a noticeably stricter, "It does not change much, Mr Press already suspects many things, given his unfortunate brush with one of Heisenberg's mutts. But your sister is right Cassandra, you must be more careful when outside of the castle grounds. Have I made myself clear?"

"Yes Mother." "Excellent my dear," Her tone turned into one of noticeable warmth and affection, "Now, I believe that the servants will have finished with gathering the grapes. See that all of them have completed their tasks."

They bowed to the older woman, and removed themselves from the hallway in swarm of buzzing insects. Lady Dimitrescu resumed her walk to one of her personal rooms, taking the long, winding handcrafted staircase of waxed wood to reach the chambers.

There, she approached her vanity with a couple of long strides and sat down on the stool, looking over herself and uncapping the blood red lipstick and applied it to her mouth again, smoothing over the bits of soft flesh from which it had receded.

Absently, she took a hold of the phone case and began to turn its rotary dial to the correct set of numbers, and once she had done so, she held it up to her ear with one hand whilst the other continued to apply the makeup.

"Yes Alcina?" The matriarch frowned at the way that she was addressed, and immediately chastised the other person on the call, "We must not go over these manners again Heisenberg." She grounded, gripping the phone case a little harder, "Yes, yes. My bad. What is it that warranted this call?" "We must discuss a few things. Come to the castle, and do not keep me waiting." "If you insist."

Before he could close the call, the countess gave him one last instructions: "For the sake of time, use the underground tunnels." "Very well."

With that, she placed the phone back onto its holder, and returned her attention back to her reflection in the mirror. It was indeed the time to talk.

Later...

"You wouldn't happen to have some mead in the cellar now would you?" The cold glare that Karl Heisenberg received in return gave he all of the answers that he seemed.

Silently, he sat down on the luxuriously padded armchair and crossed one booted leg over the other, adjusting his hat.

He did not comment on the fact that the leader of the Dimitrescu family hadn't even given him the basic courtesy on inquiring to be served a meal. And the it made him annoyed especially since the white woman was currently sipping a cup of tea.

"I assume that those other three... won't interrupt us while we talk?" "My daughters are currently elsewhere, and would not bother us even if they were present in the castle."

Karl took off his shades and began to clean them with a small cloth that he had procured from one of the inner pockets of his coat. "Since you clearly didn't invite me to make amends, I would suggest that we come forth and deal with whatever you wanted to ask me."

Lady Dimitrescu's lips thinned into a line as she placed the cup down on the pantry of the table, "Do not play coy with me Heisenberg; you know exactly why I called you here."

He held his hand up, already feeling the ire of the vampire begin to rise, and it was now that he regretted not being more insistent of bringing his hammer with him. "Calm down, I understand why you are angry and with good reason." He gestured to himself, "I admit that I was in the wrong."

The ire simmered down a little, and the glow in her gold eyes diminished, "At least you have the decency to recognize your wrongful actions." She then straightened her back and bore her gaze down on the shorter lycan, her voice lowering in tone, "Why was one of your dogs running loose in the village?"

"I wanted to make sure that a certain man paid his debt to me." "By sending a lycan?" A fine eyebrow rose up.

"Yes, I know that it was not my turn to send my minions, and I apologize for that." "Then you will know that the compensation that Cassandra brought forth was more than given." He nodded, "Though it is a shame that she tore it up so badly... that was one of the better werewolves."

Alcina stood up, furious, "This is not the first time that you have broken the pact." Her fingers flexed and long, curving claws of death stretched forth from her fingernails.

Karl too stood up, "I already told you that I understand my mistake." "But you do not care." The words were spoken accusingly, and rightfully so.

"But even you, Lady Alcina, must see that this was a blessing in disguise." He looked up to her, smirking a little bit, "Come on now, put those away; you know that killing me will only bring more harm than good, and not to mention," He sat down again, "Mother Miranda will surely be displeased to know that the head of one house is warring with another."

With a frustrated sigh, the claws retreated away and she too placed herself back on the comfortable cushion.

"For all of the bad blood that runs between us, it is clear that our legacies are dependent on one another. You need my factory, and I need your products of wine." He stated crossing his arms.

"The American, Victor, is exactly what we needed: now you can gain the advantages of having a higher demand and larger selling point, and I too the increase of coin." The Lady

drank her tea, "Mr Press seems adequate enough to compete the given task." She confided.

"You see? I told you that he would have done good. But now, you must also have realized the particular circumstances in which he found himself." Alcina hummed in affirmative.

"Some of the villagers are growing lax in their station, to the point that they believe that they can fool us into their stupid games." "All the more reason as to why they deserve to be made as cattle."

"The culprit has been taken care of by your daughter, but I would say that it would not hurt to send a message to the other townsfolk as well." Heisenberg touched the gold edge of the tray, making it tingle.

"Tonight, I will let loose some of my forces." He told her.

"Bela, Cassandra, Daniela." She called for their three, and they appeared besides her in a dark swarm. "Girls," she began, "Tonight you shall assist Lord Heisenberg's lycans in terrorizing the village. Make sure to take a few maidens, and to leave Mr Press alone."

"For that matter, I would suggest that one of you makes sure that he doesn't move away from inside his home. It's the lone one on the hill." He added.

"Daniela." "Yes Mother?" "Make sure that Mr Press does not leave the house." "As you wish Mother."

On that night, the village would learn to bow down to their lords once more.

Chapter End Notes

School is now calling my attention away, and as such I have less time to write, so the next update may take longer, depending on how much I progress with my other stories. Please leave a comment, and let me know of what you enjoy, what you didn't and any eventual questions.

Talking

Chapter Notes

I'm a little late, but here's the chapter.

See the end of the chapter for more notes

Something was wrong.

He could feel it that something was wrong. Even if he was sick and heavy with the effects of a fever, Victor was still not deaf.

The young man could hear the roars and screams coming from outside, piercing the cold night sky.

It was now that Victor had begun to sweat even more. He did not like the situation at all... the last time that he had encountered a werewolf, well... it hadn't gone to well.

But Victor did not feel safe at all inside his home: the door had been destroyed and he had gotten lucky that something else had stopped the rabid beast, but there was definitely more than one out there.

Light headed, he paced inside his small kitchen, not knowing what to do.

"Fuck, fuck, fuck! What's happening out there?!" He kept both hands pressed to his head, tugging at his short hair.

His eyes went back to curtain covered window, the red drapes preventing him from seeing what was happening outside.

"Goddammit!" Victor cursed and finally gathered enough courage to move. With shaking fingers, he pulled the curtain back up and peered into the dark, black outlook of the village.

There were a few scattered, flickering lights, and if he squinted hard enough, then he could make out the small forms of the townsfolk and those of the werewolves.

Victor realized that he was like a sitting duck out here, and that by staying in his current position, he would only provide to be an excellent snack for whatever monster would inevitably come wander up to the doorstep of his house.

"What do I do? What the fuck do I do?!" Still, he continued to pace, holding a hand to the wall to stop his swaying. The American eyed the door and made up his mind.

He put his heavy jacket over the soft cotton fabric of his pajamas. The boots came up next, and then he was ready to exit his house.

But upon gripping the knob of the door and twisting it, Victor found that the plano of thick wood did not budge in the slightest. "What?" His eyebrows furrowed together in confusion and he pushed harder against it.

He could not understand what was wrong: he had unlocked the door, and was practically pushing it with the entirety of his weight... and yet it would not give an inch, as if there was something else keeping it in place.

"What the fuck... dammit... why won't this fucking open?!" He angrily whispered to himself, desperation panting the tone of his hushed voice.

"Oh, fuck it all; a door won't stop me." He wobbled up to the uncovered plane of glass and quickly opened it to its full extent. Immediately, Victor was greeted with the absolutely freezing cold chill of the Romanian winter.

"Alright, here goes nothing..." Gripping the edge of the opening, the teen proceeded to first it one leg outside, and then the-

"FUCK! WHAT THE FUCK WAS THAT?!" Victor scrambled backwards on his back, until he lightly thumped against the wood wall.

Now he could see the small insects flying around, and he began of hyperventilate.

Small animals such as those were not supposed to be present, much less be capable of surviving this part of the year.

There was something more to them, they were not normal.

His gaze locked on the open window, Victor somehow managed to rise up to his feet again, albeit much slower than before.

His mind began to repeat what had just happened: he had put his first foot out, and had raised his other one to repeat the gesture, and then a loud buzzing sound had graced his ears and something had promptly shoved him back inside the interior of the house.

Again, he began to move forward, extremely wary of what had happened. He came to grip the edge of the window again, and looked outside. Nothing, he could hear nothing that would come to pass off as the sound that insects emitted when flying.

He took his leg from off the ground again, and that was when the buzzing returned.

In an instant, Victor had slammed the window back shut and had taken a few steps back, muscles tensed and trembling; his instinct of fight or flight was on an all time high. "What the hell is going on?"

This place was cursed, it was the only explanation left. "Fuck... how long will it be until one of those werewolves comes to slaughter me?"

That was unless the other entity composed of moths and hornets did not get to him first. "Fuck." The least he could do right now was to try and barricade himself the best he could.

And that was what he did. Carrying a blanket along with him, Victor pushed the wardrobe with great effort against the door of the basement.

This was his only defense now, this and nothing else. It was truly a bad situation.

"Fuck it, let's fight fire with fire." He had been so caught up with the last events and the ever present worry of death that Victor had not even stopped to think of the rational things that he could have done.

He grabbed his Iphone and quickly dialed in the Romanian emergency number, and once the phone began to ring, the American hastily placed the electronic device against his ear.

"Come on... come on... where's the damn police when you need them?" He whispered to himself, his heart falling prey to the growing sense of dread. The longer that the ringing went on, the more anxious and preoccupied he became.

"Why the fuck is no one answering?! This is an emergency number for god's sake!" He was extremely frustrated and worry. "Calm down, calm down don't panic." Victor attempted to slowly intake air through his nose and blow it out through his mouth; but the action proved hard to perform.

But then, he noticed something: the screaming and roaring had stopped.

Cautiously, he made his way back.

The door had been opened... and yet the lock on it wasn't broken. As soon as he saw this, Victor whirled around, expecting to find someone behind him.

And yet... no one was there. "What..." Groaning, he pulled the curtains up and looked at the village downhill. It was still and quiet now, with not a soul being present in the streets.

But... "Where did they go?" His headphones weren't on the chair, and Victor distinctively recalled having placed them there.

This was beginning to confuse him in a great manner: so someone had broken in, and had only taken his headphones. "Why does none of this make any sense?" And more importantly, why did this all have to go so wrong? That was the question that Victor wanted to ask out loud.

The next morning...

"Damn it, I'm not going to get better anytime soon, if this continues to go on."

Once more, he had not slept that night, he hadn't even closed his glassy and tired eyes once to be exact. "Nine am. Fuck me." Victor good up and stretched, to then subsequently yawn out loud.

Even though he still had the fever, he had decided upon getting some more work done. The hours of the night were spent like this, trying to get as far ahead of schedule as he could.

He saved the project for the website and put his laptop in sleep mode. His eyes trailed over to the unopened Series X.

It was... ironic, for him to think that he now did not truly care so much for it as he had done in the past few months. The marvelous piece of console hardware did not give him that same sense of excitement any longer.

Victor sighed and rubbed the bridge of his nose, before eventually going back up to make himself a small mug of coffee.

He was tired of being afraid, of having to constantly look over his shoulder.But most importantly, Victor did not want to be left so defenseless.

And by now, he decided that it was about time that he did something to change it.

So once more, he dressed in appropriate clothing to face the harsh wearer outside and left his house.

When the teen walked down the road of his hill, taking big steps due to the bundles of snow, he was finally greeted with the sight of the damage that had been dealt to the village the night before.

Some buildings had been damaged; their doors, windows and roofs either having large holes or cracks in them. And yes, there were many splatters of blood both on the walls and on the ground.

The other villagers who were still alive had taken to the streets to clear the pieces of broken rubble that had originated from the furious battle.

The aura of it all was a somber one, filled with dread and worry. If possible, Castle Dimitrescu seemed even more imposing than it usually was.

Although they were tight lipped, Victor was observant enough to notice the desperation and fear that commanded their movements, and he briefly stopped when he saw an older man cradle a boot in his wrinkled hands, whispering to himself as tears streamed down his cheeks, "Fata mea ... fetița mea ..."

The young man tried not to give so much thought to it, he tried not to become attached... but they could still relate to the shared experience and worry for what was more to come.

He went to the building that housed the supply shop m; with luck he would find what he was searching for there.

A couple of the townsfolk shouted what he presumed to be insults, directed specifically towards him. He did not know what to make of it, but Victor concluded that it had to do with

the fact that they were delirious, and clearly not well.

When he opened the work door of the supply shop, the trademark ring of a bell was heard from above his head, announcing his arrival inside of the establishment.

A young lady greeted him at the entrance, and Victor warily made his way forward. "You are outsider yes? You want to buy something?" He nodded, a little surprised that her pronunciation of English was so good: he had to strain his ear to hear her accent, for it was barely noticeable.

"Were you attacked?" He asked then, looking over the stacks of chairs and other things. "No, no lycans came." "Hmm, good to know." His eyes inquisitively dug around the shop searching for the items that he had been in need for.

"Will you tell me what you want?" The lady called him, and he focused on her once more, "A yes. I was wondering... hoping actually, that you would have a gun to sell me." "A gun?" "Yes."

The owner looked off to the side, and Victor felt his hopes die down a little. "Wait here. I have something." That was already on improvement on having nothing at all, so the American told her to please get the weapon.

Checking the time on his phone, he saw that he had yet to receive other notifications, minus the call from the unknown number again. A scam that was; he could already sense the bullshit coming from whatever lie would be pushed to him if he actually utilized the proposed link.

"This is all I have. Here, I will sell the ammo free of change." "Yeah, cool, cool." The bundle was composed of a handgun and a single pump action shotgun. A couple of boxes containing the respective bullets were thrown around together as well.

"Yes, this is what I was looking for." He muttered as he took out his wallet, his fingertips brushing the valuable paper; "How much will it be to by all of this?"

"Seven thousand five hundred lei." Victor did not effectively know if that was cheap or expensive considering the state of the guns, for he had never owned them before. But it did not matter now, he at least had something reliable that he could use to at least attempt to better defend himself.

Calmly, he handed her the money and also gave her a tip, insisting on that she should keep the extra coin.

"But I have no experience... fuck." That did throw a wrench in his plans. He had never handled a firearm. "Uhh, excuse me, would you happen to also have some blanks?" From the confused look that he received, Victor concluded that she did not know what he was asking for, so he tried to explain without having to depend on Google Translate.

"Blanks you know? The bullets that you shoot but that don't actually do anything? The ones that like... disintegrate after you fire?" He tried to make the motion with his hands, and it seemed to do the trick, for the girl understood what he was trying to tell her.

"Sorry, I do not have that." "Well shit... guess I'll have to make do without them... would have been better to have them still." He asked for a bag to carry the weapons in, and it was given to him.

"Are you buying the guns to stay safe?" "Yes... I... don't know what to do anymore." "I understand. Many in the village share your thought." "Do you know how many died last night?" He prepared himself, eagerly awaiting for the answer.

"More than ten. Twenty if you want to count the maidens who were taken as well." That statement struck strange to him, "Maidens that were taken?" "Yes. To Castle Dimitrescu." "Like, stolen?" "Yes. I can at least sleep easier at night knowing that I am not a virgin, though I am still saddened by the fate of the other young women. I knew some of them."

Feeling distraught, he offered her his condolences: "I'm sorry to hear that. I don't have relatives to people close to me here in the village, so I can't know what it's like, but still, I'm sorry."

The Romanian offered him a gentle smile, "Thank you, your kindness means a lot to me." The silence began to drag on a little, so he thought that it was best to leave now.

"Well, thank you for selling me the stuff. I guess I'll see you another time miss?" The other smiled, "Call me Cristina." "Then you can call me Victor. Until next time then." "Yes, have a good day Victor, and remember to stay home at night."

He opened the door to step outside, "Will do, thanks!"

And he then began to make his way back home. But with the fever, the journey was more taxing then before, and Victor found himself having to stop and sit down to rest from time to time.

"Fuck me, when did the walk back home become so damn long?" He grumbled and hoisted himself back up to continue on with his trek.

The teen felt slightly better when he locked the door, in the sense that he now had the assurance of actually having a thing to defend himself with.

"Now, I'll bring these in the basement." It would be better to put the pistol and the shotgun away for now. So that was what he did, and he made a note to check some Youtube videos on how to correctly handle and use those firearms.

Once more, Victor returned to working on the website, and he reached the point in which he would be allowed to go forward a little faster, as he was now adding the custom made programs and linking them alongside other external libraries.

"If the user clicks on the option, then output the effective cost of the purchase..." The characters appeared on the screen in a quick enough manner, and soon, he was done.

"Alright, now to debug this..." Victor spent some more time fiddling with the compiler, ironing out the larger bugs and writing down the smaller ones which would require a more in- depth look.

"Now... let's see if I can optimize the program... add the virtual keyword to the subclass definition and render it public..." He was doing it again: Victor was talking to himself... and that was something that had made him a target of a couple of bullies back in high school. It was easy to call him a deranged nerd that way.

A knock was heard coming from upstairs.

"The hell? Someone is at my door? Who would have ever thought..." He briefly turned on his mobile device and opened the camera.

Victor grimaced at how he looked: his face was pale, dark circles were present under his eyes. "Fuck... I look terrible. Oh well..." He was sick... that should have been enough justification if the question was asked.

He got up and proceeded to walk out of the basement and up to the ground floor. The teen briefly ran a hand through his short hair, shaking his head and composing himself.

As he neared the door, another knock echoed, and he sped up a little bit.

Victor unlocked the door and turned the handle, pushing it open.

"Good afternoon, what- He stopped mid-sentence, the words getting stuck in his throat as his heart skipped a beat.

"Good afternoon to you as well Mr Press. May I come in?" Victor's brain short-circuited for a moment before the rational side of it activated the emergency backup generators and got him properly thinking again: "Ahh... yes, Lady Dimitrescu come in." He was quick to say, not wanting to offend the physically and physiological imposing woman.

Of course, she had to duck down to fit through the the frame of the door, her large black hat barely passing by the sides without getting caught, though she did it naturally, a sign that this was something that she was used to doing frequently.

Victor noticed that she still wore her pearl white dress, but above that was a coat colored in a dark mahogany red; the part of it that rested around her neck was inlaid with a large pelt, no doubt belonging to a rare animal that only the richest could afford.

Her exotic perfume reached his nose as well, causing him once again to momentarily remain in awe of her presence.

The ceiling wasn't quite high enough so that she could fully stand up, so Victor tried to remedy by offering her to sit, "Oh, please sit down on the couch, you are a guest." "Thank you Mr Press, your hospitality is indeed touching and of much appreciation." She walked forward, and it was then that Victor noticed the other woman dressed in black .

"Ah, Miss Bela right? Please come in and have a seat." He shuffled behind her and closed the door, though she did not reply besides giving him a cordial nod.

"I'm sorry for my state... I was not expecting people to come over, and I have nothing to offer you... unless you would like a cup of coffee?" Her chuckle made him feel all fuzzy and warm in the chest, and heat creeped up to his cheeks.

"Ever the gentleman Mr Press, you humble me. But to answer your question, no, I am content in this manner. More so, I heard that you have fallen ill, and it is most certainly true." Her golden eyes stared over his form.

"You have a fever yes?" "Indeed my Lady. But... it doesn't add up to me." The woman leaned back, both gloved hands coming to fold over her lap in a neatly fashion.

"What is concerning you Mr Press?" "How did you know I was sick? Did someone in the village inform you?" "Oh," She laughed then, white teeth shining and for a moment, Victor could have sworn that he had seen a pair of fangs in the spot where her canines should have been.

"You are quite curious for your young age Mr Press. I shall not disclose on your enquiry, for it would not do well that a lady reveal all of her secrets, but I will only allude that I indeed possess a few connections amongst the townsfolk."

The American could not help but think back at what had happened during the night, "Yes... but I also wanted to ask you... was your castle attacked? By werewolves? Luckily my house wasn't but I walked into the village earlier today. Not all of the houses were in great shape."

The hue of her orbs dimmed a little, a gesture that somehow made something tick off in his gut, "Your concern is touching Mr Press, but luckily no. The lycans did not even get past the outer wall." "Hmm, I'm glad to hear that."

A moment passed and he awkwardly looked away, still not really understanding what was going on.

"Oh, silly me, I have forgotten to tell you why I have come." The Countess sighed melodramatically, "Forgive me for taking up more of your offered time Mr Press, but I only wished to see on the progress of the project."

"A yes..." Victor chuckled nervous, scratching the back of his head, "Yes, that makes sense... uh... I can't really bring my computer up here, it's not a portable pc so... you can either come down or I can transfer it to my laptop, though that will take a few minutes."

She brushed his concerns aside and stood up, her dress extending out fully to display her ethereal beauty.

"It is not a problem Mr Press, I assure you. We will gladly follow you, as this is your house, your rightful property." Lady Dimitrescu stated, as her oldest copied her movements.

"Okay, sure come along then. Oh, and watch your step, the second to last board is a little slippery, and yes, mind your height with the top of the frame, we wouldn't want that stylish black hat of yours to fall off now would we?" Victor attempted to joke a little in the last part, and was met with a success in the form of an amused grin.

It was evident that Bela was very responsible and respectful, for she had remained silent for the entirety of the visit. Even now, her attitude continued as she came closer to the various pieces of technology.

He had seen how her eyes were filled with curiosity and genuine interest, but refrained from even touching his prized possessions. "You can touch them you know... even turn them on, just don't break them." The blonde beauty began to lightly trail her pale pink fingers over the white, plastic side panels of his playstation.

With one of the members of noble lineage occupied, Victor focused on the matriarch herself, and so he booted his pc back on from sleep mode.

"Alright, please keep in mind that this is still a work in progress, and the website is still a prototype and its still missing a few functions." He did not know why, but he felt a little tense right now, as if some evil danger was lurking around.

The Lady stood directly behind him, peering down to look at the illuminated screen.

"So here it is, the basic outline of it." It was more of a skeleton in terms of completion: Victor hadn't even selected the proper elements to create a proper background; instead, he had used a simple, plain black texture to serve as the momentary artistic choice.

The teen guided the Lady through the process of things, showing her what he had already done and completed, while still asking for more suggestions or opinions on the matter.

"Well well Mr Press, you surely have not disappointed me." There was something in the way that she said those words made him feel hotter, and not because of the fever.

"Ah, thank you my Lady, that means a lot coming from you." A fleeting instant passed before Victor realized what he ha dust said, "Ah yes! As a compliment given that you are my employer! Yeah!" Internally, he wanted to sink into the floor; god, he was so fucking embarrassed!

He could not even bring himself to look back at the opulent woman, "While I admit that I do not understand a great number of things that you are saying, I am mostly pleased with your work Mr Press, especially given that so little time has passed since we have last seen each other."

Nodding, he closed some of the open windows, "If I continue on this rate, it should be done in a couple of weeks; probably less too. Of course, if you want me to make some changes to it, then please do tell." His fingers pressed a couple of the buttons on his keyboard.

"At the moment I've written this in PHP, but as soon as you pay for that domain, I will translate and recode this in Java so that Android devices can have the app, and in Swift for Ios products and Mac. Just give me the order and I'll start doing it."

"Your eagerness is admirable Mr Press, but please; focus on regaining your strength and your health right now. You shouldn't be concerning yourself with work right now." "Yes, I'll keep that in mind. Thanks for the tip my Lady."

Just then, a surprised gasp was heard and both turned to look at Bela, who was staring at the ejected game disc of the Ps5.

Immediately, Victor felt the intimidating woman let out a small sound of displeasure and Lady Dimitrescu's voice harshly cracked like a whip when she addressed the eldest of her brood: "Bela, we are guests in Mr Press' home. Do not embarrass yourself. Apologize right this inst- "Whoa, whoa, whoa, easy. It's alright my Lady."

Victor walked up to Bela, "Your daughter did nothing wrong, she didn't break the console. Is this your first time seeing one?" Hesitantly, the Dimitrescu daughter shifted her gaze from her mother's to Victor, "Yes, I did not know that it was called like that."

Lady Alcina pursed her lips, gazing down to him as he talked to her eldest once more, "I'm betting that you aren't really used to modern technology, yes? It's fine really, no worries." He tried to lighten the mood of the situation, for he felt that the tension was about to snap.

"Hey, you know what? Here," Victor briefly rummaged through a desk filled with books, "This baby right here contains and recounts the history of every major video game console: Sony, Microsoft, Nintendo, Sega; it's all here." He offered the book to the other woman.

Again, Bela looked over to her mother, who gave her a small nod of permission. Then, she bowed her head a little bit, "Thank you for this gift Mr Press, I shall cherish it and learn of its contents." He wasn't really gifting her the book, his intention was to let her borrow it, but it did not matter: Victor could always find an online version of it on the web. Pirated sites did have their advantages, even with the avalanche of spam ads.

Though he did also notice that her words were a little... estranged, as if she was forcing herself to say them. But Victor just guessed that it had to do with the fact that this was a mandatory action for a relatively harmless mistake on her part.

He had the impression that there was a rigid set of unspoken rules and lines between Lady Dimitrescu and Miss Bela. But then again, it wasn't really his place to pry into personal family matters and relationships.

The young man did find it a little heartwarming though: he recognized that the other woman near his age probably no idea of what games where. Boy was she in for a big surprise.

"I am gladdened by your work Mr Press, I believe that it is time that we remove ourselves from your abode." Victor blinked, "Okay, I'll show you to the front door then."

A short while later, they were at the edge of his home.

"Bela dearest, start going, I must have words with Mr Press that are meant to be heard by his ears only." "Yes Mother." The black cladded woman bowed her head, hand holding the book that he had gifted her.

"My Lady?" Inwardly Victor shivered: he resisted the urge to take a step back when the towering Lady stood right in front of him, locking her unnaturally colored eyes with his own. It was then that he realized that she had gotten even closer and had settled a large gloved hand on his shoulder.

Victor was a little startled by her strength when she pushed him back inside the house. "You must not expose yourself so precariously to the cold Mr Press. The warm flesh does not bode well to it, and neither does the oozing blood."

There was something else in her eyes... it was hunger, a deep insatiable hunger that he could perceive being emanated from her pose.

"I will make sure to stay inside of my home My Lady. Again, thank you for your kind words." Her fingers brushed against the soft skin of his neck, briefly stopping over the pulsing vein on it.

"It will be for the best. I will expect your presence back at my castle in a week's time, if that is of acceptable disposition. Naturally, if you are still feeling unwell, then do not bother to tire yourself."

He felt naked under her gaze: she was staring at him like a predator, and it sparked something in him, which he could still not properly categorize.

Swallowing thickly, Victor nodded his head, "As you say Lady Dimitrescu." He still could not pull off the accent of the ancient name, so the woman corrected him: "The u is silent Mr Press. Dimitrescu, that is the way that it is pronounced. Remember it."

And finally, like a benevolent goddess, she let go of him, and as she walked away as tall and proud as always, she brought along with her the spell that had bewitched the young man to the powerful Lady.

Chapter End Notes

Sooo... I've started to play the game, and am really digging it, but to be honest, I'm a little disappointed on how little we got of Lady D and her daughters. I was expecting them to be much more prevalent. Anyways, now that I finally have some canon to work with, I can start bending the supposed rules and events to my will, changing things here and there. Of course, some of these changes will be addressed in future chapters and be elaborated upon. Anyways, please comment and let me know what you thought, I've

started to write the fifth chapter but at a slower rate as I'm trying to complete the game and learn more stuff about the other houses.

A new spark

Chapter Summary

Victor and Cristina bond together over a warm meal.

Chapter Notes

Now, I've finished the game and have been investing myself to read the wiki. I will say this now, I will loosely stick to canon, but there will be many changes and probable retcons regarding a few things. Also, this is a warning, some spoilers may appear from now on, so please keep that in mind.

See the end of the chapter for more notes

"I was meaning to ask you, what is this whole deal with this... Mother Miranda person?"

Victor was bent over, looking at the small portrait of the woman which hung on the wall.

He found her state of dress a curious one, especially given the bird mask around on her face, or at least he assumed that it was that.

What really made the gears in his head turn was the crescent and illuminating halo behind her, as if to represent her as some sort of divine figure.

And maybe she was, but naturally Victor would not know, for he was an atheist at heart, and did not believe in religion or some kind of afterlife.

"You... you do not..." He heard Cristina stutter from behind him, so that caused him to turn around and face her.

"No, I don't know of her. Should I?" He asked nonchalantly, putting his arms behind his back.

The Romanian girl sighed and stared away, "Pe cine naiba nu cunoști ... prost" Was and she said, and of course Victor did not know the translation to it, so as a precaution, he began to apologize.

"Hey, I'm sorry if I'm offending your culture or tradition, it's just that I've been seeing a lot more of these portraits being mounted and tapered to the walls outside. So I'm left wondering what symbolic or religious value she may have in the village."

Cristina looked at him incredulously, "Mother Miranda is our protector, our goddess; who have you not heard of this yet?" "Easy, nobody told me. Why are you getting so frustrated?" The teen spoke, putting his hands out.

"Right, I am sorry Victor, have my apologies. Mother Miranda is very important to our village... she is the one who has bestowed this valley with her favor. The other townsfolk, all of us actually, are afraid."

"Of what exactly?" Her eyes held fear in them, "The glorious goddess keeps the other lord's beast away from us, she hails us in her all encompassing shadow. But... the other day, the lycans attacked, ravaged great part of the village and slaughtered both livestock and the fields."

Cristina's arms had wrapped around her form which was covered in a wool shirt, and even if there was a light fire in the corner of the shop, she still shivered, as if a gust of wind was blowing directly on her.

"This... it has never happened before. Someone must have done something to offend her, for she would have a good reason to take away her favor." Victor reached forward, patting her on the shoulder, "Come on now, it can't be all bad; she will see that you are faithful to her, and- "IT DOES NOT MATTER! WHO CAN YOU BE SO..." She abruptly ceased her shouting once he moved back, shocked at her outburst.

"În numele morților, I am sorry Victor, I did not..." She closed her eyes as the American heard a small sob escape her throat, "Hey, hey, it's all right. You're safe here." He tried to comfort her.

"Thank you." She whispered to him when he wrapped his arms around her and brought forth an embrace, "I am worried Victor... I cannot help but feel that the monsters will return."

The American scanned over the shop, "This place does have somewhere to hide right? There's gotta be a basement, or at least an attic. You can hide there." She mirthlessly laughed at that, in a slightly saddened tone.

"I fear that it will not make a lot of difference Victor. The lycans can still smell me... but there is another thing." "What?" He asked, wanting to know.

"The woman, the one who lives next to the fields, Luiza is her name, she said to reconvene at her house. She will keep up safe there." Silently, Victor took note of this.

"And what will you do there?" "Nu am o idee, we will most likely pray to Mother Miranda for good fortune." Victor had to resist the insurmountable urge to roll his eyes at that, because to him, those hopes seemed like complete and utter bullshit.

"Yeah no, sorry to break it to you this way Cristina. That's definitely not going to work, not a chance in hell. You'd have a much better chance by barricading yourself here: you have those planks and boxes that can be moved against the door, and that wardrobe over there that can block the window from opening. And you've actually got weaponry here; I seriously doubt that Luiza will have as much as you do." He reasoned with her, speaking his mind.

"And then, if what you're telling is true, then you will all be endangered all the more. A whole bunch of villagers being packed in a small space? Your collective scent is bound to be smelled by one of those monsters."

"Da... da... you are right. But it still does not change the fact that," Again, she stopped herself, hesitating to continue. "Hey, come on now, don't leave me hanging like that." Victor gently eased her with his words.

Much to his surprise, he found that he cared for her, in a deeper way than he was expecting: Cristina was perhaps the only villager to have treated him well and warmly instead of distrust... and he liked to think that the two had formed a fast friendship over the past week.

"It still does not mean that the lycans will leave me alone." "Listen Cristina, we could do this this way: how about you come to my home tonight and bring some more guns, ammo, first aid kits and all of that good stuff. I can set up an extra bed in my basement, and we'll be safe there."

She looked at him uncertainly, as if contemplating the decision. That caused Victor to add a smile in order to try and convince her.

"Very well. I trust you Victor. Will you help me bring a few things?" "Of course, it would be pretty rude of me to not assist you." He said with a smirk, and watched from the corner of his eye as she smiled uneasily.

A few minutes later, they stood outside of Cristina's shop, both holding a few bags and a couple of cases.

"Come on, my house is just this way, up in the hill." "Outside of the forest?" She quickly asked, "Yes, it's outside of the forest. Come on now, the sun is beginning to set, dark will follow soon after."

It was deathly quiet in the village, the only sound heard where the chiming of small bells and the rustle of the leafless branches of the nearby trees.

The snow was not to troublesome to walk in, so in a short period of time, they had made it up to his hill.

But then a voice called out from behind them: "Victor, over here!" Both turned around at the same time and came face to face with the tall man dressed in a grey trench coat.

"Nu ... zeiță miluiește-ne..." He heard Cristina whispered as she took a few steps back, going pale. "Oh, it's Heisenberg. What's wrong?" Victor asked his trembling friend, who only pointed at the man at the base of the formation of earth.

"He is one of the lords, the lycans... he controls them." His eyes widened a little, and shot back to stare at the aforementioned man.

"Here, take the keys and get in the house. I'll go talk to him." She grabbed his arm, "He will kill you!" She warned, holding him back.

With gentle movements, he pushed her fingers away, "Don't worry Cristina... I'm pretty sure that he won't... he most likely wants to talk." He insisted again.

"Are you coming down here Victor?" "Yes! Just give me a second!" He shouted back. "Go to my home Cristina, all will be good, trust me on this."

On the verge of crying, the woman left to find safety in his house, and the young man began to walk down to the older one.

"Long time no see eh?" The noble asked as he placed his hands in the pockets of his coat, shades tilting up as he looked at Victor.

Deciding to play it safe, he addressed him respectfully, "It indeed is, my Lord." It was then that his smile dissipated and he frowned.

"No... don't tell me that you too have started." "I'm sorry my Lord, but I fail to understand." He was surprised by his loud groan as he reared his head back.

"Dammit Victor! We've met before, don't you remember? I even took you out to get a beer for goodness' sake!" The lines along his face were taut and rigid, "Don't get down on your knees Victor! Fuck! I hate it when people do that, it's so annoying!"

Feeling a little more confident, be used a more informal manner of speech now, "Ah... so you don't want me to call you like that. Ok, good to know."

"Thank you! You have no idea how much I despise it. Shit, I'm not like Alcina, from her, yes I could understand it! But from me? Come on Victor, have O not made it clear enough that you don't have to use those half ass lied pleasantries?" His mouth betrayed his tone for his lips were raised upwards, and in an instant, both men were laughing.

"Oh good, you know, I'm not too fond of them myself. But to let you know, it was Lady Dimitrescu that revealed to me that you were a lord." "Ah... why am I not surprised. She sure enjoys killing the fun doesn't she?" "Well... actually, you know what? I won't comment on that. So anyways, what are you doing around here?"

"Hmm, the usual. Doing some errands for a few things I need for the factory. I just happened to pass by here, and thought about stopping to say hi. And I wanted to ask because I could not help but notice, who's that girl over there with you?"

Victor felt as if it was best to cover up his friend's terror, "She's Cristina, perhaps the only nice villager that I've encountered until now. I've offered to provide some refuge for her, since the werewolves attacked, everyone has been pretty tense down in the town. I can't really blame them for it."

"I understand. But you should be fine, Mother Miranda is usually around to prevent these things from happening." He added in a quieter tone, folding his arms over his chest.

Victor looked away in surly, breathing in deeply. "Hey Karl, if I may call you Karl," "Sure, do as you wish." "I heard someone say that you... commanded these werewolves."

He could not see his eyes from behind the dark stained glass of his shades, and for a moment, Victor felt a stabbing sense of fear pierce his stomach.

But then the tall lord erupted in a fit of bellowing laughter, hoisting his hand up to hold his hat still and in place.

"Oh... that is a good one! Oh wow, fuck that had not right to be as funny as it was!" He held one of his his arms in his knee as he leaned forward, catching his breath.

His head tilted to the side to look at him, "Now Victor, you seriously aren't expecting those rumors to be true now do you?" "Yeah, sorry for doubting you, it's just that this is all a lot."

The teen sighed, "You know, up until a couple of months ago, I would have never thought that werewolves were realm. And yet," He let a hand travel to the visage of the village, "Here I am, preparing for an eventual attack... in order to defend my life."

His fingers were drumming against the flesh of his palms, as to keep them warm. "Yes, I understand what you're saying Victor. This place is unlike anywhere else on the planet. I'm willing to be that much. In the past, things were hard for me too at the factory, having to take over the Heisenberg estate and family business." He spoke faintly, as if recalling an era long past gone.

"But I'll let you in on a little secret," He leaned down to put a hand on his shoulder, "These peasants like to make up tales and gossip. They're ignorant and illetterate, they look at things they don't know with distrust. The same thing happens for me and a few of the other lords. They don't understand that we help the village with our work; take yourself as an example," Victor raised an eyebrow.

"You just came here recently, and what have the townsfolk done? They've called you a stranger and treated you like an outsider even though you now life here. They don't have the capacity to understand the marvels of the technology that you have brought with you, or of their unlimited potential. They fear what they don't know, and of course they're going to doubt everything you do and look at it with suspicion. That's what these idiots have been doing for centuries, and now is no different than it has been for the past millennia."

Heisenberg spoke with a strain of venom in his voice, as if cursing the very existence of the townsfolk. It was here that Victor realized that he must have had a bad connection to the village, for his rant was nothing short of wrathful.

"So do not be surprised when you hear more of these rumors, regarding either me or the other lords. The villagers are jealous and too thick-headed to see the advantages of time's progress. They wish to remain in the times that are no more, to remain blind to reason. Victor, I am telling you this as a friend: do not associate yourself with these individuals. I can promise you that no good will come out of it."

Victor gave him a nod, "Thank you for telling me Karl, really, thank you." "Don't worry yourself too much alright? I need a drinking buddy, and you can certainly fill that role." The American cringed, "I'm still not there yet; give me a couple more years and I'll be legal. Then you can invite me wherever the hell you want to go."

Another bark of laughter echoed from him, "There ya go! You're already learning Victor!" They shook hands before departing.

"Same as always, if you hear shouting and screaming, do not leave your house for any reason until the morning comes, you will be much safer in your basement." "Ok, I will do as you say. Bye!" Victor waved his hand at him and began to walk back to the lone house of wood and brick.

The door opened as soon as he stopped on the front porch, and out of it came a worried Cristina, who wasted no time in looking him over for any injuries or marks.

"Are you hurt? Did that rau dracului attack you?" "I'm fine, he did nothing. We just talked, exactly as I said we would." A look must have been on his face, for the Romanian villager casted a questioning glance at him, "What did he tell you?"

Victor sighed as he removed his coat and boots, hanging them up. "He said a bunch of things, but the focal point of it is that he claims that the villagers erroneously and falsely make these claims about him controlling the monsters." "Victor he does! He is lying to you; you were not born in these lands, you do not know what he does with those that he captures or hates..."

"Cristina?" He called to her as was silently weeping, small sobs and hiccups originating from her chest, "M-my father was o-one. Oh... dragă tată h-he was one of them. That m-monster took him a-away one day and I never saw him again. Heisenberg k-killed him... he experimented him with the machines in h-his factory," She coughed, cheeked red and glistening with the trails of salty tears descending down to her neck.

"Bietul tată, I can still see him..." Not knowing what to do, the young man stood off to the side, at a loss in what to say to the other human.

"I... I'm sorry Cristina." It took a moment for him to close his mouth and get moving, so to gather a glass of water and offer it to the grieving woman in his living room.

This was the least he could do at the moment. Quietly, they sat together at the table, contemplating their situation. Once she had calmed down enough, Victor approached her in discussing on what to do. "I'd say that it's best if we get a move on now so that we'll be ready when the monsters arrive. "Very well Victor."

He showed her the basement and together they brought down the guns and a few other things. Looking over to the new addition of firearms, Victor could not help but trace the outline of the nearer pistol to him: it was a never model, and had some differences: for one, the trigger was colored a light blue, and the grip on the handle with it was a bigger one that what he had on his own gun, additionally, the magazine had a pretty big extension, as to hold more bullets than what it normally would have.

As if reading his thoughts, Cristina told him about it: "That one is special: it can shoot automatically, you only need to pull down on the trigger." "Hmm, that's good to know. That shotgun over there seems more powerful than the one that you gave me." He could not hide to say, and saw her sheepishly smile and look away.

"Yes, sorry for not selling it to you Victor... that was my father's..." The younger of the two places his hand on her shoulder, "Don't worry about it Cristina, there are no hard feelings."

"Alright then, shall we bring them down to the basement?" With a nod, they transported the objects down the flight of stairs.

Cristina's eyes immediately went to look at all of his electronic devices, being very much drawn to them. "This," Victor proudly said, extending his arms as to indicate the entire basement, "Is my treasury. All of my stuff is in here." "It is... interesting." Was all that she muttered.

"Yeah I know, you do not have all of these things in the village do you?" She walked up to his pcs and looked them over, "I have a radio and a television, but not like the one you have on the wall, it's much smaller..."

As she was talking, Victor opened a few cabinets and began to systematically place the ammunition in different drawers, and then to begin to load a few of the guns; naturally, it went without saying that he was helped by Cristina, who had by far more experience than him in this regard.

"I don't have that much to go with." He stated as they stood in front of his open fridge.

Cristina was already looking through it, and had taken out some of the poultry and pork meat, "I can make Tochitura de Pui with these, it is a traditional dish. My mamă used to make this when I was sick."

"Sounds good to me. Do you need help? I can set up the table, or pass you things." "Nu sit down Victor, let me cook you a tasty meal. You are allowing me to take shelter here with you, I should try to repay you."

He chuckled, "Your presence is already a gift in of itself." A moment passed before his eyes widened, "Oh fuck, sorry I did not mean it to sound so- Her gentle laughter calmed him down, and he found himself being drawn in to her cheerful face.

Victor flushed in embarrassment: he had already made a fool out of himself in less than an hour. "I understand Victor. You are... fun to be around, I feel happy when you're near." At her confession, alarms began to set off in his head.

"I'll... I'll go to the bathroom for a moment, if that's alright with you." The teen practically fled away from the kitchen and into the secure private space of the washing room.

Victor quickly washed his face and eyes with cold water and looked at his reflection in the mirror. "Come on now, calm down."

This has never happened to him before: both in high school and outside of it, Victor had never had success in finding a partner. "Wait wait wait, I'm getting ahead of myself. Who is to say that she won't like me in that way?" He whispered to himself.

He... he had a crush for her, and now he wanted to punch himself in the face so damn hard. "Ugh, the fuck is wrong with me." A knock on the locked bathroom door made him jolt, "Victor? Dinner is ready."

"Coming! Just a moment, I'm washing my hands!" Soon he was outside, and was presented to a steaming plate of cooked chicken and meat, steam rose from it carrying a delightful aroma that quickly made his mouth water.

"Wow." He said as he sat down, "It looks amazing." Cristina blushed a little as she took her place opposite to him, "I hope that this is good enough... I don't know if this is as good as my mamă used to make it."

"There's only one way to find out; come on now, let's dig in." Victor served himself a piece of the delicious meal and began to cut a piece of the pork, making sure to coat it in the dark brown sauce that permeated the bottom of the pan.

"Oh... fuck..." He closed his mouth to focus on chewing, as the older woman looked at him unsurely, "Good lord this is good Cristina. Fuck me, it's delicious!" She let out a breath of relief, "I am glad you like it Victor."

"Hot damn! I'm convinced that your mother would surely be proud, no question on that." "Thank you Victor." Quickly cleaning his chin with a napkin, he poured them both some water.

"You're really good at cooking, top notch right there, Master Chef material over, Gordon Ramsay can eat his heart out." "Who is this... Gordon?" He waved his hand at her, "Oh, don't mind me, he's just a famous chef, and an excellent source of meme material." His words only served to confuse her more, so Victor opted to have mercy on her and stop.

"Fuck, did I already said that this was good? Shit this really is hot fire." The teen could not help himself when he began to fill his waiting mouth with spoonfuls of the nutritions substance.

They talked some more over dinner, enjoying the mutual company.

"Yeah, initially I worked for a small company, writing down code and figuring out new algorithms to implement in multi platform schematics... but the work hours were long and terrible, plus the limits to time were extremely strict, and the lay wasn't nearly as feasible as what I gain now."

Victor swirled the water in his glass, recounting his simple and uninteresting tale. "Then, when I had some more skill and practice with traversing a work environment, I decided to become a freelancer, and that's what I do for a living..." Cristina eagerly listened to him talk, enraptured with what he was saying.

"And how many of these...programming languages do you know?" He sat forward after gulping down the refreshing liquid, "Uh, let's see, I've learned C, Java, Javascript, Python, Swift and Php. I'm contemplating learning C# and possibly Ruby as well, though I'm still hesitant on that one, since by the looks of things, it will be considered obsolete in a few years."

"So people call you and you work here on your computer, yes?" The American nodded, "I do. To tell you of the last employment that I found- oh shoot."

Victor took out his phone and looked at the calendar, "What's wrong?" The kind soul asked him, "I have to go to the castle tomorrow, a week has indeed passed."

"You are going to Castle Dimitrescu?!" Cristina shouted as she stood up.

Victor looked to the side before answering, "Yes...? The Lady was the one to employ me, and is paying me fifty grand to simply build a website." The other one walked around the table and placed her hands on the side of his face, leaning close.

"Do not go there Victor, nothing but horrific monsters fill those halls." His eyebrows furrowed in question: "I've already been there once, I don't really get why you're so nervous."

"Because," She moved her hands so that they grasped upon his shoulders, "This is the same as with Lord Heisenberg. That pale demon will drain you of your blood Victor! That witch takes away the maidens of the village, and she murders them in the most horrific ways possible!"

"Calm down, please Cristina, I get it that you're worried for me and I thank you for that, but you're overreacting, if the Lady wanted me dead, I would already be- "Overreacting? I am not Victor! I am telling you the truth and you do not want to listen to me!"

"Please lower your voice Cristina, there is no need to shout." And then, surprising him completely, she circled his torso with her arms and pressed her head against his right ear, "I do not want you to go... I have no one left... please Victor, do not leave me..." She hiccuped and cried softly.

Shocked, he protectively returned the gesture and did the same as her.

The young man was touched by the concern that she was showing him, "I will be careful Cristina, I promise that I will. No matter what happens tomorrow, you can be sure that I will return do not worry."

"All will be fine."

Chapter End Notes

So yes, I know that not a lot of things happened in this chapter, but it's mostly because I'm trying to set up a few things and plot point while also introducing new original characters of my creation. A thing that I was a little disappointed of was the fact that game had very little to do with the townsfolk of the village, I wished that we could have perhaps seen something more with them, but I digress, that's only a tiny nitpick on my part. Anyways, I was pumped and motivated to write this in the span of two days due to the flow of comments, so please, please keep the coming! I adore reading of your thoughts and ideas, so please leave a suggestion if you can. Until next time.

Broken shards

Chapter Summary

Victor completes the website, but is reminded of a painful past.

Chapter Notes

See the end of the chapter for notes

"Cristina, relax, everything will be fine. You don't need to worry that much."

He stood at the edge of the doorway. "I know Victor, but I still worry. Those monsters will kill you if they want to." Nodding his head, Victor zipped up his heavy jacket, preparing to face the snowy grounds and air.

"This shouldn't take that long, I should be back in an hour or two, but don't freak if I don't immediately return." Shuffling on her feet a little, the Romanian offered her hands forward, and pushed a gleaming silver ring into his own.

"This is a token of good luck... the townsfolk and my family believe it to turn away bad omens and curses. Some whisper that it was blessed by Mother Miranda herself. Victor placed the ring on his finger until it was tight and comfortable. "Thank you."

Cristina then took a step so that they were close and cupped the sides of his face, "I will wait for you Victor. May Mother Miranda keep you safe." She leaned in and gave his cheek a kiss.

Heat rising up to his head, the young man thanked her once more and definitely turned around, beginning to march down to the village.

The castle loomed over the simple and poor buildings of wood and crumbling brick, and this time Victor felt a shiver run over his body.

As always, very few people could be seen out on the streets, and this somehow added to his worry.

After what Cristina had told him, Victor now found himself reevaluating what he effectively knew of these people and nobles.

His eyes had been bathed in a new light, one that was bleaker and more gray. Matters and ideologies that he thought to be set in stone were turned on their heads, points of factual truth were thrown out of the window and now the teen was forced to draw a new map on his moral compass.

Victor was torn between what had been said by both Cristina and Karl. Both of their discussions were in conflict with one another, and he honestly had a bit of a hard time deciding who was saying the truth, though he tended to side more with Cristina, but not because he nurtured romantic feelings for her: even from a logical point of view, it was obvious that her story presented more evidence to suggest that it was indeed legit.

But then again, he had still yet to encounter anything that would finally make him chose where to stand in all of this insanity.

Fuck, Victor hadn't even had the proper time of fully settling in and was already bombarded by all of these things.

When he had originally come here, the American had hoped to escape his past and to live in peace... but seeing how the state of affairs was now, perhaps that would not be the case.

Just then, his Iphone began to ring in his pocket, so he quickly took it out. "Ugh, this fucker again? Hell no." He shut the call down.

It was the same number that had continued to pester him for a few days, his smartphone always gave him the scam alert when it called, and. i tot had yet to even once actually bother to answer to it. "Why the fuck can't they leave me alone? There are seven billion and a half more humans in this world, why do my balls have to be broken?" He sighed, digging his hands into his pockets to keep the warm.

Today was particularly cold: his breaths came out as small puffs of vapor, and his head and the tips of his ears were beginning to go numb. Victor chided himself for not bringing a proper winter hat, but there was no point in that right now. He had to meet up with the Lady of the castle as it had been organized that way. Getting there late would be most undesirable.

Still, it was not the time to gaze back to the past; with his backpack strapped to his shoulders, Victor was off to a good speed. If the snow didn't slow him down to much, he theorized, he would arrive at the castle in little less than half an hour.

And after said amount of minutes passed, Victor was at the front entrance of Castle Dimitrescu, still being stunned and amazed by its captivating and fear inducing gothic style.

This was his second time entering the ancient keep, and at this point a servant, who was not the same from his first visit silently took his jacket elsewhere.

Victor did not bother to comment or thank her: the look in her brown eyes showed that she was a tired woman, who had come to accept the thought and prospect of becoming one with death.

The challenge of not observing the intricate details of every plank of wood or gold gilded chandelier was an exhaustive task, one that he had clearly failed to beat. Again it befuddled him to see all of these things: elaborate set pieces and decorations were the reason for why this place was so mesmerizing, and it made him realize that Lady

Dimitrescu must have been rich, like really fucking rich, so when he thought back to the fact that she had basically steamrolled him into compliance, he understood that he really didn't have a choice but that to accept. She had the money to do whatever she wanted, and Victor was certainly not in a position to deny her.

But the job was nearing its end: he only had a few things to add to the website, and then it would be complete and fully operational. Naturally, he knew that he would have to update it regularly whenever the Lady would find the need to either add a new product or request a new feature, but that could be done remotely, with no need for him to go and meet her physically.

Or at least he hoped that he would not be forced to do that.

His musings were broken once his ears picked up the loud clicking noise that echoed over the marble of the floor, and just as he was expecting her, Lady Dimitrescu emerged from the other side of the hallway, ducking under the open door.

Good lord her height never failed to impress and intimidate him: and now that he was more weary of these lords, he could not help but feel as if he was a trapped mouse, unable to escape the deadly clutches of the waiting cat.

Striking, glowing pools of gold made sure to petrify him in the exact spot where he stood, "Mr Press," Her voice rang out, brushing over his goose flesh, "I am delighted that you could join me."

His mouth opened and closed for a moment before he properly answered her with words of his own, "Thank you My Lady, I am humbled by your radiant presence." Her red lips curved upwards, and she bid him to come.

"I wanted to ask you pardon Mr Press, for I realize that you are a busy man, and calling you to present the project at the time of lunch is most certainly not an optimal request, is it not?" She directed a side glance to him, and he nodded his head, "Don't worry Lady Dimitrescu, it's not a problem."

"Still, that does not change the fact that I have robbed you of a meal," They passed through the same set of doors from which she had come, and arrived in a dining chamber, which noticeably lacked the soft glow of the candles from the precedent foyer and hall. Here, the light was gifted by the large glass windows that flanked the outer wall, casting the room in a cold tone.

The Lady of the castle sat down at the head of the table, and offered him the place of honor which was to her immediate left.

As soon as he had placed himself on the comfortable chair, a servant had stepped forth and placed a steaming plate filled with soup in front of him.

"Oh, thank you My Lady. I hope you do not mind if I begin to eat?" Victor asked as he handed off his computer case to a maid.

"Take all of the time that is needed Mr Press, we are not in a hurry." Nodding, he began to quickly and silently eat.

The American could not help but cast a few glances at the lady every now and again: she was enjoying a glass filled with that special wine of hers... and he just could not remember it's name for some reason.

He felt a little ashamed at the fact that his eyes would always stray down to stare as her full red lips, to the elegant and alluring color and shape of her neck and to the top of her generous bosom.

A few moments of silence passed before he eventually broke the quiet atmosphere to speak: "If I may ask, My Lady, will your daughters be attending us as well this evening?" The countess gave him a sly smirk that played in his desire.

"I am afraid not Mr Press. Cassandra and Daniela are currently invested with a game of theirs, and my oldest, Bela, is there to supervise them and make sure that they do not misbehave." It was then that she let out a small sigh.

"The two of them are a formidable and near unstoppable force when they are actively working together... ah, I still remember all of those little mistakes that they would be oft to leave around, during those times the castle was much dirtier than what it is now.

"Hmm, I can imagine: having three fully grown daughters? That's a recipe for a disaster in the making." Victor tried to keep up with the conversation by still trying to respectfully ask questions regarding her family without coming off as rude or nosy.

"And you, Mr Press? Have you ever been courted by a waiting lady?" He blushed, "I have indeed not Lady Dimitrescu. It would seem that I am not... very popular with the girls and women of my age." Arching an eyebrow, the towering woman gave him another look, "Oh, Mr Press, surely you are jesting: any woman with an ounce of intelligence would see that you would make an excellent husband."

That got a mixed reaction out of him, because on one hand he blushed and on the other crowned at the particular word that she had adopted to use. Receiving another inquisitive look, Victor elaborated further upon his conflicting facial expressions: "It is nothing Lady Dimitrescu, I simply do not agree with the whole thing about being a... husband and having a wife, I just don't really get the appeal of marriage in general... I kinda think it's a waste of time as well."

Her noble features were unreadable, and the glare of her glowing eyes made him squirm in his seat a little, "And why would that be Mr Press?" She set down the intricately shaped glass of silver and rubies.

"Well... to keep the story short and simple, I'll just say that I don't have a good experience on the matter of marriage, my parents they... yeah, you get the idea." Even after all of this time, that was still a touchy subject.

"Hmm, at least they must miss you a lot Mr Press." When the expected smile did not form on his lips, the Countess rearranged her phrasing, "I apologize Mr Press, it is not right in the slightest to intrude on personal affairs." He waved his hand, awkwardly chuckling and trying to put that grouchy mood behind him, "I'm the one who should be sorry; I was one step away from narrating my sob story."

Had he been looking at her, then Victor would have noticed the way that her gaze narrowed at him. "Alright, this was delicious My Lady, thank you for letting me eat at your table." The cold glare was replaced with an inviting one before the young and naive man could even realize it.

"Shall we take a look Mr Press? I am eager to know how far you have come in the process." "I'm nearly done, actually, but here, let me show you." The maid gifted him his bag once more and Victor set up his laptop on the long table, booting the system up.

"Yup, here it is. What you're seeing here is a test run, a pre-visualization of what customers will do once they access the website and start shopping for your products." He showed her the entire process, detailing the things that were still missing.

"And that reminds me that I would have to kindly ask you to be able to take some pictures of your other wines, since I'm currently without photos." The tall regal Lady gave him a curt nod, "It will be done at once Mr Press." Without even talking, a few of the maids who were standing at the edges of the room sprung up and exited back into the main living space.

Victor was impressed by their dedication and efficiency. They displayed a level of effort that few could rival, and that certainly explained how come the entire inside of the castle was always squeaky clean.

"Ah, you have taken a look to that fee right? The one that gives you the domain space on which to upload your site?" "It has already been taken care of Mr Press." He steepled his fingers, "That's good, I'll be able to get this up and running asap by tomorrow." "Good job Mr Press, I am very much content with your diligence."

Momentarily casting the praise to the side, Victor returned his focus on the domain, "Just to know, what's the id of it? This domain I'm saying." Lady Dimitrescu was quick to tell him which url to paste and search.

However, when Victor currently looked to allocated space of web memory, his eyebrows furrowed: "Excuse me My Lady, but did Lord Heisenberg tamper with this?" The magnificent countess smoothed the creases in her white dress and regarded him with a more formal tone, "Yes, he was the one to pay the fee and give me the domain." "Ah ok, I just wanted some clarification since it was confusing to see that this space was licensed under his name, but it's no problem at all."

Then, the servants returned, carrying a myriad of bottles, all of which contained the same dark red liquid. "Once more, I'll take some pictures with my phone and then I'll edit them on photoshop once I get back home." He muttered as he positioned his Iphone so that he had a clear shot of the interested object.

Soft clicks were heard when he pressed the button, and in a short amount of time, Victor had already gathered all of the different pics that he needed.

"That's pretty much it My Lady; as I said earlier, my job here is nearly done, I just gotta add the finishing touches and it will be ready." "Then I presume to indulge myself in your company once more tomorrow." The American quickly nodded in agreement, "There is still you due payment Mr Press, and it would greatly please me to personally gift you with it." "As you say My Lady, but you don't want to if you don't have to. It's no big deal if you don't have the necessary time." Was what he said as he strapped his pc back into its designated compartment.

"Again, thank you Mr Dimitrescu, for employing me. I will see you tomorrow." He respectfully kept himself composed as he was accompanied by a maid back to the main entrance.

"Until tomorrow Mr Press, until tomorrow..."

It was only when he was out of the dining chambers that Victor let out a breath of relief that he didn't know he was holding in.

Unlike his other meetings with the Lady, this one had felt different, as if there was some other darker tendency that simply hid amongst the easy and tantalizing smiles that would add to the beauty of the woman.

"Thank you Miss, I am truly thankful." The other woman did not reply so Victor simply began to move away from Castle Dimitrescu and down a lowered gate. His mind then wandered off to think of his significant friend. She was probably worried sick that he still had not returned yet. "And she doesn't even have a phone." He muttered, knowing all too well that eventually he was going to have to get her one. It just stemmed from a basic need of having to be able to keep an ever present contact. Plus, things would be easier to deal with that way.

"Fuck, what is it now?" Victor muttered to himself as he turned to look at the imposing gothic castle. His stomach had formed nots, but for the life of him he could not understand why. The worst part of the day had passed, the danger was over and if there even had been a sliver of chance that the Countess wanted to hurt him like Cristina claimed, then it wasn't there.

Perhaps it had to do with the nagging question that was at the back of his head, that which demanded to know on whether she was truly human or not. The fact that she was so tall and yet moved so gracefully was what irked him, coupled with the unnaturally pale coloration of her skin and the glowing irises of her eyes made it pretty hard not to buy into that theory.

"How the fuck am I supposed to know? What the fuck has even happened now?" Werewolves, monsters, spirits, this remote village had them all.

The fact that she wasn't entirely mortal was still prevalent in his thoughts, but at this point even Victor understood that it was better not to question these things and to simply ignore them. He was so close to getting that enormous paycheck, and he sure as hell wasn't going to screw up now.

"Yeah, a cup of hot chocolate would be nice..." The cold of the air left a lot to be desired, and right now Victor desired only to return to the warm room of his home, in the company of his dear friend.

So without wasting anymore time, he passed through the set of stone doors that opened up to the center of the village, to be greeted by complete and utter silence. A part of him stopped, afraid for a moment.

Victor made sure to wait a little, and then he resumed his march up to his home, passing by the meany nearby houses. Even then, he had yet to even see one of the townsfolk in the flesh, everything looked to be abandoned. "Maybe they're all sleeping? Some cultural tradition?" He whispered.

But as his legs took him through the small paths of the village, his foolish hope withered away. What doors he had seen were barricaded with planks of wood which were nailed to the wall. Some splatters fo blood were present on them as well, causing him to cast his gaze elsewhere

On the outskirts of the village though, Victor froze when he heard some growling coming behind one of the buildings. Sweat forming over his entire body, the young man attempted to keep his movements quiet by softly pressing his feet against the snow in order to minimize the crunching sound.

He heard it then, the loud grown lining and snarling. Victor nearly bolted right then and there but by some miracle, he managed to retain enough self control to keep his feet firmly planted down. If he was going to come out of this unscathed, then he would need to do so silently.

The teen did not dare to breathe through his mouth, and tried to keep the noise down, eyes locked to the house where he heard those noises come from. The horrifying silence made his body tremble and shake, he could faintly hear the sound of his own heartbeat, thumping in his ears.

"Fuck, fuck, fuck. I need to get home!" The tension of the situation was killing him, and each step that he took seemed to only add to the dreadful atmosphere.

Still looking at the house that was terrorizing him, Victor crept back, watching as the town became smaller and smaller as he scaled the path up the hill.

A sense of relief washed over him once he caught sight of the familiar construct of wood and brick.

As he was hoping, Victor found Cristina waiting for him behind the front door, nearly crying tears of joy.

"It's alright Cristina, it's alright. I'm still back in one piece, see?" The young man comforted her. "I'm done with her assigned job, I only need to bring the website back to her tomorrow for a final checkup before officially publishing it."

She stared at him in disbelief, her upper lip quivering. Gently, she touched the sides of his face; "Again Victor? You are going again?" He nodded solemnly, "Yes. Yes I am."

With that, he quickly ushered them back inside the house and locked the door. "Get the shotgun, I think some of the werewolves were prowling around the village." Cristina moved near instantly to gather the supplies and weapons.

"They did not follow you?" Victor hummed as he stared out of the window, and the snow was now beginning to fall in greater amounts, "I made sure that they didn't, I moved quietly." "Then..." She hesitated.

"Then they must have found someone else." The younger man did not comment on it, preferring not to. He could already tell that this situation was hard enough for his friend.

"Did Mother Miranda say something? Was there a sign? A telltale detail that indicates that she's around?" "Nothing Victor, from what I know, the other townsfolk are still gathered at Luiza's house, chanting the prayers."

He drew the curtains back and sat down in one of the simple chairs, leaning his chin on his fist. "You said that this had never happened before." He stated absentmindedly, "Why the sudden change?"

Cristina raised her shoulders, "I do not know, only the blessed goddess can; but I think that someone must have caused a great slight to her figure." She then turned to look at his nakedly built walls, "You will need a statue of her. Mother Miranda demands the worship that we rightfully must give to her."

"Yeah, I'll look into that when the time comes." He tapped his fingers over the table, getting more bored now. "You ate?" He then asked, expectingly looking at her. "I did Victor." "Good, I didn't want you to skip out on it waiting for my slow ass to come here." He joked, which drew small smile from her.

"Must you go?" Her voice returned to its original state, that of which never failed to touch the strings of his heart. With a sigh, Victor got up, "This will be the last time Cristina, I promise you that. Once all of this shit is over, we'll be able to do as we please."

His words could only to do much to calm her, and the American that she would remain nervous of his absences. Cristina just needed to have the absolute certainty that there was nothing that could threaten them.

"Come on, let's go downstairs.There isn't much anyways." And so he led her down to the basement and opened the door there.

"Sorry if I'm being rude, but I gotta get to work right now. These are the final things that I have to add." Naturally, he had to carefully edit the pictures that he'd collected earlier. The process itself wasn't that hard, but with nearly a dozen different types of differing wines, Victor had to work to properly catalogue them.

About a quarter of an hour later, he had finished and finally closed his pc, taking the time to check his phone for any emails.

His face cringed once he saw another missed call, this time it was from a different number.

"Yeah, fuck to the no. Stupid scam." Victor blocked it, turned off silent mode and closed his device. The time was nearly seven pm, so he opted to get back up and check on Cristina.

"Hey," He announced his arrival as he stepped through the living room, "I'm all done now. Wanna come watch a movie or something?"

Internally, he was ecstatic to see her prepare another meal, but did not comment as she turned around to face him, setting down the knife and cutting board.

"If that is alright with you Victor, then yes, I would like to see a movie." She had never seen one, so the young man was excited to open this new world to her.

"Okay, I'll just go and turn on the tv and- the familiar sound of his phone's ringtone echoed out from his pocket.

Victor held his finger up as he stared at the clear display screen. Another unknown caller id.

"Sorry about that, so as I was saying- His Iphone blared with another call, "What the fuck..." "You can answer Victor, I do not mind waiting."

Sheepishly, he patted her arm, "Forgive me, I'm about to give an earful to whoever is behind this, give me a moment will you?" He unlocked the front door and closed it behind him.

"Let's get this bullshit over with." Fuck it, he was ready to blast the ass of the idiot that was going to propose the scam.

"Hello?" The American leaned on the wooden railing at the front of his house.

"Victor."

His body stopped, and the phone nearly slipped from his fingers. He stared at the device in disbelief as his lips parted.

"Victor? Are you there?" The voice called and he hastily pressed the electronic device to his ear.

"What the fuck do you want? Who the hell did you get this number?" His voice was that of a whisper, but filled with an ocean of hatred and abhorrence.

"Victor, please, just let me tell you- "No, you don't get to say a damn thing you fucking asshole!" A couple of crows flew away in surprise as his scream broke through the edge of the forest.

"ZIP IT! I FUCKING TOLD YOU NEVER TO CALL ME AGAIN!" "Victor, wait- The voice on the other end did not get to finish as he angrily closed the call.

Victor gritted his teeth and kneeled down, holding his head. He was an inch away from chucking his phone away.

Distantly, he heard a thudding noise come from the house, and then the door opened.

"Victor? Is everything alright? I heard you scream." He was already up, "I'm good Cristina, thanks, it's... something else, don't worry about it. I got it under control. Everything's fine."

Everything was most definitely not fine. "De ce esti asa?" Murmured Cristina, who still looked concerned for him.

Sighing, Victor moved back inside and held her arms, "I'm sorry for being so... childish and fucking dull. But... there are things that I wish to forget... pieces of my past that still want to follow me." He knew that his words were cryptic, but he wanted them to be so.

"Do you want to still watch that movie? I bet that you will like the Iron Giant. That movie always moves me to tears." Victor attempted to delete that rush of emotion that had overwhelmed him.

"After you please." He held the door open and Cristina passed. "Yes, they can't reach me here..."

The next day...

"Shit! Fuck!" Victor panted as he sat down the stairs that led to the front gate of Castle Dimitrescu. His arms were trembling, and he still had yet to let go of the gun in his hand.

"Too fucking close, that was too fucking close!" On the verge of a panic attack, he grabbed fistfuls of the white snow and squeezed them in his hands, hoping that the cold would bring his racing heartbeat back down to normal levels.

"Holy fuck..." It still felt as if he was running, but he needed to calm himself right now, the werewolves couldn't reach him here.

Shakily, he gathered his things and used the knocker to announce his presence. A short while later, he was being led through the elegant baroque corridors of the property, until he and the accompanying maid reached a chamber room which was comprised of a couch and a stack of books to the side of the wall.

"Thank you." He told the woman as she left the premises. Victor ran his fingers through his short hair, still not shaken off of his adrenaline.

"Mr Press? I was not expecting your arrival; are you alright? You look pale." He jumped at the voice of the noblewoman, and quickly payed his formal respects to her.

"Lady Dimitrescu, please forgive me, I know that our appointment was an hour from now, but I was running away from the werewolves... there were a few in the village."

The countess folded her hands over the front of her dress, looking as regal as a queen should have, "I understand Mr Press, please, be seated and catch your breath."

"Right, sorry. Anyways, here's the finished product, do you want me to officially upload it?"

When that was done, Victor sighed and rubbed the hem of his pants. The teen then turned to stare at his employer. "You have exceeded my expectations Mr Press, and for your troubles, I shall gift you more than what was to previously agreed upon." "I... thank you My Lady. You are generous." The smirk adorning her polished and aristocratic face was breathtaking.

"Well then, please wait here as I go and retrieve your rightful payment. To show you my gratitude, I will allow you to have another taste of my prized vintage." That wine was expensive, priced at more than a hundred grand from what Victor had read and seen.

The prices on some of these beverages were ludicrously high, but it would certainly be explained with all of the prestige that came from the renowned history of the place.

"I would enjoy that." The American confided and with those last words, the mistress parted ways and went to go and gather his money.

Having finally calmed, Victor thought back to the interaction: he had noticed that the Lady was... different, she smelled different too, but he guessed that it had to do with the fact that he had come early.

It was likely that Lady Dimitrescu was occupied with something at the moment, but he was grateful that she was offering her attention nonetheless.

With nothing better to do, Victor began to look over the room and admiring the decorations.

He would have happily continued to do so had his blue eyes not landed on the object present on the table at the edge of the chambers.

For laying upon the dark ebony wood of the circular station, were his stolen headphones.

Chapter End Notes

Alright, things are starting to get spicy! I have ideas on where to go from here on out, and I'm outlining the next chapter. I recognize that some characters may seem a little occ, but that is because the game honestly gives us little to go off of (there's basically nothing else to Lady D's daughters, so I'm shaping them up personally) next chapter is were things will begin to get really dark and fucked up, so I'll just throw this warning here. Anyways, please comment, let me know what you thought of this and tell me of your theories and predictions as to what will happen next, I'd be delighted to read them!

Hopelessness

Chapter Summary

Victor attempts to flee Castle Dimitrescu.

Chapter Notes

See the end of the chapter for notes

"What the hell..."

Victor whispered as he stared at the pair of headphones.

For a moment, he believed that his eyes and mind were deceiving him, simply making it appear as to they were the ones that were his.

But when he blinked, once, twice, he realized that they were in fact his own.

The very same ones that had been stolen from him. "How... how can this..." The young man had not seen any other electronic devices in the entirety of the castle, safe for the lights of the lamps that were placed in each room.

But if his headphones were here, then it meant that the thief was here, which also meant that one of the castle's inhabitants was guilty of the theft.

Immediately, he grabbed them and stuffed them in his bag, along with his computer. "Fuck this, fuck this shit."

Victor was not going to wait a moment longer, so he moved towards the door of the room.

Lady Dimitrescu was probably not going to take well to the fact that he was leaving, but the teen did not care. "This is ridiculous, these people are ridiculous."

He understood that he was in unknown territory, without a proper way to effectively know the layout of the manor. The smartest choice that Victor could make was that of trying to backtrack from the way in which he had come.

Victor was... hurt, in a strange way; the revelation that the Dimitrescu family had something to do with the horrible experience that he had been forced to endure a mere week and a half ago was disappointing.

He thought that he had at least found some relatively normal, if questioning individuals, though he still did not properly and fully know them a great deal.

"Guess Cristina was right... I should have just listened to her." Good God, he wanted to be with her, alone... fuck he really missed her right now in this tense moment.

With one final sigh, he tried to quietly open the door, thankful of the fact that it made very little noise, and slipped out of the room and into the corridor behind it.

"Where the hell am I supposed to go now?" It was fantastic, he was already having trouble remembering the way back.

"Fuck it, let's go left." Victor whispered to himself as he began to stealthily creep down the waxed and cleaned wooden floorboards.

The silence was extremely unnerving, for he could not hear a thing, and this caused Victor to begin to fear his surroundings.

It was a horrible sensation: at every turn he feared that he would be presented with one of those... monsters, and whenever he did hear a sound, he would immediately freeze and try to locate its origin.

Sweat was running down his forehead as he peeked over a statue to see if anyone was in the room in front of him.

The American tried to be logical with his movement: he tried to use the windows to determine which route he would have to take to reach the main gate.

And that was exactly what he was doing, holding the pale curtain to one of the great glass complexions open so that he could see outside; and Victor would have continued to feel better and better about his strategy until the door opened.

Time seemed to stop as his heart beat in anticipation. When it was a maid that came forth, he almost cried in relief.

The young woman spotted him immediately and gasped, already turning around, intending to leave, but he was faster and managed to grab her arm.

"Wait please! Please, please help me!" He whispered to her as he looked at her in the eye, begging.

The lower lip of the other trembled as she liked away. "I beg you, please, I don't want anything, I only want to leave, please, I need your help!" Victor insisted, desperation oozing from his tone.

"What do I have to do to reach the front gate? You speak English yes? Please, just tell me where to go and I'll leave! I swear." At last, his plea managed to win over the tightly sealed silence of the servant, who pointed a finger down the hall.

"Take the first door to the right," She began to instruct, "Then pass by another two doors until you reach the end, then take another right." Victor gripped her hands and shook them in thanks.

"You've saved my life ma'am. Thank you." He left before she could even reply, following her directions.

Fuck, the stress kept building and building up, and Victor was one step away from breaking down into a panic attack.

And finally, he spotted the foyer of the entrance, the large, open room decorated with the floor of white marble and inlaid gold.

Internally, his mind screamed in victory, the door was right there!

Hope was burning powerfully in his chest, and the programmer took a few steps forward, coming ever closer to his freedom.

"And where are you going man-thing?"

Victor whirled around to see one of the countess' daughters standing at the top of the stairs that led to the chambers with the winding staircase.

Her giggle sent shivers down his spine, for he recognized it: it was the same one that he had heard from the werewolf attack.

Fearfully, Victor swallowed, his eyes trailing down to the arm at her side, particularly to the gleaming, curved shape of the sickle made him stop.Quickly snapping away from his stupor, he turned around and bolted to the door, pulling it by its handle.

It did not budge one inch. Hastily, he repeated the action more times, but to no avail.

"Fuck!" He cursed as he heard her walk down the flight of stairs, still giggling to herself.

"Now, what shall I do with you? What if I cut off all of your fingers, and let you hang by your entrails, wouldn't that be a sight to see?" Maniacal and sadistic glee emanated from her figure as her stride towards the cornered human quickened.

Victor fumbled with his bag and took out the gun, pointing at her with both hands, trembling as he stared down the iron sights.

"S-Stay back! I will s-shoot you! Stay back!" He cried, back pressed against the unbudging metal of the gate.

Her laugh made the hair of his neck stand up, and he could now hear the same buzzing noise from a few nights ago. "Aww, that's adorable! Do you really think that pesky thing will hurt me?"

"Stay the fuck back! I will shoot you!" The American shouted, beginning to hyperventilate.

The noble lady that was dressed in black did not stop her approach, but made it faster and raised the sickle high in the air, ready to bring it down upon him.

His finger pressed against the trigger and his hands shot back as the pistol fired its round.

The bullet punched a clear hole from the front of the woman's skull, exiting all the way from the back of it. But instead of seeing an explosion of blood, Victor only saw tens of insects scatter around as the broken and missing flesh and skin reformed in seconds.

His jaw opened as he tried to form words, eyes wide and body shaking violently, "Ho-How t- the f-f-uck?"

The Dimitrescu bared her white teeth at him and lunged, catching him willfully by surprise.

The tackle made his torso slam against the door and the breath was knocked out of him.

A hand gripped his shoulder with inhuman strength and drove him back, keeping him firmly still as the brunette leaned her head forward to the crook of his neck.

"Man blood! I can smell it from here!" She exclaimed as Victor desperately tried to push against her.

And then, he screamed in agony when he felt the tip of the sickle cut into his side. The monster that held him close laughed in joy as she twisted the blade, causing him to scream again.

Victor felt the rush of wind and then the crash of his own body hitting the floor. He had been thrown at least a dozen feet away, and had landed against the stone staircase.

The side of his body felt as if it was making contact with fire, it hurt horribly and Victor could barely make out what was happening as his hand touched the bleeding wound.

"Look at all of that delicious, red blood... go on little lamb, put on a good show for me!" Her haunting laughter caused him to grip the stairs and with a grunt, Victor moved away from the approaching footsteps.

"Fuck! Fuck!" His breathing was now erratic and weak, his vision was a mess fiddled with black spots and he could not feel the injured part of his body anymore, the dark red liquid still poured abundantly from the cut.

His lungs hurt, and as sharp stabbing pain kept pestering another part of his chest.

Staggering, Victor ran forward, disregarding the bag with his computer to the side, even if it pained him to do so. He took the curved staircase, practically putting all of his weight on the side of it.

"Run prey, you will only end up in my clutches!" The mad demon cackled as she too took her sweet time to pursue him.

"Crazy bitch! Leave me the fuck alone!" He gasped, arms wrapped around himself to try and lessen the agony in his sides.

When Victor reached the top, he slammed against the door in front of him, but it stayed firmly in place. It was locked.

Frantically, he looked around at the other two hallways, just as the psycho monster came to the top of the staircase, still giggling childishly.

With a cry, Victor moved to the right, feeling the buzzing insects land on his skin and clothes as the monster approached ever closer. It was hopeless! His strength was leaving him, and his vision continued to darken more and more, his heartbeat ramming up with its thudding.

"Let me drink from you prey; where would you rather I have a taste? Your neck? Wrist? Oh, there are so many choices, so many possibilities!" She sighed in anticipation, and suddenly bolted forward, pushing him down to the hard floor with a slam.

Victor wheezed as he lost air again, and crawled forward.

The next door was too far away, he could not escape her. Helplessly, he turned on his body to face the monster, "No! Please stop!" Victor cried, putting his arms up in a futile defense, which did not prevent the blood soaked sickle from burying itself in his left leg.

Yet another scream tore from him as his body began to trash from the pain, tears streaming down his cheeks.

Giggling, the brunette removed the weapon and licked the edge of it, "Hmmm tasty."

"P-Please stop! I-I don't want to die!" The young man broke down completely, crying in distress and closing his eyes, incapable of looking at his killer.

"Cassandra? What are you... ah. Mr Press, I was wondering where you had gone." A familiar voice echoed from down the hall.

Heavy footsteps caused light tremors to shake over the floorboards, and Victor opened his eyes once again, for the buzzing and swarming mass of insects had disappeared completely.

The brunette, Cassandra, folded her arms in front of her and stepped back, head bowed.

The black at the edges of his vision was quickly filling the rest of the center, and the last thing that Victor saw before he blacked out was the presence of the towering matriarch of house Dimitrescu.

The boy laid his head back against the floor and his breathing fell into a regular rhythm. The blood from his cuts oozed and was looking around his shaking form.

As if sensing the countess' ire, Cassandra retread away, taking light steps, but stopped when she was addressed, "Daughter, do not leave." It was an imperative order, one that was sure to bring severe consequences if it was not obeyed at its fullest extent.

"Yes Mother."

The noble lady's glowing yellow eyes passed over the bleeding wounds over the teen, and they narrowed at the numerous stains that they had left over the castle floor.

"What, have I told you about chasing your prey inside the grounds?" The woman dressed in black looked away, "Not to do so Mother."

Her back straightened even more, as if posed to attack, "And yet," Her voice was low and harsh, "I find numerous of the carpets dirtied with this mortal's blood. I had thought that this lesson had been made clear the last time this incident happened."

"I... I apologize Mother... it is true, I did not heed your command, I wanted to play with the man-thing. To carve out his heart and give to you as a gift..." There was a genuine amount of underlying truth to her words, and the Lady's glare softened slightly.

With a sigh, she relaxed her arms, "And I thank you for that my dear, but your method of acquiring the gift was erroneous." She coldly gazed back down to the unconscious Victor, "And this fool was not meant to be harvested."

Her lip curled in a sneer, openly displaying her disgust at the sight of him. "His putrid stench is stomach-turning; have the maids clean and dress his wounds, I want him to be placed in one of the cells of the dungeon."

Cassandra bowed her head once more as the matriarch passed by her, grazing her shoulders with her arm, "As you say Mother." "Good."

As the titanic vampiric countess took her leave, the middle child of the Dimitrescu bloodline collapsed her body in a swarming mass of thousands of carnivorous insects, quickly moving away from the second floor and down to the first.

Not a minute went by before a retinue of maids arrived and collectively used their strength to move Victor away from his laying position.

The women all had sad gazes for them, for they knew of the fate that awaited the poor man.

It was sealed now, and Victor Press would never be seen, or heard from ever again.

Later...

"Uggghhh... what... what... happened?"

A blinding headache hit him like a train the instant that he regained his wits. Victor went to move his hand to touch his forehead but hissed when the action caused a feeling of pain to run over his spine.

His throat was dry, and sore, good graces, he wanted to drink something cold so bad right now.

Victor blinked several times, trying to get rid of the blurriness of his eyesight. A coughing fit racked over his lungs and his best began to hurt terribly, which only added to the sensitivity of his state.

"What... how...?" When he at last managed to finally shift back against the cool stone of the wall, Victor could cast his glance down to his wounded and bruised body.

There were heavy bandages of white that were currently wrapped around his side and his ribs, in the points were he had been severely injured before. His left leg was in a similar condition as well, but even so, they still ached badly, even when applying the smallest amount of movement.

Struggling to even stay awake, Victor was overcome with the need to close his eyes and rest, but he desperately tried to fight it.

From what he was able to see, he was in a... cell? There were no lights except for that of a few candles that were placed in appropriate holes in the wall, but he could still make out the bars that prevented him from exiting the enclosed space.

Victor was also lying on a small construct of wood, which was a bed perhaps?

There was a terrible smell that made his nose wrinkle: there must have been some shit or rotting food in the other empty cells, because it was indeed quite strong.

These small details momentarily occupied his mind from being barraged with the crushing realization of his situation, and the sheer gravity of it.

The software engineer struggled to stay awake; it felt as if something was forcefully trying to make him fall back to sleep.

"But..." His voice croaked lowly, "How... did... I get here?" He did not understand that part, it did not make sense... but his head hurt only to think about it.

"Fuck..." The wood beneath his back was hard and uncomfortable, and it would do his muscles no good when morning came.

Maybe... maybe it wouldn't all be bad though: his body really wanted to sleep, so that must have been a good thing. So slowly, but surely, the American allowed his senses to dull and quiet, and so did his breathing. Feeling slightly better, Victor managed to find a space do peace and quiet for his rest, and closed his eyes, losing himself to the realm of slumber.

When he awoke again, Victor felt better than he had before. The bad part of it this time around, was the fact that all of the previous events came rushing back at him full force.

"Oh god..." Victor whispered, and his body began to tremble again, causing him to instinctively bring his knees closer, tucking them to his chest. "Oh... no..." His voice cracked and tears began to freely fall down his cheeks.

He had failed to escape, and now he was trapped in this cursed castle. The teen could still feel the horrific dread, the pain of having his flesh be lacerated.

Victor was lost, and he did not know what to do. "I... I'm going to die here." And nobody would save him. His thoughts wandered back to Cristina. She must have been worried to death for him right now. Victor would never see her again.

"Why?" He quietly cried, sobbing and hiccuping. The cold temperature of the cell added to the discomforting paranoia. "What did I do?"

Victor had come to this village because he wanted a new life, but instead, he was going to perish. It was soul crushing, and he could not find any comfort in the cold atmosphere of his hostile cell.

The young man grit his teeth, at all of it, the injustice that was being perpetrated: he had done nothing except defend himself, he had taken nothing, stolen nothing.

"Fuck! Fuck! What the hell was I supposed to do?" Victor was clearly the victim...

Emotionally exhausted and afraid, he eventually succumbed to slumber again, left alone in the sun light and petrifying silence.

When he awoke again, it was because he could hear some noise to the immediate outside of the cell.

Victor raised his gaze a little and looked at the slowly pacing figure. "Karl?" He faintly called out as the other finally stopped and approached the bars.

The face of the Lord was grim and glum as he stared at him through the dark lenses of his glasses. With a sigh, he placed a chair in front of the room and sat down, as Victor carefully moved from off the wooden bed.

"What are you doing here? You will be killed!" He told him, whispering.

"I shouldn't be here, Lady Dimitrescu doesn't know that I'm here, so I'll be fine." He spoke, crossing his hands together as he hunched his back and rested them on his knees, in thought.

"W-well come on! Help me get out!" Victor said, but Heisenberg did not move. Sighing again, he took off his glasses, "I'm sorry Victor, but I can't do that." The American stuttered, "What are you even saying? Come on, help me unlock this dam chunk of metal!" He shook the lock.

"Victor," The serious voice made him stop, "It's not going to change anything." He placed his hand in his coat and pulled out a flask. "Here, it's good whiskey, drink."

Lost and afraid, he let the emotions of anger and frustration take over him and slapped the confident out of his grasp. "I'm about to die and you give me fucking booze?! What the hell is wrong with you?!"

The other's lips thinned as he continued to avoid eye contact. Instead he opened his palm and the steel casing of the flask flew right into it.

Victor stared in shock, before the wrath returned, "You fucker! You're one of those monsters! I fucking trusted you! What were- Karl suddenly shot forward and slammed his fist against the bars, causing the entire structure to rattle and dust to fall.

"AND SO WHAT DOES IT MEAN IF I AM?!" Victor shrunk back.

"GODAMMIT! You had to do one thing Victor! ONE FUCKING THING!" He shouted, spit flying from his mouth. An accusatory finger was pointed towards him, "This could have gone differently and you know it! You just had to sit down pretty, lick the boots of that tall bitch and you would have been fine! FUCK! I thought you had some smarts in that head of yours!"

He whirled around, breathing deeply. "We could have been colleagues Victor... with your skills, I could have made you rich. Fucking hell, you are different from all of those other idiots!" He waved his hand at him, "Look at you! You don't even belong in that fucking village!"

Swallowing his nervousness, Victor approached forth once again, "Oh yeah? Then if you want me to come and work for you, get me the fuck out of this cell! I won't even ask for payment, you can consider my labor my thanks for saving my life!"

With a growl, Karl grabbed the chair and threw it down the hall of the dungeon, shattering it in a mess of dust and shards of wood. "You do not get it! I can't fucking free you! It's too late!"

Victor wanted to scream in exasperation, but contained himself. Still twitchy, the noble Lord took a large gulp of the whiskey, hissing from the strong taste of it.

"I am not going against that insufferable aristocrat. I'd might as well lose my life." He spat out, putting his glasses back on. The other's shoulders dropped, for he realized that he wasn't intending to help him.

"Why? Why can't you just take me at this point? I would survive and you'd get my undying loyalty." Heisenberg looked down to his hands, opening and closing them, "I only wish it could be that simple Victor, but it is not."

Then, he began to walk away, and the younger man yelled, "HEY! COME BACK!"

Karl stopped for a moment and turned around: "I'm sorry Victor, truly, I am. Goodbye."

"Heisenberg! Come back here you son of a bitch!" He yelled, banging his hand against the bars in a futile effort.

When the broad shape of his frame disappeared in the darkness, Victor moved back and leaned against the wall, sliding down.

"So this is it..." It was likely that very little time remained, and he might as well have taken to enjoy these last few moments by thinking of the memories that brought him the most happiness.

"This is the end..." He curled in on himself, unable to stop the new flow of tears, this time due to the fact that he was betrayed.

"Lord Heisenberg." The mentioned man stopped in his tracks and sighed. He was just two steps away from crossing the open cavity of the cave that would lead him back outside.

Rubbing the small beard that he sported on his chin, he turned around to face one of those bug daughters that the egocentric and stuck-up bitch had.

"What do you want?" It was the oldest one, the blonde one, and internally he was a little relieved that the most stable minded of them had found him. He did not fear the chance of having to fight the other two; quite on the contrary, he was itching for a fight, but Lady Dimitrescu would have surely torn down his factory if it meant that she would personally rip him apart.

"Mother requests your presence within the upper levels of the castle." Shit, she already knew that he was here. Karl groaned, rubbing the bridge of his nose.

"Lord Heisenberg? Are you listening?" "Yes, yes I fucking am. Come on, lead the fucking way, I have places to be." Without another word, she began to make her way back inside the dungeons, and he followed her, even if unwilling.

The glittering luxury of the place did not surprise him, if anything it made him scowl just to look at it: everything was so shiny, so perfect. It made him sick.

The person in question that he wanted to avoid confronting was already sitting down in her chair. "Alright, berate me all you want, go on." He mumbled and sat down, taking out a cigar from one of his pockets and lighting it. He really was in need of a good smoke.

"Why were you on my property?" The question was spoken with barely concealed hostility, and he breathed out the smoke, "Yeah yeah, I get that you're all pissed and all, but I don't really care." "I wonder what demon has cursed us so that a child be the one to represent house Heisenberg."

The sarcasm was biting, but the shorter man did not care for it, "The hell do you want? I gotta get back to the factory, the damn thing won't run itself." She moved her face away, "The scent of oil and that of wet mutts is all over you. You are filthy." "I'm glad that your sense of smell works just fine." A clear lie, masked under the polite façade of courtesy.

"Come on now, if you've had your fill, I'll leave and you'll get to be alone in peace." The older noble bore her eyes into him, "You shall remain here until I deem it so." Karl repressed the urge to roll his eyes and scoff.

"What do you want me to do? Forge a new set of sickles for your... daughters?" He decided to humor her ridiculous claim, if only to get out of there in a faster manner.

"Hmm, no. But you can start by telling me what you where even doing on my grounds in the first place." "Fine, I was talking to the American, Victor." She looked away, gaze bored, "How incredibly predictable, no class at all."

"Fuck off with that class of yours, I'm all new stuff and modernity incarnate while you're the outcast conservator of monarchic powers of old. You don't have to project your sadness all

over me." Her fingers flexed, the tips of razor sharp claws forming on the ends of them, but still not extending.

"Did you get your answers?" "Almost, tell me why you imprisoned him." Spite was evident in her speech as she answered: "The mortal was foolish and stupid. Even with his skills and qualities, he blatantly disobeyed a simple command; he is still the same as all of those plebeians that live, breed and die like animals."

Heisenberg took another drag, "No one's better than you in your eyes, except for that bitch Miranda." "That blinded woman is even more a fool than you Heisenberg."

He grunted, "At least we agree on something then."

But they were still circling around the core of the discussion, so the man made the first step: "What will you do to him?"

Chapter End Notes

So, I'm a little late with this chapter, but school was frankly horrible this week, with grades and assignments and all. Anyways it's late and I'm tired, and I'm sure that there are some grammatical mistakes. Please remember to comment and express your opinions on the chapter and theories on what will happen next; they are always a treat to read. until next time.

Threats

Chapter Summary

Victor tries to come to terms with his reality.

Chapter Notes

Terribly sorry for the late update, but I just had my final exams.

See the end of the chapter for more notes

"And what would you care to know of it?"

Karl Heisenberg scoffed, "Come on, the American is intriguing, he's different from all of those sorry bastards that live in the village." A maid had come to serve the mistress of the castle a glass of her prized vintage.

"Regardless, the mortal has disobeyed me, and in the premise of my own territory, and is therefore eligible to be catalogued as property of house Dimitrescu by all of the laws of this land. You however," Her gold eyes narrowed, "Have no such justification for arriving here unvitiated and without any prior announcement."

"What do you want me to say? I'm sorry?" Heisenberg mocked, inhaling another puff of smoke form the burning cigarette.

"Need I remind you of your predicament again, child?" The glacial hostility became even more pointed as the powerful woman bared her sharp white fangs.

"What? Do you want to battle it out here? Because if you want to then be my fucking guest, but I don't think that all of these nice, noble decorations and furniture would agree." He chuckled then.

"Hmm, but that won't be a problem, you can just buy those useless pieces of wood again no matter how many are broken." To prove his point, he flicked the cigarette butt to one of the glass cabinets and dirtied it.

Lady Dimitrescu's nostrils flared a little as she breathed more deeply, her grasp on the wine glass becoming tighter. "You are insufferable Heisenberg, as much as any child would be." "Yeah yeah, go on and blabber all you want about that. The fact that you're older than me doesn't change a thing."

There was a small groan from some of the hinges of the door and of the windows, and then, several pieces of golden metal detached themselves and began to float around him in a wide circle.

Lazily, Karl twisted his finger and the shards danced along the air, forming different geometrical shapes. "But I will admit, this place could be put to good use... a boiler room here, maybe one with a pair of engines in the other..."

The display of ferrokinesis and metallic manipulation came to an end when Lady Dimitrescu's claws slashed downwards and sliced the chair to ribbons, but Heisenberg had already gotten out of it, avoiding the fatal blow.

"Oi, getting feisty now are we?" "Leave Heisenberg, I will not suffer your presence any longer." She practically and effectively threatened him.

"Tough luck, I want to know what you'll do with Press." This time, she rose to her full stature and addressed him coldly and darkly, "Unless you want to join him, I would suggest that you remove yourself at once."

With a scowl, he turned around and walked away, "Fine, just don't hurt the poor bastard too much when you take his life away; if you're cold dead stone heart even knows what mercy means."

Lady Alcina took a calming breath to force the wave of anger back down, rising up to his verbal barbs would bring no good except to cause delight in him. She was a proper lady, such frivolous and insulting behaviors were below her station.

With an elegant motion, she moved over and bent down to pass under the doorframe, a slew of maids were already occupying the room, intent on cleaning whatever dirt that fool had brought in with his disgusting clothes.

She had made sure that the servants knew of her preferences, and word of failure did travel fast in their quarters. Those who were good enough to understand and learn kept working; on the other hand, those that didn't... they proved their worth in another manner.

"Daniela, come here." As soon as she finished the sentence, the redhead appeared before her in the great swarm of bugs. "Yes Mother? What do I need to for you?"

A small smile graced her rouge lips, always pleased to hear of her daughter's affection, "My dearest, I have a small task for you."

She perked up at that, "I am listening Mother." "Follow that idiot Heisenberg and make sure that he leaves our grounds." She nodded her head.

"Oh, and Daniela." She stopped the black clad woman before she could leave, "After you have completed it, you may pass by the village, and see if one of the men takes fancy to you." A wide grin split over her mouth, "Thank you Mother! I will be sure to find someone who falls for me!"

Amusement sparkled in her eyes, "I have no doubt that you will my dear daughter, now go." Again, she transformed into a swarm of bugs and left at great speeds.

The nine foot tall woman briefly fixed the brim of her black hat as she continued to make her way to her chambers, and when she finally arrived, she proceeded to sit down in the armchair next to the fireplace.

A glass of Sanguis Virginis had already been prepared and set on the table, warmed to room temperature just as she preferred it. The evening meal was still a few hours away, so she delighted herself to the sweet, metallic taste of the altered wine.

In the dungeons...

"Mmmrggg!" Victor awoke with a bolt, sweating heavily. His hands instinctively went around his throat, expecting to feel the deep cut and spilling blood.

Chest heaving with fear, he slowly calmed down once he realized that he was alone in the cell. The crazy brunette could not reach him here... he was safe from her.

Shutting his eyes, Victor let out a barely audible groan.

He had dreamed about that... woman, that monster. In his nightmare, she was still chasing him, and when she inevitably found him, there had been no Lady Dimitrescu to come save him. She had mutilated his body with her sickle.

God, even now it still felt vividly real, and it made him weak in the stomach. Had it not been for the fact that he hadn't eaten anything, Victor would have likely puked his guts out.

And then there was that ominous silence. It gave him the fucking creeps and he hated it.

Dammit, there wasn't even anything that would allow him to distinguish the amount of time that passed. For all he could know, he had stayed in that small, cramped cell for less than a day, but to him it felt as if years had passed.

"Not even some dripping water... ah... water..." His throat still felt like an arid desert, and he was really thirsty... and partly hungry as well.

Victor sighed and looked at the small wooden box that was on the floor. Great, he had a basic toilet, but no way to actually use it for its intended purpose.

"Are you hungry?" "Jesus Christ!" He jumped and then gasped as the sudden movement caused him to jostle his healing wounds.

On the other side of the cell was Miss Bela, staring at him blankly. The young man covered away, putting himself against the wall so that the most amount of space possible was between them.

"W-what do you want?" He asked, afraid that she would do something. "I asked you if you were hungry."

Victor was too afraid to give her a proper answer, as the red blood staining her mouth made sure of it.

"I... I..." He stuttered, not knowing what to say. "Do you want bread? Water? Wine?" It was a polite question, polite and nothing else. Victor could not detect any other emotion from her, so he shakily nodded.

"Some water... would be fine. T-thanks." The American said, and flinched when the other moved.

"I will go and get a servant to bring you the food." Her shape disintegrated then into that swarm of bugs that he had come to fear and loathe, speeding away down the dark halls of the dungeon.

"What the fuck..." Be placed himself back down on the bed, arms still trembling in distress.

Running his fingers through his short hair, he thought on why Miss Bela had even come down to ask about his well-being.

"Probably to make sure that I would be healthy for when they drink my blood..." The depressing state in which he was only worsened with the sensations that he was experiencing.

Hopefully though that bread would arrive soon. Or maybe it wouldn't. "Fuck..."

Victor closed his eyes and sighed, pressing his head against his forearm. His mind could not stop itself from rethinking of the last hour or so of freedom that he had had.

Maybe things would have gone differently if he simply stayed in the room? "What the hell is wrong with this fucking village?"

But he was scared and afraid; as soon as he had seen his headphones, his mind had immediately reacted, and there was no second thought given to the instinctual action of wanting to run away.

"Why the fuck did they even stop me then? I gave them what they wanted..." The whispers of his throaty voice slid across the old walls of cracked and scathed bricks.

The fear returned as soon as he head approaching footsteps, and a light coming from the left side of the cell.

Victor got up and held his hands to his side, knees slightly bending as his eyes focused on the incoming person.

"Sir? I have the food." The maid spoke in a gentle voice, lifting up the lantern that she was carrying to shed light on him. A plate with a some of the aforementioned supplies was held in the other palm, and calmly, the maid placed the luminous object down to pass the plate through the appropriate opening that was at the base of the cell door.

"Here you go sir." The blonde woman turned around, but the American stumbled toward her, "Wait! Please stop!" She looked at him with a sympathetic and saddened gaze, but did not stop.

Victor looked at her retreating form, as tears once more sprung to his eyes. The anxiety returned once more, and he simply laid on the wooden bed, not even bothering to cast a glance to the loaf of bread and the three slices of meat.

His hunger had passed, for his mind was too preoccupied with worrying with his rising dread. The mere thought of perishing because of those monsters kept him from falling into the confines and safety of slumber.

Then, that dreaded sound of buzzing returned, and Victor got up, looking with absolute terror of the swirling mass of black in front of the cell.

The insects created a humanoid shape, which then revealed the identity of the figure as one of the Dimitrescu daughters. There was the noticeable detail that her black clothing seemed damper and even more dark, but then trail of red blood smeared along her mouth and chin put whatever questions there were to rest.

"Well, well, did you find my instrument?" The redhead monster mocked him as she held up his headphones.

For a moment, his eyes narrowed and a blind white spiral of anger shot up to his mouth: "You! You! You took them! Those are mine!"

Laughing fully now in jovial fashion, the deranged woman looked over to the electronic device, touching it and dirtying it with all of the grime and dirt from her hands.

"This is a curious little thing, I still don't understand what you use it for..." She toyed with the rubber section that lined the top half of it, pulling at it with the tips of her fingers and nearly tearing the damn piece off.

The stress, anxiety and sheer nervousness that her presence was causing him managed to build up and overcome his self control.

"What the fuck do you want?! Why did you even take it?" She looked at him with a shocked expression, "You are mad that I took?"

"Does it fucking look like I'm calm?!" Then, the mad woman cackled as she simply threw the headphones behind her, breaking them completely. "Oh, don't worry little one, you'll fall in love with me too in time." She cooed at him, and he reared back in disgust, "Fuck you! Crazy bitch!"

But that only seemed to excite her more as she suddenly stepped forward and passed through the metal bars with a swirl of black insects.

Whatever shard of courage Victor had dissalerei as soon as she moved inside the cell, and the young man moved back, cowering at the wall.

"You're so happy to see me! I knew that you too secretly enjoyed my company." She walked forward, foot knocking aside the plate with the food as she came up to place both of her hands besides his head.

Victor had already fallen down to a fetal position, and avoided looking at her as the monster that was mere inches from him leaned in closer and inhaled.

"Ah, your fear smells so delightful, it must be very tasty!" Daniela licked her blood covered lips, canines extending as she focused on the exposed side of his pale neck.

The American flinched when her gloved black hand trailed over the spot and pushed his head away, as to give her more access. Victor trembled, he was petrified, and could not even attempt to push her off him.

"Mmm, a small quantity of vintage never hurt anyone, and I'm dying to have a little piece of you, man-thing." He felt her warm breath land on his skin, and it was then that his reactions finally pushed him to repel her.

Desperately, Victor pushed against her, "GET OFF! GET OFF!" He screamed at the redhead, using his arms to try and shove her back.

"Do you want to play? Ask nicely and I will make sure that you have fun." Cackling maniacally, she used her superior strength to effectively ground him, painfully pushing against his shoulders to the point that the teen thought that his bones would break.

"Daniela. What are you doing?"

Standing on the other side of the dimly light dungeon was Bela.

The youngest of the siblings sighed and addressed her eldest sister, "What do you want Bela? I'm simply showing our guest a good and happy time."

"Mother said that he is not to be touched." "Mother says a lot of things, a small taste of this little one's blood won't do any harm." Her grip on his shoulders tightened again, negating his writhing contortions.

Her mouth was on his neck, her cold stained teeth pressing against the pulse of his jugular as Victor fought to contain the whimper of fear that was devouring him. The monster suddenly clenched her jaw a little and he felt a pair of painful fangs pierce his flesh, causing him to let out a strangled yell and to trash harder, trying to make it stop.

"Daniela, stop." The blonde repeated herself, and this time she too passed through the cell bars to come stand behind her.

When the more deranged of the two did not do as she was told, Bela took it upon herself to make it so: in an instant, she grabbed the redhead by the back of the arm and yanked her away from the cowering Victor.

"Bela! Why are you being so annoying?" "Go sister, dinner will be served shortly and Mother awaits your presence." The siblings stared at each other, much to the young man's shocked

surprised, as they seemed ready to attack each other.

But it would not be that way: Daniela was the first to concede ground and retreat, and she huffed, crossing her arms and gazing away from her, "Very well, I realize that you must always ruin the fun that I like to indulge in." "You are free to do as you wish with it Daniela, unless it contradicts Mother's commands."

With a small twirl of her bright red hair, she sent Victor one last smirk that petrified him, flashing her sharp fangs.

Without another word, she erupted in the skin crawling swarm of flies and flew off to the upper levels of the castle.

Victor pressed his palm to the shallow puncture wounds in his neck, and his breathing calmed down, the adrenaline diminishing with each passing second.

He thought that he would die right there, but this other demonic woman had saved him from the gruesome fate, but it did not make him any less weary of her intentions.

Slowly moved his gaze to Bela, but she was not looking at him.

"You didn't eat." She stated simply, staring at the plate's contents which laid scattered on the dirty cell floor from when Daniela had knocked it over.

"Why?" Bela asked, finally looking back at him and causing him to shrink. "I... was not hungry."

The American did not know what to make of the situation for the moment: he was partially relieved to notice that she wasn't carrying a sickle or any other weapon, and she did not have a drop of human blood on her.

A small sound escaped her lips, "You should eat, Mother will be disappointed if you don't." Victor sighed, "Disappointed? Lady Dimitrescu? Please don't make me laugh."

But the other was not joking, as her face remained unchangeable, "Mother left clear instructions that you are not to starve." So that they could kill him later... these monsters.

The blood that would constantly be around their mouths, it seemed strange to him, especially given that the other one wanted to bite his neck. After everything that happened, werewolves now existed, so it wouldn't be too much of a stretch to assume this other thing.

Swallowing thickly, he licked his dry lips and held his arms to his chest, readying himself for what he was about to do.

"Are you vampires?" Victor asked suddenly, still not easing up from his crouched position.

Bela regarded him with a neutral gaze, and the young man felt irritated by the fact that she was not displaying any emotions.

Out of the other two that he had had the unfortunate chance of encountering, Victor was most afraid of the blonde one; the fact that her actions and emotions were controlled, her manner of speech too was unlike her sisters... it all served to create a sense of worry, for he could not even try to predict what she would do.

"Not in the traditional sense Mr Press." His brows furrowed, contemplating on what she had said. "Then why have you not killed me yet? Don't you need to drink blood?"

Her gaze returned to the discarded platter of food. "Mother has extended her generosity to you Mr Press. I do not know the reasons why and I do not want to question them. She said that you were to be kept healthy." "For what?" He received no answer.

"I must go now. A servant will bring a new plate for you, and I advise that you eat Mr Press, or I will make sure that you do." The pitch of her voice did not change, but there was the unmistakable trace of threat in it nonetheless.

"Alright, I will." Victor muttered, hoping to not suffer her wrath after what her sisters had done to him.

His heart was gripped in ice cold dread once she too took the shape of the insects and moved pass the bars, but surprisingly, she reformed her body once she had crossed the steel construct that divided the cell and the hall.

Victor felt something tug at him, almost pushing him to say something, so he did: "Miss Bela?"

The blonde women stopped, the veil of her black clothing briefly fluttering in the air.

"Thank you for earlier." He said with honesty, for she had at least treated him in a humane manner. Bela did not reply, rather she simply took to walk towards the open door, leaving the young man alone once more.

"Daniela, why is it that you keep going against my wishes?" Lady Alcina Dimitrescu demanded as she glared at her youngest daughter.

"I apologize Mother, the man-thing smelled so sweet, and his blood was enriched with the flavor of fear." The redhead explained as she bowed her head towards the porcelain plate that was placed in front of her.

Besides her was Cassandra, followed by their sister at the other side of the table and their bearer at the head of it.

"Where you not content already? I granted you permission to date your hunger in the village, I allowed you have the choice of selecting the best of the herd, and yet you thought that it would beneficial to drink from the mortal?" "I am sorry Mother, I promise that I will never do it again."

But the repercussions was far from over, "You are still not excused of the guilt Daniela." Her golden eyes passed to the brunette, "And the same applies to you as well Cassandra. How many times must I repeat myself to not give chase to prey inside the castle?" She adopted a similar expression to the redhead.

"My daughters, I am disappointed in the way that you have conducted yourselves. You are members of the noble bloodline of house Dimitrescu. I will not tolerate such rebellious and childish acts!" She banged her fist down on the table and the entire thing rattled, nearly causing the cups and glasses to fall over and spill red wine over the bright white cloth that covered the oak wood.

Both Daniela and Cassandra looked distraught, and the Countess's gaze softened. Tenderly, she reached forward and touched her hands to their cheeks. "Oh, my dears, this does not mean that I do not love you."

The three of them were all very close, the maternal bond that was shared between them was immeasurable. Her daughters were like ducklings, always trailing behind her and hoping to make her happy and content. They would remain much saddened whenever she would scold them, but it was soon after the first few months of living together that Lady Dimitrescu had learned of this.

Naturally, she too nurtured the same affection for them, and while it also did not provide her with any sense of happiness, this was a necessary evil needed to educate her daughters. Even if she was sometimes hard on them, it was to prepare them, to let them learn. That was the duty of a good parent, and the Countess would have let herself be consumed by worms rather than to not perform in the task at all.

The two were quick to regain their joy, and they delighted themselves in their mother's touch. "Now." Lady Dimitrescu announced, sitting back down and placing the large napkin on her lap, "Let us eat dinner as a family."

Their choice of food was that of which belonged to the finest cattle of them all: maidens. There were many tastes as there were different types of blood; the Countess herself personally was not attracted to the particular taste of the blood of men as her daughters were, for it was too metallic and sour.

But the blood belonging to a virgin was different indeed, for it held the exquisite flavor of a kind of sweet that could not be reproduced, and so it was not surprising that her prized Sanguis Virginis was made from it.

"Bela, how is the mortal fairing?" She asked after some time passed, during the transition between the first course meal and the second.

"He had not eaten when I had gone to see him, and he is still very terrified." Her gaze narrowed slightly, golden eyes glowing. "And have you done something to put a remedy to this problem?"

"Yes Mother, I ordered another one of the maids to bring him a new plate of food." "Good, well done Bela." The blonde lowered her head in gratitude at having satisfied her parent, for

in truth, Bela craved recognition above all else.

"What will you do with him Mother?" Cassandra asked as she messily sunk her teeth in the soft flesh of a blood covered heart, squirting some of the red liquid on her fingers.

"The man-thing still has some form of use, so he is not to be touched or fatally injured..." She spoke, grabbing the elaborate wineglass and twirling it around.

"My daughter, please have some patience, I can smell your desire." The brunette blushed, "Forgive me Mother, it is just that I have yet to taste his essence, and Daniela said that it was fantastic." The woman in white offered a sharp, dangerous, smile, "I promise you this my daughters; when I will have no more use of the mortal, I shall gift him to you, so that you may share him and bond together.

The younger of the siblings looked ready to argue, but that would never have been an option. Lady Dimitrescu's word was law, and to go against it would mean to face suffering and death.

"Thank you Mother, we will be happy of this." The only one to not voice her thoughts was Bela, which the matriarch found to be a curious detail, but did not investigate on it.

"Tomorrow, I shall speak to him, and see and determine if his wits have returned, or if he has never possessed them at all." She explained, and resumed with consuming her meal.

The next day...

"In here plaything, be a good little boy and wait until Mother is done." The icy and crushing grip that was bruising his forearm finally released, and Victor allowed a small sigh of relief pass through his lips as he rubbed his sore muscle, noticing the already forming handprint.

The brunette one had barged into his cell just five minutes ago, and without even a word of explanation , she had grabbed him by the arm and had dragged him all the way up to the upper levels of the castle.

He was still recovering from the shock of the ride, and the fact that he had nearly been slammed into a series of walls and large, heavy pieces of furniture several times and at a blinding speed.

His arm felt sore, and the most he could do was to rub it, and stifle his discomfort, for the brunette kept looking at him with sadistic glee.

Victor had concluded that this demon with the appearance of a beautiful young woman was attracted to the action of causing pain to others, if the screams in the other cells were of any indication.

Right now, he was standing in front of another door, a few steps away from a set of stairs that lead to the courtyard outside. The young man felt afraid of what was going to happen, for he already knew of who he was going to meet.

Eventually the door was opened, and Cassandra hardly pushed him through, causing him to stumble a little as his leg still wasn't fully healed.

The inside of the room was luxuriously decorated as he had come to expect.

"Mr Press, sit down." His blood froze and the existential dread took over once more. The Countess of Castle Dimitrescu was sitting behind a large, tall desk.

If looks could kill, then hers would have ended him right then and there. It took another push from the black robes woman to make him regain his thoughts.

Only when he was finally seated did she bother to look at her other daughter, "Cassandra, leave us." "Of course Mother." The doors closed behind here, and Victor was left alone in the wolf's den.

He avoided eye contact with her, trying to at least soften whatever she was going to say. "I believed you to be a different man than the plebeians in the village Mr Press. Alas, I have come to presume that in an erroneous way."

Her tone was clipped, collected and professional. Victor remained silent, not knowing if he was in the position to speak. With a barely audible sigh, the Countess got up from her spot, and walked to the door. "Follow behind me Press, and do not disobey my commands."

Even if his legs were locked to the ground, the teen managed to find the will to win over his fear and move.

In silence, they traveled up a flight of stairs and over into another room. The first thing that hit him was the nauseating smell of the room, and Victor coughed, blue eyes watering from the sheer strength of it.

There was something different in this room, he could see specks of blood covering the floor, and there tables next to the walls which held glistening red devices.

But his horror only amplified when they turned around a corner, and Victor was faced with the grueling secret of the Dimitrescu family.

A naked woman was strung up on hooked chains, which bound her arms and legs upwards, preventing her from moving. She was coated in red, and not an inch of her skin was clean. Deep gashes littered her abdomen in the dozens, and blood dripped down from them into a large bucket placed below her.

Victor did not even register the pain in his leg as he slumped to the floor, shock taking over as his breathing hitched. His gaze was locked with the frozen one of the woman, and he realized that she was alive.

"Wh-what..." The stress was too much to contain and his tears were finally set loose, as his throat tightened at the sight. In that moment, he felt his willpower leave him, unable to even push back against the nerve racking discovery. This was worse than whatever nightmare the young man had ever had.

"You may not know of this Press, but this was the maid that told you the way to the exit of the castle." The Countess' voice made the hairs on his back stand on end, and his gut

plummeted with worry.

Heavy footsteps stopped at his side. "This mortal made a mistake; and mistakes are not tolerated at Castle Dimitrescu, for they are weakness, and weakness breeds shame and dishonor." He could feel her gaze at him, even as his eyes never left the tortured soul.

"Cassandra, be a dear and do as I told you." "Yes Mother." The brunette grinned wickedly as she retrieved her sickle and walked up to the helpless victim. Without any hesitation, she slashed the blade against the woman's waist, and the muscle was cut in half. A mass of guts, blood and more fell from the gaping hole and landed with a wet thud.

The tortured person only opened her mouth a few times whilst still dangling from the meat hooks, and Victor realized that her vocal cords had been cut, preventing her from screaming.

Unable to continue watching, Victor lowered his head and brought his hands up to cover his ears as Cassandra began to happily hack away at the woman's body, laughing with each spray of blood.

"Press, look up." He heard Lady Dimitrescu order, but Victor was far too lost in his own world to register the message.

A large hand circled the back of his and gripped strongly, nearly crushing the top of his spinal column. "I said look." Forcefully, the Countess made the poor teen stare at the dying maid.

"From now until the end of your days, you will belong to house Dimitrescu. You will obey my orders with diligence and perform them to perfection. You will only address me as Milady, Countess or Mistress." The growl that originated from her made him whimper in pure terror, for he truly feared for his life.

"Your life is mine, and I can decide at a moment's notice whenever to end it or not." A sickening crunch and a splatter of blood made him blink as Cassandra tore off the lower jaw of the servant.

"And if you ever dare to even presume to go against my commands, then you shall suffer a fate much worse than her. I will make sure to see to it personally."

Chapter End Notes

So yes, I did say that there would be gore and torture in here, and there certainly will be more. Anyways, please comment, let me know what you thought about this and your theories for what will happen next.

Lurking danger

Chapter Summary

Victor attempts to fulfill his new duty, though it does not happen without it's dire dangers.

Chapter Notes

Yeah, new chapter is here. As I have stated previously, this story won't be all sunshine and rainbows, and this chapter will have some gore to it.

See the end of the chapter for more notes

"I believed that you once mentioned the fact that you could expand the website to other means of communication."

Victor hesitated to answer, halting his breath as his hands touched the buttons on the keyboard.

"Yes, I did say so mistress." "Very well then, commence working on it at once, for I want it ready by the end of the week." "I understand mistress, I'll start."

The sound of clacking heels originated from behind him, and gradually became softer and more distant after the Countess of the castle moved out of the door and away from the room in which he was sitting.

Languidly, Victor opened the file which contained the program of the website, and set it to the side, and then opened another page of the ide which contained the Swift language.

He copied and pasted the program, and immediately, red lines of errors dotted several parts of the code, for the compiler could not recognize the objects and classes that had been written in PhP. The teen would need to link the according libraries to the program so that some of the instruments that he used could be properly recognized.

But his finger stopped before it could press down on the enter bar. His hands began to tremble, and Victor closed his eyes, tears beginning to stream down his cheeks.

"Oh god... oh god..." The realization of what had happened not ten minutes ago broke him, and the young man began to weep, hiccuping and hugging himself.

That poor woman had died in pain, right in front of him... and he could not do anything.

The fear and stress made it so that he fell to the floor, knocking the wooden chair over. "Why? Why are they so... cruel?"

Victor was terrorized, he could not comprehend the sheer sadism that these women emanated. He now fully understood why Cristina had begged him not to go, not to leave her.

It was because she knew. She had always known and Victor had pushed aside her warnings and desperate pleads. He was now trapped in this place of blood and death, at the complete mercy of the tyrannical monster that ruled it with an iron fist.

Slowly, he tucked his legs into his chest and placed his head against his knees, trying to find some form of relief.

"What do I do now?" There was no feasible way in which he could escape... he tried to do so once, and that has gone horribly wrong. And if they caught him again, and deep down Victor knew that they would, unspeakable horrors would be perpetrated upon his flesh.

Naturally, his mind was only left to wonder about the single path that he could take: that of obeying Lady Dimitrescu's commands.

A small part of his rational mind allowed itself to hope, that by pleasing her and making sure that her every whim was completed, he would eventually be given the freedom that he cherished.

Yes, it was starting to make more sense now. By giving the Countess exactly what she wanted, Victor would be spared by the shadow of death.

Feeling more confident, the young man found the strength to get back up, put the chair in its rightful place and resume working.

His heart began to beat faster, as determination began to settle in. "Let's fucking do this." Victor whispered as he began to type and delete the non needed lines of code.

"The faster I finish this, the quicker I'll be able to get the hell out." His focus centralized on the ask at hand, and Victor laboriously worked in silence.

The classic clacking noise filled the room, and he was content that it stayed that way for it impeded him from thinking about other things except for the code.

The door to the room opened and Victor turned to look at a maid, who was scrutinizing him. Awkwardly, Victor raised his hand and waved at her, "Uhh hello?"

"Cine ești tu? Ce faci aici?" Great, she did not speak english. "Do you need something?" Victor got up but the other backed away before turning around and running away.

"Stăpâne! Stăpâne există un intrus!" He felt a little bit tad worried at her reaction, but presumed that that was because she hadn't seen him before, so anyways he didn't think too much about, and simply shrugged his shoulders.

"Where was I? Ah yes." He resumed working and opened a data sheet to check the performance of the compiler, as well as a Google page go check for Apple's current directives. "Gotta respect those if I want the website on the App Store..."

Strangely Victor found himself relaxing at the relatively peaceful atmosphere. The tormenting thoughts slowly left his conscious as he coded on his laptop.

He felt a small thing place itself on his bicep, and Victor turned his gaze at it, and immediately bolted up, swatting the black insect away, "Fuck!"

Slowly, more and more appeared to take form, and at this point, Victor had already placed himself behind the table. Cackling registered as Daniela grinned at him, "There you are little one! I was looking for you all day!" She strode up to him, following his footnotes as he tried to outmaneuver her.

"What do you want Miss... Daniela? Please leave me alone." Victor tried to negotiate with her, already terrified out of his wits as the veiled woman cornered him against the wall.

"Can you imagine my surprise when one of those pesky little maids came screaming for help? I thought that I would find a sneaky thief, but instead I am treated to a much better surprise!" She licked her full lips, smearing more blood on them.

"Pradă dulce, speriată ... te voi devora." "Please Miss Daniela, I am performing a task that was imposed on me by the Countess." "Oh! You're working for Mother now? My day only gets better!" Thankfully, she moved away, and Victor let out a tiny sigh of relief.

Her attention was then drawn to the pc, "And what is this folding box?" "Ah, ah, please don't touch that Miss Daniela!" He hastily made his way besides her and took the computer away from her hands and setting it down on the table.

A part of him screamed then, for he had practically and rudely taken it away from her. His mind already pictured so many bad scenarios, and they all depended on how she would react. "Please, it's very fragile and I need it to work. Without it, I won't be able to help the Lady."

Victor turned his back to her, for he just simply could not handle the process of having to stare at her... he just did not have the strength to do it.

"Hmm, and what are you doing here?" She leaned over his shoulder and he stiffened, frozen at the sudden proximity of her body which ghosted over his.

"I-I'm programming the website Miss, as the Countess asked." He felt her breath roll over his neck as she huffed, "Go on then, Mother wants to see it done yes? Come on, do it." Hesitating, he sat down and resumed what he was doing; though now he was having many more typos than before.

The fear rattled him to his bones, because the monster that had very recently threatened him was only inches from his neck. God, he could already imagine her teeth tearing out his throat in a gory display.

Some minutes later, the redhead seemed to lose interest in him as she moved away and began to pace around the room, not really doing much other than unnerving Victor with her apparent calmness.

Finally, she hummed and walked away, her steps becoming lighter as she transformed into the swarm of insects and exiting the chambers. Victor brought his hands up to rest his face against him, "Oh thank god she's gone, fuck me..."

It was at this point that Victor realized that he was very tired, actually, he was exhausted from all of the life threading situations in which he had been and the lack of sleep thanks to nightmares. From the position of the sun, Victor determined that it was around midday.

But he could not help but sigh solemnly as he stared to the mountain below, where he could make out a few of the houses on the outskirts of the village.

Much to his surprise, he could see a couple of moving trucks which were driving in the small streets. That of course would imply that the attack from the werewolves was done and over... and that the townsfolk were safe.

If there was something that gave him a little relief, then it was to know that Cristina was safe from the clutches of those monsters. The young man could not even fathom what it would be like if she were killed by those beasts.

"At least she's alright... she'll be ok." Now wasn't the time to stop though, so the teen turned back around and got back in the chair. "Let's save this... wouldn't want to lose all of my progress..."

Victor was making good time with the job, as he had been working for most of the morning. However, his confident and unblemished streak wasn't to remain untouched, and a small message on the right edge of his pc sent his world plummeting.

"Fuck! Fuck, fuck fuck!" The teen grasped the short strands of hair that adorned his scalp as he looked to the notification.

"Why? Dammit! Why right now!" He furiously whispered and began to pace.

The battery of the device was at twenty-percent, and the system had given him a warning that he needed to recharge. "But why the hell am I worrying so much? I have the charger right here..."

All of these wild events were starting to play games on him, and his fragile psyche was paying the consequences. "Now, just to find a port to plug this in..." Blue eyes looked over the beautifully decorated chambers of the study, in search for the much needed electrical outlet.

"Nothing... must be in another room." Putting the computer in sleep mode, Victor grabbed it and placed it under his arm. The hallway was devoid of life when he exited it, in search for the long lost power outlet.

"Where is it?" Unsure, Victor looked in both directions, contemplating where to go. "Come on spider sense, don't fail me now..." Determined, the young man traversed the grand passages of the castle, trying to succeed in his task.

Twenty minutes later, he was getting desperate, as he had yet to see any of the desired ports. "Fuck me... this place has no electricity, does it?" He should have realized that when his pc was unable to find a wifi connection and had to therefore connect via the data of his smartphone.

Worry was settling in fast, and it was a worry that was induced by the mere thought of failing the cruel Countess. "Fuck... maybe the maids know something that I don't? This place is a maze after all."

The women who were employees to clean the corridors and chambers had all given him looks of shock and surprise, for they had not been expecting him to be alive at all.

Luckily, it did not take long for Victor to find a servant and to ask for help: "Uhh, I need help, do you know where to find power port?" He asked, holding up the end of the charging cable.

The woman looked at him as if he had grown another head, and said something incomprehensible. Victor grimaced, "Yeah no, you don't understand what I'm saying, alright, next one."

"Excuse me, where can I find electricity?" Again, he was given nothing but more jumbled words in Romanian.

"Screw this." He whispered before stepping towards a pair of maids that he has seen passing by the courtyard. Lightly, jogging, he called to them, "Sorry! I really need your help, do you speak english?" One of them gestured to him to shut up, and he quieted down.

"Silence! The mistresses will have your tongue for speaking out of turn!" That really proved and settled the point, "Oh ok, thanks for telling me." He replied in equal tone.

"What do you want?" It was clear that she was irritated, no doubt in a hurry as well with tasks that were bestowed by the Dimitrescu matriarch.

"This," He showed her the charger, "I need to find an electrical outlet to charge my computer." Her eyes were puzzled, "În numele zeiței binecuvântate, whar este această magie întunecată?"

Victor snapped his fingers to catch her attention as she was zoning off, "So do you know where I can find it? I am in need of it, and Lady Dimitrescu has ordered me to complete a website for her."

The blonde servant coldly looked back at him, "I do not know what you speak of." And with that she was off.

"Fucking rude bitch..." Victor growled, touching the bridge of his nose as he thought over what to do next. There were no more options except for that of...

"Damn it, it had to come to this." And then, he did not feel so courageous anymore, his stance shattered. He was going to have to speak with the demonic woman in order to fix this issue.

His stomach churned at the fear of having to perform such an action... and he could still remember it, the sickening noises of flesh being torn off bone amidst joyful giggles.

"Fuck, come on Victor, you can do this... you're coming up to her with a perfectly reasonable request, she won't hurt you..." But there was nothing that would give him that assurance: who was to say that she wouldn't simply deny his plea and end his life?

It was a very bad situation, as in the sense that the two possible outcomes were uncertain and had a high probable chance of resulting in his untimely demise. "But there is not other way... it will have to be like this..." Memories of his life began to resurface, those belonging to many years ago when he had been young and carefree of all of the problems that the world possessed.

Sighing, Victor flexed his shoulders in an effort to relax them, and began to search once more, this time not for the port, but for the woman in white who had imprisoned him.

"It can't be this hard to find a giantess, can it?" He has been traversing the ground floor of the castle for a good ten minutes now, and he still had yet to even see the Countess.

At this point it would have been logical to simply take the elaborate staircase and see if he had any such luck with the second floor, but Victor was adamant to do so, as it was there that he was first captured and reduced to this state.

But this making his mind up, he took the initiative and managed to find his way back up to the stairs. Just when he reached the top of the stairs, he was completely unprepared for the daughter who grabbed him.

Victor shouted in fear as Cassandra wickedly laughed, a crazed glint in her eyes as blood bathed her mouth and neck. Without an instant wasted, she roughly grabbed his arm and pulled it to her face.

The pain that he had felt before could never have compared to this, and when the brunette sank her teeth into the delicate flesh of his wrist, before ripping it open.

The blinding pain halted his thoughts as his scream suddenly died in his throat. He did not even register the copious amounts of blood that were squirting from the open wound and being drunk by the vampiric woman.

Victor's senses did not even announce to him that he had fallen back, hitting the steps of the stairs with a brutal crash. His eyes stared up to the ceiling, unwavering.

Cassandra moaned in pleasure as she caressed her face, coating more of the pale skin with her blood. "Ahh... delightful..." Her eyes were not yellow, no, instead they were red, as if consumed by hunger.

Snarling, she walked down the steps, coming to crouch over the shivering form of Victor.

None too gently, she raised the mangled mess of his arm and pressed her lips to the opening, drinking more of the blood. There was no thought to it, the vampire was guided by the basic need to consume, to sustain herself, and the constant flow of fresh blood only drove her further to drink.

"You taste divine pet..." Slowly, she trailed her fingers down to his chest, feeling the heavy thrum of his wildly beating heart.

"Can you feel this? Is it not wonderful?" More giggling followed, "Oh, I knew that you would be a good one, the night that I first saw you... all of this time, spent waiting... and waiting, to consume your flesh."

Chocked breathing was the only thing that came out of his mouth, and Victor was loosing consciousness as more of the vital liquid was lost from the gaping hole.

With mild interest, Cassandra lightly played with his limp arm, "Hmm, how disgustingly delicate you humans are... barely a touch, and you are already broken!" The tips of the radius and ulna had been broken, and small pieces of bloody white could be seen sticking out from the grisly sight.

"But I will admit, something more can be done... the bloodied sickle was back at her side, fingers gripping the handle with excitement. However, the vampire's fun would have to be postponed, for she sensed something.

"Until next time, my prey." And then she was gone.

Victor could only groan and cough... even attempting to move hurt so much. God, everything hurt... he wanted to close his eyes and sleep... yes, he was going to do just that.

His eyelids began to droop, and the young man did not notice the ever stronger tremors that moved over the floor.

His vision was hazy now, unfocused and tiring. Letting out a small cough, Victor groaned as he noticed someone else leaning over him... but he couldn't make out who it was, and he was too exhausted to even try.

The black that was at the edges of his gaze began to move inwards, gradually covering the rest of his eyesight. And once more, the beating of his heart resounded in lulled him to sleep.

"...f-fuck..." Those were his first words, the very first that came out of his mouth as he woke up. His vision still wasn't clear, so he began to blink rapidity, trying to focus it. When it finally did, his brows furrowed as he did not recognize the ceiling: it wasn't that of the cell in which he had been kept in.

Come to notice it, the room in which he was clearly was above ground, as there was daylight illuminating the inside of it. "..." Victor violently coughed, his throat dry and scathing.

Opening his mouth a crack, the young man only managed to let out a small gasp at the new set of sensations that flooded over his body. For one, it felt as if someone was pounding his

head with a heavy hammer, and he could not feel anything from below his right elbow.

With a startle, the violent visage of the brunette Dimitrescu daughter appeared in front of him, and Victor cried out in fear as he attempted to move backwards, but her painfully tight grip on his leg made sure to drag him back forward.

Trembling, Victor looked away, afraid to even meet her sadistic gaze, his left arm uselessly came up to try and protect his chest.

With a scoff, she pushed it away and leaned close to him, "Listen to me prey, you will not speak to anyone of this. This is our little game, and none shall ruin the fun, least you of all." Her grip intensified as her nails dug into the cloth covered flesh of his leg.

"If I come to hear that you confess to someone, well... you might want to seek comfort with the maid that helped you..." Absolutely terrified, Victor hastily nodded his head, just wishing for her to disappear and go away.

"Remember prey, not a word from you." Cassandra repeated herself and walked away, exiting the room.

When she was out, Victor cast his gaze to his surroundings for the first time, realizing that the chambers in which he was must have been a dormitory, given the many beds that lined the walls.

These were the quarters of the servants, as he could see neatly folded clothes on the pillows of said mattresses. Dread coming over to him, he then looked down to his arm, and his mouth opened in silence.

His hand was wrapped in an abundance of bandages, particularly around the wrist. Victor didn't know what to make of it... the brunette witch had attacked him deliberately when he wasn't expecting it.

That primal fear was back with him and he could not stop the tears that began to stream down his face. With a choked sob, he buried his head in his forearm, leaning back down. Sniffling, he thought about what to do.

"She will kill me..." She nearly had, and she would. And now Victor was afraid to even get out of the bed. Every small creak would cause him to snap his gaze towards it, expecting the brunette to return.

Coughing more, he grunted, and closed his eyes, just wanting this to end.

The next time that he awoke, it was because a pair of maids had come to do the deed. He was initially startled, but calmed down once he realized that he wasn't in danger.

The two were generous enough to help him up from the bed, and to change the wrappings of his wrist.

"So your names are Adina and Ioana? I'm Victor." They were nice, they were talking to him, and not treating him with coldness.

"The mistress of the castle has captured you too? Bietul băiat, nu merită să fii aici." The other smiled sadly at him, "Your hand is fine, but it will take time to heal." Uneasily, he nodded in understanding.

They had also provided him with some much needed water, and so he could finally soothe his dry throat.

"How long have you been here? If you don't mind me asking." Iona spoke first, "A year and a half." "Adina, you?" "Almost a month." That made him pause.

"Wait, you were... "Taken, yes. Monștri proști, care ne distrug mereu viețile." He felt sorry for her, and tried to apologize, "Forgive me, I did not want to pry." "It's alright."

He found the courage to stand and came up to the door, "Where are we going." "Victor," Adina spoke then, lowly, "The Countess wishes to speak to you. She found you when you were dying and ordered us to heal you." He halted in his steps, and the world felt infinitely more cold.

"Right now?" Iona gave him a sympathetic nod and touched his shoulder, "Yes, she was clear in her demand." "Ok." His voice was small and meek, "Ok we can go... thank you again for helping me."

Surprisingly, they exited the interior of the castle, passing by the dining room to reach the large courtyard outside. Victor shivered as the cold winter wind swept over him, even if he was wearing a coat.

But even. then, he could not deny that the garden had a certain beauty to it, even amidst the barbed bushes that decorated the apposite walled patches of dirt.

They swiftly passed through it, under the metal gazebo that was placed in the center of it, housing the large sculpture of a group of maidens, though it should have been noted that Victor wasn't having the easiest of times at doing so, as his leg still aches fiercely from the cut that the brunette psycho had given him.

He was expecting them to continue to go forward, but instead, they turned around and headed to the r right most corner of the courtyard, where a brazen and large set of double doors would lead to another section of the sprawling castle.

"Please follow." Iona asked of him as they took to a flight of stairs. While arriving at the second floor, Victor took interest in the large spread map of the castle interior as seen by a vertical standpoint. It had everything displayed up to the second floor, and he realized his luck... if things ever went south, he would at least have a reliable source to consult in an attempt to hide.

The halls here seemed more elaborate, and Victor was reminded of the opulent style that was common of King Luis XIV's palace at Versailles. Walking over to a door, Adina knocked on it, and his breath hitched when he heard the voice of Lady Dimitrescu, "Enter."

"Stăpână Dimitrescu, americanul este aici să vă vadă." "Bine, adu-l înăuntru." Adina looked at him and motioned to enter, as she and her companion began to leave the premises of the room. The maid tenderly squeezed his shoulder, as to wish him good luck.

Swallowing thickly, Victor traversed the door and came about the living room, which was currently occupied by two of the castle's inhabitants.

The young man bowed his head, and gently held his injured hand with his other in front of him, "Lady Dimitrescu, you called for me?"

He heard her exhale, and giving a quick peak, he noticed that she was holding a long cigarette holder. When she got up and turned towards Victor quickly lowered his gaze.

"Mr Press, I see that your hand is healing quite nicely, how do you fare?" He opened his mouth to talk, "It-It could be better, My Lady."

"Eyes up here Press, it is rude not to look at someone when they are talking to you." The Countess' remarked, taking another drag from the elegant object.

She was wearing yet another white dress, which did not fail to accentuate her womanly curves and shapes, but her golden eyes were still as cold and uncaring as they always were, which served as proof that she did not truly mean her previous words.

"I had my lovely daughters scour the castle for intruders and hunters, alas none was found. Do you remember the face of the one who attacked you." Sweat creased at his sides as his memory recalled the threat that Cassandra had issued to him.

"N-No My Lady... I just remember feeling pain in my wrist, and falling down and loosing consciousness... nothing more after that." He spoke quickly, trying to lie his best.

If the Lady believed him, he could not know as her face was unreadable. "Hmm, no matter. Your equipment is on the table there, Bela was dutiful enough to collect it." He gave the blonde a small nod of gratitude.

"May I check on them? I need to make sure that they aren't broken." He hoarsely said, wanting to simply leave the room, "Go."

Swiftly, he made his way to his stuff and checked it over, relief flooding him as he confirmed that it was all in perfect working order. "I trust that you are making good progress with the task." "I am Lady Dimitrescu, I'm almost halfway done with one of the two translations. But..." He hesitated.

"What Press? Finish the sentence." The tall woman adjusted her black hat. "When I was attacked, I was coming to talk to you Mistress Dimitrescu." "Oh? And why would that be?"

Victor prepared himself as he spoke, "I cannot work for much longer... the computer and the phone require charging, and that requires electric current." He paused, "And there is no electricity in this castle My Lady; I need it to work."

The noble Lady looked at the window, towards west and savored the aroma of the smoke. "And you have no other way to solve this problem?" Icy fear gripped him; she was speaking as if she was about to order his execution.

"An option would be for me to go back to my home in the village- Her loud, cruel laughter interrupted his speech, and Victor stared up at her.

Sneering, she addressed him harshly, "And you would think to so easily escape my clutches Press? I will remind you just this once Victor, you are only here because I wish you to; I already have half a mind to let Bela feed from you for this lack of obedience."

The fright was in full swing, and Victor looked away, not capable of holding eye contact. "Do not worry yourself over it Press, I will call for Heisenberg to make some modifications to the chambers in which you currently work." She concluded.

But then, she walked over to him, and Victor flinched in fear when long sharp claws suddenly extended from her fingers. He stared at them wide eyed, and covered his himself when they stabbed towards him.

However, he was left untouched, unscathed. Peeking an eyelid open, Victor watched, still trembling and heaving from the panic, as the white cloth fell to the floor to reveal a rapidly expanding spot of red forming on his wrist.

Lady Dimitrescu grabbed his hand in an iron grip and brought it up to stare at it. With another flick of the talons, those two came off and the nasty wound was revealed.

"M-My Lady? What a-are you ah- He gasped as the towering Countess leaned down and pressed her lips over it. His wrist ached slowly as he felt her suck the blood from it.

A couple moments later, Lady Dimitrescu pulled back, her tongue briefly licking her lips and coloring them a darker shade of red than that of her lipstick. She let out a small hum as she let go of his injured limb, arms folding over her back. "It still needs treatment, otherwise it will become infected and fester." Her glowing yellow orbs pierced his soul, "Go back to the servants' chambers and rest, I will call for you when I have the need to."

Chapter End Notes

Yikes, our poor boy will most definitely not be having a fun time in the castle, and things won't be getting any better. That being said, please leave comments, regarding your opinions on the characters and what will come next, suggestions are always welcome, so don't be afraid to hint at them.

Disposition of hierarchy

Chapter Summary

Heisenberg works on the issue with the electricity, while Lady Dimitrescu is faced with differing reactions from her daughters.

Chapter Notes

Yes, new chapter is up! Enjoy.

See the end of the chapter for more notes

"So, if I'm getting this right, you want me to come and help install running electricity? In your castle?"

Alcina answered, "It will only be needed in one room, surely you have the time to complete the task, do you not?" Heisenberg sighed on the other end of the phone call.

"You do know that things don't magically run around here in the factory right?" His tone grated on her nerves so she asked again, more forcefully this time.

"Heisenberg, I am expecting you to come, you owe me many favors, and this is your chance to cross a few of those off the list." She heard him groan, "Fine, I'm coming but you better not throw a hissy fit when I start breaking some walls and dirtying your carpets." "Come first, and then we shall discuss the details of your work." With that, she placed the phone back down on its stand and stood up.

"Daughter." She called, walking out of her dressing room.

"Yes Mother?" Bela was always the quickest to answer, so it was not surprising to see that she was already here.

"Dear, go call Press. Lord Heisenberg will need to have some instructions on what he is supposed to do." When her oldest young long did not move from her place, Alcina raised an eyebrow, recognizing the glint of curiosity and question in her form.

"Yes Bela? What is it that you want to know?" "If I may ask Mother, why are you allowing Lord Heisenberg to come and do the modifications? I can see that you are not pleased with it."

In a couple of steps, she had already crossed the room to come and stand in front of her. Bending down a little bit, she cradled Bela's head in her hands, gently running her fingers through her beautiful blonde silky hair.

"You shower me with affection my daughter, I am indeed a lucky woman to call you of my own. But to answer your question, it is for the good of house Dimitrescu." Her hand trailed down to firmly hold her shoulder.

"Yes, you are quite observant to have noticed my discontent, as the thought of having that disgusting brute walk in my halls is nauseating; however, the advantages far outweigh the drawbacks. By letting Press work as best as we can, we will be securing ourselves an abundance of wealth that is destined to last for decades, mayhaps even more." She leaned down to give her daughter a kiss on the forehead, coming to fully hug her.

"This is what I'm trying to teach you Bela, to look out for our family, to make sure that we are safe. Your sisters are slow to understand this my dear, but they are young, and with time, patience and your guidance, they too shall bloom into splendid ladies that resemble our likes." The blonde looked up, yellow eyes unsure, almost timid, "You speak as if you won't be here."

"Oh no, please don't misunderstand my words little one, I only mean to say that there is the eventuality that I might perish." She hugged her tighter, "I am not a god my daughter... there are some things that are out of the reach of my control."

"I am trying to prepare you, for the possibility that I might not live... if I do indeed perish, someone will have to take over house Dimitrescu, to continue on the bloodline and to maintain the legacy of all those come came before us, but know this well daughter: I will use all of my abilities and resources to make sure that that possibility does not come to pass, until that day, I shall keep you and your sisters safe. I will make sure of it." Her whisper caressed Bela's ears and calmed her nerves."

"Now," She stood back up, offering a gentle smile, "Would you please help me with assuring that that idiot does not break the delicate furniture." "Yes Mother." "Excellent my dear, now go." With that, the blonde took off in a swarm of insects, speeding away.

The cold formality of the Lady returned. These short moments were few and rare, as Alcina was a woman who lived by the standards of nobility and the political games that they brought. The world was a harsh, brutal beast, that would not hesitate to strike at those who displayed even the smallest amounts of weakness.

That was something that she had learned long ago, even before she had been approached by Mother Miranda, and after said meeting, that piece of knowledge had become even more prevalent to her status.

Class, elegance, good mannerisms coupled with a sharp mind, and tongue were all the instruments that were needed to navigate the ferocious sea that was this realm's world.

Lady Dimitrescu smoothed the silk cloth of her white dress, and repositioned her hat so that it wouldn't slide to the side.

Already she could feel the gnarling headache of having to discuss with that fool, but as she had stated earlier, this was for the good and interest of her family.

Later...

"One room? You need electricity for only one room?" "Yes. I want the walls and lineaments to be left untouched, only the barest of systems will be needed and- "Yeah yeah, leave nothing scathed, walls are important, image of luxury and power can't be tarnished I get it. You won't ever shut up about it..."

Karl huffed as he pulled his coat over himself, even though he did not feel the cold, it was more of a tick that he had retained since he was... changed, by Mother Miranda.

"Come on, why are you still looking at me like that? I'll fucking put the electricity where you need it, no need to rub it in." "All of these years, and yet you still act like a misbehaved child." He coughed in his hand, snorting out a silent, "Look who's talking."

Now he gazed out to the wind that lifted the particles of snow from the trees and made them fluctuate in the air. "You know; I would have definitely been more content on doing this project of yours if you had come to greet me inside."

Alcina thinned her gaze, gold irises targeting the shorter man. "Then come inside, Press is waiting for you."

And it was now, that Karl's attention was caught, "What?" He asked, shocked.

"The American is still alive? You need the running electricity for him? Damn it you tall bitch, why didn't you tell me?!" The Lady whirled around, an instant away from gutting Heisenberg with her midnight black claws.

"You will refrain from addressing me as such, child; the amount of disrespect that you exude is not to be directed towards your betters." But the determined Lord would not falter under her dangerous gaze, rather he stepped closer to her, having to peer up. His fingers tightened around the handle of his hammer.

"I want to speak to him. Right fucking now." The two were locked in a standstill, and all noises from the outside nature ceased to exist, the local wildlife sensing the impending doom.

"And why should I even bother to satisfy your request?" The Countess asked, taunting him to succumb to his rage.

"Don't, and you can kiss my help goodbye; I'm sure you'll find someone else to come and fix up some current, but oh, oh wait, there's no one in the village that fucking can!" Karl puffed his chest out, displaying his anger.

The tense moment lasted a few seconds longer, before Alcina raised her arm and snapped her fingers. The side entrance of the castle opened, and out came a shivering Victor, followed closely behind by Bela.

When the young man eyes settled on the pair of lords, he stopped in his tracks, going pale.

The Countesd turned towards her fellow noble and told him, "You will have ten minutes of time, and. nothing more." With that, she decisively made her way back towards her home, passing by a shocked Victor.

She did not even given a glance as she motioned towards the blonde daughter to follow her.

The doors were closed shut and Victor was left alone with Heisenberg. The tall man immediately walked over to him, setting his hammer down.

"Fuck, Victor! You're alive! God damn, look at you, those bitches really did a number on you, didn't they?" He spoke, attentively looking at his bandaged hand, leg and arm.

But the teen flinched away from his touch, as if it was poisoned. "Don't fucking touch me you asshole!" He hissed through gritted teeth.

Karl stopped, and regarded him again, "Victor, what's wrong? Why are you acting like this?" The other sputtered in disbelief, "What's wrong? You have the fucking balls to leave me alone to die and then you even have the motherfucking nerve to ask on how I'm doing?!" He stumbled backwards, fury rolling off of him in waves.

"Look, as I had told you, it's not an easy thing... lady super sized bitch is no joke- "Yeah right she's no joke! Fucking piece of shit, you lying filth! The fuck was I even thinking of trusting you like that? Fuck!"

Victor was pacing, away from him, "Cristina was right! You are a fucking monster! Everyone is in this damn village!" And then, he shouted in frustration, kicking a chunk of snow away.

Victor turned around to glare at Karl, and saw something that he wasn't expecting: the other man looked hurt. The surprise of it momentarily allowed him to reign in his anger and hostility.

"What? Are you gonna fucking cry because I'm right?" Victor jumped when the railing next to the window above them let out a screech and exploded, the shards of its many pieces piercing the ground below and forming an array of circular shapes, all scattered over the small clearing.

His heart was pounding, and he felt his breath coming short, in fear, he looked at Heisenberg who only sighed and sat down on the nearest rock.

"Come on Victor, sit down over there." He took off his glasses and hat, letting his shoulder length hair move freely as he lightly shook his head.

"Victor, sit down." He told him again, more aggressive this time, and the American did so, fearing the consequences.

"Listen, I'm going to be honest with you right now. I understand that you're probably confused, wondering what the hell is going on, I get that. I'm not going to pretend and do that sad sob act of saying it's going to be alright everything will be fine, because I don't fucking

know, I'm clueless just as you." Victor wrapped the simple wool jacket around himself, trying to keep the winter frost away from biting at his skin.

"Damn, how should I even start with this?" Karl spoke, "Listen Victor... I think that you're a good guy... you're different from the rest of the townsfolk, and up until recently you've treated me like a normal human being."

He raised his hand, and some of the shards of metal began to levitate over his palm, "I'm sure that you already realized that I am not normal as you. Neither are Lady Dimitrescu over there and the other two Lords."

He sighed then; "But up until this point, I'll let you know that I'm the most powerful out of all of them, and I would have gladly helped you out because I consider you my friend." "Then why," Victor began to talk, confused, "Why didn't you? If you can use that power, why not use it?"

"That's the thing... it used to be that away, but times have changed." He gestures towards the castle, "A few years ago, I wouldn't have thought twice of fighting that white dressed stuck up vampire, but she's changed... she's somehow grown more powerful, much more powerful than before. And if we were to fight... she would win. I can feel it in me, she would win." He spoke in a whisper, looking away as the pieces of destroyed metal came to rest in his palm.

"And that's not to mention her daughter either; one of their weaknesses was that of being weak to the cold, their bugs would freeze and die, thus hurting them, but you can already see that they have no such problems with going outside." Victor reeled back, shocked at all of this new information.

"But why," He began to say, "Are you telling me all of this?" Heisenberg chuckled then, "I'm not supposed to, Dimitrescu will have my head if she comes to know about it. But I'm doing this for you Victor, because I consider you as my friend."

The teen sighed, putting his hand against his face and groaning lightly. "I... I don't even know what to say anymore." He was conflicted, very much so.

"Listen, Karl, Lord Heisenberg, whatever it is, I can't trust you, not yet at least." The other looked saddened by this, "After you basically abandoned me, I can't let you get so close again."

"Hmm, that's fair, yes, I'd probably do the same. But we will rekindle our friendship, right?" Victor looked away and stood up, gazing to the path that led away from the castle.

He could have simply walked away, the road to freedom was right there, in front of him, and it was not like he was leaving anything valuable in the castle; sure, he could buy a new Iphone and a new, more powerful pc, and all of his data was already backed up in an emergency hard drive.

But if what Heisenberg was saying was true, then it wouldn't matter one bit... and it would mean worse things for him too.

No, now wasn't the right time, Victor new that the group of vicious women were expecting him to take his chances here, it would be too obvious. And he couldn't even count on the fact that Heisenberg would sit still and refuse to help his fellow Lord, for he was a wild card.

"Fucking dammit..." He ran a hand through his short hair, an action that he was frequent to do when he was nervous.

"I don't know Karl." He finally answered the other man, "I don't know if I will ever be able to, but it sure as hell won't happen now, now is too fucking soon." He grunted and turned around, walking back to the castle and keeping his gaze lowered.

"Come on, the Lady won't be happy if we keep her waiting." Victor held his bandaged arm, soothingly rubbing his thumb over his wrist. It has started to ache again, and the action served to provide some mild relief.

He pushed the doors open with some effort and Karl followed behind, having retrieved his glasses and hand, though it was was curious to note that he had left the hammer outside.

Lady Dimitrescu was waiting for them, a sneer threading to pull at her red lips, "Are you content now child? If yes, than come, I have other matters that attend me." Heisenberg didn't reply, he wasn't really in the mood to.

"I need some electricity here, so I can charge my computers and smartphone. I only really need a single port, as I already have an extender." Victor showed him the devices, and the other nodded in understanding.

"Alcina, if you will, bring me the schematics of the layout of the castle." She did not chastise him as he had been expecting, but he presumed that it had to do with the fact that she did not want to seem unladylike in the presence of the American.

"Daughter, please go fetch the map." "It will be done Mother." Moments passed and Victor felt the tension in the room. He did not know the reasons why, but he could most definitely tell that the two lords did not like each other.

And that added to the fact that he was terrified of being in the presence of the Countess only made it natural that he began to sweat and lightly tremble... but at least the brunette one wasn't here, she would never attack him if others were with him. He at least had a way to fight against her, to counter her schemes and moves.

When Bela returned, she carried a rolled map, and handed it to Heisenberg, who quickly opened it and observed the drawn charts on it.

"Got it, I can start working now." "Keep it limited Heisenberg, the castle is to remain unscathed." "I fucking know already." And with that, he moved away a heavy desk, displaying his above average strength.

Producing a small hammer and a scalpel from one of the many pockets of his coat, the man began to break a small line towards the bottom of the wall, chips and pieces of stone flying away as he created an internal space for the wires.

"Press, go call for one of my other daughters to come and observe him as he labors, Bela, I require your help with some of the stacks of paperwork." And the Countess walked away, ending over the frame of the doorway to pass through it.

"Victor, go call the redhead one, she won't attack you, unlike that other sadistic bitch." Karl spoke to him without turning around from his crouched position, "Alright I will."

Victor walked away, the sounds of the breaking stone gradually being replaced by the ominous silence of the castle. The only problem now was to find Daniela... and hope that she wouldn't hurt him.

He subconsciously stopped, his flashing towards the Brunette that had brutalized him not a day ago.

Luckily, he spotted a maid. "Hey, where is Miss Daniela?" She looked absolutely shocked that he would ask to know of the location of one of the vampires. Stuttering, she pointed towards the right, "I-In the courtyard." "Thank you." Victor replied, feeling his own dread rising.

But as always, there was nothing he could do to better his situation. "God dammit..." Victor sighed, for this was becoming more and more complicated. His goal had been a simple one, and he had not foreseen all of these complications.

Just as the maid had said, the redhead was in the garden, looking at some of the roses from the looks of it. Did roses even grow in this kind of weather? Victor had no idea, but at this point it wasn't too far fetched as a concept.

The woman in black clothing had already turned to stare at him, even if he had been silent when opening and closing the door that lead here. Naturally, this was the proof of her inhuman capabilities, of her senses.

A smile graced her pale pink lips, and thankfully they weren't stained in blood, which actually allowed her beauty to shine through.

"Ah, little one. Did you miss me? Do you want to spend some time with me?" A shiver ran over his spine, and Victor had to will himself to answer.

"No Miss Daniela, Lady Dimitrescu ordered me to come and retrieve you. She said that you need to watch over Heisenberg." In an instant, she had zoomed over to him, scaring the living daylights out of his wits so that he nearly fell over.

"Karl is here? That is wonderful!" Unexpectedly, she transformed right then and there, thousands of flies passing over and by Victor.

"What. The. Fuck." He patted over himself, surprised both at the fact the hat he unarmed, and that this had gone way more smoothly than he had been hoping.

"I wonder what that was all about." Her reaction was weird in his opinion, but she was insane, so it was bound to be.

And then, the teen realized that he was all alone, with practically no orders to obey.

"What the hell am I supposed to do now?"

In the study...

"Mother, the yield of the vineyard has increased by a factor of two. We can increment the production of our less expensive vintages."

Lady Alcina looked up from the journal from which she was writing down notes and details. "Very good my dear, I didn't notice that." Her daughter offered her a bright smile, ecstatic over the compliment.

She found herself working more efficiently when in the company of Bela; having to read over dozens of copies of papers and documents, as well as having to sign them was a tedious task, bordering on being completely demotivating, but the Countess of Castle Dimitrescu was not one so easily cowed, and so she passed from paper to paper, completing the needed stamps.

With the website, the entire manual process would become less needed. True, the website was already up, but word of mouth still had yet to take flight.

With time though, and patience, the profits would rise, and so would her wealth. The silence was relaxing, interrupted only by the sound of her pen drawing the ink on the starch clear paper.

An hour or so had passed since when Karl had come to install the running current, and this made Lady Alcina pause, for she thought of Victor Press.

His right hand was injured, and he could not use it. From what little that she had seen of his work, Press needed to use his hands to type the letters on his modern typewriter.

Blowing some air from her nose, she closed the journal and placed it inside one of the drawers of her elaborate desk.

Cassandra had been far too rough with the boy, and she had also gone against her direct wishes. The brunette girl thought herself smart, but the Lady knew, she knew that it had been her.

And she was not pleased in the slightest. Her stark disobedience and lack of care for the imposed rules would not stand, certainly not under her roof.

She would need to talk to her daughter, a punishment was in order for her misbehavior. Glancing at the grandfather clock at the opposite end of the room, Alcina noticed that it was nearly lunchtime.

The midday meal would have to be foregone for this day, instead, she rang the small bell that sat at the edge of her desk. The head maid of her staff entered soon after, bowing to her.

"Mihaela, bring us some tea and biscuits." The woman bowed silently and went to complete the task without complaint.

"Bela, that is enough for now, come, sit down and share the drink with me." Diligently, the blonde did as she was told, and carefully pulled off her black gloves from her delicate fingers, setting them on the small stack of books on the low table.

Lady Dimitrescu sat down in the armchair that had been handcrafted to fit her size.

"Do you know where Cassandra went?" The other shrugged her shoulders, "I do not Mother, but last I heard, she has taken one of the maidens down to the dungeons, for having created a mess with some of the ceramic plates."

The Countess hummed, hands settling in her lap as she gave off a prim aura that was only expected of a woman of her status. Mihaela opened the door again, carrying a large platter in her arms, and with practiced ease, settled the large piece of silverware down on the table.

The steaming container of tea was hot to the touch, but the maid poured a generous amount of it into the two cups that had been brought.

"That is enough Mihaela, thank you." The head maid bowed her head and moved backwards standing straight and silent, awaiting more orders.

Bela added some sugar to her cup, swirling the small white cubes with a silver teaspoon until they dissolved. Her Lady Mother instead added a different ingredient: a few drops of virgin blood, coloring the aromatic yellow of the tea a stark red.

The two women sipped at the beverage, taking their sweet time in enjoying its warm and fuzzy taste, while also delighting themselves in consuming a few of the delicious biscuits that had been baked by the chefs of the castle's staff.

"Mother?" "Yes Bela?" The blonde placed her teacup back down. "What will you with Mr Press once he has completed his task?"

The question surprised her, "He will be harvested, and his blood used to sustain us." She looked away, and Lady Alcina noticed something unusual on her daughter's face: sadness.

"Is something wrong my sweet?" "Nothing Mother... I only thought that you would allow him to return back to his home. He has been nothing but good and obedient to us." She was startled into silence when the older woman slammed down the teacup and broke it, fury blazing behind her eyes.

"Are you questioning me daughter?" "No Mother." Bela immediately submitted, "Then why are you asking this? Do you not think that I am right in my disposition? Speak Bela, and do not lie."

The blonde sighed and looked back up, meeting her gaze, "I do not think that it is just Mother: Mr Press is naught but a boy who has entered adulthood. He does not represent a

danger." A small part of her was pleased to see that her eldest was growing a strong spine, by openly disagreeing and arguing with her; but that slimmer was swallowed by the rest of her annoyance.

"I see that you have taken to fancy this mortal Bela. Why is that?" "I find him interesting Mother, he speaks of foreign technologies, of objects that I have never heard, or even read in the books of the library."

The Lady scoffed, "Is that so now? Ask for them and I shall provide you with all that you need." But still, the blonde did not retrieve her glare.

"What is it that you want exactly Bela?" The Lady sighed, not wanting to fight with her eldest.

"To let him live, at least for a time Mother. I want to know him." Gracefully, she rose from her seat, towering over her daughter. "Very well then, if it is what you do crave for, I shall make your request a reality."

"Though I still do not understand what is so special about an animal..." "Mother, if I may- "Not know Bela. We shall speak no more of this." The blonde nodded.

With that, the Countess told her most trusted maid to place the silverware and tray away. "I shall be down to go see Heisenberg, he should be finished by now."

But in truth, Lady Alcina was not heading to do that. There was another matter that required her immediate attention.

With Victor...

"Fuck, fuck..." Tears lathered his cheeks, streaming down in large amounts.

Cassandra's voice cackled in the darkness of the dungeon, taunting him. "Hide my prey, for I will find you." She sang in an overly sweet voice.

The boy stumbled around, trying to locate the exit of the damp and cold room. The brunette had dragged him down, and was now playing this sadistic game.

A couple of long, winding gashes burned over the flesh of his back, blood had coated his shirt, therefore ruining another item of clothing.

His ragged, desperate breathing was the only thing that he could hear. He could not see the other one.

Victor's chest felt heavy, as if someone was constructing it, he was on the verge of a panic attack and he could barely stand straight, much less run in these conditions.

"Why won't you leave me alone, pleas..." He whispered, cradling his bleeding hand. It all hurt so much, and it never stopped, the brunette would always torment him.

Limping against the wall, he came upon the next corridor and turned around the corner, but fell back with a terrified scream when his face came inches to Cassandra's.

"Found you!" The searing bite of her sickle tore another agonized scream from as the metal tip of the weapon cleaved the flesh in his shoulder.

"Run! Run prey and cower in fear before me!" She giggled allowing him ample time to crawl and run away.

"Stop... j-just s-stop..." He could barely breathe, but there it was! The door!

With a final push, Victor threw himself against it, crashing against the wood and injuring his wounded shoulder some more.

But he could not get up, he just did not have it in him.

Victor curled around himself and quietly sobbed, accepting his defeat. He could already hear the buzzing noise of the vampire's flies coming closer and closer, the noise that would bring his bloody and gruesome demise.

Not knowing what to do still, he attempted one final try, pushing his body back forward, vision blurry, unable to make out anything but the warm light that the torches cast over the cold stone.

It was draining him too much to keep looking, so Victor lowered his gaze and resorted to simply crawl, hoping to god that he was going in the right direction.

"By Mother Miranda Press, what are you doing?" A rich voice sounded from above him, and Victor snapped his head to look up, even if the action sent jolts to pain down his bruised being.

"L-La-Lady D-Dimitrescu... please help..." He could not keep the weak whine from out of his voice, he just couldn't take it anymore.

Gold eyes bore down on him, glacial and furious, such was the intensity that Victor thought that she would kill him.

But it was not to be. Instead, a surprise gasp came from the end of the corridor, "Mother?" The young man did not need to know who it was, but he was too scared to turn around.

"Cassandra. What is all of this?" Her hands were clenched, shoulders reared back and head held high, an obvious display of authority.

"Mother... I- "You will be quiet Cassandra, at once!" Victor subconsciously flinched, even if the shout wasn't directed towards him.

The Countess talked in Romanian then, and the teen was not given the chance to comprehend and understand what was being said between the two women.

But it didn't really matter, since by the heated tone, Lady Dimitrescu was mercilessly berating her daughter.

And yet still, he did not feel safe, not one bit. Whenever the matriarch's voice would become louder, he instinctively flinched, half expecting to be violently hit.

No more than a minute later, the Countess concluded her heated verbal lashing, and Cassandra practically fled away... and Victor was slow to notice this, but for a moment he believed that he had heard the brunette sniffle, as if she was crying.

Even without looking at her, he still felt her gaze land on his quaking form. "Press," The traces of anger had been removed, the noble stroke of her vocal cords returned to soothe his hearing.

"Get up from the floor, you are not a rat." With difficulty, Victor managed to get up, grunting and struggling due to his bleeding wounds.

Lady Dimitrescu breathed in deeply, smelling the scent of fresh, oozing blood. Her pupils dilated, and her chest began to heave up and down, following the quickening beating of her heart.

"Can you walk?" She had taken note of his state: it was of intolerable presentation, disgusting even.

And it reminded her of his fragility, of human fragility. "Y-Yes. I think so." "Do you think or can you? Be precise with your answers Press."

Languidly swallowing, Victor managed to rise up fully, "I can, My Lady."

The ethereal goddess in white offered a small noise of contemplation. "You will grow weaker if those cuts continue to fester, and that simply won't do."

She turned around, her heels clacking against the stone of the floor and creating a rhythmic noise that was steady and controlled. Lady Dimitrescu slowed her pace to a near halt when she sensed that the American still hadn't moved from his original position.

"Press, follow me." Hastily, he realized his shortcoming and quickly tried to remedy it, though he had to nearly jog to keep up with the Countess, as every step she took was nearly three of his.

The pain continued to flare in his shoulder and arm, and Victor could not prevent the mewl from leaving his mouth. Lady Dimitrescu did not give a reaction to it, but he was sure that she had clearly heard it.

Past a circular room which was decorated by a mural of battling warriors in arms, and past another room which was a cellar, containing dozens of barrels of wine was another grand door in marble, of which he had never seen.

The woman of royal blood easily pushed it open, though Victor doubted that a regular human would be able to accomplish as much. And then they were facing another room, in a portion of the castle in which Victor had yet to set foot in.

He was so distracted that he nearly bumped into Lady Dimitrescu, but caught himself at the last second.

The reason for why she stopped, was because Karl Heisenberg was standing in front of them.

And he did not look happy.

Chapter End Notes

Alright, this is where things are beginning to get interesting, particularly in regards to the effects that Victor's presence is causing amongst the Dimitrescu household. Anyways, same as always, please comment, let me know what you thought of the chapter and of what will happen next.

Property

Chapter Summary

A meeting between the Lords ensues, and Victor falls ever deeper into the bloodthirsty clutches of Lady Dimitrescu.

Chapter Notes

Another chapter. Things are starting to move along, and we finally see a hint to the beginning of the proper slowburn, coupled with a lot of blood, biting and more horror.

See the end of the chapter for more notes

"Heisenberg, I take that you have completed the given task?"

"Yes." The word was spoken through gritted teeth. His hands were clenched, and his shoulder's were postured back.

"Good. Then your services are no longer required. You may leave." She told him dismissively, walking away, still expecting Victor to follow, which he did.

But Karl grabbed his arm, stopping this. "Who did this to you?" He asked in a whisper, glassed eyes looking over the deep gash in his shoulder.

Victor swallowed thickly, "I...- "Press, follow me. Now." Lady Dimitrescu ordered him, turning her head slightly to let loose the piercing pupils of her golden eyes.

The teen lowered his gaze at the aggressive one of the countess. Karl noticed this, and looked at her with hatred. "Did you do this? You did, didn't you?"

"What matter does it make to you, child?" She turned around fully, facing him head on, jaw set and orbs narrowing.

"Or maybe not," Heisenberg contemplated, as the metal in the room began to dangerously creak and rustle, "Maybe it was one of your bitch daughters."

Midnight black claws appeared immediately, scratching the stone floor with bright orange sparks. "You would dare to test my ire Heisenberg?" The threat was clear, as was the unbridled rage in her tone.

"Oh... I just might after what you did to him." Karl replied in the same way.

Victor fearfully looked between the two, sensing the growing tension in the room. They were going to fight.

They were going to fight. Victor realized with shock, and he remembered what the other man had told him earlier. Karl would die if he didn't do anything.

And so the teen attempted to defuse the situation, by walking between them, "Karl... it's alright... it wasn't Lady Dimitrescu's fault... none of it was."

He looked stumped at what he was saying, "The hell are you yapping about Victor?!" He yelled, brandishing his arm forward, as if the boy would magically come flying back to him.

"I've told you already, it's alright." His blue eyes pleaded to him, not to take the bait, to stand down, "But still, your concern for my health is appreciated." His voice had gotten quieter, partly due to the exhaustion that had settled in.

Heisenberg regarded him one last time, and stepped forward to clasp his uninsured shoulder. "Ok, whatever you say. Stay well Victor, I'll be on my way now." The last bit was directed towards the Countess.

When the metalbender left the room, the American gave a sigh of relief, but it wasn't bound to last.

"Collect your bearings and have your wounds be checked by the servants. I shall speak to you tomorrow night, after dinner time." With a small twirl of her dress, the Dimitrescu matron walked away, headed towards other portions of the castle.

Victor momentarily stumbled back until he reached the wall and simply slid down, body trembling as he was finally given a moment to relax and settle.

Unsurprisingly, a couple of tears began to stream down his face, the stress and lack of adrenaline having caught up with him by now. He had nearly died for a third time today... and it hadn't even been half a week since his arrival.

"Fuck... I can't do this anymore..." Victor was virtually terrified, he was afraid to even wander the halls alone... the mere thought of being caught by Cassandra was gut wrenching and fear inducing.

Her cold, giggling laugh and the agonizing burning sensation of the sickle as it sliced and mangled his delicate flesh was firmly branded in his mind. Victor understood now that the scenario of him being murdered before even finishing the website was becoming more and more likely by the hour.

His skills in programming were already crippled by the fact that he could only and properly use one hand... the only positive side to it was that his left hand was his dominant, and not the right one.

"What do I do?" He would have to hide... but even then he doubted that the brunette vampire would stop... she certainly hadn't been concerned with his well-being. And she would have

ended his life earlier, had he not miraculously stumbled across Lady Dimitrescu. That was the biggest stroke of luck that he had taken since being apprehended.

"Jesus Christ... nothing about this is like what they show in the movies..." It was far from the reality of what the media would present him... not that it ever could replicate the truth of it all.

"Victor? Mulțumesc Maicii Miranda că ești bine." He heard someone speak his name and a quick flurry of light footsteps later, Adina was at his side, helping him up.

"Please..." His voice cracked, and he would have started to sob like a child right then and there had it not been for the comforting hug that she briefly gave him. "Come on Victor, I will help you."

A quarter of an hour later, he was all bandaged up. The sight of his married body caused him to look away, and he was ashamed of all of the scars that had come to form. They reminded him of all of the bad things that had happened since he had been trapped in this castle.

"Is everything alright Victor?" Adina worriedly asked when she saw his lowered gaze and submissive posture. "No... nothing's right at all. Everything's gone to shit!" He softly slammed his hand down on the cushioned mattress of the simple bed, and the maid sat down next to him, placating his worry with by softly rubbing his back.

"I understand that Victor... this is not easy." He let out a small laugh, but it was forced, and untrue, "I'm just a pathetic piece of shit... god, I wish I could be strong, like you." "Bietul, bietul băiat, atât de pierdut ești ... do not say those things Victor, they are not true. You are an outsider from the village, and you never knew of Lady Dimitrescu, of Mother Miranda and Lord Heisenberg. I was born in the village. I have known these things for my entire life."

Adina helped him them, and by the end of her reassuring talk, Victor was ready to proclaim her a saint. "T-Thank you, I... gosh, fuck, I'm sorry for dropping all of this shit on your plate, you probably already have more than enough to deal with."

The servant merely laughed, "It is not a bother Victor... the times are hard, and we need to help each other, if we wish to survive." He wanted to believe her words. He really, really wanted to believe them.

But he just couldn't bring himself too. The memories of what he had lived through prevented him from doing that.

"I'm not feeling that hungry. I'll just go check back up on my stuff, and set it to charge." "Do you need help with finding your way to the room?" Victor thought about it for a moment.

"Uh... yes actually, I kinda need some directions."

Later...

The electric outlet that had been installed was actually better than what he had been expecting. Sure, the line in the wall had been repaired, but the signs of it being broken were

still there.

The paint was gone over the line, and the bricks clearly weren't the same as the ones used for the rest of the build. But it worked just fine, and that was all that Victor needed.

He was glad that the charger for his pc was a little more than four feet in length, for it helped him to better utilized the offered space in the room.

"Oh god, fuck yes! Finally!" He whispered as the computer was finally given the much needed power.

"Hmm, I probably shouldn't be doing this... but fuck it, I better get some work done on this asap." It was here that Victor learned that programming one handed was a wildly different experience all together.

He struggled immensely to even use some of the key combinations, and the speed at which he was going was absolutely atrocious. "Fucking hell, just print out the semicolon!"

But then he stopped, and sighed. It was pointless to try and continue now. "Good evening Mr Press." Victor surprised himself by not jumping, and his heartbeat settled a little bit once he saw that the blonde daughter was standing at the doorway.

"Miss Bela," He gave her a curt, respectful nod, "Can I help you with something?"

She stepped forward, and it was now that he noticed that she carried a book in her arms. It was the very same book that he had given her when she had come to his house.

His eyebrows rose up a little warily, "Ah, did you enjoy the contents of it?" "Yes, though I have many questions, as I do not understand a lot of the things of which it talks about."

"Oh," He looked back at the open ide on his screen and closed it after hitting the save button, "Do you want me to explain these things to you?"

As if she was waiting for his question, Bela took out a chair and sat close to him, and for a moment, Victor leaned back, for he was afraid.

She took off her black hood, letting her long blonde hair spill free, adding some charm to her beauty, "I will not hurt you Mr Press, I have had my fill of blood for the day, you need not worry of me attacking you." "Okay, good to know that." Still guarded, he resumed a normal stance as the Dimitrescu opened the book.

"I am confused to what it says here, about processing power, memory, bit systems and framerate." Victor licked his lips.

"So... if you don't mind me asking, how much do you know about computers, and computer science for that matter?" When she only replied with a blank look, Victor understood that he was speaking complete alien to her.

"Alright, let's start from the very basics then. So, all electronic devices function with this special language that is called binary code, and it consists of collections of zeros and ones, that when placed together to form different letters and numbers and..."

A couple hours later...

The scenery that greeted Lady Dimitrescu was not one that she had been expecting. There, she could see her oldest daughter sitting next to the... mortal, actively talking and conversing with him passionately.

A foreign sensation stroked the strings of Alcina's heart, for it had been decades since her child had last been so talkative. Bela was the most responsible and serious of her brood, and the Dimitrescu matriarch would have not changed a thing about it, but there was this undeniable sense of sadness that would always accompany her, as the small and curious girl that she had raised had disappeared.

And she was talking with the human. Pushing those thoughts aside, the Countess marched forward, not bothering to keep the sound of her heels quiet as she bent under the doorframe.

Her hands came to rest at her side, "Bela, Press." She addressed them. "I have need for you in places. Daughter, go to my bedchambers, and Press, return to the servant's quarters."

"As you say, My Lady." He moved away after closing that strange device of his, though his fear was as evident and clear as always. If there was a redeeming quality to the outsider, it was that he was obedient and submissive, quick to cooperate and listen.

"Have you had your fun Bela?" She asked when they were in the privacy of her room. "Yes Mother, I enjoyed the time that I spent talking with Mr Press. The things he spoke of were interesting and captivating." Had this been another situation, she would have indulged herself to know more of what had caught her daughter's eye.

But now, it only raised some concern from her: "But you still recognize that he is cattle Bela, yes? He is destined for other things, certainly not talking for hours on end about machinery from the outside world."

Bela nodded, "Of course Mother, he may be cattle, but he is also more than that." A smudge of irritation travelled over her features before she schooled them and instead posed another question: "And how may this be?"

"He is smart Mother, he didn't immediately condemn me as a monster, even though Cassandra gravely injured him. By all accounts, he is in the right to be afraid of me, to cower away and hide, but he doesn't; because he is bright enough to realize that I am not the same as my sister." Alcina turned around and grabbed the cup of wine and blood that had been placed there.

"He has ensnared you Bela. His willingness to survive is admirable yes, but it is false in essence. He will abandon you and use you if it means that it will get his freedom." The blonde bowed her head, "Mother, I do not mean to disrespect you, but you are thoroughly mistaken."

The Countess snapped her gaze to her daughter, who continued to talk, "His friendship is genuine, and I doubt that he would lie to my face. Mr Press wants to leave, that is undeniable, but he is not trying to manipulate me."

Alcina sighed, "My daughter, you are still young, you do not know the lengths to which humans will go to manipulate, lie and control others to further their own goals."

"Mother, I know, and I am touched that you would go to these lengths to keep me safe and guarded, but I assure you that Victor is different." She immediately noticed the fact that she has used the man-thing's first name, disclosing that she felt comfortable enough to treat him as a friend.

"Try spending some time with him, and you will see that he is special." Less refined women would have quickly refused, rolled their eyes and made other undignified gestures, but the Countess of Castle Dimitrescu was far more than mortal women, so nothing passed over the emotional mask that she wore on her face.

"I had already decided to speak to him tomorrow night Bela, and given your continuous advice, I shall entertain a short talk with him, but make no mistake, the probability of this changing my perception of Press are abysmally low." But the blonde gave her a little, kind smile, happy to know that her honored mother was at least considering her proposal.

"Bela, please go and call your sisters. I wish for us to talk about the mortal." The eldest daughter was up and about, scouring the castle at fast speeds to find Cassandra and Daniela.

When the three returned, they all had varying degrees of emotions: Bela was the calmest and most serene, Cassandra appeared ashamed to even stay in the same room with her mother and Daniela was joyful and happy, as her hands held a small metal contraption that Heisenberg had just made for her the same morning.

"Sit down my daughters, I have a few things to discuss."

Some time later...

"Victor?" He jumped in fright, letting out a small curse and held a hand to the wall to keep himself steady.

Swallowing, the teen turned to look at Bela, "Yes Miss Bela?" "May I call you Victor?" "Of course, you don't really need to ask me to do so..."

The blonde blankly stared at him, "It is considered good courtesy. You may call me by my name as well." "Oh." He rubbed the back of his head, "Yeah, I don't really think that I can do that..." "Why not?"

Victor looked off to the side, a part of him was still afraid of the vampire in front of him, she was still extremely dangerous. But it was also true that she had never attacked him.

"I don't think that Lady Dimitrescu would be too happy about that." "Then you can call me like that in private." She offered an alternative. "Ok... do you need help? Do you still have

questions?" "I do, though it is partially related to what we discussed earlier."

He had been walking away from the chambers that housed his tech, and he had been intent on reaching the servants' quarters, as dinner was about an hour away.

"Sure, ask away." "I wanted to know more about those objects that you keep inside your home's basement. I recall that you had called them... consoles?"

A nostalgic smile came over his face, and Victor crossed his arms. "Yeah... they are, wonderful pieces of technology... I've got so many memories with them." And somehow it hurt, because it reminded him of his present condition.

"I am still curious about them, and how the games are supposed to be played." Bela spoke again, standing in front of him. Victor would have shied away, but with her wanting to simply converse about something that he liked, that belonged to the time in which he wasn't a captive, was calming.

"I... I would show you if I could... there are many genres to test, experiences to be made. I think you'd like a few of them." The blonde's eyes were filled with curiosity, as she was eager to test these things.

But naturally, there was nothing that Victor could do convince Lady Dimitrescu to let him go and return back to the small house on the hill. Even if it was to only pickup the gaming consoles.

The next day...

"Sweet balls, it's not even been two minutes and I already want to throw myself down that opening." "Silence child. Mother Miranda will be here at moments."

It had been by pure chance that the two had encountered each other while approaching the location of the reunion. The dark goddess that held the position as patron of the village was oft to order the four lords to attend these meetings.

And it was something that Karl despised, for it never failed to remind him what that woman, that bitch, had done to him. How she had taken away his freedom.

"Come on, we both are too smart to not realize that we equally hate her guts." He snorted as they kept walking, his fingers idly gripping the hammer that rested on his broad shoulders.

Lady Dimitrescu remained silent, though Karl knew that she was agreeing with him. Her displeasure and annoyance of having to attend the meeting was well hidden, but the fourth lord had come to know of her hatred towards the immortal woman.

Once, Alcina was the most supportive of Mother Miranda, always seeking to garner and pride herself with her favor. But she had long since changed, after she realized the true intentions of the mad woman

Her gifts with the Cadou parasite had brought wonders, but they were not infallible. And such dealings always had a price to pay.

She wanted nothing more than to cut off all of the connections that bound her to the shadowed figure, and in some measure of the feeling, she could sympathize with Heisenberg, even with all of their differences and bickering.

"Well then, it's time to start this shit-show again." The shorter man groaned and took one final drag of his cigarette before putting out the glowing stump with his heavy leather boot.

As dutiful as ever, Bela followed behind them, remaining silent and only speaking when she was directly addressed. This was not the first time that she had brought her eldest, far from it.

Mother Miranda had been apprehensive at first, with the prospect of bringing one of house Dimitrescu's members. She had claimed that there had been no need, as Lady Alcina was the matriarch and head of the noble family; but in a rare instance in which the vampire had openly opposed the leader's decision, Mother Miranda had seen it fit to allow this small request.

In part, it served to further teach Bela and let her shrewdness be sharpened; but it also served the equally important purpose of letting the blonde understand the current landscape of the politics of the valley.

She had enough faith in her daughter to trust her on these matters, and that was why she was not particularly worried of the fact that she could clearly hear the conversation that both she and Lord Heisenberg were having.

"And tell your other whelp, the one with the red hair, that my brand is off limits from now on. I can't make her a new sickle every time I come over." Golden eyes flashed dangerously as the matron glared down at Karl.

But they had already reached the door that would lead to the open chamber where the council meeting would take place.

"Ladies first." Karl mockingly stated, holding his arm out and bowing his head. With a twitch and a small scowl, Lady Dimitrescu leaned down to pass under the doorway.

Her daughter followed behind and settled behind the chair where her mother would sit, her buzzing insects reforming her physical body.

Silently, Alcina sat down in the large armchair and leaned backwards. The meeting had been completely unexpected, but Mother Miranda had been imperative in her will that they all participated.

She did not even have the time to grab her cigarette holder, or to apply another pass of her handcrafted lipstick. But even then, she was clearly the most ethereal out of all of them.

To her left sat Donna Beneviento, still dressed in black funeral garbs, her bright white doll Angie was held in her hands.

And to her right was Salvatore Moreau, idly walking and coughing as dribbled of acid vomit kept escaping his foul smelling mouth. Alcina quickly cast her gaze away from the lumbering mutated hunchback.

In truth, she did not share an ounce empathy the other man: his will was pathetic and he was happy to reduce himself to being Mother Miranda's lapdog. It disgusted her, perhaps even more than his already horrendous physical appearance.

The stench that always followed him around made her nose turn and bile churn in her stomach.

Heisenberg plopped down on the bench in front of her, letting his hammer rest on the stone floor. He crossed one leg over the other and leaned his head back, so that he could see the ceiling of the ruined fortress.

In reality, this fortress had been a castle, long ago. To be completely exact, the noble family that lived here had been closely related to house Dimitrescu. From the books of the library and the journals of her many ancestors, Alcina had come to learn of the abandoned castle.

It was said that her and this, unnamed family had been both allies and enemies at the same time, on varying occasions. Friendships were always so quick to turn into betrayals, both houses wanting to rule the valley.

But it was so that a plague took to the them in the fifteenth century, and now the nobility that once lived in this fortress had been forgotten by the townsfolk and other lords. Not even Mother Miranda herself possessed this knowledge, for the era in which this castle had still been alive and well had truly belonged to a great amount of lifetimes ago.

There was silence, safe for Angie's constant chattering and scurrying, as well as Heisenberg's grunts as he tinkered with the head of his massive hammer.

The all powerful Mother Miranda certainly had the nerve to call them at the most unexpected of times and to then not immediately greet them. "Are we even going to start? I can't afford to spend an entire day doing nothing." Karl drawled out, getting up and stretching as he did.

"Mother will be here soon! I know she will be!" Salvatore groaned out, limping towards the taller man.

"Keep quiet fish man! I want it to be quiet!" The small white doll screamed and giggled furiously as it ran across the floor in circles.

Lady Dimitrescu let out the smallest of sighs as she closed her eyes, simply wishing to return to her castle. Already, the painful tugs of a headache were pounding against her temples, but

she would not raise a hand to touch the aching part of her skull, as it would not befit her station and appearance.

And finally, a murder of cawing crows descended from the broken stone opening of the ceiling, and landed next to Donna.

The Lords up and bowed, letting out a collective "Mother Miranda."

The leader of the council gazed at the four lords, her crystal blue eyes scouring over them as the many, black feathered wings on her back fluttered and folded away, revealing her priestly garb.

With a wave of her hand, she allowed the others to sit back down, addressing them like a queen would do with her subjects.

"All of you, thank you for coming at such short notice. I am to carry great news my children, for another opportunity has arisen to bring back my beloved Eva."

An inferno of rage passed over Alcina at the mention of the deceased child. Yes, she too was a mother and she loved her daughters fiercely; but Miranda's obsession with resurrecting her newborn had taken and twisted that empathy into hatred. That was what had originally opened her eyes to Miranda's false promises and other such lying schemes.

But still, such emotions were undetectable on the Countess' features, as was the courtesy of having more than a century of experience in dealing with these types of talks. Instead, the noble Lady projected a sweet, comforting smile on her blood red lips; of course though, it was a false smile, meant to lull Mother Miranda in a sense of security that would ultimately amount to nothing.

Alcina knew that she had to play her part and appear as the obedient daughter, else she and her family suffer untold consequences, so she was used to it by years now.

"In ten day's' time, I shall prepare another ritual, but," The dark woman paused to look at her gathered creations, "I will require your help."

"Momma! I can help you!" Salvatore shuffled forward, more of his bike green vomit cascaded down his mouth.

"Hahaha! Another sacrifice will be made!" Angie cheered as she wiggled in Donna's lap as her master held her.

The golden crow mask turned towards the mechanic, "Heisenberg, my son, you will need to construct a pulley system with your adequate skills." He nodded his head to her, "As you say Mother Miranda."

For all of his childish antics, Karl could pull a good enough facade to fool his mortal enemy. "Alcina?" "Yes, Mother Miranda?"

A touch of maternal protectiveness registered in her senses as the other woman briefly set her eyes on Bela, before turning them back to her, "Gather four maidens, their blood will be

needed to empower the Cadou." She was thankful that the wide brim of her hat hid her expression.

Later that day...

Victor uneasily opened the door after the Countess had ordered him to enter. She had that she wanted to talk with him, and he knew not what to make of the situation.

And there, right there, he could see her, lounging on the elaborate and large sopha that was placed before the massive fireplace.

This room seemed more decorated and prestigious than the rest in which he had been, and that was saying something; in fact, this was located inside the base of the tallest and largest tower, of the entire castle, and the teen could not help but be amazed at the immense size of it.

However, the amazement was not present anymore as it gave place to fear and worry.

Lady Dimitrescu held her cigarette holder in one hand, and a book in the other. "Come closer Press, and take a seat." A chair had been placed in front of her.

Swallowing, Victor slowly moved towards it, his gut clenching and his rational mind screaming at him to back away, to run away from her. "Do not keep me waiting Press, I have already had an unsatisfying and tedious day, and I wish to end it comfortably." There was a warning to her statement, as she placed the book away and turned her gold eyes to him.

Victor lowered his gaze, unable to meet her head on. Trembling, he placed his weight on the chair, and waited for the Countess to speak. The towering woman inhaled some of the smoke before letting it out, purposely toying with the American's anxiety.

She could sense the boy's fear... and it was tantalizing; already she could taste his warm, sweet blood on her tongue.

"You have proven quite the surprise Press. Not a week has gone by since your capture and you are already causing disarray in my household." When she stood up, Victor shied away, as if it would somehow protect him.

"My eldest, my most responsible, is fascinated by your modern technology," She began, placing the cigarette holder away and starting to circle around the much smaller man, like a wolf would do with a lamb.

"My youngest seems impartial to your presence, which is quite the interesting detail considering her lively personality," Her voice was rich, coated in honey that hid the true venom beneath.

Victor was panicking, having no idea what the hell the Countess was doing, "But it is with my dear Cassandra, that you have caused the most problems," It was here that the glacial hostility returned in full, and she stopped directly behind him, as to whisper, "She has grown

irate and rebellious because of your actions Victor. She has begun to challenge my authority, and that is something that I will never permit."

He was shaking like a leaf, flashes of the maid's gory death and the Lady's black claws kept appearing in his mind, further increasing his worry. "You have destabilized the disposition of power do house Dimitrescu and that simply won't do. There is need for... correction." Malice dripped from her every word.

"Stand up boy, and turn around." Fearfully, Victor did so, and he was now staring at her heeled feet.

He heard the sound of her unsheathing talons, and the sharp tip of one of them pressed under his chin, tilting his head up. "I must mark you, to show that you belong to me and are of my property." Tears gathered at the corner of his blue eyes as the horrific realization settled in.

"P-Please..." He faintly whispered, the tears now freely cascading. His hands wouldn't even move up form some sort of barrier. His body would not respond to his impulses.

"P-Please don't h-hurt me..." He hiccuped, closing his eyes in an attempt to hide his shame. Her cruel chuckle cut through him worse than any knife could have ever done.

"Oh poor, little Victor. How naive you are to think that I would be swayed by a few tears and words of mercy." She leaned down, coming closer to his head as their noses nearly brushed, "You must understand boy, you have no say in the matter."

Victor opened his eyes, trying to find an ounce of compassion in the Lady's gaze; alas, there was none.

Her claws retreated and her normal gloves fingers cupped his jaw and the side of his head, twisting it to the side while her other hand rested on his shoulder, exposing his neck to her.

"I'm-I'm sorry... ple-please My L-L-Lady don't d-do this..." Victor was hiccuping, bring lost in the sea of absolute terror.

But there was nothing that he could do to prevent the inevitability of it. When the Lady sealed her ruby lips over his flesh, her sharp fangs pierced his skin.

Somehow, this single bite hurt more than all of the other injuries that Victor had sustained. He could only gasp in pain, his throat not even being capable of letting out a shout. His arms finally began to work again and he tried to push against her, but the Countess was infinitely more powerful than her daughters, and he could not escape her hold.

Victor felt her drink, he felt suck hid blood in copious amounts from his body, depriving it of its essential source. The trembling only grew now, and Victor looked at the ceiling, eyes unfocused as his entire being was overwhelmed.

Lady Dimitrescu's black curls of hair tickled against his cheek and nose, and the pain became stronger as the vampire queen bit down harder. "S-S-St-Stop..." The young man couldn't even form coherent words; his legs gave out and buckled from under him, and he landed against the Lady's body.

Still, she kept greedily drinking, and Victor lost track of his sensations and everything started to go numb. He only felt her finally let go and passing her tongue over his gaping holes to collect the excess blood. And then he felt nothing else.

Victor did not even realize that he had been placed on the couch, nor did he particularly register the large hand that briefly stroked his head.

"Sleep now boy, for you are mine."

Chapter End Notes

Yes, Lady D is starting to get real possessive right now. Now, Bela's friendship with Victor is expanding, and the tone is set for what Alcina thinks of Mother Miranda. Please comment and let me know what you thought about the chapter, and leave theories as well. Until next time.

Purpose

Chapter Summary

Victor nears the completion of the updated website, all the while he juggles new responsibilities.

Chapter Notes

Here we go, new chapter!

See the end of the chapter for more notes

"Kiss me will you?"

Victor shrank back as Daniela suddenly appeared by his side in an explosion of insects, nearly sending him falling down the chair.

Briefly closing his eyes, the young man sighed, recognizing the redhead's deranged personality.

Even if he had been here for the better part of a month, Victor was still terrified. This was not the first time that the youngest of the Dimitrescu siblings had come and asked him an insane request.

But with the helpful insight of some of the older and more caring maids, he had come to learn that this still somehow normal; and it was expected to happen.

"Oh... did I scare you puppy?" She giggled and twirled around him, "No Miss Daniela, but you startled me." He replied in a neutral tone, as he had found out that this was the best way to make her lose interest quickly.

"And you are still doing this work on your black screen? It's not fun, it's boring..." She dramatically huffed, opening her arms at her sides.

"So I have been told." The teenager quietly answered, trying to ignore her presence and pretend that she wasn't there.

He was nearly done with writing the code for the website in Swift, and very soon he would export it and place it under review on the App Store to then let it take off. Lady Dimitrescu had payed the fees to begin to place ads on particular types of apps, and that would help the website become more evident and eye catching in mainstream media.

Over the additional week, Victor's injured hand had healed... partially at least. He was still wearing a bandage over it, and it still hurt at times, especially if he used it continuously like he was doing right now.

And then, a crash was heard coming from the open door that brought to the hallway, as if something light and precious had been dropped. A small cry of horror was emitted and it was feminine in sound. A maid had dropped a valuable item.

Giggling, Daniela took out her sickle and ran outside to the door.

The American held his hands over his ears, trying to block off the tortured screaming as he heard the vampire laugh. A string of Romanian words kept escaping the servant's mouth, begging for mercy.

He shut his eyes when the screams began again, this time louder as a couple of while cutting wounds were heard. "Come! Let's go down to the dungeon!"

The buzzing of flies carried the doomed woman away, leaving Victor in the quiet aftermath.

Slowly, he saved the program and pushed his pc forward. With a whimper, the young man began to cry, his entire body trembling.

"Why... why did she have to d-drop it?" He asked in a whisper as he hiccuped, head lowered down to his arms as they rested on the table.

This was the third time that it happened... this was the third time... and Victor hated himself for not being able to do anything.

The shocking truth and reality of it was always happening, in this very castle. But he could not stop it, even if he yearned to do so.

Part of the reason for why he was crying was because he was scared, he was terrified.

Lady Dimitrescu would regularly drink his blood each and every day. He either would fall asleep with a sharp and biting pain in his neck, or would awaken the next morning with a horrible numbness. Every once in a while, he would even bump into Cassandra, though she did not attack him anymore, her threats were still as clear as ever.

But... it was with Bela, that he had had the most changes. A couple of days ago, he had found her in one of the smaller and lesser used rooms. Bright red blood had coated her mouth as one of the maids lied lifeless in her arms.

She had spotted him standing at the doorway and had gotten up, but he had fled, running away and back to the servants' quarters, locking himself in the bathroom. The rational thought that occupied his mind kept reminding him to have expected such a thing.

The blonde pale woman was a vampire like the rest of her family... it was only natural that she acted the same as they did.

It did not take away the notion, that deep down, Victor felt... hurt, somehow.

Until recently, the only brightness that he could find in this hell were his small conversations with Iona and Adina, as well as those with Miss Bela.

And now... he was lost once more, descending ever more into the dark pit that was called despair.

He had tried to learn from the other maids, to adopt their ways of coping with this insanity, of trying to forget or phase out the screams that could sometimes be heard coming from the lower levels, those that would always wake him up in the middle of the night.

"Dammit... when will it ever end?" Victor brought his computer back in front of him, and resumed his work.

Since there was no wifi, he had to use his phone data to work on the web. At the moment, he still had a lot of data, and it would be reset by the beginning of the next month. But it did not change the fact that this wasn't optimal.

Unfortunately, Victor did not think that the Countess would accept his request to add an antenna or satellite dish to make a modem work. She did not appear to be fond of the modern technologies, given that she had only allowed Heisenberg to modify this room in which he worked.

Sighing, he looked at the clock, noting that in three hours, it would be lunchtime. But he was almost done, and true to his word, five minutes later, Victor had finished the program version for ios devices.

Leaning back, he sniffed a little and wiped his nose with a tissue, removing the traces of snot that had come. "And now to tell the Lady..." He dreaded having to do this, but it was what he had to do, in order to survive.

Since his pc was at nearly full battery, Victor could allow himself to take the plug out, since he knew that the Countess would probably not want to have to walk all the way here.

Tucking the portable device under his arm, the young man walked out of the room, twisting his gaze away at the sight of the splatters and lines of blood that went up until the end of the hallway.

"Don't think about it... just don't think about it..." He told himself, as it was try to lessen the blow, but the pain was still there. It felt as if he was doing an injustice to the maid, by purposely soling and forgetting her memory.

"Don't think about it... don't think about it..."

The rooms of the castle were silent, as they always were. Every so often he would catch a servant dusting either a chandelier or a piece of expensive furniture.

Victor had somehow learned the Lady's schedule at this point. She would be in her office right now, likely signing and compiling some paperwork that would help keep the flow of production good and well.

Apparently, the many cases of the vintage were exported to Heisenberg's factory, were they would be packaged and properly distributed among other sellers. Victor had heard of a certain man that would help with these relations between the Dimitrescu household and the outside world... he had overheard some of the maids calling him the Duke? It was a strange name.

Particular, that was how he defined Karl and Lady Dimitrescu's relationship. He could not tell wether or not they truly had any sort of friendship, the two were always on the verge of fighting.

They barely tolerated each other, if not for the sake of the business and the dependency of each of their properties. Victor did not know much about affairs and economics, but he realized that Karl must have some form of return of profit from the exportation. That would be the only reason for why he even decided to help the Countess in the first place.

As he approached the second floor, a maid stopped him in his tracks. In her hands, she held a tray with a cup of tea and some biscuits. She handed them to him, and Victor stared at her blankly, and then at the outstretched tray.

"What?" The other rolled her eyes, "Take it American. You are going to see the Mistress yes? Bring her tea." She replied in irritation and accented English.

It was something easier said than done with his healing hand and the computer tucked to his chest, but he managed. Still, the question arose from him: "Why? Not to say that I can't do it, but shouldn't you be the one?"

The maid stopped halfway down the flight of stairs, turning to look back at him, "We are understaffed, missing maidens, more work, less people." And without adding anything else, she left.

Victor sighed and took to walking again, approaching the grand door which had been custom built to fit the Lady's immense size.

Somehow laboriously, he knocked on the door twice, until he heard her rich voice become him inside.

She was looking out of the window, her arms folded over her chest to form a piecing silhouette. Victor stood still for a moment, his eyes briefly looking over the ethereal form and shape of the woman in front of him.

He opened his mouth to speak, but the Lady preceded him, "Come in boy, set the tray down on the table." Victor was startled: she hadn't even looked at him and yet she already knew that he wasn't the maid.

Finally, her gaze worked from the window to him, as he placed the silverware down on the low piece of wood. "I can smell your fear boy, and your blood does certainly have a different taste than that of a young maiden." She breathed in, as if savoring the mentioned liquid.

"It is a surprise to me as well," She said, almost as if she could read his mind, "To see that you are the one who is delivering my small breakfast, but I most certainly understand why now." Understanding the unspoken command, Victor opened his laptop and set it down as well.

He quickly opened the file that contained the program, and he took up the developed App on the other side. It had been a little tricky; the process of developing it, for his computer was configured with Windows and not Apple, so building the application was a little tedious and Victor had to utilize official websites on the web to get over this obstacle, but he had pulled through.

Lady Dimitrescu walked next to him, her high heels emitting the clacking sounds as she walked on the wooden floorboards.

"You have completed the project." Victor swallowed before answering, "One part of it, My Lady, this," He gestured to the open file, "Is for Ios devices... I only need to upload it on the App Store and submit an official review... and hopefully in twenty four hours, it will be checked and approved for publication."

"Hmm, such tedious tasks, you mortals have, very well, you have my permission to do so." A pregnant paused happened, before she continued to ask him, "And what is the other part that you are missing boy? I do believe that I ordered you to bring this task to completion as soon as possible." She sat down in the armchair and somehow the action was done in her classic elegance and grace.

"It's for Android devices, My Lady. It will take much less time to- "How long?" She interrupted him, casting a cold glare to him, "Two more days, three at the maximum... and it will be done."

Luckily for him, she seemed satisfied enough with the answer, then, her attention was brought to the steaming pot of tea. "Press, it is best not to keep a Countess of my standing in attendance." She stated in a warning tone, pointedly gazing at the ceramic cup.

Hastily, Victor moved and began to pour the tea, though the tremors in his hands made the spray wavy by nature. Once she was satisfied with the amount of it, she bid him to place the object back on its designated spot.

"Wait," Victor halted his movements, for he was just about to move away and give the Lady some space. "Show me your hand Press."

His mind went in shock, as he tried to think of what she could have possibly wanted to do. "Boy, show me your hand, lest I loose my patience." She repeated again, gold eyes threatening to hurt him as they glowed in the sun shade that was due to her large brimmed hat.

Nervously, he extended his arm and showed her the bandaged portion of his wrist. "Take it off." She ordered, attentively observing the way in which his body was reacting.

When the white cloth came off, the Lady could properly see the healing cut. It was red around the edges, the color kept getting stronger the closer that it got to the center. "It is healing well." She noted simply, and then her much larger hand grasped his index finger, while the other did the same and a single sharp talon extended from her nail.

Victor flinched as soon as he saw it happen, and his heart began to beat wildly in pure fear.

The sharp tip of her claw rested again the quivering flesh of his neck, very lightly poking, but not yet breaking the skin. The control and precision of her movements were extremely admirable considering the sharpness of the weapon.

"You would do well to know boy," Lady Dimitrescu began to talk as she lightly traced the holes in his neck, causing Victor to violently flinch, "That blood tastes better if the prey is scared. The same principle is applicable even to you Victor."

A twisted mirth filled her gaze as she prodded his skin and muscles, eagerly observing the way that he would whimper and gasp whenever she touched a sensitive spot. She was like a cat, toying with her captured mouse.

"And you are very much afraid, are you not boy?" She coyly asked as her talon traced over his beating heart. "Yes Mistress." Answered Victor with a dry throat, beginning to feel overwhelmed.

His eyes were wide with fear, while hers drank his helplessness, a derived pleasure that she very so indulged herself in. "Perhaps I can understand why my daughters have taken such an interest in you boy. So young, naive and innocent... like a blooming rose, fresh and free of all." She methodically spoke.

Unlike Cassandra, the Countess' movement were refined and controlled, each light prick was decided and planned, there were no mistakes. Even her own actions were akin perfection, as was her natural beauty.

Finally, she settled her claw against his finger, Victor's breath hitched and he looked away, already expecting what was to come. But instead, the Countess merely chased the moment by gently dragging her claw back and forward, alternating between speed and pressure so that he had no idea on when she would actually slice his flesh.

"It is only a minor wound boy, it will have healed come the morning." She spoke, but her intentions still weren't pure; they were malign and cruel. "I will not take your entire finger, for it would not be beneficial to house Dimitrescu, or to you."

Victor let out a small cry of pain when she suddenly cut his skin and held his injured finger over the tea cup, letting a few droplets dribble down.

Retracting her talon, she let his hand go and instead brought the cup up to her lap, mixing the blood and tea with a teaspoon while looking up to him with a soul piercing expression. "That was not so bad, was it not Press?"

"N-No My Lady." Victor stammered. The Countess let the faintest of sinister smiles grace her ruby lips. Clearly she had enjoyed this little game.

The American patiently waited for her to savor the tea. "Yes, it does have a particular taste, stronger than maiden's blood." She commented and set the teacup down.

"There is a book on my desk, the hard cover contains inlays of gold alongside the edges. Bring it to me." Victor quickly moved towards it and grabbed it, careful to keep his bleeding finger away from it.

He placed it in the Countess' waiting palm and moved back again, afraid of what she might have thought of doing next.

"Press, since you are extending your involuntary stay on my castle grounds, it is long past due that you take an active role in caring for the conditions of this ancient stronghold." She spoke, flipping through pages and reading schematics and reports.

"Currently, my home is understaffed, and while Bela shall work on removing that problem as soon as possible, you shall lend help to the maids, as it would be expected of you." Victor nearly blew a sigh of relief, but he kept quiet, as to not disturb the Lady in any manner.

"Naturally, you are to continue working on the project until it reaches completion. My head maid, Mihaela, shall instruct you on which duties to perform. Finally, you will come to me each day by a quarter of an hour past six, as I will feed from you." Victor shuddered at the thought of having to do so.

"That is all, do you have any other questions boy?" He quickly shook his head. "Good. Take the tea tray and continue to work on the website." "As you say Lady Dimitrescu."

Victor was glad to finally leave and so he did, closing the set of door behind him.

He ran a hand through his short hair, letting his breathing slow down, the adrenaline and fear dissipating. It was always a life and death situation, whenever he alone with Lady Dimitrescu. He had partially grown numb to the irritation of the bite wounds on his neck, as the week had gone by.

"Better go see who this Mihaela maid is..." Having tucked his computer under his arm, he first stopped at his workspace to deposit it and then went to the servants' quarters to properly search for her.

There, he had just the look to bump into Ioana as she was bringing a stack of dishes to the Castle's kitchens. "I need to know where I can't find the head maid Mihaela. Lady Dimitrescu is officially

employing me to help you guys out with the chores around this place." Ioana was very surprised to hear that.

"Și ea te-a luat ... sărmanul copil ..." The servant whispered as she looked at him sadly. This fact placed some anxiety on Victor's consciousness, but he decided not to ask her on it.

"You will find her near the vineyard of the Castle. It is over there, past the main hall and to one of the side entrances." He thanked her dearly, "Good, thanks. Guess I'll be seeing you later?" "Yes... keep well Victor, keep well."

Reaching the other side of the manor was not hard, especially since he had begun to memorize the hallways of the massive complex. What did briefly catch his curiosity was the sight of a painting depicting three dark haired women.

It was a particular sight, for he hadn't seen anything of this sort around the other portions of Lady Dimitrescu's home. He edged closer to it and read the words that were written down onto a thin gold plate at the base of the support fo the painting.

"Bela Cassandra Daniela? What the hell?" He looked back up to the portrait. Where these truly the Countess' daughters? They looked nothing like the ones he knew. Additionally, the style of painting seemed an old one, possibly dating back a few centuries.

"How... how... long have they even lived for?" A barrage of questions assaulted his mind and Victor had to sit down the steps that led to the green painted door.

These women, they were vampires... to think that they were immortal wasn't too far fetched considering everything that he had learned about them. But by the same token, Victor could not in any form claim that that was all to it.

"Not is not the time to have an existential crisis on the bond between life and death Victor... get a hold of yourself." He whispered and sat back up, making his way towards the door.

The wool coat was securely wrapped around his arms back and front, as he had tried to wear it like a normal jacket. A thing that he still didn't have an answer to was the notion that Lady Dimitrescu had so many sets of spare clothes that fit him very well, and especially that they seemed quite modern.

Yes, the colors were usually dark grey or sometimes even black, but still, it did raise the question as to how she could have access to these things.

Had there been other people, other men like him that had come before? The notion of it was nearly enough to make him stop again as he pushed the doors open and was hit with the cold wind.

"Then did they all die? But the clothes were all in perfect condition, and there weren't any stitched cuts. Then why does she have so many sets?" Victor was pretty sure that he must

have been the only man in the entire castle.

The maids, the noble family, they were all women. He was truly the exception, and this seemed t ideas an imaginary line that separated him even further from the rest of these people. "What is it with this village?"

Out there dow a small winding road, he could see the vineyard proper in all of its elegance. Even if it was snowing, Victor could still see the dark red grapes that covered the dozen lines of vines and wood supports. A couple of figures, maids no doubt judging by their nimble form, were occupied with collecting several of the clustered grapes, they were putting them in wooden baskets.

"So this is were the wine begins its process of creation." To his right, there appeared to be a large wooden cart, but Victor payed it no mind as he began to walk down to the vineyard, sure that he would find the head maid there.

That was why he nearly had a heart attack when one of the doors of the cart opened, and out came an obesely large man who grunted to properly sit on the chair.

A variety of items surrounded ranging from foods to other gods such as trinkets, weaponry and more still. The giant looked straight at him and his fat cheeks curved into a jovial smile as he called him over, "Mr Press! It is a delight to finally make your acquaintance!"

Victor stared at him in shock, not only because of the mind blogging impossibility of his weight, but also for the fact that he knew his name. "Have we met before? How do you know me?" He asked him defensively, taking a step back.

"Oh, you do not need to be afraid of me good sir, for I am but a humble merchant that seeks the finer things in life amongst this valley. I make a point to learn of the villagers as to best suit my needs and the offers of the market." Again, the young man looked at all of the assembled items around him and the experience clothing that barely fit his bulging mass. The many jeweled rings on his fingers didn't go unnoticed.

"Ok... humble? Yeah, I'll be the judge of that..." The merchant laughed, "Those are minor details Mr Press, but before we continue I must introduce myself in the name of good manners. I am the Duke."

"Wait, wait, wait, you're the one in charge of exporting the wine from outside the valley?" "Indeed I am." "Shit man... I wasn't expecting you to be this... particular. No offense of course."

The Duke laughed, "None has been taken my good sir, though I imagine that the attractions of the village are quite different then the ones that you would find in the United States." "Yes. Hey, quick question, did you sell some clothes to Lady Dimitrescu?"

A chubby finger pointed at him, "Yes, your own clothes are some of the ones that I sold to her." "Oh... so what are you doing around the castle then?" "Opportunity Mr Press, I am a

merchant and wherever the are treasures and riches to be made I follow, for that is the way of a laudable entrepreneur."

Then, he extended his arms out, "Please, take a look if you wish. My emporium is open to all of those who would seek to do commerce." Victor decided to see if there was genuinely anything that he would take interest in, but there was nothing of that sort, except for a tactical looking shotgun.

"Ah, but of course how silly of me. You enjoy another type of goods do you not Mr Press? Here, allow me to go gather the items. One moment please." He closed the doors on his cart again and Victor waited patiently.

When the shop reopened, his jaw hung open. In front of him was a collection of disc and digital Ps5s as well as more Xbox series X and S. And there were older models from the earlier generations, he even spotted a gem 1 playstation for goodness' sake!

But not only that, the Duke offered computers and high end pcs as well as their components such as graphics cards, cpus, hhds and ssds, increments for ram and rom memory and even different types of power generators and fans.

"What the hell dude, this is amazing! How the... the fuck did you even manage to buy all of the next gen consoles? Did you use scalper bots?" "I do not know Mr Press, these items were sold to me by other contacts of mine."

"Yeah... still look at all this shit, it's amazing." He stated bewildered. Victor felt as if his mind had ejected, this was like a paradise to him: everything that he could have ever wanted was here.

"Do you want to purchase something?" And then he was brutally reminded of his reality, for he had no money... or at least he couldn't exactly access it physically. "Uhh... there's a problem with that, the Countess is keeping me hostage, so I don't really have cash on hand... that is unless you can accept electronic payments via smartphone? Or even better yet, do you accept credit card?"

The jovial giant shook his head, "I'm afraid not Mr Press." "Damn, well it was worth a try..."

"But tell me Duke, when will you come back?" "Once every week here at Castle Dimitrescu." "And do you go to the village?" "Yes, on the outskirts of the town, twice a month." Victor was a little puzzled, "We're exactly do you go?" "To the ruins of the fortress that are southeast from here." It made sense know, for the teen had never gone towards that direction of the village.

"Ah ok, thanks. If all goes well, I'll be back inside my home by the next three days..." He trailed off, hoping inside of his heart that it would indeed be true.

"Well then Mr Press, this was an enjoyable conversation indeed, but I presume that you have matters to attend?" His little bubble of temporal happiness was popped and his task came back rushing into his mind.

"Yeah actually, I gotta go. See you around then!" "Good evening Mr Press!"

The Duke was not normal by any means, but at least he seemed to be the less threatening. And Victor somehow felt at calm and peace with that.

The small talk that they had made had been enjoyable while it lasted, but it was only that: a moment in a sprinkle of time that was his captivity.

The oppressing reality of his situation pushed him down, happiness, joy and other such emotions were removed entirely.

And he was confined once again to his state of imprisonment.

Chapter End Notes

So yes, the jovial Duke finally makes an appearance. This chapter was a little slow, I realize that, but it's more of that calm before the storm, because Victor... well he's gonna do something. Anyways please comment and give me your theories! Until next time.

Threatening dynasties

Chapter Summary

Victor arrives at a roadblock and is faced with a pressing matter.

Chapter Notes

So yeah, I know that I said that Victor would do something... well he won't, because I realized that it would go into conflict with others things that I'm planning.

See the end of the chapter for more notes

Two days had passed, and in those two days Victor had worked his ass off by helping the maids keep the castle clean and tidy.

He had gained a newfound respect for these women, as he had newer realized just how monumental of a task it was. There were dozens of large sets of windows that needed to be constantly washed and cleansed of dust, the same went for all of the antique objects that were scattered around in an orderly fashion around the palace.

Victor had come to see some new halls and chambers, and his curiosity was plaques by the many portraits of figures that hanged from the pristine and gilded walls.

He had asked some of the maids, particularly Ioana and Adina if they knew anything about them; they had merely shrugged their shoulders and tried to offer theories, the most credibile one being that those were the portraits of the previous Lords of Castle Dimitrescu.

While interesting, it did not matter to him, as Victor had finished the Android version for the website, and he would then show it to the Countess.

Currently though, he could her the noble Lady yelling in rage, bellowing her earth to the entire valley below as gunshots and other screams of pain were heard.

Victor rushed towards one of the windows alongside a couple of the maids. They had been cleaning one of those large armchairs when their attention was immediately captured by those quiet shattering noises.

The teen gasped at what he saw. There must have been more than a dozen men surrounding the Countess, many more bloody bodies were laying in the snow, coating it in red.

They held guns and shotguns, and they were armed and firing but the bullets did nothing to harm the Lady. Both her hands were extend into her nightmarish claws as they hacked and sliced any unfortunate enough to become caught in their trajectory. Bile churned in his stomach when he saw Lady Dimitrescu disembowel a man; he knew not who those were but he realized that they were loosing badly as they kept shouting at each other in Romanian.

The sheer power that the vampire displayed terrified him as the projectiles simply injured here but did not stop her, for the wounds would heal in instants. "She... has regeneration?" He asked to no one in particular as the maid next to him cupped her hands and began to mutter a prayer, to Mother Miranda no doubt.

When a head went flying, Victor finally snapped away from his horrified trance and looked elsewhere, for he could feel the vomit that was accumulating inside of him.

Feeling weak in the knees, he turned around and sat against the wall, tucking his knees close as he let out a shuddering breath. "W-Why would t-those men attack her?" "They are hunters... they sometimes come in search of treasure and riches." The maid replied, equally fearful.

"They are b-being slaughtered..." "Yes..." God, he could still hear the torture screams and the noises do tearing flesh. The number of gunshots kept diminishing until there weren't any left, and all was quiet once more.

"Is it done?" He asked the member of the group that had managed to watch the hole thing, "Yes, the Mistress is coming towards the castle, come, we must greet here appropriately."

Feeling unsteady and meek, Victor followed the two out of the chambers. While they arrived at the foyer, a couple more people joined him, carrying other things.

The door opened on accordance and Lady Dimitrescu stepped through, a sneer plastered on her face. Her white dress was colored a deep maroon red and was soaking in a few steps. Victor gulped and lowered his gaze as the Countess removed her black gloves and gave them to the nearest servant.

"Mihaela, run a bath, I need to remove this filth from my clothes." She was like a queen bee, and they were all the worker bees, flying around here and satisfying her every need. "As you say Mistress." The head maid walked away in a hurry towards another portion of the castle.

"Press," She called for him without even turning around, "Go to my office and wait there, I wish to see the final product." Bowing his head in respect, Victor took a right and left that group to their own devices.

He breathed a sigh of relief and his thundering heart slowed down, moving towards the room that held his stuff. This was it then, Victor was sure that everything worked correctly as he had run the compiler several times and had spent a good portion of the early night debugging the program.

It was practically perfect. So his pace quickened even more as he neared the corridor that would lead him exactly where he needed to go.

"Little prey? Were are you going?" Another figure formed to his immediate left and that young man plastered himself to the wall. "Are you in a hurry prey?" Cassandra did not have her trustworthy sickle with her, instead she held a knife in her grasp, and droplets of blood coated the edge of it. Victor looked away, "Miss Cassandra, Lady Dimitrescu called for my presence and I gotta go. Please, I don't want to do anything, I'm sorry if I've caused you offense or anything." She stepped towards him and Victor took a couple of dashes forward and away from her, putting some distance.

Yellow eyes looked at his bandaged wrist and the brunette licked her lips as her hand grasped at the black cloth of her dress.

"Your man-blood is delicious prey, better than many vintages... a little taste wouldn't hurt and neither would a more sizable sample." "Miss Cassandra, your Lady mother called for me and I am going to attend her, please do not interfere." Victor spoke back, trying to display some courage on her part.

The Dimitrescu daughter laughed, "And you want to challenge me prey? You?" She held a hand to her mouth, "You reek of fear... and that sweat only makes your blood more appetizing. Mmmm, I miss its taste."

Victor gradually walked away, glancing behind him to make that he wasn't going to go accidentally bump and break anything of precious value while he still faced Cassandra.

"Go on human, as soon as Mother will see that you have no further use, I will be here, waiting for you. And then... you already know what will happen yes? You remember my sweet time with maid do you not?" That did it: it provoked a reaction in Victor which caused him to gasp and break his composure. "Y-you...-"I would boy, you already know I will make you suffer." Her tongue passed over her lips, wetting them.

"We'll see about that." Victor whispered in a reply, attempting to hide the trembling fear in his voice. Turning on his heel, he moved away definitely and went to seek refuge in the confines of the chambers where he worked.

There, he turned his pc on and quickly went to open the version of the program which he had written in Java, "Come on now, gotta make a good impression and I'll be scot-free." Murmuring, he detached the charger and put the electronic device in sleep mode, holding it close to his chest. He also slipped his smartphone in his pocket, thankful that it was large enough to contain the Iphone and it's bumper case.

When he opened the door, Victor looked both ways before approaching the end of the hallway. He could never be safe or sure enough that the brunette daughter wouldn't be around him, just waiting to strike him at his weakest.

Making us way up the stairs, he managed to pass by Adina as she was tidying up a room. They exchanged a small wave and smile before the teen continued to go on his way, up and to

the Lady's study.

Once he reached the slightly familiar gold lined walls and apartments, Victor stopped in front of the door and knocked on it. There was no reply to greet him, so he waited for a moment contemplating on what to do.

It was nearing late morning right now, the Countess would likely be eating her small meal of tea and biscuits. "Wait, wait, wait... there's an opportunity here." Hastily opening the door, Victor strode to the low table placed at the center of the study. Depositing it there, he turned his pc back on from sleep mode and left the room.

"Mihaela should be arriving just around this corner..." And there was the head maid, carrying the usual tray of food. "Thank god, good you're here, now if you don't mind I'll just that this." Victor held the tray in his own hands, as the woman understood his intentions.

"The Mistress is arriving shortly, I recon that you hurry." "Will do, thank you Miss." With a nod of gratitude he sped up back to the study an closed the door with a small kick of his foot.

"There, place the cup here with the napkin, open the sugar holder and put the spoon in there, yeah... yeah this will work." He could hear and feel the telltale sounds of the Lady's high heeled shoes as she walked ever closer to the door, so he began to pour the tea in the cup.

The door opened and Victor straightened up, having finished doing so, "Good morning once more my Lady. I have taken the liberty of serving you some tea." Having changed into a new white dress, Lady Dimitrescu looked as striking and ethereally beautiful as always.

"Press, I was not expecting you to be ready... and with tea no less." Her gold eyes gazed down on him and he bowed his head, "Would you like some sugar?" "Two spoons boy."

Regally, she walked forward and sat in her custom made armchair. A smell of perfume invaded his nostrils, and for a moment Victor blinked as he was caught off guard by its potency.

But it was only right, as the Lady had just bathed and had most definitely taken great care to cleanse herself.

Preparing himself, the young man took off the bandage around his wrist and offered his finger to her, but the Countess dismissed him, "I favor the blood of a maiden this day." She had her own small capsule which contained the desired liquid.

The Lady was awfully more silent... and it put him on edge, for he had seen her take down an entire group of armed men with barely any effort or fatigue, and that had been less than an hour ago.

Knowing what to do, Victor showed her the screen of the computer, "It's done, now with your permission I'll just send forward the request and the app will be published on Android devices." "You may do it." The Lady spoke.

"And... done. Alright my Lady, I've finished all of the tasks that you have given me." Victor let out a sigh and turned off his computer whilst she drank from the cup. He crossed his arms over his back and stood attentively.

"Speak your mind boy, I know that you have more to say." Lady Dimitrescu ordered him as she placed the piece of pantry down onto the tray.

"Well... as I have just told you, I've finished my job...-"And? are you expecting something more?" She raised an eyebrow as her gaze darkened.

Victor swallowed the lump in his throat, "Y-you said that I h-had to complete the task, and I-I did. You'll let me go now... r-right?"

The cruel smirk that graced her lips sent him spiraling down in the abyss of hopelessness. "Such a young and naive boy you are Victor. Hmm, it is endearing to some extent and heartwarming to think that I would simply let you go for completing the task that I have given you."

Victor took a step back, mind reeling, "B-But... I d-did what y-you wan-want-wanted me to d-do." He stuttered as the Countess rose from the armchair to tower over him and partially encompass him with her shadow.

"Then perhaps you've never realized that you are property of house Dimitrescu boy, and just as I had stated days ago, you are mine." The whisper of her voice made him quiver and shake in fear.

"W-what do you still w-want from-from me?" He croaked, tears staining his eyes. With a malicious smile, the Countess gently brushed the droplets fo water away with her gloved thumb, "Now, now boy, don't cry yet. I still have yet to show you a surprise. Follow me boy." With the imperative order, she strode past him and bent down under the doorframe.

Holding back a small sob, Victor followed her, even if his entire being begged him not to, even if his instincts urged him to go away. He still followed her nonetheless, for he knew that if he didn't... he wouldn't have lived to tell the consequences.

As if sensing the creature of evil made manifest that walked in front of him, the maids scurried away from sight, leaving no traces of their presence.

Dread kept him hyperaware, his poor brain picturing many different ways in which he could suffer a horrible fate. The flashbacks to how she brutally ripped apart those hunters were vivid and he subconsciously shivered at just thinking about them.

There was something more sinister in her gait, more so than usual. They soon walked down the stairs and Victor realized that they were descending to a lower level of the castle. He immediately pictured the dungeons and his body began to tremble in fear.

But the Lady did not stop at the dungeons, instead, she passed by them and went down yet another flight of stairs, going lower and lower.

At this point, Victor was terrified: he could not even fathom that there was an underground system beneath the castle.

At long last, after being in the company of the torches that illuminated the otherwise dark halls, they stopped in front of a tall, stone door. It was engraved in marks, runes and much more; the symbol of house Dimitrescu stood evident in its center.

"Before Mother Miranda came to be the immortal figure that she is... and before I was even born, house Dimitrescu, ruled as kings of this valley." She stepped closer to it and laid her hand against the door, and pushed it open.

"Berengario Beneviento, Nichola Moreau, Guglielmo Heisenberg and Cesare Dimitrescu were the founders and kings of the four noble dynasties. From the records of his diary, this was one of the first rooms that he constructed... and ever since that age, it has served as the vault to house Dimitrescu's treasury and coffers."

She explained the history of her lineage as she entered it. Victor hesitantly followed, scared of going into the room.

But when he did so, he was shocked at what he saw. Piles of gold coins, ingots and jewels laid scattered around in great heaps. There were countless other artifacts, from earrings to necklaces and rings; there were also so many weapons, all masterfully decorated and encrusted with other precious materials.

But the rare metals were not the only treasure present here; Victor could also spot many ancient paintings, armors, there were also so many old times filled with knowledge worth millions.

He was at a complete loss for words... the sheer amount of wealth present in these grand chambers was enough to put to shame whatever he had seen in the rest of the castle.

"I see that my family's heirlooms interest you boy, do they not?" The young man was brought to gaze at the Countess at she looked at him with a tilt of the head, "Y-yes."

"You should consider yourself lucky boy, for none of my daughters know or have even been inside of this vault." Lady Dimitrescu spoke, holding him in a petrifying gaze, "I-I am h- honored My L-Lady." He gulped.

"Of course you would mortal... your essence may not even be worthy enough to bring in this sacred place. But nonetheless, come, we have almost reached what I wish to show you."

Farther, they continued to go until they inevitably reached the end of the large room. Victor was faced with a tall pillar of black stone. It looked like... obsidian?

But what drew his gaze to it where the four shackles present on it: two were settled at the base, and the other two were further up. Their inclusion confused him.

"Might you have an idea on what this is?" The Lady asked as she turned towards him once more. Victor shook his head, obviously not being capable of answering that question.

"No, of course you would not. Listen carefully then boy, for this is a tale that no one other than myself knows." Victor made the effort to do so, paying attention as the Countess looked at the pillar, "Long ago, one of my ancestors, the queen of house Dimitrescu to be exact, had a particular boon."

Her gaze darkened, "A young man, a thief, had broken into the castle grounds and was looking to steal some of the precious jewelry that lays dormant inside the grand halls, as I am sure that you must have seen." The teen nodded. "Very well, as her diary recounts, this thief was spotted and caught. The normal and expected procedure would have been to execute him and leave the bastard's body to rot and to be feasted upon the wild dogs. But no..."

The Lady straightened her pose, a clear indication of her pride for her lineage, "My predecessor sensed an opportunity; in fact she went against tradition and spared the life of this their. Instead, she employed him to her services, and the thief proved to be quite skilled as he brought many treasures that benefited house Dimitrescu's prestige and power, even from neighboring regions."

"My ancestor was wise, for she knew that even with all of this opportunity a message and bond needed to be established. That was why, upon first sparing the thief, she brought him here and chained him to this pillar." She gesture to the slab of stone, while Victor looked at it warily.

"The young man had still insulted house Dimitrescu by attempting to steal its precious heirlooms, so a punishment was needed. He was whipped here." She spoke of it as if it were a completely normal fact.

"That was the way in which my ancestor assured his loyalty, through the means of pain and suffering." He was sweating now, as a cold smile graced her lips.

"I find it curious that we are much in the same situation are we not? It is as if the cycle is repeating itself... with some minor differences." Her gaze pierced his and Victor kneeled in front of her.

"Lady Dimitrescu... I would never steal anything from you... for those objects are not mine, I would never." He tried to show his truthfulness by submitting to her, but a sinister chuckle was all that he received in return.

"Of that I have no question or doubt boy, it is about what you might do, that is the cause for some modicum of concern." His eyes shot up to hers, "My Lady... I haven't done anything! I won't do anything..." His voice cracked as the stress became to much for him.

He heard the Countess let out a small sigh and walk closer to him, "Come now; I am only threatening you with torture Victor, not making you experience it. This punishment, this flogging, it will depend on how you behave yourself." Her large hand rested on his head as she strangely moved her fingers through his short hair in a soothing manner.

But the moment was fleeting in its duration, and just as fast as it had come, it soon left.

"Rise up Press, I have shown you what I desired to." Victor got up and sniffed, wiping his tears away in order to look more presentable.

"I have a further order for you boy: I am aware that you are capable of working with your electronic devices, and that you can be payed with another type of currency." "Y-Yes My Lady... the payments happen online and they are attributed to my bank account." "Good. You shall resume your old job the, for it would still provide some sort of revenue."

But that posed a problem, "My Lady? I would need to retrieve my other computer..." A flash of irritation passed over her features, "Why? You cannot work with the one that you have?"

He quickly gave her an answer: "The portable computer isn't as powerful as the one with the case. With it, I will be able to work faster and more efficiently... I could take up more jobs." He hoped to dear god that it would convince her.

"Very well. But I am expecting differences and a significant raise in the amount of money that you shall receive." "That is another thing My Lady... the money shall arrive to my house... I would need to go retrie- "My, my, not even a moment and you are already contemplating about escaping."

His heart began to beat faster as she turned around to face him, features prim and proper. "I-I would n-not... My L-Lady." The cruel smirk from earlier returned, "Then prove it boy. Prove that I can trust you." There was genuine encouragement in her tone, which was a first.

"I-I will My Lady." He whispered and sighed, for the internal battle of remaining calm was a truly arduous one.

On their way back to the main floor of the castle, Victor stopped when he was faced with other creatures... other... monsters.

They were like zombies, dressed in rags, carrying a weapon in one of their hands and limping around whilst groaning. Then, unexpectedly, one of them gazed at him and let out a feral roar, beginning to limp towards him.

Victor gasped and fell back, but the Lady merely chuckled and the thing suddenly stopped. The young man had already sought refuge behind the tall Countess, and this caused her to laugh once more, "You have no need to fret boy. They will not attack, unless I order them to.

His gaze landed on the back of her head as seemingly said something in Romanian and all of the monsters left. "Wha-what... a-re-are they?"

The Countess resumed her walk to the flight of stairs, not bothering to look back behind her. "Those are moroaica, they serve as my protectors... they are quite effective at removing intruders from the castle grounds."

Victor huffed as he tried to keep up with the Countess, "Here at house Dimitrescu, the ideology of maximum fruition is an unspoken law, for everything may have a certain usefulness to it. Take those creatures for example, they are the final remains of those who partake in the production of Sanguis Virginis."

He felt sick in his stomach, "Wait... t-those are- "The maids that have made too many mistakes, those that were too weak, or too nosy and unstable to be kept around."

Victor held an arm up to his mouth and gagged... they had no more blood, he realized with a startle. "Wh-Why?"

The vampire matriarch sighed, likely for the reason that she was tiring of his continuous cries. "You may believe me to be a monster boy, but I am a Lady of my word and I reward those who prove themselves to be diligent and loyal."

"It does not happen often, but after twenty or so years of service, I allow the oldest members of my staff to leave. They are fully rewarded with a small compensation and further support if they themselves are caught in dire economic situations." She then continued to walk, high heels impacting against the marble floor.

"House Dimitrescu has an appearance that must be kept, for our allies are to be treasured."

Chapter End Notes

So yes, things are starting to get interesting, and the more messed up details of the unhealthy relationship are coming through. Please remember to comment and tell me of your theories.

Classics and moderns

Chapter Summary

A month passes, and Victor continues to try to adapt and survive, even when the desire to escape ghosts him at every turn.

Chapter Notes

Here we go! In regards to the previous chapter, I saw some confusion to Lady D's final words, so I'll put some clarity to it: those are more of a motto, so the phrase should not be taken literally. Besides, Alcina does not view Victor as an ally, to her, that would be someone like the Duke. I hope this helped clear up the misunderstanding, enjoy!

See the end of the chapter for more notes

"Yes, the program has been sent to you via email, you should see it right now." Victor rubbed his tired eyes as he held his Iphone up to his ear.

The caller was boisterous and loud, which caused a headache to erupt in his mind. "Excellent, I am glad that it has arrived. Good, thank you for your tip sir, good afternoon." He closed the call and loudly sighed. That was another job done.

He got up from the chair and stretched his back, yawning.

In the afternoons, he had taken to work on the programs that his clients had requested... this was because the Lady still ordered him to help the maids with the duties inside the castle, thus leaving Victor with less time to concentrate.

That was why he usually spent the first few hours of the night awake, typing away at his keyboard, to make up for the unavailable hours.

It was not... optimal, nor was it healthy, but it was the only thing that he could truly do to get ahead of the deadlines. He worked each and every single day, there were no exceptions.

So far, the Lady seemed to be pleased with the amount of money that he earned; sure, it took some time to arrive as he had to request the bank to send it to him via packaging... but it still came nonetheless.

However, it was hell for Victor, he was not happy. The teen just felt... tired. He wanted to go home, to leave this cursed castle and to not have to worry about vampires and werewolves

and other monsters.

He hated himself.

Victor despised the fact that he still felt physically attracted to the Countess, even if she was a cruel, sadistic tyrant. He was still in awe of her beauty as he had been prior to being captured. The young man felt dirty for experiencing those thoughts, for the way that his body did not coordinate with his brain.

And the daily stress kept eating away at him, slowly as it broke down his sanity. Ignoring the screams that came from the lower levels or the bloody footprints that he found every once in a while... it was getting to be too much to handle.

At least he has his computer station with him. Karl had gone to retrieve it, and Victor was grateful of the fact that he told him that his house had been locked under his property.

The head of house Heisenberg had claimed it as his, thus nullifying the chances that the townsfolk would come and steal from him. It was the only easy thought that he could have, that of knowing that his possessions were still safe and sound.

God, he was starting to go insane. Victor would cry himself to sleep at night... he did not even sleep in the servants' quarters anymore... he just couldn't.

Ioana and Adina tried their best to stay close to him, but with the many tasks and chores, they now rarely saw each other. And it wasn't like they could even come see him after dinner.

That was one of the rules imposed by the Countess, those who broke it suffered horrible consequences l, or so had said the head maid Mihaela.

The fear of having to work in this place was palpable, as it sometimes was the tension. Victor only wished to leave, it stemmed down to that desire of his.

But naturally, he would be denied of it. It was nearing 5 pm right now, but there was still so much work that he had to do for the next client. In fact, it was not surprising to see that juggling between three clients at a time was horrible. Unfortunately though, the Lady of Castle Dimitrescu demanded a steady flow of coin.

"Victor? I was looking for you." He froze upon hearing that voice, and whirled around.

Bela stood at the open doorway. He had been so caught up in his own mind that his ears didn't even notify him of the sound that the door made when it opened.

Victor stumbled back, his leg hitting the table. His arms began to tremble as she stepped closer. Her movements were slow and neutral, but he was terrified nonetheless.

"Victor, I won't hurt you, I won't do anything to you." "Y-You," He stuttered, his mouth dry, "You killed that maid." She visibly grimaced at his mention, and he believed that she would strike him.

"Yes, I do not deny it Victor." Still, she kept getting closer so he moved around the table to try and escape, "Victor please, I only want to talk." But he was panicking, he wasn't even listening to her words as she nearly reached him.

Then, the young took to a boost of acceleration and ran by the other side of the table, opposite to her. However... he was still a human, whilst she was not.

Bela transformed into the swarm of insects and reached the door faster than he ever could have. The woman dressed in black blocked his path of escape, he was now trapped in this room.

"Please calm down Victor, I want to talk to you." "H-how..." His tone was quiet and meek as he looked away, giving up and sitting down in the chair.

"How do I know if you're even telling me truth? You killed that person Miss Bela... I... you w-would do the same to me." There was regret in her yellow eyes, she looked down, holding her hands together in front of her.

"I do not take pleasure in the act Victor. For that aspect I am not like Cassandra." She answered him, "But I need to do so to survive. I must sustain myself with blood Victor, without it I would not survive." Her leg extended and she took a cautious step towards him. This time, he did not move.

"I am aware of your fear for me Victor... I know of it." She sighed and took her hood off, all in an attempt to put him more at ease and to look more normal. Another step followed, and another step still.

Victor closed his eyes and resigned himself to his fate, taking a few shaky breaths. He flinched when he felt her hand touch his shoulder, expecting pain, but was instead treated to soft touches. "As I said, I won't hurt you."

"You... you said you wanted to talk?" He asked her unsurely, "Yes, to make up with the unfortunate accident that happened." Victor nodded, the trembling slowly subsiding.

"I... don't really have much time to talk, I have to work and complete some projects. Plus, your Lady mother is expecting me in her study in a little more than an hour." The eldest of the daughters, sat down as well.

"Mother would not be angry with you, if I told her that I required your assistance." "With what?" He asked cautiously, "The modern technology that you use... I believe that we had stopped with the beginning of the comparison of a hard disk drive and a solid state drive, or as they are commonly called, an hdd and a ssd." Bela answered.

"Good... I'm glad you remember those things."

It took some talking, but the change happened but by bit, and Victor began to relax feeling a little more at ease. When he checked the time, he saw that he had twenty minutes of time left

before he would have to go and treat with the Countess. His hand absently traced over the wounds on his neck. The Lady had taken to always drink his blood from around that area... it would tingle whenever the thought would cross his mind.

"Bela... can I... fuck, I'm just going to tell you." The blonde looked at him attentively, "I'm afraid, of your sister... she..." Victor sighed.

He was taking a gamble here by speaking ill of Cassandra... if Bela was truly as nice as she claimed to be, then now it would be the time to prove it.

"She wants to kill me." He put it bluntly, lowering his gaze. "Not a day goes by that she doesn't corner me to make some threatening remark about me or something like that... I'm becoming afraid that she won't be able to control herself, or won't be able to listen and obey to your Lady mother's orders." He confessed to her.

"I... I do not know what to do." The eldest Dimitrescu thinned her lips before offering her counsel, Cassandra is hesitant to break Mother's rules, but will do so if she is convinced enough. However, it is also true that she has already been caught in the act."

It was clear that she was thinking about this very thoroughly, "Victor, I would suggest then that you keep to staying close to me and Mother, whenever you have the possibility to." "Alright..." He answered getting up, "I need to go now. See you tomorrow?"

Bela gave him a smile, "I will be eagerly awaiting to talk more about the graphics video card." The mention of it brought his own small smile. After that, Victor invested his energies in lightly jogging up the winding staircase to reach the Lady's office. More than a month had passed, and he had taken to memorize some of the passages and the general layout of the castle. His two friends had helped him masi let with their more expansive knowledge, and slowly, Victor was creating a local map on the interior of the castle.

Of course, there were still so many sections that he hadn't seen or have been given access to, so his conclusions were incomplete; still, it was better than nothing.

Even if this had become a common practice, Victor still hated the process of when the Countess would feed on him. It was already so disturbing... and intrusive almost like if it was a violation... because it was a violation, in all aspects of the word.

Tonight though, there would be a bigger and unexpected surprise: there was no answer when he knocked his fist on the expensive and laboriously crafted door.

"My Lady?" The teen called out, but there was no answer. Victor dared to peek inside, and indeed there was no one there.

Confusion and panic spread through him: why was the Countess not here? Where had she gone?

But the alarming thing about it was that she was expecting his presence. Victor checked the time on his smartphone and saw that it was a minute past the set hour.

"Fuck!" He cursed and began to wonder the halls, nearly to the point of running.

He began to search for a few maids who could tell him where to find the tall vampire. He did not have to go far for he found one dusting off a knights suit of steel armor. "Hey, hey, I need your help, where is Lady Dimitrescu?" The woman answered in broken English, but Victor managed to recover the underlying message that she was in the Opera Hall.

"This place has an Opera Hall..." He contemplated it for a moment, still marveled by the size of the castle, "Shit, were is it though?" He would waste too many seconds in trying to communicate with the maid, so he continued on his path.

"Where the fuck am I supposed to go? Could really fucking use some directions here." His nervousness gave way to his cussing, as it was the only way in which he could try to alleviate the tension that weighed down upon him.

"You! Where is the Opera Hall? I need to go there." "To the left door of the Courtyard." "Right thanks!" The young man didn't even stop, he just kept jogging.

Victor did not bother to put on a coat as he exited the Dining Room and was assaulted on all sides by the frigid temperatures of the mountains. His worry and anxiety served to carry him all the way to the door which seemed different and more particularly crafted as there was a gold insignia of house Dimitrescu on it.

The cold bit at his body but Victor pushed through, for the real cold was generate dry the fear that pooled inside of his body. The door opened without a hitch and Victor entered to the warmth of the castle again.

There was a staircase in front of him, there was also yet another door to his right, "Fuck it, let's go up." With the same hurry as before, he took the steps and arrived at the top in record time, but it was then that he heard this soft melodious tone, a gentle stream of notes being played on a piano.

Victor slowed down to listen more carefully at the the song, as this was his cue to where the Opera Hall was. Rubbing the bridge of his nose, the teenager took a few steps forward, following the flow of the music and entering another luxuriously decorated hallway. It seemed as if this particular portion of the castle had less grandeur and opulence than the other portions: this was in the sense that precious and expensive a woods were treasured over the marble, but there was slightly less of that baroque theme to it, though it should have been made clear that there was still a near ludicrous amount of gold and silver peppered over almost every surface.

Soon, Victor arrived to a balcony of sorts which allowed to view the open space of the next room. It was here that the music was stronger... so this has to be the Opera Hall, for there could be no other way. His eyes were briefly caught by the shining rays of the pair of chandeliers in front of him which hung from the ceiling.

Having fortified his determination, he dared to look down. There was a theater on the far back of the room, occupying the area of the largest wall. There

were some armchairs on the space in front of it to allow a comfortable experience. The titanic shape of the Countess occupied one of these such chairs, though her gaze wasn't aimed at the theatre but rather at her daughter, who was expertly playing the grand piano that dominated the center of the hall.

From his perspective, Victor was faced with their backs, though it was curious to see that Lady Dimitrescu was dressed in a dark grey gown, instead of her usual white one. The young man could not tell which of the vampire daughters was playing the old instrument, for the black hood covered her head and prevented him from identifying which eye color she had.

Victor felt as if this was an intimate moment, so he simply stayed back and watched, not daring to make a sound, afraid of displeasing or even angering the two immortal women.

At least though, the daughter was truly good with her skills as her fingers glided over the white keys of the grand piano, arranging and composing soothing and calming sounds via the stringed notes. It was slightly comforting to hear, even if he knew next to nothing about classical music... he didn't know if this was an original piece being performed or if it was simply a reenactment of an older one.

Eventually, the melody came to a close, and the last of the notes faded away into silence. The Countess began to clap in a contained manner, "Excellent my dear, you are becoming better with every week of practice." It was at this point that the daughter turned around, and it was revealed to be Daniela. "Thank you Mother, but I could never hope to equal you."

Lady Dimitrescu laughed and stood up, gently holding the redhead by her shoulders, "With enough experience, you will have the possibility to best even me. Your coordination and rhythm was truly exceptional this time... would you not agree boy?"

His blood ran cold at her knowing statement. She knew that he had been up there, silently watching and observing. Victor swallowed and composed himself, "O-Of course My Lady, Miss Daniela was very good with the piano." He then gazed at the mentioned daughter, meeting her gleeful grin and offering a smile of his own, "My compliments to you Miss Daniela, I have never heard a musician more talented than you."

She opened her mouth to talk, but her mother took the head of conversation again, "Now, my daughter, I require some privacy alone with Mr Press." The daughter did a curtsy and left in an explosion of insects.

A fraction of Victor's worry receded as the last bugs exited the room, their buzzing fading away.

"Come down here Victor, do not keep me waiting." The Countess sat down again and leaned back. The software engineer was gripped by the fear of his lateness. The Lady sounded frustrated and annoyed. This was going south really quickly.

Luckily for him there was another staircase that led down to the ground floor and Victor cautiously approached the relaxed vampire, trembling and shaking with worry.

"M-My Lady, I a-am so sorry for not arriving earlier... I did not find you in your s-study, I did not know where you were and I did not know where the Opera- "Quiet boy, I am not in the mood to hear of pointless chatter. Turn on the player over there."

She pointed to an antique looking gramophone. Victor walked up to it, finding a selection of discs on the bookcase next to it. Unsure of what to do, he asked the Countess for directions: "Uhh, My Lady, what would you like to hear?"

She still had yet to properly look at him and she flicked her hand, "You get the honor of choosing boy, though make sure that it is a good track." A small chuckle escaped her then, "That is of course if you are capable of properly selecting a disc, as I know that those songs are quite different from the lowly music that you plebeians are so favorable to hearing nowadays."

A sudden drawl overcame him, the line of carefully placed disks seemed to stretch on forever in his eyes... countless possibilities, countless mistakes, countless deaths.

"God help me..." He picked one out... the front cover was written in Romanian... but he could make out the author of the piece... Mozart! Yes! That had to be a good one!"

Hastily, he took it out of the cover and placed the disk on gramophone, turning it on. Victor had never been more grateful to his high school English teacher for having once brought this instrument. He at least knew how to turn it on.

Tentatively, he gently laid the needle on the grooves of the spinning circular object, distorted music was projected outwards.

The teen cringed as the horrible noises kept coming but then he struck gold, and he found the correct frequency. Letting the needle go, the Opera Hall was filled with the orchestral glamour of one of history's finest musicians.

"Mozart, perhaps not all is lost in regards to the younger generation..." Lady Dimitrescu stated as she smoothed her dress.

With the curl of a finger, she beckoned him over to her side, and Victor was forced to obey her at the cusp of unimaginable torture. "Come now, you already are aware of how you must service me." The drawl in her voice ran a fine edge over his ears.

Unwillingly, he bowed his head and showed his neck. The Countess' large hands served to keep him still as her breath ghosted over his flesh. With an unusual gentleness, she pressed her lips over his wounds, like how a lover would kiss their significant other.

Gradually though, that contempt turned into discomfort as her sharp teeth dug through the healing flesh of the two holes, tearing away at the rebuilt tissue and muscle until they reached his vein, piercing that as well.

This time, the process of feeding was... different, in the sense that the Lady was not as ravenous as she had once been on previous days and occasions.

Though she did it more slowly, she was still drinking a copious amount of his blood, and the human body had a disposition to depend on said blood.

Victor's vision became foggy and everything started to feel light, his legs began to buckle a little so he pressed his hand to the armrest. Lady Dimitrescu stopped then and allowed him to stand back up.

She cleaned her lips with a small napkin, "I trust that you have had much to work." "I... yes My Lady." "And your experience would seem to precede you. You have garnered house Dimitrescu a considerable amount of coin in the month that you have spent here." The Countess noted.

Victor did not know if he was to interpret that as a compliment or something else, so he simply stayed quiet.

"And... perhaps I have also begun to see why my eldest is so interested in you boy. For all of your shortcomings and flaws, you have proven to be quite the valuable asset." He hated the way in which she worded it, for it made him feel like an object, a non living object to be exact.

"Well Victor, do you have anything to say?" The Countess asked him, "I... am not really understanding what you want me to respond with My Lady? Sorry... uh... forgive me I mean." He tripped over his words.

The Lady Laughed, crossing one leg over the other and revealing the faintest amount of stocking over her bare skin. Victor looked away in embarrassment.

"Yes, there is something that is much amusing about your disposition of attitude, so unlike that of the townsfolk..." She saw that he briefly cast his gaze to the empty stage.

"Do you fancy plays boy?" The Countess questioned, "N-not really My L-Lady." There was definitely something different with her today; this wasn't how he was used to the Lady of Castle Dimitrescu, she seemed different... perhaps it could have simply been because he had caught her in a moment of relative happiness after having heard her youngest daughter play.

"Hmm, how droll. Well, no matter, sit down Victor." She gestured to the noticeably smaller chair to her right. It felt as if he was playing a game of cat and mouse... the fact that she was acting so amicable and calm was messing with his head. Still, accompanied by the tunes of Mozart's music.

"Boy, I wish to change the order of composition of the author... switch out Mozart with another composer, either it be Hadyn or Bach or Beethoven." Victor nodded at her.

He was looking in front of him, and watched the Countess with the corner of his eye. His mind was going at a million miles per hour in trying to convey some form of sense to her strange behavior.

"Boy," "Y-Yes My Lady?" The Countess suddenly had her cigarette holder held between her fingers and breathed in some of the aromatized smoke, "Why did you come to the village?"

A pin could have dropped and created an explosion, such was the silence that reigned in the Opera Hall. "I... i-it was b-because..." Victor stopped, holding a hand up to his chin. "Do continue to talk, it would be quite rude not to answer to a Lady of my status."

Still, he could not answer, it was too personal and intrusive. "I only asked a simple question boy, surely it is not that hard to answer too? Or would you like to test my patience." He gulped at hearing that.

"M-My Lady, please forgive me but... that's too... I'm sorry, I cannot answer that." "And what secrets are you hiding then? Why is it that a young boy such as you would choose to leave the comfort of his own country to live in a desolated town situated in the Carpathian Mountains? That would warrant much suspicion, would it not?"

Her pointed gaze made him feel small and he cowered, "No My Lady, I do n-not... it's something personal to me- "And I would care to know of it boy," Her eyebrows narrowed, "Unless you wish to suffer the ministrations of my hand?" The threat was even more evident and clear now.

Victor swallowed and sighed in that order respectively, but was bound to tell her the truth. "D-Do you remember that time in which you had asked me about marriage? B-before you had c-captured me?"

White smoke blew from her mouth as she moved the classy cigarette holder away, "I most certainly do, might it not be that you believe me to be a simpleton boy?" He felt the spike of tension cut right through him, "Forgive me for h-having offended you M-My Lady! I did not mean to imply or say- "Oh, I am just jesting Victor, but do continue to speak."

Again, preparing himself once more, he placed his fist in his other hand, "That was the reason why... my parents... they were the reason as to why I decided to leave, to go somewhere were they couldn't follow me." "Hmm, it is evident that you do not share an amicable relationship with them, such is a sad thing to hear." There was an odd line of... empathy in her words.

"Thank you My Lady..." "You do not speak to them?" "I... do not want to... they hurt me... they..." His throat became tight and he coughed, "They manipulated me..." He finally confessed in a much quieter tone.

Lady Dimitrescu remained silent for some time. "I understand." She answered him quietly, "A parent who would not seek to live their child does not deserve the title that they possess." Victor tried to make sense of what she was saying, but it was a likely in reference to some old classical piece of literature that he just simply did not have the faculty or patience of understanding.

When the Countess suddenly got up, Victor nearly fell of his chair in fright. The woman paced over the hall, seemingly looking for something, or maybe she was simply contemplating.

Slowing down to a halt, she took a long lasting drag of the cigarette holder. "You may go Victor, you may return to the servants' quarters and rest." She told him without casting a glance.

"I... I will My Lady. G-Good evening." He bid his final goodbyes and walked away.

"Press," Victor stopped just before he opened the door, "My Lady?" The Countess looked at him with her piercing golden eyes, though they did not carry the usual amount gravity that they had to them, "We shall convey here in the Opera Hall on the morrow. Do not be late and do not be caught up with other nuisances, should they arise."

"Of course not My Lady."

Chapter End Notes

Yup, tension keeps rising and I know this may seem a little boring, since nothing is really happening; but I must repeat myself, this is a slowburn, I want there to be some buildup for a good payoff (which I'll hopefully be able to deliver) please comment, leave your thoughts and theories and until next time!

Exhaustion

Chapter Summary

Victor suffers the effects of his situation.

Chapter Notes

I am so sorry for being this late! And I apologize for not answering to the comments of the previous chapter. Still, I hope that you are all satisfied with this next installment.

See the end of the chapter for more notes

"Fuck my life..."

Victor could barely keep his eyes open. He had not slept at all during the night, since he needed to complete the next project as soon as he could.

The American had managed to strike gold when he was employed alongside a few others to create a new system for a company... naturally, working from a distance was proving to be quite taxing, since the other three software developers would always meet up.

Somehow, the amount of work he was required to complete was nearly double that of the rest, worst he had to turn it in before the end of the week.

Had he been in another situation, he would have laughed it off, since the conditions of the deadline were bar line in humane. But he could not afford to give himself that luxury, Victor needed the money that was being offered. Fifteen grand, it was quite the sizeable amount of dollars, which converted into lei would become sixty thousand.

But because of that deadline, Victor hadn't slept in two days, now he felt as if he was simply going to drop dead.

He was overworking himself, and a part of him knew that. Still, he had to complete the given task. "That's it for now... I'll go get some coffee..."

The pure tiredness in his voice was astonishing. It was early afternoon and he had skipped out on lunch, solely relying on the energetic beverage to keep him up and going.

He shut off his computer and got up, briefly passing by the glass vase to look at his reflection. The teen sighed as he looked horrible: ugly black bags were present under his eyes, and those were bloodshot and red too.

God, what would he have given to sleep just a little bit? His only saving grace was the knowledge that he didn't have much left to complete it.

Opening the door and walking outside, he was greeted to the eerie silence of the castle. The fact that he could not hear the tortured screams was reassuring enough, so Victor went to the Servants' Quarters... perhaps he would even find some leftover from lunch, but he doubted it. There was a sense of finality in the meals, and just how Lady Dimitrescu had stated, nothing was wasted inside of this castle.

"Ah... fuck..." He had nearly tripped and fallen, so now he kept a hand close to the walls at all times, in an attempt to prevent further accidents like this again. With a slight stumble, he continued on forward.

But soon enough, Victor understood that this was a lost battle: he was delirious and everything swayed left and right in his vision. He stopped for a moment, to try and regain his stability.

Grunting, he rubbed his eyelids and the bridge of his nose. He did not exactly remember where he was going? Which... which was were the Servants' Quarters? He couldn't... he couldn't remember.

"Good... mmhgg fuck... it was this way... wasn't it?" Closing and opening his eyes several times, the poor young man walked, trying to desperately recall which was the right path to reach his destination.

"So... tired..." His eyes closed again and he didn't open them this time. Victor stumbled down and simply laid on the marble class floor, lost to the realm of slumber.

A few moments passed, before some noises could be heard coming from the hallway. A figure dressed in black quickly approached the prone Victor, joyfully giggling.

"My... are you tired little one?" Daniela chuckled as she crouched down next to him, "Little one?" She repeated again and frowned when he didn't answer and react. Tentatively, she poked his arm and then his cheek.

"You are tired..." She huffed and looked around. The redhead was impartial to the presence of the man-thing, though it was refreshing to finally have someone who wasn't a covering maid.

He was at least pretty... far prettier than the men that she had seen and seduced in the village. Not knowing what to do, she simply stayed there, crouched in the same position while listening to his light and quiet breathing, cocking her head to the side.

A grin split her lips and she quickly hooked her arms under his own, using her unnatural strength to pick him up and carry him. Daniela partially transformed into her swarm so that she could move faster, and quite literally flew him away, to her own chambers.

In a short amount of time, she had already arrived to her bedroom and set the young man down on her large couch, moving the messily scattered books and trinkets away from the cushioned surface.

She watched over him, walking around him and generally taking her time to lord at his limbs and face. "Why are you so tired little one?" Again, she asked him as if he would suddenly wake up and answer her.

Her fingertip briefly passed over the black spots under his eyes, which told cnn eye that he had not been sleeping well. "Hmm... what should I do until you wake up?" Daniela was bored... Mother had told her that she couldn't play with the maids. There was no fun to be had and the days would become so insufferably slow and boring.

"Wake up little one... I want to play..." She sang and pulled at the short strands of his hair. But still, Victor would do nothing but sleep. Had he been well rested, he would have surely woken up by now. That was the logic inside of the redhead's mind.

She could see the wounds on his neck, her own throat was tickled by the sight of them. If she smelled hard enough, then she would sense his warm man-blood.

Daniela licked her lips as she continued to stare at his deliciously exposed neck. She wanted to try some! But Mother... had said that they couldn't... and besides, she had already laid her claim on him.

But still; it is we not her place to do so, even if her desire to drink from him was overwhelming. With a sigh, she sat down next to him, continuing with her prodding.

And then, a flash of ingenuity hit her, she needed Mother! Mother would know what to do with him!

With a smile, Daniela transformed into her swarm of insects and phased away from her chambers, flying through the hallways at incredible speed and scaring many of the passing maids senseless.

Maybe she would also pay this virgin girls a visit later... but the redhead shook her head and thought back to what she was going to do. With Mother's help, the boy would wake up, and then he would love her!

Within a few moments, she had arrived in front of the large decorated door of the matriarch of house Dimitrescu's study.

She knocked on it thrice and eagerly awaited for the older woman to allow her entrance. "Come in."

Daniela did not need to wait another moment as she sprung through the door, standing in front of Lady Alcina Dimitrescu.

She did a small curtsy, which caused the other to smile fondly at her. "Daniela, my youngest. What do you need? I am afraid that my work is terribly large on this day so I do not have

much time to spare." She told her, but it was enough for the redhead, "Mother, the man-thing has fallen asleep, I've brought him to my bedchambers but he won't wake up!" She exclaimed.

The Countess digested this information calmly, "The boy fell asleep you say?" "Yes Mother! I want to play games with him, could you please help me wake him up?" Daniela pleaded, leaning against the front of the massive desk.

With a sigh, the Lady stood up from the armchair, walking over to the door. "Very well, come along my daughter." "Thank you Mother!"

They walked in silence until they reached her youngest's chambers, and true to her word, the boy was lying face down on the couch. "Here he is Mother! What do I do now?"

The Countess frowned at seeing the mortal man in this state. From his appearance and the bags under his eyes, it was clear that he was exhausted.

And his smell too wasn't all too inviting. The towering Lady wrinkled her nose in distaste of it for a moment, before ignoring it completely. Silently, she extended one of her claws as the redhead watched everything attentively.

With the slightest force of her finger, she made a very small cut on his cheek and a drop of blood dripped out from it. There was no reaction to him.

Lady Dimitrescu retracted the talon and held her hands to her hips, staring down at the sleeping male. "This is a most unlikely scenario. Keep him here Daniela, while I go to retrieve something for the boy." "I will Mother."

The first thing that she did was to stop and speak to her head maid.

"And he did not return to the Servants' Quarters?" "In truth, no, Mistress." Mihaela answered to the question. The vampire matriarch hummed in thought, "For how long has this been going on?"

The other woman looked to be thinking of the answer, "A day, perhaps two at most." Lady Alcina nodded her head at her, "Thank you Mihaela, I also meant to question, how is the produce of the continuing?"

"The new seeds have worked well My Lady, there are less and less infected grapes in the vineyard." That information pleased her very much indeed, "Excellent then. Continue with your good work."

With that, she left the wine room, ducking under the doorframe and taking the winding flight of stairs down to her main hall.

Another set of marble stair later, and the Countess found herself in the Hall of the Four, named after the four sculptures of the statues that locked the door from reaching the Tower of Worship.

She took a leg turn then and headed towards the small room at the side of the hall. Knocking on the door was not needed, as she was the Lady of the castle; she already knew who was present on the other end of the room.

"Ah Lady Dimitrescu, it is truly a great pleasure to see you in good health and spirits!" The Duke exclaimed as he placed his notebook away.

A rare smile graced the Countess' blood red lips. "Duke, the pleasure is all mine. I trust that these chambers have been to your liking?"

With a chuckle, the obese man placed a few boxes on the desk in front of him, "Naturally so, you are my best customer and I am very lucky indeed to be in your good graces."

The Duke was the second person with which the vampire held the most amicable relationship, after her daughters of course, that was due to having known each other for decades.

The man was respectful and had massively helped her household by offering to sell their prestigious vintage for astronomical prizes.

In truth, he had been the one to suggest the usage of a website, to boost the coin that was received; thus increasing the shared profits.

But the Duke was a merchant as well, so he commerced with her by bringing exotic materials and goods that would never be found in the valley.

"I have just received this shipment, please take a look My Lady, my emporium is always open to the likes of you." Taking a couple steps forward, Alcina bent down to take a closer look to the shining set of gems that were placed inside the protective glass casings.

Her gold colored eyes were drawing to a particularly large and shining diamond. "This shipment has just arrived My Lady, from the mines of South Africa no less; these were the best batches of the latest excavation." Each piece was worth thousands of lei, that was more money than any of the villager could have claimed to see in ten lifetimes over.

"The ruby bodes well with the quartz, would you not agree?" "A fashionable and delightful combination Lady Dimitrescu, it would help to showcase your ethereal and noble beauty." The Duke had a charm for words, honed after years of being proficient in his field of expertise.

"You are most right merchant." The man also brought forth a bag, inside was a dress, custom made to fit her size.

"Black silk, worked and modeled from the best Italian stylists." He explained, setting it besides the precious gems. And still, he showed her more items, all of which did not fail to impress her one bit.

A few minutes later, he had showed her the rest of his newly added goods and regarded her with an air of finality, "What will it be then My Lady?"

Her eyes gleamed, "Everything Duke, please add it to my order if you will." "And it is done, thank you for shopping!" Of course he would be most happy to have concluded a very profitable deal.

The Countess would send for a few maids to come later to collect them. For now, she sat down in one of the chairs and took to conversing about the finances of house Dimitrescu.

"When will the next produce of Sanguis Virginis be ready My Lady?" She grinned, "Very soon Duke; this year has been particularly favorable to our harvest, there has never been a more bountiful amount of grapes." "Then you will be pleased to know, Lady Dimitrescu, that I have raised the price of your vintage."

That peaked her interest, "And do tell my good merchant." The jovial giant laughed and produced a cigar from one of his clothes many pockets.

"The demand is higher than before, especially since word of mouth has been spreading in regards to the website, Mr Press did well with the task, many other customers of mine have been very pleased with it... it makes the matter of transporting the wine so much easier and less troublesome than before." This was good news as it meant that the wealth of her family would increase even more.

And that reminded her of something else, "Duke," "Yes Lady Dimitrescu?" She sat forward in her chair, hat framing her curled black hair, "I have been contemplating on expanding the range of the production of my vineyard, by incorporating other such vines."

That would mean having to use plants that were not as resistant to the cold as the ones that she already had, but there was a solution to this: glass gardens.

The merchant immediately understood her intentions, "I can have the materials be brought to you at a moment's notice Lady Dimitrescu, though I would advise calling Lord Heisenberg to set up the electrical lighting, for I fear that there is not enough sun so that the plants may properly take to the soil."

It would mean having to have that filthy fool come over again... but it would be for a good cause. "Thank you for your words Duke, I shall keep them in consideration." And she would, she most definitely would.

"I would mean to ask you as well merchant," The Countess began to speak, if you would have medicines, or rather concoctions that would help to serve the mind and body without needing to rest."

The Duke raised an eyebrow, "Is that so Lady Dimitrescu? Very well, give me a moment of time as I see if there is anything that might suit your needs." The man reclined back onto himself, to scour at the back of his shop.

Alcina waited patiently for him to search, realizing that she was requesting something very specific. Soon, the Duke returned with a couple of plastic jars.

"This is all that I have Lady Dimitrescu, unfortunately, they are not to serve the purpose for which you have asked for. They will supply the body with vitamins and nutrients, so to feel more energized and active, but it shall not remove the need of sleep." "Do not worry, I have time to spare for you to gather these objects from outside of the valley." The merchant coughed for a moment, opening his small book and writing down a few things in it.

"I feel the need to tell you, Lady Dimitrescu, that what you are requesting are drugs... and while they do indeed provide benefits in the immediate future, their usage only returns a myriad of complications strictly related to the health of the individual."

The Duke gave her a knowing gaze while smiling, "It would not help Mr Press at all, if that is what you are wondering Lady Dimitrescu."

She had long since given up on trying to understand just how the man was able to do it; how he was able to know so much about everything, wether it would be people or events. From a certain point of view, this seemingly effortless capability of his was frightening, but it was not to the Countess.

"If you would have another word of advice Countess?" "Go ahead Duke." The merchant cleared his throat, "I would seek to reward Mr Press. His efforts have not gone unnoticed in the market, such actions would be deserving of gratitude, would they not?"

Her lips thinned in a straight line and Alcina placed her hands in her lap, like a proper Lady would. "And you would happen to have suggestions then Duke? I doubt that I can offer him that which he desires the most, as it would go against my best interests."

He laughed in response, "Oh, do not mistake my intentions Lady Dimitrescu, here, a gift would be more than enough, perhaps Mr Press would be motivated to work even more with it." In his chubby fingers was the package of a brand new Iphone 12 Pro Max.

"It is the newest model and of the largest size, just like how Mr Press likes his smartphones." The Duke explained, holding the item out for her to take.

The Countess let out a barely perceptible sigh, but reached forth and grasped it in her own black gloved hand. "How much will it be then Duke?" She asked, keeping the minor dissatisfaction from her voice.

The man laughed heartily and shook his head, "There is no cost Lady Dimitrescu, this is merely a boon on my part towards Mr Press, to favor good commerce and deals. Please give it to him, for he will appreciate it very much indeed."

The Lady thought over the matter for a moment contemplating, and she found that there was some logic to his proposal... and perhaps it would possibly bring those advantages which she wanted.

"Will that be all Lady Dimitrescu?" The merchant asked, his smile still present on his side face. "Yes, good day to you Duke." "To your as well Lady Dimitrescu." The broad grin never left his mouth as the towering woman exited the room, carrying the small package.

Swiftly, she returned to Daniela's quarters, passing by the bowing maids. She could sense their fear, she could even notice it by their quivering forms, but for now she did not deign them worthy of her attention.

When she ducked down under the door, she saw that her youngest had been fiddling with the violin in her room, picking at the thin and delicate chords and creating single, lonesome notes, but the vampire immediately perked up once she was her.

"Mother! Have you found what you needed?" The Countess briefly showed her the smartphone package, but kept it out of her reach, "Do not touch it Daniela, it is only for Victor here. It's his reward." And with that her yellow eyes landed on the still form of the young man.

He was still breathing as slowly and deeply as before, with no visible change to his appearance. "Did he move at all my dear?" "No Mother, he just won't wake up... I'm bored... I want to play with him." She whined and flopped down on the chair closest to her.

The Lady contemplated something for a moment before deeming it doable, "Daniela, you may go down to the village and take a man if you so desire." It was a small token of liberty, but one that her daughter cherished oh so immensely.

Immediately, she hugged her waist, "Thank you Mother! Thank you so much!" A small chuckle came from her as she gently placed her large hand on her youngest's back, rubbing it soothingly.

"Go on then, but make sure to return before dinner." "I will Mother, goodbye!" She was out of the room in a swarm of insects before the Countess could even call for her again.

And then she looked back at the boy and the warmth in her gaze disappeared, replaced with something else: curiosity.

In complete truth, Alcina had not been expecting the boy to push himself so hard; yes, she had not seen him that much in the past two days except for when she had drinker from him and even then it was in fleeting moments as she was occupied with other things, but this was still partially a surprise.

In no time she had called for a few maids to bring a bottle of her wine and to start a fire in the fireplace. The Countess though would not go and sit down.

Instead, she returned to her own study to complete her daily set of paperwork. The prospect of sipping a glass of the bloodied vintage whilst being in the warm proximity of the crackling wood helped to entice her to finish her task faster.

When, an hour later, she had finished, the Lady closed the door of Daniela's room. With grace and purpose, she sat down in the custom armchair, as she had one fit for her stature be built in all of her daughters' rooms.

The wine was sweet on her tongue, coating it in a sheen of red that was darker than the mark that her lipstick left on the ornate glass that she held in her hand.

Moments like these have her time to properly think, to plan. But as of now, her attention was drawn to something else, rather to the mortal who still slept on her youngest's couch.

The rhythm of his heart was steady and true, never changing in its pace. The boy had given her matters to think of. Loathe as she was to admit it, she felt drawn in by his backstory... particularly as to what had caused the wedge to be driven between him and his parents.

As a mother herself, the Countess could not picture a worthy reason as to why a parent would hurt their child so. It seemed unfathomable to her, in every sense of the word.

After a considerable amount of time had passed, she finally noticed a change in his breathing, signaling that he as awakening. It was then that she looked back to the warm flames of the fireplace, staring at the burning wood as she heard him give a small grown and look up.

His small gasp gave her the absolute confirmation that he had no recollection of what had happened.

"Calm down boy." She simply ordered him as she felt his head snap towards her direction.

"M-My L-Lad-Lady? What h-happened?" He asked, his fear palpable. One hand traced the small cut that she had left.

"You fell asleep, right in the middle of one of the corridors. Daniela found you and brought you here." The Countess explained, still not leaving the sight of the fireplace. Another mouthful of blood followed the statement.

Victor rubbed his tired eyes trying to remember his last thoughts. He was fucking terrified: he had fallen asleep whilst he was supposed to be working!

"M-My L-Lady, I'm sorry, I did not want to pass outIwastryingtogetheworkdone- "Calm down boy." The Countess stated, finally bearing her gaze onto.

"You do not see me in anger, so there is no need to be so apologetic." It came off as being very slightly chastising, but the young man would not focus on that aspect, he was only glad that the vampire matriarch was not out for his blood... or at least not yet.

"Victor," "Y-yes My Lady?" He straightened in his sitting position, hoping to not bring upon her terrible wrath.

"What was it that had you ensnared in the claws of exhaustion?" She asked, tilting her head back as to let the seeming faint glow of her golden eyes become all the more when coupled with the brim of her wide hat.

Victor gulped and looked away, "I was doing a job, for a company... me and another few programmers, we have to turn in the work in the next few days." He revealed, "The pay is of

fifteen thousand dollars... or around sixty thousand lei."

The edge of her lip turned upwards and the Countess chuckled, thought it set him further on edge. "Yes, you are proving to be quite the useful asset boy. To the point of which you would willingly spend sleepless nights to guarantee the flow of some more."

Her words were masked, for their true meaning was that of him trying to guarantee his chances to live to see another day. "It had not gone unnoticed that your labor is providing my treasury with more riches, my wine is being exported and sold just as we speak; the fruits of your work are finally beginning to ripe."

Then, she finished her glass in one go and stood up, cleaning her lips with a small tissue that she had by her side. When the Countess took a step forward, Victor got up but the icy glare of her aristocratic features froze him whew he stood.

"Sit down boy." The software engineer swallowed and did as she commanded, keeping his gaze to the floor.

The noise that her heels produced served to give him an indication to where she was and by the time that she strode over to him, Victor was already tensing, his fingers turning white with the force with which he was gripping the fabric of the couch.

The shadow of her arm passed over him and the young man turned his head away flinchingly a whimper escaping his throat. But he was not touched, instead, he heard the Countess huff, "If I had wanted you to be punished, you would not be sitting so comfortably on my daughter's sofa."

He dared to look back at her and saw that she had extended her hand, holding the case of an Iphone 12.

"M-My Lady? What's t-this?" Victor asked the noble. "It is a small reward for your accomplishments."

His mind blanked for a moment as he stared at it.

"Is it not to your liking?" The Countess spoke, the slightest of frowns framing her striking and otherworldly beauty. Victor was pushed by the rational side of his brain to react and with shaking fingers took the case from her offering hand.

Swallowing, he bowed his head to her, "Thank you My Lady. I-I will treasure this." He said. "Excellent, this was the newest model that the Duke possessed."

He blanched at her revelation, "You did not n-need to pay the money My Lady... my phone is fine just as it is." She clicked her tongue at him.

"Now now boy, you have been in my service long enough to know that house Dimitrescu is unrivaled in its generosity." Victor did not dare to contradict her there, even if there was a rebellions spark of fire in him that wanted to make a sarcastic retort to her statement.

"W-What should I d-do now M-My Lady?" He asked, unsure of what to exactly do.

Her nose turned upwards slightly, "Go bathe boy, your smell is not appeasing in the slightest." Her gaze turned towards his stomach, "And do eat the dinner's meal, you are famished."

Victor got up and moved to the door trying to keep his fear away. "Boy, I am still not finished with you."

He halted and this time he did not stop the primal instinct, "Y-Yes M-My Lady?" Turning on his heal, he gave her a quick bow.

"I am not to hear that you spend your nights sleeplessly toiling away at your work. In case of contrary information, I shall proceed to use alternative methods to ensure your rest." The threat was back and he was once more at her mercy.

"I shall allow this accident of yours to pass just this once; but do not expect me to offer the same kind of leniency again." "O-Of c-course My Lady." He stuttered and walked out of the door.

Victor let out a tired sigh and looked over the new Iphone in his hand. He should have been overjoyed at this... but he just could not bring himself to be happy. Whatever fleeting sparks of positivity he had were squashed under the oppressing atmosphere of Castle Dimitrescu.

The teen slowed down as he came to realize that he had never been in this part of the castle and much to his chagrin, he had no knowledge of it.

"Goddammit... I have to leave this to fucking chance and probability." He wasn't confident in his luck... he wasn't confident of it at all. It had been that bad, rotten luck that had led him here in the first place... and it would likely prove to be his doom if given enough of a chance.

"Let's walk down here." It took him a good five minutes to understand the layout of this floor... and glancing by the windows, he believed that he was at the third, maybe fourth? Floor.

The issue with this was that each door was meticulously handcrafted and decorated, with no way of effectively telling which one would lead to a staircase.

"Fuck it... let's go here..." Having convinced himself, the young man opened the door on front of him and immediately stopped, for the sight in front of him told him that this was part of another large bedroom.

Immediately and internally cursing, he backed away, door in tow, but a harsh voice stopped him, "Intră menajeră." His hand hovered on the doorknob debating if he just make a run for it.

But there were too many disadvantages and the odds were stacked against him. Grimacing, he entered, as he believed that was what the words of Romanian meant.

"Fuck..." He whispered under his breath as Cassandra's yellow eyes settled on him. Much to his surprise, she was painting, but the brush was settled down and the canvas was left discarded when she strode up to him and gripped his throat, slamming against the wall.

Victor let out a chocked breath as his hands tried to pry her bruising fingers from off of him. Dammit! Why did the daughters have to be taller than him?!

"W-Wai-Wait!" He managed to speak in between gasps. The brunette openly sneered at him, her face contorting into a deadly glare, "And pray to tell, why should I prey?"

The painful hold tightened as she drove him even higher up off the ground and Victor began to really choke now, his lungs being deprived of the precious air.

"I-It w-was a mis-mistake!" His vision was failing him, but his other senses didn't. The teen violently shook in pain as her sharp teeth tore through the wounds in his neck, pulling his blood from his veins and into her awaiting mouth.

He could not scream, he didn't have the breath to do so.

When he began to black out, Cassandra ruthlessly let go off him, causing him to drop of the floor. Victor groaned as tears escaped his eyes, holding his palm up to his bleeding wounds.

"You have nerve to come here man-thing," He heard the woman say as she walked away. "I warned you and yet you still came here, to my own rooms no less." She glowered.

"It was a mistake!" Victor cried in a weak and broken voice... it hurt so much. With another sneer, she dropped a napkin on him, uncaring for his suffering.

"Clean yourself and leave, or I swear on Mother's name that I will hunt you and spill your guts!" He did not need to be told twice, "W-where are the st-stairs?" Victor groaned as he pulled himself up.

But the middle daughter would not have it, and mockingly laughed at his pain, "Go on, find out for yourself."

Limping, he stumbled against the wall, panicking and trembling...

It was as if his mind needed a moment to actually process what happened and the shock that had yet to register hit him full force, causing his unstable emotions to increase tenfold. Crying was a common thing nowadays... especially since his world was filled with pain, fear and hurt.

The bleeding holes on the side of his neck ached fiercely and constantly, an ever present reminder of what had happened. Gritting his teeth, Victor moved once more, staying close to the wall.

He was much more careful with opening the doors now, only pushing them by a small crack to peek in an see if the so sought after flight of stairs was there to greet him.

Some time later, he had arrived at the first floor, stumbling against one of the walls.

With a grunt, Victor pushed himself on the mirror and looked outside towards the forest that surrounded part of the castle.

That fleeting emotion of want returned to him.

But there was nothing that he could do to obtain it. "I... just have to survive... yeah, that's it... I just have to survive..."

Had he looked for a moment longer, he would have noticed the number silhouettes walking amongst the many pines.

Chapter End Notes

So yes, Victor's moral strength is beginning to crumble as the tiredness and sheer amount of stress takes its toll on him. Also next chapter is when things will really begin to pickup, so be on the lockout for that! Please leave comments and let me know of what you think will happen.

Shot

Chapter Summary

Things change and a dangerous encounter brings much unrest.

Chapter Notes

Huge, huge apologies for the delay of this chapter!

See the end of the chapter for more notes

The gunshots broke through the quiet silence of the castle and Victor fell to the floor in shock at it.

And again, more rapid bursts followed as the crows flew away with caws, abandoning the snow covered pines.

Victor got up and moved to the window, looking outside. "What the hell..."

And then he several flashes of light coming from the forest, as other gunshots erupted from other portions of the castle.

"Wait! There's more?!" He exclaimed and ran out of the room and into the corridor.

"What the fuck is going on?" He already knew what it was, it was another attack from hunters... but it seemed as if they were much more numerous this time around, for he could hear more firearms being let loose all around the castle.

Not knowing what to do, and feeling scared, Victor ran to the right, trying to reach one of the outer doors. Maybe if he got there he could get a better idea of what was happening.

"There!" He reached the set of double doors and pushed on the handle. The metal plates opened up without a problem and Victor exited the castle.

He shivered and cursed at the cold temperatures, but still walked forward nonetheless, directing himself towards the sounds of the gunshots.

But it was at this point that he stopped, for he realized something crucial: the small winding trail in front of him led straight down to the village.

And even more shocking, there was nothing and no one guarding it. A few rounds of gunfire reclaimed his attention as he looked back into the castle.

No one would stop him from going here... the vampire ladies were all occupied with the invading hunters.

Victor had his Iphone in his pocket... and yes, he would be leaving behind his pc and laptop, but those could always be bought again.

A small tear trialed down from his eye as he thought back to everything that had happened. It was time to leave for good, to escape and leave the village behind him.

The young man would relocate somewhere else... hopefully said place would not be filled with calories and other such monsters.

However, before he could take another step, the crunching of the snow froze him in his tracks. Victor's head snapped towards the outline of the trees and a dozen men came out, their rifles trained on him.

Victor swallowed and walked forward, but then immediately fell down when one shots the ground close to his feet.

He looked up to these hunters, breathing hard, "What the fuck was that for?!"

A couple exchanged words in Romanian, so Victor attempted to call out to them, "Hey! I'm talking to you! Listen to me!"

They collectively pointed their guns at him and he held his hands up, "What the fuck! Why the hell won't you listen to me?!" Victor cried out, his voice cracking as he stared down the muzzles of the rifles.

The one who seemed to be the leader of the group, looked at him directly and stated, "Unde sunt băiatul vampirilor? Spune-ne și poate te vom lăsa să trăiești."

The teen blinked for a moment, not understating a word of what the man had just said. "English? Please I don't speak Romanian." He gestured to himself.

"Ah, un străin este printre acești monștri ... de ce nu vei spune doar unde sunt ascunse comorile?" Once more, he had no idea of what was being sad.

"I don't understand! How the fuck am I supposed to tell you? You know what, fuck it!" He reached his hand into his pocket to grab his phone, wanting to use Google Translate, but his vision went black for a moment, and Victor found himself lying on the cold, frozen ground.

One of the hunters had violently punched him in the cheek. The leader took out a revolver and cocked it, pointing it straight between his eyes, "Unde este aurul? Spune-mi și vei trăi." Victor held his hands up, "Wait! We can still talk!"

The other scowled and made a motion to two of his hunters with his head. His arms were held down, he couldn't move as the leader pointed the barrel straight in the middle of his eyes.

Victor trashed violently against the harsh grip, "LET ME GO! I HAVEN'T DONE ANYTHING!" But the Romanian only laughed alongside the rest of the man, and gave him a cruel smile.

But before he could pull his finger back on the trigger, a loud buzzing noise was heard.

An instant ago, everything was relatively calm, then next, all hell broke loose.

Bugs assaulted the men from all sides and angles, viciously biting into their exposed skin and faces. Victor saw a mass form and out came Bela, wielding her sickle and slicing the throat of the leader open with one clean cut.

Shots were fired at her, but they did nothing except to enrage her more. "VICTOR GO!" She roared at him as she caught another hunter by the arm, her sharp teeth catching his jugular.

He was breathing heavily and quickly, but he was not yet death. The young man scrambled to his feet and ran away from the fight, avoid the sprays of bullets which would always come close to nick him.

Taking refuge behind a rock, Victor watched as Bela danced through the distressed hunters, the massive storm of insects never diminishing in its density as the oppressive sound of the flying botflies overcame the men's screams.

She was shouting something in Romanian, her clothes were splattered with blood, as was her mouth and chin. Victor flinched as he watched the guts of a hunter spill to the ground, another screamed as the bugs devoured his entire head.

The display of carnage was horrifying in its brutality, but the eldest of the Dimitrescu daughters would not be merciful with these trespassers.

There were still gunshots sounding from the same areas, which meant that the other noble ladies were still occupied.

The group of a dozen hunters did not last long at all, but Victor watched as one of the last remaining hunters took out a strange looking pistol, aimed it at Bela and pulled the trigger.

He expected the bullet to pass clean through her, yet it entered through her back and exited through her front and a white crystal like shade former over the gaping hole.

The blonde screamed in pain and held a hand to her abdomen. With a snarl, she turned on the last man and slit his throat, but then she stumbled and fell to the ground curling in on herself.

The insects fell, and the white of wound began to spread over the rest of her body. Bela was crying and shaking, muttering words in Romanian in English, crying for help.

Victor stood up from behind the rock in shock... he had never seen this before, she continued to control and writhe in pain.

He looked back at the path, laden with blood, limbs and dead bodies. Her cries caught his attention once more, when she called to him, "V-V-Victor h-help-p!" Her outstretched fingers were frozen solid, tears running down her cheeks.

Victor cast his gaze away from her and towards the village... freedom was only a few steps away... he could leave behind the damned castle and return to a normal life...

Heisenberg's words came to him then: Bela was dying, she was dying. The young man held his head in his hands... his mind being torn between two decisions.

"Dammit... dammit... fuck, fuck, fuck!" The blonde was whimpering now, throat light and barely uttering feeble whispers in Romanian.

"Mama ... Mama ... te rog ... ajută-mă ... Mama ajută-mă ..." He closed his eyes, trying to ignore her pleas.

She was one of them... she had held him a prisoner in the castle!

"Fuck!" He could not leave her here... Bela had been the only one to be friendly with him... flashes don't their time spent teaching and talking about technology and his electronic devices pulled at him.

"Fuck me..." With a sigh, Victor ran over to Bela, "Bela! Bela can you her me?"

Her eyes were closed, her entire body trembling.

"Fuck!" Gathering as best as he could in her arms, Victor let out a massive grunt as he lifted her. She was taller than him, and much heavier too, even if she was slim as hell.

"Dammit, fuck! Fuck! Come on!" Victor cussed as he stumbled forward, feeling that time was against him as she slowly became heavier when more parts of her being began to ice up.

The door was in sight, he could not feel her even tremble anymore, his arms were like deadweights as he kept on holding her.

"Almost... there!" With a heave, he slammed against the doors with his shoulder and fell into the warm air of the castle's interior, scrambling to close the open entrance.

Panting, he looked down to Bela. Much of her torso was frozen... he could barely see her chest rise and fall.

"Fuck... what do I do now?!" Victor panicked, lost on how to keep her alive. The white substance wasn't leaving her body... it wasn't retreating, even with the heat.

And then, his eyes were caught by the shining ruby and gold links of her beautiful necklace, which caused him to look at her slightly parted mouth, were her sharp canines were present.

"Godammit fuck!" A crazy idea popped right into his head.

Victor didn't want to do it... but it seemed to be only way for which he could assure her complete survival. Pulling the cloth of his shirt back, Victor exposed his forearm.

Looking at his wrist, he brought it close to his mouth and began to bite on it, right under the wrist.

It hurt, fuck it hurt so much, but Victor shut his eyes and bit down harder, soon tasting his own bright red blood.

He already knew that Bela wouldn't be conscious enough to properly bite into his arm... he had to do it for her. "Fuck..." Tears were streaming down his eyes, his hand shaking as he lowered it close to her face, letting his open wrist rest against her lips.

"Come on... come on please..." He begged the blonde vampire as he watched his liquid drip past her teeth and onto her tongue. "P-Please Bela... wake up..." His voice cracked, he was scared, he was alone and he did not know what the hell to do anymore.

His mind was in tatters as to what he was doing, divided between his heart and brain. With a whimper, he forcefully squeezed his wrist, causing more blood to drip into her open mouth.

"DAMMIT! FUCKING WORK!" He screamed, banging his fist on the marble floor. The young man cried as he used his other arm to hug himself... it was his only means of comfort.

And then, he felt a pair of fangs latch onto his wrist and pierce his flesh. With a startled gasp, Victor looked back to see that Bela's jaw was set, teeth painfully tight over his arm.

It was like being bitten by a dog: the painful grip never waning and only tightening the more he tried to move. Crying out because of the stabbing agony, Victor could only watch as her cheeks began to move and pure instinct, driven by the urge to survive, to live.

She was ravenous... he had never seen her be this animalistic and it terrified him... it was as if she was a wild animal, driven only by basic and primal needs.

The blood gushed over her mouth and stained her chin and neck, still she wouldn't open her eyes... she was still unconscious. Victor fell onto his side, feeling lightheaded and weak beyond measure.

"F-Fuck..." He cursed as his arm layer limp on top of the woman. But unbeknownst to him, this entire process was actually working.

Gradually, the crystallized portions of her chest began to defrost and turn back into flesh... more and more flies began to form around her, gently landing on her form to rebuild more of her material body.

Victor blinked a few times and finally managed to catch sight of this, just as she began to lightly cough, her chest heaving for a couple of moments before she settled down and sighed, her mouth detaching from his mangled wrist.

Small tears of relief escaped his blue eyes, and the teen laid his head against the floor, letting go of the last of his energy.

His vision was getting darker, everything was becoming hazy. After having experienced this many times already, a small subconscious part of him recognized the early effects of him passing out.

The quiet was relaxing... there was nothing more to disturb him except for the slow beating of his own heart which resonated in his ears. And then, from nowhere, his senses noticed the incoming tremors.

"BELA!"

The doors were thrown opened with such immense strength that the hinges broke and the wood shattered in thousands of splinters.

Lady Dimitrescu rushed forward and cradled her eldest daughter to her chest, not caring for the fact that she was staining her entire body with wet, fresh warm blood.

"Bela, mama este aici, ești în siguranță, sunt aici micuțul meu, nimeni nu te va face rău." She whispered to her, cradling her face and combing her blonde hair with her own red ones. The matriarch of house Dimitrescu grit her teeth, her pure wrath being felt by an aura of power around her.

She was fine... her daughter was healing and not on the brink of death. The Countess' white dress was stained a deep crimson, to the point where it seemed as if she had bathed in a shower of blood, that and not to count the small circular holes which covered it.

The powerful vampire pressed a kiss to Bela's forehead, whispering sweet words to her as she held her tightly in her arms, protecting her from all of the harm in the world.

She had felt it... she had felt their connection whither... Alcina had realized in less than an instant that her daughter was dying.

That should not have been possible... those were the words that kept repeating in her head and yet, she could clearly feel that her daughter was still colder than usual.

The swarming noises came from behind her and both Cassandra and Daniela arrived, in a similar state of dress as her.

"Mother! What happened?!" She opened one of her arms to bring the other two into her embrace as she soothed them. "It is alright my dears... a hunter managed to... hurt Bela, but she is fine now."

The brunette looked at Victor, who was now unconscious as well. "That filthy dog! He is the reason for why Bela was hurt!" She snarled and reared her bloodied sickle back.

"Cassandra stop." The single command was spoken with such coldness that it made her stop completely.

Lady Dimitrescu looked at Daniela, "My youngest, help the boy to one of the guest rooms and wait for me." The redhead bowed her head, "Of course Mother." And with that, she picked him up by the armpits and flew away.

"Cassandra," The Countess called her again, though this time in a much gentler tone. "Come, help me with your sister... she is weak. Gather blankets and come to her room." "Yes Mother."

When she was alone, the Countess rose up, Bela still in her tight grasp. She could smell the scent of so many of those disgusting outsiders... the putrid stench of those cursed hunters permeated her and yet... she also smelled Victor's blood on her mouth.

It had taken her but a moment to understand what had happened and she was... surprised, to say the least.

But she would give these thoughts importance on a later date. Her daughter had need for her and as her Mother, it was Alcina's duty and desire to protect her from any more harm.

Still holding her close, she began to climb up the flight the stairs, whilst calling for Mihaela.

It did not take long for the head maid to arrive and she was as attentive and quick as always. In no time, she had returned with more wood for the fireplace and oil to light it.

Alcina brought Bela to her bathroom and laid her down on one of the roman styled couches, gently tracing her hair away from her face. "Soon my dear, you will be able to rest."

The Lady knew how to run the bath, she was no simpleton in these matters, and so the marble construct was soon filled with the warm, steaming water.

The matron added a few flowers of lavender... those were her daughter's favorite... the small purple plants would gently float on the musty surface of the clear water.

It was then that she turned back to Bela and gently took the hem of her hood, detaching it from the neckpiece. The black gloves came off next and she took a moment to brush her fingers with her daughter's smaller and thinner ones.

Mihaela opened the door with a set of a nightgown and settled it on the chair so that she could then stand besides the Lady and help her with clearing the discarded clothing.

The towering woman sneered once she saw the hole that was in her eldest's shirt. There... that was the tangible proof that she had been hurt. Almost to the point of ripping it to shreds, Alcina held the dress out for the head maid to take.

"Throw it in the fire, along with the rest of it." The other gave a slight bow and took off.

With haste, the vampire took off the last of her clothes and gathered her in her arms before very gently placing her in the hot bath.

Bela gave a small moan upon being enveloped by the water and the head of house Dimitrescu kissed her forehead.

Once her oldest was settled in, Alcina stood up and turned around, discarding her own gloves and using the water from the sink to rid herself of the wasted man-blood.

Mihaela knocked on the door, being respectful as she was and the Lady bid her to enter. "Mistress, shall I draw a bath for you as well?" Without looking at her, the Countess gave a nod, "Yes, thank you. It is to be a small affair Mihaela, I do not plan to spend much time lounging. Do not bring the bottle of wine, nor a glass of it." "As you command My Lady."

She turned to her daughter once more, coming close to gently wash her hair and lather it in soap. She... was alright. She was only unconscious.

"Mother? I have the blankets, just like you asked." Cassandra peaked into the bathroom. Motioning for her to come in, she stood up.

"My beloved Cassandra, I will go and bathe now. Stay with your sister, until the head maid arrives. Take a bath as well... it is best to be clean." She already knew that her daughter had not dirtied any of the halls for she was sure that she had used her insects to move around in a quick manner.

With one last look, the Countess left and began to quickly walk towards her own bedchambers... placed at the top of the castle floors.

Once there, she allowed Mihaela to go and tend to Bela. With a tired sigh, the noble Lady slid off her bloodied dress, letting it pool around her ankles before steeping out of it.

With a small piece of cloth, she wiped her face, removing the makeup. She had not lied when she said that she would be quick to wash herself, as for five minutes later, the Lady had already finished.

Her still had not dried fully, but that was not of importance. The sake of appearance was second to that of needing to make sure that her daughter healed well... so it could be forgiven if her figure was less than perfect at the moment.

Such details where not of the upmost importance. Dressed in a new, plainer, dress the Countess returned to Bela's chambers, finding her youngest who had just arrived.

"Mother! I bandaged the wound of the boy, the one on the wrist. He is asleep though... he won't wake up." She gave her a squeezed on the shoulder, avoiding the large and noticeable bloodstains on her body.

"Very good my dear, but please, clean yourself... it would not do your sister any good to come into contact with people who are not clean." "Yes Mother, I will go immediately!" And she was gone in a swarm of bugs.

As gold eyes watched her leave, the elaborate wooden door opened and out stepped Mihaela. "Mistress, it is good that you are here. Come, I have cleaned your daughter... but I require help to lift her out of the bath."

She nodded and stood up. Her lovely Bela was not heavy at all, not to her at least. Carefully, she set her down on the cushioned chair as Mihaela began to efficiently pass her the different towels to help dry her up.

It did not bother the Countess that her head maid could see her daughter's nude form. For that matter, she herself had already been bare before her eyes when she had taken her own baths and Mihaela was a woman, so there was no harm done there.

Even now though, Bela looked beautiful. Alcina sighed, brushing her hair to release it of the strands and knots that had been formed. She passed the hairbrush to the respectful maid and turned to grab the night clothing.

It was not too much of a hassle to dress her up again. "Do you require anything more My Lady?"

Alcina shook her head, "No, it is quite fine, thank you Mihaela, you may leave. I will call for you if there is anymore need." "Very well, good evening My Lady."

She gently closed the door behind her, letting the Countess stay with her unconscious daughter.

Placing an arm under her, the Lady lifted her up and walked to the door, letting the bath drain of its now dirty water.

She found Cassandra in the other room, tending to the fireplace, but she immediately looked at her and exclaimed, "Mother! I have the blankets that you asked for. They're here, on the bed." The brunette quickly came over as she laid the sleeping blonde in the open covers.

With a gentle wave of the hand, Bela was covered and her middle daughter helped with putting on the additional blankets. The buzzing noises came again and Daniela arrived.

She quickly came forth to embrace her mother at the waist and Alcina laid a gentle hand on her back, rubbing soothing circles.

"She will be fine, right Mother?" The Countess gave her a nod, "Yes, she will recover my daughters... Bela is as strong as the rest of you my daughters, my loves." Even the brunette came to exchange a hug.

There was no denying it though... even the matriarch of house Dimitrescu herself was quite shaken by the fact.

Silently and almost as if they shared the same thought, Alcina sat on the edge of the bed before moving inwards in it. The large frame of the custom built mattress easily supported

her weight. Cassandra and Daniela crowded against her, huddling to her sides to bathe in her warmth.

The Lady pulled her three daughters close to her, humming a small lullaby that was often to be sung in the village, an ancient tune that belonged to a time long past.

They stayed like that for hours simply keeping close to Bela as she would murmur every once in a while. Her daughters, no matter their differences in temperaments and personality all held the same unconditional love for one another, rivaling the one that she gave them.

This... had not happened in decades. The last time that Alcina had found herself even replicating this situation was when Daniela had fallen into a well whilst playing with a stray cat. It had been summer at the moment of it happening... but it was when her brood had still not developed the immunity to the cold.

Still, the seed of doubt grew and swelled inside of her, eating away at her thoughts. Just how could it have happened? Why had Bela been wounded so gravely?

The Countess would need to give these thoughts rest, much to her chagrin, she had to leave her daughters be for the moment.

"Cassandra, Daniela." She addressed them one by one, "I have need to go seek for the weapon that hurt Bela."

Her gaze softened when Daniela let out a small whine, cuddling closer to her, "Must you leave Mother? I don't want you to go away."

Alcina sighed and softly ran her fingers through her daughter's red hair, "Do not worry my dears, I will make sure to be back as soon as I can. Please, take care of your sister whilst I am away." "Yes Mother, we will."

Even if the strings of her heart were tugged, Alcina got up and walked away and out of the room.

The maids had already cleared the splinters of wood that she had left from breaking the doors... even the small stains of red blood had been cleaned. She regarded the broken wood for a moment.

The Duke would need to order a new pair and that could be arranged without any hassle.

The snow crunched softly under her feet and this time the Countess openly scowled at the cold, lifeless bodies of the hunters.

However, she did smile upon seeing the numerous nasty and fatal wounds on them, as they were the proof of her daughter's expertise and skill with her weapon of choice.

The Lady spent a few minutes looking through the bodies, not bothering to touch them at all. Their weapons were all the same... nothing seemed to be out of place from their dressing and equipment.

An eyebrow rose up at the seemingly dead end that her search had come to. But if there was nothing here, what could have possibly hurt her eldest?

There must have been something here, there must have. There was no other logical explanation to it. And so, the Countess redoubled her efforts and took to looking again.

This time, she had luck on her side and the Lady came to a pistol, unlike any she had ever seen in her life It was different... much different than the guns held by the other hunters.

It felt light, because it was lighter than what a regular firearm would normally be. The Countess did not possess a vast set of knowledge on the types of guns which were used and manufactured, but even she could tell that this was a different kind of weapon all together.

The only company that she had at the moment was the scent of frozen blood, still fresh in the air. It would be of no use now... far too long had passed for the liquid to be properly harvested.

The bodies had been dead for too long, there was no point to drain them in a set of newly commissioned barrels. With a final glare, she looked over the stained patch of snow, eyes briefly settling on the village down below.

The path led straight down there... there were no walls nor a gate to blockade it. Up until this point, this glaring blind opening presented no threat to the castle proper, for none of the townsfolk were courageous enough to come up the path.

But hunters were different, they had a certain kind of inanity that was akin to their kind. "Hmm, no better than those lowly mutts." She stated, referring to the lycans how would he oft to prowl the surrounding forests, much to her displeasure.

Had it been up to her, the Countess would have personally seen to remove the foul beasts with her mere presence alone, but another Miranda had asked of her not to.

That did nothing but raise her discontent and scorn towards the mad woman, further straining the already weak alliance and pledge of loyalty that she had given to her.

With a twirl of her dress, the noble Lady walked back to her castle manor, to return to her healing daughter.

The offending gun would be placed in one of her vaults, to be kept isolated until Heisenberg could come and analyze it.

When climbing on the stairs, the Countess slowed down, mind parting to think about the boy. She knew it already that he had helped her... the blood that was on Bela's lips was his and there had been no signs of struggle on his body, more so, the wounds on his wrist were littered with bite marks... and they were too wide and messy to have been done by her

daughter. That was the undeniable confirmation that the young man had saved her daughter's life.

"Mother! Come! Bela is awake!" Hearing her youngest, the Lady was moved to arrive to her bedchambers faster.

True to Daniela's words, her blonde daughter was awake. Immediately, she embraced her and kept her close, kissing the top of her head with motherly affection.

They spent a few hours together, doting on the eldest of her brood and seeing to her every need. When the night began to bloom, she kindly asked for her other two to give her and Bela some privacy.

"Bela, how are you feeling my dear?" She gave her a warm smile, "Much better Mother, thank you."

The Countess looked away and into the fire, "My beloved daughter... I need to ask you something." She was careful with her words... for she did not want to induce any more discomfort from the memory of the traumatic event.

A heartbeat passed before the other answered, "Victor saved me Mother."

Chapter End Notes

Unfortunately I've been very much occupied these last few days and to that I wanted to make a short announcement. I've found a summer job and I'll start working on Monday. It is safe to say that my free time will be massively reduced and as a consequence, so will the time that I dedicate to writing. Updates will take longer to come out as I am not sure that I'll be able to write so much, without even taking in account my tiredness and all of that. Also, I've decided to start looking for a beta to do a grammar check on the chapters, so if anyone is interested then please let me know. Remember to comment your theories and opinions and until next time.

Announcement

Hello to all of my fellow readers, I am sorry to say that this is not a proper chapter, rather, I need to make this announcement as I have reached a deadline: as I have stated in the notes of the previous chapter, I have found a summer job to earn some cash. Unfortunately, I cannot dedicate enough time to writing. Without going into detail, I work as a waiter in a hotel, and I'm occupied for most of the day. My only break is from 3:00 pm to 6:30pm, and that is less if there is a high number of guests and clients. I unfortunately do not have any days off, so it could be said that I am working full time, (even if under the laws of my country this wouldn't be true for minors) As it is, I cannot and do not have the will or readiness to write as I am tired and need to rest during my breaks. That said, I'm putting all of my works on hold for the moment. My contract ends on the 30th of August, so I'll start writing again in September. Once more, I am sorry, but rest assured that things shall return to normal as soon as I am done; I hope that you can understand my situation. Until next time.

Reawakening

Chapter Summary

Victor recovers from his previous action.

Chapter Notes

And I'm back after having finished my summer job, finally! I hope to find you all in good health and I especially hope that you will enjoy this chapter!

See the end of the chapter for more notes

The first thing that Victor felt upon gaining consciousness was the slow and melancholic slam of a headache.

It was of the kind which resembled the sea on a sandy beach: the poundings were slow and methodical, as much as the same as the continuously advancing and retreating water was. It was casual, random in its movements... but the wave would always come back, just as how the deep blow on his psyche would always return.

With a broken groan, he tried to open his eyes, though they felt as if they were weighed down by lead weights. Struggling to even push himself up, Victor blinked, trying to distinguish the blurry objects which clouded and overwhelmed his sight. It all looked and felt far too bright.

Ironically, it reminded him of the one time which he had foolishly made the mistake of not turning his Iphone's brightness down when he went to bed. The sudden flash light blinded him worse than a flash-bang for a few seconds. But this... this was still different.

The sheer tiredness at his limbs and head partially annoyed him some, for this was beginning to be a common reoccurrence.

Letting out a sigh, he twisted, or attempted to do so, on his left side, so that he could promptly fall down with his face and the front of his body. The pillow in which he planted his entire skull in was unbelievably soft and comfy... it was so unlike the harder beds from the Servants' Quarters.

But from this curious detail, a spark of confusion formed at the back of his head, amidst all of the other conflicting emotions and sensations. "Fuck... miscellaneous input is the worst...

program... beats... fleshy muscles and nervous receptors... by a long shot."

His moaning statement was somewhat muffled by the fact that he was literally talking into the pillow, thus the noise was reduced by a noticeable margin. He sagged as he laid there, unable to do anything.

There was a part inside of Victor that wished to wake up fully and understand where he was, what had happened from the hazy flashes of memory. Alas, his physical body refused to comply... and it was perhaps because of his own doing: another portion of his psyche wished to only stay where he was, to go back to sleep on the nice, comfy pillow.

"P-Pillow?" The realization of it had the desired effect. With more effort, he opened his eyes and tried to focus on what was under him.

Five minutes later, he finally managed to sit up and look around himself.

Victor remembered what he had done, that he had saved the eldest Dimitrescu daughter. "God... oh god..." The whisper left his mouth like the wind that would bat against the glass window of the room.

He had been only a few feet away from escaping, and instead of running for his dear life like anyone else would have, he had turned around and rescued one of his captors...

So focused was he on that thought that the shining golden plated walls and archways did not catch his eye, nor did the comfortable fire that was at the end of the room. Victor was lost in his mind, reliving the moment again and again.

The dark, cold hand of dread had wrapped itself around his soul once more: he was still trapped in the castle, he was still no better than a prisoner.

"How... how long will it take now?"

He was referring to his own demise... Victor had understood that it was only a matter of time before he too would be killed and be drained of his blood, perhaps even worst.

The blank feeling within him consumed him completely... he felt partially numb to it all. Victor finally had the urge to look down to his wrist and was partially surprised to see that it had been bandaged with white wrappings.

He made a face then, for he remembered that he had been the one to inflict those wounds. He coughed in disgust at the imaginary and sensational picture of biting into his own arm to save a vampire.

His blue eyes were glassy and wet, the knots in his stomach returned stronger than ever. "This will never end... I'm gonna die here... and there's nothing that I can do." His voice became tighter as a sob fought to escape from his throat.

"This is how I'm going to die..." He hated it, he hated all of it. Victor was tired, he was just tired of all of the stress, the fear and anxiety. His hard shell had cracked; it was now being further opened.

The door of the chambers clicked and let out a small creak when it was pushed. Victor did not bother to look at who had come... it was of no use anymore.

Whomever had entered quickly went away, closing the door. It made him think about it for a moment, slowly his livelihood was returning and he was beginning to get anxious.

"Who the hell was that?" Enlightened with the need to know and to prepare himself, Victor placed his feet down on the carpeted floor and stood up with a wobble. He was dressed in his underwear and it was at this point that he truly began to take in his surroundings.

"W-What?" The teen was confused as to where he was as he whirled around himself to look at the luxurious chambers. Rational thought began to return in a steady stream as questions followed with it.

This could not be the first floor... Victor was almost completely sure that the first floor did not have any bedrooms, at least not of the ones that he knew of.

Still with a slight wobble do to his lightheaded state, he walked to the window and moved the dark blue silk curtains aside with his hand. From here, the tips of the tall pine trees of the surrounding forest greeted him a few dozen feet away. That concluded his hypothesis then, as it meant that he was at least three stories high.

It only alarmed him: Victor did not understand why he had been placed in one of the guest chambers, he had never been inside one before. Even when Miss Cassandra had attacked him, it had always been in the Servants' Quarters where he would be healed and given rest.

"Fuck, fuck, fuck, what do I do?" The desperation in his voice was palpable, as was his uncontrollable shivering. The software engineer felt the need to sit down, to ground himself, but he just couldn't do it.

Victor was urged to do something, to do anything. He was panicking, he had no way of knowing what was happening or what had happened in the time when he had been unconscious. The boy could not predict what would happen, hell, he couldn't even prepare himself to be ready for whatever would happen.

"C-Calm down, let's not f-freak out here." Naturally, this was an extremely hard thing to accomplish, as he wouldn't simply sit still. His wrist did not hurt but the fact that he did not feel anything bothered him immensely. It felt as if he had lost the vital limb, even if it was still attached to his arm.

Burying his head in his left hand, Victor placed himself on the edge of the bed, on the verge of simply letting go and crying.

It was the same situation all over again, he had already experienced this and he had danced along death's touch for far too many times... maybe this would be the time that would prove to be fatal to his life.

The coming steps that sounded from the hallway outside made him snap back to the present. His blue eyes darted to the door and then to the window.

He was so nervous that he wanted to pull his hair out. He couldn't jump out... he would die, or be severely injured at the very least. "Dammit!" He silently cursed and stumbled against the armchair at the side of the bed.

It would not save him or even protect him... but it did give him a sense of security against the harsh truth of his reality... even if it was infinitely minute it would was still his only comfort.

There was no knock to signal the arrival of the unknown individual, there was absolutely nothing at all. Victor tried to ready himself and steel his resolve, though deep down within him, he was aware that it would not be enough to banish the terror that ran rampant in his body and soul.

Grimly, he held his hands to his sides, hoping to convey an image of bravery, even if it would not do much to help him.

Victor was startled and surprised to find a pair of glowing yellow orbs staring back at him, his breath hitching to a stop.

A moment of still time passed, but that was all of the pause that there was , before the blonde woman that stood at the end of the room lunged at him with blinding speed.

With a terrified shout, he turned his head aside and threw his arms up, shutting his eyes away from the unimaginable pain that would be sure to follow. He felt the Dimitrescu daughter come into contact with him and practically threw him to the wall.

But... the impact was softened, he did not slam into the hard surface of the laminated construction of metal, stone and paint. Gasping, he felt the two lithe and long arms pass around his back and his neck to pull him close against their owner's body.

He flinched violently but did not receive any of the expected pain, rather, the hug became stronger as Bela affectionately laid her chin on the top of his head and pulled him closer, as if there was the risk that the wind would take him away with a simple brush.

"Victor! I am so happy to see that you are well! You are healing yes? That is good!" The tone in her voice was truly genuine and profound with affection and care; it made him stay still for a moment.

"Thank you, thank you so much Victor... you saved me, I will never be able to repay you the same as you have done for me." The pitch of her tone became quieter and smaller, showing that this was a truthful and honest confession of her thoughts.

Feeling scared and timid, Victor meekly replicated the gesture and wrapped his arms around the taller vampire.

Bela could feel his light tremors, the nearly imperceptible shivers that ran rampant over his body and the way that his act of hugging was stiff and artificial.

Gently, she moved away so that they were at arm's length and leaned down slightly to look at him in the eyes. "Victor? What's wrong?"

He could not bare to look at her. "Victor please talk to me." She began to move her hands, touching his shoulders, neck and arms, "Are you hurt? Does your wrist hurt?" An increasing amount of desperation poured over her as she lightly shook him.

"Victor answer me!" The teen let out a small whimper and instinctively moved back, out of her grasp, making himself smaller. Bela stopped and stared at what he had just done, clearly noting the glint of water around the corners of his eyes.

Once more, she reproached him, more slowly this time, "Victor?" She began to talk, "Are you alright?" He seemed to be almost lost in another world, whilst still retaining the present perception of reality.

His lower lip trembled, entire body still quivering as his bandaged limb shook erratically. "I-I'm s-sorry M-Miss B-Be-Bela..." Fear coated his frame, the vampiric woman could sense it. As to not startle him again, she delicately held his injured hand in her own somewhat diminishing the tremors by tightening her grip with a fraction of her supernatural strength, "Why are you so scared Victor? Did I do something wrong?"

"Please Victor, why am I scaring you? Did I startle you just now? Please, tell me what I did wrong?" The blonde put on the gentlest tone that she could muster, hoping to finally breach his wall of self imposed isolation.

Shamefully, he looked down to the intricately detailed carpet. "I... Wh-why aren't y-you punishing m-me? Y-You almost d-d-d-died because of me..."

"Victor, you are not to blame, it was those disgusting hunters who endangered both me and you! They were a heartbeat away from killing you!" A flash of sheer rage took over her for an instant as her yellow eyes seemed to almost glow, the mass of insects writhing and buzzing beneath her black veil and pale flesh.

Immediately though, she regretted her actions as Victor only covered before her. The teenager had fallen to his knees, still refusing to hold eye contact with her. Internally, Bela let out a long sigh, realizing the extent that the traumatic event had left on him, additionally, she reprimanded herself for failing to control the more destructive emotions of her personality.

Knowing what to do, she crouched down next to him, still reutilizing the same tactic as she had before. "Listen to me Victor... you do not have hold yourself accountable for what has happened. You... saved me, helped me in my time of most need... do you really think that I would carry any resentment towards you after what has transpired?"

On his part, the young man could only pray and hope that she had chosen to ignore the fact that he was in the mists of attempting an escape. The reason for why Bela even risked death was because of his actions... he just couldn't understand how she didn't realize it.

Perhaps it was simply because she had not noticed... yes, that was the only explanation... but it did not alleviate the tension within him by the slightest.

Her close presence shook him to his core, he was expecting that cursed and deadly sickle to suddenly appear in her hand, for it to be ready at a moment's notice to gut him of his insides.

The memories of their time spent together simply discussing about technology and computers continuously clashed with his present condition; the effects of it where damaging him in more ways than one.

Victor felt compelled to be honest with her, and yet the urge to remain quiet and lie did not leave. He wanted to embrace her again, but goose-skin marked him at the thought of touching her, of touching a vampire who would slaughter him with no hesitation if she came to know the truth.

His breathing was erratic and short, it felt as if something was pushing down on his chest, forcing his lungs to remain still. Victor slumped heavily against the wall and Bela followed after him, settling herself cross legged.

Her fair strands of lush blonde hair framed her delicate and beautiful face, the entrancing tattoo over her forehead adding to her exceptional exotic look.

"I... I do not... I do not... know Miss Bela... are you... you angry at me?" He struggled to form the sentence, always feeling distressed and conflicted.

"Victor, I already told you that you do not need to address me so formally... we are friends, after all." He cringed at her words. Friends didn't lead friends into catastrophically bad situations... they didn't lie to their faces either.

"B-But... you a-almost- "What happened is now in the past Victor, it's over, it's done. There is nothing to do about it. I could have died yes, that is true, but you saved me and now I am stronger than before because of it." She squeezed his naked knee and did not miss his subtle flinch.

"You are not supposed to fear me Victor. I was ecstatic to hear from the maid that announced that you had woken up, I came to these chambers as fast as I possibly could." This only made more questions dawn upon him as he nervously curled the fingers of his good hand.

"F-For how l-long was I unconscious?" There was a pause before she answered and his worry spiked to a thousand in that time. "A day. It is currently late afternoon." The Dimitrescu replied calmly.

"Does your wrist hurt you still?" The programmer shook his head, "I-It doesn't... thank you..."

Bela scooted a tiny bit closer to him as her clothes hip brushed against his own. "I really wanted to thank you Victor, for the fact that you saved me. I can see that you are different from the townsfolk." He turned his gaze to the side opposite to her... otherwise she would have seen his face and distressed wince.

Another shuddering gasp escaped him as she pulled his head back to face her. His heart hammered his ears as she gazed deeply into his blue eyes. "You have done house Dimitrescu an unforgettable service, and I am grateful to you."

With that she leaned in to him and placed her lips against his cheek, laying a kiss on it. Victor froze when she did this, he just stopped completely. Bela hadn't attacked him... she wasn't hurting him as she claimed that she wouldn't.

Her offering was that of an honest thanks... she had killed who knew how many innocent maidens from the village, drained them and consumed them for their blood... he had seen her act violently with enough brutality to rival even Miss Cassandra and yet she did not display it her.

Shortly after, she pulled back caressing the spot and giving him a genuine smile. He felt touched by it... even if he expected those pearly white teeth to be covered in dark red blood. As a secondary reaction, his cheeks became a touch hotter and he glanced away from her, for he was still a boy in all of it. The stress gave out a little, his breathing became slightly more regular and controlled. "Thank you for everything that you have done Victor." She hugged him once more and this time she felt less of the previous tremors, it meant that he had calmed down some.

The instinct which drove him to cry nearly won out against his willpower, so he didn't do so. Cautiously, he followed the same as she did by giving her a hug of his own. With a sigh of relief, he was allowed to shortly rest on the blonde's shoulder, his own drooping down a little with a sag.

"The wound on your wrist was properly checked, your arm will be fine, there's only the damaged muscle that needs to heal... you will only be able to not use your hand for any strenuous activity, at least for a week. Mother has seen to it that the best medicines may be made available to you." The man froze upon hearing that and the blonde noticed, but did not comment on it.

"B-Bela? Can I c-call you by your name?" There was a reserved timidity to the feeble words, one that had belonged to the moments were her sister Cassandra had had him in her bloody fingers.

"Yes Victor, we already talked about, I do not take offense if you do." The older vampire stared at him closely, watching the way that his eyes slowly moved towards the room and the way that his chest rose and fell with each breath of fresh air.

"Why am I in this room? I thought that I would be sleeping in the Servants' Quarters... or at least in a bedroom not as luxurious as this one. This is a guest room, right?" She nodded at that.

"I will be truthful and tell you that I do not know why Mother decreed it so," Her gaze met his once more as she inched closer, "But I am pleased by the fact that she did. You shouldn't have to share the same rooms with those bickering and trembling maidens; you are far above their station in both mannerisms and social temperament."

A moment of austere silence passed, Victor had sensed the venomous trail of spite within the Dimitrescu as to when she referred to the other women who worked in the castle. It passed on quickly down and Bela got up, brushing out the creases in her black gown, which he wouldn't have even noticed if it wasn't for her deliberate action.

Slowly, Victor did the same, reassured and supported by her helping hand. "Oh, how rude and short minded of me, you must not be that comfortable dressed only in your small clothes."

The embarrassment of being in a social attire that was questionable at best and shameful at worst put him at a dead end, where he was consumed by embarrassment. There was a small, traitorous voice in his mind that claimed that he had enjoyed it far more than he should have... Victor was on to stamp it down as there was no way that he could have thought about Bela so... even if she was an ethereally attractive woman, there was no denying that much.

"I... I sorry, fuck, I'm sorry Bela... dammit!" The jumbled mumbling that came from him only started the amused glint in the unnaturally piercing yellow orbs of the beautiful lady. "Please Victor, I am at fault for being inconsiderate, I will grab you a set of comfortable clothes in just a moment." And no soon had the statement ended that she had already shaped into her swarm of moths and insects, further startling him at the seemingly instant transformation.

He breathed out and rubbed his face, immensely grateful of the fact that his blood hadn't decided to flow to a particular area of his body... that would have surely killed him; he could already picture the daughter taking offense to his unwilling bodily reaction. "Jesus... fuck... what the hell is wrong with me?" It didn't make sense to him, considering just how scared and afraid he was earlier; not that he wasn't at the current moment.

"Damn hormones, always fucking things up..." He sighed and moved around the armchair to settle down into it, recognizing that he was still very tired indeed and required more rest than usual.

The buzzing returned and the many wasps and moths crawled from under the door and the keyhole, before the center mass came forth, opening the thing. Bela formed back into her human shape, in her hands was a neatly folded set of clothing which consisted of a shirt and a pair of pants.

She gingerly handled them to him and he gave a small nod of thanks. Victor briefly marveled at how soft the fabric of the clothes felt under his fingers. He believed that they were cotton, and as just stated, there were no hard point in it. From this mere first initial impression he could already tell that they wouldn't be tight on him... and that was what he wanted. Not having to suppress the itch that non elastic jeans would procure him sounded like heaven, and it would be.

"Uhh... Bela, could you please..." Victor gestured to her with some awkwardness as he made the motion to dress. The blonde daughter of the powerful Dimitrescu matriarch only replied with the ghost of a fond smile.

"Of course, take all of the time that you need." She found it endearing in the slightest of senses, coupled with the tinge of an adorable reaction. To Bela, his sudden embarrassment was humorous to see in its most unguarded of showings, though nonetheless interesting. It was curious to note his change in emotional dispositions once the fear and panic had mostly worn out, that and the detail that up until a minute ago, they had been sharing a very closed together space with a hug.

As it would have been described in the novels of romance and tragedy that she was so enlightened to joyfully read, it was suggestive.

Victor did not let out the sigh that had settled in the pit of his throat. He had partially hoped that Bela would have simply left the room for the required time; still it was better than her just staring at him. Even thinking of it made him blush to a degree... yes, Bela was truly a beautiful woman, a woman who was deadly, dangerous and frightening at times... but still a gorgeous vampire nonetheless.

He slid on the pants quite easily and just as he had expected, they were nice and comfy. It was here that he noticed that they were slightly thicker than what he was expecting, but this wasn't an unwelcome surprise at all, rather, he enjoyed the way in which the heat did not immediate leave his body.

Quickly he did the same procedure with his shirt, except for the fact that his wrist was al bandaged and it hurt whenever he moved it into certain positions and whatnot.

His noises and grunts caught Bela's attention for he jolted in surprise when her unexpectedly warm hands stopped his arms and continued to slide down the shirt onto him in the correct manner.

"There... are the clothes to your liking Victor?" A new smile had graced her alluring mouth, contrasting starkly with her usual demeanor and temperament.

"Uhhh... yes, yes they are. They're comfy." "Good, I am glad to hear of it." She stepped over to his side so that they stood shoulder to shoulder. Her forearm ghosted over his lower back, as if acting like a seatbelt, ready to catch him and envelop him to safety should he have the need to do so.

"Shall we go? I plugged in your pc just as you had described how to and I even saved the latest changes to your program." She spoke with a slight tinge of personal pride for her small accomplishment. "Oh," Victor replied, "Well... that's pretty good, consider you've never owned a computer or something from the modern era."

Her grin brightened up further upon receiving his compliment. Taking short steps at the time, they walked out of the bedchambers and into an open hall. Victor was bombarded once more

with the amount of wealth and luxury that decorated the castle. "I would also want you to eat something. It has been nearly two days since your body has received any proper nourishment." The specific information wasn't lost to him and it did not stop him from voicing his opinions: "I'm not that hungry actually, even if that sounds a little off. I'm not even in the mood for a snack really, I think that I should jus- shit! The program!"

He nearly began to sprint if not for Bela's quick intervention in moving in front of him. "Victor stop."

The command was spoken with such intensity that he froze. All of that bright, cheerful happiness had vanished in less than a moment, only glacial pragmatism remained. "You have only just woken up nay fifteen minutes ago. Now is not the time to be worrying about your work, that can and it will wait until tomorrow at the earliest."

"I... but I need to," Her glare became harsher and he submitted to it, "Y-Yes Bela... I won't work on it." But it still cursed him with the horrible thoughts about the necessity of completing the website... for his life still truly and ultimately depended on how well his digital product could perform.

"Victor, you are clearly still not well, otherwise I would not necessitate the action of having to accompany you downstairs." She explained to him, gradually returning to her previous state of emotion. They crossed through another double set of doors before approaching the wide staircase that was flanked with statues of angels and demons.

"Besides, you told me yourself that it is always best to avoid working on a piece of code when you are physically and mentally tired." He did not come up with a rebuttal to that final claim, for in truth there were none that he could make. She had gotten him good and now Victor was in a pickle of his own making; he couldn't feasibly contradict her examples and statements in a way that wouldn't come off as rude or just plain stupid and idiotic.

"Yes... I suppose that you are right... it's just... jeez, this all seems crazy to me, god..." Even now, after more than a month having passed since his forced captivity, Victor found it all tittering on the edge of insanity.

Bela held his arm as they descended the stairs, it was clear as the sun now that he was still recovering for he swayed on his trembling legs. Luckily for him though, the Dimitrescu maiden next to him was far above what mere mortals could even hope to achieve, and so he was given a strong support which helped him keep stable.

"Thanks." His quiet reply was met with another smile. They passed by a gallery of paintings and clocks, which had all been seemingly rearranged to follow the line of time: the objects at the beginning of the wide and tall corridor were of antique design and functions. Gradually, they became more modern, as did the subjects that were shown on the breathtakingly detailed portraits. Victor imagined that these were still the previous Lords and Ladies of Castle Dimitrescu, or the mistress herself wouldn't bother to keep them on the gleaming walls.

They passed by a few more rooms, including the Main Hall which housed the now iconic curving staircase.

Victor's sense of peace and tranquillity was shattered as soon as two more figures dressed in black appeared at the end of the room in which they were passing. The teenager stopped dead in his tracks, to then instinctively back away which caused him to bump against Bela, though she did not move an inch from the sudden impact.

Her grip on him steadied his balance... and acted as a restraint, for she knew, perhaps even better than he realized, that his muscles were taut and tense, ready to bolt to action. He could not run, even if he wanted to.

Cassandra and Daniela strode over to them, Victor's fear spiked back up to a thousand, his stomach churning from the stress.

The redhead was the first to reach him, a giggle being let loose upon seeing his fearful reaction. The young man flinched when her fingertip brushed over the lobe of his ear and the edge of his jaw, squirming as she did so.

"Oh, he is so adorable!" Daniela exclaimed as she poked him in the chest and then twice in the arm.

Victor kept his gaze low, but could not stop himself from leaning back and pressing more against Bela; still, the eldest of the three did not protest once on this, as her arm briefly grazed his hip while the other ghosted over his left side.

"Look! Your wrist is almost all healed up, I wonder how lovely your blood will taste now that- A cough from Bela made her stop.

Daniela rose to her full height and spoke to him directly, "We are all thankful for what you did Victor, Bela would have been lost had you not been with her." And amidst all of her insanity and delusional madness, the clear gleam of thankfulness shone through.

She suddenly reached forward to pull him into a hug, making him yelp with fright, "You look and smell delicious, I just want to gobble you up in one bite! Ha... if only I could, Bela has become rather possessive about you lately, I can't say that I'm not jealous... but you still love me the same right? Yes, yes, you're a good, obedient boy." She whispered into his ear as her hands roamed over the small of his back, making small scratching motions.

Victor did not reply, he stood still like a statue, his body stiff as stone. Daniela pulled back, "Well then, where are you going?" "We are going to go see his electronic device, and to have something to eat, Victor is very hungry indeed."

The youngest lady clapped her hands together, "Then that makes it perfect! Cassandra and I were just were on our way to drink some tea and eat some biscuits, I even heard one of the maids say that a strawberry cake has been made, we could eat that as well!"

"Of course. Victor, would you enjoy that?" The man in question paled as he was now at the focus of the three vampire's attention. He stuttered when he answered, "Y-Y-Yeah, it's n-no problem, really, t-that's, it-it's fine, I have no p-p-p-problem." Daniela giggled at his reaction and he heard her whisper something about him being cute and even more adorable.

But as always, it was the brunette haired daughter that inspired the most fear within him. She glared at him like a hawk would be oft to do with a rodent, unnatural yellow eyes stalking his every motion and twitch with frightening attentiveness.

Surprisingly, she had yet to speak one word, yet Victor was terrorized all the more because of it: at least when she gave him chase, he knew could somewhat gauge her state and intentions, but the important factor was missing from the equation and he was lost on what to make of it.

"Come on then, let us go forth." With that, Bela gently pushed forward as the other two fell into step with them. The silence was much worse than before, particularly because Cassandra and Daniela were at his left and right respectively and Victor knew both from observation and firsthand experiences that it would be laughably easy for them to whirl on him and tear his throat out with a spray of blood.

They finally arrived at the set of chambers from which he worked and just as his friend had claimed, his computer layer untouched on the large table, the charging cable being connected to the outlet.

With a little skip in his step, Victor walked to it, ignoring the slight tremors that always preyed on his legs. His Iphone was right next to it as well, so was the new model. He had yet to do the data transfer, as he did not want to have to rely on his phone plan to do so... besides... the wi-fi connection at the lone wooden house was good enough by a large margin.

Out of curiosity, need and sheer want on his own behalf, the software engineer unlocked his smartphone and took note of everything that he had missed. There were a couple of emails, all concerning job offerings, one was sent from his bank account informing him of a transaction of money due to the paycheck... there were even a couple of missed calls from an unknown caller id. Personally though, those unknown calls were the least that he was worried about... they were made by people who weren't even in his list of contacts, therefore he wouldn't even attempt to reach out to them.

His pc came next, and he booted that up. Just as he had been expecting, everything was in order, but it never hurt to double check. Antivirus was on, the automatic scans had revealed no detected threats, (though on that note, he would still do a full scan, just to be safe) he even checked the internal performance of his cpu and memory drives and was pleased to see that they were low, (thus confirming to him that there wasn't any malware fucking with the fivecore processor and slowing it down)

"Is everything alright Victor?" His hand clenched and he snapped to look at Bela who had just come to stand at his side, intently gazing at the illuminated screen, "And what is this on the display?"

"O-Oh, it's just the T-Task Manager... I'm checking a few things-s." For some reason unknown to him, he heard Cassandra snort in what he could only describe as a derisive tone.

"Good, we will be moving to one of the living rooms. The maids are already bringing the tray of tea." "Y-Yeah I'm coming." He closed the computer back down and followed her. Victor was only slightly more relived to walk behind Daniela and Cassandra this time and though it wasn't real, he felt as the black insects were crawling all over his arms and chest. It made him shudder.

The sensation of dread was always present, even as he sat down and a small plate filled with cookies was presented to him. They had pieces oc chocolate and almond in them; they looked delicious as well... but he could not bring himself to eat them. The boy did not feel hunter, the urge to consume the food wasn't there to guide him... it was only him and the other three.

Bela nudged him with his knee with her own as she was sitting next to him and across from the brunette. "Victor, you must regain your strength," She snapped her fingers and a maid silently stepped forth, holding the kettle in her hands and pouring the aromatic beverage into his porcelain cup.

"Sister, you are wasting your time: even a dog would heed commands much better than this stupid man-thing." The cutting and insulting words of the middle daughter made him blanch. "That is quite the rude comment Cassandra, is it not?" The blonde answered with a pointed look of her own.

"What? It's the truth! This filthy rat continuously covers in fear before us, he is useless and I severely doubt that his blood would even be of good enough quality to make a mediocre drink!" There was tension in the room as the two glared at each other. A soft buzzing noise began to emanate from them both and Victor could only sit and visualize what was happening.

The maids at the edge of the large chambers whispered to each other in hushed voices and it only aggravated his stress further. It was apparent that Bela and Cassandra where a breath away from engaging in a brutal fight... Victor did not want to be caught in the middle of it.

But then, the muse of luck finally showed him her favor by allowing him to escape the situation: there was a soft knock on the ebony carved door before a Mihaela stepped through.

The head maid of the castle gave a proper bow of the head to the three daughters, "Misses, I regret to have to interrupt your tea hour, but the Countess has requested the presence of Mr Press."

Cassandra was the first to answer, her fury seemingly moving on to the mortal woman, "And why would Mother want to fancy even being in the presence of this... animal?" Much to his shock though, Mihaela did not cower at her glare.

There was a good reason as to why Mihaela was the head maid and a trusted advisor to the matriarch of house Dimitrescu, and that was because unlike almost every other maiden in the

castle, she stood her ground. "I do not presume to know the intentions of My Lady, and I especially do not presume to question them Miss Cassandra; thereby it is my duty to remind you that the Countess' word is to be uncontested and obeyed regardless. Now, if you with your good graces I shall bring Mr Press, just as she has commanded, unless you wish to incur her wrath?"

Victor could practically feel Cassandra growl at her, but did not bite back, for everyone knew that there would be grave consequences. "Mr Press, please come." He practically fled away from the couch and out of the room.

"This way, there is an elevator in the Carriage Gate." They passed by the painting of the three daughters silently.

"Are you feeling well Victor?" This time, now that they were alone, Mihaela spoke with genuine concern. "I-I... yeah. Thanks for saving my ass back there... t-things were getting heated up pretty fast."

The elevator came down and the doors opened, gently, he was ushered inside as the woman pushed the button marked as the seventh floor. "The Countess wants to talk to Victor... she is at the top of the castle, and while we could have taken the stairs, this is faster."

Victor was ready to die now, the stress was killing him. "So she is at the top huh?" The other shook her head, "No, this brings will bring us to the rooftops of the castle. Our Mistress is awaiting you in the central tower, which rises even higher than the seventh floor by at least another... three floors." They arrived to an open space formed by a gothic styled architecture of stone. Everywhere he looked, the young man found the iron ramparts and tower tips that framed the uppermost section of the castle.

The cold was terrible here and the wind blew harshly. He wasn't dressed properly so the freezing temperature affected him already. "Fuck! It's so cold!"

Mihaela grabbed his shoulder and pointed to the large tower that could be seen rising tall amongst all the others. "I must stop here Victor, you must continue on your own. Follow the path there and you will reach the tower. There are outer doors which are open, the Lady is waiting for you at the observatory! Go now!" She had to yell in order for him to understand, such was the noise created by the wind.

"Thank you!" And Victor began to speed walk as best as he could, his journey being severely troubled by the harsh Romanian winter.

Even up here, he was stunned by the sheer view of the valley below... or at least of what he could see of it: there was much snow and clouds to block his vision, but he could make out parts of the village and the pine forest. If he really focused on it, he could even spot Karl Heisenberg's factory and the plumes of smoke which rose from it.

But Victor did not have the commodity to sit still and be captured by the scenery; he needed to go to the Countess, or the chill and frost would kill him first. It took him some time but he

managed to push against the heavy metal door. With a grunt, he closed it behind himself and was immediately rewarded upon being enveloped by the warmth of a lit hearth.

Victor could not hold the gasp that escaped him as his eyes scanned the massive interior of the tower: it was much larger than he was expecting it to be and it was decorated in the most luxurious and magnificent way possible. The white of the marble was accompanied by the inlays of gold which curved and twisted to form many eye catching shapes. A few banners hung at the corners of the walls, proudly displaying the Dimitrescu sigil, and under them where sets of medieval styled armor, coupled with plumes on their heads and capes at their backs. Even the steel was decorated with encrusted rubies and diamonds, creating an image of strength and elegance. The floor was covered with intricate carpets which felt soft under his feet. In the middle of it all was a large and round table, which reminded him of King Arthur's round table. A chandelier of glass, gold and diamond hung over it and illuminated the entire room. Still, everything was spotless and well kept... he felt like a parasite in a way, a worm unworthy of even standing here.

Victor snapped out of his trance, wondering back to why he had come in the first place. There was a long, winding staircase that began at his left and brought up access to the floor above. To his right was part of the staircase, though this time it went down and he could make down a heavy, gilded door colored with black and modeled so that there was a depiction of a fearsome dragon on one side and a woman on the other. Judging by how thick and imposing it looked, Victor had no doubts as to think that that gate could rival the one of the entrance in terms of durability and effectiveness in preventing access to undesired guests.

"Let's go... let's get this over with..." Whatever shred of calm that had been with him evaporated and Victor was reduced to the state in which he was when regaining consciousness just short of an hour ago.

He was going to die... the Countess was going to kill him.

Bela had been so happy to see him awake... he had feared that she would have the opposite reaction and would see that his will to escape had endangered her very own life.

But the Lady of Castle Dimitrescu was different. He did not even have the willpower to imagine her not being able to realize the truth.

And even if he tried to lie, she would just see straight through him. He was still going to perish at her hand one way or another. It wasn't going to change.

The chambers above this one held an enormous bath, warm, steaming water was present in the greek themed construction. Unlike the other one, there were windows here too. Victor did not spend time marveling at it, he just kept moving forward and opened the wooden door.

This one was a bedroom, but he did not look at it and just kept climbing the stairs. He began to slow down, realizing that this was the uppermost floor... the Countess was here.

Victor closed his eyes and let out a shaky breath... knowing that he was instants away from never opening them again.

"Boy, do not keep me waiting. Sit down in the chair." Lady Alcina Dimitrescu's words rang out, and by all things good had he never felt such glacial sensations wash over him.

He was already tired and he had to keep himself plastered to the wall, otherwise he would fall down the stairs.

With a sigh, he took the final steps and came about the observatory.

Chapter End Notes

I know, I know, I made the castle much bigger and elaborate than it is in canon, but I'm not to concerned about that. Anyways, please comment and let me know what you think will happen to our poor boy. Until next time.

Light and dark

Chapter Summary

We get to see Victor's discussion with Lady Dimitrescu.

Chapter Notes

So yes, next chapter! Here we go!

See the end of the chapter for more notes

Glowing eyes of the clearest gold pierced his very soul, narrowing slightly as the young teen slowly came up to the top of the winding stairway.

The Observatory did well in earning its name: the majority of the circular room was composed by large, clear windows which offered a unique and unblinded sight to the valley and mountains below. There was a large telescope, one that looked antique but still kept in perfect conditions despite it's ancient design, that was purposely positioned so that it would point towards the sky.

Besides the metal contraption was a table with a large tome and a feathered pen, a small pot of ink lay uncorked besides it. At the very center of the room was a table with a few large armchairs layer around it in a casual manner. There were more books positioned on it, one good glance would show that they contained informations of stars and constellations, even if the text was clearly written in Romanian, the drawn images of the celestial bodies were enough to make even a foreigner like himself understand the contents of those delightfully constructed works of astronomy and astrology.

Further back in the room was a shelf that housed even more of such large books. It was remarkably interesting to ponder, though Victor did not have the luxury or possibility to do so, as all of his attention was centered on the Castle's Countess.

Lady Dimitrescu was wearing one of her white dresses, the ones which she favored most often, coupled with the black rose that was pinned to the side of her chest and the large black hat which served to cast a shadow that veiled her otherworldly eyes and that made them give off a more dangerous and intimidating glare.

The way in which her body was positioned made it so that two different color palettes contrasted tremendously over her noble form: at her back, the cold blue of the snow ridden day and sky cast the cold sensation beyond the thick barrier of glass, enveloping her with a glacial aura.

But by the same token, the feeble light that was produced by the few candles, which were the only source of proper illumination in the Observatory, bathed her front in a warm orange color, similar to the one that the hearth possessed a couple of rooms below.

For a moment, Victor's breath was stopped as he gazed upon her beauty... for though she was a monster, her ethereal composition yet radiated with all of the splendor of a goddess that had descended from the heavens above, or even from the darkest pits of all the hells that were of this world.

"Victor, sit down." The command almost didn't register but everything came rushing back inside and it hurt. It was as if his entire reality had been shattered, as if it was coming down, crashing on his shoulders and burying him beneath its unimaginable weight.

The boy lowered his gaze and answered: "Y-Yes My L-Lady." With the same nervousness as before, he moved to one of the chairs, one which was sized for a normal person like him and not to her immense size and stature.

Even if the cushioned seat was comfortable and took to satisfying the physical ache in his limbs, to him it felt as if he had sat in a chair full of needles. It was uncomfortable, it made him want to bolt away and to just escape the castle.

But those were the mad musings and hopes that would only be right to belong to a fool... and Victor wasn't too simpleminded not to realize it.

Lady Alcina stepped towards him and he curled in on himself, for the devil herself was approaching him directly. "Your wound, it is healing correctly, yes?"

With an utterly defeated sigh, Victor navigated the sea of terror and anxiety which raged within him to present the Lady with an answer, "Y-Yes. I-It should heal completely w-w- within a month."

He heard the elder vampire let out a noise which he couldn't place... he could not tell if it sounded pleased or disappointed. "I presume that you are aware and self conscious on the matter of which I have called for your presence, are you not?"

A slow and submissive nod was the response that was given. "I-It's to t-talk to y-you My L- Lady." "Precisely. It concerns what has happened in the immediate past, in particular with the attack placed forth by those vile and lowly hunters."

A pregnant pause followed and his mask of calm cracked in that moment, beginning to display all of the fear and nervousness that had laid underneath it for so long.

"I will not allow any more useless pleasantries and flowery words to impede the topic of our discussion any longer. Mr Press, do not assume that I will not notice your halfhearted lies or blustering facades when I tell you that it is clear that you attempted to escape from my castle in the moment were the chaos and confusion were at their highest presences."

The accusation was laid bare to him, the same way a hammer would break an object. There was no defending himself from this. "You attempted to leave these grounds, to refute my direct order and to do as you pleased. In the old days in which these lands hosted rampant numbers of kings and queens, such actions would be quick to be deemed as nothing but treason of the highest order. Do you know what would the punishment be for such offenders who would even dare to dirty themselves with such grave behavior?" Victor shook his head as the Countess began to circle around him in a slow, methodical manner.

"No, of course you would not, you are not studied in the ancient histories of this valley and village." The razor edge of reprimand danced over her tongue as gracefully as a ballet dancer would on the stage of an opera theatre, "The perpetrators would be spared no shortage of pain and suffering. Amputation of the arms and legs, a public branding," Her voice had lowered to a growl and Victor almost swore that he heard her claws unsheathe themselves, though thankfully that wasn't the case at the moment.

"A torturous session on the rack, a gelding served with the use of a rusted knife, perhaps even an entire evening spent inside the tight and deadly confines of the infamous iron maiden... and certainly even a thorough flogging would be served as per standard procedure." She had stopped right in front of him now... Victor only looked at the base of her dress.

"An execution would follow immediately after, whether it would have been a decapitation or a death that would be seen the accused be burnt on the stake, the choices were many and creative, my own ancestors had documented many such instances through works of both the literary and artistic types... even an impalement was not outside of the talks, for in those times it was a popular tradition here in Romania, ever since it was founded and made noticeable by the likes of Vlad Tepes of Wallachia." He was trembling in sheer terror at this point, he could not take it anymore... he knew that this was the end and he was hating every second, no, every instant of it.

"And yet... you saved my eldest, my beloved, dear Bela. You had been given the clear opportunity to escape, none would have followed you, for I would have been drowned in my grief. What I demand to be made known of his the reasoning as to why you would allow a chance to absolute freedom to be wasted upon saving another. Why did you choose to remain and to save my daughter?"

There was something that changed... as if a branch has been broken clear in half. It did not matter if he had successfully kept away all of his stress and turnpikes emotions for the past month, amidst the threats, the attacks and all of the suffering that had been brought onto his flesh.

In that moment, Victor truly broke to his lowest point. There was nothing that the rational and pragmatic part of him could do to stop it. It screamed to be released... and he did not have the strength to stop it.

"I... I hate it here... I hate what you did to me... I want to go away..." He hiccuped, "It's not a secret that I want to escape... the path back down to the village was free and you were occupied with the hunters..." His lips trembled.

Victor looked off to the side, outside of the window to watch the hundreds of snowflakes that would continuously impact the glass. Unconsciously, he shivered, feeling a chill run over him.

The most intimate and honest parts of his soul came forth as his mental fortitude and resilience came crumbling down.

"I did it for her... not for you, not because I though that you would fucking reward me." His voice cracked and the tears finally came flooding out, "Bela was the only one besides the maids who treated me right... she's... good, yes she's a good friend..." A sob chocked him then, "I couldn't leave her there... she was dying because of me..." The pictures of the traumatic event assaulted him relentlessly, never leaving his eyes as he remembered her cold, near lifeless body barely moving on the floor of the hall.

Victor violently coughed but still continued to talk, "Bela didn't deserve that... she didn't deserve to die for having saved my sorry ass..." He waved his hand away and let out a wet laugh that was mixed with a cry.

"And there you have it! Now you know the truth..." The young man chuckled almost hysterically, "I... now you'll kill me..."

"There's nothing else of me is there now? I've served my purpose to you..." He openly cried now and held his head within his hands, his entire frame trembling like one of the leafs that were in the outside forest.

Everything was numb to him, to truly show just how irrevocably damaged he had become, like a sapling who had been confronted with the worst of mother nature's wrath. "Why?" He begged, "Why did you have to do this to me? Fuck! I never did anything to you! I never tried to steal from you! Why? Why have you condemned me?! Fucking tell me!!" He screamed at her now, looking up and displaying all of his rage, hopelessness and defeat.

The Countess' face did not change in its neutrality, it remained unreadable as it always was.

Victor's small outburst only lasted shortly though... and he slumped back down, burying his face in his hand once more and quietly sobbing. "It d-doesn't f-fucking mat-matter any more, d-does it?" It was heart wrenching to see him like this.

Broken and defeated... all of his will to fight back, to oppose himself against the cruel reality of his situation was gone, evaporated with the last embers of it.

"Go on... k-kill m-me... it's wh-what you w-wanted t-t-to do a-anyways righ-right?" Victor could not bare to look up again... this was it... these were his final moments of being alive.

He heard her step around him, to the table and stop... it was likely so that she could savor the moment? Make him tremble and mewl in fear longer? To make his blood taste sweeter?

Her heels came close to him once more and surprisingly, he heard her voice speak to him: "Victor, get up."

With much hesitation, he gathered the courage to raise his gaze upwards once more and looked at her. The Countess held a glass of water towards him, an offering of peace as some would be quick to define it.

"Take it. Drink to your satisfaction." He noted with the corner of his eye that there was a pitcher of glass filled with clear, drinkable water. Had it always been there? Did he not notice it beforehand when he arrived?

Still, he looked back to the glass and with trembling fingers, took a hold of it, narrowly avoiding brushing her own digits. He was still terrified of her.

The Countess took a few steps away from him, looking outside of the window. Victor sat down once more, not daring to let her out of his sight.

"Interesant. I would have never expected for someone to react the way that you did Victor... none of the mortals in which I have come to learn of in my long life have shared your unique view on this world." She tilted her head back at him, the large black hat striking out a silhouette with her figure, the golden glow of her eyes an unmistakable indication of her immortality.

She raised her hand as the deadly, nightmarish claws colored as black as the night slowly extended from her manicured nails. Victor gulped and leaned back beginning to tremble.

The Countess slowly retracted them though. "As I am sure that you have come to imagine, there was a time in which I too was of your same disposition." She turned around fully to address him as his lips moved to form silent words.

"Yes, I was a mortal. Weak, riddled with a disease that had cursed my line for many generations." Her voice became a touch quieter as she spoke to him, "I was born in the first war. I was a young woman when the second one plunged all of Europe in its devastation and destruction." A heeled shoe reached out from under the white dress.

"When I came to the village... when Mother Miranda gave me my gift, I was given the true right that had been promised since my birth, yet there was a cost." She looked over to the books.

"As it would have it, I transcended to being more than simply human. I am a judge of life and death, as I am sure that you have come to know." He closed his eyes, thinking back to all of the maids that he had seen be ripped apart... al of those corpses which belonged to hunters and the likes of them.

"Yet, I cannot give life. That is the only thing beyond the reach of my power and wealth." Victor held his breath, shocked at what he was hearing.

"My three beloved daughters... Bela, Cassandra and Daniela... I helped them grow, I raised them to their rightful station and gifted them with my very own blood... but they did not come from my womb." For the first time, he heard frailty emanate from her.

"Those three girls will be the only brood that I shall ever have, for I cannot bear and produce a child of my own volition. They mean everything to me..." Victor was shocked... he had not been expecting her to reveal any of her past to him, at all.

But then the Countess stepped closer to him once more and held her arms in front of her in a prim and proper pose. "As such, you have my gratitude and most honest of thanks." For the first time as well, he realized that she spoke to him with something other than distaste: respect, genuine respect.

The teen gave her a nod, letting out a breath. "I once told you that House Dimitrescu possesses an appearance of the highest magnitude and that it must be kept free from any slight or insult, and that its allies must be equally treasured and rewarded; now is not any different. You have earned my trust Victor, and I can say with certainty that you do not hold evil and malice within your heart." His mouth almost opened at hearing that.

"You shall no longer help the maids in their tasks, as that is not what your profession consists in. You will only place your efforts in working with your machines and to improve the website." Victor was about to speak but she held up a hand, silencing him, "You will labor for no more than five hours a day, the revenue of any other jobs that you shall take to complete will be yours while I shall only ask to receive a quarter of what you earn."

The Countess gave him a smile, "Of course, you will be given a free day on Sunday as well, as I know it is very common to do in the United States."

And she was still not done with her list of surprises, for she reserved a final one: "The guest chambers in which you woke up, those will be yours from this moment onward. I will not have you sleep amongst the maidens, for the reasons that ai have stated previously."

The young man dropped his gaze for a moment and let out a shaky breath. "Is... is this for real?" He asked with uncertainty, in an almost disbelieving tone.

"I assure you it is Victor. Besides it is quite right that you be rewarded appropriately, for everything that you have done. My legacy's future is secured with each passing day and the coffers of my castle fill up ever more at the behest of what you have done to help me, to help my family." She explained in a calm manner. Victor felt new, hot tears sprout from his blue eyes, and he began to gently cry once again, but by some miracle, he managed to rein it in after only a few moments though he felt his throat tighten uncomfortably at doing so.

"M-My apologies L-Lady Dimitrescu... it's j-just... thank you." She gave him a nod, "I understand Victor. Please, do not worry yourself any longer." But he still felt as if he was

going to explode, he felt himself be suffocated by a range of emotions which demanded to be set loose.

"M-May, can I-I go please?" He winced at how completely disrespectful that sounded. That was a big no no right there, a mistake, it surely was a damming mistake on his part.

"Yes. And that reminds me as well: do not begin to work tomorrow, you will have the rest of the week off. For the matters of your coin and how you shall receive it, we shall discuss that come the morning?"

He practically yelped out a yes, for he was that desperate to get out of the Observatory. "Very well, please, rest Victor, allow yourself the necessary time to regain your strength."

Trembling he stood up, gave her a final nod and walked towards the winding staircase. "Oh, and Victor?" He stopped to listen to what she would say, "You need not brave the harsh weather outside cel mic, you shall find that the stairs lead down to the castle proper."

"T-Thank you My Lady." This time he did not spare one moment more in waiting and opened the door, passing by the opulent bedroom, the bathroom and the chambers with the round table. Yes, the Countess did not lie when she stated as much, for Victor soon found himself into a more expansive set of chambers, so he knew for sure that he was in the castle.

The only problem left now would be to try and find out where it was that he was supposed to go to return to his new set of bedchambers. He needed his own privacy right now, he desperately needed it.

"Alright, w-where do I g-go now?" Deep down inside, he already knew what this was going to entail, for it was exactly what he had done for so long now. "Ok, n-now. I just need to find a maid... hopefully she will speak English... and I can be directed towards where I'm supposed to be heading."

Yes, it was also true that simply exploring the portion of the castle would eventually bring him the desired results, but he could not in good faith, know where he was at the moment. The young man wasn't familiar with this part of the giant ancestral home of the Dimitrescu family.

Keeping close to the wall, he began to walk towards the nearest door, once more admiring the expert carving on its surface. He opened it and continued to walk in the hallway, passing by the large windows and seeing the very last rays of the sun as they began to set over the cold and harsh mountains that created a barrier which enclosed the town.

It was only natural though, as this was winter. The days would be shorter now... and the winter would probably last much longer than what it did in the states. It was then that Victor heard the sound of light footsteps. It was just what he was searching for. With a slightly faster step, he moved over to find a woman who was currently intent on dusting away the floor of these chambers which seemed to be an art collection of sorts as it was filled with statues of goddesses and gods of... Greek mythology?

Victor didn't know for sure, he much rather preferred the Norse myths from the faraway lands of the Scandinavian countries. "Excuse me? Do you speak English?" He had already seen this maid a few times before, he could recognize her by face but he had never caught her name.

She stopped and held the broom in both hands as her green eyes settled upon him, "Yes... Victor was your name? I do speak English." She had a heavy accent but it did nothing to impede his understanding of the words.

"Yeah, so... I was just wondering, could you show me the way to the guests' chambers? I have to get back there... I kinda need to get back to them urgently. Please." He added the final word a moment later, hoping that he would be polite enough with covering all of his basics. The programmer knew also that his voice sounded pathetically weak at the moment, but he didn't really care.

"Yes, please come." He stood behind her as they traversed this part of the manor and eventually they arrived towards a foyer of sorts and Victor was able to finally recognize the place. "Ok... it's all good now, thanks for helping me." The lump in his throat had become much harder to suppress now. The other woman gave him a tender smile before leaving and returning to do her duties.

Victor hastily walked over to his own new private bedroom and opened the door; it didn't have a lock on it... which was unfortunate, he would have to do without it for the moment. He finally let out a sigh, one that he had been holding in since he had talked with Lady Dimitrescu.

The young man moved over to the armchair and sat down in it. He broke down then, finally allowing the loud sobs to come over him.

Victor did not know why he was crying, he couldn't tell if it was for fear or for relief anymore. It was all muddled together and it was impossible to distinguish a difference at this point. He felt drained, emotionally drained. The highs and lows of worries and anxieties that he had experienced in such a short amount of time were taking their demanding toll upon them.

"Fuck! I'm s-still aliv-ali-alive!" Laughter came in as well to add to the strange mix. His wounded wrist ached some more and he somehow managed to slide from off the comfortable chair, laying down on the floor and coughing.

His nose was stuffy and his lids felt heavy. He was conflicted... everything that had just happened was so strange to him. Victor... he did not know what to make of this situation.

He had saved Bela and now the cruel Countess was rewarding him for it? It was... it was too much to handle right now. He felt tired. He just wanted to go back to his small, little house, back to how it was a few months ago, where he could safely stay tucked inside his basement, having the time of his life amongst his beloved consoles and pcs.

More tears flowed out upon thinking of this. Was it really real? His traitorous mind still whispered horrible scenarios to him, making him imagine that this was all just some elaborate plan to make him lower his guard, to make himself even more defenseless when the moment of his demise would come. Victor leant forward to cradle his face whilst laying his elbows upon his knees, and he stayed in that position for quite a long time, just taking to quell the raging sensations. The silence of the bedroom and the popping crackle of the flames were his only comfort.

The door opened and his blood froze as some of the buzzing noises returned. Victor looked towards the entrance of the chambers and gasped loudly when Cassandra strode over to him, a snarl was carved upon her face.

"W-WAIT! WAIT!" He scrambled out of the chair and held his hands up whilst scampering back, but there was nowhere he could go, as just as it had happened before, the teen was cornered at the wall.

"Ticălos dezgustător! Stay still you rat!" Her sickle gleamed a red shine as blood dripped from it. "PLEASE STOP!" Victor was on his knees, begging her and trying to avoid her fury.

But the vampire reared her arm back and dove forward. Victor let out a cry as he felt his shoulder explode with pain. He felt the wet blood coat his shirt.

And then he heard a crash. The teen looked up in fright to see Bela's outline as she glared towards her younger sister. Evidently, she had thrown her away, as the doors had been completely shattered and Miss Cassandra stood up with an angry growl.

A silent conversation ensued, or at least it looked that way, for the brunette transformed into her swarm of insects and left.

Bela was at his side and he flinched and whimpered when her hand brushed over his wound. "Victor, please listen to me! Everything's alright, Cassandra isn't here anymore." She held him tightly as he cried, soothingly rubbing his back as he let out a few coughs.

"W-what? H-How?" "Shhh, you're safe, everything's alright. The cut isn't deep, it isn't lethal." The blonde took her time to patiently calm him down as his trembling began to subside.

Eventually, Victor had regained enough of his sanity to properly speak, "Bela... t-thank you... w-what about m-my shoulder? I-It hurts..." He let out a cry when he felt her remove part of the shirt to expose the bleeding flesh.

"It's shallow Victor, if we bandage it immediately, it won't become infected and it will not fester." He let out a stuttered sigh, "O-ok."

"Wait," Her hands tightened over his arms to hold him still, "Allow me to help you..." He jumped when he saw that she was opening her mouth and inching closer to the hot, blistering pain that made his shoulder ache terribly.

"P-Please Bela! D-Don't!" The blonde vampire stopped to look at him, eyes softening, "Don't worry Victor, I am only going to lessen the pain." And the. she returned to her task.

Victor struggled against her hold but he could not break free. He gasped when he felt her cool lips press against the sizable cut and her tongue rub against it, collecting all of the blood. He flinched at the motion, feeling her muscle contract as it slathered the wound clean, removing all of the spilling blood.

The rapid rise and fall of his chest began to slow down as Bela continued with her ministrations, as she quite literally cleaned the injury. The young man did not feel pain... it was a rather soothing experience. Bela pulled back and they locked gazes once more.

Her lips were painted a deep red and her eyes glowed dimly beneath the shadow of her hood. There was a hunter within them, one that he had never seen before.

"That wasn't so bad, now was it Victor?"

Chapter End Notes

Lady D is finally starting to see our boy in a more favorable light while Bela grows closer to him, Cassandra... well she's still not happy with what's going on. I apologize for not answering to all of your comments, so I ask you all for forgiveness. Please do comment and let me know of your thougts.

A tranquil morning

Chapter Summary

Victor catches a little bit of a breather, whilst Cassandra receives her due.

Chapter Notes

Apologies for being so late! I've been caught up with school and as such I've had to lower my daily writing amount from 1.3k words to 1k words, that and juggling another two stories have taken some of my time away. Anyways, I hope you enjoy!

See the end of the chapter for more notes

A knock on the newly repaired door had Victor look up from his plate of chocolate cookies that he was eating.

His gaze crossed with Bela's for a moment before the wooden door was opened. Much to his surprise, the Countess of the castle herself ducked under the doorway to enter the bedchambers. Victor nearly dropped the cookie that he had been holding in his hand, though luckily that did not happen.

He gulped and felt a shiver run over his spine as unnatural eyes of gold settled upon him. Quickly, he adverted just gaze and got up from the chair with mild effort. "M-My Lady, g- good morning to y-you- "Please Victor, do not exhaust yourself, sit down." The command was much different compared to all of the previous ones that she had given him: this one lacked the common aloofness that she was oft to treat many of the maids with.

The teen dared to let his gaze wander up to hers for a moment and he caught no hostility amongst her ethereal visage. "I mean to apologize Victor, I understand that this is quite the inconvenient to receive a visit, considering that you are currently enjoying your breakfast." The matriarch of house Dimitrescu stated as she gazed pointedly to the plate of chocolate cookies and the cup of milk that were on the low table.

Bela had gotten up as well and she greeted her Mother with a curtsy and a bow of the head, an action that the Countess reciprocated with a gentle tilt of her ruby red lips.

"I-It's no big d-deal, really. Y-You can come whenever y-you want... t-this is your house after all..." He could not take away the small stutter within his voice... he was still very much scared of her... this new way with which she was treating him, there was something that made the hairs on the back of his head stand up.

"Why thank you Victor, you are most certainly a courteous and polite guest." Her eyes left his form for a moment to focus on her eldest, "My dear Bela, I must ask of you to please allow us some privacy for I must hold talk with Victor here."

There wasn't even a grain of hesitation within the blonde's response: "Of course Mother, I will be nearby should you have need for me." She quickly strode away and closed the door behind her.

Victor felt even more unease as she left, as in a way, he was seeing one of the very few people that he trusted enough, therefore his literal sense of security, leave.

The towering Countess stepped over to him and Victor subconsciously leaned back, not daring to gaze at her again. He let out a whimper when he saw her large hand close in on the bandaged portion of his shoulder.

A distasteful frown had been placed upon her which did nothing to take away from her beauty.

She straightened back to her full height and placed her hands in front of herself in an orderly manner.

"I regret to see that Cassandra has wounded you once more Victor and I assure you that what she did was not something of which I approve." Again, he was very surprised to hear that and he just couldn't stop himself from asking, why? Why did she care so much about it? Why did she care about him this much?

"You have my word, this disgrace, this hurt that she has caused, it shall never befall upon you once more, I will make sure of it." "My L-Lady, y-you don't need to- But before he could even form a proper sentence to reply with, the Countess had already taken to continuing with her own speech, "No Victor, this is unacceptable, I told you already that you are an ally to house Dimitrescu, yet I wake up on this day to learn that one of my daughters has acted to harm you. It will simply not do and it will not stand idly by whilst it happens." There was a dangerous tone beneath it all, one that scared him more than her presence.

He gulped but still nodded his head, "I... t-thank you M-My Lady. I a-appreciate it very m- much." "You should not be thanking me Victor, for it is I who owns you a rightful apology. Your health is of the best of my interests, I will not see my household's honor and legacy be so shamefully dirtied by the irrational actions at the hands of one of my own no less." There was finality here, thus indicating the end of this particular point of the conversation.

It was then that that the vampire looked over to the queen sized bed, "I trust that you were comfortable during the night, was the mattress to your liking?" The question caught him off guard, "Oh! Y-Yes, it's really s-soft... and v-very w-warm."

Indeed, Victor had never laid in a better bed before in all of his young life. It was almost unreal with the way that the mattress would dip beneath him, yet it would still withhold a certain rigidness to it that still conferred that typical sensation of security that all normal beds were meant to have.

Though his night hadn't been of the best: Victor had woken up on three separate occasions... it was all due to the nightmares, the ones that still tormented him. He had woken up three times, and all three times he had frantically looked all over the room, expecting Miss Cassandra to be there, bloodied sickle in hand and ready to carve up his body like a piece of meat.

It had taken him many minutes to finally steady his breath and to become properly relaxed once more, but still, the seed of worry remained as it would sprout a fully formed plant.

"Really ev-everything is good, th-this bedroom... this is the fanciest t-thing that I've ever had." He told her with complete honesty.

The Lady saw through his facade and offered him words of comfort: "I understand that you are still very much shaken by what my daughter has done to you Victor, and I cannot fault you for it. I will tell you this now, you have no need to fret over receiving any kind of harm, and none shall befall upon you, unless you were to deserve, but, given that you saved my beloved Bela and my previous observations, I would say that you are not the type to act in that manner."

Victor gave a nod, still unsure of her softer attitude... it was very unsettling. She tilted her head forward by a minuscule amount, "I shall take a walk around some of my castle's grounds. Would you care to join me later today, come the evening?"

He was shocked when she made him this offer.

It all seemed so sudden... so direct as well... he did not have the bravery to deny her, for the fear of the possibility of what she would do if angered with a negative response overcame whatever fractional drop of independent thought he had.

"Y-Yeah, o-of course, th-thank y-y-you for the i-invitation..." God, he did not know of the way in which nobility conversed and it showed... he had probably screwed the answer in a tremendously embarrassing way.

However, the Countess merely smiled, "Very well then, I shall not keep you from finishing your breakfast. Until later then." As graceful and elegant as she always was, the Countess that was dressed in white turned around and left, as always, ducking under the door.

Bela came soon after, smiling widely at him and settling down on the armchair next to his. "Are you alright?" Her fingers gently traced over his trembling arm, "Uh... yeah." He answered and flinched, "S-Sorry, I'm just- "Your shoulder aches?"

"Yeah..." He sighed, not bearing to look at her, "It is understandable Victor, given what happened yesterday." She had been much closer to him than before, like right now... she had never come to visit him in the mornings, it was always in the afternoon.

"I was wondering if you wanted to show me more of your phone?" It was pushed forth less as a request and question and more as a way to try to make his mind roam elsewhere, for Bela knew that Victor was still very shaken.

"I... I don't know if we'll b-be able to do it today Bela... L-Lady Dimitrescu asked me to a- accompany her out for a w-walk later... d-does she do this often?" The blonde woman remained silent for a moment, as if contemplating what the best response to give him would have been.

"Sometimes, though not usually. Mother spends her free time doing other things when she isn't actively working on the winery and the process of preparing new batches to be sold to the Duke, but it's not surprising, still, that she would choose to venture out on the castle's property."

Her hands cradled a cup of tea, which she brought up to her lips to drink from, doing so slowly as to savor the sweet taste.

"Are the cookies to your liking?"

Victor gave a nod and reached down to grab one, "T-They're not chocolate chip, but they're still good." He took a bite out of the one that he was holding.

"Chocolate chip?" Bela asked with furred eyebrows, "What would that be?"

"Oh... it's just a type of cooking, that has small bits of chocolate spread into it while the rest of the actual cookie is made out of simple pastry. I-it's very popular back in the States... a lot of people like it, I like them a lot, usually the best ones are the ones with the slightly crunchy exterior portion of sorts and the soft, warm center... yeah, those are truly great." For a moment, he thought back as to when he was still younger... before everything had gone to shit and he had come to this village lost in the Romanian mountains to run away from it all.

"Well, I am sure that we can surely ask the chef in charge of making the pastries to try her hand at it. Do you have the instructions to make them?" Once more, he nodded, "They're on the web. W-We can even use Google Translate to t-turn the whole thing into Romanian if your c-chef can't speak English." His voice trembled a little as his shoulder suddenly ached, as it would do at different intervals of time.

"Fuck... this hurts..." "Cassandra did not do any substantial damage, but she did nick one of the major tendons on that area..." Yes, and it was one that was used frequently, since it extended up to his neck and all the way to the trapezoid of his back.

Victor leaned back in the armchair and let out a sigh, hoping to ease the pain that kept bothering him.

"I... I think that I'll just lay down on the b-bed... if that's a-alright with you..." She stood up and came over him, tenderly touching his cheek, "Of course it is Victor. Come, let me help you then."

He was still dressed in his pajamas, so it was not like he would have to change his clothing.

Bela easily lifted him up, and it was as always more proof of her inhuman strength and capabilities and helped him to the large mattress.

She used a hand to better open up the covers of the bed and assisted him in getting him inside.

"S-Sorry for the bother... fuck... I j-just feel tired right now." Bela gave out a chuckle, "And you are most unhappy with it, I take?" "Yes..." He groaned out, fully settling on the bed.

Bela sat on the edge of it, to his right, but it was so large that he barely even felt the dip of it under her weight. Truly, he had never been given these kinds of luxurious living spaces as he practically melted within the soft confines of the queen sized post.

The eldest of the Dimitrescu daughters cast her gaze back to look over at the plate with the chocolate cookies. "Do you still want to eat?" "No thank you... I'm just not feeling that hungry anymore."

He was mildly aware that she was using some of her powers in that moment, for he heard the sound of the buzzing insects. His body stiffened, but he was not swarmed by the moths.., and Bela placed his smartphone down next to the pillow on which he rested.

"Thanks." The blonde retrieved a book, written in Romanian of course, and leaned back against the golden edge of the post, sliding her hood off. She caught him peaking at her and gave him a grin, which turned into a giggle when he looked away, cheeks burning a cherry red.

"What are you reading?" "Poems and ancient literature." "Oh..." But to be honest, he wasn't too surprised, as with Bela, a book was always near her reach.

"I am reading the Odyssey." That did surprise him though. "Is it in Ancient Greek?" She gave him a nod, "You speak it?" "Alongside Latin as well."

Victor reeled back for a moment, caught off guard by how much she knew, "You... enjoy it a lot?" "Yes." The teen would be lying if he said that he wasn't impressed, for he had never delved into the subjects which concerned ancient literature and philosophy... to him, it was a completely different world, outside of his knowledge, almost an entire different dimension than the one of zeroes and ones and electricity.

"Would you like to hear it? This is one of my favorite passages, it describes the moment where Odysseus has his stroke of genius on how to trick and escape the cyclops Polyphemus." Victor had a vague idea on what the passage consisted in... but again, he was by no means an expert or knowledge on works of the ancient times, much less the Odyssey.

"I mean... y-yeah... if it's not too much trouble for you..." Once more, she smiled at him.

"Very well then, as it reads in the text, Odysseus had..."

Elsewhere...

"My dearest Daniela," The Countess' sweet voice filled the hall as she gently took her hands to place them on the redhead's shoulders.

"Do you happen to know of the whereabouts of your sister Cassandra?" Daniela held a certain affinity to herself, in the sense that she was capable of noticing if the mood of a room was of a favorable touch or not.

She recognized that while her honored Mother had a serene appearance on herself, it merely a guise to let the furious beast remain hidden beneath... and for that she pitied her older sibling to an extent, but realized that she must have done something to make her so irate.

A shake of her head caused a few locks of her hair to swing slightly, "I do not Mother, I haven't seen her since yesterday, I am sorry." "You have nothing to apologize for my daughter, you have done no wrong."

She gave her an affectionate caress, pushing the strands of the red color out from in front of her face and behind her ear, to then softly touch the marking at the center of her forehead.

"Could I ask something of you my sweet?" "Of course Mother! I would do anything for you!" Oh, it made the matriarch's cold heart blossom at such a display of loyalty and love.

"Please go search and find Cassandra. Tell her that she is to come speak to me in the Hall of Sorrow, and tell her that she is to come immediately. Do not worry though, if you are incapable of finding her. Simply return to me and I shall alleviate you of this task." Daniela nodded while looking up at her, teeth stained a deep crimson that threatened to dribble down her chin and to fall into the crevice of her cleavage.

Lady Dimitrescu noticed it and took out a handkerchief before wiping her mouth clean, "Careful now my dear, we wouldn't want to dirty this pretty dress so soon in the day, now would we not?" She stated with a smile which caused the other to let out a small laugh and to squeeze her much larger hand.

"I will go at once then Mother! I will try my best to find Cassandra!" Already, she was heading away, "Worry not Daniela, I already know that you will, and I am very much proud of you for it." One last smile was exchanged before her youngest turned into her swarm and flew away.

Her content smile was dropped as Lady Alcina's facial feature morphed into those that would be deigned to be graced upon a queen, an empress.

With a moderated huff, she walked away as well, her great height and longer legs allowing her to come to the end of the hallway in just a few strides.

Her senses revealed to her the immediate locations of the nearest maids, and she wanted to scoff at how the newer ones still had het to properly learn how to clean the windows. She would need to tell Mihaela of this as soon as she could, for she would not have the appearance of her castle be anything less than stupendous and perfect.

Very little time passed since then and she arrived at the designated hall. Daniela still hadn't returned and it was likely that she was scouring the entire fortress from the tips of the towers to the dungeons below herself.

Cassandra had forgotten herself, and in doing so had showed Lady Alcina about the lack of a much needed correction on her part.

For the girl's own good, she hoped that she would arrive in a few minutes, least she wanted to spend the nights in the cold dungeons.

The Countess would have gone to take her cigarette holder, alas the much needed object and the relaxant within it was was enough to make her briefly contemplate the action doing so.

But there was a more pressing matter to attend, so the small, personal pleasure would have to attend until its given time.

She was still waiting and was tired of doing it, so she called the nearest made to come to her. The smaller woman squeaked and trembled like a rat as she bowed to her... and the comparison was certainly one that fit the situation.

"Tell the head maid that she is to come here, go." She scurried off, and yet the Countess could still smell the fine scent of fear emanating from her and it was delicious.

As part of her had been expecting, Mihaela arrived even before Cassandra did and while her ire continued to burn, she cowed it enough so that it would never be directed towards her trusted servant.

"You asked for me Mistress?" "Yes Mihaela, please stand up." The maid did so and as always, she held her arms to the side and had her back and shoulders straightened up, being as professional and formal as it would have been expected.

"Have the arrangements been made to permanently move Victor into the guest chambers?" "They have My Lady, I am only waiting for him to leave them so to fill his closet with sets of spare clothes." She nodded her head, but her eyebrows furrowed when noticing something else.

Her most trusted maid was paler than usual, and there was a very, very slight trembling to her form that would have gone unnoticed to a normal eye... but certainly not to hers.

Slowly, she pulled off one of her gloves and placed the back of her hand upon Mihaela's forehead, who did not react except for releasing a breath of anticipation.

"My Lady?" She brought her arm back down and regarded her calmly, "You are running a fever Mihaela, and it will worsen if you continue to exhaust yourself so." The other shifted upon her feet, lowering her gaze in a formal curtsy.

"I did not want to trouble you so Mistress, for you have many other important matters to attend." A content sigh played on her vocal cards as she leaned down a little bit, "Mihaela, your health is of great concern to me. I understand that you necessitate rest, for these past few days have been quite troublesome and tiring; I know that you are very determined in your work and the quality of your results is the proof of it. Return to your chambers and lay down, if the fever persists then either have a maid notify me or Bela and we shall take care of the rest.

"Thank you My Lady." "Off you go now." And with that, she watched her turn on her heel and walked away from the hall.

Lady Alcina slid the glove back on, and waited until finally, a few minutes later, a collection of moths came to form some ten or so feet away from her.

"Mother? What do you want?" She could not keep the glare from appearing on her face as the careless tone with which her daughter spoke served to drive her wrath ever higher in her soul.

"Do you presume to speak in this manner to other individuals?" "Mother- "Be quiet Cassandra. You have already talked enough and done enough to see to it." The brunette opened and closed her mouth in disbelief, yellow eyes almost pleading.

"Mother, why are you like this? Why are we even here- "Enough games Cassandra; you know exactly the reason for why I have requested your presence, and on that note, you are to arrive immediately when called." Her black dress was dirtied with flecks of blood and so were her lips.

"You cannot be serious Mother! That bastard is doing nothing but causing- "SILENCE!"

Her voice cracked like thunder and echoed outside of the hall, Cassandra shrunk back, lower lip quivering and gaze darting to opposite sides, searching for a way to escape.

"That bastard, as you are wanton to call him, is named Victor, and he has done a truly wonderful favor to house Dimitrescu. He saved your sister Bela, risking his own life in doing so, even if he held no obligation to do so." She stepped closer to her.

"I have a debt of blood to him, one of absolute trust for he has proven his worth and loyalty to me. And yet," The growl came forth in full force, "I come to find that you still attack him like the worthless prey that inhabit the village below us."

Cassandra looked ready to argue back but didn't, "Victor is not one of these maidens, he is a unique exemplary of his kind and is very important to our household for his services." Her fingers arched, she could already feel the talons beginning to elongated but she managed to stave them yet.

"I will not have it Cassandra; I raised you to be as noble as any Lady would dream to become, you are better than all of those filthy rats that dress lustfully and spread their legs to any willing man-thing, you are better than this. Daughter of mine or not, you will listen to my commands and you will not touch Victor once more unless it is with my verbal permission."

"B-But- "But nothing, if all that will flow from your voice are to be protests and excuses then they will be best spent elsewhere, for I do not care. Whatever anger and hatred you may hold to Victor does not matter any longer. Abandon it, leave it to rot away and perish; my word is final, Victor shall be treated fairly as an honored guest, and you will respect him as you do with someone with the likes such as Mihaela. Refuse my command once more and I will make sure that you regret doing so girl, be thankful that I am only momentarily stripping you of freedom, or you will soon find yourself wishing to have obeyed me when the first occasion arose."

The sight of the brunette's shaking shoulders and the tears trailing down her cheeks did not affect the Countess as much as one would have expected, rather she turned her head up, "Stop it. Stand up straight, with formal posture and go away, back to your bedchambers. Dinner shall be brought to you by a servant."

"F-For h-how lo-lo-lon-g-g?" "Until I have deemed that you have properly understood your lesson. That will be all. Leave, now." She transformed into her swarm of moths again and left.

It was now that the Countess decided to return to her own study, as to simply get daily affairs in order and her documents completed.

A few hours later...

Bela's pale fingers briefly brushed over the short hair which was of Victor's property. The young man was currently sleeping soundly on top of the amazingly soft and cushioning bed.

The vampire had known that he had tried to remain awake for as long as he possibly could, but in the end, he promptly succumbed to slumber.

She was still enamored by these small little actions, for she found them delightfully adorable.

The tip of her index finger trailed the slope of his front, then that of his nose and finally to his mouth. She did not prod at it, but kept her hands to herself after that.

"Ah, eu sunt cu adevărat cel mai norocos dintre oamenii din această vale ... să cred că există un om atât de pur, bine intenționat, este uimitor." It was relaxing to her: the ability to see the shifting motions of the rise of his chest. He looked at peace, and it made certain that Bela felt warm in her lower stomach, it was a type of warmth that she had never felt before.

It saddened her in part to see him be always so terrorized and scared; he would even flinch whenever she would lay a hand on him as a form of a friendly gesture between two people who trusted each other... she knew that it was because of a variety of reasons, but her sister sat on the top of that list.

Bela did not yet comprehend why the brunette woman would even give the thought of harming Victor an inkling of attention... and yet she had, and now she faced the consequences that came along with starting down that path.

She had heard Mother's shout of pure wrath, it had echoed over the entirety of the castle and for a moment she was worried, but quickly dissipated those thoughts away at the ridiculous notion that her Mother of all people would be the one to so easily give into her emotions and not reign them in with all of the grace that she exuded.

The blonde daughter had had a quick lunch, nothing too heavy on the stomach and in the quantity of the portions. She would let Victor rest for a little bit more before waking him up. His phone had let out a small beep as a notification had appeared on the screen, showing the arrival of an electronic letter.

Bela wanted to have a smartphone of her own, if only to see more of the outside world. The sleeping teen had told her of the possibility to see many such exotic locations like beaches, lakes, cities of towering structures of steel and glass, volcanos, tropical islands and more still. She would not be impeded anymore and be forced to use her imagination and the scarce citations of the text which were found in the thousands of books of her Mother's private library... and thinking of it, she would also have to enquire on the possibility that the Duke may indeed be in possession of other types of literature.

The possibilities to learn of new things was staggering to her, it truly left her feeling joyous. And it was all thanks to her friendship with Victor... he really was a kind person with an even kinder heart of gold.

"Mmm... B-Bela?" Her eyes looked up to his squinting face, his uninjured hand coming up to rub the corners of his own blue orbs.

"Yes Victor? How did you sleep?" He looked around himself, and clearly he still was not used to his new disposition; and it gave her the impression that he had yet to properly settle in this new level of comfort.

Bela knew that her Mother was wealthy, extremely so if the numbers that she saw being constantly printed on the paper of some of her reports were any indication.

She knew that she lived her life in absolute luxury, amidst every conceivable comfort.

A thing that every new maid had in common was their gawking and bewildered gazes as they set to admire the magnitude of the Dimitrescu's fortune.

She would never leave her Mother or abandon her duties, but she did indeed have this yearn. Bela only hoped that her Ladyship would be understanding enough to consent to it.

"It was g-good." "I am happy to hear that. Do you want to go to one of the dining rooms to have your lunch or would you rather it be brought here?" "I... let's go down?" "As you say."

Once more, she turned around to allow him to cover his modesty and they moved over to a chamber that was just nearby them.

"Ah, there you are."

He almost choked on the water that he had been drinking and darted around, looking at the approaching Countess.

Victor internally panicked, for he freaked out over why he wasn't able to hear her as usual with those heels.

Bela would- His eyes bulged when he saw that the blonde was nowhere to be seen. Where the hell had she gone?!

"I understand that you are still feeling the effects of yesterday's events. Perhaps it would be best to postpone this walk to another time?" Immediately and instinctively, he went to talk: "P-Please n-n-o! It's f-fine! P-Perfectly f-fine!" He could not fathom the sheer insanity that would comport going against her wishes, and she was gifting him now... Victor had learned that she was a Countess through and through and would remain slighted if her favors and good graces were not received with full reverence and gratitude.

A smile which he could not place came forth, but she placed an envelope right next to him as she took a seat in one of the larger chairs, readjusting her wide brimmed hat as she did so.

"M-My Lady? W-What i-is this-a?" "It is your rightful pay." With some hesitation, he opened the bag and was surprised to find it full of banknotes of the value of 200 lei.

This... this was the first time that he had actually touched and managed money... not since he had left his wallet back at the small wooden house.

He let out a shaky breath. "T-Thank y-you." She let out a near silent chuckle, "There is no need to do so Victor. The coin is yours, by right." She gestured towards it. "If you necessitate a wallet, one shall be provided for you, there is only the need to ask."

"Now then, it is nearly late evening, do you wish to go on the walk at this moment?" Almost subconsciously, he replied yes.

Chapter End Notes

So yes, Cassandra is now grounded, Bela is still very much interested with Victor and Lady D is about to have a private moment with him. Please comment and let me know what you thought of the chapter and what will happen next!

A stroll through the seas of white and red

Chapter Summary

Victor and Lady D take to going out on the castle's grounds.

Chapter Notes

So yes! New chapter up!

See the end of the chapter for more notes

The cold was harsh, much harsher than he remembered it being.

It did not matter that he was wearing a heavy coat, for it was as if all of the frost and snow was pooling directly onto his skin. It was discomforting.

Victor's teeth chattered, even as he tried to keep his jaw set and shut, it was just so damn cold out here.

Castle Dimitrescu was at his back, whilst the dark, snowy peaks of some the mountains which formed the enclosing barrier of the valley were up at his immediate front.

"This way Victor, the stone path leads to a garden predisposed in the English style." He breathed out upon hearing that high, noble voice besides him.

Lady Dimitrescu was clothed in a fine grey dress of silk, which reached down to her feet. As always, her black, wide brimmed hat covered the top of her head. A coat lined with a pelt of golden hair framed the upper portion of her torso, as well as the lower half. She looked absolutely divine dressed in this manner.

His throat was dry, but he managed to nod his head anyways, "O-Ok. D-Do y-you want to t- take the l-lead My L-Lady?" The smile that graced her ruby lips was angelic, but the glow of her golden eyes made it unnerving... it gave it an almost demonic glint.

It was messing with him, to see her be so normal, to se her be so... human. But Victor was lost, for he needed to only crane his neck up to be reminded that she was far from being anything similar to him.

The rustling wind became an afterthought as he only registered his own heartbeats, losing himself within her visage. "My, you grace me with the fine opportunity of guiding you within

house Dimitrescu's renowned gardens. Please then Victor, follow me now." Her high heels clack against the small road of intricately carved stone and for a moment he wonders why the hell someone would ever opt to wear heels to take a walk outside during winter.

And yet the reminder of what she was... of what the Countess had done to him and is still capable of doing to him... it made his chest tighten, and his breathing become harder, as if there's something pressing down upon him, constricting his lungs.

Even as she stood a good couple of feet in front of him, Victor was still wracked by the anxiety of being in her proximity. A part of him dared to think of a scenario in which he would simply turn around and bolt away.

What would happen then in that case? Would he run for a short while? Would her claws reach him first? It was uncanny, abnormal even as the frighteningly tall noblewoman continued to walk with such grace and elegance that should not have even been possible to achieve... and Victor balked because the monster in front of him had no right to be as hauntingly beautiful as she was and he felt himself drown in the sea of numbness as it continued to settle in.

Somehow it numbed the cold a little bit. And he despised himself for feeling this way, he despised himself for still being awed and breathless at her form, her striking personality and his he ethereal touch that he like enchant her magnificent charm.

"Here, this the beginning of the trail. It will take us near an hour, but come the end of the path we will be at the front entrance of the castle." Lady Dimitrescu informed him, tilting her head back to gaze at him with one golden eye. Victor shivered under its piercing disposition, but made a sound of agreement.

"It took much time and effort to have the garden constructed. Naturally, the Duke proved to be vital to it all, for he provided the necessary plants, seeds and tools to have it all be made." She slowly waved her hand as to point to the array of green plants and trees and bushes which made up the natural populace of the winding path.

Victor was surprised to see so much green, considering that it was dead winter... he saw roses, even other flowers and... a bonsai tree? As if reading his mind, the Countess continued to speak: "Of course, had these been simple exemplars, then they would have long since been cut down by the harsh climate of these lands; that is why they are all purposefully made to stay evergreen." He had an inkling of having read this somewhere before, maybe on a website?

"It was quite the expense, I shall not hide that, but I believe that it was a worthy one. Would you not agree?" He hastily nodded, "Y-Yes. It's a-all so pretty."

The vampire matriarch let out a small sigh, a hint of disappointment was in her voice, "Though I had so desired to arrange everything in a more orderly manner as would be commonly and typically found in the Palace of Versailles, there are unfortunately limitations that cannot be surpassed with the simple usage of coin." He knew very little of what she was talking about, he hadn't studied art in high school, he didn't understand this distinction

between an 'English garden' and a garden like 'Versailles', but he still kept as quiet as he could.

The path ahead sounded in a turn to the left, gradually disappearing behind a collection of bushes, leaves and branches. "There is a greenhouse, that is where the more delicate of the arranged plants are placed, for they would not fare well with the cold." She paused for a moment, "Sometimes, my daughters will come and help me tend to them, though it has become a rare event in the recent years." "D-Do you have s-someone tend t-to them?"

Lady Alcina let out a small laugh, regarding him curiously, "That is very perceptive of you Victor, to know that I would not always have the possibility of doing the fair task myself." A gust of wind hit them then, sending some of the snow fluttering up in the air.

Victor grimaced and tried to pull the coat tighter to himself, but he still felt the cold deep through the cracks, slithering up his arms and legs. He was hating this walk.

There were some statues, and as always the Countess was far to enthralled to let the opportunity of retelling of her household's wealth and history go to waste. Victor learned more of the valley, or rather of the rule of the Dimitrescu kings and their portion of these lands.

He also got to know much more botany than he ever thought he would come to know... but it kept the monster's attention off of him, it let him be momentarily safe.

Safety... that was a word that a lost it's meaning in these last two months. Letting out a thoughtful sigh, he wandered back to a few years ago: now, all of the fights, arguments against his parents, all of the troubles that had overwhelmed him there in the States seemed like a mere candle compared to the inferno that ruled in this valley.

There weren't any vampires back in America... he wasn't in the constant threat of death...

"And here we are, enter Victor." The noblewoman stated as she ducked to pass through the doorway. Victor hesitated to follow her... the greenhouse was an enclosed space, there weren't any routes to take for an escape.

He was freaking out, his gut yelled at him not to go, but the biting cold trailed down the back of his neck, making his hair stand up. With a low pitched gasp of frustration, he walked forward.

The inside of the greenhouse proved to be of a much more passable temperature and he felt better than before; but he froze when he realized that the Lady was facing him directly, her attention placed solely upon him.

A small stutter came over him them, "It-It's very b-beautiful M-My L-L-Lady," He tried to make it pass off as a compliment, and her high cheekbones became more prominent when another smile pulled at her, "Why thank you Victor, I am glad to know that you would be capable of finding beauty in this room.

There was an abundance of flowers, all of different kinds. And just as before, a good twenty minutes were spent simply going over them, talking of their particularities and noticeable details.

Eventually though, it came the time to move from out of the greenhouse. "Ah! And this is the most important portion of my gardens!" The amount of pride inside of her tone cascaded in large amounts.

"These are the famous vineyards of Castle Dimitrescu, from which our renowned wine is produced." The vineyard was very large indeed, divided into different portions so to accommodate different types of grapes, or at least that was what Victor thought.

But a peculiar detail about them was the particles fo frost which clung to the deep red grapes. "Typically, a vineyard would not be constructed in a location such as this, but through decades of hard work, I have seen so that the vines be bred to resist against the cold." She walked closer to the edge of one such line of rowed grapes as to delicately take a couple within her gloved hand.

"Would you care to try one Victor?" She asked, holding them out on her palm. Danger. That was what his senses were alerting him of, that was why his gut continued to twist into uncomfortable nots. She was danger and death incarnate...

"I-I'm g-good, th-thank y-you." And then, her yellow eyes narrowed as they embodied glacial hostility and anger. "Now now Victor, need I remind you that refusing gifts from a Countess is the grounds to causing an offense?" He froze at hearing her words, and suddenly, he pictured the dead maids and the dead hunters, red blood staining her dress.

"N-No! I w-would n-never!" "Then eat one, I assure you that no ill shall take to you." And then her mouth formed a grin, her canines almost shining with the withe of her teeth.

Even if his mind screamed at him not to do it, not to reach out towards her abnormally large hand, towards her, Victor still did it.

He tried to make sure that his fingertips only touched the actual grape and not her black glove. Luckily, he succeeded in his task. It was then that Victor brought the little red fruit up to his mouth to eat it.

The teen let out a small gasp at the shocking taste of it: first and foremost was to notice that it was very cold, small particles of frost attacked his tongue and melted, making him grimace for a moment. It was acidic, sour really... Victor very rarely drank wine, he never liked them because of their sharp taste, though red wines were better. And yet, there was an underlying blanket of sweetness to it, just barely ghosting over the acidic portion of it.

He quickly swallowed the grape, feeling naked at the gaze of the Countess. "Well then? How would you judge this year's batch?" Immediately, he was overcome with worry, for he was vaguely aware of just how prideful she was of her winery.

"R-Really go-good, it's r-really r-really g-good!" He said, hoping that she would just take his word at face value.

"Hmm, it does not bode well to lie to a noblewoman Victor, whilst I understand your reasons for not portraying absolute honesty, other such Ladies will take offense should you attempt to replicate the gesture to their attention." She leaned down a little bit, "I do not even need to smell your scent to recognize the falsity of your words Victor, you are skittish enough as it is; now imagine if you had been conversing with another Countess other than myself, you would surely be caught in a situation of most unfavorable pleasantness." He could feel cold sweat line his head, the cramps in his stomach getting worst as her piercing golden eyes stared right into his horrified soul.

"Well, it is of no matter at the moment: it would be redundant to be enraged over such a minor slight, for you truly are a youngling Victor, and you have yet to experience the... finer things that this life has to offer, if your blood is of any indication." An unknown emotion was present in her voice now and he did not like it. It made his skin goose up, because it was as if a set of thin claws were circling around him, slowly coming to trap him in a deadly hold. But he also asked himself what she meant by mentioning his blood?

"Perhaps in a few years, when your tongue will have been given the privilege of tasting the most divine of ichors, will you develop an appropriate palate." In a few years... they were a curse to him, a sentence.

Victor did not want to stay a few years, hell, he did not even want to stay for one more minute in this infernal castle and monstrous valley.

He was on the verge of breaking, of letting out fresh tears that he didn't even know he still had. The young man turned his head away, to grant himself the luxury of not having to look at... at... at that demon.

Victor tried with all of his will to think of other things, to try and relieve happy memories of other times. Cristina had probably moved on from him... she had told him that she had lost her father to Heisenberg and he... he just didn't know who to even trust anymore.

W-Would Ioana and Adina help him? They had to understand his situation, that he wasn't even meant to be in the castle, that it was never his intention to even get into trouble and-

He let out a breath of uneasy panic. His mind had begun to ramble, trying to climb upon mirrors, trying to climb upon illusions that he still wished to cling to. The maids would never help him, and who was he to blame them for it?

It was a constant matter of life and death in Castle Dimitrescu... they all likely had families who were worried for them back down in the village... and he was a foreigner, an outsider... he had no relations to any of the townsfolk and were his head to simply go flying with a squirt of blood... no one would spill an ounce of anguish over his death.

To die... alone in this fucked up place, surrounded by monsters and horrors that broke the will of those unfortunate to fall prey to the Countess.

He... Victor had thought that he was ready to accept his dimise... but the truth was that he was scared, he wanted to live! And when the Countess had called him to the Observatory, he had realized this himself, and it made it all worse.

"Is everything alright Victor? You seem unsettled." "I-I... I fear that the w-wolves, t-the things, man wo-wolves- "You mean to indicate the lycans?" "Yes! T-The lycans! Won't they c-come?" The software engineer could not see any walls or fences, it was all rock, trees and snow.

A muffled sound escaped Lady Dimitrescu's frame, perhaps it was a chuckle, "O, bietul băiețel, atât de pierdut și de frică de pădurile întunecate, ce încântare ești Victor..." The mention of his name confused him.

"Those disgusting mutts would dare not approach me, for while they are no better than rabid beasts, they do recognize power proper. Not a jagged claw, nor a rotten tooth shall harm the composition of your soft flesh Victor, not for as long as I will demand it."

"O-Ok, th-thank y-you M-My L-Lady." The rest of the walk passed by leisurely, with nothing of noticeable interest happening. But it was getting colder as the sun began to set over the mountains. The wind was harsher, the snow was somehow colder.

Victor trembled, even as he tried to gather all of the best that he could within his arms and chest by keeping them together. It was freezing, he couldn't even feel his fingers anymore for that matter, or even the tip of his nose and ears for that matter.

He lowered his head, feeling drained and tired, he had exhausted himself and the weather was becoming horrible now. It was truly an inconvenient situation to be in, but he had not been given the freedom of choice and for that reason, he was forced to simply proceed as the Lady wished. The young man would have have greatly preferred to roam the castle and learn more of its ancestry, for how harrowing it could be at times... it seemed that the previous Kings and Lords had not been very merciful, for all of the apparent monikers that had been assigned to them.

Victor could not hold himself back from openly shivering and shielding his face with a hand, preventing the thousands of snowflakes from impeding his vision. His teeth were chattering and he felt bad.

He was sure that a storm was raging at this point, such was the fury of all of the billowing wind and the forming frost. It was terrible, icy needles pricked up his arms and skin, as if he wasn't even wearing the damn jacket that he was practically suffocating to himself. He was trembling and it showed in the way that he stumbled some with every step. Victor only hoped that the entrance fo the Castle was nearby, he just couldn't take it anymore.

And then, he felt his instincts go still, as did his blood stop in his veins. A heavy presence enveloped him as an arm came to rest on his right shoulder, pulling him closer to its owner.

Lady Alcina Dimitrescu's large coat covered him now, shielding him from behind, to his side and front... his elbow brushed against the silky material that covered her leg. Victor was so terrified that he did not even jump at the startling movement... his throat had gone dry and the color had drained from his face.

The vampire was beyond massive, she was colossal, she enveloped him, surrounded him even! And Victor dared to raise his cowered gaze, to trail evermore upwards to the point that he had to crane his neck to properly look at the Countess.

There was an amused glint in the eyes of the Lady of castle Dimitrescu, as if she found all of it so amusing.

Victor wanted to talk, to justify himself, to do anything to step away but he just couldn't... no words came out from his mouth, even as her fingers settled to hold him by the upper arm, ensuring his position at her side... and subtly pulling him even closer to her titanic frame.

"There, is this not better Victor? Now you mustn't brave these harsh winds, though it is truly unfortunate that the elements have taken to release all of their unbridled rage." His breath had hitched, and he found himself coughing for not having properly inhaled more air.

A small frown came over her then, one of... concern? Victor did not want to believe it that she was concerned for him of all people! He was only a servant to her and nothing more!

"Oh dear, that is not a good sign." Her other hand came down to near his own head, and he wanted to pull back, but his body was paralyzed.

Her thumb gently passed over the dip between his cheekbone and nose, brushing away little bits of snow that had settled on it. "This weather will do you no good Victor, not even an hour has passed and you are already being subjected to the throes of a cold, and should you still be exposed so much your condition shall only change for the worse, and that would not be beneficial to the neither of us."

The honey in her voice softly stroked at his senses, like bringing the promise along with it, but Victor was afraid, he was scared. The teen desired nothing more than to move away from the Countess, and yet it felt good.

She was warm; it felt... nice to be treated this way, instead of with pain, fear and agony. The matron of house Dimitrescu still did not let up and he realized that she was even encouraging him to come closer.

"I shall not hurt you Victor , of that you be completely sure." She gave him a low nod, tilting her head down so that her eyes would be visible to him. Victor replied with his own shaky nod.

"I will have my tea in an hours' time. You will join me, as drinking the hot mixture of water shall alleviate your throat of the cold that is presiding over it." He still could not answer her,

only nod and obey numbly.

When she at last began to walk forward once more, it was as if a switch had been had been raised and he was suddenly caught off guard by her movements.

With a clumsy stumble, he stepped on her heeled shoe and he just stopped. Instead of finding himself on the end of razor sharp claws of black, a resounding laugh came from above, "Come now Victor, this was a simple accident."

"B-But y-your shoe i-is dirty..." The Lady let out a huff, "I could have all the pairs of shoes in the world and it would still not make a difference, do not worry about it Victor." She didn't even yelp or cry out, he didn't even feel her leg tense up!

He hadn't affected her in any way... and the thought of it terrified him, because a normal person would be hopping around in . "You may take whatever time necessary to calm yourself and lean against me, should you have need for it; it is not a bother, for I realize that you are shivering whilst I am not." Her statement launched him into a pit of conflicting emotions.

Victor wanted to cry, he was afraid, he just knew it that she was evil, that she was cruel and yet his body was calming, it was letting its guard down even as he desperately tried. "The pelt is from a sable, hunted and skinned in the forests of Siberia, it is soft to the touch is it not?" The Lady purposely guided his hand to touch the incredibly soft black fur.

"I-I-I... y-yes." Her eyes were light with more amusement, "Shall we go then? As I said earlier, it is not for the best that you suffer this weather." The Countess was guiding him, pushing him forth and keeping him close at the same time.

Victor was affected by his body's natural instinct to seek out heat and he practically hugged her leg, causing him to look down in shame... and in fear.

He could not stand to imagine her reaction to this, even as they kept walking without speaking a word, the wind being the only thing to break the mirror of silence.

"A bathtub filled with hot, steaming water shall be the perfect relaxant after this experience. Unfortunately, Mihaela is ill and cannot assist in setting one up, so you will call one of the maids to do it," She paused for a moment, fingers tightening very lightly, "And do not forget of our appointment for tea, I would be most displeased should you not attend it."

It did not matter that his gaze was locked to the snow covered stone floor, the command registered anyways and he would heed it, doing anything that he could, for he knew that to try and do the opposite would result in death.

"We are nearly back at the main entrance, and- The fact that she stopped talking confused it him to no end, so he looked at the noblewoman and saw that she was gazing at something in the distance.

Victor did much of the same and realized that a lone figure, clad in black was standing in the clearing in front of the castle's foyer.

The young man felt the Countess straighten up, her arm retracting and leaving him defenseless to the harsh wind.

He almost went to cling to her, but narrowly stopped himself from doing it, using the shock of brutal cold to overpower the sensations of desperate need for affection and touch.

"Victor," The Lady spoke then, voice infinitely more stern than before, "I will be withheld for a time, but do not concern yourself with it, Bela and Daniela shall be with us for the tea, so sate your boredom with their company in case of my eventual and momentary absence." And then she strode forward, head held high and proud, composed and unwavering even when being assaulted by the wind. It was a miracle that her hat hadn't been sent flying away with the tempest.

The teen hastily followed, aiming to go to the massive set of metallic doors. Though whilst he cut towards it, he could not keep himself from seeing who would even dare to occupy the Countess' attention.

The other person was in fact a woman, dressed in what could only be described as a priestess'garb, a small glint revealed that she also wore a mask of some sorts, a golden beak. Her hands as well held such intricately winding curves of gold, and they unified to form small talon like extensions that covered the tips of her fingers.

Behind of the woman, he swore that there were feathers, midnight black feathers like those that would belong to crows. In a moment, he realized just exactly who this mysterious individual was.

"Mother Miranda, your presence is unexpected, but certainly not unwelcome. Please, Castle Dimitrescu extends its service to you, as do I as it's Lady." The towering woman in grey greeted the godly figure as she turned around to look at her.

They began to converse in Romanian and Victor took the opportunity to walk up the steps of the entrance, but just as he was about to place his hand against the door, a voice made him stop.

"American, come here." Victor froze and twisted around. The two women both stared at him, though with different emotions. As he stiffly made his way over, he noticed that the noble woman's gaze was unreadable and guarded.

He felt much of the same sensation of dread and fear when he came closer to Mother Miranda as when he did with the Countess. There was an edge of curiosity to the clear, icy eyes of the priestess, one that made him worried, frightful even of her presence. She held a twisted gaze, one that was both curious and analytic at the same time, as if she were a scientist, observing a rodent to be used for testing. It made him feel small, inferior and certainly uneasy.

"G-Good a-after-afternoon Mo-Mother M-M-Miranda m-ma'm, L-Lady." He corrected himself, not wanting to have caused unnecessary offense.

"Mother Miranda shall suffice for now Victor Press," Her head tilted back for a moment, regarding him once more, "That is your name yes?" "Y-Yes M-My Lady."

"You did not attend any of the ceremonies and gatherings within the village." She noted and he felt as if he was being caught in a trap, as if he had done something that was most naughty and wrong.

"I-I d-didn't, n-no... I don't r-really b-believe in g-god- "But I am not the Christian God. Surely you must have come to realize that." Miranda interrupted him with cold pragmatism. Victor could not help the inward cringe as he knew that she had caught him good.

"I a-ap-apologies Mother M-Miranda. I s-simply d-do not believe in su-superstitions and t- things l-like that." He retread back when a set of six, immense wings unfolded behind her back in a full display, suddenly painting her as an abomination of an angel of demonic appearance.

"I-I, I'm s-sorry i-if I h-have of-offended you." He tried, oh, how he tried to keep that fear out of his voice, alas it was still clearly present.

"Do you still believe these to be fabled stories then?" "N-No." A smile was the reply that he received as she then turned to look at the Countess.

"I was not expecting you to favor the presence of a man within your castle Alcina, this is most unlike of you." "Mother Miranda, Victor's stay is justified by the means of which he possesses which are to help house Dimitrescu flourish with coin and fame. He has been vital to the increase of my wine's market share."

The blonde woman let out a small huff, as if she was dismissing the answer, "And yet you are still insistent on keeping him away and locked within your grasp, Victor has no need to be here in the physical sense, the technology of his computer and that of the world allows him the commodity of it."

It startled him; the revelation that she even knew that he had a computer, much less than she knew his name. "That is not all that there is to it, is it not my daughter?" The nostrils of the towering vampire flared as her eyes narrowed, "Victor has his other uses, to which I hold in my best interests, and I would be swift to point that this conversation would be best had without his presence, as he is clearly in distress because of the weather."

"Oh hush Alcina, he will not die because of it, and it would be unladylike of you not to show trust and honesty." A tension was brewing between them, and Victor was painfully reminded of when Karl had told him of the Countess' increase in power.

"Most honored Mother, I have been your loyal and faithful servant since the day that you gifted me with the Cadou and cured my bloodline of the ancient illness. I only ask to have the freedom and privacy of managing my household staff as I so please." It seemed that the Lady was forcing herself to say those words, though it wasn't easily noticeable to the young man.

Miranda looked him over again and he felt worried about it, for she was gazing at him as if he was a toy of interesting secrets. "Though it must be said that you cannot be faulted for choosing such a peculiar specimen... I would have done so myself, had you not beaten me to it."

"W-We, w-what a-are you tal-talking about? W-We n-never m-met before, di-did we?" Victor could not help but asked confusedly, still looking back and forth between them.

"You have seen me before boy, not in this form, but we have met, even if for only a brief moment." And finally, she turned back to the Countess.

"Cât timp îi vei mai permite să respire?" They has switched over to Romanian again. "Nu știu încă răspunsul la întrebarea ta, Maica Miranda, totul va depinde de cât timp voi avea nevoie de abilitățile sale." He was sure that they were talking about him, and it made him feel nervous.

"Atunci poate ar trebui să faceți efortul de a nu-l înghiți ca și restul fecioarelor, poate că am nevoie și de propriile sale servicii." The Countess dipped her great black hat as a sign of formal salutation, which was not exchanged with the shorter woman.

"Îmi voi ține cont de cererea dumneavoastră, Maica Miranda, deși nu vă pot oferi alte asigurări în afară de aceasta." With no more further talk, the dark veiled woman left, walking down the clearing that lead to the central gate, seemingly unaffected by the howling wind.

Victor looked back to the Countess as she too was occupied with glaring at the priestess of the village. "M-My L-Lady?"

Her golden eyes lowered down to him and they lost some of the hard edge that she had used until this point.

"Victor, enter the castle." He practically ran and almost tripped over himself to go and push the heavy door open. The teen let out a sigh as he was bathed in the warmth of the ancient keep, he was finally safe from the brutal cold.

But the much more pleasant conditions did not stop him from letting out a startled gasp as he felt the Countess' hold his arm, making him turn around so that he faced her.

Her gloved fingers caught his chin and pulled his head upwards, forcing him to be bared to her gaze.

"You understand who that was yes?" Victor could only mutter a mumbled yes.

"W-What, w-what d-did she w-w-want?" Her face glowered, "She wishes to take you away from here, from me."

The noblewoman briefly closed her eyes to calm herself, removing the traces of frustration that had momentarily accompanied her. "Victor," She started to talk again, though this time in a more controlled tone, "You must never follow that woman, nor must you ever heed her commands. She only aims to use you for her experiments and nothing more." The powerful vampire leaned down further, "You must swear to me on your name that you will not fancy her company in any way."

"I-I s-swear." He managed to say as he held back a gulp.

Her thumb caressed his cheek once more, though this time there was no snow to brush off.

"Good boy."

Chapter End Notes

School is being rough, but that's nothing new. So we are beginning to see signs, little pointers of what is to come, and in the midst of it all Mother Miranda comes to create more tension. I hope that I managed to capture Victor's ever evolving state of mind well enough, please remember to comment, let me know what you thought and give me your theories. Ps We're officially over 100k words!

Tea

Chapter Summary

Victor spends quality time with the ladies of house Dimitrescu.

Chapter Notes

New chapter! I actually put a reference to a song in here, so keep an eye out for it!

See the end of the chapter for more notes

"Did you have fun with Mother?"

Victor hesitantly moved from out of the doorway and into the Tea Room, whilst feeling very much in danger as Daniela looked at him with curiosity.

"I... y-yes, t-the C-Countess was v-very g-gracious in inviting m-me." He wanted to bolt away... he had just returned from the warm bath, feeling refreshed and clean. It had been comforting to let the water calm his senses, to lower his guard for but a moment. But now that brief window of peace was gone and worst yet, he was actually rested now, so the urge to simply take off like the wind was made even more alluring.

There was delusional insanity within within those yellow eyes and they frightened Victor to no end, they made him want to curl up in a small ball and hide away.

"That is good to hear Victor, please, sit next to me." Bela patted the spot next to him, inviting to share the couch that was framed with silken pillows and many curling gold flowers.

He did not need to be told twice as he hastily did so, knowing that at least he could be partially safe with the blonde vampire. A content smile greeted him as she was clearly happy to see him.

"I-Is the L-Lady coming?" "Mother said that she would be here soon, however, she has given us leave to begin without her." Bela answered while gesturing to the handmaiden to settle the gold platter on the small table.

Victor reached forward to grab the steaming kettle, but a noise from the woman next to him made him stop. "There is no need to Victor, the maid will take care of everything." He wanted to reply, to tell her that he would have much rather served himself than have the poor maiden tire herself, but a tug in his gut told him otherwise.

It seemed that there was a hierarchy as to who was served first: the maid started with Bela, and that was likely because she was the oldest and therefore the highest in the pecking order. The youngest of the daughters, Daniela, came next until Victor was the last to receive his due, and he gave her a quiet thanks.

His stomach lurched as he saw that the redhead added a generous amount of red to her cup, painting the green tea a much darker shade of maroon. It was blood... she was adding blood to it.

The young man pointedly made it to look away, fearing that he would otherwise vomit and make a mess of the beautiful carpeted floor. The fabric of it was likely worth more money than he had ever made in his short life... he did not want to image the way in which the Countess would be prone to react should he ruin it in an irreparable manner.

"Victor, do you want anything else? I personally enjoy putting two cubes of sugar in my tea, and I sometimes am of the fancy to also use a small spoonful of honey." He gave her a gracious nod, "I-I would l-like that very much Bela." Again, much to his chagrin, the maid was the one to do the deed.

"Do you like it cutie?" He stilled under the youngest sister's gaze. Daniela had pulled her black hood back and had exposed her half shaven head. The marking on her front was a evident as ever, and a single drop of blood fell down from her red colored lips. Out of his peripheral vision, Victor saw that Bela paused the motion of raising her cup, and a quick glance revealed that she was glaring at her sibling.

A moment of silence passed before he kicked himself into motion, "Y-Yes, I d-don't really l- like tea but its g-good." "Then it is a good thing. Oh, if you want more than there is no need to hesitate." "I'I'll let y-you know i-if I want more." "A-Alright."

He felt a strong vibration from his pocket and knew in a heartbeat that it was due to his smartphone. Both of the vampires had senses that went beyond what a normal human like him was capable of, and tilted their heads with interest towards his leg.

Victor quickly pulled the Iphone out and saw that it was from an unknown caller id. Without giving it a second though, he swiped his thumb over the screen and refused to answer the call.

"Why did you not answer that? It seemed important." Bela's voice registered in his ears and he gave her a skittish look, "It w-was an u-unknown caller, I'm w-willing to bet that i-it was a scam." "A scam?" Her eyebrows rose in genuine question, "I'll t-tell y-you more about them another t-time."

But Daniela was still excited nonetheless, "I am curious! What is this unknown caller that you are talking about? Is it a person? Tell me about it!" The teen flinched back, quite shocked at her bubbly outburst.

"I... M-Miss D-Daniela, w-what I w-was s-saying is- "You don't need to call me that handsome, you've more than earned the right of calling me in a more intimate manner." His

mind reeled at the amount of flirtatious lust that came from her. A hand placed itself on his thigh and he almost jumped.

Bela was holding his leg, in an almost protective manner as she glared at the redhead, "Daniela stop. You are making him uncomfortable." Luckily for him, she did indeed cease her insistence with a small pout: "Fine, but you'll have to tell me another time then, I want to know!"

Shyly, the programmer nodded at her. His phone vibrated again... and Victor had an inkling of thought as to who exactly was calling him.

He couldn't answer it... he was not in the right state of mind, and he did not want to. The young man did not bother with denying the call, for he shut the smartphone down directly.

But there was a glaring detail that kept nagging at him, pointedly prodding at his inner thoughts. "W-W-Where i-is Mi-Miss Cassandra?" The middle daughter was the one that worried him the most... and she was the one, who hated him the most...

That was a strange way to look at it though: none of the other noble ladies of the Dimitrescu family displayed open hostility to him, except for perhaps the Countess herself.

"Cassandra will not attend this small meal, for she has other... duties to attend, as to say." Bela informed him in an oddly disinterred and uncaring tone, which was unlike of her.

He was relieved at the hearing her news though, for he was still afraid that the brunette and the woman next to him would erupt in an all out fight, like the one that had almost happened when he had just saved Bela.

The click of the opening door caught his and everyone's attention. Victor felt his breath quicken once he saw the unmistakable shape of the Countess that ducked down to enter the room.

"Good evening my darlings, and Victor." Her golden eyes moved to him, making him pale. "Good evening to you as well Mother!" "Good evening Mother." Daniela and Bela answered respectively, whilst Victor gave an uneasy wave of the hand, though he failed to add a smile to it.

"I apologize for my tardiness my daughters, I wished to see how Mihaela was faring, as you all know that she is sick." With a single stride, she had already crossed the space between the entrance and the couch. "Doing so reminded me that you may also catch a bad cold Victor. Here, I had a maid retrieve this." The teen hadn't noticed it before, but the frighteningly tall vampire was holding a plush, dark green blanket within her gloved hands. Without so much as a word of question, she moved directly behind the couch, from where he was seated, and leaned forward to partially loom over him.

Victor felt the shadow that was cast from her hat upon himself, and he knew that she was close. Against his own will, his body stiffened, preparing for the worst. The young man

flinched when he felt her deposit the blanket upon his back and shoulders, so that it partially covered him. Her large hands, hands that were capable of ending lives and crushing stone, brushed over his neck and then down his upper arms before retreating as the Lady rose to her full height.

"Now your chances of falling ill have been minimized Victor, still, it would be best to take some medicine as a form of precaution." She twisted her fingers towards the maiden and she bowed, setting the tea platter down before exiting the room, leaving him completely alone.

The noblewoman took a couple of measured steps to his right and sat in the large armchair right next to him. Unintentionally, the poor boy leaned to his left a little, and came closer to Bela.

Victor was afraid, so he hugged the blanket tighter to himself, an action that was also done involuntarily, though he could find appreciation within the warmth that the soft fabric conferred to him.

"Hmm, are you still not satisfied Victor? Do you still feel the cold?" The Countess hummed elegantly placing and elbow upon the armrest and watching him with interest.

"I-I..." For a moment, he wanted to say that everything was fine, that he in fact was not cold, to deny her remark even. But then Victor remembered what she had told him earlier, and the advice that she had communicated to him.

"Y-Yes. I s-still feel s-some cold." Her lips, painted in a striking red where posed in a straight line. Victor lowered his eyes, for he could not bare to still look at her. Just then, the door opened once more and the maiden returned whilst carrying a small bottle of dark brown syrup.

"Du-te și ia o altă pătură imediat pentru el." The shorter one scurried away like a bat out of hell and it was only then that the Countess extended her arm towards the platter to hold the kettle in once hand and a cup in the other.

Bela didn't protest this time, but this was likely because it was her own mother that was doing the action, and the beautiful lady would not dare to contrast herself to her matron's commands and wishes.

"Victor," Her voice startled him and he looked up. "Your hand, if you will." He immediately understood what she wanted and felt the revolting need to empty his stomach anew.

With a dry throat, he shakily brought his arm up to her, clearly exposing his index finger to hear. Dreading the moment that was to come, Victor grimaced when he felt the Countess hold his finger still as he heard the horrific sound of her extending clawed nails.

Dammit, his other arm ached, for his wrist had yet to heal properly. A cold shiver wracked through him then, he wished for something to happen, hell, even something as unthinkable as a bolt of lightning would have done just fine... had he the fortune to be struck down by the superior force of nature of course... however, exactly as how one would have expected, there

was no blinding and crackling light to electrocute him to the afterlife. He was still with the Countess.

Victor exhaled, coming ever closer to being reduced to a quivering mess. He could not find the courage to watch and resorted to shielding his gaze with the familiar black void that his eyelids provided.

But pain did not follow. Everything that had led up to that point, from the anxiety to the nervousness and stress made him gasp when he felt the faintest of swift cutting noise, so he opened his eyes again to see what had happened. The teen only saw but a drop of blood, scarlet and shining from where it fell from the cut and down into the tea cup. "Thank you Victor," She told him then, "This will help render my simple drink far more exquisite than before."

He hadn't even felt the prick of pain, and when he turned his finger over, he struggled to even see the thin line that marked his skin. It was truly only minor, even less than a paper cut really.

"N-No p-problem... I-I'm just glad that I could help you." He briefly caught sight of an ecstatic Miss Daniela as she took a few of the biscuits away, to be eaten later in a position of relative privacy amidst her own personal quarters.

The tea and the drop of blood were made to swirl together thanks to the efforts of a silver spoon, which the Countess used with grace and elegance to mix the drink.

"I have been reminded my daughters, that I will be in need of the Duke's emporium the next time that he comes to sell his goods at the castle. Is there anything of interest that I might entertain you with?" She spoke, gazing at the other two women.

"Yes Mother! Please buy the hunting dagger with the deer shaped pommel head! I saw it hanging from one of the Duke's ceiling hooks once!" As expected, Bela was much more quaint and composed in her request: "And I would like to read the Critique of Pure Reason by Emmanuel Kant." That caused her to smile, "But my dear, there are already such copies in the library, why do you want another?"

Bela lowered her gaze, seeming almost embarrassed, "I would enjoy reading it in French, if possible. Thank you Mother." The noblewoman sighed, "You are as curious as the first day that I saw you my beloved Bela."

She then addressed the only male in the room directly, "Et toi Victor? Y a-t-il quelque chose que vous voudriez acheter dans la boutique du bonhomme?"

The words both startled and threw him off by miles, "I-I'm s-sorry we-what?" The three ladies chuckled, though they were polite in doing so. "I asked you if you would care to come and view the Duke's offerings, and on that same page, est-ce que tu parles français?"

He understood that much at least, so he answered honestly: "I-I don't k-know how to s-speak F-French." In complete truth, it did not surprise him that much to know that she had mastery

over the language... he was pretty sure that French was important to learn for people of such high class like her, yes, it wasn't a surprise at all to know that she was fluent in it, or at least it sounded that way to Victor.

"I-I o-only really k-know English, a-and t-that's i-it." Learned words did not count, for he only knew them because of the fact that they were mainstream in the twenty-first century.

"Hmm, still, you did not yet answer my question; do you wish to come and purchase an item from the Duke's vast selection?" It was a startling thought, that of remembering that he now actually had real, proper money, money that was his own and no one else's.

"Y-Yes, I w-would like to s-see s-something, i-if I c-can." He would at least get to talk with the man... Victor hadn't seen Ioana and Adina in the past few days... he wondered where they were. A part of him felt the need to go search for them, through the my hallways and stairs, but at the same time... his body was betraying him yet again.

He was oddly comfortable, in the physical sense: the room was quite cozy all on its own, but the blanket certainly helped to add warmth to him. Even the cushions of the couch were marvelously soft to the touch, almost like a proper bed.

It was relaxing and lulling, and had this perhaps been in another world, Victor would have simply let himself go, to not let himself be bothered by courtesies such as good manners and class. He would have stretched and laid down on the couch directly, foregoing the need of a bed entirely.

"Very well, if my mind hasn't failed me yet, then he should arrive in the morning." "Yes, you are correct Mother." The blonde was quick to offer confirmation to the older vampire's claim.

The maid returned then, holding another blanket and with a single tilt of the Countess' head, she approached Victor and settled the cloth upon his shoulders, adding another layer of warmth on him.

There was some silence then, as the noblewomen took their time to consume their tea, he was left to contemplate and worry over his thoughts. Victor had finished his own cup and had placed it on the low table.

He locked himself, sitting rigidly and stiffly. The young man was counting the seconds that passed, but there was the underlaying threat of panic taking over him, and it was conflicted with the sensations of physical calm... it was as if he was only beginning to inhabit and empty and unresponsive shell.

"That was delightful. Victor, now it is time for you to take the medicine." A spoon had been placed next to the bottle of syrup, but he looked at it with suspicion, "Do not fret, it is only to use for your cold." His nose didn't feel that stuffy, and while he did indeed feel exposed to shivers, Victor could not find it within himself to confirm that he was indeed ill, for past experiences dictated it as much.

Slowly, he gripped the spoon, and it rattled slightly because of his trembling hand. He would spill the medicine, if he tried to do it himself.

Victor closed his eyes in brief frustration. "Do you need help Victor?" Bela asked him then, leaning forward at his side. "I-I can d-do it." Her yellow eyes showed that she apprehensive, yet she did not voice her clashing thoughts with his straightforward declaration.

"Be careful, you might dirty the carpets." As if reading his mind, Miss Daniela's voice came to grate at hand brain, further adding nervousness to him and thus making the trembling worse.

In the end, he simply resolved to place the spoon back down on the table and letting out a small exhale of air. But it was the large black gloved hand which swiftly and precisely snaked up to his own that made him snap back to reality.

The Countess pushed away his fingers from the handle of the silver utensil so that she could grasp it herself. Silently, and with no hesitation, she poured the syrup into the round, bent metal.

With remarkable perfection, the spoon was filled up to the brim, and when she moved her hand to come closer to his head, there was not a single tremor that went through the limb.

"Open your mouth Victor." The command was spoken softly, and it felt alien to him.

"I... I c-can d-do it my-myself, th-thank y-you M-My L-Lady." The impeccable of her face was adorned with a few wrinkles as the noblewoman displayed a small frown, orbs of liquid gold becoming harder than iron and sharper than steel.

"Daniela has the right of it Victor: you shall make a mess should you choose to act on your own behest and I would rather avoid making a mistake that can easily be rectified by simple, common sense." The young man blinked a couple of times, almost convinced that he had misheard her.

"I'm s-sorry?" "Go on, part your lips Victor, and I will take care of the rest." He was surprised when he felt his mouth do just that: opening fully as to let the spoon come to the interior of his jaw.

He held his breath as the Countess pushed the utensil in, just barely grazing his teeth and the inside of his cheeks. The cool metal rested on his tongue for a single moment, before beginning to pull back and to twist towards one side as so the liquid could actually fall onto the fleshly muscle.

The syrup was sweet, overly sweet to the point that he nearly gagged when it reached the entrance of his throat that led down to his esophagus. "I am aware that the taste is not of the acclaimed, but it is a small price to pay in order to prevent the arrival of a sickness." And now she had lost that edge of cold sternness, preferring to resort back to a more calm attitude.

Victor looked down, a faint pink hue coming over his cheeks. Daniela let out a muffled laugh as she covered her mouth with her hand whilst turning away. He spotted Bela doing much the same, though she was far more controlled in her expression of hilarity.

"Do not feel embarrassed Victor, there is nothing of shameful in letting others offer their assistance." He still felt the aftertaste of the syrup, so he simply swallows the saliva that had accumulated to try and remove the sugary feeling.

"O-Ok." He sat back up, but he was still stiff as before. "Is there anything wrong?" "M-My L-Lady?" She leaned forward, looking intently at his posture and shoulders.

"You are still nervous." It was a statement, a fact that he could not deny. Yet he did so anyways. "I-I'm r-really not."

For a moment, he saw a flash of an emotion pass over her. It was sudden, but Victor swore that he saw pure annoyance fill her features, and then dissipate in but a moment. "Victor, we are here, I am here. You don't have to be afraid of anything, the hunters, the lycans can't and will not hurt you." The blonde spoke with kindness, so he turned to gaze at her.

"I-I d-don't have a s-single d-doubt about t-that." "Yeah! The next time that a few pesky man- things even dare to set foot in the castle, I'll be on them in a flash!"

The redhead then went on to talk of a few more things, to which Victor partially listened to, if not for the fact that he would at least have a way to answer without being caught whilst lost in his own mind.

But it unsettled him that the Countess did not partake in the conversation as he would have expected her to. She kept staring at him, and every once in a while, he would sneak a glance at her, and immediately direct his gaze elsewhere when their eyes crossed.

"This was delightful! The cookies were made to perfection this time!" The elder sister chuckled, "I think that the chef used a new recipe, inspired by the famous chocolate sachertorte of Austria." "Well they were good! I just can't have enough of them!"

Eventually though, it came to the time of departure: "Mother, do we have your permission to leave?" The Countess warmly smiled at her, "Of course my darlings, you may go." They both left in a swarm of insects.

Victor felt the tension in the room continue to grow, even as the maid took away the silver platter and the dirty teacups. "Come Victor, walk with me." The Countess stood up and went to exit the door. Victor, with the same heaviness and sense of finality that the he was often to carry around in these situations, took after her.

The loud sound of her heels impacting the floor was the only thing to break the eternal silence of the many hallways of Castle Dimitrescu.

He could feel it in the very air, with the way that the Countess felt about him... she was not pleased. The programmer was torn between tentatively asking the vampire what wrong he had done... or to keep quiet and hope for the best.

In the end though, he chose the latter option and stayed quiet. When they neared a window which was built as a way to offer a phenomenal view of the outside forest, the steps of the Countess began to slow and shorten. She stopped a couple of feet away from the glass and settled to look outside of it.

Victor waited for her to say something, he simply stayed put, constantly glancing around him and to his sides. This was an intersection, two hallways continued to the left and right of him. Possible paths that would offer an escape... if he could readily and steadily reconstruct the layout of the castle, and that was a very difficult thing to achieve.

"Victor," He froze when she called him by his name, staring at the silken dress that adorned her back and the hints of the black curly hair that contrasted with the pale skin of her neck. "Why do you still continue to lie?"

He took a step back then... it was an uncontrollable reaction on his part, it was something that he could not prevent. "M-M-My L-L-Lady? Wh-what a-a-are y-you t-talking a-about- She whirled around then and petrified him with her glare.

"You know exactly of what I am speaking of." There was no space to counter her claim... and Victor could not even begin to formulate a worthy attempt at doing so.

The Countess let out a small exhale of frustration, though she appeared to become less intimidating as the tension left her shoulders and her head dipped by a minuscule degree. "This," She gave him a pointed glare, "You continue to lie to me, to my face, even to my daughters." He wanted to shrink down when her voice hardened.

"I-I a-am s-sorry M-My L-Lady." Once more, he heard her sigh. "I am asking the wrong question though and expecting to receive the answer that I want... Victor, I ask of you to tell me of why you yet keep fearing all of it."

He opened his mouth... she was right and she was on point with what was bothering him, "Even now, you tremble and flinch, whenever I near your proximity, whenever I regard you with but a single word." The teen wanted to rip his hair out: couldn't she see why he was terrified?

"Victor, it is no secret that I held naught a strand of sympathy towards you upon our first meeting. The smiles, the pleasantries were but an act, meant to convince you and allow myself to collect the benefits that you've brought. I hold no love for men, or other people in general... but you showed me that there can be exceptions, such as when you saved my Bela from a horrible and certain death." She stepped closer to him, and he twisted his head away, mouth dry and cold sweat running down your face.

"I told you before, that I now consider you to be an esteemed guest to House Dimitrescu. I do not believe to have hurt you grievously, much less caused you physical harm." She opened her arms, "Are you not content with what I have granted you?"

He shook his head, but the simple fact of doing it sent his mind reeling between the blurred line of it either being a lie, or a truth, or half a lie, or maybe both. or maybe neither-

A quiet gasp tore from him when she placed her hands on his shoulders and resettled the blankets upon him in a more appropriate manner. "I do not believe to have been a cruel woman, by any definition of the word, not to you at least in the last few days." He thought about all of those maids, about all of those people who were killed and bled dry for their blood... how... how many more guys like him has suffered this fate before his arrival at the village? He would never know the answer to that question...

"Victor, what I mean to say is that your fear is unfounded and not necessary. You have earned my favor, and that is why you shall never be at the receiving end of the dragon's claws." There was a genuine sincerity in her voice, and he looked up.

"I understand that you are still unsettled by what has transpired with those cursed hunters, but it is all in the past now, and you will be kept safe within the castle's grounds. Do you understand that?" Victor took in a shaky breath, and the knots in his stomach began to wane and become undone... she was being honest here... she did have some humanity left in her then.

"I-I do... I'm j-j-just still s-shaken by e-everything..." "It is completely understandable; should you be in need of having someone to talk to, then you can rest assured that I will always be willing to listen to your troubles." She smoothed out the final wrinkles on the blankets and regarded him with a pleased hum.

"I am glad that this misunderstanding has been cleared, and I would advise that you go and rest." The young man nodded, "Y-Yeah, I think I'll g-go sleep."

Victor walked away, leaving the towering Countess alone next to the large window. She turned around it again, for unknown to all, a smile pulled her lips up, exposing her gleaming canines.

Chapter End Notes

Yup, Lady D is becoming attached, and so is Victor, even if he doesn't realize it. Please let me know of what you thought, tell me your predictions and comment the song if you've found the easter egg. Until next time.

Setting sun

Chapter Summary

A day comes to an end and Victor prepares to go to bed.

Chapter Notes

Apologies for the lateness of the update but school is trying to impale me with a barrage of tests!

See the end of the chapter for more notes

"This is fucking ridiculous." A drag of smoke followed the crude statement as Heisenberg placed down the disassembled gun on the table.

"How so?" Lady Alcina Dimitrescu enquired as she placed the tip of her cigarette holder to her red painted lips.

"The inferior part of the barrel is composed of tungsten, tungsten do you get me? Who the fuck puts the element with the hardest tensile strength of all natural metals in their gun?! Who?!" He waved his hands around.

"Keep quiet child." The Countess growled out, it was a warning, a very clear warning to not annoy her further. "Oh, fuck you too." He took the cigar from out of his mouth and exhaled.

"And you're telling me that these... hunters of sorts had this with them?" "I asked you to report on the machinations of the weapon, not to receive your useless council on the happenings of past events."

Her glowing gold eyes bore down into his shaded ones, "Well? Is there anything of interest that you have found amidst that mess of scraps?"

"Damn right I found something interesting! The entire design and construction of this pistol is shit! I don't even want to call this a fucking pistol!"

"It's ridiculous!" Karl pointed an accusing finger at the firearm, "This wasn't meant to load normal bullets, the width of the barrel doesn't correspond to any caliber that would be used!" He grabbed the mentioned piece and waved it in her face, "Can you see this? It's almost rectangular!"

Lady Alcina sneered at him, a heartbeat away from unleashing her claws upon his mocking and prancing form. "And what can you tell me? Is there any indication as to who might have manufactured such a... particular piece of weaponry as you so gracefully named it with that vulgar mouth of yours?"

"Some kind of shady organization is behind this. There aren't any bars, coded numbers or insignias etched onto this shit. Whoever built this meant for it to stay in private hands, this gun wasn't meant for public use... that would also explain the reason for why its so fucking strange and random... still what a horrible design this is. And I don't even mean to brag but even if I was thirty bottles of beer and booze deep I could still come up with something at least five times better."

The towering woman had long since stopped listening to the other Lord's rambling, choosing to instead reflect on what he had said. The hunters had likely struck a deal with some company to manufacture this specific weapon, made to hurt her daughters and her. She could not know if those bullets would affect her as they did her beloved daughters, that was simply something that she would not be able to discover.

But it meant that there were still ways to hurt her brood. And as much as she abhorred the inkling of good thought, she would need to bring this to the attention of Mother Miranda, if only to place another barrier between this new and mysterious danger and her bloodline.

"And what is this magazine even suppose to represent? It can hold what? Three, four shots at a time? Useless waste of good metal this is." "We must tell Mother Miranda about this." Karl openly groaned, "You mean to contact that six winged bitch?"

She exhaled a puff of smoke, "Yes, though I would rather have you walk all over my most priceless carpets than to speak to that vile madwoman."

Heisenberg clapped his hands, "If this is all, I'm going to leave. I need to take a shit." He gathered the weapon inside of a rucksack and slung it over his shoulders.

"Oh and bitch?" "What Heisenberg?" He gave her a crooked grin and tipped his hat, "Tell Victor that I miss him and hope to see him free from your captivity." He hurried away into the hatch that lead down to the underground tunnel, narrowly avoiding the deadly claws that turned the steel construct to ruined ribbons.

Elsewhere...

"God... fuck it all..." Victor ran his hand over his face, using the water that was pouring into the sink. It felt refreshing, it really did feel refreshing and he needed it.

"I should shower..." He raised his arm a little bit and sniffed at his armpit, before rearing back in slight disgust. He did smell quite nasty.

He slowly moved over to one of the other wooden pieces of furniture because he suspects that the drawers would contain some kind of fragrance or liquid soap that he could use. The

teen was glad that he found a small bottle of body soap, and he set it down on the marble step next to the bath up.

Victor did not want to think as to what the Countess had just told him... she had seen through his lies as always, but this time she appeared to be... saddened? It was a debatable thing, but a part of his conscious told him that hers was a genuine of apology.

At the same time, he did not want to accept it. She had said that she would hurt him, him. That did not comprehend all of the maids working in and out of the Castle... what of the maidens that were supposedly captured from the village?

The young man knew that the wealth of the noblewoman was based on the exportation of her rare and prestigious wine... wine that needed a virgin's blood to truly embrace the staple of its flavor.

It wasn't like the Countess would ask a weekly blood transfusion from the poor women who labored day and night; no, she would use them to their fullest, until their veins were made free of the red liquid that was oh, so essential to the process of fabricating the noble beverage.

And then, they would be turned into those... things. Victor did not remember what they were called, but his mind was very much familiar with their horrid stench, the dark outline of their bent, crooked forms as they limped around bearing either swords or small axes and hissing in a feral manner at whatever sort of presence that would have the unfortunate luck of befalling near them.

Nothing remained of those townsfolk who were turned... nothing, not even a heap of bones that would demand a proper burial, no, the Countess took everything that she pleased and desired.

And he had saved Bela... but even Bela had murdered countless of those women who lived in his same exact situation, Victor wasn't even sure if he would have had the courage to claim that his own current standing was better than theirs: for all he knew, he could simply be in a more exposed state, pushed straight under the glaring spotlight, marking him for the attention of the noblewomen who ruled a part of this valley.

The software engineer was lost, in many ways. He hadn't touched his pc in three days... or was it four? It did not matter though, because the point was that he had been deprived of the thing which guaranteed his salary, and it felt as if it was an eternity since he had last laid his fingers, all ten of them, upon the void black buttons of his keyboard...

All of his items of value, they were all back in that lone house that he had purchased with the intentions of living a quiet, secluded and happy life.

But the Countess had paid him still, even if she had no need to... and Victor wanted to believe that maybe he was overreacting, that perhaps all was not as bad as he had made it to be from his point of view.

Yet, she had acted. She had told him as much... all of those initial meetings, the praises and compliments, the friendly attitude, they were not but an insignificant farce, meant to only bait him. What if the same situation was repeating itself just now?

And what if it wasn't? And his actions of saving the blonde vampire had actually earned himself a guarantee of life?

"When will this end?" He only wanted to go back to that wooden house... he only wanted to be left alone.

"I'm going to have to ask her... yeah... it's the only way. Fuck, I'm going to have to ask her." He paced around the bathroom.

This was going to be it... he was going to ask the Countess, because there was no other way.

If she was true to her word, then she would let him go, he would continue to work with for her of course, the absurd amount of money that she had given him was nice... and then as soon as that contract expired, he would get the hell out of the village and move somewhere else, leaving all of this horrifying madness behind.

It was getting late, so he was going to change into some pajamas that has thankfully been stocked up in one of the three wardrobes. Three separate and distinct wardrobes for a single guest chamber. It was once more a sign of the extreme amount of wealth that the Lady possessed.

Victor opened the bathroom door and stepped over to the rest of his bedroom but let out a shout of surprise and dashed back.

"Oh, did I scare you little Victor?" Daniela let out an amused laugh and got up from the plush chair that accompanied a round table. "Come on! You can get closer, I won't bite you!"

That only made him retreat further into the bathroom. When the redhead got up, Victor went to push the door close, thanking whatever higher deity existed that there was an internal lock.

However, he wasn't fast enough as a pale hand burst over the sliver of space that remained from shutting the door completely. For a single moment, he placed all of his weight against the resistance that the vampire placed, aiming to force it closed, but in the next moment, he was already stepping back as it was wrenched against him with inhuman strength.

"Come on you! You're not being any fun!" The teen cowered and placed his back against the wall, letting out a terrified whimper as her arms closed around him and he was pulled back into the proper bedchambers.

"Aw, don't cry now, I brought you some of those tasty cookies from dinner time!" Startled, Victor could only stare wide eyed as a plate of those delicious pastries was brought right in front of his face. "They still smell good right?"

"Y-Yeah." Victor was freaking out, he kept looking at the door but he knew that he couldn't get to it fast enough. Just as all the previous times, he would have to trick the youngest Dimitrescu daughter and hope that she would simply become bored of his presence and leave.

"I'm n-not r-really hungry M-Miss Daniela." "Oh shush, I already told you to call me by my name you cutie pie!" She moved and placed the plate down on the table that served as a desk. "It's fine if you don't want them, it just means more food for me!"

Victor dared to look at the bathroom door, but when he turned towards the redhead again, he found her standing only an inch away from him. The teen moved backwards, his breath catching in his throat and his stomach twisting uncomfortably at her mere vicinity.

"You're so much fun Victor!" She cackled with glee, "But don't worry, I won't hurt you little one." He hated the names that she kept calling him... it made him feel like a pet, like an animal... in a way it even dehumanized him.

"Well, what were you doing just now?" She asked then, clapping her hands together and almost shaking with frenetic excitement.

"I w-was g-going to t-take a s-shower." And it was in that moment that the vampire's yellow eyes seemed to brighten up considerably.

"Really? Then it's perfect, I'll join you!" And right before his baffled and shocked gaze, Daniela began to pull off her hood, exposing her half shaved head and the strand of warm, auburn hair.

Victor stuttered incomprehensibly as her gloves came off next, and she was already in the middle of beginning to remove the bodice that framed her torso.

"W-Wait! S-Stop p-please?" Her hands halted their movements and involuntarily, Victor caught a glance of the white bra that held her breasts, but he turned his gaze away, embarrassed and worry.

"Why? Do you not want this puppy?" He swallowed thickly: "P-Please no. I j-just want t-to t- take a s-shower alone."

"But you love me yes? How is this a problem at all?" He wanted to simply get away from her. "I-It isn't r-right. P-Please, y-you can go f-first."

The young man heard her huff and walk closer to him, causing him to almost turn into himself in a ball of terrified panic. "Come on now, it won't be bad, I can rub your back, your arms and legs, your chest." Daniela chirped as she brushed against him.

The door opened and the sound of it startled them both, "Sister!?" The vampire cried out in embarrassment and hastily covered herself.

Bela glared at her and strode over to Victor, grabbing his hand and pulling him away from the redhead. "He has told you no Daniela. Leave these chambers, he is a guest and you are acting disrespectfully towards him."

"And who are you to tell me this hmm? You came in without even knocking and that is quite rude, you have just the same guilt as me!" The other's gaze darkened, "Do not test me sister, I am older than you and I shall let Mother know of this. Imagine how shamed she shall be to come to learn that one of her daughters is sullying the honor of our household."

Bela leveled her with another harsh glare, and Daniela looked over to Victor, hoping that he would help her in the situation, but alas his gaze was cast downwards, empty and afraid to even make eye contact.

"Fine then! Thank you for ruining my fun!" She didn't bother to walk and simply transformed into her swarm of insects and flew away.

"Are you alright Victor?" Bela came closer to him, "I-I... yes, t-thank y-you."

She smiled kindly to him, "Do not worry." The blonde then glanced away, almost becoming shy. "I... did not mean to pry or eavesdrop on your conversation with Daniela Victor."

She let out a small breath, "I heard that she wanted to bathe with you." The teen gave a small nod, awkwardly scratching the back of his head, "Uh... y-y-yeah... I wanted to shower and to retire for the night."

"Do you need help? For your wrist I mean, it is still bandaged..." Bela stated, though he could have sworn that he saw some red tint her cheeks.

"I-I'd r-rather do it b-by myself, but thanks." She nodded at him, if you don't mind, I'll wait for you here."

Victor was at least grateful that she wasn't as insistent as her sister... so there was that. Still, he grabbed a pair of fresh pajamas.

"I'll try to be q-quick." "Take all the time that you need, I will simply be waiting here." Daniela had left the plate of pastries unattended, seemingly forgetting about it all together.

The young man then entered the bathing chambers and closed the door, letting out a deep sigh. For Bela's sake, he would indeed try to wash himself as quickly as he could... she had helped him out quite a bit, and he would feel remorseful if he didn't pay her kindness back in some way.

Ten minutes later, he was scrubbing his head with a short towel in an effort to try and dry his hair. There weren't any hair dryer, due to a lack of electricity of course. It was still wet in some parts, but he would need to bear with it.

"O-Okay, I'm done." Victor said as he came to sit in the armchair that Bela was occupying. "Do you want one?" The older woman gestured to the plate, but he once again denied eating the delicious treats, he just wasn't hungry.

"I'll pass." He told her and leaned back in the armchair signing contently as he did. "I heard that the Duke would come tomorrow." Victor let out a little grunt of interest, as he would be curious about being finally able to look over the man's shop for his newest offers.

"Bela?" "Yes?" The young man sat up a little bit, "Does... does the weather get better here?" She furrowed her eyebrows, "What do you mean Victor?"

He looked out of the window, more specifically to the snowy backdrop of the mountains, "Spring is nearing... and then summer will come. Does it get warmer here?"

The vampire had a contemplative look on her face, "It does not change much," She told him then, "The days do get warmer, but not by a noticeable margin, it does snow less, but it never melts enough to make a difference. July is the warmest time of the year, but again, the cold persists and fires are needed to keep warm." Victor rested his head against his fist, "Alright then."

It really did seem like the valley was locked in a constant state of winter, but it should have been too surprising, seeing as it was surrounded by mountains and was already nearly over six and a half thousand feet above the sea level. It was bound to remain cold... it just made him wonder why none of the villagers ever attempted to move out...

Some of the townsfolk did drive down the valley with old, worn but sturdy trucks, he knew of this because the two men who left the village each day would bring back the letters, male and packages, the ones that Victor would always order.

Perhaps it was because of the near fanatical fate in Mother Miranda? He could not claim to know everything that had happened in this place... maybe attending a couple of those masses would have been a good idea after all.

"What are you thinking about Victor?" Bela's question made him snap out of his thoughts and he raised his gaze at her curious expression.

"O-Of the world, outside of the village I mean." She placed her hands onto her lap and leaned forward, clearly interested in hearing what he had to say.

"Mother has said that you are from a land that is called the United States of America. I have read of it in many of the history books, but they mostly regard the happenings of the second global war. I saw some pictures of the most notable city, New York. Did you live there?"

For a moment, Victor thought of his old home, when he was still with his family... when he was still with his parents.

"No, I lived in a small town right on the border between Maryland and Pennsylvania; so I was much closer to D.C., the capital." "Did you ever visit it though? I saw the pictures of the Lincoln Memorial, the Washington Monument and the White House."

"I did, a couple of times... I almost ended up living there... my mother wanted to move there." "Then why didn't you?" "I left." He told her quickly, evasively.

"But how are your parents then? I never heard of them." Victor looked down, "I d-don't want to talk about it Bela." The vampire continued on, "Did they come to see you whilst you were here in Romani- "I SAID I DON'T WANT TO TALK ABOUT IT!"

The blonde reared back, and so did he, horrified, shocked from his own outburst. It had just come out, unexpectedly... like a raging storm.

"I-I'm s-s-sorry B-Bela... p-please I'm s-sorry..." The eldest Dimitrescu daughter looked at him warily; yellow eyes open wide as she looked at his keeled form.

Victor had never yelled at her, he had never expressed so much fury towards her, towards any of her family, not even towards Cassandra, even if she had hurt him more times than she could scarcely count.

"Victor?" He flinched when she called him, "Are you alright?" The boy stuttered for a couple of moments before answering her: "Y-Yes... I m-mean y-yes... I'm s-sorry I y-yelled at you... please f-forgive me Bela." But the vampire gently pushed his begging words aside, "I believe that I should be the one who should apologize, for I pried into the privacy of your life, when I clearly shouldn't have."

"Y-You don't n-need to Bela, it's all good now... y-you couldn't have p-possibly know that I would r-react that way." A couple more moments of silence passed, but it seemed like a couple of hours to him.

"I'm sorry again B-Bela... could I please a-ask you to go away? I'm feeling tired, I just want to sleep now. Excuse me if I'm being rude." But she understood him completely: "That is quite alright Victor. I will see you tomorrow then?" "Y-Yes. Goodnight Bela." "Goodnight to you too Victor." And she left, closing the door behind her as she fully exited the room.

What he had asked her was not a lie, and he really did feel tired. Victor got up from the armchair and went to close the curtains of the window. He then noticed that his breath stunk, so he resolved to go and brush his teeth, even if his body begged him to simply shut off and go settle in the confines of the warm bed. But hygiene came first and he knew that the bad odor that permeated in his mouth would only end up bothering him in the long run.

It was when he has wiped his chin clean that he heard a clear knock coming from his door. Confused, Victor approached it and opened the barrier.

His surprise was immediate as Lady Dimitrescu looked at him, "I beg your pardon Victor, for I know that you are meaning to retire to bed, but I am meaning to ask if I could have but a moment of your time." Almost involuntarily, he let the door slide open further, exposing the way to enter the room.

"Y-Yes, of c-course M-My Lady." The young man took a step back to let the Countess duck under the frame of the door and rise up to her full height.

The end of his spine tingled, he felt goose skin pepper over his flesh as the glowing golden eyes looked down upon him. "C-Can I help y-you My L-Lady?" The Countess gave him a small smile, "Do not worry

Victor, you will not need to exhaust yourself, only your attention is required." She took a step forward, indicating to the armchair with a gloved finger, "Though I would be of the suggestion to sit down." He did as she told him.

Lady Alcina turned her head towards the door, "You may enter." She called out.

The programmer almost jumped out of the chair when Cassandra entered the room, hood lowered and gaze downcast.

Her hands were wrung together, fingers rubbing together in a distracted manner. "W-What i- is this?" He asked, his voice edging on hysteria and worry as he desperately looked up at the matriarch, pleading, begging to have some of explanation as his senses began to blare in alarm, warning him of the fatal danger that was but a few feet away from where he was sitting.

"Cassandra has come to talk to you, have you not my dear?" The noblewoman pointedly asked her middle child, voice becoming sharper, as if she was scolding her.

Victor caught a grimace come over her, but it quickly disappeared. Instead, the woman dressed in black took another couple of steps forward and looked at him directly. Unlike other times, her blood stained mouth did not form a vicious sneer of abhorrence, but was pulled taut in a thin, horizontal line. It was forced, uncanny and unnatural.

Still extremely confused and wary, Victor managed to raise his head, to look at Lady Alcina who stood to his right. He was fearful of even taking his gaze off of the brunette vampire, as his mind played tricks on him and continued to play horrible scenes on repeat, of her diving onto him and tearing his vulnerable throat out with her teeth alone.

"M-My L-Lady? W-Why is M-Miss Cassandra h-h-here?" "Do not worry yourself so much Victor, she will not act rashly, she will not act rashly at all..." And the glare returned to the shorter woman.

"Victor," Cassandra's voice made him snap back to her and she was looking directly at him. She seemed to become physically ill as her next words shocked him: "I have come to apologize to you, for what I have done."

He almost misheard her and he flinched when the Countess laid her touch upon his shoulder. "She has come to apologize." She explained to him, becoming the voice for reason and understanding.

"I... a-alright? T-Thank y-you M-Miss Cassandra." The owner of the mentioned name closed her eyes, "I also wanted to thank you for saving my sister's life."

A few moments of silence passed, and his furiously beating heart was somewhat made to calm down as the Mistress of the Castle gently rubbed his shoulder and neck, like petting a dog.

"Do you accept her apologies Victor?" Her fingertip brushed the flesh behind the lobe of his ear behind his ear and he shivered because of it.

"Y-Yes."

He could perfectly picture her wide smile as her voice rose in the decibel count, partially scaring him, "Very well then, I am overjoyed that this offense has been corrected, and I do hope that it does not come to resurface once more."

Her palm settled on his shoulder blades, almost possessively as he felt just a hint of the strength that the Countess was capable of exerting. It made him go rigid and tense up.

"Victor, in the undesired possibility that this may happen again, you are to come and speak to me immediately and truthfully; or if you are not in the condition to do so, or if I am absent from the Castle, you may seek help from either Bela or Daniela, or Mihaela. Do you understand?" "Y-Yes My L-Lady."

"Good." Her voice brushed over him like a breeze of frigid air, making him shiver against her hand.

"May I go now Mother?" The brunette looked to be embarrassed and miserable, evidencing the fact that she wanted to leave the room.

"Yes my daughter." The Countess dismissed her with a gentle flick of the wrist.

The middle child of house Dimitrescu turned around and began to walk out, towards the doorway, but was stopped once more by her bearer's imperative and halting voice: "Cassandra, you did not bid farewell to Victor."

"You owe him gratitude and respect, you are to be a proper Lady and I expect you to keep to your courtesies. Now apologize once more to Victor and bid him goodbye." The boy wanted to get away from the room, he was absolutely frozen in place as the brunette glared at him with such murderous intent that could match and surpass even that of a lycan.

But a large thumb rubbed over the outline of his spinal column, culling the tension that had formed in the delicate set of joints.

"Please forgive me Victor." "A-Already done, no p-problem." "Goodnight." And she whirled around, this time using his her insect form to warp marginally faster out of the bedchambers.

A resounding chuckle came from above him as the noblewoman strode to the center of the room to properly face him.

"I am glad that you could find it within your soul to forgive my dear Cassandra. She is prone to sadistic tendencies, there is no doubt of it, but she is fiercely loyal and caring of those that she befriends." Her eyes glowed as they gazed at him.

"I am sure that she shall eventually warm to you Victor, it will only take more time." He stuttered, "T-T-Thank you M-My L-Lady, I w-wasn't expecting t-this... I d-don't r-really think that I-I'll manage to make her l-like m-me."

"Oh, but you sell yourself short Victor: you succeeded in garnering my trust, and I can tell you with certainty that I am much less amicable than any of my three daughters. It speaks of

your accomplishments, and those should provide all of the necessary reason as to why you shall triumph once more and obtain the same result with Cassandra." The young man gave her a nod, and stood up.

"Alright then, I'll just go to sleep n-now. If you d-don't mind My L-Lady." "Naturally, do not wait any more Victor." He gave her a small wave of the hand and walked to the bed, pulling the cover up.

It was then that he realized that the echoing noise caused by her heels wasn't booming in the room, so his gaze found her form again.

"Is the bed not to your liking Victor?" "N-No, its r-really fine." To prove his point, he sat on it, as if wanting to confirm it to himself.

He froze when a part of her wrist, that was uncovered by the glove, touched his forehead. "Your temperature is higher than before. I fear that you may be in the ministrations of acquiring a fever Victor." The Countess stated, eyes looking straight into his.

"Mihaela is sick with it, and so are a few maids." "I'm feeling fine M-My Lady, really." She simply held the contact between their orbs.

"A maid will be nearby during the night, do not hesitate to call upon her." She explained and stood up, evidently to make her way from out of the room.

And just like that, there was nothing new to say, so the conversation had ended.

The software programmer watched her go, until she reached the doorway and prepared to pass under it.

Their gazes crossed a final time, and the Lady spoke to him once more, "Good night Victor, sa ai vise dulci."

Chapter End Notes

Heisenberg is back! Bela is nice, Daniela is freaky, Cassandra is... also nice? Poor Victor is lost. As always, please remember to comment and leave your thoughts and theories. I'm going to bed now, until next time.

Fire, water and lei

Chapter Summary

Victor wakes up and is treated to an unfortunate surprise.

Chapter Notes

Happy Halloween you guys!

See the end of the chapter for more notes

"Acolo, băiețel, te trezești în sfârșit."

These were the first words that reached his ears and they were gentle and warm.

Victor felt sick, he struggled to open his eyes and they burned with tears. His vision was glassy, he couldn't make out coherent shapes and could only detect the warm light that invested the room.

He also felt cold, as shivers ran from the top of his neck all the way to the tips of the toes of his feet. The teen huddled under the heavy blanket... or rather blankets?

His limbs were tangled, he couldn't properly move them and in a way, he felt trapped. His head swam and he let out a small grunt, jerking left and right to try and free himself from the hold of the sheets. There must have been some kind of pelt, because there was a heaviness to the fabric that covered almost all of his body.

Victor blinked a few times, feeling the tears begin slowly slide down his cheeks. His eyes burned, even when he closed them. "Where... someone..."

He could hear something, there was noise, but the was not given the luxury of fully being capable of understating what was happening.

The young man was disoriented, and he was beginning to worry and grow frantic; his sight was blurry and his sense of direction was amiss, he was being blinded of two of the most important senses in the human body.

But at last, something wet and cold was placed on his forehead. Victor flinched and let out a chocked gasp, not expecting to be touched. Much to his surprise though, he found the sensation soothing.

The cold of the cloth cooled down the fire that burned through him, it brought equilibrium to the raging heat and he was allowed to regain his surroundings.

Victor groaned heavily and blinked once more. This time, he could actually make out a few things, including the two figures that occupied the chairs of his room.

The boy went to get up, because the Countess and Bela were quietly observing him. "M-My Lady, good morning." She walked to him in a single stride and pressed her hand to his chest, pushing him back down.

"Do not force yourself Victor, you are already as weak as it is." There was a gentleness to her voice that he hadn't heard often... but he found himself to like it a lot... it made him calm down.

"Now, does the cloth help?" The towering Lady adjusted the piece of fabric on his head to keep it from covering the rest of his face.

"Y-Yes. It feels good." A small smile tugged at her red lips, "That is good then. Alas, the opposite is not true, for it is not good in the slightest that you have caught the fever. The flu is running rampant both in the castle and in the village. Mother Miranda conducted a meeting this morning to refer it to us." With the corner of his eye, he caught some movement and he looked at Bela who had also neared him, though there was much more concern written on her beautiful face.

"Victor, how are you feeling?" Her hand touched his cheek and was surprised by how warm it was. The realization of the risk that he was putting them in made him flinch.

More worry bloomed upon the blonde's face, "Victor, did I hurt you?" "N-No, you gotta get away from me, b-both of you will b-become sick if you're this close to m-me!"

Bela closed her eyes and smiled sheepishly, meanwhile Countess Alcina simply gazed at him with tthe sort of endearing emotion that a person would give to a small newborn taking their new steps.

"It is warming to see you worry for our health whilst your own is in peril. You do not need to fret over us Victor. Such fickle ailments do not take to us like they do with simple mortals. We would be fine, even if we were to lie down next to you." The image of it flashed into his mind and the programmer could not prevent himself from turning his head and hiding his mouth in the crook of his neck, as to prevent his blushing from showing.

Of course, it did not work and his effort was in vain for the noblewoman let out a small hum of amusement whilst whispering more of her honeyed and delicate words with the Romanian linguistics that she had grown up with,"Un băiețel atât de adorabil, care se înroșește de rușine doar la pomenirea celei mai nevinovate acțiuni."

"Excuse me f-for asking though My Lady, but shouldn't y-you be in your office or something right now? I m-mean no offense, but I just can't help but wonder about it." "And you do not offend me Victor, for yours is a valid question. I have completed all of my tasks for the day, there are no more papers to sign, no more documents to look over, at least for the rest of the day. Naturally, I would not have been able to bring those tedious stacks of paperwork to proper completion had it not been for my daughter's help." And she affectionately ran her hand through Bela's locks of gold.

"Thank you Mother, this is very kind of you." "I am only stating the truth my darling, no more, no less." Victor actually felt at ease watching the two vampire interact in such an open manner.

It was... relieving to see them be more human, to bond like mother and daughter... it didn't make it seem like they were anything but human...

And it made Victor's heart shudder with a pang of sadness at seeing this display... he was reminded of a time long gone... a time that he had burnt and buried. What he watched in that moment, Victor yearned for it. A substantial part of his soul desired it; but he collected himself and schooled his features.

"W-Well, thank you for l-looking out for me... and for putting on the w-wet cloth also, it's very reliving." He looked down, not bothering to hide the lack of joy in his voice. Victor was aware that they had noticed his lack of enthusiasm, but he just didn't care about it right now.

"I-I'd like to get up, c-can I do t-that My Lady?" The matriarch gave him a pensive look, "I would let you do so Victor, but you are currently ill. While I will allow it, I still recommend that you avoid doing any strenuous movements." That was all he needed to really her and began to slowly untangle himself from the covers.

"What time is it? Bela, can you g-give me my phone?" The younger noblewoman handed him his beloved smartphone and he allowed the motion sensor of the Iphone to track and recognize the lineaments of his face.

"T-Three in the e-evening? Did time p-pass by this quickly?" "I am afraid that it has Victor. You have spent the better part of the day teetering on the line of divine between the realms of slumber and consciousness." The Countess explained, watching as he sat up and took off the rag from his head.

"That does remind me though, the Duke shall be here shortly, his emporium will undoubtedly be filled with items that will stroke our mutual and differing interests. Would you care to accompany me? I am sure that you will want to purchase something from the vendor." He had completely forgotten about the Duke...

But Victor had money now, he could actually purchase some things, he could actually do more with the lei that were his.

"A-Alright then My Lady. I will c-come." She smiled at him then and he caught sight of her fangs, her glowing gold eyes seemingly glowing brighter once he accepted her offer. "Excellent, if you wish to change then do so in the bathroom of these chambers."

He realized that he was still in the pair of comfortable pajamas, so he blushed a little. "I-Is it alright if I c-come like t-this? I'm just feeling tired, I d-don't I'll be doing much of anything except for going to the Duke and c-coming back here."

The Countess dipped her head, so that the brim of the black, circular hat came to hide one of her eyes, "It is of no problem Victor, for you still retain your youthful handsomeness." This time, Victor looked away, feeling most definitely flustered... had it not been for the fever, he would have likely been more confused and surprised then he was touched right now.

"T-Thank you M-My Lady, you're v-very beautiful as w-well... not that y-you aren't already! Y-You already look beautiful normally, y-you look more beautiful now, that's w-what I'm trying to say..." His words fell and he mumbled incoherently as he made an embarrassment of himself.

Victor hid his face behind his hand, his already red cheeks burning up a hotter shade of the color. But his ears were graced with gentle laughter, "Now, now, baietel, no harm was done, deși arăți așa, foarte drăguț. Nu ești de acord Bela?"

"O face pe Mama, e adorabil când este tot tulburat și timid." "Într-adevăr, este păcat că nu ni s-a oferit acest tratament mai devreme." The Lady reached forward and lowered the hand that was covering his face.

"Come Victor, would you think of me to not be capable of seeing the honesty of your compliment?" "W-Well I j-just thought t-that it w-would s-seem rude or o-offensive that- The two vampires smiled at one another, simply taking joy in seeing how embarrassed Victor was.

Yes, Bela was right; the boy really was adorable, pure and innocent, a unique individual, a singular diamond amidst a sea of useless, ugly, filthy rocks covered in earth and all manner of maggots and worms. Truly, it made the Countess wonder how come she had not noticed his apparent difference compared to that of the less than desirable men of the village.

"We mean you no implication of shame Victor, we are merely conversing amiably and openly, perhaps even jesting. Still, do not worry your pretty little head, it is a pleasure to have you within our company." Lady Alcina spoke, running her thumb in a slow caress down on his cheek, brushing the very thin and very little hairs that had begun to form the skeleton of the outline of a mustache; and further down to touch the point where his upper and lower lip rested together.

The matron of house Dimitrescu felt the way his heart beat, she sensed the blood that rushed in his veins; the small vibrations that his staggered breath brought to the surrounding flesh and carrtilage around his nose.

So small, and yet to tempting and irresistible, "You are a true gentleman man Victor, not a simple brute, but a well mannered and courteous individual. Perhaps, had you come to this world years ago, you would be hailed as a proper Lord, worthy of his own keep, household and sigil." He looked genuinely touched by her straightforward compliment, "W-Wow, t- thank you M-My Lady... I never imagined anything of what you just said."

Her large palm came to cup the side of his face, her overwhelming height allowing her the superior standing of being capable of looking down upon him, "And that is all the more reason as to why you would have all of the necessary traits to make a noteworthy noble; your selflessness is rare Victor, as I am sure that you have had a way to see firsthand that both here in the valley, and in the rest of the world outside of the borders of Wallachia, people are not oft to think about anyone other than themselves."

A gentle knock came from the door. "Enter." The Countess ordered, shifting away from him and sitting up straighter than before.

Much to the collective trio's shock, a woman dressed in pure black came forth. Held within the crook of her arm was a doll in a wedding spouse's garb. Victor had no idea of who the person who had come in was; but he doubled back when the doll suddenly began talking in a nonsensical manner and spouting insults left and right.

"Donna! Ce faci aici?" The Countess stood up so fast that the wooden chair was knocked back by the force of her movement.

"Alcina, te rog. Am nevoie de ajutorul vostru. Bărbații au venit la conac, mânuiesc arme și cuțite și au măști cu ei. Nu le pot afecta, nu vor respira otrava florilor." A soft voice came from behind the dark veil, quivering in fright as if scared of the vampire herself.

"Te rog ajuta-ma Alcina! Invadeaza conacul... imi distrug casa... casa parintilor mei... va rog ajutati-mi sora, iti voi plati inapoi cu lei, chiar si sange daca vrei, dar te rog ajuta-ma sa-i scot din proprietatea mea, te implor sora..." It seemed as if she was on the verge of crying if the shaking in her shoulders was of any indication.

"Come on big lady! Chop chop! Pick a choice right now, we gotta go!" The white doll yelled out, shaking her little wooden arms and flaying in the grasp of the other woman.

Victor saw the Countess stiffen and he shied back onto the bed. Bela too looked to be shocked at the appearance of the unknown individual, though il unlike him, she was completely enraptured by whatever conversation was taking place.

The titanic noblewoman turned to look at him, "Victor," Her voice softened to a lower pitch as she addressed him, "I am regretful to inform you that I am currently needed at the Beneviento Manor to assist Lady Beneviento against a pack of hunters. I shall return in a few hours' time, or either during the night should those pesky man-things prove to be particularly annoying. Do go visit the Duke though and tell him to stay the night here in the castle. I will come to make a few purchases come the morning at surprise. Until then, I bid you a good day." And without even pausing, the Countess had already crossed the room, followed by the other woman.

"B-Bela? W-Who was t-that?" The software engineer asked the blonde beauty next to him.

She looked at him, "That was Lady Donna Beneviento, one of the Four Lords of the valley." "W-What did s-she w-want?" Unfortunately though, he would not be given the luxury of receiving the answer which contained the truth: "I am not the one who can say such things Victor... it is not my role and it would not be right of me."

He understood in that moment that she was not going to be telling him anything other than that.

"I think that we should begin to go though Victor. The Duke should be here by now." "Oh, o- ok, we'll do as you say." "Good, come."

He picked up one of the many additional blankets that were on the bed and wrapped it around himself. His balance wasn't in peak form, but Bela was nice enough to hover near him, just a breath away from touching him should he have had the misfortune of stumbling and falling.

"Are you alright Victor?" "Y-Yes... though i-it could be going better." The faintest of chuckles escaped her lips as she gazed upon him with joy. "Naturally yes, the fever is annoying isn't it?" "Yeah... I j-just wish it would go away and leave me a-alone... but I guess we can't have everything in life n-now can we?"

They took several flights of stairs, and Victor saw himself being forced to use the railings of metal that were present at the sides of the steps, as the contrast motion of moving ever downwards made him feel nauseous to the point of collapsing as his head spun around.

"We're almost there, just a little more and then you'll be able to sit down. Can you still go on? Or would you like to stop briefly and rest?" "N-No, I can still go on, just... just give me a second." He held up a finger as he leaned forward, panting.

"Ok, w-we're almost t-there right?" "Yes, around this corner, and here is the door." Bela did not even bother with knocking and simply entered the room.

Victor saw that these were smaller chambers, but it was impossible not to spot the jolly giant as he took off his reading glasses to look at them both.

"What a pleasant surprise Miss Bela! And Mr Press! It is such a joy to see you as well!"

A smile came out from him, as Victor could not resist the happy attitude of the merchant, "H- Hello Duke, I'm happy to see you too. Lady Dimitrescu i-is occupied, but she said that she would come talk to you in the morning."

"Thank you for sharing this information with me Victor." From one of his many pockets, the enormous man took out a ballpoint pen and wrote something down on the small journal that was enveloped in his hand.

"Now, I presume that you both would be interested to purchase something, right? Miss Bela, perhaps I could show you some of the most prestigious academic french translations Kant's works of philosophy. And Mr Press, you would likewise enjoy treating your eyes to seeing my new shipment of computer cpus. I have obtained the new Ryzen 5000 series processors, and these are valued as the most powerful on the planet."

Victor had to admit, the Duke was most definitely well versed in the things that he sold. And by god, he really knew how to use his silver tongue to entice him. "Sure, can we see it?" "Naturally, give me but a moment."

He turned his large body around to evidently rummage through the stacks of goods that he undoubtedly possessed, all stored and catalogued by names and uses.

"And here they are: a copy in French of the Critique of Pure Reason, and the most powerful gaming cpu currently on the market." Victor felt giddy when the Duke leaned down to hand him the box.

It was like Christmas again, and he so, so desperately wanted to simply open the container. He wanted to mount it inside of his gaming rig, the natural desire of wanting to upgrade and enhance the beast of his gaming set up was strong within him.

"You have the RTX 3090? I saw that you had them the last time we saw each other." The teen could not keep the excitement from out of his voice. Since he was given the chance of purchasing a processor of prime choice, it would have made sense to collect the best graphics processing unit.

"But really, how the hell did you get these? People are fighting tooth and nail to fight scalper bots, did one of our suppliers use them?" The happy man let out a laugh, his fat chin bubbling up and down. "I am afraid that I cannot say Mr Press, a merchant must always keep secrets of his own."

He was a little bummed out to hear of that, but he understood what the Duke meant with his words. "Still.., it's pretty damn impressive that you've managed to get all this shit, and most importantly that you're selling it at the actual market price!" This was a real blessing, with the fact that the scalpers resold the consoles at inflated prices that were even triple that of the original ones.

But an arrow of realization shattered his brief moment of happiness. He couldn't install the cpu and the gpu.

And that was because he was not free. Victor did not have the possibility of returning to that little wooden house that he had bought but a few months ago.

"Y-Yeah... these would b-boost the performance to its fullest potential." "Would you like to purchase these two items."

A moment passed before he nodded, "Y-Yes. I'd like to."

Bela gave him a smile, "Well then, so you will purchase an AMD Ryzen 9 5900x processor and a GeForce RTX 3090 graphics card, for a total price of eight-thousand seven-hundred eighty-five lei."

"Shit! I forgot my wallet in the bedchambers!" But Bela was already there to act as his saving grace: "I'll go retrieve it, wait here." And she transformed to leave the room.

Victor was left alone with the Duke and his shoulders dropped a little. "You are unhappy Mr Press, are you not?" He did not even have to turn his head around to look at the Duke to see his saddened smile.

"Yeah... I just want to get out of the castle... I just want to go back to some place that I know, even if that place is a cottage." He looked over to the table at the border of the room. There was also a kind of mechanical contraption of a castle? He could make out towers and a small

archway. Of course, it was all sized in a miniature, so it was only natural that the scale did not fit.

"God... I gotta sit down." The damned fever was making him feel nauseous and cold again, so he pulled the blanket tighter around himself.

Luckily for him though, there was a chair nearby, so he used it to sit his aching body.

"I understand that you seek to walk these lands and this valley once more as a free man Mr Press, alas, the Countess is not one to easily let go of the things which she holds dear." He raised an eyebrow at the Duke, "I'm sorry what?"

"Lady Dimitrescu is one of my most renowned and favored customers. I will be honest to admit that I would not be in possession of even half of my fortune and riches were it not for her continuous patronage. Victor, if I may call you by your name?" "Go ahead, I feel like we're way past that point now, but you were saying?" "The Countess is as beatific as she is deadly. You would not believe the number of times that I have seen her act under the guidance of rage, petty rage even, and sheer animosity."

The man shifted in his seat, a pair of chubby hands coming together to interlock the ringed fingers. "The Countess is common to be prone to outbursts of violence... as I am sure that you have seen with those hunters, poor souls that they are." "Y-Yeah... she's, s-she's a m-monster, r-really." His mind flashed to where he had seen her personally slice a hunter's abdomen open to reach down and remove nearly all of his intestines. His memories brought him back to the moment in which she had forced him to watch the cruel and brutal death of the poor maid.

"You wish to ask her to take your leave from the castle yes?" His blue eyes snapped back up to him, "How the hell do you even know- "I have my ways Victor... but here I can see it clearly."

He folded his arms across his chest, glaring at the merchant, "W-What do you want me to do then? Hmm? Should I j-jump out of the nearest window and r-run down to the village? To take my chances with escaping this fucked up place?" His glare hardened, but it was mostly due to the reaction of trying to keep his desperation within of himself.

"Tell me though, do you have some kind of grand plan that will allow me to leave? D-Do you thin that there's an easier way of doing all of t-this?" The other did not answer.

"I am afraid not Victor. At most, I can offer you some words of advice; for the moment, stay low, in the sense of making sure of not offending the Countess. You have made quite notable progress with garnering her trust, and that is something that very few people can claim to have done." The Duke told him.

"With time, she should come to her own realization, but the matter will still persist, so tread carefully around the subject." "O-Ok. Thanks then... for the advice." "Take it from one man to another." There was a moment of silence that passed and then the door opened once more.

Bela came through, holding an envelope in her hand. "Here you go Victor, this is your money." Tenderly she handed him the bag of paper and he took it, though briefly struggling to get up from the chair.

"Are you feeling better? Is the fever still bothering you?" The blonde vampire asked with concern in her voice.

"It's getting better." That wasn't exactly the truth, but he at least hoped to dispel some of her worries.

"Alright then, Duke, this is your money. Keep the chance." "Why thank you Mr Press, I do hope you enjoy many a games with your new equipment." "Y-yeah, thanks Duke, I'll hope to see you again soon." "And I as well Mr Press. Good day to you." The merchant exchanged a nod of salutation with Bela and together, they left.

"S-Sorry Bela, could you please help me?" He was feeling dead tired, and the prospect of having to walk up the stairs was harrowing to put it lightly.

"Of course Victor." The woman helped him, even if it took them a while. Though he did not want it, she practically ordered a maid to carry the things that he had purchased.

She looked terrified, and Victor did his best to express his apologies for her state by giving her furtive glances whenever he could.

"And here we are. You should take some medicine though, that is what Mother said." Victor nodded tiredly, "Alright, I'll do it myself."

She helped him settle on the bed, "Are you comfortable? What would you like to eat for dinner?" The teen swallowed, "I'm fine... I'll just sleep... ok?"

"Will you wake up later?" "N-No, I just plan to," He paused to let out a yawn, "Snooze off and rest."

Bela smiled at him, slowly leaning forward and placing a kiss on his warm cheek.

"Goodnight then Victor." Heat bloomed in the spot where she had touched him with her lips, and he could only watch in awe as she left his bedroom.

Later...

His sleep was disturbed when he heard the soft click of the door that opened. The clicking of heels was heard over the wooden boards of the floor, to indicate that someone was approaching the bed.

Victor turned around with some difficulty, trying to better focus his sense. "W-What? W- Who's there?" The teen mumbled and rubbed his teary eyes.

But then he froze when he was faced with a silken dress that was bathed in a sharp maroon color. It was blood.

His heart caught in his throat and as he raised his gaze ever more upwards, cold sweat began to come over him.

A pair of glowing gold eyes looked down upon them, belonging to a bloodthirsty monster.

The Countess of Castle Dimitrescu stood but a foot away from the bed and when a flash of light illuminated the room, it revealed the blood stains that covered her form.

Chapter End Notes

Cliffhanger ending! So Donna and Angie make an appearance. I would like to now announce a few things: First, I am nearing the publication of another book, a Castlevania (animated series) story that shall follow a male oc. If you're curious about it, then please go and check it out; second, I'm getting ready to keep writing my asoiaf story, so once more, if anyone is interested to read it, please feel free to do so! (and leave a comment as well if you really want to make my day) And finally, the thing that is exciting me the most: I've created a discord server, as a space to try and get closer with you, my amazing readers. You can become members and together we can discuss the chapters, theorize on certain details; if you want to, you can even ask me questions or give suggestions and ideas and talk all things about the stories. The invitation link is https/discord.gg/y9Sn7Upq so please feel free to come and become a member, I'll be waiting anxiously! Thank you all once more for reading and commenting, I know that I don't always reply to the comments and I'm terribly sorry for it. Hopefully though the server will help fix that.

Tears of grief and sadness

Chapter Summary

Victor's fever doesn't let up and the Dimitrescu family enjoys a small breakfast.

Chapter Notes

New chapter, let's go!

See the end of the chapter for more notes

"M-My L-Lady?"

Victor barely managed to whisper those words, as he was frozen, staring wide eyed at the towering figure in front of him.

The face of the Countess was cold and warmth-less. Some of her lipstick was smudged on one corner of her lip, but it was partially covered by the much deeper stains of blood that followed the natural curve of her chin.

It continued to trail then, marking a startlingly deep contrast with the pale flesh of her neck to finally stop at the top of her generous bosom. Her dress, which had been a clear white the last time that he had seen her, was mattered with much more blood and had many holes in it... undoubtedly provided by a volley of bullets.

The primal instinct of fear wrapped around him as the pureblooded noblewoman continued to stare at him, not answering his question. "W-What... i-is e-everything a-alright?" His throat had become completely dry, he could not speak to her, for she would not give replies of her own.

"M-My Lady?" His voice was meek, scared and afraid, "W-What's g-going on?" And then the Countess moved closer to him, lowering herself.

Victor shifted involuntarily to the edge of the bed, but his back only found the immovable wall, thus blocking his direction of his escape.

"Are you faring well my little Victor? Is the fever still bothering you?"

He closed his eyes for a moment but then they were made to snap wide open when her warm palm cupped his forehead. "Ah, încă îl ardeți pe băiețelul meu, it has not passed yet." There

was a displeased edge to her voice and Victor hated it, he hated it because it made him feel scared and weak.

"A-Are y-you alright? D-Did the h-hunters h-hurt y-you?" A terrifying grin broke out then, the young man saw the red tint that coated her teeth and especially her elongated and elegant fangs.

"Do you think that a small collection of putrid rats would have the capacity of even dreaming to twist a hair on my head? No. They were all inferior, weak, like the rest of the cattle that inhabits this valley." He could vividly imagine it then, the way in which she would have readily slaughtered them all.

"They were a nuisance, deciding to act so barbarously and uncivilized by attack my younger sister's manor, but the earth shan't suffer their presence any longer. I have made sure of it." The room was dark and he could barely make out her silhouette, except for the unnatural glow of her eyes, eyes that seemed to want to devour him, that held an urge within them.

"But I am disappointed to see that you are still caught in the grasp of this sickness. I thought that the medicine that I had given you would help actually combat it." Her head cocked slightly to one side, almost as if entering a new world dominated only by logic and reason.

He felt her gloved fingers move downwards, trailing past his ear and settling on his neck. Her thumb traced the outline of his Adam's apple; making him shiver, though not for the cold that he felt.

"W-Why a-are y-you here though?" He asked her timidly. "I came to see if you were fairing well. Is a noblewoman not allowed to make sure that her guests are hearty and healthy?" Victor's anxiety plummeted when he heard the Countess say that.

"N-No! I-I'm s-sorry M-My L-Lady! I d-did not m-mean to- "Peace Victor, I have merely expressed myself in a manner that is not clear enough; I would be prone to think that you are asking yourself the question on why I have not gone to change out of this irreparably ruined dress, yes?"

The teen nodded his head by a fraction, still froze. given her large hand that held his neck in a gentle hold. "I wanted to make sure that you were well, as I have already stated. It is as simple as that." "O-Ok." The noblewoman was still looking at him, piercing his very soul.

"I saw that you have made a few purchases from the Duke's emporium, I trust that you will find enjoyment in them?" "Y-Yes, I b-bought a c-couple of t-things for m-my g-gaming pc." He said.

Victor then lowered his gaze, "I w-wanted t-to a-ask you s-something My L-Lady." "Oh? And what would that be baietel?" "T-To use t-the things that I b-bought... I need to have m-my gaming pc, I b-bought these t-things for my gaming p-pc." The Lady tilted his chin upwards, "And that is good to hear." Whilst she said it, her other arm came to help him settle back down on the bed... and his body relaxed, even if his mind was worried.

"Well then, I shan't imped your sleep any longer Victor, I shall see y- "T-There is m-more My Lady: t-the gaming r-rig is in m-my home." The Countess froze.

"I c-can g-go back and I'll c-continue to w-work on the w-website r-remotely. I c-can do that." A glare came over the noblewoman, "It is best that you regain sleep Victor, the fever is clearly making you uneasy." With a calculated and articulated sentence, Lady Alcina dismissed his proposal."

Like a queen, she regally rose, but Victor could not shut his mouth in time, "B-But why? It w-will b-be fine if I g-go, it's n-not like- He cried out when her hand constricted around his neck and pushed him firmly against the mattress of the bed in less than an instant.

His own hands came to grab hers as his air was swiftly cut off. Victor chocked and gasped, his vision becoming blurry with tears as the Countess leaned to bring her head right on top of his. "Do not presume to question my decisions ever again Victor."

Heartlessly, she watched his desperate struggles, his panicking and erratic movement and the quickening pulse of his heart. "I have been alive for more than a century Victor. I know of the ways of this world for I have lived in it far longer than you have." Her grip relented by a fraction but it was still not enough to allow him to breathe properly.

"And look at you now, you are helpless as a babe at the breast. I know what is good for you Victor and you will listen to my directions regardless of what you think." There was only a biting cold to her words and he closed his eyes, unable to keep looking at her.

"Do you understand me now?" "Y-Yes." Tears welled up in his eyes. Victor was terrified, on the verge of crying.

And then, the vampire ordered him to look at her. The boy wanted to do so... but he was frozen in place, he could not move.

"Look at me Victor, I will not repeat myself." Pushed by the greater fear of enraging her, the teen did as she commanded him and let out a muffled whimper when faced with her cold eyes.

Her features softened then, her hand loosing some of its force. "I apologize for scaring you Victor, but you must understand that you are not yourself at the moment. The fault lies with the fever that is battling within your body and not your conscious. For I know that you are not a simpleton and will surely see the light of reason."

Victor felt his body melt, focusing only on the hand that laid dormant on his neck. Her thumb brushed over his pulse and settled on it. The teen could only swallow dryly as she massaged that point.

"I only wish the best for you little Victor." He... he liked it... her voice lulled his senses and brought him a sense of contentment. Even if it should not have.

And like a goddess, she gave him her blessing by leaning further down and laying a kiss upon his cheek, doing so slowly and carefully.

He closed his eyes and let out the smallest of flinched but was surprised when he only felt the softness of her blood-coated lips. "Now, enough of this talk. You are mortal and you need the sleep given by the night. I will come see you in the morning and hopefully you shall be in better health." The words where whispered as the Countess hovered over him for a few moment longer.

"Ești în siguranță aici băiete, nu există niciun alt loc pe lumea asta care să te vadă tratat mai bine decât în grija mea." He blinked tiredly up at her, feeling sleepy indeed. Victor remained silently as he looked into the eyes of the Countess.

Her lips pulled upwards, displaying once more those sharp fangs that were colored with the blood of the deceased hunters. "I will break my fast with you, then you will be able to tell me of all of the things that interest you."

"A-Alright M-My L-Lady." Once more, the titanic vampire leaned down and placed another gentle kiss on his cheek. "Good boy, I know that you are a good little boy Victor. Now sleep well and do not let the Moroaicâ bite."

And with those final words, the matriarch rose up and turned around. Victor watched her tall form move away from the bed, heeled feet still releasing the ominous sound that signaled her presence.

When she ducked under the door, the young man breathed a sigh of relief. And turned around even as the emotion of worry continued to envelope him.

He was tired, good god he was really tired. The Countess had been one step away from becoming enraged, Victor understood that. But... there must have been a good reason as to why that nearly happened.

The noblewoman must have cared for his well-being, but did she truly? "Y-Yes, she do-does." She valued him as a guest... she had taken care of him, she was taking care of him. That was surely the sign of care there.

But... what did the Duke say about her? That she was cruel and violent, that he had seen her do unspeakable acts. W-What if there w-was something else to it?

"N-No, it m-must be normal, it h-has to b-be, r-right?" God, his head hurt now. Maybe it really was best to simply do as the Countess had told him.

The sleep would, in theory, make him feel better than before. And since there was nothing to lose, Victor turned in his side and curled in on himself.

He just hoped that in the morning the damned fever would simply disappear and leave him in peace.

The next day...

"Dammit, fucking sickness..." He already knew that he hadn't healed up, for he felt the same familiar effects as before.

"I am gladdened to see you awake Victor. I am less glad though see that the pestilence still has not released you." He snapped his head towards the sound of the Lady's voice and immediately regretted doing so as the world swam in his eyes.

Victor groaned loudly and tried to make sense of where he was, physically of course. "Please, do not make the effort to greet me, I can see that you are most unwell." Somewhere from his right, he heard her walking closer to the bed.

He managed to bring one arm up from under the covers to rub his eyelids, trying to clear his vision.

"M-My L-Lady?" The vampire smiled at him, "Yes, I am here Victor." Finally, he got a good look at her: unlike the previous night, all of the stains of blood and holes were not present anymore. Instead, the Countess wore an elegant dress of a light brown color with hints of golden accents peppered all over the fabric of it. Notably though, there was a curious detail in the fact that the front of her bodice was not open and instead fully covered her generous chest.

Victor mentally chided himself for thinking of such a thing and quickly moved his gaze upwards. "Do you like it? This is my latest purchase from the Duke who was kind enough to supply a set of dresses similar to this one."

"Y-Yes, you a-are very p-pretty and b-beautiful M-any Lady. It fits y-you w-well." She smiled at hearing his compliment, "Why thank you Victor, you are always full with your praise."

The Countess clapped her hands, her golden eyes seemingly having a sparkle to them, "Now, I am famished, are you as well?" It took him back at little, to see just how open and joyful she was at the moment.

"Y-Yes, I c-could e-eat something right now." Victor said just as the door opened and in came a pair of maids carrying a few silver platters of food.

He openly gawked at the variety of goods that had been assorted, and they included various bowls of dire the berries and fruits, several plates piled high with pastries and cookies, many cakes of different types and a variety of eggs, cooked meats and burnt bread with marmalades.

"Do not be shy Victor, eat to your heart's content." Groggily, he got up from the bed, sliding out of it. "Hmm..." He froze when he felt her hand wrap under his arm, "Here, sit down and rest." He stiffly followed her movements, coming to settle down in the armchair as the Lady did the same with the one next to him.

"T-Thanks." The maids had moved back, as to leave their mistress in peace.

Victor reached forward and grabbed a plate, then he began to use a fork fo put a couple of the cookies onto said plate.

An elegant eyebrow rose as the Countess looked at the meager amount of food that he had placed on his plate. "Are you certain that that will be enough to date your appetite?" "Y-Yeah,

it w-will be enough... b-but t-thanks, for t-this, f-for the b-breakfast." A content smile came over her then, "It is nothing Victor. Now though, I was meaning to tell you that there is an upcoming ceremony."

He stopped the cookie from reaching his mouth, "O-Oh. I d-did not k-know it." The Lady continued to speak, "I am not surprised to hear of this, considering your introverted and private personality, but it is fine all the same. This is one of the few ceremonies that is had during the year, particularly, this one is meant to garner good fortune alongside Mother Miranda's blessing for the coming of spring and summer, to bring fertility to the soil so that much grain and vegetables may be had."

It did make some sense once it was contextualized with this new slew of information and Victor did assume that the townsfolk of the village would likely believe those things.

"It would please me greatly if you were to accompany me and my daughters to attend the ceremony. All of the other Lords will be present, including Heisenberg." There was a tone of distaste when she mentioned his name and it stood as a clear indication that she was less than pleased at the prospect of having to spend an evening in his company.

"W-When i-is it g-going to h-happen?" "In a week's time. The ceremony will be held at the small church near the central square, the one that holds the statue of the angel maiden." Victor gave a small nod, "A-Ah, ok."

"Is there anything else that you would like to ask me?" And in truth, there was. "M-My L- Lady, I w-wanted to c-continue t-talking a-about w-what h-happened y-yesterday night." From the corner of his eye, he saw her pause.

"I w-wanted t-to ask y-you again if I c-could g-go and r-return to- A knock interrupted him and it made the noblewoman look up.

"Come in." Bela's familiar face came to register within his head as the blonde made her way into the room. "Good morning Mother, good morning Victor." "Good morning to you my dear." Victor gave Bela a little wave and she beamed at it.

"May I join you for breakfast?" The Countess smiled lovingly at her daughter, "Naturally so, unless you would take a problem to it Victor? It is fine if you would rather keep this a quaint affair." "N-No, I'm f-fine with you joining u-us Bela... this i-is y-your home a-after all."

But the matron laid a gentle hand on his shoulder, "You are welcome in my castle as well Victor and these are the chambers that I have given you, you may treat them as you would a home."

Victor looked down and closed his eyes. He had meant to ask the Countess if he could return to his actual home... but it was best not to pry in the matter... at least for now. It was clear that a direct approach would not end well and he would be refused... perhaps it would work if he tried to so indirectly? Make small passing comments and remarks here and there, maybe if only hinted at it... perhaps she would understand and get his message. At least he was hoping that she would.

His appetite was ruined in that moment, and there was no point in faking being hungry. Slowly, he placed the plate down and let his arms rest on his lap.

"Victor? Do you not wish to eat anymore?" "Y-Yeah, I-I'm j-just tired really. D-Damn fever is s-still causing me p-problems." He kept his gaze low and barely moved his head when the door opened unexpectedly and in came Daniela and Cassandra, the former giving him a nasty glare.

"Mother! We want to have breakfast with you!" The youngest daughter exclaimed. "Of course my darling. Victor, with your permission of course?" He gave a slight nod.

The brunette was forced to sit right next to him, as there were no other chairs except for the one to his left. He could already picture the venomous glare that she was undoubtedly sending him.

"Yum! So many tasty things! This is like a feast!" Daniela looked giddy and positivity humming with untapped and bottled excitement. She was ready to devour the sweet delicacies that had been laid on the silver platters.

"S-a eliminat slujnica?" The Countess asked her middle child, "Da, Mamă, i-am jucat pielea și i-am spânzurat-o de intestine. Ea este sângerată și în curând va fi gata un butoi nou." The noblewoman gave her a proud smile, "Excelent ca întotdeauna Cassandra mea. Nu voi avea niciun prost în personalul castelului meu, idiotul merita mult mai rău pentru că a eșuat în sarcina de a-mi spune despre sosirea lui Donna."

As always, Victor was mostly left out of their conversation... at times he was genuinely curious as to what they were saying, but now, now he did not have that sense of curiosity anymore.

The conversation was broken up when his Iphone suddenly began to ring. Bela was the first to react as the other three noblewomen looked taken aback by the metallic noise that he used as his ringtone.

The blonde vampire grabbed the smartphone and extended her arm to give it to him. "It says that the caller is using a number not within your registered list of contacts." He was a little content to see her remember what he had told her about the technology, "T-Thanks."

His blue eyes saw the 1 that indicated the country code... and in this case it meant that the call was originating from all the way back to the States.

"Hello?" The teen answered the call amidst the curious gazing of the other women.

"Victor? Oh thank god I found your number." His arm began to tremble, "Why are you calling me?" He whispered those words, "Wait! Victor, don't close the call yet! Please, just let me explain why I'm trying to contact you- "I already told you that I don't want to talk to you again, I don't want to fucking talk to you ever fucking again. Stop calling me and leave me in peace." Hand trembling with anger he angrily closed the open channel and blocked the number.

"F-Fucking bitch..." He let out a breath of pure anger and sadness. Dammit, he could feel hot tears forming on his eyes... he did not need this right now... he did not need to worry about it right now of all times.

A sob was crawling up his throat and it tightened, he was going to cry. "Victor? Is everything alright?" He could not stop himself from shaking his head, "N-No... it's n-not fucking a- alright..." His voice cracked and he felt the first tears begin to trail down his cheeks.

"E-Excuse me." The young man got up and went to the bathroom, closing the door and locking it.

He let himself fall down then against the chiseled wood and began to silently weep.

Chapter End Notes

I know that this is shorter than usual but I just wanted to publish this as quickly as I could! Pleaser remember to comment and let me know of your thoughts and please remember to join the Discord server at: https/discord.gg/y9Sn7Upq to hang out, chat and discuss the stories! Until next time

Suspicion

Chapter Summary

The Countess offers her honored guest some advice.

Chapter Notes

Yes! New chapter!

See the end of the chapter for more notes

"Victor? May I come in?" Startled, he briefly looked at the door, knowing full well that the Lady of the Castle was in front of it. Another sob came over him as he sniffed his nose that was beginning to become full with snot.

Languidly, Victor got back up to his feet and unlocked the door.

He barely moved out of the way of the door as it was opened, still far too preoccupied with venting his stress away in the form of fat, ugly tears.

"Now, what seems to be the problem?" He realized that the Countess had closed the wooden portal behind herself and this thus meant that they were alone in his bathroom.

The teen gasped as he felt her hands come to rest on his shoulders, very lightly turning him to the left as the vampire matron used her superior height to come and look at him.

"What has saddened you so much Victor?" He let out a cough, his throat burning and overwhelmed by the high of emotions that he was experiencing.

"I... s-someone f-from my past tried t-to make contact w-with m-me again." He told her almost falling against her frame.

"T-Told... I t-told her that I n-never wanted t-to h-hear her a-again."He curled in on himself, "B-But I'm s-still n-not left a-alone... I j-just want to b-be... alone..."

A large, warm hand settled on top of his head, fingers gently threading through his short hair. "And this person, a woman I am presuming, she continues to torment you?" The Countess felt his head nod yes, "I d-don't want i-it, it r-reminds me of..." He halted himself, blocking his emotions and trying to control them.

"It reminds you of what Victor?" The boy shut his eyes tightly, "P-Please I d-don't want to t- talk a-about it... p-please I r-really don't..." The towering woman let out a faint sigh, her other hand clinging to his shoulder and massaging his upper arm with slow, methodical strokes.

"The pain will not pass unless you tell me who is this person. I cannot help you Victor, I cannot help you if you do not tell me what it is exactly that still haunts and bothers you." There was an almost maternal care to her attitude and the young man's heart was twisted even further as he noticed this.

"P-Please, I do-don't want t-to talk about i-it... I just d-don't..." He tried to appeal to her good will, to her empathy, but it was not registering well enough as the Countess continued to prod at his secret.

"Victor, my intentions are to help you, but you must tell me who this woman is and what she has done to traumatize you so. I know that it causes you much anguish but this will follow you for the rest of your days unless you begin to fight against it."

"Tell me what bothers you and I swear on the blood of house Dimitrescu that I shall help you." Victor wanted to believe her, he truly wanted to place truth on her words and he did, he did not doubt that the Countess was genuinely worried for his state but it was too personal.

It was s kind of hurt that was positioned too close to the heart, to his soul and that was why it hurt so badly, it ached fiercely. "I'm s-sorry, p-please, p-please, I d-don't w-want to, f-forgive me..."

The noblewoman let out an irritated sigh, "You are only making this worse for yourself, I implore you, give me but one chance to aid you in this difficult time and I promise that you shall come out of it better than before."

The warmth of her presence, of her body, was soothing. A part of Victor wanted to spill the can of beans, it desired to let it all out and simply have a shoulder to cry on... but he found himself that he just could not do it.

"I just can't A-Alcina... I'm s-sorry! M-My L-Lady!" Her hand held him a little tighter but not painfully so, more in the sense that he was pulled closer to her.

"O-One d-day I w-will... I n-need time... I-I need time..." The crying was subsiding slowly, but it was getting better. Victor found the courage to gently hold the Countess' hand with his own, "T-Thank y-you though, t-thank you s-so much..."

He gave it a couple of light squeezes and let go, hoping that she would replicate the action, alas that would not happen as the vampire turned him around.

Her gloved thumb came to touch the lower part of his chin and tilted it up, causing him to raise his gaze as well.

"You are suffering Victor, do you think that I would not notice it?" "It's j-just... c-could I p- please h-have s-some privacy? I'm sorry, i-it's personal..." And at long last, the Countess removed her digit.

"I will not intrude upon the matter, but I feel that it is my moral duty and obligation to warn you of the dangers that you are putting yourself in. I have seen what grief can do to a person... I would not wish for you to fall to a fate that is synonymous with misery, pain and death." Lady Alcina told him then.

"M-My L-Lady..." "Yes Victor?" He licked his lips, looking away, "I'm s-sorry, I mean I a- apologize f-for call- a-addressing y-you by your n-name."

"That is fine, and since we are here, I will let you know that you have the permission to use my name in the case that we are in complete privacy." The teen looked up, "A-Are you s- sure?"

"I am Victor, you are my honored guest after all and I hold a great deal of trust towards you, so there is not the need to act so formal when in each other's company." The Countess explained to him with patience so that he could clearly understand. She understood that he was emotionally drained, perhaps even unstable... a gentle and helping companion would be good for him.

"Still, you may seek me out whenever you require help, or have the need to talk. I will forever give you my attention Victor." "O-Ok, thank you, A-Alcina."

She smiled broadly at that, and little by little, a minuscule smile appeared on his lips as well. The quiet moment came to a close as the vampire Lady let go of his chin, standing back. "We should return to breakfast, should we not?" She asked with knowing grin.

"O-Oh, well, y-yeah, you're right... y-your daughters are probably wondering what's g-going on in here..." The young man scratched the back of his neck and let out a chuckle.

"Alright then." And with that, the Countess opened the door and led him back to the table. Bela gazed at him with some worry and strangely enough, so did Daniela.

The brunette though did not seem to care about him so much as to give him an indifferent glare, still showing her clear distate for him. But it was fine that way... he hoped that at the very least, the presence of Bela and the Cou- Alcina would deter her... he could trust the staggeringly tall woman right? She would have undoubtedly hurt him by now had she not had his safety in mind.

There was silence for a little bit before Victor took back his plate and began to eat one of the cookies.

"Mmm, these are good." "I am glad to hear of that Victor, please, eat more." Alcina smiled brightly at him, resting one of her hands on his arm once she placed her teacup down.

Bela too gave him a warm smile, though Daniela's unsettled him a little bit.

"Are you feeling better man-thing?" Cassandra's voice startled him and he cautiously glanced at her, trying to be as discreet as he could.

The Countess glared at her and she quickly corrected her mistake, "I meant Victor, are you feeling better Victor?" The young man gave her a small, uncertain nod, "Y-Yes, a l-little."

She did not reply to that and instead chose to place one of her long legs over the other, a bored expression taking over her.

Victor was rightfully weirded out by her interaction and it showed. "I am so excited for the festival Mother! We will be attending this year right?" The redhead asked.

"Of course my daughter, you will have free reign, but remember to try and to not go and seek out every man, otherwise there shan't be any left for you to love." Daniela gave out a small pout, but it disappeared immediately, "I can finally wear that green dress that you gifted me for my birthday!"

Alcina smiled, "And I am most certain that you shall look fabulous in it, you will be the most beautiful Lady in attendance, even more than me." She blushed at her compliment and the Countred merely chuckled and said something in Romanian.

"Naturally, that is not to say that you won't be any less attractive and striking than your sister my dears." "Thank you Mother, but you will always remain the most ethereal out of all of us." "You are too kind to me Bela and you do not recognize the beauty that lies within you."

"And Victor," He snapped back to attention when she called him, "Do not fret for I will provide you with clothing that is worthy of a renowned and respected gentlemen." "O-Oh, t- thanks... I just don't r-really have a g-good taste with getting d-dressed up for special occasions a-and all of that f-fancy stuff." And that could not have been a truer statement.

It was one of the consequences of being more introverted in the matter of social interactions, and it was something that he had been dealing with for the majority of his life... and he had not expected for it to ail him once more.

Many people often did not assume Victor to be socially closed, he was usually mis- categorized with being a private person, yet that was not the truth. The teen did not have many friends, both when he still lived in the States and especially now that he had moved to this new country.

Victor supposed that it was because he was a typical nerd who liked tech and video games... there were a couple of times were groups of jocks from high school would pick on him, playing into the stereotypical status quo of teenage life that was portrayed in nearly every coming of age drama since the inception of cinemas.

He had never had anyone close to him... except for maybe a couple of classmates, but even then the connection was more formal and that of a respectful and temporary alliance, for Victor was not one to take the praise for the hard work of others. It never went further then completing the group project, there were no after parties, movie nights, dinners and other events...

And thinking of it more, it did partially explain why he was so awkward with going out to this so called festival. Victor did not like these kinds of gatherings, he preferred the quiet and controlled state of his home, where he wasn't in danger of drinking a lot and doing stupid things.

Typically, he would have completely ignored this gathering of sorts and would have simply stayed within his basement, having the time of his life with playing on the next gen consoles and whatnot. There was still a tinge of sadness though, for a minuscule part of Victor's psyche genuinely did wish to be able to partecipate.

It was hypocritical though, for Victor was very well aware that he himself did not actively take part in going to these public parties. He never really made an effort, so a case could theoretically be made that he was at fault as were the other people in his life. But then again, the teen had attempted to interact more, to integrate himself within clubs and groups of

people... but to no avail. His younger years were spent like this... and he eventually just grew tired of it...

Victor had played his part, to perfection even, but he had never been recompensed for it.

"You will look wonderful Victor, I will make sure of it, have no doubts." Alcina told him with such confidence that he nearly believed it himself, but the young man merely became red and lowered his eyes, "T-Thank you M-My Lady... but I d-don't think that y-you'll have m-much luck with m-me... I'm k-kinda a lost cause from w-what other people have told me... I'll p- probably end up looking ridiculous."

The warm atmosphere vanished in an instant and Victor only felt ice trail upon his skin. "Oh, so you think me not capable in the task then?"

It took him a moment to realize the insult that he had issued and he nearly let out a shout from the overwhelming stress and fear that crushed him.

"M-M-My L-Lady I'm s-so s-sorry, I n-never meant t-to s-say that y-you a-a-aren't good a-at- "Victor, my, ești un băiețel atât de dulce și grijuliu. I am only jesting, surely you did not truly think that I would be offended by your words?" He felt his ears begin to burn and he lowered his head as the four women laughed, some more loudly then others.

Still, he found himself beginning to smile a little and chuckle as well, finding his own reaction to the play of words to be humorous.

"Do not fret Victor, I, along with my daughters, are aware that you are far too kind a person to insinuate such things. You are polite and courteous enough as to render that possibility an event possessing an improbable and unlikely chance to happen." Bela looked the most eager to show it to him, as she is as smiling the most out of them all but as before, he was quickly becoming overwhelmed and the option to fight back was slowly becoming more apparent and needed.

But he stopped himself... why did he even need to fight back, and more importantly, what did he need to fight back against? Victor did not know exactly... he found it to be partially strange... perhaps it was because of the stress, or the fever that he was experiencing?

The feeling, it was an instinct almost... but it was coming less and less and now that he was given the possibility to act more rationally, he saw that it was not truly needed and that maybe he was overreacting.

Victor was safe in the castle, or at least he thought about it that way; the Countess could be cruel, but there were many shades of grey to her, she wasn't simply a monochrome and uniform color of pure black all across.

And the same could be said about her three daughter as well... except for maybe Cassandra, as the two of them still hadn't come around to form a stable friendship and in speaking in complete honesty, all of his problems really lied with her.

"Wow... I a-am kinda dumb and skittering, r-right?" A warm smile was what he was graced with in return as Lady Alcina looked at him with fond, golden eyes. "No Victor, you most certainly do not lack intelligence, if anything, you have an overabundance of it, which is a positive trait of course, as I am of the opinion and view that yours is a quality that is sourly lacking in the townsfolk of the village."

"El este pur și simplu timid și ușor tulburat, Mamă." Bela spoke then and he turned his head towards her, "Și este atât de drăguț și dulce! Este ca un cățeluș adorabil, rătăcit și își caută o casă, iar noi putem, nu-i așa, Mamă?" It was Daniela who gave voice to her own thoughts next and the young man watched the brief interaction.

He.. really needed to start learning some Romania, for this was starting to get a little out of hand: the advantage of knowing how to speak the language would undoubtedly help him in the process of communicating and he would not have to solely rely on the chance that whoever he was talking to knew how how to speak English. And on a more personal, if not selfish note, Victor had to admit that he was very curious indeed to know of what the noblewomen were talking about. Though he had a pretty good feeling that the subject of conversation was him... and damn it, he wanted to know now!

"Are you done with eating yet, rat? Filth like you do not deserve to be treated with food that is even half as good as what the castle's chefs are capable of providing." Cassandra's harsh, whispered voice lassoed around his head and yanked him towards her.

"I-I'm s-sorry Miss C-Cassandra?" "Ugh, so disrespectful, I do continue to wonder why Mother still tolerates your repugnant presence." The brunette was quiet enough in her whispering that it was not noticed by the other three.

Victor coughed then in that moment and brought the vampires' focus to him once more. "Uh... My Lady?" "Yes Victor?" He swallowed thickly, "I w-was wondering if I could u-use some of the books from your library to start l-learning Romanian."

"Why of course! You need not even ask for my permission to use the library Victor." He gave her a grateful nod, "T-Thanks... I'd say that it's time t-that I get around with learning how to speak your language. I have been here for a little more than half a year now."

The blonde woman placed her hand on his own, "And we have thoroughly enjoyed your company as our esteemed guest Victor."

His smile was one that was lost between being happy and sad.

Happy because he was genuinely touched by the trust that was displayed by the majority of the members of the Dimitrescu family; sad because he thought about his current prediction.

But it wasn't all bad now, right? It used to be much worse when he had just been employed, but the Countess cared for him... she was probably stressed out when she had chocked him with her gloved hand... yes, she must have.

Victor was confident in thinking that she would eventually allow him to leave... but would she let him? Was that a real possibility, or just a fictitious scenario birthed from his desire to escape?

The voice of reason flowed over him like a waterfall of ice and it made his gut tighten.

He finished the cookies in his plate and let himself lay against the headrest of the armchair, seeping into its plush construction.

"This was n-nice." He said then and raised his hand to cover his mouth as a yawn came over him.

He felt weak again so he started to get up, to reach towards one of the many blankets on the bed. He still felt cold, colder than before.

"Do you wish to rest Victor? I will send for a maid to wake you come the hour for lunch." The Countess stated.

"...Yeah, I m-mean thank you, I would really appreciate that. Sorry f-for being such a nuisance on you all." The teen gave an apologetic smile to the noblewomen.

"Do not worry your pretty little head over it Victor, all is good. Come, my daughters, let us allow our guest some much needed sleep." And like ducklings, the three followed her as she walked towards the door of the bedchambers.

The younger vampires gave him a warm smile, a flirtatious grin and a glare of hatred, and they corresponded to Bela's, Daniela's and Cassandra's actions in turn.

Shaking his head a little bit, Victor walked over to the drapes by the windows and pulled them so that they denied the sunlight access to the room, thus lowering the visibility of the chambers.

He slipped under the covers and closed his eyes, signing in relief as he was enveloped by the comforting warmth provided by the blankets.

Yes, there were still some things that annoyed him, such as the water in his eyes and his nose that kept on getting stuffed with disgusting snot.

But the bed provided him with much more comfort and it was a relief.

He laid on his side and breathed deeply in the dark. There was no sense in trying t i stay awake for any longer now, as he was tired; so Victor closed his eyes and tried to think about happy memories, or rather the few that he had. The young man tried to find some kind of peace, a calm that would allow him to loose himself into the realm of slumber once more.

"I'll snooze for a couple of hours... yeah, this will help me a lot, just gotta rest and this fever will pass like that." That was his battle plan, it was what he was going to do now.

Another yawn erupted from his mouth though this time he allowed himself to do it without any shame and remorse, as he was alone.

Later...

"W-What?" He felt cold on his face, and then on his terminal.

Victor quickly sat up, even if it caused him to go in a state of disorientation that lasted for a few, long moments.

Even from where he was laying, Victor could see the outline of the windows panels as they pressed against one another and thus formed an evident shape against the drapes.

"W-What in the fuck? How did I forget to do that? And when was it open?" He could not recall the window ever being in that state... it was confusing.

With a groan, Victor slid out of the bed and tried to moved as quickly as he could toward the point of interest. He made sure to wrap a blanket around himself, especially to cover his neck as he knew of the dangers that would come with exposing the fleshly part to the elements outside.

He was already sick, so there was no reason to worsen his situation by being careless with his actions.

He parted the drapes a little bit and was grateful to see that the glass construct was only partially opened as the rails were locked in a clash against one another, preventing them from opening up further.

"Let's get these closed..." With a determined grunt, he shifted forward and brought the rails together into their proper position, twisting the small lock that would ensure the permanent stay of the glass panels.

"Alright... that's good." Victor brought the drapes back over the window and moved to the bed, practically falling face first onto the mattress.

"That was annoying..." But it was still bothering him: Victor could not directly remember of ever leaving that window open... and even if it had been earlier, Alcina would have noticed, hell, Bela and her sisters would have noticed as well.

"No matter, I'll just think about this later..." And once again, he tried to loose himself to sleep.

Later...

"Victor? Can you hear me? The Countess has sent me to tell you that lunch is ready and being served right as we speak. Do you want to go to the lower floor and eat?" Mihaela gently spoke to him.

He blinked and looked at her with a confused expression, "M-Mihaela? Aren't you sick as well?"

A smile graced her face, "I am not anymore, thank Mother Miranda."

"Wait, but you'll get sick again if you get close to me!" "Yes, that is why I am standing far away from you Victor. I would advise you to close your window though, for your fever shall worsen with the addition of the cold weather."

Victor groaned, "What the hell... is the lock faulty or something? I woke up earlier and it was open and I can tell you with certainty that I closed it." Mihaela stopped and stared at him right in the eye.

"This is not the first time that this has happened?" The head maid asked him then, "Well, no, as I was telling you earlier, it had to do with the fact that I was open and I sure as hell didn't do it, unless," Thr realization dawned upon him in an instant.

"Mihaela," The boy whispered to her, "You don't think... one of the other maids... someone opened the window while I was sleeping." He saw the woman sigh deeply and cross her arms, beginning to pace back and forth on the length of the room.

"I fear that you are correct Victor. Someone must be at fault... and this is not good." She drummed her fingers along her forearm.

"The Countess will be furious when she shall come to know of this." It was a statement, one that promised pain and misery.

"T-That doesn't really need to happen." Victor stated then, "I can just stay quiet.., it's not like the walls have ears or some crazy shit."

Mihaela approached him, worried and anxious, "No my young boy, what are you even thinking?!" Her whispers were hushed but still carried all of her unease.

"Just... be careful Victor, you must trade very carefully... it is apparent that there is someone who does not hold you in high esteem and would rather see you gone from the world of the living."

The moment of tension was broken as Mihaela composed herself from her small outburst. "Forgive me, I am... in truth, I was not expecting to discover this." He gave her a nod, "Yeah, neither was I. Don't worry about it though... nothing bad has happened yet."

Chapter End Notes

If you enjoyed the chapter then please remember to comment and tell what you enjoyed! As always, the link to the Discord server is: https/discord.gg/xvV4JfRj so feel free to join!

Ice of the Dead

Chapter Summary

Victor comes to realize that he is indeed in a most favorable position within Castle Dimitrescu

Chapter Notes

And here we have the next chapter!

See the end of the chapter for more notes

"I am feeling a little bit better... the room feels a little less cold."

Victor confided calmly as he walked with the Countess and Bela. "I am most pleased to hear that Victor. Still, you should not forego caution." There was a teasing smile freeing alongside the edge of her red lip and he blushed.

"I won't My Lady... I won't, you d-don't have to worry." He actually felt relaxed in the presence of the two women... they were being nice to him, they cared for him... Victor was therefore brought to think that the nobles really did value his life.

And it was a nice thought, one that was becoming truer by the day.

"I wanted to tell you My Lady," He spoke then, "I'm working on the first update to the website, hopefully it will take down a few bugs that have been mentioned in some of the reviews online." It was a bitch to do, as all sessions of debugging were; but it would be worth it in the end.

Plus, he knew that Lady Dimitrescu cared a lot about the image of her house and its standing. She had been quite content to see that the website had an average rating of four and a half stars out of five, but she obviously wanted that result to be better.

Victor could understand her... but she had given him a small sum of lei just yesterday. She was originally insistent that he did not take up to programming with his fever, but his persuasion managed to break through her opposition, and in no small part thanks to Bela, who vouched for him.

"Remember to not exhaust yourself Victor. There is no deadline to which you must abide." At least formally, for the matriarch obviously preferred for the the updates to be consistent and

frequent, especially when her eldest daughter had talked to her some more about the entire process and nature of the website.

And Victor had begun to teach Bela more things about technology and the wonders of the net. She had sat right next to him as he had spent a couple of hours typing away on his keyboard, writing down notes and information regarding the behavior and the nature of the bugs in the code.

Every once in a while, she had even asked him a question, and he tried to answer her to the best of his capabilities as he was still occupied with the task of perfecting the program.

"I understand My Lady." "Victor, will you show me that movie that you were talking about?" For a moment, her question left him confused, but then he remembered that he had promised to show the vampire a short sci-fi movie that he had once found on Youtube some years ago.

"Oh yeah, yeah sure." It wasn't long, barely over fifteen minutes in its runtime. He just hoped that the thing wouldn't be filled with ads and such... Victor did not want to pay for the Premium service, he would have rather thrown himself from off a cliff.

"A movie?" The Countess asked as her head tilted to the left, a curious expression gracing her soft and well defined facial liniments. "I have not seen one in decades." The words were spoken thoughtfully and there wasn't a shadow of a doubt that the Lady was likely recounting the memory that belonged to a past era.

"D-Do you want to watch as well My Lady?" He asked her for good measure and to be polite. Victor wasn't exactly sure that she would be excited about watching a science fiction film... and coming to think of it, he realized that she was most likely much more familiar with romances and dramas.

Surely there weren't any showings of Star Wars in the village, Victor doubted it considering the lack of a proper local area network and the general absence of any kind of modern building.

"Why not? I am most interest to see what has changed since the midpoint of the last century." The young man was momentarily unsettled by the enormous amount of time... but he had to remind himself that the Countess was of a great age though she did not show it both through her actions and movements and her physical body.

Victor would have never guessed that she was more than a hundred years old... truly she was something above human... beyond what he could aspire to become. The Countess was a goddess amongst men, amongst humanity, he was but a simple person, a mortal compared to her divinity.

"Since when did I get so philosophical?" He did not even realize that he had actually voiced his thoughts until Bela and the Countess regarded him with a confused stare.

"I do not know the answer to that question Victor, but I would enjoy discussing many philosophers and their philosophies." Bela told him with just a hint of giddiness.

"I find myself wondering as well Victor, since when have you taken an interest to these classical subjects?" Red tinted his cheeks.

"M-My apologies My Lady, I was j-just... I didn't mean to say that out loud... sorry." He squeaked out, terribly embarrassed. The Lady raised a hand to her mouth as she chuckled and Victor felt a warmth seep in all over his body, wrapping his muscles and bones in a comforting embrace.

"It is fine Victor, do not worry. Now then, shall we go and take to begin with your lessons on Romanian?" That was another detail that he had failed to mention: Alcina and Bela had started to tutor him.

This would be his first day, his first time really, that he would dedicate to actually master Romanian and not simply use Google Translate as a method of communication.

"Yes... thank you again for helping me with this My Lady... I'm very grateful." "Please my dear Victor, it is always a delight to have you around." Once more, he blushed at that, which caused the women to chuckle at his embarrassment.

It was only a matter of time though, as soon, they arrived to the set of double doors that separated the chambers reserved for the library from other portions of the castle.

There were a pair of marble maidens that flanked the corners of the door. They were guardians, unmoving, unflinching, lifeless yet beautiful and graceful in their solemn poses. There was one small detail that was peculiar though: it was the fact that these doors were bigger than others, and as such; the Countess did not need to lower herself in order to pass.

"And here we are. Take a seat Victor, get comfortable as I retrieve the material that will be needed for this introductory lesson." The matron did not even need to use one of the rolling ladders that were placed on the gigantic bookshelves that populated the interior of the library. Her abnormal height was more than enough to not necessitate it, for she simply reached up with a gloved hand and elegantly took out the first of a series of books.

There were many long tables with cushioned chairs to accompany them. A large fireplace was set alight, procuring the library with one of its few sources of light, safe for the chandeliers that dangled from the gilded ceiling.

All in all, it was a warm and cozy place, so it was of no surprise that the software engineer picked one of the tables that was closest to the hearth. "Yup, let's sit here, ok?" He asked Bela, who's lower half was in the process of reforming from the swarm of flies as she too had taken to collect the books, "As you wish Victor." It still unsettled him, the way that the insects would come and go... but it was better than the first times that he had witnessed it... and Bela had never tried to hurt him with her bugs.

"Here is a pen and a few sheets of paper. You will need to take notes and do many exercises in order to practice your Romanian, practica face perfectă." Victor furrowed his eyebrows in question, "What does that mean?"

"Practice makes perfect baietelul meu, a statement that is of the most truthful of meanings in this context." The Countess sat down next to him as Bela took his right.

An open page was presented to him. Victor realized that the book in front of him was actually a Romanian to English dictionary, as he could see the Eastern-European words that were organized in an alphabetical order and the corresponding Anglo-Saxon terms being placed next to them.

"Oh, ok, I see where this is going." "Victor, we will start slowly, to give you time to adjust to the radical differences that Romanian presents compared to your native language, as there are quite a few. From my personal experience, it is best to learn it this way, though if you believe there to be even better, alternative paths, do not stop yourself from proposing them."

Victor nodded, "Ok, I'm just learning a natural language... I've learned how to use high-level languages, this shouldn't be too difficult." If he was capable of operating with the same vocabulary as that of a machine, then he wouldn't have any problems with replicating the thing.

And yet, almost an hour later, Victor found himself rubbing his temple tiredly. "The hell... I did get that Romanian wasn't that easy but fuck..." He whispered under his breath, staring at the words that had been written out on the paper.

"You seem to be having difficulties with this." Bela stated pointedly. "Yeah... jeez, I could just cout all of this and I'd be done by now..." That earned him a questioning glance from the Countess.

"I'm just rambling My Lady, pay me no mind, I'm just a programmer who's on the verge of losing his sanity... it's a pretty standard thing with this job." He sighed, more to himself than to the other two.

"I cannot say that I do not fail to comprehend many of your peculiar and uncommon thoughts, but the youth of age is prone to being filled with such behaviors, so it is to be expected." And in that moment, Lady Alcina thought back to her youngest daughter, her adoring and affectionate Daniela, the most vibrant and joyous out of the trio of sisters.

She was always such a sweet and adorable little girl, yet it was due to her younger mindset, of the fact that she was the smallest of them all, that Alcina had noticed these details whenever she would lend it a portion of her attention.

Daniela was mischievous, so very mischievous to the point that it warmed her heart just thinking of it, for it reminded her of the fiery, curious nature that only a child could possess, and it was a nature that only a mother could notice, embrace and nurture. Her daughter, a beautiful young Lady of dazzling smiles and lively attitudes, there was no question as to how she could not have just cherished her with all of her affection.

That was not to say though that she neglected the other two members of her brood: Alcina considered her daughters similar, yet so different from one another. But her love for them was as indisputable as the proof of the existence of day and night.

And to make an example; her golden haired child, Bela, who was seated but a few feet from her, was the a complete opposite to many of the quirks of Daniela's character.

Bela was the oldest of the three and as such, she lacked much of the same childlike curiosity that belonged to the redhead. She was the most responsible, the most level headed and capable of making rational decisions.

Alcina could allow herself to assign her many responsibilities that were of great importance and not have the doubt of making an erroneous decision. But what truly made Bela special was her maturity.

Bela resembled the Countess the most: already she could clearly see it with her own eyes, Bela was truly meant to be her successor. She had taken to her lessons like a fish would take to the water, surpassing all of her expectations and procuring her a sense of pride that would otherwise be impossible to achieve.

Her daughter resembled her the most, for she cared about the future of their house, of the bloodline, of the honor that would be associated with its name; of its status, of its fear and disposition amongst the other noble houses of the valley.

Bela understood many a thing, and this was not any different then the things that she liked to study. Alcina could at least know that in the worst of times, should the possibility of her death ever become a reality made flesh, Bela would be ready to take the reigns of House Dimitrescu and to guide it towards the heights of greatness of the ages past and future. The Countess could rest easily and sleep well by knowing this.

And this reminded her of another reason as to why the bond between her and the three young women that she had raised was so strong: the daughters all carried a part of her within their personalities: they shared many of the same passions and interests and Alcina had delighted herself with teaching them and guiding their progress throughout many of those same interests.

A smile could not help but appear on her ruby red lips as she thought back to some of her most cherished memories: from the first few lessons that she had given to Bela concerning the arts of writing poetry and discussing philosophy, enjoying entire evenings together that were spent doing nothing but composing the poetry and reading it aloud, seeking to improve themselves and to approach the level of beauty that only the poets of old were capable of conferring to their works of literature. So many talks were made, discussions born out of the mutual interests that ranged from the ancient classics such as the Iliad, the Odyssey and the Aeneid; passing through the Middle Ages alongside the Travels, the Canterbury Tales and Dante's legendary Divine Comedy. And then to recount the various philosophies that had sprouted with the diffusion of the neoclassic and romantic movements across the whole of Europe, many acclaimed authors and philosophers had given differing views on the value of life and existence, such was a crime to not at least let one venture into those estranged yet familiar worlds that were but a mere reflection of the one in which they lived.

With Cassandra, the Lady of of Castle Dimitrescu had taken to share her enjoyment for the art of painting and had taught her all that she could. It was a surprise to her, to see that her brunette daughter held such an interests as well as a talent to use colors on a canvas. Together, they had visited history to go and highlight the most influential periods of art as well as to go study the works of the greatest painters of their respective ages. Raffaello, Da Vinci, Donatello, Michelangelo, Rembrandt, Borromini, Monet, Cézanne, Manet, Renoir, Munch, Van Gogh, Matisse, Picasso, Pollock, they had all been thoroughly analyzed and praised for the many contributions that they had brought to the realm of paint, oil and color. And now the bed chambers of her middle child were rightfully filled with so many of those artistic recreations as well as original pieces, once more conferring the Countess with a sense of pride that was unmatched.

Daniela instead had taken a liking to music, particularly to that of the piano and the violin, though she preferred and was undoubtedly more talented with the former than the latter. Still, Daniela had also followed her teachings to the point that she was now capable of composing her very own music and pieces. The amount of personal satisfaction that she gained from listening to what her creativity was capable of shaping and giving a form to, for it reminded her of her own pieces, of when she too would practice and let her emotions run free and unbound amongst the soft notes of the chords that belonged to violins and clarinets.

Yes, her three daughters were the result of much hard work, sweat and tears, but the Countess was eternally grateful to have been given the chance to be recognized as their mother.

"I think that this is enough for a session. Well then Victor, what do you think of it?" The teen sighed tiredly, "It's harder than what I was expecting..."

"But I can't really blame you guys for warning me beforehand, so... yeah. We'll continue tomorrow then?" "That we will Victor." Bela had gotten up, "Shall we go see the movie?" And the Countess hid a smile at seeing her eldest, typically known for her reserved and emotionless attitude, appear to be so giddy.

"Do not overwhelm the poor boy my dear, we have just finished traumatizing him with our native tongue, have an ounce of mercy." Victor sent her a timid smile, as if to thank her.

"It's fine. Do you want to watch it in my room or somewhere else?" The blonde was quick to answer, "Your chambers, if possible." "My Lady, do you want to watch it as well?"

"Naturally, I did state so previously, did I not?" With an elegant grace, she rose up and smoothed out the wrinkles that had formed in her grey dress with a simple pass of her hands.

"Let us go then." And like a monarch, she began to walk, acting as their guide, their lead. Victor quickly fell back into step with Bela, still carrying the pen and the paper with some of the texts as the blonde carried the rest.

The travel to his room was peaceful and calm, interrupted only by the snow that peppered the windows.

"So... we're going to watch this on my pc alright? I unfortunately do not have a portable tv... I hope it will be alright for you to watch it on my laptop? The screen isn't exactly big..." "Have no worries Victor, we shall simply make do with what you posses."

The Countess' words made him smile a bit in sadness. There could be an opportunity to maybe expand the room that he had on the first floor... perhaps with some more wiring and cabling that he could purchase from the Duke... maybe with Karl's expertise with electronic engineering a simply set up could be had.

Victor gestured for Lady Alcina to go forward first, as she was the Mistress of the Castle. "Please, you own this place... this is your home."

The staggeringly tall vampire sent him a please grin, "Ce domn nobil. În curând, acest castel va fi și casa ta, dragule băiețel." Of course, he could not understand what it was that she was telling him, but he assumed that it was a compliment given that Bela smiled upon hearing it.

"Oh! Well... uh... multumesc Doamma Mea... am I saying that right?" A hand gently came to rest upon his shoulder, "You are Victor. You are indeed a fast learner." And when he realized how close she was... and when her voice lowered in pitch as her golden eyes captured his... Victor became an embarrassed mess.

"Oh! W-Wow, I really, thanks! I don't really consider myself that- but please don't mistake me! I don't want to make it seem like- like I don't like your compliment, that was a compliment right?" His face was as red as a tomato and he was flustered beyond recognition.

Both women shared an amused gaze. "You are infallibly hilarious Victor, and I do mean that as a compliment." And with that, she bent down and opened the door.

Concern began to trickle down into the teen's conscious when the noblewoman did not move forward to allow them to enter as well.

"Mother? Is everything alright?" Rather than answering her daughter, the Countess walked forward and Victor was greeted with the sight of his window that had been left wide open, a generous amount of snow that was now entering the room had fallen onto the carpet to form small dips of white.

The trickle of concern turned into a river of worry as he saw the Lady stand stiffly. "Victor," She spoke then in a clipped tone, "Did you happen to leave the window open when you left earlier this morning?"

"N-No! I didn't! I have a fever... I wouldn't open it and let the cold wind inside." "And of that I have no doubt." He would not have heard her response if he had not been paying close attention, for the words that were whispered were as light as a breeze.

He stumbled back when the Countess suddenly whirled around and began to march out of the room, not bothering to wait for them.

"M-My Lady? What's going on?" He placed the things that he was carrying down on the floor. Bela in the meanwhile had closed the construct of glass.

"Bela? What's going on? What is she doing?" Victor asked the blonde as they both walked out of the bed chambers and began to follow her by listening to the thuds of her high heels upon the floor.

"I do not know Victor!" The blonde hurriedly relief as they jogged after the Countess.

It did not take long for Victor to feel winded, it was still the fever's fault... and he could not continue at that pace. "Fuck!" He panted and leaned a hand against the stone wall. "I... give me a second Bela... I'm out of breath." The other briefly looked on towards the direction where the Countess had gone, but eventually decided to attend Victor.

"Here, let me help you." Her inhuman strength possessed the advantage of not being impeded by weights that would have troubled regular people like him and as such, Victor was nearly hoisted off his feet as Bela took to following once more.

"I believe Mother has gone this way, from what we last heard." "Your guess is better than mine, I trust your judgment on this." He replied, trying to see if he could determine what hat route the noblewoman had taken precisely.

"Let us go here then, Mother must be in the vicinity." Once more, the walked past numerous halls and rooms, yet a peculiar detail was the fact that he had yet to see any of the maids of the castle.

"Wait, wait! Slow down." "What is it Victor?" "Maybe we should try going to the Servants' Quarters? Isn't it odd that we haven't seen any handmaidens?" Bela nodded, "Yes, yes you are very right."

And so they went towards that portion of the castle, and the fear that had been festering in the pit of his stomach was made true. Silently entering the spacious and mostly bare chambers, Victor and Bela were greeted to the sight of the Countess standing in front of the entirety of the household of the castle.

A few feet away from her was Mihaela and not too far from the head maid were the other two daughters.

Victor let his eyes look back to the young women... they must have been around four dozen in total. He had never seen them all together, even during the period in which he had shared these quarters with them; there were still many maids whose's duty extended well into the late hours of the night.

They had been divided by rows, but they all stood straight and at attention... though the fear within the room was as palpable as it was evident in the faces of the maidens.

And then, he caught sight of both Ioana and Adina. He let out a silent gasp, feeling wet, warm tears of relief come over to his eyes. They too noticed him and for but a brief few moments, they shared a message of joy and happiness; and it was genuine and pure.

But it was not to last, as the Countess began to speak: "Au avut loc o serie de incidente în ultima vreme, toate s-au petrecut în camerele proprii oaspeților mei de onoare..."

The air seemed to still and a shiver made its way through the entirety of the assembled group. "Acum, sunt o femeie crudă, dar nu sunt nedreaptă. Voi permite vinovatului acestei crime să se dezvăluie și promit că pedeapsa va fi diminuată din cauza ei."

Victor did not recognize anything that the Countess was saying, he could not understand a word of it and Mihaela gave him no help with translating what was stated.

The churning in his gut was worsening considerably and he was hating every second of it. The tension was still rising and Cassandra's joyous smile did not make him feel at ease.

The Countess looked over the maids, gaze hardening, "Nimeni nu va veni în față? M-am înșelat în evaluarea mea atunci?" And then she started to walk and the situation was made even more tense as the towering vampire shifted her position so that she would come across every single woman.

"Îmi pierd răbdarea. Aș prefera să nu trebuiască să-mi blondesc rochia, dar tu îmi testezi furia și știi cu toții de ce sunt capabilă." Many of the young women looked to be on the verge of breaking down, small whimpers were heard coming left and right.

Alarmed and fearing the worst, Victor turned towards Bela, "What's going on? What is she doing?" The eldest Dimitrescu sibling though did not show an ounce of compassion as her cold yellow eyes met with his, "My Mother is obtaining justice."

"Încă aștept, dacă vinovatul nu se dezvăluie, nu voi fi milos în nici un fel." "M-My L-Lady? P-Please ju- "Victor I must ask of you to remain silent. At the moment I am quite preoccupied with disciplining the staff of my household, you mustn't interrupt me during this delicate process." The noblewoman answered without even so much as looking at him.

Victor opened his mouth but a hand wrapped around his, for Mihaela gave him a warning look, an indication to stay quiet and to hold his tongue.

"Dacă cei vinovați dintre voi nu vor ieși înainte, atunci vă voi ajuta în acest efort." The maids all gasped when she extended her razor sharp claws and curled them menacingly. "Ai avut șansa ta, acum nu vei primi decât agonie și moarte."

Once more, she took to walk around each maid, leaning in every once in a while and brining her claws to touch their faces without cutting them.

"G-God... s-she's going t-to..." He did not even need to complete the phrase. Everyone in the hall knew what was bound to happen.

There was nothing that could prevent it from happening, it was inevitable at this point. Victor wanted to look away, he wanted to tear his gaze off from the scene and walk back to his chambers and curl up on the bed... yet the young man was petrified.

There were sniffles and whimpers emanating from the maidens as the Countess looked over each and every one of them. Victor felt his mouth go dry and his heart quicken. His conscious begged for the Lady to stay her hand, even if for only a little bit.

But Alcina of House Dimitrescu would not be stopped and her will would be done.

It was just as she was examining one of the newer arrivals that the woman that was farthest away from her suddenly bolted towards the direction of the door and passed by him.

But Bela was there and grabbed her, roughly yanking her back, uncaring for the cry of pain that came from her. With a sneer, she forced the maid on her knees just as the Countess came closer to her, seething with rage.

"Și în cele din urmă, șobolanul se dezvăluie. Te-ai gândit cu adevărat că nu te voi remarcă, simplu prost? Nu, bineînțeles că te-ai gândi la asta, nu ai cea mai mică cantitate de inteligență în acel cap mic și fără valoare al tău!" The woman began to sob and stutter, an apology maybe; perhaps she was begging?

The maid screamed in pain when a claw slashed across her face, the other maids all cowered back and cried in muffled whimpers as they looked over to their suffering companion.

The girl was wailing, holding both of her hands to the cut that was bleeding profusely. "Asta meriți, cățea ingrată, să mori de durere și mizerie. Nici măcar nu meritați o înmormântare adecvată, fiarele turbate ale sălbăticiei ar trebui să se ospăte cu cadavrul vostru."

The Countess glared at the rest of the cowering maidens, "Afară, toți. Du-te în curte, Cassandra, știi ce trebuie făcut." They almost ran to exit through the door, being greeted by the cold chill of winter.

The daughters followed the noblewoman as she mercilessly dragged the yelling maid by her hair. Mihaela laid a comforting hand on his shoulder, "Do not fight back Victor, please, be quiet." A note of pleading was registered, for the head maid was trying to protect him.

Then she left him and Victor, at a loss of words, cautiously made his way closer to the opened doors. He did not want to approach it, but he was drawn towards that blistering cold.

The Countess was still holding the maid by her hair, watching as the brunette vampire mounted a curved hook on one of the bracers of the stone wall.

The staff was still being held there as Daniela and Bela stalked around the group like shepherd dogs, making sure that none would leave.

With a cry that made his blood curl, the vampire matriarch hoisted the girl up and brutally impaled her shoulder on the hook in a mess of gore, blood and flesh.

Victor felt bile rise up his throat, threatening to escape his mouth. The maid screamed again and again, violently shaking and aggravating the puncture wound as more and more blood fell from the gleaming crimson tip of the hook.

Her face, once beautiful and youthful had been ruined, the Countess's strike had taken her eye and a part of her nose, scarring her irreparably.

But there was a detail that made all of it so much more gruesome and grim: the maid was still alive, the impalement was not fatal.

With a vicious slap, the maiden's head snapped to the side as an audible crack was heard. Her jaw had been broken, only small, gurgling sounds were heard coming from the broken woman.

With a final sneer, the Countess turned to address her household: "Lasă-o să sufere zăpada și gerul așa cum și-ar fi dorit să sufere oaspetele meu. Și pentru ceilalți dintre voi, luați soarta ei ca o lecție: nu voi tolera nici un fel de lipsă de respect, cu atât mai puțin față de băiatul care este în bunăvoința mea."

Glowing eyes of gold settled onto him and Victor saw her fangs flash. "Iar tu, dragul meu Victor, nu ar trebui să te expui atât de neglijent. Vino, un dragon își va folosi aripile pentru a-i ține aproape pe cei la care ține."

His flinch was not given a single worry as the Countess brought him against her titanic frame, pulling him back towards her domain.

Chapter End Notes

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The Festival

Chapter Summary

Victor and the Dimitrescu Ladies participate to the festival.

Chapter Notes

Apologies for the late update, btw I put a reference to a meme, try to see if you can spot it and let me know of your findings in the comments.

See the end of the chapter for more notes

Victor had been looking at the outside of his window for the better part of ten minutes.

And how could he not have? In about only an hour, he would leave Castle Dimitrescu for the first time in months... he struggled sometimes to even remember what the village still looked like, how the houses were positioned and where the most important landmarks were placed.

He could see the festival, or rather, he could make out many moving lights from out of the fog. Even if it was now April, it was as if the winter had never left; it snowed nearly everyday and it was still so, so cold.

Inwardly, he shivered at seeing the snowflakes pepper the glass of the window. Yet amongst the oppressive dark blue, the warm rays of the village's lights shone through, creating faint outlines of the buildings.

It was like watching a fire crackling over the burning wood, just like how he would watch the actual heart in the chambers when he moved close to it. Perhaps it was because the castle was situated higher on the mountain than the town, it gave it a slightly twisted perspective; perhaps it was because Victor wanted to really go there.

The door opened behind him and his breath quickened.

"You look good Victor, I knew that Mother would select a most appropriate set of clothing for this special occasion!" Bela was the one who had spoken, he turned his head around to see her walking over to him.

For the festival, the blonde had foregone her typical attire of black, swapping it out with a gown of a colored with a different gown variety of shades of maroon red, which greatly resembled blood and served to indicate her vampiric nature and family. Her lips still held the

black lipstick, but her ears now sported golden earrings with encrusted rubies. Around her slender neck was a chain of silver which rested against the top of her bosom.

The silken fabric of the dress continued on to her arms where it eventually stopped to meet with the long, elegant gloves that covered the rest of her limbs. She did not carry a hood and her beautiful blonde hair was put on display for all to witness and admire.

Bela was breathtaking and his eyes widened a little. Of course, she took notice of his momentary shock and let out a small smile, twirling around and letting the end of her dress spiral around her legs like a vortex.

"Do you like it? I wasn't sure of wearing this, or another dress of brown. This one lacks the other's woven patterns, but I think that the simplicity of it is still enough to dazzle. Do you agree with me?" "Uh yeah! It fits you so much Bela... wow."

The vampire giggled, "Stop it, you're going to make me blush!" Bela jokingly hid her face behind one of her hands, purposely tinting her cheeks a light pink and Victor flushed with embarrassment.

"Oh wait, you missed a small spot. Here, let me fix it for you." Her hands passed over his shoulders to tend to his crumpled collar, straightening it out. "We cannot have you be garbed like one of those uncultured brutes down in the village. You are so much better than those pathetic townsfolk Victor." He did not know what to make of her words... she uttered them under the pretense of forming a compliment, but he did not fully agree with her views.

"Alright. I say that it would be best to go and seek Mother now. She must be near done with applying her makeup at the vanity and she will undoubtedly want to see you." Her fingers brushed over his arm, as if making the motion of pulling him along.

"Y-Yeah, give me a second, just gotta grab my phone." Even if there was no assurance that he would have a stable connection, with or without his paid data, Victor still wanted to keep the electronic near him.

"Come on, the maids shall prepare your pajamas for the night whilst we are away." Bela told him in a manner that almost seemed to indicate an exasperated undertone.

"Sorry for being slow, I'm just... not that good with parties and all that stuff..." The woman cocked her head at him, "I find it to be exciting instead; that is where we are- "Yes! We have so much fun mingling with all of that cattle! Who knows Victor, maybe we'll even find a few new maidens! I'll let you pick the one we'll bring back to the castle!"

With a buzzing cloud of flies, Daniela manifested right between the pair. Unlike her sister, she was wearing a dress of grey fabric. She was not sporting gloves and her arms where bare up to the shoulder.

Daniela was all smiles and laughter, she was clearly ecstatic to be going to the party. "A party! This isn't a festival, it's a party!" Of course, it was not too far fetched to see that the youngest of the sisters was more joyous and childlike in her happiness.

"We'll descend from the Castle, you and me, we'll be arm in arm. Ohhh, just imagine how jealous all the other women will be when they see me being accompanied by you!" Besides her, Bela's face hardened.

"Daniela, Victor is not your lover, much less your betrothed. Start acting more maturely, Mother expects us to represent our House well in the face of the peasants and of the other Lords." The blonde stated whilst pointing her sister with a glare. "Sush Bela, Mother will be fine, Victor here loves me!" And to prove her point, she latched onto his forearm and shoulder, but it had the opposite effect as the young man flinched, almost stepping away from her. As usual, he was overwhelmed by her outgoing and carefree attitude.

Bela muttered something under her breath in Romanian, unfortunately Victor still did not know enough of the language to understand what she had said. "Uhhh... I-I think we s-should go s-see the L-Lady? I don't want t-to be l-late or anything..." He tried to be the voice of reason as to quell the growing tension between the two.

"Yes, you are right Victor, we should go." Bela slid her fingers around his own and tugged him along, but the redhead wouldn't let go of him, so Victor was left in the awkward and unfortunate position of being a rope in a game of tug of war. The sisters only needed to use a little bit of their strength and his arms would pop off.

More or less, he was dragged through the many halls of the castle by the pair, though only one of them was giggling. "Dragii mei iată-vă!" The three turned around and were faced with the Countess.

Victor felt his mouth go dry when his eyes landed upon her: Lady Alcina was dressed in a faux fur shawl, all of it was comprised of a midnight black. The black silk descended past her knees and graced the tops of her heeled feet. The stark contrast that was created by the combination of the obsidian dress and her pale skin that resembled marble made it so she was even more beautiful to the eye.

With a graceful pose, she walked towards them and for once, she was not wearing gloves and he could clearly see her white, immaculately well kept hands.

The nail polish was that of black but when she came closer, Victor realized that it her nails were naturally black and the tips were pointed and sharp... but it made sense, for her claws came from her fingers...

A pleased smile was on her face, "My daughters you look fabulous, and you Victor, are very handsome." She came forward and gently fixed his collar and gave a quick check on the rest of his suit, removing any wrinkles that had formed.

"Are we ready to go then?" She asked them then. "Of course Mother!" "Wait, where is Cassandra?" As always, Bela was the most responsible and looked out for her sister.

The Countess smiled tenderly at her, "Do not worry my sweet, your sister is awaiting us at the door." "Oh." Red tinged her cheeks as Bela realized that she was the one to be late.

"Come now, let us go and make peace with the festival." There was a silver lining of exasperation to it, likely due because of her animosity for Mother Miranda.

And so they walked in silence until they reached the main foyer. The brunette was there and Victor looked her over for a moment. Compared to her siblings, Cassandra was dressed in a much more provocative manner: her dress was low cut and showed a near scandalous amount of flesh, both at her bosom and at her legs. The rest of the black dress, which resembled that of the Countess, hugged her figure perfectly.

The vampire glared at him but stopped when the titanic Lady glowered at her. "Excellent, are we all ready? Bine, atunci să ne închipuim această petrecere de bufoni și proști."

Acting quick on his feet, Victor moved to open the heavy gate and received a grateful smile in return. "Ever a noble gentleman Victor." "I-It's nothing." He was blushing, because of course he was, being an introvert tended to have these kinds of effects.

And then they were outside, and the young man was immediately hit by a wall of cold.

Victor gasped and his teeth immediately began to chatter as he already felt his fingers go numb. "Oh, how silly of me, I have forgotten to give you a proper coat. Well, it is of no matter." And having said that, she shifted closer to him and placed her arm over his shoulders letting her own fine and expensive coat of fur drape over his frame, just like how she had done on that walk many weeks ago.

Silently, they began to walk on the grounds, soon coming to exit the massive gatehouse that had held an ornate set of doors. They opened with a heavy groan and Victor wondered for a moment about the contraption, of how well kept the entire place seemed to be.

A pair of towers framed the structure, topped with gothic spires that pointed to the dark and cloudy sky. From them, a wall of sorts extended, likely to go circle the castle grounds.

And it seemed that the Countess had noticed his curiosity, for she spoke then, "The walls continue only to a point, as it was impossible to maintain their height and width on all portions of the mountain." And it was only naturally so, given the formation of the rock. "In those places, a fence is what is used as a means of delimiting a perimeter around the castle."

"I u-understand." "Of course you do Victor, you are a smart and very bright baietel." Her hand gently held his shoulder as they descended over a few steps made out of carved stone.

There were far more pine trees here and the ground was covered in snow, yet the stone path did not hold any ice on it.

"I have a pair of maids regularly salt the pathways outside the castle, it renders them immune to the particles of frozen water." Once again, she gave him more information, almost as if she was reading his very thoughts.

Still, Victor could not help but inch ever closer to her frame... she was fire incarnate in the blistering cold, he was naturally brought to seek out sources of warmth, and the Lady was

one such source.

"We are nearly there and for the sake of normalcy Victor, do try to avoid contact with that dog Heisenberg. The gods only know if he has ever pondered the idea of properly bathing for once." There was a drawl in her voice, ending with a tinge of disgust and exasperation.

But in truth, Victor did not give her much attention, well, not as much as he was giving to the village itself.

So much time...

So much time had passed... it was as if he had left this town centuries ago and not a few months. The atmosphere was festive and it was indeed evident by the music that was merrily played. The villagers were dancing, beer, wine and food were abundant.

The celebration itself was taking place in the square of the village, the one near the church and graveyard. The houses had been decorated with plants, acorns, flowers and other such things.

This seemed to be a different world; the townsfolk, who Victor had come to associate with being grim and dour were now laughing and smiling openly, as if there was no snow and wind, as if the entire area was not infested with monsters like werewolves or lycans as they were so often called.

"Girls, remember to not cause any sort of trouble, we must show these sheep that we are better than them, for we are noblewomen, after all." The Countess spoke as they neared the first few houses.

Victor slowly detached himself from being next to her and naturally, the action did not go unnoticed by her. "Are you not comfortable my dear?" She asked him, golden eyes staring down at him.

"I... I don't think that it would do much good, if I was seen walking right next to you..." He replied in an almost embarrassed tone.

"Please, I does not bother me for you to be at my side Victor. Let these simpletons look upon on us, let them wish that they had an ounce of my wealth and beauty, let those village women whisper and chatter all they want. They mean nothing to me, to us." Her lips curved downwards a little bit, "Of course, do not think that you must stay directly at my side Victor. It is fine if you will want to walk and see what the festival has brought in store."

Her response made him nod, "Thank you My Lady. I'll just go around for a bit... maybe talk to Karl, is the Duke here?" "I most certainly sure that he is. After all, the merchant is quite a difficult man to miss, given his expansive emporium." The daughters shared a giggle at their Mother's jest.

"Well... I'll get going then." But her gloved hand appear on his chest and it halted him in his steps. "Victor, I only ask of you to steer clear of a few of the Lords, Donna may not pose

much threat to you, for she is timid and mostly docile, but Moreau is a walking blight, a cancer with legs. Do not fancy having a conversation with him, much less even go near his vicinity." The hairs on the back of his neck stood up.

"W-What does he look like?" He asked her, wanting to understand just who this other Lord was. "The man is a stuttering fool who vomits acid each time that he opens his mouth. He is a hunchback, more fish than human. But fear not, the putrid smell that emanates from him shall reach your nose before his sight shall reach your eyes."

"Ah... thank you for telling. I'm definitelygonna be on the lookout for him- "And do not, under any circumstance, approach Mother Miranda. I need not remind you of what I have told you the last time that she visited my Castle. If you see her approaching, walk away and find either my daughters or me." She cupped his chin with her fingers, "I am being very serious Victor, do not exchange words with that wretched woman, she will seek to use you for her inhumane experiments."

By now, dread had officially begun to pool within his gut after being told all of that. With another, slightly shaky nod, the young man made his way down the final few steps of the path and was enveloped by the joyful music that was present all over the small square.

The butcher of the village had been given a few tables, and now those same tables were used as placements to deposit various kinds of meats. Victor saw dried sausages hanging from the edges of the adjoining house, a small fire was made from the external fireplace and the man was cooking a few pieces of beef.

There was a bit of a group hustled around the tables, ceramic plates were in their hands. It was a barbecue, a happy, albeit ancient kind of barbecue.

Near them, a couple of men were selling the townsfolk bottles of booze. Victor did not have the experience to know or recognize any of the beverages, but he could see quite a few of the villagers being tipsy and lightly swaying around as they walked.

And finally, his eyes landed upon the jolly giant. Eagerly, the software engineer made his way over to the merchant, who was selling goods. From the looks of it, he was also making a good amount of lei, as seen by the growing satchel that was on the counter of his caravan.

"Duke!" "Mr Press! What a delight to see you good sir! Is the festival treating you well?" He had to duck and pass through the group of villagers to reach the front of the crowd. Naturally, many of them cursed at him in Romanian, but he ignored them for the time being.

"Wait, sit on that chair over there so that the customers aren't bothered and we can talk." The large man was constantly scribbling down notes and deals on his little journal, handing out goods and receiving coin in return.

"Victor, please give this young fellow the shotgun, the third one with the drum magazine." He lifted the weapon up, surprised to see that it was a military-grade firearm.

"Happy hunting!" The Duke exclaimed as he sold the item to the content villager. Victor wondered exactly, how that weapon would be effective with hunting deers or wolfs, but then

he reminded himself of the monsters that prowled in the forest and resisted the urge to facepalm.

"So, as I was asking, how are you fairing on this joyful evening?" "Well, I'd say pretty good. I just got here so... I'm looking to hang out with people I know like you and Heisenberg. By the way, where is he?" "Oh, the Lord should be towards there." The Duke pointed at one of the more crowded places in the town's square.

"Alright thanks! I'll come back by later!" And he lightly jogged past the busy portion of the village.

The area that the Duke had directed him towards to was a little more calm and tranquil compared to the rest of the grounds. Yes, it was definitely less chaotic than over there.

Victor found the tall man standing alone, a bottle of rum in his hand and a cigar caught in his lips. The other villagers steered clear of him, undoubtedly intimidated by his great height and stature.

"Karl?" The other turned around and even though he was wearing his shades, he could still see that his eyes widened: "Victor!"

Wit surprising speed, he reached him and lifted him off his feet with a mighty hug. "Ha! Oh my God you're here! Fucking hell I didn't think that tall bitch would let you go, and yet you're here!"

Victor wheezed and began to tap his arms against the Lord's back, trying to get him to relent his hold a little bit. "Karl... too... tight! Tight! Let... go!"

"Shit! There you go, all good now right?" He had placed the programmer back down on his feet. The young lad took a couple of deep breaths to make up for the lack of oxygen within his lungs.

The moment only lasted for an instant because he began to laugh as well. "Man I missed you Karl!" "So did I Victor!" They patted each other on the backs.

"Here, this is a cause for celebration! Drink!" He presented him the bottle. Victor shook his head, "I wish man, but it's like I've already said, I'm too young, I don't have that legal drinking age yet." "For fuck's sake Victor! It's not like a fucking thunderbolt will smite you right here where you stand, come on, give it a go, do it for me!" The man told him, still offering him the rum.

"Well...- "Tick tock, this rum isn't going to drink itself you know? That's not how alcohol works, or any liquid for that matter." "It's still not legal- "Who fucking cares!" "It's not a moral- "Dammit Victor, are you going to drink this piss or not?"

The teen grew tired of their rambling so he snatched the glass bottle out of his hand. "Fuck it! There, will you finally shut up now!" He brought it to his lips and took a large gulp.

Heisenberg cheered, "Yes! My buddy is now a real drinking man! So, tell me, do you like it?"

Almost immediately, he spit it right out and onto the frozen floor. "Hmm... you'll grow to like it one day." Victor coughed and spit out some more saliva, "Yeah. One day... one day."

"I'm never trying that shit again, fuck!" Victor gasped as he coughed more. "It is an acquired taste." "Yeah, no shit! Fuck, it feels like someone's been pouring hot lava straight down my fucking throat, how do you even like this? It tastes like poison!"

Heisenberg could not hide his laugh and he reared his head back go openly do so. "Oh my god! I fucking miss being with you Victor! Come here give me another hug!" The gesture was one that he readily reciprocated.

"So, wanna go over there? I heard they're making a good pork. We got some nice dishes over in this small town." Karl fixed his shades and held out a hand. A wallet shot towards him and impacted against his open palm with the force of a tank shell.

Karl calmly opened the small piece of personal possession and took out a few lei. "Let's go, I got some money to burn."

Victor looked at the wallet, then at Karl and then at the crowded area of the festival. "Is that yours?" The Lord shrugged his shoulders, "I don't know, and I don't really care. Come on, let's go, strippers and cocaine, that's what we doing tonight with this money." The younger of the two burst out laughing.

"Victor, I'm series, we are getting laid tonight!" He held up the bottle of booze and cheered. In other such occasions, the teen would have been embarrassed, but tonight he didn't feel that, no, he was actually enjoying himself!

"Man, you never told me you were a standup comedian my dude!" Once more Karl roared its laughter and he was so loud that he was more akin to sounding like an engine.

"Come on though, I was kidding on the cocaine and strippers bit I sure am hungry. Let's go eat some fucking meat!" And he placed his arm around his shoulders and began to quite literally bulldoze his way through the crowd of villagers.

Unlike Victor, Heisenberg did not care for a single moment about slowing down and he rudely pushed away whoever was unfortunate enough to find themselves within his trajectory.

"Can you smell it? I sure can! We're going to invite the Duke as well... maybe I'll even managed to fish out one of the bitch's wine bottles, the ones that she always sells for a ludicrous amount of cash." And still he did not stop.

However, when Victor was brought against the shoulder of a villager, he heard a feminine gasp.

He recognized that voice.

Victor managed to twist himself out from Karl's hold and turned around, coming face to face with a young woman who was only a couple years older than him.

His heart quaked, it trembled as if it were about to crack. Tears immediately formed over his eyes and his voice became glassy and soft.

"...C-Cristina?"

The villager looked at him and her eyes widened as well, just as he was doing.

"V-Victor?"

Time seemed to still out for a moment, and it was only them, all of their attention was focused on one another.

Finally, after so long... they had finally found each other again.

Chapter End Notes

As always, please remember to comment, the link to the discord server is: https/discord.gg/vUK9Y9DbGH until next time.

A Reuinion

Chapter Summary

Victor and Cristina have a long awaited talk.

Chapter Notes

Apologies for the delay, but school is a known time consumer.

See the end of the chapter for more notes

He could not believe it. He really could not.

"Cristina?" Victor took a couple of steps forward, but he did so slowly, almost as if he feared that she would disappear like an illusion.

"Y-You're here! You're here!" The distance between them was closed Victor wrapped his arms around her, feeling his eyes become wet and heavy with tears.

"Oh my god!" His voice cracked, "I thought I would never see you again!" The poor lad was ecstatic and joyous, and his heart thumped and quaked in accordance with his emotions.

He felt her replicate the gesture with him and he heard small sniffles coming from a little over his shoulder.

"Te-ai intors! De Maica Miranda ești în viață și bine! Laudat sa fie ea!" Cristina tightened her grip on him and buried her face in the crook of his neck, openly sobbing.

"I t-thought you were dead!" She spoke to him and looked up with her glassy eyes. "What happened to you?" His lip quivered as he tried to form a response, "So much Cristina... fuck! Everything happened! I-I... I'll tell you everything alright? Let's just go somewhere a little more... quiet." She nodded at him, completely agreeing with what he was saying.

"Victor? Are you coming with me or...?" Heisenberg's voice made him turn around to look at the taller man.

"Come on, we're going to go get some beef. The table's right there!" He gestured to him to approach, but Victor did not move.

"I... I'll join you later Karl, I just gotta talk with," He glanced at Cristina who was very much unsettled by the Lord, "With a friend, a dear friend of mine. But I'll be with you later, don't

worry. Just make sure to save up some of that tasty food for me too alright? See you later bro." He lightly punched him in the shoulder, in a very friendly manner.

Karl shrugged, a small smile played on his mouth, "Very well then. You'll know where to find me right?" The teen smirked, "Right next to the Duke." "Exactly." "Just make sure not to get too wasted my man. Wouldn't want you to have a hangover in the morning."

Karl laughed, "It's going to take much more than a little rum and gin to make me tipsy you know? I got lots of experience!" "I'm sure you do." And with that, Victor gently took Cristina by the shoulder.

"I still can't believe it, it's surreal to me: you're actually here!" Cristina giggled, all of worry was now lost and she was openly smiling, just as he was.

They walked a little ways off to the church, taking a small road around the cemetery and passing by a heavy wooden gate.

There, the festivities were all but absent and they could freely talked.

"Tell me Victor! Inca ma bucur ca esti bine si bine!" The other took in a deep breath, "Well... where to start? So," He clasped his hands together, "You remember how I went to the castle right?" The Romanian woman nodded her head, listening attentively.

"The Lady took me in, I got the job- "Then why did you not return?" She interrupted him worriedly, "Wait, she captured you?!" Her eyes were wide, "Well... it's a little more complicated than that, you have to understand that it's not like we were all in all that good- "Victor! I have been looking for you!" He jumped as a pair of hands grabbed him by the shoulders and more or less dragged him away.

"W-W-What? Wait Bela! Wait, give me a sec!" He turned around to face the blonde, "Give me a moment, I'm talking with a good friend of mine!" Victor exclaimed at the vampire.

Cristina stood frozen in her spot, terror covering her features as she caught sight of the Dimitrescu. "Come, Mother wants to speak to you." She dismissively told him and began to pull him along by the wrist.

"Wait for a second!" Victor attempted to plant his feet into the ground but he could never hope to beat her superhuman strength, no matter how hard he tried. Bela did not spare him a glance and kept tugging him, that was until he slipped his arm out of the suit and whirled on himself to do the same with his other limb, effectively rendering himself free from the elegant suit.

"One moment, I'll just say goodbye to her and then I'll be with you for the rest of the night." He did not look back at her and instead began to lightly jog towards the terrified girl.

"Hey," Her told her as he came up to her, "Sorry about that... I... I gotta go..." Victor tried to sound cheery, but he was cold, so his teeth chattered.

"I really wish that we could spend some more time together... but we will, in the future of course. Until then Cristina." And he moved forward to give her the most tender hug that he could possibly give. "Stay safe and goff alright? I'll be back in my little house sooner rather than later... I'm sure of it." She hugged him back just as tightly if not more than him and placed a kiss on his cheek which made him blush.

"I will be awaiting you, voi aștepta mereu să te întorci... but before you go, take this." Her warm eyes were glassy, a clear signal that she was on the verge of crying. His heart ached at thinking of such a prospect and he felt like a terrible person inside.

She was saddened by him telling her this and he was devastated as well, for he felt guilty of doing something like this to her. But Cristina had removed her scarf and was holding it out for him to take. "For me?" Victor asked her, feeling very self-conscious.

The young woman would nod, "Da, acestea sunt încă zile reci, even if it is not winter, it's still snowing and you shouldn't go out so lightly dressed. Keep close to a fire, use one of the ones around us, please, it will assure you good health." She smiled a small smile to him and the boy could not do anything but replicate the gesture.

"Ok, I'll keep this with me... I haven't even thanked you yet, the fabric of this feels amazing!" And it was, it was warm and fluffy, he wasted no time with wrapping it around his exposed neck and the software engineer almost melted once it was properly tied. "I made this myself." She told him, almost shyly, "Oh? It's great! That's some real talent you got here, but- but I can't accept this! This is too good, I'm just being a dumbass here by getting out of my suit, I wasn't thinking this through, I just wanted to get out of her grasp and come back- Cristina touched his arm once more with such gentleness that he was nearly brought to his knees.

"It's alright, Sunt fericit să ți-l fac cadou, please, I would be happy if you did... at least you'll have something to help you think about me in the coming days..." Victor leaned forward and hugged her tightly once again, "I've been thinking about you Cristina... I would never need a scarf to help me... you're more than enough already and... yes, I've missed you so much you know? I really have." He whispered to her.

"Ești o persoană atât de bună, Victor, cu adevărat ești..." She pulled back and held him close, "Remember to be careful... I had thought that I had lost you, but you are still her... please be careful Victor, I only ask you this." "I will... don't worry about it, oh! And about the scarf... uh... mulțumesc?" He tried to pronounce the word correctly but he already knew that he must have gotten it wrong because she let out a chuckle.

"Yeah... sorry, I thought I was doing something cool there... well, I tried my best at least." But Cristina soon stopped, "No, no, you were correct with the word, it's just your pronunciation needs to be worked upon some more." Victor chuckled, "I'm trying to learn Romanian... will you help me learn it once I come back?"

"Yes. Yes I will..." They hugged once more. "Fuck, I really wish we could talk some more, but the Countess wants me to go and discuss with her or something... I think it's for the best if I go. I'll see you around Cristina." "And I shall keep waiting for you Victor."

They departed then with one last smile. Victor soon returned to Bela, who was glaring at the younger girl's retreating form.

"Alright, I'm here. Sorry for taking so long, I was just saying goodbye to my friend." He took the suit from her hands and put it back on.

"Mother will not be pleased" She stated and for once he shrugged, "It won't be the end of the world. I'm ready now though, we can go."

It felt as if he was at the top of the world... he felt happy and joyous, almost being overcome by the emotion to the point where a part of him genuinely thought that rainbow colored water would spill from his every pore, like in one of those crazy animation videos that would go viral on Youtube every once in a while.

Victor buttoned up the suit and fixed it as best he could as he followed the blonde back towards another portion of the village's square. It was no difficult to spot the Countess, both because she towered over everyone and everything, and because the townsfolk steered clear of her, not even coming close to be in her vicinity.

She was drinking some wine, which he did not find that surprising and as he approached the beautiful vampire, her gaze turned to him and she smiled.

"Victor, I hope that you are enjoying yourself at this event." She told him, putting the wineglass away and placing her hands together. "It's actually better than I was expecting, I'm having fun!" Mirth danced within her golden eyes as she let out a small hum, "Indeed, I can very much see that you are content... it makes you look dashing and handsome." He blushed at this.

However, the Lady's smile soon disappeared to be replaced with a frown as she caught sight of the scarf and it was as if a bucket of ice had been thrown at her. Her fingers reached forward and grasped at the piece of cloth and with a quick flick of the wrist, she undid the simple tie that secured it to his neck.

"Oh, uh My Lady, you noticed the scarf." She examined it closely, "Who gave you this?" There was no more friendliness, she seemed irritated and that worried Victor. "M-My friend did." "Your friend?" She asked, lip curling into a sneer. "Y-Yeah... it's a g-gift from her... I d-don't really understand why it's a big deal." He was starting to freak out seeing the way in which she was reacting.

For a moment, he saw her glare deepen and Victor began to expect the worst but then she calmed. The Countess sighed and gave him a barely perceptible nod. "You are right Victor, I am acting irrationally and am being too quick to judge. I should not be doing this, I apologize for snapping at you Victor."

The Lady was speaking more clearly now and her features were calmed and collected once more. She looked at the scarf once more, "So this... friend made it for you?" Lady Alcina asked, Yeah, that's w-what she said at least... it's a thoughtful gift, you know, considering that

it's always snowing and that it's always cold here in the village..." He trailed off, still observing her.

"Indeed, it is thoughtful." Her expression was unreadable and impossible to discern, the peculiar skill of masking her emotions being put on full display. She gave him the scarf back; actually, she placed it and wrapped it around his neck herself, taking care to also fix whatever wrinkles he still had.

"What did you do to obtain this state? It is as if you have taken off the suit." He blushed a little bit and murmured under his breath, "That's... actually what happened." She raised an eyebrow, "And why did you do such a thing Victor?"

"Uhh... Bela wasn't really letting me go... I wanted t o say goodbye to my friend." But he immediately returned on his statement, fearful that he had placed Bela under an unfavorable light, "It's not like she was rude or anything! You don't need to get mad at her or anything like that My Lady- "I am aware that my daughter has the best of intentions towards you, for I do as well." She spoke then, cutting him off, "However, if she saw it fit to pull you away from the village girl, then there must have undoubtedly been a good reason for her to act so. Be careful Victor, it may seem that we are demanding and controlling noblewomen, but we only wish the best for you."

The Countess touched his cheek and softly trailed her fingers over his goosebumps, "If I did not care for you, I would not go to such lengths to ensure your safety, weather it be from the townsfolk or Mother Miranda." Victor's eyes were locked to her, incapable of taking his gaze away from her beauty as she leaned forward.

"Esti important pentru mine Victor, I would hate for anything to happen to you." Her large hand was now cupping his cheek more properly... she was so close to him, the young man was left speechless, his heart thundering furiously in his chest.

But then she stopped and focused on his mouth, "You drank rum?"The Countess asked him and he let out a small, exasperated sigh, "Uhh... yes... I did... Karl kinda pushed me to do it... and I thought why not?" Instantly, she had risen to her true height, a living image of wrath and pure fury,"That dog forced you to consume an alcoholic beverage!?" He winced at her loud voice, "Acel câine! Îi voi jupui pielea din carnea lui!" Meekly, Victor attempted to calm her down, "I did it on my own though... was a b-bit of a stupid d-decision, I know."

Surprisingly though, the Countess sighed. "I knew that Heisenberg was a bad influence on you. For your good Victor, I advise that you do not frequent his company, it is already abysmal and would only garner you a substantial number of problems." The programmer shrugged, "I-I never tried anything like that b-before... by the way, how could you tell that the drink was rum?" "I smelled the odor of it on your lips." His body went still when her bare fingertip brushed over the rosy margins of his mouth.

"All alcoholic beverages have a smell to them, some, more pleasant than others of course. Naturally, I was able to discern it thanks to the Cadou, which has gifted me with all manner of enhanced senses... but you were already aware of that, were you not?" Her finger kept contact, idly tickling the few and small hairs that were forming over his upper lip.

"Y-Yeah... i-it makes s-sense." He was a blushing mess... he could not take his eyes away from her own golden ones, "Of course it does, băiețelul meu deștept..." A purr accompanied her words and his knees went weak.

"If I could, I would instead offer you some of my wine, to wash away that dog's filthy beverage. Alas, I do not have anymore with me, besides that that is in my glass." "It's fine, r- really. But thanks, thank you still, that's a v-very kind to offer."

"Did you eat anything?" The Countess asked him then, "No, actually... but all of that roasted food does look tasty af." The towering Lady raised an eyebrow, "Af?" She asked and Victor felt his cheeks warm up with embarrassment. "Is that another one of the terms that you are so oft to use?"

Good grace, the Countess had inadvertently saved himself from an embarrassing explanation, "Yes, yeah, think n-nothing of it My Lady." An amused him sounded from behind her ruby lips.

"One day, you will need to teach me the meanings behind all of the strange and uncommon words that you speak of." He felt a smile tug at his own mouth, "Sure! Just... a lot of them are... vulgar, to say the least." He mentioned the last part a little more quietly.

"And now that I think about it," Victor quickly changed the subject of the conversation, not giving the noblewoman time to comment on his previous statement, "Karl invited me over to go and eat with the Duke. If I remember well enough, he said that we were gonna eat roasted beef? Still, I'm planning to go and chat for a bit with those two, and..." He shrugged, "Hang out or something."

"You remember what I have told you of Heisenberg's company, yes?" The teen gulped, "I do, yes... but really I want to talk to the Duke, he's got some stuff that I think I'll buy, absolute madman that he is." It was a partial lie, but one that was told in order to not put more gasoline on the burning fire that was Karl and the Lady's relationship.

"Very well." That seemed to calm her some, "Do extend my greetings to the merchant." "I will, don't worry, he's going to be real happy of hearing that." "He indeed will." The matron of House Dimitrescu picked up her wineglass and sipped it.

"Go on then Victor, enjoy yourself." "Thank you My Lady." He gave her a small nod and turned around. He was startled when Bela took his place. Did he forget that she was there? He did!

Victor wanted to groan at his own forgetfulness, but simply pushed the urge back down and thought of other things... well, Victor mostly thought about Cristina and how could he not?

It felt like a dream, meeting up with her after months of complete silence... he... he felt happy whenever he was close to her, to her presence.

It was then that the software engineer allowed himself to be guided by his sense of smell, actively searching for the stands that were offering cooked meat.

"Mr Press, over here!" He turned his gaze to the side and spotted the jolly giant waving his chubby hand at him. With a grin of his own, he made his way towards his emporium, weaving through the crowd of bustling villagers. "YES! You're here!" A boisterous voice exclaimed from his left as Karl came into view.

His words were slightly slurred and that did make him feel just a tad bit preoccupied. "Hey Karl, I'm back, just like I said I would." He let out a heavy gasp as he was pulled into a tight hug.

"Second time's the charm!" The Lord voiced out with a deep laugh as he let him go, leaving the teen shaken. "Alright then, I have the meat. Some salt and pepper are what we need to make the flavor really pop!" And whilst he was occupied in the task of finding the two items, Victor leaned towards the merchant.

"How much did he drink?" He whispered and the other leaned down a little from his seat to whisper back, "By my reckon, about four bottles." "F-Four?! The fuck?! Four? That's, that's too much!" "And that is without the vodka, whiskey and gin that he has purchased from me earlier." The Duke added calmly as Victor's brain did a double summersault.

"How the hell is he not knocked out?! He isn't even swaying!" "You would be surprised Mr Press: I once saw Lord Heisenberg participate in a drinking competition against the other men of village. He won said contest by drinking three times the amount of alcohol of his opponents nearly twice over and even drank the booze that his rivals had not finished. By the end of it, he was still sober enough to fix the engine of a truck that had broken down."

The young man looked back to Karl, even more shocked than before, "Motherfucker... he's a monster..." "I would say that the word miracle is more appropriate. You would think that the Cadou's greatest gift to him was that of bending and controlling metal, but in reality it's greatest ability is that to be able to effectively hold his drink."

"Alright! We have it all! Duke, plates!" "Of course Lord Heisenberg, here, from my private collection!" A trio of beautifully crafted plates were placed upon the table, the ceramic being very precious and expensive indeed.

Using his powers, Karl levitated a large fork and stepped cooked pieces of beef and slid them onto the platters. The smell was delicious and already his mouth began to water. Victor held his fork and knife in each hand and was about to dig in when Karl held his finger up. "Stop right there, for just one moment."

He took off his hat and shades and cleared his throat, "My fellow gentlemen, it is no secret that I despise this village and the folk that inhabit it," Heisenberg began his speech, his voice uncharacteristically solemn and serious.

"The place, it is atrocious and a true living hell if I have ever seen one, in fact it is so fucking bad that I have often contemplated throwing myself off of the nearest cliff," With some worry, the teen cast a quick glance to the merchant, but he received a small shake of the head

and a smile. Was that a sign that he shouldn't not have been worrying? That Karl was faking the whole thing for a good laugh? Or was he really being serious?

"Yet, each year, when I am forced to attend this damned festival, I have always found company and friendship with my best supplier of goods, you, Mr Duke." The other tipped his head in acknowledgement. "And now, I have also made a new, very good friend; you Victor. I have never felt so cheerful since the time before that bitch Miranda forced me to take her fucking parasite. Thank you, for being my friend." His heart swelled a little at the man's genuine and honest show of trust.

"I... no, thank you Karl, you've saved my ass more times than I can count." "Well then," The Duke had taken out some glasses and wine, Sanguis Virginis to be more exact, "It seems appropriate that the situation would call for a toast." He poured then a generous amount, "To the three of us, may the Dark God allow us safe passage in his shadow." "To our friendship! And to all of the good times that are to come!" Heisenberg raised his glass high, "To us!" Victor repeated his statement and they clinked their glasses together.

The wine was the only kind of exotic beverage that Victor could handle well and that he even liked. "Yes, still as good as the last time." Karl wiped his mouth with the back of his hand.

"Let's dig in my fellow men." Victor quoted and then he was off, cutting out a piece of the steak as the other two followed his example.

"This year's cow was cooked well, much better than on other occasions." "Does it happen often Duke? Are there any other traditions?" "Typically, goat meat is more common as the terrain does not allow for the best kind of fields to exist. As such, cows are a delicacy, but goats are favored as the animal is better suited to inhabit a mountainous region." The programmer nodded in understanding.

"Well, I'm glad that can enjoy some beef... jeez, this village is so much more different then how things are back in the States..." "You don't say?" Karl sarcastically replied with a snort.

"Yeah I known, I know, go on an tear me a new one Karl, have you ever been to New York" "No I have not, so I shall take this opportunity to ask you about it; what's it like over there, on the other side of the world?" He placed his elbow on the table, very much curious to learn some more.

"It's modern, like really modern compared to this place. We have internet, many of the metropolises share free wifi zones and simply there's availability for everything, pretty much all kinds of foods, you name it, we go it." "The fact that the United States are so possess such a diverse culture is also reason for this, correct?" The Duke piped in. "Bingo. Depending on where you go you'll find people with all kinds of descents, I'm talking Asia, Africa, Europe, South America, basically every continent on the planet."

He paused then for a moment, "Have you ever been to the States Duke?" The merchant let out a belly laugh, "Oh, no, but many of my customers and suppliers have. It is always interesting to listen to their tales, for you are correct Mr Press, America is a much different world than this area of Romania."

"That reminds me, that girl you were talking to earlier, what's up with that?" Heisenberg mentioned and he blushed, "Uh, she's a good friend, the only good villager really."

The Lord gave him a grin, "Looks like Victor over here has gotten himself a date Duke." "No!" "Oh, shut up, it's obvious!"

The merchant did not openly laugh but the mirth could be seen in his eyes as he continued to observe their exchange of words. "Fuck though... fuck I am an absolute moron!" The young man exclaimed.

"Ok guys, I'll eat up, I have to go now." And he began to quickly shovel pieces of the delicious beef into his mouth.

"Slow down, what's the rush?" "Fuck you too, girl stuff, that's the rush you absolute tease." He playfully punched the man in the shoulder and jogged away. Karl smiled and raised his fist, "My friend is going to score tonight!"

Spending time with Karl and the Duke always brought a smile to his face, for they were such good company.

Still, Victor believed himself to be an idiot now. Why didn't the thought of simply going to meet up with Cristina again cross his mind? Why the hell did it not?

He had talked with the Countess, therefore he could do whatever he wished to do.

"Now, where is she?" Asking the other townsfolk was out of the question, partially because of the animosity but mostly because of the lack of will on his part to make an effort to even really attempt to communicate.

And it turned out that searching through a festival for a specific person was a lot harder than what he had previously believed. Right now, it seemed as if the village was a city, with all of the people and carts and the sheer chaos of the celebrations.

He searched and searched, still looking for his dear friend, but a voice soon made him stop.

"This is a most unexpected surprise." For a moment, he struggled to recognize the owner of said voice, but soon he did and a chill traveled from the top of his spine all the way down to his feet.

Gulping slightly, Victor turned around and addressed the priestess in black. "M-Mother Miranda." He nodded to her, going rigid and stiff.

A few moments passed in silence, cast to the wind as she looked him over as if she were to dissect a corpse. It made his skin crawl with revulsion.

"You seem to have taken to the festivities quite well." "Y-Yeah, it's more f-fun than w-what I was e-expecting." The woman was still dressed in her ornate robes, the golden bird mask still over her face.

"Are you searching for someone?" Her question made his nervousness spike through the roof. That was an oddly specific thing to ask... and it set off all kinds of warnings within his head and worsening the knots in his gut.

"Y-Yes." "Hmm, perhaps I could help you in your quest... if it may be called that?" She spoke with amusement, as if she had just made a joke.

Victor would have otherwise been prompted to fake a laugh but he just couldn't, not with her at least. He remembered all of Alcina's warnings and he specially remembered what she had told him to do.

"That's f-fine. R-Really there's no n-need for that." He told her as he slowly began to walk away. "It would be of no bother to me." She took a step forward, closing the distance.

He nearly helped and fell back, "Dear me Mr Press, you are quite frightened and of a scared nature on this lovely night." She paused and seemed to consider her words and when she opened her mouth again, her blue eyes sparkled with an emotion that horrified him.

"If you were to follow me, to a small shack nearby in the woods, I would give you a tonic, to help quell your worries." "T-That w-won't be n-needed I'm fine." He was becoming increasingly worried as he hurried his steps.

But luck was on his side as he spotted Cassandra cornering a poor girl. Victor practically dashed towards her and embraced her. "WHAT?! LET ME GO YOU R- "Cass! I've missed you!" Victor chuckled as he steered them back towards the busier part of the festival.

"What. Are. You. Doing?" She hissed into his ear and his heart thundered, "S-Shut up and listen, M-Mother Miranda is all o-over my ass and your mother told me to get away from her. Just bring me back to her and I'll leave you alone alright?"

Victor shrunk at her murderous glare, but the vampire huffed. "Fine you annoying mortal. But do not presume to touch me ever."

His silent and shaky nod was all that he would answer with, for he was still deeply unsettled by the priestess who glared at him.

Chapter End Notes

So yes, Victor and Cristina are talking, Karl and the Duke are nice and Miranda is just being herself. It may seem confusing, the way that Victor has been acting this chapter, but it's by no mistake that I've written him this way. Victor is a bit overwhelmed, that's why he's not thinking that straight and that's why he didn't immediately think of going back to talk with Cristina. Anyways, remember to comment and express theories, the

link to the Discord server is: https/discord.gg/vUK9Y9DbGH and I hope to see you there soon; until next time.

Past, Present, Future

Chapter Summary

Before heading off to bed, Victor has a heartfelt conversation with Lady Alcina.

Chapter Notes

New chapter is here!

See the end of the chapter for more notes

"Mother Miranda did what!?"

A snarl nearly escaped the Countess then as her eyes narrowed with pure fury.

"Y-Yeah, she t-tried to talk to m-me and k-kept following me a-around... I h-had help with C- Cassandra, she brought me h-here, to you." To say that Victor was intimidated would have been an understatement. Lady Alcina was positively enraged as seen by her rigid pose and the creaking wineglass that was trapped in her grasp.

A crack appear over the clear material for a moment and then it was completely gone as the glass shattered into thousands of tiny pieces. What was left of the wine seeped through her outstretched fingers and fell to the ground.

The young man took a step back out of precaution, just as the Lady let out an annoyed sigh, "No, do not fret Victor, you are not to be subject of my fury... that insufferable woman on the other hand..." Her voice had lowered to a dark hiss as she easily spotted Mother Miranda standing several dozens of feet away.

The priestess was looking at her as well and for a brief period of time they were locked at a stalemate as crystals of gold clashed with ones of ice.

"Bela." The Countess spoke without moving away from her deadly glare. "Yes Mother? How may I be of help to you?" The eldest of her daughters had stopped from fretting over Victor and was eagerly awaiting a reply so that she could complete her order.

"My daughter, take Victor and return to the Castle. I will need to speak a few words with Miranda." "As you command Mother; Victor, let us go." And she gestured to him to follow.

The teen in question was confused at the sudden order on the Countess' part, "Wait w-what? My L-Lady did I do s-something wrong? I'm sorry for encountering Mother M-Miranda, it

was never m-my intention to f-find her, to let h-her find me- His rapid rambling was brought to a close as the Countess finally looked away from the other woman and turned her gaze to him.

Her features softened as she slightly lowered herself so that she could more easily bring her face close to his. "I understand that you are worried Victor, but you need not be it. Follow Bela and she will keep you safe. I shall return later and then we will talk; I am doing this for your own good." Her thumb rubbed over his cheek, belonging to the hand that was not coated with wine.

"You realize this yes? You will follow my daughter, right?" She asked him, wanting to see if he indeed did comprehend the situation.

"I... yes, yes I do... you'll be back My Lady in a few hours?" "Less than that. If you still hunger for food, the chefs shall make you something." He gave a little shrug, "W-Why not, I'm still a bit hungry." The Countess gave him a nod and gently pushed him along and towards the path that they had taken.

"Oh, My Lady?" "Yes Victor?" "Please give my goodbyes to the Duke and Karl, tell them that I had a fun time hanging out with them tonight." He expected her to not be pleased at the prospect of having to interact with the other Lord, but for once, she did not voice these complaints.

"Very well, now go." She urged him and then returned to face Mother Miranda. Casting a couple more glances, the teen began the trek and quickly caught up with Bela.

"By they way... I'm sorry for this." "For what?" She asked him with confusion, eyebrows rising up. "Well, your mother basically gave you the responsibility of getting me back to your home safe and sound... therefore taking you away from the party."

He let out a sigh, "Gosh, I feel like an absolute dick for ruining the festival. I'm sorry Bela." But the other actually chuckled with good natured humor and flushed. "Please Victor, I am not offended anyhow, in truth the festival was never something that piqued my interest... with exception of the first time that I assisted to it."

"Oh... so you don't like it or something along those lines?" She gave a hum of thought, "You could say that. I just find the matter to be quite tiring and bothersome, truly I only participate because Mother would want me to, as it is an informal event with much importance attributed to it."

"So it's a formal thing?" "Indeed." And then Victor shivered, for as they had continued to walk, they had left the warmth of the village square behind and were now exposed to the elements.

"Fuck me, this is much colder!" His teeth had already begun to chatter, and he quickly stuffed his hands in the pockets of his suit. "I really should go an take a look on Youtube to find a good tutorial about making wool sweaters, the kind that you find extremely annoying because it itches on your skin, you know?"

Bela stepped closer to him and placed her arm around his shoulders. Unlike him, she did not suffer the effects of the frost and snow. "No, unfortunately I don't have any recollection of those garments... perhaps you could show me though?" "You bet that I will." His words were slightly broken due to his chattering but were still comprehensible.

Unfortunately, Bela did not have a coat like the Countess had, so the warmth that she could gift to him was limited by that fact. "Fucking hell, this is much colder than what I thought it would be." Unfortunately for him, the vampire was unable to do much to help him and so she chose to engage in the only thing that could help him: walking faster.

"The gates are over there, up ahead. We're almost there Victor, just a little more and then we'll be done, alright?" "Yup, got it, but fuck is this not horrible?" Bela smiled at his crude language. She rarely used it, because she personally did not find it polite and her dear Mother had raised her to be better than the peasants of the village.

Soon, they came into the grounds of the Castle. "Is there... is there another way inside the Castle? Like, besides the one that's next to the stone wall down in the town?" She gave him a small amused smirk.

"Perhaps there are more passageways... but they are a bit of a secret." Finally, they were at the front of the door and they were greeted by the grand foyer. A couple of maids were there to welcome them, but of course, Victor could easily spot their uneasy twitches as they spoke to the vampire.

They bowed and left whilst he looked over to her. "I didn't catch what you said, what did you tell them to do?" The other gestured towards him to follow her, "I told them cook some food for you, some Ciorba de Porc, a combination of fish and meat." "Sounds delicious, are you going to join me?" They had begun to walk towards one of the dining rooms.

"Naturally, while we wait for Mother. Can we watch something on your pc?" "Yup, just gotta go pick it up it up upstairs." Her hand stopped him, "You go and start eating, I'll retrieve it." And she was gone in a swarm of her insects, quickly moving at ridiculous speeds.

"That was fast..." The teen shrugged and opened the door, spotting the maid that was setting up a pair of seats.

"Let me help you with that." Victor stated and moved to position the knives and forks to their correct place. The girl was shocked at him and sputtered something in Romanian, "It's fine, it's fine." He told her seeing as how she was getting so frightened by his actions.

But the maid was insistent, trying to pull his hands away meekly, attempting to go get him to stop. "It's really fine come on, it's easier when it's two people doing it."

And then the young woman stopped, and she placed her trembling hands against her chest. Victor glanced behind him and found Bela standing there. "Jeez, you were fast... and quiet too. How did you do that?" He asked her as his computer was placed on the table.

"That is another secret Victor." She grinned and he groaned, "Secrets, secrets, I feel like there's so much that I don't know." Another one of the doors opened and a different maid came through, diligently carrying two steaming plates.

"This looks tasty. Mulțumesc." He told her as best as he could... his accent and pronunciation... that was something that would need to be worked on. The maid bowed her head to him and moved away.

He and Bela sat down, and the programmer missed the way that the noblewoman glared at the servant, something that also sent her scurrying away in fright.

"Is there anything you want to see in particular?" "Do you remember that time when you told me that there existed a number of programs made from Japan? The forms of entertainment that are made with animation?" "Ah, yes, anime, they're a favorite of mine... well, two or three of them, I really only like a very select few in particular... but yeah, we can watch some, though I'll let you know that we'll be reading subtitles, as the original language is in Japanese, which I do not speak, and nor do you."

She cocked her head to the side a little bit, "Are there not versions made in English?" He made a little bit of a face then, "Well, yes, there are, that's called the dubbed version, because you know, other voice actors use their voices instead of their Japanese counterparts... but it's not that good, all of that raw emotion is lost and the words simply don't synch up because the animation was made to accommodate Japanese. It breaks the emotion too. Just to put it in simpler terms: it's shit; zero out of ten, would not recommend at all under no kind of circumstances." Bela nodded, "Very well, I understand."

Victor then tasted the dish and moaned in delight, "Damn, this is real good right here. Do you know how to cook?" Bela shook her head, "No... Daniela though, she wanted to once. I remember that she had nearly set the entire kitchen on fire. Mother was not pleased when she returned from the meeting that she had been attending." There was a faint smile on her lips as she regarded the memory.

"I bet she wasn't." He chuckled. "Was never much of a cooker myself, can only do really basic stuff like pasta, meat. Usually though the microwave is my lifesaver... but Gordon would not be proud of me..." Bela's eyebrow rose, "Who is Gordon?" "It's best that you don't know." He could not hide his smile, for maybe he truly was an idiot sandwich. "God, so many good memes."

"But I would like to know Victor." He purposefully shrugged his shoulders, "Not my problem then, it's a secret." He saw her look at him shocked and then he burst out laughing at her expression.

"That is not funny Victor." She pouted but it only made him roar harder in laughter. "My god! You are hilarious!"

It took him a few minutes to properly calm down and when he did, the blonde was glaring at him. "You should have really seen your face, it was the absolute best thing in this entire country." "I'll make sure to take a picture then."

They watched the beginning of Vinland Saga, a personal favorite of his but stopped after four episodes. "Are you liking it?" "The plot seems to be quite... interesting. It is very different than the novels that I am used to reading." "Of course, you don't have anything involving vikings do you?" He received a no for an answer.

"Alright then, I'm getting pretty tired, so I think that I'm gonna to head up to bed. Is that ok with you?" "Absolutely Victor, I wish you a pleasant sleep." "Cool, you too."

He switched off the pc and grabbed it. Bela had already moved away and now only the maid remained. "Uhh... do you want me to... help you with that?" He asked the girl, gesturing at the plates and forks and glasses.

The other vehemently shook her head no and began to clear away the top of the table. Victor gave her a little shrug and said his goodbyes, aiming to reach his room, change and crash into that large, warm, soft bed. He kinda had been waiting since the early morning, when he had woken up to do this thing again.

"At least its not like I'll have to wake up at the crack of dawn." Boy oh boy did he enjoy sleeping in a little bit; the teen had been left traumatized by the years of school and whenever his Iphone had an alarm that would ring out, Victor was always hit with a deep sense of worry and dread whenever he heard it.

"Yeah... I'll shower too. Bet that that will feel nice as well." He took the winding staircase, yawning into his open palm as he did. Calmly, he strode through the twisting hallways until he came across another stairway, that would lead even higher up.

But then, Victor's ears caught something, a sound that was familiar: that of clacking heels upon wood. With a small smile, he turned around and walked towards said sound and just like he had presumed, he soon found the Countess walking around a corner and then they were face to face.

The matron did not appear to be in the best of moods, judging by the hard, tight line that her blood red lips had formed and the cold, outright hostile even, eyes of molten gold.

But her appearance was not to last, for she smiled brightly at him once he came to her view. "Good evening Victor, have you eaten your second meal of dinner?" She asked him and calmly came closer, gloved hands interlocking in a modest and formal manner, optimal for the small talk and simple conversation.

"I sure did! Bela had the chefs cook me some... Ciorbo dei Porku?" He told her and the Countess smiled once more, "Ciorba de Porc, a traditional dish and one that I am always glad to enjoy and taste. It was a most favored meal when I was still but a little girl... and as you can clearly tell, such relation has remained even now that I am a woman grown and mature." She answered with her flawless Romanian, her foreign accent making his fingers tingle.

He chuckled, "Alcina, there's nothing to really be embarrassed about. I loved jello when I was a kid, hell, I fucking love jello now that I'm nineteen, but that's just my preference." The tall noblewoman arched a finely shaped eyebrow, "Jello?"

Victor resisted the urge to slap his head, he was being quite forgetful at the moment. "Yeah right, sorry, I mean you know jello right? The kinda creamy stuff that wiggles around and bounces when you poke it? The one that's flavored with fruits and eaten as a dessert?" It was then that the Lady realized what he was speaking of: "You mean to say gelatine?" "Yes! That's the word!" The teen exclaimed.

"Damn, why the hell could I not remember it? Weird, but oh well, at least you get the point that I'm trying to make right? Maybe the analogy isn't really the best but the sense is still the same." "Yes, yes, Victor, I understand what you mean." The Dimitrescu matriarch softly chuckled, pearl white teeth lightly gleaming.

Victor was content... he felt calm around the Countess and she did make for pretty excellent company whilst also shattering the somewhat stereotypical view that Victor had on nobles, with them being all snobby pieces of shit who didn't know anything out of their own little happy world of wealth and prestigious title.

But there was a question that he wanted to receive answers to, and it was a question that he would not enjoy asking: "Alcina?" "Yes dragul meu oaspete?" He took a deep breath, to prepare himself to ask his host a question that he knew was bound to create some tension.

"What... what happened with Mother Miranda? What did she want from me?" He asked her, voice quiet, nearly silent even. Victor was aware that he had struck a sensitive chord, for he could visibly see the way that the vampire's eyes narrowed and her hands unclasped from their resting position... though the apparent frustration, it was not directed towards him, not at all really.

"That... woman is more akin to a flea, an annoying pest who will seek to burrow herself into the warm and fine hide of others for her own personal gain and satisfaction." She sighed through her nose, trying to quell the fury that boiled beneath her alabaster skin.

"That wretched priestess has set her eyes upon you Victor... she wants to possess you for her vile and hellish experiments, for trials and tests that are not of this world and that go against the very laws of nature that have dictated this planet since its very inception." She opened her palm and gestured over her body, "I myself have been subjected to her treatment... I did so out of my own want and decision, I have received so much from it, but by the same token I have lost equal amounts of my... humanity."

She appeared to be lost in thought... the rage had vanished and in its stead was contemplation, reflection, perhaps even a hint of... regret?

"But..." Her gaze then shifted to one of the paintings in the hallway, which depicted three maidens, "I have not regretted my decision since, not when I was given my three, greatest treasures." The glare had softened and she now spoke with clear fondness.

"Mother Miranda is not the figure she preaches to be. Once, I had been her staunchest follower, I obeyed her every command to a letter, I believed that she truly was a god, a being of extraordinary strength..." She paused to then take off one of her gloves and allow her razor sharp claws to extend from her fingertips.

"But I was wrong, my judgment was clouded and naive. Mother Miranda has claimed to be our parent, for in her words, we are a united family. I was the first of the Four Lords that she turned. She made the others suffer Victor." Her ethereal eyes settled on him and he gulped.

"Donna Beneviento, a part of me will always be saddened by her fate and trauma. She lost her parents at a young age and has never recovered since then, preferring to be in solitude and to remain in her family's mansion near the waterfall to the east. Moreau..." She pursed her lips, "Before he was reduced to being that walking, babbling abomination of pus and acid, I knew the real Salvatore, for I remember him to have been a bright, smart man who was much the quite charming fellow."

Her claws retraced within her hand with a silent hiss, "Heisenberg..." The Countess turned her head to her side the words seemingly lodging within her throat, "He was the youngest out of all of us. He was barely older than you at the time Victor... a poor, little boy who was more bones and skin rather than flesh; Mother Miranda had tasked me with taking care of him during his time of healing after a particularly hard experiment... Karl did not even have the strength to move more than a little bit, his food needed to be fed to him by hand."

"I was conflicted at the time, for I wanted to still believe in the goodness of Miranda, but for every positive thought that I had concerning her, the pictures of the frail, little Karl would always accompany them." The Lady paused then, walking towards the nearest window and looking out, specifically towards the factory.

"One time, whilst he was having lunch, he broke down in tears, begged me to not let Miranda take him back to her laboratory." She vividly remembered that day for she had been faced with a very hard decision.

"I did not have the courage to defy Miranda at that point... and that was the last time that Karl was entrusted into my care."

Victor saw Alcina sigh, her shoulders sagging slightly, "He has hated me ever since, because I did not act in that moment, when he was in his most vulnerable state, when he was in need of sustenance."

The teen opened his mouth a few times... the tale had shocked him right to his core. So many more things had begun to make more sense now, pieces of the puzzle were fitting together and the bigger picture had become much, much clearer than ever before.

"I... fuck... that's..." Victor had no words to express his feelings and emotions; he did not know what to say as he was still reeling from the gravity of what the Countess had revealed. "It is not a pretty story, nor is it a happy one."

"But you are different Victor, you have a good heart and a good mind to sit upon your shoulders. Mother Miranda aims to do to you what she has done to Karl, and I would not allow that to happen."

She turned around towards him, her face so serene yet unreadable at the same time. "You must have inevitably seen the way that the villagers look and whisper at me, yes?"

The vampire stared straight into his eyes, with such piercing intensity that it was nigh- impossible to look away.

"They see me as a monster, as a demon of evil made incarnate... and they are not wrong. Monster, vampire, witch, cannibal they have given me all these monikers and with good reason." With slow, thudding and methodical steps she had come to stand right in front of him.

"I am capable of being cruel, abrasive, careless, violent and vindictive beyond simple reason. I do not deny these facts because they are of the truth and nothing else, for you have bear witness to it." Victor's breath hitched when he suddenly felt both of her palms, one gloved and the other naked, cup the sides of his head and tilt it up.

"But I will never do such things to you Victor. I have seen what kind of young man you are, you are not meant to take the brunt of my scorn and fury. Everything that I am doing and have done and will continue to do; from refusing Miranda to offering you sanctuary within my Castle to helping you with your personal needs, I do it not because I wish to make up for the initial way that I have treated you, but rather because I truly do enjoy offering my help."

Her words were whispered, barely audible, "You are a wonderful human being Victor... never change that about yourself." And then her lips found their mark upon his cheek.

Reality stopped for a few moments as Victor could only stand there rock-still and stiff. Alcina's softly parted away, taking not of the deep red marking that she had left upon his quickly brightening cheek. "My apologies Victor, I fear that you will need to use some water to remove the lipstick from your skin."

And in fact, her round, heart-shaped lips had indeed left a very obvious mark on him, as obvious as the sun was in the sky during the day.

Victor finally remembered to breathe and he did so hastily, tripping over his words, "Wow... My Lady, Alcina... I really don't know what to say... thank you? I'm not trying to sound ungrateful or anything, I'm just surprised by this, a lot..." "Then do not say anything my dear, sometimes one's actions are enough to speak more than their words ever could." She told him with care and affection, as a sense of warmth had begun go spread from his chest all the way to the rest of his body.

The frigid cold from outside was now but an ancient memory, destined to be soon forgotten. The young man swallowed a few times, still very much speechless, even as the Countess let him go.

"I... I'm sorry for what happened to you, and to the others... Mother Miranda is an absolute bitch, I've convinced myself now thanks to you and Karl... and she goes around claiming that she's your actual mother and that you Lords are her offspring? That's fucked up right there, priestess my ass, she a fucking manic, a psychopath even... that doesn't make her worthy of leading the village." He ended his small rant with a huff, particularly because he felt threatened by the strange and frightening woman.

Lady Alcina smiled a little bit, "I am gladdened to see that you share my and Heisenberg's same thoughts, concerning her." Victor shrugged once more, "Any person that has even just a hint of rational thought inside of their skull would have come to realize this sooner or later, it's really not that different here My Lady."

He sighed again, "Listen I... I'm sorry for what happened to you guys, none of you deserved that." Her gaze was somber and tranquil, "You are not at fault for the things that befell upon us Victor, you never were and you need not worry about them, but your care is nonetheless appreciated all the same." She informed him calmly, gold jewels sparkling in the low light.

"This was... quite the night..." He chuckled, if even a little awkwardly. "Truly, it was, and for the most surprising of reasons as well." Slowly, the matriarch slid the glove back upon her arm, covering her pale white flesh.

"I wish I could do more... fuck, that's so fucked up, Christ, I thought I had it bad with my life in the States..." He muttered those words, but the Countess was capable of understanding them perfectly thanks to her own enhanced senses. She did not stop to question him on his statement, for she had already realized that he had likely stated such things because of his hurtful past... and the young man had already told her on several different occasions that it was a private affair and she would respect his wish to keep his secrets to himself, as it was only right that way.

"The hour is growing late." The vampire noted as she peered towards the town. The festivities would continue well into the night, she knew... it had always been this way and the Countess had grown accustomed to it, if only because there was the saving grace that Castle Dimitrescu was far away enough not to suffer the noisy villagers and their insufferable music.

Always so crude and barbaric, low in quality and dripping in quantity, it was nothing like the old, well kept vinyl records that she safely kept. Classical music was calm, it was relaxing and it allowed to clarify one's mind.

"Jeez... you're right, I didn't even notice. Time sure flies by in a blink." It was a statement that she found herself agreeing to wholeheartedly. There was relative silence then, for there was not a single soul awake within the castle besides them.

Bela had gone to bed and all of the maids were asleep in their quarters. "Where are Daniela and Cassandra?" The teen asked her then for it just dawned on him that he had not seen the other two daughters.

"Cassandra has found herself a new catch, Daniela is still enjoying herself, Heisenberg is looking over her for the time being." She spoke dismissively.

"You are tired yes?" "Can't really lie about that Alcina... by the way... I never... I never thanked you, for offering me such an opportunity to work in your employment. The salary that you have given me, scratch that, that you are giving me is amazing... it's much more than I've ever made in my life." He coughed then, "The money is the optional thing, I'm grateful for it and all but you've been kind beyond necessary standards... thank you for that. Really, thank you... for basically giving me a chance to work these things out..."

As always. his way of speech was a bit stunted, crude compared to her elegant and even voice. But she was a noble, so she must have had formal lessons on how to appropriately present herself in different kinds of atmospheres.

"Please Victor, it is I that must thank you, tremendously for all that you have done to help House Dimitrescu, from helping to expand our prospects of earning coin... to saving my eldest Bela. There has never been such a person who has given so much to my family and it speaks volumes of your character." She explained to him whilst taking hold of the end of the scarf that was wrapped around his neck.

Her eyes focused on it, a frown coming over her features as she then looked at him once more, "May I observe your scarf in more detail? I believe that I have found a small mistake in its composition."

With a small nod, he untied it from around his vulnerable body part and handed it to her. The Countess stood up and extended the fabric before her so that it was placed against the light of the window.

She let out a small hum, "The end of it has not been sewn appropriately." The noblewoman murmured and let out a small tsk.

"As it is, these item of clothing has been poorly made, if I do say so myself. I shall give you a better scarf Victor, this one belongs in the trash." That alarmed him a lot so he was quick to speak up: "Wait a moment! My friend gave me that remember?" The teen almost cried out as he pictured the prospect of Cristina's gift being so carelessly thrown away.

The Lady let out another small hum, "I do remember in fact, my apologies Victor. I did not realize that though it is clearly plebeian in origin, it does still retain a profound... sentimental value, which is by far more important than minor inconveniences such as the sewing. If it would please you, I could have the sewing be repaired and done correctly." There was still a hint of distaste in her voice, but he just believed that it was because of her standards of dressing and being used to only have stuff that was at the top of the line that was impeccable.

"Yeah, sure, that's perfect. Thank you." "You shall receive it once more come the end of tomorrow." He nodded at her, "That's absolutely perfect... easy peasy lemon squeezy."

"Very well then, I believe that the time has come for us to retire each to our own beds respectfully." And Victor agreed, for he was very tired and a quick glance at the screen on his phone revealed it. "Oh, do you want me... to... accompany you?" He asked her then, "Like how a gentleman would do, making sure that the woman gets to her room safe and sound..."

The Countess chuckled warmly at his words and lightly touched his cheek once more and the young man experienced the contact of her astonishingly soft skin, even though it was still covered by gloves on her arms.

"It is alright if you do not wish for it Victor, it is perfectly with reason and I would not have you exhaust yourself more than you already have." She paused then and briefly licked her lips, "But would you care for me to do the same for you?" Her pointed question made him blush.

"It's fine, I'm an adult Alcina, I can do it." "As you say then Victor... I bid you a good night then and very, very, sweet dreams."

Chapter End Notes

If you liked the chapter, then I please ask you to comment and let me know of your thoughts (and let me be clear, I enjoy long comments, so do not be afraid to start rambling on about different parts of the chaper) as always the link to the Discord server is: https/discord.gg/vUK9Y9DbGH until next time.

Arguing

Chapter Summary

Cassandra takes things too far.

Chapter Notes

Victor and Alcina bond some whilst Cassandra reaches a breaking point.

See the end of the chapter for more notes

"Wait, so basically everything that has happened has all been leading to a reality that keeps getting better and better?"

Victor asked aloud as he stopped near the rampart of the castle wall. The Countess was a couple of feet away from him, adorning herself with a long, thin, elegant cigar that was captured in between her lips, and a long, large coat of white fur draped over her form.

"If I where to put it in more simple words as you have said then yes, all of the terrible events have happened with a reason, that it was because we could arrive to live in a better reality." The Lady took a drag of the object, the scented smoke carried over in the wind and Victor was capable of smelling it.

"The entire philosophy that Hegel stood by, it was all based on his dialectical method of argument, characterized by its three most important moments, that of thesis, antithesis and synthesis. The initial one, it represents one form of reality, but it is incomplete, limited, it lacks depth that goes beyond its limited knowledge." She paused then, to stare at him.

"For example if you were to contemplate our relationship, how it began, it was one in which I did not view you as having much importance or of being of any relative noticeability. I saw you as an instrument, meant to be used to further my own goals and desires to see my House rise ever higher in wealth and prestige." The Countess had begun to talk, to explain to him, "Then, the antithesis followed, the idea was confounded, it was negated by itself and in doing so, it allowed a contradiction to be born." Her hand gently brushed over his cloaked shoulder, "The antithesis came when you saved Bela. When I saw what you had done to save my daughter... it was the moment in which conflict began to bubble in turmoil within me."

"Until then, I would not have even believed that it would be possible for you to act so nobly. And yet, I was surprised by what you did. There was doubt then, for I had been presented

with another version of your personality, one that was different than what I would only want to see." Victor nodded his head slowly, for it was no clearer to him.

"Can you tell me what came next?" She softly asked him, standing right at his side. "Yes... the synthesis is the next step. So now we have gained a new reality, a new state of understanding, that is richer because it has gained experience from the contradiction presented by the antithesis. Is that right?" He asked her, having to strain his head a little bit to look up at the unbelievably tall woman.

She grinned at him, "Yes my dear Victor, you are most definitely right in your answer. You have studied well." The Countess complimented him and he flushed a shade of maroon, "Well, I've had an excellent teacher My Lady, I'm not gonna take away any credit."

A hand was placed upon the Countess' chest as she solemnly thanked him, "You are a most gracious and well mannered student Mr Press, it has been a pleasure to guide your studies in the philosophies of the men of the past centuries."

He grinned at her and she returned his expression with one of her own and he was hit with how beautiful she looked. Victor lowered his gaze away and coughed, feeling very hot indeed. "Really though, thanks for teaching all of this stuff in a digestible and manageable manner... gosh, I took three classes back in high school, didn't learn jack shit about anything that the teacher said. The information came in from one ear and then just went directly out of the other ear, no compiling, no debug process, no exception, nothing."

"Then the teacher must not have been particularly good at their job, if they made you lose interest in such a haste." He stopped and chuckled, "You know what? That's exactly what I was thinking about, yeah, that's the kind of point of view that not a lot of people would take."

He sighed, crossing his arms over his chest, "None of my former classmates blamed me for leaving... I think half of the actual class left before the end of the semester so... that was that. The only one who was disappointed was- Victor abruptly went quiet, the words seemingly catching in his throat.

The Countess noticed his pause and once more, she gently laid her hand over his frame. "Victor? Is everything alright?" It made the teen snap out of his trance, "Y-Yeah, yup... I just... bad memory, bad memories actually, plural... fuck though, way to go to me for ruining the conversation, am I right?" He attempted to use a sarcastic joke to lighten the mood but the noblewoman was not convinced of it.

"You realize," She spoke, slowly steeping in front of him and delicately lifting his chin with her fingers, "That my offer is still standing Victor. Whenever you will need to talk about... your past, or of other such problems; I shall always be ready to support you in the best possible way." Her words were gentle, her golden eyes held a warmth that burned defiantly against the cold wind of the mountains, filling his soul and body with heat and pushing the biting frost away.

Victor closed his own eyes and swallowed thickly, "I... fuck, I feel like a piece of shit for saying this," He partially whispered, "I'm not... I don't really want to... discuss about that... but thank you. I understand that you're being very generous so thank you." He could spot the

small amount of frustration that came across her gaze and she took another drag of her smoke holder.

"I will not press you Victor, but please, please tell me that you shall eventually make the effort to actively combat these horrid memories, for they shall only trail after you in the years to come." Victor let out a sigh, but he was ashamed... he just didn't have that strength within him, that kind of capacity to openly talk about them.

It was a character flaw, he was aware of it, but it didn't make it any less annoying to deal with. "Thank you again Alcina... I'll make an attempt, eventually... as you said." He replied with a tiny smile.

"Good, very good Victor. I am happy to hear of it." Still, the wind blew harsh and freezing. "Can we please g-go b-back i-inside? I-It's g-getting q-quite c-chilly u-up h-here." His teeth were chattering uncontrollably so his words were broken.

"Of course, come." The Countess brought him next to her as they headed towards the nearest door that would lead to the interior of the castle.

"Ah, much better. Fuck, I was nearly forgetting, I got to go and take care of some business, has to do with a client." He took off the jacket and looked at the noblewoman expectantly.

"If... if you could just bend over a tiny bit I would be able to take your fluffy coat." He awkwardly spoke, shifting on one foot to the other. The noblewoman smiled widely and chuckled some, "Oh Victor. Ești un băiat atât de dulce și dulce, each day you surprise me even more with your attitude. There is no need for that though, I shall take care of my own coat myself." And as she said this, the Countess removed the item of clothing to reveal the white dress beneath it.

"I thought it was good manners..." "Oh, it most definitely was Victor, make no mistake about it, for I truly appreciate your gesture and thoughtfulness, but as I already said, it is alright." She placed the coat over her forearm and started to walk towards the flight of stairs, with the young man following close behind.

"So, I wanted to ask you if you wanted to join Bela and me later today. We're gonna have a movie night so she's getting into the groove by making popcorn with the chefs." He explained as they walked, his steps being light and well measured whilst hers were distinct, loud and unique because of her high heels, almost as if it was distinguishing her for carrying the blood of a noble lineage.

"And what would the piece of cinematography be about?" The Lady asked him, "Well, we're still kinda deciding, but we were thinking about doing a comedy. We haven't really tried that besides some anime that had comedic elements, so it should be a fun first experience." He shrugged his shoulders, "Hoping that we get a movie that's actually funny though and not for one that is funny just for the sake of it." The Countess thought back then to the years past and a memory brought a smile to her face.

"When I was but a young little girl, I adored watching Charlie Chaplin and his performances. He was such a unique actor that put his heart and soul in each movie that he would act in. It is

a shame that he passed away." "Ah, gotta agree with you on that, the og is still the boss, no contest at all."

He noticed the way that she looked at him, for it was apparent that she was just about to put forth a question, so he quickly realized what she was going to ask him, "Og means original in slang, or internet language or however you want to call it." "I see, thank you for telling me."

"No problem... so are you gonna join us?" She smiled, "Why not? It is not as if I cannot spare a couple of hours in my day to be in the company of you and my eldest." "Great! We'll watch it after lunch, since I just have to take care of some business and I'll finally be ready." Victor exclaimed as he opened up the door in front of them, as to allow the Lady passage.

Maybe he had gone and surfed the net for a bit to focus on the basics of good manners and etiquette and maybe he had spent some more time doing research on wines in general, and actually making an effort to understand some of the key aspects of that world.

The Countess had approached him earlier in the day when she had requested that he come with her on a small stroll on the upper level of the castle. Lady Alcina had provided him with a few ideas, or rather she had requested that he added a few things to the website, because she was going to start exporting more wines in the coming months and that would make the business all the more prosperous and especially profitable.

"I shall go and speak to the Duke, to arrange the necessary manpower needed to export my new range of products." And it made perfect sense to him. "Alright, please say hi on my part and tell him that I'm probably going to come over eventually and purchase something from him." The vampire nodded, "I shall. Until later Victor."

The noblewoman proceeded to go on her own way meanwhile Victor took to entering another hallway.

He passed a couple of maids who didn't really pay him any mind, they didn't even say hi even after he had done so, in Romanian no less. It sting a little bit for Victor had come to learn that the household staff of Castle Dimitrescu was particularly populated by individuals who accepted his presence or by those who ignored it completely.

It was split half and half, almost evenly. Victor tried to help out whenever he could, as he believed it to be only right that way.

"There you are my love!" Daniela's voice made his blood freeze for a moment, for someone else's blood was smeared on her lips. "Are you feeling good today? I am! I've just had a snack, I was practicing my piano skills and I really, really want you to come and listen! Will you please come?"

She was holding both of his shoulders and grinning madly and Victor felt the absolute contrast of emotions that her vision created: there was that fine feeling of joy that was almost childish, conveying a sense of innocence... yet the crazed look in her eyes and her stained teeth only spoke of a truth that had to do with pain and suffering.

"I-I-I, I h-have to w-work on m-my p-pc Daniela, it's r-really i-important." Victor stuttered because of her sudden appearance as he was very much afraid at the moment.

"Awwww, pretty please? You would make me so happy and you're always going on and on saying that you love music, just let me play a single piece, it won't take long, I promise Victor! Just let me do this and I'll let you hop back into that machine that you like so much." Very hesitantly, he moved her hands away from his shoulders and steered a bit away, slowly edging towards the nearest exit.

"I really h-have to g-go, I'm sorry Daniela." "Please just do it for me! I really want to show you this new piece!" "Sister, let the rat go, he isn't worth a moment of your time."

Both the redhead and the teen swiveled their heads around to look at who had spoken and they found that it was the middle child of the Countess.

"Go play the piano, let this filth do the only thing that he is even remarkably good at." "That's not a very nice thing to say Cassandra, Victor is a good person." The other openly scoffed and glared at him.

"Go away sister, I need to talk to him." With a huff, the youngest began to head towards the chambers that housed the piano. "I'll see you later beloved, bye!"

Victor glanced at the door, for it was but a few feet away from him. "Miss C-Cassandra, I can't afford to w-waste any time. We'll t-talk later if you want and- He yelped as she reached forward and carelessly tugged him to her.

"Be silent you disgusting man-thing and listen to me. You have a device that can show detailed paintings yes?" A little bit of confusion began to trickle into the fear that he was experiencing. "Y-You... a-a phone? M-My Iphone?" "Do not play coy with me boy! Answer the question that I have posed and maybe I shall leave your flesh unharmed!"

Menacingly, she bared her sharpened teeth at him, making sure that he saw her gleaming fangs. "Respond to my question! Go ahead, I don't have all day!" She told him while still giving him a hard shake, fingers digging into his shoulders.

"Y-Yeah, I g-got it!" Hastily, he took out his phone and unlocked, quickly opening Safari to search for paintings. "W-What wou-would you l-like? There's p-plenty to c-choose from..." But the middle daughter of the Dimitrescu line merely snatched the smartphone away from his hand and started to aggressively tap at the screen.

"Damn machine, it doesn't work, it's broken!" She fumed angrily as kept pushing the tip of her fingers against the protective layer of glass that he had over the Iphone.

"I-It's n-not broken you k-know, you j-just have t-to be a little m-more g-gentle with h-how you h-handle it... it's n-not a t-toy, it- it's something e-expensive and i-important." Luckily, those words seemed to have an effect on her, for she ceased her actions and instead pointed it towards him.

"Then you work this machinery, find me paintings of the Romantic period. Go, I do not like to be kept waiting." "I h-hope you r-realize that t-the Countess is e-expecting me to b-be at work r-right now..." But Cassandra only snorted: "You are at work! You are serving House Dimitrescu by obeying my command... and you call sitting in front of that other device for an entire day to be work? It is evidently clear that you have never tasted the hardships of servitude, only that of luxury and comfort."

And somehow, Victor began to tire of hearing her constantly chew him out. He was becoming increasingly tired about it and he was having a harder time controlling the feeling of annoyance that was bubbling within his core. So he did what was perhaps the most rebellious thing that he had ever done in her presence: the teen shut off the electronic device, turned around and began to walk away, resuming his path to his specified chambers.

Cassandra's hand wound around his forearm and she did not hold back with her strength. As a result, the software engineer let out a hiss of pain and tried to shake her hold off of his limb; a bruise was bound to form over his flesh.

"Did you not listen to a word that I just said you disgusting rat?! I ordered you to look for the pictures and- "Let m-me go." The vampire was so surprised that she stopped talking altogether.

Victor had spoken out against her, and it was something that he had never done. But the shock did not last for long; it was not bound to, for the woman's face morphed into a sneer of pure disgust, anger and hatred. "And why should I do that you insolent man-thing? You are powerless to stop me, you will help me in this endeavour, whether you are willing or not."

He sighed through his nose, "I c-can't r-right now." "Why?" She growled at him, "Because, y- your mother g-gave me the task of trying to appeal to the investors that pour money into your product."

That was only half the truth, for Victor had not stated the main motive as to why he needed to sit down and work on his computer.

The teen shrugged, "Listen, I g-get that y-you want to use the i-internet to find all of t-the pictures of paintings that y-you like, but the Countess' has e-employed me. That is my j-job. T-This small artistic t-thing that y-you want to d-do, that I'm a-assuming you want t-to do, is not a p-priority." If looks could kill, Victor would have found himself to have become a stone statue in that moment, as Cassandra's look of abhorrence surpassed even Medusa's glare from the myths of Greek Mythology.

"How dare you speak to me- "J-Just stop, p-please. I'll get to h-helping you out later in t-the e-evening, but I-I really have t-to take care of this business." He tried to be final with his tone, to imply that it was the end of their exchange of words, and he hoped that he had come off that way.

There was though the matter that he could not truly break her grasp on his arm... that was something that Victor did not have control over, given their simple difference over physiology. "You have grown bolder..." The brunette told him before leering, "I was right all

along! You are nothing but a disgusting worm, leeching off of my family's goodwill and generosity like a cancer!" She snarled before picking him up by the throat.

Victor felt the air being forced out of his lungs and he especially felt the crushing grip over the soft flesh of his neck. His legs dangled a few inches above the floor but it still did not matter for he trashed and attempted to hit the woman's arm hard enough.

As he was struggling, the brunette watched his pitiful gasps of air and grinned with sadistic glee as his face began to turn blue. Victor chocked and sputtered, but he was helpless to do anything.

His vision was beginning to darken and he felt his limbs grow heavier and his movements weaker as his senses were dulled by the lack of necessary oxygen.

The teen's eyes were almost shut before they were blown wide open once more and his world came crashing down.

Victor was left severely dazed as he hit the ground, air finally filling up his lungs in a fit of a terrible fiery pain that stabbed all over his respiratory system. He took deep breaths, coughing as tears streamed from his blue orbs due to the exhaustion.

With much effort he looked up at the sadistic vampire to find her looking at someone behind him. With more effort, he turned his gaze to the side and found the Countess but a mere foot away from him.

His blood went cold when he caught sight of her face: it was set in stone, it lacked warmth of any kind and her golden eyes were as cold as ice and as hard as iron.

"What were you doing Cassandra?" She spoke in a seemingly innocent and demure manner, as if she was naively unaware of what had happened. But she knew. The Countess knew what had happened and Victor felt that he was in danger.

The noblewoman was standing at her full height, looking every inch of the queen she was... but there was more, there was so much more that was being communicated by the way that she postured herself.

The primal, bone-chilling fear that would arise in the moments that teetered on the fine line of life and death was back... Victor recognized the horrid sensation seep into his soul and he was too afraid to move. He was terrified, of her, of the Countess... even if she was not speaking directly to him.

Cassandra appeared to have read the atmosphere of the room well enough, as she was taken aback, her hard demeanor faltering slightly as she looked to be very uncomfortable.

A few moments of silence stretched on as they stood still... as if there was a bomb that was about to detonate.

Trembling slightly, the young man glanced at the daughter and the back to the Lady. "Cassandra," Her red lips were pulled into a taut line, and her eyes were hostile, predatory

even and above all else: furious.

"I asked you a question. I expect to receive an answer to it." And it was still there, the calm tone that she kept using... as if she was anything but seething, as if she was not one moment away from unleashing an inferno of agony.

"I... Mother, you saw what I was doing- "Yes, I did Cassandra. Do you happen to remember what I told you in regards to Victor's whereabouts?" Cassandra hesitated to answer.

"He... he is... "Our guest. Already you have sullied our House's honor by openly attacking him just days after he had saved your sister's life. And now, you have repeated the same action once again."

He could not move, such was the fear that resided within him in that moment; it did not allow him the freedom to scamper away, to simply remove himself from that position.

Cassandra lowered her head, before their eyes made contact once more. The rage returned tenfold and she looked back up to the Countess. "Very well Mother, I assume that you want to know just why I was strangling the life from out of this filthy rat. It was because he refused me."

She aggressively pointed at him, "Mother, do you not see it? The man-thing parades around in our home as if he was the Lord of Castle Dimitrescu! He has forgotten his station and he needs to be reminded of it!" Cassandra snarled.

"Daughter, cease your speaking at once. I will not hear another word come from your lips. Remain quiet and do not ever refer to Victor in such a manner." "And why Mother? There has never been a man that has garnered your favor, what is so different about this one? He is just a bag of flesh and blood! Like all the rest!"

"Cassandra, you will be quiet, I have spoken and you shall not go against my word." The Lady replied as her voice grew as well.

"You have always gone on and on Mother, prattling about the importance of appearance and prestige that House Dimitrescu must keep, that we must show that we are superior, that there is no one like us, and instead you keep parading this disgusting mortal around as if he was actually valued and withheld some kind of importance. It is pathetic Mother, it is embarrassing to me, to my sisters and to the legacy of this family!"

There was movement then and a crack echoed out in the hall. Victor flinched as Cassandra was sent to the ground by the force with which the Countess had struck her. And it was here that Victor finally managed to crawl away and to place his back against the wall, hyperventilating and looking at them both.

The Lady was breathing heavily and she was downright livid, judging by the bared fangs that were on display and the fact that she had been posturing in a way that communicated aggressiveness.

The brunette got up to her knees, her entire cheek having gone a deep beat red the longer time went along. The Countess had slapped her and she had most definitely not been gentle with her ministration. Her amber eyes became lucid and wet, betrayal was set upon them.

Victor was sure that he heard a single whimper and a sniffle of the nose before she attempted to talk again: "M-Mother? W-Why did you d-do that- "BE QUIET!" The Countess bellowed and Victor covered his ears.

The brunette curled in on herself as her parent stalked forward, "I have told you an innumerable amount of times that you were not to touch Victor in any capacity, that if you were to have problems, you were going to come and have a few words with me directly." She growled, "And instead you have disobeyed me once more, actively attempting to put him in situations that would lead him to physical harm. Have you learned nothing of what I taught you girl? The fact that I am treating him as a guest and not as a stranger is to ensure that our family remains the epitome of nobility, that and the fact that Victor is indeed no stranger to us." Each sentence was articulated and punctuated with a biting remark, meant to scathe against the front of her daughter's argument.

"He is prey Mother! Why are we continuing to act in this farce of a play?! This is not like the ones that Daniela likes to watch and Bela is smitten over the rodent! A man-thing! And so are y- Cassandra did not have the time to finish for she was slammed against the stone wall by the Countess who had moved with frightening speed.

She did not need to use air like he did, as such she was not struggling as the noblewoman's hand clung to her throat. "You are an insolent child Cassandra!" She roared, sharp teeth snarling as she bore her gaze against her middle daughter. "Never have any of you or your sisters show this kind of rebellious attitude to me! I WILL NOT HAVE IT!" The very walls seemed to tremble as the yell tore through the entirety of the castle, capable of being heard from the tallest of the towers and all the way down to the lowest of the cells in the dungeon.

Twice, she struck her, leaving imprints of her palms. Twice there was a crack in the hallway and Victor flinched looking away.

Cassandra was quietly sobbing, head held low as she did not want to meet her Mother's gaze. The Countess was practically growling out loud as she brought her own head closer, so to whisper in her daughter's ear. "I will not tolerate any more of your antics Cassandra. I raised you as my own, but I shan't suffer any theatrics on your part simply because you are incapable containing your bloodlust and hatred for the villagers. I do not want to even hear a word in regards to your animosity towards our guest, I do wish to watch him become your plaything and I most surely do not want to have him bleed from useless wounds that share their origin with you. Have I made myself clear enough for you to comprehend me this time?" She demanded, her grip not faltering in the slightest even as the brunette weakly struggled.

"Y-Y-Yes M-Mother..."Go to your chambers and do not leave them. From now on, you shall be confined to those quarters. You are trying play a dangerous game girl, and you have not the age nor experience to play it well. Leave us." At last she allowed Cassandra to drop to the

floor and she did that just that; then she coldly watched as the younger vampire transformed into her swarm of insects and fled away from the hall.

Victor felt himself flinch when the shadow befell upon his form. He sensed the Lady lower herself so that she was nearer to him. Her hand touched his arm and he let out a small gasp.

"I am sorry for what has happened Victor. My daughter will be appropriately punished, but please, let us share our lunch together." The rage was gone and in its place was actual genuine care.

With his heart still lodged up in his throat, the teen nodded shakily, "Y-Yeah, that s-sounds good."

Chapter End Notes

Please remember to comment, the link to Discord server is: https/discord.gg/vUK9Y9DbGH I hope to see you there.

Iron, Blood and Feathers

Chapter Summary

Daily life in Castle Dimitrescu continues on regularly, that is until a certain Lord comes knocking.

Chapter Notes

Apologies for the delay of the chapter.

See the end of the chapter for more notes

"Hmm, this warm chocolate is good Alcina. You have some really good cooks."

Victor was sitting on a cushioned chair by the fireplace, simply enjoying the small drink that had been made for him.

A few feet besides him was the Countess, in her hand she held a chalice filled with wine and serving as her own drink for the occasion.

"I am glad to hear of it Victor. I would not have you served anything less than exquisite." She replied whilst flickering her golden eyes to him, just in time to catch the small blush that appeared on his face as he turned away.

She was reading a book... but he could not make out the title on the cover and nor was he experienced enough in Romanian to translate what was on it.

Victor himself was reading some news articles on his phone, scrolling through the latest news that concerned the world on a global and international level, partially in a way to catch up with what had been going; for the village rarely received any kinds of hints or even whispers as to what was happening in the rest of the globe.

They had just taken a walk and the noblewoman had proposed the frankly fantastic idea of settling down in one of the living rooms to simply rest and occupy their minds with the fine task of reading.

It had been then that the Mistress of Castle Dimitrescu had offered him some hot chocolate, for the days had become colder, even though they were on the cusp of entering summer proper, for the solstice was very close by.

Of course the programmer did not take long with taking up her proposal and he was now enjoying the benefits that had come out from doing such a thing.

"Do you wish to have some more Victor? I can always have a maid go and tell the cooks to make another batch." He waved his hand at her, "Thanks, but I'm good and stuffed. Feel pretty much full in all of the right ways, you know? It feels nice... this is probably the best hot chocolate I've ever had, but I have to watch out, otherwise I'll start to put on the pounds if I'm not careful enough."

The Countess chuckled at his response, finding his humor to be light and honest. "My, my, are you worrying that much over your appearance? If you wish I could have a new vanity be placed within your chambers and I could even suggest what products to use." He blanched at that, for he had never thought about doing something of that nature.

"Well, that's not really... I'm not into perfume or makeup because I'm not exactly a drag queen, I'm not anything though, just a regular old dude who simply wants to keep watch of not getting a beer belly!" He quickly informed her, stumbling over his words in an attempt to save face and once more make an absolute fool of himself; though naturally that process did not work very well.

The noblewoman laughed and placed the book away, before drinking the rest of the wine and putting the glass away as well, "I am only jesting with you Victor. I would never imagine you to be interested in such things, in the same manner that I am not interested in many things that a man would like and value." She explained to the teen and leaned back in her chair, hands folding and settling upon her lap.

"Ok then, good. I'm happy that you know this... sorry if I made you do it, I realize that it can be seen as weird or even ungrateful." Once again, his worries were cast away as the Lady smiled at him and Victor was conferred a sense of warmth at her open affection and trust; all to condense in a warmth that was spreading from his feet all the way up to his face.

In that moment, a swarm of insects materialized in front of one of the unoccupied armchairs and Daniela emerged from it, all smiles and mirth.

"Hi Mother! Hi Victor! How are you today?" The Countess' response and greeting was immediate whilst Victor took a couple of moments to gather up his own reply, always being taken aback by the redhead's explosive personality.

"I'm g-good, thanks. You?" He stuttered only once and licked his lips, switching off his Iphone. As it had already happened several times, Daniela placed forth her request for the both of them to go and listen to her newest piece.

The Lady naturally agreed and when she turned towards him to ask about his decision, Victor didn't have it in his heart to turn her down. He imagined that she would be disappointed... and that was something that he didn't want her to feel about him.

"Yeah, sure, we can do that." Daniela cheered in a manner that was most unladylike, something that quickly earned her a pointed glare from her parent. "Thank you! Thank you both so much!"

"Very good my dear. Now, go and prepare yourself. Victor and I shall arrive at the Opera Hall shortly." "Of course Mother, I'll be anxiously waiting for you!"

And then she was gone, leaving only the soft chuckle of the Dimitrescu matriarch. "Ah, Daniela's exuberance shall never fail to surprise me, even after all of these years, she is still as wondrous and filled with joy as the day in which she opened her beautiful eyes to me for the first time. Such memories, they are meant to stay, to be firmly imprinted within the minds of those who would cherish them."

"Is that... some poet you're quoting right there?" The programmer asked as Alcina laughed, "No Victor, it is not." "It kinda sounded like it... I think you would be really good at making poems and songs. You seem to have a talent for it." Her gaze rested upon him as she leaned slightly forward, back straight as her lips parted a tiny crack.

"You have the right of it Victor. Decades ago, in my youth... I was once a singer." His eyebrows shot up in absolute surprise: "Really? Oh! Well that explains how come you're so talented with this." She looked away for a moment, her voice becoming softer and quieter when she spoke again, "Thank you Victor. I sung with passion to the sweet and coaxing notes of the saxophone whilst being accompanied the clear and distinct piano. Whenever I think back to those days, I am reminded of a part of my life that has ended and that I shall never have the fortune of tasting once again."

Victor felt touched by her revelation and also felt bad for accidentally reminding her of what was clearly a bit of a touchy subject, so he tried to make amends with it, "Forgive me Alcina, I didn't want to cause you to... I didn't want to ruin your happy mood like that." But the Countess merely shook her head and placed her gloved hand upon his smaller one.

"Please Victor, I have long since made peace with the fact and even then I knew that it was not meant to last. I am grateful though for having been given the opportunity to have lived those years in the manner that I did." Once again, that feeling of warmth came over him, spreading all the way into the deepest crevices of his body.

The teen tenderly gripped her much larger hand as he stared back at her with happiness, "Well, at least you got to sing in a jazz band... right? I think you did jazz... if the time period was that one..." The Countess, "Indeed I did Victor, I was most often to do swing during the decade following the ending of the second global conflict, shortly before I trailed after Mother Miranda to this village and reclaimed all that mine by right of blood and birth."

For some strange reason, he could picture the titanic vampire doing it, allowing her beautiful voice to glide over the air. "By the way... do you still sing? Or maybe you have records, uh, the disc records that you put on the antique player, what are those called?" Lady Alcina merely raised an eyebrow, "Do you mean the vinyl record?" "Yes, do you have any of those around here? I would be curious to listen to them, so to hear you sing... I would like that Alcina."

She smiled a tender smile, "Unfortunately, no such records like those are present Victor. You must keep in mind that it was at that time that the continent was still recovering in the aftermath of Germany's second coming of madness. Everything was more expensive then when it would have been without the happenings of war. Being recorded in vinyl discs would

have been a great boon, for it would have conserved the music and songs of the band... alas, those times were different, as I already stated, and doing so simply costed to much. I was still a noblewoman at the time Victor, have no doubt about, but I did not yet have access to the fortune that has been accumulated by all of my predecessors."

He was slightly disappointed to hear that, "If I may ask Alcina... may I hear you sing? I'm just really curious of listening." But the woman of high birth would not aim to satisfy his request, as she shook her head.

"I am sorry Victor, but I am quite frankly not in the best of spirits to do such a thing. In truth, I have yet to intone any of the many songs of the past since before I received the Cadou. I hope you can comprehend my lack of will in performing this action." "No, no, I get it Alcina, it makes total and perfect sense, you don't need to justify yourself to me or anything like that."

A moment passed before he got up and did a little stretch. "Man, I'm never going to get tired of the seats that you have all over this castle. The armchairs are criminally soft and comfortable to sit on!" In much the same manner as he did, the Countess too arose from the enlarged chair.

"Let us not keep my youngest waiting, for she was quite excited at the prospect of us offering to be her small audience." "Someone else goes to watch her on other days?" Her statement had confused him a little bit, so he asked her out of genuine curiosity. "No, Daniela mostly keeps to herself regarding this hobby. Her sisters have interests and passions of their own, Bela enjoys reading and composing the poems of poets of old whilst Cassandra has demonstrated to hold a true talent that belongs to the brush and colors of a painter."

"Yeah, I remember that Cassandra likes to paint and draw..." And that was because the knowledge of it was vividly branded into his memory as he recalled the two occasions in which it had happened; the first was when he had accidentally entered her bedroom and the second had been very recent

They made their way through a deserted hallway and Victor noticed the Lady's way of movement, the way her curled inky black hair bounced upon her head was alluring, then his gaze gradually shifted downwards, and the teen could not help but admire the light grey dress that she had chosen for the day and how well and finely crafted it was, service to accentuate and put emphasis on the beautiful physique of the vampire.

Victor had thought of Alcina as many things in the past, but her beauty and perfection were something that were outside from this world. And how could one not do anything but admire her.

The programmer also took note of the fact that she was seemingly in an especially good mood, for he did not miss the fact that her womanly hips swayed more than usual with her steps.

Blushing, he looked away as he chided himself for having such a dirty thought. But she really was a beautiful woman... vampire or not, even with her staggeringly inhuman height.

"Do you know what Daniela will play?" He asked her then, if only to think about other things that his mind kept trying to return to and contemplate.

"I do not, I lack the knowledge of foresight." He smiled a little at her own play of words. But soon enough they arrived to their destination and Victor plopped down in the nearest chair.

As with other things, Victor did not know many facts regarding classical music. If someone were to have ask him at gunpoint what piece of what famous composer Daniela was playing, he would have failed miserably in the task, as that was simply how things were.

In that sense, or rather, from that particular point of view, he was an ignorant dumb fool. But music was something that was universal, capable of being perfectly understood by all manner of people originating from all kinds of different backgrounds and ethnicities. Or at least one of his professors in high school had stated these things, so he truly did not know.

His attention was brought back to reality as Daniela finished the piece and the Countess began to politely clap, a pleased smile on her mouth. Victor soon joined her and did the same.

Daniela came forth and hugged her parent as hard as she could, earning herself a warm chuckle and a few gentle pats on the back as the noblewoman praised her, "Wonderfully done Daniela, Bach himself would be in awe of your skill and talent, you were phenomenal on this day." The redhead blushed and thanked her profusely for the stellar compliment.

Then, she turned to him, "Well my love? Did you like it?" She asked him in quite the flirtatious manner. Unsure of how to respond, he shot the Countess an alarmed look as the youngest of her daughters waited for him to reply.

"Of course I did, you were great!" "Thank you!" She happily exclaimed and hugged him. He awkwardly returned her hug and then stepped back, only for the door of the Opera Hall to open and reveal Mihaela on the other end.

"My Lady, the phone in your chambers is ringing, I would advise you to answer the call." She respectfully stated and bowed her head.

Victor noticed the Countess let out a minuscule huff as she drew herself up to her feet and began to walk towards the head maid. "I shall be back in some time, enjoy yourself with whatever you please Daniela, but do not make a mess out of the pavement and carpets like that time, do you understand?"

The readhead blushed and looked away, "It happened only once Mother! But yes, do not worry, there won't be a mark on the furniture." The matron raider an eyebrow, "And the roof?" "Don't worry about the roof Mother, that only happened once."

The teen looked between them in confusion, being unaware of the things that they were talking about. He cast a glance at Mihaela who merely gave a very minor shake of her head to him, an indication for him not to worry about it.

"The roof?" He just could not stop himself from asking, for he was in the process of attempting to simulate what that would have looked like.

"It's nothing Victor! I only made a small accident once, a few years ago..." "Which costed several tens of thousands of lei to repair, amidst materials and labour cost." The Countess stated pointedly and with some severity as the redhead blushed further.

"I promised you once that I would never do it again Mother! And I intend to keep my promise!" And now a warm smile blossomed on Alcina's lips as she regarded the shorter vampire, "I never doubted that it would be your intention my little one. Now, I shall see you both later, I am afraid that Miranda is the one who is calling me."

The drawl in her voice indicated that she was not very content with having to exchange words with the leader of the Village, but nonetheless, Alcina moved away.

"Oh! Mihaela, wait a moment!" The head-maid did so and stood in her spot patiently, expecting the noble to give her an order.

"Do we still have any of that chocolate mousse cake? I'm feeling a bit hungry." "I do not know Miss Daniela, but I shall go and see right away." "Thank you! Victor, do you want to eat some as well?"

The teen quickly replied: "I'm good, I already had some hot chocolate earlier, so I wanna be careful with how many sweets I eat... my metabolism can only do so much to take care of that excess fat." "Oh well, more cake for me then!"

Daniela seemed to be more contained now, or at least she was being a little less crazy then how the programmer had come to know her. "So, while we wait, what do you want to do?"

"I'm sorry, what did you just say?" "I want to sit on the couch and cuddle! Yeah, let's do just that! Let's get on the couch and cuddle!" She grabbed his hand and started to direct him to come onto the large, long divan, but he began to fight back against her pull.

"Damn it! I have to go and take care of a program!" The redhead pouted: "Must you go Victor? That's so boring, why can't you just ignore it?" Sometimes, he thought that the youngest of the Lady's children truly did act like a child, for he could only imagine a child giving him these kinds of whiny responses.

"Yeah, I'm sorry but I really gotta go, maybe we can do something later if we have some free time on our hands? I don't know, maybe read, or watch some Netflix?" He suggested as he tactically retreated from the room and towards the door.

"I'll hold you to that claim my love! I will be eagerly awaiting!" Victor quickly passed through the door and closed it, letting out a very relieved sigh.

"Hello Victor." He flinched a tiny bit as he was caught off guard from the voice, but he quickly calmed down when he recognized Bela.

"Oh, well hello to you too Bela, how's it going today?" He stood back up straighter as he talked to her. "I am doing quite fine as well, and given that you are coming out of the Opera

Hall, I am led to think that you have listened to my sister's performance?" Ever the observant daughter, she had quickly connected the dots using logic and reason.

"Yup... I had to make an excuse to get away, she wanted to cuddle with me... in her words at least, I don't know how well that would translate to reality but I don't want to find out. Sorry for saying those words though, they kinda just escaped from me." He admitted but she simply waved his worries away.

"Daniela can get... clingy at times, but she means you good. Still, I understand your position in this." "You know, I was just thinking about this right now, but could you please give me a hand with some Romanian? I haven't practiced for the past two days and I'd like to not lose the progress that I made. If you want to help me of course, and if you have the free time to do so." "Not at all, we can start right now actually." They exchanged a smile, "That's great!"

A couple of hours passed when they finished doing his practice.

"Alright, I gotta work on the adjectives and articulations, got it." The teen let out a yawn, "I thought you said that this shit would get easier with time, but it's really not Bela." The other shrugged her shoulders, "I cannot give you a proper answer to that Victor, but as they say, practice makes perfect, so I can only advise you to continue with your studies. Eventually you'll be capable of speaking fluently and flawlessly."

The software engineer could feel his cheeks warm up at her compliment, "Jeez, I'm overwhelmed by your support... I can't really say that I've had this experience many times in the past." "Well now you do, and we are all the better for it." "That's a wrap for today though. Kinda want to eat that food with the salad and with the tiny pieces of meat, that was really good." "I am sure that there is some left, and if not, I can always ask for the cooks to prepare more." "Please, it won't be a problem if there isn't any, I'll just wait for dinner and- "Victor." The vampire stopped him.

"You mustn't worry about the cooks, they are here to serve us and it is their sole duty. Do not fret over their responsibilities, for they are not yours, nor should they concern you in any way." Her voice had gained a colder edge, and she spoke with some anger... hostility even; but it was not directed towards him, that much Victor could at least tell.

"Alright then... I'm not that actually hungry now that I'm really thinking about it. Is that alright Bela?" "Of course it is, you are free to eat as you want Victor." She replied to him with a small smile, all of the hostility seemingly leaving her, which he was glad for.

The two of them did not really have anything in mind in regards to what they should have done next, given that they had finished what they had originally planned to do. Victor was going to propose to watch something on his computer, like they had done so many times already and since he knew that Bela liked to watch movies with him.

However, he would not be given the opportunity to do so, for a servant came up to the blonde vampire and quickly spoke to her in hushed Romanian. Victor did not yet possess the knowledge to completely understand what it was that she said, but he did recognize a few words, including that of the name Heisenberg.

"Wait, did she just say Karl's name?" He immediately asked Bela and she gave him an uneasy nod. "Yes, she has said that he is waiting at the entrance of the castle... but Mother barely has any patience for him and it is likely that she would not take long to lose the will to tolerate his presence within these halls. It would be for the best if I were to go and greet him in the meantime as she is currently occupied with Mother Miranda."

"Ah, well I can help." He stated, grinning a little bit, "We're friends and I wouldn't mind seeing him again." He would tell her honestly.

And so with that in mind and having made their decisions, they moved to go towards the Main Foyer. Once there, Victor smelled smoke and realized that Karl was most likely smoking a cigar of some kind. When they opened the double doors, the Lord was leaning against the wall, doing just that.

He stopped once he turned his head to look at them and threw the cigar away all together once his gaze crossed Victor's. "HA! There you are my boy!" He exclaimed with that deep raucous voice of his as he came forward to embrace him; the smell of smoke and oil was thick and it filled the teen's nose, but Victor ignored it for the sake of his friend as he was clearly happy.

"I missed you too buddy!" The programmer replied as his arms patted the back of the larger man. Eventually they detached and kept speaking to one another: "Say, that tall bitc- errr... woman is treating you alright?" He was quick to switch up his choice of words, if only for the fact that Bela was looking at them intently.

"Yeah, yeah, I told you already, remember?" "Still better to double check though, don't they teach you that in school?" "Fuck off man." He replied as the Lord laughed deeply.

"Say, I was looking into getting myself one of those fancy computers that you're always prattling about, but I'm having a hard time picking out one; there's too much choice and garbled terminology that I don't know about. Would you mind lending me a hand?" Victor slapped him on the arm, "Of course! Why didn't you come to me directly? I would have given you some heads-ups and you would already enjoy having a high end pc like I do?"

"Lord Heisenberg," Their tender moment of banter was broken as Bela addressed Karl, "Whilst I do not intend to interrupt your conversation with Victor, I find myself needing to ask on the whereabouts of your visit. Presumably the reason for why you have taken to travel from your factory all the way here to Castle Dimitrescu is to meet in person with Mother."

But he shook his head at her words, "And that's where you're wrong niece. I just came to share a couple words with my fine friend over here, it gets terribly lonely in the Factory at times, so I just thought why not? Why not go and see my favourite guy in all of this valley?" But the vampire merely raised her eyebrows in mock surprise.

"Alright fine. You got me there blondie, I'm here to see your mother." A wide grin split on his lips then, "And I still came to see you Victor. Don't forget that part." They shared a laugh.

"Wanna come in? Oh wait, Bela, he can come in right? You're in charge here at the Castle when the Countess isn't around." She motioned with her hand for the Lord to follow, "Inside.

Mother should be finished by now."

Karl stomped his boots on the stone floor, to make sure that the white snow would fall and not wet the interior floor.

"Still, the Duke should be here next week. You'll be around right? I still need some guidance, so be ready when the time comes." "I will, don't worry my man."

In the meantime Bela had taken to transform into her swarm so that she could more easily traverse the inside of the castle. She reached the Countess who was currently smoking from her elegant cigar holder, letting puffs of dark grey smoke exhale from her mouth every few moments.

She sensed the scurrying of the thousands of flying insects and her eyes slid over to the door. "Enter, my daughter." The time that it took her to understand that it was Bela who had come was minimal, for the Lady knew each and every one of her children, including their manner of speech, attitude and more still.

"Mother, Lord Heisenberg has come and is requesting your presence." The hand that was holding the cigar tightened ever so slightly, but not enough to break the delicate object.

With a silent huff, she walked up to the blonde vampire and placed her gloved hand upon her shoulder. "You have my thanks, my dear. I shall go, if you hear my screams of rage, do not fret over them." "Mother, Lord Heisenberg has not moved from the Main Foyer and he made sure to remove the snow that had accumulated on his clothes."

This sparked her attention. "Is that so? Hmmm... this is a most strange detail indeed." With poise and elegance, she bent down under the doorframe and began to make her way to the Foyer.

Even before entering it, she heard her brother's loud voice. Already, it grated on her nerves and she dreaded the thought of having to host a conversation with him.

Perhaps the only thing that helped her keep her composure was Victor's presence. He looked happy to be in the presence of the mutt, however peculiar that was. "Yes Heisenberg? What is it that you need?"

"Ah, you! Come here." He snapped his fingers at her and gestured to lower herself. But the Countess sighed and stood up straighter. "Why must I lean down Heisenberg?" "Because this is something that is private and we should not be openly talking about." He snapped at her with some urgency.

"Do not presume to command me within my own castle walls Karl!" She bellowed and he growled in frustration, "Fuck! I'm trying to be civil here Ms Tall Vampire! What I need to tell you is private!" He threw his arms up.

Alcina merely placed her arms behind her back, folding them as she did so. "Victor and Bela may hear, they are trustworthy, are they not?" A part of her genuinely enjoyed watching the smaller man's face turn several shades of red in a short span of time.

"Fuck it then, you wanted to do it this way so let's fucking do it this way." He opened his arms wide, "We are near that time." And just like that, she understood exactly what he meant.

Immediately she came closer to him, "How so?" She whispered, "I made a breakthrough with the progress of the soldiers, I managed to get them not to burn through all of their juice at once."

"Daughter, Victor, please, if you will I would have you leave us for some time."

The two gave their nods and left to go towards one of the dozens of rooms.

"Come now Heisenberg, there is a greenhouse that shall prevent any unwanted attention."

Chapter End Notes

Once again I apologize for the delay, the link to the Discord server is: https/discord.gg/vUK9Y9DbGH and I would advise you to join, since I always announce the next chapters and when they are expected to release. I hope to see you there, until next time.

A turn for the worst

Chapter Summary

Victor approaches Lady Dimitrescu with a proposal, but the answer that he receives is not particularly pleasing to hear.

Chapter Notes

I apologize for the delay, but Spring Break has finally come so I should be able to write with more consistency.

See the end of the chapter for more notes

"No."

Victor's eyes widened as his ears registered the sound. It was a decisive word, one that left no room or space for any kind of retort, just like the swing of the executioner's axe.

"No?" He repeated the word himself, watching as the Countess placed her glass of wine down on the table and turned towards him as to formally address him.

"You are a perfectly normal person Victor. I know that you heard me." She stated, drawing her arms to her side and staring at him as she towered over his frame.

"Just like that? No? But why?" He asked her, for he could not comprehend just why she would refuse him so easily. The noblewoman continued to stare at him uncannily, "You know already the why of my reasoning, I need not explain it further." She told him, as if she were dismissing him like a maid.

"Wait, Alcina please, I'm trying to understand here. I just came to ask you that I want to leave, but I'm not leaving the Village if you're worried about that, I just want to get back to my home." He argued back, attempting to propose his own desire concerning what he wanted to do.

On this morning, Victor had woken up feeling refreshed and a tad bit melancholic. He had been thinking about asking the matriarch of the family permission to leave Castle Dimitrescu and to return back to the little house that he had been living in all but for a few months ago. In truth, he had been wanting to ask her for a few days but had failed to do so until now for fear that he would offend her.

"Alcina, it's not like I'm not happy to be here in the Castle in your and Bela's company, it's just... I've been your guest for such a long time and I also want to go back there." The Countess closed her eyes and instead brought the wineglass to her maroon lips once more, leaving a noticeable mark on the pristine clear glass edge of the object as she consumed more of her famed vintage.

"Then you are proving to me that you are in-fact, unaware as to why I am keeping you in my domain, so allow me to enlighten your mind, Victor." She let out a nearly silent sigh and moved around him. "You are knowledgeable of the dangers that lurk within and around those little, defenceless houses. You are most knowledgeable of them for you have nearly tasted them with your very own flesh and skin." She noted and leaned forward so that her mouth was near his ear.

"What I would never wish for you is the fate of befalling the claws of the putrid beasts that roam this valley, whether they be of putrid and abominable origins... or even plebeian." A pair of hands, large enough to completely grip his shoulders and surrounding muscle directed him to turn towards the mirror in the room.

"I ask of you to gaze upon this mirror Victor, I ask that you observe and realize what kind of man you are." Blue eyes met the same blue eyes in the reflective glass, as the teen was confronted with something, with an aspect that belonged to him: his mortality.

"I do not mean to be derisive or critical of your current state. for you are in a wonderful physical shape and have developed quite the body to see that the claim is true." The faintest red came to his cheeks, but it quickly disappeared as he listened to her in a more attentive manner. "But the problem lies there Victor. You are limited, you are a creature that holds a limited amount of strength because you are a mortal." He did not possess the Cadou, nor was he a man that had been hardened by conflict and battle. In that sense, the teen was just too fragile and weak.

"Truly, it is not my intention to offend you in any way, but I speak only the truth. If it came down to a question of survival, of blood and instinct... you would lose Victor, you would be torn apart by the lycans..." Her gloved hand came into his field of view, and he jumped back when midnight black talons extended from the slits of the cloth at the fingertips as quick as a bullet and narrowly avoided stabbing through his head.

Victor pushed himself against the Countess' body, as he breathed quickly and rapidly cold fear enveloping him, caught off guard by the sheer closeness of the deadly blades. But they retracted, and the young man found himself almost collapsing against the titanic vampire as she placed one of hands upon his chest, as if to touch his beating heart. Lady Dimitrescu looked down upon him as she kept him against the soft silk of her dress.

"Here in the Castle, you are safe. There is no monster that can best me, not even Mother Miranda. I would never let anything harm even a hair on your little, precious head." She whispered soothingly, cupping his face and stroking her fingers through his short brown hair gently and slowly.

He swallowed thickly, still feeling the effects of the adrenaline as he heard his own heartbeat within the canals of his two ears.

The urge to bolt, to run, it was with him in that moment, it enticed him to move and escape, to get away... but that was not what happened. Victor felt an equal amount of calm register in his system as Alcina continued with the ministrations of her petting and he found himself enjoying being against her like this... there was a certain comfort to it, and-

"W-Wait, you're saying that it's too dangerous for me to go outside?" Even if a part of him had no wish to, he still moved forward anyways, losing the warmth of her physical contact as he faced her once more. "You know that I don't like going out, and besides I have Karl! Remember when he said that he was taking good care of the house? He's still doing it now!" He exclaimed clapping his hands together.

Something passed over the Countess' face, something that he could not exactly put his finger upon it. "Victor," She began, briefly closing her eyes, "I am attempting to make you understand and I am doing it for your own good. It is too dangerous out in the Village. Heisenberg is not omnipresent, and neither am I. We cannot assure your continued safety if you remain in that house of yours, it is simply not feasible, do you understand?"

He fought off the urge to rub his head and sigh, for he knew that it would be quite rude of him to do so. "Alcina, I know you mean well, and I thank you for that, but we're just running in circles right now, over and over again. Once more then," He extended his arms to his side and cleared his throat.

"I'm only asking to leave and to bring my stuff with me, I'll come visit the Castle periodically or when you want to see me, and vice versa you are free to come and see me in my house." He proposed his own desire, which contrasted deeply with what the Countess had in mind.

The Lady took another sip of her wine and Victor felt hopeful: "Well, can I go? I understand that is not an easy decision, to your eyes at least, but really, I don't think that I'm asking for much and if you consider- "No."

Once again, he was made to lose all the words within his mouth as he looked upon her again, a regal mask of indifference upon her breath-taking face. "Alcina, please, is that the only reason for why you keep me here? I promise to you that I won't do anything stupid... and you're going to be the first person that I'll call in case I am in danger or need some help from you."

"I do not possess one of your famed electronic devices Victor." She pointed out, perhaps a little too aggressively; "It's no problem, we can get the Duke to come and I'll help you set up your phone. Really, it's nothing too difficult to do- "I gave you a clear answer Victor, remember that you are my guest and especially remember that I am your host."

A part of him was beginning to worry, but the teen was so far caught up in his want to leave that he did not even realize that he was walking on precarious ground. "Alcina really, just give it a try alright? I swear to you that I'll continue to work on the website, you can ask me to add whatever you want, and I'll come visit you plenty of times. But really now, I can leave right?" She did not answer at that, and her face became as impassive as the those of the statues that decorated the halls.

"Well... I'll take your silence as a yes. I'll go pack my stuff then and say goodbye to Bela and Daniela, before coming to say goodbye to you!" He stated with a grin and turned around to walk to his chambers.

"Stop."

He froze and slowly turned around only to be met with the pair of golden orbs of the Countess that glared upon him with fury of the Sun. "Sit down Victor and be silent." There was something else in her voice, darker, harsher and... evil.

The hackles on the back of his neck stood up as he looked at her wearily, beginning to sweat as the primal sense of flight was beginning to settle within him.

"A-Alcina? Are y-you o-ok?" He stuttered a little bit trying to find any kind of warmth within her glacial gaze. "Ah... I... s-sorry if I've o-offended you, that's m-my bad- He did not have the time to react as he saw white for a moment, his consciousness not registering the fact that he had been flung against the soft cushions of the large couch with nearly enough force to topple it forward completely.

Victor slammed against the couch so hard that his breath was completely knocked out. He sputtered and gasped for air as an enormous shadow of white cloth loomed over him.

"You are testing my patience Victor, poking at it like a wasp as I try my best not to take offense at your transgressions, but I cannot withhold myself any longer than I already have," She growled, her voice hard and cold as she bared her fangs.

Her hand, alongside part of her dress, was coated in the damp red of the wine from the glass which had been broken when her fingers had clenched and exceeded the force of the tensile strength of the material. His eyes were blown wide open as the entirety of his sight was filled with the visage of the Countess.

"Time and time again, I have needed to remind you of the dangers that prowl outside of my domain, yet you stubbornly refuse to pay heed and to even consider my words!" He flinched at her loud voice and looked away from her, closing his eyes and cowering, but the painful grip of her thumb and index finger on his cheek caused him to yelp as she mercilessly twisted his head back to face her once more.

"And now you presume to order me as if I were a servant! Under my own roof no less!" He closed his eyes again and flinched heavily, expecting her to strike at him, to punch him- to stab him with her claws! To skewer his flesh and slice it to ribbons!

"Look at me."

The Countess growled and her grip on his lower jaw tightened painfully to the point that he gasped. "Look at me Victor, do not anger me more than you already have!" She yelled and he obeyed, fearfully looking into the eyes of the dragon of Castle Dimitrescu.

Immediately, he wanted to get away, to curl into a ball and simply cease to feel, to exist... that seemed like a fate better than being forced to confront the furious vampire. "I could have

had you killed, all those months ago, like a normal, pathetic man-thing, but I didn't. You did me and my House a great deed, but I will not permit you to forget your position. You are still within my home and you shall conduct yourself appropriately as any well-mannered guest would. My calm is not endless nor infinite and you will find me to be crueler than even Cassandra should you warrant enough of my ire. You only live, because of me, because I allow it as the Lady of this valley and Village. Never approach me on this subject again for I will not be as merciful as I am being at this current moment."

And at long last, her hand retracted and she stood up, casting a shadow over him. "Do not attempt to escape, much less to ask favors to Mihaela, or even Ioana and Adina for that matter." She sneered as she pronounced the latter names.

His heart still beating tremendously, Victor could only stare and tremble at the... monster in front of him. She turned her head then and made to take a few steps to reach the bottle of wine.

"Leave these chambers. I have much to think and I do not wish for your presence." The first couple of moments that came after that sentence were characterized by him letting out pant and scrambling to get away from the couch and to the door.

He did not close it, but instead began to actually run through the halls, passing by many maids and almost full on slamming into them, which he luckily managed to avoid. His mind was blank, focused only on getting away from it all.

With a mad dash, he opened the door to the room in which he slept and slammed it shut, fumbling to get the key into the lock properly and when he finally succeeded in doing so he stepped back and away, his legs hitting the edge of the bed.

It took some time before he realized that his cheeks were wet, wet with the tears that came from his eyes. With a broken hiccup, he fell down against the bed and curled his knees up to his chest, a sob tearing through his frame as he trembled.

She had... almost killed him... but were they not friends? He thought that she had gotten over her intentions of killing him after he had saved Bela... were they not friends? He thought that she was nice to him, that she genuinely cared... she always talked to him and... she had been open to him... was it all just a lie.

Right now his head was spinning and hurt, he felt disoriented from the rush of emotions of shock, fear and worry. He pressed the front of his forehead into the palm of hand and grit his teeth as he continued to sob. The Countess had simply picked him up and thrown him... it took her no effort, there was no visible strain to her movements, nothing to indicate that the action was even mildly tiring.

But... the pain kept stabbing him through the heart as his stomach continued to twist into knots and be subjected to horrible cramps. It was less of a pain due to the physical aspect of things and more because of the emotional side of it.

Victor truly believed that he was the Countess'... friend, or at least her honored guest. He just wanted to leave because he thought that it was not right that she continued to host him whilst he provided nothing back. Maybe he should have started off with that? Maybe the conversation would have gone much better then... but at this point it did not matter... the Lady had reacted the way that she did and... that was that.

Blinking through the many tears, the teen looked around himself and with some difficulty, stood up on wobbly legs. He stumbled to the window and looked down from it.

These chambers were far too high up the air... jumping out of the opening in the wall would prove to be fatal and he had no intentions of dying. He was no expert in physics or a doctor, but it was very likely that he would have broken his legs, even with the deep snow... but for how long would he last? The Countess would quickly take notice of his absence and come to discover that he had run.

Would she find him laying in a puddle of blood or dead at the hands of a lycan? Would she even care at all? To even give him, to spare him but a single, fleeting thought?

Why was he thinking about her so much? He could not explain it and it bothered him, a lot. Amidst his quiet crying, Victor tried to listen past the sobs and to the hallway beyond the door, maybe to catch wind of someone who would approach his room.

With a low chuckle, he amused himself with his own idiotic worry: what could he do? Deny the Countess entrance into one of the bedrooms of her castle? "Why? Why, why, why?" He muttered, slowly shaking his head whilst still keeping his head against his palm.

He felt overwhelmed, as if he was swallowed by a tidal wave and dragged down to the cold, dark abyss where he would never escape from.

Did it even matter though? If he would have proposed his wish in any different way? Would the Countess have considered it? Maybe she wouldn't, maybe it was all destined to happen this way and that would clearly be it and he would have simply been a fool to try and do otherwise.

"N-No, you are a fool... a naive poor fool." He was lost, wandering in the deep mist without any clear direction or knowledge about where he was going exactly.

Eventually though, he stopped caring about listening to what was happening outside, for he simply became... exhausted and tired. He was drained, both physically and emotionally.

This was it then, he would be cursed to remain in the castle, to be locked up like some kind of animal and forced to do the bidding of the monster that inhabited it.

What the maids would whisper was true, hell, what the villagers and Cristina had said about the Countess, it was all true. Yet he had ignored what should have been an obvious thing, he ignored what everyone else had been worrying about. The teen was dearly paying the price for his mistakes right now and he had no one else to blame except for himself.

With an exasperated sigh, he glanced up then and noticed that the sun was setting. He had stayed at the foot of the bed for such a long time and he hadn't even noticed.

The sudden knock at the door though made Victor snap his gaze towards it as he got up and took a step back, body suddenly feeling energized with the rush of adrenaline. "W-Who is it?" He called out, his voice wavering like a reed in the wind.

"Sir? Dinner shall be served soon." One of the servant's voices answered on the other side. He let out a relieved breath, "I... won't be c-coming, I d-don't feel that h-hungry." He just couldn't bear the thought of having to be so close to the Countess, not after what she had nearly done, when she was so close to ending his life, effortlessly. The cold fury and hostility in her golden eyes... it hurt his soul, and it hurt in a way that he knew already.

It reminded him of memories that he would have rather not thought about, for those too would only bring him more torment. It was inescapable, his current prison... death was the only way out, the only way to achieve the only sliver of freedom that could be had, yet the price to achieve it was high, it was the highest in truth and he would be required to completely abandon everything else.

All of those evenings, those discussions and lessons that the Countess had imparted to him on the philosophy of the nineteenth century, they came back like a needle, prodding and peaking at his flesh with constant and unending hurt.

Was this what he was reduced to now? Was it meaningful, was any of it meaningful?

He began to repeat many of the same thoughts again and again, being almost incapable of thinking of much of anything else. Perhaps all of it would have been for nothing and this was simply the final note that he would end his life upon, or rather the monster would by all accounts.

Still, the sensation of exhaustion did not yet leave him and it was getting late, so without much thought Victor changed his clothes to wear something more fitting for the night. The soft, delicate silk that composed the fabric of his bedclothes felt wrong upon his skin. It felt as if it was tainted by something impure and evil, dripping with the black malice that could only originate from the darkest and lowest pits of hell.

For a moment he contemplated taking it off, in an effort to try and distance himself from the evil which resided in Castle Dimitrescu.

Nothing would change the situation though and with a sigh, he slid under the covers of the bed, partially sinking because of the sheer softness of the mattress and even that unsettled him by some margin.

Sleep would eventually come though, but it would not be calm nor tranquil as he would have otherwise hoped. Victor attempted to focus on the quiet of the chambers and of the castle and not on the clicking of heels upon the wooden floor that would bring so much fear to his heart.

That night, he slept alongside the company of fear and nightmares which would curse him to remain exhausted even as allowed the unconscious of his mind to run rampant and unbound.

The next day...

"And I'm still here... all of it wasn't a dream."

Now he had begun to talk nonsense, even he did not recognize the things that he had begun to say. Victor blinked several times, trying to clear his blurry vision. Perhaps it was because of the stress that he was experiencing that he felt so disoriented... yet he felt sick today, on an emotional level at least.

With a sigh, he got out of bed, more or less made the covers and then changed into his regular clothes. Victor stopped himself from opening the door though... he just didn't feel safe enough right now.

Everything had seemingly become hostile overnight and he really had no intentions of walking right out of the only room that would be of any relative safety.

"Fuck... why the hell did it have to all go to shit like this?" The fact that he was constantly thinking back as to what had transpired, it was doing him more harm than good; Victor tried to put the Countess' reaction under some kind of favorable light, he wanted to believe, to hope even that she had a good reason to explode with fury in the way that she had.

It could have been that she was simply in a foul mood... but... Victor knew the Countess, she was more controlled than that. On and on it went within his head, two sides of his rationally going up against each other in trying to determine the causes of the matron's behavior.

"Victor? Is everything alright? May I come in?" His head snapped to the door. Mihaela stood in place of the entrance... he hadn't even realized that someone had come into the room.

"Y-Yeah..." He replied, if a little shaken. The teen didn't exactly know if he wanted to be so open with the Head Maid, for he simply felt at a loss on what to do.

She closed the door behind her and took a couple of steps forward, her eyes softening as she looked at him, "Oh, you poor boy, it is alright Victor, I understand your worry." She spoke gently with a smile gracing her lips.

"I-I'm sorry what?" He asked her, swallowing and standing up a bit straighter. "I am aware that the Countess had a most unpleasant response to what you asked of her. A good portion of the Castle heard her booming voice." Victor looked away after hearing her words, for it was of no use to feign ignorance.

"I... I don't know what to do Mihaela... she put her hands on me and... I thought that she was going to kill me back there." He whispered as he relieved those painful moments.

He heard her sigh and get closer. She stopped her movements when he flinched at her touch. "I... I can see that you are most preoccupied Victor and it does not sit right with me. Ești încă tânăr and truly I worry for you." He let out a wet laugh, "Sorry it's just... it feels nice to know that some people care about me."

"What my Mistress did was wrong." She spoke, "But I may understand the motive as to why she nearly attacked you Victor."

"What?" "My Mistress... she is different from the rest of humanity in both her appearance and the manner in which she carried herself, as I am certain that you know. I have been in her service for close to fourteen years Victor and I have seen the way that she talks and behaves, I know of her cruelty and tyranny as well as her generosity and care."

He only kept staring at her with mild surprise, "You think that she intends to kill you Victor and I would be of much the same thought as you, except for the fact that it is not the truth: had my Mistress truly possessed the intentions of murdering you then she would have done so long ago and with little trouble."

This time, she touched his shoulder once more and he didn't react with another flinch, "The Countess has no qualms of seeing to end those whom she abhors and dislikes, you must understand this. But I have never seen her be so amiable with someone besides her three daughters."

"Are you... trying to justify her actions to me?" She shook her head, "Nu, nu, vă ofer doar o altă perspectivă; the fact that she did not end your life then speaks much about your position within her mercy and hatred. Remember that the Countess defended you against Miss Cassandra, her own flesh and blood; I saw the opposite happen many times."

"I believe that the Mistress cares for you Victor, in her own way at least. Văd că acest lucru este greu pentru tine try to simply keep this in mind the next time that you see her, I believe that she means you well, but she simply has expressed herself in an erroneous way." He wiped away the tears that had formed in his eyes.

"That's... you're saying that she tolerates me? Is that the only reason for why she even likes me enough to not slice me right open?" He said with maybe a hint of too much aggressiveness.

Mihaela sighed, "All that I am trying to tell you Victor, is that I firmly believe that the Lady holds some measure of genuine affection towards you and that had not been the case, then you would have been sent to the dungeons to be tortured long ago." "How can you be so sure of this?" The young man whispered to her, "I... just can't forget what she did to me..."

"True, you are right, for I do not have a way to assure you of the validity of my claim, but trust in my judgment Victor, I am sure that the Lady shall contemplate your proposal." He wanted to snort at that, for it seemed extremely evident which stance the Countess had adopted.

"I'll keep that in mind alright? Yeah, I'll just stay here for a little longer, get my thoughts and priorities in order so that I'm all good to go." Mihaela smiled at him, "Good, already you are in a better state than before. I shall see you later then Victor." "Me too then Mihaela, goodbye." And then he was left alone as before.

"Right... I should probably get that job done so I can look at the website... maybe tweak the appearance with html to make an alternate spare prototype version... yes I'll do that just now."

He had made up his mind and he would try to occupy himself with other things.

Later...

"Alright, let's launch the ide and get started." He was soon shown the source code that composed the website. "Let's see if I can make the loading smoother and more refined." There was just a little bit of delay in the transfer of data from going to one page to another and it didn't sit right with him.

He opened a separate tab then so he could track the flow of data and see exactly how the process would work as he made small changes and fixes to the program. When the ominous sound of the clacking heels began to be heard from outside of the room, he felt his anxiety spike upwards.

When the door opened, his heart began to beat furiously against his ribs. Stiffly, he stood up and turned around.

"Victor, I would like to have a word with you."

Chapter End Notes

Yes, things are beginning to change and not for the better. As always, the link to my Discord server is: https/discord.gg/vUK9Y9DbGH and I hope to see you there. Until next time.

The normalcy of words

Chapter Summary

Alcina and Victor have a long talk.

Chapter Notes

So... yeah, this was quite the hiatus I took; the reason as to why I took it was mostly because of school and the last exams that we have for the schoolyear. By the end of the month I'll habe to do my finals and graduate, and then I'll be off to college. Anyways, that's enough about me, enjoy the chapter!

See the end of the chapter for more notes

"Y-Y-Yes?"

Victor looked up, raising his gaze to tentatively meet the Countess' own eyes.

They were cold, glacial even, and he hated it. To him, this was the confirmation that she had not yet let go of her wrath.

Cautiously, he moved away from the chair and to the side of the table, constantly looking at the long arms that laid by her side. The last thing that he wanted to experience were her hands upon his flesh, seeking to grasp, squeeze and crush.

The memory of the sheer hopelessness that he had experienced the day prior was back in full force and he paled at the realization that it would eventually happen again.

"D-Do you... sorry, g-good morning M-My Lady, d-did you s-sleep w-well?" Maybe it was useless, to try to appease her with pleasantries and simple greetings and the outcome of whatever would happen would not change.

"I could ask you much the same Victor." She replied back curtly and swiftly; the teen resisted the urge to flinch back, as if he had been struck.

"Y-Yeah.. it could have b-been better though..." He wanted to make himself smaller, for he could not handle her look. Like a poisoned flower, he had allowed himself to be attracted to her beauty and had not noticed the rest of her, the venom that coated the black petals of the rose, exactly like the one that she carried on her chest.

"Well... w-what did you w-want to talk a-about?" Victor asked her. "What you told me last evening, it has giving me much to think."

The Countess began to speak, taking a couple of steps forward. "You want to leave my castle... is it something that you truly desire?" There were no hints that could tell him how she truly was at the moment: whether she was genuinely being calm or if she was faking her own anger.

"Yes... My Lad- "Alcina. I told you that my title was not needed when we are alone." She interrupted him and by extent, the action surprised him.

"P-Please, I j-just want to get b-back to my h-home A-Alcina. I swear t-that I'll do whatever you a-ask of me with the website, I'll e-even get you a s-smartphone so you c-can directly be in t-touch with me and- "This has nothing to do with the website, nor the money that comes from it Victor."

And then, the Countess sighed, lowering her head slightly as her hat followed suit. "Victor, I have come to care for you deeply, more than I would have initially thought." She reached forward and he stepped back. A flash of hurt crossed her golden eyes and her ruby lips closed together.

"I realized that I scared you yesterday... and I apologize for hurting you." There was regret in her voice and it made him gasp in surprise.

"My emotions ran freely and I allowed them to take control over my actions, thus negating rational thought. I was no better than the lycans that I warned you of." With a deep sigh, the matron of house Dimitrescu cupped his cheek, offering him a warm feeling and sending his heart to a quickening beat.

"I do care for you Victor, in more ways than I would like to admit. The friendship that was born between us was not expected... but not unwelcome." Her thumb, the same digit that had oh so recently been more akin to a claw and that had dug into his flesh, was now soothingly rubbing over his cheek and lips.

"Y-You want to keep m-me here?" He asked her fearfully, gulping as his stomach twisted into knots. "Yes." She answered plainly as she closed her eyes.

"You are so young Victor, so naive and pure, yet to be tainted by the evil of this world. Forgive me for sounding condescending, but I do not believe that you truly realize the extent of the dangers that lurk in this valley." "B-But the Duke's here, so is Karl and Bela and... y- you." There was some wetness upon his blue orbs that threatened to spill.

"I am aware that you want to escape from this valley."

He froze and his eyes widened in horror, "It needed not a genius to realize it Victor... but I cannot fault you for having such a desire. I see the way that you are staring at me now. I see the fear within you, your trembling."

"Y-You... w-were going to k-kill me Alcina." He chocked out, his throat painfully tight as his vision became blurry with his tears.

The lines of her mouth were pulled down in a shocked expression. "Nu, zei, nu Victor! I would not kill you, no, no I would never do so!" Her other hand came to hold him.

"Y-You.. you assaulted m-me Alcina! Y-You.., hurt t-the m-maids! You k-kill them!" She stayed silent at that.

"I... I am t-terrified o-of you... I t-thought that we w-were friends! F-Fucking friends don't kill each o-other!" He wrenched himself free from her hold and stepped away.

The Countess' eyes widened considerably, "Victor... please, I did not do it to harm you..." She whispered, but did not move closer to him. "H-How can I believe you?" He replied back with a whisper as well.

He saw a range of emotions pass over her face, too many to be properly distinguished and categorized.

"I have given this much consideration Victor," She began to talk, her hands coming to rest together as she straightened her posture as she addressed him more formally, "Given your loyalty to my family and your continuous help, I have decided to allow you permission to leave the grounds of Castle Dimitrescu."

For a couple of moments, all he could was openly stare at her in clear shock.

"A-Are you being s-serious r-right now? Is t-this for real?" The words were spoken carefully, cautiously as to not cause her any anger

"Yes Victor, I am." She sighed, "I did not want it to come to this... but I have come to understand that you are your own person, with your own freedom and desires." "A-As I have a-already t-told you, I c-can still work remotely o-on the website, online connection and a-all that."

Another sad frown pulled at her lips, "And as I said earlier, this is not about the website Victor, nor is it about the coin, I have more than enough already... it is about you." She whispered. The teen closed his eyes and sighed, "I... care for y-you too A-Alcina... b-but you're a monster... y-you... how c-can we be f-friends if t-there's the c-chance that y-you'll react so v-violently once m-more?"

His stuttering was worsening and the Countess took a step back, as if it would help to calm him. "I regret hurting you Victor, and as I previously stated, it was never my intention to bring you harm. I..." She paused and looked away, for a moment she seemed to be more vulnerable, "I would like for you to stay here in the Castle, by my side."

"I'm s-sorry... b-but I just c-can't... I-I can't be s-sure... I d-don't feel safe h-here..." He confessed, feeing guilty.

"So you will leave the valley then?" Alcina asked him, almost as if she were recognizing and accepting the fact that he was going to move away." Victor let out a small shrug with his shoulders, "I-I don't k-know... there's t-this c-cute girl down in the Village... s-she's pretty g- good, nice and k-kind... she's more open minded than t-the r-rest... and caring and r-really great..."

"I see..." The Countess gave him a small smile, "I am gladdened that you can at least find happiness with someone..." The words sounded genuine to him, "T-Thank you Alcina... that's k-kind of you t-to say."

"I shall have some of the maids see to prepare you an adequate bag filled with your belongings." "Y-Yeah... yeah... thanks for t-taking care of my stuff... I'll... can I s-spend the n- night here? A-And leave i-in the m-morning?" The teen asked the Countess. "Of course Victor... you shall always be welcomed here as a dear friend."

"O-Ok... I'll go u-upstairs now, pack s-some of my stuff over there... I'll e-eat lunch over t- there too, alright?" "Then I'll have Mihaela bring you something." She added with another smile, though the sadness was still evident.

"Thanks... s-see you later." He closed the ide and shut down the pc, before unplugging it and bringing it to his room. Silently he stood in front of the window and opened it, the cold, cold air blowing past his face, biting and freezing... but it felt nice, it made him feel comfortable, alive even.

His throat was tight, the evident warning that he was on the verge of shedding tears from his blue eyes. It felt surreal, the fact that the Countess was actually letting him go, scot-free. Victor would go back to that little house that he purchased a year ago... and he would not have to worry about anything ever again.

Cristina would be with him, he would even have Heisenberg and the Duke as company... and all would be good. Sure, the lycans would obviously be a threat to him, as they would pose a lethal danger, maybe the townsfolk would be less than friendly, but that wasn't anything that he hadn't already experienced in the past.

Swiftly, he packed up his stuff, putting his pc back into its case, and simply getting ready. He had half a mind to call Karl so that he could help him with bringing his computer and the case, for doing so alone would be a bit problematic to say the least.

He took out his Iphone and began to check up on a few things, to pass the time and wait until lunch would come.

Scrolling few a couple of emails, he checked the news and continued to see that there were a couple of of job offerings from people who needed help in the software department. At the moment, he would still not take on any of such requests, for he valued his own well-being first.

He had enough money to at least get out of the Valley and settle somewhere else... but maybe that was not needed. He could always be with Cristina and perhaps she would want to do the

same thing. Maybe though, that all could still happen. To him, it didn't seem like she was all that close to the Village itself.

Mihaela would then come to deliver him some food, greeting him with a warm smile. "Is all well Victor?" "Yes, everything's great, actually... the Countess gave me her permission to leave, so I'll be moving out tomorrow morning... you won't have to worry about changing my sheets anymore." He joked a little and she chuckled in response.

"That is good to hear. Anyways, I must get going as the Countess is having her own lunch with her daughters." "What did you bring me?" He asked her curiously, "It is a three- flavored Mititei. I hope that you will enjoy it." She set the steaming plate down on the table along with a napkin a glass and some cutlery.

"I most certainly will." Victor could already smell the cooked meat and poultry, which promised to satisfy his hunger. "Alright then, if that is all then I shall get going. When you are done you can leave the plate outside of the door, another maid will pick it up." "Cool. See you later?" "Of course Victor. Until later."

From outside his window, he could make out the mountains that surrounded the village and valley. For once, it was snowing less than usual and that actually permitted him to see things more clearly.

Still, he was unable to spot the small house, but Victor was calmed by the thought that come the end of the day, he would finally be within that simple abode once more.

He let out a hum and sat on the bed, letting his shoulders relax as he closed his eyelids. It was only a question of waiting at this point... but since he was currently occupied with doing nothing, Victor decided to do something productive, which was to call Karl... except he didn't have a way to reach him, as he was sure that the Lord did not possess a phone.

"I should get him one though. It would make things real easy going forward..." He was aware that the Countess could contact him, for he knew that there was still one of those wired phones within her office.

"But... I'll have to ask her about it..." The teen was wary of her, of what she had done and especially of what she could do if pushed towards that direction enough.

Once more, the conflict of choosing an option raged inside of his mind: one side was governed by fear and panic, the other by logic and hope. "She'll either do what I ask her to do or she'll be offended and enraged. There's no middle ground in this."

His fingers tapped on the thick covers of the bedsheets, "But she did state that I'm a friend and that I'll always be welcome here. It can't hurt to try now, can it?" That's what he would do. He had finally reached a conclusion to his internal turmoil.

"Let's just get this over with." In and out, this would take 20 minutes at most. Victor couldn't help the small, cheeky smile that had formed upon his lips upon realizing that he had unintentionally made a meme reference. "Rick would be proud."

He didn't bother to really say hi to the maids anymore. They always seemed to treat him differently, less like a human being, more like something else... perhaps that was because the members of House Dimitrescu saw him as a guest? But then again, that would not make much sense, given that Mihaela obviously had the favor and trust of the Lady and from what he could tell, the maidens treated her the same as they would one another, so he was lost on that front.

Though in his heart, he wished to at least say goodbye to Ioana and Adina, feeling guilty that he would be leaving them to themselves. Victor wasn't going to pretend that his presence had been all that grand or earth-shattering, but he liked to think that they appreciated his company, as he had theirs. That was his hope... it made him feel good about himself, for it would have been proof that he provided some form of comfort to another human being.

It appalled him that there was no indication of the presence of the sisters, but he excused it at the notion that they were likely occupied with other things. Sure, if Bela was around, it would have made his life easier at the current moment.

"Excuse me, where is the Countess?" He asked the next maiden that he passed by, who in turn gave him an almost disgusted look.

Rudely, she did not answer and instead pointed towards another hall. With half a mind to flip her the bird, he started down that direction, sucking in some air.

A couple minutes later, and especially after asking for some more directions, he went towards one of the minor entrances that would lead outsides of the castle.

He felt a little nervous though, traversing the spiral of marble stairs that was leading him lower and lower... it reminded him too much of the dungeon of the fortress, it reminded him of the horrors that he had seen in it.

Luckily though, Victor would reach the bottom of the stairs and would follow along another short hallway, though this one was constructed with hard, grey stone and lacked any of the luxury that the other parts of the Castle possessed. At its end was a heavy wooden door and with some difficulty, he managed to push it open, impeded by the fact that a heavy wind was blowing against it.

And a couple dozen feet away the Countess stood, her back to him as she observed the dark and gloomy forest of pine trees that extended to cover the rest of mountains.

"M-MY LADY?" He had to yell out because of the loud wind, cupping his hands around his mouth as he struggled forth against the fury of the sky.

Instantly, she whirled around, golden eyes locking on his form. With an amount of speed that she should not have been capable of exuding, she was by him in less than a couple of seconds, grasping his arms and looking him over.

"Prost, prost băiat, why have you come out here Victor? You shall be affected with a cold and all manner of other sickness by exposing yourself to the elements." She chastised him

like a mother would to her child.

He looked away, "I... I wanted to see you Alcina." Whatever annoyance at his own lack of self preservation she had melted away in that moment.

"Oh, Victor, baiat naiv, I did not mean to offend you. Come, let us return inside." She pulled him closer to her frame and walked forward as to better defend him against the wind.

When they were back inside, she looked over him, checking his nose and ears. "There have been cases of frostbite Victor, even during the summer. It is not advisable to go outside without proper protection." She told him as she concluded her small search. "Yeah... that wasn't really a bright moment of mine was it?" "No, no it was not." A minuscule smile had formed over her mouth.

"You wished to tell me something, I presume." She wondered aloud and he nodded his head at her. "Yes, actually... I was wondering if you could... call... Karl?" He asked and lowered his gaze, not catching the brief look of annoyance passing over her like a veil.

"Is there a particular reason as of why you wish to contact him?" "Well, it's just to have a hand in bringing my stuff down to my house... bringing a case pc isn't exactly easy with all of the other things that I must also carry." She sighed, "As you say then, you have provided a satisfactory explanation and as such that little cretin that is my brother shall be called and instructed to come in the morning."

"Thank you Alcina, really." She waved her hand, "Was the meal of your lunch of a high enough quality?" "Oh, yeah, sure, it was." They had begun to return to the actual ground floor of the Castle, leaving the minor passage behind them.

"Alcina, I wanted to ask you, where are your daughters?" What he really meant to ask was where was Bela specifically, but Victor did have enough self preservation to realize that it would most likely be offensive to so blatantly cast his disinterest on the younger siblings of the Countess in such a brazen and open manner.

"They are currently occupied with their own interests. Bela is reading a book concerning Marx's Capital, Cassandra is replicating one of Magritte's most famous paintings and Daniela is attempting to formulate and write a new musical piece to incorporate in her performance." He shouldn't have been that surprised, yet Victor could not help but be: the interests of the Dimitrescu daughters were all inherited from the interests of their mother and it amazed him that she could be so knowledgeable on so many things.

Alcina could play the piano, paint, read about philosophy and understand it, even sing and she knew how to speak many languages. And it was on that final point that a question arose within him.

"I wanted to ask you, because I'm curious, how many languages do you know how to speak?" The Lady smiled, her eyes glowing with a light golden hue as she stared down at him.

"I know many Victor. I have learned the tongues of many countries in the course of my life." "Can I know which ones?"

If she was annoyed at his insistence, she did not show it. "Well, I speak Romanian, obviously. I am also capable of perfectly speaking in English, French, Spanish, German and Italian. I am mostly fluent in Russian and the majority of the languages from the Baltic and Slavic regions of Europe and I know how to read, write and speak in ancient greek, latin and hebrew, though those are dead tongues."

"You... wow... that's... crazy actually you know... like 8 languages?" "It would be closer to fifteen, actually." She corrected him gently. "I... Christ I cannot wrap my head around that number." She chuckled, "Many of them I learned because it was expected of me, as the next heiress of House Dimitrescu. It would have been unacceptable had I not been capable of communicating in the way that nobility is expected to."

It did make sense though, from that perspective at least. He cast a glance to her, wanting to continue talking but stopped himself upon seeing that her gaze was elsewhere, staring inside of a void.

She was deep in thought, Victor understood that, so he decided to patiently wait until she would come out of her trance on her own.

"Yes, there have been many a thing that I have learned over the course my long life... perhaps I could help to teach you a great deal of said things." She spoke in a quieter tone.

"Anyhow, would you care to have some tea with me Victor?" "Uh... yeah, why not?" She smiled at his answer, clearly pleased that he had decided to agree with her proposal.

"Right then, follow this way, if you will." She led him to one of the many minor chambers, that was not too distant from the Opera Hall form which a delightful melody sounded out, putting his mind at ease.

He was surprised when Iona was the one to bring the tray with the cups, tea and biscuits. "Do you wish to have something else Victor? The pastry is still full with all kinds of sweets and delicacies to tickle your sweet-tooth." Her voice lowered considerably, almost becoming a purr.

The teen felt his face go hot with embarrassment and he stuttered a little, "A-Are there c- chocolate chip cookies?" "I am afraid not Mr Press, though I shall go and take a proper look to see what may be brought as an adequate substitute." It bothered him a little bit to see that she was being so formal with him but she had a duty and it was her job after all.

"Oh... it seems as if I have forgotten my vial." The Countess noted, a frown crossing her fair features. "Victor, would you be a dear and allowed me to take all but two drops of your blood." "I mean... okay."

To deny that he felt a rush of nervousness go over him would have meant to tell a lie. With some mild hesitation, he offered his index finger to her just as she extended one of her terrible claws. "There, just hold it over the tea, like this." Gently, she positioned her talon over the tip of his digit and nicked him with the smallest of movements.

He let out a trembling breath as he watched what were exactly two drops of blood drip down into the liquid, coloring it red.

"Thank you Victor..." From her tone of voice, it was obvious that she meant to continue her sentence, so tried to edge her on, "Yes Alcina?"

"You will come and visit us, yes? In the months to come now that you will not be in my castle any longer, you will come to see me and my kin yes?" And for but a fleeting instance, he heard the slight waver in her voice which was so unlike what he was usually used to hearing her.

"Alcina, why would you even doubt that? Of course I'll come and see you guys, I'll make time, you know and..." But he meant to leave the Valley completely... that was if he managed to convince Cristina or if he would simply decide that she was not worth the effort. "Yeah, I'll make sure to come here and maybe try to bring some kind of present or treat... is there some kind of chocolate that your daughters like? White, milk, dark chocolate?"

"Oh, they do enjoy all kinds of sweets Victor, it does not matter much." "What about you then? You at least have a favorite right?"

She sipped her tea, not answering immediately, "I must say that you pose a most difficult question to me Victor. You would be surprised at how varied and different the culinary realm can become... but, I tend to favor meals that are special, unique even... that are different from the mass of other desserts and who stand alone." She stated, peering into the red tea of her cup.

"Okay. So something exotic and special... alright then, with the power of the Internet I shall find you something suitable." The Countess laughed then, such a beautiful noise caressed his ears as he had the fortune of hearing it. "I do not mean to disappoint or demoralize you Victor, but I doubt that your technology will be capable of providing an appropriate dessert." There was a slight tone of challenge to her talk, almost goading him to answer back in kind.

"Well then, My Lady, I feel the need to tell you that you're gonna have to start respecting the web a lot more. Mark my words, you'll be more than surprised with what Google can procure me." "Oh, and I most certainly do plan to keep your words in mind my dear Mr Press."

They shared a chuckle after that small bit of banter. It was still nice, when things were like this. But... when would she snap again?

That was the question that haunted Victor constantly. He could have no guarantee that she would stay calm and rational, by her own admittance she had failed to do so and that worried him terribly.

"Victor, is there something that is bothering you?" She had finished her drink, whilst he still had yet to even touch his. "Are you feeling ill? Is there something wrong with the tea?"

He sighed, "No, no I'm sorry. I'm just you know, thinking about stuff and this and that." He picked up the little plate on which the cup was placed.

"I don't think that I've ever drank this much tea in all of my life. It's quite something isn't it, right?" "Indeed, the youth of the past generations have all but forgotten the delight that a small snack with tea can procure." She commented, wiping her mouth with a snow-white napkin.

"Still, it is nice to be aware that there are exceptions." He drank it quite quickly, liking the soothing warmth that it brought to his throat. "You know, I'll also make sure to order some tea packings. You'll have to admit that the web reigns supreme after that!"

"Do keep being in denial Mr Press. In the end, the outcome shall be the same as always and shall only remain deluded." And there it was again, that invitation of challenge.

The mood was lighthearted and good, truly there was nothing that really bothered him at moment, besides the usual worrying.

But for once, it felt nice, it felt really nice actually, that he could pretend that she hadn't acted like that before.

Was he pretending though? It did not matter, not that much really.

"Well, I'll go back up and do a few more rounds of checking my stuff. I'll see you tomorrow then My Lady?" She got up, steepling her hands together.

"Of course Victor. Until then." The young man left the room with a slight skip to his step, but had he turned around in that moment, he would have taken notice of the sharp, malignant smile that was forming on her ruby lips.

Chapter End Notes

The link to the Discord server is: https/discord.gg/vUK9Y9DbGH I hope to see you there, until next time.

Update on the story

Greetings to you all.

I know that many of you will probably be dissapointed in finding out that this isn't a real chapter, but I felt the need to address the lack of new content on my part.

To make it clear, I am not abandoning this story nor my Castlevania and Asoiaf one. I have graduated high school with top marks and in September I'll start my studies at university. It's safe to say that for the first couple of months I won't be very active as I plan to settle and get myself used to the work and study rhythm. In light of that, the second reason as to why I haven't published anything in over 2 months is because I have started work on a fourth story, one about Warhammer 40k, based around the time of the Horus Heresy. I am currently trying to finish the first arc of the story, so that I can publish some content in those 2 months of inactivity. Thus that explains the absence of updates for this and my other two fics.

I thank you all for waiting patiently as you do, if you have any questions or if you want to personally reach out to me in private, you can join my Discord Server at https/discord.gg/vUK9Y9DbGH which I recommend you all do, as I usually give updates on my progress or future plans. I hope this helps justify my prolonged absence. I shall see you all in a few months time.

Until next time.

Freedom

Chapter Summary

Victor achieves what he has sought for the most; grateful and joyous he prepares to return to some semblance of normality.

Chapter Notes

Well... it has indeed been a long time since I've updated this. I did mention in my last post that I would have started to publish chapters mid-november, I did indeed miss that deadline and for that you have my apologies. Hopefully updates will be more frequent.

See the end of the chapter for more notes

"W-What do you m-mean you're l-leaving?"

Bela's lip quivered as her eyes became glassy, for she could not comprehend what she was being told.

"I'm going back to the Village Bela, back to my old house. That's where I belong... that's where I have all of my stuff and tech." "So you're leaving us? Forever?" Her voice was on the verge of cracking, she was on the verge of sobbing.

The sight of it made Victor's heart hurt, for he was causing this distress to his friend. "God no Bela, I'll come back every once in a while to visit, I already promised your Lady Mother that I would." She reached forth and grabbed his shoulders, gripping them tightly.

"Promise to me too then, that you will come back. I want you to promise that you'll come back and never leave!" She hugged him then, her entire frame slightly shaking as she was to the point of finally crying.

Victor hugged her back as he tried his best to calm her down, to show that he was willing to keep that promise. "It's alright... it's alright. You know that I care about you and your family right? You guys helped me, a lot. Even in ways that I didn't expect." Her hood was down, so that meant that her long blonde hair was free.

Trying to soothe her, he began to gently drag his fingers through her straight mane of beaten yellow to the best of his abilities. "Come on now, nothing will change. Heh, you know, I bet that if you ask your mother, she'll gladly allow you to come see me. Maybe we can play some games on the consoles... maybe we can even do a pajama party of sorts? Setting up a second bed shouldn't be hard at all."

Victor attempted to joke to her, trying to change her current attitude... it made him feel like a piece of human garbage. Words were hurtful and Bela had never been anything less than nice to him.

She sniffled, "Y-You would do that for me Victor?"

He smiled brightly at her, "Sure! Your sisters can come as well, even your mother too... just try and make sure that Daniela won't break anything." He still hadn't forgotten the destroyed pair of headphones. He was lucky that those were replaceable enough, his consoles and pc really weren't. They did cost him quite a lot of money.

Slowly, she too started to smile as well.

"Victor! I got all of your stuff packed up, I'm ready to go whenever you are." Heisenberg's head popped out from the doorframe to inform him.

"Thanks Karl, just give me a few more minutes to say goodbye and we'll get going." He gave him a thumbs up to indicate his satisfaction with it as the other retreated.

"I have to go talk to Mihaela, could you please give me a moment?" "Yes, go on Victor." He rubbed her arm one last time before turning on his heel and heading towards the maid's quarters as she composed herself, brushing the tears on her cheeks with a deep green handkerchief.

He was looking for Ioana and Adina really. He wanted to at least thank them for being with him through it all. They had helped him tremendously so this was truly the bare minimum that he could do to repay that help.

It took him some time but eventually, he managed to find the two.

"So you are finally leaving?" Adina asked with hope, "Yes. The Countess gave me her blessing and is allowing me to leave." They looked to be amazed at the revelation.

"In all of my years of servitude to House Dimitrescu I have never heard of the Lady doing such a thing. You truly are a special and blessed boy Victor." Iona gave him a hug which he readily accepted and returned. The second woman soon followed suit.

"Thank you guys, really. I'll come visit every once in a while. Is there anything you would like me to get from the Village? Something that the Duke doesn't have?" "Oh, you are a most generous and humble man Victor, but I am content with what I have and besides, there is nothing in town that the Duke does not already have." "I am fine as well Victor, thank you though, for your kindness."

He wished that he could stay and talk to them for some time longer... but he had been given a chance and he was not going to lose it.

"I may come around a few times... I'll come and say hi if I do." And with that, he left them so that they could go on with their daily duties with him impeding them.

He also ended up talking with Mihaela as well, thanking her profusely for all that she had done for him over the past months, from the small pieces of advice to all the times that she had actually looked after his well-being.

When it was all done, he walked back to the main foyer, where the entirety of the Dimitrescu family and the remaining member of House Heisenberg were waiting for him, his bags were placed right next to the fourth Lord.

"Ah! I'm so glad you got here, I was just about to fucking claw my ears out with listening to the this stuck up bitch." He had to suppress his smile at their incessant bickering, especially when the Lady's frown deepened severely in fury.

"Thanks for helping me out, I couldn't have done this without you." "Oh shut up, you're my only real friend over here, but as the Duke would say, my services are not free."

Doubt settled on Victor's face as he looked at the man, "I'm sorry, what?" "You'll have to pay me back this favor Victor, everything has a cost in this world you know?"

"Heisenberg, what is this foul mockery that you are playing?" Alcina growled out as she glared at the much shorter man.

"Wait, it's fine, he's right. Well tell me what you want." A row of white teeth filled the space between Karl's lips as he gave him a cheshire grin.

"You're going to come and see my factory and with the Duke's help, we're going to set up some of that twentyfirst century technology." Relief flooded in him as the Countess sighed, "Why am I so surprised that you would ask him to follow you into that filthy and putrid dump that you call home?"

His gaze snapped up to her, his shaded glasses low enough that his unnatural grey and yellow eyes could be easily seen, "Hey! I told you to shut your fucking mouth about my factory! Not all of us can afford to have a castle!"

The Lady huffed, "Then why is it that your domain is lifeless? Why is it always dirty?" He growled at her words, "I stand correct with my statement then, your factory is no true home." She haughtily replied, evidently pleased to have won their little spat of words.

"At least its fucking practical and functional! Can you say the same about this place? Yeah, I didn't think so either!" He flipped her the bird and took his bags before heading towards the massive doors, using his powers to open it.

"I'll wait for you by the path that we took to get here, the one that ends up in the Maiden of War's square of the Village." He called out to Victor without looking back once, simply marching forward.

The teen was quite surprised at the brief exchange: he had feared and somewhat predicted that their bickering would have escalated at a tremendous rate, so he was really left speechless by Karl's self-restraint.

"That insufferable cretin, este posibil ca un om mic și idiot să fie mai enervant decât un dăunător?" She snarled, her fangs gleaming.

Daniela had a mischievous grin on her face, probably because she was the closest to Heisenberg; Cassandra was glaring daggers at him and Bela seemed to be complexity unfazed by the exchange.

With a sigh, the Countess brought her hands together and turned towards him. "I offer you my apologies Victor, it was unbecoming of me to rise up to his barbs." He waved her off, "It's no big deal My Lady... I can... somewhat understand..." He slowed down his talking as his mind began to travel back a few years, to when he still lived with-

No, he would not think of them, not at this present moment he wouldn't. "Are you alright Victor?" Alcina spoke to him, a touch of concern in her powerful voice. "Y-Yeah, I'm sorry I was just thinking of some things. But like I said earlier; it's no big deal."

He clapped his hands, "Well then... I guess this is it. I wanted to thank you, My Lady and your daughters as well, for having allowed me to stay in this wonderful and beautiful castle. I will never forget of your generosity and I shall always be in debt to you for this." He gave a small bow at the end, hoping that he had done a good enough job to convey his thoughts.

Victor knew of how proud Alcina was, so he wanted to try and give her his most heartfelt thanks, attempting to do so with a more flowery selection of words than he would have usually utilized, and possibly without making a fool out of himself.

Cassandra snorted, "Idiot." She murmured under her breath only to get elbowed in the ribs by Daniela. "That was beautiful Victor! Thank you so much!" She launched herself at him, spinning him around while giggling as he tried not to fall over.

Only her mother's pointed glare made her stop and set him down. "You'll come back right?" "Yeah, I will." He gave her a strained nod, feeling shook.

"Mihaela, the bag." The Countess held out her hand and the head-maid placed the item in it.

"Victor, I would speak with you in private." She told him, pursing her lips and straightening up.

"Of course, that's fine by me."

They went outside and were assaulted by the cold wind of the Romanian mountains. "Victor, are you coming or not? I'm freezing my balls here and the presence of that bitch isn't making it any better." He didn't need to turn around to sense the Countess' glowering.

"Head down, I'll be with you." "Alright, but don't take long! I have some shit that needs some sorting!" He picked up the bags and walked back down the pathway, soon disappearing from their view.

"Victor, about what you stated before in the Foyer, you needn't feel as if you have a debt towards me."

Her gloved fingers touched his chin and he looked up into her striking gold eyes. His breath hitched, as it always did whenever he saw her smile. "When you saved Bela, you payed whatever you owed me a thousand times over and more."

Her fingers moved up and cupped the side of his face, gently stroking her thumb over his lips. The cold had left him, he only felt the warmth of her hand through the sleek, black leather of her glove.

"Before you leave, I have a request that I hope you'll accept." "Yes, whatever you need Alcina." He nodded earnestly as she chuckled.

"I'd wish to... taste your blood... one last time before you go, so that I may remember you not only by my memories but by your essence as well." His cheeks reddened and he blushed, suddenly feeling embarrassed and self-conscious.

"Thank you baiatul meu drag." She drew her head close to him, her hand moving down to shift the fabri of his heavy jacket away and expose the soft flesh of his neck.

Victor swallowed thickly as he felt her breath on his skin, her lips hovering over a spot before softly touching down on it, widening slightly to allow her sharp, pointed fangs to rest against it.

And then she bit down and he yelped at the sharp pain, but he relaxed soon afterward, coaxed by her gentle hold.

The Countess drank deeply and ravenously and he felt the tips of his fingers tingle, his vision becoming foggy as he lightly swayed, leaning against her.

"A-Alcina, that's..." He tapped her on the arm and thankfully she pulled back, gasping, eyes blown wide and energized before she smiled and hid her bloodied mouth with her hand.

"My apologizes Victor, I let myself get carried away, are you feeling alright?" "N-No, it's fine." He laughed softly.

She settled the jacket back on him and took a step back, pulling out a brand new scarf, made out of expensive black silk and inlaid with priceless gold that formed the sigil of House Dimitrescu.

"Here, allow me." With practiced movements she placed the fabric around his neck and tied it neatly, ridding it of any creases and wrinkles.

"Alcina this... it's beautiful." He felt the wonderful texture of the scarf and melted into its softness. "Wear it well Victor, this is my favor, all who see it shall now that you are an esteemed friend of House Dimitrescu."

The Countess stood up and for a moment he saw a hint of sadness pass over her. "I trust that you can make your way back to the Village?" Victor nodded, "Yes, Karl will give me a hand for that..."

He coughed into his hand and waited, hoping that she would say something else as the silence between them grew awkward.

"Bela shall be expecting letters, and so shall I." She said at last.

"I'll start writing when I get back home. It will be the first thing that I'll do, I promise." She grinned at him, "Until next we meet Victor, may you fare well."

"You as well Alcina... goodbye."

And with that, he turned around, making sure to walk at a steady pace as his heart began to hammer at the prospect that it was over... he had done it.

He

Chapter End Notes

And this was the chapter, things will start to pick up now, please consider leaving a comment if you liked it as well as constructive criticism if you have any. The link to my

Discord Server is at: https/discord.gg/vUK9Y9DbGH you can use it if you wish to contact me directly. Until next time.

A New Life

Chapter Summary

Victor settles back into his home.

Chapter Notes

Well then, five months later and I've finally updated, hopefully it won't take me another five for the next chapter!

See the end of the chapter for more notes

Humming, Victor dusted his electronics.

He had spent the better part of the day cleaning his house, which was chalk-full with dust, no matter how well Karl had cleaned it.

It still seemed almost surreal: the fact that he now could freely walk where he wanted and when he wanted. Passing from the basement and the ground floor felt good, because he felt a sense of familiarity in doing so.

This was the second day that he had been allowed out of Castle Dimitrescu. The first day he spent finding Cristina and reuniting.

They had hugged and had even cried for a bit, both extremely happy to see each other once more. They had talked, laughed, talked some more and it had all been very good and pleasant.

And they would see each other again this evening, she would bring him some much needed food.

Victor would also ask if she would be in the mood to do a sleepover with him. That would be very nice as well.

Grabbing the broom, he swept the floor, the carpet that would usually cover the center of the chamber had been folded on its side and was put against the one of the four corners.

He was just finishing up now with the basement, the room that in his opinion was the most valuable in the entire house.

Karl had even left him a very nice surprise: he had essentially reinforced the house's wall and outer frame.

The door and windows had received new supports of steel and were now more durable than before. With his power of metallurgy he had even fit in some more wires and had provided a stable connection with the generators of his own Factory.

He had thanked him dearly for that. It did make him feel much safer as well, as Karl had sworn to him that the door would now be able to withstand any attack coming from a lycan.

It was relieving, considering that the last time that he had crossed paths with one had not been too good.

"Alright... the monitors have been wiped, so have all the consoles, the router is working, the fiber connection is registered... it should all be good now."

A new addition had also been made to the basement, always as per Karl's curtesy; a couple new compartment drawers had been installed in one of the clear spaces against the wall.

Victor already had a good idea on what he wanted he would have wanted to fill them with: one would be reserved for everything that he'd use for gaming purposes: external storage devices, internal storage devices, whether they would be hdds or ssds, cable connectors, disks, memory drives, trinkets and such and more.

The other pair would be reserved for pc components of all kinds. But then he stopped for a moment and remembered what he had promised himself to do: leave the Village.

Victor had been a prisoner to the Countess. He knew that very well, he had been a hostage all but for a couple days ago. Yes she had pampered him quite a lot, but it did not change the fact that she had still kept him there and had forbidden him from leaving for more than a year.

She had even attacked him at one point... he'd never forget that. And how could he? The Countess... the Countess had so much blood on her hands. There was a good reason as to why the entirety of the Village feared her.

God, he couldn't help but think back to the maids that he had befriended, would Mihaela make it out in the end? He remembered the Lady mentioning that some of the senior maids could retire once they had served for a number of years and that they retained many benefits.

But how often did that outcome come to pass? He couldn't possibly know.

Huffing he chided himself for stopping to think and took to finish sweeping the floor. He placed the carpet back in its original place and went upstairs, noticing that it was nearly time to eat lunch.

"Let's see... anything in here?" He mumbled to himself as he opened the his fridge. Victor hadn't properly gone to buy meat yet, so he had to make do with what little he had at hand.

"Vegetables it is then, some pasta maybe too? I should have some here..." He searched one of the upper cabinets and retrieved some of the dried food.

As Victor silently worked and cooked, he kept thinking about what he would do.

He needed to escape, to get away from this Village... it was just so dangerous and while the townsfolk had grown accustomed to the every day dangers, he had not.

He didn't want to worry about going out and getting gutted by a literal werewolf. He had no wish for that. And then there was the cult leader herself: Mother Miranda.

Victor did not forget how she would look at him, like some kind of animal to be experimented on. She was a clear danger that he needed to keep away from.

And then there was the Countess herself... had he truly fallen in love with her during his captivity? Had he really begun to forget that he was a prisoner?

Now that he was away from the Castle he had realized just how cruel she was. Mayhaps he had been too blindsided to notice it, but now it was clear as day to him.

Cassandra was a butcher, a sadist who had cut him up and had injured him, Daniela was perhaps even more unhinged and Bela... Victor sighed as he thought about her.

He had risked his life to save her. And she did treat him right and with respect... but she was still the daughter of the Countess, she was still her heir and there was no denying that she sought to emulate her mother.

By all accounts the smartest move would have been that to leave and never look back, move into another country in Eastern Europe where he could not be easily reached.

He could flexible with his job and he had bagged quite a lot of cash already for all of the work that he had done, from making the website and updating it.

If he played his cards right he could give the Countess a phone and they could stay in contact that way, he would work on maintaining the sight and he would take a minor payment for that.

But he had also met Karl and the man had been a true friend to him and he had done so much. And then there was the Duke, the jolly giant who sold him items of every possible type and at a reasonable pride too.

And finally, there was Cristina as well. Oh, how he wished to bring her away from the hellhole that was the Village, alas he knew she would never leave this town.

She was proud and this was the place of her birth... he knew she wouldn't want to move on, she was stubborn like that and his heart ached.

Victor would readily admit that he indeed have feelings for her, romantic feelings. She was kindhearted but also strong and independent. He... he could eventually picture himself settling down with her.

And she was a phenomenal cook after all, no matter how much she tried to deny it.

The frothing and boiling water that pushed against the pan of his pot brought his attention back to the present and he scrambled forward to remove the cover, cursing at his own carelessness.

"Damn me and my daydreaming..." He chuckled and set up a plate at the table alongside a glass and a fork.

He'd go to see her again in a couple of hours, maybe even keep her company as long as he didn't intrude and bother her while she was doing business in the shop.

He had half a mind to go see if the Duke was around, so that he would be able to buy a small gift of some kind, like a cake or something relatively small that could be eaten quickly.

His pasta was ready so he took to eating it.

And then he felt as if someone was watching him. Victor put down his fork and stopped, he looked around for a couple of moments before catching something moving at the edge of his kitchen window.

"The fuck?" It was clearly a villager, so he grabbed his coat and went to the front door as he saw that the man was trying to look through his windows. Why was he even spying on him?

He unlocked the door and stepped out on the snow, watching as the sneaky spy jumped at the sound.

"Can I help you?" Victor asked, crossing his arms, annoyed by the fact that he was being interrupted.

"Ești mort! Nimeni primește milă de la Contesă!" The villager said, his tone accusatory. Victor rolled his eyes at his words. Sure, he did guess that it was strange that he had returned from the Castle alive, but that didn't mean he was going to become some kind of spectacle for the townsfolk to look at.

"Yeah, I'm not dead, now fuck off! Pleacă de la mine, ești pe proprietate a mea." The man frowned and threw a curse at him, to which Victor replied with a middle finger.

"Fucking asshole, can't even let a guy enjoy a decent meal in his own house..." He grumbled and went back inside, this time he pulled the shades on the window so that at least he would have a form of privacy.

It was when he was washing the plate and pot that someone knocked on his door. His anger spiked in that moment.

"I swear if it's that fucking man or another villager I am going to ram my fist in their nose!" He reached forward and opened the door with force before stopping and smiling.

"Oh hi Karl!" The taller man smiled down to him. "You sound quite pissed, who broke your balls?"

Victor sighed, "Just some villager, I'm like a zoo attraction because I'm not dead and they all expected me to be dead, bunch of stupid assholes..." Karl chuckled at his words.

"My! Have you been drinking? Has liquor loosened your tongue?" "Pfft, you wish, you know I don't drink. So what brings you here?"

"I wanted to see my favorite person in this entire fucked up place." "Thanks, come in and watch your boots or I'll make you clean up."

The Lord stomped down to get rid of the snow on his boots. "Did I catch you eating?" "I just finished actually, was doing the dishes over there."

"Listen Victor, I wanted to ask if I could spend the evening with you. I'd like to see some of those fancy toys you have down in that basement of yours." Victor moved back towards the staircase.

"They're not toys Karl, they're consoles, there's a big difference." "They play games right?" "Yes." "Then they're toys." He replied with an arrogant smirk.

"You dumb idiot, I know what you're trying to do." "Me? I'm not doing anything at all." Karl played the part of the fool before laughing as he followed him downstairs.

"Alright, let me pull out the couch here, want to do something split screen?" The man helped him and put his heavy coat on a rack. "What does split screen mean?" "The tv will have a line separating it and we'll control each of the separate screens."

"Cool, cool." He flopped down and grabbed the controller that Victor handed to him. "Give me a moment as I grab a thing."

"Oh, I see you're putting those to good use." Karl pointed to the drawers. "Oh yeah, I wanted to thank you for those, they're really handy... I was almost thinking of opening a shop over here."

Karl made a noise of interest before cursing when Victor snatched his shades away. "You won't be needing these, if you're going to play you're going to use your eyes and nothing else." "Alright, I'll do it your way." Victor turned down the lights.

"Ok, see that tree in the distance?" "Yes, what about it?" "First one to get there wins!" Victor pushed his character forward and Karl cursed, "Victor you ass! You didn't warn me!"

A few hours later the pair were still playing, though it was obvious that they were tired. They had a few laughs, a shouting match a couple of breaks to munch on some snacks but they had had a lot of fun through it all.

"Man, and so all these other games, you can play them?" "Yeah, and those are the ones I have on disc, some I buy digital only." "Huh, you're quite the collector. I'm gonna need a couple of these."

"Want to do that tomorrow?" Karl shook his head, "Thanks, but I have a few things going on, I wouldn't have time tomorrow."

Victor hummed. "What about later in the week? I should see what room you want to use so I can get an idea of how we can transform it into a proper gaming room." "Like this one?" Karl asked.

"Precisely." The other laughed and gave him a quick hug. "Thanks for letting me be in your company Victor, you're a damn good person."

"You're not too bad yourself you know?" "Oh yeah? Who's better than me?" Karl asked in a mockingly sarcastic tone as he crossed his arms.

"The Duke." Victor replied plainly.

"Alright that's actually a good answer, I'll give you that." He admitted with a chuckle. "I'll see you in a couple of days then?" "Sure."

They said their goodbyes and Karl left to return to his factory. Victor let out a loud yawn and rubbed his eyes. It was late and he was tired, exhausted even, after having fun with Karl.

It had been nice, the Lord seemed so calm and tranquil, he seemed genuinely happy and Victor had caught the sparkle of joy in his eyes more than once, very much like the one of a child.

In that moment he wondered how it must have been like for him, growing up in the Village, under the care of Mother Miranda. He remembered what the Countess told him, the night of the Festival.

Was he even allowed to experience the innocence of childhood? Or had that been stripped away completely? Deep down Victor knew that the latter hypothesis was the correct one and he felt bad for him.

"Maybe I'll be able to bring him some joy, even though he's an adult now. Yeah, that would be good." Victor muttered to himself as he switched off the lights of the basement and made his way to the bedroom.

He swiftly changed into a pair of pjs and promptly crashed into the mattress, flopping down face- first onto the soft padding. With a muffled sigh of satisfaction he rolled over onto his back and slid his lower body under the sheets of the bed, closing his eyes to get some sleep, blissfully unaware of the moths that were on the glass of the room's window, intent on trying to spy him even though the shades were pulled all the way down.

"Hey Duke, good morning."

"Mr. Press! What a delightful surprise! A good day to you as well!" The large merchant puffed some smoke from his large cigar as he looked down at him with a smile.

"To what do I owe the pleasure of this visit?" Victor had come to the clearing and had waited for his turn as there were a few villagers already in line before he had even arrived.

"I'd like to buy a couple of things, you sell food yes?" The young man asked as he looked at the hanging sausages that were behind the jolly giant. "Indeed I do, meats, cheeses, even wines from Lady Dimitrescu's own fabled vineyards!"

"I was thinking of maybe getting one of those sausages you have over there? Are they good?" Victor pointed at one and the Dune turned his head and leaned back to grab it, "Ah yes, the fabled Sopressata made directly from the southern regions of Italy, a most delightful appetizer indeed!"

"I'll take a couple of those then, oh and do you happen to have some roses as well?" The Duke smiled at him, "Are you courting a damsel my good sir?" He asked.

"Alright, alright you caught me." Victor said with a blush, "I am yes." "Then I am sure that you will be successful in such a labor Mr. Press! A woman would have to be blind not to recognize how good of a man you are."

Victor waved his hands, "You're giving me to many compliments, I'm average at best." The Duke only laughed, "And humble as well."

He was handed a bouquet of blood-red roses. "This should be everything, I'm ready to pay." And with that he gave the Duke the lei that he was owed and went off towards the Village proper.

The streets didn't have that many villagers in them at this time of day and Victor was fine with that, for he knew he was going to receive many stares and odd looks.

He approached Cristina's shop and stopped in front of it, his heart thrumming with anticipation as he felt a nervous excitement rise in him.

"I can do this, I can do this..." He murmured to himself and set off to the door.

"Buna ziua, cu ce te pot ajuta?" The woman was crouched behind the counter, evidently putting some stuff away in one of the drawers.

Victor remained silent as he approached, pushing the bouquet out in front of him.

Cristina got back to her feet, dusting her hands before she did a double take at seeing the roses.

"Hello." Victor gave her a small smile, "I wanted to get you a gift." He explained to her.

"These are beautiful Victor... mulțumesc." He handed them to her. "I actually have a vase, I know right where to put these. She moved to a door that he knew led to the back of the building and to her living quarters. "Come, follow me."

She led him there and he helped her gather water to put in the vase. "There, that looks pretty good." Victor murmured when she set the case down on the table in her kitchen.

"Yes they do." "Oh! I also brought you another thing, I don't know if you like sausages but I got you this!" He handed her the Capicollo and she tilted her head, "It smells good Victor, but I do not recognize this from any kind of meat from the butcher's store, did you get this from somewhere else?"

"Yeah, I did. The Duke said this came from the south of Italy, he recommended it." She flushed, "You bought this from the Duke? How much did it cost you?" Her mouth opened then in aggravation, "Prostul de mine! I should not have asked that! It was rude of me, I apologize Victor." "You're good, you're good. But to answer your question it wasn't that expensive."

"Oh." She seemed surprised, "The Duke has high prices, for he sells goods of the highest quality." He just shrugged at her statement, "I really don't know."

"But anyways, I wanted to come say hi." "And I am most happy to have you here, do you want something from my store? I would be more than delighted in giving you a hefty discount." He flushed, "That wouldn't be right Cristina."

"But you're my dear friend Victor, and besides, you gave me these two gifts, it would only be right if I repaid the favor in some way." She argued as they walked back into the shop.

"How's the day going?" He asked her then. "There haven't been many customers, I'm not expecting that many more as well." She shrugged.

"So a slow day?" "Yes, precisely." She sighed, her fingertips tapping on the counter. "Would you like to come over for lunch? Maybe to eat something? Are you going to be open in the evening?" Cristina gave him a sad smile, "I would love to but I need to take care of the shop, some clients may walk in later."

He nodded in understanding, "I see. Still, feel free to swing by if you want to, I'd be more than happy if you did." "I'll try to then." And in that moment she reached forth to give him a hug, surprising him.

With a laugh her hugged her back. "Thank you for the roses Victor." "My pleasure, I'm happy you have them." He patted her on the back as they pulled back .

"Where will you go now?" She asked him, "I'm thinking of going to buy some food at the market, my fridge is mostly empty."

"Oh, you should pass by Andrei, he is selling tomatoes that were harvested from the valley." "Well thanks for letting me know, I'll go check it out." He gave her a second smile before turning around to head to the door.

"See you later!" He called before exiting. As he walked to the marketplace he gradually saw more and more people.

Of course they all whispered at him, sneaking glances and giving him irate looks. He made his rounds to purchase goods and then went to return to his home.

Cristina eventually did come around to spend time with him and they watched a movie together. Victor couldn't exactly recall what movie it had been specifically, for he had been frankly more concerned with quelling the erratic beating of his heart when she had leaned into him and had placed a blanket over them.

He had felt so at peace and calm for those two hours that he felt as if he were in heaven.

It must have been some comedy movie, because Cristina would laugh every once in a while and he laughed alongside her, not because he found the gags and jokes particularly funny but because he adored hearing her laugh.

And he had even managed to cook a semi-decent dinner with tomatoes, so overall the rest of the day had gone more than well for him.

That was why he missed her body's weight against his side as he woke up.

Victor looked over to the right of his bed, almost hoping that he would find Cristina laying down and staring back at him with her warm, soft eyes.

He got up with a sigh and went to his closet to pick out some simple clothes for the day. Victor was planning to go see Heisenberg and see his Factory.

He did feel quite giddy at the prospect and so he began to make his way to the door and out of it, intent on going to keep Karl some company as he had done the other day.

Humming lightly he began the trek in the general direction of the Factory, contemplating whether to ask a villager if they knew the exact path to get to it, though he was aware that there was a chance that they would simply scoff at him.

A small peculiar detail that he noticed was the large number of crows that perched on the branches of the trees alongside the road, their beast black eyes staring at him and making a chill run down his spine.

Their lack of cawing was eerie and it made him very uncomfortable. Victor tried to ignore his unease and went to simply look down at his own pair of feet as they stepped again and again, drawing him ever-forward .

Had there always been this many crows? Or was his mind merely playing tricks on him? He could not know. Humming lightly he kept on waking.

"I'm sure I'm worrying over nothing... they're just birds." He scoffed at the idea. Now that he truly thought about it, he was being foolish in getting so needlessly scared.

Perhaps had he been paying more attention, Victor would have noticed the cloaked figure that stood amongst the trees, watching him.

Chapter End Notes

The link to my Discord server is: https/discord.gg/vUK9Y9DbGH please consider leaving a comment if you've enjoyed this chapter, until next time!

A Day in the Factory

Chapter Summary

Victor helps Karl set up the gaming room and spends time with Cristina.

Chapter Notes

Well it took me less than five months to update! Hopefully I'll manage to keep this streak up.

See the end of the chapter for more notes

"Ugh, how much dust do you even have here?" Victor huffed as swept the floor of the moderately sized room.

"Are you seriously complaining?" Karl asked from the other side of his room as he lifted a metal container away from the corner of the wall.

"Of course I am, when's the last time you even used this room?" "Thirty years I think?" Victor's eyes bulged before he relaxed and sighed.

"You know what? I'm not even going to react to that statement of yours, I've seen far too much weird shit to be surprised." Karl barked out a laugh. He was dressed in a simple shirt as they were cleaning the room to install the power lines and wires, so that they could then hookup a bunch of electronics and tvs and monitors.

"You have some cash on you right? We're going to pass by the Duke to buy a bunch of stuff." "Don't worry yourself, I'm a Lord, I have as much cash as I could possibly need." Karl spoke as he picked up a second broom and began to help him with moving all of the dust away.

"I think we should fan out this place, get some air circulating. Maybe it would be best if you installed some kind of intake in the wall? To have the air be changed and cleaned." Victor pointed out as he rubbed his chin in thought.

"That is precisely what I am doing." With a chuckle Karl thrust his hand forward and a metal object thrust itself from the top of the wall, breaking the concrete and causing little pieces of it to fall down to the floor alongside more dust.

"Couldn't you have done that immediately?" Victor asked with clear sarcasm as he watched Karl do the same thing as well to the opposing wall.

"Eh, it's fun to annoy you. Can you really blame me?" "Yes, yes I can. Quite easily too." Victor mumbled under his breath as he sighed and began to brush away the little pieces.

Karl grabbed a ladder and climbed it so he could reach the vents, an array of metallic tools floating around him as he got to work to set up the ventilation.

"Are you going to change the lights as well?" Victor snarked. "Yeah, yeah you impatient bastard, I'll change those as well." The Lord of House Heisenberg said as he banged the metal sheets in place.

The room would be fresh and cool this way, without getting stuffy or hot.

They were on the upper floors of the Factory, though the room was still a level below ground level, so it acted as a type of bunker of sorts. Karl had laughed when he had made the comparison but has simply told him that he had found it funny.

"You said the Duke was also here?" "Yeah, I'm pretty sure he's outside, we can go see him as soon as we're done here." "Hey, before that I gotta plan with how to set up this room, where the tv for the wall will go, where the desk mounted one will and such. And you," He jabbed a finger into the man's chest, "You'll need to follow me through it all with this, you're going to have to connect all the wires and stuff."

Which would mean that there would be more dust to clean up in the aftermath.

"Fine, you win." Karl slid down the ladder before picking it up and moving to the other vent. It was remarkable how quickly he worked: it undoubtedly had to do with the fact that he was a master at controlling magnetism.

"Good, I'm glad to hear you say that." Victor snorted as he watched the man work quickly and quietly.

Soon enough the lights had been changed with new and more appropriate ones. "Alright, you have a view of this room or something? A way for me to see where the wires and power outlets are placed?" "That's not a problem Victor, I can create new ones easily." "Alright then." He blinked and looked at the room.

"We can mount a big ninety inch oled screen here, something that supports 4k and all that other good stuff, then over here," He pointed to the adjacent wall, "We can put a couch, a big and comfy one like I have. You can put on a desk and a few monitors over there and some space for a proper gaming pc."

"Hmm, sounds like you want me to spend thousands of lei. Do you want to bankrupt me?" Victor gaped at him for a couple of moments before letting out a loud scoff and shaking his head. "I can't believe you, piece of shit!"

Karl chortled, "You're so easy to piss off! It's hilarious, damn! I hadn't had this much fun riling up someone since doing it with Lady Super Sized Bitch!" He clapped his hands together.

"Oh it's just fantastic!" He full on cackled and Victor just stared at him, raising an eyebrow. "Maybe you really are a man-child and that's saying something, given that it's coming from me." He snorted.

The room had been cleared from the dust and debris and when Heisenberg went to connect the power they were both very pleased indeed to see that the ventilation was working perfectly well.

"We're going to need some padding on the walls, to have some noise canceling." "Why?" "It makes everything much more atmospheric. Oh, we're also going to have to install fiber wire, you're going to want to have the best possible connection."

"More money to be spent." "You can afford it, you're a literal Lord for crying out loud! Do you have any idea how many people would kill to have your title?" "Well I'm not like most people." Karl cockily smirked as he placed his hands on his hips.

"Alright, in all seriousness we're going to need the Duke and I have a pretty good feeling that we'll drain him of his goods." He tapped his chin, "Has that ever happened? That the Duke actually ran out of supplies for a specific thing?"

"Eh, not that I know of." Karl shrugged. "It'd be pretty funny though." "Speaking of which you are in luck, because the Duke frequently comes here to sell me stuff." "Wait he's here?" "I think so."

Karl made his way out of the room, dusting off his hands on the front of his pants as Victor followed. "That's great then! Let's get going, I already know some of the things we can use." And then he promptly halted himself.

"But then again we do need to take some proper measurements first." Karl laughed as he held out his hand and a ruler flew to it. "Come on then, let's not keep the jolly giant waiting!"

It was about half an hour later that they descended to the lower levels of the Factory thanks to an elevator that Victor hadn't previously noticed.

He was amazed to see the subterranean portions of Karl's domain, gazing out at the truly enormous gears as they turned and conveyed power to the many lights and conveyer belts that snaked across the walls.

"Man, this place is huge! What are you producing nowadays?" Karl looked taken aback as he asked him this, "Well I make... pans, sheets of steel, I produce components that will be needed for a variety of things." Had he not taken to observe the way people talked he would have never noticed the way Karl deflected his question.

He was hiding something.

"Cool, cool, but that doesn't explain all the tanks I saw outside, what's up with those?" He looked straight ahead, as if he was thinking.

"They are, or rather, they were experiments, I was... testing some prototype weapons that I made." "Oh, so you make guns too?"

The Lord gave him a nod, however Victor saw that there was a split second of hesitation. "Yeah, something like that, it helps with the business, I sometimes take on private contractors, but only sometimes."

"And are these prototypes turning out good? I'd be curious to see what you've been tinkering about." Karl coughed in his hand, "They're still a work in progress, I need to fix some problems regarding the powering system. It's a tricky thing." Victor gave him a hum of affirmation, "I can only imagine."

They arrived to a specific level and Karl pulled a lever which opened the door of the elevator. "Please, you're my guest." He gestured for the younger man to go first and Victor did.

On the other side of the platform they were standing on was a certain familiar figure.

"Karl, how did he even..." "Ssshhhh, don't question it, you'd be saving yourself a lot of trouble trying to think these things through. I gave up a long time ago."

Victor just gave a small shrug and decided not to argue. They moved over to the merchant who was busy reading from his notebook. "Mr Press, we see each other so soon. Lord Heisenberg it is a pleasure to see you as well." He closed the notebook and placed it away, his chubby fingers resting on his knees as he leaned forward.

"Duke, we have quite the list of items for you today." Karl handed him a paper on which they had written down a number of things they needed. The Duke took it and began to read, his eyebrows soon rising up in surprise.

"My, my, do you plan to make a gaming room My Lord?" "That's exactly what we're doing Duke." Victor smiled at him. "Well then, give me but a moment, I have a few different kinds of padding." He reached behind him and brought forth three different packages.

Karl grabbed one while Victor began to analyze the other two. "Hmm, I'm not sure which one to pick, Victor, you're the expert here." "I don't have too much experience myself... Duke, do you have a recommendation?"

The merchant laughed, "It would depend on your personal preference good sirs, this one," He pointed to a box, "Is the most expensive but it is also the best at dampening noises outside from the room. That one there is of a slightly inferior quality but was designed specifically for a gaming room. The other one is something a few other clients have found to work best, though I cannot express my judgement on it."

Victor and Karl shared a look. "We could go with the expensive one, it seems to be one that will last the longest." "Yeah, but a little communism here and there can help. And we know that other people appreciated this one." Victor replied.

"Huh... Duke, what about these other items, do you have them?" The large man nodded, "Of course, give me a moment, while I fetch them." It did not seem like it but Victor got the

feeling that the Duke was very strong, even with his immense... size.

At least that was the feeling he got as he the man easily hand them over a boxed television, holding it up with a single hand. "Oh yeah, this brand is really good, top of the line too." Victor murmured.

"Of course I have the consoles you are so fond of, here you go Mr Press." Smiling he grabbed the pair of boxes. "Alright, so have we decided for the padding? Communism for the win?"

Karl slapped his shoulder, "Damn you, are you really going to blindly trust the opinion of strangers?" "No, but I do trust the Duke." "But he doesn't have an opinion! Do you?" He turned to the man who shook his head. "See? Do you see my point?"

Victor groaned, "Can't we just try it?" "If you don't like it I'll pay for the other type, do we have a deal?" Karl grumbled but approved.

"Excellent, now, for the components that you were requesting." "Ah yes, the latest graphics cards that you have, please." He waited for him to reappear and show him the selection.

"Alright Karl, now let me tell you some of the differences between all of these; they're the best in the market but still present some key factors." The Lord crossed his arms and stood over him, peering down at the different boxes as he gave him his full attention.

And his full attention was needed as Victor spent the next good hour going in depth with explaining the technological achievements of each card and their benchmarks. Karl had to hide his urge to yawn at one point, for he was beginning to drag on.

Even the Duke had began to zone out, focusing on reading his notebook again and smoking another cigar.

Karl was tempted to ask him for one.

"...and that's why out of the five this one is the most future-proof of the line, though you can get a little more flexibility with the others." Victor finished with a smile.

"So, which one will you pick?" The older man rubbed the bridge of his nose, "Uhh... the a...amd one?" "Good choice! It's what I'm planning to grab as well. Duke, can I have another one?" "Of course Mr Press." He didn't even take his eyes off the notebook as he handed him the box, it was as if he was expecting it.

"Well then, I think we're set." Karl hummed as he picked up a majority of the items. "I'll see you around Duke?" The man smiled at him, "Indeed you will Mr Press, good day to you, to you as well Lord Heisenberg."

They made their way up the elevator and back to the gaming room, where Karl took to beginning to open the boxes with a handy knife.

"How about you go inside and start deciding where we'll be placing all these devices?" "Sure thing, oh and be careful when handling the tv, one bad touch with your bare fingers and you'll

leave prints!"

Hours later...

"Heh... the sun is already setting and it's only... 6 pm. Guess winter is coming early." Victor chuckled to himself as he looked at the sky while standing at the outskirts of the Village.

It had taken him and Karl quite a few hours to set up a majority of the desks, couches, monitors, tvs, led lights and of course, the padding on the walls. He'd go back to see him on the next day so that he would actually get to set up his pc and get him an account on both of the consoles. After that they would likely add a few more decorations, perhaps a nice rug on the floor so that one wouldn't need to feel hard concrete on their bare feet when walking in it.

But right now he wanted to go and see Cristina, just so he could say hi to her. Victor had been thinking about her... he had been thinking about her a lot and he felt himself blushing at merely picturing her sweet smile and face.

Whistling a little, he made his way to her house, hoping that he didn't smell too bad after spending the day cleaning dust away from Karl's new gaming room.

He knocked on her door and patiently waited for her to answer, shuffling his feet a little and taking note of the way some snowflakes were falling from the sky.

It seemed that he would have to do some shoveling soon, not that it was something that he looked forward to.

"Victor? O, ce surpriză! I did not expect to find you here." Slowly a smile grew on her lips and he felt his stomach flutter.

"Hey," He paused, blushing and feeling out of breath all of a sudden. Victor tried to recover by letting out a fake cough, "I was... passing by and I thought about coming around to chime in."

She leaned against the support of her doorway and nodded to him, listening intently. "And I am very happy to see you Victor. Do you want to come in? I was just about to start making dinner."

His mouth open and closed in quick succession, "Oh! Uh... uh... if that isn't too much of a bother for you then sure... I'd like to come." Letting out a slight giggle she moved aside so that he could come in.

Her table was set. "So... what are you making?" He asked, walking towards her stove. "I have not yet decided. Would you like to eat with me Victor?"

"I don't want to bother you Cristina." He stated, rubbing his chin. "Prostii, you are my friend and I'd like to cook something for you." She kindly said.

At that moment Victor shrugged, "Well, alright then. But really, I don't want to be bothering you, or dropping in like this, as if I was some uninvited guest."

She laughed and passed by him, gently patting his cheek. "Of course not, baiat prostut." His cheeks reddened when she said those words. "I'm not a little boy." He pointed out, embarrassed.

"No," Cristina leaned down to gather a pan, "But you do pout like one." "I do not." He argued back, "But you are! You're pouting like one right now!" She pointed out with a light smirk.

Victor shook his head with a fond sigh. "Are you ever going to let me live this one down?" "Maybe. If I feel like it." She had gathered a cutting board and a few jars with some kind of vegetables in them, earning a curious glance from him.

He was wondering what she would make for them both. "So... are you going to tell me what's for dinner?" She shook her head, "You are going to have to wait."

"Fine by me." He shrugged his shoulders and went to set up the table for one extra seat. "So what did you do this day?"

"Well... I went to Karl's Factory- "Lord Heisenberg's Factory?" Cristina was staring at him and all of the joyful mirth was gone from her gaze.

"Yeah... I know that you don't like him Cristina... but he's my- "Prietene, yes, I know... he is your... friend." She set the knife she was using down on the board.

"Why do you spend your time with the likes of him? Why would you go to that wretched place he calls his home?" Her questions were quiet but there was a deep worry behind them. Cristina was very much worried for him. That much was clear.

Victor sighed, "Cristina... I know you have your reservations about him... but he's a good person." "A good person? Victor are you even listening to yourself? Te rog, te rog, încearcă să gândești clar." She turned towards him fully.

"Do you even know how many of the Village that Lord has killed? With his experiments, with his cruelty, my father was amongst them." She spoke bitterly and Victor looked away from her gaze.

He didn't have much of an answer to give her... he just... seemed to forget about this whenever he was spending time with Karl, but Cristina was honest, she wore her emotions on her sleeve.

Karl was nice to him and all, he was a good friend but... everyone in the Village seemed to fear him. Could it have been that Karl and the Countess weren't that different as they claimed to be?

Cristina sighed. "I have my reservations about him, Victor. Everyone here does, not just me." She murmured and he gave her a blank stare before nodding slowly.

"I know it's just..." Her eyes softened. "I do not say these things to cause you hurt Victor... but it is the truth." Cristina did not lie. She was honest.

But it didn't mean that he did not feel conflicted in his heart. "I understand what you mean." He looked dejected and now he was searching for a way to change the topic of the conversation. Luckily for him Cristina did so by asking whether he wanted to try some of the wine she had purchased earlier in the day.

"Yeah, I'd like that, thanks." He went to sit down and she pulled out a bottle, pouring him a glass.

"Did you have any plans this weekend?" He spoke up as she chopped vegetables. "Nu, do you want me to come to your house?" She looked back to him and he flushed red.

"Yes... if I'm not annoying you." "I would be happy to do so Victor." She chuckled and finished preparing dinner. It was a simple side of chicken with vegetables, a bit more basic than the things that she would usually cook, but Victor just knew he was going to scarf it down all the same.

They ate and did some talking, though he would be lying if he said his mood hadn't been affected by what she had said in relation to Karl.

Was he the one whitewashing him? He never really thought about what he did before he came to the Village. Was that why he was so keen to dodge his questions from earlier? Was there more to what he let on?

The wine that she had given him tasted good, but not as good as the one from the vineyards of the Countess. That made him pause, thinking back to when he was still in Castle Dimitrescu.

He tried not to think too much about it.

"I think I'm going to buy a couple of games." He mentioned then, "Oh? Which ones?" Cristina asked as she finished eating. "A couple, I'll show you them when you come over in a few days. How does that sound?" Victor tried to appear nonchalant but inside he was feeling empty.

"Yes, I'd like it that way." Dinner finished and he helped her wash the dishes.

"By the way, sorry if I seem a bit off. That's not my intention, I hope you know." But she just laid a placating hand on his shoulder. "Don't worry so much Victor, you're far too young to be doing that."

He huffed, but his lips twitched at the thought. "Yeah, imagine that, a nineteen year old already getting his fair share of wrinkles." "That would be quite the sight."

"So, on Saturday? Do you wanna come over in the morning and spend the day with me? You're going to have to bring a spare of clothes, I think." "I can bring more than that if you want." He waved his hand, "That shouldn't be needed." But then he took a moment to

actually consider what she had said: "B-But you're totally free to stay for more time if you want!" He quickly caught himself and she giggled.

Victor blushed, he felt like such an idiot. "Well, thank you Victor." She said and he sighed then. "I'll get going now, I'm feeling sleepy." "I hope you shall sleep soundly."

"Yeah," He nodded slowly and contemplated whether to add to her words: "I'll be thinking about you, so I'll be bound to sleep well." And now it was her turn to blush.

Perhaps it was a corny joke, but he found himself not to care too much. She brought him back to her front door and opened it for him.

"Goodnight Victor." And then her lips were on his right cheek, pressing a soft kiss on it. They both became red, Victor feeling happy that she had done such a thing for him. "Sleep well alright? I'll be impatiently waiting for the weekend to come around and to be with you." He smiled. "As will I, prietenul meu drag."

As it was nighttime, the temperature had dropped down significantly, but he found himself to not be affected much by the cold weather and the strong winds that blew through the Village. His heart was soaring and Victor felt a fire burning within him.

It made him feel cozy and warm and excited, all at the same time; excited at the prospect of spending more time with Cristina, of them becoming closer as friends and perhaps transitioning into something more... serious and mature.

But there was also a slight twinge of worry to him now: how well would he be doing as her partner? Would she want to get married? Marriage wasn't something he had ever given much thought to, in part because he had such a negative outlook on it.

But even more importantly, was he ready for such a big step up? It was not like he had never tried dating but the very few times that he had found a girlfriend it was always some childish fling that would last perhaps a few mere weeks before dying off.

Cristina was a very good person. Victor could not deny it that he had developed a crush over her and he thought that she shared it with it, if the behavior from her was of any indication.

But now he did not know if he still wanted to pursue a life outside of this Village: it was filled with literal monsters and vampires... there very much was a cult here and Cristina did seem to believe in the faith of Mother Miranda. But maybe if he exposed her just a bit to the outside world she would break out from it?

He had never asked her if she had ever gone farther away from the Village than the valley it overlooked. They could take a vacation though, his job was flexible enough though he hadn't properly worked in a week or so. But the Countess would still pay him handsomely for as long as he maintained the website and kept it shiny and pristine.

He was still debating whether or not moving out of the Village was a good idea.

It had taken him a long time to find it and it was so remote that it was perfect. He didn't need to constantly pack up and move around and the view was gorgeous. Plus he managed to have good wifi, so it wasn't as if he was stranded.

Sighing, he began to walk up the hill that brought to his house, his shoes lightly crunching over the thin layer of snow that covered the path. There were still so many variables to account for, still so many things he couldn't possibly predict.

In a way he felt himself drowning from the amount of choices that he had, of what he could do, or what he could not do. There was just so much he had to take in account and in a way he was acting selfishly.

Victor wanted to have all of the benefits he could reap from: the isolation of the Village without the need to worry about the monsters, the good pay from the Countess without having to fear for his life, an actual romantic and serious relationship to have with Cristina, without a cult influencing her own decisions.

He just wanted so, so much. And it was selfish of him. But he could not help himself and wish for such good things.

Would she say yes if he proposed to her on saturday? No, no that was far too quick. He didn't want to overwhelm the woman.

But what if he tried unofficially courting her? What if he began to bring her flowers, or other such gifts? Yes, that could work in theory. It could be a good, positive start.

But now he had more to look forward to. Such as the person that he found waiting for him in front of his home's door.

"Bela?"

Victor asked as she gave him a large smile and walked forward to give him a strong and tight hug, "Victor! I am so happy to see you!" She smiled even more and pulled back, but still kept her hands on his shoulders.

It did feel slightly uncomfortable so he gave her a quick smile. "Hello to you as well. What are you doing here? The moon is up." "Oh, I wanted to talk to you but you weren't here so I resorted to waiting for you."

"Alright..." He nodded again and shifted so that his back was to her as he unlocked his door before turning around to look at her. "What did you want to talk to me about?"

"Mother was organizing a lunch and dinner, she wished for you to come and spend the day with us." He licked his lips, a twinge of nervousness seeping into his system. "Alright, and when would this happen?" "Saturday."

He sighed when she said that. "Bela that is very kind of her and you for coming to invite me but I can't come on saturday." She raised an eyebrow, her smile becoming a tad smaller,

"Why not?"

"You see I'll be occupied on Saturday- "But can't you just come anyways? I'm sure that whatever you will have to do on that day isn't that important."

He frowned now, not liking the way she had immediately dismissed his words.

"No, what I have to do on Saturday is important, it's very important actually." He replied with a little more firmness, something that she took note of.

"Well, what is it then?" She prodded and his frown deepened. Why was she being so nosey all of a sudden?

"I'd rather not say, but thank you anyways for inviting me." He went to open the door and step in.

"It was nice seeing you Bela, goodnight." But a hand stopped the door from closing and he turned back to look at her.

"Is there something you want to say more?" He asked her, feeling the tension rise considerably as she stood at his doorway, her smile gone.

"Yes. Yes there is Victor." The young man groaned at hearing her tone of voice. "Bela please, I'm tired and I want to go sleep. We'll talk about this tomorrow alright? I promise." But it would not be that simple to dislodge her as her gaze narrowed.

"We need to talk."

Chapter End Notes

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A Worrisome Night

Chapter Summary

Victor has a profound realization and his view on the Dimitrescu family changes.

Chapter Notes

I am done with exams for the summer, so hopefully I'll be able to upload frequently!

See the end of the chapter for more notes

"We need to talk."

Victor moved back when the older woman pushed the door open, removing the barrier that would have otherwise locked his home away from the world, had she allowed him the chance to close the door.

"Bela, what the hell?!" He shouted at her a moment later, his confusion being replaced with burning anger. But the eldest daughter of the Countess did not so much as flinch when his voice lashed out at her. Where a normal person would have been stunned by the shouting, she offered no noticeable reaction, her gaze like the reflective pool of a lake, betraying no emotions. Bela did not flinch. No, instead. she glared at him with a scorn that bordered on being glacial.

"Get out!" He took a step closer to her in order to stare her down, but it was a useless endeavor, for it was as if he staring down a wall. "Quiet your voice, you are being rude." And that robbed Victor's tongue of its words, for a couple of moments he was too shocked to reply. "Rude? Rude?!" His words only grew in volume as his eyes narrowed, "How am I the rude one here? It's you who's just barged in my house!" The tip of his index finger was pointed at her chest, but he balked when she came forth and quite literally pushed against and past him to move farther into the room.

Victor sputtered as he stumbled back, not being able to comprehend why she would act so rashly, with so little decorum and finesse. This was so very much unlike the Bela that he knew, the noble lady that was well-behaved and well-mannered. His rage only kept growing as she did not heed to his barks, if anything he got the impression that she was outright ignoring him, stepping up to the furniture and touching it, almost as if she was searching for something.

Her fingers swiped over the countertop, the knobs of the sink, the fridge. She was searching for something, a clue perhaps, an unknown detail that Victor had neither the patience or the will to think of. "Hello?! Get out of my house!" He screamed at her, his exasperation overflowing as she kept on ignoring his presence. Growling, he grabbed her arm and pulled. It did not have the desired effect as his pitiful strength would never have been enough to be able to make her move.

"Are you even listening to me Bela?!" "Why will you not come?" She asked him simply, snatching her wrist away from his grasp, her golden eyes as sharp as the talons of Lady Dimitrescu's hands. His mouth closed and opened a few times before he exploded: "Did you even listen to what I was telling you?! I'm occupied! I have other things to do on Saturday!" He threw his arms up, "God you are being insufferable!" Bela's lips formed a scowl and she strode forward, invading his personal space so that now it was her eyes that bore down on his form, mirroring the same action that he had tried to employ just moments earlier.

"And pray to tell Victor, what, could there possibly be that would be more important than coming to visit my family and I?" She asked, her teeth bared, danger hiding and swirling beneath the facade of the naive question. "It's none of your business." He bit back, his hands balled up in fists at his side. "It is my business!" "Why?! Who are you to say so?!" He countered, his displeasure now evident and clear for all to see. "Ai naibii de idiot! I said quiet!" She yelled at him. "I'll keep yelling for as long as I want! This is my home and I want you out and through that door!" He screamed back, just as loudly as they were locked in a battle of fierce glares.

Victor was the first to break away as he grunted, attempting to take deep, soothing breaths to calm the fiery rage that burned within him. "I told you once, I told you again, get out." He stated firmly. "This is my home, my private property, you have entered without my permission and by law you are trespassing." Bela paced the room, like some kind of beast that could not contain itself, so very much unlike the calm and collected daughter he knew her to be. "I shan't leave until you will give me an answer." "I don't need to explain myself to you or to anyone else. You've given me your invitation, I declined telling you I was occupied with other matters and that's it, that's the end of the story!"

Her lips parted to show her gritted teeth, her sharpened fangs dimly flashing in the light of the room. "Is it because you've been with that girl, haven't you?" For a moment he felt his anger fade away, leaving him confused: "What girl?" "That commoner you spend your days with." And then the anger was back tenfold. "Do not dare to utter her name like that!" He shouted with a loathing that surprised even him. "What? Commoner? Is that not what she is?" She sneered, her blonde locks swaying lightly as she kept pacing the length of the room up and down like a cat. Victor had had enough of it.

"Get out, before you piss me off more than you already have!" He demanded. Luckily it seemed that she would finally listen for she stood up straighter and made way for the open door, but not before stopping to look at him for a last time. "You've insulted me Victor, you've chosen to dine in the company of a worm instead of that of nobility, sa fii al naibii." And her form shattered into hundreds of moths, scattering away from the door and the porch into the cold night air, presumably to return to the imposing bastion that sat above the Village.

Victor slammed the door shut and locked it. He put his head against the door and let out a deep sigh, trying to calm himself from doing something that he would later regret, like trashing his office. After mentally counting up to the ten, he felt that he had regained enough self-control that he could fully keep calm, and so with that he made his way back to the center of the room and went to look out of the window. Perhaps he was being paranoid at the moment but he wanted to make sure that there was absolutely no one spying on him.

Once he had confirmed that, he pulled the drapes closed and was hit with the realization of what had just happened. Bela had forced herself into his home and he had stood up to her. She had never done that... sure, Victor had seen her take lives before, whether it had been to some unlucky maid or the men who had come to attack the Castle but she had never hurt him? or yelled at him. But now that he thought back it with more clarity, he realized that she had been spying on him. And it made him sick to his stomach. That explained why she was standing in front of his door, waiting for him to return even though it was late into the night.

And now she knew about Cristina and- "No... no, no, no, no!" His eyes widened before he scrambled to the coat rack to grab the scarf that Cristina had knitted for him. "She knows, Bela knows!" He fumbled with the lock of the door and wrenched it open as soon as he could, practically throwing himself outside as he ran down the path that led to the Village, his heart beating frantically as a phantom dread settled over him.

The cold air burned his lungs and nose as he ran as quickly as his legs could possibly carry him, almost slipping on the icy grounds at times with how fast he was proceeding, but he couldn't stop, he needed to keep going, Cristina could have very well been in danger. He passed through the first few houses in the town and made a beeline to Cristina's abode, his mind panicking and worrying that it was already too late.

His fists banged on the door of his shop as he cried out: "CRISTINA! CRISTINA, CAN YOU HEAR ME?!" He frantically cried out like a madman, uncaring if his shouting would awaken some of the other villagers. A few moments later he heard someone come up to the door so he stopped and waited with baited breath.

The lock clicked and the door was pushed open to reveal a Cristina dressed in a sleeping gown, her eyes wide and afraid, "Victor? What has happened?" She asked him, her voice small and afraid. But the young man could not contain himself and lunged at her, his arms wrapping around her lithe frame as he buried his head into her shoulder and broke down in tears. "Victor why do you cry? What is wrong?" She hugged him back just as tightly, her hand soothingly rubbing over his back as he trembled and sobbed.

Victor cried and didn't answer her, his grip only tightening as if he was afraid that she would disappear into nothingness. Still very much confused, Cristina used her foot to push the door close and began to softly whisper to him, trying to get him to calm down. "Calmează-te, te rog, Victor, please talk to me." Her hand kept rubbing his back and he took a couple of deep, shuddering breaths. "I was so worried for you... I thought... I t-thought I had killed you." He whispered and managed to pull back a little so he could look at her. "What? Victor I... I do not know what you mean, please explain yourself." She asked gently, her fingers cupping his cheek and brushing the tears away.

Victor nodded and moved his arms away, standing up straighter and moving to sit in a chair, his gaze downcast. Cristina was understanding and she did not push him to talk, rather she let him take his time to compose himself as he sniffled wiped his nose with a tissue. "When... when I was heading back after having dinner with you, I came across a person on the footstep of my home." He began to talk, his gaze downcast, almost as if he couldn't face her. Cristina leant forward to grasp as his hand and rub it, "It's alright Victor." She sensed that he was afraid that she would judge him and that could not have been farther from the truth.

"The person was Bela, the eldest daughter of Lady Dimitrescu." He paused to gauge her reaction, but other seeing her eyes widen she didn't give any other sign of being shocked. "She had come to invite me to come and spend the day at Castle Dimitrescu on Saturday." He licked his lips, "I told her that I was occupied, because you'll be with me on that day. Bela...

she didn't take it well." His hand tightened into a fist. "She just... barged into my home, just like that," He said, "Demanded to know why I couldn't come, but I didn't tell her anything beyond yelling at her to get out." Victor shook his head, "She never acted this way and... I stood my ground to her and kept screaming at her to get out." He was still surprised by his own actions, at what he had done... he would never have dared to act that way with someone like Cassandra. But was it because Bela had always been polite and friendly? Was it a simple fluke or had he really acted on some form of adrenaline? "And then, she mentioned you, saying that I had insulted her and her house and... and she went away and then I thought about you and I became terrified." He turned his gaze downwards.

"Bela... Lady Bela has been spying upon us, upon me and you both..." He told her quietly, "I... I didn't think she would do this, she just threatened me and I know her well but now... I don't think I know her at all." From besides him Cristina arose to go to another room and Victor placed his head in his hands, letting out a shaky breath. All the windows had their curtains drawn, but what if Bela was still listening to them even now? Cristina returned, a small frown on her lips. "I am... seriously concerned Victor..." "Yeah... so am I..." He felt horrible in that moment: he had basically put her in severe danger and now he couldn't exclude the fact that Bela would target her.

"Zeii să-mi dea răbdare... I... I do not blame you, Victor." It would have been an easy thing to do. "What? Why not?" He was surprised, shocked even. "I'm the reason as to why you're in danger now... how can you not be angry at me." He stood up from his seat and began to pace, "Now Lady Bela is pissed off and she'll want some kind of revenge, and maybe she'll even bring her sisters too!" His words started to become frantic, a small tingling sounding at the back of his mind as a drop of sweat rolled down his nape.

"But then this could draw the ire of the Countess herself and then what? We'd have all of House Dimitrescu out for our blood! And this whole fucking mess would be my own fault! Damn it!" He breathed out and almost cried, unbeknownst to the growing tightness that was forming in his chest. "What if they come for you? You'll be dead and it'll be all my fault!" His frantic pacing did not stop as he felt his heart begin to pound louder and louder and everything began to feel so crushing, so suffocating, like if he was being dragged into the depths of the ocean.

"Fuck, fuck I'm such an imbecile!" He grunted, he dug his fingers into his scalp, his nails dragging through his short hair. "I'm a killer... I'm gonna get you killed and then it will be my fault and you'll be dead andwewontbetog- But the young woman stole his voice by leaning in and pressing a shaky kiss to his lips and Victor's mind went blank. He just stopped thinking for a few moments as Cristina softly trembled and pulled back, her eyes glassy and wet. "Victor... Victor please listen to me..." She spoke softly, a minuscule tremor laced in her voice as her hands cupped the sides of his face. "Please listen; it's alright, it's alright Victor, we'll

worry about this another time." "B-But... Lady Bela will..." "Sshhh, that's not important, înțelegi?" She asked him.

And Victor couldn't do anything but lean into her touch as if he was chasing it. "I... I'm so worried." The tightness in his chest was slowly decreasing and the pressure over his body and shoulders was lessening by the moment. "I know... I know... I'm worried too Victor." Cristina sighed and touched their foreheads together.

She just held him there and Victor felt grounded as a result of it. His arms slowly wrapped around her frame and he pulled her close, letting out a deep sigh as he closed his eyes and just breathed. "Thank you... thank you so much Cristina." Her hand moved to softly stroke his hair as she nodded to him. "We will worry about the Dimitrescu family tomorrow... it's late now. We should go to sleep." She stated quietly as her voice made a small hum. "Y- Yeah... thanks for this Cristina... thank you, really." He was spiraling. He had been spiraling, his neck and head was moist with sweat and he felt awfully hot, his clothes sticking to him in an uncomfortable manner. "Is it alright if I use your bathroom? I," He swallowed thickly and turned away in embarrassment. "I... sorry I don't wanna seem like a creep." And now he was back to being his awkward, bumbling self.

"Do you wish to bathe?" Cristina asked him but her voice was gentle, her fingers lightly touching his own. "Yes please... I... don't have a change though." "Oh? Well, I can see if I have something." She nodded her head to her closet. "Thanks, thanks again." "It is not a problem Victor... and I am also happy that you'll be staying here for the night." His breath hitched as he immediately became red in the face. "Y-You want me here? W-With you?" He saw her blush as well, "Iartă-mă, I don't mean to push you, you can stay here if you feel comfortable." And now it was her turn to become red. "Oh well..." A part of him was telling him that it would be improper, that it would be wrong to take up her offer. What kind of man would he be? Intruding on her own privacy like that. But... Victor wanted to, his heart was speaking to him, going into conflict with what his brain was demanding.

By all accounts the logical choice would have been that of listening to his brain and Victor liked to think himself as a logical person who made, or at least tried to make, logical decisions. And yet for just this once, he would listen to his heart. "I'd love to pass the night here... if you're still okay with that?" Cristina smiled a little more, "Yes, I posed you the question after all." He smiled as his coat was hanged on the rack, "Well then, that's great." He smiled at her and looked around the room. "I'll take the couch." He pointed at it before being shushed by the woman. "Nu, absolutely not, you're my guest Victor." "Yeah, but I'm a man, I can't possibly sleep in your bed and have you pass the rest of the night on the couch, that would just be... wrong." He murmured. "Do you not think me capable?" And her hand touched his arm once more, leaving that similar warmth to grow within him.

She had this magical aura and Victor always felt better when he was close to her. "What? No." He shook his head but chuckled at her teasing remark, "It's just, it would be rude of me. Cristina, it's really no big deal." And he went to go to her bathroom. "Please leave something on the couch, even a pair of loose-fitting pants will be fine." He called out before opening the door to it. "Oh, there's an extra towel here, right?" "Yes, above the mirror." "Thanks!"

When he closed the door, he turned to see that there was a basket for the dirty clothing. Shrugging a bit, Victor undressed and piled his clothes to the side of it. He'd worry about the logistics of wearing clean clothes in the morning.

His shower was a quick thing, a simple rinse with water and he was done, it must have taken him less than a minute to scrub away the sweat he had on him. And because of that the process of drying off was an equally quick affair. With the towel wrapped around his waist, Victor opened the door expecting to find the change of clothes on the couch.

What he had not been expecting was to find Cristina laying on it, a simple blanket covering her body. She turned her head towards him at the sound of the opening door. "I hope your shower was good." She asked with a smile that had a hint of teasing and it. "Where are the clothes?" He asked in a serious tone, though it was betrayed by his own grin. "On the bed in the other room." He sighed. "Come on, let's switch places, I'm tired." He said while going to retrieve the loose wool pants and shirt. "And I am tired as well Victor, I think I am just about to sleep." She told him and pulled the blanket closer to herself.

He returned after having dressed and stood in front of her. "Come on now, get up, let me sleep there." She merely blinked at him innocently, "But I am already comfortable." "You'll be more comfortable sleeping in your bed." She made no move to make that happen and so he sighed. "Cristina please, I'm tired. Can you please go sleep on the bed?" He tried to ask her gently. "Victor, it is of no use to argue. Simply go and rest, like I'm doing." He mulled over her words for a moment, "Well then, I guess you'll just have to accept that I won't be able to sleep then." Two could play the game and he would prove it to her. "Esti serios? Come now, do not be ridiculous." "I'm being serious right now." He smirked at her as he saw his words having the desired effect. "I'll go to sleep, if you move from the couch to the bed." They were at an impasse now, both having a contrasting proposal and both unwilling to back down.

Victor supposed that it was only a matter of time to wait and see who would budge, but there was no denying that he felt positively exhausted. But then, Cristina blushed. "Is something wrong?"

Victor asked but she waved his worried away, "Nu, nu, I have thought of another way." "Oh?" He raised an eyebrow. "Well, what will it be then?" "You could sleep with me..." His eyes widened, "T-Together?" Cristina nodded, blushing even more. "Uh... well... that could work..." He flushed, already red and hot. "So do we have an agreement?" She asked, sitting up a little. And for a second time in that day, Victor would listen to his heart. "Yeah... I think we do." His smile was mirrored by her and she got up.

"I know I didn't tell you this earlier but... I apologize for kissing you. You were worried and... I thought that maybe it would help, but it was wrong of me to do so." His hands caught hers, "Wait... it helped me a lot... and it felt nice." Perhaps that had not been the brighter of strategies to dealing with a panic attack, but Victor had felt grounded in those few moments, he had felt free. And now they were blushing together.

"Y-You're a good kisser, by the way..." "I enjoyed it a lot as well." Together they made their way to the bed. It wasn't a big one, barely larger than a single. But they would make do with what they had. And so, Victor laid down on an edge and tried to take up the least amount of space possible. Cristina lied down next to him and after a moment she turned so that she could lie on her side and look at him.

"You will fall off if you stay there." She pointed out a few moments later and he looked away. "I... don't want to bother you by taking up a lot of space." He managed to awkwardly mumble and she quietly giggled. "Come closer Victor, please." She gently tugged at his arm and he complied, inching towards the center but still trying to make himself as small as possible. She came closer as well, her hand still holding his own.

"Are you comfortable?" Cristina asked him quietly and he blushed. "Yes, very much." The stress of his interaction with Bela had taken a lot out of him and now that he did not need to worry about her, he felt a lot calmer.

He turned his head to yawn away from her, just do that he could use good manners and he heard her let out a small sigh as she settled down, her eyes closing. "Goodnight Victor." "Goodnight."

When he woke, he felt that familiar presence next to him. He smiled and groggily rubbed his eyes to then look upon Cristina. She was still sleeping, her chest rising and falling in a steady rhythm. Victor found her beautiful as always and made no move to startle her or to have her wake up. He did not wish for her to leave whatever dreams she was having.

And he was her guest, so he still felt slightly nervous about that... but he liked to think that slowly that awkwardness was seeping away. Victor did not have any doubts now, he knew that he was fully in love with Cristina.

Last night they had kissed for the first time and though he would have preferred it to have been under different circumstances. He imagined that it was all but official now... a part of him was still nervous with excitement, this was a new prospect to him and he felt his mouth go dry. Besides him Cristina stirred a little, that brought his attention to focus on her once more. "Cristina?" He gently called her, whispering her name.

The woman let out a small groan before shuffling a bit and blinking her eyes open. "Oh... buna dimineata Victor, did you sleep well?" She rolled onto her back but kept her gaze focused on him.

"Yeah, I did. Did you have good dreams?" She nodded. "What where they about?" "The two of us." He blushed at hearing those words, but he was happy. "I don't remember what I dreamt about, if I did at all." The young man shrugged, "But thank you, again. For last night... for letting me sleep here in your house." "I told you that the bed was better than the couch." She playfully smacked his chest with a teasing smile. "Alright, alright, you got me there. I won't ever try pulling that off again." He pouted.

"About... last night... what will we do now?" And just like that all of the warmth seemed to vanish, as if doused off by cold water. "Things will be... complicated from now on." He spoke after a couple of moments. "Lady Bela is angry with me... she felt slighted by the fact that I

refused her invitation." He rubbed the bridge of his nose. "I have a bad feeling that the Countess won't take it any better than her."

His worry began to steadily rise. What could have ever stopped the matriarch of House Dimitrescu from coming and imposing her will upon them? Surely, she would seek to punish him and Cristina. Victor feared that he had burnt whatever bridges he had with her... if her eldest daughter had written him off like that, what chance did he have for Lady Dimitrescu to hold onto the amicable friendship that they had just shy of a few days ago?

It was a difficult mess to navigate, one Victor wasn't sure he'd succeed in, if at all. With a sigh he sat up straight and rubbed his face. "We should probably go and eat some breakfast, I'm kinda starving." Cristina made a noise of approval and she too gathered herself to her feet, a pair of slippers soon fitted over them. "Oh, that does remind me, I've left my clothes in the corner of your bathroom, do you have a small bag I can put them in? I'll go bring them back to my place to wash."

"Of course, do you mind setting up the table while I go get that done?" "Not at all." "Mulțumesc."

They exchanged smiles and he went to go and put a pair of plates on the table, alongside the necessary cutlery. Victor was imagining that they would eat some hearty oatmeal, as that was what the Villagers seemed to eat most commonly. Cristina had come back, his clothes placed in a small bag that she put on an empty chair.

"Are we gonna be eating oatmeal?" She nodded, "I also wanted to try... the American Breakfast." That surprised him, "Oh... that's great, but we'd probably need to go see the Duke, to buy some of the instruments, like a waffle-maker, or getting some syrup..." He frowned, "You guys don't have syrup over here, do you?" Cristina chuckled, opening a cabinet to collect some of the oats, "We do not." "Well, I'll be very excited to help you out!"

And for a few minutes the tranquil atmosphere in the room managed to last, but they both knew that they had much to worry about, even if they wished they ignore the pressing matters. "About Lady Bela..." Cristina sighed, "I think you should stay here Victor... at least for the night."

His brows furrowed, "You mean, sleeping over? Like how we did already?" She nodded her head, "At least here we are with the others, your home is alone." She brought up a very good point, one that he hadn't initially considered, "I'll go to talk to Karl." Cristina closed her eyes and put her hands together with a long sigh, "Victor... we cannot rely on that man, he is a monster." It hurt to hear her say those things, as it often led him to question himself, "I know... but it's still an opportunity, me and him, we're... friends of sorts."

And there was still another question he wished to ask her. "Cristina... there would be another way, but I would be asking a lot of you." She already knew what he was going to say and she merely closed the distance between them, her hand cradling his cheek. "Îmi pare rău, I cannot do that Victor. I cannot leave this Village."

It was something he should have expected, "The world is huge Cristina, I'm flexible with my job, you speak fantastic English..." And there was so much more he wanted to say, but words weren't enough. Words weren't ever enough. Silently, she kissed him on the lips and for a few moments, Victor could simply bask in the sensation of being at peace.

"I love you." "Me too."

Chapter End Notes

If you enjoyed the chapter then please comment, the longer the comment, the better. If you want to contact me directly please consider joining my Discord Server at: https/discord.gg/vUK9Y9DbGH to ask me questions directly, until next time!

A Duke and a Lord

Chapter Summary

Victor goes to the Duke to ask for some help.

Chapter Notes

Here's the next chapter!

See the end of the chapter for more notes

"Duke? Hey, how are you doing?" Victor asked as he approached the rather large merchant, his hands tucked into the deep pockets of his coat.

"Mr Press, it is good to see you." He smiled widely, "The hour is quite late and I was just about to close my emporium for the day, but please, if there is something you wish to purchase then go ahead." Victor nodded to him with a small smile, "Thank you yes, I'd like to a bouquet of roses and one more thing after that." "Of course, one moment please."

Victor saw him recline back in his seat to retrieve the product he had asked for. "And the next thing you wished to purchase?" "Well," Victor rubbed the back of his head in slight embarrassment, "I'd like to be able to talk to you, I need some advice." "Oh, but of course Mr Press." The Duke smiled warmly at him. "Do you wish to come inside of my caravan? So that we may speak more in private?" "Yes, thank you. That would be very helpful indeed." The Duke shifted away to allow him to enter.

The inside of the caravan surprised Victor for it was much larger than it appeared on the outside. There was a remarkable amount of empty space that allowed him to move around freely and without restriction, though the walls were lined with rows upon rows of merchandise.

The Duke sat down in a large chair and looked at him, "I am all ears Mr Press, what is it you wish to talk about on this day?" Victor sighed, "Thanks, I'm having a bit of a... problem..."

"What kind?" "It has to do with B-Lady Bela and the rest of her family." The merchant's eyes adopted a gleam of confusion. "Have you lost favor with the Dimitrescu family?" The Duke asked him quietly and neutrally.

"Yeah... I think I may have messed up a bit." He rubbed his face with his hands tiredly, "This is going to be a bit of a long story, so I don't know if you want to sit down to hear all of it, it's fine if you don't, just the fact that you're willing to listen a small part is enough." "Nonsense Mr Press," The Duke waved his hand, "I would be more than happy to offer you what council I can." "Thanks Duke." Victor gave him a tired smile.

"To make it brief, the bouquet of roses, the chocolates I sometimes come to buy, they're all for one girl, Cristina." "Ah yes, I know of her, a sweet and kind woman she is." The merchant nodded his head. "Well... recently the Countess allowed me to return to the Village after months of being in her... 'care' shall I say; I've started to date Cristina and as of recently things have started to become... deeper between us, more personal, more honest and..." He began to blush as he said it, "Last night we... we kissed for the first time and it was special and I was happy." Victor laughed silently. "But in the meantime, Lady Bela has been spying on us, stalking me even, last night she confronted me when I was just about to go to bed and... she called Cristina some disparaging words and insulted her." He looked away, "We argued and fought, I demanded that she leave my house and she did, but now I'm very worried because... she threatened me and then left. I feared the worst for Cristina because Lady Bela was furious and angry and... jealous too, I think." He explained to him.

"She said that I had insulted her family but... was she even courting me? We weren't dating or anything like that." He wondered aloud, "Now that I think about it, her younger sister Daniela was convinced that I loved her, but that's because she's insane, absolutely batshit crazy." The Duke hummed, his head tilting slightly. "Have you spoken to the esteemed Countess since you left her domain?" Victor shook his head, "I haven't... I'm scared of what to do now though."

He sighed. "Lady Bela, I never saw her lose her composure towards me but, I'm shaken now. What if the Countess decides to act on it? What if she sends one of her daughters out to hurt Cristina?" "Mr Press, please calm yourself, breathe." The merchant told him with a calming voice. "Nothing had happened yet and I do not think the Countess would act so rashly, you are her friend, are you not?"

"I... I don't know what to think anymore Duke." He began to slowly walk back and forth. "She... the Countess had me imprisoned, in a gilded cage. I didn't realize it at the time but I do now, I was a prisoner and I just can't... I can't go back to how things were with her." Victor

knew that the Countess was not a good person, he had just needed to spend time away to realize it. And now he was faced with yet another dilemma. "What would you advise I do? Go talk to Karl? Could he help and protect us?" The Duke remained silent for some time. "That could warrant some consideration but I do think the idea has some merit." He spoke slowly. "In regards to the Countess, I do not think she would be so brazen, given that you are now spending time in the Village. If she were to attack you it would mean attacking many of the townsfolk and Mother Miranda would not sit idly by."

Mother Miranda. That had been a name Victor had not heard in quite some time. "And what of her? Does she not call the shots with the Lords? She could make the Countess stand down, right?" "I would not be so sure Mr Press, I would advise you not to actively seek her out. It would not bode well for you." This time his reply was fast and quick, spoken without hesitation.

"Alright, message received loud and clear, it's just... I don't know what to do and I have this feeling, this horrible feeling that something very bad is going to happen." He let out a sigh of exasperation. "Everything is just so complicated now and I feel like I'm being crushed. And now Cristina could very well be targeted." "Duke, I'm desperate, it's only a matter of time before either the Countess or her daughters retaliate and... I don't want that to happen, but now I know it will." He looked at the merchant with pleading eyes. "Can you talk to her, please? Try to dissuade her in anyway?"

The jolly giant closed his eyes, his lips set in a grim line. "I am afraid that there is not much that I can do. I will attempt to talk to Lady Dimitrescu, but you must understand Victor, that I can make no guarantees. There is a possibility that she may listen to me but it is one that I am not sure about." "Thank you, I'm just glad you're willing to try... is there anybody else that could help me? Perhaps the other two Lords? What were their names? Moreau and Beneviento?" He asked him. "I would not be so sure that contacting them would be such a wise idea. Lord Salvatore in particular is fiercely loyal to Mother Miranda, not to mention that his Reservoir is quite dangerous and in a state of decay." The Duke answered as he continued to watch the anxious young man pace about.

"Yeah, yeah I remember the Countess saying that he was riddled with parasites and other things. But what about Lady Beneviento? She's the one with the white doll, yes?" "Lady Donna is neutral in the grand mist of things, but she is not the most forthcoming person. She is introverted and she tends to be quite... unreceptive for a lack of a better word." The Duke hummed. "She does have good relations with both Lord Heisenberg and Lady Dimitrescu and is indifferent to Lord Moreau." "But... could she help me?" "I do not think it likely Mr Press. She would need to be swayed, and even with Lord Karl's presence it may not be enough. She only knows you as Lady Dimitrescu's acquaintance, thus she holds no other relation to you."

"Ok, ok, what if I helped her? Like setting up a website? Does she have a business? Something that would bring her more riches?" "Lady Donna has a profession in doll making, but it is a minor thing. I sell her dolls and given that she is the only one who makes them, each doll is of the highest quality on the market, because of this they are sold for very high prices." The Duke explained slowly. "Lady Donna lives comfortably and frugally, she does not seek to expand her pool of wealth as the Countress does." The revelation was a shot in Victor's confidence. "Alright, but there must be something else right? Something that she would want and that I could give to her, something that would allow me to build a sort of connection." He began to ramble but the Duke merely sighed and shook his head. "I am afraid that this endeavor is one that will not be achievable."

He reached behind himself to gather an alcoholic bottle of some kind, maybe a vodka? He couldn't tell precisely. The merchant poured the beverage in two cups. "Drink if you wish." And Victor took it, the alcohol burning his throat as his eyes watered from the strong taste. "Fuck... that's strong..." He coughed. "Does it help though? To calm your nerves?" The Duke was not fazed by the taste in the slightest. "Yeah, I feel a tiny bit calmer..." "Then it has done its job, but do keep in mind that drinking is a double-edged blade, it can prove to be as devastating to a man as poison is." He told him somberly. "Thanks for the tip." Victor put the cup down and sighed. "This entire thing is a mess and... I want to leave this Village, leave it and all of these monsters and its strange events and just somewhere else, someplace normal... but Cristina won't leave and I'm torn, because for the first time in my life I have someone who actually cares, who gives a damn for me..."

"Mr Press, may I ask you a question? A personal one, if you wouldn't mind?" The Duke asked after a few moments of silence. "Yeah, sure, go ahead." "What are you running away from?" For a moment he went still before he began to laugh deeply, to laugh falsely. "Me? Running? I'm not running from anything, you got it all wrong Duke." But the merchant kept on staring at him. "You do not need to answer me Mr Press, I am posing a question that I presume is deep to you." Victor looked away and sighed before holding his hand out with the cup. "Please, I want some more." The Duke poured some more of the alcohol in it and Victor drank it all in one go, his face grimacing. "It tastes like shit... but it does work..." He wiped his mouth. "Alright then... I'll give you the truth, a part of it at least." The young man nodded to himself as the merchant watched him.

"The... the reason as to why I'm traveling, why I'm always in search of new isolated places is because of..." He struggled to continue. "Just give me a moment here," He held up his finger to the Duke who nodded, understanding that this was a difficult thing for him to say. "It's because of a few family members of mine," Victor said quickly. "A few family members that... have hurt me in the past... yeah, they've done that." He whispered to himself, his clicking his tongue. "And I take it that these family members have proven to be quite annoying?" "Exactly that. They wouldn't leave me alone, always harassing me, calling, one

time they even tried to come see and meet me physically, without my consent of course." Victor looked down. "It's... they hurt me Duke... I don't ever want to see them again." His tone held a note of finality.

"I see. For what it's worth, I am sorry to hear of your misfortune Mr Press. You were not deserving of it." "Yeah... but there's no use in crying about that now." He quickly said. "Still, thanks." And after a moment of hesitation, he held out the little glass again. "I know you said to be mindful, but can I please have one last one?" The Duke sighed but consented, tilting the bottle so to pour the drink. "This will be the last you shall drink from me. I cannot warn you enough against the dangers of booze." The young man nodded before drinking a little of it, the alcohol burning his mouth and throat.

"I can see why this is addictive to many men." "Addictions are easy to take form and hard to banish away, Lord Heisenberg knows well." That caught his attention, "Wait, Karl was a heavy drinker?" "Oh yes. Once, a long time ago. Though his tolerance was far, far greater than that of an average man, he still had his limits. For a period, it destroyed his person, he did not take care of himself and did not perform his duties as a Lord. It was only after a tragedy happened in the Factory that he finally stopped." "What... what kind of tragedy?" "I do not know to be completely honest, the exact details are lost to time, but it is rumored that Lord Heisenberg lost someone close to him." "That's sad to hear. I take it he doesn't talk about it?" "No, it is a private and personal matter to him and I would never mean to pry into it." "Yeah... that makes sense, that makes a lot of sense." Victor sighed. "Well, I guess I'm off to be with Cristina now." He chuckled and the gesture was mirrored by the Merchant.

"I'll go talk to Karl tomorrow morning, hopefully it will allow me to do some good on this situation." Victor truly hoped that everything would just resolve itself and work out for the best, but he wasn't stupid. He needed to prepare and to ready himself, for the worst. Victor took the roses and left the carriage after waving goodbye to the Duke. His thoughts were heavy and troubled, as they had been for the past few days.

He came to Cristina's home soon enough and she let him inside. "Here, these are for you." The young woman blushed and took the roses, "Acestea sunt frumoase." She took them and leaned close to press a quick peck on the side of his mouth. Victor felt his insides melt at the small gesture of affection. "Only the best for you." He stated and went to sit down on the couch. "The Duke says hi." "Oh? Why thank you." Cristina shot him a tender smile and then went to go put the flowers away. "I talked to him and... we discussed a few things, some were good, a lot of others weren't." He took a shaky breath, "I asked for help on what to do." "And what did the Duke tell you?" Cristina softly asked him. "Well, he said that it was for the best of I stayed here and didn't move out... in theory we'll be under the protection of Mother Miranda."

"Of course, she shall protect us, as she has always done in the past." The woman spoke with a conviction that Victor simply did not agree with. "It's... that could certainly help, yes." Victor nodded. "But I'm going to go talk to Karl tomorrow morning, I'll need his help for stuff that is to come and he's my friend, he can protect us." He saw that she disagreed heavily with his sentiment: it was not something that he could easily argue with her, since it was a sensitive subject. "It will be fine, I'll just go in the morning and return before lunch, there will be plenty of time to go do other things." He told her as she sighed and turned away. "Go if you must Victor, but I do not think it will help." "Cristina I... thank you, for at least considering my proposal." Victor stated, his eyes shining with gratitude. The woman reached for him and buried her head against his shoulder, her arms wrapping around his frame.

"Victor, dragă Victor, I worry, I still do not understand why you trust Lord Heisenberg so much but it is your decision... I cannot go against it." She sighed and looked into his eyes. "I promise you Cristina, I'll be fine, really." She did not look completely convinced, but that was what all Victor could do to soothe her worries. He kissed the top of her forehead and rubbed her back, his thumb playing over the dip between her shoulder blades. "I'll go now, I'll see you in an hour, two at most, alright?" Cristina solemnly nodded, though she was clearly unhappy. "I'll prepare lunch." "And I'll be glad to be coming back to a hot, steaming plate piled with food." He joked and that managed to earn him a smile.

Later...

"Karl?" Victor called out as he stood in front of the closed gates to the Factory. He moved up to a small panel that had a button and a speaker and pressed it. "Karl? It's Victor, do you mind opening up for me please?" He spoke into it and patiently waited for a reply.

A few moments later Karl's static voice returned, "Hello Victor! I wasn't expecting to hear from you so soon." "Hey Karl, listen, I came because I need your help, can we have a quick chat together?" He didn't receive an answer and this demoralized him for a couple of moments. But then he grinned when the gate opened. Victor jogged up to the entrance of the complex and he saw Karl come out from one of the larger doors. "Hey Victor! I have the computer and the consoles with me!" He shouted as Victor steadily approached, huffing and panting a bit.

"That's great to hear, but, something bad happened and I need to talk to you." He frowned at him, "What's wrong? Is some idiot villager bothering you?" Karl frowned before reaching out

to him and placing a hand on his shoulder. "No... it's worse than that, unfortunately..." Victor mumbled. He patted Karl's arm, "It has to do with Lady Dimitrescu and her daughters."

"Oh... it sounds like you've gotten yourself into quite a pickle." "Yeah, you'd be surprised with how accurate that statement is." The Lord ushered him inside with the wave of a limb. "Tell me all about it." Victor followed him further into the complex. "To be brief, Bela has been spying on me, she confronted me last night and it didn't go well. She was angry, furious even and she said that I had disrespected House Dimitrescu." Karl glanced at him, "Bela is the blonde one, right?" The young man nodded, "Yes, she is the most mature out of the three." "That seems... strange to me, I thought you two were close friends?" Victor shrugged, "I thought the same but, it's clear that something has changed. She had come to invite to Castle Dimitrescu, to spend the day with her family, but she's been spying on me Karl." "And you know this how exactly?" He asked him as they waited for an elevator to arrive.

"It's obvious she's stalking me, and she approached me yesterday late at night. I was coming home and she was waiting for me on my front porch, the moon was up in the sky for crying out loud!" He huffed. "And I'm worried now because... she knows about Cristina." Karl blinked, "Cristina... is that the girl that sells goods in the Village?" "Yes, she is. We've grown close and we're dating." He admitted. "Oh, oh dear this is really troubling." Karl scratched his bearded chin.

"Victor, I think Alcina's daughter has a big crush on you." Victor could only sigh and nod. "Yeah, I suspected this. But she didn't take to my new girlfriend well and now I'm afraid she might retaliate." He licked his lips before continuing, "And I'm even more afraid as to what the Countess will do... I fell as if I've disrespected her."

Victor waited for Karl to make his own opinion on the matter, as he did so he took to looking around the workshop. "If you were anyone else, I would laugh, but it would be of poor taste for me to do so." Karl murmured. "Have you tried talking to them? Or contacting them in any way?" "Well, no, but I did promise that... fuck! I promised Bela that I would write to her, and I haven't done that!" Victor cursed at himself. "That would explain why she was so aggressive and pissed at you." Karl added. "Yeah but, she was still stalking me and that's not a normal thing." "But Bela isn't a normal woman, she hasn't been once since my sister took her in."

Victor sighed, "Karl, I'll be honest and direct with you, the reason for why I came here, besides to say hello and have your input and viewpoint on this whole fucked up mess, is to ask for your help." "By help you mean?" Karl asked him, his brows pinching together. "I fear that the Countess will retaliate in some way, that she'll lash out, target me and... and

especially Cristina. I can't defend myself Karl... but... but maybe she'll listen to you." He spoke quietly as he looked up at the taller man.

"And I know, I know that I'm asking a lot from you. I understand and realize that, but you're my only hope Karl." In that moment Victor felt like a terrible friend. He was pleading his case to the Lord, practically throwing it at his feet and begging him to help him with it. Victor felt ashamed, so much so that he could not stand to look stare at him in the eyes. "It's a shitty thing to ask you but I'm afraid and scared and I don't know who to turn to and..." He looked away then, blinking some tears away. "I need you Karl... I'm scared for my life and that of Cristina..."

For a few moments more, Lord Heisenberg remained silent, just watching him what could be described as a surprised and shocked expression. "Victor I... I didn't realize you were this... preoccupied." Karl chose his words carefully. "Alcina... I don't think she'll do anything to you... not with how much I like you as a friend and then... there's Miranda, she has a sick fixation on you." But there was something more that went unsaid. "I've been working on something Victor; I consider it to be my life's greatest work." He looked towards the elevator then.

"It's been decades in the making and I think that soon I'll finally be able to bring it to an end." He appeared to be pensive and at moment worried too. "You'll stay in the Village, right? You won't be going away to the Castle or anything like that, right?" Victor shook his head, "No, of course not Karl, but what's going on? Is this something I should be worried about?" Karl shook his head. "No, you just need to stay in the Village, there's a good chance that the next week or so could be... hectic, maybe it won't be and this affair I'm planning to do could go without a hitch." He shrugged, extending his arms, "I can't predict these things, but I can hope for the best."

Karl slowly paced around the room, looking at all the papers he had laying around in messy piles. "This thing that I'm going to do, it's going to be risky and dangerous..." He admitted. "Well, what is it? I kinda am worried." Victor asked as he watched him pace. "It's... fuck, I don't know if it would be best to tell you... you knowing what I would do could potentially ruin things and maybe even we put you in danger." He murmured before fully tuning to him.

"Victor," He said, "Can I trust you to stay quiet on what I'm about to tell you?" "Yeah, of course you can, you're my friend." Karl came closer to him, sitting down on one knee. "I'm being serious here, if I tell you, you cannot tell anyone about this, not a fucking word to anyone." He gripped and shook his shoulders, and behind his round shades, Victor could see that his eyes were pleading, desperate even. "A-Alright, you can trust me, Karl. I'll keep my

mouth shut, I swear to you, you won't have to worry about me." Victor nodded to him, squeezing his arms too to prove his point. Karl leaned back, muttering something under his breath.

"I guess I really am doing this..." He stood up and walked towards a workbench where he began to flip through dozens of blueprints before pulling out a specific paper. "Come here, let me show you this." He gestured to Victor who came to his side. "Is this... a robot?" Victor asked as his eyes squinted down at the drawings displayed on paper. He could make out what seemed to be a humanoid figure, with a large mining-grade drill installed on one limb and a kind of energy core in the center of its chest. "Not exactly, it's a bit more complicated than that..." Karl said quietly. "This is a Soldat, it is a machine of my creation, a mechanical soldier if you will." The Lord began to explain. "And why would you design something like this?" Victor asked, unsure of why he would even need something like this. "That's were my secret plan comes in, you see Victor... for years I have been designing these constructs, so that they may serve their purpose. I perfected them, building different prototypes, different machines and such, things that could rival and best the Lycans of this valley." As he was explaining these things, Victor took care to read more deeply into the blueprints, managing to understand some of the Romanian wording on it.

"The truth is that... I am going to kill Miranda." Victor looked up, "What? You're going to go against her?" Karl nodded grimly. "She tortured me Victor to give me this," He moved his coat away and pulled the top of his shirt down to show him an ugly set of crisscrossing scars that were right on the middle of his sternum. The skin around it seemed burned and flakey, dark veins sprouted from around the spot. "This was the gift she gave to me. It's what allows me to do stuff like this." He pointed his palm upwards and a number of metal pieces began to levitate over it. Karl looked away, he seemed almost ashamed.

"She turned me into something subhuman, into a freak-show. Her blessing is a curse." The Lord spoke bitterly, angrily too. "Lady Dimitrescu... she said you were a boy when Miranda took you." Victor stated, quite shaken at the sight of the horrific markings on him. "Yes. She killed my parents, brought me to this forsaken town to be a part of her little family, pah!" He angrily slammed his fist against a wall, cracking the concrete. "She calls us her children, as if we were anything but that, as if she held even an ounce of fucking love for us!" He growled, his voice almost rising to a full shout.

"Do you think she cares about me, about us? No, she doesn't, she doesn't care about the Village either, she only cares for her dead daughter Eva!" Karl slammed his fist into the wall again and more cracks appeared. "That fucking baby has been dead for a century! And still she's trying to bring her back, even after a hundred failures." Karl clamped his jaw shut and breathed heavily, trying to control his rage. "And all of this, all of my pain and suffering... is so she can bring her rotten daughter back to life. She hurt me enough to last me a dozen

lifetimes. I'm going to return the favor to her and by god I'll die trying if I can't." Victor was quite shaken by this confession.

"Y-You can take her right? You're strong enough, right?" He asked worriedly and Karl sighed. "I used the be the strongest of the Lords, but now Dimitrescu is tied with me, we're equals... that's why we're going to be meeting up in a couple of days. She's going to help me take down that bitch." The news surprised Victor greatly: "I... wasn't expecting to hear that." "And about what you said earlier, don't worry too much Victor. We're stressed, it's probable that Alcina's worry has rubbed off of her daughters too." But that little to ease his concerns. "Karl I'm so... surprised to hear all of this... and worried too." He felt the good part of his consciousness spur him on: "Is there... is there anything I can help you with? Anything I can do at all? For what's to come."

But Karl only smiled at him. "Just stay put... I'm sure we'll be playing together in no time... things will go ell, have a little faith in me Victor."

Chapter End Notes

If you enjoyed the chapter, please leave a comment, the longer the better! Also, please consider joining my Discord Server at: https/discord.gg/vUK9Y9DbGH if you want to contact me directly and ask for updates, until next time!

Silence

Chapter Summary

As Victor and Cristina are hunkered down, the young man gains the courage to open up about his past.

Chapter Notes

Here we are with the next chapter, I hope you shall all enjoy it!

See the end of the chapter for more notes

"Are there any more coming? Can you see any more of the lycans?" Victor asked as he looked through the window of Cristina's house.

"No, nothing of that sort." Cristina sighed as she came closer to the young man. Touching his shoulder. There were bags under he eyes and Victor had much the same. They had both spent the night awake, as had the rest of the Village.

Victor could not have expected how true Karl's warning would have rang out, for the past few days had been nothing short of horrifying. The townsfolk had all but barricaded themselves within their homes, just as Victor and Cristina had done. Usually it was dangerous to go out at night, given that the lycans would be prowling the outskirts of the forest, but in the past few days they had grown bold, running through the streets of the Village in broad daylight.

Their snarls and roars had been burned into his mind and he shuddered just to think of them. Luckily though, they were not focused on the townsfolk, they were all charging in the general direction of Karl's Factory. But Victor could not make out where exactly they were heading to, or what they were facing.

Pained screams and roars could he heard coming from the forest, as if they were fighting against a strong enemy and Victor was led to believe that those enemies were Karl's soldiers.

He had kept them a secret, not uttering a word of the project for fear of it becoming known and giving Miranda a slip. Speaking of the cult leader, nobody had seen her, but the townsfolk had been fast at prayer.

Already Cristina had gotten to her knees to whisper hushed prayers to the portrait of Mother Miranda, asking for safety and peace. No one had gone out in the streets, not since the lycans had began to appear in such massive droves.

It was a tiring and very stressful endeavor, no matter how many times the monsters appeared, skirting through the openings and small pathways of the buildings, growling like rabid beasts that they were.

Victor's opinion on Miranda kept getting worse as he saw the reverence with which Cristina prayed. Victor would not blame her, for he imagined that the faith in Miranda had been passed down through generations upon generations. It was not something that could easily be removed, for Victor had met a few people who were devoutly religious.

But he did not think that the prayers were useful, and if he could have told Cristina without the fear of repercussions, he would have outed Miranda for the fraud and monster that she truly was.

If would truly needed to pray, then Victor would pray to Karl, he would hope that the Lord would succeed in his task and put an end to the woman's foul reign of terror. The last few days had also made him think, made him wonder on whether or not Miranda was at fault for the Village's lack of technological upkeep.

It must have been because of her influence and direct action that the lonely settlement seemed to be stuck almost a full century in the past. And Victor wondered as to how it would change once Miranda would be killed.

But then there was that entire other headache to consider: what was Karl to do once his revenge would be sated? Was it bound to be a clamorous and public affair? Would he reveal the death of Mother Miranda to all?

A part of him shuddered, thinking on exactly how the townsfolk would react. There was a considerable chance that they would react with fury, with unbridled anger and seek to revolt.

But maybe they could learn more, they could realize the error that was worshipping Mother Miranda. There was an opportunity to let the Village grow, to have it integrate back into the actual modern world, to make it a genuinely better place, or at least that was the wishful thinking that Victor was experiencing.

"Cristina?" He asked, turning to look at the young woman as she finished her prayers. "Da? Is something wrong? Have you seen more of the monsters?" "No, I have not, but I've been thinking." He began to talk, sitting down on one of the chairs in the room.

"Oh?" "Yeah... I'm... I'm very concerned with the safety of the Village, with what's been happening for the past few days." Cristina came to sit down at his side, pulling the blanket that she was wearing tighter around herself. "This has never been the case, the lycans... I... este greșit din partea mea, but I cannot help but feel as if Mother Miranda is wrong." His brows rose in surprise at hearing that. "Really? What changed?"

She sighed and her shoulders slumped. She had the appearance of someone whose convictions had just been proven false. "This entire travesty, it does not make sense to me. Mother Miranda would have never allowed it..." Cristina looked crestfallen and devoid of all energy.

"Could she have lied? Each day I think of my father, of how Lord Heisenberg had him killed. If Mother Miranda is truly just... how could this have happened?" She turned to look at him, her gentle eyes shining and wet with unshed tears.

"The Four Lords are her children... but they are all needlessly cruel and of blackened hearts. Lady Dimitrescu drinks upon the blood of the maidens of the Village, plucking them from families, never to be seen again... Lord Heisenberg draws out the men and uses them for... for... experimente barbare și infernale." She spoke, her lip trembling. "I... I am afraid Victor. What if Mother Miranda is not truly the goddess we have always envisioned her to be?"

Quickly, he made his way to her side and wrapped his arm around her, quietly pulling her into his frame. Victor heard the smallest of whimpers escape her mouth and he frowned.

"Cristina, hey, listen to me." He spoke, his hand cupping her cheek and tilting her head towards him. "It's not your fault, none of this is." She blinked, her lip trembling. "I'm scared too, you know?" He offered her what he hoped would be a gentle smile. "We'll be able to make this through together, I'm sure of it."

He pulled her into a hug as she began to weep. He heard her whispered thanks in between her quiet sobs and he just held her tighter, gently shushing her.

"The lycans can't be endless, it's just a matter of waiting them out, I think." His fingers tapped against the small of her back with a relaxed rhythm, still trying to soothe her.

Cristina was beginning to question her faith and Victor was... pleased for a lack of a better word, if only for the fact that she would not be constrained to this baseless worship.

"Vreau să se termine asta. I am tired Victor." She whispered and he nodded. "That's alright, I'll bring you to bed, ok?" When he felt her little grunt he took it as a yes.

With some effort he brought her over to the room where they would sleep together and carefully laid her down. "I'll keep watch for a little more, but I'll come soon enough and then I'll even cook up something, hopefully something tasty enough that you'll like." He murmured, gently stroking her hair as she shuffled and nestled further into the blanket. "Hopefully I won't burn down the kitchen too." He glanced at the stoves, remembering the couple of times he had almost set fire to his wool shirt.

"I'll make that broth you showed me the other week alright?" "Yes... thank you Victor." Giving her one final pat, Victor set out to reach the kitchen, his mind already thinking as to what ingredients he would need.

The broth was simple enough, for it consisted mostly of cooked vegetables. He would have added some chicken, but they were running a bit low on meat and they could not yet leave the house to reach the local butcher. And that was why they would have to do.

The snarling shadow that bolted from the edge of his vision caused him to look through the window, barely catching sight of the running lycan that disappeared behind another house.

He sighed, trying not to let his mind wander too much on Karl's current wellbeing. The Countess was helping him, so Victor wanted to believe that Miranda's death would be all but assured.

But he had doubts and he hated the fact that they would constantly lurk in his mind. It made him uncomfortable to wonder about what would happen if the two Lords failed in their task.

"Come on Karl, you can do it..." He whispered as he turned on the stove and placed a pot filled with water on top of it. He sprinkled in a generous amount of salt, then pepper and then proceeded to pull out the cutting board to start diving the cabbage.

Cristina had taken all of the weapons and supplies from her shop and had moved them to the house. That was why there were a few guns laying in peculiar positions, such as the old hunting rifle that was resting on the counter of the kitchen.

They could last should the worst come to pass. Cristina had told him that she had a small amount of experience with using the guns, which was far more what he could claim to have. The only time he had actually used a firearm was when he had tried to defend himself against Cassandra... it had been something that had not gone too well for him.

Sighing, Victor began to move on to the carrots and then the onions, steadily cutting them into small pieces and adding them to the pot. Cristina moved a bit and rolled over onto her other side. Victor glanced at her and felt his heart sadden at the sight.

He recognized now that she had essentially experienced a mental collapse, likely due to the mounting stress of the lycans and her own wavering faith. It reminded him of his own life somewhat, of what he had gone through.

When the water began to boil, he turned off the stove and moved the pot, beginning to pour the broth into a pair of plates.

Steadily he made his way over to the bed and placed the plates onto a low desk.

"Cristina?" He gently shook her and she opened her eyes, looking at him. "I made us some lunch, I hope you'll like it." It took her a couple of moments to smile, but she did and Victor grinned.

"Thank you for helping me Victor... I am... I am sorry for," She signed, her gaze turned away from him as she nervously brushed back a couple of loose strands of her straight hair.

"I get it Cristina. It's alright... this isn't an easy situation for us." Slowly her gaze returned to meet his and Victor saw nothing but genuine gratitude within her eyes. "Esti un om binecuvantat si bun Victor, cu inima buna." He smiled at her sweet words and leaned in to put his forehead against her, simply basking in the contact between them.

"Now then, I made us some broth and I hope that you'll like it." He said and brought the plate to her. She sat forward and accepted the meal with a small thanks.

"You know... this may sound weird but I feel like I've almost lived this moment once before." Cristina glanced at him in curiosity. "What do you mean?"

Victor turned the spoon over in the birth, moving the pieces of chipped vegetables aside. "A few years ago, back when I was still in the States... me and my family had a falling out." He said as he blew on the spoon, wanting to cool down the broth as to not burn his lips and mouth.

"Actually, that would be a bit of an understatement." He admitted as he kept swirling the spoon. "My parents divorced, back when I was thirteen, things got rough. My father... he payed child support for a year before he stopped. My mother insisted that it was because he refused to do so." He murmured.

"She was lying, my father had his own reasons not to pay for it, but they both began to tell me and my siblings lies. I have a brother and a sister, both older than me." Cristina's eyes widened at the revelation, but she kept on listening.

"Our mother manipulated us first and then our father did the same. It went on for a few months, but I quickly realized that they were both lying. They wanted custody of us but... but it was not for love, or at least part of it wasn't for love. It took me a long while to accept this fact. It just kept getting uglier and uglier, we would have to go to court to talk with judge to take momentary decisions, who to stay with for a period of time, when to switch up."

"I was young back then, stupid and foolish too. I often believed what my parents would tell me." "But you were a child Victor." Cristina whispered. "Yeah, but that doesn't excuse the some of the stupid shit I did... my brother and sister, they began to take sides." He sighed as he recounted the tale.

"And then other members of our family got involved, from both sides of my mother and father. My uncles, grandparents too. There came a point in which I started to..." He paused, searching for the right word to use, "I started to feel less like a son and more like some kind of merchandise, that was being fought and wrestled over."

The spoon clinked against the edge of the plate. "I would talk to the few friends I had in school, did some school counseling, talked with a couple of the professors. It was like walking through a minefield with my parents. Everything that I did could have either been viewed as a sign of aggression or friendship from one parent to the next. I hated it."

"And so when I started high-school, I just threw myself into my studies, decided to take the classes that had to do with computer science and programming. That became... that became my escape for a few years." Victor sniffled, "My father began to drink, heavily. My mother started to heavily smoke, I think she may have also done some drugs, but I've never been able to confirm it."

"I did a lot of stuff on my own, coding I mean, began to do small side jobs, small stuff to make some cash money. My parents didn't care for that and I was happy to do it since it meant I didn't have to spend time with them. Then, when I turned 17, I had this moment of realization, you could say. I wanted to go away, to just leave my family behind." He breathed out, "I became obsessed with the idea, I fantasized over, wondering just when I would be able to leave. I spent several weeks researching, talking to some people."

He placed the plate away, his hunger having disappeared. "As soon as I turned eighteen I made my own bank account, in secret. My family members knew nothing about this. I put in all of my savings from all of the side jobs and the gifts I had received from my birthdays and other stuff like that. I had just a couple thousand dollars."

"I graduated a month later after I turned eighteen and I booked a bus, changed my phone number and left to go stay at a town an hour away. I hadn't warned my parents or siblings about this. I just left and I felt good, to be away from them, to not have to feel that stressed any longer. Of course they immediately began to search for me, I was contacted by the police, but I wasn't a minor, so I could not be forced to go back. I did some jobs, eventually beginning to do some freelance stuff with my programming and getting better and better, adding experience to my resume. Once I landed a paycheck that was hefty enough I booked a flight for England and left the States, and my family, behind."

Victor closed his eyes. "Of course I would still get calls and stuff, but I wanted out. I was happy to be away, not to say that it was all sunshine and rainbows, I was frequently bouncing from apartment to apartment, going from one place to another as I didn't have a solid income, but I was managing, you know?" Cristina shifted a bit, so she could sit against him and give him some physical contact.

"One time, I made the mistake of calling my father. I still wonder why I did it, I think it was because I was hoping in something, maybe that things had changed, that they had gotten better, that tempers had cooled off. It wasn't a very smart action to take and it was foolish to hope so." He wiped at his eyes. "I was wrong, to think that things had changed. My father berated me, asked me how I could betray him, he wanted me to come back at once. When I asked if he had settled things with my mother, he said that they were still arguing and- He hiccuped for a moment, trying to not crack. "I was so disappointed. I thought that there could still have been some space for actual love, but my father never changed. I realized then how stupid it was of me, how childish my thoughts were. So I changed my number again."

He looked away from her. "My mother would have been worse, I knew this. That is why I had never called her."

Cristina remained silent, evidently in shock to everything that she had heard. "Victor... you've been... hiding all of this?" "Yes." He stood up and began to pace. "I never felt comfortable enough to talk about this. It's been... it's been haunting me for a long time. I just wanted to get it off my chest. Can... can I ask you a question?"

She nodded to him, eager to listen to what he had to say, "Yes, please, what is it?" "Do you remember, many months ago when we first met? You had come to stay over at my place, do you remember that?" She nodded once more, "Of course." "And you also remember that I had received a call on my phone. And I had reacted badly, extremely badly."

"You did. Victor... was that your father?" His friend deepened. "No, it wasn't him... it was my mother." He said after a moment of hesitation. "She called me, I don't even know how she managed to get my number, but she did." And he had ranted and screamed like a madman, likely scaring her.

"It was just so... infuriating. I got so pissed off, I had never felt so angered before in my life." Cristina agreed to that, for she had witnessed firsthand his unquenchable fury.

"Victor, n-am avut nici o idee." Her hand reached out to softly grip his own, her thumb caressing over the skin. "You couldn't have known Cristina. I hadn't told anyone... the only person whom I have told this about, at least in part, is the Duke." She gave him a small smile. "The Duke is a good, albeit strange man. I know that many in the Village have told him of many secrets." He chuckled upon hearing that. "Heh, I can understand why. He's pretty good at keeping them."

Cristina reached out to grab his plate and put it back in his lap, before reaching out to gently wipe away at the tears that had slid down his face. "I had no idea that you felt this way about your family." "The Village was an escape for me, a way to be isolated and happy. I don't think my parents will ever learn where I am. I might as well be dead to them and honestly, I think it's for the best." He replied coldly.

They sat in silence for a bit more, until Cristina began to actually eat the broth, though it had gone cold. "This is good." She said quietly and that sparked a smile on his mouth. "I'm glad to hear that." He went to grab a tissue to wipe away the last tears in his eyes before starting to eat the meal as well.

"And Cristina, thank you, for listening to me. As I told you I had never felt... comfortable enough to share these things. And you made me feel comfortable enough, thanks to your kindness, your gentle demeanor. So once more, thank you." She smiled at him and leaned closer, careful to not spill the broth, and kissed his lips.

They remained like that for a couple of moments before separating. "Well... are there any other things you want to do later in the day?" He asked, continuing to consume his meal. "I... would like to know more about your life, if you'll allow me to know."

"Of course. My life wasn't all that bad, it was the abuse the final years that were extremely bad." He hummed for a moment, "But I really don't think that you'll find the rest of it too interesting." He shrugged.

"The outside world seems very interesting... I'd like to learn more of it." Those words made him wince for a moment, for they reminded him of Bela and how she had been so fascinated with what else there was to technology.

"I'll be sure to tell you all about it." He went to go put the plate away. "I'll wash the dishes." Was his quick statement as he turned on the water.

Cristina made a noise of thanks and soon walked over to him to put her own plate away. He risked a glance outside and didn't see anything in regards to the monsters. He let out a small sigh, hoping once more that the best would come to pass.

"Alright then, what do you want to know specifically?" He asked once he was done with the dishes.

"What is the outside world like? Truly, I have only been told some things by the Duke." She sat down and gave him a small tentative smile.

"The technological advancements that have happened in the last century are extraordinary. I'm guessing there's no computers over here, are there?" "The device that you use? No, yours was the first I ever saw." "Well, there's so many more compared to that, many models, many that are bigger more efficient and better. Oh and not to talk about our phones, I saw that the only one here in town is still connected to a booth. As you can see here," He showed her his own mobile device, "We now have phones that can be literally put in your pocket, it's made everything so much easier and simpler to manage."

Victor began to lose himself into his passion and love for technology. Cristina kept listening to him and kept smiling too. She asked him a question every now and then, but let him talk to his heart's content.

With how much he was talking about technology it was only natural that time would begin to pass and quite quickly too. Hours flew by and they still hadn't moved away from their positions, still engaged with the conversation.

"-and then there's many theories and rumors circulating with the potential of a new console, perhaps one using the latest generation of chips, and this is a big thing because there's a good chance that that we'll see a genuine big uptick in performance but also efficiency." He showed her a few pictures of the news that he was relaying to her

In a short span of time though, they began to hear voices outside. Victor looked at Cristina, his eyes widening before they both scrambled to look out of the windows. And there they saw that some of the villagers had come out of their houses, timidly stepping onto the streets, many of them armed with old hunting rifles. They were talking to each other, cautiously looking back and forth, but there were no lycans, it seemed as if they were well and truly alone.

Cristina handed Victor a rifle and they both slowly unlocked the front door. They came out, their guns held tightly in their arms. "Can you talk to a few of them?" He whispered to Cristina who nodded and looked over to the nearest man.

"Hei, știi ce se întâmplă?" She asked him and then man whirled towards her. "Nu știu, dar naibii de fiare au plecat, cel puțin eu cred că au plecat."

"I didn't quite catch all of that." Victor told her as settled against the wall of the house. "The lycans don't seem to be around anymore."

"Wait, is the fighting over?" Cristina remained quiet, still looking around. "It may be."

Slowly more and more of the townsfolk got out of their houses and onto the streets. It seemed like there truly were no more monsters anymore.

"Is it really over? Holy shit, it is!" Victor's face broke out into a smile as he turned to gaze at Cristina. She seemed momentarily stunned but soon began to smile just like he was.

"Nu mai văd licanii, nu sunt aici!" A voice yelled at the other side of the street they were in, the one that brought to the edge of the Village. And then, a single man raised his gun and let out a yell of exhilaration.

He was joined by a second and soon everyone was cheering , the entire Village coming to life as its denizens cried out in joy.

Laughing merrily Victor dropped his rifle and picked up Cristina, twirling her around as she let out a shriek of surprise that soon turned into giggling. When he set her down he kissed her and hugged her close.

It was apparent that a celebration was going to follow, with how there was so much cheering.

But then Victor stopped and actually thought about what this entailed. Had Karl and the Countess won? Was Mother Miranda no more? Or was it still not over?

He felt his blood run cold as the realization. "Wait," He said and grasped the young woman's shoulder. "Wait there has to be more to this, it surely can't be this easy can it?" He said and walked a few steps forward so that he could stand in the middle of the road and look down both ends.

"Cristina, what if there are more? What if it's not done?" Her eyes widened and she turned to one of their neighbors. "Oprește-te, cineva trebuie să vadă dacă cu adevărat nu mai există monștri!" And that seemed to snap him out of his own cheering as he began to yell at the other people around him.

And all of the generated excitement seemed to go off like a candle that was blown out. Everyone seemed to panic once more and retreat into the safety of their homes.

"It's better this way," Victor told Cristina as he gently pulled her back. "We should wait until the morning... and then we should be able to safely go out."

"Alright," She whispered and kissed him. "I trust you."

Chapter End Notes

If you've enjoyed the chapter please consider leaving a comment, the longer the better! If you wish to contact me directly consider joining my Discord Server at: https/discord.gg/vUK9Y9DbGH to ask me questions, theories or even make requests. Until next time!

A New Day

Chapter Notes

Here's the next chapter! A pretty big and shocking event happens, and as a result the ways of life of the Village shall be changed.

See the end of the chapter for more notes

"She is dead."

Karl grunted as he stepped through the door, flecks of blood trailing after him. "Karl! W-What? Wait, sit down!" Victor scrambled to pull out a chair from the table. "Here, sit down, please."

The Lord sighed as he flopped down and the chair creaked under his weight. His white undershirt was colored red. "D-Do you want water? Do you need medicine or anything else?" He held up his hand to stop the younger man from his rambling. "Stop, I'm hurting, but I'll heal well enough, or have you forgotten that already?"

Victor frowned, "Of course not, you just burst in here and you look like a fucking corpse! Why do you think I'm worried?!"

Karl rubbed his face with a groan, smearing more blood over his features. "God help me, shut your damn mouth!" He barked at him. "You want to be helpful? Go grab me a bottle of booze!" Victor balked, at a loss for words. But slowly he went to get the nearest bottle he could find. It contained water.

"Here, just like you asked." Victor said as he handed Karl the glass object. "What is this? Piss-water? I asked you for some strong stuff not this weak barf!" "And it's going to be the only thing you'll get." "Oh really now?" "Yes, really."

Karl licked his lips and reclined back in his seat, his jaw set and his teeth gritted as a sharp sigh of pain escaped him; his unoccupied hand was massaging his knee. If he looked carefully and closely enough, Victor could make out the white of the bone amidst the torn and marred flesh. It made him revolt, so he opted to look elsewhere.

"Are you really, really sure you're alright?" He asked. "I am, the fucking bitch hit me hard and good, almost took my entire leg with her at one point." "I see then."

Wood scraped on wood as Victor pulled out a second chair and sat in it, resting his arms on his lap, and stared at Karl. "What?" "You know what. Tell me what happened." Karl blinked for a moment before narrowing his eyes a touch. "You annoying fucker, you were a bumbling mess a minute ago." "And you're an asshole, so I guess that makes it fair." He snapped back.

"Fine!" Karl flung his arm in exasperation. "What do you want me to tell more? Me and Alcina fought against Mother Miranda, for days and we won." Victor looked over his cut and bruised body: his coat had been reduced to tatters and his hat was missing. His grey hair almost looked as if it had been tinted by a barber with how deep the maroon shade of red in it was.

"You just barged in Karl, no knocking or anything like that. How did you even know I was here?" "You weren't at your house, so I took a lucky guess and won the jackpot." Victor huffed at his barbed jab. The floorboards creaked just a touch and both men turned their gazes over at Cristina. She was clenching one of the shop's rifles, though she did not aim it at Karl.

"Oh for fuck's sake, put that thing down girl, before you hurt yourself." But Cristina kept glaring at him, causing the Lord to let out an irritated hum.

"My love," Victor caught her attention, "It's fine, Karl is safe, we don't need to defend ourselves anymore." "Exactly what he said." Karl grumbled as he took off the cap of the bottle and held the water above him, letting it splash down on his face before he took several long gulps and drank the entire thing in one go.

"Meh, wasn't actually too bad." "I told you so, stubborn fool." Karl flipped him off.

"Victor, I want him to go away." He glanced back at her. "Give us one moment please and then Karl will go. Right?" He asked looking pointedly at him. "Yes, yes." The woman nodded but did not put the gun away, clearly not feeling comfortable in the presence of the Lord.

"What's next for the Village?" "What's next? What's next is that this place can finally get all caught up with the rest of world." "You mean you're going to bring the technology to the level it's supposed to be?" "Fuck yeah. I'm going to hook all the houses up with electricity first, get then all running." Victor nodded a tad surprised, "And you're going to use your factory, right? I mean, you're going to be connecting the households to the generators of your place, correct?" "Wasn't that obvious? Unless I've somehow missed a giant-ass reactor just lying around." "The fact that you're wounded and dying doesn't give you the justification to act like an asshole." "Oh, cut me some slack."

"Cristina, could you please give me and Karl a moment?" Victor asked and the shopkeeper slowly stepped away and back. "Please do not take long Victor." "Don't worry, I won't."

And now that they were alone, Victor snapped his gaze back towards Karl again. "What the hell are you doing?" He hissed.

"Hmmm? I'm just doing what I feel like doing." "Yes and all of a sudden you have an appreciation for the Villagers and want to better their lives, where was this altruistic interest all this time?" Karl snorted, passing a hand through his filthy hair. "I'm not doing it out of the goodness of my heart you idiot." "Then why?" "It's so that the Duke will lower his prices, do you have any idea how much more expensive electrical equipment is here? Especially on an industrial level?" He explained, folding one leg on top of the other.

"I'd wager my heart that I could get the Duke to give me all of the materials that I need for free, under the pretense that I'll be helping the Village." Karl chuckled. "Eh, you're still the same asshole as before." "Thanks a lot, I would have never noticed that." He grunted as he got up, wobbling a touch.

"Wait, just be careful, you're still weak and bleeding like a stuck pig." Victor chided him whilst coming to his side and holding him, or doing as much as he could given how heavy the Lord was.

"You're sure you don't need help with walking back to your place?" "I'll be fine, I walked off Mother Miranda, a little cold won't do much against me." Karl grinned and moved over to the door. "Oh and apologies for the lock. I'll fix it as soon as I can." "You better. I'm still not over the way you just barged in. You should try knocking next time." Karl murmured something akin to a curse but smiled as he sauntered away and out of the house. Victor sighed and looked over the mess on the floor. If he didn't clean up the water and blood then the floorboards would be stained.

With a shake of his head he retrieved some paper wraps and began to wipe it. "He's gone Cristina!" He called out as he swept the dirty liquids away. She came quickly, her hands trembling as she approached and hugged him, her hands wrapping around his frame. "Hey, hey hey, it's alright." He comforted her, caressing her hair.

"Eram speriat," She whispered. "Did you see him Victor, he was covered in blood, I thought he was going to attack you." "No... no, he wouldn't do that. We're friends, even thought we talk shit to each other."

Cristina gazed at him, her eyes streaming with tears. "I heard what he was saying. Did he and the Countess kill Mother Miranda? Este adevarat?" He remained quiet, his mouth closing as he contemplated what to tell her.

"Yes... their battle is over." She moved away and stared into a void, her eyes blank before she backed away until her back hit the wall and she slid down, her limbs tucking close to her torso as she met out a small cry.

"We have no one to protect us now!" She wept, as she had an emotional breakdown. Victor was at a loss for words, but he quickly came close to her and sat down, simply holding her. He didn't know what to say, what to tell her, but he just kept her close, only letting out small whispers. Victor just hoped that his gentle comforting would be enough to have her calm down. It wasn't easy to tell how much time had passed, he wasn't measuring it, but slowly, slowly her breathing calmed, her shaking subsiding.

"It's alright... you're here with me," He whispered, tucking her head beneath his chin. "It's all fine, you don't need to worry, we're safe and sound." Eventually, she moved more into his frame, her limbs tangling with his as he let her rest against him. "Are you feeling better Cristina?" She nodded, her head laying against his shoulder.

"That's good to hear and I'm happy for you." He kissed the top of her head and squeezed her shoulder. "Alright, want to get up?" Slowly she accepted his proposal and got up. "Zei..." She murmured. "Thank you Victor..." Her mouth reached up to his to lay a kiss against it as she sniffled, wiping what was left of her tears away. He blushed for a moment, "It's fine. Let's... I think we can step outside now. It's safe." She was hesitant to respond. "Truly? Are we safe?" "Yes, yes we are." He answered. "Cristina, do you trust me? Do you really trust me?"

"I... da, da, am încredere în tine." "Good. Now, let's grab your coat," He reached his hand out towards the item of clothing before placing it on her shoulders, helping her slide her arms in. "And now we can step out. We don't have to go at the center of the Village I... I really just want to have a breath of fresh air. We've been cooped up in the house for a bit too long. It will do us some good."

"Victor... we can... we will take our guns." "Yes, yes we will. It's an added protection and I'm not going to risk your health for anything in this world, do you understand me?"

Cristina nodded. "Bine, hai să facem asta." "Excelent." He replied as he put on his own heavy jacket. They armed themselves with their rifles and slowly unlocked the door before ultimately moving out. Some of the other villagers were on the porches of their own houses, cautious not to make any loud noises. Victor checked both sides of the house but there was nothing. With a daring hop he planted his feet down onto the snow that had not been shoveled. He sank up to his ankles and he had to wiggle his legs a tiny bit before he could properly move.

"I don't see anything Cristina." He told her. From the corner of his eye he saw another neighbor shaking his head, probably muttering something about him being a suicidal fool, if he understood him correctly. "Hey you," He called the man. "Come here." He waved him over but the man cursed at him. "Yeah, fuck you too." He grumbled as he crunched the snow beneath him. "This all looks pretty quiet... I really think there are no more lycans. We would have heard them by now." Cristina didn't look as sure as he did.

"I am afraid Victor." "I can't blame you." He conceded. "These past few days were very rough, but I think we can kinda start to rest easy now. Look, there's nothing more to worry, Karl was right." "I do not trust a word that man says." Cristina replied, but she too stepped down from the wooden porch, her rifle still at the ready.

Seeing her do that appeared to have restored some amount of courage to the older man. With a grunt he too came down and after making sure himself that the coast was clear, he called for his wife. Slowly, more and more of the townsfolk came out. They were wary, cautious, definitely a touch too trigger-happy, but they were coming out, and that was what was important. As long as they remained united they would be safe.

But Victor was feeling pretty sure of the words that Karl had told him, so he was the first to relax and lower his gone. "I think we're good Cristina." He told her with a pat to the arm.

"Bună durere... you might be right. I hope you are right." At last she lowered her own gun. "See? There's no lycans here. We can chill." He chuckled and leant down signing.

"Wow... these past two days have just been fucking insane. Crazy, crazy crazy." He almost felt like laughing, but the rational part of him reminded his conscious that if he did, the other villagers would probably take him to be some kind of madman. And it was not something Victor wanted or needed right now, especially with everything that had been on his plate. "The more people that come out, the better. We should be all fine now." "Da... we should." The young woman huffed, pulling the coat tighter around herself.

It seemed like some of the men were going the rounds, checking through all of the houses and making sure that everyone was alright. "The nightmare is over." Victor climbed back up to his girlfriend's front door.

"We can breathe a sigh of relief." "Victor," She turned towards him and smiled a little. "Yes?" "I have... what's the word? Băuturi, băuturi alcoolice." His eyes widened at hearing that. "Oh, r- really?" In hindsight, he probably shouldn't have been as surprised by this.

"I should give you a fair warning, I'm not much of a drinker, so don't expect a lot from me." She laughed at hearing his words, opening the door and stepping back in. "I do not drink either, only for special occasions, and this is a special occasion, da?"

"Yes it is." He couldn't resist the urge and he leant in and kissed her. What happened next was instinctual, whatever thoughts had been running in his head at that moment were bound to be forever lost, as Victor and Cristina made out. It was probably due to all of the stress of what had happened in the past days, but this was a good outlet to let it all out.

When they stopped, Victor began to silently laugh. And it was something that Cristina mirrored. "Jeez, we haven't even started drinking yet." He joked and she laughed even more, hugging him. They put the guns away and Cristina moved one of the carpets away, lifting a wooden hatch that was built in between the floorboards, revealing a minuscule larder.

She climbed down the old dusty ladder and picked out what appeared to be a glass bottle wrapped in a paper. The material itself was yellow and dark, clearly having been left to age for what must have been years.

"Hmmm, what is this exactly?" He asked as he helped her out and closed the hatch. "A drink, from many decades ago. I think it is vodka... it was given to my grandfather by a friend he had in the valley." He stared at it, understanding the deep and long history that the bottle must have undoubtedly had to its name.

"Huh, we're really going for something strong." "A fost o ocazie specială," She hesitated for a moment, "But you do not need to drink if you do not want to." She lowered the bottle, hesitation crossing over into her eyes.

"No, no please. I'm willing to try, it's not like we're drinking poison here." He chuckled and went to the cabinet to get a pair of glasses. "That being said though... how should you drink vodka?" He asked aloud a moment later. "Is there like, a proper way of doing it? Or do we

just drink and not care?" Cristina gave a little shrug of her shoulders and placed the drink on the table. "I do not know. But enough now, let us drink!" She was definitely more eager than him to consume the beverage.

Once the vodka was poured he tipped his glass to her before slowly taking a tentative sip, mirroring her own actions. It was very strong and he almost spit it out, such that it burned his lips and tongue. "Holy hell!" He gasped, though as he looked at his girlfriend it was apparent that she was having an easier time with managing the alcohol. "You can actually drink that?"

Cristina had to put down her own glass, for risk of laughing. "Nu, nu, nu confunda asta cu ceva ce nu este." She chuckled. "I'm not used to drinking, I'm not good." A blush formed on her lips. Victor smirked and turned around. "What do you want to eat? For dinner I mean. I call dibs on cooking." Her mouth fell open in shock. "Nu, I will be doing the cooking."

But Victor stuck his tongue out at her and kissed her nose. Cristina huffed, crossing her arms, but she still smiled. "Don't worry, you can cook tomorrow, alright?" He gently brushed some of her hair, an action he liked doing.

"It is different though, I am the woman, it should be expected of me to cook." She huffed. "Well, too bad. You got saddled with me and I'm all for equal chores. But we can split half and half if you really want to. That's my offer, take it or leave it."

Eventually though, she relented and allowed him to make them dinner. Though of course she did complain a couple more times, not that Victor was displeased with it. He did find it somewhat cute. They did reach a compromise, which consisted in her guiding him with a step by step process in cooking a Romanian dish. She stepped in when he really needed help, but overall he managed himself quite well.

In a relatively short amount of time they had even gotten to actually eating the dinner, which consisted of a kind of soup added over some cooked potatoes.

"Tomorrow we should go out, maybe just to see what the other people will be doing." "I am imagining that things will return to how they were. Well with some differences of course." "Yeah..." "Do you have any plans?" Cristina looked up with a curious glance. "Hmmm? What do you mean?" "Well, with your life. We're both young, we can travel you know. Would you want to travel?" He asked, tilting his head.

The woman sighed and placed her fork down. "I do not know Victor. The Village has been my life, I don't know if I would be capable of leaving it." "We don't have to leave it though... we could go on a short vacation, something that could last two, maybe three weeks."

Cristina appeared pensive. "I... I shall think about it." She said after a couple of moments. "That's all I need to hear." He reached toward and rubbed her hand. However, she became quiet after that. She did not exchange any words with him other than some noises of either affirmation or negation. It was as if she had lost the ability to speak. He felt his heart fall a little at seeing her be so... quiet.

Victor knew that it was not his place to pry, but he almost wished that he could peer into her mind, to understand exactly what was it that was assailing her. He mused that it would have made the matter of helping her much easier.

It was only later at night, when they had changed and gotten into bed that she talked to him once more.

"Victor?" "Hmm?" He answered as he turned off his phone. Cristina was sitting up in the bed, her gas turned away in shame. "I... I apologize, for being cold to you." His brows furrowed, "Cold? Oh Cristina, no, you weren't like that to me. Quiet yes, but it's nothing that's too bad." She shook her head, "It is, it was a rude thing." She sighed.

"Hey, it's fine." He leaned into and hugged her, the action soon being done once more by her. "Let's sleep now, alright?" He kissed her and leaned down. Cristina positioned heralded over him, laying her head on his chest and sighing.

"Tomorrow I will sweep the floors. Can you help me?" "Of course, I can clean the cupboard if you want." He stroked her hair as she leaned further into him.

The next morning...

Victor hummed as swiped away at the dust on the table. "What do you want to do for lunch?" He spoke up, putting the piece of cloth away. "Do you want to eat something in particular?"

"Hmmm. Not really. I know that whatever you're going to cook is going to wind up being amazing." He winked at her and the young woman blushed. She was looking better already. Sleeping had done her a lot of good. And it made Victor happy to see her this way. "Very well. Cred că aceasta este o ocazie specială, a special meal should be served." "Oh? Alright then, I'm not complaining." He cheekily smiled and kissed her cheek.

"We shall need to go buy meat though." "I can go do that for you." He offered. "We can go together." "Ok." He went to go grab their coats.

They put their jackets on and went to the door. There were already more people out on the streets. "This seems better already." Victor mentioned as he looked around himself. Cristina gently pulled at his arm. "Come, let us go." They went towards the center of the Village.

There was still some tension between all of the people. Since the ships had only just opened, there were some lines.

"Are you going to open your own shop again?" She nodded. "Yes." And in that moment, Victor told himself that he would harder. He knew Cristina earned enough to buy the food and live, but she lived humbly and frugally. He wanted to give her an easier life. He would start taking up more work. Maybe even see if he could be hired for a position in a company of something like that.

They patiently waited for their turn as the butcher sold his cuts of meats. "You know, I think that it's high time I should be hired." "Hm?" Cristina glanced at him.

"My job, it ma only consists of me doing a lot of small, little jobs for different people. I don't have a stable employer. But I'm thinking of settling for one." "Oh. What would that entail?" "The possibility of a fixed pay... and the opportunity to get a higher one too." "But... will you have to leave the Village?" He thought about it for a few moments. "I think it's likely that I'll have to go out. Properly to do an interview or something like that."

She nodded. "Will you... be gone for long?" "No. I'll try not to stay away for more of a week. I promise." He cupped the side of her head. They almost got to the front but whispering made them turn their heads. The people gathered around the Duke's caravan as it settled in place.

"Isn't that a bit weird? I thought the Duke wouldn't come here today." Victor said as he turned towards Cristina. "Perhaps the time in which the lycans scoured the lands caused him to move away? It could be that he simply wants to start trade with his emporium once more."

Victor nodded his head, "Yeah, yeah you're right. That must be it." He huffed. "Still, can't say it isn't a bit surprising." The doors of the caravan where opened and the Duke reclined in his seat. He waved at the gathered crowd for a moment before silencing them.

"Wait, is he talking? What is he saying?" Victor squinted as the merchant began to loudly talk in Romanian.

He would have stepped forth, to get closer but the crowd exploded in yells and screams. Victor stepped back and quickly grabbed Cristina, pulling her close to him.

The crowd seemed to have gone insane, banging and pushing against the wagon while screaming and cursing at him. Women cried in despair and the men shouted. "W-What's going on?" He asked her. "The Duke is telling them of Mother Miranda." His eyes widened, "Oh no, this will end badly!" The crowd seemed to almost grow animalistic with the way they pounded against the caravan. The Duke looked to be overwhelmed and he retreated back inside, closing the doors of his shop shut.

"Christ, they want to tear him apart..." Victor muttered as Cristina shuddered, she seemed to be at a loss for words and was quite shaken by what was happening.

"Come on, let's go away." He gently pulled her, "The Duke will be able to handle himself..." He hummed and she nodded, following after him. It was clear that the villagers would need to cool off. And Victor had no intentions of being anywhere near them now. "Let's worry about the meat later, we have other stuff we can eat." He guided her towards the outskirts of the Village. "Victor, do you intend to go back to your house?"

"Yeah, I really should check that it's alright." He replied and began the trek up the snowy hill, with Cristina being close behind."Hmm, there seems to be no permanent damage, or any damage for that matter." He noted and took a walk around the entire structure. "Seems to be absolutely fine." He said with a hint of relief. "Now then, it's time to go check inside."

Using his key, the front door was unlocked, he held it open for Cristina, allowing her to pass first, as manners would dictate.

The inside of his home smelt of closed room, and he knew he would have to give it a quick clean. "Seems to be fine as well... let's go check the basement." His steps were quick and they reached the bottom of the stairs. With a twinge of hesitation, Victor waited for a moment before opening the door.

He stifled the sensation of anxiety that he felt as he entered the room and did not find anything out of place. He checked the electronic devices and everything else. Cristina did not touch anything, but she respectfully observed. "Another idea I was mulling around was that of opening a pc shop... though that would only happen if many of the villagers decided to get a computer.

"That does sound like... an interesting idea." She mused. "I think this is everything... at least I've checked everything. Oh, let me see the water, just to be safe."

He quickly scaled the stairs and went to the bathroom. "Do you mind checking the sink the kitchen?" "I do not." Cristina replied.

"Thanks." Once he was in the bathroom, his reflection in the mirror drew his attention. Victor stopped for a moment and settled his gaze on the figure that looked back at him. He noticed that he looked... happier. More at ease.

Being with Cristina was doing him good. And Victor felt a peace because of it.

Chapter End Notes

And this was the chapter! I hoped you all enjoyed it! Please comment if you wish, for I'd like to read your opinions, if you wish to contact me directly, consider joining my Discord Server at: https/discord.gg/vUK9Y9DbGH until next time!

A Reckoning

Chapter Summary

A familiar face reintroduces itself to Victor, and turns his world upside down.

Chapter Notes

Apologizes for the delay, college has been rough and I've been trying to write a little every day. Things start to pick a lot as we're moving into the final arc of this fic.

See the end of the chapter for more notes

Victor swiftly moved from the market and back towards his home. He was carrying a bag that contained cuts of meat, following a list that Cristina gave him when he left.

He needed to restock his fridge with food, and given that she had practically moved in, he had a second person to feed. Of course Cristina still kept and worked in her shop, but whenever lunchtime or dinner would come around, they would both meet and eat at one of the two houses and today just so happened that they would see each other at his place.

The unease in the Village could still be felt, the tension still palpable and evident as the townsfolk were attempting to come to terms that Mother Miranda was no more. He had seen many yet decree this to be a falsity, but it was easy to spot the foolish and delusional hope that they carried.

But slowly life was returning to norm as to how it once was. There was yet to be even a single sighting of lycans, it thankfully seemed as if those monsters had been exterminated during the long battle between the Lords.

If he squinted his eyes hard enough he could make out the sight of a simple pole for a power line being erected, undoubtedly thanks to Karl's provided help. The scion of House Heisenberg had been quick with his work to begin modernizing the Village as a whole,

though of course that meant braving through much skepticism, not that Karl was even minimally discouraged.

It was not as if the townsfolk could truly complain or go against his word, at least that was what he had told him since they last met a few days back.

A part of him was genuinely curious as to what benefits would inevitably come from the ongoing changes that were happening. He supposed there would be quite a number of interesting and possibly hilarious funny moments and events that would arise.

The walk up the cleared path was a simple one, as he had just shoveled the snow away in the early morning when he had gotten up. A small plume of smoke escaped the chimney of the house and that made him quicken his pace, for he became more and more eager to see his beloved girlfriend.

He made sure to stomp his feet down on the front porch to remove as much snow from his boots before unlocking the door and entering it.

"Cristina I'm back! I have the meat you asked me to buy!" He called out with a cheerful smile as he set the bag down and moved to hang his heavy coat.

"You have no idea how many people were waiting in line, it felt like it would take hours for me to finally buy the items on the list." He chuckled and lifted the bag with a grunt, moving towards the kitchen.

"And you know, I really can't wait to see what you'll make- His voice stopped the instant he rounded the corner to enter the small room, the bag almost slipping past his now slackened fingers as his eyes widened in shock.

"Hello Victor."

Lady Dimitrescu's voice purred as her golden eyes settled on him, one hand gently caressing the rim of a steaming cup of tea. She was garbed in a splendid coat of grey and plush silver linings, with a trim of black fur to follow the outline of her neck.

Victor blinked for a few moments as he felt his stomach drop and his breathing become heavy. Cristina was sitting across from her, a cup of tea in front of her as well. It was steaming, yet her hands held it, fingers having gone white with how tightly she gripping it. It must have been scalding hot, yet the young woman did not utter a single word, her lips sewn shut like an iron gate.

"C-Countess Dimitrescu, what are you doing here?" He asked, clearing his throat as he took a small step around the table towards Cristina, gently placing the bag down in front of her, as if it could act like some kind of reinforced barrier.

"I was merely out on a stroll through the Village. The desire to see what has changed among the flock of sheep that populate this town was most... pressing. It had been far too long since last I properly cared for these people, and it would be unbecoming of a noblewoman of my status to fall short of what is expected of me." She tilted her gaze, her eyes half-lidded in a tranquil demeanor, "Would you not agree?"

Victor swallowed the ball of nervousness that had gathered in the back of his throat, his hand slowly sliding up to lay on one of Cristina's arms. "Yes. Yes I would."

"A most delightful agreement then," She nodded, her curled black hair gently swaying with each minuscule movement of her head. "When I saw your house, I believed it would have been best to pass, offer my salutations. We are friends after all, thus should we not desire to see one another frequently?" Her question was sharp, dangerous, just as much as the first one had been.

"It is... yes, it is a true and legitimate thought, an interesting one too." He nodded, trying his best to hide his concern as his hands began to lightly tap at Cristina's forearms, both to try to calm her and himself simultaneously.

But he knew that the Countess could tell, her eyes were far too sharp, too knowing, for Victor to even attempt to bluff.

"As you can see I have met Cristina. We were talking about you, right before you returned." She stated simply, one of her gloved hands moving so that she could bring it up to spare it a quick glance.

"And now that you are here, we can enjoy some time together." She tilted her head. "Would you like some tea Victor?"

"No, no thank you."

Victor's hand grabbed at Cristina's shoulder, perhaps out of warning, perhaps to get her to move away from the table. "Can you please allow me a moment with her?" He asked her quietly.

"Excuse me Victor, I was enjoying our talk." Cristina said, her voice faint and trembling a touch. They all knew it to be a lie and Victor very much doubted that the two women had talked if at all. But he was worried now, for the Countess was in his house, sitting at his table. His eyes constantly glanced over to her fingers, aware of the razor-sharp claws that could spring out at a moment's notice.

"Right, right of course." He nodded and grabbed the bag, moving over to the freezer as he began to put the meat away, separating the beef and chicken so that they wouldn't touch as Cristina had once taught him to do.

The hairs on his neck stood up, his throat was tight and dry, as he felt the tension in the room. He felt the scalding gaze of the Dimitrescu matriarch, who was undoubted staring at him. And Victor couldn't make of what she was feeling, if she was annoyed, or silently furious.

His mind kept thinking back to Bela and the mess that had happened to her. Was this the direct consequence of his actions towards her daughter? Was this the reckoning that he had feared would befall him and Cristina?

He closed the freezer and rolled the bag, putting it away in a trash can. "Have you been here for long?" He asked, glancing back towards the dangerous noblewoman as he poured some water into a glass, managing not to let it spill with how his hands kept trembling.

"Not long, a quarter of an hour at the most." Alcina stated, leaning back in her seat. It was now that he realized that she was actually sitting on the couch from the living room, and he noticed that there were markings on the floor. The couch must have weighed at least a couple hundred pounds. It was evident that she must have dragged it, quite easily too with how she seemed completely rested.

The table between them seemed awfully feeble, as if it was more of foam board that would fold with the slightest push. He did not feel safe, as he was sure neither did Cristina.

"Did you want to talk about something?" Victor asked her cautiously, carefully, as he pulled out a chair and sat next to Cristina, not wishing to get any closer to the Countess.

Alcina silently observed him, not answering his question and it made his stomach churn into knots. Victor felt as if her sharp, molten eyes were flaying him, stripping his body of skin, muscle and tendons and exposing his red and bloodied flesh and stark white bones. He felt as if she was undressing him, looking at him not as a person, but as a cut of meat, a meal, prey.

At last she smirked and lowered her tone, "Will you not offer me the blessing of eating a meal with you? I realize that my visit is quite abrupt and unexpected, but as previously stated, we share amicable company." She smiled at Cristina, who stiffened ever further.

Cristina did not want to speak, it was clear. Victor recognized that she was nervous, frustrated and angry, but she seemingly kept herself in check, even though he could tell that she was on the verge of snapping.

"My dear," He stated quietly, lowering his head so that he could come closer, "Do we have enough food to hold a proper lunch?"

That caused her to slowly take her gaze off the Countess and face him, her eyes softening slightly. "No, I do not believe we do... and we do not have actual ingredients of high quality

to make a truly worthy dish." She said, loud enough that the Lady could hear her.

"Please, do not worry yourself too much, my tongue is not picky, I assure you." Alcina rumbled, her gaze moving between them. "And I am sure that you are more than capable enough to cook something of note." She spoke, at last drinking her tea, leaving the cherry-red mark of her lipstick on the white clay.

"I do not expect an extravagant meal, nor one that would be expensive as that would put unfair pressure on the both of you. I understand that you simply do not possess the funds that I may draw upon at the slightest inconvenience."

The slight in her words wasn't lost on Cristina as her lips pulled into a line and she rose from her seat. Victor was startled and he felt his heart begin to beat, sensing the imminent eruption of anger.

"Contesă Dimitrescu, vă rog și vă sugerez să vă luați concediu." She spoke swiftly and Victor's mouth almost fell open in shock at the quick and near-disrespectful response that she had given. "Eu și partenerul meu nu suntem în măsură să găzduim în mod adecvat oaspeții."

"W-What Cristina means to say is that we've had few long and very troubling days, with all of the lycans running around through the streets, presenting a constant and ever-present danger, I'm sure you can understand, My Lady." He immediately said, trying to smooth over the conversation and praying that the Countess would not take his fiancée's downright rude reply.

Alcina blinked slowly. "Why of course, how utterly careless of me." She let out a small, dignified laugh and gathered a napkin in her hand, pressing it to her mouth.

"I ask you pardon Victor, I did not stop to consider and meditate that you would still be affected by last week's harrowing events." She mused, gently pushing the teacup away from herself. "It is far too early to host guests, I most certainly agree." Her head turned to Cristina, observing her, challenging her.

"Alas our meal together is not to be on this day... but I am sure that you would be most positive to organize a coming luncheon or supper. And I know that my daughters would be most interested to participate." She offered, the suggestion evident and full of daring contempt.

"If you wish, I could take care of whatever cost you would necessitate," She stated, her tone sweet and gentle. "My daughters lack an open appetite and are quite... finicky, with what they prefer to eat. Only the most sought-after of meats and spices will do for them, and the Duke is the only person capable of providing such rare and hard to come by ingredients." Cristina looked away and Victor saw the way that her eyes rapidly blinked.

Though the manners of the Countess were polite and courteous, she did not hesitate to mix a scathing remark whenever she could.

Victor sighed and licked his lips, "We thank you dearly Countess Alcina, but we have some things to take care of. Your gracious proposal shall be kept in mind for when the next opportunity will present itself." He offered her a small, timid smile.

"And I am gladdened to hear that." With a huff, she rose from the couch, though she had to bend slightly as to not bump her head against the ceiling.

She pulled the coat slightly closer to herself. "I must offer my compliments dear Victor, you have chosen a worthy and particularly exceptional woman to be your significant other." She tipped her head.

"Yes... thank you." Victor nodded, his hand gently tugging Cristina back as a result, partially putting himself in front. "...I'm sorry, this is just so... unexpected." He spoke, shaking his head. "If I had known you would come I would have gotten more food, I would have gotten this place better organized."

Yet the Countess merely chuckled, "As I said, it is of little concern, my desire was to merely meet your soon to be bride— I take it that you are next to begin your honeymoon?" Her sharp eyes danced between them.

Cristina made a noise, one Victor couldn't properly decipher, but he thought he heard her whisper a curse beneath her breath.

Victor remained quiet, not truly knowing how it would be best to answer. He blinked and touched Cristina's hand. "I'll accompany her out, do you mind checking that the download is finished in the basement?" He spoke quietly, trying to get her to move away in what was an obvious lie. He just hoped that the Countess would buy it.

The young woman remained steadfast and for a moment he genuinely thought that she would stubbornly refuse to go away, but at long last she finally moved, walking past him and towards the stairs.

They both heard her reach the basement and enter it, and Victor hesitantly turned to look at the noblewoman again.

"Shall you see me out then?" She asked, her lips turned upwards. "Having to constantly bend over does become tiring fairly quickly." She drawled put with a measured huff.

"Yeah, yeah sorry." He quickly walked towards the door and pulled it open before waiting for her to pass, resisting the urge to wipe away the drop of sweat that was steadily forming on the side of his head.

The Countess took her sweet time walking towards him, making a show of it, her every step causing the wooden planks of the floor to creak. Once next to him, she lowered her head and stepped out, sighing contently once she could finally stand fully upright.

"Victor," She stated quietly and turned before her could close the door. "There are some things I'd like to talk to you about."

"Y-Yes?" He wanted to shy away from her gaze. She was so close, she could easily reach out and grab him, she could break his arm like a twig without so much of a gentle clench of her hand. The young man wanted to bolt away, shut the door and lock it and go hide back down in the basement.

"Our time has been terribly short, yet I have longed for your company." She smiled once more, her teeth and fangs gleaming at him as took one more step closer to him.

"S-Sorry about that, everything is still a jumbled mess, but I'm sure we'll find time to catch each other again." He nodded and waved his hand, hoping that it would be enough to send her off with a farewell.

Instead, she leaned closer to him, her hand moving silently, like a snake, to settle her fingers under his chin and tilt his head up. "Are you happy Victor?"

He blinked and stuttered, "I-I'm sorry what?"

"The girl you have taken to fancy, does she satisfy you? Does she complete you?" Her voice had grown lower, huskier too, like that of a purring cat.

Victor moved away, so that she wasn't holding his head anymore. "Sorry, that's... that's a bit of a personal question. It's making me uncomfortable."

"Oh? Is my simple inquiry enough to embarrass you?" She spoke with a humored, if slightly condescending tone. "There is no shame in it, Victor. Does that woman perform her duties well?"

He shook his head, "Forgive me, but I would rather not answer that, we are close and... and we are making plans."

"So you do wish to wed her." The Countess chuckled, "Ah, to be so young, so dreamy. I do miss that feeling, now and again." Her eyes lowered slightly, looking at his neck. "You seem... happier, I dare say." Again, she stares placidly at him, the hint of an eager curiosity forming in her gaze.

"...I am happier, than I was before, yes, it's true." Victor admitted, not willing to reveal much. He could simply move back and close the door, it would be so quick and easy, yet his sense of self-preservation was what caused him to stay rooted on the spot.

"And is she the cause of this?" The Countess asked the seemingly innocent and innocuous question, but Victor knew that was, that there must have been more to it. A part of him felt that this was all a great facade that she was putting up, yet he could not accurately pinpoint her exact feelings. She was very difficult to read.

He hesitated to answer, carefully picking which words to use. "In part, she is. I'm just happy, I've found an employer and I'll soon be able to work at a stable rate and with a fixed pay."

"But you shan't forget about our conjoined project, correct?" She asked him, still not letting him.

"You don't need to worry about the website, I have it under control and I'll be able to keep maintaining in. And the Duke can reach me in case you want to put something more in it." He was quick to reply, trying to smooth over his skittish demeanor towards her.

Alcina hummed deeply, "That is good to hear." She paused and pursed her lips. "I would like to have you over at the Castle, to have dinner with me and my daughters. Daniela has missed you so terribly much, as has Bela." She informed him, "Cassandra too, though she tries to deny it and feign indifference, does miss your presence."

His mouth went dry. "That's... I don't really know what to say, but thank you. I'll have to look into it, we're a bit occupied at the moment, as I told you and it can be a bit tough to make time."

She stared at him, an eyebrow rising up as he felt his words die on his tongue. "You aren't able to find a single evening to come and dine with us?" She asked him, a knowing smile painted on her lips. "Come now Victor, there must be a day in which you can spare a dinner with us."

"I need to talk to Cristina too, to see if she'll be alright with me going. We do live together now, so that's how we do things."

"And you need not worry about that either. She is welcome to come if she so wishes, and I will not hide to you that I hope that she does." She inclined her head, and it made him even more anxious.

"I... I..." He stammered, his mouth opening and closing quickly as she simply observed him.

"Yes?"

He swallowed and looked down. "Karl told me of what happened, with you and him... how you fought against Mother Miranda, how you killed her." He rubbed his arm, glancing at her. "I'm sorry for not asking you about that, how have you been? Karl came to see me once the battle was done and he looked like he was about to keel over and die."

She straightened up, her posture prideful. "I am well and in good health Victor. The battle was hard yes, I won't be the one to deny it. However we came out as the victors of our duel, I even had the honor of dealing the killing blow to Mother Miranda."

"O-Oh, that must have been something." He spoke up, a little intimidated.

"That insufferable woman shan't cause you any more problems, she was mad and unwell. We merely gave her the mercy of death." Her voice was sweet as it crept past her lips.

"I was wounded, one of my dresses was ruined, irreparably so, but it was nothing that a few days of good rest could not fix." She stated in an almost disinterested tone.

"But you were okay, right?" He asked, a bit surprised at her seemingly detached response and attitude towards the past event. "Your life wasn't in danger, right?"

"No, of course not." She laughed, "My power is greater than that of the mutt, my blood is pure, noble and worthy. It will take far more than a simple, crazed madwoman to fell me." The Countess sighed, contently. "The day after tomorrow is when I shall have you and your chosen fiancée at my home. I shall be expecting the both of you to present yourselves at the seven o'clock, not a minute more, not a minute less." She stated with finality.

"And you will come," She leant closer to him, "I would dread the offense that you would cause me by not attending." She said in a casual manner, and he was reminded of Bela's prior visit, of how angry and distraught she had been.

He opened his mouth to respond, but her gaze froze him in place. He wanted to refuse her, to tell her no and to simply have her go away.

But nothing of that sort was to happen. Deep down, he knew that he would only court death if he allowed himself to do any of those things. And Victor wished to avoid suffering pain and misery.

He needed to resign himself that there was nothing that could be done. The Countess wanted him to come over for dinner and... and he could not refuse her so openly. Bela he had known as a friend, a confidant even; there was a semblance of a friendship between them, though it bothered him to cast her away, it was far easier to do than this.

Victor wasn't even sure that he could call the Countess his friend, he did not know if she ever had been genuine with her affection. It troubled him deeply and it made him realize just how much he had been looking at things with rose-tinted glasses.

"Well then, Victor?" She spoke once more and made him focus on her. "I do hope you shall come with a hungry stomach, for I shall host a dinner with finery never seen before in this town."

He could only manage to nod at her for a few moments, still contemplating just slamming the door shut and locking it.

"I'm sure I'll be very hungry then... I can't wait, really." Victor smiled nervously and to his immense relief, the Countess leant back, away from him. She offered him a nod of acknowledgment and smirked.

"I shall go and deliver this merry news to my daughters, after all we shall need to organize ourselves and Mihaela will have to put the cooks to the test." She rumbled and turned away from him.

"Until then, Victor." The Countess said, walking down the path and towards the Village. Their conversation ended, just like that, he hadn't even been given the option to refuse or to try and negotiate.

It was only after she was a noticeable distance away that he slumped against the door and let out a staggered breath, running his fingers through his hair as he tried to calm himself down.

The Countess had left and he wasn't in any immediate danger anymore, yet it felt like a noose has wrapped around his neck and tightened, constraining his throat and making him gasp and pant for air.

It was a bad idea, he knew it was a terrible thing to go to the Castle. He was not her friend, the cursed structure of gothic architecture and stone was a place of blood and death, the very opposite of life, the antithesis of it.

And the Countess was going to force him to string Cristina along and walk into the jaws of the beast. And he feared that she would be in even more danger than he was. Victor was unnerved that the Countess had taken such a sporadic interest in her... and he wondered for his king she had known of their bond. If Bela had been spying on them, then it was clear that she must have known for a very substantial amount of time.

"What will I ever do now?" He asked the snowflakes that gently fell from the cloudy sky. It was all quiet, a cascade of white flecks that followed the paths created by the whistling winds. So light, so free of weight and unburdened by mortal worries.

He lost himself in the sight of the dark clouds for a few minutes, swirling masses of greyed veil that hid and blanketed the sky.

"Victor?" He heard Cristina call him from inside the house and that finally prompted him to act.

"I'm coming!" Victor paused as he closed the door shut, trying to think on how to best inform his girlfriend on this most recent development. He knew there would be a lot of going back and forth, he knew she would refuse to come... but he didn't know what else to do.

And in that moment he cursed his rotten luck and the fact that the Countess had decided to come back into his life at such an inopportune moment.

He stepped towards the stairs and walked down to the basement, opening the door and going inside so that he could stand in front of Cristina. He sighed and lowered his gaze, rubbing his arm. "Things... things aren't going to go as we planned."

She blinked and her eyebrows furrowed in confusion as she came close, touching his arms. "Are you alright?" Her voice was full of concern, "Did she hurt you?"

"No... but she has demanded that we come and attend dinner with her."

Chapter End Notes

And this was the chapter! The next installment will be really interesting and I'll try to get it out as quickly as I can. Please remember to comment and leave feedback, as I'm always curious to know what my readers think of my work. If you wish to contact me directly, consider joining my Discord Server at: https/discord.gg/vUK9Y9DbGH Until then I wish you all a merry halloween!

A Dinner with Monsters

Chapter Summary

Victor and Cristina go to attend the dinner that the Countess invited them too, knowing full well what awaits them.

Chapter Notes

It has been such a long time since I've last updated, but I promise it's with good reason! This mostly stems from real life hassles, particularly with college. I only just recently changed my major and I managed to clench an exam with less than a month of preparation (instead of three) but enough of me. With this chapter we enter the final arc of this story and coincidentally, its darkest one. The next two chapter in particular will be very grim and disturbing so I advise you read the tags again. I hope you'll enjoy this installment!

See the end of the chapter for more notes

The gates of Castle Dimitrescu were open, a stark contrast as to how they usually were.

Victor very much did feel a crushing weight slowly mount his shoulders, increasing with each step that he took on the path that led to the majestic and gothic complex that rested over the mountain.

His heart tightened in worry as he glanced to his side, to the woman whose hand was intertwined with his own. Cristina looked beautiful and composed as always, dressed in a simple yet fashionable gown of light cream yellow, a warm brown shawl was wrapped around her neck, protecting the soft and delicate flesh from the harsh winds.

How he wished that he could spare her this risk, this trouble, he felt rotten, guilty and ashamed to his core. It was not her duty to suffer the consequences of his actions, yet the Countess had deemed it so. And neither of them had the authority to go against the word of a Lord.

"Cristina," He spoke then, when they began to climb the long flight of stairs that would lead to the doors proper of the castle's foyer. "I need to ask you something, a favor."

The young damsel's eyes locked onto his, pools of warm brown stricken with concern briefly gave way for gentle affection. "Da, Victor?"

He worked his mouth, trying to force his words out of it. "When we arrive and when we sit to dine with the Countess and her daughters... stay quiet, please. Just stay quiet, please do me this favor." His hand cradled the side of her head, as if she was a fragile rose. "They are hungry and any opportunity will be as good as any for them. Let me do the talking, please."

Victor wished to spare her from such a cruelty, he wished it with all of his being. He knew what the Countess' offer entailed, both said and unsaid. If it meant that his sacrifice would ensure Cristina's safety, then he would gladly bare his neck to the fangs of the wolves.

She looked at him, stopping in her tracks. "Victor..." She whispered, a tremble running over her lips.

"You don't need to say anything." He replied, his voice equally quiet. "Please, let me shoulder this and we'll pull through." He said, trying to give her as much reassurance as he possibly could.

She leaned in and kissed him, before pulling away to wipe at her eyes, to fight off the tears that threatened to tint her orbs an ugly red. "Thank you... te iubesc."

And then they went off on their way, coming closer and closer to the top of the trail, until they were facing Castle Dimitrescu itself, right in front of the maw of the metaphorical lion and staring down at the abyss of danger that stared back at him.

"Are you ready?" Victor murmured, his hand gripping her shoulder and squeezing it gently. His stomach had been turning into a vicious knot of tension and he felt like he was going to crack and break like a porcelain doll.

"Da." Cristina answered simply, her gaze resting on the doors of the palace.

Without another word, the pair made their way to the doors and Victor knocked on it heavily and let out a deep breath that did little to calm him. A moment passed before a heavy groan was heard and the heavy door opened.

A maid was there and she ushered them inside whilst bowing her head. The inside of the castle was warm, the foyer massive and decorated and just as opulent and luxurious as Victor remembered it. Another two maids were there to take their coats and put them away, Victor helped Cristina out of hers and held her hand.

Mihaela quickly made her way down the steps that led to the main hall and greeted them both, her smile warm and welcoming but her eyes betraying worry. "It is good to see you once more, Victor. The Countess is waiting for you, please, follow me." They did not have the time to contemplate her words for she was already moving.

The curling stairway had been lacquered and he needed to hold himself to the intricate railing to prevent his feet from slipping. It was unnerving, it felt like an unnecessary thing that had been purposely done to impede them.

Cristina was looking all around herself, taking in the wealth on display, the sheer status and power that the Countess had put on. Victor knew that there was nothing that could compare to it in the Village and even now, as they walked past several empty dining halls, he wondered if this was all an elaborate effort to shame and scorn Cristina for her lowborn and plebeian origins.

The tension in his stomach grew worse tenfold when they came about the dining room where they would eat the dinner. The Countess and her three daughters were already present, standing in a loose circle as they talked amongst each other.

They all went quiet as they turned their gazes towards the pair of them. He heard Cristina's light intake of air and he felt her flinch, and with good reason: they were staring at her with cold... malice. Victor had no other word to describe it, he saw pure unadulterated malice in their gazes.

"Good evening, Victor. We are glad you could join us for this meal." Alcina spoke, her smile was all sharp teeth. She was garbed in a fabulous gown of white, it possessed a trim of black fur at the top and it was decorated with jewels, diamonds to be precise, they framed the sides of her body, reaching all the way to the bottom of the marvelous dress.

Her daughters were also dressed in an equally fashionable manner, Bela, Cassandra and Daniela having dresses of red, green and blue respectively, each intricately adorned with jewelry. It was clear that their gowns had been modeled after that of their mother.

All four were gorgeous, ethereal, marked by inhuman beauty... and their manner of dress made Cristina's own look plain by comparison, not worthy of being judged in the same vein. Cassandra smirked dryly as she looked the younger woman up and down, a vain and haughty smugness permeating her features.

"T-Thank you for having us." Victor nodded his head to her. "You all look splendid, really." He attempted to offer words of compliment, perhaps to try and smooth over the flared tempers.

"Such politeness is befitting a true gentleman. Have a seat, please." She extended her gloved hand to the pair of chairs to the left of her own larger and more elaborate one.

Victor pulled out the chair for Cristina to sit in and took his place next to her. The Countess was at the head of the table, with him and his girlfriend to her direct left. Bela was opposite to her mother and her two sisters occupied the spaces to the matriarch's right.

There was silence then, unnerving and near everlasting silence. The Ladies uncannily stared at the pair of mortals, monstrous eyes of gold flaying their clothes and bodies of flesh to expose their truest selves beneath.

"W-What shall we be eating?" Victor managed to speak up, breaking the lasting silence.

"An assortment of meats, prepared in various methods of cooking. I stand to believe that you shall enjoy the courses very much." The noblewoman said as Mihaela quietly served her wine, doing the same for the daughters. When she came next to him to do the same, he almost declined, but then he realized that it could have been seen badly by their host.

"That sounds delicious, I'm sure it will all be great." He cleared his throat and nodded to her, just in time for a number of servants to enter the room.

"You look so good Victor-love! So handsome and beautiful, I like the way you've combed your hair!" Daniela drawled as she leaned forward across from him and sighed romantically, batting her eyes. "I've missed you so, so much— you look so dashing, I've never stopped thinking about you." She purred.

Cristina made a small noise, likely of surprise, but she remained quiet. As the servants began to place their food, his hands took to the silverware and he brushed his finger against her, trying to comfort her.

"It is..." He spoke, struggling to utter words that did not entirely ring true, "...it is good to see you too Daniela."

They had been served some kind of stew, consisting of small chunks of cooked meat and sprinkled with some greens. When he sank his fork in a piece, it fell apart on its own. "What... what kind of meat is this?" He asked.

"Boar. I hunted it myself." Cassandra stated as she went about surgically cutting the food, as if she was skinning an animal. "Quite a fun chase too, it squealed and screamed and its intestines had this wonderful purple color, it must have been eating berries," She cocked her head and pulled out a sickle seemingly from thin air, there was still a spot of blue on it. "...I wonder what color you would have on the inside."

Victor felt his mouth go dry as he saw the blade. Cristina made another noise, this one a gag. He felt... disgusted by the meat now... had it been processed and cooked well? Was the sickle dirty when it had been used to kill the boar?

"Cassandra," The Countess, admonished her firmly but gently, "No weapons on the table. You know it's bad manners." She pinned her with a hard stare.

The brunette huffed but relented. "Yes, sorry Mother. I just wanted to show our guests the tool that I used." She spoke and stabbed her fork down into her plate.

Bela was the only one who had yet to speak, but she was glaring at him. Her eyes were cold, glacial even. And like ice, he sensed small pinpricks go over his hands and arms. He felt like a boar now... he grimly thought if he would soon find himself cooked into a stew.

"Well then? Do you like it, Victor?" The Countess asked as she took a sip of her glass of wine, before holding it out for Mihaela to refill.

He cast aside his dread and forced himself to eat the food, chewing it and swallowing quickly before helping himself to a little, strong wine to help wash it down. "I-It's good, did you put some garlic in this?"

"I did not cook it myself, but yes, I did ask for the cooks to include it." She explained with a smirk.

Victor's smile was faint. The pungent flavor was almost overwhelming, as if multiple cloves had been put in the stew.

"If you wish for salt and pepper, you need only ask." The Countess snapped her fingers and another maid came forth, her head bowed, before she began to put salt in his stew, excessively so.

His eyes looked down into his plate, his stomach churning a bit as he already imagined the saltier taste that it would now have.

"Does it taste better?"

He slowly brought a spoonful to his mouth and it took all of his self-control not to gag at it, he wanted to spit it out, whatever flavor he was enjoying had been stripped away completely.

"I-It does taste good." He managed to nod and smile, even though it wasn't a truthful one.

"Excellent. Just in time for the second meal of the course." And already their plates had been taken away by servants. "Oysters, fished from the Mediterranean Sea, courtesy of the Duke's wares."

The three daughters had already finished eating their food, some more messily than others, and were waiting expectantly, to gorge themselves on the next delicacy.

When they were served, Victor hesitantly used his fork to eat one of them, and coughed, reaching out to his glass of water to help swallow the piece. It tasted far too sour and acidic, it was the telltale sign that an entire lemon must have been put in them.

"Is anything wrong, Victor-love?" Daniela smiled, her teeth glistening as her eyes looked him over closely.

"No, just... just too much lemon, for my preference." He replied, wiping his mouth with the napkin on his lap. Cristina was still keeping quiet, but he could sense her nervous energy.

It was a horrible sensation, and he felt himself tense even further once he saw Bela shift her gaze towards Cristina. That was when he saw it, the look of pure unadulterated abhorrence.

He was careful not to eat other oysters, for fear of spitting them out with how sour they were. This was all done on purpose, he understood this well. The Countess wanted to toy with the pair of them, to see them squirm.

Cristina kept her eyes lowered as to not cross them with any of the Ladies'. And it was better that way. Victor wanted to switch places with her but then that meant that she would be sitting next to the Countess and Victor did not feel comfortable enough with letting that happen.

Again, the Countess snapped her fingers and the servants came forth to bring yet another course. It almost made Victor reel with how quickly they were going, it was slowly beginning to overwhelm him.

This time a cutlet of meat was presented to him, yet it seemed to only have been half cooked, as when he cut into it, the inside was still a raw red. It made his stomach churn.

"Hmmm, an unfortunate accident." The Countess spoke as she eyed his plate. "Pardon me Victor, I shall have this mistake corrected." She waved her hand and a maid came forth to take his plate... yet the Countess did not reprimand her.

It shocked Victor for he knew that the she would demand nothing less but perfection, yet she did not grow wrathful... was it because she was reserving her rage for later? To unleash it on the entire cooking staff?

"T-Thank you." He murmured and nodded his head, briefly glancing at Cristina's plate. Hers seemed to be cooked well and finely. It gladdened him a lot.

"There is no need to thank me, Victor. I only wish for you to eat well." Her golden eyes looked over to Mihaela. "Bring us the 1960s selection, the one marked with the blue cork." She instructed the Head-Maid, who left without another word.

"So, when will you come back here, Victor-dear?" Daniela asked him, leaning forward with interest. "I've decorated your room, and I spent a lot of time talking with the Duke, I think you'll enjoy the gifts I've selected for you."

"Oh... that is... very kind of you, Daniela. Thank you for the thought... I really appreciate it a lot." He gulped and pulled at the collar of his suit a little bit, feeling as if he was being strangled.

"You still haven't answered her question, though." Cassandra spoke up, her eyes sharp and cruel. "Are you done frolicking? I think you've had more than enough time to yourself."

"Cass, he was having fun!" The redhead lightly hit her sister on the shoulder. "Besides, I know Victor-dear absolutely cannot wait to be back!"

The brunette snorted and looked at her sickle, "I very much doubt that, sister. And besides, I would prefer if the rat never showed his ugly face around here, my appetite is starting to disappear just from watching him."

"Don't say that! Victor-dear is beautiful and he is certainly not a rat!" She gasped in outrage, "Take that back right now, Cassandra!"

Victor meekly watched on as both of the sisters began to argue with each other. Cristina dared to glance at them before lowering her gaze once more, her hand slowly sliding off from the top of the table to grab at his own.

The Countess let out an amused, playful chuckle. "Girls, girls." She called their attention. "Be mindful, we are having a dinner; this is not the place for childish squabbling." She reminded them and tilted her head.

"Apologies Mother." Cassandra said and sat back in her seat. "Me and Daniela were just having a... disagreement of sorts. You don't need to concern yourself."

"That is good to hear." The Countess purred and in that moment a new plate was brought to Victor. "Go on, try it now. Has it been cooked well this time?"

He felt his hands shake and he tried desperately to keep them still. When he cut the steak open, he found it to be cooked well this time around, something he was thankful for. Quietly, he cut out a piece and lifted it to his mouth.

"It's... it's good... thank you." The meat came apart easily in his mouth and it tasted fine. It was not overly salty, or sour... he was glad that this steak seemed to be fine.

"I do not mean to sound..." He paused, trying to think of a word to use. "I do not mean to sound rude but... I was just wondering how many more courses we have."

"Only two more." This time it was Bela who spoke up, her voice quiet, but cold as she glared at him. "And after that we shall have a dessert."

"And after that you can sleep here, Victor-dear!" Cassandra let out an audible groan as she heard her younger sister call him.

"Daniela enough! He is not a dear, he isn't your dear at all!"

"Girls." The Countess' tone was more serious, the hint of a threat was present in it. When they quieted she smiled. "Thank you. Now then, let us continue with our dinner." And with yet another snap of her fingers, the maids retrieved their plates, his own steak only half- eaten.

It was almost as if this was a rush, they weren't even being given the time to properly eat what was given... but at least he hoped it meant that they would be able to get away from the castle sooner.

Mihaela returned, her face slightly flushed, likely due to the effort that was put in retrieving the bottle of wine that was in her hands. Victor briefly wondered how many stair cases she had to take, how many hallways she had to traverse, to reach one of the many cellars.

"Yes, excellent work Mihaela, serve us now." The Countess pushed her empty glass forward as the Head-Maid labored to uncork the bottle.

He took the moment to once again turn back towards Cristina and in doing so he also was forced to glance at Bela who was still glaring venomously at him.

"Are you tired?" It was a risky thing, but he whispered anyways, hopefully low enough that the others couldn't hear him. Cristina squeezed his hand and he took it as an affirmative. The poor woman must have felt exhausted with how things were and now it was likely that her nerves were beginning to fray.

"I do hope that you shall enjoy this next dish, Victor." Lady Alcina said whilst she gently turned her glass, the wine inside it swirling in accordance to her motions.

"W-What are we going to be eating?" He asked her, feeling a bed of sweat form on the side of his head.

"Eggs á la coque, a favorite of Bela's." She mused, holding his gaze. "Have you ever had them?"

"Uh... no, but I know what they are." He fumbled with his napkin for a few moments, using it to wipe his mouth. "I am curious to try them and know what they taste like." It went unsaid that he wished that the eggs wouldn't be overly salted, or cooked raw.

They waited for a bit and a slew of plates were presented to them. Victor wasted little time, having taken some moments to mentally fortify himself and his stomach.

He slowly opened the egg by cutting into it with his fork and knife, and once he peered inside he saw that it appeared to be normal.

He proceeded to place the slice of bread into it, before taking a bite. It seemed that his prayers had been answered, for the egg actually tasted good. He let out a surprised grunt and went to take another bite.

"This is good. This is pretty great, actually." He said and took a small sip of the new vine, which tasted sweeter compared to the last.

"Of course you would find eggs tasty, you don't even have the stomach to eat proper meat." Cassandra murmured snidely, hiding her smirk behind the rim of her wineglass.

He ignored her comment in favor of taking yet another bite. "It seems that you are rather famished, Victor." The Countess joked and Daniela laughed in agreement.

Bela kept being silent, seemingly refusing to engage in any of the conversations. Where words failed, her glares made her message intent and clear.

Cristina tried her own egg as well and she began to silently eat it as well. "It is... better than I was expecting." He murmured, trying to compliment the Ladies and hoping that they would come to ignore Cristina if he kept the attention on himself.

They wouldn't think of Cristina if he was the one to constantly speak. "...Bela, are you enjoying your egg?" He spoke up and dared to glance at the blonde woman.

She blinked, her face showing shock as he addressed her directly, clearly not expecting him to do so.

"I do like it, yes." She said, her tone stiff and somewhat lukewarm. "Thank you for asking." She added a moment later, in a quieter tone.

"My Lady, may I ask what will be our final course? I am quite excited and curious to know." Victor turned towards the Countess, slowly managing to control his stress.

"You may, yes. Mihaela," She called the Head-Maid, "Please tell Victor what is coming next."

"Steak tartare will conclude this dinner, Sir." The woman spoke, her hands clasped behind her back before she stepped away to stand at attention, like the other maids had been doing since the beginning of this meal.

"Oh. I don't think I've ever had. Is this the one with raw meat?" He tilted his head slightly. "B-But I'm sure it's going to be seasoned well, right?"

Again, the Countess laughed, her delight in his self-admitted ignorance apparent. "Indeed, you need not worry yourself Victor. The meat is seasoned and it will not give you any problems, you may take my word for it."

"Yes," He licked his lips. "Thank you, I'll be happy to know that." He said and went to finish eating the egg.

After that there were some genuinely pleasant interactions, words that were spoken gently and calmly. It served to ease his worries just by a pinch, enough so that he didn't feel suffocated.

Mihaela was already prepared to perform her task when the Countess asked her to bring forth the next meal.

Victor was presented with a plate of steak tartar. It was colored a bright, deep red, hundreds of minuscule white and black dots covered the top of it, they were salt and pepper. Beyond that was a small forest of green, lettuce and what appeared to be thinly sliced onions. Overall, it looked to be delicious.

He noticed the Countess looking at him expectantly. "This is what I like to consider the... magnum opus of this entire dinner, thus I am hoping that you will also find this plate to be best of all the foods that you have tasted thus far."

"Well... well I can tell you right now that I have pretty high hopes." He smiled before going about to cut off a small piece of the tartare with his fork.

The taste was... peculiar, for a lack of a better word. It did not taste like any other meat, it was raw of course, but it was... smooth. As if it had been worked many times over. And for all of its strangeness, he found himself to be liking it.

"It is... wait, give me a moment, please." He gathered some more of the tartare and ate that, letting out a small hum of contemplation. "It is an acquired taste, not that I dislike it." Victor said, "It's just something new to me, but I can see this becoming a favorite dish of mine."

The Countess slowly smiled, eating her own full as well, as did her daughters. "I am gladdened to hear that, Victor." But then she frowned, her lips pursing in something akin to mild disappointment. "In truth I am... saddened that you do not like it enough to sing its praises."

Victor's brows furrowed as he leaned back, confused. "I'm sorry, what?" He spoke quietly. "I like it, but it's... it's very peculiar. I-I'm sure that with time and more chances it will grow on me."

The noblewoman laughed then, covering her mouth with her gloved hand. "Pardon me, Victor, I merely find this situation humorous, I thought your palette sharper." Her smile sharpened. He flinched when Cristina squeezed his hand.

He tried to think clearly then and make sense of her words. "Forgive me, but I don't really understand what you find so funny... can... can I know why?"

"Oh, sweet, naive Victor. Do you not recognize the taste of your friends, Ioana and Adina?"

Silence.

He blinked, stunned. "S-Sorry, what?" He asked, blinking again as he looked at the grinning Countess. "W-What do you mean by that?"

"Ioana and Adina, your two friends. They proved to be quite suitable cattle." She nodded to his plate. "Do you like the taste of them?"

Victor looked down at the tartare, his limbs freezing as shock took control of his body. The meat, raw, so smooth, so worked, the little red juices that still glistened and that left a hint of iron in his mouth.

A horrified gasp tore itself from his throat as he jumped up, his chair clattering behind him loudly. Cristina tensed up, her eyes darting between him and the Countess.

He felt sick. He felt disgusted to his core and he retched, his stomach churning violently as he was nearly overtaken by the repugnant revelation.

Cassandra cackled and leant back in her chair, clapping her hands.

The Countess smirked and turned to the person across from her. "Bela dearest." The eldest daughter looked at her. "You may act now." The Countess nodded her head at her, a silent permission.

Cristina's cry was cut short as her face was brutally smashed into the hard wooden table, a near snarl of rage escaping Bela as her hand gripped the poor girl's scalp.

"Bela wait!" Before he could even take a step to help her a wave of moths slammed into him, materializing into Daniela as she laughed and hugged him from behind.

"Oh, this is so much fun, Victor-dear!" She exclaimed , turning his head to kiss him on the lips.

He grunted and twisted away. "Wait-WAIT!" He cried out at the Countess.

"P-Please, My Lady, please!" He begged, "Take me, d-don't hurt her!" He watched helplessly as Bela held Cristina's head up by her hair, the woman was unconscious, her beautiful face splattered with blood from where her nose had split and broken. "S-She didn't do anything wrong! A-Alcina, Alcina I beg of you, spare her! PLEASE!" He cried out in horror as Daniela trapped him.

The Countess rose up from her seat and took slow, deliberate steps to come and stand in front of him. One hand gently cupped his cheek, her thumb rubbing over it affectionately.

"This has been a most wonderful dinner, Victor. I am glad that you were here with us. Now, it is time for you to go rest." She spoke gently, her golden eyes amused.

"N-No, wait please don't do this, don't this please— Something struck the back of his head and he saw darkness.

Chapter End Notes

And this was the chapter, ending with a cliffhanger. The next part should be ready relatively soon. If you enjoyed this chapter than please leave a comment, the longer the better. If you wish to contact me directly consider joining my Discord Server at: https/discord.gg/vUK9Y9DbGH Until next time!

Et Sanguinem Innocentem

Chapter Summary

A philosophical musing is had.

Chapter Notes

And now, I feel that I must ask you kind readers to please re-read the tags. This chapter alongside the next shall be the darkest of the entire fic, they will be graphic, read the archive warnings again, please I implore you. This will be your only warning, so if you find anything that triggers you, I recommend you do not read past this point.

As another note, all of the spoken text here is to be imagined as being spoken in Romanian, I did not want to write all of the dialogue in italics, so please pretend that it is.

See the end of the chapter for more notes

The thrumming of pain was the sensation Cristina awoke to.

Slowly, she opened her eyes, they felt heavy as lead weights and her head pounded. The room she was in was darkened, the only source of light coming from some lit candles nearby.

She felt cold, and it was at that point that that she began to remember what had happened only a few hours earlier and her breath quickened, her chest tightening as panic and horror settled in.

Cristina cried out, shaking in place as she tried to move her limbs but found them trapped, her wrists and ankles bound in iron shackles that dug into her flesh, so tight were they that they constantly chafed against her delicate skin.

She was on some kind of table, her arms and legs spread out so that they put an uncomfortable strain on her joints. She could not sit up, she could barely turn her body without straining her joints and she felt stiff and cold.

She tasted iron on her mouth and realized that it was blood, her own blood, and that her nose was broken.

"The peasant wakes at last." A voice spoke from behind her and she flinched, unable to contain the whimper that escaped her.

She already knew who the voice belonged to, for it was that of the devil herself, one of the monsters that had tormented the Village since long before she had been born.

The Countess stepped into her view, towering and imposing and carrying the scent of death. She still had the same dress since the dinner, still looking immaculate and ethereal. Oh, how cruel appearances could be, for Cristina knew that before her was not an angel, but a scourge of pain, an avatar of untreatable and unstoppable hunger.

Her eyes raked over her, filling with disgust. "And to think that you would be chosen, a plebe without an ounce of noble, venerable blood. Ridiculous, a travesty to even imagine it." She shook her head, her mouth forming a sneer.

Cristina looked away, crying out desperately as she pulled at the shackles, but to no avail. She twisted and turned, rattling the binds as much as she could but it changed nothing. She was still bound to the table, trapped in one of the many dungeons of Castle Dimitrescu. Her screams would never be heard.

"Bela, I tire of her incessant writhing. Put an end to it." The noblewoman lifted her gaze to her eldest daughter.

"Yes, Mother." Bela was all to happy to dutifully bring her bearer's orders to completion. Her hands wrapped around the handles of the crank at the top of the table and she turned it. The chains creaked as they were pulled upwards and Cristina cried out, both in shock and in pain. Her limbs were further stretched out, swiftly and painfully, until she could no longer move.

"Thank you, my dear." The Countess gave her a nod of approval. "You may begin to prepare the utensils."

The blonde woman moved to the table next to her and spread out an array of objects, a dozen of knives and some other instruments that went best unnamed. A match was lifted and placed under a small pyramid of wood, a fire soon starting and growing from the hearth that was in the corner of the stone chamber. Its light cast the room in an orange hue, yet it did not comfort Cristina, nor did it bring her any warmth.

"Now. I would like to think that even a poor, clan-less, peasant girl of clearly lesser stock is capable of listening and speaking the language that she was raised to adopt." She clicked her tongue and looked down upon the bound girl.

"You are capable of uttering words, yes?" The Countess asked, her arms folding beneath her chest as she observed her.

Cristina cried, hiccuping as tears slowly ran down her cheeks. The Matriarch let out a dissatisfied huff. "Why must you all be so uncooperative? And then it is wondered why smallfolk and nobles must be separated, when it is so clear that the former lacks the want and capability to perform even the simplest of tasks."

"Mother, any breath is wasted on this worm. She is beneath your power, your figure. We shouldn't humor whatever delusions she may have." Bela spoke up from the hearth as she placed a pair of metal rods through the logs, leaving them there to heat up.

"Right you are, my bright Bela." The Countess praised her. "But this... worm has forgotten her place and her standing." She remarked and lazily circled the table until she was at the end of it, opposite to Cristina's head.

"Girl," She called. "You will quiet yourself and listen to me." When Cristina kept sobbing and hiccuping she released an irritated sigh. She lifted an arm from her thumb and index fingers a pair of deadly, midnight black claws grew, impossibly sharp and deadly.

She touched them together, the razor-like appendages softly scratching against each other, lowering them to the young woman's feet and trapping her innermost left toe.

Cristina yelped and hiccuped. "W-Wait! N-No!"

The Countess grinned. She flicked her fingers and a bloodcurdling scream sounded in the stone chamber.

Blood leaked from the stump as Cristina violently shook, her cries slowly becoming whimpers.

"And now you have quieted yourself, at last." She spoke with a disinterested tone, as if disappointed that she had not screamed more.

Bela looked down at the tortured woman, her face remaining glacial, not a hint of empathy in it.

"There are times where I wonder if said societal classes have any point of existing, but then I remind myself of the truth of the world and I am faced with the reality of things. There are only two people on this earth, girl. Those who conquer and control and those who bow and obey. I leave to you the matter of guessing which category you belong in."

She paused and waited, silently counting up to a minute in her head, before she acted again, and took another one of her toes, electing another scream.

"Now then, I have given you ample time to reflect- more than what you deserve." She said, her talons retracting. "I want you to tell me who you are, a sheep, or a master?"

When Cristina didn't answer, the Countess nodded to Bela. "Go ahead, my daughter."

The blonde was only too happy to pick one of the knives on the table and to move where her mother was standing. Unlike her bearer, Bela made no effort to be surgical with her actions- she used the sharp knife not to cut, but to saw into Cristina's toes.

One by one, red, bleeding stumps were left in place of digits. The girl's crying and screaming had no effect, it posed no deterrent, it did not even make Bela pause, such was her wrath.

Alcina leant forward a touch, just to observe the handiwork of her eldest. "Hmmm, your technique requires refinement, Bela."

"I was not trying to be efficient, Mother." The younger Lady muttered darkly. "I want her to scream until her throat becomes raw and it bleeds."

"A most wonderful goal, to be certain. Your drive is admirable, my dear." The Countess smiled and circled around the table, her gloved hands clasped together in a gentle embrace as she tilted her head to look down at the agonized girl.

"I would like to say that I am disappointed by your incapability to reach such a simple, logical conclusion... but then again, you are of inferior stock." Bela went to the crank and began to turn it again.

Cristina gasped, violently shaking her head. "S-Stop! Stop!" She cried, the pressure in her joints increasing as nerves were slowly crushed and ligaments began to tear.

"Of course, as with all things in life, there are exceptions." Alcina drawled on, continuing her philosophical lesson. "In some instances, even the inferior may prove to be more, may prove to be worthy of reconsideration. By virtue, or by heart, there are those who are simply better."

She pointed her index finger down and watched with a bored expression as the corresponding claw began to push against the outside of Cristina's thigh. It bleed, a small rivulet of blood steadily growing the more the talon dug and pierced through soft flesh and muscle.

Choked yells were the words with which the tortured soul communicated; shaking was the method of transmissions for the body.

And still Alcina continued, retracting her talon before poking another whole through her leg, just inches below the first, "A most recent example would be Victor himself. At a first glance, one would think him a man like any other; uncouth, ignorant and naive."

"And yet, for all that the eyes could tell, he is anything but that." She jabbed her finger and Cristina howled. The black claw had cut cleanly through her femur and had sliced deeply into her leg, leaving a gaping wound. The Countess delighted herself with using her other hand to open the wound slightly and to peek at it.

"Victor is more than a simple manthing, more than a lowly plebe. He is a true gentleman, a person who embodies all of the characteristics that a chivalrous knight of the tales of old should have. His mind, so bright and curious like that of a child, his heart, so sweet and gentle and pure, like that of an angel yet to fall to the sins of this world." She closed her eyes and whispered, "A treasure, a priceless relic."

"You do not seem to grasp how special Victor is; your infinitely small mind can never hope to understand this, for it is beyond your capacity." She left shallow cuts with her talon, each crimson line that marred the girl's thighs elected another cry of pain.

"Victor is more than what you deserve, more than you could ever hope to be worthy of." She mused. "Yes, a prince among lesser men, shining brightly like the sun amongst wax candles." She hummed, thinking of the comparison and deeming it to be an appropriate one.

"A peasant should never touch royalty. The punishment for that crime is the loss of hands." Bela growled as she took a cleaver from the table and violently swung it down, chopping through flesh and bone in twain. Whatever screams might have surfaced were drowned in the

sea of agony as the crank was turned some more, limbs being pulled to their limit and joints being torn apart.

The Countess pursed her lips, perhaps not fully approving of the methods of her eldest. "My, you seem to be more akin to Cassandra. Your hunger and drive to cause suffering is rivaling hers." She denoted with a chuckle as she observed the actions of her child.

"Pardon, Mother." She bowed her head to her. "But I am angry. I have been angry for a long time."

"And I completely understand you." She spoke, leaning forward to admire the ruined hands of the girl. They were a picture of gore, of mangled flesh and squirting blood- fingers that had been cut unevenly, veins that had been sliced open.

"You shan't last long, with how much you bleed." She made a noise of disappointment, "A pity, you do not even have the dignity to resist. I ask, where is your will to survive? Your desire to live?"

"P-Please... p-please let m-me go..." Cristina whimpered, her cries almost breathless as she was forced to suffer and feel the waves of pain strike at her body.

"And now, in your time of need, you do not even think about Victor. Pathetic." She sneered at her, her lip curling. "You should be thinking of him, your mind should worry only about his well-being, yet you selfishly preoccupy yourself with your own pain, when you have a prince that sought your hand."

And again, she flicked her finger, cutting a shallow line from her sternum all the way to her groin, her talon separating the blood-stained dress.

Bela reached forth and pulled the fabric off her, looking it over. "The quality is terrible, not even pigs would wear this kind of clothing." She muttered.

Alcina stared at the girl's nude form with a critical eye. "Deplorable, I can see the outline of your bones. Not only are you a sheep, you are a starved one at that." She voiced her loathing. "Not even your flesh would be worthy of offering to him."

Bela went over to the hearth and picked up a pair of metal prongs, sporting hooks at the end. The metal had been heated and it glowed a terrible orange.

"And such small breasts- are you delusional enough to believe that such meek and modest mounds would be enough to properly feed whatever spawn you would bear for Victor?" She shook her head, "No, such mental illness is poisonous, you are a fool too. It is by the grace of the gods that you will never nurse any of Victor's children."

Bela moved in and a sank the heated prongs into Cristina's chest. At this, the girl did scream, the volume of her voice shooting up like an explosion and the terrible smell and sound of searing flesh began to permeate the room.

The brutal torture was not concluded until both of her breasts had been thoroughly ruined, the meat ripped apart and burned black. "You deserve this," Bela hissed at her, "Victor is ours, ours and no one else's!" She bared her fangs. "You are a weak, pathetic little girl, and you deserve to suffer."

The Countess stepped away to gather her cigarette holder, lighting it and drawing a puff of smoke from it. She turned around then and watched absently as Bela began to viciously hack into the poor girl with the knives, cutting and stabbing at her, trying to draw out as much pain as she possibly could.

Cristina's body was mutilated, spat on and desecrated, all in the name of hatred and perceived revenge. It took a considerable amount of time before the daughter stepped back, panting as she used the sleeve of her dress to wipe at the splatters of blood that had hit her face.

"There, there, have you given your rage a proper vent?" The Countess asked as she stepped closer again, raising an eyebrow.

"...yes, yes I have." She nodded, putting the knives she wielded away. "Thank you, Mother. You've allowed me this pleasure, thank you."

Alcina smiled at her, before looking at the barely-breathing girl. She was a mess, her beauty ruined and her spirit broken as she could only cry and whimper quietly. With a hum, the noblewoman moved towards the top of the table, her hand descending to grasp at the crank before tugging it harshly. The chains rattled, pulling at the girl's limbs once more.

Again, she cranked, quiet gasps escaping the tortured soul as her limbs were pulled out of their sockets. She felt the resistance in the crank, knowing that she was close to breaking her joints.

"It hurts, does it not?" She taunted Cristina, her strength more than enough to turn the wheel, more and more and more- until a loud crack was heard and Cristina's body jolted and went still.

"You are broken now, your body shattered, your youth forfeited." She stated quietly as she loomed over the young woman. Cristina had been exhausted, her being drained of energy and vitality. She did not even have the energy to scream, to go against the torture. She had been worn down.

"In some ways, I can find it within my heart to pity you, girl." She spoke then in a rare instance of genuine honesty. "Victor is one of a kind, which woman would not desire him when he is everything that a man should be?"

"Your mistake was trying to put your claim on him, believing you even had the right to do such an outlandish action. But rarely are fools aware of their own folly, that is another difference between us- I am capable of recognizing the idiocy of my wants and fantasies, you clearly are not."

Cristina stared up at her through blurry eyes, her voice having left her as she slowly inched closer to death.

"But you may take comfort in knowing that I will be the woman Victor deserves, as he is mine and it is my divine right as a Countess to make him mine." She stated. "Though I doubt any of this chatter was needed. You are too simple to comprehend the weight behind my words, too foolish." She moved her finger and pressed it under her jaw.

"M-Mother Miranda damn y-you." Cristina choked out through bloody and broken lips.

"Idiot girl, I killed Mother Miranda." And the talon began to jut out, it cut through the underside of her jaw and pierced into her mouth and tongue. Choked gargles were heard as Cristina suffocated on her own blood. And with another the talon pierced the young woman's brain, causing her body to go limp.

Alcina retraced her claw and looked at the still-warm corpse. "Bela." She called.

"Yes, Mother? What do you require of me?" She walked up to her and waited patiently for her command.

"This whore's body is unworthy of making a vintage out of it. String it up at the entrance of the Village, let her carcass be a warning to all of the cattle."

Chapter End Notes

This was the chapter.

Poor, sweet and innocent Cristina meets her end, receiving no justice nor closure. If you enjoyed this chapter then please comment, and let me know what you thought. If you wish to contact me directly consider joining my Discord Server at: https/discord.gg/vUK9Y9DbGH until next time.

A Soul Made Tainted

Chapter Summary

Victor awakes to the worst of news.

Chapter Notes

Now, this is the other darkest chapter of this story, once more I implore you to please read the tags and archive warnings, this is your warning to stop and not read further if any of the tags make you uncomfortable, so please take care.

See the end of the chapter for more notes

"Hnngghhh..."

Victor blinked his eyes open, struggling to clear his sight. A faint, distant pain was felt over the back of his head. When he moved his hand to touch it he hissed, for it caused the pain to flare. A bruise must have formed.

He slowly took in his surroundings: he was lying in a large and comfortable bed in a lavish room, with walls lined with gold trimmings. There was a large window on the wall across from him, it was hidden by the deep blue drapes, preventing him from seeing the time of day outside. With a groan he looked down at himself and saw that heavy covers were placed on him. The padding of the mattress was firm, yet comfortable, and he felt warm and content. It felt as if he had slept on a literal cloud.

He lifted the covers a little and saw that his body was garbed in proper sleeping attire, made out of soft and comfortable wool.

And then he blinked and was startled. With a grunt he threw the covers off himself and scooted

over to the edge of the bed, swinging his legs over it to hop down. He dashed towards the door, nearly slamming against it as his hand furiously turned the handle, but to no avail.

"Open, open!" He screamed as he pulled at the handle with all of his might, trying to force the damned and infernal mechanism open. Alas there was naught he could do, as it remained firmly locked.

Victor took a few steps back as his breathing deepened and his mind began to be set by stress and panic, assaulted from all sides and given no respite. "No... no, no, no, Cristina!" He whispered as his hands clutched his head and let out a scream.

His gaze snapped to the window again and he dashed towards that instead, ripping the drapes away to stare outside.

The view of a forested hill greeted him, coated with a fresh layer of white snow. He did not recognize where he was in the Castle— the view eluded his memory and he wasn't aware of what side of the mountain the window was facing, much less in what direction the Village was. "God dammit not now!" He chewed and bit his lip, hard enough that a droplet of blood was drawn. Straining his gaze he tried to look down, trying to gauge at what height this bedroom was.

It seemed as if he was three, no, four stories up. He breathed quickly and then tried to control his panicking breath. "I can do this, I can do this, Cristina needs me..." He muttered to himself before rolling up the sleeves of his wool shirt.

He went to turn the handle of the window, yet that too was apparently locked. With a frustrated grunt he tried to pull on it with all of his weight, but the glass didn't even creak or get damaged. A curse and a half later, he stepped back and went to pick up the chair that positioned at the desk in the corner of the chambers. So entranced with the task was he that the forming swarm of moths went completely unnoticed to him.

With a strained grunt he hoisted the chair above his head and charged towards the window with a yell.

"I wouldn't do that, if I were you."

The sudden words and the realization that there was another person in the room caused him to trip and crash against the floor with a cry of pain.

Victor groaned and slowly rolled over, nursing his arm as it burned with agony, "Fuck! Fuck!" Quiet laughter reached his ears as slow steps came nearer to him. Cassandra smirked, her smile sharp as she took him in, anxious, worried and bruised to high heaven.

"My, what a mess you've made of yourself, little Rat." She spoke quietly, her words prickly like barbed wire. "Not even the time to take a proper rest and you're already scrambling, trying your very best to get back to your little dove, like a lovesick man-thing. You make me want to throw up." She gagged and then laughed some more.

Victor hastily sat up, pressing his back against the wall. "T-The hell do you want from me, you crazy bitch?!" He demanded, his eyes blown wide with a mix of fear, worry and adrenaline.

"Oh," She snorted, waving her arm, "Enough of that. Don't try to act all high and mighty when you're clearly not; it will save us both a lot of embarrassment... or..." She eyes him mischievously and cruelly, "Or are you a masochist who simply enjoys humiliation? My, now you're even worse than a simple rat. You're a disgusting freak!"

"Fuck you!" He spat at her, his rage weaving and turning within him. "Where the hell is Cristina?!" He screamed.

But Cassandra merely chuckled some more, "Gods, you have developed quite a mouth since last we saw each other— and it only took a single dinner to cause you to snap like that." She made a cooing sound, "Does your stomach still hurt from eating the raw meat of your friends? Do you want to go back to bed again?"

With a grunt he pushed himself up, holding himself against the wall in order not to fall. He turned

to glare at her, his eyes narrowed as she continued to laugh at his expense. "Now, I don't particularly care for you, Rat; but other people do. If it were for me you would already be a corpse, rotting and withering away to nothingness, but my Mother desires a different outcome for you, so my blades will never slice your skin." She remarked and crossed her arms, lifting her head in a haughty manner. "And that is why I have stopped you from jumping— but this only confirms how much of an idiot you really are, Rat. We are five stories up, do you want to know what would have happened if you had leapt?" She leaned forward to grin and lower her tone of voice. "You would have fallen." She said simply, as it were but a simple joke. "And yes, of course there is a lot of snow, perhaps a foot at the very most. But then you simply snap like a twig— your legs would have been the first to go. Your knees would crack and then shatter and you would fold like a sopping wet piece of parchment. It would have made for quite the sight, don't you think?"

She remarked, her outstretched arm twirling her sickle with expert skill. "Hmmm, then you would have screamed and bleated like a poor, defenseless lamb. And what an embarrassment would it have been for you, to be found that way by me, my sister and my Mother." She snorted.

"I do not understand why they think you're so different; you're still and will only ever be nothing but a disgusting man-thing, you just seem to hide that aspect better than everyone else. But I know." Her fangs gleamed as she teasingly licked her lips slowly and loudly. "I can tell that deep down there, beneath that pathetic facade, you're just a small, little coward who lies and speaks false truths. I've seen your kind before many times, so don't try to argue against me, it's useless to try."

"I am not lying!" He shouted at her. "Get out of my way! I want to go see Cristina!" Worry bled into anger and he felt his teeth grit together. There was a part of him that was seriously contemplating if to attack her directly. "I am warning you Cassandra, if you don't get the hell out of my way I will hit you!"

But the brunette just burst out laughing, "This is a new one, ha! You? Hit me?" She pointed at herself and doubled over, a hand held against her stomach as she guffawed and laughed

loudly, wiping tears from the corners of her eyes. "You aren't capable of even hurting a fly, and you think you can lay a hand on me? You are a fool then, a delusional one too!" She smirked and turned away, flaunting her hooded dress in a mocking way. "So pathetic, weak and cowardly. Will you try to hit me now that my back is turned? Hmm?" She taunted him, cocking her hip on one side and admiring her nails, playing the part of the distracted opponent.

Victor nearly saw red, he was ready to launch himself and wring the neck of the offending daughter. Yet he could not bring himself to do it... there was something just stopping it. Instead, he huffed and dashed forward, around Cassandra and towards the door. Like a madman, he tried to turn the handle with renewed desperation, cursing and shouting with rage.

"My, my, thick-headed and stubborn to the very end. Get it through to your minuscule, chipmunk-sized brain that you will do nothing, because that is exactly what you are and nothing more. Nothing, you have no redeeming qualities and you are an impostor, a false idol that preys on the sympathetic parts of people's morality." She spoke cruelly, her words precise and sharp, aimed to wound him deeply and in a most hurtful manner. "You are little better than a cancer, than an invasive species, a tick, a leech, sucking off the lifeblood of others and hiding behind the meek and cowardly act of the poor, naive, innocent young man who doesn't know any better and has a pure heart that is far too good for his own safety. Quit the act, Rat, you are no better than the smallfolk of the Village."

He halted and tensed up, biting his lip and turning towards her. He felt his cheek redden with shame and anger, assaulting his psyche in equal parts. "That's not true, you're wrong!" He argued back.

"Oh, I'm wrong?" She tilted her head and walked closer to him, a smile etching on her lips. "Yet here you are, proving my exact point tenfold. If you really were that good of a person, that pure of an angel, you wouldn't even be attempting to discredit my words. But you are and it just shows that to you it's just an act."

He clamped his hands over his ears and snarled, trying to tune out her voice, her grating arguments and mean-spirited comments, yet Cassandra was not about to stop short. The

huntress had sensed her prey, she had fired a shot, nicked the animal and had drawn blood. And now the blood was leaving a noticeable trail, one that she would follow and pursue, until the very end.

"You hate it, don't you? The fact that I'm right, that I am speaking nothing but the truth. And you hate it because you are in the wrong and you have to face this reality, ha!" She clicked her tongue. "Victor the Rat, a terrible actor and a fraud, little more than a mongrel and thief, stealing away the compassion and empathy of better and superior people."

"Shut up!" And at last he moved to strike at her, his hand curling into a fist and propelling straight towards her face. His knuckles impacted her pale and refined cheekbone, yet the crack that was heard was not from her body, but

from his own. Victor yelped and pulled his arm back, cradling his hand as it shook with pain.

"Good grief, it really took you all that time to get all worked up!" Cassandra huffed, "And you're a terrible puncher too, I barely felt that! Even a m

aid a head shorter than you and half your weight can punch better." She snidely remarked. "You bitch!" He screamed at her, pain flaring in his digits with each passing second. He couldn't tell if he had actually broken a knuckle or two, but it felt like it and it hurt badly.

"Are you going to cry now? Like a little boy?" She asked, leaning in— into his personal space and invading it. "Do you want me to kiss your bruise, to make it feel better?" She made pouty lips and batted her eyes in a mockery of motherly care. He was going to reply, but the sound of a thousand beating wings drew his attention as a new swarm of moths formed, taking the shape of a young woman and finally allowing Bela to stare at the both of them.

"Cassandra," She spoke, her voice cordial but irritated. "Why are you aggravating Victor? You know what Mother said. Leave him alone and let him be."

The brunette huffed and crossed her arms. "I didn't do anything, I was just making sure the Rat didn't do anything stupid, like jumping out of the window." She turned to glare at him and then smirked. "You know how rats can be, they are far from the brightest animals."

"Then why is his hand hurt?" She glared at her younger sister, her golden eyes narrowing further. Victor moved back again, his back brushing against the window. That same ugly tension was present, the same one that there had been at dinner. It made him afraid, nervous and anxious, because it had been in that moment that he realized just how much of a ticking time bomb Bela could be. And now the bomb ticked, second by second. He did not want to be caught in the blast radius.

"Hmmm, let's just say that..." Cassandra bummed and tapped her chin, "Let's just say that he punched one of the walls." She smirked and turned her gaze towards him, "And it was quite a stupid thing to do, wasn't it?"

Bela raised an eyebrow, "None of the walls have any damage on them. I sense a lie in your words."

"It's what happened, really." She shrugged, "But if you don't believe me, you can always ask him." She gestured in his direction and Bela's head snapped towards him.

"Why did you do it then? I am not happy and neither will Mother be once she learns of this." She remarked, her tone cold and icy.

"I..." He paused for a moment and ground his teeth. "I punched Cassandra, that's why my hand is hurt. And I punched her because she was provoking me and I am stressed and worried enough as it is." He growled out and stood up straighter, a boost of confidence suddenly filling him with purpose.

Victor took a step forward, "And I want to go see Cristina, and she wasn't letting me pass." He said, his voice strained with anger. "And now I don't care anymore about the danger she poses

for me and the hatred she nurtures. I don't care about her and I wasn't going to let her stop me from going to see my girlfriend. I want to go see her, now!" He yelled at her and stepped closer still.

Bela looked at him, her face a lake of mirrored glass, unchanging and without blemish. He could not spot the emotions that lived within the orbs that gave her sight. "You will not." She answered simply, "Mother has given a command and you will abide to it. She said you were to remain in this bedroom to rest and recoup and you will remain her, because it is her word and her word is absolute." She spoke stiffly.

He glared at her for a few more moments before walking around her, yet her arm shot out to block his path. "Do not test my patience, Victor." She told him, her tone low and quiet. "You will stay in this room until Mother says otherwise."

"So am I just your prisoner then? Is this fancy room just a prison cell now? Am I just a bird locked in a fucking birdcage?" He huffed, irritated and shrugged her arm away, but then her fingers wrapped around his wrist and they clenched, dangerously.

"I said you will remain here." Her other hand pressed against his chest and pushed, the force and power behind the action all but constraining him to fold backwards and away. "You do not have a say in this any longer, Victor. You are forgetting yourself, for we are the owners and rulers of this castle and you are the guest. You must abide by the laws of hospitality." She argued and crossed her arms and glowered at him, her face a mix of disappointment and frustration, like that of a parent scolding their unruly child.

"Fuck you and your laws of hospitality! I don't give a shit about them! You are holding me in this room, knocked me out and took Cristina! And I know she's here, I just know it!" He marched straight back to her. "And I didn't ask for anything like this, but here I am, so now, I don't care what you want or think, because I have other things to worry about, so get the hell out of my way Bela or I'll punch you just like I punched Cassandra!

The other sister chuckled, shaking her head. "Heh, so much for him being your beloved, Bela. Maybe he'll actually break his hand now, provided that he's stupid enough to punch you with

his injured one."

"Shut up!" He snapped at her and then swiveled towards Bela. "You will let me pass and you will unlock that damned door. I am going to go and collect Cristina and we will walk away from this fucking Castle, and you will not impede us!" He ranted, his chest heaving and his muscles coiling and uncoiling as rounds of adrenaline raced through his system.

Bela stared at him quietly, before at last she moved, stepping back and away, before ultimately turning around to go and unlock the door. A key was produced in her hand and she slotted it in, turning it as a click was heard. She stepped back and gestured towards it. "If that is what you truly want, then you may leave. Go and grab that peasant girl you are so enamored with."

Silently he stalked forward, not saying a single thing to her. When he turned the handle it turned and he pulled it towards himself. The door opened cleanly, without creaks or other opposition and he hastily stuck his foot out to take what would be the first of many steps to reach Cristina. And he immediately collided with a wall of white, causing him to stagger back, stunned.

"Victor." The Countess spoke plainly, garbed in a beautiful dress of white, coupled with her usual wide-brimmed hat. She stared at him calmly, her eyes calculating and tranquil as her hands remained relaxed and down at her sides.

He looked up at her, his eyes widening as he took a step back, his senses flaring, for he knew how dangerous she truly was. "I have heard some commotion, yelling too." She said, her pupils focused on him. "I don't particularly enjoy listening to yelling, not within my own home. I find it to be grating to the ears."

His mouth had gone dry, and he found that it would not respond to his commands, it would not open, it would not obey him.

Cassandra chuckled, "Do not worry, Mother. The Rat was acting a little bit silly, he was saying

foolish and stupid things, but you know how he is." She stepped closer between them. "And I made sure that your wishes were respected."

"Yes, I can see that. You did well, Cassandra. Thank you." The brunette bowed her head at the praise, doing a little bowing motion as well, to show her gratitude. "You may go— there are a couple of maids who require correction."

And she was gone in a swarm, undoubtedly happy to be able to go and torment some other poor soul.

Victor took another step back, feeling his insides construct with worry. He blinked rapidly as a drop of sweat slid down the side of his face.

"Mother, Victor had a request for you." Bela spoke up and he turned his gaze towards her.

"Oh? And what may that request be?" The Countess asked, taking a step closer to him.

"He wishes to see the worm. Not only that, he made demands that he wanted to see her immediately and that he wished to leave the Castle." His anxiety spiked as Bela revealed more, her words cutting like the sharp axe of the executioner.

"Do you now, Victor?" The Countess murmured. "Those are quite some vile demands, and to utter them when you are under my own roof." Her lips pursed, "That is not behavior that can be called gentlemanly, it must be said."

"I-I don't care." He finally spoke. "I said I want to see Cristina, I want to leave." He felt his body shake, from fear or adrenaline he did not know, but he made his wishes clear.

"Bela," The noblewoman spoke then, her voice noticeably colder, "You may leave now. Go enjoy yourself."

The blonde daughter hesitated: "Are you sure, Mother? I can help you and- She went quiet

when the Countess turned her eyes towards her.

"Thank you for your availability, daughter. But you have done enough for now and I do not require your assistance. Go." The order was absolute and irrefutable and so the eldest daughter too, left. She was off on her way and she closed the door behind herself.

And he was alone now, with her, with the monster. His throat was tight, dry too. It felt difficult to speak, to raise his voice. "J-Just let us go. I don't want anything to do with you." He saw her nostrils flare for a moment, the first true sign of her irritation, the mask that she wore cracked and revealed a swirling wheel of emotions beneath.

"Why do you torment us so much? Why do you find joy in it?" He whispered, staring up at her. "I love Cristina, please, leave us alone. We are happy together and we're in love."

She stared at him coldly. "The whore is dead."

He blinked, his mind taking a moment to register what she said before he paled. "C-Cristina? She is..." His body shook and he felt his knees give out from under him, his breath leaving his lungs as he collapsed to the floor.

He did not cry out, nor scream or beat his fists against the floor. He just laid there, his eyes unfocused as his conscious tried to make sense with the information that it had been given. It felt as if a void had been ripped open, sucking away all of his feelings and leaving behind nothing but grief and pain. And it was a terrible sensation. "Cristina..." He whispered to himself, thinking about her beautiful smile, her gentle face and her warm hug. And she was gone now.

It took him a few moments to register the fact that he was being hoisted up by the arm, the Countess easily moving him onto the bed. He lashed out then, his other limb striking against her frame viciously as tears streamed down his face.

"Y-You bitch! You monster! D-Devil!" He screamed, the pain in his hand forgotten as he turned all of his rage unto the pretender in front of him.

Yet he was forced down on the bed, one large splayed hand pressing down on his torso and causing him to sink against the bedding as he fruitlessly trashed to escape it. "That is enough, Victor. You are acting like a child." She scolded him.

"Murderer! You killed her!" He screamed at her, his jaw clenching, but the boost of adrenaline was only temporary as that pain, the one that was hurting his soul, returned. His shaking got worse and he looked away, all rational thought lost to the wind, all the willpower to fight spent and missing.

The Countess clicked her tongue, her thumb rubbed against his sternum. "It is better this way, blinded were you by thoughts not your own."

"They were my thoughts." He muttered quietly, voice articulated and poisoned. "I loved her… I will never forgive you…" He glared at the Countess, holding on to the small glimmer of hatred that still kept him conscious.

"No, no." She stated simply, her hand gently gripping at his abdomen. "You did not love her, you merely held misplaced affections." She took off her hat, setting it on the night table next to him. "Unfortunately, that is the nature of lesser men and women; they preach and worship ideals that are fundamentally flawed and destined to fall into ruin. You too have been affected by them, such you have surrounded yourself by unfavorable company."

He looked away from her. He felt broken, empty as if he had lost all feeling and sensation. The noise of ripping fabric made him flinch as his flesh was bared to the prowling eyes of the Countess.

"W-What are you doing?!" He demanded thrashing once more as she pulled the ruined shirt away, flinging it behind herself.

"Why, I am claiming what is mine." She replied curtly, loosening the fabric that she wore, her dress lowering to uncover her own, mature, immaculate, pale, womanly body.

The Countess was a creature of beauty and power in equal parts. Whitened, porcelain skin wrapped around strong sinew and muscle, flexing and contouring with controlled power. The Matron of House Dimitrescu was preeminence incarnate, of precious and selected allure where femininity took precedence over her form.

But Victor felt revolted, his very want disgusted by her closeness, by her foul touch— she surrounded him like a predator of savage and ignoble intent. His mortal hands struck at her torso, shoulders and neck but she was like an avalanche, all-encompassing and unrestrained. "G-Get off me!" He cried out as she climbed onto the bed, leaning over him and casting him in shadow.

Her hand, thrice the size of his own, snatched both of his arms pulled them up against the bedrest, forcing his body to arch as he gasped, his breath coming in short bursts as she stripped of the lingering articles of clothing she still kept.

"N-No! No! Stop it!" He hysterically shouted as her digits pressed against his hip and hooked around the rim of his pants, pulling them downward. He yelled, bucked and screamed like a trapped animal, but it was to no avail.

No help would come, no words of plea and mercy would be heard.

"Peace take you, Victor." The Countess purred, her mouth pressing against the side of his jaw and grazing her fangs down his neck, "You will enjoy this, as will I." She pressed down on him, rubbing her front with his most vulnerable organ.

Tears streamed down his eyes as he sobbed, shaking and twisting. Her hand briefly slid down his stomach and touched his virility and he shrieked violently turning his head as he tried to ignore her, tried not to think of what was happening, of how she was violating him when she slid on top of him and thoroughly claimed him within her burning embrace.

Little care was given to him as the Countess forced him beneath her, guttural moans filled with wanton lust flowing from her parted lips, conquering his whimpers and grunts. Bruises, deep marks and famished bites were branded over his neck and chest, his body

made into an instrument of pleasure and an offering of worship to the monstrous goddess that ravaged him.

The Countess stripped him of all: peace, sanity, freedom; like a conquering warlord she took and took from him, his obedience, then his blood… and then his innocence.

And once was not enough, it would never be enough to satiate the bottomless pit that was the Countess' hunger. She took him again, and then once more and still she took, cry after cry she drew from him, working his youthful and inexperienced body for all that it was worth.

When she finished, she let out a shuddering, loud breath, panting in short bursts as her body glistened with sweat. With one hand she tilted his head and pressed their mouths together, her blood-stained tongue lapping at the insides of his cheeks and reaching far enough to touch the back of his throat. Victor had not the strength to deny her, much less to resist her.

"Long have I dreamed of this moment, my dearest Victor," She whispered, her fingers threading through his hair and pulling his face against her abundant bosom, like a caring mother would comfort her distraught child. "And dreams could not do justice to this. It was always meant to be this way, nobility begets nobility, such blood is to be intertwined." She murmured softly and held him close.

She stepped away then, moving from him. As she did, the ruin of his body was put to the light, yet she was unconcerned for it as she began to garb herself once again.

"I must go now, though I would desire to cast aside my responsibilities I still have a Castle to run and manage." She spoke, retrieving her hat. "Wash and then prepare yourself, you are to join us for the evening meal." She said simply and without other concern, before turning away to leave the room.

His eyes dared to stray towards the middle of his legs, skin turned a raw red pained him and he

wept at seeing the clear, glistening fluids that dirtied his groin. Victor curled onto his side, to hide his shame, even as his entire body ached with pain, for muscle had been sprained and bone had been broken.

The doors of the chambers opened again, Mihaela the one to enter, a blanket tucked neatly under her arm as she strode towards him. Her steps slowed as she came closer to him, her face falling at seeing his violated form.

She kneeled down at the bedside and touched him on the shoulder as carefully as she could. "Victor… young Victor…" She whispered, her own eyes growing wet. "Poor boy, do not move, please. I will help you… I will help you…"

She laid the blanket over him and remained by his side, her voice humming gently as he whimpered and curled even more.

And yet the blanket did not feel like that, a blanket… for how could he ever cover himself again, when Victor had been rendered free of all that made him an individual?

Chapter End Notes

This chapter has been a long time coming, and it almost feels surreal to publish it. We're entering the final beats of the fic, the last arc if you will. After this chapter, another two parts will be added, a proper chapter and an epilogue that will officially close off this fic. Please comment what you thought of the contents of this installment, give me your opinions for I am curious to read them. If you wish to contact me directly and privately consider joining my Discord Server at: https/discord.gg/vUK9Y9DbGH until next time.

A Humorless Laugh

Chapter Summary

Victor goes about what has become an unfortunate and common daily routine for him.

Chapter Notes

And here we are, the penultimate chapter of this work!

See the end of the chapter for more notes

Bela moaned quietly, her lips parted and her eyes half-lidded.

She moved, leaning forward to catch the mouth of the man she laid on top of, her teeth biting at his lower lip until it bled droplets of bright red.

Bela suckled at the liquid, before pulling away to rest down on her side, one arm possessively resting over the torso of the young person she had taken to bed.

She observed him, smiling softly. "I hope you enjoyed that, my beloved Victor." She said gently, her words honest and lulling like the hum of a tranquil and relaxing symphony, one that was meant to put the mind and soul at ease, to part it from excessive and unnecessary worries.

Victor did not answer her, his eyes stared at the ceiling of the beautiful bedchambers, absently trailing the linings of gold that stretched over the walls like veins and arteries of a living body.

He did not speak much these days; on more than one occasion he would pass numerous hours, from sunrise to sunset, not uttering a single sentence. His manner had become more withdrawn, quiet and unassuming, like a chameleon that turns to the color of wet, fresh soil, to become unassuming and small of notice.

Bela leant forward once more to press her lips against his cheek, then to his mouth proper. It was a common occurrence, the affection she showed him was not lavish, nor extravagant. Bela enjoyed moments of tranquility, where but simple gestures had the right to dictate the flow of emotion and of meaning.

"The other day I discovered a nest, one that belongs to a family of owls." She said, her fingers drumming over his pectoral and briefly brushing against his nub. "I think I'd like to go

see it with you. We should go after lunch, when the sun is still near its highest position. There shouldn't be much snow today." She wondered aloud, her other hand playing with the ends of the bedcovers.

"I am growing hungry, I think it's best that I call a maid. Do you want something, Victor?" She asked, her palm flattering against his chest, to feel the subtle palpitations of his heart, enjoying the way it thrummed at a near constant pace, the rhythm proving to be relaxing to her senses.

When he did not answer, the blonde reached out to embrace him and rest her head in the crook of his neck. It was not an embrace that he returned.

"Cassandra made a mess in one of the cellars. She caused a barrel to tip over and the lid cracked and broke off. Quite a few liters of wine were spilled and ruined. Such a shame— Mother was not pleased in the slightest, I think she may have even punished her." She let out a small snicker. Bela was not one to openly tease and deride her younger sisters, but here, in the privacy of her bedroom, she allowed herself the freedom and the chance to make fun on the misdeeds and minor misfortunes that would befall Cassandra and Daniela. She was the eldest after all, she was the daughter on which the greatest number of responsibilities fell upon. Her sisters rarely shared her drive to excel, to please their Mother. More often than not, they proved to be the opposite and would get in the way of her duties.

"I expect Cassandra to be aloof and I hope that Daniela shall take notice of it." She admitted, grinning at the thought and at the scene that materialized within her mind.

"Heh, imagine that, I do hope Daniela calls her a pinecone-head, it would be the appropriate name for her." She sighed wishfully, and then grunted in surprise when he suddenly moved, slipping out of her arms and going to stand up.

Silently, he moved towards the bathroom that was in the adjacent chamber, not bothering to cover his nude self. His movements were stiff and rigid, with little personality to them, like the motions of an automaton that acted with no conscious and aware thought.

Once there, he gathered a towel in his arms and proceeded to scrub down his waist, groin and thighs, removing the remains of the coupling that was had beforehand. He washed the towel in hot water and passed it over his skin once more, taking small comfort in the sensation that the warmed fabric provided him with.

He took the chance to wash his face then, hands rubbing over the features of his aspects. His skin was paler, even by the standards of the Village, the sign that he wasn't oft to leave the Castle Grounds and allow the rays of the sun to greet him like one would a long lost friend.

His cheeks were shaven, his hair shortened by a fair margin. Mihaela had said something along the lines of it being far easier to clean, but he hadn't deigned the statement of any meaningful and thoughtful attention. He had not been intently listening to the Head Maid, just like he rarely listened attentively to anything that the denizens of Castle Dimitrescu had to say.

Bela had already taken to dress herself in a garment of black, going about her day as if nothing happened. There was a certain static energy to her manner, as if repeating a process that had been repeated a hundred times over. It spoke of a common and expected cycle, one born of familiarity and repetition.

Her smile grew larger when she spotted him. "I'll go now and see if there is anything Mother needs help with. But we'll see each other later for lunch, have a good morning, Victor." And she left without a second glance, without even a hint of hesitation. She had complete trust in the security of the Castle, in his own behavior. She expected him to behave, to adhere to the basic rules that governed the numerous halls of the domain in which they resided.

In many ways, it was similar to how dogs were to act. Trained and taught, hounds were to sit, lie down, roll and fetch when they were told. It was the tragic irony of Victor's situation that rendered the comparison all the more bittersweet.

He went to open the massive closets, already going to part through the numerous racks of dresses to reach the left-most end of the wooden construct. There, he found a small section, one that held clothing meant for men. The shirts and pants that hung from them hangers were designed and meant for men, Each had been carefully sewed, made to adopt and wrap around his exact measurements. More than one seamstress had worked on producing a respectable amount of items for him.

Victor had a small stash of his own clothing in Bela's bedroom. He had other stashes, in Daniela's closet and in one of the closets the Countess had in her own chambers. It had been done so to function as a matter of pure convenience and simplicity. But there was more to it, a terrible and unjust tragedy. He could not even remember the last time he had slept in a bed alone, without the company of one of the Ladies.

He slid a shirt over himself, and pulled up some pants over his legs. Shoes were the next thing to be added to his attire, for the prospect of walking barefoot did not appeal to him.

The maids that he passed barely looked in his direction, they had become used to his quiet and passive presence. In truth, there were moments in which Victor idly wished he could be like the statues that lined some halls. To be made of cold, hard, unfeeling marble and to be ignored and not paid any mind. It was a mildly attractive prospect and one that he found himself drawn to.

It was by pure chance, by pure coincidence that he passed by a dining chamber that was currently occupied. He recognized the voices of two people: one was that of the Countess, measured, elegant but dripping with annoyance and mistrust.

The other voice he had not heard in more than a couple of months. It was gruff and rude, colored by a crude vocabulary befitting a person of little charm and elegance. It was Karl's voice. Victor felt himself pause and stop. He had not seen him since him and... and Cristina had been forced to come to the Castle.

He knew he should not have. He knew the Countess would most definitely be displeased at the notion that he was eavesdropping on their conversation, but Victor could not contain himself. He needed to know and he needed to know now— this urge in him was stronger than

anything he had felt in the past weeks and it conquered his mind and soul. It was with this process that he quietly leant closer to the edge of the door and focused on the pair of voices beyond, his entire being lending all of its attention to that and only that.

"Dammit it all, now you finally let me inside your damn Castle and you refuse to speak clearly!" Karl ranted, his eyes narrowed.

"I do no such thing, the fault lies not with me for your inability to comprehend simple rhetoric." Alcina smoothly replied, enjoying the taste of some of her finest vintage. She was tranquil, nonchalant too and not bothered by her adoptive sibling's irate temper. She was cold, glacial ice to cool and stave off the flames of his inflamed wrath, like cold water that was thrown on the scalding and moving pistons of a loud, roaring engine.

"This isn't about your stupid fucking rhetoric or word games— you're talking like fucking Mother Miranda, why do you think I am getting so mad right now?" He snarled, his fist banging down on the table between them.

Her eyes narrowed dangerously and her voice grew sharper. "Do not dare to even compare me to that wretched and insane woman. She and I are nothing alike." She said, her tone furious.

"Oh yeah, yeah. Keep telling yourself that, you're too fucking stuck up to even recognize the similarities; hell, you'd still be blind like a bat in daylight if I held a mirror the size of your overgrown ego in front of you!" He raved, his mouth sneering at her with venom.

"You are forgetting yourself, Karl." The Countess warned him, her tone threatening and laced with the promise of pain. "I allowed you within my domain on the condition that you would behave yourself, If you are incapable of doing so and prefer to act like a spoiled, misbehaving child then I will treat you like one and see you removed from these grounds."

"Bah! All talk, you and Miranda are one and the same, you're just too damn proud to recognize it."

Alcina set her glass down, "And still you test my limits, perhaps you really are too simple of mind, when you claim to be the opposite, an inventor, a mechanic." She scoffed, "Your arrogance knows no bounds and yet you still find it appropriate to criticize me." She deflected his accusation with poise and finesse, like a spider that slowly crawled towards the helpless fly trapped in its silken web.

"There's no arguing with you about that." He threw in the towel, knowing that to argue against her on that matter was a lost cause, a waste of breath and energies, and besides— he had not come to the cursed keep to simply argue.

"When will you let me see Victor?" He asked them, his shades glinting when a ray of light hit them from an angle.

The Countess stilled and glared at him with murderous intent. "That is beyond what I will allow you."

"Why?" He immediately jumped to the attack, cornering her. "We are friends, I have a right to see him and I want to see him you bitch. Just because you keep him around to ride his dick doesn't mean he's any less of a person. You seem to want to treat him as less than one."

"You speak falsely and erroneously." She answered curtly.

"That's not a response and you're just proving my damn point!" He said, huffing in frustration. "You just keep him here, presumably locked up somewhere like an object. Have you even asked him what he feels about this all? Have you had an honest conversation with him?!"

"I know perfectly well of what Victor desires. His needs and wishes are satisfied and met as he is in my care. He wants for nothing and he is content and happy to be here." Alcina stated, her glare remaining fixed on him. "And it is by the grace of familiarity that I do not strike you where you stand— if you were anything less than my brother I would be quick to see your head on a spike and to have it paraded through the Village."

"Oh, fuck you and your threats! You know exactly what Victor wants, yes! But you refuse to recognize that he is unhappy. And that makes you such a hypocrite!" He snarled, "And lookie here, try and see, since you're so much smarter than me, try and see who you're behaving like." He waited for a moment and cocked his head, "What's wrong? Are you having trouble remembering? Let me remind you then, let me power up the lighting bulb— Miranda used to do that, listen and talk right out of her ass because she was full of shit, and so are you!"

"Enough!" She shouted, the glass shattering in her gloved hand and spilling maroon liquid over the carpeted floor. "I will not have you insult me within my own Castle! Remove yourself at once!" She glared at him, all patience removed from her visage; all that was left was the snarling beast beneath and the promise of pain unending.

"Not before I get to talk to Victor." He presented his terms, like a king who had come to broker a truce and end a war, treating this as if it was a mere parley and not a bomb that was about to explode.

"You have no right to make demands of me." She hissed, "Not when you are the guest and I the host."

"And you had no right to kidnap him, so in the end you have no ground to stand on. Fucking quit it with your moral superiority bullshit, you don't have a shred of integrity to your name and you will never admit it. Let me see my friend, sister." He put emphasis on the last word, knowing it would grate on her nerves terribly.

"Petulant, insolent child— I should have let Mother Miranda rip you to pieces when she had the chance." She snarled, furious.

"And I should have done the same thing, but I didn't. And now I guess we're both here, pissed off at each other, feels good doesn't it?" He barked back at her.

Victor moved then, standing in the doorway and staring at them. Immediately, both Lords turned to look at him, Alcina's gaze was unreadable, but Karl's mouth formed a grin as he

sprang off his chair to come and embrace him with a hearty laugh, hard enough to nearly break him right then and there.

"Victor," The Countess spoke firmly, leveling a heavy glare at him, "Why are you here?"

He did not raise his gaze to meet hers, his shoulders tensed together as he remained quiet for but a moment. "I was passing by." He said simply and he knew she would sense no lie in his telling, for he was only speaking truthfully.

"I'll go outside now, with Karl. I want to talk to him in private." He informed her and turned around, Heisenberg being only too eager to go along with him.

"Victor, wait." She spoke, her hands folding together in front of herself. Karl uttered a semi- loud curse and groaned, but stopped and kept a hand on Victor's shoulder, acting as a lifeline of sorts.

"Please," He asked her, "I'd like to go outside. Will you allow me to?" His voice was quiet, lacking emotion as usual and his gaze was lowered, his head bowed in respect.

The Countess' face lost its harshness and her features softened considerably. "Very well. Do take a coat with you and make sure to cover yourself appropriately. I do not want you to become sick due to a gross oversight."

He left then, heading towards one of the side entrances. Karl remained quiet, standing by his sides at all times and not allowing him out of his sight.

It was only when they were a few dozen feet along a pathway that led to the forests on the Castle's property that he was embraced once more.

"Damn it, I missed you Victor... I am happy to see you again." The older man said quietly before letting him go. "...I did not think that bitch of my sister would let you go out."

"Neither did I." Victor said quietly, "...I think it is because I've never asked her for anything, these past few weeks."

Karl looked at him, his pity clear even as he wore his shades. "She hurt you." He stated, a deep and unsatisfied sigh worming into his throat. "And I did nothing to help you, when I should have."

"What could you have done, Karl?" Victor asked him dejectedly, his shoulders slumping and his head dropping. "What even could have been done? This... this is just how things go with the Countess... what she pleases ends up happening."

"I should at least have attempted something." The Lord growled, "...I am ashamed to say that... that I genuinely believed that she would treat you better... I thought she was better than this." His tone held such disappointment and acceptance, as if he was just now making peace with this fact.

"Damn it all... I hate seeing you like this so..." He struggled to put together words, such was his shame and frustration, for they did not allow him to speak coherently.

"Broken." Victor finished for him, staring up at the Lord neutrally. "You don't need to deny it Karl." He added quietly. "I know what I am and what she made me into. I have accepted it." He sighed, looking away.

"...but this is not right. She can't just treat you like a sex toy! Fuck!" He stomped his foot. "I can take you away, bring you to my Factory. She won't be able to reach you there, not with me and my army of soldats."

Victor remained quiet for some time. "I feel like a cog." He told him then. "Like a cog in one of your machines or engines or something else."

Karl quieted himself to listen, his shades having long been put away in one of the pockets of his trench-coat to bare his eyes, now glassy with tears that were yet to be shed.

"I just... go through the motions of a life... I sleep, eat and provide my services in the ways that the Ladies demand." He frowned. "I am like a cog. I follow a set cycle that never seems to change... and unfortunately I have the drawback of still being capable of feeling things. I don't like it. I wish I could be like one of your cogs, an actual real one. Then I wouldn't have to hurt here." His fingers brushed closer to his chest, though his thick coat prevented him from feeling the palpitations of his own heart.

"I don't know what to do Victor..." Karl whispered, shaking his head in dismay. "I still think it's worth a try. Look down there at that path, it brings directly to the Village. I can carry you and hop over here wall if you'll let me."

"We are being watched... I just know we are." Victor glanced at the many windows of the gothic fortress that was at their backs. He had no doubts that one of the daughters must have been behind one of the sheets of clear and polished glass.

"It would at least be worth a shot, if only just to try, best case scenario is that you get to be free and I help you relocate in secrecy— hell, I'm making so much money but I don't even have a need for it, you can have all of it, never worry about food or housing and never lack any kind of comfort."

Victor closed his eyes and shook his head. "No, it is... it is far too late for that. I don't lack any kind of comfort, I am surrounded by luxury and wealth. I don't think there would be many things that I would be denied, if I asked for them. But... but it would not change how I feel inside. I am afraid there's nothing to change, nothing to fix within me." He sighed through his nose. "You can't fix a broken heart, a human heart. It works for years and years, sometimes it is damaged by something else and that is the case with me."

"I just... I want it to end. Truly, I do."

Karl crossed his arms and turned to look at the forest, blanketed with snow and frost. "Is there nothing that you can draw happiness from? I want you to live well Victor, I want you to live happily."

"I have no happiness... what I had died off when the Countess decided to take Cristina away from me." He replied coldly. "...I cannot and I will not ever forgive her for that." There was a

distant bitterness in his tone, like that of the last vestiges of a weakened candle that had burnt itself out. "Do you know of anything that happened, to her?" He asked him then.

"I... I am not sure you'd want to know." Karl told him carefully, turning his head towards him.

"Please, tell me." Victor pleaded to him, "I need some closure, my last memory of her was seeing Bela attacking her. I never got to say goodbye to her."

The Lord sighed but resorted himself to telling him what he wished. "Her body was strung up in the Village, naked so that all of the townsfolk could see it. It was mutilated, nearly beyond recognition."

Victor did not look at him, his hands clenching and unclenching in turn. "What happened to her? Is she still there? Rotting away?"

"No." He replied after a moment. "I took her off from the gates and brought her away. I buried her in the forests, in front of a great tree and left a stone to make the sight."

Victor nodded. "...I asked her once, if she wanted to leave this place. She was pretty attached to this town, she did not want to leave the Village. Thank you, Karl." He turned towards him, tears openly sliding down his face. "Thank you for giving her the rest she deserved."

"It was the least that I could do." He said and shifted, letting out a grunt. "Is there... is there nothing I can do to convince you to change your mind?" He asked, a faint trace of hope in his voice.

"No. There is not, Karl. I'm sorry for that." The Lord tensed and then bowed his head.

"If you'll allow me, I can still give you help with one more thing. I selfishly want you to live and be happy but... this is your choice. And I'll make sure to help you have a choice." He spotted a certain redhead coming near them and leaned in to pull him into a hug. "The next time the Duke comes around, go see him. He'll give you a hand." He whispered to him. "Goodbye Victor, I'll see you again." He patted him on the back and pulled away, turning to walk down the path.

Victor watched him go, remaining quiet for a while, just enough time passing for Daniela to reach him.

"Victor Dear~" she said and slinked up against him, wrapping her arms around his torso and passionately kissing him on the lips. He did not try to prevent her, it wasn't much use to resist for he knew that it would only prompt her to become more aggressive and try harder to make out with him.

Now, he found himself walking back towards the Castle, his mind distant and reflecting back to what Karl had said. He had seen so much in his face yet they had spoken so little. Anger, frustration, regret and deep sadness had all been slotted into his eyes and he had watched them all pass, one by one.

In some ways, Victor was disappointed in himself too, for he wished he could have done more for his friend. But he lacked the spark of life within him. He was bowed and bent like a tree struck down by lighting during a thunderstorm. He had no more tears to cry, no more feelings and want in his life.

"I hear the cooks have made some berry tarts, I think they'll be delicious with some blood added to them!" Daniela spoke excitedly, partially dragging him back towards the doors he and Karl had come out of.

He remained quiet, tuning her voice out for he had no care about what she had to say. Daniela would simply never grow up. It was a truth that he had long realized, even before everything had gone so terribly wrong. But her kin wished to remain blissfully ignorant of that, as they wished to remain blissfully ignorant of a great deal of other things.

How could reason and logic ever prevail when the world was governed by monsters of the vilest sin?

Chapter End Notes

I have already begun work on the next chapter and I can say for certain that this work shall be officially concluded next week. If you enjoyed it, please consider leaving a comment and if you want to contact me directly consider joining my Discord Server at: https/discord.gg/vUK9Y9DbGH until next time!

A Laugh and Cry Intertwined

Chapter Summary

Victor speaks with the Duke and accepts the gift Karl has left for him.

Chapter Notes

And the final chapter is here, after so long we've reached the end; alas, all good things must come to an end.

See the end of the chapter for more notes

"Wait."

A hand curled around his side, pulling him back against the warm body of a titan. Victor sighed quietly, not caring to look at the Countess as she held him firmly, her arm moving to fully encircle his waist and secure him in a hold that could not be broken.

"You have been silent these past days, Victor," she said succinctly, one of her fingers brushing against his flat stomach, "And I know that you are not happy, even a blind man could see the pain you carry upon your back."

He stiffened for just a moment as she tilted his head back, so that it could rest against the top of her generous bosom. It should have been comfortable, the sensation of laying the back of his skull against such a soft and tender material, wrapped with the warmth conferred by life. But it was not tranquility that Victor found. No, it was an illusion, a trick that had lost its purpose and meaning.

The Countess hummed gently, carding long fingers through his hair. "I do not want to force you to speak, but I have also tired of skirting around the subject. I would rather we nip it right at the bud and be done with it."

He could not prevent the dry, humorless laugh that wormed its way past his parted lips, "What is there to say? What would you want me to do, just let go of my grief and laugh it all away?"

"It would be a start, yes." she stated, her nails softly making trails over his scalp in an idle fashion.

Victor grunted, his mouth flattening and his voice growing colder. "I have nothing to laugh about. Perhaps with the exception of my fate, here in this prison of a castle you call your home. I hate it here." he whispered, his tone lacking any friendliness, for Victor spoke from the heart and nowhere else. He would be as honest as he desired and none would stop him in that endeavor.

"I hate you. I hate what you did to Cristina, what you've done to me. I will never forgive you." he told her, all of his contempt leaking out, like water from a broken pipe.

Alcina said nothing, merely listened as he continued, spitting all of the poison that filled his soul, laying it bare for everyone to see. Her manner remained elegant, cordial even, as she kept on threading her fingers through his hair.

"You speak so many vile words," she said then, after some time had passed, "You talk as if I was the devil himself."

"You are." his reply was almost as instantaneous as it was damning. "If there really is an afterlife, then you'd be sent to the darkest pits to suffer and rot. You deserve the worst pain imaginable to make up for all of the hurt and despair you've caused to the Village and its good people."

"Good people?" she questioned, an eyebrow raising by a fraction. "You believe that the Village houses 'good people'?"

"What are they if not that?" he argued and looked away. "They are people, trying to live, trying to get by, as well all do. They are good people."

Alcina shook her head with a nonchalant sigh and then chuckled. "You are mistaken, Victor." she murmured, keeping her tone warm. "They are sheep, individuals with little to their own, with animalistic wants and desires belonging to peasants, for they are peasants and nothing more. Not only that, they are filled by delusions, their minds weak enough to take up the worship of a madwoman and a fraudulent one at that. Their plight is of their own making and they deserve it."

Victor listened to what she said and a minuscule scowl etched onto his face. "Of course you would say that," he muttered quietly, "Of course you would think that... I shouldn't even be surprised."

The Countess tilted her head and breathed slowly, before her hand turned his head towards her and she leaned down to kiss him on the lips. "Why are you so surprised, Victor? I have never hidden my contempt for those plebes and neither should you. Your mind, your knowledge, is so far ahead of whatever those fools could possibly comprehend. You are enlightened, you understand the makings of the world and who dictates them. Why do you do the opposite, when you have your heritage presented to you on a polished, silver platter worthy of a king?"

He did not answer her. She would laugh off whatever he'd tell her, say that he was misguided and still under true influence of lesser creatures.

Once more, she kissed him strongly and passionately. "There is a reason for why I chose you, Victor. As I once said, you are unique, a priceless treasure amongst mortals. You are a true nobleman, worthy of my affection and love."

"I never loved you..." he spoke bitterly, the words like ash on his tongue.

"In time, you will come to appreciate your position and realize just how right I am. And we shall live happily, as we always were meant to. That is how it was decided and so it shall be." her hand cupped his cheek and she leaned down to touch their foreheads together.

"Never had I considered the prospect of letting a man into my own bed. But you are different, you are worthy of this privilege and honor. You deserve the best of the world, Victor."

He resorted to ignoring her then, for he had no reason to further humor her erroneous belief.

"Mr Press, a delight to see you once more, after so much time!"

The Duke was the same as always, the large man with a grin worth a thousand golden coins and a hunger for wealth that rivaled the cruelty of the Dimitrescu family. Victor was reminded of times past, when he had only just moved into the Village. It seemed like such a long time ago, yet it had only been little more than a year.

"Hello Duke." Victor said quietly as he stepped into the room, the pair of them alone for the moment and without anyone else to take away from their shared company.

"It has indeed been a long while, come, come!" he waved him over, "My emporium has grown considerably, for the demands of the Village multiply and increase by the hour— so many materials, so many goods to export; it is good for the business, alas it is also taxing on the body and spirit, however!" he raised a ring finger, "The candied and sweet smell of coin is that of which I eat, the ambrosia with which I sustain myself time and again and that I crave like a drunkard craves the embrace of his bottle of wine."

In another life, Victor would have laughed, he would have joked with the Duke, made comments and been open to purchase more things than he reasonably and normally would. But his life had changed and things were different.

Slowly, the glint in the Duke's eyes. dissipated away like the last embers of a fire, his lips lost most of the smile that he had otherwise been wearing up until that point.

"I wish to offer my condolences, no matter how small they may be to you. I know that even my words won't take away the pain that you are feeling, Mr Press. But, if they do relieve you,

even for a single moment, then I will have achieved something great and far more precious than any gem that I possess."

"Thank you, Duke." Victor replied, his tired gaze managing to form a smile. "I appreciate the sentiment... and I am weary and exhausted. May I sit?" he pointed to one of the armchairs positioned right next to the merchant's shop and moved there when said merchant succinctly nodded his head.

"It's been a long day, an even longer week, really." the young man murmured, looking down at his hands and flexing his fingers a little.

"I have water, if you'd like to drink some."

"No, no that won't be needed, but thanks anyways." he waved his hand, dismissing his concern. His gaze was stuck on the items around the Duke, from the various supplies ranging from simple food, to instruments and weapons. He idly wondered again how could he possibly carry around so many things contemporarily. But it was a lost cause to try and think about a rational explanation that would provide him with good, needed clarity. He had other, far more important things to worry about.

"A few days ago, Karl came by. Here in the castle, I mean." Victor said quietly, his fingers drumming against the armrest of the chair and stared at the merchant. "He said that... that you would have something for me." he sighed and looked at him. "So do you have something for me?"

The Duke was quick to nod and to gesture to him to come over. "Yes, yes indeed Mr Press; Lord Heisenberg was quite forward with his request and as always I strove to complete it in record time, for what is time if not money?" he chuckled and reached behind himself to grab at something.

It took him a couple of moments to find that specific something, but he was presented with a package that contained a new phone casing.

"I believe it should be compatible with the model you own, Mr Press." The Duke said, opening his little notebook and scribbling down something on it. "You are welcome to try it out and make sure that the size is the correct one, and if not then I invite you to return to me and I shall see that you are satisfied with a proper replacement.

"Hmm." Victor hummed as he turned the package over. It was a bumper case, colored a dark grey and there seemed to be the imprint of a cog on the front of it. It reminded him of Karl's own family sigil somewhat, if only for the close association that the Lord had with all things engineering.

"This seems to be pretty nice, high quality too." he made a noise of affirmation and looked back at the giant. "How much will this cost me?"

But the Duke laughed, "Not to worry yourself, Mr Press," he pointed to one of the rings on his fingers, this one was a dark grey like that of tempered steel that had been worked on for many days and nights; it was simple but decisive in its bare form, "Lord Heisenberg has

already provided me with the means to pay for this item, so you do not owe me anything. This is a gift from Lord Karl."

Victor blinked and looked at the package again, but eventually nodded his head and placed it down beside him. "I'll have to thank him again. This is a pretty thoughtful gift."

A few moments of silence stretched on them and Victor felt compelled to do something more. "Can I take a look at your wares?" he asked, feeling self-conscious and not wanting to annoy the Duke in enemy capacity.

"Why of course! Come closer Mr Press and look, look! I am sure that you will find something to interest you, so have no fear and feel free to peruse."

A few more minutes passed like that, with Victor considering buying a couple of things. Trinkets, that were relatively cheap. In times past he would have purchase electronic components, but he was not in the mood for those. He hadn't been for a long stretch.

"And I'll get this one too, if that's alright with you, Duke." he concluded, feeling partially satisfied with what he was getting for himself.

"There we are, I hope you are happy with your purchases, Mr Press." The Duke nodded to him and stored his paid coin away.

"I am, thank you again, Duke." Victor offered him a small smile. "I think this is it, for today."

"I am content that you managed to find something to perk your interests; is there anything more you wish for me to obtain? Perhaps another component, or maybe a game in particular?"

"I'll make sure to let you know." Victor told him. "For now this will be all, thank you."

"Well then, good day to you." the Duke bowed his head solemnly and Victor returned the gesture. After that, he was gone and walking through the main foyer of the castle to go back to his own room, at least for the time being. He still wanted to check the package that Karl had apparently gifted him.

In doing so, he came across the one person he felt nothing for: Cassandra's front was dirtied with grime and blood, the evidence that she was returning from a successful hunt.

"Hello, Rat," she sneered at him and looked him over, "Don't you have nothing more to do, or do you just like gawking and prattling uselessly like a defenseless little lamb?"

He did not react to the bared insult. He was far too used to her demeaning comments and they had king since lost any effect they once had. "Cassandra," he replied calmly, "I am going back to my room. We just so happened to cross paths with each other."

"Heh, quite the small world we live in, eh?" she tilted her head at him and sneered. Victor remained quiet for quite some time, merely staring back at her. "What?" she snapped at him, "Why are you still staring at me? Do I have blood on my face?"

"No, it's not that," he murmured slowly and closed his eyes, "I just had a realization of sorts and I feel it would be right to tell you."

"What do you mean?" her eyes narrowed skeptically and she took a step closer to him, crossing her arms over her chest and glaring.

"You are the most cruel and sadistic amongst your sisters. That is no secret among the maids of the Castle and it is easy to see and verify." he began to talk, turning around to look through one of the windows.

"And?" she haughtily asked, "What is that supposed to mean? Of course I am, I love the taste of fresh blood and I love to see how you useless mortals grow so scared and begin to squeal like pigs whenever I pull my sickle out. What isn't there to love with what I do for passion?"

"That is the point," he sighed, "And I find it terribly ironic, that you would be the one whom I would trust the most."

She stared at him flatly for a moment and then scoffed, "Did you fall down and hit your head or something? Or are you just making things up to try and trick me?"

"No, I am not playing any kind of trick on you," he confessed, "You do not hide what you are and you are clear on what spurs you to action, what drives you to commit such... atrocities."

"I still don't understand what you're trying to get at to here; just be clear and speak firmly, let the cat out of the bag!"

"You are better than your sisters, that is the truth I have come to realize." she narrowed her eyes at hearing that.

"What?"

"You do not hide what you are, you make no effort to. And somehow, I think that makes you better than the others, for at least you are honest about your nature and make no excuses for it, or attempt to hide it."

The brunette daughter leaned back for a moment before she burst out laughing. "Gods, you really did fall and hit your head! You should be recovered and someone should check on your skull; your brain must be leaking out some kind of hole!" and she walked away, still chuckling at his words.

Victor watched her go and he remained quiet, looking down at himself and at the package. He turned it over and began to open it, before extracting the new phone case. Yet, attached on the interior panel of it was a small white cloth. He stared at it for a few moments before changing directions to head towards one of the exits of the Castle.

"Victor?" Bela's face materialized right next to his and he flinched back, not having expected her.

"What do you want?" his voice cracked at her like a whip, for he had no intention of talking to her, not when he had a mission to complete.

She stared at him for a couple of seconds before frowning, "Why are you being rude to me?" she asked, tilting her head, "There is no need to be so rude, Victor. You know that."

Bela glared at him and he sensed some hurt. It was likely that she had overheard the brief conversation he had had with Cassandra. "I meant what I said."

"No, you did not," she shook her head, clearly adamant in recognizing the truth, "You did not and that is because I know you love me."

"That doesn't mean there isn't truth to it. You are smarter and more well-read than your sister, more responsible too," he paused, licking his lips, "But beyond that you are one and the same. You killed Cristina. I know you did, I know that you enjoyed it very much." he looked away, feeling the sting of coming tears.

"Go away, Bela. I do not want to see you, not when you keep up this front of somehow thinking yourself different than your sisters. You're all just monsters, uncaring and unfeeling. Cristina was a thousand times more of a woman than you will ever hope to be."

The blonde daughter flinched, as if struck. She stared at him with wide eyes, her lips quivering as hurt flashed across her features. "T-That's not true." she protested weakly.

"You are free to live in the fantasy you wish to believe in." he answered coldly and turned away. Bela did not follow him and the last thing he heard was the sound of sniffling. In times past he would have felt for her, but not anymore.

He did not feel bothered by the chill of the wind that passed over him, if anything it felt relaxing and relieving.

His feet took him to one of the many overlooks of the valley below, so far away, so unreachable. It almost felt like living in a dream, or rather a nightmare, for Castle Dimitrescu was anything but a relaxing place.

The case was carelessly thrown away in the snow and he opened the bundled cloth, taking note of the minuscule cylindrical object inside and the paper with written text next to it.

It was Karl's handwriting, and his name was signed at the bottom of the message. Victor read it through it once and then again and he smiled, simply picturing and hearing his friend's words in his minds. Then he folded the message and extended his palm, allowing the piece of paper to be taken away by the unforgiving winds.

He stared at the object in his hand for some time before he lifted it to his mouth and proceeded to swallow it. A sigh was emitted thereafter and he took out his phone and opened his list of contacts. It took him a couple of moments to scroll through the dozens of contacts that he had memorized, but when he found the one he was looking for he pressed on the call button.

It rang for a few moments and he patiently waited, for the call was picked up. He heard a voice answer him, one that he knew very well: "V-Victor? Is this really you?"

"Hello, mom." he replied coolly.

There was silence on the other end for a couple of moments, before it answered. "You... you finally called... we're finally talking." the voice was tight and raw, as if choked by emotion.

"Yes, we are." he sighed, closing his eyes. "We have not talked properly in years, neither have I with dad. There is a reason though for why I have decided to reach out again."

"P-Please, tell me... I'm just so happy to be finally able to hear your voice again... god, I miss you so much... please come back, I miss you, your family misses you."

"I'm afraid I can't do that... I haven't forgiven you, I don't think I will. But..." he wiped at his eyes, "You are still my mother and I owe you this much at the very least. You won't have to worry about me, ever again."

"W-What's that supposed to mean?" she asked, a tremble in her voice as she remained quiet.

"I'm going away, forever. That's why I don't want you to try and contact me anymore. I'll have a different name, a different surname too, I won't even be speaking our own language, so for both of our sakes, stop. It'ss time to stop and rest."

"...how can you ask me to do that? I am your mother," her voice cracked, on the voice of breaking, "You are my son, my child, I love you more than anything in this world."

"I know," he sighed succinctly, "But you also hurt me and tried to use me. That is not something I can so easily forgive or forget," he paused, letting out a shuddering breath, "I will admit that a part of me will forever miss you. You are my mother and you gave birth to me but... time doesn't heal all wounds and there's not much we can do."

"...so... you won't even attempt to try? Victor, please, we can still go back as to how things were, just please, please come back home."

"No," he shook his head and shifted his weight whilst he enjoyed the caress of the chill dolan his spine, "No, we can't, it's not worth it. I know this hurts you and I would be lying if I said it didn't hurt me as well a little bit. We both made our choices and for what it's worth this is the only closure you're going to get from me. You may as well savor it now and take what comfort you can."

His mother wept, he heard her sniveling on the other side of the call. "I just... I want to see you again... to see how much you've grown. I never stopped thinking about you, not even your father has."

"I know." he replied simply.

"We quit fighting, for your sake. Please, we are united again, why can't you just come? I really mean it, Victor." she begged, desperate and at the end of her wits.

He smiled sadly, "I am happy to hear that you aren't arguing with him anymore. That was what drove me away, originally. I find it a bit comforting too, that you managed to put your differences asides, heh," he chuckled, "Maybe it isn't really that foolish to hope for the best." he said quietly, kicking some of the snow around and watching it disperse in the air.

"...there's nothing I can do to properly convince you?" his bearer asked, the tentative edge in her tone having long disappeared.

"This is goodbye mom... it's just how things are now. I hope you live the rest of your life well and happily. For my sake, forget about me; I can promise you won't be devoured by guilt. Believe me, I know." and then he closed the call and stared down at the screen.

He switched off his phone before looking at the view. With a huff he drew his arm back and slung it forth with all of his strength, his phone flying away by hundreds of feet until its shape became so small that he couldn't see it anymore and disappeared in the dark forest he overlooked.

It felt liberating, like a shackle had been removed and already he felt lighter, perhaps light enough to float upwards and touch the very clouds with his fingertips.

The crunching of steps made him aware of the other presence that had come behind him. He remained quiet, content enough to savor the sound of the winds and the sensations that he felt.

"You have much to answer for, Victor." Alcina stated disapprovingly as she glared at the man she had taken as her own consort.

"First you insult Bela to the point of gravely offending her and now you act so irrationally, so stupidly by going out without proper attire." she huffed and stepped closer. She was garbed in a heavy dress lined with fur at the shoulders. It was elaborate, elegant and grand and it was massive, more than enough to swallow him whole.

"Come, let us return to the Castle; you need a warm bath or else you will become afflicted with a cold or a fever." her hand circled around him like a snake, sliding over his shoulder and crossing his chest, but he crouched and slid out of her hold.

The Countess narrowed her eyes a touch, for she sensed that something was amiss. "What is this now, then? Why are you misbehaving so much?"

Victor could only stare back at her, yet for the first time in months, he found the appropriate conditions to wear a true and honest smile. "It's over." he murmured with levity and joy.

Alcina brought her arm closer to herself and stared at him for but a moment. "I heard you talking to another person. I take it that was your mother?"

"Yes." he nodded as his smile turned to a grin.

"Oh," she hummed, the noise was a pleased one, "Then your happiness is understandable. This is cause for celebration; yet the matter of your wayward actions remains unresolved."

He snorted and held his arms out, "Well I don't care, I'm sorry to say."

"Enough of this tomfoolery, come here." she waved him over. Alas, the Countess would find that her words held no sway over the young man.

"Why are you not coming?" she demanded, her frustration peeking through into the light.

"I am done following you, letting you use me as a toy." he snapped, his frothing hatred apparent now. "No more, this cycle is over. I do not want to continue it."

"Victor," she sighed, "I realize this is another one of your episodes." she shook her head, disappointed. "Now is not the time for that. Come, or you will become sick."

"I want you to tell me, why did you even let me go away from the Castle? Why not just simply take me when I was still foolish and too dumb to see what you truly are?"

She pursed her lips. "I do not enjoy inflicting cruelty on you Victor. But you required correction. The whore had poisoned your mind and you needed help to think clearly. Slowly, you are healing and while I do admit that the method of action may have been abrupt, its advantages will show themselves soon enough."

"Then why did you make me eat human flesh? Why?" he demanded. "That was beyond cruel, it was unwarranted. You say you love me but then you treat me so badly... how can you even listen to yourself?"

"As I already said, you needed correction," she folded her arms and let out a small huff, "It has done you good as you can see. The first step is always the hardest and you are already halfway done."

"No, no," he shook his head and laughed weakly before a coughing fit took over him, "I see now, you're just delusional. You actually believe that what you are doing is right." he paused to cough again, but this time the sounds he made were worse.

The Countess stepped closer to him and reached out to touch him. "What..." the words died in her throat and her eyes widened when she saw the small trickle of blood that dripped from one of his nostrils.

Immediately, she was holding him, swaddling him with her coat as she murmured in Romanian. "What did you do? Foolish man, what did you do?!"

Victor sighed, feeling an odd tingling sensation in his arms and legs. "I took control of my life, I took steps to prevent you from ever commanding me again."

Alcina stared at him, her mouth agape and horrified. "W-Why? Why, Victor?!" she hissed at him, but there was pain in her voice, raw and burning.

"It's not use trying to stop it." he said feebly, feeling numbness beginning to take over his limbs. Alcina held him against herself, crouched over him as she trembled.

"Why? Why would you do this to me, Bela and Daniela?" she asked, her words cracking as she openly cried.

"I could ask you the same thing..." he croaked, his mouth dry, "You made a choice... you decided to hurt me, to kill Cristina... this is what little justice I'll reap. I made my choice, just as you made yours to turn my life into a living hell."

She squeezed him tightly and pressed their heads together, "...I love you... I have never felt such emotions for anyone else..." she wept.

"You are capable of love, kindness... but you are cruel and selfish... it just..." drops of blood escaped past his mouth as he took another deep, strangled breath, "...you chose this way... you could have been different but you chose to be a monster... and it took me too long to see that..."

Crimson ran freely from his nose, some of it coloring the snow beneath him. "...this is my final act... to not feel anymore, to not hurt anymore..." he whispered and his eyes began to close.

Alcina sniffled before pressing her lips to his forehead. "Then rest, Victor... sleep at last, sleep, my love."

And so did the pain slowly disappear, ebbing away until it was gone.

So did Victor breathe his last, comforted by the feeling of numbness.

So was the blood of the innocents spilt.

Chapter End Notes

So does this story come to an end. This was quite a journey, one that I began nearly three years ago. Back then I was much younger, I had less experience, but I like to think that my craft for writing has improved, that my skills have been adequately sharpened enough for their to be a noticeable difference. To all of you who have kept up with this fic, even during the long periods of hiatus, I thank you dearly. I do recommend you join my Discord Server at: https/discord.gg/vUK9Y9DbGH for I will be hosting a Q session there tomorrow; if you wish to ask me directly, you will find me there.

Once more, thank you all for reading my fic.

End Notes

And this was the first chapter, I know that there weren't any glimpses or mentions of our favorite tall vampire lady, but she will come soon. I hope I did a good enough job with this first installment, I'm still testing the waters, and I hope that I was good enough to set the correct tone and atmosphere for this particular setting; I hope that the mc Victor managed to come off as interesting and relatable. Anyways, I am always good on feedback and constructive criticism, so please comment and let me know of your thoughts, ideas, suggestions, ecc. Until the next chapter.

Please drop by the Archive and comment to let the creator know if you enjoyed their /works/30721859/comments/new

Preface

Blood and Innocence

A faithful meeting

Plotting

Talking

A new spark

Broken shards

Hopelessness

Threats

Lurking danger

Disposition of hierarchy

Property

Purpose

Threatening dynasties

Classics and moderns

Exhaustion

Shot

Announcement

Reawakening

Light and dark

A tranquil morning

A stroll through the seas of white and red

Tea

Setting sun

Fire, water and lei

Tears of grief and sadness

Suspicion

Ice of the Dead

The Festival

A Reuinion

Past, Present, Future

Arguing

Iron, Blood and Feathers

A turn for the worst

The normalcy of words

Update on the story

Freedom

A New Life

A Day in the Factory

A Worrisome Night

A Duke and a Lord

Silence

A New Day

A Reckoning

A Dinner with Monsters

Et Sanguinem Innocentem

A Soul Made Tainted

A Humorless Laugh

A Laugh and Cry Intertwined

Afterword