What if everything changed in a single night? What if it took a single moment of weakness for these two rivals to finally come to terms with their deepest desires? Could Anna live with herself knowing the truth? Could Aleera have what she wants, as...
Eerie. That would be one word most travelers would use to describe nights in Transylvania. The year was 1887 in the middle of November where we find ourselves in the currently chilly region of Romania. Rarely would you ever be able to see the stars out at night due to the heavy mist nor would you get to see the morning sun due to the high mountains and thick clouds. It was a hard and gloomy place to live, but people managed. After all, it took a certain type of person to persevere through such places with many either succumbing to the harsh conditions or falling to the beasts that inhabited the lands. On one night in particular though, it was far more grim for a particular Roma.
Her name was Anna Valerious, and there she was, walking through her town seemingly aimless to the average person. It had only been a few days after her brother, the last living member of her immediate family, had seemingly met his demise, and Anna was in mourning. She had started slacking in her duties and found it harder and harder to get out of bed. Most of the townspeople understood her grief and managed on as best they could without her guidance, but in truth, they needed someone to look to more than ever; a leader.
Anna had eventually found herself at the town's graveyard, downing a bottle of rum, and looking at the names on each headstone that carried the Valerious name until she finally found her father's, Boris Valerious. It had been months since she last visited his grave with this also being the first time she visited her brother Velkan's empty one, as neither Anna or her men could recover a body. She felt lost.
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For so many days she struggled to wrap her head around her new reality. The last of her family. The honor and reputation of her entire bloodline is relied soley on her success in killing Dracula, the bane of her family's existence, but she couldn't help but wonder. Was she even good enough?
Anna always had a rebellious streak since she was a child and found it difficult to follow in the lessons her father tried to instill in her about the duties of their family as well as the significance of them. It was only after she witnessed firsthand just how ruthless vampires could be after seeing many of her own family die before their intended passings that she finally took her familial obligations more seriously. In spite of this though, Anna had grown to become the more brash between her and Velkan and while she was better at fighting, he was always better at making plans as well as keeping good relations with the people. He was her overprotective and supportive big brother and she'd always love him for that.
She hated that he was gone, that he had left her, and that it was her plan that ultimately got him killed. She was angry more than anything as she looked up to the sky, praying for the answers as to why it had to be her, fighting back her tears as best as she could. Her thoughts were abruptly interrupted by a sudden gust of wind followed by a sultry voice.
"Your sorrow was too intoxicating for me not to find you so easily princess."
It was Aleera, one of the three brides of Dracula appearing seemingly out of thin air, and one of Anna's greatest enemies. Her fiery red hair flowed in the wind and eyes flaring their unique indigo with dangerous intent as she slowly approached the princess; a lopsided smirk formed on her lips, basking in the burning anticipation of the confrontation that was about to take place.
