Eternal Night

(III) Chapter 6: Everything Has Changed

One Week Later

"Vladislaus!" Bernardini exclaimed, appearing to be genuinely surprised by the appearance of his old sire and dearest friend. "What on earth are you doing here?"

"Francesca pointed out that it had been a while since I had been to visit you and so I thought I'd drop by to check in." Dracula was still lingering on the doorstep, waiting to be invited in, but the Italian was remained rooted to the spot, the door ajar just enough so his head and half his body could be seen. "Is this a bad time?"

"No! No, no... not at all," the man insisted, though it was clear he was lying. He glanced behind himself briefly as if to check for something. Whatever it was, Vladislaus had no idea, but the man finally opened the door fully, beckoning his king with an inviting hand. "Please, come in. I just wasn't expecting a visit from you at this hour."

"If you're busy, I can always come back later," Vlad began, but the Italian immediately hushed him, motioning for him to enter.

"No, it's all right. You just caught me off guard is all. I'm afraid I've been busy getting your... some old friends situated in a new location. It's been taking up so much of my time this last week or so, I hardly know what day it is, let alone the time."

Once Vlad had crossed the threshold, Antón closed and locked the door before ushering the man rather anxiously through the foyer.

"Why don't we head into the study and we'll catch up there?"

Dracula followed the man, but not without a noted degree of suspicion in his arched brow as they made their way into the next room. Vladislaus settled himself into his usual seat by the fire as the Italian bustled about for some refreshment.

He couldn't recall a time in recent memory when his friend had been so... agitated.

"Antón, are you sure you're all right?"

"Yes, of course!" Bernardini insisted, reaching for a decanter of whiskey with an "ah ha" before he began to pour some into a tumbler for his guest. He then handed the drink to Vlad, but did not take his own seat right away. "So you were saying Francesca had encouraged you to visit? How is the delightful Miss Chase? And your training sessions with her – how are those going?"

It was the most blatant change of a subject, but Dracula decided to play along.

"She's made remarkable improvement in her control."

"Under your tutorage, that's no surprise," Antón replied, stealthily attempting to shut the study door when he paused before he could close it entirely, noting the way in which his sire and king scrutinized his every move. The Italian shrugged. "I thought I felt a draft," he answered lamely, but Dracula's pointed stare never waned and the man actually flinched.

"Antón."

It was a warning.

And not necessarily from a friend, but a master. A king.

The Italian sighed heavily in defeat.

"I may or may not have been contacted by Marcus a couple of days ago, which has, I'll admit, left me a little on edge."

Dracula had already begun to stand, but Bernardini was quick to wave him down.

"No, no – not in person. Otherwise I probably wouldn't even be here right now. It was through another."

"Whom?"

"That isn't important," and though Vlad recognized the deflection for what it was, he let it go. "The point is your brother has finally caught on to the fact that I never actually left Budapest after my wife's trial as he had initially believed... and that I've had a direct hand in orchestrating a counter-offence outside of the alliance."