Burn the Witch - Castlevania

Chapter four - Overstay your welcome

Arm wrapped gently around the back of the frail woman, the stranger walked slowly with Adelaida, his hand intertwined with hers as the two took small steps through the large foyer. Golden eyes moved back and forth to their path, to the woman he held ever so gently - she was so light in weight that the man had to put not even the slightest bit of effort into helping her. He wondered if she was perhaps afflicted with a sickness he did not quite understand, or if that it was merely the shock that had struck her so deeply - but regardless, he knew that right now, she was unwell and that it had to be taken care of before she worsened. Upon reaching the large staircase, the stranger's eyebrows furrowed slightly - at this rate, she would surely collapse if she took on the stairs. Thus, with a gentle 'forgive me ', he swept Adelaida into his arms as gentle as the breeze, the young woman hardly reacting to his rather intimate touch. Without thought, more so out of being so tired and relieved that she was finally safe, her head gently rested against his chest as she let out a sigh - his shirt was soft against her cheek. Her hand gently gripped the back of his jacket as he began walking up the stairs, Adelaida holding with all her strength onto the one person who had showed her any form of kindness in so long - the man she had assumed was merely a figment of her imagination from how unorthodox the kindness was to her. Silent tears trickled down her cheeks as she rested against the man she now knew was real - she was unsure of how she could ever thank him for what he had done for her. 

Upon reaching the top of the stairs, the stranger slowly let Adelaida down once more to her feet, wrapping his arm around her once more as to stabilize her and holding her small hand to lead her. The castle interior was more and more mind blowing to Adelaida. Such beauty hidden away in the woods - it was like something from a fairytale, something she couldn't believe actually existed, and yet, here she was walking the halls with the man who'd shown her such kindness. Turning a corner and entering a small study room, the man lead Adelaida to a chair situated by a large fireplace, the girl sitting down gently as she gazed on to him, the stranger only seeing now her tear stained cheeks. He was unsure as to why she had suddenly been struck with such sadness, be it with perhaps pain or mental strain - but her face didn't read either, only content. As she sat in the same chair he did when he had mourned his family so many times, tears on her face - he saw a reflection of himself in her eyes in that moment, a mirror image of how he had felt sitting in that very place so many times. 

"You're safe now," He said in a gentle tone as he lowered himself to one knee before Adelaida as to come closer to her level, a neutral expression on his face as he gazed into the blue eyes of his guest. "No-one will hurt you any more today, I can assure you. Please, do you have a name?" 

Adelaida's head tilted slightly, her eyes averting from the stranger as her hands gently wrapped each other. She was unsure why in those moments she felt so nervous as to tell him her name, when he already knew so much about her. Perhaps it was the attachment her name had to her sadness, as it was known in many places as the name of the 'witch '. Yet, ever still, she told him. 

"Adelaida, Adelaida Nicolae." 

Never before had he heard of such a name. 'Nicolae '. His eyes squinted at her as he pondered where she might've came from to have such a name, but he quickly dismissed it - there was much more important things to attend to. Just as before, she was bleeding, and he was finding it more than unnerving. Of course he could easily control himself, but he would prefer if there wasn't such a thing right in front of him, plus, it was somewhat shocking to look at. Rising to his feet once more, the stranger moved to the fireplace, leaning against the mantle gently as the girl stared on at him. Adelaida wondered what was going on inside his head and why he looked almost torn to be around her - perhaps he too had recognised her name, or perhaps he was reconsidering having her around him. She wasn't sure, but she wanted to know more about this stranger before her mind ran away with her, or before her time was up here.