Lost in the Castle

~12~

"I'll come with you, Samara," Vlad called from the entrance, his voice full of concern and remorse.

"No, please," I paused, and turning round offered him a weak smile. "I'm fine. I'll be in my chamber."

As I pulled myself up the wide stairs and the first tears started to roll down my cheeks, I heard the men's distant, hushed voices from outside.

"Why are you here? Why now?" I heard Vlad asking his son, his voice angry, but gentle and fatherly at the same time.

"Mother's idea. I guess the news spread fast," Young Vlad responded. I noticed how his voice sounded much warmer now that they were alone. "I'm sorry, Father, I didn't mean to..."

"Is she here? Your mother?"

"Yes, and Uncle, too."

I heard the sound of footsteps, and when I followed it with my eyes, I saw Vlad pacing up and down, running his hand through his hair in a despairing gesture.

Great, it seems like we have unexpected and unwelcome guests.

I reached the top of the first staircase and noticed that the two knights we had left in the castle this morning were following me again, silent as ghosts, dutifully obeying His Highness' orders, no doubt.

I don't need them, why can't I move around the castle alone?!

I changed my mind quickly when we reached the long corridor leading to my chamber. There was someone standing perfectly still at its far end, dressed all in black, half-hidden in the shadows. The only thing betraying his presence was his shock of white, shoulder-length hair and the greyish pallor of his face. I was sure I had never met him before, I had no idea who he was.

Nonetheless, his appearance made me feel scared. His cold gaze scanning my face and body made the blood freeze in my veins... I shivered, and even though I wished to run, I was unable to move. All words abandoned me, and I couldn't speak, not even respond when he came closer and spoke to me, his thin, red lips the only moving, living part of his otherwise perfectly motionless body.

"Welcome back, Princess Samara. You have been missed greatly." His lips curled into a strange smile, an unpleasant leer that did not reach his silvery eyes. "The portrait does you no justice; it doesn't even begin to describe your beauty. If my sister saw you..." He laughed, and it was the most bone-chilling sound I had ever heard.

I had no idea what he was talking about. I was petrified, rooted to the spot in the dark corridor, my terrorised heart pounding fast, urging me to run. But there was something in his look that had me frozen where he wanted me, under a spell which I could not fight.

Swiftly and unexpectedly, one of the guards stood in front of me, shielding me from the strange man, and for a second the only thing I could see was the red dragon on the knight's blue cloak. That was enough to break the spell I was under, and I bolted for the door of my chamber.

I shut the door behind me and collapsed on the bench in front of the lit fireplace, feeling cold and frail. Even the tears have deserted me, and I could not think, all I could concentrate on was the man's face, alive and moving in front of me again, among the tall flames. Who is he?

After some time, that could have been an hour or maybe just a minute, the door of my chamber opened, and I looked up, startled. Vlad was standing on the threshold, observing me, his worried eyes searching mine.

"May I come in?" he asked cautiously, and I remembered I had told him not to come with me before. Why did I do that? All I wanted was to be near him.

"I'm sorry," I said, feeling bad about it now.

"Samara, my love, it's me who has to apologise," he said, approaching me swiftly and sitting down next to me.