Lost in the Castle

~33~

The sea of people shifted and stretched, reaching out and swallowing first Sorina and Mihail, then Clara and Ioan.

I couldn't believe it. How could they do something like this? Six months, only to wait for another hearing, was a long time. At least for Clara, the humanly impatient part of the couple. Ioan... well, he was immortal. That made him infinitely patient. But Clara... she was a seventeen years old girl. Half a year for her would feel like eternity. And the way Rareş put it, it sounded like they were really lucky... I felt angry and disappointed.

I looked at Vlad and saw him shaking his head infinitesimally. He reached for my hand again and squeezed it, issuing a silent warning. Do not say anything.

I frowned and looked away from him just to meet Petru's bemused gaze. What is his problem? Is he challenging me to... act wrongly? To do something I might regret, something he could use against me?

While I was busy thinking, the room exploded in excited whispers, and the musicians seated along the gallery above the hall started to play again.

A few knights and servants brought in several more long tables, and all the guests were seated.

The maids were starting to bring in trays of food and more mysterious golden cups when Vlad took my hand and led me towards the Council's table. I was the only human, this side of the hall, but I was so angry with all of them that I didn't even feel uneasy.

Cook served us personally, Vlad and I were the only ones eating at this table.

"Won't they be angry with you for this?" I whispered to him some time later, over the rim of my second cup of wine. I watched him picking at his cake, choosing the parts he liked more first, and for some reason, it was suddenly really funny.

"About what?" he asked, lost in his own thoughts. "My having spoken to them for Ioan and Clara, or eating with you now?" He smiled, feeding me a few raisins from his plate.

"Both," I replied, realising that the Council could really find any number of things they considered wrong in our behaviour.

"I don't care, Samara. The only thing that matters to me is your smile," Vlad added, kissing me briefly. "By the way, your first dance is mine. Then I'll have to leave you to the others. They want to talk to me," he informed me, giving the Council an annoyed, sidelong glance.

As the music changed, our plates were cleared, and some of the tables were taken away to make space for dancing.

"Do I really have to dance?" I piped, all serious again.

"Of course. And I know you'll enjoy it, you always have," he said, pulling me to my feet and dragging me among the first few dancing couples.

Vlad was right, of course. I did like it. It was amazing, dancing with him, all the steps coming easily from my memory at hearing the music and feeling his touch guiding me, his hands on my waist lifting me up or making me twirl. It was so enjoyable that I felt sad when the song was over, and he left me with a swift kiss on the forehead.

I danced with Ioan then, and Mihail, both wanting to express their thanks, before Petru Rareş materialised in front of me, asking for the next dance.

He kept talking all the time, inquiring, watching me closely. Somehow, I managed to ignore most of his questions, and when the dance was over, there was another man waiting to dance with me, not giving Petru a chance to torture me further.

"May I introduce to you Florin de Hunedoara, my lady? He is one of us," Petru announced.

As if I couldn't see that. The man's grey and silver cloak told me that he was another member of the Vampire Council.