Oh, no. No, no, no! His son.
I took a couple of deep, steadying breaths gazing in Vlad's eyes, standing stiff and frozen in his embrace. I could see some of the shock I was feeling reflected in his own look, and I knew he didn't want me to find out this way. So much has changed since you left me, Samara, I remembered his words from the previous night.
I leaned my forehead against his chest for a moment before disentangling myself from his arms and turning around. I needed to face this alone, like I did with Radu before. But this is his son! The thought was strange, alien, painful even.
I looked up at the tall young man in front of me and was met by a pair of curious green eyes, very similar to his father's, staring back at me. That's where the resemblance ended, thankfully. The man, who seemed to be as old as me, was slim and blond. His short hair looked as unkempt and dishevelled as his clothes. Apparently, he spent some time on horseback to get here, he must have just arrived.
His waxen, serious face, and strikingly red lips reminded me of his uncle, but he seemed to possess much more self-control than Radu; this young man looked nearly as human as his father. He was regarding me with a cold, calculating stare, making me shudder. Will I ever get used to their looks?
I didn't know how much longer I would remain this cool and composed, I felt the first unwelcome tears prickling in the corners of my eyes, threatening to spill.
The desire to be alone in my bed wrapped in my soft blanket and cry, which I had been fighting since I saw Radu in Vlad's chamber early this morning, came back, a hundred times stronger. Finding the last trace of strength somewhere deep deep inside of me, I took a few steps closer to the young man.
I offered him my hand, and he brought it to his lips, his demeanour unreadable and impassive.
"Nice to meet you... Vlad," I said, my tired mind producing a name, hopefully the right one, my voice weak and breaking. Suddenly, I felt exhausted.
A hint of surprise passed behind his cold green eyes, and I was surprised, too. I remembered his name from the research I had done before coming here on my Halloween trip. His, those of his two brothers, and also, the names of Vlad's two other wives.
Children, wives... My head was swimming with confused images and questions I dreaded to ask.
I stepped away from him, looking at the cobbled floor of the courtyard under my feet to hide the bewilderment that surely registered in my eyes, feeling weak and defeated. The wives... how could I have forgotten!
Vlad reached me where I stood, and I felt his strong arm wrapping around my waist, somewhat hesitantly, for support. He was trying to gauge my reaction, I knew he wanted to explain, but there was nothing to say at the moment. I knew about them, I just wasn't expecting them to be still a part of his life.
All that I needed now was a bit of alone time to process all the new information. I had to regroup, to get used to the idea of his... family. They are eternal, like him. You are not. He said he wouldn't change you. He changed them, though, my subconscious reminded me promptly. No! It wasn't like that.
Go. Bed. Alone. Think.
"Well, I will let you two talk," I said, avoiding looking at either of them, not trusting my ability to hold back the tears. I didn't want to cry. Not in front of them.
Taking a deep breath, I shook Vlad's arm off and dragged myself towards the great wooden door. I walked inside, across the dim hall, and towards the staircase, leading to the upper floors. I couldn't wait to be in my chamber.
"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.
I put my finger on his lips, willing him to stop talking.
"No. You have nothing to be sorry about. I know about your life after me, and I understand. It's just... I didn't expect to meet any of them. I didn't realise that they are like you now, that they live forever... with you."
"Samara..." he murmured, pulling me closer and enveloping me in a tight embrace. I leaned against him contentedly, resting my head on his shoulder, and took a deep breath, the first one since I had left him outside the castle. His hands stroking my back gently were making me feel warm and protected. Why does his presence feel so good?
"I thought I... had lost you, when you met Vlad, that you would never want to see me again," he said, his voice low and sad. "Then the knights told me you met Andrei. He must have scared you."
Just the mention of that encounter made me shudder.
"How can you ever forgive me? How can I ever protect you, make you happy in this place?" Vlad continued, his voice fading into a tortured whisper.
"What are you talking about?" I asked, sitting up and cupping his face in my hands. His eyes looked so pained and worried... What have I done to him? I kissed him softly before I continued, "I'm fine. Nothing happened. Nothing of importance, nothing that can be altered now, anyway. We are together. This is where I want to be," I let my hands drop to his broad chest, over his strangely beating heart, "forever, and by your side. For... as long... "
He kissed the rest of my sentence off my lips, bringing me so close to him that I felt our bodies melt and mould against each other, pushing away every trace of the world we lived in, of our cruel destiny.
The kiss left me flushed and happy, all worries forgotten. There was just me and him, the two of us, nothing else mattered... I beamed at him, feeling reassured, and he returned my smile, looking as happy as I felt.
"You must be tired," he said after a while, "and hungry."
"No, not hungry, just a little tired." It had been such a long and eventful morning.
I hadn't noticed how, but all of a sudden, I was in his arms, breathless with surprise, as he carried me towards my bed. How does he do it?!
Once there, Vlad set me down on the wooden floor and helped me take the coat off, then wrapped me in my blanket. He made me sit on the bed, and sitting next to me undid my unravelling braid, freeing my hair and letting it pool around me. He caressed my cheek, his touch soft and gentle, and I leaned into his caress, eyes closed, my heart pounding crazily.
When I opened my eyes again, I met his warm, blazing look filled with love and something more, admiration or reverence, and I was sure that my own eyes reflected his look perfectly. The intensity of my feelings for this man was unfathomable, and it was growing still.
He shook his head and blinked a few times, then smiled. Pulling my legs over his lap, he started taking my shoes off. Surely you should do that on your own! my subconscious scolded, but I was unable to move or protest.
"You need to rest," he admonished, kissing me swiftly before standing up. "I'll find Katerina and make her get you something to eat."
"Are you not staying with me?" I asked, the words brimming with disappointment, wishing he would stay.
He shook his head. "I need to deal with our guests. I don't want them anywhere near you."
He didn't trust his own family around me. I would never become a proper part of his world then, I would always be an outsider, someone he would have to protect and worry about constantly.
I needed to think this through; surely there was a way to change this situation. To change me, to make me more fitting and appropriate for this place... I needed to think...
But as he smiled and kissed me again, on the little wrinkles on my forehead that formed there every time when I was worried or absorbed in thoughts, I knew I was too tired right now. My eyes started to close on their own accord and all I could focus on was the cocooning warmth trapped in my blanket, and his voice, coming from afar, "You mustn't worry, my love."