Ever since the ball, the castle remained filled with hectic activity. Sorina and Mihail's wedding wasn't supposed to happen in another three months, but some preparations started almost immediately.
I was involved in all the planning and organisation this time. Everyone seemed to need my advice or hear my opinion. Which was good. Most of the time, at least.
Cook engaged me in ordering food and planning the meals for the wedding. I spent so much time in the kitchen that not only did I manage to learn something about medieval cuisine, but I also memorised the names of all the maids and servants Cook commanded.
Sorina chose and accepted a couple of my dresses and needed my and Clara's help with adjusting and refashioning them because she was quite a bit taller and slightly more curvy than me. However, my skills in needlework had improved considerably, and together with Clara, we always managed to let out a few seams in the bodice and attach lengths of lace at the bottom of the skirts. So our creations, once finished, looked like completely new gowns.
Katerina needed help, too. She involved me, Clara, and even Sorina in helping her to reopen and make habitable again those spare chambers of the castle that no one had used in decades.
It was as if they were all trying hard not to make me notice how busy both Vlad and Junior were, and how many times one of them, sometimes both, disappeared from the castle for two or more days, called away by the awful Council.
However, when Vlad had to leave, he made sure that Junior was there with me, should I have some time, or need for a friend. This way, we could talk again. Junior never failed to respond to my questions, even those I preferred not to ask of Vlad, thus filling the gaps in my knowledge and memory of this place slowly.
My life was so busy that I didn't even properly notice how the lush spring ended and the hot, dry summer arrived, with the date of Sorina and Mihail's wedding drawing always nearer.
"Do you know why Father insists on my staying here? It's been months since the ball and no offence, I'm bored. Even though he drags me to all the meetings and makes me always work more... I need a change!" Junior declared one afternoon at the beginning of July as we were coming back to the castle after a ride in the nearby forest, accompanied by my faithful Shadow.
Vlad had been gone for the last few days, and I couldn't wait for him to return. Not even being constantly occupied as I was helped me feel his absence less.
"I have no idea," I said truthfully. "But when do you actually get bored with all those young ladies following you around wherever you go?" I mused, smiling at him teasingly.
"You spend too much time with my father, Samara," Junior said, frowning as he jumped off his horse on reaching the courtyard. He handed the reins to a groom and dismissed the knights that had been following us. "You're becoming like him."
"That's not true! I haven't seen him in days and even before, all these months..." I called, letting him help me off my Frost and pull me in an encouraging embrace.
I was suddenly very aware of how little quality time I had spent with Vlad lately. But, wasn't it like this when married to a prince? He had a country to rule and his people to look after...
"I'm sorry," Junior said when he released me, and we made our way inside. "I didn't mean that. I know it's not easy for you."
"I'm not complaining. I understand. He is busy." I shrugged.
There was nothing to do about it. I wasn't precisely happy with the situation, but I got used to it. Like so many other things in our lives, it couldn't be changed.
"Is he still coming back tonight?" I asked. It wouldn't be the first time Vlad had to stay away longer than planned, only letting one of us know at the last moment.
"I hope so! With the wedding in three days and most of the Council arriving tomorrow... I can only do so much," Junior said, raising his hands in the air as if in surrender. "He is the prince, after all. Thank goodness for that," he added, making me laugh.
Junior. A few hundred years old boy. Too much work and responsibility just wasn't his thing. He preferred his freedom.
"Will you join me for dinner, Human?" he asked, headed for the kitchen.
"Why not?" I agreed, patting Shadow on his furry head. There was nothing else for me to do but summon all of my remaining patience and expect Vlad's return, anyway.
I couldn't wait for the moment to see him again. It was always like that. Whenever I knew he was on his way back, however I tried, I couldn't concentrate on anything else but thinking about him. If I went to our chambers now, I would end up standing by the window, waiting for him to appear in the courtyard and then meeting him halfway down the stairs.
So I followed Junior and the wolf into the kitchen and let all of those gathered there around the table try to distract me.
We had just finished eating when Vlad arrived, his cloak and hair sprinkled with the dust of the road. I didn't like to make a show of myself in front of the others, but I couldn't help running in his arms as soon as he entered the kitchen. The first kiss after days of waiting was always the sweetest.
"It feels longer every time," he murmured in my ear after a while, as the others present in the room pretended not to see us.
"I know. I wish you wouldn't leave me anymore," I whispered, burying my face in the dusty folds of his cloak. I had promised myself I wouldn't tell him that, but I couldn't help it.
We nearly made it to the door unnoticed when Junior and Ioan called him at the same time, both having urgent things to discuss.
Vlad looked at me guiltily, but I only pulled him down for another brief kiss. "It's fine. You need to hear them. They've all been so busy. I'll wait for you upstairs." At least he was back and safe.
Cook caught up with me as I was leaving the kitchen to inform me about some of the latest changes in the wedding menu. I could feel Vlad's eyes on my back as we talked, so I went to him for one more kiss before finally leaving the kitchen.
"You two are... worse than Clara and Ioan, and that's quite something," I heard Junior's teasing voice, followed by Ioan's laughter as the door closed behind me and Shadow.
The wolf followed me as far as the first staircase, then ran towards the courtyard, leaving me alone. Now that the nights were warm, he preferred to spend them all outside.
I climbed up the stairs fast, happy and impatient to be with Vlad.
When I entered my chamber, I noticed that Katerina had my bath nearly ready, I didn't even have to ask her. The old nurse was such a treasure. I kissed her on the cheek and let her help me out of my dress before dismissing her. I got so used to my daily routine that I hardly ever needed her help anymore.
I was just about to step out of the bath when Vlad entered, wearing clean clothes already, his hair still damp.
My breath hitched, and I could feel my cheeks flood with heat and colour when his eyes roamed over me as he approached. Without saying a word, he wrapped me in a towel and scooped me in his arms, carrying me over to our bed.
"I missed you," I said, my voice faltering as the towel fell to the floor before he lowered me on the bed.
He laid down next to me, letting his hands travel over my warm skin, making it impossible to talk and difficult to breathe. His mouth captured mine while my hands removed his clothes, eagerly, impatiently... Then I couldn't think of anything else but his lips on me, his cool breath over my burning skin making me shiver with anticipation, his hands finding those places that had missed him the most, the absolute perfection of his body against mine.
"You must be tired," Vlad said later, caressing my hair as I rested my head on his chest, feeling perfectly happy.
He was back. I didn't ask for more. Forever is composed of nows, I've read somewhere once. I wouldn't mind if the rest of my life was composed of just this one moment, on repeat, I mused.
"They all tell me how busy you've been... I haven't seen enough of you lately. It's not fair," he continued as I did not respond.
"Hmm?" I muttered, surprised. These had typically been my lines before I accepted our life as it was, not wanting him to feel bad for not being able to spend all of his days only with me.
"Let's have a day just to ourselves tomorrow, I want to take you somewhere," he added.
Now that sounded exciting. I raised myself on my elbow to be able to see his face. The chamber was growing dark, another long summer day was over.
"I guess you won't tell me where?" I asked, intrigued, looking in his green eyes, now all playful and mysterious.
"No way. It's a surprise." He smiled.
Even better.
"But how am I supposed to fall asleep now?" I asked. "I'll be thinking about it all night!"
"Well, if you are really not tired, then you don't have to sleep just yet." He grinned, pulling me back down among the pillows.
When I woke up in the morning, I found Vlad already dressed, talking to Katerina. She handed him a large bag and disappeared before I could tell her good morning or ask any questions.
"Our breakfast is here. As soon as you have eaten, we leave." Vlad appeared next to me on the bed even before the door closed completely behind the nurse.
"I should get dressed, too," I said as he pulled away the covers. Where is my shirt...?
"If you insist," he said, grinning, making me smile.
If only we always had this much time to spend together... Don't think about it, you'll only miss him more tomorrow when all will be back to your normal routine. He only promised one day... my subconscious reminded me as Vlad kissed me, then pulled me to my feet and helped me get dressed.
We descended the stairs and reached the courtyard hand in hand, finding Midnight waiting there for us.
"Where's Frost?" I asked when Vlad handed the bag he was carrying over to a groom, who attached it to the horse's saddle.
"We'll only take one horse," Vlad smiled at me, then lifted me up to the saddle and sat behind me. He took the reins from the groom and led the horse out of the gate. I moved closer to him and leaned comfortably against his broad chest while he wrapped one of his arms around my waist.
"But why?" My curiosity wouldn't stay quiet. "And what about your knights?" I added when I noticed we were not being followed.
"I want you just for myself today," he said, kissing me on top of my head as we rode across the meadow towards the forest.
I closed my eyes against the bright, warm summer sunshine and banished all thoughts, indulging in his closeness. It felt so good, having him around for the whole day for once...
A light breeze caressed my cheeks as we entered the cool shadows of the nearest trees. We took a path leading deeper into the undergrowth, and I started to have an idea where we were going. It didn't take us long to reach the lake by the old chapel.
The place looked even more magical now than it had the last time that I came here. The water, which had looked deep blue in winter, was now bright green. The lake glowed like an enormous piece of jade. It's restless surface shone and glittered in all the places where a few stray rays of sunshine, having lost their original colour after making their way through the thick curtain of leaves in different shades of green, touched it.
A multitude of birds was singing high above us, an unusual choir hidden somewhere in the trees, apparently undisturbed by our presence in their world. Their voices, intertwined with the silent splashing of the water against the shore, made the most charming music.
I was perfectly still, mesmerised by the breathtaking beauty lying all around me when Vlad pulled me off the horse and into his arms.
"Do you like it?" he asked when he let go of me so he could tether the horse to the closest branch and remove the bag from the saddle.
There was a large blanket folded neatly inside, I noticed as he spread it on the grass, and food.
"A picnic by the lake?" I asked, smiling at him. He never stopped surprising me.
I wasn't sure he completely understood what I had asked, but he replied anyway, by now used to my weird vocabulary.
"That's our lunch. But first we are going to swim." He started removing his clothes and shoes, letting them all drop on the blanket, before I could open my mouth and start protesting.
Then he was in the water, swimming away from the shore.
"Come on!" he called when he finally turned around, surprised to see me standing where he left me, still fully dressed.
"Hmm... no," I said.
"The water is great, come on, you'll love it!"
Maybe I used to like it before, but I definitely did not like the idea of going in that water now.
"Just give me a minute then!" I called, gathering my courage. I didn't want to disappoint him. He looked so happy.
I observed the lake again, closely this time. It was beautiful to look at, no doubt, but the water didn't look completely clear. It was a bit... murky. Like the sea in Brighton where my parents had their summer house. And I had never put my foot in that water, not even when I was a little girl and all the other kids my age were crazy about bathing in the sea, perfectly clear or not...
But here... how could I refuse him anything?
I undressed as quickly as I could, feeling shy as he watched me, then walked closer to the shore. There, I stopped, hesitating again, testing the water with my toes.
"Do I need to get out and pull you in?" He laughed, already approaching.
"Hmm... no. I've got this."
"What's the problem?"
"I just don't like water I can't see through," I said, reaching for his dripping hand and letting him guide me into the cool, deeper water, then wrapping my arms around his neck and clinging to his body as close as I could.
"Don't you laugh!" I warned as I noticed his twitching lips. "If something, a fish, or some animal living in this water will touch me, I'll scream!"
Now, he was definitely trying hard not to laugh.
"Well, I'm glad you're having fun," I said, frowning at him.
"Have I just discovered your only weakness? You are not scared of, say, wolves, or vampires, but you are scared of... fish?"
I sighed. "It's not fish exactly that I fear. It's what I can't see. There can be anything down there, according to my imagination, at least. And you know well that my only weakness is you," I breathed, rendered nearly speechless partly by the teasing touch of his hands on my body and partly by my terror of the small, indistinct shadows I imagined moving stealthily, always closer, in the unclear depths of the lake.
He pulled a few pins from my hair and let them drop to the bottom of the lake with a soft splash, thus releasing my long curls.
"Now you'll be in trouble with Katerina for getting my hair wet," I couldn't resist saying, trying to look all serious.
He laughed, then kissed me, scrambling my thoughts as he ran his hand through my loose hair and continued lower, his hands travelling down my back, making me feel boneless and scatter-brained.
"Could we... continue this on that blanket you brought?" I asked when I pulled away for breath.
Vlad rested his forehead against mine and laughed softly. Then he lifted me up in his arms and carried me out of the lake, making me feel much better as soon as he deposited me on the thick blanket spread on the solid ground.
"I want to talk to you." Vlad said later, disturbing my silent reverie.
I knew that this was one of those rare, unusual moments that would remain imprinted in my memory forever with perfect clarity. Like a snapshot, capturing this instant for eternity.
"Tell me everything." I said, running my fingers over his body lightly, tracing the moving shadows cast by the canopy of leaves shivering in the summer breeze, high above us.
"What would you think if I handed everything over to my son? We would be... more free. The Council wouldn't care that much about us anymore."
"Are you doing this so you don't have to change me?" I asked. I wouldn't want him to give up everything he cared about just to keep me human.
"No. If you can really stay here, and we will find out about that when the portal opens again, then sooner or later, we will change you. I can't risk losing you again..." he said, closing his eyes. "But not just now. First, I want you to live. And I definitely don't want to change you because we are threatened by the Council. It will only happen if, and when, we decide."
"But... you can't give up all this, all your life, just because I'm back and human..."
"You, your happiness and safety, are more important than anything else. I just want to be with you... And my son deserves a chance. He is old enough to become the prince and take some responsibilities."
I had to laugh then, recalling my conversation with Junior from the previous day. "Do you think he will accept?"
"I hope so," Vlad said seriously, "because if he will, then I can take you to live in a beautiful little castle near Sighisoara, with an enormous garden full of herbs and roses, a small pond, and a stable full of horses. Just the two of us... "
The vision he painted with his words was so charming that it took my breath away and brought tears in my eyes.
"I love you," I whispered, wiping them away hastily with the back of my hand.
"I love you too," he whispered back, pulling me closer.