There Is No Me Beyond You

~21~

We stayed up late, talking of unimportant things until the small hours of the following day, too anxious to fall asleep.

The cold winter morning found us both unhappy-- Vlad angry at himself for having to force me into this meeting and me feeling increasingly uneasy about it. I tried to imagine, yet again, what sort of questions Rareş might ask me, then forced myself to forget them quickly.

How was I supposed to talk to him about what had passed between me and Andrei, when all that I wished was to forget about it... Then again, how was Rareş supposed to do anything about the abominable man if I refused to speak, to accuse him? I was the best, the only witness he agreed to hear out...

With a sigh I finished my cup of mulled wine and stood up. I was too nervous to eat, and too impatient to have this audience over.

Before I could take a step towards the door Vlad pulled me into an embrace and kissed me. The kiss we shared, long, tender and reassuring, was filled with love neither of us could put into words-- the love that has existed for centuries and would continue forever, regardless of how hard our two worlds, and the people living in them, tried to keep us apart; we had each other no matter what would happen now, or ever.

Then, too soon, we left my chamber and walked into the cold and dim corridor, holding hands.

"Has our visitor arrived?" Vlad asked of a Guard we found standing outside.

"Yes, Lord Rareş arrived a while ago, accompanied by five members of the Council," the Guard replied, bowing. "They are awaiting Your Majesties in the Great Hall."

Am I expected to talk about Andrei in front of some... ten vampires of the Council? I looked at Vlad, feeling my panic escalate.

He only sighed, squeezing my hand tighter as we made our way towards the staircase, followed by two Knights materializing out of nowhere.

Shadow, I thought, Mist. I needed... some moral support.

The wolves joined us once we reached the corridor leading to the Great Hall, making the Knights trail behind us in a safe distance.

"Hmm... are you taking them inside?" Vlad asked when he saw that the wolves would not leave my side.

"Yes."

"Do you think it is a good idea, Samara? Seeing how suspicious Rareş already is..."

"I don't care. They are coming with me. If Rareş and his vampires want to find something against me, it won't be my wolves."

Vlad only sighed again in response, before the door was opened for us and we entered the large room.

Unlike the other day, Vlad led me across the vast hall to the dais where our thrones stood, leaving the others, whom I only perceived as many dark silhouettes as I walked by trying not to look at them, sitting at one of the long tables.

I sank into my seat, attempting to remember how to collect and organize the skirts of my long and wide dress, then made my wolves sit obediently at my feet, facing the Council.

Even though they are not in their full number, they are an impressive, and scary sight, I mused, letting my eyes stroll over the vampires of the Council.

They all stood up and bowed silently when we entered, and now they were sitting back down, adjusting their cloaks, some of them resuming their previous conversations. My eyes paused on one of them, still wearing the hood of his grey-and-silver cloak, then I caught Rareş' puzzled look directed at my wolves. I shivered involuntarily, those bright blue irises felt like two pieces of ice piercing through me whenever he looked at me.