There Is No Me Beyond You

~32~

We stayed two more days in Sighişoara.

The Mayor and his council kept Vlad busy the whole time, while the Mayor's wife and some other important women of the town accompanied me as I visited the school, the orphanage, and received a few people who asked for an audience.

I enjoyed the evenings the most. Then, while waiting for Vlad to finally join me, I could play with the five children Sorina took as her own. They were adorable... so adorable that soon the sight of them, the sound of their excited voices, the touch of their tiny, curious hands exploring my richly embroidered gowns or my ginger curls, made me feel melancholic. I wished I had my Aurora here with me, and I realised that I longed for another child... You can't have it all. My subconscious kept whispering her opinion, making me feel ungrateful for what I already had.

In the end I was happy when we left the town to continue on our journey to Hunedoara and I had Vlad to myself again, to distract me from my pensiveness. I didn't even mind the endless, dusty roads and the discomfort of the tents; Vlad's proximity was all the comfort I really needed.

We reached Hunedoara, the seat of the great and magnificent Vampire Council in a few days. The impressive building once belonged to Ioan's family, and, as Vlad had told me, was left to Rareş by Florin, Ioan's older brother, just before he died.

As I looked at it from the summit of a low, treeless hill, the huge castle with its tens of turrets and towers, only accessible by a long, wooden bridge suspended over a deep gorge, above a glistening ribbon of a river running in its depths, looked just like...

"A Romanian version of Hogwarts," Lucas chuckled somewhere close behind me, making me burst out in a fit of giggles.

"What was that?" Vlad asked as his horse approached mine, giving me and Lucas a puzzled look.

"I... " I tried to think of a way to explain while catching my breath, then, coming up with nothing better, I finally settled for, "I'll show you when we get home. On my side, I mean."

Vlad only nodded to that. He preceded us on the narrow path, leading our group down the hill, towards the precarious bridge, all seriousness. He's more worried about this meeting than he lets on. I realised, feeling guilty for my unsuitably good mood. But it has been too long since we shared a proper laugh...

"I hate Rareş and his Council." I complained to Lucas sotto voce as we followed Vlad across the bridge, after I released my faithful pack, making the wolves stay hidden in the forest.

Apparently, our approach had been noticed and announced; the castle's courtyard was teeming with people waiting for us. Two of Rareş' vampires stood in front of Vlad the moment he dismounted Midnight, a maid approached me even as my feet touched the cobblestones, several valets appeared to lead our horses to the stables.

We were shown into our chambers situated in one of the wings of the enormous castle, our luggage was brought in moments later, and then we were left to bathe, change and rest before dinner.

"I was hoping we would be given a room in one of the towers, they look more... private," I told Vlad as we left our chamber a couple of hours later to attend Rareş' banquet, trying not to scowl at the infinity of people we met in the corridors. Compared to Bran, this castle felt overcrowded.

"Those towers are prisons, Samara." Vlad said, caressing my hand resting on his arm thoughtfully.

"What, all of them?" I looked at him, unbelieving.

He only nodded in response, leaving me speechless.

We reached the Great Hall and entered. Just like that. No one thought of announcing our presence to those who were already gathered inside. We walked through the open door and only then were shown our seats at the table placed opposite of the one where Rareş would sit, by a valet who walked around the room with a large tray full of golden cups.