There Is No Me Beyond You

~33~

"Please send her away..." I muttered to Vlad some time later, my head resting on his chest, while his fingers played with my hair. "I was perfectly fine without a maid during our journey here, I don't see why Rareş insists..."

However, it wasn't a maid's voice that followed my sleep-slurred words when we did not reply immediately, but Lucas'.

"Your Majesty, I have a message for you." he called through the closed door.

"I'm sorry, Samara," Vlad sighed, kissed me on the forehead then stood up, groping for his clothes in the candle-lit semi-darkness of the room. The moment he was half-dressed he let the canopy of the bed drop around me, hiding me from view, and called, "Come in, Lucas."

Lucas entered, and stood by the door where I could see him through the narrow gap where the curtains did not meet perfectly. He looked nervous for some reason, and his voice confirmed it.

"I have a message from your... hmm... from Lady Jusztyna. She wants to talk to you now, in her chambers."

I did not realize I gasped but the men did; Vlad was seated next to me on the bed, holding my hands in his, even before I noticed he left Lucas' side.

"I'm sorry," he repeated. "I need to talk to her and I'm sure that if I refuse to meet her now she won't give me another opportunity. Do you want to come with me?"

I laughed nervously, then pulled him in for a kiss. "I really don't think that's a good idea. You go, do what you have to. I'll wait for you here."

He nodded, kissed me again, then snatched his jacket off the chair placed next to the bed and left the room.

"Are you all right, Samara?" Lucas called before he followed Vlad out of the room. "I'll be outside should you need anything..."

"Thanks, Lucas," I mumbled as I buried my head under the pillows, in a vain attempt to muffle my unpleasant, exceedingly loud thoughts.

What does Jusztyna want with Vlad? What will they talk about? Why does she not understand that Vlad belongs to me... You don't own him, silly. He loves you, but he must have some feelings towards her too. They've been trapped in this place, living close to each other, for longer than your mind can fathom... My subconscious hissed.

Sighing, I sat up, pulled my shirt on and got out of the bed, forcing myself to think about anything else but Jusztyna.

As I paced up and down the large chamber, from the door to the window, then back again, my bare feet touching the cool stones of the floor noiselessly, I let my mind slip to Katerina, her magic keeping this place and its inhabitants suspended in time. I tried to imagine my mother who was just like her, wishing I could remember her... Suddenly I realized that I had never asked my old nurse if she chose to look so old on purpose... Surely someone as powerful as she could choose to look young... Shaking the silly, unimportant thought off I mused about the traces of magic coursing through my own blood instead, wondering how much of it I passed on Aurora...

I had forbidden myself to think about Andrei but it was pointless-- now that Vlad was not here, my mind started to stroll back to him. I wanted to know what exactly he told Vlad before, while I danced with Rareş. He had no right... I wanted to forget about my time in Poenari, I didn't want Vlad to suffer because of what had happened to me there, I didn't want Andrei to talk to him at all...

I didn't know how much time had passed but when Vlad returned I was still pacing across the room, my worries growing, my thoughts getting gloomier by the minute.

Making a beeline for me Vlad wrapped me in an embrace and held me silently, making me feel better immediately. Everything looked so much brighter when he was close.