Vlad wanted me to return to the safety of the castle immediately but I refused. In the end we remained helping our Guards and the villagers to extinguish the fire until sunrise, when even the last flames were finally put out.
"Go home and rest, my lady," Father Boian, whose soot-covered face was as black as his robes, said. He approached me and Vlad as we watched in silence the thin wisps of smoke rising from the remains of the church like the morning fog. "And don't worry, this changes nothing. We will not surrender to them. The weddings in your chapel will continue as before."
"Thank you, Boian," I said, pulling him in an embrace, moved to tears by his resolve and courage.
"Are you sure, Father? Maybe we should wait a while, until things calm down..." Vlad suggested, voicing my thoughts.
The young priest shook his head. "No. I know that we are doing the right thing and as long as there will be those who need me, I will be there for them."
Vlad smiled at him even as he lifted me in his arms. "Add our names to your list then. And don't worry about the church, we will repair it in no time."
"Of course, your Majesty. Thank you." Father Boian smiled as I laced my arms around Vlad's neck and leaned my head against his shoulder, feeling exhausted.
I let him carry me home, the Guards and the wolf pack following us up the hill.
Father Boian may not have been scared of the Vampire Council, but the people were; a couple of weddings were called off. And so it was mine and Vlad's turn the following Sunday.
The day of the wedding was the last day of September, precisely one month before the time passage would reopen, making it hard for me to think of anything else. Soon I would be with Aurora... I let Katerina lace me into a brand new gown-- a breath-taking creation made of white silk and silvery lace, heavily embroidered with gold-- so unnecessary seeing that we would be leaving soon. But Vlad refused to listen to me when I argued that it was Clara, the new princess, who should be getting new dresses now.
The moment when even my hair was done as Katerina liked it, in a tight chignon permitting only a few curls to float freely around my face, someone knocked on the door of my chamber.
"Come in," Katerina called, smiling contentedly at my reflection in the mirror as she added one more pin to my hair.
"Wow. Not bad." Lucas grinned at me from the door as I turned towards him. "So, I'm supposed to take you to Lord Vlad..." he said, offering me his arm, his Guards' cloak fanning out around him as he bowed deeply when Katerina scowled at him for forgetting his manners.
I hugged and kissed Katerina who was staying in the castle with Clara, and let Lucas lead me out of the room and down the corridor and staircases.
It wasn't just Vlad waiting for me in the Entry Hall but even Junior, Radu, and a few guests who were supposed to wait in the castle for our return-- there would be a small celebration later.
All those eyes and smiles following my every move while Lucas led me down the stairs made me feel nervous. Why did I let Vlad talk me into this... I mused, angry at myself. I just couldn't refuse him anything.
Vlad ran halfway up the staircase to take me off Lucas' arm. He kissed me deeply, making me feel weak in the knees, and dispersing my previous thoughts successfully.
"We won't be long," he told our guests while Junior pulled me in a bone-shattering embrace, before we walked outside, into one of those rare, sunny, autumnal days preceding the long winter.
Radu, Lucas and some Guards were coming with us to the chapel by the lake, leaving Junior in charge of the guests and castle.
I let Vlad lift me into the saddle, then rode across the meadow next to him, leaving Frost to find his way towards the lake as I closed my eyes and offered my face to the weak sunshine.

YOU ARE READING
There Is No Me Beyond You
ParanormalBook Three of Lost in the Castle Trilogy. THE WATTY AWARDS 2022 SHORTLISTER (Sequels) THE AMBY AWARDS 2022 WINNER (Best Series) Nearly one full year since Samara and Vlad's separation elapsed, and their child was born. Now, as Halloween approaches a...