There Is No Me Beyond You

~38~

In bed next to Vlad was where I was found at dawn, by Junior and Katerina who accompanied the healer into the chamber.

"Lady Samara!" Katerina scoffed while I greeted them, wrapping my blanket over my long shirt, then scrambled to my feet groggily to make space for them.

Feeling cold, I followed Junior towards the hearth where he added wood to the dying fire to disperse the chilliness of the night and make more light for the healer.

"Did you sleep here the whole night? Father is right, you really are the most stubborn..."

Katerina joined us before I could suppress a yawn and reply.

"If you intend to visit the young priest with Maria after, you should get dressed, my lady." she said, frowning, letting her eyes slip from my fur-lined blanket to my slippered feet.

"Hasn't she seen Boian yet?" I asked Junior.

"No, she has just arrived and I knew you would want her here first. Go put something on, it will take her a while..."

With an uneasy glance towards Vlad's bed I nodded, then followed Katerina into my chamber where she helped me dress and wash quickly. I got back just as Maria reached Junior by the fireplace.

"How is he?" I asked from the door.

"Lady Samara." Maria smiled. Pleasant and calming as her smile was, it wasn't exactly cheerful. "I cannot do much for Lord Vlad. From my limited experience with vampires, he should heal, on his own, eventually... Vampire healing process is not unlike the transition. I believe that... he'll be back when he's ready. But you must try to make him drink..." she added, looking from me to Junior, leaving the word 'blood' unsaid. "It won't be easy, nor fast, but once he will be able to drink, he'll recover in no time."

"Thank you. Shall we go to our injured friend..." Junior said, even as the woman turned to me again.

"Don't listen to Katerina, my lady. Your presence might help your husband recover faster, he might feel you near, waiting for him... who knows?" She shrugged.

I nodded. She might be right, my subconscious whispered as I ran to Vlad and kissed him on the forehead, whispering that I would be right back. Then we followed Junior out of the chamber.

Maria looked much more concerned and agitated at seeing Father Boian.

"Is he...?" Junior asked while I touched his forehead and seeing that he was still burning, reached for a fresh damp towel.

It took Maria only a few moments to reply, after she made sure that the wound on the side of his neck was the only injury he had suffered, "Yes. In transition."

"Then we will have to decide what to do next..."

"Does he not have a family? Someone who could advise you, help you make the decision for him? Deciding something like this for another person is not a simple task."

"He mentioned his parents once. And a sister, too!" I said. How could I have forgotten? "Vlad, send Lucas to the village... And ask the Guards, his sister should be married to one of them." I told Junior.

There was nothing more Maria could do after that. The moment a maid arrived with a fresh willow bark tea and I sent her for Katerina who would stay with father Boian, Junior accompanied the healer to Clara. She was seven months pregnant and Maria wanted to examine her before leaving.

Taking my leave from them in the corridor I returned to Vlad. That's where I passed the following weeks-- moving between Vlad's and Boian's chambers.

I spent most days sitting on a chair next to Vlad's bed, my wolves sleeping by the fire, embroidering a dress Clara had made for Aurora; leafing through the pages of my copy of Dracula and looking at the pictures of our daughter hiding among its pages; talking to Katerina, or Clara, Junior, Radu and Lucas who always joined me for meals; or whispering to the still sleeping Vlad about the latest news.