Lost in the Castle

~7~

"How long have I and Vlad been married, Katerina?" I asked the old woman once I was dressed in a long, white shirt and drying my hair by the fireplace.

Katerina wrapped my favourite blanket around my shoulders, then sat down next to me on the oak bench.

"Only a couple of weeks, my lady. A very short two weeks before your husband was called in a battle, leaving you here. And then, while he was gone..."

Her voice faded in the equivalent of a shrug, so I finished her sentence, "I died."

"You were killed, Lady Samara!" she exclaimed, suddenly angry. "And we never found out who did it, only that... it was one of your husband's vampire 'friends'!"

I raised one hand to my neck thoughtfully, feeling an imaginary pain, as if from an old wound, exactly where my birthmark was. More memories were finding their way back into my forgetful mind in a slow, weak, but relentless trickle.

"But he, my husband, wasn't a vampire at the time, am I right?"

"Yes, you are. He was just like you. But some of his relatives, most of his friends, and the awful knights, the Order of the Dragon, were all vampires. Also, there were voices that young Lord Radu had himself changed into a vampire, too. We never saw much of him back then. Since you had refused to marry him, Radu became quite wild and careless, always in one battle or another."

I gasped, shocked. Was I supposed to marry Radu back then? I did not remember this.

The story Katerina was telling me began to sound like a fairy tale, all about brave lords and beautiful ladies, great love, and even greater danger. I couldn't believe I was one of its protagonists. My poor head was starting to spin, confused by all the new images and information.

Katerina noticed my astonishment and rushed to explain. "We, you and I, were sent here when you were only fifteen. Both of your parents had died, and as Lord Vlad's father was the only remaining, distant relative of your deceased parents, he was to look after you. You came here as a promised bride of his youngest son, Lord Radu."

I could feel how I paled, all colour leaving my face in a rush even as I shivered at hearing this. Katerina looked at me, gauging my reaction, then continued.

"Yes, you never quite liked Lord Radu, never got used to him, even though he loved you deeply. Instead, you fell in love with the one you were not supposed to love, Lord Vlad. And he, he loved you even more, if that was possible. And he still does," she muttered musingly, contemplating the fire.

I was impatient to know more, but I didn't want to rush her. Luckily, after a while, she decided to continue.

"Five years passed, and you grew up into a beautiful young woman who only had eyes for Lord Vlad. Even though Lord Radu knew about your love for his brother, he refused to release you. You were his promised bride, and he still wanted to marry you."

"But why was I to marry him and not his brother?"

"Because Lord Vlad, as the eldest remaining of three sons, became the Prince of Wallachia after his father's death, only a year after we had come here. He was expected to marry the daughter of the King of Hungary, his ally against the wild and cruel Turks."

It seemed that Katerina's story was coming to a close, and I was glad; it was too much to take in.

"Anyway, your Lord Vlad married you secretly, and you spent the two weeks after your wedding as the happiest couple I had ever seen. Then, he had to leave, and you stayed here, waiting for him to return. But you never met anymore. A few weeks had passed since his departure, before the voices about him being captured and tortured, or killed by the enemy, reached the castle. You were desperate, there was no consoling you. Then, one day, you disappeared without a trace, and your body was found the day after, at the edge of the forest, drained of all blood," Katerina concluded her story.