Princes of the Undead

Part 35

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It took Dracula longer than he thought to clean up his past mistakes. There were two former brides to deal with. Luckily, they were both still in their boxes, not that you could call the emaciated corpses that could barely lift their heads, lucky in any way. Staking them was straight forward at least, and Dracula had been relieved Agatha wasn't with him; he couldn't feign emotions, couldn't pretend to care about these poor wretches in the way she would wish him to. They had been experiments nothing more, and a good scientist did not get attached to their test subjects.

Of course, he hadn't been able to just leave them there, the last thing he wanted was for Agatha to come stumbling across them. So, their corpses and the almost completely decayed one of his third bride, that he had staked over a century before, had to be moved down into the catacombs and sealed in a box. Dracula even took pity on the poor wandering souls who were still staggering about down there and staked them too; putting everyone neatly back in their boxes and resealing the lids. Lastly, he went back upstairs to the nursery, removing the child corpse and returning once more to the catacombs.

Dracula couldn't pretend the little vampire didn't fascinate him. Through his own experience he was well aware that if he didn't feed regularly and well then, he would age, and his strength would fade; only to be reinvigorated by a fresh, plentiful supply of youthful blood. Yet he had never seen evidence that this aging would happen for a child vampire, the last time he had seen this little one it had been a crawling toddler after Jonny's blood. Now it appeared to be at least five or six years old. It truly was intriguing, but Dracula knew that any further research would need to be theoretical only; Agatha was not going to let him go about stealing babies to experiment on.

Dusty and more than a little annoyed at having to climb quite so many stairs, Dracula finally made his way back to his bedroom, remembering to snatch them both some breakfast on the way. It was now approaching mid-morning, and the gentle hammering and cursing of his workmen could be heard on the morning breeze.

Entering the bedroom Dracula was surprised to find it empty, surprised and annoyed, considering he had specifically told Agatha to remain here whilst he dealt with everything.

"Dratted woman, where are you?" Dracula all but cursed, barely resisting the urge to smash the decanter against the wall.

"Where you left me." A quiet but equally annoyed voice replied from the bathroom, and a surprised Dracula swooped in to find Agatha exactly where he left her, still soaking in the tub, only now she was shivering in the frigid water.

"What on earth are you still doing in there...you'll catch your death." Dracula insisted reaching out for the nearest fluffy towel and offering it for Agatha to step into.

"Do I have your permission to move Elder?" Agatha's question was all but forced through clenched teeth.

"My permission, Agatha do not be factious."

"I am not being anything, I cannot move until you permit me to, or didn't you realise that when you literally commanded me to stay put exactly where I was?" This time there was no hiding her contempt, even if the fact that Dracula looked genuinely confused. "You are unbelievable, you behave like an arse even when you don't realise you are doing it!"

"Agatha yell at me all you like but please get out of the tub." Dracula insisted offering her the towel once more, not surprised when it was snatched from his grasp and wrapped tightly around Agatha's shivering frame. "Now come and sit by the fire."

"Is that a command or a suggestion?" Agatha countered, ignoring the impatient glare Dracula shot her. Perhaps that was a little petty, but she had been the one left to freeze, naked in a bath of cooling water, so Agatha figured she was owed a little petty behaviour.