The Tale of the Vampire Bride (5 page)

I whirled about and said, desperately, “How can you wish this of me?”

“The Prince has already decided to live in England. You would be a princess should your father agree to a marriage contract.”

“That is little consolation when faced with the fact that I cannot marry who I wish! If I choose to marry!”

“What other life would you live? Do you wish to be an old woman with no children to comfort her at the end of her life?”

I was going to be rather rude and tell her I had no need for human spawn, but my eyes fell on her face and my words died. I could see fear mixed with some darker emotion in her eyes. She abruptly let go of my arm and turned away from me, fastening her eyes on the wondrous beauty of the landscape beyond my windows.

I tried to relax and force my anger from my face. I really did not like making my mother angry.

“Are you so desperate to have me married?”

My mother surprised me by throwing her hands over her face as she sobbed, “Yes!”

I instinctively reached out and laid my hands over hers. “Please do not cry!”

“What do you expect me to do? When all I desire is for you to have a good life and you fight me!”

I began to protest that I was not as difficult as she said when the door opened. My father entered the room and smiled grandly at us. Either he did not see the tears on my mother’s face or he deliberately ignored them. He, too, looked tired, but he smiled at me fondly.

Mother quickly wiped away her tears and greeted him with a loving smile.

“How lovely you both look this morning.” He ignored our flushed faces and kissed us both on the cheek. “Now, what were we speaking of?”

“Nothing at all,” my mother answered him.

Turning from him, I strode to the window across the ancient stone floor. I did not like this place, and I would not stay. In all honesty, if I had my way, I would never marry. Instead, I would be the mistress of someone exotic, like Lord Byron. I had met him once and he was quite charming. Of course, if my mother knew that I had chatted with him she would never allow me out of her sight again.

“Really? It did seem there was a discussion in progress,” my father said.

“It was most likely Glynis having a tantrum,” my sister said from the doorway.

“Ah, I see,” my father said, giving me a slight smile.

May stood pale and slight in the corridor. Her fair hair was piled on her head and she looked her usual delicate self. I had a mad moment where I actually considered pinching her to see if she was alive.

“Oh Glynis, I could not sleep a wink,” she said. “I kept hearing these strange whispers in my room.”

I have to admit by this point I was feeling quite contrary and disagreeable. I pretended to look worried.

“Really? It sounds as though you might be mad! The journey has driven you to insanity perhaps.”

May’s eyes widened. “Do you really think so?”

I giggled at her innocence, relented, and kissed her cheek. “Of course not! Don't be silly.”

My family found our way to the dining room, May and I following our father and mother like dutiful daughters. I have to admit I appeared quite pleasant, but I was already planning what to say to the Prince to shock him horribly so he would cast us out. In the dining room, several gypsy women were setting the table while the old woman named Ilona looked after them. She seemed to sense our presence and turned toward us with a toothy smile.

“Ah, come in, come in!”

“How is Prince Vlad this morning?” My father gave me a warning glance and commenced into the dining room.

“He was called away quite early this morning on business. He assured me he would return tonight.” The old gypsy woman motioned to a chair. “Please sit down. Eat! He wishes for you to relax and enjoy his hospitality.”

“Damn,” I whispered under my breath and watched May’s eyes widen. I smiled at her slightly, then flopped onto a chair. I was not sure what I would have said to the Prince over breakfast, but I was quite sure I could have thought of something quite horrible.

Breakfast was extremely boring. Father was obviously disappointed that our host had departed for the day and he kept muttering this under his breath. Mother lectured me endlessly about proper etiquette and how to be a proper young lady. All the while, May sat picking at her breakfast, staring warily up at the paintings hanging on the walls. I sat primly in my chair and tried to look as bored as possible as my mother droned on and on.

As soon as we could, I escaped with May into the castle on an exploring expedition. May was surprised to be invited, and I felt badly for leaving her out of my recent adventures. I was used to her declining to rush off on some half-conceived notion of mine. I thought she looked particularly miserable this morning, so I asked her along. Surprisingly, she said yes.

With an admonition to be careful from our father ringing in our ears, we began to explore the decrepit, yet fascinating castle.

“Isn’t it terrible that we are doing this, Glynis? The Prince should be the one to show us his home,” May whispered as we peered down a long hallway.

Now that I was away from my mother, I was in better spirits. No more talk of marriage for a few hours and I might actually behave myself. Well, probably not, but it was refreshing to be away from the constant lectures.

“Oh, please! Come on, May! Have fun for once without worrying. Besides, if I am forced to marry the Prince, this is going to be my castle.” I made a face at the thought. “Isn’t that ghastly to think about?”

“Oh, Glynis!” May giggled. “You would not stay here. He said he wants to move to England. Perhaps he could have a grand estate there. And I could marry a nice gentlemen and live nearby.”

“I’d rather not.”

“But why not?”

“I do not want to marry him.” I pushed another door open and stared into a small sitting room.

“Well, he is rather foreign and exotic---“

“No, that is not it. I do not want to marry anyone.”

“Does this have to do with Lord Byron again? Because, if mother ever found out that you met him, she would have you locked away. She always says he is a devil.”

“Well,” I conceded, “he was a bit of that. But he told me the loveliest poem though. I wish I could remember it.”

“You do not want to be a wanton woman. You just want to be a man.”

“Well, I want to be a woman who lives her life as a man. With no constraints. Being able to do as I please. I do not understand why they can do as they wish and we cannot. Just because we have breasts...”

“And they have that--” May widened her eyes, leaning forward “-you know…they have…”

I screwed up my face in distaste, and we both burst into wild laughter.

Grabbing each other’s hands, we rushed deeper into the castle.

A bit later, May wandered ahead and came across a staircase descending down into the ground. Her face shadowed with fear.

“What is it?”

“It just looks so old, Glynis, so old.”

“Because it is!” I bounced down the steps quite fearlessly and peered around a heavy door into a long hall. “It is rather dusty down here. I do not think many people have been this way.”

May was obviously not ready to copy my daring. “Please, Glynis, please come up. I do not like the look of it.”

But I was quite curious and insisted, “Come on down, May. Please come down.”

My sister looked frightened. “If they have not restored that area of the castle, it could be quite dangerous, Glynis.”

“I shall hold your hand, May. Please come on. Let us have an adventure. There are no monsters or ghosts here. Just cobwebs and excitement.”

May frowned when I mentioned ghosts, but she took a deep breath and hurried down to me. Clasping my hand, she looked at me quite adoringly. I realized in that moment she would do anything I asked of her because she truly did love me despite how hurtful I could be at times. I impulsively kissed her cheek, and she bestowed a lovely smile on me.

“I promise, May, this is going to be fun.”

Torches threw light upon us, keeping us from being swallowed by shadows as May looked at me fearfully. This area of the castle was very dark, extremely dirty, and a cold draft flowed freely down the length of the corridor. May clutched my hand tightly as we gazed up at ornate statues of long lost warriors and saints.

“It is rather like a chapel. Or the entrance to one,” May decided.

“Are they not beautiful, May?” I declared.

“They frighten me,” May answered.

“Everything frightens you.”

We both stopped and gazed up at the statue of man who looked remarkably like the Prince. The expression on the roughly hewed statue was that of arrogance and cruelty.

For the first time since last night, I began to feel uneasy and a little frightened. Holding May’s hand tight, I began to walk down the dusty passageway toward enormous doors. I pressed them open and another staircase lay below us, leading deeper into this wing of the castle. Deep shadows covered the stairs, dark and menacing, as though a piece of the night was hiding from the sun.

“No, Glynis, we cannot. I do not want to go down there,” May whispered.

“I wonder what lies below.” I admit I can be rather foolhardy at times.

“Please, Glynis, please, do not go down there.”

I stared down the stairs, my eyes wide and full of curiosity. I felt a strong desire to set my foot down upon that first step, and yet, I was very afraid. May’s hand slipped away from mine as she drew away from the shadows.

“Glynis, please stop. You are frightening me!”

I heard her voice, but I could not heed her words. I was mesmerized by the darkness below, drawn down to it. Hesitantly, I began to descend the stairs. I found myself in absolute darkness.

A soft, gentle breathing filled my ears. My sister’s cries faded away as the soft whispering I had heard the night before began once more. Strange soft, madly whispering voices. Voices of such sweetness, I felt compelled to move on. A cold chill swept through my body, strangely arousing, yet terrifying.

“Lady Glynis!”

I was startled out of my trance-like state and whirled around. As the top of the stairs, staring down at me, was the old gypsy woman, Ilona. Her hands were on her hips and she looked quite angry. Behind her, May cowered nervously.

“Come to me at once. This area of the castle is not safe. You should not be here!”

The voices stirred around me, gentle and comforting. Somehow, I knew in the darkness below me something exotic, beautiful, and seductive was stirring. The whispers danced on my skin. I suddenly felt afraid.

“What is down there?”

I could still feel the dark power stirring, drawing closer. Yet, I could not bring myself to move.

“Just empty rooms. Old rooms that are falling apart. Now, come here! Come here,” the Gypsy ordered in her thickly accented English. “You must come at once!”

A little put off at being spoken to in such a manner by a servant, I haughtily lifted my chin. I considered dashing down into the darkness, but suddenly, I knew I did not want to know what lay below. With firm steady steps, I walked up to my sister and the angry servant.

“Come, May,” I said taking my sister’s hand.

As we walked away, I could feel Ilona glowering at me.

I turned one last time to look at the mysterious doorway and the servant woman before we returned to our parents. She was holding out her hand in front of her and moving down the stairs, speaking in another tongue.

I could have sworn I heard something …nay … someone answer her in a soft whispering voice.

We found our way back to the library, holding hands, as I mocked the bizarre gypsy woman. By making May laugh, I was able to break her free of fear and see her smile again. But despite my gaiety, I was unnerved by what we had encountered and felt ill at ease.

The library was a large room with a vast fireplace and many shelves stacked full of books. My father sat at a large table looking over a stack of papers while my mother sat on a nearby couch reading a book. The sunlight was streaming in through the diamond paned windows, yet the room seemed cold and gloomy.

Father realized we had entered the room and looked up to smile at us. “Oh, my darlings, did you enjoy your little adventure?”

“It was quite dreadful! Very foreign. And quite old and very dirty in places,” May said.

“I thought it was marvelously uncanny, Father.” I leaned over and kissed him on the cheek, then flung myself onto the couch next to my mother.

“I do not think it was proper for you two to go off without the Prince to escort you.” My mother’s reprimand was gentle, but her eyes were wary. “How do we know it is safe?”

“It was safe enough,” I assured her.

“The Prince has obviously left us to our own devices. I do not think they did any harm.” Father smiled as May sat next to him, laying her head on his shoulder.

In the warmth of my family, our adventure did not seem as fearsome.