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“What are you doing here?”
“What any of us are doing here? Doing the bidding of His Majesty, Gabriel, The Immortal, Stoica,” she said, snickering.
“Are you a vampire as well?”
“Good thing you’ve been made royal. It compensates for the lack of common sense. Think about it, would I be standing here if I wasn’t a vampire? Not many of us are as lucky as you to be able to take shortcuts.”
“But how?” I felt my knees buckle.
“How what? How did I escape the castle on that dreadful Sunday? How did I manage to survive as an outcast in Wallachia? Or how did I come to work for your dear husband?” She strutted closer, indulging in my discomfort. “Just so you know, Gabriel and I have a far longer history than you can even imagine. Your sweet husband has lived through many human lives, and I was the one standing next to him. Through the tough times and through the good times. Oh, Milady, I wished for so long to see the face you’re making right now.” Smaranda cackled.
“Milady, I’ve been looking all over for you,” said Gabriel. “Why are you here?”
“Good morning, Sire,” said Smaranda with a sweet voice and languorous eyes.
“Good morning,” he said curtly.
And I felt like I walked in on something more than my brain could handle. So I did what anyone would do in this situation: I fled. Though no matter how fast I ran, in seconds, Gabriel stood right in front of me.
“Move away,” I said.
“I asked you not to come to the West Wing. Why didn’t you listen to me?” he asked pleadingly.
I sidestepped him and rushed to the bedroom. He caught me by my wrist and pulled me into his embrace. It was clear he won’t let me go, so I defied him with the little power I had. I avoided his gaze.
“Look at me.” He searched for my eyes. “I said, look at me.”
I refused to listen.
“Would you at least let me explain?” he asked.
I looked at him, furious, “Be my guest.”
“But let’s not do it here. My staff’s hearing is advanced enough I would feel like I’ll be explaining to an audience. Let’s go to the bedroom.”
I crossed my arms, “Do as you please.”
He lifted me and went supersonic till we reached the bedroom. He placed me on the bed and asked, “Would you like some coffee?”
“Trust me, I already had my morning awakening,” I said, keeping my arms crossed.
Kneeling at my feet, he lowered his head. For the longest time, he stood in silence. “I wanted this to happen differently. A simple explanation before your encounter would’ve prevented any misunderstanding.”
“How would you telling me something prior would change anything? She’s been our enemy since day one. Because of her and that perverted boyar, we lost the ability to time-travel.”
“If I said she was a changed woman, would you believe me?”
“No, I would simply assume you’ve slept with her.”
His face became transfixed. “Is this what you believe?”
“After seeing how she looks at you, it was hardly a difficult conclusion to reach.”
“But did you see how I looked at her?” His eyes portrayed an indescribable pain.
“Listen, I realize living through a long-distance relationship for hundreds of years meant you needed some form of alleviation, and I am completely fine with a stranger whom I will never meet in my life. But Smaranda was below the belt.”
“It is understandable,” he said and kissed my hands. “But you must believe me. I would never sully your honor in such an abominable way.I did indeed turn her though somewhat against my will. But I never had sex with her. I never mix turning with mating, and even at my weakest, I was able to shove her aside. You must believe me, my love. The only time I succumbed to carnal temptations was when I couldn’t control my beast. Most were tavern girls, and I made sure to erase their memory and find them an appropriate suitor. At the moment, Smaranda is a simple worker like any other at the castle. And nothing can make me cross the line with her or anybody else.” He bowed to my knees. “Still, I have deceived the trust you have bestowed on me, Milady.”
