Dracula And Anna: Finding The truth

Ch 5: Disgrace Never To Be Forgiven

Since she couldn't find a place that was secluded, she went to sleep on the red couch in the laboratory.

While she slept, she had a visitor.

'Sleep well Anna,' but her visitor wasn't a well-wisher, it had been said spitefully.

Two hours before sunrise, Dracula discovered Anna sleeping there. He sat down beside her and watched her sleep.

Another hour passed.

Dracula kissed Anna gently on her forehead, before leaving her to sleep.

'Remember what we discussed, Gabriel.' He said as he passed him, on his way out.

'Of course, I do.' Van Helsing was standing in the shadows, near the wall.

Anna slept undisturbed, that was until the night was re-approaching. Anna's detractor arrived at sunset, about an hour before the Count tended to get up. But whoever it was didn't know that Van Helsing was nearby and fully aware.

'Goodbye, Anna, have sweet dreams.' The unknown figure held a stake above their head, ready to plunge it into Anna's heart.

At that moment Van Helsing attacked the attempting murderer – which woke Anna – and dragged the attacker away to see their fate.

Confused to see Van Helsing as a fully-fledged werewolf – since it was still daytime, so there was obviously no moon – she laid back down to sleep another hour.

Pacing in his chambers, Dracula was angry. Not only because the attack on Anna's life had come during his sleep, - which he hadn't got much of lately - or that Van Helsing had awoken him. The main reason was because of who had attempted to kill Anna.

Stopping his pacing, he turned to Van Helsing, 'and this is what happened?' Van Helsing had relayed what he had seen and done. He had also said that Anna had been disturbed, but as he'd left, she'd gone back to sleep.

'Yes, that's what happened.'

Dracula looked grave, 'you are charged with treason,' he paused, finding it hard to continue, he never had to do this before, not with his brides, he'd never needed to, 'which is punishable by death.'

'No Master, please!' she pleaded, taking hold of his clothes in desperation, 'I didn't do it!'

'Lily,' he said angrily, causing her to let go. Calming down he continued, 'just because Gabriel told me doesn't mean I didn't already know,' he paused, looking straight into her eyes, 'which I already did.'

He started pacing again, 'I knew I wasn't going to be able to be beside Anna to protect her because of her loss of memory, so I had Van Helsing keep watch over her while she slept,' he turned to face her, 'I already knew. I suspected you, Lily...'

'But I didn't do it,' interrupted Lily.

'And yet here you are!' He shouts, throwing out his arms to emphasise this fact.

Dracula sighed, lowering his arms, 'Anna will be asked of your fate, depending on what she says, I may change my mind,' he looked into Lily's eyes. Severely.

'Anna!' came a voice; it sounded so far away...

'Anna!'

Anna slowly opened her eyes, for a moment her vision is blurred, but it soon clears. Wiping the sleepiness from her eyes, she sees the owner of the voice.

'What do you want?' she asked, irritated.

Dracula explains about the protection he had placed for her and the attempted murder of her life.

'Well, and I thought it couldn't get any interesting around here,' she said sardonically.

'Now's not the time for sarcasm, Anna,' he said, trying not to laugh, although a small smile passed onto his lips, 'do you want her punished?'

'Why are you asking me?'

Dracula sighed, 'Lily is charged with treason.'

Anna gave a slight shrug, 'so?'

His eyebrows rose involuntarily, 'which is punishable by death.'

His words caused her to sit up. Since he was sitting beside her, her face became close to his.

'What?'

He sighed, again. He seemed to notice that he was doing a lot of sighing lately, if only Anna hadn't gotten amnesia, this would never have happened, and she wouldn't have had to sleep out here, away from him.

'Anna this kind of treachery is only punishable by death; there is no other sentence. Do you want to go ahead with this?'

'Why should I even speak, you always make your own decisions. You never ask your brides for advice, so why ask me?'

'Because it was your life that was almost taken, I'd hate to think what would have happened hadn't I noticed Lily's tone last night after you woke up. Normally you would have too, but since you've lost your memory, I knew you didn't know the danger you were in, so I had to act, and I had to act fast.'

Anna suddenly realised something.

'You sent Rose to look out for me?'

'Yes.' And she had pushed her away? Oh, how stupid she had been!

'And then you sent Van Helsing. You've protected me, why?'

'Anna, you're my bride.' There wasn't even a breath between his last word and her first.

'And so is Lily!'

'But you're not like Lily, you're not crazy, jealous, or spiteful, you're none of these things. Besides, I'm beginning to think that Lily was a mistake, the first bride I'd ever made a mistake in.'

He sighed with great sadness.

'Now, if you'll excuse me, I have a bride to execute.' His words were very heavy.