Dracula And Anna: Finding The truth

Ch 18: All Hallows Eve Masquerade Ball

The Count guided Anna through the double doors. She did not object. Once inside, he let her wonder about the place on her own, but he did not leave.

Inside was a room with decor much the same as it was back at Dracula's Castle. A lot of the objects in the room seemed to resemble antiques, maybe he just liked the 14th century too much to let it go entirely, but Anna could see why there were some very beautiful objects.

Lily and Rose were already in the next room and from the noise she could hear emanating from it, they were getting ready for tomorrow night. Anna was standing in the centre of the room, just looking around, when the Count came to stand next to her.

'I would hate to intrude upon you're peaceful thoughts, my dear, but there is a little matter I must speak with you about.' Surprised, she turned to look at him. Wearing his usual black, his hair up in his ponytail, which she found she'd always liked, but never as much as that handsome face of his. Anna found his expression hard to fathom, what lay in those exquisite eyes of his?

Anna went to speak, but paused, she remembered what he'd told her about calling him, "Count", and "Dracula", but the problem still stood. Thinking it best not to make him angry the night before the ball - he'd seemed angry, or annoyed, last time - instead, she took the safest choice, and said nothing, she just nodded.

The Count led her across the room, to one of the sofas, which had an unrestricted view of the door that Lily and Rose were in. Perhaps he did not want them to intrude, at least it seemed that way to Anna that this was a private conversation just between the two of them. Sitting beside the Count, Anna waited patiently for him to begin. She had learned that it was better that way. He would speak when he was ready, not because someone told him to.

'As you know, the ball is tomorrow night,' he turned to look at her, his eyes held a feeling that could've been a concern, 'our people do not know that you have amnesia,' he paused, that same look still in his eyes, 'knowing you as well as I do, I know that you would not be able to pull off a stunt, like pretending,' - pause – 'considering how close we were before all this, as compared to now,' he sighed, as if in defeat.

'So what are you saying?'

'That, for the first time in my life, I don't know what to do.' He admitted honestly like he might have done if Anna had been Verona, except that he was more honest with Anna than he had ever, or would ever be with anyone else.

'Wouldn't it be better if you told them?' Why doesn't he just tell them, surely it won't be that bad?

'I'm worried about how they might take it.' He turned his head away from her and stared at the floor before him.

'The Count looks worried.' Anna thought, 'There has to be something that I can do to calm him down.' Anna thought quickly, and when an idea came to mind, she didn't think about it, she didn't even consider the possible consequences of her actions, or what she'd think about it later.

Before her stubborn consciousness could stop her, her right hand pulled Dracula's head towards her and pressed her lips to his in a soft kiss. There didn't seem to be much of a reaction from him, however, she did not try to enter, somehow she knew he wouldn't have let her in, anyway, and it was at that moment she realized that he knew something that he wasn't telling her.

Gently she parted her lips from his, her eyes slowly opened, and looking back at her was Dracula. He seemed calmer, but something still troubled him, and there was a look of curiosity in his eyes, perhaps Anna's idea hadn't been as good as she thought it might've been.

She let her hand fall lightly from his face, only to have Dracula catch it, just after it had left his skin. He pulled Anna close, but only to be nestled by her, which was not what Anna had expected, but she preferred it to what she thought he was going to do.