A Banquet at Basarab Castle

A Banquet at Basarab Castle (English version)

When he looked at Crina Basarab for the first time, Romano Popa was lost in the brown waves of that beautiful woman's hair. Then, when he dared himself to look at Crina straight in the eyes, he was fixated on those beautiful windows of her soul.

"Enjoy your appetite," Crina said to all the banquet attendees. "I hope you all will like the cuisine we have here in our castle."

Just when Crina smiled, Romano felt his heart was trembling violently. However, he immediately tried to control himself and his sight. As a married man, he knew that glancing at other women was inappropriate. And as a sane man, he felt there was no need to offend the feelings of the host of the event, aka Crina's husband.

Everyone knows what the man called Vlad Basarab is like. Although the truth can not be confirmed, rumours say that Vlad can turn into a blood-sucking creature when the night is late.

Romano glanced at the host's chair briefly, and found that Vlad putting all his focus on his food. Meanwhile, right to Vlad's left side, Crina looked at Romano with a faint smile. Really, next to an angelic woman, Vlad looks like a troll.

After several mouthfuls of meat passed through his throat, Romano raised his head to look at Crina again, and as he expected, Crina smiled at him. Without thinking, Romano smiled back at Crina, and could see that woman's cheeks turning red.

"Romano?" The blonde woman who was sitting to Romano's left side called. "Are you smiling to yourself?"

"I don't feel like smiling, Felora," Romano denied it as he continued eating. However, still, every now and then, he exchanged glances and smiles with Crina.

"Someday, we should hold a banquet like this and invite them back," Felora said. Her voice was drowned out by the din of the banquet attendees and the clinking of the cutleries, so Romano didn't fully heard what she was saying.

After all, Romano had been immersed in the interactions he had with Crina. Without a word, Romano felt like he had a complete conversation with Crina. In fact, in his mind, Romano dared to conclude that he was a more pleasant man than Vlad, and Crina would definitely choose him better, if the opportunity really existed.

Suddenly, Vlad raised his head and looked at Crina sharply.

"Who are you smiling at so sweetly?" Vlad asked her bluntly.

"I smiled at everyone, one by one," Crina lied.

"I'm watching you, Crina," Vlad threatened her.

"Just like you always do, right?" Crina sneered.

Meanwhile, Romano just watched carefully. His suspicious became stronger, that Crina was not very compatible with the creature who had the status as her husband.

"Jeez," Felora muttered in Romano's ear, "don't let us argue like that in public."

"Of course not," Romano said as best as he could.

"Of course not, because we love each other," Felora said as she nudged Romano's knee with her own knee under the table.

"Is that so?" Romano shifted his gaze from Crina to Felora. Then, in a whisper, Romano asked, "What if my face wasn't handsome? What if I look terrible like Vlad Basarab?"

"No problem," Felora said. "I'm pretty enough for both of us."

"Ah, what an amazing answer," Romano responded with a half smile. "But, My Wife, for your information, an excessive pride isn't good. You are pretty, but you shouldn't be surprised if there is a woman who is much prettier than you."

"Is there another woman much prettier than me out there?" Felora laughed.

"Out there? No." Romano shook his head. And he wouldn't tell Felora that the much prettier woman was not out there, but in this room, at the same table as them, sitting right next to the host.

After the dinner finished, Vlad Basarab took everyone to the lounge, where he had prepared many card games and board games to play.

However, Romano managed to got Crina to snuck away from the group and hid in a quiet alley.

"You can't act rashly like this," Crina said. Her voice was as sweet as honey, really pleasing Romano's ears.

"Why not?" Romano took Crina into his arms. "Because your husband will suck my blood until dry?"

"Stupid." Crina laughed softly in Romano's arms.

"Yeah, that's ridiculous." Romano used his fingers to gently play with Crina's brown hair. "Tell me the truth, do you want me?"

"Do I have to answer that?" Crina felt the air around them was getting harder to breath.

"Tell me, Crina, please," Romano whispered in Crina's ear.

"Yes," Crina finally answered, "I really, really, really want you!"

In an instant, Crina had sunk her fangs into Romano's neck, making the man screamed out loud. It was a scream that conveyed shock, disbelief, fear, and helplessness all at once.

Slowly, Crina sucked the blood that flowing in Romano's body. Then, gradually, Romano's screams died down and disappeared. The man fell limp in Crina's arms, until finally he collapsed helplessly at that beautiful woman's feet.

Crina wiped the remaining blood around her mouth using the sleeve of her dark dress, then kicked Romano's corpse to the side so it wouldn't get in her way.

Without feeling guilty, Crina left the alley. She walked quickly down the castle corridor to return to her room, with an intention to change her dress to remove the traces of her actions, even though the traces were very minimal.

"Mrs. Basarab!" Felora called from a distance, makin Crina could not help but stop in her tracks and turn to the blonde woman.

"Yes?" Crina looked at Felora straight in the eyes.

"Do you know my husband? His name is Romano Popa," Felora spoke very quickly because she was in panic. "Did you see him? He isn't in the lounge with me and the others. Did you see him?"

"No." Crina shook her head, then continued to walk away.

-o0o-

-Ema Loka, 2023-