A Sealed Fate (Watty's 2017)

27. Second semester

Tricia woke up the next morning, stretching her arms. "Good morning Vladimir." She'd say, despite he wasn't there. She sighed and got herself dressed.

On her way to breakfast, the headmistress stopped her. "May I talk to you?" Tricia nodded and followed her to her office. Miss higgens shut the door behind her. "Take a seat." She commanded before continuing. "He may have already told you that he's a vampire correct?" Tricia nodded "yes ma'am." "Then you see the problem of him courting you?" Tricia furrowed her brow. "Ma'am I.." She was cut off. "The last human he was with got killed. I've warned him once of taking the girls at this school. End the relationship before it gets to big."

Tricia tried to protest, "it's not even gotten to that point yet." "LIES! You still have fang marks on your neck." Miss higgens shut her down quickly. "I'm not Sarah damnit!" Tricia snapped standing quickly. Miss higgens purced her lips into a thin line. "How do you know of her?" "Because, she's my past self. I'm destined to be his! My fate is already sealed." Miss higgens sighed and walked towards Tricia. "Just be careful. If you two do happen to last. Make sure he turns you to prevent the same preventable death." Tricia was dismissed to breakfast.

She picked at her food as Katie droned on and on about how she spent Christmas and all the things she had gotten.

Classes seemed to go by slowly as well. But it's to be expected. The first day after a break is always slow.

For lunch, Tricia snuck off school grounds and to the castle. She wasn't sure why she felt so nervous. Alfred opened the door, looking almost surprised to see her. "Miss Brannon. It's a pleasure. Lord Valentine, however, he's not in right now."

Tricia wasn't sure why she was disappointed, but she felt it. "Oh... Ok, well.." "I'll be sure he knows you stopped by." Alfred smiled politely, though it didn't touch his eyes. Tricia nodded and walked away.

Vladimir watched from his room, feeling bad he had to send her away. "Why don't you want her around? Your family has returned to their homes. She'd be perfectly safe now." Vladimir listened to the maid that had agreed to help Tricia. "She'll never be safe around me." Was all he said as he walked away.

The maid felt bad for her lord, having to break his own heart just to keep her "safe". She watched him leave, finishing fixing his bed with clean sheets.

"You think I'm wrong for just leaving her high and dry?" The maid had to think how to answer him. "Well, yes. Not for her sake." Vladimir stood at the door to his room, waiting for her to explain. "You're breaking your own heart, too. You love her, or else you wouldn't have had the nightmares of losing her last night." He sighed and left the room.

He knew she was right, and he hated when she was right. He decided fresh air would be good for him. He walked to the village and to the bread shop.

His pulse seemed to speed up, there she was. She was hunched over, sobbing? He got closer and realized she was laughing at something in a news paper. "I'm sorry, for what it's worth." Tricia looked up, and smiled to him. "Must've just got back. Alfred said you weren't home." Something in her screamed at her that Alfred had lied.

Vladimir blinked and nodded "yes, I had to step out." He couldn't tell her the truth, it'd break her heart.

He sat at her table, watching her quietly. Tricia looked up and noticed him staring at her, barely breathing. "Not to sound like a snob, but it's kind of creepy to stare at someone like that." Came the voice of a girl, sitting in a table beside theirs. Vladimir snarled at her, before he could react. "It's fine, it doesn't bother me." Tricia retorted and looked to him. Vladimir scoffed and turned away from the random person. Propping his head up and staring out the window.