The Girl & The Vampire(A prequel to A Haunting Face)

The Quest for the Heart

There was no going back now. Elyse knew that once she had made the deal, it could not be broken. A month. That was all the time Vladislaus had to get her to fall in love with him. Elyse only had to survive a month of this. Then, she and Cassie would be free. Elyse believed that she could get through the month without falling for him, especially now that she knew the truth.

She wondered how Vladislaus would be able to win her heart after what had happened. What could he possibly think would win her over?

...

She soon received her answer, and was rather repulsed by what she saw in front of her.

Vladislaus stood before her, a heart(yes, a heart) in his pale, blood covered hand. "For you, a goat's heart." Seeing her face, he knew she was far from happy. "I cannot give you my own heart, so I've brought you the heart of a sacred creature in place of it. You do not seem pleased."

"I'm not! That's absolutely disgusting. I think I'm gonna be sick." Elyse ran away and ended up vomiting in the bathroom attached to her room. Needless to say, Vladislaus tried something else.

...

As the days passed, Vladislaus continued to find ways to woo her. Vlad had done everything he could think of, including painting a beautiful portrait of her. Elyse had to admit. It was very beautiful. It was like he had memorized her face, which she was sure he had. Her heart swelled, which terrified her. It was a beautiful gesture, she couldn't deny. Still, she couldn't allow herself to forget about what Vladislaus had done to Cassie. If she did, there was a bigger chance that she would fall for him, and if that happened, she would be trapped here forever. Either way, Cassie would go home, and that was the most important thing.

Elyse had been told to wear something nice, so she picked out a red dress from the wardrobe in her room. The dress was the same shade as Vladislaus' eyes, as well as the rose from the ball and the bedsheets. It was a long dress that touched the floor and flowed a little ways behind her. It fit her form perfectly, showing off every curve of her body.

As she made her way down to the dining room, where she had been told to go, the smell of delicious food filled her nose. She followed it, almost as if she were in a trance. When she arrived at her destination, the doors to the kitchen opened and Vladislaus stood before her. "Your meal will be ready in a few more minutes, my love," he said with a smile.

Peeking into the kitchen, she noticed that none of the workers were there. "Uh, who's making the food?" She asked him.

"Why, me, of course," he exclaimed, his smile never fading. "Earlier in my life, cooking was one of my favorite hobbies. Of course, it had always saddened me that I could never enjoy the meal once it had been made. What I have prepared for you tonight is one of my favorite meals to make. Though I have never tasted it myself, I know you will enjoy it very much." He sounded so sure of himself. Elyse admired him for his confidence.

"And what exactly is this meal?" She asked, crossing her arms. Vladislaus smiled at her.

"It is something I am sure you are very familiar with."

Elyse raised an eyebrow, which Vladislaus chuckled it.

"Pizza."

...

Vladislaus had told Elyse to sit at the table while he finished preparing the food. She had obeyed and was now sat at the wooden table, hands clasped in her lap as she waited patiently for Vladislaus to enter the room with the pizza.

"Bon appetit," Vladislaus said with a smile as he set the pizza down in front of her. It looked delicious, she had to admit, and it smelled amazing.