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As long as he could remember, Drac had always been strongly attached to a place where he lived at a time. This trait of nature was noticeable in him as he got used to his new permanent home. In the first weeks, he actively fussed and nestled, bringing to the castle everything that he thought would be useful in the household, and making a simple rearrangements. Martha was satisfied with everything as it was, but she didn't object, calmly watching her husband's ebullient activity. She was amused by his behavior, and at such moments Dracula would drop another important matter and fall into the charm of her smile, shyly lowering his shoulders and approaching her on wobbly legs for a kiss. The attention they paid to each other and every romantic gesture pacified the Control Freak part of him, and Drac turned back into a gentle and caring vampire, listening to every wish of his wife.
"Drac?" Martha turned her head slightly to distract the Count who was focused on the smooth movements of the comb. Her shock of wavy hair swayed to the side as his hand with the comb rose above them again. "Thank you, darling, but I think ten minutes of brushing was enough."
"Has it been ten minutes??" His eyes widened, causing her to squint and smile affectionately, which made her face even more attractive. "Hehe, I'm sorry, it's just... very addictive... You're lucky to have so fluffy and thick hair, honeybat."
The vampiress giggled, jokingly covering her face with strands of hair and pretending to be shy. She jumped up briskly from the edge of the bed, dodging Dracula's arms, which were about to wrap around her waist, and ran to the other end of the room. The Count was at her side in an instant, lifting her up and twirling her in his arms. Stopping their fun for a while, Drac stared thoughtfully at the bare wall, biting his lip and tilting his head back for a bigger view.
"Hmm. Looks like the perfect place to hang our portrait!"
Martha snickered at his awakened enthusiasm and nudged him with her elbow. "Sweetheart, this is the fourth time you've hung the portrait in another place!"
"I promise, this is the final decision," he swore with a hand raised and puffed out his chest, a smile making accent on his cheeks as he received a quick kiss from his wife. Drac knew perfectly well how much she adored his exaggerated silly acting whenever she gently lectured him about something.
The Count stretched, amusingly raising his long arms up and standing on tiptoe, and walked to the window, spontaneously throwing it wide open. This window overlooked the front side, which offered a fairly extensive view of his domain for the vampire. He could see an open field in front of him, beyond which the forest began. On the other side of the forest, some distance away, beyond the arable land and vegetable gardens, was the nearest human village from here. Unsurprisingly, Drac kept a special watch about this side, getting up at his post every night. At the moment, thing were quiet. He relaxed his posture slightly, devoting himself to aimless contemplation for a while. Martha silently stepped up to him and stood behind his shoulder, not even considering distracting her husband. He caught everything that was happening within reach and just enjoyed it. The chirping of crickets in the tall grass, the wobble of spikelets, mice scurrying along the ground and hiding in burrows, wolf howling from the far forest, the smell of grains and dry hay brought by a soft and warm wind from the village... He perceived all this clearly and unmistakably, delving into the life of nature as into his own.
The moonlight fell on the pale faces of both vampires and, together with the fresh night air, beckoned them to leave the castle walls for a walk. Perhaps they would have done so, but Dracula was already making other plans in his head. He turned to Martha, taking her hand and stroking her fingers.
"Look, mouse... The nights are short now, which is why I thought it would be better for me to go hunting and look around, well, right now... You won't mind, will you?"
"Not at all, dear," Martha looked down and shook her head with a smile. "Just take care of yourself and come home before dawn. I'm sure time will fly by."
"Oh, Martha, I'm so sorry to leave you here alone..." Dracula pulled her into a tight circle of his arms and put his head on hers. "Will you find something to do? If not, then..."
"Drac, I understand your concern," she suddenly hugged him tighter, so that he lost his footing for a moment, "but this is our home! There are still a few rooms left to clean up. I'll also start filling our bookcases. I promise I'll leave that stack of your books for you..." She giggled softly against his chest.
"Well, and I promise that as soon as I get back, we'll drink some blood and go through the books again to choose a new one to read..." Drac took her by the shoulders and rubbed his nose against her full cheek with anticipation, causing both of them to chuckle. She reached for a kiss, and he happily satisfied their shared desire before turning into a bat and getting ready to fly out.
"Bye, honeybat!" Dracula smiled broadly and flapped his wings, disappearing into the welcoming darkness that engulfed him.
"Bye, honey..." Martha waved after him and carefully closed the window, immediately turning away. A small crease formed between her eyebrows, and she put her finger to her lips, cupping her elbow. It was her frequent pose of thoughtfulness, which usually didn't last long right after she was alone.
For her, it wasn't a tough question how to spend time in a secluded castle away from big cities and public places, where there was no time to be bored. Many vampire families of that time lived in the same conditions, prioritizing the safety of their loved ones, especially children. Dracula's wife also knew what kind of life awaited them in the near future. However, no circumstances would have forced her to settle in one place until the end of time. Martha was patient and prudent, but she never stopped dreaming about how many new awesome experiences they would get together and how eventful their lives would be. And in this life she fantasized about, there would definitely be a place for children. But not now. Definitely not in the next year or two.
Throwing her hair back, Martha slowly headed to the room, which they identified as a living room combined with a library. It was the largest, but nevertheless cozy room, where furniture was already arranged, paintings were hung, and candles were burning on the chandelier. There were those bookcases near two walls, almost to the ceiling. Only their empty and clean shelves caught the eye among the almost completed interior. It was lucky that there were more than a hundred books lying in piles on the sofas and armchairs, waiting in the wings.
Martha picked up the first book she saw, flipped through it and examined it for damage. With the help of magic, that book went to the top shelf, as it didn't contain anything particularly interesting. She would definitely have spent a couple of hours sorting and arranging her and Drac's book collection. There was no hurry. But the plans changed a little when she realized that she wouldn't be left without company.
Some kind of thud disturbed her hearing, but at first she didn't pay attention to it. The second time, the vampiress had already clearly made out that the knock was coming from below. Martha concentrated and drew a breath, sniffing and determining if there was someone else's scent nearby besides her own. Dracula definitely wouldn't have come back so early, and she had to make sure in her safety.
It didn't take long for her to gasp, put her fingertips to her lips with a joyful smile, and rush downstairs to the door. The smell wasn't just familiar, it was a smell belonging to someone she absolutely trusted and who was definitely a pleasure to hang out with. And it was none other than Vlad.
As she reached the door, Martha calmed her breathing, adjusted the sleeves of her dress and took the handle. The smile turned into a welcoming greeting one as soon as she got a sight of the elder Count. "Hello, Vlad..."
Vlad made a modest quick wave in response, lowering his shoulders a little. Every time he met her face to face, Vlad felt clumsiness, awkwardness and for some reason an increasing sense of responsibility for this girl, whom he now considered his child on a par with his two own children.
"Hey, I hope I didn't catch you off guard?" He asked anxiously and pointed with his gaze at the carcass of a small deer lying nearby on the grass. "I thought it would be rude to come to you empty-handed, so..."
"Oh, thank you! No worries, I'm glad to see you no matter what!" Martha tilted her body slightly, clasping her hands in the lock, and nodded gratefully for the gift. "Besides, it's been two months. Drac and I were aware that you would visit us after this time."
Vlad nodded up in understanding, and then raised an eyebrow, expressing the arised confusion that naturally followed. "Speaking of which, where's my boy? I was surprised when I saw you greeting me alone..."
"Ah, Drac's off to hunting," she informed and turned around, walking back and motioning her father-in-law inside. "Come in, now we can wait for him together!"
Vlad in no way violated the privacy of the young couple by arriving at Castle Lubov that night. It was only the first time since his son's wedding day. Holding his stormy love and affection back, the vampire tried not to disturb both of them, especially Dracula, given that their relationship had grown with alarming tension. It was Martha who smoothed their communication lately, which Vlad appreciated very much. To tell the truth, Vlad even felt some relief that he didn't find his son at home, despite the fact that he missed him no less.
In the living room, where Martha led him, Vlad settled into a leather armchair, temporarily getting rid of his cape, and first looked around, as he should in an unfamiliar environment. And he definitely liked it here. The place didn't feel lived in yet because of the chaos in things. And yet it was impossible to deny the cozy family atmosphere that permeated every corner. Such a feeling had disappeared from his home for a long time, and no matter which room of the many Vlad entered, he sighed heavily and returned to his bedroom, regretting that he had not had guests for a long time.
"I see you're happy with your new home," he grinned when Martha came over and presented him with a glass of blood, generously filled with the rich dark drink. "And I mean, both of you. After all, Drac took over most of the organizing, right?"
"Yeah, still getting used to it," Martha lifted her shoulders with a laugh. "We really love it here. The village is nearby, and the forest... Drac says there is plenty of game to hunt."
"About the village..." Vlad hesitantly began, pointing to his daughter-in-law on the edge of the sofa so that she would sit down. "To be honest, at first I intended to talk about this with both of you kids, but I think it would be better to tell you alone for now, Martha."
His hand was nervously pinching the upholstery of the chair, and Martha lay her palm on it, stopping the almost imperceptible trembling. "Is something wrong?"
"A team of vampire hunters is staying in a village east of you. They follow their own specific route," Vlad looked as if through a wall, the tone of his voice took on a heaviness, "so I have no doubt that their next destination will be your human neighbors."
"And you came to warn us?" She put her fingers under her chin, taking in what she had heard. Monster hunters were not a subject that could be simply ignored, especially when they were nearby. Recently, according to rumors, their number had decreased, but this still didn't promise the monsters a way out of the shadows. Even more complicated was the case with vampires, whose reputation was literally bloody.
"In a way, I think," the elder vampire pursed his lips and glanced at the ceiling, feeling guilty that he must have made her worry unnecessarily. "I know that Dracula will think that I'm interfering in your family affairs, but... For now, it's better for him to hunt only in the forest or in another village. Any murder or even any bite that they discover will make these cowardly idiots get alarmed and start tracking the threat..."
"Don't worry, we are always cautious," Martha took his hand in a tight grip with a reassuring smile, although she felt a sickening tickle in her throat and barely restrained a cough. "Neither Drac nor I kill humans or drink their blood. Perhaps you're condemning the latter... Vlad, I understand if you..."
"Hey..." The count decisively interrupted her beginning explanations, already knowing where this would lead. "I absolutely don't care whose blood you drink or if you drink it at all. Humans and your safety, that's what concerns me. If their fear is constantly fueled, it will completely destroy their ability to reason... You don't drink their blood, yet others do. Blood is our natural food and definitely not something that all vampires will give up just for the sake of a dubious peace with humans."
"The world needs big changes..." The young Countess sighed. "And you? Do you believe that this is possible?"
"Of course. And someday you'll see it." Vlad chuckled at Martha's surprised expression. "You have a whole life ahead of you, kids."
Martha got up and, without further ado, took him in a hug that most expressed her gratitude. Vlad returned it without hesitation, closing his eyes for a moment.
Just this moment was enough for Dracula to fly into the room and stand in front of them, piercing his father with a peeved look.
"Drac!" Martha beamed when she saw her husband return and fell against his chest. He kissed her on the top of her head in response and glanced sideways at Vlad, who was obviously spoiling the whole moment with his mere presence. Still, he had to say hello to him.
"Hi... Dad..." He reluctantly squeezed out the words. "What, um, brings you here?"
"What do you mean, son?" Vlad was rightly taken aback by the question head-on. "After all, you knew that I wanted to visit you a couple of months after the wedding..."
Dracula had nothing to object to this statement, and he nodded acidly. "Oh, yes, yes, of course... Next time, please choose a time when I'm at home. You know perfectly well that I usually go hunting before midnight."
"Did you catch something, honey?" Martha took a step back and tried to change the subject, noticing how Vlad frowned, pulling off the skirts of the cape on his chest.
"Unfortunately not, my love," he shook his head negatively. "I almost tracked down the prey in the forest, but some company of humans passing through it confused all the smells for me."
"So the hunters have already arrived in this village..." Vlad muttered to himself, not in order to hide it, but rather mentally connecting the facts into one chain.
"What makes you think they're hunters?" Drac put his hand on his side defiantly. "They have no reason to come here, unless someone killed a peasant. Martha and I don't touch the local humans... So your attempts to intimidate us won't work, Dad."
"I'm just warning you, Drac. If killing is not part of your plans, you should stay away from the village for now," Vlad crossed his arms. "If they miss at least one sheep or notice the restless behavior of their livestock, it may make them suspect that vampires are involved..."
"Killing humans can only be part of your plans!" His son raised his voice, for some reason blocking Martha with himself. "If you continue to treat them in the same way, we won't get any improvements!"
"Honeybat..." Vlad softened his tone one last time, hoping to get through to his stubbornness. "You can't just think that humans will respond with peace to peace. I just want to protect you and Martha..."
"I'm capable of protecting my wife myself," Drac glared at him, hugging Martha to him. "And it's about time you realized that I don't need your protection, especially since I've been living here! Since I started traveling without your supervision, for devil's sake! Since I started my own family!"
"I got ya," Vlad backfired with a disappointed look from under his brows, then exchanged looks of regret with the woman. But both Martha and he understood that a couple of words were not enough to reconcile. "It turns out that from that moment on, I stopped being your family, right?"
"Dad..." Drac called out to him, unsuccessfully keeping his voice firm.
"It's okay if you didn't catch anything, son... I left a deer there for you," Vlad nodded slightly to the exit's side, once again tightened his cape to comfort himself and turned into a bat. "Bye, Martha. I hope to see you soon."
"Bye..." Martha nodded goodbye to him and sighed, turning towards her husband.
"Darling, why would you say that? He was telling the truth, you know..."
And this was the first moment the recognition that he had messed up somewhere slipped through Dracula's mind.