- PяоŁoguє -

Adrian turned to Anna in one swift movement, and for a fleeting second she thought she had seen his eyes glitter under the lamplight of the dungeon, his face soften in expression and she thought he might let his anger subside. Just this one time.

She was wrong.

“When will you learn your lesson?” he reprimanded her, his fist hitting the surface of the ancient oak table that stood between the two. It had purely been a coincidence that Anna had, for the third time that week, found herself amidst the crowd of the human race. She wanted to explain; to tell Adrian that it was not her fault; and that she was completely innocent of this accusation made against her; but she knew very well he would not understand, he barely listened to the arguments she presented in their previous encounters and so she let her heart sink, deep into her flesh, engulfed by the rest of her body.

Anna’s silence only allowed Adrian’s deep, already loud voice to echo through the room and magnify as it bounced off her four-walled room that they were placed in. “I cannot be here to look after you, your entire life. What on earth is the matter with you, Anna? Those things you were conversing with, they are the ones who put us here! How can you be so stupid?” Adrian’s voice dropped by a notch, but still it continued to ring around the two occupants; “I can’t keep convincing Sir Matthews about your odd interest in these beings. He is already suspicious about our family. About-” his voice broke off immediately and it was unmistakable that for the first time in years, Adrian was overwhelmed by emotions and was actually unable to continue his sentence, but, by this sudden change in attitudes; Anna suddenly felt a surge of power force rapidly through her veins and she broke the new silence.

“...mum and dad? Their sudden ‘departure’ as you used to call it – just before they were to ascend to king and queen. You know what Adrian, this has bothered me for a while, why did we never report it as a kidnap by those creatures? Tell me Adrian, why didn’t we, if they were so bad, and since you’ve set your mind that it was their fault. Why?” Adrian did not reply, whether he was lost for words, or simply could not put up with the 17-year-old’s mindless questions was unknown; but indeed Anna continued; this time pronouncing a voice which spat the purest of poison; “Look, Adrian, If this is about your chances of getting the throne-” Anna could not finish her sentence, for Adrian’s sudden movement, heavy upon the wooden table had, this time, sent splinters flying in all directions and she knew he was absolutely furious as that precise moment. So, having had no option but to tame her anger, Anna stood still and motionless, once more.

“This is not about me! Will you just get it into that thick head of yours that they’ll kill you, Anna! They’ll take your head for this. They have done it so many times before, to others, to our friends, our loved ones! Why do you not fear it yourself?” This time Anna was sure she saw his eyes glittering, and a droplet of tear managed to escape from her brother’s eye before he turned his back to her and tried to hold his emotions intact. You see, he did not want to appear weak in front of his beloved little sister; his only blood relative, still alive.

“Kill me for what? I have done nothing wrong, Adrian.” She knew that persisting like this would only result in her imprisonment for a few days, before Adrian would come and call for her release; but she wanted to explain what happened this time, because this time it was different.

Adrian pounced onto the wooden table, with a great force and quick movement, squatting on hands and feet, he opened his mouth wide; a silent but vicious roar and Anna watched as her brother changed into the prominent vampire that he was known for – teeth sharpening and becoming evidently smooth; his long fingers outstretched and his complexion taking on an even whiter shade. “If you want to die and kill the rest of us; continue your selfish acts, but I swear to you, Anna. You step out of this kingdom once more, and I shall have nothing to do with you from there on; you shall be dead to me.”