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The raw passion flowing from the player of the gleaming, perfectly tuned grand piano was almost tangible as the music resonated off the gloomy stone walls of the dark Romanian castle. It had been such a relief in the past few day especially for Vlademir, as the pressure of the marriage set in and preparations for the wedding were made. His piano was a portal, so to speak, from the insanity of what he was to do today. The music filled his soul and carried him far away from the cruelty of his predicament. In using the piano as a vessel, he could forget about the arranged marriage, about his dream of meeting his true love crushed. The music affected him so that he felt he was part of it as his long, slender fingers danced across the keys.
As the lengthy, passionate piece he had been playing came to a close, Vlademir reluctantly returned to reality from the fantasy world his mind had been in and the memory of today's events rushed back into his head in a wave of depression. He listened to the last echoes of the music off the stone walls, as if drinking in every bit of it, and wondered where Nefret could be. She was probably getting ready, he told himself. He felt for Nefret even more than for himself. She was being forced to marry a Lychen. Marrying a Lychen, for a vampire, was almost on the level of ridiculous that one could laugh about it. Vampires and Lychen were not only enemies in the war that now raged, but also natural enemies, and had never trusted each other, even before the war had begun. His sister's fate had caused Vlademir more sorrow than his own, and he had tried to comfort her many times, to no avail. Yes, perhaps the marriage would make peace between the three races, but Vlademir predicted that it would cause unhappiness for Nefret for the rest of eternity.
Vlademir was certain that his own elven bride would be radiantly beautiful, as elves were known for their beauty and grace. He knew, however, that outer beauty by no means indicates a beautiful soul. Vlademir had vowed many times to himself that no matter how vile his bride was to him, he would always show her kindness. He had long thought about how she must feel, being forced to marry a killer, and he knew his duty would be to make the situation much easier for her. He had seen to it that the kitchens were stocked with the highest quality human food for her to eat and that her room was bright and cheery, so unlike the rest of the castle.
With a sigh, he rose from the piano bench, still unsure of how to deal with the situation, and strode off to find Nefret. She would surely be in distress, and would need the support of an older brother.
As the lengthy, passionate piece he had been playing came to a close, Vlademir reluctantly returned to reality from the fantasy world his mind had been in and the memory of today's events rushed back into his head in a wave of depression. He listened to the last echoes of the music off the stone walls, as if drinking in every bit of it, and wondered where Nefret could be. She was probably getting ready, he told himself. He felt for Nefret even more than for himself. She was being forced to marry a Lychen. Marrying a Lychen, for a vampire, was almost on the level of ridiculous that one could laugh about it. Vampires and Lychen were not only enemies in the war that now raged, but also natural enemies, and had never trusted each other, even before the war had begun. His sister's fate had caused Vlademir more sorrow than his own, and he had tried to comfort her many times, to no avail. Yes, perhaps the marriage would make peace between the three races, but Vlademir predicted that it would cause unhappiness for Nefret for the rest of eternity.
Vlademir was certain that his own elven bride would be radiantly beautiful, as elves were known for their beauty and grace. He knew, however, that outer beauty by no means indicates a beautiful soul. Vlademir had vowed many times to himself that no matter how vile his bride was to him, he would always show her kindness. He had long thought about how she must feel, being forced to marry a killer, and he knew his duty would be to make the situation much easier for her. He had seen to it that the kitchens were stocked with the highest quality human food for her to eat and that her room was bright and cheery, so unlike the rest of the castle.
With a sigh, he rose from the piano bench, still unsure of how to deal with the situation, and strode off to find Nefret. She would surely be in distress, and would need the support of an older brother.
[NOTE: This one is old, but I like it.]
