Emilia and Sepet - the story continues

                   Emilia and Sepet          
         


         After the wedding reception, while waiting for her new husband, Emilia believes that the wedding feast wasn't intimate enough and was too short for her to enjoy being with her family.

         Her family had traveled far to see the wedding and meet her new husband, Count Sepet. During the reception, there were indications that a feast would occur; however, the meal was far from expected, and only a third of the guests ate. When the servants poured the wine, many guests received a Merlot-colored wine, while the remaining guests received champagne. When asked why everyone did not receive the celebratory drink of champagne, it's advised that a severe blood condition within the Count's family prohibits the drinking of champagne. Sepet confirmed this concern when he drank the Merlot wine as well.

         After the rushed reception was over and the bride and groom bade everyone a pleasant evening, they headed to their wing of the castle.

         "I apologize for the shortened feast. My surprise for you couldn't wait much longer."
         "You have a surprise for me, my darling? What could it possibly be? You have given me everything I could dream of." Emilia said, looking Sepet directly into his black eyes.

         "Tonight, I will give you something you have never dreamed of. I will awaken a part of you that you never dreamt was there. You will be a new person: you will be reborn."

         "Oh, Sepet. You make everything sound fantastically elegant and exciting. I don't understand what you are saying, but I want to be with you, and if being this way means I can be, then I am ready to start now. Where are the books I must study or tutors? I will make you proud of me, you'll see."

         "I am glad you are ready, for tonight you become like us."

         Before anything could register with Emilia, Sepet tenderly tilted her neck back, bared his fangs, and savagely bit the most prominent vein on her throat. Emilia weakly tried pushing Sepet away; however, he had a vice-like grip on her head and waist. Being small in stature, he quickly had most of her blood drained.

         Feeling her heartbeat growing weaker by the second, Sepet takes his dagger and slits his wrist, and holds the flowing blood over Emilia's mouth. At first, nothing happens, and the blood fills the mouth and flows outside of her dead mouth. She is rejecting his gift.

         When he hears her last heartbeat, Emilia swallows the mouthful of blood she was holding, reaches up, grabs his bleeding wrist, and starts drinking more.

         At last!

         Her birth is complete. Now, the actual feast may commence.


         "What troubles you, beloved?"

         "I miss you when you are away, and when you are here, you seem distracted. Are you growing bored of me so soon, Sepet?"

         "Of course not. I am in the process of purchasing a new property in the Romanian mountains. We need a new start, you and I. Speaking of Romania, I will return the night after tomorrow to finish the paperwork and will write you when I'm done. Be ready when I do."

         "Couldn't I come with you? I promise to stay out of your way. Please Sepet? Please?"

         "Justina - I mean Emilia! Now, look at what you have done. You have me so flustered that I have you mixed up with the secretary at the attorney's office in Transylvania. She is a comely lass who wants style and care. Nothing like you. When you come, I shall introduce you to her, and you can make her yours if you'd like."

         Emilia could tell Sepet wasn't telling her the complete truth. She had been with him for over three centuries and knew his habits well by now. She would need to meet Justina independently to see if she was as comely as Sepet stated or something entirely different.

         It took Emilia a week to reach Transylvania, traveling night and day. When able, she stopped near big cities to hunt at night, only taking what was needed. The nights there were no cities available, she would hunt with the wolves for whatever was available, always making the kill and drinking first.

         When she arrived, the sun had set. She was hungry and on edge. Her heightened senses told her there were many nearby whom she could feed on; however, she needed to be cautious and not alert anyone of her presence. It was best to lure her prey as Sepet had taught her. It was good that she was near so many pubs and the patrons were leaving.

         After luring two separate patrons down individual alleys and waiting for a third, Emilia was surprised. Coming out of one of the pubs was Sepet's confidant, Kaige. Forgetting her hunger, she followed him to where he led her. Eventually, he may lead her to Sepet or, with luck, Justina--or both.

         Stops occurred at garbage cans, drain spouts, and loose clothing on the ground occurred as she followed. She did not know what he was doing until she crept closer to see he was collecting beetles and spiders and eating them. Kaige caught a few bugs, placed them in a tin can, and placed it in his breast pocket. As he walked, he would grab his breast pocket and talk to no one in particular.

         Following Kaige was easy. He had no idea anyone would want to follow him, so he went straight to his master's location. The Chateau was a short distance from town, near the local cemetery. Kaige slowed his pace as he grew closer and started looking around nervously. Emilia knew what he was nervous about. There were wolves nearby. Fortunately for them, they were hunting other prey and not tracking them. Kaige hurried to the Chateau and knocked on the door twice before being let in.

         As Emilia got to the door, she listened for any conversation or movement. She heard nothing from within. Emilia slowly and quietly tried turning the door latch open. When she succeeded, she pushed the door open enough to allow her enough space to enter the room and closed the door behind her. What she saw was unbelievable.

         She was back at the castle. All the furnishings, pictures, hanging tapestries, busts, and even plants were identical to the castle. Emilia was baffled at what she was witnessing.

         Walking down the corridor to what should have been the ballroom where their wedding reception and the feast occurred after she was reborn, she heard a conversation from within. She recognized Sepet's voice, but there were two other voices she did not recognize.

         "Don't worry, my pet. All this confusion will soon be over, and you will have all this behind us so you can relax. Don't worry, be happy to know this." Sepet reassured someone.

         "Just having you here, Sepet, relaxes me, my love. I only wish you weren't always away so much. I worry about you when you are away. I know you have much to do during the day, and business forces you to travel for months, but I don't have to like it."

         "That is what I love about you, Justina. Your heart is so caring and loving. I always know you will be mine for eternity."

         "Kaige, have you made all the arrangements exactly as I ordered?"

         "Oh, yes, my Lord. Catering for her Lordship's family of two hundred-fifty-seven, one hundred bottles of their finest champagne, I have rented the musical instruments you requested."

         "Very good, Kaige. Your assistance has not gone unappreciated."

         "Thank you, sir. You are too kind."

         No. She loved Sepet. He belonged to her. She would fight for him, even if that meant killing Justina. She had given up too much to give him up. She would not share him with another wife.

         Emilia knew how and when to attack Justina. It would be when Sepet would be at his most vulnerable: during his death sleep. He would be completely helpless to stop her from removing Justina, and he would only find her after she was beyond him. Right now, patience is her greatest ally. She knew she needed to stay hidden until Sepet was at rest; then, she would attack Justina, drain her lifeblood, and leave her for Sepet to find.

         When sunrise came, Emilia waited for the house to grow quiet before leaving hiding. She went to Justina's room. Upon entering, seeing the young woman resting peacefully angered her. Emilia quietly approached the sleeping woman, looked at the innocent face, and remembered when she was like this before Sepet changed her to his image. Strong emotions swept through her: regret, sadness, longing, and determination. She was determined to prevent Sepet from making Justina another one of his brides and destroying her with despair, sorrow for a life lost, and eternal loneliness.

         Knowing Sepet drugged Justina to sleep throughout the day, as he did her when they were first together, Emilia knelt beside the bed and gently turned the head away from her so the neck was bared. Tenderly, with fangs extended, Emilia bit into Justina's neck as she had seen Sepet do countless times and began to feed. She was conscious of how much she took, waiting for the last bit before she stopped. Then, and only then, did she offer Justina her blood from her wrist in exchange for what she took.

         Not knowing what to expect or when it would happen, Emilia waited impatiently, unsure if the procedure was correctly completed. When she was removing her wrist from Justina's mouth, Justina grabbed Emilias's wrist and drank eagerly until Emilia forcibly removed her wrist from her grasp. There was a wild look in Justina's eyes of hunger and confusion.

         "Justina," Emilia began in the same commanding voice Sepet did years ago, "You are not an animal. Listen to me. You are of my blood. You have been given a gift. My gift. You are my . . .my. .you are my sister. We are sisters. There is a bond no one can break, not even Sepet. Do you understand?"

         Beginning to focus on Emilia, Justinia repeats slowly, "Yes, we are sisters. You gave me the gift of being your sister. No one can take that away. We are sisters forever."




Prompt: Write a story where a sidekick/supporting character steals the show away from the main protagonist.

Words: 1791