As we reached the edge of the forest, it became obvious that what under the thickly grown trees had looked like a gentle snowfall out in the open was an oncoming blizzard. It was getting windier by the minute and snowing so heavily that I couldn't see the castle anywhere and had to follow Junior closely and blindly across the meadow.

I thought we had lost our Shadow somewhere on the way until we reached the castle's gate, and I noticed the two knights standing there start suddenly at the sight of the wolf walking past them.

They really are scared of wolves, I thought, jumping off the horse and passing the reins over to a groom who materialised out of the dark corners of the windswept courtyard. I patted Frost's neck one last time and looked at Shadow, who sat patiently at my feet.

Seeing that the wolf had no intentions to leave, I asked Junior, "May I take him inside?"

He looked at me, eyebrows raised in do-you-really-have-to-do-this look, but only said, "This is your house, Samara. You can do whatever you want." Junior dismounted his horse as well and paused to talk to the groom.

I ran to the door, suddenly too impatient to be inside. It is evening now, would he be back already? I was halfway up the stairs, Shadow at my heels, when it occurred to me that Junior might have stayed outside to ask just that of the groom. I turned round in time to see the man shaking his head. I couldn't hear his words above the howling of the wind, but I could see the response forming on his lips clearly in the flickering light of the torch he was holding. No. His Highness has not returned yet.

Junior's eyes found mine across the large hall dimly lit by a few torches mounted on the walls, their tall flames swaying in the wind coming through the open door. He shrugged in a silent apology.

Suddenly, my coat seemed to weigh a ton, and my shoulders slumped under its heaviness. The snow covering me from head to toe had melted, and now I was wet through and shivering, not only because of the cold. Why is he not back yet? This wasn't the kind of night to spend outside, in the open.

"Will you come with me in the kitchen? You must eat something," Junior said, walking towards me across the hall. "Or shall I send someone up with your dinner? Do you prefer to eat alone?"

"No, don't w-worry. I'll come down. Just let me get c-changed, I'm c-cold." My lips trembled so much that I was stammering.

"I guess I should do the same. Otherwise, Cook won't let me in her kitchen, drenched like this," he said, smiling.

As he reached me, where I stood on the stairs, I saw a drop of water running down the bridge of his nose and reached out to wipe it away with a trembling hand. He took my hand in his and gave it a gentle squeeze.

"He will be alright," he promised, "you mustn't worry."

"I k-know," I said, teeth chattering, hoping to sound optimistic.

We climbed the stairs together, walked down the corridor, then stopped outside my room.

"My chamber is the last one on this floor. Don't hesitate to come or send someone should you need anything."

"Thank you," I managed to say, lips twitching at seeing the reaction of the two guards positioned by my door to Shadow's attention to their feet.

The wolf seemed intent on storing away all new smells for future reference, particularly those of vampires.

Junior laughed, patting Shadow bravely on his head. "I'll see you in the kitchen then. Bring your new friend, I want to see Ioan's face when he sees him," he said, nodding to the wolf, then retreated down the corridor, still chuckling.

I took a deep breath and opened the door of my room carefully. Katerina was not there, I noticed peeking inside. Good. I knew exactly what she would say should she see me like this, I didn't need to hear it. I walked inside preceded by Shadow, shut the door, and rushed towards the fireplace. Taking my drenched coat off quickly, I spread it over the bench and patted my dress. It wasn't too bad, really, just a bit damp; the thick wool of my coat had trapped most of the water. But I had to get changed anyway, unless I wanted to catch a cold.

Still trembling, I walked into my dressing room. Luckily, Katerina always kept a couple of dresses spread out over the wooden chests, ready to wear. In the dim light that found its way here from my chamber, I shed my damp clothes and removed my wet shoes. I grabbed the closest dress I could reach and tiptoed back to my much brighter and warmer chamber.

When Katerina entered the chamber, I was dressed, seated by the fire, my damp hair loose and drying up slowly, and my slippered feet stretched as close to the burning embers as I dared.

Shadow, spread out luxuriously by the hearth, raised his furry head momentarily, but not finding the old woman as interesting as some other inhabitants of the castle promptly went back to sleep.

"Is he back yet?" I asked before she could say anything. Someone must have told her in which condition I had come back because she wore a deep frown on her face and carried a steaming cup on a small silver tray.

I was only interested in the latter.

"I will have to have a word with the young lord, I think. He mustn't bring you back like this..." she started.

"I think not, Katerina. You won't tell him anything. This was as much my fault as his," I said, reaching for the cup.

At least I had stopped shivering. If she had seen me when I arrived, I would be in real trouble.

"Is my husband back?" I repeated after I took a sip of the warm spiced wine, feeling its heat spread through my body.

"But he didn't even bring you in for lunch..."

"Katerina!" She was the most exasperating person in the whole world.

I stood up, slammed the cup down on its tray spilling half of its contents, and made for the door leading towards Vlad's chamber. If she wasn't going to tell me, I would find out on my own. I reached the library before she caught up with me, a candle glowing in her hand. It was dark and cold, and so was Vlad's chamber.

"Katerina, I want someone to come at once and light a fire in here. It's snowing outside; he will be freezing when he comes back!"

"But his lordship might not be back tonight, my lady."

"He will," I said, trying to persuade myself as much as her. "Just do as I say. Please." Seeing his chamber so dark and cold was unsettling.

"Very well, I'll send someone to attend to it. But you must come to dinner now."

Seeing my mood, she wisely kept her opinion about my wolf behind her tightly closed lips. She didn't even object to my bringing him into the kitchen.

When we reached the kitchen everybody was already there-- Junior, Cook, Clara and Ioan. Shadow made a beeline for Ioan, as he was the only vampire present the wolf hadn't met so far. From the expression on his face, it was obvious that he would have jumped if Clara wasn't sitting on his lap. She jumped at seeing me, though, embarrassed.

"Please, stay, don't mind me," I told her.

I didn't understand why she should feel shy in front of me if she didn't seem to mind her grandmother seeing them like this.

Cook was seated opposite them, beaming at the couple. It was obvious that the old woman liked Ioan as much as her granddaughter. Seeing that at least one member of Clara's family approved of Ioan made me feel happy.

"Thank you, my lady," Ioan said when I joined them at the table, sitting next to Junior. "Vlad told me that you spoke to Clara's father," he continued, nodding towards his friend.

"Don't worry, it was nothing," I told him. "Did they find you a chamber?" I asked Clara, looking towards Katerina and Cook as they left the room to bring our dinner.

"I'll be staying with my grandmother for the moment," the girl replied, blushing. She had a nice, sweet voice, I noticed. "Excuse me, my lady," she said, then ran off suddenly, following Cook's voice calling her from another room.

That left Ioan free to make friends with Shadow. The wolf put his head on Ioan's lap, looking up at him with his large, yellow eyes. Ioan glanced from me to Junior, then patted the wolf's head with an unsure hand. Junior growled silently at my side, and Ioan jumped, startling me and Shadow equally.

"You!" Ioan shouted at his friend who was rolling with laughter at my side. I tried to keep my face composed, but it wasn't easy, looking at them. Soon, I would explode in a fit of giggles.

Ioan looked around the table in search of something to throw at Junior and finding nothing suitable he started to remove one of his shoes. Fortunately, at that precise moment, the three women came back laden with trays and called us to order.

"That's enough! Behave, you two!" Katerina commanded.

I was impressed by the effect she seemed to have on everyone in the castle. Ioan sat back down, Junior removed his arms from around his head and straightened up, and Shadow wisely retreated to the hearth. I stopped giggling.

I thought I wouldn't be able to eat, worried as I was, but Junior and Ioan made me relax enough to take a few bites of some meat-filled pastry and as the evening progressed, drink a couple of cups of warm mead.

Even the wolf had been fed, Cook and Clara seemed to have fallen in love with him at first sight.

It was near midnight, Cook's candle clock informed me, when I finally managed to convince my companions that I was tired and ready to go to bed. There was still no sign of Vlad, and I found myself looking towards the door repeatedly in hopeful expectation. Soon, they would notice, and I didn't want to spoil their good mood. They just didn't seem to worry.

Clara was staying with her grandmother and Katerina in the kitchen to help. After she said her goodnight to us and to Ioan, he and Junior escorted me and Shadow to my chamber.

When I refused their offer to keep me company, they left me there and retreated down the corridor towards Junior's room noisily, ready for another game of cards. I shook my head as I followed them with my look; they really didn't need to sleep. But for me it was late.

I entered my chamber and promptly regretted my decision. I should have gone with them. There was no way I was going to fall asleep here, alone.

The room seemed somewhat bigger and dismal this late at night, quiet like a tomb. If Vlad was here, we would be talking by the fire or lying cuddled under the blankets and furs of my bed now. Not helpful, I scolded myself when this thought was followed by a sharp pang in my heart. I missed him.

Even Shadow gave up on me. The wolf left me musing by the door and headed for the fireplace, where he stretched and turned around a few times, then went to sleep.

I walked over to the little table between the windows. The water in the basin was freezing,  but I washed my face and teeth anyway, postponing the inevitable. Brushing my hair, I looked at my bed reflected in the mirror. Despite feeling tired, I found the sight uninviting. The last two nights, I fell asleep gathered in Vlad's arms, and now, when I was left alone, the bed looked vast and cold...

I sat by the fireplace to collect sufficient courage to face my bed. The fire was burning low, and everything was eerily quiet. The castle around me seemed to be alive and breathing with small sounds usually inaudible during the day-- the settling of stone in its walls, the crack of old wood in the furniture, the silent hiss of the low flames... Watching the orange flames with their strangely blue hearts embracing and kissing the glowing embers before devouring them finally made me feel sleepy enough to stand up and drag myself to bed.

I unlaced my dress and let it drop to the floor, then crawled under the blankets. The bed was cold. Shivering, I wrapped my arms around myself tightly for warmth and for the illusion that I wasn't all alone. It didn't help much but I was exhausted and after some restless tossing, turning, and searching for a comfortable position, I started drifting off to sleep, curled around Vlad's pillow, redolent of him.