FicWad

((Ok, yeah. SO, this chapter was just rated as "mary-sue". I am aware that toward the end Lucinda was all "OMG! im, lyk, so pretti! So, I decided to scrap that because the bloody coward who rated but didn't review was too scaired to tell me WHAT bothered them. My God people... there was going to be a purpose to her getting all beautiful but NOPE! Gotta get rid of that plot line.))


Chapter 6

The world had gone dark, but Lucinda was not sure for how long. It was already night when she awoke, horrified to find that she could not see. Soon though, she discovered that this was simply due to the fact that there was no light in the room, as she saw something flicker beneath the door. There was a fire going in the next room.

"So, I am not blind..." She said aloud, still wondering where on earth she was and why her head throbbed so. Suddenly, she felt very faint and dropped to the ground, leaning against a cold stone wall and cradling her heavy head in her hands.

It was so cold, wherever she was. She had never been so cold in her life. A thought suddenly came to her mind. "Am I dead?" Lucinda quickly felt her body to make sure it was still there.

In the process, her hands felt a material that seemed to glide between her fingers. It was something that she had never before come in contact with. As her mind cleared, she realized that this fabric was draped over her entire body, falling into long open sleeves and a very deep v-neck. She imagined how much skin she must be showing, and instinctively covered herself with her arms.

She froze upon hearing a noise just past the door. Lucinda decided to take a chance and scooted towards it, pressing her ear along the crack that ran that length of the bottom.

"Master...I had no idea that this was not a good time I-." One man said. He was cut off by a much smoother voice that was iced with venom.

"Ah, Liam that is where you are wrong. Any time unannounced it a bad time for visitation, and, you have brought a member of your family." The man spoke with a heavy accent. Eastern European perhaps?

Liam? What is he doing here? More importantly what am I doing here? She thought to herself.

"And why can't I remember anything?!" She hissed aloud, deeply frustrated by the fact that the last memory that she had procured was a scene which involved her and Liam eating breakfast...and something about a letter? And Rosanne! When did I see Rosanne? Is she here? All of this angered her. Lucinda loved knowing things and using them to her advantage, and when she was deprived of such knowledge it made her temper burn quickly.

She hushed her thoughts as the men, Liam to be exact, spoke again.

"My lord, master, I am terribly sorry but it seems that things did not go as planned. You have already heard of my accounts with the findings of a book from your personal library which somehow ended up in my cousin's possession." He sighed, "God knows how that happened..."

"God has no place here." The deep voice said. Every word that spilled forth from his mouth seemed like a song.

Wait...God has no place here...where have I heard that before? She thought once more.

It suddenly all came flooding back to her.

The letter from her father.
Liam not having a reflection in the mirror.
Liam finding her book.
Rosanne visiting.
Rosanne laying on the floor?
Why was Rosanne on the floor? Perhaps she had fallen.
Lucinda did not know, but her memories stopped there.

"Now then," the man with the accent spoke once more. "shall we see to your family? What is her name again?"

"Lucinda, my lord. Lucinda Branch." Liam said, his tone hollow.

"Ah, yes. She is awake, and listening to our conversation at this very moment. Follow me please."

Lucinda quickly scrambled from the door and packed into the wall, fearful of what would happen now that she had been caught eavesdropping. She remembered how angry her father had been when he had caught her listening in on a conversation with one of his business clients.

The door opened suddenly, filling the room with an orange glow. She squinted and held a hand to her eyes in response to the darkness being sucked from the room.

"Good evening Miss Branch." He rolled his "r" in such a way that it caused wintry pricks to run down her spine.

"Good evening." She rasped, suddenly embarrassed by her lack of manners. Lucinda was unable to see his face clearly, but made note that this man was tall, of slim build and dressed impeccably. She so desired to look upon his face.

He reached down, and offered his hand. "Please, allow me."

She looked dumbly at the gesture for a moment, and then outstretched her own arm, noticing in the process how the sleave of her dress hung down almost to the ground. It was not typical English fashion.

As their hands touched, Lucinda could have sworn that she had seen something flash in the man's eyes, but it vanished as soon as it came.

"Come, to where we may speak in comfort." He said in the voice that enveloped her in rapture. The man led her from the darkness, but she kept her eyes on her bare feet.

Strange...why am I not wearing shoes? She asked herself.

Lucinda's eyes traveled upwards as she entered a good sized sitting room, equipped with a blazing fireplace and piano. She saw Liam sitting upon a couch diagonal from the fire.

"Hello." Liam said with a forced smile. Lucinda merely nodded, having taken her seat.

"Well then, perhaps you are wondering why you are here?" Her apparent host asked.

She turned to meet the blue eyed gaze of the man whom she had looked upon for many months. How can it be? This is impossible! She stated, recognizing the man as a one Count Vladislaus Dracula.

"Ah, so you have read my book." He said with a beatific smile as he sat opposite the cousins in a large chair that made him seem most formidable.

Lucinda decided that it would be safe to speak, having already been addressed by the Count, she was in no worry of stepping out of bounds of her rank.

"Yes, I have." She stated with an air of indifference. The Branch manor heiress was testing the boundaries of her free speech. "But, I was unaware that it belonged to you." She added.

He smiled once more and procured the book from a side table to his left. "I presume that you did not recognize the insignia?" He traced a pale finger over the picture that was engraved upon the cover. She shook her head no, now feeling dumber than ever.

"Ah, but how could you? Such a coat of arms is not common in England."

"We are not in England?" There was an edge of panic in her voice. She had hoped for travel in the future, but now just wanted to be at home, wrapped in the warmth of her blankets and sipping some earl grey tea.

She heard Liam sigh, perhaps embarrassed at the dwindling amount of respect that she was showing the Count. Lucinda ignored him, she was quite angry at her dear cousin for not informing her that they would actually be meeting with a Count.

The Count chuckled and brushed some imaginary dust from the chest of his militaristic type jacket before answering. "No, my dear." He looked up with hooded eyes. "Welcome to Romania!" He exclaimed, now standing. As he spoke, he outstretched his arms, which seemed to have caused the crash of lightning and thunder that echoed in the distance.

She jumped at violent noise, but soon regained her poise. The Count sat once more, a satisfied smirk playing upon his lips.

Lucinda shivered, remembering what she was wearing. "It is quite cold in here, even with the fire." She muttered.

"Really? Perhaps I am accustomed to it. Liam-." Lucinda felt her cousin snap to attention, for the settee moved suddenly. "-take her to a guest room. I am done for now." The Count then dismissed Lucinda with a small bow and waltzed from the room, disappearing in the darkness.

"Yes, Master." Liam muttered as he reached for Lucinda's hand. She batted it away and stood on her own. They glared into each other's eyes before he forcibly linked arms with her and began dragging her out of the room and down a long hall.

They were silent for a few moments before Liam spoke.

"I suppose you have a right to be angry with me." He stated. Lucinda merely scoffed, but did not release her arm from his.

"Well, it's true that we are not in Kingston any longer." He brushed some hair from in front of his eyes.

They were silent for the rest of the walk, which seemed to Lucinda to take forever. Eventually, they came upon the end of a hallway and Liam took from inside his pocket a small yet intricate key that was held by an old looking gold chain. He slid it into the lock and opened the large oak door with a satisfying click.

What was revealed to Lucinda's eyes was the most magnificent bedchamber that she had ever seen. The walls were decorated with crimson and gold, the bed alone was gigantic and could have easily fit four people. The room contained many bookshelves, a rather large armoire and, to her delight, a roaring fireplace that actually made the room quite toasty and warm.

She stepped inside and twirled around, temporarily forgetting where on the earth she was.

"Liam! It's exquisite!" She exclaimed with a bright smile.

Liam returned the grin and closed the door, taking a seat on the couch that was conveniently placed right in front of the heat source. To his surprise, Lucinda came and sat upon his lap and looked him in the eyes, her expression now back to neutrality.

"Yes?" He asked.

"What am I doing here?" She stated it not as a question, but more as a fact. "Why can I not remember how I got here? What happened to Rosanne? And how is Count Dracula, who died in 1462, still alive today? Am I insane?" Her tone was increasing and tears were beginning to well up in her eyes. "And why are you doing nothing to comfort me?" She wailed. Lucinda was going through quite an exhausting range of emotions at the moment.

Liam looked upon her with hard eyes. "Do not wail at me, girl." He grasped her jaw in one hand. "You have caused me so much trouble...you know that don't you?" He did not wait for an answer.

"Go to sleep." He said as he lifted her. She was too shocked by his sudden behavior to object.

He walked her over to the bed and placed her down. He smiled twistedly and patted her hair before exiting the room and...locking the door?

Lucinda immediately climbed down from the bed and tried the knob. "Damn it!" She hissed. "This is ridiculous!" All of what had happened was almost far too much to bear.

As she was walking back to the bed, she noticed something out of the corner of her eye. She turned and came face to face with a grand mirror. Lucinda gasped at what she saw.
To her own eyes, she was no longer the stringy, frail looking young lady. Her hair was as long and strait as ever, but was much thicker and shinier. Her body had been given hips and generous, but definitely not vulgar, breasts. Her eyes seemed larger and more striking. In fact, she looked to be a thirteen year old, but to be much older.

Sadly, this mirror showed not the truth, but rather a twisted vision of vanity.

"How did this get on me in the first place?" She asked herself. Never mind that, she was much too enamored with her "new" appearance to be bothered by such trivialities.

As she stood in front of the mirror, she could feel her former self slowly draining away. The care-free tomboyish girl was almost completely gone, but she knew that some of it would remain. One cannot change completely overnight.

She sighed, now satisfied with her existence, and lay down to bed. Lucinda, still a prisioner to her frail body, dug herself deep into the plush quilts and surrounded herself in a mountain of pillows. She was asleep within moments, blissfully unaware that she was not the only one in the room.

No, she was not alone, Lucinda Branch was under careful observation.

End Chapter Six


((Ok, so, I changed it up a bit so that the mirror lies. Happy now?!?!))