Tears can Blind you… Smiles can break you…
Chapter 11
You felt darkness surround you. She was you... Well almost you. The only difference was that she had copper colored hair where yours was solid black. You felt faint. That couldn't be you... could it? You had lost all of your memories... But looking at this picture triggered no memories within you. You found yourself in Strahd's arms as he kneeled and held just before you hit the floor.
"Is that... me?" You whispered never taking your eyes from the picture.
Strahd looked pained as he cradled you to his chest. "Yes... in a way... That is you. My beloved..."
*Beloved...?* You thought. *No... He's so... cruel. He's o evil. How could I possibly love him?* You kept your thoughts to yourself though, not caring whether he read your thoughts or not. He wouldn't lie... And he had the picture to prove it.
"Come," he said softly lifting you up to your feet and leading you back to the study. "There is a lot I must explain..."
You collapsed into a chair, your head whirling with thoughts and questions. If only you could remember...
Strahd sat beside you and held your hand gently.
"A long time ago..." He started his voice still filled with pain. "I fell in love with a beautiful girl named Tatyana. I found her in Barovia, the village outside of this castle. She was perfection... I fell in love with her instantly, and in very little time I brought her to the castle to meet my family. Unfortunately that was my downfall, for when my brother saw her he grew jealous and tried to steal her away from me, claiming I was too old for her. My parents, in agreence with him arranged for her to marry him instead of me. My heart was broken and I went on a quest to find a way to make her mine. On that quest however I was turned into a vampire as you see me now. When I returned to Tantyana she was fearful of me and on the day of the wedding she fled from me as I tried to embrace her and fell from the cliff off the side of the castle. Everyone in fear of me fled the castle and I was left alone for many years. But..." he looked up into your eyes, his own filled with tears and agony. "She returned to me... She was reborn many times, but each time I was so close to having her she would be killed or die. Always was she taken away from me... And then for a couple hundred years I could not find her in any form. I searched and searched using all the magic I know, until I got so desperate I started to search in other worlds. And that's where I found you... So I brought you here to stay with me. So I could always have you and protect you."
You were silent for many long moment trying to understand it all. You came from another world...? "Did I have a family...? Did I have friends...? Did I have a life of my own? How could you take that away from me?" You asked pulling your hand harshly away from him and standing up.
"You did," he said then quickly added, standing up and trying to gather you in his arms, "But you were miserable. I couldn't stand seeing you in pain... I wanted to make sure that you would never hurt again. And if you stay with me I will make sure it is so." He took your hands in his own, pleading you to stay with his eyes as you looked into them.
But you stepped back and away from him. "I need to lay down," you said, your voice barely above a whisper and ran away from him, leaving him in heartache.
"Is that... me?" You whispered never taking your eyes from the picture.
Strahd looked pained as he cradled you to his chest. "Yes... in a way... That is you. My beloved..."
*Beloved...?* You thought. *No... He's so... cruel. He's o evil. How could I possibly love him?* You kept your thoughts to yourself though, not caring whether he read your thoughts or not. He wouldn't lie... And he had the picture to prove it.
"Come," he said softly lifting you up to your feet and leading you back to the study. "There is a lot I must explain..."
You collapsed into a chair, your head whirling with thoughts and questions. If only you could remember...
Strahd sat beside you and held your hand gently.
"A long time ago..." He started his voice still filled with pain. "I fell in love with a beautiful girl named Tatyana. I found her in Barovia, the village outside of this castle. She was perfection... I fell in love with her instantly, and in very little time I brought her to the castle to meet my family. Unfortunately that was my downfall, for when my brother saw her he grew jealous and tried to steal her away from me, claiming I was too old for her. My parents, in agreence with him arranged for her to marry him instead of me. My heart was broken and I went on a quest to find a way to make her mine. On that quest however I was turned into a vampire as you see me now. When I returned to Tantyana she was fearful of me and on the day of the wedding she fled from me as I tried to embrace her and fell from the cliff off the side of the castle. Everyone in fear of me fled the castle and I was left alone for many years. But..." he looked up into your eyes, his own filled with tears and agony. "She returned to me... She was reborn many times, but each time I was so close to having her she would be killed or die. Always was she taken away from me... And then for a couple hundred years I could not find her in any form. I searched and searched using all the magic I know, until I got so desperate I started to search in other worlds. And that's where I found you... So I brought you here to stay with me. So I could always have you and protect you."
You were silent for many long moment trying to understand it all. You came from another world...? "Did I have a family...? Did I have friends...? Did I have a life of my own? How could you take that away from me?" You asked pulling your hand harshly away from him and standing up.
"You did," he said then quickly added, standing up and trying to gather you in his arms, "But you were miserable. I couldn't stand seeing you in pain... I wanted to make sure that you would never hurt again. And if you stay with me I will make sure it is so." He took your hands in his own, pleading you to stay with his eyes as you looked into them.
But you stepped back and away from him. "I need to lay down," you said, your voice barely above a whisper and ran away from him, leaving him in heartache.