The carriage came to stop in front of the castle and Rathgar opened the carriage door extending his hand to the princess before helping her outside. The castle was much larger than she had expected and spread out over a broad expanse of snow covered woodlands blending into a thick forest that stretched away into the mountains on the horizon.
On the north side of the castle, stood the tower carved from the same dark stone as the rest of the castle. Just ahead were white marble steps that led to a portico with pillars that seemed to span the entire length of the castle. Directly in front were two massive, carved wooden doors that could only be the castle's entrance. A man stood just in front of the doors and judging by his dress and the color of his eyes, he was both a vampire and the butler. He seemed to glide rather than walk across the portico and down the steps, his face gaunt and impassive making it difficult to tell his age.
"Welcome to Senka Castle" He said in a voice as dry and lifeless as a corpse, "Your bags will be brought inside, please follow me" Without waiting for an answer, he turned and walked back towards the front doors.
Serena moved to follow the butler but she was suddenly overcome with the feeling of someone watching her from somewhere high up inside the castle. She paused, goosebumps forming on her skin as she slowly raised her eyes towards the tower but saw nothing. She shook her head, dismissing the feeling as just nerves and quickly followed the butler inside.
Inside, the walls of the castle were covered in dark wood with tapestries hanging at intervals throughout. The front hall had a high ceiling with a large glass chandelier hanging at its center and a grand marble staircase that curved upwards into a large balcony that curved around the first floor. There were doorways leading off the balcony that Serena presumed led to rooms in the different wings of the castle.
Looking around the ground floor, she noticed two corridors leading off on both sides of hall while a third corridor just in front of her and under the first floor balcony, seemed to lead to the back of the castle. The butler seemed to have disappeared somewhere while she was inspecting her surroundings and unsure what to do, Serena stood just near the stairs gazing at the portraits that hung there. The portraits were of male vampires and judging from their dress, Serena assumed that they must be of royal blood. They all seemed impossibly handsome and she wondered if there were any vampires who weren't handsome or beautiful.
"The previous kings of Senka Castle and the Shadowlands", Rathgar's voice from behind startled her from her thoughts.
"They are beautiful portraits" Serena replied honestly, as she turned towards him.
"Indeed, Victor will show you to your chambers , it is still early so you have time to bathe and rest before the wedding ceremony tonight" Rathgar informed her before turning to leave.
Serena tried to hide her surprise at learning that she would be wedded to the Vampire King tonight. She had thought the ceremony would be much later at least to give her time to recover from the difficult journey she had just endured. Thinking about the ceremony caused her thoughts to turn to the groom, she still had yet to meet him and it seemed more than likely that she wouldn't until the ceremony tonight. The strange situation she found herself in just seemed to be getting stranger.
Victor, the butler, appeared beside her almost as if materializing from thin air. Giving her a small nod to indicate that she follow him, he proceeded up the staircase. Serena followed slowly behind him but just as she reached the landing, she felt again that feeling of being watched but much stronger as if whoever it was, was much closer this time. She paused on the landing and turned to look back down the stairs but just like before, there was no one there. She stared down into the front hall just a bit longer, not sure what she was looking for before turning back and hurrying down the corridor after Victor.
Serena followed Victor down a series of long, winding corridors and two flights of stairs before reaching a set of double doors on the castle's third floor. More than once, the thought crossed her mind that perhaps the butler was deliberately trying to confuse her with these multiple twists and turns in some sadistic attempt to keep her from finding her way back out. Stopping behind the butler, she waited for him to open the doors and step back to allow her to enter.
Entering the chamber, Serena stopped and stared in shock at the sheer size and opulence of the room. Like the rest of the castle, the walls held the same dark wood panels and high ceiling but instead of stone floors, the floors were covered in polished wooden boards that brightened the entire chamber and gave it a feeling of warmth. There was a large fireplace directly opposite the huge four-poster bed, where a fire had already been lit. In front of the fireplace on the floor was a thick, grey fur rug and surrounding this were two armchairs and a sofa.
The bed was made from the same dark wood as the walls with each post and the headboard and canopy carved in intricate designs which seemed to move and come to life under the light from the fireplace. Gauzy white curtains hung suspended from the canopy, a perfect contrast to the black and silver sheets on the bed. At the foot of the bed was a thick white fur blanket that made Serena want to run her fingers through it just to feel its softness against her bare skin. On the far side of the rooms, opposite the doors were steps that led up to the balcony, visible through the curtains which had been pulled back slightly to allow the pale winter sunlight into the room.
"Are these my chambers?", Serena asked as she turned back to face Victor, who had been standing quietly behind the princess, watching her reaction with an expressionless face.
"These are the King's chambers, Your Highness, after tonight they will also be yours. Your maids, Inga and Kara are waiting outside to attend to you", Victor replied.
Serena couldn't help the feeling of dread that settled in the pit of her stomach at the thought of sharing a bed with the Vampire King. Up until now she had pushed aside these thoughts, focusing only on preparing for the journey that brought her here. Victor's words felt like a splash of cold water on her face, sending icy chills up and down her spine. Perhaps the King would not find her attractive enough to entertain such thoughts, after all this wasn't a conventional marriage but one that was politically motivated. Holding to this thought, Serena waited patiently for the maids to enter.
As Victor exited the room, two maids entered, their heads lowered as they curtsyed before the princess. The older of the two stepped forward and keeping her eyes downcast introduced herself, "Your Highness, I am Inga and this is Kara, we are here to bathe and dress you. Please follow me to your bath chamber"
Serena nodded and followed Inga to a door just adjacent to the entrance that she previously hadn't noticed. The bath chamber was just as luxurious as the rest of the room with a huge circular bath tub, the size of a small pool, set in the marble floor and steps that descended into the water. Around the walls of the chamber were floor to ceiling glazed glass windows that allowed light to filter through from outside while still maintaining privacy inside.
The maids moved to undress her but she firmly informed them that she would bathe herself, only allowing Inga to untie her corset before leaving the bath chamber. Serena winced in pain, tears stinging her eyes as she removed the corset while biting back a gasp of pain. Looking at her body she saw purple and blue bruises where the corset had pinched her skin. Gingerly removing the rest of her clothes, she stepped into the bath tub and sat just below the steps where the water was not so deep. She took her time, gently soaping her body and washing her hair, letting the warm water soothe her aches and pains.
When she was done bathing, Serena stepped back into the bed chamber where Inga and Kara waited to dress her. As she would be taking her meal in her chambers before resting, the maids dressed her in a simple, pale blue dress while her waist-length black hair was braided into a single braid that hung down her back.
After she finished her meal and the maids were clearing the table, Serena moved toward the bed before she was stuck by a disturbing thought. Feeling slightly self-conscious, Serena waited for Kara to leave the room before she voiced the question that had been weighing in the back of her mind, "Where is the King?"
"His Majesty is busy overseeing the preparations for the ceremony tonight", Inga answered while continuing to clean the table.
"Will he be returning to his chambers before the ceremony?", Serena probed, trying to keep the anxiety from her voice.
"I do not know, Your Highness, but it is considered bad luck to see the bride before the ceremony so I don't expect that you will see him before then", Inga smiled reassuringly before leaving the chamber.
Just before she closed the door, she called out softly to the princess, "You should get some rest Your Highness, it will be a long night"
Serena stood undecided by the bed before finally making up her mind to lie down for a bit, certain that she would be unable to sleep in her new surroundings. With that thought, she lay on top of the covers, not bothering to cover herself. However, the journey had taken its toll on her and her body betrayed her, falling asleep as soon as her head touched the soft pillows. Her breathing became deep and even as she drifted into a deep and dreamless sleep.
The time of the ceremony drew near and as the sun began its slow descent to the horizon, the maids began preparing to wake the princess to get her ready. But just before Inga and Kara could begin to ascend through the castle, a figure entered the room where the princess slept and stood by door, hidden in the shadows cast by the flames from the fireplace.
Resisting the urge to see his bride's face, Ivar made his way to the bath chamber to bathe before returning to the bedroom to change into his ceremonial dress for the wedding. He moved silently through the room, his movements sure and unhurried.
Fully dressed, Ivar moved towards the bed and looked down at the sleeping form curled up on his bed. In her sleep, she'd thrown her arm up across her face obscuring all but her slightly parted lips. The braid had come loose as she slept and her silky, black hair was spread out over the pillow like a pair of raven's wings. Just as Ivar thought to gently lift her arm from her face, he heard the sound of the maids coming down the corridor leading to his chambers. Lifting the fur blanket from the bottom of the bed, Ivar gently covered Serena before striding to the balcony. At the balcony doors Ivar turned and clicked his fingers causing all the candles in the room to be lit then, taking one last look at his sleeping bride, he turned and strode out to the balcony. Stepping up onto the ledge in one fluid movement, he stepped off into the air without a backward glance.