The corridors of the palace all looked the same. They all ran together in my mind. Not that I was paying attention to them in the least. I was far too wrapped up in my thoughts.

This life had been mine for years. I had stopped counting them long ago. I had seen more lives than a mortal could hope for. I had seen more blood, more violence, more death. But I had rarely seen any spark of life. Living souls, yes, but not life. My children had always been born dead. All of them. I would hold them in my arms, cradle them, try to send any kind of life force I might still have into them. But the Lord, if indeed he did exist, did not allow my children the gift of life. My master would have to take the child from my arms. I never wanted to let them go. But he promised so much. Promised we would see our children live. Promised the machine would work. And we believed. Whether it was because it was the truth or merely because we wanted it to be the truth was still unseen.

I was never even allowed the privilege to see my children live for the too brief moments that my sisters had seen. Van Helsing himself robbed me of that divine moment. For that, I would be sure he paid dearly. He destroyed the only semblance of a soul I had the moment my children died. I may have been in hell, but my children deserved better than that. I would have stayed in hell if it had meant life for my children.

I was feared among the villagers. They knew my temperament and my bloodlust. They knew it well and they trembled. But they alone gave me my desired respect.

Aleera and Verona were both out doing separate missions for my lord. He also had left the manor. I was left to guard it and oversee the vampires. I knew well that anyone would have to be mad to attack the castle now. Van Helsing's companions had tried that approach once and succeeded in only spilling underling vampire blood and their own.

But my master promised we would have more children and they would live. They would live and flourish. He had promised and we had listened.

So many promises. So many words. Words just as hollow as he was. No, no, I should not let myself think that way. He is my lord and master and I love him. I do. And I am loyal. But I seem to eternally be the overlooked Bride of Vladislaus Dracula. Not the first and most beloved, not the youngest and newest. I was Marishka. I was caught in the middle. Caught in a limbo.

http://users.livejournal.com/_marishka/4917.html