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"And just who and what are you?" Vlad did not see polite and somewhat lordly, rather like he had behaved when I had first land And I aood answer, Lady Glynis Wright Now sit down"

I obeyed, aze full on, ht and shrewd I watched hi to ascertain how I should respond to this bizarre foreign man

"I called you here because it is important that you understand certain aspects of our existence We are Vaers if they defy us, whomever pleases us You are noife, my Bride I expect you to act as such You are not allowed to leave the castle grounds without my permission I hold you here under ether in the tombs in the chapel unless I otherwise allow I expect you to dress appropriately In England, you may dress this way In my home, you will dress as I please And this," he motioned to my dress, "does not please me"

"I do not want to be here," I stated firmly "I want to return home"

"I forbid it The matter is settled I am your Master, the Brides are your sisters, and this is your ho my dear departed father "Now, may I be excused?"

Vlad studied reen eyes before was beginning to groithin their emerald depths It made me vastly uncomfortable and I suddenly wanted to escape back to the Brides’ chambers

"Have Cneajna and Ariana dress you as you were I will have none of this Englishness in o" Vlad pointedly returned to his reading

I stood up and tossed htily, I strode from the room To my surprise, I heard hi back to the Brides’ cha quite contrary and did not want to obey him At the same time, I knew if I pushed him too far, violence would surely befall me Honestly, all I truly wanted was a few precious mo at the s gazing down at the river that cuts through the gorge below our castle Ariana and Cneajna were sorting through so softly

"Vlad says I arieved by your appearance?" Cneajna looked at hed "I think you look rather pretty"

I frowned and stomped my foot "He is such a bastard However do you stand him?"

Elina turned sharply toward me "He is our husband You best remember that"

"Bah!" I wavedtheir shocked expressions, I frowned evenabout it But at this an to disrobe, re once ht "I like my clothes Why ever does he want us to dress like we do? It is utter nonsense"

"The Master spent tiued by the fe fil as slave women! I should have known It is utterly preposterous"

Ariana giggled and wrapped an ornate belt around hty"

I stomped my foot and tossed hty and wearthan dash about in this ridiculous costume" As I spoke, Cneajna laid a heavy necklace around my neck and placed bracelets around my pale wrists

"Well, I think you look lovely either way," Cneajna said soothingly

Elina whirled about "Must you always be such a ridiculous creature! He dresses us as his Brides" She flung out her hands, the jewels adorning her rings and bracelets flashing in the firelight "He made us his Princesses Before this I was hter I reer of profits I reer and the filth we lived in I rereatest Wallachian warrior of all tion, the Impaler!"

I was shocked at the vehemence in her voice "Impaler? Whatever does that mean?"

Elina drew close toblack raven hair gleareat man He destroyed his ene er welled up inside of me as I stepped defiantly toward her "He is a sadistic ive hione!"

Ariana and Cneajna stood in silence, their eyes wide, not sure what to do or say I could feeltoward Elina I could feel hers scalding lared at each other

"He is your Master! And mine!"

"I would rather die!"

"Maybe you should!"

I smirked at her "Really? What would your dear Master say if you killed rateful for what he has done for you"

"Youme into ait felt to fully become a vampire I remember how I loved the way my body transformed and the power that rose up inside ofan eyebrow "You think hts Afraid of what you are Afraid to feed Afraid to be what you are Your reticence is weakness and I abhor weakness Why the Master desires you, such a pathetic weakling, is beyond my comprehension Not when he hasmore than to fulfill his wishes" With a faint hiss, she turned away in disgust

"That is why you are weak," I said to her back, then sat down on a chair I began to paw through the jewelry box on the table

"I will destroy you," Elina hissed, taking a step toward rabbed hold of Elina, pulling her away into the shadows

Ariana sat down next to an to hand s studded with fine jewels

"Elina is not very fond of you," she said

"I noticed" I stared down at s and decorative bracelets res I had seen of the ladies in the exotic lands of the East Our goere n look I ss as dresses and jewelry I had to concentrate on hoas going to escape this hell

Cneajna returned froht smile on her face "How does she look?"

"Oh, so pretty! Just like one of us!" Ariana leapt to her feet and whirled around, her dress flowing out around her pretty little ankles "Noe can teach her to dance!" Her hips swayed seductively side to side as her arh the air