Ch 4- Memory Lane

Caralina found the foyer easily.

As a child and young adult, she used to come with her father and other nobles on business. Well, it was supposed to be business, before long it turned into social time.

In fact, it was on one of these business trips that she had met Dracula for the first time. Well, technically she had met him when she was a baby, but how was she supposed to remember.

(Flashback)

She was two years old. Her mother and father were bringing here because they thought she should be more social. She may only be two years old, but she could speak full words with perfect clarity. They thought she should use it to the best of her ability.

It was not her fault she did not like to talk all that much. She was extremely shy.

Her parents had dressed her in an adorable white dress. She hated the way the dress made her feel like she stood out from the crowd.  They had dress her like this because today, all of the nobles were greeting the queen for the first time. This was the only reason her mother was coming.

The queen and king had been married for four years now, but she had never made herself known. Her reason behind it was wanting to waiting until both she and her son were ready. Now that he was three, she thought it was time.

All of the other nobles were in line, waiting to meet the queen and young prince. Anxiety hung in the air around just about everyone but her parents. They were not ones to be afraid of royalty.

"Why do you not go and play with the other children while we greet the queen and her son?" her mother said, kneeling down to better look her daughter in the eye.

Caralina looked over at the other children playing outside the doors and in the grass. She simply looked up at her mother and shook her head. Caralina did better in crowds of her elders than with people her own age.

"May I greet the queen and the young prince as well?" Caralina asked politley.

Her parents exchanged worried looks. It was not their daughters manners they were worried about, but their daughter in general.

The previous queen had been interrupted during a speech by a crying child and thought it as an act of treason. She had tried to have the child beheaded, but the king had refused to let that happen. So, the queen settled with banning children from the castle in general. Unless it was her own children, of course.

Her parents were afraid how the queen would react to their daughter.

Her mother looked up at her father and smiled. It took him a moment, but he smiled as well.

"I suppose that would be alright. Afterwards, though, you must promise to go and play with the other children," her mother said.

"I promise," Caralina replied. They knew when their daughter kept promises when she made them.

"That is our little Bubblebee," her father said, smoothing out the hair on his daughters head.

They took their place at the back of the line. After a long wait, it was their turn.

Since they were last in line, all eyes were on them.

They were about to take their daughters hand, when she stepped away her parents and walked up to the steps.

All eyes were now on Caralina. Even the children stopped what they were doing to watch.

She curtsied before the king and elder prince as was customary. She received a smile and a nod from the king. The elder prince simply sneered.

She then looked over at the queen and did the most shocking thing to everyone who know she was shy. She smiled.

"Welcome to the kingdom, Your Magesty," Caralina said, curtsying.

The queen said nothing for a moment.

Caralina's parents became worried.

Then, the queen returned her smile.

"Thank you very much, young lady," the queen said.

Her parents gave a sigh of relief.

Caralina then turned her attention to the young prince.

He had long black hair that reached down to the middle of his back. He had a bone structure that showed he would be tall, like his father. He had pale skin with a little color here and there. His eyes were the most beautiful shade of purple she had ever seen.

She would have been measmurized, if appearances meant anything to her.

She smiled at the prince as well and curtsied.

"Welcome to the kingdom, Your Highness," Caralina said.

The look the young prince was giving her almost made her shrink away in fear, but she kept a brave face. It was not that the look he was giving her was fearfull, if was that she felt as if he were seeing straight into her soul.

"Dracula, what do you say to the young lady?" the queen asked.

"Thank you," the young prince, Dracula, said, remembering his mannors.

Caralina smiled before the royal family once more and walked back to her parents.

Her parents then stepped forward and said their greetings.

After that, everyone went back to what they were doing, some even talking about the young girl brave enough to speak to the queen.

"May I go and play with the children now?" Caralina asked, making sure to keep her promise.

"Of course," her father said.

Their daughter walked off toward the other children, her light, golden curls bouncing as she did.

"Mother?" Dracula whispered from his seat at the right of his mother.

"Yes, dear?" she answered.

"May I go and play with the other children too?" he asked.

"You want to go and play with the commoners?" his  half-brother, Aristotle, asked from the right side of their father.

"Yes," Dracula answered, not afraid of his elder brother.

"Of course you may," his mother answered sweetly.

"Thank you, mother," he replied.

Dracula stood and walked down the steps. After he got to the bottom of the stairs, people parted way and bowed to the young prince as he passed.

Outside, Dracula scanned the crowd of noisy children playing tag or something of that nature. Then, he saw the girl he was looking for.

Caralina could be seen sitting in the windowed arch of the walkway by the garden, reading a book she had snuck with her.

Dracula wondered why she was by herself. Surely a young girl such as herself who had stood before the royal family, by herself and unafraid, was brave enough to talk with a bunch of children.

The truth was, she had tried to talk to the other children, but they were all afraid of her now. Someone who was brave enough to face the royal family as she had was definitly someone to be feared, to them anyway.

He looked back at the crowd of children when he realized they had gone quite. They were all starring at him, awestruck that the young prince had come outside.

He shot them a look that made them all go pale and back away.

He walked over to Caralina and looked down at her. He did so until she finally looked up from her book.

When she realized who it was, she closed her book and looked back up. She blushed and looked down. He was looking at her with such intensity.

She cleared her throat, looked back up, and asked, "May I help you, Your Highness?"

"Why are you not playing with the other children?"  Dracula asked, ignoring her question.

"I do not do well in crowds of people my own age. I am only out here because I made a promise to my parents," Caralina answered.

"I see," he replied.

"If you do not mind my asking, Your Highness, but why are you out here?" Caralina asked.

It was his turn to blush and look away.

"I wanted to talk with you," he answered.

The truth was, he was just as shy as she was. However, he would tolerate the other children if he could just talk with the pretty girl with the golden hair.

Her eyes widened in surprise.

"Oh. Well, I am honored by Your Highnesses pressence," she said, bowing her head.

"You do not have to pretend you like me if you do not want to," he said.

"I am not prentending. It is nice to finally have someone my age I can actually talk to," she corrected.

Shock crossed his face before he recomposed himself.

"What is your name?" Dracula asked.

"Caralina. Caralina of the Baskerville Family," she answered.

He was surprised, to say the least, at hearing her name. He kept it to himself, however.

"Caralina, it is time to go," they heard her mother call out.

"I am sorry, I must go. It was a pleasure to meat you, Your Highness," Caralina said, standing and curtsying. He bowed to her.

She was walking away when she heard him say, "Dracula."

"Pardon?" she asked, turning back.

"Dracula. Please, from now on, refere to me as Dracula," he said, looking her dead in the eye. She gave him a look he was used to recieving when people heard his name. "I know, it is a strange name."

"No, I like it. Dracula, meaning 'Son of the Dragon.' It has power to it," she corrected. His face had a mixture of shock and surprise written all over it. "It was nice to meet you."

"We have meet before." It was his turn to correct her now.

"We have?" she asked.

"A day or so after you were born, your parents brought you to the castle for a blessing. That was the true day we met."

She smiled at him.

"I am glad I was able to see you again then."

She turned and left. Had she stayed for a few seconds longer, she would have seen the small smile on his lips. It scared the nobles when he walked back into the thrown room.

(End of Flashback)

From that day on, whenever her father went to the castle or whenever Dracula's father came over, either one would follow.

She sighed to herself.

The meetings had stopped happening since the war started.

The only reason Dracula had been at her parents house was so he could see her. He had planned on surprising her at her window. They had not seen each other in months.

When he arrived, however, he saw Alaric walking up to house and around the side.

By the time he got into the house, it had been too late to save her parents and sister. He just barely made it in time to save her. Alaric had grown fast in his 'work.'

Caralina stood when she heard footsteps coming into the foyer.

She turned, expecting to see Dracula. He was standing there alright, with his mother at his side.

"Caralina," the queen said, smiling.

"Your Majesty," Caralina said, curtsying quickly.

"Please, Caralina, call me Helena," Helena corrected.

(Authors Note)

Okay, not my best chapter, I know. But I wanted to show what they were like as children and how they, technically, first met.

And I know the adult Dracula didn't get to say anything, but he will have a much bigger part in the next chapter!

Also, what will Helena, the queen, say to Caralina staying there? Will she be angry?

Find out next chapter!

Thanks for reading!

P.S. Finally found a picture I can use for Caralina!!! Took me FOREVER!!! I'll post it next chapter! The picture to the right is the queen.

Until next time.