If someone were to look carefully in Viorica's room, by her dress underneath the chair there was a slip of paper. It was rectangular, small, and only had two words on it:

[b]CASTLE BRAN[/b]

---
Viorica woke up slowly, her eyes flinching at the bright flame in front of her. Vladimir was across from her, drinking slowly from a cup that was brought to him by a stoic fledgling who could only be a few nights old. With the orange flickering across his face that casted the illusion of emotion in Vladimir's eyes, Viorica could remember why she fell for him in the first place, but then he looked up and she realized he wasn't the same man anymore. Not since the incident, not since her mistake. The man grinned and Viorica couldn't help but flinch.

"What's the matter, Viorica?" He taunted her, his grin anything but loving.

"When I fully heal, Vladimir, I am going to slaughter you." Viorica didn't say it threateningly, but as if a fact because, to her, the elder always wins...even if she was only the elder by a fortnight.

As it was, Viorica could feel her jaw bone slowly fixing together and snapping in place. It would be days before it healed completely and, until then, all Viorica could hope is that he would not kill her yet.

"Do you really think you can defeat me?" Vladimir asked conversationally, biting into hard bread just for the act of chewing. "Do you want one?"

"No."

Viorica tried to stay awake, but she couldn't help her eyes drifting close. Everything was black.