The Vampire and I

All rights reserved.

Copyright © RaddyMaddy

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On a cold winters day, both Mitch and Zola were roaming around the mansion, in search for their master. They searched the library, the green house, the ballroom, his chamber, and every spare room, but the master was nowhere to be found.

"Oh where could he be?" Mitch murmured. Zola followed behind him, catching her breath in the process.

"Goodness knows, we searched every corner of the mansion. I'm being to wonder if he's not in the mansion at all?!" Zola proclaimed. Mitch saw something that caught his eye as he used his sleeve to whip away the foggy, frosty tinted windows. As the small part of the window was whipped clean to get a better view of the courtyard, Mitch spotted his master wandering around alone.

"There he is!" Mitch shouted excited. "No time to waste, we got to find a way to get them together! Let's go!" He said as both of the servants began running again to find their mistress.

"Do you really think she's the one to break the spell?" Zola questioned.

While running, Mitch turned to Zola with the most pleasant expression he had shown in years since he had came to serve in the mansion. "I knew it from the moment I first laid eyes on her! If there's anyone who can reach the master, it's Alina for sure! Such a kind soul!, and her looks don't hurt either!" Both of them burst out laughing as they continued running down the empty hallway in search of Alina.

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Alina was casually strolling through the hallway; it was a good past time for her when she felt like not reading or sewing like she normally would. Alina was wearing a dark blue gown with gold and orange flower patterns on her sleeves, and lower front part of her gown, and large ruffles behind her. Her orange curly hair was tied up in a casual bun. Her bright tan shoes clicked with each step she took echoes through the mansion until she heard other footsteps behind her; Alina turned around to find both Zola and Mitch catching their breaths.

"Good morning, mistress." Zola greeted her with a bow as Mitch followed the same.

"Good morning to you too, Zola and Mich." Alina replied softly. "Mitch, do you know what day it is?"

Both Mitch and Zola looked at each other in confusion. "Well...it's not...Tuesday?" Alina giggled politely.

"No silly. Today's December 24th...the day before Christmas-"

"And what a lovely day it is...a wonderful day for a morning stroll or go ice skating." Mitch lightly grabbed Alina's hand, guided her to the back door where it lead to the back courtyard. Alina grabbed an pair of ice skates while Mitch gladded placed a dark brown fur coat with a sky blue scarf.

"Spasibo, ser." Alina said as she opened the door to be greeted with the cold frosty chill of winter breeze lightly hinting her cheeks as hey began to grow rosy red.

Suddenly, Alina spotted Vlad walking along the ice covered pound, lost in thought. "Oh, good morning Vlad." Alina said as Vlad was drawn out of deep thought, but while he was distracted the ice caused Vlad to lose control, and crash landed on the ice. Right on his behind. Alina gasped, ran toward him to see if he was alright. "Oh dear! Are you alright?" Alina grabbed ahold onto Vlad's arm, carefully lifting him off the ground.

"I...fell and...landed on my...o-on the ice." Vlad proclaimed, trying not to look at Alina as his entire face went bright red from embarrassment. If he could die, he would die from embarrassment.

"It's pretty slippery, huh?"

"Yea...it's...slippery." Vlad grumbled. Alina went over to the bench to tie her ice skates.

"This is a prefect day to of skating." After putting them on, Alina gracefully began skating. This reminder her, when she was a child when her father would take her skating in a empty part of the woods, were it was just the two of them. Just how she liked it. Alina turned to see Vlad still in the same spot, she held out her hand toward him. "Come on!" She giggled.

Vlad was too prideful to admit that he doesn't know how to skate. He has skated in many year since the death of his parents. He hesitated a bit, looked over to his servant as they were both smiling. "Go on, master. It will be fun!" Mitch said. Taking in a deep breath Vlad pushed himself forward, but starting to slip when Alina came over to his side, grabbed his hand.

"One foot at a time, okay. Come on, let's do it together." Vlad nodded as he let Alina teach him.

Once Vlad got the hang of things, he smirked mischief as he snuck up behind Alina, grabbed her by the waist. Alina squeaked as Vlad had his face pressed against her cold cheeks, turning them warm. His hand was hold her gloved hand while his other was resting against her waist, drawing her close to him, closing the space between them.

They stared into each other eyes when they didn't noticed a creak in the ice, causing both of them to fall flat into the powdered white snow. Both of them burst out of the snow as Alina couldn't help herself but laugh. She laughed and laughed till she fell again in the snow, and began to make a snow angel.

After she was done, Vlad helped Alina up as the both looked back at the snow. "See it's a Christmas Angel." Then, Alina noticed that Vlad was glaring at his snow angel, seeing it's disfigured form.

"It's not a Christmas Angel, it's a shadow of a...horrible memory that I would like to forget." Just like that Vlad got angry and stormed back into the mansion, leaving Alina alone in the snow.

"I don't why I bother." Alina sighed heavily, fall in the snow again. "He's worst than ever."

"Don't be so hard on yourself, dearest. Come on, let's get you out of those clothes, and make you something warm to eat." Zola said as they all returned to the mansion.

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Later that day, Alina was watching along side Zola. She needed someone to talk to while Mitch was down in the boiler room to put in more firewood. Alina was furious, she was angrier than before. "Why is Vlad such a grump?"

"I don't know, he's always like that."

"Even at Christmas? Well even so, I'm still going to give him a present."

"What are you going to give him, mistress?"

"I don't really know him well enough to know what to give him." Alina thought, this was going to be even harder for her to know what get Vlad for Christmas.

"Well...what would you want, mistress."

"Umm...what I love most of this world are my books. My stories." Suddenly an idea popped in her head. "You know what, Zola? I think I might write him a story, one that he would surly love." Alina ran to the library, grabbed a bunch of paper, Zola laid out some ink for her. Once Alina had everything she needed, she began writing as the pages took her away.

"When I get to know him, we'll find more things to say." Alina looked outside the window to see the frost covered the entire frame. "One day I will reach him...there has to be a way? Everyone needs someone, he must need someone, too. When I get to know him better, here's what I will do." With a small smile plastered on her face she searched for through the dusty shelves till she found an olive green leather book that it's cover had rips from the years it had mercilessly torn through. The book was one of Alina favorite's, a small series of short fairy tales that her father once read to her when she was just a little girl. "I'll read him stories from picture books, all filled with wonder, magic worlds where the impossible becomes the everyday." She just couldn't contain her excitement as she twirled around the room. "We'll find a mountaintop and some moonbeams to sit under. I'll lead because I know the way. So much to discover, I do it all the time." A small sigh escaped her lips. "I could live inside bright pages where the words all rhyme. We will slay the dragons that still follow him around and he'll smile, yes he'll smile as his dreams leave the ground." Alina went over to the shelves again, grabbed one book after another of one's Vlad would love to read. "Stories and stories about mermaids, kings, and sunken treasure. I know a tiny place, just a dot, too small to measure. I'll take him there. Stories about heroes who overcame their deepest sorrow. They'll put hope into his heart again, he'll cherish every day. He'll find a better world, and the strength to face tomorrow. I'm sure that when he knows the way, he'll want to stay."

Zola could see that Alina really wants to give Vlad this gift as Alina put in time and dedication into the small details. This might sparke into something good or something far worse. "Do you think the master would like the gift, mistress?" Zola questioned.

"I do." Alina said with confidence.

"So does this means we'll have a Christmas?"

Alina giggled softly as she nodded her head. "Absolutely."

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"ABSOLUTELY NOT?!" Mitch quietly shouted. Looking behind him incase Vlad was listening to their conversation.

"Why not?" Alina questioned, arching her brows. Usually Mitch would agree to these certain terms, but to say 'no' to Christmas was mind boggling to her. Simply unexplainable.

"The master has...forbidden Christmas." Mitch said as he frustratedly combed his fingers through his ginger hair.

"Forbid Christmas? No one can forbid Christmas."

"He doesn't wish to be reminded of his past, and Christmas is the most painful reminder. I for one do not wish to torture him."
Being as stubborn as her mother before her, Alina refused to not have Christmas. Not while she lives under this roof for the rest of her days. "I for one think a little Christmas cheer would do him some good."

"The mistress is right, it's up to us to do something." Zola said cheerfully and prideful.

"It's not our places to get involved." Mitch scolded.

"Oh for heaven's sakes, I think it's a good idea."

"But the master doesn't want Christmas. His mansion, his rules." Zola looked at Mitch with such sorrow in her eyes as they both had forgotten what Christmas is like for them. She couldn't remember the last time she celebrated Christmas. 5,8, 10 years old? Christmas was just a blurry to her memory.

"Look at us." Zola's tone turned to utter heartbreaking as sad memories filled the atmosphere. "Bickering at each other. Breaks my heart to see us this way. My family use to be good at Christmas, we would prepare an entire feast for the family and friends that would come over."

Suddenly, an idea popped into Alina mind as she grew a mischievous smirk on her face. "She's right, you could have stuffed turkey, cranberry sauce, sugar cookies, mashed potatoes with gravy, and Christmas pudding." Mitch turned stiff for a moment, slowly turned his ginger face over to both Alina and Zola.

"Umm...did you say Christmas...pudding? With custard?"

"What do you think we are, barbarians? Of course with custard! And all the things you like inside will be there, but...only for Christmas!" Zola explained, giving Alina a small wink as she had Mitch drooling at the thought of Christmas pudding. His entire expression turned to a like child expression that was making a puppy face.

"Ohhh....alright." Mitch finally admitted. Both Zola and Alina cheered in excitement. "But if the master finds out about this he would be furious at everybody so we must be quiet about this." Zola grabbed the ends of her gown and began running.

"Come on, what are we waiting for, Christmas?!"

"Good heavens we don't have much time!!! It's almost Christmas Eve!!" Mitch quietly shouted as he followed with Alina behind to join them.

"We need to brighten this place up!" Alina said excited too. There shall be Christmas at the mansion once more.

"I know just the place to brighten the mansion up!" Mitch explained.

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The three of them traveled the other end of the mansion where another tower was held, but this was much older than the one with the books. Luckily Vlad was on a short visit to finish some business so Zola, Mitch, and Alina waste no time into finding those decorations before the master arrived.

The tower was covered in cobwebs and dust that it made Alina sneezed every once and awhile. Once the made it, Alina saw piles upon piles of boxes covered in white sheets, trucks that were covered in layers of dust that had been collected over the years. "I'll start on this pile here while you two start on that pile, if you see anything let me know." Zola ordered as the three of them split and began their search.

Alina curiously searched through the trunks; dusty old books that seemed to be 100's of years old, old candle holders, music sheets, etc. No Christmas decorations. Alina moved when she spotted another trunk, but it was shoved to the farthest corner of the room. It was covered in more dust and spider webs than the other ones had. Curiously, Alina opened the trunk, and a bunch of moaths flew out causing Alina to fall backwards to the ground. Mitch and Zola ran toward her, helping her up.Zola helped dust off the dirt from Alina's gown, and said. "Are you alright, mistress?"

"Yes, I'm alright." Giving both of them a smile, turned her attention back to the trunk. She noticed that the trunk was filled with kids toy, old photos, paintings. "Look at this?" Alina grabbed an old painting of a man who resembled Vlad's features, the same one she saw when Vlad showed her the picture of his...dead parents. She looked through to find pictures of Vlad when he was a baby, another of him as a toddler.

"These must be the master's parents." Mitch proclaimed.

"Yes, indeed." Sadness filled her heart as she felt the pain Vlad went through after losing both his parents at such a young age. She felt the same way now that she could no longer see her father after making that deal. Alina set the photo back into the trunk, locked it, and placed it back in it's spot. "I think we should keep looking."

Zola and Mitch nodded as they went back to searching.

About a half an hour went by when suddenly. "Hey! I found them!!!" Zola shouted, excitedly. Alina and Mitch ran over to find two trunks filled with Christmas decorations. "Now we must bring them down stairs and start decorating!" Mitch carried two of the trunk as he lifted them up like they weighed nothing to him, and brought them to the dining hall.

Alina was so delighted to get started with the decorations. Even though she was raised in a poor family with just her and her father, and had little decorations, Christmas had never felt more special to see the joy in her father's eyes when he saw the decorations hung up in their tiny cottage. Alina would gather pines, pine cones, leftover ribbons from the fabric shop that the woman would give to Alina without pay, and she would chop down a small Christmas tree. Small, less, but still special. "I can not wait to see the look on his face when he sees the Christmas decorations! He'll be thrilled!" But Mitch and Zola looked at each other nervously, and Mitch spoke up.

"Why do you raise everyone's hopes when we know that the master would smash it because he banish Christmas in the mansion?"

"I believe I could change his mind, I can be as stubborn as a mule, also it's almost Christmas Eve and I can not do this by myself."

"It's just...unbearable to be disappoint again."

"But this should be the greatest celebration ever!"

"How could you be so sure that this would change anything?"

"I believe it will." Mitch's eyes widen to see the strong belief in Alina's eyes. "There is more to this time of year, than sleigh bells, holly, mistletoe, and snow. Those things come and go much deeper than snow. Stronger than the strongest love we'll know, we'll ever know. As long as there's Christmas I truly believe that hope is the greatest of the gifts we'll receive. As long as there's Christmas we'll all be just fine. A star shines above us lighting your way and mine."

Mitch started to smile as a small ray of hope rose inside his chest. "Just as long as there's Christmas, there will be Christmas pud, tons of turkey-"

Zola interrupted. "And cranberry sauce, and mince pies if we're good. Mitch loads of logs on the fire." Mitch nodded, and headed down to the boiler room. "We're due for a party! Where on earth do we start?" Alina paused for a moment.

"Let's start with the stockings and the holly on the fireplace, we can decorate the dining table, and see what we can do after." Zola nodded and the three of them began their work.

"We're going to have the greatest Christmas ever in a long time." Mitch said coming back with the logs.

"I hope so too, Mitch."

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During that time, what the three of them didn't relieved is that Vlad was back early to find some Christmas decorations up. He hid behind the wall, spying on them as he saw what he forbid them to do so.

With anger in his heart he stormed all the way back to his study, pacing back and forth. "Christmas! She's planning CHRISTMAS!!!" Vlad shouted in frustration, grinding his teeth together. He walked over to the fireplace, glaring deep at the flames as they danced across the burnt logs. "Perhaps she doesn't know how I feel about Christmas. Maybe...she does know, and she probably doesn't care." His heart sank even deeper into the pit of his stomach, feeling the acts of betrayal. "She's actually trying to bring Christmas back to the mansion, and I know how much I despise Christmas."

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Many years ago, back when there was laughter, singing, and cheered filled the mansion. Everyone was in the dining room, celebrating Christmas. Vlad was only 9 at the time, he laughed and smiled as it was time to open up gifts. The King and Queen sat in between Vlad as he held a gift up to his mother. "I have something very special for you, mother!" His mother's red lips curled into a smile in a loving motherly way.

"Thank you, dearie." She said as she took the tiny box from his hand, opened it to relieve a golden rose necklace. "Oh Vladimir! It's beautiful!"

"Father helped me make it for you, mother!" He said cheerfully. His mother put on the necklace around her pale slender neck, hugged her child tight, and said.

"I love it, and I shall wear it everyday." Vlad's father smiled as he kissed the top of his head, held up his wine glass, and announced.

"I like to give a toast to all the servant who had worked very hard to give us this wonderful Christmas feast, the friends that had been with us through every trial, my beloved wife who I loved most in this world, and the one who gave me a wonderful son that will soon be king one day."

"Let us hope that he would grow  to become a great leader, just like his father." Vlad's mother said as she kissed her husband on his lips making Vlad fake gag. Everyone laughed.

"Merry Christmas everyone!!!" Everyone cheered, holding up their glasses, everyone took a sip, but suddenly. Vladimir saw his mother chocking. She held her throat as she began to chock even more; his father held his wife in his arms. "SOMEONE PLEASE HELP HER!!!"

Then someone cried out. "THE QUEEN HAS BEEN POISONED!!!" Causing everyone to panic, Vlad still sat in his spot as he saw his mother laid own the ground helplessly as the life from her eyes began to fade. With the last ounce of breath, she mouthed out to Vlad.

"I love you." And her eyes closed, shut forever. That was the last moment Vladimir's mother did, and died soon after.

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While everyone was busy, Alina decided to travel down to the boiler room. The room was steaming hot that she felt the back of her neck sweaty a bit. On the right side of the room was a pile of logs, perfect place to start. Alina wandered over to the pile and began looks. Some of the logs were too small, too big, too sappy, or to lumpy. Finally, Alina found what she was looking for, it was on top of the pile; she climbed up, grabbed it when her foot slipped, and began to fall when a pair of strong arms caught her.

It was Vlad and he was not happy. Quickly Alina hid the log behind her back. "What are you hiding?" Vlad growled, Alina gave an innocent look like a child being scolded. With speed like reflex, Vlad quickly snatched the log. He arched his brow in confusion, why would she hid a log from him.

"It's...a yule log." Alina stuttered. "A yule log, it's a wonderful tradition." She walked toward Vlad with a deep warm expression on her face as she remembered her father always had a yule log every year on Christmas. She placed her tiny hands on the log, and closed her eyes. "One log is chosen, and everyone at the house touches it. And makes a Christmas wish." Anger boiled inside Vlad as he began to growl.

"Wishes are stupid." Vlad began walking, stopped dead in his tracks to see Alina's eyes filled with sadness. "You made a Christmas wish last year, and..." Vlad spread his arms out, and shouted. "AND IS THIS WHAT YOU WISHED FOR!!!" The entire room echoes as bats flew out. Alina's head dropped, tears prickled out from her long lashes.

"No." But something inside of her made her face Vlad again as she stared at him dead in the face. "But I will keep wishing. And when the log is burnt on Christmas morning-"

"There will be no Christmas." Vlad interrupted. But Alina kept talking.

"But!"

"NO!!" Vlad shouted, his face was inches away from her. "I am the master here!"

"How could you be so selfish?!"

"You could not possibly understand...you have no idea what it's like to lose everything, to be trapped in your own home, to be..."

"Prisoner..." Sorrowed filled her eyes, a single tears was about to come, and it was getting harder to hold it. Vlad looked away without feeling guilty. "The only one holding us here prisoner is you..." Alina began walking out of the room, before turning to Vlad as he stole one glance from her. "Well I am NOT giving up!" And with that Alina ran out of the room before more tears ran down her cheeks. Vlad felt guilt as Alina disappeared from sight, he stared down at the log he held, dragged his feet to the boiler, and placed it back on the pile nicely.

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Alina walked back to her room with tears in her eyes, grabbed a her sleeves, and whipped the tears away from her eyes. With a small sigh she laid her heavy head on the pillow of her bed. Not long after a knock came from her door, Zola approached. "Mistress, you should see the ballroom. It's pretty and decorated with everything, and the master is going to be really excited when he finds out about Christmas."

But Zola noticed the leftover tears on Alina's face. "Well...he...already knows." She sniffed and walked over to the window to peer outside to see the white snow falling.

"Was he excited?"

"Actually...he forbidden it."

"But you said he couldn't forbid Christmas, no one can?" Suddenly, Aina relieved that Vlad couldn't, even though he was the prince and she was his prisoner, and she couldn't let this past by her.

"You know, Zola. He can't. We'll have Christmas with or without him." Zola cheered quietly.

"But we're missing a tree, and everything will be in order, mistress." Alina giggled.

"Of course." She turned to see her gift for Vlad was still on her dresser. Even though he made her cry should still would love to give her gift to Vlad. "But first we need to give him my gift." She held her index finger to her lips and hushed it.

Together they walked over to Vlad's chamber, luckily he wasn't there at the moment. She placed it neatly on his bed. "Psst... Mistress, the master." Zola whispered as they saw Vlad walking toward his room. Alina quickly hid behind the huge door. As Vlad entered the room without knowing of Alina presence, Alina and Zola quickly snuck out.

They caught up with Mitch as he was busy putting more logs in the fireplace. "Mitch I need you to come with me to pick out a Christmas tree." Alina asked.

"But the master forbid you to out beyond the mansion's border, you attacked by vampires."

"I know, but it will be quick, and I have you with me. Please!" Mitch stared at Alina for a moment. "Zola will stay behind to Vlad occupied." Hr sighed, and agreed.

"Alright, but we must leave right away." Alina smiled as they both set out to find the perfect Christmas tree.

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It was colder than usual outside as Mitch and Alina wondered around the outskirts of the mansion to find a tree. They rode on their horse, when Mitch stopped at one tree. "What about this one?" Alina stared at this tree as it was too small and too skinny to be a tree.

"Too skinny." They moved on.

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Vlad was peered outside to see Alina riding on her horse with Mitch. His heart still ached as he saw how the snow wasn't as nearly as pretty as Alina's beauty. The door creaked open as Zola walked in with a tray of warm blood tea. She noticed Vlad was watching Alina, she approached her master. He was rubbing the back of his neck, feeling guilty for making her cry in the boiler room. "Zola..."

"She's beautiful, no?"

"Yes...and I'm hideous on the inside."

"Not to mentioned ill tempered." She said under her breath. Vlad spotted a present on his bed.

"What is this?!" Vlad grumbled as he examined the nicely wrapped gift.

"Oh it looks like a Christmas present." Vlad angrily slammed the gift back on the bed, and walked to the balcony. Zola smirked and spoke.

"Oh, it's for you master. It's from a girl." And with that Vlad poked his head out, and ran back to pick the gift once more.

"From you?" He arched his brows.

"No...from Alina!" She chuckled.

"Alina?" He whispered, as he was about to opened it Zola smacked his hand away, and scolded him.

"No no no, master you can't open it!!!"

"Why not?! It's for me isn't it?"

"Cause it's not yet Christmas!" Vlad rolled his eyes as he placed the gift back on the bed again. "Master, we all understand how you feel about Christmas, but when a woman gives a man a gift? She saying 'I care about'." Suddenly, Vlad's face blushed pure red, he was embarrassed that she cared for him and he didn't have a gift for her in return.

"But I don't have a gift for her?" He rubbed his chin. Zola walked out of the door, but poked her head out and said.

"But it's not too late." And disappeared from sight, leaving Vlad thinking on what he would give Alina for Christmas. He had given her everything, beautiful gowns, a library, the finest room in the mansion, jewels. What could be possibly give her. Then, an idea popped in his head as he exited began his work.

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"What about this one?" Mitch asked. The tree was lop sided.

"Umm...too wiggly."

"But mistress, that's the last one on the mansion ground." Mitch winned.

"That's just a weed wishing it was a Christmas tree." Mitch giggled at her comment. Then, Alina looked over at the dark woods, there was so many tree covered the woods that it was hard to see through it. "How about we find one in the woods? I bet we can find the perfect one in there."

"I don't know about that, mistress." Mitch replied nervously.

"This calls for desperate measures, Mitch. Come on, let's get one before the master finds out we're gone." Alina pulled her horse forward to the woods with Mitch behind her as the headed deep into the woods.

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Back at the mansion, Vlad was covered in paint as he was done wrapped his gift. He was trying so hard to make it perfect, it had been years since he had done something like for anyone. "ZOLA!!!" Vlad shout, not long after Zola ran into his chamber.

"Yes, master? You called?"

"Find Alina. I-I...umm...Well I..." He stumbled on his words. "I have something to give to her, a p-present for her." Vlad finally said, Zola nodded and walked out of the room. This gave Vlad time to tidy himself as he began washing the paint off his face, dressed himself in a light gray waistcoat with silver buttons, a cream colored vest, and a navy blue bow.

After getting ready, Vlad sat himself down on his huge arm chair with his gift in hand, and waited.

He waited and waited, pacing back and forth waiting for Alina. Soon he started to get impatience. "ZOLA!!!" Zola ran into the room with a tray of warm tea. "Where's Alina?" He asked.

Zola struggled to find the words as she nervously poured him a cup of blood tea. "How about a nice cup of tea, master?" Vlad grabbed the cup and drank it all in one gulp. "More tea, master? Good for the heart you know."

"No...thank you." He said politely.

"Just a cup?"

"I said no more." Vlad growled, still trying to be polite, but Zola pressed on to stall the moment.

"There's always room for tea, master."

"Zola..." Vlad said in a low tone as he grind his teeth together. "Are you trying to distract me?"

Goodness no, master. Oh your cup is empty, let me fill it up for you-"

"ENOUGH!!!!" Vlad shouted causing Zola to spill a bit on the carpet. "ZOLA WHERE'S ALINA?!"

"Alina?" She said nervously. "We...can't...find her anywhere." Zola finally confess as Vlad shouted, the arm chair fell backwards as he walked over to the magic mirror.

"Show me the girl." The mirror began to form images till finally it relieved both Alina and Mitch riding their horses deep in the woods as the snow blew into their faces. Anger filled his heart. "WELL I WILL BRING HER BACK!!!" Vlad shouted, throwing the mirror aside, ran over to the stable, grabbed his horse, and rode it into the woods.

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The sky grew black as night fell upon the world. The wind picked up speed as it was getting harder to see where they were going, but Mitch and Alina still kept on searching for the perfect tree. This was not best time to be out in the woods for there were far dangerous things than wolves in these parts. Hunters, outlawed men, vampires, etc.

Howls emerged as they saw yellow glowing eyes following them. Wolves were not face behind them, making the horse nervous. Alina spotted something in the distance, she pulled her hoodie up to see a tree that was standing on a small island in the middle of a frozen lake. "There!" Mitch looked to where Alina was pointing at. "There, that's it!!! Oh Mitch, it's perfect!" Both of them smiled as they walked over to the frozen water when suddenly one of the horse's hooves slipped on the ice.

"Be careful, mistress the ice is extremely slippy here." Mitch said, he dismounted his horse, and helped Alina off her's. "I think it's best if we walked over there ourselves." Alina nodded as they walked over the ice, and made it to the tree. The wind got stronger as it was harder to see. "We better hurry, it's getting very stormy." Mitch said as he began chopping the tree down.

After the tree fell to the ground, Mitch grabbed a hold on the tree, brought one both horses over, tied the rope around the tree, and onto the horses' saddles. As the both got on their horse they began walking carefully across the slippery ice.

Suddenly the horse's hooves cause a crack to break as the entire lake broke free from the ice. Mitch and Alina were separated. "MISTRESS!!!" Mitch cried out. Alina looked over to see the rope breaking. "The tree!! We're going to lose the tree!!!" Mitch tried to grab the rope, but fell into the icy cold water along with the tree.

"MITCH!!!" Alina yelled as she ran from one ice chunk to the next till Alina fell into the water, both of them were caught by the current, floating deeper into the water. Mitch found a hole in the icy, grabbed a hold on Alina, and rose from the surface. They took a lungful of air as the cold took over them. "Oh, Mitch. Thank goodness you're safe." But the rope from the tree underwater wrapped itself around Alina's ankle as she fell in the water again.

Before Mitch could go in Vlad appeared out of nowhere, dove into the water at it was merely nothing to him. He swam toward Alina's body, burst from the ice like a whale, and climbed out the lake with Alina in his arms. Mitch smiled but was replaced with fear as he saw the anger in his eye. Vlad walked past Mitch, got on his horse with Alina, and rode back to the mansion.

Zola saw what happened, ran toward Mitch with a blanket to warm him. "Oh no. What have I done. This is all my fault." Mitch whimpered as he fell to his knee, covering his face with his cold hands. Zola wrapped her arms around him and said.

"We all share the blame, Mitch. To dare a hope for Christmas."