Sibiu

[Bloodedge]

The current wife of Costel seemed surprised by the information that he'd been to Castlevania on the previous day. In fact, she was completely without knowledge of this happening. "That explains the mood. I wondered where he disappeared to after the other night," she said. Mirela had frankly been the sort of wife to take a back seat to all things occurring in the life of the Baron for the duration of their time together, choosing to mostly look after the youngest child since his birth. She'd grown very attached to the only one of their collective children she'd personally given birth to, even being a tad clingy for a mother of her time. "Cosmin... has been Cosmin. I've been running after him about as much as I always have. Though... he goes very quiet when I don't, so I leave him to it. I have been missing a lot of my things lately," she mentioned in passing to trail into another topic altogether. In the meantime, the boy Cosmin looked innocent as ever, even knowing all that occurred around him.

Sorin's work was complete. The punishment to be set upon the Baron was in place, but for the sake of the family, he thought to do one more thing when looking Mirela's way. He could see her soul, and he found it lacking. There was something strange about her, as if there was a part of her lineage which didn't reach her as it should have. While she spoke with Kasmina, Sorin carefully approached the mother from the rear. The powers he accessed this time were purely of a holy variety. 'Lord, allow me to grant this woman the strength she holds deep within, that she may not suffer the trials and tribulations of her betrothed. Amen,' he prayed. A second heavenly light washed over Mirela, unleashing from within her the memories of her soul, from her own infancy. She would then speak as what seemed to be a memory out of the blue struck her. "You know, Mina, my father was a swashbuckler once..."

[Apollymi]

As Kasmina figured, her stepmother was busy about the way she'd always been. She'd mentioned her stepmother being a nice woman but not the type to reign in the Baron as was needed. But it seemed such things wouldn't really be plaguing them anymore so it didn't seem to matter much. Instead, Kasmina carried on the conversation with her stepmother while holding a quiet and happy Cosmin in her lap. It seemed that Mirela was without even the knowledge that her husband had previously gone to visit his daughter and son-in-law a whole days ride away. Regardless, a smile came to her face as the woman went on to say that she was missing some of her things more so than usual. "That's a shame, stepmother, are you sure you aren't misplacing them?" she asked sincerely, though the innocent look on the boy's face made her look to him and whisper again. "You wouldn't know anything about that, would you, Cosmin?" she asked Kasmina, having a vague idea, though allowing the hushed whisper to pass between the two of them as conversation tended to completely one sidedly. After all Kasmina had caught the young boy in the act of taking her bonnet a few days prior to this one. Perhaps she should have warned her stepmother of the phase the young lad seemed to be experiencing. But as an elder sibling she didn't wish to ruin the boy's fun at all.

While their conversation progressed, Kasmina watched out of the corner of her eye as her husband seemed to bless her stepmother in the same way he'd cursed her father. Such a thing was also very strange but she supposed she'd ask about that later. Not that she'd have to wait for any immediate results. Her stepmother soon enough mentioned that at some point her father had been a swashbuckler. A grin came to Kasmina's face. "Oh? That is a term I didn't expect to hear of outside of novels. You've never mentioned that before, perhaps Cosmin has inherited an adventurous spirit," she said of the lad, whom she knew to be perfectly capable of moving about on his own with a high level of dexterity to boot, usually to do things he shouldn't. Though such deviousness was expected from toddlers as they got to know about the world into their childhoods. Costel watched and listened to his conversation. He'd also never heard anything about his wife's father being a swashbuckler. But moreover he wondered how he'd managed to miss this kind of interaction in his family before this moment.

[Bloodedge]

"I'm not entirely sure," Mirela replied. "It's as if they disappear from wherever I've placed them. I may just be forgetting where I've put things, running after this child so often." The woman had no idea what sort of spell had been cast on her; the memories of her father were simply a passing thought to her, while it was an effort by Sorin to unleash latent aspects of her personality. "The thought never struck me before now. I feel somehow motivated by my father's words from long ago, though..."

As if to take these words as his cue, Sorin stepped around Mirela to Kasmina's side. He only needed to ensure that his spell worked as intended, and Mirela showed all the signs that it had. Things were sure to become more interesting in the Dacian house now. "Is that so? Well, I'm sure we would both love to hear such inspiring words passed down from a great man, but I am afraid we must be going now. The way back is treacherous, so we mustn't stay any longer. Still, it is good to know you are both well."

[Apollymi]

Kasmina found herself listening to her stepmother's words about her missing things with a knowing smile. There was no doubt in her mind her little brother was absconding with the woman's things, but that was hardly concerning. She knew if confronted the young boy would return the things he took, usually in exchange for something simple or a little attention. Regardless it seemed whatever spell Sorin cast on her stepmother was awakening her latent thoughts in relation to her father, and this was all together new for Kasmina to see, but alas she wouldn't get much time to think about it. "Well, I am sure such things will turn up eventually," she said while looking at the child in her lap and offering him a wink. Moving right along, according to her husband it was time for them to get moving. Whatever the case he was now standing beside her so she found herself rising speaking to her little brother before passing him to his mother. "Do be good little one, and try not to terrorize your mother too much?" she asked of him before handing him off. "I am remiss to say, we'll be leaving now. Sorry again for the intrusion, stepmother and thank you as always for the warm welcome," she said as kindly as ever. Somehow in this moment she felt she likely wouldn't have to worry as much after the well-being of these two people any longer, and with that said and her hands free of the small child she kept, Kasmina found herself turning towards her husband. In so doing she felt as if the world spun far too quickly inverting her senses if only for a moment and causing her to stop mid motion with widened eyes which snapped closed soon after. 'Christ in Heaven, that is horrid...' she thought of the sensation.

[Bloodedge]

Upon being returned to his mother, the young boy set his sights upon the departing pair of vampires, with eyes full of wonder. It was as if he knew there was something off about them - particularly the female he'd seen so frequently in his few years of life, and had known to be different to this. Perhaps he would understand one day. That day, however, would obviously not be today.

The Count's wife was prepared to join him in leaving this place. This was not the most gracious of exits, though, as she was halted by her own senses before even beginning to move properly. Sorin knew what this was. He had expected this sensation to plague the woman eventually, but it seemed he was just a bit too late to escape it happening in the presence of mortals. Taking her side again, he reached out for her hand. He looked upon her with a gaze portraying his understanding of her plight, but the words to escape his mouth were much to the contrary, as he intended them to be. "Tired, my dear? Forgive me for holding us up. Take my hand; I will take us home safely."

[Apollymi]

Kasmina waited for the world to cease spinning and when it did the cooling touch of her husband's hand came to her. A smile crossed her face as she heard what he had to say and knew he understood how she was feeling just this moment. "There is hardly anything to forgive. Of course, lead the way..." and with that she took his hand more than content to return to the castle from whence they'd come. Of course, this odd bit of vertigo was hardly what she expected, but she was sure there was a reason for it, and one which would likely be explained to her by her husband at some point in the very near future. But for now, she'd enjoy the comfort of his hand in hers as they left her father's house, seemingly for quite some time to come.

Continue the story here.