Prisoner of War

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Ramona Von Trapp stared at her younger sister as their father spoke, almost wishing she could read her thoughts. Victor Von Trapp had been going on for over an hour about the importance of keeping up their studies and remaining studious above all else. At least he was no longer mentioning her part about keeping the house clean or turning away gentlemen callers. And of course the part about staying far away from their enormous home's basement. She was so lost in her thoughts she didn't even hear the servants coming in with the food or notice that she'd began to drift off. Her long red curls were beginning to slide over her shoulders and into her soup but her mind was on the strange roars she and her sister could hear late at night when they ignored their aging father and sneaked down to the dungeon stairs anyway.

Ramona frowned deeply, holding herself away from him. "I want to see my sister." She said softly. "I need to make sure she's okay. Your butler wouldn't tell me anything."

"Who...do you...think you are?" Shane's laugh was filled with mockery. "You are nothing...but a little girl." Sightless eyes fixed on her and he snorted. "Get her out...her smell...makes me...sick..." He was speaking to the servants, not knowing they were instructed not to obey him.

"Have you been forced to care for her all your life?" Justin asked, again avoiding her demand. "It seems very unfair, when you should have your own life, possibly even your own family."

Ophelia finally shrank away, but not before Shane would see the hurt in her pale green eyes. She was about to turn and stomp to the door when her skirt caught on one of the tables, causing her to fall, opening up a rather deep gash in the young woman's forehead.

Ramona shook her head. "Father turns away suitors. And besides, I have no desire to have a family of my own. Not after what my mother did. I could imagine having the power to hurt another that way." In the hall, the servants were beginning to stir. The Von Trapp  blood was strong.

Shane was on her in a second, unable to control his actions. His long fangs sunk into her shoulder and he drank deeply. It had been so long and he was starving. Ophelia's blood tasted so very sweet.

Justin could smell it too, and even for one as powerful as he was it was distracting. This was simply how it had to be, Von Trapp had abused his brother for many years, taking payment from Ophelia was only fair. "You can't blame you mother for everything, child. She was as much your father's victim as anyone."

To begin with there was searing pain as Ophelia's back arched up off the ground and she attempted to thrash about. Shane was so hungry that it didn't take long to drain her to the point of death. It was here, as her heartbeat slowed that Ophelia actually smiled. There was a brief moment of serenity as she recalled this feeling from her childhood; her last moment of feeling needed.

"She could have taken us with her." Ramona whispered, finally crawling out from under the bed. Oblivious to what was happening to her sister she found the remnants of her dress and dabbed at the blood on her elbow. "See? Just a scrape." She told him. "I can take care of myself. I've been doing it for a long time."

Shane recognized the moment. He'd heard this tiny heard slow down this way before. powerful enough now to pull her into arms, he opened the vein in his wrist. Ophelia was his. claiming her for a second time would make no difference.

"To take you with her would have brought war on all of us." Justin replied sadly. "Your mother was such a gentle creature..." Though he spoke in the past tense, Justin had already confirmed the elder Von Trapp woman was still alive.

Ophelia tried to resist, her hazy mind knowing what the liquid on her lips was, and that it wasn't normal. It took only the passing of a few seconds for her to recall the almost sweet taste from her childhood and slide her own fingers around the wrist now pressed to her lips. Last time her father had stopped her before she took too much.

"You love her." It wasn't a question. Ramona sighed softly. "I want to see my sister. She is all I have."

Shane was stroking her hair, his mind whispering to herself, urging her to bring about the blessed darkness he'd been searching for. it was so close now he could almost taste it.

"Loved her, there is a past for everything." Justin corrected rather cynically. "Your sister is resting, past of the recovery from whatever illness it is afflicting her..."

This time it Ophelia who stopped herself. She pulled away, Shane's blood still dripping down her chin as her pale green eyes stared up at him. She didn't know what this meant, now that her father wasn't there giving her her 'treatment' each night.

"I want to see her. you said I couldn't leave with her but you didn't say I  couldn't see her while she was here." Ramona reminded him. the wound on her elbow was still open though she tried to deny it. 

Shane  looked much better, despite the disappointment in his multi colored eyes. "You cannot stay with your sister anymore. She is not like you. if you do, you will end up hurting her. do you understand me?" He asked Ophelia softly.

Justin finally sighed heavily, thinking enough time had passed since he had left his brother alone with the wounded girl in the infirmary. "Very well, if it will cease your incessant whining."

Ophelia's lower lip quivered for moment before she spoke. "She's all I have... Without Ramona I'm just a strange little girl with her nose stuck in a book." She breathed. "But... I don't want to hurt her, I love my sister."

Ramona flinched at his words. They sounded so much like her father. The old man despised her. She supposed it was only natural that her captor should too. Quietly she moved to the bathroom and put on the dress that was stained with her blood. Afterall, as far as she knew she had nothing else to wear. 

"Because of the blood you two no longer share, you will." Shane said, getting to his feet. He was still extremely weak and thin but her blood had made things a bit better. "You belong to me now. Completely. Your father cannot reverse it this time."

Justin was sat on his bed as he waited for Ramona to change. It had been a hard few days on him, and not feeding or sleeping was only serving to make his temper rather short. The slender vampire thought everything was to be perfect, now he had his brother back. He never stopped to think things could be anything but.

Ophelia was still seated on the ground, her torn dress hanging off the bare shoulder Shane had sank his teeth into, even if the wound was no longer there. She felt even more lost than she usually did. Shane spoke of 'belonging' and blood, but the small woman refused to simply accept these things. "No." She told him simply, though still didn't get to her feet.

Ramona exited the bathroom like her dress was something to be proud of, not a stained torn mess. She stopped in front of him and pushed her hands down the front of it. "I am ready when you are...Justin...sir..."

Shane chuckled at her firm tone and shook his head. "As you wish. Then I will leave you to commit an act you cannot take back, just as I did with my elder brother. You think he became that powerful vampire all on his own?"

In truth, Justin barely noticed what a mess the dress was. He smiled, though his eyes were tired. "You look lovely, as always." He breathed.

"You changed him?" Ophelia asked, her jade coloured eyes wide once more as she looked up at Shane. "That was why mu father had you, wasn't it?"

Ramona couldn't help herself. She reached out and touched his face, sighing softly. "You seem so tired. When was the last time you got some rest?" She asked him gently. 

Shane laughed softly, "Partly, yes. I turned myself over to him so that couldn't hurt my brother again. So that he could be free to live his life with...Annabelle as he so desperately wanted. I seemed to get in his way. So, I took myself out of the equation."

"I can rest when I'm dead." Justin replied, chuckling quietly at the irony of that statement. "Your father sole my little brother from me many years ago, rest has been somewhat fleeting in my effort to find him."

"Liar." Ophelia told Shane simply as she pushed herself back to her feet. No doubt before he had been a prisoner, this vampire was not accustomed to frail looking women telling him no. "I think you loved her too, but she chose him."

"Why do you keep talking about my father as if he is some sort of villan? He is not a bad man. He was never cruel or unkind to me or my sister and I cannot remember a time when he was that way to my mother." Ramona said, pulling her hands back and folding them against her skirt. "You stole us from him. Are you not exactly like him then?"

"We fought over her, yes. But rather than have her ask me to kill the only person I ever truly loved, I made the decision that was best for all of us." Shane answered simply.

"Not cruel?" Justin echoed, reaching out and swishing the fabric of Ramona's long skirt. "Then why does he force you to live in the past? Did he ever let you leave your home estate, even once?"

"You gave up." It wasn't a question this time, it was of an observation.

"We had everything we needed right there. Why would we ever leave? And what do you mean in the past?" Ramona asked with a frown. 

"Have you never given up anything for your sister?" Shane asked her, raising an elegant eyebrow. "The bond between Justin and myself was stronger than the lust I had for Annabelle. I would do anything for him. It is still the case."

Justin smiled again, pushing himself off the edge of his bed with a heavy sigh. "You've never left your family estate, so I imagine you don't even know what year it is, do you?"

Ophelia cast her gaze down to her buttoned up boots, clearly rather suddenly upset. "That first time I saw you... Ramona and I had been arguing. She said I was only brave when I had my nose in a book. I came down there to prove her wrong, and since that night she's been punished for it. No one should be stuck with me forever, and Ramona should have had a life and a husband of her own by now."

"We don't measure time by years." Ramona said, glad that ter elbow had stopped bleeding. She noticed there was a gathering crowd in theach hall. "I count it by the amount of books my sister reads."

"What good is a husband and sniveling brats? that sounds boring to me." Shane snorted. "Is that what you deal of, child? the domestic life?"

"What a sad little life." Justin breathed sadly. "Forced to play caretaker to your sickly sister. Don't you dream of anything at all?" He asked, not knowing his brother and Ramona's sister were having a somewhat similar conversation.

"I think Ramona may dream of it, she deserves a man to love her." Ophelia replied. "She's so beautiful, it was never fair of our father to make her take care of me."

Ramona closed her eyes for a brief moment, remembering the dream of dancing with a tall stranger. "No." She lied. "Why would I? I have responsibilities to keep up with. there's no time for dreaming."

"Your father obviously couldn't do it himself." Shane reminded her. "And who better than your sister? The only one who truly loves you?"

"Responsibilities your father forces on you because he cannot accept he made your mother so miserable that she simply left him behind." Justin pointed out.

"The only one who will ever love me." Ophelia finished for him. "I am no fool, I know Ramona would have men falling at her feet if we had ever been allowed off the estate. But father feels I need her to keep me out of trouble, and so punishes her for my curiosity."

"Well it wasn't because she had chores to do." Ramona laughed, shaking herself from her darkness. "How does one become miserable being treated like a queen? Even by her own children?" She didn't wait for him to answer as she headed for the door, gesturing the harem women to move aside. 

"No more complaining about the old fool. He is dead to you." Shane reminded her. "We are leaving before your sister gets it in her fool head to come and see you."

Justin smiled sadly as he followed Ramona, realising she understood nothing of love, not really. He barely even glanced at the other females as they tried to reach out and make him stay.

Ophelia was rather uncertain about everything now. She would never abandon her sister willingly, but at the same time... She could feel that same thirst that had tormented her the night before when she was first brought down here. What if Shane was right? What if she lost control and hurt Ramona? "I barely know you, why would I go anywhere with you?" She asked at last, though they had been in each others minds since the first time Shane had fed from her all those years ago.

Ramona stopped at the door where she'd last seen her sister, barely noticing the women who were laughing at her ancient and torn dress.

"You barely know me?" Shane asked, rising an eyebrow. "Are you sure about that?"

"I can show you how trapped you've really been, if you'll let me." Justin breathed, stopping just behind Ramona.

"Of course I am!" Ophelia huffed. "Ramona is the only person I've ever really known!"

"Did my mother ask you to do that? Has she finally taken pity on us?" Ramona asked. There was no mockery to her voice as one might expect. It more of a curious tone. 

"Come now. You knew what I was before I bit you. You weren't even surprised when I offered you my blood. Hell, you didn't hesitate to take it. You know my name, don't you child. I'll bet bet that you wouldn't even refuse me a kiss if I gave you one, would you?" Shane purred. "We share a mind my dear. We have since you were very small. I know naughty thoughts you have in the dark about wishing your sister would trip on the stairs and break her neck." He chuckled.

Again, Justin shook his head rather sadly. "I told you, your mother is no longer here." He breathed. "I simply think it unfair that you have been denied the many joys this modern world offers."

Ophelia's pale cheeks flushed with a rush of colour, more at the idea that he knew that thought she had once had about her sister than the notion of a kiss. "Where would we go?" She finally asked. "As you well know, I have never left my family estate until now."