Howie wants to explore Europe, so he decides to visit the most intriguing places. Nick joins him driven by his own reasons, mostly planning to have a whole lot fun about Howie. Tired of the big cities, they decide for a trip a trip to Transylvania, to feel for themselves the old stories about Dracula. Driving trough the country their rented car breaks down and the only available help could be in the nearby castle. Stepping over the doorstep of the castle they reveal the world of Countess Hilda Rabbitesh and her loyal companion Angella. Their world is full mystery, magic and fears and longings. In the end, will they be the knights to the rescue?

The candle light flickered lightly from the little air flow coming from the window. Angella looked in the mirror, heavily sighing at her own reflection. The mirror reflected a petite framed young lady, with lightly curly brunette hair flowing over her shoulders. Her skin was fair, showing that she apparently was from a blue-blooded family. Her face was purely beautiful, having the perfect proportions.
But none of this did Angella see in her eyes. All she saw were her downright perfect faults, which were had found fertile soil in her and were carefully watered by her brute father and the lack of love from other of her family members. She saw only a scared, revenge seeking girl in a worn, dirty brown woolen gown. Where is the noblesse I am supposed to be? If life was different, if she wouldn’t be from Drakosh family every young gentleman would’ve seek a chance to escort her, to touch her tender palm and crave to propose to her. But that wasn’t what happened to her.

I am the only child, I am supposed to be nurtured, cared for or even spoiled, but I must pray for not being beaten senseless every night. Other young girls of her rank were treated kindly by her families, they were wearing wonderful clothes and the gentlemen adored them. But Angella didn’t even look like the other nobleman daughters. No, it wasn’t the fault of her beauty; it was the fault of her clothes. She looked like an offspring from the rank of bondage farmers. The other noblemen daughters wore satin, velvet or fine wool gowns, decorated with fine Venetian laces. That was what Angella could only dream off...
Even if someone knew she was from the aristocracy, no one wanted to have anything to do with her because the Drakosh family had a very bad reputation for the reason that her father, Vlad Drakosh, was a violent, hot-blooded man whose bad characteristics were refined by his excessive alcohol consummation.

The entrance door was shut loudly, and Angella felt fear running again in her veins. He’s back...why didn’t he stay at the pub? I was hoping that tonight he’d stay there...
The steps of her father echoed in the hallway and now there was only one thing to do for her. Run. As fast as she could. She sneaked out of her room and ran to the door at the end of the hallway. She was at the door leading out to the garden, as she realized that her father was already at the other end of the hallway. No matter how drunk this six-feet-tall man was he could run as fast as a fox.
‘’Angella! Come here you bitch!!!!’’ he yelled, making her blood freeze for a second. But she regained composure and opened the door in front of her, running down the steps to the garden.

She run so fast that she couldn’t hear his steps she didn’t also hear another sound. A Bordeaux velvet gown swished on the broken branches, then suddenly a creature with superhuman powers pushed Vlad down to the ground. After a few seconds and one bite, he was gone.

Exhausted by the fear and endless running Angella sat down behind a big old tree. I can’t hear him anymore. I guess he lost track of me.
She twitched as a white owl swiftly flew next to her. The owl sat down on a branch above Angella. It is only an owl. No need to fear a harmless animal.
She drifted off to sleep, feeling serene for the first time since her mother passed away.

She woke up in the bright sunlight. Though she felt that she wasn’t alone. There was someone who hummed a song, so familiar to her. The song her mother used to comfort her or to lull to sleep. She followed the path of the sound, and saw a teenage boy. He was picking some flowers and his back was turned to her.

“Are you going to stay behind that tree all day?”
She was really stunned. She had thought she’d done well in hiding her presence, but in fact she had failed miserable because the boy was speaking to her.
“Don’t be afraid I won’t hurt you, actually I was waiting for you to wake up” he said without turning to her. “I thought you never wake up.”

Right there he turned to her and smiled. Angella was scared, she hid again behind the tree and didn’t say anything. He frowned when he saw her reaction but then he said “Hey my name is Rico and I live near here. What’s your name?”
But Angella didn’t reply. She was too scared. Then he said, with a harsher tone in his voice “You know what, you are trespassing private property and you can be arrested if you do not tell me how you found yourself here?”
“Please don’t my name is Angella I am the daughter of…’’she hesitated saying who she belong to because she did not want to return to her madman father.

Rico saw her hesitation and he really didn’t need any explanation because his Madam had told him to fetch for the girl when she wakes up. And he did what he was told, he never complained or dared to ask because he knew better –never question the orders of his Madam.
“So Angella are you hungry? I have to get back home and start breakfast. You are welcome, too...’’ he smiled at her again, and his voice had a friendly tone again.
“Well …yes but I do not want to intrude, are you sure I would not intrude in any way?” she asked, hesitantly.
“No, child you wouldn’t.” At this Angella just had to smirk because he’s so young, younger than her had called her a child when in truth, he was the child. She didn’t dare to challenge him, though. Maybe he could help me to get away from the Drakosh family?

Angella found herself mystified and somehow, without any hesitation she followed him. Maybe because she was hungry or maybe the sense of adventure for something new, everything else except to go back to her horrid past life was making this easy for her.

Angella was gazing over the house, trying to take in every detail of it, even the tile roof. That could be my home for a while... if the mysterious Madam approves my stay...I hope she does... I am not returning to the Drakosh estate anyways.

The house where she hoped to stay at least for a while wasn’t a house in truth. It was a grand castle, but still secluded from prying eyes. I couldn’t see it from the forest. But it’s a beautiful castle. I always wished to live in one like that.

She sighed dreamily as she thought how different her life could’ve been. What she didn’t know was that a completely different life had started for her right at the moment when she stepped over the doorstep of the castle.

Still..Transylvania, year 1806

They were going to enter the castle from a backdoor which first appeared to be only a wall. Rico had leaned against a stone in the wall and the walls began to part. Angella was surprised, she watched the wall open in surprise. This is magic! Just like in the fairy tales about secret doors in castles.
Rico had seen her startled expression so he lightly patted her shoulder. ‘’Come on, Angella, we can’t stay here forever.’’
She obeyed and followed him inside. They were now in a hallway lighted by torches. She followed him, cautiously waiting what would happen next. But anything is better than returning home. And it seems like he’s not going to hurt me.

He began to open a heavy oak wood door, it screeched a bit, echoing the sound into the walls of the hallway.
‘’Come in, it’s the kitchen. You just sit down at the table and wait till breakfast’s ready, ok?’’ he smiled at her, motioning to sit down.
‘’Thank you...’’she stuttered, overwhelmed by the grandeur of the kitchen. The furniture wasn’t broken, the floor was clean, also the stove. She wasn’t used to a sight like this, the kitchen in her home was messy and dirty, everything was broken, but here it was like she’d imagined how in a nobleman’s house it should look like.

‘’Here, have some tea’’ he placed a cup in front of her.
‘’What kind of herbs is it from?’’ she asked.
‘’I don’t know how that was called in its special name, but basically, it is tea from India...’’ he explained, putting a bit of butter in a frying pan.
She knew what ‘’tea from India’’ meant. She had seen the merchant on the market. A small bag of those dried leaves costs a whole fortune. Only the richest noblemen bought it. She had been really curious how this would taste, but how could she get something so unreachable. And now she was a guest in the seemingly richest house in town.

Rico watched her from the corner of his eye. He didn’t know why Madam had chosen this girl, but it was not his business. But he could say for sure that she was easy to scare and cautious in her works. And one of the best evidences for that was the slowly healing blue spot on her face. Poor little girl! Who did beat her that bad? I better let her get adjusted to the surroundings, it seems like I could scare her easily.
He turned back to the stove, starting to prepare the breakfast.

‘’Hello Angella! Welcome to Bran castle.’’ A soft, melodic female voice woke Angella from her tranquility. She hadn’t heard any steps, and she was very well trained to hear those. Hearing her father coming closer was her only chance to escape and hopefully not get beaten. But right now she had been too sunk into gazing at the fine gold decoration of the cup and the seeming safety of the surrounding that this sudden intrusion made her drop the cup. It crashed against the pawed floor, crashing into hundreds of tiny pieces.

‘’I’m sorry, madam...I didn’t intent to mess...I...I’’ Angella stuttered, fearing what will come next.
‘’Hey, don’t worry.’’ The lady patted Angella’s shoulder. ‘’It’s just a cup. We’ll get
you a new one.’’
Angella didn’t expect such attitude. She knew she had broken valuable china, for that at home she would’ve got a bad beating. Or something worse. But this lady seemed so kind.
‘’Rico, clean the mess and give Angella another cup.’’ She sat down facing Angella.

‘’You might wonder who I am, and it was bad I didn’t introduce myself. I am Countess Hilda Rabbittesh, I own this castle and lands around it. But that’s not the matter now.’’
‘’What is it then, Countess?’’ the girl asked, taking a new cup of tea from Rico.
‘’I know the situation in your family...so it would be better if you stayed at least temporarily here... ‘’ the Countess said, looking Angella deep into the eyes. The girl stirred a bit from the cold ice blue gaze, but she realized that the Countess isn’t going to do her any harm.

‘’Breakfast, Madam?’’ Rico asked, putting a plate in front of Hilda.
‘’Thanks, I ate something at night so I don’t want anything. But make sure you feed the girl well. She looks like she’s suffering of malnutrition.’’ Hilda glanced over the girl’s petite frame, seeing her pale face. Sure, Hilda was really pale herself, but it had another reason. A reason what was ruling her life.

Angella stared at her plate. The scrambled eggs and bacon looked so delicious she could swallow everything in one bite; she hadn’t eaten something since last morning. At home she was happy to have at least a bit to eat, so the meal offered here seemed incredible.
‘’Eat child, don’t hesitate...’’ the Countess whispered, standing up. ‘’And Rico, after she has finished eating, bring her up to her room, she needs to rest, the night spent in the forest wasn’t too comfortable for her.’’

The girl watched how the Countess went for the door, the ruby red velvet gown swishing over the pawed floor. This is the most beautiful gown I’ve ever seen. Angella caught herself thinking about the Countess.

‘’I’ll see you again in the evening...’’ Hilda said, looking back to Angella. This time she used the door out of the kitchen. Vanishing into nowhere would scare to death the poor thing. Though that is more comfortable as walking. She smiled to herself as she remembered the effect her sudden appearance had made on the girl.

After the door separating the kitchen from the hall was closed she could use again her powers. Appearing from dust was only one of her vampire powers. But right now she had something more important to think about than her powers. The prophecy. I waited two hundred years for this part to come true. I should rescue a hopeless soul and out of her free will make her like me. A vampire. Would she want it? She has the urge to gain revenge. That, I can understand. Her life till now was a misery. The time for splendor has come. And I know she has a longing for the luxury life...I can give it to her. I have the feeling that she would accept my offer.

‘’It looks like you’re finished...’’ Rico said, gathering the plates from the table.
‘’Yes, I am...I’ll help you with dishwashing...’’ she stood up, looking for the washing cloth.
‘’I’ll do them later, it’s not too much...and you’re our guest, so please, relax. Let’s go, I’ll show you your room.’’ He said, motioning her to the door at the end of the kitchen.
The door closed behind Rico and Angella was left in her room. She looked around and smirked. The room I used to live in looks like a pig barn compared to this.
She touched the polished wood of the bedpost and gazed at the velvet quilt. I feel like a princess...the room definitely fits the needs of one. She saw a white nightdress hanging over the back of a chair. She lifted it up, feeling the fine garment on her hand. Could it be silk? She had once touched a piece of the fine material. Before I got hushed away from the merchant’s stand as a dirty farmer. I gotta try it on.Quicky tossing away her dress she pulled on the nightshirt. Fatigue from her last night’s horror took over her, so she slid under the soft covers. I could stay here for forever...I’ve never felt so good and safe in my whole life. She thought as she drifted off to sleep.