You walk into an opulently appointed sitting room. A fire blazes in the fireplace, two large comfortable chairs are placed in front of it. Seated in one of the chairs is an attractive blonde woman drinking a glass of bloodwyne. She looks up as you enter, a wicked smile on her face.
"Welcome my Brethren. If you have made it this far, you are indeed worthy to enter my private chambers. If you journeyed through the entirety of Blackthorin's castle, you already know that this place is not for the faint of heart."
She gestures to the chair across from her
"Please, sit. In case we have not formally met, I am Contessa Alexis Isabella Narciano Dread, Chylde and protege` of Lord Blackthorin Dread, clan Lasombra."
She smiles and nods, then pours a glass of bloodwyne, offering it to you.
"Let me see, where to begin? I'm assuming you came here to satisfy your curiosity about me, perhaps to learn a bit more of why I am what I am and how I got to be this way."
She pauses for a moment to
take a drink from her glass and looks into the fire.
"My mother was German, my father...Italian. I was born and raised in northeastern Italy in a town called Belzano. My father owned and ran an extensive vineyard there with vast amounts of property. My father enjoyed his power and he was extremely greedy. He was the type of man that would punish the slightest transgression severely, even if the transgression was one only perceived by him. This was most apparent in the way he treated my mother. He would scream at her and beat her for no reason at all. When I was 7 years old, I heard them fighting in the hall near my room. I opened the door just in time to see the bastard push my mother down the stairs, killing her. I quickly hid in my bed under the blankets, and at that point, I vowed that I would destroy him. That was when I first felt the feeling of pure hatred, and it thrilled me. I spent the rest of my youth enduring his scrutiny and abuse, for with the absence of my mother, he focussed his
attention on me. My older brother, of course, was never touched. At 17, I was married off to the son of a nearby Count whose father had a lot of money. Nico was such a weak man. It was easy to convince him that it was his Destiny to control my father's lands, and in order for him to do that, he must dispose of my brother. *chuckles, shaking her head* What an idiot! Nico took my brother out hunting one day and shot him. Of course, I was "terribly upset" by this. I went straight to my father and exposed Nico for the murdering bastard that he was and my father had him put to death immediately. As a result, I was heiress to both my father's holdings and my husband's. Nico's father died a couple of years later from natural causes. I assure you that I had nothing to do with that. *WS* I'm not saying that I didn't have a plan to hurry his demise, just that he beat me to it on his own. *WL* Anyway, after I had guaranteed my position and power through my husband's family, I worked on the final phase of my revenge. I hosted a party in my new estate, and got my father so intoxicated he could barely walk. Of course I offered my "dear, beloved" father the use of one of my many guestrooms for the night. After he had passed out, I snuck into his room and slit his throat. The bastard never knew what hit him! I had some of my most loyal servants rig up an "accident" where it looked as though he decided to return home after all and drove off of a bridge. The servants were disposed of immediately following so they couldn't talk."
"My lust for power and position grew within me. I overheard some of the servants talking about "Creatures of the Night"...beings with great power. I extracted as much information as I could from them, and decided that I would seek out these "beings". I travelled halfway around the world, following rumors and innuendos. As I drew closer to a place known as the Vampire Court, I began to hear a specific name whispered over and over....Blackthorin Dread. I sought out
this most powerful man, impressed him with my hunger for power, and he granted me the ultimate Gift of the Embrace. I eagerly learned all that he had to teach me, and still hunger for more knowledge. He is my Sire, Teacher, Mentor...among other things. *WS* I owe him much, and nothing or noone will ever take my loyalty from him."
"And that darling, is how I became what you see before you. Of course, I have not told you everything, but this should be enough to satisfy you. If it isn't, then you will have to forever wonder for I will reveal no more."
You look around the room and see a couple of doors.
"Feel free to wander at your whim. I have work to do."
She smiles wickedly and stands, walking into the shadows and disappearing from view.
