A recluse and a hunter, what an odd couple to be found in the castle. For the past seven years we have lived together.It has been an odd time. Sara has remained in the castle while I go on trips. Though she was my prey once upon a time, that tale has passed into legend. She won’t admit it to me, but she might as well be my wife. The castle is hers, the mountain is hers and the village at the foot of the mountain is also hers. So perhaps it is better to say that I am hers as well. 

My journeys have taken me beyond the horizons, I slay beasts and monsters. I kill those that pose a threat to others that seek simply peace. I suppose that it is only because of Sara that I don’t slay intelligent beasts, those that can be reasoned with unless nothing else will do for them. But always my feet take me back to that mountain where she waits. No matter how long I am gone, she always has a list of things for me to do when I get back.

One such journey is one that I have taken and my road has been a long one. With the castle steps being long and laborious, even with the start at the early morning, from the village to the castle is an all day event. I did not stay in the village inn, probably should have. The evening grows dark and I am feeling exhausted. I don’t think that Sara will have any problem with me showing up at night. She has always been one to stay up late. 

The moon is bright tonight and continues to light my path. The castle doors are still big and dark in the night. As I climb the final stairs, I see her silhouette as she stands at the balcony above the door. Her pale figure and starlight hair could be seen from in the village far below the castle. No matter when I arrive in the village, seeing her waiting for me fills me with new strength that makes the last part of my journey worth the next day.

As I get to the door, Sara has already opened it and is there waiting for me. Before I could even enter the castle she pointed me to the barn with a look of disgust on her face. I looked at her with sullen disappointment on my face, but she kept an adamant look on her face and her finger pointed to the barn. So I turned away from the castle and made my way to the barn.

The barn door was heavy. With a good exertion on my part, it opened with a struggle. Inside was warm and the scent of lilacs wafting from the rear of the large building. I followed the scent and found a warm bath waiting for me. Next to a towel. fresh linen clothes, and a bar of soap was a handwritten note. It read as follows:

“Thomas,

    Welcome back from your travels. I know that you seek a warm bed. You know as well as I that I cannot give you such a luxury. I have prepared a bath for you. You are not to come into the castle until that bar of soap disappears from use. Spend time in the bath and then come and seek me in the kitchen. I will have a meal ready for you.

Yours Only,

    Sara.”

What can I say, my wife knows me well. I followed her directions and stripped and dipped myself into the scalding, hot water. I think that I spent a good hour in that tub scrubbing and washing. The water that was clean and clear was no more, replaced with a liquid goo that insects would have been happy to nest in. I drained the tub with the plug that leads out of the barn and out to the side of the mountain. 

I put on the fresh linens and make my way out of the barn. Morning light began to crept into the mountains. The morning air was wet with dew, the animals of the yard were beginning to make their ways into the yard to get to the troughs. The yard was full of activity but the path to the kitchen was clear. 

Upon entering, my sense of smell was bombarded by bacon, eggs, toast, and potatoes. There was some fresh juice and milk. Place setting for two people at the table. Sara was busying herself at the stove. The kitchen repairs from my last visit were holding together quite well. I went over to Sara and held her by the waist. 

“I missed you.” I said softly.

“If you would stick around you wouldn’t miss me so much.” She said as she turned around and kissed me. Her brown apron oddly intensified her natural beauty. She smiled as she pulled back. Her elongated canines showed clearly. 

Remember when I said that she was my prey, Sara is a vampire. She is a kind and gentle soul, loving and soothing and easy to be around. She was stern in her chores needing to be done and the repairs to the castle, that is to be expected. She has sought blood only when I have been around too long. That is why I go on monster hunting trips. Her bloodlust is something that she tries hard to avoid. Especially toward me. 

I hugged her back realizing how much I missed her. She pushed me away and guided me to the table. I pulled out her chair and sat her down. I noticed that she faltered a little in her sitting. Sara had always been full of grace and poise. For her to falter was an unheard of phenomenon. I sat down next to her. My body ached with the pains of travel. I gripped her hand. She looked at me with a longing that was very uncharacteristic. I was almost sure I felt fear. 

“How have you been?” I asked. I felt my courage return as I looked away from her and back to my food. 

“These months without you have been hard. Since you left, my lust for human blood has not diminished as it usually does when you have left before. I feel weaker than ever.” 

“Is there anything that I can do for you, to make life easier for you? I would do anything for you, even give up my own blood if that is what you require.” 

“Though I want it more than anything right now, I fear that it would only increase the danger that I already pose to you. I cannot ask you for that. The mere sight of it would drive me mad and you would not know me anymore. All reason would leave me and a monster would remain. Though you are a hunter, I wonder if you have the power to kill a monster disguised as your wife? No, keep it to yourself.”

I sat back and pondered the dilemma at hand, for I would die to see her smile at me again. I ate and thought. She sat and looked away from me.

“Do you know of a cure?” I asked after a time and the food had been eaten.

She did look at me and it seemed that her eyes were full of pity. 

“There might be a way but it requires a great sacrifice. I would hate for you to die for a wretched thing such as I.”

“Wretched or not, you are the one I come back to. What is the cure for your illness?”

“Let’s clean up and go to the library, I’ll show you where to go to get the cure.” 

The cleaning was fast and quick. I started to feel exhaustion really start to creep up on me. So much so that I started to falter as we climbed the stairs up towards the library. I hadn’t slept for at least three days. My physical and mental preparedness was almost nil. I guess that Sara saw this. Instead of the library she led me to a bedroom, one that was almost always in perpetual darkness. 

She led me to the soft bed and laid me down and tossed a cover over me. I cannot remember my head hitting the sheets, but I could almost remember a sort of nuzzling on my neck.

After a time, I awoke. I don’t know how long the room was always dark. No windows and no man-made lighting. I guess this is where Sara prefers to sleep. The sheets were warm and smelled clean. I got up and made my way to the door and back out to the hallway. 

The hall was lit with a gray that was coming from a big window at the end of it. Sara got burns from direct sunlight. I supposed that that is why she chose this country to live in, there was almost never a sunny day. I wandered down the hall to the library. There, at a desk studying away, was Sara. Her platinum blonde hair was all the way down to the floor and in a small coil.

“You know you snore really loud when you’re tired?” Sara said, still reading her book. If I wasn’t able to sneak up on her when she was asleep, it would be impossible to do so when she would be awake.

“You know, I didn’t sleep for three days before then.”

“Yeah, and sleeping a day and a half fixed that didn’t it?”

“Yes, thank you for that.” I moved around to the other side of her desk to see what she was looking at. It was a map of the southern kingdom of Happenstance. Happenstance was a kingdom that was bathed in sunlight, the best foods for six kingdoms and the warmest coastal seas.

“Is it happening? Your cure?” I asked. 

She looked up at me, almost sorrowful. 

“Yes. Happenstance’s ocean. If I was to take a swim in the ocean that is constantly touching the sunlight, I believe that my vampirism would dissipate and we would be better for it.”

I looked at the map and plotted the route. 

“It looks to be a long journey at least a month and we will probably only be able to travel at night. Unless we get a carriage with blacked out windows.”

“Yes, I know. I have been working on the preparations for the past month. I, too, have been anxious for your return. I hired a nice couple from the village to watch the castle. Perhaps when we get back the castle will be in good repair and we can get it back.”

“If you are certain that this is what you want then we will go and see what will happen.” 

Sara rolled up the map and took it with her as we exited the library. 

Within the next week we prepared all the essentials and got the people that would be staying there into the castle and settled. 

Sara did have a carriage with blacked out windows prepared. We set out for Happenstance a week after I had arrived. Though I have little reason to doubt her I have never heard of someone curing vampirism by swimming in sun baked water. But then again I have only ever killed monsters and not cured them.