Chapter 6: Chapter 6: Victor’s Nightmare

There was something unusually eery about the manor that night. For one I couldn’t find Bearon or Robin anywhere. I was also starving as a result and had wandered down to the dining hall ready to make something myself if I had to.

To my surprise Victor was already waiting at the table. He was resting his chin on his clasped hands and looked as dark and brooding as usual, but there was something different about him. He seemed more resolute. He indicated with a head nod towards the plate of food in front of the chair I had become accustomed to. I don’t know why the question crossed my mind, but as I sat down to a normal looking dinner of what appeared to be vegetables and cooked chicken I suddenly wanted to know: “Victor did you make this?”

He slowly nodded his head. I watched as he moved his hands to take up the knife and fork next to him. “I thought it may be more akin to your liking,” he replied.

I was excited no one was there to chastise us for not saying my lord or my lady. But I was also excited that the meal looked almost as if it could exist in modern times. “It is,” I replied, “especially since you put in the effort.”

“Did you go to school Annalise?” Victor asked me next, “in your metal city?”

“I did,” I replied as I tried to find the words. I knew the constraints placed on me here weren’t going to let me give exact descriptions, and how does one describe their primary education and college without saying the names? “I wasn’t always in the city…” I replied, “just for upper education. College. I was at a lovely place with lots of greenery and space before then. It had a panther statue out front.” What was I even saying?

“A panther?” he replied, “me as well.”

My ears perked up at this, what the heck did that even mean? He went to school with a panther mascot too? That didn’t make sense to me. But then again nothing about Victor made sense to me, and I thought that way even while reading the book. I tried a softball question first. “Did you go to school Victor?” I replied.

He chortled, “yes I am college educated.”

“Where?” I replied.

He sighed as he put down his fork and clicked his tongue, “I suppose you could say it was in a metal city as well.” He shuttered as he went back to staring at me. “We don’t have any cities of metal near here, but if you’d like we may be able to go to a local one of wood to procure you another dress,” he finished.

I hadn’t meant to sigh. But he was indicating the next plot point. We were supposed to have a rousing adventure into town. I was going to bump into Frederick who recognized me somehow and was obviously immediately taken by me. I wasn’t looking forward to that. There was a minor ambush in there too and, I shuttered to think about it, but it was an encounter where I’d see Victor suck a man dry of blood. It was supposed to subtly raise doubt after presenting Victor as an otherwise perfect suitor. And then it’d really make Annalise question everything. The invitation also meant I was about to start finding the dead goats. I was going to have to work to remember all of the scenes with Frederick too. Annalise and him had quite a few romantic looks and the like before he finally comes to save her from the castle. Although looking around the premises I wasn’t sure what I even needed to be saved from, large birds and bears? I noticed Victor was now looking at me quizzically as I continued my mental wandering. “That would be lovely Victor,” I replied.

I noticed he was now staring at my plate, “are you done?”

I nodded as he dabbed at his mouth with a napkin and stood to help pull my chair back. “Shall we walk?” he asked.

He was quick to lead me down the hall and back towards my room after a quick pass through of the garden. He seemed excited almost, as if something about our earlier conversation had brought back the initial Victor spice. I was not surprised to see him casually direct us past the forbidden stairwell and to my room. So he was going to try and do the scene. I was doing my best to not show my nerves. How was I supposed to collapse with this man in a huge embrace while furiously kissing him when I’d barely had a first kiss myself and felt like I was walking on needles around him?

He placed a hand on the swell of my back as he began to lead me around the room. I hadn’t meant to stiffen but I knew he could sense my unease as he lead me by the windows. He took his hand away with a small frown. I felt even more uneasy as I remembered my original task was to try and make this man fall for me. I wasn’t doing a particularly good job at seducing him. I tried for a line from the book as I felt a bit of panic set in, “the stars look lovely tonight, my lord.”

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He gazed upon my face as fell silent. I waited for the next line I knew was supposed to come, not as lovely as you. But Victor remained strangely silent. “Is something the matter my lord?” I balked.

“I’m just studying you,” he replied.

“Is that good or bad?” I replied.

“Honestly,” he replied, “you are beautiful. Although you seem to be bent on denying that about yourself. You remind me a bit of someone I used to know.”

So we were going off script. I hadn’t meant to say it, “you know you remind me of someone I used to know as well.”

“Really?” he replied.

“The first boy I kissed,” I said, “he was kind of dark and moody like yourself. And he had a similar look to him. But I haven’t seen him in years.”

“Moody?” Victor said flatly.

“In a good way, we were all kind of moody in primary school,” I said, “I mean I was really into it. I had a crush on him for years and if we hadn’t gone to separate colleges… it was a long time ago though.” I couldn’t remember how old Annalise was supposed to be and suddenly regretted the statement.

I expected Victor to be staring at me as if I were crazy, but was surprised to see him instead staring out the window. “I wanted to be a doctor so bad,” I continued, “and I picked a really hard field to study to get there… studying comes easy to some people but you know I honestly had to work at it… you can’t always find time for romance. Well I mean I guess I also am a bit nerdier than average too which probably doesn’t help…”

Had I bored Victor to death with this? I looked over to see him sigh and turn. I followed him as I debated grabbing his arm. Was I supposed to pull him on to the bed if he’d lost interest? “Victor are you disappointed with me? I didn’t mean to talk so much… I’m just not that experienced. I mean I’ve only been kissed one time…”

“One time?” he asked surprised.

“I mean two if you count you, er have we kissed yet?” I replied. I really needed to keep my mouth shut.

To my surprise he chuckled, “I am not here to make you uncomfortable Annalise.” That was the exact opposite of what book Victor seemed to be constantly trying to do. He took my hand to give it a light kiss, “you may remember you came to me for help. And you’re free to leave at any time you wish.”

When I looked up to his face again I was surprised to see him smiling. “But I hope you won’t,” he finished.

“You don’t think I talk too much?” I asked.

“Not at all,” he replied, “it is nice to hear you saying… things. I didn’t realize you were such a scholar.”

“I worry I word vomit,” I replied, “when I’m nervous… but why don’t you tell me downtime about yourself?”

“I would like to consider myself nerdy as well,” he replied, “not moody though.”

“Oh of course not,” I said, “you just become one with all of your chairs out of happiness.”

He laughed before sighing and looking a bit forlorn, “I’ve been trapped living the same nightmare day in and day out, I was hoping you could be the one to save me from it.” And there it was, a line from the book. He seemed annoyed at having said it.

I couldn’t remember my lines, was it maybe we should do something about that? Victor seemed distracted enough to not initially notice my pause. He looked from me to the window before taking a moment to lean forward and stare more intently at the dark outer grounds of the estate. It almost seemed like he was looking for something out there. There was another awkward moment as I tried to start, “uh…” He seemed to notice me panicking and sighed as he bit his lip.

He did look strangely attractive in the moonlight. He had a few buttons unbuttoned on his shirt as if he’d forgotten to finish dressing himself that morning. the top bits of a very well formed chest were just able to barely peak out from underneath his dark comically probably not historically accurate ornately decorated black robe. I hadn’t previously noticed how striking his jaw line was. Something about him felt very conventionally attractive for being such an unconventional figure otherwise. Would everyone find him as beautiful as I did right then? I wasn’t sure. But the lip bite didn’t help my anxiety. How was I supposed to say anything to this beautiful man when my brain couldn’t process information right now?

He had started to walk away slowly from the windows and back towards the door of the room. Maybe he was just trying to give me some air, but it sent me into overdrive mode. “Wait,” I yelled as I sprinted back towards him. I hadn’t meant to do it, but I promptly crashed into him and sent him sprawling towards the bed. He turned just in time to catch me and land on his back staring at me in confusion. He laid there in shock as he stared up at me. He had been supposed to press me against the bed passionately before we proceeded to share a long and sensual kiss. Instead here he was pinned on his back by a confused messy haired big bosomed nerd who clearly couldn’t control herself enough to stay upright. I had him flat against the shoulders as I mumbled, “I’m sorry.” My attempts to push myself up to rectify the situation landed in me flattening against him further. He chuckled as my face landed mere inches from his. I didn’t see his lips move, but I swore I heard him mumble, “unusual.”

“Is this your attempt to take me for yourself?” Victor asked, another book line. However he immediately veered off track, “you’re crushing me.”

I yelped as I tried to move my elbow from his neck and rolled to the side of him. I laid there completely embarrassed staring at the ceiling as he remained silent. He was supposed to press my hands into the bed and kiss my neck. I was supposed to be wondering if he was here for love or to suck me dry like the rumors had said. Instead I was here trying to figure out how to recover from the most awkward interaction of my life.

I tried to think of something to say, “so you’ve been trapped in a nightmare?”

“Over and over and over again,” he said softly. His eyes widened as soon as he’d said it. He sat up from the bed and started to nervously look around.

I did my best to push myself to join him. I wanted to ask if something was the matter, but something about the look in his eyes told me to stay quiet. He looked at me with large black wide eyes as he took a hand to cup my face and pull me closer to him. He moved his lips ever so subtlety from ear and whispered, “they’ll be coming.”

He sat back as he nervously tried to reclaim his usual composure. “I want to help you… out of this nightmare,” I said. It was almost a line from the book. It seemed just enough to appease him. I was waiting for the dialogue I could barely remember about this scene. Something about was she here to save him, something about her eyes alone could drown or save a man… her lips were like a cure. I couldn’t really remember. Victor seemed too alarmed to even begin to go down that road anyways.

There was a knock at the door that nearly caused Victor to jump up right. He briefly made eye contact with me before opening the door to face a very bare faced Bearon. “I advise you to not disturb us when we are alone,” Victor said haughtily as he brushed by Bearon.

“Yes my lord,” Bearon replied as he looked past him. Even though Victor was clearly trying to assert his authority i could tell that Bearon seemed to have a strange influence on him as well. Did he see a bear there like me as well?

Victor turned once last time to make eye contact with me as he mouthed, “hide.” I tried to hide my alarm as he left. Hide from what? Was I supposed to stay in the room? Bearon made a strange resolute eye contact as he began to shut the door. To my horror, I heard him lock it and stay right outside.