Captive of the Crimson Countess, Chapter 3: The New Girl

The new girl intrigued Nadia. Her skin was dark and her hair black with tight curls, so unlike the people of Thule. Perhaps, Nadia thought, she was exoticizing the hunter. But Nadia couldn’t keep her eyes off Blair. Nadia found herself staring at Blair’s armor. Metal plates stitched onto a heavy leather jacket. Blair looked dangerous. 

The new girl had said she planned to attempt to flee and even fight the countess. Nadia eyed the pistols and saber that Blair wore. Nadia didn’t think Blair would succeed. But a part of Nadia hoped she would. A small part of Nadia prayed to the gods that Blair would survive. And, she prayed, Blair would save Nadia as well. That thought made her shiver. A brave knight saving a princess, like the stories. Nadia liked the idea of that. 

She couldn’t see Blair’s physique with the armor in place. But the other woman was taller and broader than Nadia, at least five foot ten. Nadia allowed herself to imagine Blair sweeping Nadia into her arms. Then she shook her head. The countess had said Blair was Yssian, and Blair had confirmed it. Yssians hated the people of North Karshvar. Thuleans raided the nations of the Boro sea for slaves. And Nadia doubted that Blair would be able to look past that history. Most people couldn’t. 

Blair had stopped talking as they walked through the castle. Nadia found herself chattering away about little nothings. She spoke about the history of her family, the layout of the castle, the living arrangements here. Castle Crimson lay in the mountainous coastal region of north Agartha. Agartha stood as the most powerful nation of Southern Karshvar. It had good relations with the island of Ys, but poor relations with Nadia’s own kingdom of Thule. 

She was talking about the politics of Thulean and Agarthan trade. Blair interrupted her. 

“So Tristan is available for-” Blair paused, “Our needs as women?”

Nadia blanched. Did Blair prefer men? That would be a shame. “He is. I’ve not gone to him myself. But other girls have said that he is good at what he does. Gentle even. He’s as much a prisoner as we are.”

“I’d wondered about that.” Blair said. “So is there some female assistant for those of us not interested in men?”

Nadia giggled. “We make do with each other. Or at least the other girls do.”

“Not you?”

Nadia swallowed. Then she decided she might as well get it out in the open now, before she got her hopes up.

“The countess has taken me as her current favorite. The other girls don’t trust me.”

Blair looked Nadia up and down. Nadia looked away. 

“I can see why she’d pick you. You’re gorgeous.” Blair said.

Nadia went red and didn’t turn back to face Blair. 

“But why would getting picked make them distrust you?”

“They think I’m seducing the countess to keep myself alive. And I suppose I am to a certain extent. I try to keep her entertained. I try to give her pleasure. And she hasn’t sent me to the baths yet. So it must be working.”

“That seems pretty reasonable.” Blair said.

“We are all trapped here. And we will die here. The only question is when. This doesn’t lead to calm heads and reasonable reactions.”

Nadia turned back as she finished speaking. Blair nodded.

Nadia felt confident that Blair preferred women now. That excited Nadia. Blair had called her gorgeous. That suggested the monster hunter might even have an interest in Nadia already. Maybe Nadia could enter into a relationship that wasn’t based on survival and abuse. But Nadia tried to drive the optimism from her mind. The Countess had left Blair with her armor and weapons. This meant that the Countess planned on playing with Blair. It wouldn’t be wise to take an interest in somebody the Countess wanted.

Still, Nadia was lonely. Her loneliness had a desperate quality. She could feel herself clawing at the walls of the inside of her heart. She wanted a connection. She wanted intimacy. And none of the current girls would consider her anything but a spy for the countess. Blair didn’t share those prejudices yet. At least Nadia hoped she didn’t. Nadia would still need to convince Blair not to see her like the typical Thulean slaver or raider. But her chances of making a connection were greater with Blair. 

Nadia chided herself. That sounded so clinical. Nadia knew she already felt an attraction to Blair. Now she was trying to justify her attraction. Nadia thought again about the countess. The immortal could tear Nadia apart limb by limb with the ease of pulling apart a cooked chicken leg. But Nadia was still attracted to Blair. She wanted Blair to rescue her, to save her. She wanted Blair to hold her. Nadia imagined Blair’s lips against her own and shivered. 

Damn the countess. She would try. She would present herself to Blair, and see what the other woman said. Then a thought struck Nadia. Blair wouldn’t survive long. The countess was going to play with Blair like a cat with an injured mouse. The countess would torment and destroy Blair. Any relationship was doomed. 

But Nadia couldn’t shake the attraction. She wanted Blair. But maybe she could ignore the attraction if she tried. 

Nadia realized that Blair was still speaking. Nadia focused again on listening to the hunter. 

“So the countess wants a fair game does she?” Blair said. 

Nadia shook her head. “She isn’t as sporting as she pretends to be.”

“No? She seemed pretty confident she would win either way.”

Nadia nodded. “She is used to winning. She doesn’t believe she can lose. But she will cheat or change the rules in an instant if it looks as though she might lose.”

“That doesn’t surprise me.” Blair answered. Nadia noticed that the hunter’s hand had moved to the pommel of her saber. 

“You expected her to cheat?” Nadia asked.

“I expected her to do everything necessary to win. I’d expect nothing less from an immortal who baths in blood. Some immortals can control the hunger. But one who goes to such excess, no. The Countess is a monster. She is controlled by her hunger, and feeding that hunger is all that matters to her.”

“Have you ever met a vampire that can control the hunger?”

“Myself? No.” Blair said. “But grandmother fought beside an immortal monster hunter when she was still active. He was a Hyperborean Count named Vladimir Nóttfang. I never met him. But I understand that he is still active. 

Nadia shivered. “I don’t know if I could trust an immortal.” 

Thule and Hyperborea used Immortals. But nobody trusted them.

Blair smiled. “That’s wise. The hunger is a terrible thing, and only a few can hold it in check. I would never trust an immortal.”