Maxwell Thiddlestone was an aspiring Architecture student studying in London, born and raised in New England back in the United States. He had had the best four years of his educational and artistic experience . During his final year in the autumn of 2008, Maxwell decided to visit Romania as part of his graduation project. He was quite interested in the gothic and old classical architecture in the counties and villages there. He ended his tour of Romania by visiting Transylvania, there he took quite an interest in the majestic yet horrific castle of a local nobleman, Lord Dracula.

He'd hear of the rumors surrounding the castle's inhabitant, words of unholy creatures and happenings, demons and the vile. Maxwell being the sensitive person to the fine and the art he didn't fully dismiss those rumors and instead his interest flourished and grew to include the Lord Dracula himself, and set out to visit the castle that night.

The way up to the castle was rather spooky, extremely understating it by saying spooky, but it was. Dreadful way up to the castle, dark and damp, foggy on the occasion. When Maxwell reached the front door, he inspected the impressionable design of the porch and the looked up to see towers protruding from the castle, some lit. He held the cold door knocker, a ghoul was decorating it, he let off a few thuds and the knocking was echoed inside. He could hear muffled movement towards the door.

He swallowed his breath, a bit intimidated, a bit excited expecting a grim and monstrous being to jump out of the door, Instead the door was open gently by the most aristocratic looking fine gentleman.

Lord Dracula.

"Evening there," The lord uttered with the most sophisticated manner and eloquent eastern European accent. He was in a dark vest, black pants and linen white shirt. His hair very tidy, his eyes glowing. He looked quite old, but never tarnishes by age, he was at his peak of elegance and beautiful presence.

"Evening, you must be Lord Dracula." Maxwell hesitantly said, then he remembered the reason he was here, his interest, he stood his ground and solidified his attitude, "I'm Maxwell, Maxwell Thiddlestone." He slowly extended his arm to shake the Lord's. He was shaken back, gently.

"How can I help you Mr. Thiddlestone?" Dracula asked, now the door fully open, Maxwell could see the well decorated interior, it was the entrance hall, but it was grand, "Please come in, you must be freezing out here." Dracula stood aside and gestured Maxwell to walk in.

At first he was hesitant again, but the sight of the beautiful architecture inside strengthened his vigor, he walked in, the castle door was shut with a Bang. Maxwell slowly walked through the hall, inspecting the archeticure, the ornato here and there, up on the high ceilings and on the pillars and multi-layered walls. Dracula finally led Maxwell to a large chamber, it looked like a study. Fireplace, cozy carpet and a huge cherry wood desk, bookcases covering the walls.

"Please sit Mr.Thiddlestone, some wine?"
Maxwell nodded, his head checking the room, "Yes please, and call me Maxwell, Max if you dare. I don't deserve the whole Mr. Address. Just a student Lord Dracula."

"Maxwell is fine, so what kind of student?" Dracula served Maxwell a glass of red wine then stood opposite of him by the fireplace, Maxwell drinking, sitting on the couch.

"Architecture, that's why I am here."
"Interesting, I fancy myself am artist, perhaps we two share the same interest and taste in things," Lord Dracula said, his eyes glowing sharply.
"I certainly hope so, it would make for a pleasurable encounter."
They both respectfully raised their glasses.

Suddenly another man walked into the study unannounced, he was too dressed quite well. Seems the three of them shared quite the exquisite taste in clothing. Dracula smiled and turned Maxwell's attention to the man at the study's door.

"Maxwell, This is Viktor. Viktor meet our honorable guest, Mr. Maxwell Thiddlestone."

January, 21st, 2002

Renee’s eyes fluttered shut for a moment as she felt the satin soft skin of her “partner’s” arms wrap around her upper torso. This was wrong on several degrees, Renee felt. Her brain seemed to agree with her, and she nearly urged herself to pry out from the slender freckled arms. But her heart said otherwise, and she only pushed herself deeper under the sheets, pressing bare skin against bare skin. For the first time in ages, Renee Miller felt content. Voluptuous lips, as blood red as roses, planted a soft kiss on her cheek.

Audrey Porter’s lips lingered like a ghost’s touch on Renee’s cheeks. Her junior by quite a few years, Audrey was still in the prime of her twenties. Their relationship had started out purely professional; Audrey had been working alongside Renee in a decent paying internship. The women had bonded, and what started off as a mutually platonic relationship had dived into something much stronger after Jason had left a pregnant Renee to take care of their unborn daughter alone.

A wail arose from the room down the hall, and Renee snapped into action, wrapping herself in her robe faster than The Flash himself. She pitter pattered down to the end of the hall room, a short distance from the master bedroom; Renee lived in an apartment building. Thus far, with two adults and a baby space wasn’t a problem. In fact, it was advantageous in a way. Renee could always hear Jane, and right now, that was important. She would never be more than a few feet away from her daughter as nights, and it comforted her some to know it.

Audrey had followed behind timidly, and when Renee scooped the skinny little bundle up, she peeked over her shoulder shyly.

“She’s so cute.” She squealed as quietly as possible, “Looks just like you.”

Renee appreciated Audrey’s attempts to exclude Jason from all things relevant to Jane. The woman almost regretted naming giving her daughter a name beginning with ‘J’. It very closely served as a reminder of her father. Although, Audrey was right. Jane was the spitting image of Renee, even now in her infancy.

“Hold her,” she said, pushing the baby into Audrey’s arms. There was little hesitation. In a matter of moments, the freckled woman was cooing down at the little girl as though she’d given birth to Jane herself.

“You’re trip is coming soon.” the brunette piped from between the cooing. Her face seemed relaxed, but Renee could feel the tension in her body. Neither wanted to leave the other.

“I know.” Her eyebrows knitted together. She and Jane would be leaving Audrey…it was only for two weeks, and she had convinced herself it wouldn’t be a bad trip. It was a great idea, Audrey had encouraged. Get away from New York for a little while. Forget about Jason, and the horrible toll the pregnancy had taken on her education…
Autumn, 2008

”How are you. How is he.”

“Fine, I’m fine. More importantly, how are you?”

“Good. Things are going well. I miss you, so, so much.”

“You’re coming down for the winter, right?”

“Uh-huh. He won’t try to…make me one of you too, right? I mean…does he know.”

“I think he does. I mean, we’ve got very few friends Audrey. We’re not a big circle of people. I’m sure he keeps tags on me…and you. The both of us.” Renee’s eyebrows arched. There was a commotion going on in the lower floors. It wasn’t the noisy kind of commotion you’d expect to be typically associated with the word. Rather, some dull intuition told Renee that the fireplace longue was being occupied by more than just her vampiric family, and that, to her, was a commotion. How often had they received guests in the past month or so? Renee couldn’t remember any, and if there had been, she had clearly not been paying attention.

“Audrey, I have to go. We’ve got guests, and I think I wasn’t invited.” Renee could almost feel the smirk across the phone line.

“I’ll see you later. Send Jane my love…I love you Renee. Try not to fall for anyone else.”

Renee scowled. Audrey had fallen under the strong impression that living with two men would make Renee prone to falling out and in love again. Which, in a sense, was possible. Not so much because of her infidelity, but rather all revolving around attraction. There was no denying both sexes got the same love from the women. But she was a dedicated lady, and if she respected Audrey, she would never find herself cheating.

“I love you, too, dummy. I’ll call you later.” And with that, she hung up. Retreating to her room, she changed from flannel pajamas she’d been gallivanting around in, to something much more formal. A fitted suit pants, and a white button up shirt. Jane lay sprawled on Renee’s bed, head buried in a book that Renee was sure was too advanced for the six year old to comprehend. Still, it was encouraging to see her daughter take such an avid interest in reading. A girl just like her mother, Renee decided.

“Baby, are you staying up here?”

“Yeah, mom. I wanna finish this book.”

“Ok, just don’t overdo it. You might get a headache. I’m going downstairs. Seems as though we have guests.”

Jane simply nodded, and Renee was sure her words had gone in one ear and straight out the other. She shook her head, before making the quick paced journey down the spiraling stair case to the first floor study.

She wasn't surprised to hear Viktor's voice floating from behind the study doors. He was the oldest of Dracula’s present children, and she believed, the most trusted out of the two of them. Like a shadow to Lord Dracula, it was common place for the two to be together. He was by far Renee’s senior, and she envied the years of education he had an opportunity to. On the bright side, she too would have the capability to learn, and learn, and learn. She would have to put that ability to developing a new talent one day, she decided.

Patiently, she waited outside the study, head cocked as the waited for the invitation from Lord Dracula to enter. She was never too presumptuous with him; regardless of his affections for his children, she would have rather avoided irritating him whenever possible. If he so wanted her inside to greet the guests, he would call to her. If not, Renee would entertain herself in some other way.

2014

Impatience was a good word to describe Renee’s current feelings. In between helping twelve year old Jane with homework and waiting for the family’s newest arrival, she was getting the jitters. The castle had been boring as of late. A new addition to the family would spice things up, and the woman was eager to meet this person.

Jane was becoming more self-aware. She had, at some point, grasped what her mother was, what Viktor, Maxwell, and Lord Dracula were. It had taken her some time, but she had figured out. Renee couldn’t tell if that was disapproval she saw on her young daughter’s face; since when did twelve year olds have a moral compass?

The two waited in silence. Every now and then, Jane would frown and look out the window and Renee was sure it was in anticipation of seeing the new meat. In a way, she was eager to hypnotize her daughter into forgetting all about her apprehensions; at the same time, she was positive the road to good parenting was allowing your child to have some opinions. Therefore, the silence continued as they waited for the assembly of the rest of the family.

2008, Dracula's Castle.

Viktor von Gesner made the appropriate introduction, Maxwell was quite fascinated by his heightened behavior and presence. There was a certain mystery surrounding Viktor's praying eyes, but it was soon dismissed and vanished by his eloquent accent when he asked about Maxwell's interest in the castle. Maxwell was sitting comfortably at the couch, he was at ease with the wine in his hand, sitting in the presence of extraordinary and tasteful men. Before Maxwell could answer, Lord Dracula interrupted and looked Maxwell in the eyes as he spoke.

"Mr. Thiddlestone- Maxwell at his request- is an aspiring student, an architect," the Lord said as he his eyes was studying the inches of Maxwell's face, "He makes for a perfect individual don't you think?" He raised his glass then drank gently from it.

"Thanks for the hospitality Lord Dracula, and please, I'm nothing too special or perfect, just an aspiring architect with a taste for the fine." Maxwell giggled lightly, the fireplace was silent, but unerringly warm. Viktor was quite the intimidating figure as much as he was interesting, but soon enough Maxwell would meet yet another of the castle's residence as Lord Dracula coughed lightly and gestured for the woman standing outside to come into the study.

A remarkably drawn and shaped woman walked in, she had a certain sense of mystery about her as well, nothing the eyes of Maxwell have ever seen. Lord Dracula rubbed her back as he gently pushed her into Maxwell's view.

"Oh, Maxwell, I am proud to introduce you Renee, Renee Miller my dear," Lord Dracula smiled, "This is our honorable guest, Mr. Maxwell Thiddlestone, an architect."
Maxwell left his drink on the couch table and sprang up, fixing the lapels of his jacket then proceeding to shoot his arm with an open palm to greet Ms. Miller. \

"A pleasure Ms. Miller."

November 2014, Thiddlestone Gallery, Florence, Italy.

It has been years since that fateful night that forever changed Maxwell, he is now attending his own art gallery and architecture profile showcase. It was a bust couple of days filled with various chats with Europe's most important figures in arts and other areas, soft dining and flirting with naive but horribly rich women. Maxwell could barely hold himself when some pale women presented themselves, the veins in their necks was all he could hear, feel, see and desire. But nonetheless Lord Dracula's instructions were quite clear about the few matters that mattered.

"Don't make a scene." He would always say back in the days when Maxwell was a usual resident at the castle. He had learned a lot since that night back in the fall of 2008, a lot about the hidden world of blood sucking aristocrats and classes.

After his gallery, Maxwell went back to his hotel for a rest, it has been quite the bust week. He checked his phone and found a couple of messages from Viktor and Renee, he left them unread as he sunk into his bed and emulated being tired, the woman beside him would have to be convinced that he is still a living, breathing human being that could tire and yearn for a stretch. The lights went off as he cuddled with the nameless beauty, he would have a flight to catch in ten hours, back home. Romania.