“Conflicting motives compelled me to seek out the Countess Kalina Nefârtul of Tyrol, though I cannot say which cause coerced me more. My career of errantry had thus far kept within the bounds of our native country. Yet I was called to endeavour further east than my eyes had ever seen. Perhaps it was my displeasure with polite court life or my desire for distance from my family. Such factors certainly contributed. But beyond these more benign motivations, I can say most truthfully that I carried with me a morbid curiosity about this loathsome lady who was subject to so much lore and legend. I did not lie when I said, upon my departure from the Duché de Bourgogne, that I intended to bring death to the dastardly demoniac. But it was also my hope that in doing so, I could quell my unnatural urge to meet such an unholy creature. Of course, this did not come to pass.

“I arrived at this castle with cruel intent. And I shall add as well that I did so in a far fairer state than you. You found this place a frostbitten and famished fool, half-frozen and barely able to stand on his feet. But I was greeted in the great hall by the most gracious of maidens. You see, Yvan, unlike you, I arrived unexpectedly and was met with no ruse. This fortress was not forsaken and forlorn, but bright and lively. Some broken battlements, maybe, but warm, inviting, and eminently liveable. The corridors were all alight from their ornate cressets. The halls and chambers filled with fine tapestries and fabulous furnishings from far-flung corners of the world. It appeared to me the merriest of maisons, though there was not a single man in sight. Only the smiling faces of some two dozen, sumptuous serving girls.  One such servant of breathtaking beauty named Brigit escorted me promptly to see Countess Nefârtul when I told the young thing I had business with her Lady and humbly begged her audience. She suspected nothing and the exchange was marvellous in its mundanity.

“When I finally set eyes upon the Lady I had travelled so long to see, I would be lying if I said I was not disarmed by her delicate face and delighting charm. In an instant, she had my heart fluttering and my face flush. Without even the most meagre of magic, she had me ensorceled, spellbound. She was not the first lady to provoke pangs of longing lust in me—I now know this—but none had so effortlessly reduced me to a lovestruck girl, nervous and needy. My body demanded I obey this woman’s every whim. Yet, within me, a war of contradictory ideas and desires was being waged. The woman in me wanted to worship her, though the noble knight still felt the need to carry out their duty. Here, the warlike part of myself won a small victory. I noticed the way in which she was perhaps too perfect in appearance. She had the most unnatural aura. I now know this to be the naïve fear of encountering something—or someone—truly divine.”

Listening to her tale, Yvan wanted to decry her blasphemy, but his broken body, fearing another beating, begged him to hold his tongue. And so, he did.

“I declared my deadly designs for her and drew my dazzling sword. The Countess merely cocked an eyebrow and flashed a coy smile. Her cunning face was so cute I could hardly conceive of even scratching it. My musings matter not though, for the moment I made my move, her helpful handmaid lunged at me and bared her breast before my blade.

“‘I will never let you hurt her, you hulking brute!’ the beautiful Brigid bleated.

“Though I had heard cutting words of that kind countless times before, they cut me curiously deep when they came from this sweet ingénue.

“‘Dear Brigid, do step aside. I do not want you putting your life at our lovely guest’s disposal,’ the even lovelier lady at last spoke.

“‘But my Lady …’ the servant demurred.

“‘No,’ she said more sternly. ‘You are not dying on my behalf. Your duties are finished here. You may depart.’

“I held my guard as the girl excused herself from the room at a gallop. Meanwhile, the attractive aristocrat approached. She moved with such grace, as if she were gently carried on a gust of wind. Her eyes met mine, and reflected in them, I saw my own envy. I saw a proud girl whose ego could not accept the idea of such an extraordinary woman, one so powerful and self-possessed. I had spent my life in self-punishment, and hearing of this woman, whose very existence seemed an insult against my pride, had made it my mission to punish her even more harshly. But in her eyes, I forgot myself entirely. That intolerant ego was crushed, and all of my anger evaporated in that instant. Her soft and silken hand reached out and lowered my sword. I said nothing. I did nothing. She crept in closer. I was a wash in her rich aroma. She smelled of spices, cardamom and clove bud, which sang in my senses and mixed with a heady musk. I was instantly intoxicated, putty in her palm.

“‘Oh, my pliant paladin, your lust is palpable. You may pretend that you came here in pursuit of my head, but I know what you are. I know why you have really come. You heard tales of a sinful seductress who steals the hearts and souls of women and felt summoned to submit yourself to me. Is that not so?’ she stroked my face sensuously.

“I tried to talk, but my lips merely trembled. No sound escaped them. She pressed a slender finger, her nails long, sharp, and shining, to my lower lip pushed my mouth open ever so slightly. She came in so close, plump lips caressed my ear when she spoke in captivating tones.

“‘Tell me the truth, my treasure,’ the vampire commanded in her velvet voice.

“‘It is true.’ My tongue moved without my command. ‘Please … take me.’

“She tittered to herself. ‘Goodness, you are almost too eager. I was hoping you’d hold out a little longer. I do so adore diminishing a strong girl’s defences.’

“I stared back at her simpering eyes. ‘I am sorry, my Lady.’

“She shushed me softly. ‘Mistress,’ she corrected. And it is no matter. You are mine. You shall be mine.’

“Her lips wrapped around the lobe of my ear, lingering there lovingly before she traced a path down my jaw in sweet pecks. She effortlessly unclasped my armour and cut through my chainmail shirt with her claws, which clattered to the floor. Then, with those same talons, she tore through my thick aketon and my tunic as if they were nothing.

“‘I swear.’

“My mistress embraced me, and, though I knew I was submitting to sin, I felt so safe, totally at ease in her arms. She nourished my neck with kisses before moving down to my bare bosom. The Countess cupped and cradled my left breast and brought it close to her mouth. My chest was hot and heaving. And the way the luscious lady lapped at my nipple made it perk up in pleasure. Then, at last, she plunged her perfect, acuminated fangs into my veins. Simply put, I was in paradise. My vital fluid flowed freely. I surrendered my flesh, and my flesh in turn surrendered the life stored within it. We were enjoined in wondrous union. With her, I was at once a babe beholding, for the first time, the world in its full beauty and a mother nourishing her newborn with nutriment.

“As she supped, my body grew soft and weak. I swooned, but she held me close as we came to the floor. Her body intertwined with mine, her groin grinding against my glistening cuisses. But her sultry and prurient methods were not merely the tools of a succubus. It was with the ardour of a lover that she did these things. I instantly knew that this was the manner in which her love made itself known. It was only later that she loved me in the fashion I had always silently dreamed of.

“I felt the cold stone on my back and a slight chill in my extremities, while a blissful heat bloomed in my belly and bosom. The effect was that of floating on a frigid lake, while a blazing sun bakes the bare flesh that breaches the blue water.

“As you know, the process is not without its pain. The punctures just above my nipple felt enormous, even though her fangs were slender as needles. But it was, for me, a pain most extraordinary, such that I never wanted to be deprived of that piquant sensation again.

“I wonder, did you feel it? Did she make you desire the delightful embrace of death? Did you yearn for oblivion, as I did?”

Yvan did not answer; his eyes only stared open wide in awe.

“I imagine not, or you would not still be wasting her time in this pointless show of resistance.

“At one point, I glanced up and saw a gaggle of girls peering from around the door. Some giggled, some gawked, some even touched themselves, others still kissed and groped their companions, aroused by the sight of their mistress seducing another girl, making them hers. Love and lust lived and thrived in this place. Truly, I thought, this house is heaven itself.

“The feeling of ecstasy I experienced rose and rose. My heart thumped thunderously in perfect time with hers. My body quaked, and a cry caught in my throat. My breath rapidly rose and fell. I could barely keep myself conscious. I felt my life was at its end, and yet I was ecstatic. Everything went silent and white. Only then did she withdraw. The last thing I recall was the feeling of blood-soaked lips pressing against my own, my tonguing taking in that coppery taste.”

“When I awoke, I was awash in warm candlelight. My body has been laid in a billowing bed. A duck down duvet draped over me like a cloud. Despite this comfort, however, I found myself possessed by an intense feeling of dread, and biding thoughts of death. Yet strangely, these were not at all unwelcome to me. Nor are they now.

“I felt a faint tickle, and, casting my eyes down, found my fair Mistress was the source. The Countess Kalina was kneeling by the side of my bed, her head resting gently on my covers, her fingers tracing circles on my skin. I sat up to get a better look at her, but I did so too quickly and became faint and lightheaded. I slumped back into the pile of pillows beneath me.

“‘Oh darling, do be gentle with yourself. You have not yet had enough rest.’ Her voice sounded even sweeter to me then when she laid her claim on me.

“The Countess climbed atop, straddling my sides. She touched the back of her hand to my head to test my temperature. I sensed no strong difference between our body heats. This struck me as queer because, as I am sure you learned when you made Lady Kalina’s acquaintance, she runs quite cold, unnaturally so, even.

“‘You are still icy to the touch, Rothilde. Your anaemia has not yet abated,’ she said. ‘Come be close to me.’

“She slipped under my covers and wrapped me tightly in her arms. As she did so, I saw the bedclothes she’d sheathed me in a lapis blue bedgown, with silver and gold embroidery. The fabric was finer than any I’d ever felt. She bade me place my head on her breast, and I did so. Sleep was still in my eyes, so, for a while, she did nothing but softly stroke my hair, and I let myself get lost as I listened to the slow and steady rhythm of her heart.

“As I gradually began to rouse, I started to take in the fabulous furnished bedchamber. My bed was an impressive oak four-poster, which sat high on a dais, canopied with heavy curtains. The bed itself was intricately engraved with images of the great and gorgeous pagan Mother Goddess whose worship still persists in parochial corners of her native Pannonia. Panels portrayed Her making both the land and wombs of women fertile, and her watching over women as they worked, shearing sheep, spinning and weaving wool, and knitting garments. The rest of the room was fully filled with wildflowers, an impressive feat considering the scale of the room, but certainly in keeping with the rest of the castle’s grandeur.

“My gaze returned to my Mistress, and I nuzzled deeper into her. Though it now occurred to me that I simply could not be close enough to her. Skin to skin was not sufficient to sate me. I needed her to penetrate me again, for her to enter my body and draw me into hers. But alas, she could not, since she explained, I could fall seriously ill if she were to suckle from me so soon.

“‘I have taken about a litron of blood from you, or about a fifth which your body has to offer. Such an amount is sufficient to sustain me for a night or two and liable to subject you to only a short period of suffering.’

“‘I do not suffer at all, I swear to you,’ I pleaded with her, ‘Please, Mistress, kiss me viciously with those red lips once again.’

“‘My dear Rothilde, you are too eager. Do not make such demands upon me when you do not know the depth of their detriment.’ Her rebuke quieted my complaints, though my body still begged for her blessings. ‘Were I to drink too much from you too soon, your health would deteriorate, and you would be seized by wasting sickness. It is a slow process, albeit a euphoric one, or so I’ve been told. But I would snuff out that spark of vitality that burns within you, and soon even you would succumb. Though you would rest not quiet in your grave; you would be destined to live again in death as I do.’ She cradled my face and gave me a soft smile. ‘But I do not want to be deprived of you as you are now. I am also loath to create more of my kind,’ she added. ‘No, I desire to keep you, and so I shall ensure your longevity.’

“I consented to her wishes, and she craned her neck down to kiss me, our tongues intertwined in a most delicate dance. Our mistress is so caring. You shall come to know this, Yvan.

“During these early days, Lady Kalina dutifully doted on me in the waning hours of the day, and then all through the night—those are the hours she usually keeps. She was utterly devoted to me, as everything was wholly unfamiliar. So much guidance and elucidation were required. And as time went on, her devotion only deepened; her hold on my heart became all the more secure.

“There are too many details to describe our courtship in a single conversation,” She continued, “but I will endeavour to include the essentials. We carried on in the manner I have thus far conveyed during my short convalescence for a week more. I now recover more rapidly from her imbibitions. In the daytime, I would sleep in late and spend my afternoons with my ladies-in-waiting and the serving girls. They spoiled me and slung sweetest words at me— ‘My dear lady, you are so dashing and dreamy, it is no wonder the Countess is so captivated by you’ —promising to make me perfect for her particular predilections, rasping down my rough edges. With such joy, they carried out their job of making a maiden out of me. They massaged my weary mass and made soft my skin. They dressed me in fine fashions and decorated my face. And loving every moment, I allowed them. At night, my nocturnal seductress would invite herself into my chamber.  She would steal towards me with silent steps, and, clasping the curtain enclosing my bed, would creep inside. I, for my part, would remain cossetted in my costly, quilted covers. On some nights, she would again climb atop and play at being my imprisoner: ‘I have you trapped and tricked you, good Sieur. I don’t know how it is possible, but I have pinned the palatine Rothilde. The noble lady knight, famed in Francia and far-flung realms beyond, beautiful of face and bold in battle. What I do know is that we are alone; the door is sealed, my servants asleep. You are in my power and at my mercy! And what lady would let you go lying here, so lovely, like this?’ ‘My Lady, such flattery! In no way do I warrant such words, nor am I nearly as noble a knight as you say. But on my honour, I swear to have your every desire met in deed or in speech. Grant this prisoner the privilege of pleasing you; the honour would be priceless.’ ‘Good Sieur, your words turn me pink. The honour for you would be priceless, but the price I ask for your freedom is but a kiss.’ And with bated breath and blushing cheeks, this kiss would be bestowed. I hope to have sparked some envy in you, Yvan, with this particular portion of my tale.

“On other nights, we would delight in deepening our knowledge of the other. I kept nothing from her, though I am sure she has so much more to share with me. I found her a most charming companion and a clever and coy conversationalist. A perfect partner in the dance of words dallying lovers do together. Her lips loved to make a lilting and languid laugh. But beyond her wit, the Lady Kalina is well-learned in matters of history and philosophy; she recites verse rapturously, and, above all, has the most capacious knowledge of all things natural. Another night, she asked me to explain our chivalric code of conduct, chiefly, the greatest concern of all chivalrous knights: courtly love. How lords will lay down their lives for their lady’s love and avenge with great valour any slight against their exalted Domina. How lords bring great bliss into their beloved’s bedchamber, though she pushed back on this point. ‘Only a woman can love a woman well,’ she’d say. And on the very next night, she showed me the truth of this sentiment.

“The moon was proud and full, at its peak in the sky. My Mistress was not only illuminated by it but reflected and shimmered in its endymion glow. We were enjoying a placid picnic beneath the sparkling Pleiades. My love sipped slowly at a small glass of spiced wine. A comet streaked across the clear night sky. This was the night that Kalina and I consummated our love, lying out among the lush herbs that grew in her bailey. In my left hand, I held onto the hearty herbage, while in my right, I caressed the fine moss that adorned her magnificent mound. Her Temple of Venus warmed to my touch, and trembling, took in my fingers and tongue in turn. She gripped my hair tight and held my head between her thighs. I had her roaring in rapture. The most spectacular sight one could see, her naked body heaving and humming, pulsing with pleasure, until she at last returned to stillness. She rested a precious few moments before reciprocating in kind, bringing me too to convulsing climax. Such divine delights did I know that night. Her way with women is unmatched in this world.”

“This is mere foreplay without anyone to play the man. Moreover, it is most unnatural,” an uneasy Yvan interjected.

“How is it unnatural, I ask? Better to be like the bird than to rut like fur-backed beasts. We can copulate as they can, with a kiss of their cloacae. And we did too.”

“But God made women for men! Your figure was formed to receive our blessing!”

“Then the blame is wholly on men when they cannot bring bliss to their brides?”

At this barb, the knight bowed out of their back and forth.

“We engaged in a most torrid display of tribadism until we lost track of all time. We breathed in each other's breaths, our bodies blending into unity. Our peaks of pleasure came continuously, rolling like thunder in a mighty tempest, until night-breaking dawn drew near. Before she was forced to return to her burial chamber, we basked in the afterglow of passion. Both the cool air and her cool skin felt marvellous on my hot and glistening body.

“While we lay there on our dresses draped across the grass, she plucked a wild rose and placed it in my hair, telling me it was a token of her affection, like I had mentioned in my tales of courtly love. With this simple and beautiful gesture, I knew my heart would never belong to another. Until that moment, I had satisfied myself in saying my soil was salted, but she sowed the seeds of desire and made my fallow fields fruitful. In her fierce and fiery eyes, I found my soul’s forever mate.”

Yvan stared at the woman who minutes ago had been most hard and hateful. Her eyes now brimmed with tears, and her smile was of a sincerity he had not seen since they were mere children. The battered knight felt pointy pangs of jealousy, and his heart ached, but her joy was so palpable that his conflicted mind knew not what to think. He looked to his left and noticed that the Countess had silently crept into the room.

“And I promise I shall never cease to love you,” Kalina said, clutching Rothilde.

Rothilde replied with a kiss.

“I am delighted to see that you’re done here. Have you had your fun?”

“Yes Mistress, the craven boy began to crack incredibly quick,” Rothilde reported, she gestured to Yvan’s bloody and broken body, “I am sorry if I was too harsh on your hostage.”

“You needn’t apologize to me, my sweet. I can’t help but indulge my darling.” She paused briefly. “Good. Then Tilda, my treasure, will you kindly take him back to his cell? I desire to speak with our new guest.”