Post by mina on Mar 9, 2021 11:56:55 GMT
And they said "yes" to each other
Dorin Antanasia put the wreath of flowers gently into her hair. "We'll braid your hair that day." said her mother.
Antanasia beamed all over her face, she twisted and turned her wedding dress in front of the mirror.
"You will be the most beautiful bride the world has ever seen." Dorin whispered gently.
"Don't overdo it Dorin." Antanasia replied with a smile.
"Well, at least Transylvania has ever seen." Answer Dorin. "Antanasia - my wife ... I love you!"
"Me too Dorin ..." for a moment her heart tightened. There was someone else she loved, loved just as much as Dorin loved.
But the fact that he was different separated them.
Winter was over, spring was coming quickly, and at this time Dorin wanted to marry her. It should now become official that they became husband and wife, even if their house wasn't quite finished. Almost the whole village helped and you could already live in it.
Dorin wouldn't be able to be with her all the time because he was still working in Cluj, but he now had his own car and was able to cover the distance well. Even if he wasn't home every day - not yet.
Antanasia took Dorin's hand. "I have to talk to you…" So they went to another room where they were alone.
"I have to talk to the count."
"You don't want to invite him to a wedding, do you?" Dorin asked her astonished.
"No," she shook her head. "That won't work. Nobody would understand - and I think he doesn't want to be there either. But I still want to talk to him ... it just hurts ... he ... was my husband after all."
"Yes, I was from a previous life. Just like you are Vladimir's mother. Even if I still don't really understand it." Replied Dorin.
She nodded. "I don't understand it myself, and neither does he. But deep down I feel it. The way I felt that Vladimir is my son."
"A son who is a good 160 years older than his mother."
Antanasia had to smile. "I know it sounds crazy - but I think at certain instances it doesn't matter."
She sat down and carefully took the wreath of flowers out of her hair and placed it next to her.
"It wouldn't be right if I didn't talk to Fridolin beforehand. I could hardly go up to the castle for most of the winter. But now I have to go up again! He will miss me ..."
"And you? Do you miss him?" asked Dorin.
She clenched her beak. "Yes very."
"Good if you absolutely have to go - but I'll come with you!" Antanasia looked up.
"Does that have to be? I mean he won't be thrilled."
"He'll have to get used to it, you'll soon be my wife. And besides, I can talk to his son ... brother in the meantime."
Up in the castle, Count Duckula had been walking around in circles for a while. "It smells of spring Vladimir ... you open the window and smell spring ... it is the time when man's strength sprouts ..." Vladimir had to smile.
"What do you mean Duckyboos cleaning?" asked Emma.
"Veronika, spring has arrived, The girls are singing tralala, All the world is like bewitched, Veronika, the asparagus is growing,.."Vladimir laughed. Everyone looked at him questioningly. Vladimir grinned even wider.
"Vladimir, which asparagus do you mean?" asked Count Duckula innocently. This waved it off. "It's okay, I'll explain when we're alone."
Annoyed by this silly interruption, Count Duckula continued walking around in circles, followed by the looks of his servants and Vladimir's. "Duckyboos," interrupted Emma at last, "you should stop doing it or you will have circulatory problems."
"I don't have any circulatory problems, my blood pressure is perfectly fine."
"Oh how nice that you speak of blood, Milord."
Count Duckula stopped, gasped, and began to scream. "IGOR! You're driving one more demented!"
"Now you're getting circulatory problems after all, excitement is not healthy at all." Noticed Emma.
Count Duckula was in despair. "Vladimir, help me! Get me away from these madmen!"
Vladimir got up and took his hand. "It's okay, brother, I think we'll both get some fresh air! Without Emma and Igor."
"Good idea."
When they went outside and closed the gate behind them. Count Duckula sucked in the fresh air.
" Ah ... that's good! it's different from that old, rotten air in the castle. "he pondered." Vladimir, what do you mean that the asparagus sprouts? "
"Oh that ... that's just an old song from the 1930s by the Comedian Harmonists."
"From Germany?" Vladimir nodded. "They didn't really mean the asparagus, but ... the" man power "you were talking about."
Count Duckula was embarrassed.
"You mean ... they mean ..." Vladimir nodded.
The count then turned away and cleared his throat. "Oh well." He looked behind at the village, noticing that they were getting visitors.
He screwed up his eyes and tried to concentrate, just as Vladimir had taught him. "Antanasia is coming! ... and Dorin is there."
Vladimir next to him nodded.
Count Duckula waited until Antanasia got upstairs, then he met her with a smile and took her in his arms. "I haven't seen you in a long time!"
"I know." She stroked his hair. "There was so much to do, my parents always kept me busy. After all, I want to have my own household soon. And they didn't want ..."
"That you visit your friend the count." Count Duckula added to her sentence.
She nodded regretfully. "You can't understand it. My opinion is that the village has a bad reputation when I have two lovers, so to speak."
Dorin nodded and looked the count in the eye. "That is really a problem, how are you supposed to understand it? It makes a very bad impression on everyone."
Count Duckula answered in a firm voice, but held Antanasia in his arms. "I don't want you to be talked about badly, dearest. You need to know the truth!" "The truth," Dorin gave a bitter laugh. "that she was your bride in a previous life?"
"Yes." Count Duckula answered firmly. Everyone fell silent, they looked at each other.
Vladimir frowned, then finally spoke up. "He's right! It's the only way. We just have to take it easy ... tell them so simply - no one will want to believe it. It won't be easy. The truth is often difficult to understand."
This time Count Duckula gave a bitter laugh. "Who are you telling me that? I've been trying to explain to you for decades that I'm a vegetarian, but you just don't listen to me!"
Again silence, nobody really knew what to say. Until Antanasia started. "I wanted to say something different to you Fridolin ... I ..."
She hesitated and gave Dorin a missing look. He understood. "She wanted to let you know that we're getting married in two weeks."
It was Count Duckula as if he were standing under an ice cold shower, even if he knew this was going to happen, the news hit him like a blow.
"Is it really that time?" he whispered. Antanasia and Dorin nodded.
"Yes, I still work in Cluj, but I am often at home and our house is almost ready to move in. We are ready to start our own family."
"But ... you ... you didn't want me to come to your wedding, did you?" whispered the count. "I can't do THAT! Don't ask this of me."
Antanasia slowly released himself from his embrace. "I know ... it doesn't work and nobody can ask you. I just ... wanted you to know."
Count Duckula folded his arms and frowned. "Thank you." It didn't sound happy.
Something that saddened Antanasia: "Fridolin, I thought you accepted my decision?"
He sighed. "Yeah ... but ... it still hurts." He looked at her. "I would love to have my own family ..." Vladimir and Dorin looked at each other. "Honey," she stroked his cheek. "I gave you a family - in previous lives."
Count Duckula turned to Vladimir and looked at him thoughtfully. Finally he nodded.
Antanasia nodded in satisfaction. "Now I have a new life and for this reason I have my own family again - and I want you to be accepted again ... down there in the village. That you belong. Do you understand?" The count nodded again. In the moment she hugged and and he hugged her.
"My mom is pretty wise." noted Vladimir.
"Don't call her" mom "that totally confuses me!" noticed Dorin. "The three of you make me totally messy in my head."
Antanasia smiled. "You have to get used to that if you want to marry me."
"I am happy to lend you Igor and Emma - then you know what makes you really messy in your head."
At the same moment, as if on cue, the entrance gate slammed. Dorin and Antanasia winced, Count Duckula and Vladimir just looked annoyed. "Emma you, you ..."
"Forgive Milord, I was not quick enough." Igor appeared behind Emma.
Count Duckula held on to his head. "All right, Igor, order a new front door ... why did you even come out?"
"I was worried Duckyboos, you were so angry and then you just left with Vladimir. I just wanted to see if you were okay."
"I have not been able to stop you, Milord." Igor explained again.
"All right, all right ..." the count dismissed. "... we are fine as you can see Emma. At least before I had to think about how to pay for a new front door!"
"Do you see now what my brother meant?" Vladimir whispered sideways to Dorin.
Dorin just nodded speechless.
"So and now you have seen that we are fine, would you please leave us alone again."
"Very much, mMilord ..." The servants was just about to turn around when the butler looked back again. "... may I ask what these two people are doing here?"
"They are not" persons "Igor! It's my girlfriend ... and almost her husband."
Dorin straightened up at the words, resisting Igor's piercing gaze. "We wanted to inform the counts that Antanasia and I will enter into the covenant in the next few weeks!"
"Indeed! How wonderful I congratulate ..." Igor's voice now sounded significantly friendlier, almost cheerful.
Dorin smiled and straightened up even more. "... then Milord will surely stop his follies soon."
Count Duckula's gaze darkened, he found it hard to resist a remark. Finally his girlfriend and Dorin said goodbye.
Count Duckula and Vladimir went back to the castle, when Count Duckula saw his servant now he looked at him sharply. "Igor, you can be happy that I'm a vegetarian now."
"Why should I be this Milord?"
"That is easy to explain. Otherwise I would have bitten you earlier when you were talking about" follies "!" he hissed at his butler.
"But sir, it is foolish to speak of love. A vampire of your class ..." Since Count Duckula had just made himself comfortable on his armchair,
he now sat up on it. "Igor! True love is NEVER folly! Remember that!" he pointed to Vladimir. "He's the proof!"
"Milord. It is folly when it turns your head! Besides, it is not appropriate for a Duckula of love ..." Count Duckula sank into an armchair and sighed loudly. Immediately afterwards the brothers said as if from one mouth (Beak): "Igor, be silent!"
A few weeks later ...
It was a bright, sunny morning. Antanasia put on her wedding dress, turned and turned to look at herself in the mirror. So today was her big day! Today was the first day of a new life! Her résumé of a new era. She would get married, be a wife ... and soon be a mother too! she had to smile. Actually, she was already a mother ... kind of. Only her son was much older than she was and from a previous life. She had to smile when she thought about it.
The door opened and her mother entered with the wreath of flowers for her hair. So Antanasia sat down on a chair so that her mother could comb through her hair again and plait a little braid by laying the wreath of flowers. "I love you my little one."
"Mom, soon I won't be your little one anymore."
"Yes, you will always be. You will understand it later, when you have children of your own and the moment has come when you have to let go of them. You took the first steps when you were a little duckling, and now you do the next steps to become a wife - and yet you will always be the child to your parents. Do you understand? "
At the same time, it wasn't much different in Dorin's parents' house. Dorin's father was busy plucking the traditional festive clothes for his son, or brushing every little lint off the clothes with a brush. "Dad, it's good now."
"Oh no, I can let our big boy look messy when he leads his bride to the altar."
"I don't look out of place!"
"You say that!" he noticed. Then his mother came in and rubbed his cheek.
"It's so hard to let yourself go boy. Just because you're a doctor now doesn't mean you're ready for a husband's duties."
"Right! Don't shame us son!"
"Daddy." Dorin rolled her eyes and sounded quite annoyed.
"And look after a lot of grandchildren!"
"Mom! Dad! Really!"
Shortly afterwards, the bride and groom met and went to church together. Behind them a large part of the residents of the place. Dr. von Goosewing had mingled with the guests, a wedding present in his hands. He had to somehow get to the bride and groom today to talk to them, it was important to him that they find out. Understand why it was important that he continued to hunt the Duckula brothers.
Up in the castle, Count Duckula sat listlessly at the large dining table in the drawing room and stared straight ahead. When he heard the church bells in town, he got up, closed the window and sat down sadly in his seat again.
"But Duckyboos? Why so sad, today is a happy day for your little friend!" Emma wanted to comfort him.
Count Duckula groaned. "I just wonder why you weren't invited?" Then he groaned even louder.
"Emma, he's sad because he wanted to marry you." Vladimir tried to explain to her.
"He ... wanted to marry her ..." the gigantic chicken started giggling. "... but Duckyboos, you are still far too young for that to think of something like that!"
Count Duckula huffed angrily. "No Emma, I'm not! I'm not your little kid! I'm a grown drake!"
He jumped up made a theatrical movement with his cape and was gone in the next moment. Immediately afterwards the castle was shaken, when it calmed down again, Count Duckula was back in place.
"May I ask where we are now, Milord?"
"Brazil!" Vladimir was amazed "Brazil? Why Brazil?"
"Vladimir?"
Vladimir leaned forward and looked him in the eye. "Brazil? Walk? ... no, thank you. I'd rather stay in the castle! I've had enough adventures in my life - thanks for asking, but no."
"I should have guessed. What if we stayed near the castle?" Vladimir shook his head. "Promise me that you will stay close."
Count Duckula eyed his brother, he understood.
"I'll stay within sight of the castle and won't be away long. Satisfied?" Vladimir nodded.
"Okay ... Igor, Emma, come with me!"
"If you will, Milord, I would much rather stay with Vladimir in the castle."
"Igor ..."
"Antanasia, do you want to take Dorin as a husband, take care of him faithfully until death do you part? Then say" Yes. ""
"Yes."
"And do you want Dorin. Take Antanasia as your wife, faithfully care for her until death do you part? Then say" Yes. ""
"Yes."
"You can kiss the bride now." When the newlyweds stepped out of the church, Antanasia's gaze fell in the direction of Duckula Castle, but the rock high above the village was empty ...
Tables had been set up in the village square to celebrate a big party. Everyone brought something to make the wedding celebration a very special day. Some brought food for the party, others brought presents for the bride and groom, among them Dr. Von Goosewing that was still trying to get through to them. This turned out to be not that easy, because the dance was played and the first dance was opened by the bride and groom. Dr. Von Goosewing, watched the goings-on, he liked the cheerful goings-on, so he put his present on a table and watched it first. For a moment his gaze also fell on the empty rock. Count Duckula therefore preferred not to notice any of this.
The ganter sighed, somehow he could understand it, it was painful if you didn't get your lover. But it didn't help, he had to hunt the Duckula brothers again ... if he wanted to keep them from worse.
Finally, when the first dance was over, Dorin and Antanasia came up to the table, both slightly out of breath but happy.
Dr. Von Goosewing took his present under his arm and walked over to her.
"Antanasia, Dorin. I humbly wanted to congratulate you on your wedding. You made the right decision Antanansia!"
Her face darkened for a brief moment.
"I always knew that you were a smart girl. Even when you weren't a little duckling I noticed you ..."
"Thank you." her voice sounded a bit pressed, however. Before she could reply, Dr. of the small goose her the package.
"I wish you both all the best for the future."
This time Dorin thanked him. "Well and ... yes ... I ... have to talk to them ... talk undisturbed." Dr. Von Goosewing looked unusually insecure.
So that Antanasia wondered where the "greatest vampire hunter in the world" had gone to?
Dorin looked around, his friend Radu came up to him, as did a few other bachelors.
"Well, old friend, do you want to toast with us? Now that you are no longer single? You can have a drink with us, Anta."
"I ... gladly but I don't want you to get drunk here." She looked at Dr. Von Goosewing, still standing in front of them questioningly.
But Dorin answered for her. "As you can see, Dr. Von Goosewing, talking undisturbed is not that easy at times. But tonight you can sit down with us if you want."
Count Duckula had returned to the castle. He pretended to be unable to endure Igor's eternal nagging, the truth was a little different.
He didn't feel like going without his brother, and he was frightened by a fat, fat spider that wanted to settle on his hair - which Igor apparently found particularly amusing. Emma freed him from the spider, but had not only thrown it but also him, the count, against a tree. Now he was back here in the castle, looking in the junk room for her deckchairs.
Count Duckula had returned to the castle. He pretended to be unable to endure Igor's eternal nagging, the truth was a little different.
He had no desire to be on the road without his brother, and he was frightened by a fat, fat spider that wanted to settle on his hair - which Igor apparently found particularly amusing. Emma freed him from the spider, but had not only thrown it but also him, the count, against a tree.
Now he was back here in the castle, looking in the junk room for her deck chairs.
"Vladimir help me."
"What you up to?"
"I thought I would bring the deck chairs upstairs to our" sun deck "and let the Brazilian sun shine on our stomachs until the castle begins its return journey." Vladimir nodded. "Two chairs?"
"No four. I thought maybe Emma and Igor are also happy about this break - although I don't know whether Igor deserved it at all."
"Do you think Igor wants that at all? I mean he doesn't like the sun very much."
Count Duckula considered. Vladimir was right! But now Count Duckula knew that his butler deserved it! "I ... think it's just right for Igor now."
"And Emma, can a deck chair hold you up?"
"We have to have a few more pallets here ..."
Some time later, the two Duckula brothers and their staff lay on their backs and let the sun shine on their stomachs.
"It's wonderful to be warmed by the sun."
"As long as it doesn't get too hot ..." Vladimir turned around and let his back warm.
"The sun burned your ancestors." remarked Igor in a sour tone.
"I am not my ancestors ..." Count Duckula cleared his throat. "although in my case ... it doesn't matter! I'm not like you Igor."
Vladimir closed your eyes, for a moment he saw the picture of his father crumbling to ashes again.
"No ..." he whispered "... we are not like them."
"Madam Antanasia." The voice of Dr. Von Goosewing, still sounded unusually timid. "I have to talk to you, alone."
It had gotten later, many of the guests had grown tired and some had gone home. Now the gander saw its time. She looked at him.
"Alone? And Dorin?"
"Oh, he can of course be there. But otherwise nobody should be present. It's important. Nobody is allowed to find out about our conversation."
"So important?"
Dr. Von Goosewing. "Yes. Otherwise it could have dire consequences." His voice sounded too serious for him to joke.
She nodded, "Well, I'll get Dorin, and then we'll go to our new house together. If nobody should overhear."
Von Goosewing nodded. He glanced up at the place where the lock was supposed to be.
Dorin got away from his friends, the three of them went home and sat at the dining table.
"What is so important that nobody is allowed to overhear it?" Antanasia finally asked.
"Nobody is allowed to know what we are talking about here, nobody, except we who are sitting here!" confirmed Von Goosewing.
"Why?"
"Because it can make the difference between life and death." She stared from goose down.
"How should I explain it to you? It's not that easy ..." Von Goosewing got up and walked around the room. "... you have to understand, my family has been vampire hunters for generations. It has always been an honorable job to free the living from these monsters. Which plagued them and lived from their blood. I also felt called to ..."
Dorin looked at him inquiringly. "Did you? Don't you anymore?"
Von Goosewing wrestles with his hands. "I ... I don't know ... the fact is that at least I have to pretend I still want to kill her. Count Duckula and his brother Vladimir."
"Pretend? Then is it true what Vladimir said that they freed him from the shaft cave?"
Von Goosewing nodded. "I spoke to his foster siblings in Germany and got information about him. When he was younger and lived in this prison camp ... it made me ... insecure." He looked out the window. "Vladimir Duckula had to have a good soul. I realized that."
"And Count Duckula?"
Von Goosewing grimaced: "He had the opportunity to kill me so often - but he never did anything to me. Never!"
He shook himself. "Count Duckula is the youngest of a long generation of cruel vampires - but he is not. I… realized that when he dies. Igor will make sure that he becomes a cruel vampire again! To protect humanity from this we have to protect HIM ! "
Now he sounded determined and clenched his fists.
"Then you don't want to hunt him anymore?"
"Yes! That's exactly what I have to do!" he looked into two surprised and confused faces. "at least I have to fake it! and it has to look real! If I don't do it someone else does it - and he gets serious!"
"Eagleclaw ..." breathed Antanasia, "He's a killer. He has no mercy if he thinks he's on the right track ..."
Embarrassed, he was silent when he thought that until recently he was no different. He shook himself. NO! he was different! He had a soul, he wasn't so sure about these eagles anymore. What happened to him? He shuddered when he thought of his icy stare.
"If he chases the duckulas, they'll be over very soon."
"Eagleclaw will do it." she breathed.
"Yes. But nobody is allowed to know the truth. Except you two!"
"And the brothers?" asked Dorin.
"Best not! It has to look as real as possible! The Eagleclaw must not arouse suspicion."
"But he's not here anymore!"
"He was a spy Miss Antanasia." this answer said it all.
It was like an earthquake when the castle started its return journey. Groaning, Count Duckula and Vladimir freed themselves from the deck chairs. Igor wasn't much luckier. Only Emma was spared. Igor got up scolding and folded his deck chair.
"If you will Milord, I have enough for today!"
Count Duckula did not answer, but looked down at the village. A few lights were still on, but the party was over.
Luckily! he sighed.
"Vladimir ... I need to talk to you."
Vladimir handed his folding chair to Emma and stood next to his brother without a word.
"You know Vladimir ... my biggest dream was always to be normal. I will never be!" his voice sounded bitter.
"I wanted to be a father, a real father! With a child of my own. I always imagined ... such a little duckling would be mine.
I would hold it in my arms and cradle it ..." a tear ran down his beak. "... to play with him. To show him the world. To watch it get bigger - MY CHILD!"
"You know Fridolin. And I would have liked to have had a father like you. One who takes his son in his arms, plays with him, who takes time for you ... someone who shows you the world. It must be nice your son too be."
"Oh yes, it would be nice."
"But I can't turn back time, Fridolin. I can't become a duckling again. Time is over. But somehow ... you're my father."
Count Duckula just looked at him. "Don't be kidding Vladimir!"
"I'm not kidding - think about it." He turned around and kissed his brother on the cheek. "I'm going to sleep now ... Daddy!"