1. Chapter 1 (1/1)

part of the 'du fortunesa' series. follows on from 'discussion'. thanks to everyone who's reviewed any of the stories, it means a lot to me. i hope you enjoy this next installment!

as usual, i own nothing but the plot, what little plot there is.

bertrand barely caught vlad as he fell through his coffin-room door, muttering incoherently about being late, tie draped around his shoulders and still fumbling to do up his top button. "you're not going in today, vlad. you need to sleep." the calm, firm tone of his voice didn't stop the boy from trying to reach the stairs, but he'd only gone a couple of steps when he came to a halt, frowning. "bertrand?" his tutor rolled his eyes and gestured for him to step back inside his room.

closing the door behind them, bertrand gave his student a gentle nudge towards his coffin, turning away to give him some privacy. "change back into something comfortable and get in your coffin. you need to rest." there was a vague sound of fa

ic moving, and then the distinct feeling of a hand on bertrand's back. "vlad? what are you doing?" he chanced a glance over his shoulder. vlad was staring sleepily into the middle distance. "you're really back." he turned, grabbed the nearest clothes – a tracksuit he wore for sparring sometimes – and began stripping off his school uniform as bertrand turned his face back to the wall. "don't i have school?" his tutor closed his eyes and counted to ten before replying. "no, you have the day off. you need to sleep."

eventually vlad mumbled that he was decent, and bertrand turned to find him standing in the middle of the room looking lost. he gestured towards the coffin, but the younger vampire shook his head stubbornly. "i have to study. you're back now, we can train. you are staying?" he made for the door and his tutor grabbed his arms, steering him forcibly towards his coffin. "yes, and so are you, in here, to get some sleep." as he manhandled the chosen one into his resting place, the boy began muttering again in romanian. bertrand hushed him and turned to leave him in peace, only for vlad to call out to him. "don't go. you've only just come back."

that was how bertrand found himself spending the morning sat beside an open coffin, the object of his affections slumbering peacefully within. this had certainly not been how he had expected his quest to forget the boy to end. here he was practically watching him sleep – he shifted so his back was to the coffin, just to prove to himself that he wasn't actually watching him sleep – and the chosen one was acting like an infant afraid of losing his teddy. as if to prove his unspoken point, vlad's hand suddenly darted out of the coffin and grabbed onto his tutor's sleeve. bertrand simply shifted his arm across so that the younger vampire was more comfortable and resumed his silent vigil.

after about an hour, vlad started murmuring aramaic in his sleep, and bertrand realised that the words were familiar – at some point, the contents of the praedictum impaver appeared to have become deeply ingrained into the teenager's mind, and he was now reciting it with a few minor alterations; replacing 'sethius' with his own name. bertrand allowed himself a smirk at the potential for humiliation that this offered, but left the boy to it. this fitful sleep didn't last long before the boy stilled and fell silent, still clinging to bertrand's sleeve.

it was just past noon when vlad began to stir; to spare his pride, bertrand gently extricated his sleeve from the icy grip and moved away a little, just in time to avoid being headbutted as vlad sat bolt upright, looking disorientated. he didn't, however, escape the arm that was flung out and smacked him in the chest, vlad's eyes snapping to the slight 'thud' as they made contact. "you're here."

his tutor frowned at him. "do you always wake up like that?" vlad blinked. "sometimes. why?" bertrand raised an eye

ow. "you should probably sleep in an open coffin more often, then." vlad stared at him, removing his hand. "that's hardly safe, is it? anyone could come in and stake me, that's why coffins have lids. otherwise we could just sleep in shrouds." his tutor shrugged. "i sleep in a shroud. lots of vampires do, especially if they travel a lot."

vlad nodded vaguely, obviously distracted. "why are you here?" another frown. "you asked me to stay." his protégé shook his head. "i meant at the school. why did you come back? i thought you needed a century." bertrand hesitated for only a moment before answering with an even lie. "they don't hide threats like they used to, it seems. it didn't take as long as i thought." vlad didn't seem particularly convinced. "you didn't just want to get away from m- from it all for a bit? it's alright if you just wanted a holiday." his tutor made an exasperated gesture. "it's just as well i didn't. what have you been doing all week? clearly sleep didn't feature prominently on the agenda."

the boy scowled. "i had reading to do. i don't know anything about being grand high vampire, not without asking you. i couldn't even tell erin how many councillors there should be." his tutor ignored the glare. "well, i'm back now so you needn't worry. we can talk about it later; the exact number changes anyway. the most important thing you can do is take care of yourself, or our next grand high vampire will work himself out of existence."

"can't have me looking like a zombie, i know." vlad sighed. "but i've slept now, bertrand. and i don't have to tell erin anything anymore. she's gone." bertrand sighed, resisting the urge to roll his eyes as he realised he was going to have to listen to his charge's adolescent woes over the

eather girl again. "what happened?" the teenager surprised him. "she left. it's not an issue."

bertrand didn't like not knowing things. "why did she leave?" vlad raised an eye

ow. "why did you?" his tutor grimaced; he'd thought that being vague had been enough. it seemed he was wrong. "there was a threat i had to neutralise." the chosen one waited a beat. "and?" bertrand spread his hands. "as i said, they don't make threats like they used to."

vlad sank back into his coffin with a sigh. "thanks, bertrand. i'm glad you're there to keep me safe." his tutor stood a

uptly. "get some more sleep. i'll be in the training room." as he closed the door behind him, he wondered how safe vlad could really be, now he was back. the threat was no less present than it had always been.