Welcome Home

[Mari]

She was used to these rooms being empty and echoing. After all when there was only one person inhabiting the royal suite it made for a very unsettling experience. Mari had made certain all of Vlad's things stayed as he had left them and were cleaned and maintained in case he returned. It didn't make any extra work for the staff that they had and in some cases made it easier because her needs were simple in comparison to a vampire needing to feed.

Still, for all that, she was happy for his return even if she was a bit nervous. He had seemed somber and even irritated at her for coming out to greet him and while she could understand it, she also was expected to meet the enemy head on if one appeared. Her own personal feelings on the matter were irrelevant. She had needed to keep the peace and prevent a coupe de etat from happening. The first months that he had been gone had been frantic ones as some of the nobles had pushed to rule the throne. Vlad's guard had insisted on his return. They weren't all loyal to her -- it was more out of respect for his memory and the possibility that he might return.

Now he was here and she was unsure what to do next. Being practical, she removed the boot from her broken foot carefully and inspected the damage. It wasn't horrible but it would need to be set and so without a care for who might see her she set about doing just that. The pain was intense in this fragile human body but not as bad as when she had brought her children into the world and so she pushed on and once every bone was set properly she worked on healing the injury.

The relief from the pain made her sigh and she wiggled her toes briefly before placing her sock back on and the boot that she had removed. She was happy to have tended it before it had chance to swell otherwise the boot would have had to be cut off and she hated to think of the waste that would cause. Hearing the sound of someone entering the chamber she looked up and waited quietly.

[Vlad Drăculea]

Unfortunately for him the moment his boots hit the ground he had been busy. The only thing that was certain was that the upper class here needed a bit of trimming. Since he came back to the throne he had already taken care of several nobles which he was sure would cause some trouble. However, despite his distant attitude at the moment, no one embarrassed his queen in front of the whole of Sylthanus. Their deaths had been very painful, very public and they were left impaled upon the battlements for the rest of the city to see. Vlad had great plans, plans that he could not afford to let fools hinder.

With the threat of the undead under control for now, the vampires could expand their territory. His city was the sole city here in these lands simply because they could defend it. Now they could expand and settle the territory proper and become a powerhouse like he had never imagined before. Pushing open the door to their chambers, Vlad swept in as if he was trying to avoid something or someone. With everyone trying to mob the poor man he had little time to himself to think- time that he desperately needed to draw up his plans for others to understand.

With a long drawn out sigh, Vlad placed his face in his hands for a moment before he realized he was not alone. It was strange, now that he had these powers, he could feel the life force radiating from Marina by simply standing in her presence. It was like a beacon, something he both wanted to take for himself and to put out. It was a very conflicting set of feelings for him; he'd never before had thoughts like this. Even if a mortal soul was stronger, none were so beautiful like the soul of an immortal. After quite some time he realized that he was simply staring; not something he often did but then again he was not himself anymore.

"I trust that you're alright?" he asked before he discarded his heavy coat. That left Vlad with nothing but leather pants and a loosely closed cloth shirt. Part of him was afraid to cross the room and be near her. What would happen to him if he laid hands on her now that he was this infernal thing; this ever hungry void of death? Already he had seen first hand what he could do to someone with a mere touch; one wrong thought and he could harm whoever stood before him. "Those who have wronged you tonight are dealt with. They'll not be bothering you anymore." he said with a tone of finality so chilling that it was impossible to miss his meaning.

At a glance he saw some things laying about that he assumed were Katya's old things. Perhaps she was feeling like a stroll down memory lane. He never bothered to look closer at them, close enough to know that he was once more a father. Stretching, Vlad threw himself into his chair lazily and rested his chin upon his palm. "I can tell by the look in your eyes you have much to say." he added. He knew that she did not wish to trouble anyone yet at times it drove him insane that she felt that he might be truly angry with her for saying what was on her mind.

[Mari]

She could feel how bone weary he was from the moment he stepped into the room. It rolled off of him like water and made her want to ease his fears as much as she could. Seeing him get comfortable she realized it would be best if she did the same. She removed the leather bracer that had been on her arm to help her steady the bow and began unlacing the black leather jerkin she wore. She was kinder about putting things away and moved to the closet to put the garment on its hanger.

"I am fine, Vlad." she said softly with a smile, "A small trifle; easily enough dealt with." she moved towards him and if he permitted, to hug him and sit on his knee. "I understand the need of what you did." she nodded simply, "I just wish you did not have to do it. I hate that I am the cause of strife in your kingdom and I wish there was a way to fix it." Even vampires deserved compassion and understanding, they would not have thrived if the planet and the Creator had not wished them to.

"Yes. It's been a long time. You should see your children. Ingeras has grown up with stories of his warrior father and I think he would like to meet you in the flesh." she said with a soft smile, "I hope you don't mind the name. It just...felt right. It was like his soul spoke to me the first time I held him. I know it probably sounds silly after all infants can't tell you their names but it suited him so I chose it." She picked up a photo of him from a nearby table. "He has your features more than mine. A fact I am glad for. He knows how to hide his wings." she admitted shyly. His birth was an event but Mari even in her weakened condition had managed to hide her son's wings until he himself could do it. "I never gave the midwives a chance to look at him."

The memory of that birth was a hard one. She'd been vulnerable and scared that she would be drugged and murdered or wake to find someone performing a marriage ceremony as one of Vlad's rivals vied for the throne, "I'm sure they thought I'd gone right around the bend but those times were hard." She had bathed her son and cared for him not letting many near him. His coloring was very noticeably Vlad's and it was what had kept him safe. One of the benefits of her healing was that she would be up and about quickly. Within hours of her son's birth she had stepped out onto the balcony to show their people that Vlad's line had continued once more. This time with a son.

"But enough about us, How are you? You look as if you carry the weight of the world on your shoulders. Will you unburden yourself to me and let me help you?" She wanted to hug him and take away his worries.

[Vlad Drăculea]

"You're too soft with them."

A heavy sigh escaped his lips as he watched his wife remove her things. This was precisely why she was in this situation to begin with. He tried time and time again to teach her that a small show of brutality deterred a lot more trouble down the line. Of course in the hands of a skilled worth smith such acts could also be spun as a call to arms; a morale booster for an army of rebels. The day would come when he would have to face such a thing and he had many holes in his armor. The once indestructible monster had a weakness once more and it was one that he never thought he would ever have again in a thousand life times.

"You yourself need to set them to the pyre. They will not respect you without a show of force. Just like the wolves of arnul, our kind too favors a show of strength." he said. His words were not something she had never heard before as he often repeated them to her. Even as he said them he knew that she would never take them to heart; that went against everything she was. That was precisely why he chose her to sire his children into this world. While he wished for them to power unmatched, he also wished for them to be more than monsters. It was too late for him, he would never be more than a death machine but they could have something more.

"Ingeras." he repeated once, the name echoing in his mind as if it were searching for distant memories. His first child had lived a rather long life, though not the one he wished for him to have. A strength that he knew his line to have was also present in that man to endure the cold harsh truths of the world, knowing that his father had become the devil. In his time on earth he was the thing that man feared; the monster lurking in the dark that scared children and intrigued adults. Coming back from what seemed like a thousand yard stare, Vlad had returned to the present from his thoughts as he looked down at what Marina held in her hand.

"The name is fine. I shall like to look at him, soon."

Hesitantly he took it from her, unsure how to feel right now about this news. Normally a new father would have been excited but he seemed to be rather somber. Perhaps it was because he was awakened to a terrible truth that no one should have had to bear. He would be their death, Marina, Katya and Ingeras along side the rest of the world. His true calling was to open his maw like a dark void and to swallow all living things into it so that the cycle might begin anew. Allowing Marina to embrace him, he sighed as she asked the one question he dreaded giving her the answer to.

"I'm sure by now that you have seen them." he said as he referred to the six dark wings that surrounded him upon his return. There was no hiding from their own kind, an odd thing to say now that he thought about it. There used to be a line between the two of them but now, now they were the same. This he noted by the fact that being near her was not agony in the way it used to be; now it was simply the hunger he felt that made it pain. His lips curled into a sort of twisted smirk as she asked to help him. She was always the savior but this time she could not help him; not even whatever creator she believed in could stop him.

"There is nothing you can do to help me now. I have descended so far that I have returned as a whole new monster. I am what waits in the void, when you feel the warmth leaving your body." he said slowly. With that he looked to the room connected to their own where he was sure that Ingeras was asleep.

"There is a name for what I am now; I believe you know of what I speak." he said as if saying it himself made it final.

[Mari]

"I know." she said simply as she unlaced her boots and removed them. She stood in her stockinged feet and pulled her shirt free to hang down. It was long enough that it covered her as she slipped out of her pants and folded them neatly so they could hang properly in the wardrobe. He was speaking of things that she had no desire to do. It wasn't that she couldn't do so. She just didn't want to. "To do as you ask would risk letting the kingdom know what I am, Vlad. They are not ready for such a revelation quite yet."

It all made sense now -- at least most of it. Her reasons for being here were made manifest and she found a comfort in that knowledge even as she felt the sorrow of it. She belonged here. She was no longer the outsider, the hostage or the prize that Vlad had brought home. She had a purpose here and she would step into the role that she had been destined for as was needed.

She felt a warmth creep through her and embraced it closing her eyes and leaning against him gently as he sat there. She was tiny compared to him and for all that he was the embodiment of death she trusted him to keep her safe. A light seemed to glow within her and it spread outwards, warming her soul in a way that few things did. Finally she had her connection to the divine after so many years of being alone. Energy flowed into her, warm and comforting after the chill of the undying lands in which she had lived. The connection to the creator sustained her and she relaxed into it, being in the world but not of it. Eventually it would fade into the background but it would never leave her as it once had.

He was so caught up in the running of this part of the world. It baffled her. She loved her children and cared for the people but she always had her eyes to the heavens. That was her home and it was there she looked to when she had a troubled heart, "I'm sure he will be happy to see you." she said gently as she looked at him. He carried so much weight and so much pain that it hurt her to see it. "Do not let your burdens weigh you down more than you have to. You have the strength to handle this."

She nodded, "I know. It is a difficult burden to bear. One you should not have had to." It was a cruel thing to do to him and she wished she could help him, "You are the gateway to renewal. Your task is arduous but the world is young yet. Have faith that you have time to be a father and enjoy it." She leaned into him and hugged him, her wings coming out as she did so and wrapping around him to show him the love she bore him, "Death is only the beginning of another adventure, my love."

[Vlad Drăculea]

Before her words would have been truly wise, they would have made much more sense. Now he was unsure whether or not they were true. What the nation thought now was irrelevant, he now had the power to suppress those who would rise against him. The unfortunate short coming with him was that his power was still going to his head. There was so much of it, expanding before him like an endless ocean and he knew not what to do with it. To him there was no way anyone could wound him yet unknown to him there were plenty of ways to stop death. "Before I would have agreed that the risk was too great. Now.. I have the strength to stop those who might move against you." he said once more with that same chilling tone.

She was even safer now that the spell he had once used to bind her had broken due to his "death" at the hands of the mantle. When he left he was destroyed so that his body might be remade to contain it's great and terrible power. The moment he died the spell that severed her from what she truly was broke. Yet now they were a family, there was less to fear and he did not believe he would be rid of her so easily now even if she figured that much out. What started as something very terrible had grown into something else, something not even he could explain.

When things eventually fell silent he was left to his own thoughts; or so he thought. The moment she stopped speaking he could hear whispers filling his head as if there were others with him in this room. The lands they lived upon were death it's self, where many had lost their lives and at all times he could hear them.

Her words snapped him out of his reverie once more and he shrugged some of it off. The words of someone who could not understand never comforted those who were damned. If he was a man who smiled he might have managed a small one to ease her mind but instead he simply remained stone faced. Since his return he wasn't even sure how to handle the little things that his life entailed, a family and the daily life of managing everyone else. Most would argue it had only been several hours since his return yet as king he had a duty to guide his people which meant he could not falter.

Like many his wife had a romantic notion of death. It was the beginning of a new adventure, for those who came next. But for the rest of the world who were swallowed into the void you were finished, your tale ended and there was no next step. Death was anything but glamorous and he knew first hand how cold it's embrace could be. "It is not a question of whether or not I can. The task has fallen unto my hands, I must. Even an infamous monster such as myself however cannot bear to think about the task ahead." he said. Even he had some small fragment of a conscience even if it worked very differently from others.

"Tell me about the boy. Is he strong? Does he listen or is he much like his sister?" Vlad asked trying to steer the subject away from where it was headed. The problems of tomorrow were to be left for then.

[Mari]

Gently she touched his face, "Are you saying you wish me to tell your people what I am?" She asked him with a slight perplexed look on her face. His moods were understandable given that he was now the lord of death. Zadkiel, her own name, was not an angel that was spoken of. "I know you would protect me. You always have. And for that I thank you." She rested her head on his shoulder, seeking comfort from him. As much as he was new to his mantle she had missed him.

She exhaled softly as she relaxed against him. Her tiny frame seemed to radiate her trust and love for him. She wanted to comfort him as she sat there. He was so caught up in his new mantle that it was hard to get him to focus, "Love, take it easy. I know you have many things on your mind but give yourself time to cope with this new life. Speaking from experience I can say that physicality takes some getting used to. Some people did not know how to use their bodies and others got caught up in them so much that their memory of their non corporeal form faded from their memories. She didn't know which way he would turn. Right now he was so close to having been non corporeal that his emotions and desires were dormant. Some angels never regained a more human seeming and she wondered if he would stay as distant as he seemed to be right now.

"Your time away means you will need some time to adjust to things here. If you need space I shall see you are not disturbed by the usual throng of admirers." Brown nosers was the term she would use but such would never be said out loud. She did her best to keep a calming home and railing against people only served to get them targeted by Vlad. He was in a bloody enough mood as it was. She did not wish to encourage it any more than it was.

She was at a loss as to what she should say, his diversion of the topic made her glad, "He is strong but he is responsible. He seems to have a very steady personality and is skilled in archery and riding. He loves to read anything he can get his hands on and he's currently studying werewolf physiology so he can understand how it is their transformations work. He's actively looking for a way to take advantage of their weaknesses so he could protect the people."

Her wings shifted back into hiding. She was willing to help him through his hardships if she could. "I love you, Vlad. Please, not matter what hardships you're going through please remember that." She looked into his eyes and touched his face trying to bring the husband and father back to her. "This new position is not all that you are. If you had been truly as monstrous as you claim I never would have fallen in love with you. Remember who you are not just for me but for the children. Ingeras needs his father. If you can't come back for me then come back for him."

She didn't know what she would do if he didn't come back to her. Before she knew at least how to navigate his moods and comfort him but how could she help him now?

[Vlad Drăculea]

He paused for a long while to consider his words carefully before he spoke them. The idea that he no longer had to guard a secret like this appealed to him. Yet even he could not say how they would react to such a thing. Even with her abilities suppressed before they knew that she was not like they were. Many questioned why he kept something as a queen that was not a vampire, why he entertained anything she had to say about their affairs.

"There is nothing they can do now that I am not ready for. Even as the strongest I had limits before but now, now I do not have to worry about that problem." he said. Although he did have limits even as a god, he could not yet see the end of them. In his mind death was endless, death was eternal and there was no force in the world that could stop it for long. "If you wish to live a life of secrecy because it is easier, by all means. If you wish to be what you are, however, then I will see to it that no one stands before you." he said with an icy tone.

This moment of murderous determination was halted by news of his son. The boy sounded exceptional in the fact that he was not such a stubborn fool like his sister. Even if Vlad cared in some way about all of his children; she was troublesome and costly. His daughter was the sort that could make and break alliances you fought hard for in an instant. Seeming to be concentrating on something by his expression, he tried to picture what the boy was like without knowing him yet.

"Does he think with his head first? I cannot suffer another like his sister." he said in a half serious tone. If you knew him well enough it was easy to tell that he did not entirely mean what he said but even his wife knew why he was exhausted even at the mere mention of Katjia. Speaking of which he had not seen her since his return, very curious that she was not here to see him. He would have expected her to be the one to throw open the gates and prepare the war trumpets.

"Speaking of children, where is our troublesome daughter?" he asked.

[Mari]

His coldness was to be expected and she did not take it personally. His ferocity was an extension of his power. "The best weapon is the one you never see coming. I think it better to let them underestimate me for a bit longer. They will have to adapt to having you on the throne once more and it would be better to wait I think." she said as she listened to him, "You bring changes with you and they will need time to adapt to your needs. I would not distract them with my own person." She was relaxed in his presence and did her best to project calm.

"Ingeras is a thoughtful young man. He thinks first and then acts after unless there is an emergency that demands action. In cases of emergency he is calm and acts swiftly to deal with the problem that presents itself. He does not let his kind nature blind him to the flaws of others and when needed he can mete out justice with a firm hand. There are some that say he is not fierce enough or harsh enough but those were people who tried to approach him in order to manipulate him and he was not fooled by their dissembling." The fact that she mentioned these people in the past tense spoke of how they had been dealt.

The laws had been preserved. Alliances maintained as best she could given Katjia's personality. "She has been studying the werewolves. She has an interest in other races and I have endeavored to educate her to the best of my ability without risking war or injury to others or herself. She is currently with her instructor studying plants and how they effect the physiology of various races."

She shifted in his lap and moved behind him to massage his back. Even if he was an angel of death his physical needs still would demand attention and he tended to carry his tension like another cloak. She wanted to try and release that tension and help calm his bloodthirsty mood.

[Vlad Drăculea]

It was not often that Marina was able to dissuade him in his course of action yet tonight her words rang true. Perhaps they would hold off for some time longer, for a time when he could use the power of her angelic nature to his own advantage. It sometimes scared him how his mind worked, that he moved people around like pawns. There was once a time when he was a more gentle man, a prince who loved his people more than anything in the world. Yet those days had long since died with his first family the day he was betrayed. Now his heart was a jungle of cruelty, slaughter and torture for others whom he saw fit to visit it upon. Yet there were those who could lift the seal off the tomb that he buried the love inside of; those of the royal family.

There was a rather lengthy pause as he considered her analysis of their son. Thoughtful, generous- those were once words that were used to describe him. Perhaps his son would be the hope for their people that he knew in his heart now he would never be. All he could offer the vampires now was more death, something that was surely not lacking in Sylthanus. They lived in a fetid bog that reeked of death but it would be Ingeras that would raise them out of this hell hole and rise above to become something more. They could work together with other species, they were not just food and they needed a stronger leader than he could ever be to show them this.

"I have high hopes for the boy. The day will come where he must take the throne and lead our people to a better world. I fear the day may come sooner rather than later," he trailed off. He was not very open with his plans but he was not going to be here for long. There was something he had to do, a power that he had to obtain and it might cost him everything to obtain it. Therefore he was willing to give it all up, to empty himself so that he might obtain it for them.

There was a serious expression on his face as he looked down at his beloved. She was the reincarnation of the woman he lost on earth; he was sure of it. Yet it broke his shriveled heart when he thought about what he would have to do in the coming months. Vlad would not be out maneuvered by the buffoon who fancied himself god of all gods. The power would be his and he would show them all that death was eternal; no force was beyond his reach. "Ingeras will be the hope for this kingdom when my time is done. I trust that you will guide his hand and make him into a strong leader." he said with a faint attempt at a smile.

Unfortunately for the boy he would not learn anything from Vlad except for how to slay those who stood before you. All that was left was the knowledge on how to destroy, that was all that he could give the boy. His mother however could teach him to love, to create and to be merciful to those who deserved it. In the end he was doing right by the three of them in the long run. Would they see it as such? He was not sure but the events he was about to set in motion threatened to swallow everything whole if not done correctly.

"Promise me that you will defend him, even from Katia. She will be furious when she learns that she is not next for the throne. If it comes down to it you must both be willing to take her life." he said with a firm yet sorrowful gaze.

[Mari]

Mari quietly blinks her eyes as she listens to her husband. Inwardly she felt her mortal body clinch internally as she felt a deepening fear at what he seems to be laying out. She moved in front of him, her dark eyes wide as she listens silently. It was almost too much to focus on and she sensed there was more that he was not telling her.

So many secrets even now; Even from her and she had kept the kingdom together with far less than what he had now. She exhaled softly, remembering to breathe and keep her mortal form going. She was no being of energy now, she had to do those things that mortals took for granted till it was decided she leave her mortal coil. “Vlad…your words confuse me. You raised Katya to be the heir to the throne. I thought that Ingeras would be her advisor. It is what he was raised for. To be the calm to combat Katya’s stormy temperament.” She murmured softly as she looked deeply into his eyes. Gently she touched his face; Her touch feather light as she tried to focus on his emotions and thoughts.

“I will not let the children hurt each other.” She promised him. She would not promise to possibly harm her daughter, “You are asking me to kill our child, Vlad. Why would you decide such a thing?” she was confused and fearful, a soft shiver coming from her delicate form. “Ingeras was not meant to rule. You raised Katia to the task; if you do this, change your mind on who rules after you, she will despise you and join her cause to those who would destroy all of us.”

Her eyes pleaded him to reconsider this action that he wished to enact. “Husband, what is it you are planning? Katya has done all that you have asked her. Why would you dispossess her in such a way?” Her words were old fashioned and nervous. She did not wish to be obstinant but she couldn’t understand what made him change what had been planned since Katya’s birth. “Forgive me for asking I do not mean to challenge you I just wish to understand.” Her eyes filled with tears and she shivered for all the emotions that were rushing through her.

Tagged: Vlad
Words: 390
Notes: She's shocked.

[Vlad Drăculea]

There was a long pause as he considered what she said. If only she knew what he knew, all those times in the yard where he trained her. They said that you never truly knew someone until you fought them. In those moments, Katya had born her soul to him and in it he found her to be unworthy of succeeding him to the throne. There was something inside of her that he felt could not be contained and with it she would eventually do terrible things, great, yet terrible. No, she was not the child who was destined to sit upon the seat of Sylthanus and rule from the heart of the territory. Ingeras would become the rightful heir and only if he was slain would Katya take hold of the throne. Yet in his days he had seen enough of the game to know what the outcome of this might be.

"Her temperament cannot be controlled. I have searched her soul, she will not act in the best interest of Sylthanus. There is something darker than even I can fathom inside of her that is barely being contained," he trailed off. If even he was unsettled by something then it had to be bad for everyone involved in the long run. At the moment he had no other plan to diffuse the situation but he hoped that he would not need one. Perhaps for once in her life she could be reasoned with, after all it had been so long since he had last seen her. They could not keep her from running off together so Marina had no chance alone.

"I am simply asking for you to be prepared for the chance that you may have to. The magic used to allow our children to be was very dangerous. Even I could not have calculated what they would become as they grew," he said as he let that sit in the air for a moment. The mighty impaler was admitting that even he might be out of his league until he had a better grasp of his own abilities. The power of his station had yet to be fully realized by him and due to this he was more vulnerable than he would have liked to admit to anyone.

What he had to tell her was not something any mother wanted to know but he felt that he had kept it quiet long enough. "Do you remember when she used to sneak off as a child? I followed her one night and found her little hiding place, except it was more than that," he said pausing for a moment to consider his next words. "..our daughter can reanimate the dead. She had even named them and was feeding the living to them. Humans, our own people.. whatever she could find." he said as rest his own head in his hand.

[Mari]

Searching his face Mari felt fear wash over her. This was not something he had just thought of, it was clear that he had been debating this thought for a while. Another shiver rant through her at the possibilities. “Darker? Howso?” Katya had always been a handful and flighty but it was to be expected with her age. Most vampires didn’t settle down till they hit their first century and even then it could take another before their personalities were set in stone.

Her eyes never left his and as he admitted that he knew nothing of the magics that he had used to conceive their children, “Vlad…I thought you knew what you were doing….” She couldn’t have stopped him from his goal, she knew that, but she had hoped that he had at least thought it through to it’s conclusion. “Katya is our responsibility. She is our daughter. We conceived her and I carried her and brought her into this world. We owe her the chance to grow and learn…”

When he mentioned what the girl did in her free time Mari went white as a sheet. Her face began to tingle and she felt herself wavering as if her form was somehow here and yet not here. Necromancy was the work of Darkness. Was there nothing of herself in Katya? Had Mari been a vessel to a great evil and been the harbinger of doom to them all. She let the words echo in her mind and abstractly mulled them over and let them tumble around.

“She is the successor to you. The one who may wear the mantle you now carry. It’s the only thing that makes sense-- Ingeras ruling the Land and Katya inheriting the mantle of Death from you yourself. It has to be that. What else could explain those powers? Necromancy is the work of those who wield death like a scythe. You yourself can animate the dead. You will have to teach her how to use her powers for the good of others if such a thing is possible….”

Inhaling softly she sat next to him, “Vlad, this is not all your fault any more than it is mine. Yes we share the blame for some of her failings but all we can do is move forward and work with the gifts we have to make the kingdom a better place. Do not be so hard on yourself. You could not have known this was going to be the outcome. Chances are Katya would have been born anyway. Nothing comes into this world that is not meant to. And for all that it is a challenge it is one I think we can handle. This may have been why you were given the mantle of Death."

“I will help however I can but I beg you, be kind to her. She has so few true friends that any cruelty may send her deeper into darkness than she already is. We must be the light that leads her out of the place that she has drifted into.” She wrapped around him gently and projected the love she felt for him so he could pick it up. Life was not meant to be easy. It was full of trials and tribulations. "Why think separately of this life and the next..." She trailed off softly.

Tagged: Vlad
Words: 573
Notes: She's shocked.

[/quote]

[Vlad Drăculea]

There was a dark laugh as he let his head fall back. It seemed that his ego was so big that people just assumed he was always in control. Vlad the monster, the man with plan had no plan this time. What he unleashed on the world in the form of one disturbed little girl was something not even he knew how to undo. No, this time he made a mistake that would most likely cost him dearly in the end. There was no doubt in the back of his mind that by now she was aware of how strong she was. This kingdom would know true chaos before long and his hands were slowly slipping off of the reigns.

"I owe her nothing. I was gone and where is she? Off traipsing across the land on some selfish adventure of her own design. She is beyond my control or help and I fear when she returns she will bring much death and chaos with her." he said with a tone that suggested he knew something she did not. The magic used to create the spell that conceived her was volatile at best and there was not much inside of her that he felt could be saved.

Slowly he shook his head- he seemed adamant in his position this time. "She has made her choice, it cannot be undone. Our abilities cannot be used for good- only to destroy. She will not be controlled." he said. It seemed as if he had no true feelings for the girl yet it was like a stake to the heart when he thought about it. Vlad had trained her himself all of those years, he knew every little facial expression and move she made. Even a monster could love; even if it was in their own twisted way.

Shifting Mari into the heavy chair that he had been sitting in; he rose and moved across the room. Opening the window he would stare out over his kingdom as the light started to rise. This morning would be different from all those before it as he could now stand the heat of the suns rays. It had been many centuries since he had felt such a thing and it seemed so foreign to him now. Watching the light roll through and reflect off of such a dreary looking city, he wondered how long it would stay like this.

Would there be open warfare in the streets? How many people would die to keep him on the throne and how many would die to remove him from it? In his head the war had already begun for the soul of Sylthanus, even if his daughter had not yet made her move. "There will be many horrors visited upon these lands in the months to come. I only hope that our people are ready. When the time comes we will need them on our side." he said cross his hands behind his back and clasping them there within one another.

"Why indeed?" he replied.

[Mari]

Blinking, Mari tried to adapt to the frustration Vlad felt, it took her a moment to figure out just what to say, it wasn't like Mari had let the kingdom fall to ruin in the absence of a vampire as it's leader. "I suppose she was avoiding having to be married at a young age. If she had stayed here it would have been on the table for discussion. Given that I was fighting the council to keep from forcing me to marry someone else I wasn't going to yell at her for not staying put. If she had stayed she'd have ended up married to some dirty old pervert. Believe me I had perverts executed and assassinated by the score in the early years. If you are angry about her being gone then be angry at me not her. I did not think her sanity would remain if she was forced to marry against her will."

This was said in as gentle a tone as she could manage it. There was no reproach, no anger, "Not all men are as kind as you, Vlad. You know this. She may be a disappointment to you but she is still your child and does deserve to find someone to love when the time comes."

"I understand why you feel the way you do but she is still our child and I will love her as I have you and pray that she will find peace and love as I have found with you." She sat and watched him, leaving him to his thoughts for a moment before she rose and joined him, "There is always light in the darkness, Vlad. You know this. One cannot exist without the other. All we have to do is decide what to do with the time that is given to us." Leaning against him she hugged him. Gently she tugged at him, "Come. Let us go flying. You speak of sadness and you need to remember joy less your burdens consume you."

Pulling his hand she looked up at him pleadingly. She rarely asked for things for herself. Always for others. "Please? Fly with me?" She asked softly. Her brown eyes wide as she made her request, "I want to feel the sun on my face with you beside me in the air." It was a small request but one she hoped he would grant, "Besides, in the air no one can bother you."

Tagged: Vlad
Words: 410