If heaven's grief brings hell's reign (Vlad, Marina)

[Draven]

Draven walked down a darkened alley.
His hands still smelled of blood from his latest assassin job. He was harried
to kill some low life vampire that owed some money. The whole town smelled of
blood and death. If it was not for the job he would not be here. He hated
this town. It was here that he became a vampire. He hoped to do the job and
get the hell out of there.

As he turned to corner back on the cobble stone street he saw a gathering.
Maybe it was a fest of human's in the streets, some vampire celebration.
He could not tell at first. And was not about to find out. The best way to
survive here was to lay low, not be noticed. Little did he know, he was
about to break his promise.

The only problem was that he would have to pass the crowd to get to the
street that lead out of the city. With a sigh he moved toward the crowd.
When he was close enough he saw a small stage. Two people were on it but
he could not make them out just yet. "Sir," a man said. "We are going to
have to take your blades. You can not have weapons near the King and Queen."

King? Queen? Oh no. The two people he did not want to run into he was walking
towards. It was her, at one time he loved her like a sister. And it was him, the one man who stole her away. He did not pay attention to the gaud but kept on going for
the stage. Memories from the past assaulted him as the gauds ran for him.
He remembered being taken to Vlad's castle with Marina. And how scared she
was. Now she proudly stood by his side.

He stooped as he got to the front of the stage. She looked so beautiful.
Looking up at her Draven smiled. But his smile turned sour as he saw Vlad
standing by her. He was the one who kept them locked up.

Draven felt two hands wrap around him from behind. He felt his daggers
being lifted from his back sheath. "How dare you threaten the king."
One guard said.

"He is not my king," Draven growled. Draven struggled to get free but the vampire was stronger. All he could do was look up at his past

TAGS:Vlad,Marina
WORDS: 349
NOTES:Here we go

[Vlad Drăculea]

There was unrest among the masses as he walked through the streets. They had gone so long without him here that it seemed like most forgot who he was. Fortunately for them Vlad was fond on reminding them who truly held the power in Sylthanus. In his absence people tried to make plays for power but they all ended here and now. Usurping his throne now was a quest, next to impossible to do as he could not be taken down permanently in his new form. Wandering the street in a black over coat that was held closed by leather stitching, his brooding gaze fell on those he passed.

A nod of the head, people scurrying out his path; it was as if he had done something to wound them. Perhaps they heard about the rather brutal beatings he had handed out upon his return. Those who made any attempt to harm the queen declared their separation from the protection of the crown. Vlad was more than happy to remind them what happened to those who raised a hand against house Dracula. It seemed as if he was feeling particularly spiteful today, perhaps not the day for any surprises or something to go wrong.

"In my absence it seems that the people have forgotten their place. In a single night I have stomped out four attempts on the crown. See to it that the guard captain is stripped of his rank and thrown to the dead." he said without emotion. If you could not do the job that he asked of you then you were disposable, it was that simple. There were others who would gladly step up and take the new opening with a zealous charge. The armored man next to him saluted by placing his arm across his chest and flew off towards the castle.

Just as he was about to address his queen, the voices of his guard caught his attention. It seemed another from the crowd decided to appear in the wrong place at the wrong time. Weapons in his presence were not often met with a pleasant greeting even if he did not fear them. Placing his hands behind his back, Vlad approached the man they were detaining and stared at him long and hard. After several moments it was clear that he had no recollection of this person actually was, yet they were not wise enough to give the crown a wider path.

"Clearly the rumors of my house cleaning have no reached the common folk proper yet. You would do best to keep clear of me with those, my guards are a bit over zealous." he said to the man before him.

[Mari]

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With his new position in the angelic host Vlad's temper was not always at it's best. He had to assert his dominance but it did not mean that she liked it when he did so. Still, she wouldn't contradict him in front of his people. They would not respect him if she did. Even when she was first in this realm she knew such things. In some ways he reminded her of the ancient king Henry VIII with his temperamental nature.

She followed at Vlad's side quietly, listening and watching as he issued orders for the leader of the city guard to be put to death. Her guards were female as a general rule. And in the time that she had them there had been few desertions or need for discipline simply because most women were not allowed to become warriors. Those that were were rare jewels and did not throw their skills away with slothful behavior.

Vlad had made certain that she was distracted while the executions were taking place. All she had seen was the brief stains of blood being absorbed by straw as servants cleaned up the gallows. The stakes that had been planted had been removed and the burned out husks removed and sent to the fire so they would not walk again. One of the advantages of Vlad's new form was that he could watch his enemies burn in the dawn instead of assuming that nature had destroyed them.

The voice that caused all the commotion made her blink, "Draven?" she asked as she moved closer to her husband and placed a hand on Vlad's shoulder in such as a way to allow him movement but to project calm to her husband. She'd never been made aware of what had happened to him, "I have not seen you for a very long time." she said gently, sorrow in her eyes for her old servant. "I hoped you were doing well but I did not know what had happened to you." she murmured gently, careful that there was no accusation in her voice to either he or Vlad.

"Husband, you did not tell me you had a surprise for me." she murmured gently so as to sooth tempers and the unrest in the crowd. It was clear she knew nothing of Draven's banishment. "It was kind of you to see us, Draven."

The smile on her face was tentative as she looked between the two men. She hoped this wouldn't devolve into something ugly. Vlad's temper was volatile with others due to the lapses in people's behavior towards the crown.

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Tagged: VLAD, DRAVEN
Words: 443
Outfit: OUTFIT
Notes: This is awesome.

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[Draven]

Anger filled Draven's face at Vlads words. How dare he not ever remember him. Vlad took so much from him. But to think that he was just a common person who would want to start an uprising was the worst. This never was or is his home. He could care less if it all burned to the ground. And every one in it. Screw stupid vampire politics.

"Am not one of your people. And never will be. I don't want your crown of blood and death. You can hide behind it all you want. And the only "place" I have is the hell away from here. And it would be wise to not call me common folk. Am not one of your puppets and never have been."

He was about to say something else when he heard a female call his name. He smiled, she remembered him. "See she knows of me." He said with an I told you so look. He could see the guards were backing up at her words. It was his chance. He jumped up on the stage with one leap. He took Marina by the hand. "It has been way to long. Am sorry." He said as a tear fell down his check. "The last time you saw me was the day I died. Wasn't it your highness!" He looked over at Vlad. "He had one of his female followers do it." He showed her his fangs. "Am in town on business. I will not be staying long."

He wanted to tell her why she was with him. Why was she in love with the one how locked them both away in darkness. Caused them both pain. He remembered holding her on the floor of a cell as she cried. He was a monster. And now she is married to him.

He let go of her hand. Showing his fangs to the vampire king. "Turning me was your biggest mistake."

[Vlad Drăculea]

Giving pause for only a moment, Vlad stared the man down very carefully. It seemed that his choice of words had offended him. It was not uncommon for the king to rub people the wrong way; he made a career out of it actually. Crossing his arms over his chest as he did when he was thinking or bothered he approached slowly. A serious expression came over his face as this man did the one thing he never excused; issued a challenge. For Vlad there was very little left to prove since his return, his new strength was undeniable. Still he would not let even the smallest seed of an uprising loose without a warning.

"If your claim is true then you are a citizen of my kingdom, like it or not. Your blood is our blood and there is nowhere on this planet you can run to escape that," he started, stopping just shy of Draven. "..despite the fact that the queen seems to know you I am finding it hard to come up with reasons not to crush you under my boot." he said. There were much more pressing problems in the kingdom that required his attention. This one could be dealt with by a wave of his hand yet that would cause more problems for him than he wished to deal with as well. Doing so in front of his wife with the truth out that he had done something horrible to this man would strike at her heart.

Motioning to the guard to release him, he assumed he made his point clear. "So long as you are in my lands you will dance on whatever string the crown sees fit. If you wish for your autonomy then you are free to leave Sylthanus." he threw out there. The bit he held back was that to do so would be met with the pain of death and it would not be a quick sun death. The Impaler Lord had a much more creative way of dealing with his enemies that he practiced for many life times. If she had not put herself between the two of them it was likely that Vlad might have smited the man's defiance on principle alone.

"It is no surprise of mine as you have heard. Enjoy the company of your friend if you wish but I would perhaps teach him how things work around here." he said.

[Mari]

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The anger that Draven felt about his situation was understandable even if Mari didn't know all of the reasons for it. The statement that Vlad had turned him was met with a silent blink as she processed the information. Vlad could have just killed Draven and been done with it but he had offered the dark gift to the young man for a reason that was not quite clear. Perhaps it was to torment him but if that had been the case why was Draven still alive?

"Draven, if being a vampire is so repugnant to you why did you not end your existence? While I can understand you being angry with the King it is disingenuous to complain about what he has done while benefiting from it. At best it makes you a hypocrite and at worse it makes you look like a rabble rouser. I don't know what your reason for being here is and I am sorry you are unhappy with your lot in life but all of us must make do with what the time we have. Placing blame on how things should have gone does not change them it just makes one bitter for a future that never happened." It wasn't in Mari's nature to turn her back on her husband or wish for a life other than the one she had. She was an angel and had seen the world go in many directions she had not particularly liked. And yet for all of her opinions the people of Old Earth and Yalanze had muddled along and made something of themselves even in the darkest of times. That deserved respect and so she gave it. "It is not what we do when times are good that measures our mettle but what we do when times are bad that determines who we are. It is easy to be kind when the wheel of fortune favors you; much harder to do so when it has not."

The threat to Vlad was not one she took lightly and she moved closer to Vlad's side, "I doubt he would wish to speak with me, Husband. If he finds being a vampire so repugnant it is doubtful that he would understand the choices I made since he and I last spoke. I will not have him berate me for loving you and our children or standing by those who needed me the most."


"I have stood by the Sylthanus people when they needed me to. I cared for them as best as I was able while you were away on business and I will not have him insult them. They are worthy of love and joy just as much as any other being that walks this realm and it is the height of arrogance for someone to say otherwise. Even when I was first brought to this land and did not speak the language I thought that. My time in the millennia since then has only confirmed it." Gently she placed a hand on Vlad's shoulder, "Whatever the history between you and Draven is it is in the past. I am sure you had your reasons for it and I will not judge you for it." She looked at Draven quietly, "He could have killed you but he did not. You could have stayed here had you chose but you left. You made the choice to stay away and not contact me until this moment and it has not gone unnoticed that you chose to do it not because you care for my well being but because you think by speaking now you would drive a wedge between my husband, myself and our people and that will NOT happen."

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Tagged: VLAD, DRAVEN
Words: 630
Outfit: OUTFIT
Notes: This is awesome.

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[Draven]

Draven was not scared of Vlad. The great Vlad meant nothing to him. He was scared of him at one time. So was Marina. What changed in her? He stood still as Vald eyed him. A man, well Draven used that term loosely when talking about Vlad. But a man who people would fall at the sight of him. Draven stood strong and shown no respect for. As much as he hated him, he was right. The vampire that sired him was of Vlad's line. Vlad's blood runs in his veins. That thought sent chills down his spine.

"You had your chance to kill me before." Draven said as he was threatened. "You chose to make me a monster." He he heard some hisses from the crowd.


Draven kept silent as the Queen spoke. Her words were of loyalty of her king and husband. Flash backs of her fear when they were taken were louder then the words she was saying. How could she love him? He should have left after his kill. He would not be in this mess at all. Maybe that was a part of this curse, to make the wrong choices. Maybe it was the old life trying to scream out in his mind. What ever it was this whole event proved a point. He could never go back.

"I had or have no intention of breaking up such a happy family. One of love and kindness. And tell me Vlad do most men meet their future wives as they are ripping them from their homes? I held her as she cried in fear of you! To see her as your Queen sickens me."

The crowd started to talk loudly. He stepped forward. "Listen here princess. If the thought of killing myself gives you pleasure then so be it. But first you must think back. You own me that. Do you remember the times we spent together. Our lives before this. My family had served yours for so long. Do you remember when you where taken. Do you remember what I do?"