Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail and its characters. I am not, in any way, associated with the franchise. All circumstances found in this story is fictional and any persons, places or events found the same in real life is purely coincidental. Fairy Tail rights reserved to Hiro Mashima, original creator and illustrator. The Vampire Tales rights reserved to K.T. Adlam, fiction writer

I know what you're thinking. You're thinking what the hell? A new The Vampire Tales book?

Prologue

Oh, simple things where have you gone?

I came across an empty land

Dark. Terrifying. Forbidding.

The entryway to the Forbidden Forest promised all sorts of danger and all sorts of darkness. The trees that bordered the lot lined in a battle formation; much like of soldiers ready for war. Keeping strangers out or maybe keeping something in.

But the deep blue eyes glaring at the entryway remained unfazed. Dark, terrifying and forbidding. Yet, that never stopped Juvia Lockser, daughter of the King of the East, heiress to the Lockser throne, from braving into the Forbidden Forest. Because at the heart of the infamous woods was her haven.

Juvia walked down the earthy path. The eerie breeze of the cold September night kept her company. The legends of the woods kept civilization at bay. No lampposts. No houses. If the forest had ever been inhabited, there was no single sign of it. Only trees and wild shrubs covered the earth of the forest.

Juvia's trained eyes gathered the littlest of light which would have been invisible to human eyes. She could see everything clearly in the portion of the forest the light could not reach. She was also highly aware of everything – the gust of wind, the crackle of fallen leaves, and the flow of blood in the veins of the forest dwellers.

I knew the pathway like the back of my hand

Dried leaves and abandoned twigs broke beneath her weight. The crisp sound reverberated hauntingly all around her. She heard every movement, even the slightest, even her own. They rung in her ears. Until, they faded into the blackness of the night.

I came across a fallen tree

Juvia traversed the Forbidden Forest by memory. She has done it as long as she could remember. It became her second nature. She avoided the fallen branch without giving it so much a thought. Lately, she didn't have control of her thoughts. They often travelled back to that fateful night she wanted to forget.

Juvia Lockser stopped dead in her tracks. Her body froze for a split second. They were coming back to her again. No. She shook her head franticly. No. No. No. Hoping, in doing so, she could get rid of the nightmares.

Could you call them that, even if they came during the day? Even if your eyes were open? Could you still call them nightmares?

I felt the branches of it looking at me.

The rhythmic sound of boots pounding against the marbled floor echoed through the halls of the North Castle. The pillars supporting the roof were heavily accented with gold, casting a golden glow on the vast expanse of Castle Dreyar. They were tall too; much so that it required effort to look up and see the grandiose painted ceiling.

The man in royal garb crossed the empty hall towards a distant mumble. A certain air enveloped him, the kind that naturally attracts. A confidence you get for having the world in the palm of your hand. He held his head high. The man probably had the whole world at his feet. He walked with ease and familiarity. Unlike an outsider who could easily get lost in the confines of the castle. The royal turned the corners without amiss.

Gajeel Redfox, heir to the West throne, walked with leisure towards where the noise was coming from. A faint, discordant sound humanly impossible to be heard. That was because Gajeel Redfox was not an ordinary human. He wasn't only human.

Gajeel followed the sound until it became clearer and more distinctive. The mumbles became a conversation; the conversation became a heated discussion. The West Prince sighed in exasperation. His brows were knitted in annoyance upon recognition. If there was one thing the raven-haired prince hated the most it was coming to the Council conclave every Tuesdays of the month.

The Royal Guards posted outside two giant doors bowed before the Western Prince. They decided not to dwell on the off-comment made by their highness. Instead, they proceeded to open the door, let the latter in right after proper acknowledgment. Then, the two closed it behind the royal with a low thud.

Gajeel hid a snort upon remembering where he was – the Round Table. It was a misnomer since there were no tables inside that room. Instead, lavish tall chairs were placed in a wide circle, equidistant to each other. They outlined the painting of the Royal Family integrated on the floor, right at the center of the room. A circle was fitting; it implied equality – no head, no tiers. Everyone sitting around the Round Table was of equal status. Any sign of impartiality would bring disorder in the Royal Council, something the Royal Family greatly avoided.

The Western Prince crossed the room and towards his seat. The members of the Blue Blood Order were immersed in their own argument that they had not noticed Gajeel's arrival. Good. He thought. In this kind of situation, it was better to stay unnoticed.

Gajeel sunk into his assigned seat. He hated the fact that he was old enough to be mandated to attend and participate in the Council conclave. If there was one thing the Redfox heir hated more than soapy teledramas it was responsibility.

"You're late."

The prince immediately recognized the owner of the voice. He looked around to confirm whether the opposing humans had heard. They did not as they were still engrossed in their own conflict. Gajeel's gaze landed on the beautiful woman sitting opposite him; who looked really unhappy of what she deemed as his 'un-royal' behavior.

Gajeel licked his teeth and gums clean. He made sure there was no crimson stain left on them before he offered the Western Queen his infamous smirk. And his mother rolled her eyes at him in response.

"The Selection was foul play! We refuse to accept defeat."

Gajeel half-listened to the exchange. He could care less.

"With all due respect, your graces." The King with the dark blue hair spoke. He reminded the persons present of their previous discussion on how the failure to declare a winner for the Selection would impose a much risky consequence. "It would be treading on unchartered waters, to say the least." He stated in fact.

"With all due respect, King Juliann." The response coming from the bitter Lord of the Scarlet clan sounded rather contemptuous. "We are already treading on unchartered waters here; let alone dangerous."

The sharpness of the words of the speaker had no effect whatsoever. King Juliann, Ruler of the East Kingdom, responded matter-of-factly. The most important matter to be addressed was the burgeoning resistance in the East. It was on top of today's agenda. It must be put to stop before it got out of control. The King of the East had a purpose and he would not be sidetracked.

"And to think you created these whole Selection shenanigans to suppress the rebellion." The Head of the Twelfth Family scoffed. "Newsflash Royals. It didn't work!" He emphasized the last three words with much derision.

Tension rose quickly in the room. The ghost of insult still hanged in the air. Gajeel knew that the comment somehow grazed the ego of the Royal Family. It did to him. He threw each of them a glance. But they were all quiet, neither surprised nor uneasy. The Royalties present were fixed on their seats donning a calm demeanor. Gajeel could not make anything of it. What were they thinking?

He searched for the beautiful young woman with the silky white hair and found her staring at him too. They exchanged knowing looks before she nodded in agreement. Gajeel's guarding eyes were fixed on one person. He was on his toes and so was the young woman. She read his mind and knew about his plan. They were both ready to attack if any of the pesky old men tried anything funny. If they even think about laying their hands on the woman opposite Gajeel, or any of the members of the Royal Family for that matter, no human will come out of that room alive.

Juvia Lockser picked up a distant sound no mortal ears could. The promise of a relaxing night hurried her steps. The calm and steady sound of the falling water called for her. The aroma of stream hitting the surrounding stones tickled her nostrils. The teasing must come to an end. Her heart skipped a bit. In a blur of movement, Juvia was standing before the magnificent waterfall of the Forbidden Forest; basked in the midnight glow of the moon.

It was truly magnificent; so much so that it surprised even Juvia how astonished she was at the sight. Just like looking at it for the first time. No beauty could compare.

Juvia wasted no time, hurriedly undressed herself and stepped into the pool where the falling water gathered. When she reached the middle, the princess submerged herself in the waters of her haven. She sunk into the water until it reached an inch or two below her shoulders.

The sound of the steady fall of the water lulled Juvia's eyes to close. She threw her head back and let the magnificent water clung to her like a warm embrace. Her body gradually adapted to the ice cold water until it warmed. She let the sound of the night soothe her to sleep. All the worries and pains of the day had washed away.

She finally rested.

This meeting ought to be over soon thought Gajeel. He pressed his point finger on his temple in a circular motion. The scowl on his face seemed permanent. The whole room fell into silence, but the mental thoughts of the humans in the room made him dizzy. He really needed to learn to block other people's thoughts. Sometimes, it's fun; most of the time it's just annoying. Just like today. It was worse than being in a swarm of people.

Gajeel looked for the Eldest and found him sitting quietly on his grand seat – deep in thought. He did not know what was in his mind. None of the people in the room knew. But in a blink of an eye, King Makarov, the eldest of the vampire race, father of the oldest royal bloodline, was now standing in the center of the room.

The sound of hollow gold hitting against marble rang in Gajeel's ears. His orbs widened as he watched the rings hit and bounced off the floor. The prince easily recognized them; the resurrection rings belonged to the thirteen members of the Blue Blood Order.

"Now…"

In the silenced room, the voice of the Eldest resonated.

"It seems like we are losing our decorum."

Without looking, Gajeel could tell that the implication of the Eldest's sudden interference had reached the members of the Blue Blood Order. They understood quite well the meaning between the lines.

"We are faster, stronger than all of you combined."

As the name implies, the ring allowed the wearer to survive death and come back to life. It was the Eldest who gifted the enchanted rings to the heads of each clan; passed it down from generation to generation. Makarov wanted to give them protection from their enemies and the enemies of the throne – be it humans or vampires. So, without those rings the humans stood no chance against the Royal Family. In a snap of a finger, the royal vampires could ravage the mortals; drain them of their blood, killing them in an instant.

"Do we need to recheck our loyalty to the Royal Family?" It was more of a threat than a reminder.

"No, your highness."

The nobles answered in unison; they bowed their heads in defeat. But their words betrayed their own feelings. Contempt was undeniably present in each member of the Blue Blood Order. The nervous tension tightened and clenched their jaws. Their eyes brimmed with suppressed anger. The eyes, they said, were the windows to the soul.

"Alright, then. Let's get back to our discussion."

Makarov Dreyar was not the kind to flaunt his power and influence. The older the vampire was the stronger he becomes, and as the oldest and strongest vampire living in this world, Makarov possessed immense power. One that remained unsurpassed to this day. He was stronger, faster and was at the peak of his capabilities. But he was never one to show-off. Yet, when the situation called for it, the Eldest never disappoints. The humans needed to be reminded to whom they were dealing with.

Point for vampires; none for the humans.

Gajeel was sure the pesky old men would love to punch the smug off his face. He wanted to see them try.

Juvia's body instinctively leaped and resurfaced above water. She gasped for air; her lungs burned, hungry for oxygen. As soon as she inhaled enough air her breathing evened.

Tussles of blue wet hair clung to her somber face. Cold water dripped down her forehead, to her burning cheeks, the hollow of her throat, on the mounds of her chest and disappeared around her waistline and back into the water. Droplets stuck on her long lashes blurred her vision. Juvia brushed them away with her open palm.

The water was cold, almost freezing. Her body, however, had easily adapted to the temperature. She was neither too cold nor too hot. One of the many gifts of being a vampire. Yet, as she possessed the gifts of the undead, she was part human. A human that feels everything around her – sensations, warmth, compassion, love and pain. She hated it. Juvia hated it now more than ever. Emotion was a double-edged sword and the ability to feel was both a gift and a curse.

Juvia swam towards the rock formation skirting the waterfalls. She hid her pliant body behind one of the large rocks scattered around the pool where water fell and gathered. Her blue detached eyes stared at a distance. The mellow waves rocked the princess so gently she did not even notice. Or it was probably because her mind was somewhere else.

The princess submerged her body just beneath the surface of the water. She began to feel that familiar feeling weighed down on her again.

Breathe, Juvia. She told herself.

Breathe.

The weight started to suffocate her.

Breathe! She scolded herself. The air around her grew thinner by the moment. Juvia shut her eyes close. Realizing a little too late that it was the worst decision she made that night. Because as soon as darkness overcame her, Juvia fell into the dreadful loop that imprisoned her for the last few months.

Juvia held on the edge of the rock she was leaning against; the events of that fateful night overwhelmed her. The memories played in her mind like a vivid reel of film, each picture clearer than the last. She gripped the rock's sharp edges too tight that she did not feel them wounding her. Only when the water made contact to the cut that she felt the stab of pain, forcing her eyes open.

Juvia withdrew her wounded hands out of the water. They bled so profusely that some of them spilled over; the crimson ink spread all over the clean blue water. She watched her hands tremble while her breath caught up in her throat.

Vampires had the ability to quickly heal themselves. Juvia, bearing half of that blood, was gifted with the same ability. The cut on her hands healed on their own, in a non-human pace, and left no trace of its existence. Then the crimson fluid on Juvia's hands darkened and thickened. The sight gripped her heart. It wasn't her blood anymore. It was Trevor's.

The dark weight finally unfurled in her heart and spread all throughout her being, devouring her. She had no strength to stand against the surging emotions flooding her now. Let alone the energy to pull the heavy weight back to where it came from. It was inescapable.

Please, make it stop.

Juvia was so consumed of the pain that she did not sense the change in the pool caused by a new weight. She did not sense the gentle wave pushing towards her.

Oh simple things where have you gone?

A warm pair of hands clasped her tainted ones; stained with the blood of an innocent man. A man she actually cared about. The princess raised her gaze to the owner of the warm hands and met the empathizing eyes of her mother, the Queen.

Juvia lost all strength. Her body caved to gravity. She was tired; of hiding, of fighting, of losing. Finally, she succumbed to the pain that was eating at her in the past few months. The princess let her body fall into the consoling arms of Queen Victoria.

I'm getting older and I need something to rely on.

AUTHOR'S NOTE

Hi! It's me again, be-dazzled. And I'm back with a new story! It's not really new but like the original book or first book of The Vampire Tales series. It's been more than two years but I have reignited my love for writing. Of course, my love for Gray and Juvia too! #GruviaForever

The series has been over for a while now but that's why we have fanfiction, amaright? Patiently waiting for Mashima-sensei's future works! And I hope you support this one as much as you have the previous #TVT. I'm treating it as a prequel for this book and once I get to attain my life goals I promise to finish that prequel.

See you in the next chapter!