Preface:
Crushed and defeated she watched as her one and only love stepped to his execution with grace and pride confident his opponent would play fair with so many watching , she knew better. She knew that the scoundrel her dear prince was about to fight had all kinds of nasty tricks up his sleeves. At that moment she was pretending to be bound ,sitting in the crimson chair that had been gifted to her by her dear Vladimir. even as she thought through all of this she was begging him to turn back, to leave her and save himself . He looked at her with pure devotion and shook his head. To him death would be a small price to pay to ensure that she didn't end up betrothed to the fool he was to face. The devious and dark man before him would corrupt her innocence and light and then she would wither and die in a prison of Ivory.
She watched the two fight with apprehension clear on her face. She was confident in her champion's skills but she didn't trust the man he was facing to play fair in the least. As it turned out her hunch was correct,as Vladimir blocked against his frontal attacker a second man readied an arrow only she saw. With an adrenaline surge from her panic she leapt into the arrows path and protected her darling . The solid thunk of stone on bone alerted him to her presence and just as the arrow pierced her heart his blade tore through the throat of his enemy and landed his head in the dirt. Turning with quick grace sword forgotten he caught her just before she hit the ground.
"Why? Why would you do such a thing my dear sweet Raven," he asked her ,despair already lacing his voice.
"Because I love you and for once you needed saving, " she whispered back," do you think I'll live?"
"No, your fade and my world will be darker for the loss," Vladimir said. He watched as her eyes slid closed and her hand,which had been resting on his cheek, fell away from him. Agony in his eyes he caught her wrist and pressed her still warm palm back to his cheek and let his tears pour in a constant stream. Amidst his private sorrow he did not see his opponent's deranged mother leave the stands, walk over to him and pull a small box of powder from her sleeve and mutter a few words before she poured it over his skin.
"For the murder of my son I curse you knight prince Vladimir to ageless invincibility,forever shall you feast on blood and you will suffer in eternity watching all you love wither fade and die unable to join," She hissed to his un hearing ears and left the arena leaving the broken prince and his slain princess alone in the sunset.
"My darling Raven I pray you are happy where you are and that you will wait for me,"Vladimir said and laid her on the pyre built for the loser of the duel and set it a flame. As the smoke curled up towards the endless sky he silently pleaded to the gods to end him quickly so that they may once again be together. When he walked away his hand strayed to the onyx crest about his throat, it had been hers in death and now he would carry it in life.
In the realm of gods a woman stood before the council with slight fear in her eyes.
"you are the young lady who leapt before an arrow to save her love," they asked.
"Yes, my name is Raven," she answered. They looked to each other and came to a silent decision.
"Your lover has been cursed to never age and be unable to die by outside only sustenance the blood of humans. We have decided that we are going to give you a second chance at life as a reward for sacrificing yourself for your lover. We will call you when it is time for you to return. First we must create a body that is ageless and invincible like him and the absolute paragon of beauty. We do nothing by half," the leader of the council said and sent her on her way.