Lady Margolotta – five feet eleven inches in her spike-decorated high heeled boots, revealingly cut velvet gown, and about four pounds of ruby-encrusted jewelry – was the very image of an evil vampire overlord. Of course, at the moment she ruled only a certain area in Überwald, but that would change…
… sipped from a glass of human blood, and smiled. She walked down the stairs from the elevated dining area, hips swinging, long black hair flowing behind her, and studied the captive, who was being held up by two vampire warriors. The captive appeared a young man, bleeding from multiple wounds, clearly on the brink of unconsciousness.
Lady Margolotta smiled. "The Order of Grimnir? Really, the things you kids come up with! So there was a vampire queen who didn't drink blood? What then? She was a vicious tyrant who impaled her enemies!"
The captive raised his head. The black hair had escaped from its ponytail, and hung loose, like silken curtains around his head.
"That is… not… the point. The point is, she did it. She gave up the… addiction. It can be given up. It can be… exchanged… for something… less harmful."
Lady Margolotta took something from her purse. A silver box of cigarettes. She held one as if she were smoking it, but didn't light it.
"These wouldn't happen to be yours, would they? Tell me your name, and you can have one."
The captive vampire groaned. "Maladict." He breathed.
Margolotta raised an eyebrow. "I've heard of you. Maladict Griminirzi. Well well well. I didn't expect to be entertaining royalty." She spoke to the warriors: "Release him. He is my guest."
She handed Maladict the cigarette and lit it for him. Maladict's hands trembled as he inhaled the smoke. "What do you want, Lady Margolotta?" He asked. His whole demeanour had changed in an instant. Now he seemed in charge, composed, vibrant with energy. The injuries were healing before Margolotta's eyes.
Margolotta narrowed her eyes. "The question is what you want… Griminirzi. Little is known about you. Missing heir of Lancre. You killed Count de Magpyr three times. You steal captives from my dungeons. You make sport of hunting werewolves. You have enemies everywhere you go, and you delight in making more. What do you want?" She sipped from her glass of blood again.
Maladict's hand knocked off the glass from her hand. It shattered on the floor. "I want you to give it up. I want you to quit drinking blood. I want that for every vampire. We can overcome our base nature. We can rise to a higher state of existence. We can…"
At that point, Lady Margolotta's long fingernails dug deep into his throat and her hand strangled him. "You dare… in my own castle… you dare mock me? They won't be able to find even ashes when I'm done with you… …you…" She leaned closer. Something wasn't right, the neck wasn't the right shape, and a certain bulge was missing… and the scent… yes, definitely. She let go, curiosity overcoming anger. "You are a female?"
Maladicta rubbed her neck. "Yes."
"How come I didn't notice sooner?" Margolotta inquired.
"You weren't meant to notice. It is a most carefully constructed disguise." Maladicta answered, sounding a bit smug.
"Well… this changes things." Margolotta allowed herself a small smile.
Maladicta picked up the cigarette from where it had fallen and puffed on it until it ignited again. "It does? And why is that?" She asked.
"Well… let us just say that I am intrigued. It is not often that people manage to surprise me. Why the disguise? Why not just be yourself?" Margolotta asked.
Maladicta leaned against a pillar. "And what makes you think the disguise is not my self? I am more myself in trousers than I ever was in underwired dresses."
"I see." Margolotta stepped closer. Her scent was that of blood and night-blooming flowers. "And how about… out of trousers?" Her hand cupped Maladicta's cheek. "I am a woman of the world, young one. I have seen much in my time."
Maladicta grinned. "'Lips that touch ichor shall not touch mine'. That is one of our songs. Dreadful, like most vampire poetry. Still, I must say I approve of the sentiment. Adieu, ma demoiselle." She evaporated, slipping away as a gray mist that was slightly scented with tobacco.
Margolotta swore under her breath. Her heel ground the butt of the cigarette into the floor with surprising vehemence.
Notes: This story takes place about 50 years before the events in 'Monstrous Regiment'. At this time, there are no Black Ribboner vampires. Instead, the Order of Grimnir, a forerunner of the Überwald League of Temperance, is fighting a lonely guerrilla war against – well, everyone, more or less.
Lady Margolotta is very much evil and bloodthirsty in this point of history. As we know, she had been a Black Ribboner for three years in the time of 'Fifth Elephant.' So the Margolotta in this story is your classic evil vampire, although a whole lot smarter.
As to Maladict/Maladicta, well, in my storyline she gave up blood once in exchange for cigarettes, then lapsed into her old ways, then gave it up again and became the coffee addict we all know and love.