A/N: Oh, yes she did.
You can read the previous part here.
Crimson Tree – Part IX
The situation to the Princess' most trusted acquaintance was becoming difficult to handle. Elisse eyed the vampire in front of her comrade with increasing suspense, "how do you even know, that those aren't vampire bites, huh?" Crossing her arms over her lumpy chest, she raised an eyebrow – trying to look as unconvinced as possible.
Marceline turned her head, an amused sneer forming at her mouth, "well, I don't know, because I am a vampire!" Moving her pointy incisors out from the shroud of her upper lip, she clarified with a sharp "Kshhhh".
The rest of the company felt their stomachs flip at the intensity of the sound, and Elisse literally 'jumped' back in a floatation arc.
"I need you all to leave the room, now. So I can tend to the wounds," she shifted her eyes back to the Princess' neckline. "I need the privacy to stop the blood flow as well, so move out." Peppermint made to leave immediately, his respect to royals in practice, but the Lumpy Space Princess stood firm unsure of leaving her friend in the hands of this demon. Especially, one that "Kshhhh"-ed.
Marceline's brow twitched in annoyance. "It's either you want your Princess awake and well… Or I can leave her in your much capable hands. Oh, and you can deal with a whole kingdom by yourselves, too."
Peppermint started tugging at Minerva's sleeve and she, the two friends; they left, the words of the vampire queen sinking in as reasonable, despite the lingering feeling of fear. The butler found it hardest to leave his Princess' side, but reverence – part of his duty and hope –that the Princess would be awake soon, obliged him.
Settling on a stool beside the chamber bedstead, the vampire leant in towards the princess' chin. Pausing her face just above the twin marks that lay embedded in the soft, pink skin, she wet her upper lip. Her hair falling down in various large curls on the princess' body, while the rest trailed the floor. Bending down into the crook of Bubblegum's neck, Marceline planted a kiss: her lightly wet lips touching the warm skin for a moment.
Bubblegum felt life flow back into her body; she felt the deep cuts in her neck sealing themselves under the command of a wet touch. It did not stop at that particular contact. She felt strokes performed on her neck, the pain she endured hours ago melting away under the cool administration of this action. And, all at once she no longer felt the dips in her skin – but the cold touch of the vampire's tongue remained on her neck.
"Marceline," Bubblegum breathed out, as the corners of her mouth turned up in a faint smile.
"Yeah, Bonnibelle." Smiling back at the gently recovering monarch, Marceline asked , "how do you feel?" The Princess did not reply, instead she nodded. Moving her arms from the sides of her body as she lay down, to reach out and cradle a lock of Marceline's hair. Twirling it in her hands, she pressed a small lock in between her fingers - soft and silky- she determined.
Marceline watched as the Princess then proceeded to use her hands to push herself onto the bed in a sitting position, an arms length away from the former monarch. Bubblegum turns her head towards the doorway, her eyes pried only half open as she orders in a weak croak, "call Peppermint."
"Geez, princess. I came all this way to heal you and you prefer talking to the mint man? C'mon I eve-"
"Please," the other monarch wedged in, her eyes fluttering away just so they wouldn't encounter those of the vampire. Marceline rose from the stool, no comments given as she made her way to the chamber threshold. Yanking open the door, she calls out, "Hey butler, the princess asks for you."
As the butler reverently made his way to his ruler, the vampire looked back into the domain to catch the princess' eyes – pleading. Returning to their former spark as the blood no longer crept out of her body.
Someone wants Bubblegum dead. A vampire doesn't leave marks like that – a dagger does.
Fast-paced conversation was being flung between the monarch and servant. The vampire waited not knowing what she was to do further.
"Ahem." Marceline swiveled around as she floated mid-air to face the butler, who had taken up a position at the doorway. "Queen Marceline, the Princess wishes that you attend to an evening meal with her, in the grand dining hall." With much pleasure mingled on his face, the butler concluded, "She wishes to have a meeting with you as well, as it seems you are to be of help to us should you agree to her terms."
"Fine." Marceline agrees, making her way to the hall with the guidance of Peppermint, she adds, "bring me some apples; I don't consume anything else – well at least not the way y'all do." She simpers, as her personal joke makes the butler shudder at the thought of 'blood-sucking meals'.
Resting her legs up on the table as she rocked on the chair, Marceline keenly emptied a third apple of its colour. That is how Bubblegum came upon the Queen as soon as she had pampered herself and entered the dining hall. Sitting on the chair farthest away from Marceline, Bubblegum watched the other monarch for a while. The other did not look back. Her hands reached for the frilly collar that lay around her neck – the neck that this very lady was licking in medication just hours ago. A deep blush grazed over Bubblegum's face: as she remembered the intimate contact and because Marceline was now watching her.
Dinner was had in silence, the candy kingdom monarch left to sustain her energy in her own ponderings and the vampire left to transmute apple after apple, as her eyes watched the princess furtively.
The two monarchs then found themselves walking the corridors lined with minor chambers that eventually led to a staircase winding up to Bubblegum's room. "I'd like to talk to you within my chamber- ah," blushing as Bubblegum amended, "I mean in the privacy it provides." Still she added on, realizing how unintentionally suggestive she was becoming, "for a conference meeting between political parties." This time around, Marceline did not answer, but she enthusiastically nodded - hiding the smirk that nearly erupted on her face.
Upon reaching the inner quarters of the chamber and watching Marceline float in as she had done all this time, the Princess moved quick to shut the door – turning its lock and securing the latch above.
Reaching up she took her tiara off, and carefully placed it on her dressing table. Marceline watched with a little more than arched eyebrows, as Bubblegum sat down on the bedside pulling her gently by tugging her arm downwards. She came into a seating position beside the Princess, the bedside lamp showing-off its flame in little streams through her glossy hair and on the younger monarch's face.
A shade of purple spread over the vampire's face for the second time that century, as she snuck a look down, noticing Bubblegum still holding onto her arm. Their knees touched and their shoulders just tiny gaps from doing so, too. They were close – really close.
