Lips as Red as Blood

by GalaxyofCastaborous

Skin as pale as Snow, Hair as black as night, Lips as red as Blood. A vampire Snow White in a richly imagined fantasy world, where we go deeper than is probably wise into why a good king would marry an evil witch, why on earth was the evil queen so obsessed with her own appearance, and why is no-one who knows the girl willing to help her? This is a tragedy, it is not a nice story.

25. Negotiations - Part 1

Snow had no answer. The silence sat and the birds chirped outside. Finally, realizing that to delay any longer would be pointless, she admitted, "I don't know".

There was more stillness in the room, and Snow did not meet his eyes. She could feel Whitaran's gaze piercing into her back.

Finally, Navormal relaxed back into his seat and stated, "May I offer a suggestion?"

The release of tension in the room was nearly audible. Navormal wanted her to stay. And he had a plan. "Please, go ahead."

"First, is it possible for you to subsist on a non-fatal amount supplied by my men?"

"Oh, yes." Snow was very glad she had experimented with this. "A non-dangerous amount once a week is all I require."

"In that case, may I offer you a deal?"

Snow paused. She realized, suddenly, that she wanted to stay, despite the danger. Here was someone who knew only her secret, and despite not knowing she was the daughter of the king, still wanted her here. He did probably want something from her, but regardless of the reason, the result was that she was wanted and welcome. Snow wondered if maybe she could belong here. She didn't realize how much she wanted to belong somewhere until just now.

However, making deals with fey was unwise. Until you dealt with one, you were safe. However, fey consider all contracts binding, including (and maybe especially) purely verbal ones. This was why you had to watch your words carefully around them. If they perceived you had broken your deal in some way, you opened yourself up to retaliation, and fey were known for their creativity. In addition, even when you knowingly go to deal, they are masters of words and meaning and have trapped many in unintended commitments or promises.

"I would be happy to hear your suggestion." Surely it couldn't hurt to at least hear the offer.

Navormal relaxed back into his chair and smiled. "Nothing complex. I and my men will provide you with the blood necessary to your wellbeing and a place to sleep safely. In return, you will work with my men to explore your condition so that we may understand its repercussions and aid us against those who attempt to harm us."