Chapter 28 part 2

After a while we both stopped dancing and I finally had a chance to look closer at the place where Vlad had taken me. Today was a day filled with surprises. I thought and smiled at the same time. Vlad is full of surprises. I guess that it is true when they say to never judge a book by its cover, well in this case, a man. No, a vampire. I walked over to the lagoon, I felt, in a way mesmerized by it. Its blue and purple waters which slowly lapped the grassy banks of the earth. The waterfall looked a lot smaller than what I first thought it to be. It was a gentle waterfall, not like the ones that rushed over the cliffs, breaking everything in their path. It was exactly the way I preferred it to be. Quiet and soothing to one's mind. There were flowers everywhere, strange flowers but beautiful and that filled the air with a lovely perfume. One of them caught my attention, it had a deep red color, almost black, and looked similar to a Forget-Me-Not but the petals were larger and thin as a poppy's. I leaned in to smell it and it smelled like a magnolia.

"Out of all the most beautiful and exotic plants you can find here, these are the ones you like the most? The smallest and the plainest of them all? " Vlad asked.

"Size doesn't matter, nor beauty. A flower may be the biggest and the most beautiful but it may smell like a rotten cat. I think that the smallest things matter the most, a simple gesture, a simple act of kindness, or even a simple word. This is what that makes the biggest difference." I replied.

Vlad smiled. "These were my mother's favorite flowers, and she liked them for that exact reason." He plucked a flower and twirled it in his fingers. "These are called the everlasting magic, roughly translated of course from the original word. And they are known to last weeks on end, without water or anything."

He smiled and gently tucked the flower behind my ear. "They are the hidden beauty of this place, not many notice them, but they are there, always watching, always knowing." Vlad looked like he wanted to say something else but he didn't. "Come," He said after a short pause. "Let's eat. I am sure that you are starving."


Vlad looked at Natasha as she ate the various strange dishes that he himself has prepared for her. He was shocked at her reaction, he expected her to immediately say no without any hesitation, but…she didn't, and that is what surprised him. Vlad loved seeing her happy, seeing her smile. He didn't want to ever make her sad, but she looked so enchanting when she would get angry at him. As long as I don't go over the limit. Vlad thought as he looked longingly at her. He could feel a strong connection, but he didn't know what she felt about him. Vlad felt a pang of pain in his chest when he realized that she may not even come to love him. But if that happens, most likely it will happen. He thought sadly. I will not force her to make any decisions, it is her choice to make and will always be her choice. But for now, Vlad decided. I will just enjoy my time with Natasha. There were many things Vlad desired to have in this world, one of them was being married to Natasha, but he was a vampire of integrity, he had morals which he valued over his petty desires. He was not going to, not even to save his own life, marry Natasha against her will or without her love. I'd rather die an old unmarried man than do such a thing like this.

Vlad thought about the flower that he had put into Natasha's hair. It was a stark contrast to her blond hair, which was somehow, magically turning a slight reddish color. He was sure she never noticed this change, but he did, and thought that she was just becoming more and more beautiful with each day that passed. Inside and out. At first when he met her, and she threw that rock at him, he thought she was some selfish, spoiled daughter of the fairy kingdom. But after a day or two, Vlad began to realize that she was just frightened of the world she had been so suddenly thrown into, and had decided to hide under façade of arrogance, mockery and even of sarcasm. It reminded him a lot of himself when he was crowned king of the vampires. Vlad started to realize that they had much more in common than what he thought.

"Look," Vlad heard Natasha say timidly and he turned his whole attention on her. "I don't mean to pry, but I am curious about you, about your kind. Your language, customs, culture, history…." She trailed on into silence.

Vlad looked at her in surprise, but almost immediately he smiled. "If that is your wish. So be it. I hope that you will not regret your decision."

Natasha laughed, her eyes twinkling like she had just gotten a present. "I can assure you, I will not regret any of this."

Their eyes met for a moment. Natasha then blushed and quickly looked down to her hands.

After a minute or two she looked up. "I am a very curious person." She stated, carefully picking her words. "Where I come from, vampires drink blood. Is that true?"

Vlad looked at her, laughter twinkling in his eyes. "Is that what they are now saying about vampires?" He chuckled. "To answer your question, no. We do not drink any sort of blood, in fact it is rather disgusting, and who knows what kind of diseases lurk in it."

"Then why do you have pointy teeth, if not to drink blood?" She asked.

"There is a legend, which explains everything." Vlad paused.

"Well?"

"It will be very long. You may not like it."

"Try me."

"Have you ever wondered why vampires and wolves get along so well?"

Natasha nodded.

"Many, many years ago. When the earth was young and where the trees were not as wise as they are now. No human, vampire, werewolf, fairy or even an elf existed then. There was only one race, a race of tall, powerful beings that had dominion over all the elements of the earth. They separated themselves, forming their own kingdoms, ruling with kindness and just. Some built their kingdoms high up in the air, some dug deep into the earth, and others lived in the wild, untamable forests of the lands while many lived in the oceans. Four powerful kingdoms, which over time, turned against each other. Sons against their fathers and brothers against brothers. The earth and air kingdoms disappeared, leaving only the ocean and the woodland kingdom. Little is known from that time. But there is a ballad which survived, told from generation to generation in the vampire and werewolf kingdom. It goes something like this but I will not recite the whole thing, it may get a bit boring." Vlad said.

"No." Natasha interrupted. "Just tell me everything. I want to hear the whole ballad."

Vlad smiled and started to recite, with deep emotion, as if he had been there and seen the whole thing.

"On the shore of the sea,

As I lay there unseen.

When a figure emerged,

Out of it undisturbed.

With hair as black as midnight,

Standing tall bathed in moonlight.

His skin pale and hair pulled back,

Braided and tied by string that's black.

His eyes held a flame;

A look that had no pain.

The blue flame burning brightly

Telling that he is mighty.

His smile cruel and cold,

As if he wanted gold.

The sword at his side,

Gave off a cold light.

Tall and straight he stood,

Like the King of the wood.

On his head was a crown,

And his mercy held no bound.

Such was the King of the Seas.

Unknown for his great deeds.

The secret of the moon,

The subject of the ocean's tune.

The ballad that remains hidden.

A story that was never written.

Of the King in the Ocean,

Who sets things in motion.

His clothes were a deep ocean blue,

But his cloak had a reddish hue.

A white stone of starlight he had,

On his neck lighting up the path.

He strode out as the sea roared.

The waves crashing down on the shore.

Lightning lit up the black sky,

Thunders rumble's shook the mountains high!

A mist began to creep in,

A shimmering grey like a fishes fin.

He stood on the sand, unmoving,

When a faint song started singing.

The song that was sung,

In the air it hung.

A song of lament and pain

Of sadness and rain.

Far in the distance shadows were seen,

Moving slowly as if in a dream.

The beautiful song wafted through the air,

As it grew louder and grew more fair.

The mist began to part,

Revealing a small lark.

It sang and flapped its wings,

And flew as there approached a being.

The Woodland King stood there proud,

Snarling as if he were a hound.

His pointy ears red in anger,

His eyes piercing through like a dagger.

The ground trembled from his wrath.

The plants parted from his path.

Behind him followed a company of thirteen,

All clad in brown and Lincoln green.

All except a lady of unequalled beauty,

Whose hair was curly and red like a ruby.

She was humble and unlike her father,

Who was proud and had no honor.

She wore a dress of light blue,

That shone like morning dew.

Her hair flowed down past her shoulders,

And she slowly grew bolder and bolder.

She was the Woodlands King daughter.

Fair and wise, just like her mother.

A hundred years before a treaty was made,

That the Ocean King would come to their aid.

He came to their need,

But in return he wanted a queen.

The Forest Kings daughter,

And no one other.

The Woodland King grew angry,

And people wallowed in pity.

For their beloved princess,

Is to be another's to possess.

"You are late." Said the Ocean King.

And in his palm he held a ring.

"Come, my dear, and we shall leave."

Said the Ocean King to his Queen.

The Forest Kings daughter started walking,

When the Woodland King started talking.

He pulled his daughter aside,

And said "She shall not leave my side."

He then pulled out his sword,

Daring to not keep his word.

He pointed it at the Sea King,

Not caring about a single thing.

The Forest King then jumped, faster than lightning,

And his sword, sharp and swinging.

But the King of the Ocean responded,

And a clash of swords had started.

The wind started howling,

And the water started raging.

As the two great kings clashed,

And the ground shook from their wrath.

The Princess with a soul of light,

Had stepped into the fight.

Her hands were raised,

And she was not afraid.

The two great kings had stopped,

But their eyes still fought.

Their swords pointed dangerously

At the Princess who stood in between.

"Stop!" She had cried.

"Stop this terrible fight!

No more shall you argue,

Over something that has no value!"

A heavy silence fell upon the group,

Like bad weather changes ones mood.

The two kings reluctantly let down their guard,

Feeling much shame in their hearts.

Then the Princess spoke out,

A true queen she was, it was no doubt

"I have made my choice,

One that I'm not afraid to voice."

"This fate I willingly accept,

For I love the Sea King with every breath.

My decision shall not be changed,

By selfish kings who are enraged!"

"I shall honor the treaty,

But peace will not be hasty.

For my father had started a war,

Without thinking it will close a door."

The Princess spoke loud and clear,

And all was silent from far to near.

Even the wind which was howling,

And the water that was raging.

The Woodland King took his daughters hand,

And knelt down onto the sand.

"Forgive me, my daughter." He had said.

"I don't know what came into my head."

"With a heavy heart I let you go,

And all because I love you so."

Said the Woodland King sadly,

And he kissed his daughters head sweetly.

The Forest King turned to the Ocean Lord,

And pulled out his mighty sword

And said "Be wary of your future actions

As I won't hold back for any reasons."

"Should you hurt a single hair on my daughters head,

I will hunt you until you are dead!"

Said the Woodland King with great ferocity,

Holding himself high with matchless dignity.

"Fear not." Replied the Sea King.

"I shall not harm a hair on her being.

Never shall you have to worry,

For I love her and know she was worthy."

And as he knelt down on one knee,

"My heart and soul I give to thee."

He said humbly and lovingly

While he presented her the ring.

The delicate ring he had,

Was more than just a simple band.

It shone just like starlight,

And had a stone, black as midnight.

It was forged by the magic of the Sea,

That runs deep and lays unseen.

With it a promise was made,

One that does not fade.

The promise of eternal love and devotion,

As wide and large as the ocean.

This the Sea King offered with all his heart;

To show that from his love he would never part.

The Princess stood still as if in a daze,

For she had no words to say.

The significance of the ring she knew,

And her love for the Sea King grew.

Seconds, and more seconds passed.

The Princess knew that their love would last.

She knelt and put her hands in his,

And he gave her a soft enchanting kiss.

The Sea Lord placed the ring on her finger,

Here, they would no longer linger.

They both got up smiling brightly,

As the King held his Queen tightly

They turned towards the sea,

And walked towards the door unseen.

Slowly, as they disappeared from sight.

The lark appeared one last time.

If ever the need for peace was dire,

The lark would come, marked by fire.

He would put the fate of the earth,

Into the hands of someone of worth.

On the shore of the sea,

As I lay there unseen.

When the figures disappeared,

And left the woods and sea undisturbed."

Vlad finished with a sigh.

"It is a beautiful poem." Natasha exclaimed. "But how exactly does this show where vampires and werewolves come from?"

"The Sea king was the vampire because of this," Vlad said and pulled out a necklace from under his shirt. It was exactly what the poem said. It looked as if it came from the stars themselves, for it glowed as bright as one.

"My family heritage."Vlad continued. "It only glows when it is worn by a descendant of the Sea King. It is our identity, our evidence and reminder of our many ancestors."

"And the ring, it exists doesn't it?"

"Yes it does, and has been worn by ladies in my family. Also, there is this." Vlad said and pulled out a dagger. It was beautiful, the hilt engraved with a design that closely resembled the raging ocean waters while the rest of the dagger was covered in color changing ripples. It had a large scratch starting in the middle and heading off towards the side. Vlad passed the dagger to Natasha who was looking at it with great curiosity. "Careful" He said. "It is very sharp and I don't want you to hurt yourself."

Natasha smiled and Vlad stared at her adoringly. He just loved the fact she was so interested in many things and had a desire to learn more.

"This dagger has been in my family for generations. The weapons vampires make are very special, they are made with enchantments so as to, in a way, bring them to life. They last for centuries and never get rusted or scratched, unless, it is by a werewolf. And I'm sure that the author had a hard time distinguishing what exactly was going on because everything was moving way to fast." Vlad finished while watching Natasha trace the scratch on the dagger. He felt his dagger shudder in memory of the pain it had felt so many years ago and wondered if Natasha could feel it as well. Suddenly, Natasha met Vlad's eyes, fear and shock in her eyes. He smiled internally, he was happy that Natasha felt that. No outsider could have noticed anything of the sort. No one other than a vampire or werewolf or course.

"Did it just..?" Natasha asked

"Yes"

Natasha nodded and handed him his dagger back.

"How was it possible that such an alliance lasted for so long?" She asked.

"Of course, it took some time for the alliance to have an effect but afterwards our people were united as one and the many differences that once separated us, slowly were starting to be ignored. But no one really knows how it lasted. Perhaps it was the mere fact that we are just so similar to each other but we never realized that until much later."

Vlad looked at the plants and saw that they started to dim. It was almost eight in the evening and Vlad wanted to get back before some nasty surprises appeared out of nowhere.


My head was bursting with all the information that Vlad had told me. Especially the beautiful poem. It was so interesting that I wanted to know more but I didn't ask any more questions because I had no desire to give myself a headache. It was overwhelming enough to live in such a strange world and then to learn its history which it so fascinating but takes time to settle in.

Vlad got up and held out his hand so that he could help me up as well. "Come, we must leave this place. I don't want any surprises. I've had enough this few days to last me a life time. " He said

"Don't worry; you are not the only one." I laughed and put my hand in his. He pulled me up and in a flash had everything packed and put on the Pegasus who was grazing a few meters away. We both got on and headed back. But the time we arrived I could feel that it was late because I was very tired. We landed in front of the house and Vlad helped me off of the Pegasus. I helped him carry the leftovers of our picnic inside after a few long minutes of convincing him to let me help. After we were done and he had guided me to the door of the room where i was staying, he took my hand in his and placed a soft, lingering kiss.

"Good night" He said in a low deep voice. "My dear angel"

I smiled "Good night to you as well, Vlad the flatterer."

"The handsome, charming flatterer." He replied.

I rolled my eyes and couldn't help but laugh and I went into my room, Vlad watching my every move. In the room I took my dress off as fast as I could and in the white dress that was already under, I went to bed. Today was a good day. I thought before falling asleep.


Vlad looked out the window of his room. It was already around midnight and he had not managed to get even the slightest bit of sleep. He kept of thinking about the surprise he had made for Natasha that day. He had taken her to the place where he felt relaxed and did not feel the weight of his inheritance on his shoulders. Surprisingly, Natasha had loved the surprise and Vlad almost felt his heart burst with joy to find out that she enjoyed her time with him. They had arrived at his house about a few hours before midnight.

Vlad got up and walked over to his desk, covered with papers. He opened a small drawer and pulled out a box. He opened it and took out a small item. It was the ring. The ring that he would give as a promise of everlasting love and devotion to the woman that will be his queen. He sighed and put the ring back into the box and then into the drawer before going back to bed.

I hope that you like this chapter and I also hope that the poem wasn't so boring. Thank you for reading! Review! :)