We were lucky that we managed to stay completely undisturbed in our little home for wayward vampires and Faeries, it had been over six months since I had killed Appius, Erik and Karin refused to discuss it any further stating that it's over and discussing it will only bring up memories they would prefer buried with his sluggish remains.
Preston and I had discussed it at some length, he said it was the first time in all the years he had known me that he was truly terrified of me. The actions which Appius undertook underneath my knife were truly horrific, and if it were anyone else, they would never have undergone such torment. We both agreed however that he deserved it, if not a harsher torture before being executed. He was much too powerful to leave alive however, and my actions made the most sense safety wise.
The house remained clean through magic, so we hadn't had the need to employ humans or other supernatural's to clean our property which I was thankful for, we all continued to enjoy one another's company in a way that for most vampires seems unnatural. I was currently sitting in the living room reading a book by a warm fire since it was now wintertime in England when Karin knocked on the door announcing her presence.
"Excuse me, Susannah can I speak with you?" I put a bookmark against the page I was currently up to and placed my book on the coffee table turning to look at her.
"Of course, Karin, what's the matter?" She had begun to wear pants like the ones I wear when hunting, the leather fit snuggly against her body but still allowed ease of movement.
"Are you able to start combat training with me?" I focus on the bond to locate Erik; he was upstairs and down to us in a flash.
"I think that's a wonderful idea Karen, are you able to start assisting with training?" He turns to look at me, I can see the warning in his eyes.
"Yes, but only if you are not present. You're both young vampires in terms of age, if your progeny gets attacked, I do not know how you will react, I would rather be confident in her skills first before showing you." He nods in understanding; I stand from the couch and change my clothes into my training wear.
It's not the same leather that I use for battle, but rather leather pants with a cotton singlet that hugs my body but leaves my arms completely bare, my regular iron and silver daggers and knives were instead replaced with replica wooden ones, Karin stood opposite me in leathers like mine, she had two wooden swords attached to her hips, I had no doubt there were knives somewhere on her person as well.
"Karin whilst we train together, we will use wooden weapons, anything thrown or jabbed will not pierce skin nor will we aim for hearts." A look of relief crossed her features for a second. "When I was a young girl my grandfather trained with me every day. At first, we started simple, it was a game between us. As I grew the training got more rigorous, muscles were pulled and stretched to their max, my endurance forever increasing.
My training regime is not easy, but it will make you a fighter that will be the most powerful thing known to mankind. Are you certain you wish to start training with me? There are no nights off."
"Yes mistress." She nodded.
"Then we shall begin." I watched her stance, it was rigid and had no freedom of movement, very much like a vampire. I dropped my weight onto the balls of my feet and felt my muscles turn into liquid, my fingernails elongated into claws, my silver capped teeth dropped from my gums and I smiled at Karin. Her eyes went wide with fear as she stared at me. "This is the first warning sign of an angry Faery."
I channel my demon Faery to come forth, my features morphed into the true Faery. Pointed ears, elongated nose, sharp black eyes as well as my skin shifting into a blueish brown colour. Once I saw she recognized me well enough in this form I shifted back into my standard from, watching the tension leave her body completely
"Why did you show me that? It was terrifying. I knew you weren't going to hurt me but every instinct in me was screaming to run."
"Because in that form I am most lethal to you, but it's also when I'm most vulnerable. Therefore, I only went to phase 1 and not phase 2 when fighting with Appius. I also needed you to see it so if we're ever in dire straits and you recognize me in that form to not attack me and I will not attack you. My demon Faery spirit will recognize you and know you mean me no harm."
"So, we won't fight with you in that form?"
"Not tonight at least, tonight I wish for you to attack me with everything you've got. I want to see what skills Erik has taught you and what we can improve on." She was fast, undeniably so. The minute permission was given she was attacking with extreme fury, I was just as strong as a vampire but not quite as quick if I didn't use my gifts.
I fought off her attacks by parrying and blocking, I knocked her legs out from under her and danced away. "What went wrong there?"
"I got cocky and stopped paying attention to you."
"You were going well with hand attacks and defenses that's true; you cannot be one or the other, you must always be both. I saw you getting cocky and used it to my advantage." We were opposite each other again, when I motioned with my hands for her to go again.
We continued to fight one another for hours into the night, I was sweating from the work out but since she was vampire, she was ready to keep going. I saw hunger in her eyes, but she was ignoring it for the chance to win the fight. She had only managed to better me at one time when I jumped directly on her and started to put her into an 'arm-bar' on the floor. I pulled her arm ready to dislocate before she tapped out.
After half an hour of practicing different ways to wrestle on the ground and get the upper hand I called it quits. "You did really well Karin." Erik came out from the house with a towel and cup of water for me, gratefully I accepted and guzzled down the water. Preston arrived with a hot mug of blood for Karin.
"I would have been killed several times tonight if you didn't stop yourself."
"That's true, but there are times where you got the upper hand of the fight and I would have died as well if this was a true battle. Tomorrow night I will go through the different powers I have and how they can be used against you." She smiled brightly and disappeared into the house with Preston. Erik took me into the bathroom and ran a hot bath for us. Getting massages from him and the hot water with salts in them eased the tension in my muscles.
"You train like a warrior."
"That is what I am Erik."
"What would happen if we fought?"
"I do not wish to know."
"Me either lover, but perhaps we can spar tomorrow?"
"I did promise Karin we'll spar too, but perhaps we could as a warmup for me." He kissed me softly at first, as always, the kiss became harder and hotter, it wasn't long before I was perched above him as he used the buoyancy of the water to move me onto his cock, continuously filling me and bringing me closer and closer to an orgasm. I had my head thrown back in bliss as he kissed, licked, and nipped at my breasts paying special attention to each of my nipples. Every sensation driving straight into my core. My panting grew louder, my pleading was desperate.
He indulged me with a chuckle and increased his motions and manipulations of my body, I clamped down on his cock milking it for all it's worth as an orgasm rippled through my body, it only intensified when his bit onto my breast taking a few mouthfuls of blood. Once he healed the wounds, I was wrapped in a blanket and taken into our bedroom to sleep. I was wrapped in his arms as I fell into nothingness.
The next night like clockwork Erik woke 5 minutes prior to the sun fully setting, I was laying in his arms as I felt them begin to come back to life. I kissed him silly and together we got dressed for tonight sparing and workout session.
Erik was standing opposite myself I watched the Viking slow come back from that night on the battleground, I could see the raw power that simmered underneath the surface. "What kind of fight would you like lover?" his voice was mocking, but his eyes were nothing but playful.
"Well Viking, lets see what you've got." I motioned for him to come forward with both my hands.
"Very well." He nodded then took flight heading towards me as fast as he was able. I teleported above him and attempted to land on his back, but he spun and threw me away from him. I teleported again back to my original spot and threw a wooden dagger at his legs, holding back a grimace as one sunk into the flesh of his thigh.
He roared but pulled out the knife and threw it back at me with extreme velocity. I transformed into a giant wolf and went running at him with all the speed I could manage, I only just arrived at his location to ram my head into his stomach before he was able to leave.
With the force of my attack, it forced him into the air heading away from us, he slammed into a tree blasting it into pieces, I transformed back into my Fae form and danced out of the way when he started flying directly at me.
He grabbed my foot mid flight and sent me hurdling into the opposite direction, my back smacked against a tree causing the wind to leave my lungs rapidly. I rolled on the ground breathing deeply before quickly teleporting back to my original starting spot. I didn't know where we was at this point, I was searching around me, in the air, around the trees lining the property but I wasn't able to see him anywhere. I sent my mind out and laughed when a hand suddenly came up form the earth and grabbed my foot.
He pulled me directly to the ground and started climbing up my body, I used the martial arts skills my grandfather taught me and rolled away from him and kicked him in the face as I did so, I then launched myself on his upper body wrapping my legs around his neck and locking them off, if he were human, he'd be struggling to breath.
Because he was still half in the ground, he couldn't tear me off him as readily as he would have before, instead I grabbed a wooden knife and slammed it into his hands pining them to the ground and kept the force on his neck steady, I could hear him growling before his body suddenly went slack, I released my hold immediately and took the knives out of his hands and put them back on my person. I helped him out of the ground relieved to see he was already healing.
"That was cheating lover." He was pouting.
"I don't think so, I used my advantages to my advantage."
"Those were only wooden daggers and knives; I could have moved them if I wished to you know." I laughed loudly when I saw his pouting only increased.
"Yes, I do realize that. But thank you for pretending they were silver; you know I like sparring with you but inflicting pain on you was horrid."
"I know, I could not fight as if my life depended on it against you. I believe our sparring sessions will not bring any further advantages. Maybe against Preston it will though." He smirked at the thought of battling the male Faery.
"Good luck, he's notoriously vicious." We turned to see Preston and Karin emerge together, his face was completely void of any emotions Karin was looking grim.
Erik and Preston nodded at one another and then Erik kissed the top of Karin's head wishing us both lucks. Once we were alone, I turned to Karin holding my hands up in a defensive position.
"tonight, we will work on hand-to-hand combat."
She nodded and we fought hand-to-hand showing her the different ways to attack an opponent and defend against their attacks. Our training continued for the next 50 years, we trained in every form of martial arts available, we practice with every kind of weaponry we could find. We practiced with her being crippled E.G without a leg or arm, we practiced with blood scents in the air so we could channel her focus to just her enemy and nothing else.
The best was when we practiced with my transfiguration, attacking her with all different types of animals, and differing the shapes and sizes of those animals. Ultimately, she became the best vampire warrior I'd ever met, she wasn't a young inexperienced vampire any longer and was able to hold her own against Preston completely.
Erik decided to take up practicing and training with Preston since I was incapable of teaching him myself, I was able to take silver to Karin without a sense of guilt to my actions since we had both agreed it was necessary for her to battle through the pain. Ripping her arm or leg off was hard, nauseatingly slow but she admitted after the action was completed that if I hadn't done so, and it had been a real battle for her life she would have fallen.
Instead of only besting me once the whole night it became an equal battleground, I was able to work her harder and faster over the years to our last spar we both went for the 'kill' with everything we had. Our power and speed was beyond anything else we had experienced. Since the night I killed Appius the King had mysteriously 'disappeared'.
Preston states he knows nothing about it and yet I'm not convinced of that, I had my suspicions that Niall had ordered the kings execution so that the rumor of Faery's and vampires mating or being involved with one another doesn't go any further than it already had. Erik hadn't been called to give testimony so as far as we were concerned our relationship was completely hidden again.
It had come for us to move on however, the humans in the local villages had begun to memorize our faces even though Erik and Karin had glamoured the village to never remember our faces, names, or ages. Even the test of time wasn't enough for vampires to overcome. The human's stated that it was around 1300AD, although I'd lost complete track of time.
We had heard of events happening in Italy of the country coming to life as the humans, so we had decided to lock up our perfect little house and relocate to Italy.
It was decided that Erik and I were to be husband and wife, Karin would my sister and Preston would be Erik's brother. Karin and I were to represent the perfect 'wife' material, looking after the home and ensuring our men were cared for and well represented in the community. Italy was a bit more progressive however, we had more freedom to move around the town and play a part in community, however our men would be the dominant ones in the household.
When we arrived in Italy Preston and I saw a few Fae relatives on missions I was unaware of, we gave them a brief nod but continued our way. Our home was in a more expensive part of Vinci, a little Tuscan hill town, it was part of the Republic of Florence.
The estate was made out stone and marble with a reddish tiled roof, we weren't in the actual city but rather on a large estate outside of it. We were in a carriage arriving, Preston and I were inside of it where Erik and Karin were in light-tight coffins behind us. There was an iron fence circling the property with guards stationed outside of it.
We pulled up to the gate, once our driver was given all clear we were let through the gate the driveway was graveled all the way to the giant marble stairs that led to the giant front door.
Six marble pillars went all the way to the second story of the home, the roof on the marbles was pointed roof but the actual roof of the home was pointed on all four sides until you reached the middle and it became a dome. Each window had a mini pointed arch above it. The marble and stonework of the property made it glisten in the sun. We got out of the carriage and went up the staircase to the main room.
We were met with a grand staircase that was straight until it reached mid-way to the second floor then split into two. This created a spacious landing that led into the bedrooms which there were six of them, bathrooms attached. The bottom floor had the kitchen, dining room, living room, study, and library.
underneath the house had four bedrooms as well, they were completely light tight and would be used for Erik and Karin as well as any other Vampires that we may meet along the way.
Outside of the property had the staff quarters, or rather slave quarters but I refused to deal in slavery in my home.
I hadn't gotten any staff when I bought the house and meaning Preston and I would be going out today into the mercato degli schiavi. Once the movers had put Erik and Karin into their quarters, I ensured they were fully locked away and went into the town. Preston was in a standard hose and simple footwear but wore a short over-dress which was deep green in colour, with a belt around his waist as well as a round hat that was the style currently in Italy. I wore a simple dress that was hanging from just below my shoulders and clung to my skin until just under my bustline, then flared out until the length of the dress touched the floor. It was cream in colour whilst a heavy fabric coat hung over the top of the dress. It had no sleeves but was royal blue in colour with gold patterns through the fabric. The way it sat made the front of my dress display but covered the rest of the dress from below my bust line.
The thing I disliked about the current fashion in humans was that women were forced to not only cover their bodies but remain uncomfortable when doing so. They had invented a torture device called a corset, which had bones in the fabric that once wrapped around the humans' upper body was laced in tightly forcing their body to an unrealistic ideal.
Not only did it make breathing difficult, but it was continuously uncomfortable for any women to wear. With this dress I wore a girdle underneath to ensure some of the fabric did not drag beneath my feet or get dirtier than was absolutely required. I had a brim hat that was white in colour to keep the sun from my face and shoulders.
Once we had set out towards the town, we began to create a list of what we were looking for in our home staff. "I would like trustworthy humans."
"That goes without saying princess, but we need strong humans as well as smart ones. Living around vampires and faeries comes with issues. Although if we could find weres in the slave market they would be the most desirable."
"I agree Preston, I will defer to you today. We know humans currently prefer men to be the leaders of the household."
"Indeed. Princess you merely need to send me something mentally if you wish to have something questioned."
"Obviously, Preston." I rolled my eyes and looked out to the Italian hillside and began to wonder how my life is going to change now we have moved; the Italian vampire monarch is very much different to the English monarch we met. Much more of a traditionalist.
It was going to be an interesting time in Italy that was for certain.
AN:
Thank you for reading along with me, I've done a jump into the 1300's this is just pre renaissance. To put it into timelines, it was about 140 years prior to Leonardo Di Vinci being born, although we are currently in the same town that he was born in.
We'll be jumping time quite quickly in the next 10 chapters or so, hitting over the renaissance in Europe, travelling to America in 1400's to visit the Native Indians, Canada and maybe even Mexico (not sure yet). Then going back to England around 1800's. I haven't decided yet!
I'm actually a really big history buff so if there's somewhere you'd like them to visit please let me know!
Now, I know slavery is a huuuge issue today, but please keep in mind slavery was a big part of this time period. For example, slavery wasn't banned in Italy until 1981... Crazy to think that's only 40 years ago.
So if my story is upsetting you, I do apologise but I do not want to divert from history too much.
George Santayana - "Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it."
Winston Churchill-"Those that fail to learn from history are doomed to repeat it."
Thank you to Perfecta999, cookie(ciasteczko), nicolle1977, Lbot1979, bttrflybelle, Lillip, MsNorthman, Guest, Almond Joy, drh25. From FFnet
& LotheRevelator, Ericsbikerchick from Archive.
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