A/N: Hey fellow fanfic readers and writers! Finally, it is here! My new Toji No Miko fanfic, "Bloody Crown"! I've been so excited to start this fanfic. Time to take a break from the old murder mysteries and resume writing the yuri romance goodness. Lol.

As I've mentioned before, "Bloody Crown" is a vampire fanfic, but also involves conflicts and relationships inspired by events in English medieval history. For those of you wondering what time-period "Bloody Crown" takes place in, I would say probably the late 14th century to the early 15th century—around the time of Vlad the Impaler (the inspiration of Count Dracula). Although, personally, I'd say there's no real "set" time for "Bloody Crown" as it involves things from a number of different periods. Let's just say it's a fantasy world with its own time. Lol.

IMPORTANT! PLEASE READ: "Bloody Crown" involves a lot of jumping back and forth between the past and the present. So, to avoid any confusion, here are some notes:

Italics—The Past (Flashbacks)

Normal Text—The Present

Anyway, I hope you enjoy the first chapter of "Bloody Crown"!

Chapter 1: A Will For Revenge

In the empire of five realms and tyranny

Reside two noble houses, split from royalty

Fighting for the crown, dark blood stains their hands

Years turn to centuries, war rages through the lands

Amidst this fatal bloodshed, on a moonless night

On the eve of the jubilee, two birds shall fight

The crow cries with vengeance for her family's demise

The plover shares her burden, the yoke of her strife

With an heiress of purple, they shall ally in haste

Along with a girl of hair white as a wraith

A foreigner too, bound in a love she conceals

With her younger sister, a secret unrevealed

Doth all six in alliance shall battle the greatest foe

By the star that she bears, the evil queen they shall know

With their four allies, the birds shall triumph and defeat

Uniting the two houses, the queen's throne their shared seat

But being a weak force, against their foes they must survive

For in a struggle of power, thou shalt win or thou shalt die

Underneath the layers of thick feather quilts and furs, Hiyori still felt chilled to the bone in bed. Even though a warm fireplace crackled in her bed-chamber, there was a cool dampness throughout the whole manor. It was one of the bitterest winter nights the country had ever known, accompanied by a violent wind beating at the windows as though trying to break in. Shivering a little, Hiyori scooted closer to the warmth of the other young girl laying at her side. Sanae, her older sister, stirred slightly in her sleep, cradling a protective arm around Hiyori's head.

Although only eight-years-old, Hiyori knew she was different from most girls her age. Her deceased mother, Kagari, was a great noble lady and she often heard it said that someday, she would be a great noble lady too. Hiyori practically worshipped her mother to such an extent when she was alive, and so relished the thought of becoming like the strong female leader she admired. Nothing was as more provoking to Hiyori as being treated like a child. Although, on dark nights such as this, with the wind howling like a mournful banshee, Hiyori's fears won over her pride and she'd make Sanae sleep with her. As independent as she liked to be, there was something so comforting and secure about the presence of another human creature.

"Couldn't sleep?" Sanae murmured, stroking her sister's dishevelled ebony hair.

"Not really. It's too cold," Hiyori replied, unwilling to admit that the dark was another factor of her wakefulness.

Despite the light from the fireplace, murky shadows were cast everywhere in the bed-chamber. Why did everything take on scarier forms at night? Every gloomy silhouette, every dark corner only reminded Hiyori of the evil creatures that roamed the entire land—vampires. Monsters that drank and lived off the blood of humans. Practically burying her face in the crook of Sanae's shoulder, Hiyori pulled the bedclothes over her head. Somehow, she was able to doze off.

It seemed like minutes before she felt someone frantically shaking her. Rubbing the sleep in her eyes, Hiyori saw that the fire had died down to only a few glowing embers. But standing by her bedside was her beloved father, muffled in a hooded robe and holding a candle in his hand.

"What is it, Father?" Hiyori asked, groggily.

"Quickly, my child. There is no time to waste," her father replied.

It was a strange occurrence for Hiyori to see her father like this. Souta or the Earl of Juujou, as he was known by their subordinates, should have been lavishly dressed in his usual forest-green tunic and breeches, lined with gold. But what was probably the most puzzling thing of all was the ashen look on Souta's face, as he helped pull the layers of bedding off of Hiyori and Sanae.

"Get dressed immediately in your warmest clothes, both of you," he ordered. "You have a long journey before you."

Surprised at the urgency in his tone, Hiyori and Sanae could do nothing but obey. They had barely finished tying the strings around their cloaks before Souta hurried them out of the room where they were faced with a scene of chaos and confusion. It was as though the whole household was awake, despite it being the middle of the night. But just like Souta, they all had the same faces, pale as wax. Everyone, from their noble relatives to servants, was hurrying about with exclamations on their breaths, eyes wide with terror. The most panicked were still in their nightwear, while others like Hiyori and Sanae were heavily bundled up. Hiyori even saw one of her younger cousins, barely a toddler, wailing in his frightened mother's arms.

"Father, what's going on?" Hiyori asked, now frightened herself. And was that the smell of smoke?

Souta said nothing, only leading her and Sanae through several passages and down many staircases until they reached the stables. The stableboys were nowhere to be seen, along with many of the horses. Hiyori could only guess as to what happened to them. Her heart leaped at the sound of a welcoming whinny from her favourite steed, Peppermint, already saddled and waiting.

Lifting both Hiyori and Sanae onto Peppermint's back, Souta said, "There are some victuals in Peppermint's saddlebag. But you must leave this manor at once. Go to the home of your Aunt Iroha. She will take good care of you."

Now frustrated with her father's evasiveness, Hiyori demanded, "I won't until you tell us what's going on."

A heavy sigh escaped Souta's lips, but he knew his daughter well. She was stubborn and would not budge.

"I-It is a large family trip, darling. We're just all hurrying to get ready quickly. This unexpected winter snow can cause serious delays," Souta said, with a forced smile. "But you must go on ahead of us."

"You aren't coming, Father?" Hiyori asked, her bottom lip trembling.

Reaching to kiss his daughter gently on the forehead, Souta replied, "I'll only be a little while, darling, but for now, you must stay with Sanae. Alright?"

"Alright..."

The dejected look his daughter gave him tugged painfully at the strings of Souta's heart. Trying to remain cheerful, he held out his palm in which lay a small silver locket with a crow engraved on it.

"Here, my child. This was your mother's. Can I ask you to take care of it for me?"

Hiyori's face instantly lighted up, gazing at it in wonderment. She had never owned something so beautiful nor so precious. In the few cherished moments Hiyori had with her mother, Kagari always wore the locket, never letting it out of her sight.

"I'll treasure it forever," Hiyori promised, beaming. And she knew she would; it was now all she had left of her mother.

Turning to Sanae, Souta said, "Watch over her. Keep her safe."

Bowing her head to her adoptive father, the silver-haired girl answered, "I will, sir."

Then after Souta's many words of direction and advice, Hiyori and Sanae galloped away, the biting snowy wind smacking their faces outside. With a run across the fields, they stopped to look back at the manor once they reached the edge of the woods. The two girls froze—and not because of the cold.

Before their eyes, the Hiiragi Manor was ablaze with fire licking up the towers and battlements. Covering her open mouth with her hand in shock, Sanae watched as the remains of the wood roof crashed down into what they knew to be the great hall. With no upper support, the rest of the burning manor gave way in a large cloud of dust, leaving only stone rubble. If the flames and smoke didn't kill the people inside, the crushing debris certainly did. The ancestral house of Hiyori's mother's noble family...gone in just seconds.

Hot tears streaming down her icy cheeks, Hiyori choked out, "We have to go back!"

She would have impulsively turned Peppermint around if Sanae hadn't reached from behind and grabbed the reins. Hiyori struggled, but her sister was stronger.

"We have to keep going, Hiyori," Sanae insisted in a firm voice.

"But Father's still in there!" Hiyori pleaded.

With tears poking at the corners of her own eyes, Sanae could only shake her head. "No, Hiyori. There's nothing left. We have to go."

Her eyes red and puffy, Hiyori cast one more mournful look at the remains of her former home. Her entire family and the rest of the household were all dead. Dead and gone into the spiritual world of their heavenly goddess, Amaterasu. And apparently, according to the priestess of Hiyori's household chapel, that was something to rejoice over. Hiyori did not feel like rejoicing at all and thought Amaterasu very selfish to take away those she loved. Her father and her other relatives had all been good people. Why did they have to die?

Turning Hiyori's head to face her, Sanae wiped away the tears of her sister. "I know. They were my family too."

The loving mournfulness in the silver-haired girl's face made Hiyori give a little sob. She held out her hand which Sanae clutched to her chest.

"Sanae...you're all I have left," Hiyori said.

"We won't be alone," her sister reassured. "We'll have the Duchess of Gojou's help and care. But first, we need to get there, okay?"

Rubbing at her eyes, Hiyori sniffed and nodded. Making sure Sanae was holding onto her tightly, the ebony-haired girl urged Peppermint forward into a swift gallop through the forest of evergreens. A young child though she may have been, Hiyori had a keen instinct atypical of an eight-year-old. Her father knew the manor was burning when he said goodbye, she was sure of it. If so, why did he remain behind? And why did he dare not tell her and Sanae the truth?

If Sanae could read Hiyori's mind, she possibly could have provided a theory, having witnessed something her sister hadn't. However, even she was greatly mystified by what she had seen, and wouldn't have been able to give a supportable explanation that'd answer the many questions they had. For when Hiyori's gaze had been fixed on the smouldering Hiiragi Manor, Sanae had glimpsed troops of hooded figures on horseback, torches in hand, retreating into the farther end of the woods. Yet, who they were Sanae did not know.

'That doesn't matter now,' Sanae told herself, as she drew her cloak tighter around her neck with one hand. What was more important now was making their way as quickly as possible to Gojou Mansion before they froze to death in this wild weather. From the very few times she and Hiyori spent the summer there, she knew that they had miles of terrain to cover, from gorse-filled moors to thick endless forests. The world suddenly seemed strange and large for two small children like Sanae and Hiyori.

"Don't worry, Hiyori. We'll get to Gojou Mansion safely. I promise."

"Of course, we'll get there. I'm steering Peppermint," replied Hiyori, with eight-year-old scorn.

Sanae tried to hold back a giggle. Now that sounded like the stubborn sister she was familiar with. At that moment, the two girls almost forgot about the frightening horrors they just experienced. However, unbeknownst to Sanae, there was something else fueling Hiyori's anger. A burning flame that had grown into an inferno, just like the one that consumed and destroyed her home and family and friends inside. Suddenly, Hiyori was not an innocent eight-year-old girl; she was an individual now bent on vengeance.

'Someone did this. I just know it. Someone killed them all,' she thought, biting her lip so hard that it bled. 'Probably a vampire.'

It made sense, of course. Hiyori's family had all been vampire hunters. Vampires were the only evil in the land...their only enemies... And not every vampire preferred killing by sucking their victims dry. Hiyori was old enough to understand that there were some out there, who enjoyed slaughtering others for the sheer pleasure of it. Hiyori knew she was still too young, but someday...

'I'll get my revenge on whoever's done this!'

Swinging Kogarasumaru, her silver okatana, Hiyori decapitated the handful of monsters before her. Her movements were as graceful as a dance, yet deadly with swift slashes that'd put an end to her foe. A few minutes ago, a mass horde of figures with little to no flesh had ambushed the path she was on. For a zombie army, they were quite fast and controlled, almost as if they were still alive. To Hiyori, this was an unexpected nuisance. Normally, a brawl with a bunch of bumbling idiots like zombies was a breeze. However, this group proved to be a challenge and Hiyori was growing tired of having to dodge quite often.

"Tch. Fine. Looks like I have to play dirty," the ebony-haired girl muttered to herself.

Holding Kogarasumaru up, she pretended to take on an offensive stance. Her burgundy eyes narrowed as she waited for her rotting attacker to dash towards her, brandishing a rusty sword of his own. With a push of her left heel, Hiyori sprang to the side, twisting herself into a mid-air twirl, and by flipping Kogarasumaru, was able to slice off the zombie's left arm. A guttural sound between a groan and a scream erupted from its salivating mouth.

Not wasting a second, Hiyori then grabbed the weapon he dropped, throwing it into another zombie's chest. As for the remaining two idiots, they never even got the chance to approach her, as they were hacked into pieces in the blink of an eye by another okatana.

"You dealt with them quickly," said a stoic voice. "Definitely faster than me."

Wiping the gunk off of her blade, Hiyori answered, monotonously, "I'm not the one still recovering from a knee injury, Hokuto."

"That's mean," Hokuto said. "And here I just saved you from having to fight on two extra goofs."

"We're vampire hunters. These clumsy fools weren't worth our time and energy."

Flipping her ponytail to the side, Hokuto shrugged. "Hey, when you stumble upon one, well, a monster is a monster, regardless of what kind it is. Now, come on. Onto our real mission."

Blowing a strand of hair from her face, Hiyori grudgingly followed after her fellow hunter. As much as she took her job seriously, having to partner with individuals like Hokuto, who looked for trouble, was a burden. Although Hokuto insisted that it was all for the purpose of becoming better and stronger vampire hunters, Hiyori found that people like her tended to mess up more in their determined recklessness.

For someone who only became a vampire hunter last year, Hiyori had learned quickly, becoming a master in the art of killing. Coming from both noble and peasantry backgrounds, vampire hunters were the force behind protecting the Kamakura Empire from the evils of the supernatural. Most individuals took on the job at age thirteen as she did, but quite frankly, it was a suicidal decision—you were lucky to make it to age twenty. Still, it involved a generous salary. Not that Hiyori needed nor cared about the money in the first place.

A daughter of noble birth, she was already loaded. Since the death of her father and other family members, Hiyori lived with her mother's half-sister, Iroha, the Duchess of Gojou. Having no children of her own, Iroha was delighted to have Hiyori and her sister, Sanae, to say the least. Fortunately, her aunt's affluent means provided both of them with a comfortable existence, including servants, ponies, and lessons with tutors. At fourteen-years-old, Hiyori knew that probably Iroha would've had her and her sister already betrothed. Most girls of their age and noble standing were. With a smile, Hiyori recalled the look of shock and fear in her aunt's face, when she and Sanae told her that they wanted to be vampire hunters.

"You both will be putting your lives on the line!" Iroha had half-shrieked. "Not to mention that you will have to serve for a long period of time if you're lucky enough to survive."

And yet, no pleading and even threatening from her could make Hiyori and Sanae change their minds. Three days later, Iroha was bringing her nieces to the royal court for the public swearing of their allegiance to Queen Yukari and the Church of Amaterasu. However, it was the presentation of their vampire-slaying okatanas that Hiyori and Sanae had really been looking forward to. Divine blades said to possess the heavenly powers of Amaterasu herself. However, Hiyori remembered how for some reason, Yukari did not look particularly pleased when Kogarasumaru resonated with light, choosing her as its wielder.

The voice of one of her fellow hunters pulled Hiyori out of her thoughts. "There it is. Fujiwara Castle."

Turning to Hokuto, Hiyori snorted, "I still think this is a stupid idea. Clearly, nobody has lived in there for years."

"There's a vampire in there. I just know it," the ponytailed girl insisted.

"This fancy of yours being based on only rumours you heard does not reassure me," was the reply. "Just look at the state of the structure! It's literally a ruin."

The group of hunters surveyed the dark fortress, towering in the distance. Fujiwara Castle was a desolate-looking place with numerous pointed towers, sharp as needles. Grand soaring arches and ribbed vaults yawned between them. It was a castle that must have once looked magnificent, but time crumbled away its beauty and grandeur. The moonless night made it look like an inky-black phantom looming in the shadows. Despite this along with Hiyori's reasons, Hokuto would not budge an inch.

"Uh huh. And where better to hide from hunters and people in general than in a place where nobody will even bother to look for you?" Hokuto countered. "Countess Etou still lives there, I swear by Amaterasu's name."

Hiyori could only let out a sigh, as she followed the ponytailed girl and the other vampire hunters that served the House of Gojou. They travelled all this way to come here anyway. She supposed it wouldn't hurt to humour Hokuto. Being from a peasantry background, the latter needed the money more. Even so, making a several days' trip for what would most likely turn out as a wild goose chase seemed like a dumb idea to Hiyori from start to finish. The vampire House of Fujiwara had become extinct before she was even born, their decapitated heads displayed on pikes above the city gates of the capital. But there was no point arguing about this. Hiyori never believed there was someone more stubborn than her until she met Hokuto.

"I don't like this place," a hunter eventually whispered, once they passed through the great iron gates into the courtyard.

The first thing they noticed was how eerily quiet it was, which wasn't that strange considering how they were in an abandoned place. But this was a different kind of silence. Not a peaceful silence, but one of emptiness. One couldn't imagine any living thing at all being in the enormous ruin. The stone of which everything was built was all black—not merely dark, but black as coal. There was no grass or moss, but scraggly vines of thorns crawling up everywhere as though strangling the walls and arches. In the middle of the courtyard was a stone fountain of a great winged creature, but of course, it was as dry as a bone with only dead leaves and sticks in its basin. And all around, perched on pillars and guarding the great doors, were stone gargoyles glaring at them.

"What should we do? Stick together as a group or split up and search the castle for any signs?" Hokuto asked.

Polishing Kogarasumaru with her green one-shoulder cape, Hiyori said, "You're the one who dragged us here. What's your decision?"

She actually expected Hokuto to suggest the second option and was a trifle surprised when she did the opposite. Although the ponytailed girl was an individual bent on becoming strong, even she couldn't help being a bit unsettled by the looks of the castle now that they were up close.

"Keep a sharp lookout," Hokuto said, unsheathing her own okatana. "I'll take the lead and—"

"Awaken."

At the sound of the unfamiliar voice echoing through the courtyard, the vampire hunters jumped, withdrawing their weapons. Their eyes darted around everywhere, searching for the source of where the ominous voice came from. They didn't have much time to wonder because, at that moment, the eyes of the gargoyles around them shone with red light.

"Look out!" a hunter cried, just as a swarm of the stone creatures flew from their pillars towards them.

The gargoyles let out a series of growls from their snarling lips, as they attacked the group. Metal clashed against stone, sending sparks flying.

"Shit!" Hiyori cursed, as she somersaulted forward to avoid getting slashed by a gargoyle's sharpened claws. "Hokuto, we have to fall back!"

"No, I'm not fleeing like a coward," Hokuto yelled back.

"Damn it, Hokuto! They're made of friggin' stone! Our okatanas won't make a dent on them!" Hiyori cried, dodging another gargoyle.

The agonized cry of one of their fellow hunters made her look sharply to the right. A gargoyle had just swept her up and flung her against one of the courtyard walls. Blood splattered where her head had struck and Hiyori knew she was a goner. More of their comrades were being thrown to their deaths or crushed by their heavy stone foe. Sweat dripped from Hiyori's brow as she wrestled with a gargoyle that had managed to force her down onto her back. It grabbed her okatana pushing it dangerously down, as she pushed back trying with all her might to prevent getting sliced in the neck by her own blade.

'I'm going to kill Hokuto if we survive this!' Hiyori swore. With a grunt, she thrust her legs into the gargoyle's stomach, kicking it away and getting nothing but sore feet for her efforts. Although her feet screamed in protest when she got back on them, Hiyori knew she had to grab Hokuto as quickly as possible and get both of them out of this mess. She refused to die by these damn pieces of rock!

"Nuh uh uh. You're not getting away so fast. I still haven't sparred with you yet, little crow."

It was that same voice again. Her instincts alert and screaming at someone behind her, Hiyori twisted around with Kogarasumaru once again raised. Her realization was just in time too as she parried the blade that was thrust forwards at her. The powerful force from the blow pushed Hiyori back and she struggled to remain on her feet.

"Oh? You actually managed to deflect my attack? Most hunters I've fought with couldn't even defend against one hit," said Hiyori's attacker, her voice laced with cockiness.

Letting out a low annoyed growl, the ebony-haired girl looked up to see the figure before her. A girl who looked about the same age as her with short light-brown hair pulled into a side ponytail. She was dressed in a red velvet jacket with a black cape and breeches. However, it was the sight of two pointed fangs in the girl's smug grin that rang the alarm bells in Hiyori's brain.

"Vampire..."

"Well spotted, little crow," the vampire crooned. "Now, let's dance, shall we?"

Her pale fingers delicately caressed the blade of her okatana. Hiyori's eyes widened. How could it be possible? Why did a vampire have an okatana? Unless it was the okatana of another vampire hunter. Yes, that had to be it... So then, this vampire had...

Parrying the attack sent her way, Hiyori grunted against the power of her opponent's strikes. Her movements were too fast! The hunter had finally met her match. It was all Hiyori could do just to defend herself as the vampire continued to push her back. Soon, her back would hit the wall and she'd be cornered. No, it couldn't end like this. Although her feet were still swollen, Hiyori used all her adrenaline and strength to run up the wall, flipping over the vampire, and cornering her.

"Now, that was different," the vampire said, her face not any less amused.

Her eyes started to glow as red as the gargoyles, before she rushed at Hiyori with impossible speed, slamming the hunter into the wall on the other side. The impact took the breath out of Hiyori's lungs and her ears were greeted with the sickening sound of her ribs cracking.

'Fuck,' she internally swore, biting her lip. She would not give that damn vampire the satisfaction of hearing her scream in pain.

Numerous cuts were bleeding on her body and she could feel a stream of the red liquid dripping down her forehead. With all her strength gone, Hiyori let Kogarasumaru slip from her fingers and clatter to the ground. Her vision becoming darker and blurrier, the vampire hunter watched her opponent kneel down with that same infuriating grin. The two girls' eyes drifted to Kogarasumaru and the okatana of the vampire, both blades resonating with light and giving off a faint reverberating hum.

Before she blacked out, Hiyori could hear the vampire murmuring smugly, "So, you wield Kogarasumaru. How interesting..."

A/N: And there we have it! The first chapter of "Bloody Crown". I really enjoyed writing it. For those of you who are wondering Sanae is the adopted daughter of Kagari and Souta, Hiyori's biological parents. That is why she's Hiyori's older sister. Hm...and why did Souta and the rest of the Hiiragi Family remain in the burning manor? Why did they not try to escape?

As always, let me know what you think in the reviews or if you want, you can even PM me. See you all until the next chapter!