Summary: An idea that I had long ago. I'm so sick of the knight in shining armour coming to rescue bimbos...time for a different breed of faerie tale to come into the picture. I have a thing for vampires, as well as a thing for books and feminism--it's a great combonation, isn't it? Join Princess Violet as she quests for adventure along side of her new companion, the Vampire King Malchior. R&R!
The story so far...
Okay, so, Violet's an ugly duckling and locks herself up in the library with some hope that people will miss her. Her parents are a couple of big dorks, so the second she comes out they want to marry her off to some old fart in a barren wasteland. She's upset(no shite). As a last desperate plea, she wishes on a star and gets more than she bargained for.
A/N: BTW, a quick thanks to all the great people who gave me such good reviews. Oh, and TrudiRose, thanks for the spelling thing cuz I often get it confused. And don't worry, the whole "hypocrisy" of Violet's feelings will be revealed soon--so chillax already, sheesh!
Princess Violet and the Vampire King
Part the 2nd of this trying tale...
Violet opened her eyes from the strange dream, only to find herself back in her bedroom and the dream being anything but. She rose from her feathered and gilded bed and crossed the room to the balcony, where the Vampire King Malchior was waiting. His eyes were riveting when struck with the light of the moon, so riveting that any woman would die if she could not stare into them every night for the rest of their lives. Luckily, Violet was not any woman, so she was able to shyly glance away when he got too close.
"How did we get here?" Violet asked.
The Vampire King cocked his magnificent head, a sheet of gold flopping over to the side in a sea of waves. "We flew," he said, "through the magic of vampiric trickery."
"But why?" said Violet, "Why have you brought me here? Why was I asleep?"
He cleared his throat and puffed out his chest in a mockingly pompous way. "The magic of vampiric trickery would take far too long to explain in one night. I have brought you here because the Drakanian Prime Minister was in the garden with several guards... And you were not asleep, you fainted--I had no idea you were afraid of heights."
Violet's face was scarlet with a terribly confusing mixture of anger and embarassment. What was she to think now?
"Have you any more questions, dear Violet?"
"Yes," she squeaked. "Why was the Drakanian Prime Minister here?"
He leaned in his forehead and grasped her lily-like hands and whispered "They have come to examine you, and later, they will bring you to Drakania to meet your husband."
A horrible pang of fear struck Violet's heart. Though she did not know this man well enough to trust him, she knew that he was the closest thing to a friend she'd ever had, and he had no reason to lie to her. After all, she wasn't very pretty--at least not enough for a beautiful creature like himself to want for his own.
"What shall I do?" Violet wondered aloud, pacing nervously about her room. "What shall I do? I don't want to marry the King of Drakania! I don't-I don't-I don't!" The rage began to consume her lonely heart again, and she collapsed to her knees in a torrent of tears.
Sitting there, alone on her floor, she felt icy arms wrap around her, like the cold was trying to numb away the pain. Closer the cold came and encircled her; closer still, and beneath the sheet of ice she felt a heart, surrounded by the night. Though it was wrapped in cold and dismal shadows and would appear quite ominous to others, Violet found comfort in this shadowy heartbeat. Opening her eyes, she saw the face of Malchior, smiling back at her.
"You want to stay here," he said. "You want to remain in your own home, where you know you are safe."
"Safe from what?" she whimpered.
"Dear Violet," he said, stroking her long black hair, "I know every little secret that resides in your heart. I know that you never wanted to be in that library for so long. I know that when you locked yourself inside, you wished and wished for your parents to come and get you...but they never did, did they? They abandoned you to the maid's work, didn't they? They didn't see you good enough to come and get you themselves? No, no...you wanted them, not the servants or the cooks or anyone else. Yes, I understand what it's like to be rejected--I've built a kingdom of creatures that must hide from the sun, from the people, from the world...and they all love me because I understand what they are going through, and I understand what they need."
She smiled, tears still spilling from her eyes. "And you also know that I've promised myself not to cry again?"
"A tear is a beautiful thing, my dear," he said, taking one from her cheek. "The tears are perfectly clear manifestations of a human's emotion, they are gifts of the heart. I cannot remember the last time my tears were so full and so clear... The tears of a vampire come from black hearts, stained and dark--we shed blood, not tears. I think your tears are the loveliest tears I've ever seen."
"Your Majesty," she said, sniffing back another few tears that had threatened to shed, "all I wish for is freedom."
King Malchior nodded. "Yes, I know..."
A knock came to the door. "Your Highness," came the unfamiliar voice of a certain prime minister, "I am Prime Minister Malachi, here to inspect you."
Violet became angry again, so angry that her tears evaporated from her eyes and from her face. Malchior knew what to do, as most vampires do. With a swipe of his long white arm, the doors came flying open. With the other arm, he took Violet by the waist and leapt backwards across the room to the balcony's rail. Like a cat, he grinned with a knowing look and held out his arm dramatically.
"Never!" he cried with a theatrical flare. "A violet may not be as prized as a rose is, but they are still precious plants--you must storm the Vampire Citadel before you can catch me, North of the Sun and South of the Stars!"
As the King spoke, a great pine tree bent towards the castle's gate. The Prime Minister's face grew white and shocked as they flew backwards off the balcony and to the top of the tree. With the pine acting as a great catapault, Princess Violet and King Malchior went soaring through the air. Violet was very frightened, but she knew that Malchior would not allow her to fall. With his arm around her waist and his right holding her right, he said to her, "Now extend your legs and walk naturally!"
Violet did as she was told, since she had no idea what else to do. With their steps perfectly in tune, the two of them pranced on the air above the vast and dry forest. Violet's long amythest dress flapped gently in the wind as Malchior's blond curls tossed in the air as he laughed; by merely looking into the Vampire King's eyes she forgot completely that she was afraid of heights, and felt as sense of newfound bravery inside her icy heart.
Clip-clop-clip-clop came the sound of horse's footsteps. Looking to her side, Violet saw two prancing ponies drawing a red sleigh. "A sleigh that rides on air?" Violet asked. "According to the laws of physics, that's impossible!"
"The laws of physics probably tried using a carriage when they tested it!" declared Malchior, sticking out his chest in a heroic manner. "You can't use wheels on air, since wheels are most unforgiving to the gentleness of air--one must use a sleigh! Everybody knows that..." As he finished speaking, they both took a great leap and landed in the tailored velvet seats of the sleigh. King Malchior took a great fur cloak and wrapped about Violet's white frame.
"This is the fur of General Zev of the Werewolves," Malchior said. "It will keep you safe from bad wolves."
Violet peered over the pony's heads to see a great and vast sea of treetops. The kingdom of Archtavia looked so beautiful from so high up, and the star-kissed clouds were even lovelier when she could reach them.
"Where are we going?" Violet asked.
"That all depends on where you want to go," Malchior replied.
"I don't know," said Violet, leaning her tired head against his broad shoulder, the ruffling fabric of his white blouse tickling her fair cheek.
"It doesn't matter then, does it?"
"But what about your kingdom?"
"My brother Rourek," King Malchior began, "is acting as Regent for my kingdom and watching over my people as we speak. I trust him with my life, as well as Burmecia."
Burmecia, thought Violet, I've never heard of that country.
"I know you haven't," said Malchior, "that's because nobody bothers to map it, since we're all having such a good time living there!"
Though not much of what Malchior said made a terrible amount of sense, Violet felt that same comfort from him when she read a faerie tale. Malchior was a fantastical man, and Violet found that quite fascinating for someone of his age. Actually, she didn't know how old he was, but why should she care? Thinking too much was a bad thing to do after a near-traumatic event, like being stolen away by a Prime Minister with a nasty mole on his face. Besides that, Malchior could read minds, as many vampires could do, so it was best not to trouble him with her nasty thoughts at the moment. It was probably best to wait and sleep and think about what her next move should be. Yes, Violet thought to herself, that would be a wise thing to do.
"Your Majesty," said Violet, her long black hair ruffling in the wind, "what will happen when the sun rises?"
Malchior laughed like a jolly elf. "My darling Violet," he cried, "don't you know that we shall be safe behind the walls of my ship by now?"
"Are we travelling by sea?" asked Violet, who was very excited at this thought since she had never seen the sea before.
"If you wish to travel by sea," said King Malchior.
Violet became confused. "But don't ships travel by water?"
He shook his head, his halo of flaxen lockes glistening by moonlight. "Not Burmecian ships! They can sail upon anything they like--be it land, by sea, by the tops of the trees--it needn't matter with the magical fleet of Burmecian airships. They can even travel inside of clouds so as not to be seen by the harmful sun. Look ho!" he cried. "There is my ship now!"
From out of a tuft of clouds came a great white ship that sailed on air. It's gilded sails flapped gently in the breeze as tall propellors came from the ships rails to keep it afloat. The ponies merrily pranced to the ship's deck where Violet was greeted by enchanted humans and vampires alike.
"This is her royal Highness, Princess Violet of Archtavia," Malchior announced, "and I expect her to be treated with the same respect you would show to your king. Any man, woman or child that chooses to act otherwise shall answer to me under the charge of treason to the crown and country of Burmecia."
"Long live the King!" chanted the passengers in rythim of the wind's current.
"Now, my darling Violet," began King Malchior, jutting his hips forward in a relaxed stance, "where shall we go?"
Violet thought for a moment. She didn't want to be around people, nor did she want to be around any country that may be in alleigence with either Archtavia or Drakovia. She needed to think, to quiet the storm of her mind and focus on her next move. Then the captain came to her like an idea and asked for a destination.
"The sea!" she said, taking a tall stance and pointing to the horizon.
"You heard her, lads!" cried Malchior, his body lean and tall upon the ship. "Bring me that horizon!" With those words, the enchanted airship set off to the sea, where Violet would proceed to sort out the most unappealing question at hand: What should she do now?
That night, Violet was brought to a room so ornate that it could have been a castle in itself. The bedframe was silver, and the blanket contained threads of gold, while the walls were lined with red velvet and dark green curtains to block out the harmful sun when it rose. Still rather upset, she collapsed, exhausted on the great goose down bed and--after an uneasy hour or two, fell asleep on her way to the East Sea.
YAY! I'm done with chapter two! Thanks so much for your responses, and I look forward to having them soon--R&R please, just as long as you try to mention what you think is going to happen next!