Your Princess is in Another Castle

Chapter Nine: The Captor is the Captive

Victoria knew it had been a foolish idea to try and hurt the wolves, to try and fight them, but she had to. She wouldn't cow before them, wouldn't show weakness, and for that she suffered bloody rips and tears.

Bella's shrill cries of "Victoria!" alerted her to how badly it looked that this was going. How horrid it must seem to a human. Bella's cries were filled with angst and worry. And she did a most unexpected thing.

When Victoria had been knocked viciously into the ground, one of the wolves about to go for her neck, Bella had thrown herself over Victoria's abused form.

"Please, do not hurt her anymore!" she implored and Victoria, through her haze of violence, could make out the fact the human was shedding tears over her.

Why was she crying?

The wolves were paused by this, and backed up, their canines hidden by lips and ears flattened. They wordlessly communicated with each other before one of them turned human, standing before them both naked but holding one hand over his loins in decency.

"Princess, why do you protect her?" he asked and Bella must have known who he was for she spoke to him casually.

"Paul, I said I did not wish for any blood shed. I will not stand by ideally as you kill her," her hands were warm on Victoria's cheeks, cradling them softly.

Why this tenderness? When those same hands had pushed her away last time.

"Very well," the man said at last. "We will not harm her any longer. But she comes to camp with us," he turned back into his wolf form.

Victoria's wounds were on fire. Those damned wolves had ripped into her and good and while she was engulfed with the dangerous desire to render them from limb to limb as they dragged her back to their camp, she held off, her gift of survival telling her it would not be a smart choice.

Besides, they held the human with them and Victoria was invested in getting her back safely.

They dumped Victoria into a tent with two wolves on guard, for who knows what reasons. Surely they would not be good ones. All she could do was wait and bide her time until it was safe to escape with the princess.

Victoria felt betrayed. Why would Bella run away from her? Was it because of what transpired in the library?

Victoria knew she should have held back. Should have resisted the princess's pleas but she couldn't. She just couldn't ignore the call in her chest and the way Bella's arousal swam around her. Bella's scent was irresistible on it's own, but coupled with her arousal, it was mind altering and there was nothing Victoria wouldn't have done for Bella in that moment. If the woman had asked Victoria to chop off her own head she would have done it.

Such was the power Bella had over her. And Victoria couldn't understand how Bella could have so much reign over her feelings, her actions, even her thoughts. Victoria felt consumed by her. Each day it only got worse and worse and when Bella had disappeared with those damned mutts, the distance had been breath takingly bad. Her chest hurt, and she felt so dull and unlike herself. Shoulders drooping, no appetite.

It was unreasonable how upset she was over Bella. And it wasn't because of the fact Victoria had fucked up and needed to retrieve Bella for James' plan to work. That factored in only a little bit. The most of it came from betrayal, from longing after Bella. From worrying about her and if she was alright.

She had scraped a plan together as hastily as possible but it hadn't panned out so well and now she was a captive of those damned mutts.

"You are to stay here," one of them threw her into the tent and she landed roughly on the dry straw bed. She was leaking blood and black ooze from her wounds and while they would repair themselves, the mutts had something special in their saliva that made it hard for the wounds to close quickly or painlessly. She would be in agony for days unless she could get fresh blood and knowing them, they wouldn't give her any until she would heal. Sadists.

She stayed where she was, knowing that to rebel now would be a bad decision. Instead, she would save her strength and garner clues on her current situation. She tuned her sharp hearing to the outdoors, listening to the ongoings of the villagers lives. Most of it was in a foreign language, one she had not studied, and she cursed that fact for she could gleam nothing useful.

So she sat there and worried and wondered over Bella constantly.

The chieftain came to visit her on the third day of her imprisonment. His face was neutral but he smelled sharply of anger. He took stock of her broken state and felt she would be no threat to him. Not with those men outside.

"What is the meaning behind holding Bella illy gained at your castle?"

"Those are plans I do not have the clearance to share with you," she gritted out, his horrid smell putting her on edge. All mutts smelled disgusting. "But what I can tell you is that she is ours and not yours. She agreed to help us and was not wrongly imprisoned like your foolish pups believe her to be."

"She said nothing of the sort. She only expressed desire to reunite with her future husband."

That hurt to hear. Why, oh why was Bella so insistent on her husband to be being worthy of having her again? Why couldn't she go for someone else. Someone so much closer.

Victoria's unbeating heart desired Bella. From hating her, to tolerating her, to wanting to spend all her days with her, her emotions had grown so quickly and in an unexplained manner. She had never felt this way about anyone before and it was confusing and frustrating and made her want to stake her own heart so it would stop this vapid behavior.

But her survival gift would not let her. She must keep living no matter the odds.

"She is confused. She knows not the true extent of her husband to be's cruel nature."

"And she does not know the cruel nature of your species."

"You are one to speak," Victoria snorted angrily. "At least we didn't side with the Cullens."

"We had no choice in that!" Seth stamped his staff onto the ground angrily. "We were enslaved by them. Forced to do their dirty deeds."

"And yet it seems almost like you desire to go back to them, since you wish to help Bella return to her mad lover."

"We had not agreed on a method how before you attacked us, violating the treaty!"

"Your kind violated it first, stepping paw onto my lands. I warned him away, but he would not listen and he began to poison the princess's mind. Seeing that she had been kidnapped and smelling your wolves all over the case, I thought she might be in danger. And figured it best to retrieve what was mine with force if words did not work."

"She is not yours to have."

"She is mine!" Victoria snarled, uncertain as to where this belief came from. But she felt it on almost a spiritual level that Bella was meant to be hers.

Seth seemed startled by her vitriol and took a step back, dark eyes assessing her snarling form. A tinge of amusement and intrigue at Victoria's statement glimmered in his eyes.

"I hope you enjoy your stay here while we decide what to do with you now that the treaty has been destroyed."

And he left her alone with her pain.

She wallowed in her misery.

The day after Seth's visit, Victoria had another visitor. One that pleased her immensely. It was Bella. If Victoria's heart could still beat, it would be leaping in her chest right now. She sat up on her cot with a pained grunt and the princess watched her with weary eyes. With almost an apology hidden in them.

"Does it hurt?" she asked softly, stopping at the foot of Victoria's cot.

Victoria had no mirror to look in, so she could not assess her own damages but she wagered it looked horrid. "It does. Normally I am capable of closing my wounds in mere minutes after they are given, but the wolves hold special acids in their claws and teeth that prevent me from doing so. And thus my wounds close slowly and painfully, unless I were to be given fresh blood. That would help me," she explained hastily.

"And they have not fed you?" Bella inquired.

Victoria snorted. "What a silly question to ask."

"I am sorry, for your injuries. I did not...I did not-"

"You did not think that your foolish escape would have such consequences," Victoria finished for her, quite rudely. "But it did. And now we are in an even bigger mess than before. A whole war could erupt from this." And James certainly would not be pleased. He was on his way back and once he learned of what had happened...well, it would not be a pretty sight.

She would have to deal with the fallout, regrettably. But for now, she was stuck here.

Oh, how it had changed. Bella was free and now Victoria was the captive. What a twisted irony. It almost brought a smile to Victoria's lips.

"I...I was not..."

"I do not care to hear your weak excuses. Leave me to wallow in my pain, and you to wallow in the deep shit you have created," Victoria said at the end, turning onto her side dismissively. Knowing Bella did this willingly hurt more than if the princess had been simply kidnapped by the wolves. Victoria hated how weak she had become. How influenced by one mere mortal's temperaments.

"I want to help," blurted forth from the princess's pink lips.

"You have helped more than enough," Victoria said bitterly.

Bella did not leave at that, hovering around for a couple of seconds until she let out a sigh and in a soft voice imparted, "you are hurting; the least I can do is soothe that."

Victoria stiffened at this. Was Bella suggesting what Victoria believed her to be suggesting?

"Are you offering your blood to me?"

There was a long silence before, "yes," said so quietly that only Victoria's vampyric hearing picked up on it.

Instantly she could feel that hunger cull at her, sharpening her fangs, and making her throat dry. Oh to taste Bella's divine blood. Had she not hungered for it? Had she not dreamt of it? And now, it would be offered so freely. The idea was so tempting that she could not think of the repercussions of such an action. Of the possibility of her not being able to stop, and thus draining Bella of all life.

"Why would you..." tempt me, went unspoken as Victoria licked her lips and sat up, more attentive than before.

"It is my fault you got hurt. I never intended for your pain," Bella confessed softly as she tentatively approaches Victoria.

"But you did hurt me," Victoria mumbles out, half unaware that she is sharing such weak sentiments. "You hurt me by leaving."

Bella's eyes widen and she sucks in a gasp. "You mean those words?" she presses gently, wanting to gut Victoria even more. The vampyress curses her loose tongue. The slightest hint that she will be drinking Bella's blood and she's ready to divulge her utmost secrets.

She lets out an unhappy growl at herself and shakes her head. "Stick out your wrist princess. I am thirsty."

Bella does as asked, slightly trembling and apprehensive, and yet...Victoria can catch a hint of arousal in her scent. Her nostrils flare and a whole other hunger revives in her guts, but she ignores it, clamping her legs shut. She will not indulge in it, for last time she had listened to Bella's commands and it lent to them being in this current situation.

"Closer," Victoria instructs when Bella sits down on the uncomfortable cot and holds her arm out like it's a piece of meat. She scuffles closer and yet Victoria still demands, even closer. "How do you expect me to drink from you, if you do not come closer? I do not want to pierce your artery wrong, so do hold still as well," Victoria said as Bella nodded her head, doe eyes wide.

Victoria gripped her arm in her two hands and it was such a delicate arm, with the beautiful blue veins arching up against the rapidly thudding pulse. Victoria took her time in slowly bringing her mouth to the wrist. She had sampled Bella's blood before, but never directly from the vein. This, would be an experience in itself.

Bella watched intently as Victoria kissed the spot gently to soothe her nerves, and then a second later her fangs were cutting through the skin, slipping in quickly and quietly. Bella barely flinched, never able to remove her eyes from Victoria's visage. The red haired woman was all too aware of Bella's eyes on her. But she was all too more aware of the taste of her blood in her mouth. It was sweeter than any cake and it filled her with warmth. With satisfaction.

And most importantly it marked Bella as Victoria's. She had claimed the woman's blood. All she needed to do was claim her body next. Her inner vampyre roared at her to do this. To take what was rightfully hers.

She let out a muffled groan as the idea of Bella being irrevocably hers stoked her arousal and charmed her possessive vamprye nature.

She did not drink for long, though Bella's blood called to her. She couldn't drink any longer because she feared of draining the girl of too much blood. Victoria merely took enough to slake her hunger and as a result, her wounds were healing rapidly now, infused with fresh hot blood. She pulled her fangs free and licked the puncture wounds with her tongue, ensuring they would heal.

And then Bella's wrist was returned to her. She traced where the wound had once been with shaking fingers of her left hand but found nothing there. And then her amazed eyes came up to Victoria's face, marveling at the healing going on.

Gashes and scratches and bruises were fading away and Bella was so astounded and mesmerized by it, that she could not help but reach out and touch the disappearing wounds. She traced them with her finger tips down Victoria's nose, tiptoed over the one's on her lips, and cupped the ones on her cheek with her warm palm.

"Does it, hurt?" she asked, voice a rapt whisper.

"No," Victoria breathed out, eyes fluttering shut at the warm touches. It felt so nice, she did not ever want Bella to stop touching her this freely. When she opened them she found that they had drawn closer, as if an invisible string was guiding them together. Bella's breath ghosted against Victoria's newly formed features and they tingled with hyper sensitivity to her.

Bella's eyes were drawn to Victoria's lips, and she was chewing on her own bottom lip, a look of intense concentration on her face. As if she was battling with a decision inside of her.

Victoria knew what that decision was- she was fighting it within herself as well, and losing the battle too. She cupped one of Bella's warm cheeks with her own, and this shocked the girl into activity. She bolted up from the cot, swaying a bit from the blood loss. "I...I must go," she rasped out and then made a move of gathering her skirts, forgetting she no longer wore a dress but animal pelts, and rushed out, cheeks blazing red.

Victoria sighed out, dejected and longing for Bella's sweet touch. All that remained of her was her lingering scent and Victoria curled up into a little ball, hating how fiercely she missed her.

Bella did not come visit in the upcoming week, but someone else did. Someone that Victoria had greatly disappointed with her actions.

And she had not even known he'd arrived until he was storming into her little prison, his cape swirling around him and cementing a dramatic entrance. "What is the meaning of this?" he asked her and she sat up quickly from how she had been lounging with her arms crossed behind her head.

"James," she breathed out, zooming over to him even though she clearly saw the anger marring his features.

"Why do I come back, only to see that the princess is in the captivity of the wolves? And that they are ready to declare war on us?"

"I...I," Victoria is at a loss of words, knowing she has failed her friend grandly. It saddens her and she aches to do better, to make up for her fallacies.

"You are only so lucky I was able to reason with Seth and get everything back under control," he spat at her but before he could say more they were interrupted by Bella who had snuck up on them, their senses overridden with emotions and otherwise unable to process her there until now.

"Do not be mad at her. Tis not her fault but mine," she said in a trembling voice, afraid of the blackness of James' eyes. He softened at her appearance, not wanting to startle her anymore.

"Princess why do you-"

"I caused this all to happen with my foolish actions. Victoria only tried her best to remedy them but she could not because I had mucked everything up so terribly." She cast her head down, showing true penance for her actions of nearly inciting a war.

Victoria wondered if Bella truly felt bad but she would not dare question it, not in front of James. For some reason she could feel remorse coursing through her veins, almost like she could feel Bella's emotions partially. She gulped, suddenly nervous about the implications of this, and stored the knowledge of the matter away for another time.

He was quiet a moment, before sniffing. "I hope you do not do this again, Bella. For you nearly cost us our whole plan and more." He sighed out heavily and raked a gloved hand through his hair. "I came bidding good news this time, but come, we must not dwell here any longer for the ears that listen are sharp and the men they belong to wield even sharper teeth."

Discussion for now on Victoria's inability to keep Bella way from the wolves and the almost war that occurred were done away with. Instead, once they were in the castle, James made his announcement on the good news almost straight away.

"Princess, I am happy to report that I have finally managed to get a hold of your prince. He is actually due to come visit us and try to strike a deal."

Whereas Victoria expected Bella's face to light up, it suddenly fell. "Oh," was all that fell past somber lips.

"Are you not happy?" James asked, not suspecting her reaction either.

Victoria could feel a crushing dread in her stomach and she did not know if it was hers or Bella's.

"I...just after all this time, and now he decides to come," she mumbled out, fiddling with her hands. James approached her and took her hands in his to reassure her and Victoria felt such a flare of anger at that, that Bella spun her head around to gaze at her with questioning eyes, almost like she could feel the rage burning off of the vampyress.

Sarde, that was not favorable if now they could feel each others emotions. This connection between them was only deepening with time. How much further would it go? How much more would they descend into the madness? Victoria would need to consult someone on this matter before it could worsen.

"Do not question his affection for you," James assured, oblivious to how Victoria stared murder into his back. She took calming breaths, for she would never wish to do her friend harm. And she hated how angry she was at him touching her Bella.

"He cares for you greatly, he simply was away on a mission. Before you know it, you shall be free and with him."

Bella nodded her head but did not say anything to that. James stepped away, considering his job in appeasing her done. "Rejoice, for I have more news as well. The Blood Feast is upon us! And there shall be dance and music and copious amounts of drink and food."

Bella nodded her head. "I have heard of it. But I doubt I can attend."

"Nonsense," he smiled at her. "It is a time of merriment for both human and vamprye. You must attend. It harkens soon."

Bella looked uncertainly at Victoria, as if wordlessly needing her input.

"It shall be fun," Victoria drawled. "You will get to dress up and chatter away with humans like you do at a regular human ball."

Bella nodded her head. "I suppose I shall attend."

"Excellent," James smiled. "Then I can get a dress for you made. And a mask."

"Why a mask?" Bella asked, arching a brow.

"It is a masked ball," he said, "and we must not know who is who."

Bella absorbed this information and then went up to her room, knowing she was dismissed. Relief crossed her features, probably at not being reprimanded for her escape attempt. Victoria knew James would question it later, but not now. He was tired from his trip and the Blood Feast was drawing soon, which meant they would have to set everything up and quickly.

Once Bella was retired to her chambers, the two vampryes stood in stony silence, letting the crackling of the fireplace intersperse their space. James looked at the brilliant flames while Victoria stayed still, resisting the urge to rock back and forth on her heels.

"You gaze at her differently," James commented, voice serious and low. He jerked Victoria's attention to him unexpectedly.

Victoria felt a tremor of fear go through her. She did not wish James to know about her affection for the human. Not when it could ruin their plans.

"How so?' she asked coolly, gazing at her nails in an unaffected manner.

He contemplated his words, before inflicting them upon Victoria. "Like you do not hate her. Like you might...care for her."

Victoria let out a derisive laugh. "Of course I care for her. I have to. She is the key to saving our future."

He studied her with steady eyes and she plastered on a fake smile, plastered on fake confidence and serene nature. He clasped his hand onto her shoulder. "I am glad to see you are getting along better with humans then. I was worried you would hate them all."

"Only the ones who play with my nerves like they are a game," Victoria makes out through gritted teeth. She recalls all too well those pesky and stupid humans who crossed her path. She had killed one out of anger, and thus it was why she was forced to guard Bella in punishment. James wanted her to get along with the humans better and this was his method.

But, he could not foresee Victoria getting along too well with a human.

He gave her an amused smile. "Come, let us not think of Seth and the situation that nearly was, but let us think of festivity for we must rejoice. Edward Cullen has agreed to speak to us and peace might just rest along the border."

The two of them vacated the castle dining room and went off to settle other matters.

A/N: Suffice to say, I am very excited about the upcoming chapter which will be a vampyre masquerade. It's loosely inspired by the dance scene from the Van Hellsing movie.