The aftermath of Bitter Reunions in the His Stolen Princess universe.

If you're not reading that... it's an AU where Danny's a girl and Phantom Planet never happened. And heed the warnings if you want to try.

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Vlad Masters sat in his leather stuffed armchair, a full glass of port in one hand. It was good port but he didn't have the drive to even take a sip. Why had he poured it again? He gazed into its deep red depths, red like old blood.

Old blood...

Right. That's why. The reunion.

That blasted reunion. Twenty years of waiting and working and scheming and now that he finally had the time to worry about a woman...

He knew who he wanted. But she was married, had children...

"An' she were just the prettiest little girl, dontcha know?"

Vlad made a noncommittal noise as he stared straight ahead into nothing. He didn't want to be chastised for failing, not right now, he was doing that well enough on his own thank-you-very-much.

As usual, his wants and needs were completely ignored as he felt a ghostly hand close over his shoulder. "What!" he snapped.

A sharp pain bounced through his skull as the Dairy King hit him on the head with his staff. "That's no way ta be talkin' ta me, boy!"

Vlad rubbed his head and glared at the overly bubbly ghost behind him. "I'm sorry," he said, as grand and as facetious as he could manage. "What were you so illustriously blathering on about, oh royal uncle of mine?"

The Dairy King threatened Vlad with his staff again, his red eyes glowing through the shadows as he glared. "Don't be makin' me knockin' some manners inta ya," he warned. "Bad day or no, you're goin' be talkin' ta me with respect, dontcha know." The shadows dissipated as the Dairy King lost his stern visage. "Now den. As I was sayin'. Dat woman you were lookin' at, she's pretty an' all but I'm thinkin' you're a'lookin' at the wrong one there, dontcha know."

Vlad went back to staring at the wall. He looked into his glass of port, contemplating summoning the energy to drink it, maybe throw it at someone. He glared at the Dairy King.

"I found you the perfect little princess, dontcha know. Now, I know she's not da one you were lookin' at there, but she's just as pretty. Or she will be once she does some growin' up. And she's a half-ghost just like you."

Vlad froze. He turned to stare at the Dairy King, at his fruitloopy uncle as the ghost talked about this... this... child as though she were a marriageable adult. Bile rose in the back of his throat. "No," he whispered.

"Oh, you don't gotta be marryin' her right away. But I'm thinkin' you need ta steal her real soon there before she gets any ideas in her head about college an' her future. Got to make sure she has no choice there, dontcha know."

"You..." Vlad finally found reason to drink, taking a deep swallow of port to find his voice. "You want me to steal her. You want me to kidnap her from her bed like I'm some sort of sugar-coated fae?!"

The Dairy King was confused. The was the perfect idea, why was his nephew reacting so badly? "Of course," he said. "You're da Dairy Prince, my little Vlad. She'll be needin' some time dere ta get used ta bein' da Dairy Princess, dontcha know."

Vlad stared in disbelief. He got to his feet, the better to back away. He'd lost it, the Dairy King had finally lost the rest of his mind. That had to be it.

"What's wrong, boy?"

"I don't believe this," Vlad snapped. "You seriously want me to steal a child to force her into my bed! Do you have any idea what you're saying?!"

Shadows collected around the Dairy King. His eyes glowed deep red in anger. Vlad drew further away, fearing his uncle's wrath. "I know exactly what I'm sayin'! You are my heir! You will be makin' little babes fer ta be carryin' on the line and that girl is goin' ta be tha mother!"

"Like Hell!"

"An' don't you be swearin' around me!" The Dairy King swung his staff around, aiming for the side of Vlad's head. Vlad ducked and bolted from the room.

This was insane! Vlad ran down the hallway, looking for somewhere to hide. His uncle was always a force to be reckoned with when he was angry, that staff of his swung as a weapon against friend, foe, and family alike, but now he was downright furious! Vlad ducked into a closet, closing the door behind him. He tried to catch his breath, his senses filled with the scent of clean linen and feathers. As his fear began to fade he realized...

Wait a minute...

Red eyes glared in fury and not a small amount of self-loathing as Vlad drew the shadows around himself and transformed. He phased through the closet door and stormed back into the sitting room.

"Comin' back to admit I'm right, are ya?" the Dairy King said, his arms crossed. He pointed to the floor before him, fully expecting his wayward nephew to apologize and grovel properly.

"No, Uncle," Vlad purred. "Absolutely not."

The Dairy King growled, wrapped both hands around his staff, and swung it.

Vlad reached out and caught it easily. He pulled it from the Dairy King's grasp. The old ghost had just enough time to look surprised before black-gloved hands grabbed him by his royal cloak and yanked him off-balance.

"Listen here and listen good, Uncle," Vlad growled. "I will not kidnap a child simply because you say so! I am not going to steal anyone to fulfill your twisted desire for an heir! I am not a monster and I will not become one on your say-so! Do you understand me?"

"An' den what about that married woman you were lookin' at all night there, hmm?" the Dairy King demanded. "You were stealin' her! Why not be stealin' her pretty little princess there? What makes the mother any better?"

Vlad threw the Dairy King against the wall in disgust. "For one thing Maddie's not a child! For another I won't be 'stealing' her. I'll seduce her! I'll simply ask her to stay with me and then when I have her at my side we'll see who has the last word!" Vlad stormed off before he found himself doing something he might regret.

The Dairy King brushed off his velvet cloak and retrieved his staff. He glared at Vlad as the boy retreated, ran away like the coward he always was. "We'll see, dere," he said. "Yes, boy, we'll see who has the last word. And it won't be you, dontcha know. It's never been you, never will be. Mark my words, Vlad. You will be takin' that little princess as your own bride. Whether you want to or not."

The Dairy King flew off to the west wing of the castle. He had work to do.