"That is just the thing though, when we bite, we are consumed by are animal urges and it becomes very hard to stop. Most Vampires choose to bleed their victims dry, which means that they will not have to drink again for a long time, although that means that the Human dies obviously. But, there are a few of us that choose not to kill, but it means that we obviously have to drink more often. I suppose most Vampires believe that we are superior to Humans and that we can just kill them for pleasure whenever we want."

He chuckled at her misconceptions.

"I wish I owned a castle, that would be very fun. To be honest, we Vampires are solitary creatures, choosing to roam the world for many reasons. Mixing with Humans is mostly because of a need than because of lifestyle. Even I haven't mixed with many Humans throughout my new life. It's hard to find someone who is interesting, or worth time. Do you think that you can live up to that?"

Azrael cast a probing eye of the girl to see if she was being serious.

"You think we Vampires just grow on trees? Just because you are Royal does not mean that you would be any more likely to find a Vampire in this world. There are not many of us and, believe me, a Vampire will only be found when he or she wants to be. I must reiterate, we Vampires are quite solitary and free-spirited, to be under the command of another, albeit as a ruse, would be most uncomfortable. Plus, I would be somewhat limited in my actions during the day."

He watched as she undressed under her covers and then turned to a tall mirror in the corner of her room. His old black suit was starting to look rather torn and scruffy. Being a traveller like he was didn't afford him the luxury of more than one set of clothes, and after being out of society for as long as he had. He brushed his waistcoat and watched as dust and tiny bits of thread drifted onto the floor. I think that I may need some new clothes.

"Vampires can spend a moderate amount of time in the sun, but too long can be dangerous or even fatal, that goes for continuous exposure too, we need to take a break from time to time. Garlic? Hm.. I personally do not like it, but it is not fatal or anything like that. Of course you have your holy objects too, crosses and water, that is all nonsense too. Honestly, we are just like Humans, just a little bit tougher."

He said with a wink.

"Married, huh? I suppose that is what is required of the children of Royals and Nobles. A pity, I would hazard a guess that most couples forced together like that rarely find love or comfort in the arms of their spouse."

He picked up a piece of parchment that was on her bedside table and looked it over. Then he looked back at her.

"A pretty young girl like you will make a beautiful trophy for a lucky man, heh. Have you met any of your potential suitors yet?"

Evangeline nodded along, listening to Azrael talk about vampire facts. She found it to be very interesting stuff, and didn't mind being corrected about certain myths and stories she had heard growing up. The princess smiled a little as she watched Azrael examine his suit in the mirror. She hadn't really been paying attention to it until now, but it was a little tattered and dusty, like he'd been sleeping somewhere for a thousand years. Without saying anything, she pulled her covers down and crawled across the bed until she reached the table there. The girl reached into the top drawer after opening it and she pulled out a small bag of gold coins. She had no problem paying for some new clothes, after all, she had basically unrestricted access to funds, so she could do what she liked with her money. Evangeline sat on top of her covers and she held out the bag to Azrael, smiling a little. She was in her little white night gown, so it was safe for her to come out of her bed, but it was honestly a little cold being out from under the covers.

Unfortunately, her smile disappeared when Azrael asked her about the arranged marriage she would soon be involved in. "I....I don't want to be a trophy.... I don't want to marry some old disgusting pervert who can't keep his hands off of me..." Evangeline sighed and pouted a little. "I haven't met any of my suitors yet, Tomorrow afternoon my mother's hosting a tea and inviting everyone along... I don't want to go out there and face all those men, it's not fair... why..why should I experience marriage but not love? I might be a part of the royal family but that doesn't mean I'm not allowed to love someone... I'd rather die, be locked up somewhere. I'm not marrying any of them, I don't care what my mother and father say."the girl folded her arms and sighed softly. Now she had been put in a bit of a bad mood, and she was no longer interested in talking about the subject.

After a bit of chit chat, the vampire and the princess separated for the night. He said he would come see her if he had time, and she was satisfied with that. Perhaps she would be able to tell him about her awful day, or something equally as exciting. After closing her bedroom windows, she flopped down onto her bed and lay there for quite some time, staring up at the ceiling as she mulled over some thoughts. Tonight she had met and possibly befriended a vampire, and she seemed to be perfectly alright with that. He was kind considerate and helpful, traits that she didn't really find in any human men. With a heavy sigh, she crawled under her covers and tried to get some sleep before the big day tomorrow.

The next morning passed quickly for Evangeline. She was busy with her mother sorting through dressed that she could wear. They eventually decided on a white lacy dress and some white high heeled shoes that buckled up at her ankles. Evangeline's maids tended to her hair and made sure it was beautifully curled before they headed downstairs and revealed the girl to her suitors for marriage. When she was finally ready, Evangeline headed out with a white parasol in her hand, as the sun was a bit strong for her, despite it being winter time. The princess headed out to the land that extended from the back of the castle. The servants had done a good job making the gardens look beautiful, so at least she had one thing to be happy about. Evangeline peered out into the garden from beneath her open parasol. She stared at the suitors as they sat there drinking tea and eating biscuits. They were all at least forty five years old, and it sent an uncomfortable shudder down her spine. This couldn't be happening right now. "Lord, give me strength..." she muttered under her breath.

Azrael didn't feel comfortable about taking money from the young princess, even if her family was the wealthiest in the country, but, he had to admit, his clothes were probably beyond repair and it had been a long time since he had carried money. Reluctantly he took the small pouch of coins and slipped it into a pocket inside his waistcoat.

"Thank you, princess, I will endeavour to repay you for your kindness."

They talked for a little longer. Evangeline mainly conveying her distaste for being forced to marry someone a lot older than her.

It grew late and the girl started to show signs of tiredness so Azrael bid her farewell and left through the same window that they had entered not so long ago. He retraced his steps back through the castle grounds, up the large wall, and jumped down to the city floor, scaring a local drunk man at the same time.

It had been a while since he last visited the establishment, but Azrael had remembered that there was a local tavern that catered to the creatures of the night. It was run by the same family for generations, providing a safe haven and a warm place to stay for visiting Vampires, in exchange for money, or favours. Navigating by rooftop he found the small little building in no time at all. When he entered he was greeted by a young man. He was wearing a short-sleeved shirt and Azrael could see many cuts along his arm, no doubt he had let a few Vampires drink from him over the years, another service that they offered.

"Ah, good evening, young master. Would you perhaps have a room for one to spare for the night?"

The boy nodded and looked away awkwardly, stroking the cuts on his arms.

"It will just be the room and nothing else..."

The boy nodded again and led the stranger down some stairs into a cellar and showed him to a heavy door. He used to hands to push the door open. It creaked heavily to reveal a very empty bedroom, apart from a solid stone block in the shape of a coffin in the middle of the room, with three candles melted on the end. The boy grabbed a torch from the hallway and lit the candles and then turned to leave.

"...actually, there is one thing."

He handed the boy the bag of coins.

"I need a well made suit like the one I am wearing please, I assume you can have it ready by late tomorrow afternoon?"

The boy nodded.

"Very good. Pay for the room with that money also, please. If the suit is a good quality, you may keep whatever is left."

A small smile appeared on the boys face as he nodded yet again, he was obviously not used to more kinder Vampires. Azrael gave the boy his measurements for the suit and then sent him on his way.

The vampire sat on the stone coffin. He removed one the apples that he had bought earlier and started eating it. With no more than five bites the apple was nothing more than a core. He placed the second apple on the floor and then lay on top of the stone coffin and tried to fall asleep.

Azrael woke up to find a wooden chair in his room with a freshly made suit folded on top of it. He really did love the family that ran this tavern, so efficient. He removed his old clothes, folded them and put them on the floor next to the chair. His new suit was black from top to bottom, just how he liked it. He slipped it on and he could instantly tell that it was of great quality.

As he ventured upstairs he realised that it was still light outside, but past midday, so the suns light wouldn't be fatal, he would just get a feeling of numbness across his body as a side effect.
He walked through the city until he arrived back at the castle. He had decided to pay the Royal Family a visit as he was interested in what type of people the new King and Queen were. Seeing Evangeline squirm in front of her suitors would also be quite amusing. He walked around the perimeter of the castle wall until he could see the tops of the gardens trees poking over the low garden wall. He leapt up and grabbed the top of the wall and flipped over it, landing softly on the over side. He landed next to a servant who was carrying an empty tray. They looked at each other for a second before Azrael coughed into his hand.

"I could not be bothered to walk all the way around, that is okay, right?"

And then he walked off toward the crowd of men on the far side. Azrael guessed that these were the suitors, and he could see why Evangeline had been upset about it, they really were quite old or bad looking. In some cases both. It was funny, Azrael would be the oldest one there, and yet looked the very youngest by far, so much so, he was worried that he may stick out. Not too mention that he was dressed in black and they were all in bright colours, reds, blues, greens, all the family colours. Honestly, all the colour was making Azrael nauseous.

He was collared by what seemed to be a late forty year old man, with greying hair and blue eyes, and a red coat, white trousers and a black hat and gloves. Azrael almost laughed at the odd sense of style, he hadn't seen such attire for years.

"Excuse me, young man, just who are you, this is a private gathering."

Said the old noble.

"Yes, the one to meet the princess, correct? That is what I am here for, sir."

He said with a bow.

"Oh, and my name is Azrael, not young man. Now if you will excuse me."

Azrael took a few steps backward before turning and walking away. He was not about to waste time talking to these old men who thought they were better because they had power. He swiftly moved to an unoccupied table and poured himself a drink. He slipped his hand into his pocket and with his other hand brought the warm drink to his lips as he studied the castle grounds. It was truly a beautiful sight.

Evangeline hadn't even noticed Azrael's presence yet as she headed out into the sunlight, dress and hair flowing elegantly behind her. It felt like all the men's eyes were on her, and it made her feel very uncomfortable. The girl greeted several older men, keeping her free hand to her side as she did not want them to kiss her. Evangeline was trying her best to just keep things short, but not sweet. If she acted disinterested enough, maybe they would just leave her alone and wouldn't harass her to pick them over another suitor. The bored looking princess eventually wandered away from the men and she just so happened to look to her left. Azrael was sitting there casually with a cup of tea, sipping it like he belonged there. Of course she was incredibly shocked, but in order to not raise anyone's suspicions, she did her best to keep a straight face as she walked over to him, her stride oddly elegant, something it had lacked from the night before.

Evangeline stood in front of the table he was sitting at and pulled her parasol closer to the back of her head so no one would be able to read her lips. "Azrael, I thought you would be coming to visit me tonight...What are you doing here? Did you buy yourself a new suit with the coins I gave you? It...it looks nice, but you shouldn't be here, I'd feel awful if you were hurt because of what the sunlight does to you." the girl narrowed her eyes at him a little, obviously disappointed with his lack of obedience."A-anyway, if you're not going to leave, how am I supposed to explain to my mother as to why you're not on the guest list? She'd murder me if she was under the belief that I snuck a commoner into the castle grounds without permission." Evangeline sat herself down at the table opposite of the vampire. The look on her face right now communicated the fact that she was both disappointed but relieved. Perhaps he would be her ticket out of here and she wouldn't have to socialize with the others. That was something she could live with.

After sitting there silent for a moment, the princess spoke again. "My outfit...do you think it's too much white? Mother wanted to show off my purity to the suitors, but if you ask me, I think that's disgusting. Parading around and letting them bask in the prize of my virginity, it's....what's the word...creepy? I suppose.... anyway, would you like to go for a walk, maybe?" the girl smiled a little as she stood up from her chair. She hoped he would come with her, as she wanted to desperately escape more awkward situations that were sure to come.

Azrael sat with his delicate china cup in his hand, carefully sipping the tea from time to time. He couldn't help but admire the sheer beauty of the castle garden, the fact that something so colourful and fresh could live so peacefully in the hustle and bustle of this never sleeping city. Once you entered the city limits, it was very rare to see any form of nature, it was all roads and houses packed together, there was just no room for plant life.

The sun was starting to take affect on his body as his grip on his cup loosened a little bit. He put the cup on the table to be safe, he wasn't sure if coming out today had been the wisest idea, but the thought of seeing Evangeline squirming in front of these old men caused Azrael to chuckle ever so lightly.

With that thought, the Princess appeared in front of him. It would be common courtesy for the man to stand in the presence of Royalty, and even though Azrael was a Vampire and didn't conform to Human rules, he did not want to cause a fuss. He stood, and the bowed deeply to her.

"Honestly, Princess, I wanted to see the castle during the day, and I was also hoping that I may get to see the new King. Then, there was the thought of you having to awkwardly meet all of these fine gentlemen, heh. Yes, I know that it is not much different from the old one, but the cut is surely more regal, fine craftsmanship I must say. You should not worry about me, my dear, this is not my first outing in the sun, the only real damaging effect is that I will end up as weak as a Human for a while, ha."

He winked at her as he joked.

"Hm... Are you trying to say that I could not pass for a Nobles son in front of the Queen, that is quite mean of you, Evangeline. If she does decide to question me, then I will deal with it at the time."
They both sat at the table, and Azrael finished off his tea with one quick gulp. He was about to open his mouth to say something when the Princess spoke first. Azrael cast a judge-full eye over her body before replying.

"I have never been one for fashion, I must say, but what you are wearing is quite nice. Though as you may have gathered, I do prefer black clothing. I think you would look nice in black, it helps compliment are skin colour. Also, if you were to wear black, your pale skin would surely force all men to become lost in the beauty of your face. I suppose being a virgin is a special thing, to be the first one to do something with someone in any manner of things makes it more special. Experiencing things for the first time is supposed to be exciting. Though for old men like these, you would probably not be their first, and being with them, you would not treasure doing things as much as you might, these men care nothing for romance."

Evangeline quietly stood and waited for Azraels decision. Making no hesitation, he stood next to her, bowed gently then raised his arm, seeing if she would take it.
"If milady would do me the pleasure?"

If asked with a little smirk on his face.

"Perhaps once around the garden to get away from all of these handsome suitors of yours? What troublesome pests they are, heh."

Evangeline turned herself around and looked down at the dress she was wearing. Hearing Azrael compliment her in such a forward manner almost made her blush, but she wasn't about to do that in front of him. The princess moved some of her dark hair from her eyes and stared off into the distance. At first it seemed like she was staring at the vampire, but she was actually just staring at one of the castle walls behind him. Those castle walls were the things that were stopping her from getting out of this place for good. Although she might not openly admit that she constantly thought about running away, it was always in the back of her mind. Getting away from here, having a new life somewhere, it all sounded very appealing to her. Unfortunately the girl knew that she'd never be escaping the castle walls for good. She had duties as a princess, those duties were to marry someone, have lots of children and leave heirs for her kingdom when she died. It was all a little bit morbid, and Evangeline didn't like the sound of that lifestyle at all.

Suddenly, she was snapped out of her thoughts and she looked up at Azrael. He was offering her his arm. "Umm....a-alright.." she stuttered awkwardly, taking his arm with both of her hands, keeping herself close to him in case they were approached by someone she didn't want to speak to."I'll do anything if it means that I can get away from those old men...It's disgusting, to think I have to marry one of those and fake being happy for the rest of my miserable life..." Evangeline trailed off as they started to walk away from the men. When they were out of sight, she moved to rest her head against his shoulder. The princess felt like she was able to trust Azrael, even though she probably shouldn't be feeling like that. Vampires were dangerous creatures, right? Evangeline had always seen them as heartless and emotionless creatures that fed on humans and lived in the darkness, but she was honestly glad that she seemed to be wrong about some of the stereotypes.

"If I asked you to help me escape from here forever, would you consider it?" the girl asked curiously, letting go of his arm and walking on her own for the moment. "I understand that it sounds really silly...a princess wanting to leave the lap of luxury and live like a commoner...b-but..this life I lead is so lonely." Evangeline started to distance herself from Azrael and she started to play with some strands of her long black hair. The girl stood there in silence for a few moments, keeping her back to her friend for the time being.
"What if my mother and father pick you out of the other suitors, what happens then?" Evangeline asked, turning around and facing Azrael again. The girl was full of questions and curiosity, but she couldn't help it. She'd never met an actual vampire before, so she was naturally interested in learning what they were all about."I mean, I don't think it's going to happen, but you never know, right? ...What are we going to do? My parents would never be silly enough to marry me off to a commoner, but...I suppose vampires have the ability to toy with people's minds, don't they?" Evangeline flicked some of her hair over her shoulders and she tilted her head to the side, wondering what his response would be.

When Evangeline had taken a hold of the Vampires arm, he led her towards the main part of the garden as they talked. She continued to talk about her dislike of suitors chosen for her by her parents. As they left the sight of the group that had gathered for the tea party, Evangeline seemed to grow more relaxed and even dropped her head onto Azraels shoulder as they walked through the gardens, surrounded by tall bushes displaying colourful flowers. Azrael coughed into his free hand, it seemed that sun was affecting him more than he thought it would.

"Help you escape forever? That would be a very hard thing for you, because you are the daughter of a Royal Family, do you think they will just accept that you are gone? They will always be searching for you, meaning you would not be able to move so freely and you would have to always be making sure your identity is hidden. As long as your parents thought you were alive the search would never be stopped."

Azrael saw the sadness in her face before she turned her back on him. She posed another question.

"I honestly did not come here to become your suitor, heh. I would think that your mother and father would probably figure out that I am no one... special, anyway. Especially if they arranged for these suitors in the first place, they may not know the faces, but their names and titles will be what they are looking for."

Mind control, that was indeed an ability that Vampires could use, but unfortunately Azrael had never been so adept with it, and the thought of manipulating someone like that never sat well with him, not that he disliked anyone who was willing to use the skill themselves.

He shook his head.

"Mind control is not something that I tend to dabble in, and to use it on the King and Queen? That would be a situation that even the bravest would generally keep a distance from. Plus, if it were that easy, do you not think that some Vampire would be the ruler of the known world already?"

He said with a smirk on his face.

"Do you honestly hate this life that you have? You know, the world out there is much more difficult."

He said motioning toward the castle walls and beyond.

"If somehow I did help you to run away, I do not really want to look after a human girl who has no worldly skills. No offence, milady."

He said, smiling gently and hoping that she wouldn't feel offended. He felt like he shouldn't encourage the girl to run away from the castle again. The loss of a princess would be a very big event, the whole city would be in an uproar, maybe even the country. As Azrael thought about it, if the girl managed to leave the country she could possible escape her life of Royalty, or if she was clever enough, she could fake death. That was a trick many Vampires used when they took on an apprentice or brought someone into the Vampire fold. Being dead was than being missing, nobody goes looking for a dead person, and Vampire is best not haunted by their old life, luckily, after a century or so, anyone who knew you passed on and Vampire could truly be free.

"Do you think you could truly be free of your Royal heritage? A missing princess is not so easily forgotten, especially if your getting married increases their power, not that I am saying that is all you are worth to your parents."

He said, once more coughing into his hand.

Evangeline listened as Azrael spoke to her, but it wouldn't be easy to convince her to stay home and be a good little princess. "You've no idea just how boring it is to sit around all day and eat cake and read books and wait for a rich man to sweep you off your feet and take you away. The girls in the books that I read go on adventures, they find romance on the seas and have grand adventures. I understand that it's all fictional but it sounds a lot more interesting than the life I'm living now." the princess sighed softly, as if she was dreaming about escaping to a different life. "Besides, life isn't supposed to be easy. An easy life is a life that has not been well lived, if you ask me. It's not like I chose this lifestyle, I was born into it. I am sure that many commoners wish they lived in the lap of luxury, but there is a much darker side to it that they do not see." Evangeline moved some of her long hair over one of her shoulders and she made her way back over to Azrael, grabbing both of his hands without warning.

"I couldn't bring myself to ask you to look after me, I'd manage just fine on my own. But anyway, I don't think you'd be able to bear seeing me go off on my own, so you would probably feel the need to protect me anyway, correct?" Evangeline teased with a small smile. Running away was a very serious decision to make, but the princess felt like she was prepared for that."I don't need anyone to take care of me, but some company would be nice. Keeping my identity a bit of a secret might be difficult, but perhaps I could get a home somewhere on the outskirts of the city where it's quiet, I could manage. I can cook, clean....that's perfect housewife material, is it not?" Evangeline giggled softly and gently let go of Azrael's hands, letting him have them back for the moment.

"Unfortunately, I'm not worth much to my parents. I'm the only child so all the pressure to produce children is on me, and I must deliver. Providing them with an heir is what I am here to do. Of course, if I was unable to have children I might be cast out into the open, but I'm not willing to get to the point where I find out...." the princess sighed and grasped Azrael's arm again, leading him into some shade so he could sit down at the stone bench that was under a large tree. "Is being a vampire really that difficult? Will it hurt? You get to live for a very long time, right? You get to be fast and strong...."Evangeline trailed off and peered up at Azrael with those curious eyes of hers. Perhaps she was just romanticizing when it came to vampires, but she was eager to know more about them. "Vampires don't breathe, do they? I could very well pretend I'm dead and fool everyone in the kingdom~" for some reason, that brought a smile to her face. Anything to get out of the kingdom, she'd do it.