“I am surprised that the King and Queen would tell you that your parents were peasants. In fact, I am surprised they would tell you anything other than that you were their own child, but I suppose they would not want you to find out by other means.”

Azrael watched as the small embers rose from the dwindling fire.

“There is nothing to say that Evangeline is not your real name. I grant you that it is not a typical name for the common folk, but, nonetheless…”

The princess pulled her knees to her chest. Azrael wasn't sure if it was because of the cold or because of how what she was talking about was affecting her, but he put his arm around her shoulder and pulled her closer, trying to comfort her.

“The past is nothing to worry about right now. If you decide you want to explore one day then you will be free to do so, but for now, let us focus on keeping out of the sight of the King and Queen shall we?”

He said smiling at the thought of running from a powerful force such as the Royal Family. He would have to admit that this was a first for him, amongst many other things that had happened over the past few days.

"I already knew that they were not my real mother and father. I look nothing like either of them. That much was very obvious to me."the princess sighed and looked up at Azrael when he put his arm around her shoulder. She didn't expect him to do a thing like that. The girl's cheeks started to heat up and she quickly turned her head away from him. If he saw that, he would definitely tease her."Wh-what's going to happen if they do find us? I don't want to ever go back there..."Evangeline whispered, shuddering at the thought of being trapped in her bedroom for all of eternity. Evangeline was silent for quite some time after that, thinking about a way to keep them off of their trail. Suddenly, she came up with an idea, even though it sounded rather silly.
"What if I was dead?"she asked her companion out of the blue."You have to be dead before you become a vampire, yes? What if I was dead and ...and they buried me. That would mean that they would no longer look for me, and we could go free, provided you can rescue me from under the ground, that is..."although she thought that it was quite a clever idea, Evangeline wasn't sure if that was something that Azrael was going to agree to."What do you think about that?"she asked him, looking up at him with rather hopeful eyes.

“I cannot say what will happen if anyone finds us, but I was hoping that it would not happen in the first place. You can be sure that I will not let them take you if you do not wish to go with them though.”

They sat quietly next to one another for a while until Evangeline spoke again. Azrael mused over her words for a moment.

“Are you asking to become a Vampire?”

He let the words hang in the cold air for a while.

“I cannot let you become a Vampire. You know nothing about us, or the real world. You said it yourself that you have only ever lived in seclusion, never seeing the world for what it truly is. You do not even know what it is like to be a human. Did you think that a person could so easily become a Vampire? We do not just let people join our ranks because they want to, or just to make their life easier.”

His words were gentle, but he felt a little annoyed at the girls mention of a quick fix to their situation. The fact that her ‘dying’ might make the situation easier, but to just be a Vampire was preposterous. The Vampires didn't just ‘blood’ whoever they wanted, there were strict rules and practises to adhere to.

"It's certainly an option, though.... to fool them into thinking I was dead...it was stop them looking for me, would it not?"the princess looked up at Azrael with a confused expression on her face."What do you mean I don't know what it's like to be a human? I've lived all my life as a human, I think I have the right to claim that I know something...."Evangeline moved away from Azrael, forcing his arm to fall from around her shoulder. In her efforts, the cloak slipped off of her shoulders as she moved away, but she didn't care. It didn't matter if she was cold or not.
"You don't know what it's like to be forced into marriage. You don't know what it's like to be locked up against your will, what it is like to live under parents that are not even yours..."at this point, she was starting to get a little emotional. Evangeline got to her feet but kept her back to Azrael as she spoke."I...I'm no good as a princess, and you think I'll be no good as a vampire... you haven't got any faith in me at all, it's almost like you'd rather it if they took me away, because then you wouldn't have to have me around. Is that what you want? To get rid of me? I suppose it wouldn't matter to you, you've got the capability to kill me within seconds."the girl folded her arms and turned back around to face him.
"You're just waiting for that opportune moment to suck me dry. In fact, I'm surprised you haven't already...I'm nothing but a meal to you...you don't want me to become a vampire because that means you cannot feed from me anymore. You must think I'm stupid."Evangeline bit down on her lip as she looked over at the vampire. Her emotions were currently getting the better of her and she was unable to help herself. Tears started to well up in her eyes and it was blatantly obvious that she was upset."That's your true reason, isn't it?"she asked in a whisper, her hands coming up to wrap around her bare shoulders. Being out of the cloak and away from the fire was starting to affect her.

"I agree. It is an option, and it would be a very good one at that. But you do not even know what being a Vampire means. You cannot simply just say that you could be one. And what I meant was, you have spent your life confined inside castle, you have travelled within the safety of a carriage with a guard of men to protect you. The knowledge you have of life is pretty much what you have read in your books. Humanity is not such a thing that should be so readily discarded, even if it would make our journey easier."

Azrael removed the cloak from around himself and placed in on to the ground next to him. He stood up as a cool breeze gently rustled the leaves up in the tops of the trees. The fire flickered against the wind.

"You do not have to worry about forced marriages or such 'upper class issues'. Here we are, miles from the place that you once called home. We do not let just anyone be a Vampire. There are rules to follow."

He crouched next to the fire and grabbed one of the sticks. He poked the fire and watched the embers rise into the air. He stared into the fire as reassured the girl.

"Believe me, If I did not want you here, I would of let you die when Elizabeth attacked you. As for your blood. I cannot say it is a unique thing, and extremely addictive, but that is not why I decided to travel with you. Truthfully, I was eager to watch as you discover this world on your little adventure. You will see the world through a fresh perspective. I have long since grown tired of what this world has to show."

Evangeline frowned a little. She wasn't going to give up so easily. "Then teach me! Teach me what it means to be a vampire, I'll do whatever it takes..." the girl moved back over to Azrael and knelt down beside him, wrapping the cloak around her shoulders again. "I don't want to get old...who's going to want to be with an old woman? Haven't you read stories about finding the Fountain of Youth? People want to look youthful for all of eternity...I...imagine all the adventures we could have if we didn't have to worry about me...falling off of a cliff, or something...we could climb the tallest mountains or traverse the coldest lands... I wouldn't be a burden anymore."the princess sighed and wrapped the cloak around herself tighter as she moved to lie on the cold ground. She stared at the fire. It was no use, Azrael would never want to turn her. Evangeline was so used to getting what she wanted that she felt anger rising within her when things didn't go her way. It was something she couldn't help; she was still feeling like she was a princess, like she was remotely important. Unfortunately, she was a peasant now, and she would never be going back to her nice warm bed, or the luscious green grounds.
"I wish I was dead...."she muttered softly, curling up in a ball on the ground and sulking into his cloak. His scent was starting to become comforting to her in a way. She knew she was safe when he was around. Evangeline gently touched at her neck for a moment. It still hurt. "If my wound gets infected, I can die...would it be better for you if I was gone? All I do is anger you.." Evangeline rolled on her side so she could look up at Azrael. Evangeline didn't mean to cause so much trouble for him. It seemed like trouble followed wherever she walked.

"Teach you?"

Azrael scoffed.

"Do you think that you can just demand that I teach you? Do you know how many people seek out Vampires just to ask to be a Vampire? If we permitted their request, we would have many, shall we say, undesirables, within our society. It is our highest rule that only those who are worthy, or show potential greatness, be accepted into our ranks. Only those who 'fit the mould', and I am afraid that so far I have not seen many of these qualities within you. And this spoilt princess act will get you nowhere with me. Many Vampires would openly mock you if they saw you like this."

Azrael turned to look into Evangelines eyes as he spoke, his stick almost burnt down to his fingers.

"Vampires work for what they want. They push themselves to their limits and then exceed those limits, and when they are strong enough, they take what they want. No one would say a bad word against a Vampire who failed for using their own hands to attempt to achieve their goals. Even if that goal were something as malicious as going against the Vampire Order."

He threw the remnants of his stick into the fire and watched it burn to ash. He listened to the princess as she shuffled around behind him with the cloak. He turned around on his haunches and saw her lying on the ground. He walked over to her and placed a hand on her head affectionately.

"You are no burden to me. And it is not like I am saying that you will never be a Vampire, one day, maybe. Because whether you like it or not, you are apart of our world now. More so than any human would ever even imagine being. But there is more to being a Vampire, than being a Vampire. We have many hardships and 'rules' to undertake and learn. Being a Vampire is not just about not being human, it is a whole new way of life. No one enjoys drinking blood the first time."

He smiled.

"Most people are not turned for a long time while they learn. And I mean a long time. You are hardly even an adult yet, and we do not blood children unless under the most rare circumstances. All I ask is that you live this new life of yours for a while before you take on the task of trying to be a Vampire. Stay with me and I will make sure you do not get dragged back to the Capital, if that is what you wish. And the longer you stay with me, the more you will learn about Vampires, it will help you make a more informed decision."

He ruffled her hair slightly and stood up, turning his back on her.

"Your wounds will heal, but we will keep your bandages clean. As for being angry..."

He paused.

"..I do not remember the last time I felt like that, but in the past it has turned out to be a very violent event. So you will have to try a bit harder than just being a brat. Heh."

He turned his head to the side, it was covered in shadow, his white teeth barely showing in the absence of light.

"Oh. Please, do not wish for death. It is not always as pleasant as it sounds."

He said referring to the un-death that allowed Vampires to exist.

"Why do you still call me a princess? I'm a peasant... a princess would never be seen covered in dirt and dust." the girl pouted and watched as Azrael spoke to her. He didn't want to turn her because she wasn't showing certain 'qualities', whatever that was supposed to mean. Evangeline was about to turn away from him and ignore his droning, but he came up to her and gently ruffled her hair, smiling down at her. "You healed the cut on my arm that night...why can't you do the same here?"she asked softly, getting up off of the ground and walking up to him, her hand gently slipping into his. She was merely curious.
"Is it because my injury is too severe for you to do anything about?" Evangeline reached to untie the bandages from around her neck with her free hand, showing it to Azrael without any hesitation. "Or is it that you're scared you'll bite me if you come too close?" the girl tilted her head to the side a little as she waited for a response from the vampire. she wondered if he was worried that he might hurt her. She imagined being turned wouldn't end up being a very pleasant experience. After all, one had to die first, correct?

"It-it's alright, you know..."she muttered, giving him permission to do whatever it was that he wanted. "I'm not scared, I know you wouldn't hurt me on purpose..."Evangeline bit down on her lip lightly, wondering if Azrael would do it.

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Aaaaaah, Raleigh, can't we rest yet?" May asked her brother softly as they trudged through the forest. It was cold this morning, and she just wanted to sit down with a hot cup of raspberry tea, but she had a feeling her brother wouldn't let her.
"We've been traveling for days, can't we just go to an inn, or something?"the girl complained with a pout on her face. It was obvious that she was very unhappy, and wasn't particularly fond of long journeys. May had been walking at a slow pace behind her brother for quite some time, and now she was really starting to lag behind. Although she had better stamina than a human, they hadn't rested for a long time.

"You should carry me until we find somewhere comfortable to settle down for the day, what about that?"May giggled softly and found the energy to speed up so she could walk by her brother's side. Gently, she gripped his hand and looked into his eyes.

"You know, I was thinking that we should maybe go home for a little while. We could do some dusting and get rid of all the spiders that have accumulated in the attic. And I could make you cakes and tea...."May trailed off for a moment and a mischievous smile appeared on her pale and soft featured face. "Maybe I shouldn't, otherwise you'll get fat and ladies won't like you anymore~" the young vampire teased, giving Rayleigh a playful push and running off into the forest. She wasn't as fast as him, so it would be easy for him to catch her, but it would still be fun.

As May ran through the forest, her laugh could be heard. It was sweet and lighthearted. She wasn't the brightest girl, but she made up for it in spirit what she lacked in intelligence. Suddenly, she came to a stop. She could hear footsteps quite a way away, and her nose caught the scent of not only a vampire, but a human. May became rather excited, and it showed on her face. Her brother would be proud of her for picking up the scent. Maybe he'd treat her to something at the next sweets shop they passed.

Azrael grasped the bandages within his hand and slowly started to wrap them back around the wound on Evangelines neck. Somehow, he didn't feel like drinking right now, no matter how good it was.

"Just get some rest, we have more travelling to do tomorrow and it will not help us if you are exhausted and drained of blood."

He smiled and took a step back from the princess.

"Goodnight, Princess."

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Raleigh would do anything for his sister, and it was true that they had been pushing hard for the last few days. He was about to open his mouth when May appeared next to him, taking his hand within her own. He always felt happiest when he was with her, that might be one of the main reasons why they had never been apart for all of these years. They were very close.

May liked to tease him, but he knew to never take it seriously. He enjoyed her playful and energetic nature, it was a rarity amongst Vampires, most of them were quite a moody and serious bunch. A lot of Vampires saw this as a weakness within May, but as long as Raleigh stayed by her side he would protect her from anyone. He'd spent almost all of his Vampire life training himself and fighting with others to make him one of the most formidable fighters that lived, all so he could protect May. She was his only sister, and he loved her, more than anyone had ever loved anything.

She pushed him and ran on ahead. Apparently she had more energy than she had previously let on.

"You say it like I would even want their attention anyway. Not that any of them could match up to you."

He dashed in the direction that May ran off to. He slipped around trees and within moments he spotted his sister stopped within a small clearing. A wicked smile was on her face. With no less than 20 feet between them Raleigh jumped at his sister with his arms outstretched. She turned to something but he knocked her down, pinning her hands to floor either side of her head, his knees on the floor either side of her hips as he looked into her eyes.

"And why do you suddenly look so happy, dear sister?"

May had turned around to see her brother lunging towards her. She didn't even have the time to react, and she ended up on the floor of the forest. She squirmed underneath Raleigh for a moment and her smile never faded. "Ahhh, can't you sense it?"she asked him, blinking her long eyelashes up at the boy as he pinned her to the ground. "There's a vampire and a human nearby. I just know it. I'm never wrong about these sorts of things. They're coming this way."she whispered softly, escaping the grasp of his hands and sitting up, though she was still underneath him.

"Listen,"the vampire urged her brother, grasping his chin and pointing his head west."Let's go see who it is~ Maybe if we find someone good enough, Horus will reward us with something worthwhile."she suggested, squirming out from underneath Raleigh. May stood herself up, brushed the dirt off of her clothes and started walking towards the sound. She was curious to see if it was an old vampire or someone who had been recently turned. Her senses weren't accurate enough to be able to tell who was an old vampire and who was young.

May's footsteps were ever so light on the forest floor, that even a well-trained vampire would have trouble hearing where she was coming from. Unless they were some sort of super vampire, of course. When Raleigh was at her side, she quickly grasped his hand in case they landed themselves in some sort of danger. May knew that he would always be there for her, and she knew that he had trained very hard over the years, but she was unaware that he had been training for her. Although a little aggressive and hot-headed sometimes, he had always been very sweet and protective of her. "It's exciting to be meeting another vampire after such a long time..."she whispered softly, glancing at her brother briefly before focusing on the sounds ahead.

He took a deep breath but couldn't taste anything in the air, but then, May was always better at tracking than he was. He was better at the tasks that came after they had found their prey.

Raleighs grip on May loosened slightly as she wriggled her way out of his grasp. It was true that he was never wrong, or at least she had never been wrong yet. He directed his gaze from her and toward the direction in which she sensed the incoming couple. Raleigh was curious to see what type of Vampire travelled with a human. Sure, it wasn't uncommon, but if the Vampire was weak, then he and May could gift themselves with a new plaything, before eventually handing the human over to their Patron, Horus. They'd found quite a lucrative and easy life under his 'command'.

As May freed herself from the shadow of Raleigh, he leaned back until he ended up sitting crossed-legged on the floor. He watched his sister take the lead for a moment as he watched her elegant figure dance with every step that she took. With a swift movement, he jumped up on to his feet and jogged a few paces to catch up with May, taking his place a few steps behind her, keeping a watchful gaze in the direction they were headed.

As they walked, May gently took Raleighs hand in her own. She noted her eagerness to meet another Vampire. In their line of work, they often dealt with Humans more than Vampires. He nodded along with her words.

"Indeed. I hope they're strong. I could do with someone to test my skills against, I'm almost startin' to feel a lil' rusty. But let's be careful, if they have a Human with them it might be because they are training them to be a Vampire. Which would make them either very foolish or very confident in their Vampire abilities, not to mention they would likely be quite seasoned. Keep that excitement on the back burner, there's better times to save it for."

He said squeezing her hand as they carried on forward.

"No fighting... I don't like it when you get into fights with vampires you just happen to pass by...it's dangerous..."May stated softly, looking down when her brother squeezed her hand. It reminded her of times when they were still humans, still technically alive. The days when they were under their parents' roof were the best days she could remember. Warm in her bed, a family to watch over her, time to go out and play in the sunshine.
"Besides, I want to be somewhere else soon, it feels like the sun might be strong today."the girl shrugged her shoulders lightly and tilted her head to the side as they walked. Burning in the sunlight didn't sound particularly good to this vampire.

"Azrael, I heard voices...."Evangeline whispered softly to her companion, her grip on his arm tightening significantly. She was understandably scared. A vampire had almost killed her - what if Elizabeth was coming back with friends to finish her off, or something? "Do you think they'll try to hurt us?"the princess asked, looking up at Azrael with a somewhat frightened expression on her face. Suddenly, the voices got closer, and she could now hear footsteps. Instinctively, she hid behind her companion and gripped on tightly to his clothes, obviously horrified by whatever was awaiting them through the trees.

As the voices were within a very short distance, the princess let go of Azrael and peered around his side, wondering who was on the other side of his body. "Ahhh, it's just people...."Evangeline whispered in quiet relief as she moved around to his side and grabbed his hand again, suddenly feeling safe once more. Of course, she couldn't tell that the two figures before them were vampires. They looked like brother and sister - twins, perhaps.

"Ah, look, Raleigh~ it's just a vampire and a human, I don't think we have anything to worry about~"May stated in her chirpy voice, moving to wrap her arms around her brother's shoulders. Her eyes shifted over to Evangeline and she studied her for a moment.
"Are you training a little human girl to be a vampire? That doesn't sound like a very good idea....she barely looks old enough to be out here on her own, let alone with such an old and dusty vampire~" the young girl giggled and flicked some of her long blonde hair over her shoulders, her chin resting on Raleigh affectionately, which fetched an odd glance from the princess. Although it wasn't uncommon to see incestuous relationships in today's society, the two of them didn't seem like royalty, so it baffled her even more. May blinked her long eyelashes over at Evangeline and Azrael. She didn't mean anything horrible by what she had said, she was just curious as to what the girl's situation was. The vampire seemed to be quite old, but she didn't really recall his face from anywhere.

"What do you mean, no fighting? We're Vampires. We are made to fight, I mean, do you know any Vampires that wouldn't choose to die with blood on his hands and a smile on his face? I like the danger.. It's exciting. But, I will refrain this time, for you."

Raleigh looked at the sky to see it starting to brighten, he couldn't help but agree with May.
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Azrael had long since heard the voices before Evangeline but had decided not to try and avoid them just yet. From what he could gather it was only two people, and should the Kings guard had reached this far already, which Azrael deemed rather unlikely, he could easily take care of them. If they were normal people, then perhaps he could get some information from them about the area, like just how far the nearest town was.

Evangeline hid behind Azraels back.

"No. I do not think they will hurt us. If it was someone coming for us they would not be so open about it. Plus, I cannot make out the sounds of metal armour, so I do not think that is your fathers army. Let us see who they are before we judge them."

He put his hand on her head in an attempt to reassure her as the voice edge ever closer. Who ever these people were, they seemed to be heading right for the travelling pair, and it was not exactly like they were on a main road. Azrael tensed slightly, readying himself for any eventuality.
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"Apparently so."

Said Raleigh. He looked the pair over carefully. The man seemed to be familiar, but he couldn't place just where he knew him from. It wasn't uncommon to meet Vampires, there were many Havens and occasional meet ups to discuss the world and competitions of strength, a chance for Vampires to prove themselves.

"Azrael.... I thought I recognized you."

Azrael moved Evangeline behind his back again.

"Hm..? Do I know you?"

Raleigh shook his index finger at Azrael whilst shaking his head.

"Twenty seven years ago, King Creek. There was a small strength competition hosted by Horus. My first ever completion. In my first fight I was put up against Horus' most prized pupil. I was no match for that man, he beat me within an inch of my unnatural life."

Raleighs eyes started to burn with rage as his lips tightened, the next words came out from gritted teeth.

"Do you know who that Vampire was. It was you. You Bastard!"

The only thing stopping him from leaping at Azrael right now was his promise to May about not fighting anyone. But he was sure she could tell how worked up he was right now.

"Ahhhh, now now ~ there's no need to get angry, brother... That was a long time ago, and you're much stronger now."May attempted to comfort her brother by grasping his shoulders gently and smiling at him. She just hoped he would listen to her. May wasn't particularly interested in being responsible for cleaning up after a fight had broken out and there were two wounded vampires on the ground. "But....it pains me to deny you what you want, so I suppose I should let you fight him, shouldn't I? Ahh~ Azrael is so old now, you have a much better chance... I think you can fight him." for some reason, she started to encourage him. It was unlike the calm and collected vampire to encourage her violent twin brother, but she was curious to see what was going to happen. Azrael was protecting a rather pretty girl. Would he pick a fight with a vampire with her around? It would be interesting to see something unfold."You have my permission to fight him, brother... just imagine you're fighting for a damsel in distress! You have to save her~"May chirped cheerfully, patting Raleigh on the shoulders lightly and whisking herself over to the side, standing by a tree that was nearby. She watched and waited in anticipation, wondering what was going to happen. Surely Azrael would not fight the young vampire again.

"No, you're not going to hurt him..."suddenly, Evangeline spoke up. She moved out from behind Azrael and stood beside him, grabbing his left arm and holding him close to her, like she was trying to protect him. "I won't let you." she added, pouting a little and resting her head against the vampire's shoulder. Evangeline was scared of these foreign vampires, but she wasn't about to let them just waltz in and take Azrael away from her so easily. "You should go back to your own neck of the woods, you don't belong here. We are just traveling and we want nothing to do with you, so if you wouldn't mind, we'll just be going..."the princess trailed off and her hand slipped to grasp Azrael's as she attempted to pull him away from the eventual commotion. Evangeline looked back at her companion and frowned a little. She hoped he didn't want to fight this vampire. What if the girl went for her while he was distracted? Evangeline was somewhat tempted to run away and save herself, but she doubted she would have the ability to outrun a fully fledged vampire. "C-come on, we don't need to fight anyone..."she muttered softly, blinking her long eyelashes at him, hoping he would obey and just follow her.

Raleigh could tell that his sister was intentionally trying to rile him up, but he let her continue anyway, his mind had long since been decided when he realised the Vampire opposite was Azrael. Even though Azrael was somewhat older than both Raleigh and May, it would be foolish to mistake this as a weakness within a Vampire, if anything, the majority of Vampires became better the older they got, experience counts for a lot when your body can perform inhuman movements.

He started to square up to the older Vampire when the young human girl stepped between them, spouting some nonsense, talking like Azrael was her pet or something. The little girl grabbed the Vampires hand and pulled him away. Not particularly wanting to fight, not just because they currently had the Kings Army searching for them, but Azrael was not exactly bothered about some youths grudge match.

Raleigh furrowed his brow. Visibly disgusted by the vile act of a Vampire being ordered around by a pathetic human.

"Where are you going, Azrael? Have you no honour that you have to be pulled around like a little human lapdog?"

Azraels eyebrow twitched at the insult. He knew there were no truth in the words, Azrael and Evangeline were simple just travelling together. The young vampire was merely trying to lure Azrael into a pointless fight. In response, Azrael took Evangelines hand and walked past the other Vampires.

Raleigh was annoyed by the open faced insult, Azrael knew that Raleigh was asking for a fight but instead chose to be pulled along by the young human. He looked toward his sister who showed no particular interest in the situation.

"I didn't say you could leave yet, Azrael."

Raleigh moved swiftly up behind the couple, broke their grip apart and held the human close to him and held a finger outstretched, pointing at Azrael.

"Don't you dare walk away from me. You'll fight me, or I'll give this girl to my sister to take to Horus. How about that?"

"Ah! Let go of me!"Evangeline suddenly squealed out as Raleigh grabbed her from behind. He was holding her close to him, and she didn't like it one bit. "Let go!"she demanded, using all of her strength to attempt to escape the boy's grasp. Unfortunately for her though, she wasn't strong enough to get away and she soon gave up struggling. It was tempting to bite him on his hand, but she knew that it probably wouldn't do anything, and that it might just cause him to become angry.... well, angrier than he currently was.

"Let her go, Raleigh, you're going to leave bruises on her if you hold her like that~ Horus won't be very happy~"May giggled softly and gently reached up to pat her twin brother on the head. "Give her to me - how do you expect to fight Azrael when you're holding a pathetic human in your arms?" the vampire opened her arms and waited for her brother to throw the human at her. When he did, she brought her arm across Evangeline's neck and held her there. She was bandaged there already, and she could smell blood ever so faintly. It was obvious that the girl had been hurt previously. "Looks like Azrael has already tried to kill her~ maybe I should just do it myself...she would make a fine feast..."May's grip around Evangeline's neck tightened significantly. She would choke this girl if she wanted to.

Evangeline struggled in May's grasp as she felt her breath being stolen from her. She kicked herself around in the girl's grasp, wondering if she was just going to be choked to death. This was the second time within a couple of days that she had been almost put to her death. She didn't even have the strength to call out to Azrael anymore. Surely he wouldn't bother fighting the young vampire, surely he would just snatch her up and they'd be off.

Azrael watched as the twins threw Evangeline between one another, and then as May started to strangle the human. A sharp grin appeared on both of their faces as they started to enjoy the little game there were playing at Evangelines expense, purposefully trying to bait Azrael.
He was not amused.

The words that came from Azraels mouth were calm and without volume, as if conversing normally. His posture remained stoic and relaxed. And yet the words carried a terrifying edge with them. An unmistakable hint of rage cut with a underlying sense of honesty.

"I do not know why you are playing this pathetic little game, but I will not be distracted by your childish little amusements. I will not be toyed with by the likes of you. To think that a pair of incestuous vampire rejects would have the audacity to mess with me, or the company I travel with, is laughable. I told Horus that I would have no further dealings with him and his lackeys, and I warned him that dragging me into that mess of a world that he created so that he could play King, would result in a bloody mess."

Azrael never took his eyes from Raleigh as he spoke his words, he was sure the kid would not heed his words, but Azrael always liked to make sure people knew what they were getting into before he dealt with them.
His eyes narrowed.

"Now, are you going to tell that whore of a sister to let the child go, or am I going to have to swap out the body she cradles with your true death corpse... Or rather, what will be left of it."

Raleigh gritted his teeth behind closed lips. A shock ran through his entire body as he heard those words. He almost backed away as he felt a sickening aura emanating from the senior vampire. He stood fast. Unwilling to back down from the challenge which he and his sister had now created. His anger rose as Azrael disgraced the twins and their master so openly, he had never heard such words uttered without the perpetrator soon to face death at the hands of the all-mighty Horus. Whether he would rather not face this Vampire or not was now out of the question, he had insulted everything that Raleigh held dear, and this Vampire would pay, Raleigh would reclaim his broken honour and make Azrael pay for the words he chose.

He slipped an ebony knife from a holster on his back, and brandished it at the older Vampire.

"May, take that little shit to Horus and tell him to make good use of her, and tell him to leave me a piece of the action. And tell him I'll bring him this one too..."

He gestured at Azrael with the knife, shining green in the light.

"... Tell him, I'll be bringing an old friend to come and watch the party."

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He yawned loudly as he sat on his cold stone throne as his head rested his fist, his arm propped up on the arm rest.

It had been several years since he had come up to his northern lair. But only a few nights ago he had woken up from a night of heavy debauchery and decided that it was time for a change of scenery, he had forgotten just how beautiful the snow was when it covered the ground.

Before he was about to retire to his bed chamber he was confronted by one of his favourite vassals, May, seemingly without her brother. Which was odd, they never went anywhere without one another. Their 'forbidden' relationship was one of the most interesting things about them.
With her was a small girl. Horus' mouth grew wide as he recognised the child. It seemed May had brought him quite the elegant little gift.
May frog marched the girl infront of Horus and stood her there, both hands on the little girls shoulders.

"Well well, May. What is this you have brought your master?"

May had grimaced a little at the comments that came from Azrael's mouth, but she did her best to stay quiet. She knew that Raleigh would deal with him properly once she was out of sight. When he told her to take Evangeline to Horus, she simply nodded her head and dragged the girl by her long ebony hair like she had done it a million times before. Evangeline kicked and screamed as she was dragged away, but she wasn't able to escape the girl's grasp, she was far too strong for her."I will see you shortly, brother~"she called out to him while she was still able to see him. When they were finally out of sight, she sighed softly and continued to drag the human behind her. Horus would be proud of her for bringing such a beautiful and valuable gift right to his feet. Perhaps he would reward her with something equally as valuable.

After a short time of traveling, they made it to his lair. May greeted the guards and yanked Evangeline inside, still grasping her by her hair. It was the only way to keep her in line, and it would also keep her quiet. If she spoke or disobeyed, the vampire vowed to cut all of her hair off when given the chance, so the princess learned rather quickly. Luckily for May, Horus was still in his throne room, and he had been looking rather bored with himself until she came along, dragging a prize with her. May grabbed the girl's shoulders and pushed her in front of his looming figure. The vampire got down onto one knee and kept her head down. "Master, I have brought you a gift. My brother and I discovered her in Azrael's company... Do you remember him? Raleigh is dealing with him as of right now, you can expect him here shortly." after a moment of silence, May got to her feet, glanced up at Horus briefly and turned around to leave the room. He normally wanted her gone whenever she brought him a new plaything, so she was merely acting one step ahead of him."I'll be returning to my chambers now, Master. Please let me know if you'd like anything more from me." May bowed her head once more before heading for the doorway.

Evangeline now found herself in quite the bad situation. She rubbed at her head when May let go of her hair. She was worried she was going to rip it all out with the grip that she had on it. Suddenly, she locked eyes with the man that Azrael had spoken about. Horus. He was a bad man, apparently. He didn't seem like he would be of pleasant company at all. The princess shuddered inwardly and timidly stepped towards him as May pushed her from behind. What did they want with her? Evangeline didn't have anything to offer him, other than her blood... She didn't want to be forced into a relationship with him, she didn't want him to lay his hands on her. It sent shivers down her spine. Was Azrael just going to let her be mutilated by this monster of a man before her? Evangeline kept her eyes off of him as May spoke to him, but she could feel his stare burning through her skin. It was horrifying. The princess bit down on her lip and closed her eyes. She didn't want to die like this...

Please don't hurt me..."she whispered softly, falling to her knees in front of the man, her head facing the ground beneath her. "I'm nothing... I'm no one, I'm of no value you to so please...just let me go.."Evangeline pleaded with Horus, not daring to look up at him. She was worried he was going to hit her, or something. The girl trembled as she curled up on the ground. Where was Azrael? She needed him more than ever right now.

Horus was a big Vampire, and as he stood up, his frame seemed to completely obscure the majority of the throne behind him. He took the three steps leading from the base of the throne to the room floor at his own pace. Horus watched as May left the room, and then he stopped in front of the sobbing girl. He crouched down onto his haunches and looked at the human curled up on his floor.

"I know who you are, little princess. You've caused quite a stir inside your fathers castle. You're lucky most of the population is unaware, otherwise you might have been caught by now and I wouldn't have been able to accept this marvelous gift."

Horus grabbed the girl by her hair and dragged her up onto her knees, and with his spare hand, directed her gaze at his own. He looked into her eyes for a few seconds before letting her fall back to the floor. He stood back up and started to wonder around as he spoke to himself.

"Now. I wander what poor little Azrael would be doing with a girl like you. Perhaps he wanted a high class slave to do his bidding? No no. That would be far too dark for him. Is he taking you somewhere? The little princess no longer wants to play royalty? Hm... Maybe. But that still doesn't explain why Azrael would burden himself with such a task. Well, this is most perplexing. I wonder if he will indulge me with the answer when he comes to get you. Assuming he does actually care about you to some extent and that you were not just a simple pastime. Haha, I can imagine it now, him busting in here all 'Give me back my princess'. Ah, isn't here such a hero? He's got the looks and the good intentions. So humble and selfless. Tell me little girl...."

He said turning his gaze back to Evangeline.

"...You haven't fallen for him yet have you? He's like that you know. Making ladies fall for him and then discarding them like yesterdays bones. Poor old Elizabeth, she fell for him hard..."

He returned back to his throne and clicked his fingers. Two Vampires entered the room.

"Take this one to my chambers and put a guard on the door, she is not to leave. Also, we'll probably be visited by a very disgruntled Vampire soon so please make sure everyone is on alert for that, but don't slow him down too much, I'd like to talk to him myself."

He returned back to the casual position he was in before May arrived with the princess, who was now being dragged away backwards by her arms.

"Don't worry, Evangeline. I won't be too long."

Horus said winking.

Evangeline kept quiet when she heard the vampire approach her. She let out a sheepish squeal as Horus grabbed her by the hair and her hands clasped over his in an attempt to make him let go, but it was useless. Suddenly, he guided her face towards him. It was almost tempting to spit at him and swear, but she knew better than to do such a stupid thing. She looked into his cold eyes and was soon tossed back to the ground, unable to catch herself in time to stop her head from hitting the floor. He knew who she was, he knew that she had been in the company of Azrael, and now he was trying to figure out why she would be traveling with him. Evangeline had no intention to say anything to Horus, though. Giving him what he wanted would only end badly for her, but she supposed that refusing to provide him with information could also make matters worse.

Rubbing her now aching forehead, she looked up at Horus as he talked about how Azrael would discard girls when he was done with them. She couldn't believe what she was hearing. Had he not heard about what had happened to her when Elizabeth became jealous? Azrael would never do such a terrible thing to her, he was kind and he had been protecting her since the day she had met him. He would not hurt her like that, at least intentionally, anyway. The princess narrowed her eyes at the vampire as he clicked his fingers and sent two vampires into the room. Evangeline glanced either side of her. Two males had already grabbed her by the arms and they were starting to drag her away. Why was she being taken to Horus's bed chambers? It made no sense to her at all. Evangeline would have kicked and screamed and fought against the vampires as best as she could, but she no longer had the energy to fight back.

A few minutes later, she was tossed into a bedroom of some sort. It seemed to belong to Horus. Evangeline got to her feet and glanced around as she brushed the dirt off of her limbs. She had to say, he had quite a beautiful bedroom, even if he was a bit of an ass so far. The princess moved over to one of the large windows and pushed the velvet curtains out of the way temporarily. Snow covered the ground and the lair seemed to be surrounded by forest, god knows how deep into the forest she was now. Would Azrael ever find her here? She certainly hoped he would come for her soon. The girl was worried about what Horus might intend to do with her up here. The thought of being abused by him sent a shiver down her spine. Even if she were a vampire, she had a feeling that she would not stand a chance against his strength. Evangeline rubbed at her forehead again and bit down on her lip. She hoped Azrael was doing better than she was.