Once Upon a Fateful Morning

Summary-
A human castle rests on the edge of an eerie forest. All that is known about the forest is that a wicked vampire inhabits it. One morning, the ruler of the castle, Lord Sheva, happened to capture the horrid beast. When his daughter lays eyes on the vampire, she does not believe he is truly wicked. She goes against her entire kingdom to prove this. Will she be in for more then she bargained for? Read and find out.

Excerpt-
Nauri turned, noticing the silver haired man had caught some of her hair. She let out a small gasp as he gazed at her, a small smile formed on his pale lips.
‘He truly is breathtaking’ she thought to herself, feeling her knee’s grow weak.
“Come closer” he spoke softly. She just stood there gaping. The vampire slid his fingers away from her hair and reached for her face. However, the chains prevented him from doing so.


Once Upon a Fateful Morning
Chapter one
Captured

Nauri sat in a large grassy field looking to the endless forest, her horse and companion, Seeri, at her side. The beast was quite large, but very gentle in nature. Her dark bay coat gleamed in the setting sunlight.

Nauri herself wore a short jade dress. It clung to her slender figure perfectly. On each side of the dress was a slit, revealing what she wore under it, a pair of black shorts. Her mid-length black hair was layered around her face, making her look even paler.

“Shall we go in?” she asked her companion. The large horse’s ears stood strait as Nauri spoke, as if taking in every word.

Nauri walked to the horse’s side and mounted skillfully. She took the reins in hand and tapped Seeri’s side with her boot. She started off towards her home, her kingdom.

Just as she neared two guards came rushing towards her frantically.
“Princess! It would be best if you stayed away from the castle for a little while longer. The enemy is being taken in as we speak” one of them called to her.

By enemy, she knew they meant the vampire that took residence in the nearby forest. The beast was thought to have slaughtered many people, and so her father vowed to capture the creature.

Nauri gave Seeri another small kick and rode past the guards, choosing to ignore their warning.
“I wonder what this fierce creature will look like” she said in a whisper. Seeri let out a small grunt, as if acknowledging her. Truthfully, she had imagined some terrible beast thrashing about angrily. Though, what she did see was quite the opposite.

Lord Sheva was riding on his own horse. He looked quite fierce despite his age. He wore his usual royal attire and his hair and beard were kempt neatly, though the color was slightly turning from its brilliant black to a dull ash.

Nauri’s vibrant eyes then traveled to something dragging behind her father. She gasped, realization hitting her hard.
‘It’s a man!’ her mind shouted.

He had long silver hair and the palest skin Nauri had ever seen. He appeared to be bided at the wrists by a think chain, and then attached to the saddle of her father’s massive steed.

Nauri had a hard time believing that man was the vampire her kingdom had been so desperate to capture.

‘He’s magnificent’ she thought to herself harmlessly.

Nauri then jumped from Seeri and ran towards her father. He pulled his own horse to a stop.

“Do not get too close. He is still dangerous even in his current state” her father warned.
She looked back to the vampire with a sullen expression. His face was contorted in pain, or maybe it was purely anger. She could not tell.

Several of her father’s best men roughly picked up the vampire. Only then did the princess get to see the full extent of his wounds. The vampire’s chest was fully exposed, warm blood trickling from a wound at his shoulders. He had many other deep gashes along his body that were bleeding pretty profusely. He had obviously not been captured without a good fight. She also took note of some of her father’s men missing. She could only guess what had happened to them.

The vampire had remained unmoving until about the time the men had started to bring him inside. He reached up, snatching one of the men by the neck. The silver haired man looked even fiercer then her father had. His eyes were an icy blue, yet they held so much anger for being such a pleasant color.

Nauri let out a small gasp. Her father had waisted no time and jumped from his horse, unsheathing his sword rhythmically.

The terrified man in the vampire’s grasp let out a strangled cry. The vampire only tightened his grip, ceasing all noises from the man entirely. The vampire then let go of the man. He dropped to the ground, gasping for breath. The vampire paused, then turned his gaze to her father. In the silver haired man’s side rested her father’s sword.

Nauri let out a small cry. She had never witnessed what just played out in front of her before. Her father then smoothly pulled the sword away and turned, the blade stained with blood.

The vampire then fell to his knees, a look of hatred on his face. Several men then carried him off into the castle without incident.

“Don’t look at me like that. Trust me, he will not be killed so easily” Sheva spoke as he gently ran his thick fingers down the side of her face as he walked past. Nauri said nothing and walked into the castle as well. She couldn’t help but feel uneasiness. She didn’t like to see anyone hurt, friend or foe. She brushed her blackened hair from her face and started towards the dungeon.

***
Nauri heard the dungeon guard laughing at something he apparently had found very amusing. She then peeked inside. The room was dark and damp and she scrunched her nose at the smell. Along the left side were two metal cells, currently unoccupied. The rest of the room was open and large. The floors and walls were both made from a worn stone.

“You do not heal the way vampire’s do in stories” the guard spoke, his voice slightly slurred. Held tightly in the guards hand was a dagger, the blade crimson. She didn’t have to guess what the substance was or even who it belonged to. After all, he and the vampire had only been the ones in the room before she had entered. The vampire let out an angry snarl as blood dripped along his abdomen. He was binded at the wrists by a thick chain, it attached to the wall. He had just enough room to where he could reach out in front of him or take a small step forward, but not enough to sit down.

Nauri rushed forward, reaching for the dagger.
“Get out!” She shouted. The guard quickly scurried away.

Nauri turned, noticing the silver haired man had caught some of her hair. She let out a small gasp as he gazed at her, a small smiled formed on his pale lips.

‘He truly is breathtaking’ she thought to herself, feeling her knee’s grow weak.
“Come closer” he spoke softly. She just stood there gaping. The vampire slid his fingers away from her hair and reached for her face. However, the chains prevented him from doing so.

Without realizing it, Nauri reached her hand to touch his. She gently ran a slender finger over his blackened claws.
‘His hands are amazing.. So elegant’
The vampire then grabbed her wrist roughly, and she cried out. He then brought her against his bloodied chest. With his other arm, he wrapped it around her waist tightly.
“You are quite the naive one” the vampire spoke.
Nauri looked up at him with green eyes.
‘Does he plan to do me in?’ she questioned herself.
The vampire studied her for a moment, surprised.
‘She does not seem to have any fear of me. Surely she knows I could take her life at any time’

Upon hearing a noise outside the vampire loosened his grip, no longer feeling the need to kill the young girl. After all, she didn’t seem to have anything to do with his little dilemma. Nauri quickly pulled away as a man entered. He had chin length black hair and green eyes, the same color as Nauri’s. The once difference is his eyes were larger, and more childlike dispite him being older then her.

“Are you okay, sister? I heard a scream” he spoke.
“I’m fine, Acadi. Just a bit startled” she answered.
“How can you be? You are covered in blood”
“It is not mine. Like I told you brother, I am fine” she insisted.
“Well come on. This is not a friendly place” he said, showing her out the door. He gave a weary look at the vampire before leaving. The vampire smiled softly.


***
Nauri lay in her bed; thinking about what had happened only hour’s earlier. She looked to her dress, not even taking the time to change. She stood up and started walking the long halls, searching for her father. She was unable to find him and instead found herself at the dungeon entrance, a damp rag in hand. She entered, noticing the guard half asleep.
“Leave us” she spoke coldly. The guard looked up questioningly for a moment but did what he was told.

Nauri stepped in front of the vampire and stared strait at him. He returned the gaze, his eyes a pale grey.
‘What is she up to?’ he questioned himself, trying to come up with a reasonable answer.

“Why didn’t you kill me? You had your chance. Why didn’t you?” Nauri questioned.
The vampire ignored her. He himself could not answer why he spared her life. She walked closer to the vampire, letting out a small sigh. She then lifted the rag to his chest, trying to clean the blood away. He immediately pulled away, his chains rattling.

“Get away from me” the vampire told her, his voice sounding deadly. She did not move an inch.
‘What is wrong with this girl?’ the vampire questioned.
The vampire then reached out, grabbing her throat with both hands.

END OF CHAPTER 1
***
Well, what do you think of the first chapter? Do you want to read more? Please review and tell me what you think and if there is any advice you could give me on improving my writing skills. Review enough and I will put the next chapter up in no time. Reviews always put me in a delightful mood ^^ -Hint Hint-