Prince Charming

Note: Oh yeah, you better believe it…it’s an update! And, finally, my hectic week is over… From here on out (shouldn’t be too long), things should go smoothly… Should. No time for rambling…hope you enjoy!

Chapter Eighteen

The ice-white building scraped the sky with its towering height, its shimmering walls built into the snow capped mountain and completely invisible to eyes that didn’t already know it existed. Near the top of this soaring peak, a strange fog gathered, staining a paned glass window with a hazy mist before seeping through a slight crack and into the darkened room inside. In the room, barely large enough to fit the small bed and single dusty bookshelf that already adorned it, the fog solidified, taking on shape and form until a man took the place of the mist, his arms burdened with a barely stirring figure draped in grey sheets.

“Welcome, my nightingale, to the house of the ancients…” Laying his subdued captive gently on the open bed, Cyprien began a quick search of the room, closing shutters over the window and pulling crimson drapes tight to block out the approaching dawn, fated to send its first rays over the edge of the mountainous horizon after the passage of only a few hours. Eventually, seemingly satisfied, he headed for the door. Then, just as he prepared to step out, he paused, glancing back over his shoulder to the sleeping figure and adding almost as an afterthought, “You will sleep until I return.”

As the steel-enforced oak door fell shut with a resounding thud, Teige didn’t so much as stir. But over the course of time following his placement in the bedchamber, his body did eventually begin working its way to a more conscious state, lashes fluttering and fingers clenching as he tossed more and more frequently beneath the sheets as hours passed. The night faded and dawn struck without a sound. It was an hour before sunset when his eyes first shot open to a room black as pitch.

Initially, he didn’t notice, his keen eyes so suited to darkness, that the room came into focus instantly. But, after a moment, his gaze landed on the shuttered window, closed door, and thick, stone walls boxed in around him; suddenly, he felt almost dizzyingly suffocated. Fists clenching in the sheets, he gave a start as he realized for the first time that he sat in a bed, alone and naked save for a flimsy piece of grey fabric. Throughout his tossing, the cloth had gathered and tangled about him like a mummy’s bandage, now clinging to his slightly damp flesh as he moved, and he shut his eyes with a curse, swearing silently to the darkness.

“Good gods, what have I gotten myself into now,” he muttered in a low grumble, raising a hand to his temple and dropping his face in it as if that might somehow erase the situation he’d woken to find himself in. When he lifted his head and opened his eyes for the second time, the scene hadn’t changed, and he gave a quiet sigh, resigning himself to his fate for the time being and wrapping the slim sheet about himself as cover.

After a thorough search and some diligent fiddling, he eventually managed to get the shutters open, and greedily spread the panes wide, welcoming the fresh air and light. To his chagrin, the sky looked grey already, parts of it pinking with the early signs of sunset, and it didn’t take long to deduce that he’d slept through an entire night and day in the entrapment of his current captor, who’s identity also didn’t take long to guess.

“Cyprien, by the gods if I get my hands on you-“

“You’ll what?”

Teige spun, the hand holding up his makeshift attempt at clothing clutched to his chest as his pulse leapt into the thudding beat of a cornered rabbit, the all-too-familiar voice making his knees weak, face flush, and panic soar. Any words he had left in him dried up like curled parchment in a fire, and he swallowed them down along with his heart.

Cyprien hung in the shadows, out of the way of even the faded light, but the darkness did nothing to hide his appearance from Teige. Regardless of the passage of time since their last encounter, the younger of the two felt sure he remembered well the face he had left in the mud and rain, and though similar, this one had a different air about it that left a pit of cold regret in his gut.

“Kill me? With your bare hands and slim wit against the strength of an immortal? I think not, my dearest, though a lot can be said about your confidence and sheer folly if that was your plan.”

“Davinoff…he left you for dead! I saw you die, Cyprien, I-“

“Yet you don’t seem all that surprised to see me.” Teige shut his mouth, frowning slightly, then opened it again.

“Raspel-“

“Ah, yes, I vaguely recall that now. Useless thing that he is…no idea what to do with power and less than a quarter century old. Immortals don’t just ‘die,’ my sweet, you should know that by now. Now step out of the light quickly and I might forgive you-“

“Forgive me?!” Teige clung to the windowsill like a lifeline, eyes wide as he realized the dying sun was his only protection. “I-“

“YES, forgive you!” The power behind the man’s voice made the smaller figure want to cringe, clutching the sheet slightly tighter at his chest and giving a last, despairing glance to the sun, sinking ever lower with every passing moment. “You left me…to rot, in the dirt and mud on that night… I let you go! Because every time I touched you your eyes filled with tears…and I couldn’t stand it…”

The vampire spat his last words like venom, a vile taste in his mouth as he spoke, and Teige’s eyes swelled with a pitying compassion for one instant before he quickly shook his head, turning away in disbelief. Cyprien had tricked him before, used him, manipulated him, taken away his very freedom! He couldn’t let lies get to him like this…

“But now you’ve had your taste of life: travel, companionship…and your first taste of blood along the way.” Suddenly, Teige’s heart gave an eerie thump, the implication behind the other’s words starting to sink in for the first time. “You won’t be able to get enough of it now …you’ll always want more…you haven’t had a taste for days and your lips are already parched of its flavor…” Teige shook his head, mouthing a silent plea of denial, but the vampire continued without remorse. “I will have you, my sweet dearest, whether by your will or not, and by the end of this night, you will never see dawn again! Enjoy your last sunset, my love.” With that, Cyprien spun, moving to leave the room in a flurry of movement, but the other cried out, his voice desperate as he shouted.

“No! Cyprien, wait! Please!” The smaller man stumbled from the window, ocean eyes faltering with indecision before falling to the floor, his cheeks heating with shame as he stepped from the light and into shadow. “Don’t do this…don’t trap me like this again…I couldn’t stand it, I…I need the sun…and the birds and the trees and the travel…why can’t you ever understand that?”

For a moment, Cyprien hung in the doorway, his expression unreadable as stood there, lingering in the darkness, before eventually stepping back. As the vampire advanced on him, albeit slowly, Teige had the familiar sensation of being stalked, though nothing in the man’s stride indicated anything more than deliberate gentility. When the man stood directly before him, their chests less than a foot apart and the immortal’s familiar features looming over him with the air of a god preparing to pass judgment, Teige resisted the urge to turn tail and flee back into the fading light, determined to hold his own, just this once, against his ageless captor.

“Do you think…that I do not know that feeling, my sweet?” Smooth fingers, unmarred by time and age, cascaded down his cheek with the grace of a morning fog, startling the smaller figure into a sharp intake of breath; he’d forgotten how gentle the vampire was, and how cold. Like a frozen lake, the beautiful immortal showed nothing but perfect tranquility on the surface, an icy, serene mask that hid a frigid and fatal punishment for anyone who cracked the shell. “Unlike many…I remember. I remember waking up on beds of straw or beds of silk…flinging open windows to greet the first, flickering rays of sunlight as they dance like the teasing warmth of a shy lover’s fingers over skin chilled by morning…turning the dew to mist and bringing new life to the world each day. I remember…a distant time when food graced my lips…when lush fruits and exquisite wines did not make me balk at the thought of their taste…when I yearned for something besides…” His fingers brushed along the edge of Teige’s neck, a lingering caress that implied so much with its desperate tenderness. “…blood.”

“Cyprien…” Ocean eyes swam with a desperate plea, though he knew not what he begged for, and the vampire’s touch flickered up, his finger coming to rest on Teige’s lips to stall any further speech.

“You do this to me, Teige…you make me feel the sunlight I haven’t seen in centuries…you make this endless eternity of darkness worth waking up to. An immortal’s life is cold and unfulfilling…an incessant blood hunt, nothing more…but you bring back worth and purpose. These days without you…have run one into the other like nothing, blurred specks of reality that are useless to me because they were void of your presence. Humans say a man loses his heart and soul the day he relinquishes his mortality…but by all the gods of this realm in the next, if I ever had either…you took them the moment I laid eyes on you.”

By then, Teige didn’t know whether he had the will or capability to speak, his throat tight and eyes filling rapidly with the stinging salt of a thousand tears he couldn’t let himself shed. Somehow though, he found the words, his speech painfully coarse in comparison to the vampire’s eloquent composition. “If you had told me that…any night before the one which found me sobbing over your corpse…any night, Cyprien!” He brought a hand to his lips, diverting his foggy, wet gaze as he gained control of his trembling voice. “I would have followed you willingly. I would have…spent eternity with you. But…” He forced himself to face the immortal, prepared for anger, hatred, anything but the terrifying anguish he found locked in those ebony depths. “…I’m in love with him, Cyprien…”

He watched the vampire shut his eyes, ageless features furrowing for one brief instant in a look of physical pain, as if Teige himself had dealt some gruesome blow. Then, when his eyes opened, his gaze had returned to his expressionless mask, a frigid darkness that sent a chill to the very base of Teige’s stomach. When Cyprien spoke, his voice didn’t so much as waver. “Very well…then he will die.”

“NO!” Teige’s legs nearly gave out from under him at the thought, his head feeling dizzyingly disoriented as the immortal spun his back to him, preparing to leave once again. “Cyprien, you can’t-“

His denial alone was all it took to gain him Cyprien’s full attention once more as the vampire rethought his retreat and turned on the objecting mortal. “Oh, trust me, sweet nightingale, I can.” The vampire hissed venomously, his eyes ablaze as he caught his stumbling ex-lover’s wrist in a death grip, lifting the slender hand and forcing the trembling man to his chest. “But I won’t…you will.”

“What do you mean? I would never-“

“Your useless ape sleeps, wounded, at the foot of this very castle, wearied from his fight with the fledgling, ignorant of his eminent danger. He spent last night and half this day searching for you, and has collapsed from blood loss and fatigue, remaining unconscious since his fall. When the sun sets, I will see to it that the night finds him locked in irons beneath this structure, and dungeon rats can feast on his flesh until I retrieve you. Once all is safe…I will come for you…and drink my fill. I stay good by my promises, my love…with your body already parched with the need for blood…a drain at this hour will leave you on the brink of death…but his body can take no further beating either. Tonight, when I leave you at his feet, you will take his life with his blood and seal your fate as an immortal…or destroy three lives with your own suicide.”

When Cyprien released his wrist, Teige crumpled to the floor, no longer able to stand as a sea of silent sobs wracked his body, his nails clenching into fists and tears of defeat staining the flooring as he shook. “I…will die before I kill him, Cyprien…”

“If that is your wish…so be it.”

With that, Cyprien disappeared, gone in a flurry of movement before Teige could even register his absence and leaving the sobbing figure to his tears as desperate blue eyes watched the sun fade. His lover’s only savior, dying with every breath he took. Far below him, true to Cyprien’s word, Davinoff lay still, a lone figure spread on the snow, a mere speck on the endless expanse of white at the base of the sky-scraping ice tower.

~

A foggy mist rolled in over the land, bringing a chill with it, and Davinoff stirred, a quiet groan escaping him as he drew a frigid breath, the air brittle and cold as it worked its way out down his throat. When he tried to move, it felt as if his limbs had been encased in a block of ice. Slowly, with grudging persistence, he worked his eyes open, focusing on elongating his short, staggered breaths and determining his surroundings.

Everything was steeped in shadow, and it took his unaccustomed gaze a moment to adjust to the dark, so he could only assume the sun had yet to rise. Then, a splinter of memory came back to him, and he frowned, bringing a stiff hand up to his throbbing head as he struggled to sit up. He remembered losing Teige, fighting the vampire, and fleeing, but he also remembered sunlight: piercing sunlight, aching cold, and a jarring ride. If he remembered correctly, he could only assume he had ridden through the night of the fight, and into the next morning, then fallen unconscious somewhere along the line, leading to his current predicament.

Muttering something into the icy slush beneath him, a frigid mixture between grass, mud, and something akin to snow, he managed to make it onto all fours, and eventually back on his knees. There, he took a careful breath, eyes shut and tense hands clenching and unclenching to work heat and blood back into his stiff limbs.

“So you are alive.”

Drake’s head shot up at the unexpected voice, and he almost immediately regretted it as a dizzying pain swamped his scull the next instant. In that moment though, he saw more vicious envy, mystification, and loathing than he’d ever expected to see in a lifetime. Most terrifying of all: it was all directed at him.

“T’would be a pity, I suppose, if you’d died already…but I wouldn’t have put it past you…” The vampire continued without pause, his words strung together calmly with nothing in their tone that would suggest the turmoil of emotions Drake had glimpsed only moments before. By the time Drake managed to get his pounding head under control and glance up again, Cyprien had gained full control of his composure, ebony eyes glinting and dangerous, but revealing nothing. “You can’t stand, can you?”

Scowling, Drake instantly prepared to deny the inquiry, shifting his weight as if to stand, but the moment he did so, vertigo overwhelmed him, and he had to clutch his forehead in order to keep even a semi-upright position. When the vampire laughed, the cold, sharp sound reminded Drake of the frigid air, and he shuddered in spite of himself.

“How poignant…you barely escape the hands of a vampire not yet a quarter century old, ride yourself through blistering sun and glacial snow, lose your horse, mislay your weapon, and collapse in a ruddy pile of ice melt only to find yourself at the feet of a man about to take your only lover and leave you in a dungeon to rot… That is, if the poor boy doesn’t kill you first.”

“Teige…” Awareness hit Drake hard, and suddenly, the jarring in his head didn’t matter a whit as he staggered to his feet, newfound strength spurring his movements. “Where is he?” He meant it as a demand, but it came out hoarse and desperate, his need to confirm Teige’s safety overriding his pride a hundred-fold. To Drake’s immense frustration, the vampire didn’t so much as blink, his expression a cold mask as he arched a single eyebrow.

“You will know soon enough” were the last words Drake heard before his vision went blurry, and the next thing he knew, he was waking up slowly to the four cold walls of his new prison.


Note: Many thanks to my lovely editor/beta who I am eternally grateful for! Sorry the chapter took so long, and it’s short, I know. I’ll try to get the next update out sooner.

Katica Locke: Yay! Update! *Does happy update dance*

Okay, I definately did not see that coming, but now that you mention it, I can see the family resemblance. Oh, I hope Cyprien doesn't do too much to Teige before Drake can rescue him. Looking forward to the final confrontation, and to more smut (gotta get it somewhere, since it's not in my story, lol) Thanks for reviewing and please don't leave us waiting too long!

Katica

Whoot! I looks like no one (not even me) saw it coming! Lol. Honestly though, I didn’t know Raspel was his brother until mmm…like, a chapter or so ago? I usually base my story off of…images, really. I see things in my head…and describe them. I saw a battle sequence (probably one that won’t actually end up occurring), but it involved Cyprien and Teige watching from a distance as Drake and Raspel fought, with Cyprien explaining how sad it was to see them rip each other apart, not even knowing they were related.

Cyprien? Not be his usual evil self? Ha! Well, actually, I think he’s being pretty well behaved…at least he’s not raping him! Phht. Smut! Probably in chapter mmm…twenty-one? I think it’s going to end up being twenty-one chapters, ya… You’re welcome, as always for the reviews…and I’m sooo sorry I took this long to update! (But hey, if you stay true to your plan of trying to review every chapter, this makes it easier on your time schedule, right? XD Kidding… -Ahem-) I’ll try to update faster next time. ^^ Really, I will…

Falcon Bertille: Great new chapter!

The beginning of this chapter really adds a lot of depth and -- dare I say it? -- humanity to Cyprien's character. I really felt for him when he was standing outside the cave, unable to understand why Teige would choose a brief time with Drake rather than an eternity with him. I guess, in that moment, he kind of reminded me of Kale, convinced that possession/obession is the same thing as love.

Action scenes are always difficult to write, and a action scene where the viewpoint character has trouble seeing is even trickier. I'm quite impressed that you managed to pull this off with so much clarity. You provided so many sensory details beyond vision that I felt like I was right there, standing with Drake in the darkness, straining to hear the slightest sound. Very exciting and suspenseful!

And I adored this little exchange between Raspel and Drake:

"And you are?”

“In a bad mood."

Too funny! It's nice to see that Drake won't let anything keep him from being his adorably gruff self, not even a vampire.

The twist at the end really suprised me! The good type of surprise, where I shout "Aha! I should have seen that coming, but I didn't." I love it when an author manages to be more clever than I am. (Okay, I know that initially you didn't see it coming either, but I still think it was a brilliant piece of inspiration on your part. It makes Raspel more that Cyprien's tag-along, and gives Drake even more emotional issues to deal with regarding vampires.)

More! Soon!

Love,
Falcon

Kale!! -flutter hand in front of face in attempt not to faint like rabid fangirl/boy- Squee! I love Kale. T_T If Cyprien came even close to Kale in that moment…then I am forever happy. I’m glad you like Cyprien, though. Of all my characters, I have to think most about his lines, tamper with them until they come out right. It often feels more like writing the bulk of the story instead of writing dialogue, just because of the way he tends to talk (in long, flowery, monologues…).

Again, I’m glad you liked the action scene. As I’ve said, I usually do have trouble with them…but this time around, I was more worried that it wouldn’t be very decent…simply because I didn’t have a whole ton of trouble with it. I mostly just wrote it, went back and re-read it with a few fixes but…not much laboring. But I didn’t want it to sound rushed or ill constructed…so it’s comforting to know it came out easy to picture.

Drake and his emotional baggage…you know…isn’t it supposed to be the female in the relationship that has all that stuff? Phht. But yeah…he’s terrified of vampires, hates them because they killed his brother, but now his brother IS a vampire…and Teige is turning into one. Grargle. Poor Drake. I’m so mean.

Love your reviews as always! And many, many thanks for your continued help with editing…no matter how unreliable I can be. ^^;

Rin-chan: Wow! ^^ I don't have alot of time, but you sure have been busy, Moonstar-Sama! You're writing is so great, so detailed and I love each and every update you've done! I hope to be a writer of your caliber someday, I really do.

*chocolate and pocky*

- Rin Rin

Aye. I’ve been very busy…so I can totally sympathize, no problems! Glad to hear you’re still reading and enjoying! Wow…someone that wants to live up to me? This is new…I’m so used to it being the other way around…but thank you so much! I think you’re already a terrific author…so it means a ton when you give such high praise!

(And yay for the chocolate! Pocky…..o____o -devours-) Many thanks!

BrucesGirl or Katarai-Dove-Olson: Oh my God. I am just in awe of your writing talent, and I think you've quite easily made it into my top two favorite authors on this site. (Camaro being the other.) Jesus, where did you learn how to write like that? I'm so fucking impresed. I read story after story hoping to fall upon something of this caliber, and this is the first time I have in at least a year. Just fucking WOW.

The biggest wonderment I have with the story is the development of the characters. You make them real and so familiar to the readers, and that is a rare talent only given to the best of authors like Steinbeck and Poe. You've taken the old style of fairly vague description and twisted with a style of your own, making th most amazing erotic story I've ever read.

Favorite character? Most definitely Drake. Not only is he big and gruff, but he has a heart, and he reminds me of the kind of man I might fall in love with...well...if I liked men at this point. *snicker* His development was excellent, and I loved the sexual tension right up to the lemon. The entire time, I was squirming in my chair thinking to myself, "Geeze...just hurry up already." When they finally 'hurried up,' I was like... AHHHHHH!!!!!! Then I had to take a cold shower afterwards. It was the most beautiful lemon I've ever read. Anyways, I'll be reviewing your other works on here. Bravo, and thank you so much for the read. We're honored that you're here!

Second favorite author on the site? Cool! Where I learned to write? Well…if you do read my other stories like you said, you’ll find out how. Allllll practice. I write waaaay too much, most likely, and slowly but surely…it has brought me to whatever level I’m at, though I hope to continue improving constantly. I’m working hard at it…and I’m honored that you enjoy it so much!

Characters…my favorite part! I don’t think I could create a plot thick enough to hold its own without good characters, so I’m lucky that they come to me. I can’t really say I work hard for them though…since they seem to create their own lines and talk for themselves. It makes my job easier, at least! ^^ Steinbeck and Poe? Wow. That’s some pretty high praise…I only hope I can continue to live up to your expectations!

And yay! Drake has another fan. ^^ I’m so used to the effeminate character being the favorite, but it makes me happy to see the dominant getting some love…they always seemed to be pushed into the background. Hurry up? Lol. I have a habit of dragging things out for a while…but only because the characters I pick usually need some time. I’m glad you liked it in the end though, and again, I’m honored at all your praise! Thank you so much for taking the time to review. ^^

Renair: So, we find out what happened to Drakes brother... I sence a change in loyaltys in the not-so-far-off furture. And how on earth do you manage to end EVERY chapter with a cliff-hanger? Seriously, I want to know... And on a totaly random note, look up a person called Heise on DevieantArt, they have a picture that looks EXACTLY like Tiege and Drake (so much so that I first thought it was fan art) And another great chapter! You've got me bitting my nails for the next one...again ^_^

A change in loyalties, eh? Maybe not TOTALLY…but that’ll probably come into play…since I can’t really figure out how else an exhausted, ill-equipped and chained Davinoff will manage to work his way out of a vampire’s prison cell with a drowsy and half-dead Teige at his side without at least a little help…but hey! That’s for later…

A cliff-hanger on every chapter? Because I love them so!! Bwhahahaha… No really. I just don’t feel like I’ve…ended a chapter unless it has that nice little final statement that hopefully makes people want to read more. Until the very end of course. I’m a fan of very solid endings…so, unless I want to leave a story open for a sequel, the last chapter should have a nice solid finish. ^_~

I looked up Heise…pretty pictures! Very cool. Wish I could draw like that….T_T Glad you liked it; the reviews make me feel all bubbly inside!

MakaiKitty: Raspel is Drake's brother?! I so did not see that one coming. Good twist though. Poor Cyprien. I think he's really gone and done it now. He's going to have to die. A shame, but you just can't steal another man's bishie without suffering the consequences, no? I'm sure the next chapter will be very intense. Can't wait.

Yes! Whahaha! As I’ve told some other people…I didn’t see it coming either. But I was pretty happy when the story revealed it to me… Lol. Cyprien must die?? Isn’t that a little harsh?? :gonk: Actually…I have Cyprien allllll planned out. Muahahaha…but that’s for later! Steal another man’s bishie, eh? But uh…..isn’t that what Drake is so very guilty of?

Since I’m so lazy, and my chapters are all uber short…the intense/battle-it-out all-or-nothing escape…will probably have to be chapter twenty. XP Until then…you can look forward to lots of angst and talking sequences. :gonk: Hope you don’t mind, and thanks for the review!