(This is the REVISED version- should be finished in time for Halloween 2002!)
*Hey y'all. Once again, I'm back. Ok. This one might get a little odd. I really don't know, I'm just kind of winging this one out of the blue…. But a warning, it will be dark, lime-ish, violent, and contain light swearing. Without further ado…
*I DO NOT BELIEVE IN DISCLAIMERS
Prologue: Consecration*The pool of shimmering glass sparkled and shined with the candlelight flickering off of the hard cold surface. As he stared into the mirror, he gave a small smirk. Why did he even bother? He knew he was perfect. He was the most feared and hated creature in the land, no, world. How could he not look perfect? Raising his fist, he brought it back, then let it fly and shattered the mirror. 'Not much of a loss' he thought to himself. 'I don't have a reflection anyway.' He smirked and laughed loudly at his own joke. Then he stopped suddenly. Tonight was the night. Tonight was the night he consecrated his bride. Thinking of her, he licked his lips in anticipation.
He had met her a mere two weeks ago, but at first glance he had known she would be his. He had only just moved into the area, and upon greeting his neighbors, he found her. Just thinking about her sent shivers up his spine. Her long silky silvery golden hair had smelled of roses, her porcelain white skin had been utterly flawless, and those deep pools of azure blue made him feel like he was drowning in the deep of the ocean. Her perfect curves, long legs. And, of course, that long, creamy neck. Her blood was completely pure and completely untainted, not a drop of wickedness lay with in her soul, and her heart radiated love and warmth for all. Yes.
For he, the greatest, the King of the Night, Serenity Crescent would give herself in full willingness and love. After that, he would allow her to stay by his side as the Emporess of the Dark. Darien laughed again at his full proof plan. He would enjoy breaking her tonight. Checking his cape one last time, he slowly shifted to the form of a bat and took flight out the window into the black moonless night.
*
Sighing heavily, Serenity waited and waited for the night to be over. She loved to dance; yet she hated these socials that her parents threw. The balls were always grand affaires that she was forced to attend, and worse, forced to dress as only the most respected ladies would. In her frilly, baby blue gown she felt like a doll dressed for nothing more than to pleasure the men's eyes. It was not that she was ungrateful to her parents for their hard work to buy her such pretty bobs; yet she still wanted less.
What she really wanted right at the moment was to leave. In fact, she wanted to leave for China, like her brother was doing. Her elder brother, Samuel, was lucky enough to have be able to join the army. Now he was leaving to go off on exciting adventures and voyages whilst she was stuck at home embroidering pillows. She knew soldier's lives were hard, she had watched Samuel and the rest of his platoon practicing. It was from them that she learned her love of weapons. She could wield a sword better than most boys her age, as well as was highly skilled hand- to -hand combat.
Her main problem lie within her physical traits. Being short and thin did not help her in her quest for more strength, and, of course, being a woman was certainly very problematic, for she was not allowed to fight in the first place. As she watched the dancers swirl around and around, she began to get rather dizzy. Excusing herself from her friends, she strolled out onto the patio to get a breath of fresh air.
Breathing heavily, she twitched her nose in disgust. For some odd reason, the fresh air seemed to reek of rotted things. Only once before, she recalled, had she smelled such an atrocious smell. It had been only about two weeks ago, the same night she had met that Count Darien fellow from some country far to the East of Europe. She couldn't place the exact smell, but it smelled coppery and rotten.
"Good evening, dear, fair Serenity. My, but you are a vision of loveliness tonight." She spun around on her heel to come face to face with the very same Count Darien who had just been occupying her thoughts.
"Why, thank you Count Darien. I didn't see you arrive." She almost blanched at the sight of the man's sickeningly sweet smile. She knew what he was up to, and if he even tried it, he would get the biggest wake-up call of his life.
"Yes. I always try to be modest. Why is a fair maid like yourself standing out in the chilly wind? A frail soul such as yourself might catch a chill. Allow me to escort you in for a dance, please my lady?" He gave her one of his most 'dashing' smiles and knew she would be putty in his hands if he could just get her to dance with him.
"No thank you, sir. I am quite content at the moment out here and away from the crowds. I suggest you go farther away than I."
"Why fair maid?"
"Because, as much as it pains me to tell you this, you reek of a rotten stench, and we wouldn't want any one inside getting sick from the smell, now would we, oh dearest Count Darien?" She feigned a look of pure innocence and smiled sweetly.
"Serenity, you mock me. I have given you no reason, and I suggest you refrain from repeating it, unless you beg trouble to yourself." He glared with a warning glance deep into her eyes, trying to gain control of her with his hypnotic trance.
"Oh. Well, then, in that case, I suppose I do beg trouble to come knocking for me, for I simply must tell you once again to at least leave my vicinity, you are beginning to make me lightheaded with that rotten stench of yours." She smirked this time, getting bolder. What could he possibly do to her at a party?
"Serenity." His voice was dark and deep, filled with lust and something akin to rage. "You have asked for trouble, now you shall receive your demand."
"Is that quite so? And how do you intend upon stealing me? Right out from under my father's nose? Here? Tonight? I think not."
"Too bad, because I think so." With that, he grabbed for her arms and yanked on them hard, twisting her around so that her back pressed up against his stomach. With one hand covering her mouth and the other holding both her wrists down, he began to drag her away into the night.
Though Serenity struggled with all of her might, she simply could not break loose. All of her old self -defense tricks, her old escape tricks, flew from her mind when they were executed to no avail. Her attacker was just far too powerful for her to even have the chance to scream.
*
She awoke to find herself lying in a well-fitted satin bed. When she sat up and saw the true nature of her resting place, she let out a delicate gasp of horror. She was in a coffin. Of all places to put her, why would that bastard Count Darien place her in a coffin. Looking around, she saw another coffin besides hers. The top was closed, but she could barely make out the fancy writing atop the casket. As she read the dusty writing from her position, she realized what was going to happen to her if she did not find a way out. But was it possible?
As long as she could remember, people had told her stories of witches and ghosts and vampires, but she never truly believed in any of them. Until now. If Darien truly was what the legends foretold of him, she was in deep trouble. No wonder he had been so strong: he had an endless amount of energy granted to him from the devil himself. And his distinct and sickening smell! Now she could place it, it had been the scent of old, dried blood. With these final clues, she had been able to put together the missing puzzle pieces.
"Your finally awake my dear."
Darien had waited the rest of the night and through the next day for her to awake. As soon as he had drugged her, he had been able to fall asleep without worries. Now that she was awake, he could hardly wait to ravage her of her blood, her soul, and all else that she still held untouched by the dark hell of the damned.
"Why am I here? What do you want with me?" She asked, her nose high in the air, trying to act brave, when in reality she was about to break down into tears.
"I have chosen you."
"For what purpose?"
"You will be my Emporess of the Dark, my vampire queen."
"I will do no such thing!"
"You haven't any choice. Last night we consecrated the ceremony. All I have left to do is the final ritual and we will be bonded as one forever into eternity." He smirked.
"What?" She cried out in horror. She didn't remember a thing! How was it possible? He had… he had… defiled her! And she couldn't recall anything! She felt dirty and used, and her fear only grew larger.
"All we have left to do is create a vampire out of you. Then we can begin the final acts and we will be soul bonded."
"No! I will never become one of you! You may have sold your soul to the devil, but I will never let you or him claim mine!" She shouted.
"You haven't a choice my dear."
"And why not? I wish to be given a fair chance to win my freedom!"
"Oh really?" She huffed at the sarcasm in his voice.
"Yes, really. You can even name the way I may try." Slightly a taken back by her forwardness and feisty spirit, he decided to let her have her whim.
"Very well, in order to gain your freedom from me, you must…" he looked around the room and his eyes fell upon two gleaming streaks of metal. "You must defeat me in a hand to hand sword duel." 'She'll never stand a chance.' He thought privately. What woman knew how to wield a proper sword?
"I accept your challenge. You will provide me with a weapon?" 'I cannot believe what luck I have. He picked one of my better talents.' She smirked inwardly. As he handed her a shiny rapier, she took a few practice swings and then bowed in the proper fencing manner.
"Let's begin." Darien said. The two dueled as of their lives depended upon it, but in truth, only one soul did. As they parried each other mark for mark, strike for strike, lunge for lunge, time flew by. For ten minutes. Then twenty. Finally, after a half an hour of solid dueling, Serenity made a desperate lunge at Darien that he had not been expecting. She managed to lock sword hilts, then disarm her opponent gracefully.
"I've won Darien. Give me back my freedom." She had… no! Why had he taken her so lightly as to hold back his strength? Now he had lost her! His frown deepened as he tried to think of a way out of it. Then he found his loophole.
"I told you I would let you go. I never said I wouldn't still create a vampire out of you. Come here!" With that, he lunged at Serenity, grabbed her by the waist, and dragged her off, screaming and into the night. *
~~~Not many changes… I just wanted to kind of fix little things and get this story seen… it's one of my personal faves, and with Halloween so close… it seemed like the perfect opportunity! PLEASE REVIEW! Much love, Vixen~~~
*I'll be updating it every other day till Oct 30th, which will be the final installment! BE SURE TO LOOK FOR ME!