[OrigFic] Blood and Nature (Hunger)

[nathanialroyale]

Title: Blood and Nature
Prompt: Hunger
Rating: (PG-13)
Content Notes/Warnings: 16 years after the novels, Joscelin has recently been crowned King and has been forced into an arranged marriage for Peace to marry Jay, a vampire from the north lands he despises. No Warnings.

Vampires in my novels were originally created from torturing elves in hell for many centuries, the older vampires too strong to go on remained as spirits. These spirits can inhabit people’s bodies turning them into vampires, but the bloodlines also continued like a blood disease from the eldest. Because vampires were once elves they are hated in the very bone of most elf kind. Coupled with elvish immunity to infections and disease it makes it so that Elves cannot be turned into vampires. Elvish vampires are not 'supposed' to exist.

Main Character/s: Fa, Joscelin Quele Ante, Jay James Red Rose Quele Cross. Mentions of Nathanial Peter Quele Royale, Mentions of Damion Ante
Plot: After the novels, Joscelin an elf has recently been crowned King and has been forced in an arranged marriage for Peace to marry Jay, a vampire from the north lands he despises.
Location: illander Castle, Capitol of Camar'a.




Spinning the figure at arm’s length back to his body, Fa watched through the black and silver fringed mask. Did the young man realize who it was he danced with? Did the feel of another cold hand give memory to his dance partner of what he was?

Fa knew who it was he danced with, the masks were meant on this night to give an allure of mystery, but for some this was a useless endeavor. The one whose body was mere inches from his own was the newly crowned King Joscelin, son of the Boy-King Nathanial. The smell of the pine trees of his people and the soft undertone of rose soap alongside the leather of his usual ranger outfit was telltale. He knew with whom he danced, but did this young Elfling?

 

--


There was silence as he had walked onto the small stage in the ballroom, the vaulted ceiling allowing his powerful rich voice to travel with no need of magical aid. His hand lay on his stomach out of age old practice, to push his diaphragm as he sung but with no need to breathe now there was no reason to do so. But old habits die hard they say, and though he was old, so very old, he had not lost some of his living habits. Lips of blood red opened, though he hid the fangs, and he began to sing, the song one of his own.


Sorrow and pain,
Hold my memories
Lest I forgot what I once was,

Tenderness is cruel
In loneliness lies eternal love,
I’ve lived believing so

Are we born only to be wounded?
To be hurt, betrayed and lose everything?
Spiralling in my anguish,

If I am able to be reborn,
I’ll turn these scars
into beautiful petals,

And I shall become a Rose.


--


Leaning into the silver haired Elf, Fa whispered against a point of a delicate ear, “I hope that the young King Jay has been treating you well, your Majesty. It would shine a terrible stark light onto the vampire coven if he was allowing his bestial nature to show.”

Fa’s silver/white eyes snapped to the side as he felt a pair of common eyes upon himself, Ahhh, young one, you have not yet learned how to curb that streak of jealousy in you. We are possessive by nature, but it is for the best of all if you do not cage this one. This Elf is too strong to be treated like prey, he deserves respect.

Joscelin had looked off with lavender eyes at Jay who was starring with glaring red heated eyes from where he danced with a Baroness. Joscelin looked back to Fa, unable to hold back the shiver down his spine, but he held himself straight-backed and proud.

“What would you do if I said he was not, mylord?”

“Oh no, it would not be what I would do, but the coven. He has been reckless, allowing mortals to see what he is in the open, flashing his fangs around like a newborn. We do not allow such happenings, King Joscelin, and we will teach him an adequate lesson.”

Joscelin let out a sudden breath and his hand in Fa’s tightened, “You would execute him?”  Joscelin bit through his teeth and Fa laughed deeply, spinning the Elf King away again before drawing him in to himself once more. But this time more harshly, body to body, black velvet long coat pressed to Joscelin’s ornate purple frock coat.

Lips against the ear again, “Not I your Majesty, but the coven, we have laws to keep ourselves and the cattle safe. You know of whom I refer to as cattle, and though you may be King you are not yet Emperor. I am of the Menel Swamp and under King Emphyr and Queen Averna. I myself am infuriated with his childish behaviour. But I would touch no hairs on his body, though that seething jealousy is giving me an amusing sight.”

“An amusing sight for you perhaps. Jay will claim me once again as his own after this ball and take my blood to reassure himself I am his and no one else’s.”

“That is the nature of our kind, our base hungers, but you put up with his behaviour?”

Joscelin bristled and tried to pull away but Fa held him hard to himself as Joscelin explained, “He is of the Nightwalkers! He is far stronger and quicker then I, what am I to do? Stake him in his sleep? I will lose any chance of an alliance with Dire Cry and plunge my land into war!” The words were harsh whispers, lavenders slowly climbing the spectrum to dark purple.

“There is the bite and strength of our beloved Elvish King, now on to matters. To keep peace you must put up with his childish, moronic behaviour? You may do so Joscelin, but the covern shall not abide his frolicking and the knowledge of the common that a vampire resides among them! Dire Cry was different, we had no control in those sun washed lands, but here our rules are to be followed. If you shall not do anything, we will.”

Joscelin’s hand tightened white on Fa’s gloved hand, “Who are you?” He hissed.

“Fa, that is the name I am known as now. Head Elder of the clan of the Rose, the vampiric blood line Jay falls under, and my responsibility. If he doesn’t smarten up there will be hell to pay, your Majesty, and I am sorry for the threat in my voice.”

“Head Elder? How....how old are you?!”

Fa’s fangs finally flashed slightly in the light from the chandeliers, “If you believed Laucious to be old, your Majesty, he was but a child to me. When you see over three thousand winters and realize the world will forever move on in the same ebb and flow, leaving you behind, then you can speak to me as an equal. I respect your vigor in your youth, but understand that I speak for the coven, and we are larger then you believe. You are woefully ignorant, your Majesty. If you wish to rule over a third of our world, you best learn of the peoples you will be ruling. Your preconceptions of the darkness will not stand in these coming times; we are not your enemy.”

“You sound so at the moment, threatening my husband as you are.”

“Once more, the threats are not mine, and do you believe the people of this land of light will listen when they find out they are being ruled by a creature of darkness? A monster? Damion Ante did not become Nathanial’s husband, only his consort, have you wondered why? Did you ask? We are not a trusted race, King Joscelin, and I can tell this marriage was a forced one. I do not want to see this land crumble and fall back into pitiful civil wars; I have seen too much fighting in my life. I am a man of words, not of sword. I was going to go into seclusion like the elders before me but this is my last mission for the coven. I will teach Jay what it means to be a vampire, the rules, and the conduct. The clan of the Rose are not mouth foaming monsters who hunger for everyone and everything. He will be taught.”

“You do this for the Empire?”

“Ai, your Majesty. But I also do this because I had great respect for the strength of character of your mother, may his soul be at peace. Never has someone so young, so frail has entranced me so, and never shall it happen again. Perhaps one day you will live up to him, King Joscelin, but that day has yet to come. I do this as one last thank you to Nathanial and to see this land not plunge itself back into reckless abandon.”

Nipping lightly at the lobe of Joscelin’s ear he stepped back to give him a flourishing bow, arms out to the sides and and leg behind him.

“A marvelous dance My lord, it was a pleasure to make your acquaintance. If you excuse me, I am off to find my next dance partner.”

Joscelin unable to make a show in the ballroom gripped fists but he walked away to find another dance partner as well, to will away the crawling down his spine. Silver/white eyes shifted to red which still stared as Jay had decided to stay against the side wall to watch them both. Arms crossed over his chest, Fa could see the shudder go down his spine.

Know me for what I am, foolish youth, the Vampiric spirit inside of me created our line. I am the ancestor of the Rose. Aadi turned me over three thousand years ago and the spirit can smell your Vampiric spirit inside of you. You are unique, like I. Elf and Vampire, an anomaly. But that won’t save you if the coven wants you dead.

Jay stood straighter as Fa approached and the elder could see the blood sweat glisten on hands, smelling it in the air. It was taking all of Jay’s willpower to not flee, and the youth did not understand why.

“Would you allow me this dance?” Fa gave another flourishing bow, a white gloved hand outstretched toward Jay.

Jay held himself well and inclined his head, taking the hand with his own, long, red claw-like nails, grasping the gloved hand. Fa pulled the vampire to himself, “We have things to talk about, child.”

Jay stiffened in his arms, fear entering his eyes, a fear he had not felt since his youth at his father’s hands.

“Do not worry, I do not mean your death. Not yet, if you listen and do exactly as I tell you...”


You may live.