In the kingdom of Vermillion, lived an immortal king who sat upon a cold throne in a desolate castle. His stone palace sat on the side of a cliff above the small city below, a bustling horde of people and the wooden and brick structures that sat in straight lines. Despite rarely leaving his home, the king did watch and view his subjects from afar.
He made it a daily task to know, especially when hunger stirred. He could see the bartender who'd work late hours to get tips to pay for her brother's surgery. He could hear the wild rantings of the small-time beat cop arguing with his lover, a gullible bank clerk. But what he loved most was smelling their blood, feeling them walk around like bags of plasma, he could practically taste it.
Even though he had power, infinite reign, something that his subjects knew of, some who feared it, it was never publicly questioned, challenged. The world was full of dangerous and unseen creatures, some more menacing than most. A vampire ran cities and towns that stretched across the country.
Despite him never really leaving his fine estate he ran the kingdom well, superbly. Sure were requested to visited the castle, donate blood here and there, but it wasn't a daily thing, not even a weekly request. The men felt some sort of way having a twenty looking man, over a thousand years old, giving them bite marks. It seemed kinky.
And for the women of Vermillion it was, young girls, those wanting to know the touch and feel of an undead creature would venture up the hill, through the thicket of trees, and invite themselves inside the castle. The king was too a man, and on occasion he submitted to the desires of his more loving citizens, they always left satisfied.
Day after day cycles repeated, requests, summons, celebrations, all of which came first to him through his personal servant, Dom. Dom was a lean man of twenty two (with spiky rust colored hair, olive eyes, long narrow nose, as well as thin lips), whom the king had found two hundred years ago begging at his castle doors, battered and bruised Dom cried for the king to save him. And he complied, giving the boy eternal life, but not by turning him.
Dom was never bitten, but fed the king's blood until he was full and gagging. The blood tasted of suffering and pain, when he finally at rest Dom felt a part of him be taken away. The innocent parts of him started to tug away, and because of this Dom barely emoted, all the twisted up hurt cleansed him of such emotions. He was reborn and loyally served the king as was his vow, forever without thought.
In the dark cloudy master bedroom of the castle was a large king's bed with soft wool (dyed navy) covers, white linen sheeting underneath, two both sides of the bed were two end tables with half melted candles sitting in bronze holders, an old flag with a faded insignia in gray hung behind the bed, a metallic chest where clothes were kept in front of the bed, a wardrobe where secrets were kept in the lower right corner, one opened window in the upper left hand corner, and a wide-set door across from the chest.
Morning had come again, the king could tell, rays of light were hitting his face. Annoyingly the rays were hitting his eyes, shifting in the bed he sat himself up groaning rather than yawning at the small discomfort. Despite the beaming sun, something else was bothering him.
Two days ago an unknown visitor could be sensed coming into the city, a non-human presence. That bothered him, others of the paranormal variety could be wily and unpredictable. His people after all did come first, and he definitely did not want a supernatural disturbance causing havoc throughout the streets. Anyone of such a nature were to greet the king first, it was actually a law in this kingdom. On the second day of this visitor's arrival an invite was sent for a morning meeting in the great hall.
Two knocks came at the door "My count, you have been keeping our guest waiting for over ten minutes. Are you ill?" That would be Dom, his voice today was a bit testy rather than flat. Dom may have become his servant, but he took the occupation seriously, to the point that he could be the only one to scowl the king for his rudeness.
"Lord Nicholas-
Nick rubbed his face calling out "Tell our guest that I apologize, I'll be only a minute more. Thank you, Dominic."
Nick waited to listen, Dom started walking away from the door, down the hallway and down the staircase, step by step, slowly. Dom was purposely doing so to get under Nick's skin, knowing he'd listen in.
Nick scratched his head, his dark waves were bunched a bit on his head. He'd have to be quick, so he sped next door to the bathroom, washing and scrubbing himself clean. He toweled off, combed and brushed his hair, before (as a naked blur) running into his room dressing in a pewter suit.
After making sure he was sharp and held his kingly heir in appearance he went down the empty hallway down the stone steps into the great hall where there was a single chair, his throne, like most of the castle it was too stone, a bit malformed from the ages, with several windows, but not shining light into his eyes.
Nick took a seat before looking up, he'd barely gotten enough sleep and didn't notice much in the morning after. Dom stood in the darkest corner imaginable, wearing burgundy clothing, he really loved red...
Dom walked from the corner and went into the entrance way to receive their guest, when he returned Nick secretly rolled his eyes. There was a young woman with long violet hair, yellow eyes, and pale skin with a hint of a blue hue. Her outfit consisted of a short black dress, sleeveless, floral tights, and black boots. The dress went up to her inner thighs, and her tights seemed as if they were painted on her body. She wore pink lipstick and blush eyeshadow.
She smiled lightly before giving a curt bow "Your majesty."
"Why are you here?" Nick asked.
"Oh so we're cutting to the chase?" The woman asked teasingly "May I say that you have lovely eyes, a very nice shade of myrtle, wouldn't you say?" She was asking Dom who looked at her and then back at Nick.
"You are aware of the law here in this kingdom, correct?"
The woman shrugged her shoulders nonchalantly "Vaguely, but I come in peace. Cross my heart."
"It isn't your heart that concerns, but your intentions. And if they affect my people."
"Majesty." The woman spoke sweetly with grace "I only came to do what you've already done."
"Excuse me?" Nick tapped his fingers against the arms of the chairs, growing angry silently waiting for the true reason to pass from her lips.
"I'm here to stay for awhile."
"What is it that you intend to do during your stay?"
"Feed."
"Feed?" Nick narrowed his eyes, she was certainly not a vampire, that he could tell, she smelled of perfume and...possibly a pastry (coated with cinnamon). She seemed comfortable in her appearance, being sexual and yet conservative. "How do you feed?"
"I drink the essences of men." She answered. A succubus, a demon who pleased humans, stealing their semen and consuming it to sate their hunger, all done mostly in very vivid dreams. "I've never killed anyone, so may I have a pardon?"
"I'm supposed to give you a pardon, because you've told me you haven't killed? Young lady, I don't fall for batting eyelashes, you are a stranger to this land. To me."
The woman rubbed her hands together "Then may I ask how to receive one?"
Nick found this as odd, most succubi or incubi acted on their own, they never asked permission, but did what they felt was natural and took. Though they were demons, Nick had an encounter with an incubus once, and despite it's viciousness the creature could not best him in the slightest. With age came wisdom, for a vampire with age came power as well, strength.
"I don't understand, you could go into another country and feed as you pl-
"I heard you once granted protection to a werewolf once, he had a past of bodies a mile high, but when he proved true allegiance, honesty, to not harm anyone else you took him into the fold. He's now a lord of Romus, a city that was casted in a dark l-
Nick held his hand up sighing "He did more than one act to prove himself. I'd need to see progress, and I'm not inclined to keep you. You knew to visit me on your arrival and dared not to-
"I can explain that, I-
"Do not cut me off!" Nick's eyes slowly became enflamed in a sea of crimson "It is law."
"Um, my count." Dom raised his hand up as if answering a question.
"What?"
"Today when I went to retrieve her I heard a few men discussing their dreams." Dom cleared his throated for the next part "Apparently a raven haired beauty appeared giving them...very happy endings."
Nick rubbed his forehead "Feeding without permission-