return to vampire mountain (Lamenting_Quill and Unicorn)

[Lamenting_Quill]

In the dark of the twilight, Paris Skyle stood outside the entrance to Vampire Mountain, wringing his wrinkled hands anxiously as his pale blue eyes searched for a specific shape in the shadows.
Eighteen... She would be eighteen now... His daughter, Jade. Today was her eighteenth birthday, the day he had promised her so very long ago that she could come and join him on the mountain.
He could do nothing else now but wait and hoped she decided to come, that... and think of Kimiko... his sweet beloved late wife. Would Jade resemble her? Would Jade have Kimiko's smile or her laugh? Would she have Kimiko's passion and courage?

“Paris? What are you doing out here alone?”

The elderly vampire turned to see none other than his friend Arrow “Arrow, good evening my friend. Come wait with me, you will have known shortly anyway. My daughter arrives tonight, yes... my daughter. My Jade”
“Paris... I do not understand” Arrow replied, coming closer to Paris with a confused expression upon his face “You have never mentioned a daughter before, let alone a wife”
The older vampire nodded “I did not dare speak of them, I was terrified that my enemies would use them to hurt me. My wife... is dead... her heart wasn't very strong...”
“I'm sorry” Arrow replied softly, having lost a bride himself “You must miss her”

Tears bubbled beneath Paris's eyes but they did not fall “I miss Kimiko with all my heart each and every day, I welcome the day I shall join her in paradise. Though for now, my daughter needs me, her and all of you”
Arrow nodded “This will be a lot for everyone to swallow I am sure, but I will stand by you as I always have in the past”
“Thank you, Arrow my friend”

“Father?”

His heart slamming in his chest, Paris whirled around to come face to face with a remarkably beautiful young woman no doubt of eighteen. She had long flowing hair of jet black down to her hips, her eyes were pale blue like his and her skin was smooth as magnolia blossoms... like Kimiko “Jade?”
“Father!” She cried out, tossing herself into his arms where they sat for a prolonged time until anyone dared to move and break the spell.

Paris pulled back and took a good look at his daughter with one single tear sliding down his face “Oh Jade, you are so beautiful. Just like your mother”
“I miss her” Jade murmured softly, her eyes pinned to her father's matching ones.
“As do I, love, as do I” Paris replied, reaching up to stroke her cheek.
Arrow smiled and eventually stepped forward “Welcome, Miss Skyle, to Vampire Mountain”

Jade smiled at her father and his friend “Thank you”

*********************************************************************************************

"You must meet everyone else, love" Paris insisted, leading his daughter by the hand towards the Great Hall "This is your home now, they must know you"
Jade nodded and smiled adoringly at her dear father "Yes, papa"
"I love that... papa... I like hearing that" Paris replied warmly as they turned the corner and entered into the Great Hall, a place filled with tons and tons of men.
"Attention all!" Paris called out, gaining attention from everyone there almost immediately "I would love to introduce my lovely daughter, Jade"
Jade waved half heartedly and smiled "Hey"

[Unicorn]

"....Tch." Mika tossed his head, flipping a lock of hair from his vision to get a better look at Paris and the young girl next to him.

"OOF!"

"Did you seriously attempt to attack me while my attention was diverted. You know I don't hold back when surprised." Mika kept his hawk-like stare on Paris as he spoke to the blonde heap on the floor that was doubled over in pain. They were sparring before Paris entered, and now instead of watching them, the crowd was talking wildly and speaking of Paris and the daughter no one knew anything about. But what troubled Mika the most was that Paris had kept something like that a secret from him. The Princes were blood brothers, they knew everything about one another. But then again some things a man must keep internal. This was-

"Hoooo-OOF!!" the small blonde was now unconcious as Mika's hand jabbed out in a simple upper cut to the jaw. He looked over momentarily and almost felt guilty, he thought better of it of course, she needed to toughen up if she was going to be his assistant anyway.

"Hmmm, I blame you..." He said callously as he began walking towards Paris, "Paris! Still have a few surprises up your sleeve apparently." the look he gave Paris would have been considered a glare by anyone who did not know him, that was actually his friendly face. He glanced at Jade for the first time since they came in, considering her of little importance compared to Paris, so his gaze only lasted a second or so.

When Paris asked him who he just knocked unconscious he dully crossed hisarms and looked thoroughly unconcurned. "Just my assistant, she might actually be getting better though." Mika had recently returned from the outside world, only to surprise everyone by bringing home a thirteen year old assistant, no one was sure why, and many questioned him turning someone so young, but being a Prince made you immune to scrutiny. Although a small conference was going to be made over it. This daughter surprise however surely was going to make his indescression invisible. Good, maybe this wasn't bad.

[Lamenting_Quill]

Jade lifted a brow at Mika "Hmm, a typical man, I am not at all surprised. Most men that look like you tend to be brainless jocks too focused on the fact their biceps are almost as big as their head"
Tilting her chin up, Jade carried herself the way anyone should with all the noble blood she held within and made her way towards the unconscious girl lying upon the ground. Jade stroked the girl's cheek and then withdrew a small capsule from the green pouch strapped to her waist. Breaking it in half, Jade waved one half of it beneath the girl's nose until she began to rouse.

"It's okay" Jade replied as the girl took her in as someone unfamiliar "My father is Prince Paris Skyle, I am your friend. I assume you are the cocky jock's assistant by the looks of things, don't let your tumbles get to you. Instead, watch and observe him. Learn his habits, the way he moves and his reaction time. Fighting is as much intellect as it is brawn"
With that, Jade stood and made her way back to her father "Anyway, papa, shall you show me around here?"
Paris glanced back and forth between the glaring Mika and his proud beautiful daughter and grinned "Mika, why don't you escort Jade around? I doubt I could trust anyone else more than you to make sure my daughter knows her way around her new home"

"Papa!" Jade exclaimed, her voice bordering on a nervous yelp "I really think it would be best if you or perhaps someone else were to show me around.... anybody else really"
"I'll do it!" A voice insisted "Kurda Shmalt at your service"
Kurda straightened his back after he'd given a polite bow to Mika and Paris, then turned teal moon eyes on Jade "I will be more than happy to show Miss Skyle around the mountain, then you sires will not have to take time from your very busy schedules"
At this point, Jade wasn't sure if she prefered the desperate blonde or the arrogant vampire whom if she was understanding correctly was one of the vampire princes.

Jade looked to her father, a plea for mercy in her eyes "I think maybe, papa, the tour can wait until later. Maybe we should just mingle for now, there are so many to meet"

[Unicorn]

'Jock?' Mika Ver Leth was not impressed, and he raised an eyebrow dully as Miss Skyles insulted him and waltzed by as though she were a Prince herself. He would have ignored her, but she decided to do something he heavily dissaproved of.

"Excuse yourself! Coddiling my assistant is in no way truly aiding her..." but his complaints fell on deaf ears apparently, ok now he was annoyed and actually paying attention. He had respect for Paris, comradre with him no doubt. But in his mind each individual must prove themselves, and this individual was proving herself to be agitating for the busy Prince.


Violet eyes Fluttered open at the strong smell that reached her nostrils. A soft hand (or softer than she had felt in quite a while, being in a mountain full of tough guys) stroked her cheek and she sat up. At first she thought she might be in heavan because of the angel in front of her, but of course she was part vampire now and she would be in Paradise instead. But the pain screaming at her body and causing tears to gather at the corners of her eyes told her she was very much alive.

"Oh, got it! And thanks! I'm Violet, nice to meet you." Violet, a befitting name, scratched the back of her head nervously, a daughter of Prince Skyles really! She must be really strong! To share the same blood as a Prince gave you quite the edge.

Violet fallowed her towards the group where her teacher was and folded her hands behind her back, grinning at Paris's suggestion and Mika's scowl at said suggestion. What a grump he was!



"Anyway, I suggest you take Miss Skyle's advice Vee, it was wise, however unwise the giver...I'm off to dine and attend our conference, good night." Mika gave his last comment and bowed out, grateful that Kurda offered to escort in his stead, though curious as to why.

Violet laughed a little, but quickly stopped herself and grimmaced, damn he hit her hard, it hurt to laugh! "Oh don't worry! He's just selective of what he bothers with! I'm sure he didn't even get a good look at you since he wouldn't be so curt if he really saw how pretty you are Miss Jade!...Kurda sure noticed though!" Violet laughed and grimmaced at the same time as she poked Kurda in the side, enjoying his expression of discomfort.


"On second thought maybe I should take this thing with me." as if out of nowhere, Mika appeared behind Violet and grabbed the scruff of her collar, dragging her along as she waved goodbye and tried to keep up with his pace while going backwards. His assistant's tongue was often bold and had no restraint, so leaving her alone was a dangerous thing....

He arrived at a table and sat down, Violet plopping herself next to him. "So, what do you think of Miss Jade? I had no idea Paris had a daughter!"

"Words that are on everyone else's tongue are the ones you speak. I don't care so long as she doesn't interfere." Mika said as he grabbed a pitcher of ale.

"...You don't even know what she looks like do you?" Violet sighed bluntly and grabbed Mika's head, turning it towards Jade and her smiling father. "Take a good long look, REALLY look." Violet commanded of her thick headed teacher.

Mika's eyes adjusted to what he was now facing, he allowed his assistant to do things like this every once in a while, she made goods points sometimes-holycharna'sguts.

Mika's obsidean eyes widened and he turned his head violently away, ok, Violet had a point, the woman was a complete goddess. It certainly made him take a glance back, but again, someone's bloodline or looks didn't matter. It was what they proved themselves to be that mattered.

"Nothing Special..." he muttered to no one, his assistant had snuck off again!

[Lamenting_Quill]

Jade forced herself to frown in the direction of the handsome raven haired vampire and then whirled around on her heels to focus her attention upon her father and Kurda "Your offer is kind, good sir, but I think I will meet the inhabitants of my new home before I become familiar with the home itself" Jade said, smiling good naturedly.
She could swear she heard almost a dozen male sighs when she smiled at Kurda, but when she turned around to look, all the men in the Great Hall were going about their own business.

"Then I shall be the one to introduce you to everyone as your father is clearly very busy with his princely duties" Kurda replied with a deep bow before the beautiful half vampire maiden.
He stood back up straight and stared at Jade, gorgeous and carrying a fantastic bloodline that would make him look very good if he could convince her to become his mate for the next ten years, perhaps even longer than that.
Jade smiled and sighed, though desperate as Kurda was, he was also kind of adorable in the way he behaved like a love-sick pup "Very well then. I shall see you soon, papa?"

"Yes, my sweet" Paris replied, pressing a warm kiss to his daughter's cheek before he made his way towards the Hall of Princes.
"Be glad Prince Vancha is not here now, he'd be all over you faster than flies to a donkey" Kurda laughed, his blue eyes twinkling with mirth.
"What do you mean by that?" Jade replied curiously, she had been getting hints of feeling like a piece of meat more than once.
"There are not very many women here on this mountain, least of all pretty women like you" Kurda explained with a slight pause before he continued "There many single male vampires here that would do just about anything for a warm female to call their own"

"Oh" Jade replied with a blush, following after Kurda as he led her among the throng within the Great Hall introducing her to faces here and there "I assume I will be courted quite a bit then"
"You assume correctly" Kurda replied, taking a seat at one of the tables and indicating for Jade to do the same "You are beautiful and not just that, but also the daughter of our most respected prince. You are an ideal bride"
The look Jade gave Kurda could have soured milk "I would never settle down with someone because they view me as attractive or they like who my father is. I certainly hope you are not among them, Kurda Shmalt"

Upon Kurda's guilty look, he found the mug of ale he had just aquired dumped into his lap and before he he even knew what Jade was doing, his back was on the hard stone floor with sole of her boot pressed firmly to his chest "Listen well, you slime. I am not a prize to be raced for a won, if a man wants me then he going to have show me that it is for real and that I am not wasting my time with a no good loser trying to climb up the social ladder"
After Kurda nodded vigorously, Jade kicked his chin before she removed her foot and strode off to join the group where Arra Sails resided, having found a fond liking for the strong woman, she knew she had found a real friend if not a sister of the heart.

"What a slime" Arra agreed after hearing the whole story from the black haired beauty "Kurda wants so desperately to be a prince"
"Well he can find another way" Jade replied, crossing her arms beneath her lush breasts "Perhaps like earning it like the others most likely did"
Arra and the others of the small circle nodded "Agreed"


********************************************************************************

Placing the stack of parchments down, Paris looked to his fellow princes "I know this is a shock to know about Jade all of a sudden, but I could tell no one until Jade was old enough to be able to protect herself from my enemies, I could not risk any of them finding out about her. I already lost my Kimiko, I could not lose Jade too"
Paris looked to Mika then "Mika, my friend, I understand that you feel as if I did not trust you enough to talk to you about Jade, but please do not take it out on her. I know that if you actually talk to her without insulting her, you will find her company quite nice. She is a pleasant young woman"
"Beautiful too" Arrow chuckled in good nature "She will no doubt have a mate before the year is out"

Paris nodded reluctantly "I would rather not have to share her with anyone like that so soon after just being reunited with her, but nature is nature I suppose and Jade is eighteen now"
Arrow nodded and added "Though you can keep a good eye on it and make sure she ends up with someone worthy of her in all regards"
"Yes" Paris agreed with a firm nod "I want my Jade to have a good mate that will provide for her well"

[Unicorn]

Mika rolled his eyes for the hundredth time that day, was everyone really so blinded by her?! "Paris, you know I hold the utmost respect for you, I even understand why you did what it is you did. But I can assure you it was no insult of mine that started this. If you will carefully remember it was she that called me brainless, when clearly it was not warranted. It showed poor perception and false pride on her part-WHY ARE YOU LAUGHING ARROW." Mika glared daggers at the bald Prince.

"What a childish comment, to see you so worked up is amusing my brother!" Arrow chuckled, earning him a huff from Mika. "Oh what do I care anyway. Let us move on to the next topic before we get to our last, which I am sure you will laugh at me even more...." Mika was reffering to his turning a child into a vampire.

"A Mr. Desmond Tiny has reared his head once more, and he said some cryptic things to me when I met him. Talk of the Vampaneze Lord, Shadow Kings, all apparently to come about in the future. Assuming the worst, that his riddles have some meaning, then he must be speaking of this coming to pass soon..." he let the words settle in. Watching as Arrow tensed, he hated the Vampaneze. "We all know the legends and prophecies, but what do we do about them?" he commented, starting to form an idea in his head.
--------------------------------------_------------------------------------

"Oooo. She gave you what for didn't she?" Violet bent over Kurda, having watched the whole thing from not too far away. "But you weren't being very charming though, for someone smart I mean." Violet straightened and allowed Kurda room to get up. "Do you know what the Princes are having a conference about Kurda?" Violet asked, indicating she already knew, and was willing to tell.

[Lamenting_Quill]

"Papa" Jade said to gain her father's attention as she entered the Hall of Princes, she hurriedly approached her father and touched his shoulder " Papa, I overheard what is going on, Kurda and Violet were talking about it. Is there anything I can do?"
Paris smiled at his daughter "You are finding your way around here quite well, my darling, well done"
"Do not change the subject, Papa" Jade chastised lightly "Who is this Desmond Tiny man?"
Paris cupped his daughter's hands in his wrinkled ones and smiled "Don't worry, my sweetheart, we will handle this as we handle everything else. Do not fear for your father"

"I just got you back" Jade murmured, reaching up to touch her father's cheek "I want to protect you, Papa"
"I am in no danger right now, Jade, so do not fear" Paris replied, pulling Jade into warm embrace "Would you like to sit in with us, love?"
Jade was reluctant as she looked at the other princes, namely the handsome Mika. It still irked her how she found him so damn attractive "I will stay if there is no objections from Lord Arrow and Lord Mika"

Paris turned pouting blue eyes to his friends and pouted his lower lip "You would not mind if my own daughter sat in on our conference, would you gentlemen?"

***********************************

"Must you laugh at me, Violet?" Kurda replied with a wince "You can hardly blame me for trying to pursue her, she is a princess in a way. Who wouldn't pursue her?"
He sighed and focused his full attention on the teenager "So Tiny is sniffing around again, huh? Doesn't surprise me, he loves a good opportunity to shake things up"

[Unicorn]

Oh look who was waltzing in again, it was little miss 'goddess'. How exactly did she get past the guards that were not supposed to let anyone in under any circumstances? Well that was a useless question. He was going to have to get new guards who were either blind or female.

He listened as the touching exchange between father and daughter passed, finding himself softened by it. Which ultimately ended with him accidently shrugging his consent to Paris's plea to have his daughter stay in on the conference. Which he quickly regretted after Arrow's comment.

"And here I was going to argue that we must stand on tradition and make her leave! I assumed Mika would be vehnemately against it as well, but if he is lenient then how can I not be?" Mika grimmaced, why oh why did he just agree to this? And how was he to remedy the situation?

"But you must swear on your life's honor that you won't repeat a word of what is said here..." Mika coolly replied, looking Jade in the eye for the first time. Or staring her down more acurately.

Well, at least she had come in after they discussed Desmond Tiny, rather than before. Now all that remained to talk about was his own actions. Why he had turned a child...wait, maybe he preffered that Jade stand in on secrets rather than on this, how troublesome.

"Well, our last thing to speak of, the mountain is in a rawr because of your daughter Paris, thanks to that my actions are almost forgotten. I do not believe I really need to say anything on the matter, she is a good student, more intelligent than most even in our mountain. And she does not give up, which is all I ask for. I see no reason to make a big deal out of it and force me to explain myself to the clan. What is done is done." he kept his tone neutral during his pitch, hopefully that would stop this from going furthur, Arrow was silent, he seemed to waiting for a reaction from Paris. On one hand he could let it pass, but that would risk allowing a poor example from a Prince slide, and right after a secret from himself too. And in the other hand he could force his apprentice and him to stand before the Generals and explain, where no doubt he would not be sentanced to anything, but his assistant...




"Teasing you is too much fun!" she responded slyly with a grin to his wince. It really was fun, besides, she liked him. Not that she expected anything back of course, he was an adult, he only saw her as a little girl. But to mess with him was fun enough.

"He shakes things up without lifting a finger. He talks, never does." Violet was serious now, her voice and head lowered. This wasn't idle chat, she was telling Kurda for a reason, and he had better pay attention. "But this time he is doing more than he's done since the beginning, lifting a finger would be understating his actions. And for some reason that involves me and my.....Steve." She almost said 'my best friend', but he wasn't that anymore, he thought she was dead now. "Steve is the reason I became a vampire, sort of." she explained, since Kurda had no way of knowing who Steve was.

She averted her gaze to the table top. "When Mika tells the other Princes why he turned me he will respond that he had no reason. No reason other than his gut, but it will only be partly true. He turned me because I made a deal with Mr. Tiny." She clutched the front of her shirt, her fist over where her heart should be. "Steve saved me from an accident, but was dying, and then he came and offered me a deal, I took it. It would save his life, but these strange men with purple skin came and took him away...I now know them to be Vampaneze...Anyway, Mika had caught scent of Mr. Tiny and fallowed, but found me instead. I told him what happened, and what I traded, and at that he took me under his wing. We've met with Mr. Tiny a couple of times since then, almost as if interested in our affairs. He keeps talking about the Vampaneze though...I think he's meeting with them too." Violet mused, deep in thought. She looked up at Kurda, would he be disgusted at her for making a deal with someone like Mr. Tiny? Would he find her horrible?

[Lamenting_Quill]

Jade had to admit that the stern prince's attitude left her quite amused, he was feisty and chock full of spunk without being overly expressive of it. Pity he was such an ass, he was totally her type.
"Relax, SIRE" Jade drawled as she stalked closer to Mika, dragging a lazy finger down his chest as she stared him down with teasing eyes of seduction and mirth "I won't tell a soul if you don't"
She smirked at the shocked look on his face and then backed as quickly as she'd come, removing her seductive presence. That ought to teach him not to underestimate her ability to shut him up, though she had to admit to herself that she'd not mind it at all if he flirted back.

"Anyway, Papa" Jade said, turning to face her grinning father "I was thinking about Violet and the customs of Vampire Mountain, I know it is against our laws for her to be here... however, if it would help... I would like to vouch for her, I overheard her circumstances and it hardly fair at all for her to be punished for things out of her own control"
Paris rubbed his long beard and stared at his daughter thoughtfully "You have truly grown up into a wise young woman, my daughter. What would you suggest?"
Jade was silent for a few moments as she took some time to think about that question with thoroughness "I think perhaps the trials are a bit too much for a thirteen year old, perhaps some time as a squire to Lord Mika? I don't know, Papa, I just know that Violet should not be punished. There is nothing more wrong"

Paris sighed and looked to his two comrades "What say the two of you?"
Jade looked to Arrow with pleading eyes and he eventually nodded to Paris that the girl need not be punished for her circumstances.
"Um, and perhaps Lord Mika may be able to exit this unscathed as well? He did what felt in his core was the right thing I believe" Jade quickly put in, forcing herself to not look at the raven haired vampire prince. Those eagle-like eyes still made her insides turn to mush, he could never know about that or else he'd probably never let her forget it.

****************************************************

Kurda rubbed his beardless chin and sighed "I'm really sorry about everything that happened to you, it was not right"
He had to try and keep from nibbling his bottom lip out of nervousness, Violet obviously had no clue about his involvement with the Vampaneze and he intended to keep it that way.
"It would not surprise me to hear that Desmond is meeting with them, he seems to live for chaos, he always has this creepy smile on his face whenever things start to get really bad for us" Kurda added for good measure.

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