To understand my story you must first understand vampire society. Be aware that this tale includes depictions of slavery, impisonment, involuntary drugging, and murder.
We are an extremely stratified society. Your position is determined by many things including prestige, wealth, and age. This means that sorter lived races, such as most were-beasts, are considered lesser than. Fey, in the other hand, are respected greatly. That respect, however, comes with a high level of exotification.
Of all the peoples, humans are considered the least as they have no inherent magic and are very short lived. The only value a human has, in the mind of the average vampire, is as food or labor. At best they are considered pets, at worst, they are seen as blood bags that attempt to escape. Among my people, humans are almost always kept as slaves.
This did not sit right with me. Having been born a mortal man, I found myself struggling to rise through a society who saw me as little more than an enlightened animal. Even when I had fought my way onto the high counsel, our most powerful level of government, I still felt for the humans captured or born into a life of slavery.
It was because of my speaking out on this issue that I found myself imprisoned beneath a military fortress. I spent I don’t know how long chained in that stone pit of a cell. I carried too much power for them to simply execute me. So they simply left me, providing only a monthly sedated human to sustain me. I am ashamed to say that I drained those mortals dry. While it is no excuse, I could not bring myself to starve.
This is how I met Silver, that some might know as the exiled royal bastard Katherine et Oleander Hunter. Fae was thrown into my cell bound and sedated like the rest. Knowing what I do now about faer, I have no idea how fae ended up in that condition. At first I did not try to feed, as I had all but surrendered to despair. So it was a shock to my anesthesia rattled brain to hear faer beg for me to feed. Fae said to me that neither of us would live long if I did not, that fae was strong enough to allow me to return to my former ability with faer blood, and that we might escape together.
I did not believe for a moment that the later two were true. However who was I to argue with faer death wish? If I had been in possession of my full faculties, I would have smelled the fey blood that healed me as I drank it. I would have realized that, as much as I took, fae could have given ten times that. It was a strange sensation to feel myself whole after so long.
As soon as I realized what faer blood had done to me, I broke my chains. I cut the ropes holding fae down. I would not leave my miraculous savior behind. And it was good I did, as fae saved me many more times that night. First when we reached the bars of my cell; fae flitted through them as if they weren’t there. Later fae would tell me that fae likely could have used this same flitting to avoided the next ordeal if fae had not still been recovering from sedation.
The next save came as we stumbled up out of the cell block and found several guards playing cards. To my surprise, Silver shouted for me to get behind faer. I was not going to argue as this strange mortal once again appeared ready to die for me. However, as I crouched behind faer, the rain of bullets did not shred faer flesh. Instead, the bullets hung in the air before faer upraised hands and, with a gesture, flew back at the guards.
Confused but undaunted, I shot forward to grab the gun of one of the bullet ridden guards. I quickly executed the two unfortunates who had survived the initial barrage (we vampires being much more sturdy than humans). I could hear more people coming from every area of the fortress. I recommended a quick exit, unless fae wished to fight every being there. I do believe fae considered it but in the end we ran.
In the minutes that followed, I learned that the two of us made a rather good team. raised as royals both, we had learned tactics and were skilled in combat. After the third or fourth encounter with opposition, we had come to the winning strategy of allowing fae to mirror the first volley until I was ready to return fire. It took some close calls before I understood that faer mirror shield would return my bullets as easily as our opponents. I also learned that fae is rubbish with a gun.
After what had to be only ten minutes, but which felt like hours, we left the military compound and ran. As I knew the area, I quickly took the lead. However it was three nights before we found a sympathetic stronghold. Many things had changed while I had been imprisoned.
It was during those nights and the days between that fae saved me for the third time. Faer knowledge of bushcraft, talent for hunting, and magical healing kept us from being found or I dying of sun exposure. However, another preponderance came once we had found safe lodging. Silver, being of both human and fey heritage, could have presented faerself as a visiting fairy. However, in faer own words, “no one is free until we are all free” and so fae presented as human.
This led to me introducing faer as my new slave. Some questioned this, as my views on the keeping of slaves had been well known. However, due to some vague knowledge that my time away had been due to my political leanings, this was easily explained. I had turned over a new leaf and was bringing a trophy as proof of my commitment to returning to my previous ruling status.
I was quite reluctant to engage in this ruse until Silver showed faer enthusiasm for it. It turns out that fae quite enjoys playing such roles, especially when given praise and affection for doing so. I have discovered that there is some pleasure to be found in having help so eagerly thrown at me. And, while neither of us are particularly interested my bedding each other, fae has some unusual proclivities that I am more than happy to oblige.
You see; in our travels, we became quite fond of one another. Fae is striking in appearance, mischievous of heart, and bright of spirit. I am delighted that fae apparently views me much the same. We plan to marry if such a thing ever becomes possible.
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