The Queen Returns

[Kalindria]

Kalindria woke, stretching her long limbs in a manner in which all species seem to do when waking from a deep, comfortable sleep, her long blonde lock were spread beneath her pale beautiful face as she opened her jade color gaze to look about her new home.

It had been quite some time since she had graced this room with her presence, and now, she wished to lay here, for a time more. Though she would not, she had things to do, places to be and people to meet, she was Queen of all Vampire Kind and in that respect, her duties to her own kind demanded certain things of her, for with power, there always seemed to be responsibilities.

She rose now, her upper body lifting from the bed as her legs turned to the side, now dropping over the edge of the soft mattress she was about to stand from. And then, she stood, stretched once more, allowing her long flowing night gown to fall into place, after being rumbled at some point in her sleep, no doubt, she mused, a fitful sleep.

Her eyes turned to look about her room, and a slight smile graced her lips as she remembered now, how much she did actually love this place, and had missed it ever so much in her absence when she had decided to leave its loving embrace for so long.

Kalindria walked now, to the closet and disrobed, allowing the soft silken gown to caress her limbs as it fell to the floor, forming a dark puddle at her feet, one of which she now stepped from as her hand grasped a more fitting article fro the public eyes to view her in.

After she had donned herself in a black dressing gown, one that flowed over her tight, but amply endowed body, she turned to the door and with a deep breath, she walked to it as it opened up before her and stepped out and into the living area of her quarters.

[Faust]

"They said you'd be awakening soon." Said a voice from beside the door. The voice's owner was a young man in his twenties. He was tall and was wearing black boots and a trench coat. His long waist length white hair was hanging behind him regally.

He was Faust Decart, ruler of the dead realms, most powerful mage and a mysterious man all together. "I've come to welcome you to my realm." He told her. "It's been a long while since you first fell asleep, there have been many changes to the world you knew." Here he shrugged and stood up to properly greet her. "Though I'm sure you'll catch on quickly."

[Kalindria]

Kalindria turned to regard the speaker for a moment, her eyes wandering over him in his entirety, her expression quite unreadable though, there was no aggression, which perhaps was interesting in and of its self.

“Your realm, indeed then I am honored.” She replied, offering him a mock curtsy in his honor. “Then I think I will be finding my first meal, else where this night, for what would a realm ever do with out a leader?” She continued, her tone just as mocking as that curtsy she had offered him, her eyes already having dismissed him as nothing more than a silly human. Though, certainly, she wouldn’t dream of harming this man, he held far too much power over the lands, it had always been as such. Like all good herds, they needed a bull to lead them, else they tended to stray.

“I sense that you hold a fairly great amount of powers in that human body of yours. Could it be that you sir, are Mage as well as leader here?” She inquired then, her eyes still holding no emotion, her tone not a clue as to her personality, nor would there be, not unless they had gotten to know one another much better.

“As far as changes are concerned, I am certain that I can deal with what ever pops out of the ground, thank you.” She said then, beginning to once again advance further into the room. “Oh, please, don’t get up on my account, take your seat, might I temp you with a drink, I am sure I have a nicely aged wine in here some place, less I was looted in my sleep again.” She said with a sort of half laugh.

[Faust]

Faust sighed, such arrogance. He hated people kneeling before him like a god, yet he also hated blatent disrespect, like she was giving him.

She called him human, then a mage, another mistake. He wasn't human or a mage, he was something else, something linked to the heavens, something of great power. She sensed great power in him, that was an understatement for Faust possessed the most power any being on this world had, he could destroy this planet if he truely wanted.

He raised his hand and brought Kalindria off her feet so she hovered a few inches off the ground. "You would do well to lose that tone with me." He told her. "I rule over all, my power is immense. If I wished it I could wipe every vampire from this existance with only a few second's thought, though I see no point."

He let her drop and sighed. "I did wish that you would have been more reasonable than most other vampires. Calling me human, or even mage, is insulting, for I am something more. I could be unaging maybe, I do not know." He shrugged.

"Would you like to apologize?" He asked, no threat in his voice, but the usual compassion and forgiveness he usually possessed. She was the vampire leader, he couldn't kill her now, nor did he want too.

[Kalindria]

Kalindria looked at him, after he had finished his little tirade and she sighed as well. “Look, I just woke up, I am hungry and I am not in the best of moods, I do apologize for you having been the one to have to deal with my manner just now.” She told him, nothing he had said frightened her in any way, she was just too far beyond that, though he did make her truly feel bad for being such a bitch to him.

Kalindria walked to her cupboard and opened it to find, just as she had left them, three bottle of what would be well aged wine and pulled one out, blew the dust from its cover and turned around to face him. “Sure you wont have a drink.” She offered him once again, letting a slight smile turn up the corners of her lips as she uncorked the bottle and grabbed a couple glasses, pouring wine in to the both of them, not waiting for his reply, either he’d accept it, or he wouldn’t.

“Oh do stop looking at me as if I am some creature with foul manners and a bad temper.” She said then. “I apologized, and truly, I do, it simply isn’t like me to carry on like that, but, a vampires hunger does tend to stand in the way of a friendly conversation at times, you do understand that.” She finished, handing him his glass and shaking her head as if she was laughing inside her mind over her own behavior. “I can’t help it if we act this way, it wasn’t I who created me you know.” she said, as an after thought, her head tilting, her tone jovial.

[Faust]

Faust took the glass and drank. "I understand, my apologies, but I do hate disrespect so." He smiled stretched.

"I would like to tell you the rules of my kingdom." He said. "Though for immortals I'm sure rules of a mere king seem trivial. I must let you know that mass killing isn't something I look too kindly on." He took another sip. "Tho I suppose that should be just common sense."

"Its good wine." He told her, putting the empty glass down. "I suppose it was made the year you went to sleep?" He inquired, just to make conversation.

[Kalindria]

This male was indeed astute, she had offered him the wine as a source to make ‘small talk’, something that they could speak of, between the more important matters that would necessarily pop up.

“I understand your feelings on the matter at hand, but do indeed then, at this point have both a question and request.” She said, just before refilling his glass and taking a drink form hers, then swirling the contents slowly about in her glass, looking at it for a moment before continuing. “As to the matter of mass killings, I will do my honest best to keep my vampires under control in this matter however, I must ask that you be certain that any vampire hunters that may desire to enter my realm and destroy my subjects, or myself, be put under the highest warning, as I will personally take matters of this into my own hands. “ She continued then took another drink form her long stemmed glass. “Now to my question… If there is an abundance of human trespassers, what are my options then, to simply let them roam unharmed about my domain with no repercussions as to the unwanted befouling they place on my lands?” she asked then, just before taking a seat on a rather fancy looking, though comfortable chair next to a fire that roared to life as her nearness.

[Faust]

"You may do what you wish." He told her. "Tho I must tell you that I have instated an new law in my kingdom. You're territory has been greatly reduced, probably a mile around this complex." He refilled his glass and continued. "Within that area any who enter are at your mercy, but you may also hunt outside your area for another two miles after the one mile with little fear of an attack."

He smiled. "That means that you have near complete control over only one mile, yet you need not travel in suspicion until over the three mile mark. This area is a safe zone for vampires, slayers have been advised against coming of three miles of this place, meaning that if they do you will have the advantage in numbers."

"Does that sound fair?" He asked.

[Kalindria]

She sat there and seemed to regard his words carefully before speaking or even signifying she had heard him as she mulled this about in her mind. “Indeed, tis all that I ask.” She finally answered, her tone light, perhaps a bit too much so, though still, the corners of her mouth were lifted in a semblance of a smile that was not there before.

“Oh, and yes, that wine was indeed bottled not long before I decided to sleep.” she then said, her eyes tearing away from him to now look once more at the swirling contents in her own diminished glass.

He was beginning to intrigue her now that he had finished his little tirade and started talking to her as if she was more of an equal and stopped trying to force her to recognize his child-like display of power, something that was to begin a most boorish conversation, though, she had to admit, her rather tart display was not all together the best way of greeting him either.

“What news of the Lycan territories then?” She inquired out of pure political interest.

[Faust]

"They have the same rules as you." He said. "Their territory is on the other side of this town."

He paused, he had forgotten to inform her about the city that had sprung up around her territory. "While you were asleep the humans built a city within the a few creature's territories, vampire, lycan and demon territory to be exact."

He sipped his drink again and continued. "Needless to say that the humans didn't last long." He smiled slightly, this being just as he was taking over power. "The city became known as Dead Town and has since been growing in size and population, the population being of the three main beings inhabitting this area."

He wondered how the queen was going to act about this, though it didn't matter much to him. "You see, now it is a town consisting of vampires, lycans, and demons, all grudgingly having a sort of truce with each other. The end result is a huge territory for all three creatures, plus a town to call their own. It has worked out well if you ask me."

[Kalindria]

Kalindria stopped twirling the contents of her drink, and then drained it, setting the glass container on the table next to her chair and then steeped her hands below her chin in a manner that told him she was thinking of how to respond to this news.

After a moment of quiet deliberation though, the corners of her lips turned up to form a half smile.

“I suppose, I can learn to get along with the mangy mutts, so long as they understand their position and place in my personal realm, it really matters not.” She stated and then, bringing her hands down, one to rest on either arm of the chair, she tilted her head to the side, slightly and looked at him again. “The demons have never been a problem, if you remember, it wasn’t all too long ago, I believe a thousand years earlier, that I took a Demon as King, so really, I have no quarries with them and invite them into my home all times.” She finished, then righting her head and letting the half smile slip from her lips.

“You know, I think I can learn to live with this situation, might prove politically interesting, in the very near future.” She grinned, a most dark and evil grin.

Kalindria had always been a shrewd politician, taking on many things in the past that most leaders of any certain group would shun as a ‘bad’ thing. She liked trinkets, and her treasure trove proved that. She never displayed her more wealthy or powerful magic items, no, it wasn’t like her to do so, but like a dragon would, she stored many a priceless trinket, along with a grand mound of gold, amassed over the thousands of years, deep below her caves, most of which had been given to her in these ;political; endeavors. One might call her a collector, in her own right. There was hidden way down there, gifts from the great pharos, kings and Queens of the past, even from Gods, none of which had ever been seen by any eyes other than her own, or perhaps, her past Kings. Even then, one would wonder if they had even gotten a glimpse of what she truly had down there.

“Well then, I suppose that many changes have made their way into the lands that abound around myself and my realm, I think that it is certainly time for me to grace them with my presence once again.” She said, giving him a wink and lifting the corners of her lips again in that half smile she so often presented.

“Might I inquire if you have taken in a Mistress as of yet?” She asked, one fine brow raised in question. “If you think it too bold a question, you may withdraw from answering.” She ended, her eyes sweeping over him for a moment before resting again to hold his gaze once more.

[Faust]

"No." He said, it was a perfectly logical and respectable question. "No I don't. I have taken people to court functions and the like, yet nothing serious. Nothing ever progresses to something serious, tho I am looking."

Faust shrugged. "I am usually cautious, many women merely want to be part of royalty, or want me for my looks. I want a woman who wants intimacy, openess, love, not money, wealth, and power. I know, its a sappy, romantic thought."

Truth be told he had been in love a few times, he knew love a bit, falling for a pretty woman once and a while. He would get attached, then get hurt. He would always get over it, but it usually took some time.

"Any specific reason why?" He asked curiously.

[Kalindria]

Kalindria watched him as he answered her rather personal question. She smiled and then shook her head.

“No, no real reason, just being my usual curious self is all.” She returned to his counter questioning.

She was quiet for a moment again, her mind thinking as before and then, when she spoke, her voice was quiet, to start. “Yes, I know the types, finding someone who loves you for who you are, and not what, is a terribly hard things for people in our position. I can only imagine what it would be like in yours, as hard as it is, and as many times as I have been deceived…” She trailed off, her eyes looking else where, any where but at him this time, the subject, though she brought up, was a hurtful one to her.

“Just once, I would like to find the perfect male, someone who doesn’t care about the riches, the power, and everything that comes with it. Just once, I would like to find the perfect fairytale ending…” She trailed off again, her voice beginning to catch in her throat before she straightend up and then smiled, this time, though it was forced, it was whole. “No, you are not asking for too much, I think that we all look for someone who will love us for who we truly are and not what it would mean to stand beside us. “It gets lonely at the top.”” She finished.

[Faust]

Faust nodded. "It does doesn't it?" He looked into his glass and sighed. It had been so long since he'd actually had a date, or anyone he actually cared about romantically.

"The fairytale ending." He said quietly. "Yeah, that would be nice wouldn't it, living 'happily ever after' with someone." He started to daydream somewhat, his eyes having that distinct glazed look whenever someone lost themselves in fantasy."

He suddenly snapped back into reality. "I am having a my annual spring ball." He told her. "It is open to most beings, at least if they behave themselves. I've made sure it's going to be the best yet. I'm cordially inviting you, being the vampire queen. Would you like to come?"

[Kalindria]

Kalindria looked at him and her smile widened. “Of course, being the vampire queen and all, I would love to be there and I thank you for your invitation.” She responded, quite happily that she had been invited, but all the same, giving the appearance that something about his invitation seemed to bother her, though she tried to hide it. “When is the date, Milord.” She continued to his somewhat formal invitation, reacting as formal and as politically as he had just done. “I should like to be certain to make all the necessary preparations and such, you know, like finding the perfect gown.” She said, with a sort of jovial tone in her otherwise politically correct tone she had chosen to take now.

Kalindria was delighted he had invited her, though a little taken back that he had added, “Being the vampire Queen.” Tagged on at the end of his invitation, it had near ruined the invite, making it so impersonal to her. She was a hopeless romantic, to say the least, and would have preferred their meeting to be a whole lot less political than it was, though she knew, there really was no other way for now, for either of them to act.