A Tale of the King's Sister

The Vampire

Present day

Catching vampires was not always Adorna's favorite activity, and way to spend her evenings. The men were crafty, and the women were downright rude. She supposed, it was better than spending the long nights alone.

Smoothing down her wild mane of honey golden locks, she made her way into the stinking and creaky tavern. The way the wooden door creaked as she stepped in made her wonder how long this place had been standing.

Her blue gaze traveled along the tavern, taking in it's guests. The average were here, the men who didn't seem to take showers, or shave, and the women who smoked upstairs and gave themselves away for a few coins. A toothless man ran the counter, pouring drinks for the guests who lined up at his bar.

Although Adorna had her fair share of lager in her humble twenty three years, she turned her attention away from the bar and it's occupants, and began her search for the vampire last seen in this tavern.

"Look what the wind blew in! A youngin!" A man cackled from his seat, asking the men around him how they thought she tasted. "Sweet? Sweet like candyy?" he drawled, a point smirk on his dirty and sweat covered face.

Adorna hid disgust with a simple frown, her gaze trailing over the men cackling and making crude comments (so Adorna was guessing), under their breaths to each other. If only they knew what she was capable of, and who she was. Then, then they wouldn't be cackling and choking on their spit.

A light flush of embarrassment came to her cheeks, her attention turning away from the men. "Disgusting.." She whispered to herself, walking away and ready to leave the tavern in shame. Something was burning in her chest, burning to turn around and snap at the men and put them in their place. It wasn't all that.. Right for a woman, especially her age, to stand up to a man. But, damn did they not deserve to just walk away after speaking so foully of her!

She was just at the door when the fire in her chest began to roar in her ears. Taking a deep breath, she turned and raised her head in an rebellious way. She made her way through the people, back to the table she had just practically ran from in shame.

"Apologize."
"Excuse me?"
"You heard me.. Vampire."

The entire tavern went silent, the men at the bar turning to gaze at her. The women from upstairs gazed down at her in shock, shock that she caught him so quickly and because she spoke so firmly to him.

The roaring in Adorna's ears disappeared all together, as she reached behind her in her back pocket, and set a piece of thick paper on the table that needed a clean wash. The paper was thick parchment, something people used to stick on trees for the wanted people.

The man rose from the table, a deep and steady glare on Adorna. She stood tall, nonetheless. Never let your competitor believe you're scared, and weak in any way. Her number one rule, and something she lived by daily.

"You better turn your pretty little ass around and leave this tavern, girl." The man warned, his throat scratchy and his voice booming in the quite tavern. Adorna swore she could hear a pin drop.

"You're under arrest, Nicodemus Hale." Adorna said, a small and innocent smile coming to her face, "Dead or alive." She said, ignoring the beating in her chest that had just begun. No doubt the vampire in front of her could hear it. She was surprised to see the smug smile to stay hidden under his mustache.

Now that she was close to him, Adorna could take in his appearance. He wasn't like the fairy tales said; drop dead gorgeous and pale. Instead, he was tanned and in need of a shave. He had week old clothing on him, sticking to his body with grim and sweat.
His black hair was greasy, and cut in an uneven fashion. To think of it, it looked like Adorna herself had cut it. His eyes were bloodshot and brown. Everything about him seemed regular, except for his thirst for blood of course.

To busy looking over his appearance, Adorna missed the swing of a wooden chair. It knocked her straight on the floor, her should hitting the ground with a thud. Pain shot up her body, causing her to lose her breath.

The vampire was up top of her, ready to swing a blade he had snatched from one of the men watching down on her head. As his arm swung downwards, her body rolled to the right dodging the blade. Kicking herself to her feet, she pulled out a sword from her back.

"You messed with the wrong vampire," the man barked, charging himself at her. Though he was fast for his age and weight, Adorna was skinny and small. She could easily weave and dodge incoming attacks by the blade. Thinking of her next move, Adorna caught a metal on metal collision with his knife, and her sword.

The crowd had backed away far, till their backs were pressed against the taverns walls and their eyes wider than a half dollar coin. Blood trickled down her temple, which she was guessing came from the chair smack down.

Locked together, Adorna and the man danced before he pulled the dagger he was holding away first.

'Wrong move..'

With a simple kick of her leg, she sent him stumbling. She used this time to quickly move forward and set the tip of the blade on his throat. "You're under arrest," she repeated, her breath hitching. The hit from the chair had really sent the air from her lungs.

"We will rise from the Underground." The vampire said hushly, slamming his head forward so Adorna's sword went through his neck.

Adorna found herself shocked, her mouth opening in silence. If she had any air to scream or even make a sound, she would. The blood curdling scream of a woman didn't even pull her from this state of mind, neither did the, 'unnecessary man slaughter! Get the guards, get the royals! She needs to be hanged!'

The sound of hanging sent Adorna out of her moment, her blade slowly exiting the vampires throat. He fell with a thud, at Adorna's feet. Crimson blood pooled at her boots, making her take a step away.

'He was apart of the rebels..' Adorna thought to herself, her stomach aching with sudden regret. She should of known that had been the reason he was being hunted, but again she had discarded the idea.

Adorna looked around the tavern, the ghostly faces of the people opened in shock. The screaming and hushed whispers had stopped. "He was apart of the rebels, and I was simply doing my job. I am a bounty hunter for King Castillo, your king. Go back to your business." Adorna ordered, her voice stronger and colder than she had prepared herself for.

Slowly, people rejoined their seats and drinks, now warm from the hot and tight atmosphere Adorna had just caused.

Two men of the Kings guard appeared from the creaky door. With a simple nod in Adorna's direction, they gathered up the dead vampire and carried his body outside to be burned. Adorna turned her attention from the blood on the floor, and nodded to the bartender from behind the bar. A silent goodbye. Sliding her bloodied sword behind her back, back in it's holder, she left the tavern.

"King Castillo won't be happy." A man said, helping Adorna back on her horse. He was one of the guards who helped carry the body out, a nice young man Adorna had shared some of her company with at some point.

"He never is."

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Author note: everything from now on is present, unless state otherwise