The Vampire's Crimson Kiss (Editing)

Interlude/Remember the red flag.

A Year Earlier. The Court of the King of the Badlands.

Princess Victoria rushed into her bedroom. There on her bed was the sweating mass of her friend and trainer Hannah.

"Hannah! I was just told what's wrong?" said Victoria rushing up.

Victoria's father caught her and held on to Victoria's arms.

"Oh I just felt like a day in bed" said Hannah weakly who then coughed to counter her own tone. She looked more like Victoria now, she did her hair in the elaborate styles the girls of the kingdom wore. Now ill ,her accent had slipped back to the midlands one she had brought with her.

The King pulled Victoria to the side.

"Be careful she has swamp fever. Don't touch her or you might get it." said Victoria's Father to her.

Swamp fever was the local name. It was a terrible sickness. You could get it in the morning and be dead by the evening.

"She's my friend" said Victoria pulling her arm out of her father's grasp. Of all the girls at court Hanna was the only one Victoria felt perfect about saying that about. The plan about Hanna going in Victoria's stead had been revealed to Victoria two weeks ago. She had felt ripped in two parts about it. On the one hand the relief at not going to be bonded hostage for the vampire. On the other the new feelings of extreme guilt at letting brave Hanna take her place.

"Don't worry" said Victoria to the pale Hanna"I'll go for you."

Hanna made the side of her mouth twitch in a weak smile. The vampires were coming over next week to negotiate. Already to of the painted women familars had turned up to decide on arrangements. Both Hannah and Victoria had been kept away from their sight. In a week's time Hanna would have to play the princess for real.

"I thought we had decided this" said Hanna "any way I'll be OK tomorrow. We can continue improving your defence you can show me how to say What ever right."

Hours later the King returned.

Victoria sat with Hanna. It was a strange inversion, normally Hanna was the strong one, Victoria the one being looked after. Now it reversed. Victoria's farther came in and Victoria took him to one side.

"If she pulls through I'm going in her place, she will be too weak to stand up against them." said Victoria. The King could see the honesty in her eyes.

"You can't go. I've got plans" said the King.

"Plans for Hanna what plans?" said Victoria.

The King took a deep breath and softened his voice. Perhaps honesty would be the clearest course at this point.

"She was going to make it her business to find out what they are doing. Find weaknesses we can exploit" said the King.

Victoria Looked at him "I can do that. No problem."

"She was to seduce the Vampire Lord, if she had the opportunity. " said the King.

"I can do that" said Victoria. She didn't know how but she felt for Hanna she could find a way.

"And If a red flag appeared above a church she was to take that as an order to try to kill him." said the King. Had negotiated this with the Whole Earth Army as a price for their corporation.

Victoria paused. She read the implications of what the King had asked. A revengeful orphan like Hanna would agree to this suicide but Victoria had reason to live.

"Let's hope it doesn't come to this. God knows what the Vampire would do if you became unavailable. Hanna has to make it or we will be plunged in to a war we cannot win and cannot afford to loose. "

Victoria went back to tending to Hanna.

Later in night Hanna seemed to recover a little. She felt well enough to sit up a bit.

"See your getting better already" said Victoria a little proudly.

"I like you, you never know when to give up. That's possibly your best feature. I'm not sure how I will copy that" said Hanna "I'm thirsty. Could you get me some water?"

"Sure... Princess" said Victoria.

"That was your lesson for me number one. Always remember your a princess" said Hanna weakly.

Victoria turned and went down the corridor to the barrel were the clean water was kept. She noted it was getting low and would have to tell someone one about it. When Victoria came back Hanna looked still. The fire in the corner flickered.

"They will be wearing black, you should were the white dress during the negotiations" said Victoria seeing the wardrobe. They were the same size and Hanna had got comfortable in Victoria's wardrobe.

There was silence from Hanna. Victoria looked at Hanna, she wasn't moving.

"Hanna!" said Victoria.

Victoria raced up and held Hanna's hand. It didn't feel cold.

"Hanna! Princess! Wake up! Don't go! I promise I'll go instead of you! Hanna. Hanna" said Victoria loudly.

this had brought others to to Victoria's room. Soon Victoria had been pulled away with the nagging feeling if she hand't left Hanna might still be a live for some reason.

****

The negotiations had concluded in grim silence from her. Hanna's burial was in secret. Victoria surrenders to her fait. Once at night she heard fluttering outside her window. The rumour was the vampires could climb walls and liked to crawl in open windows. Her wooden shutters were firmly closed and twice checked. She never saw her captor-to-be but she had suspected he had been the one outside looking at her sleeping. So it was that a month later she was about to stepped into the iron cage her farther had built. Her mother had hung on to her the longest. Her farther had held her more closely than he had ever before.

"This is not good bye. This is see you later." he had said to her in public then drew her close. "Remember the red flag" he whispered before letting her go victoria saw the tear in the corner of his eye. She knew the familars were watching and behaved with as much dignity she could muster. She had been blindfolded and put into the cage as protection from them.

She sat alone in the iron cage. Non of the serving maids had been willing to come with her, she didn't blame them. She was Victoria, she was now also a little bit of Hanna, she was Hanna's strength, she was Hanna's determination and one day she would be Hanna's revenge. After a while she wondered what Hanna would do or say if she was there as her .

"Will some one let me out of here" Victoria shouted.

"Not yet princess" came a voice from the outside.

"Will someone get it through their FAT heads I'm not a princess. My farther is a shoe salesman." Victoria shouted back through the blind fold.