Okay, world and character introduction post let’s go!
Welcome to a magical vaguely medieval world of castles and magic forests. Our scene is set in between two (so far unnamed) kingdoms separated by the magical and dangerous Wandering Woods. Any human who dares enter the trees is swiftly removed by the forest itself, as if it’s a living thinking being. Maybe it is. Monsters are known to roam the wild magic filled space and if they dare leave they are swiftly caught and often killed, the people of the land believe they are a threat to public safety.
But monsters is a very broad category, just like anything else, and there is nuance and good and bad on both sides.
One kingdom is based around flowers and rare plants as their main export, they take this reputation very seriously and all born into royalty are named for plants, if you are interested in Victorian flower language you might find that their names have interesting meanings.
The second kingdom surrounded on all sides except for where The Wandering Woods acts as a border for the flower kingdom. Because they can’t trade by land (no one dares enter the woods) they have become excellent sailors, and trade with lands both near and far.
The two kingdoms have never been at war, the woods acting as a barrier and causing all disputes to fizzle out before anyone can start taking drastic measures.
This is the story of two young women caught in between it all, between kingdoms, between humanity and monstrosity, between their pasts and their futures. This is a story of loss, grief for what could have been, and friendship and love in spite of it all.
Now that some of that stuff is out of the way, let’s meet some of our characters!
Lady Dolores: A young woman from a noble family. She is an artist and known to be a bit of an eccentric, strange rumors follow her and her decision to move out of her family home at the drop of a hat and move into a previously abandoned manor house right on the edge of The Wandering Woods. No one can quite figure out what here deal is, but thats just how artist are, right? Recently there was a strange monster attack in the nearby village and her family has convinced her that she needs some kind of protection from the wild beasts of the forest. They send her a knight to act as body guard, but Dolores suspects that there is something strange going on with the knight.
Dame Joan Glenfair: A recently dubbed knight of the ocean kingdom who does not speak of her life before the day she became a squire. Her senses are sharp, perhaps a bit too sharp, and there is something very strange in her eyes when one looks at them too long. She is duty bound and eternally grateful to the older knight who took her as a squire and follows all orders without question. Though when he is ordered to be the personal guard of a strange noble woman out on the edges of the kingdom she begins to doubt the ideals that have been instilled in her from a young age.
Prince Hyacinth: A soft spoken and melancholic young man. They say a great tragedy befell him and his twin sister the night before their thirteenth birthday, but it seems no one knows the exact details. Some say they snuck out into the woods to explore, others say she came down with a sudden illness and died in her bed. Most question the prince’s involvement in his sister’s death and have suspicions that he took her out of the picture so he could take her future crown. What everyone can agree on his out gully he was seemed ever since that night, and how unsuited he is took take the throne. In the last few months he has begun to suspect that his life is in danger, but no one will listen to him when he speaks of his fears.
So far these are our main players but don’t be surprised if I add more in the future, this world is still coming together but I would like to share to process. If you have questions I would be happy to answer, and I hope you enjoy your stay!
made a shitty little comic thing based on a scene from this post https://www.tumblr.com/reefsharkwriteswords/792246043107606528/okay-heres-a-major-bit-of-backstory-lets-do
I talked to my parents today about moving out. They questioned why my decision was so sudden, but I managed to convince them that leaving home and living alone is just part of my artistic journey. I honestly cannot believe that they bought it, but I suppose I have always been a bit of an eccentric.
I of course did not tell them what truly happened last night, they have always supported me, but this is a bridge to far I fear. So I lied, I told them that on my walk I visited my goddess's statue and prayed for answers. That I wanted to peruse a career as an artist, but wasn't quite sure I was ready for the task.
They believed me when I said that my lady Sun told me to spend some time alone, to practice my craft and indulge in my creativity.
Tomorrow I am to visit Queen Mariana, my second cousin, to ask for her blessing to move into an old manor out by the woods. Such a request could be deemed suspicious, but it is an old family home, so there is a chance she will see this as a kindness. I will keep the place in order and I will be far from people who I could potentially hurt. And who could hurt me.
I'll need to prepare for the audience, there has to be a way to appear more alive, the castle will be crawling with guards.
This plan must work, I can smell the blood of those around me, I must not succumb to hunger. It will be the end of me.
Does it make any sense? I have no idea, but it’s done and you can watch it!
Btw the little cloud things around certain frames mean they happened in the past
This one is messy but that’s intentional, I wanted a break from attempting perfection, I just wanted to tell a story and have fun. Lemme know what you think (:
Azalea held onto the belief that she was not heartless for plotting the assaination of her youngest cousin. She thought killing someone so close actually took a lot of heart, to be loyal one must have the ability to backstab.
And it wasn’t just the loyalty she had for her brother that drove her to these extremes, it was love for the girl Hyacinth had gotten killed. This wasn’t just a power grab, it was righteous vengeance.
Azalea had never been given a convincing reason as to what had happened that night ten years ago, her Aunt and Uncle had said that Princess Heather had died of a strange and sudden illness and had a closed casket funeral. But Azalea knew better, she had seen Hyacinth sitting across from his sister’s coffin and whispering something. His lips forming the words I’m sorry, over and over again.
That wasn’t a lot to go on sure, but he had never stopped looking guilty since that day. Not sad, guilty. The castle staff also talked, she’d heard hushed conversations in the kitchens and gardens, rumors of the twins sneaking off into the woods. One nurse said she’d tended to Hyacinth’s bloody hands that night, that it wasn’t his own blood.
Azalea wasn't one to let such injustices slide, justice must be served. And when Ander passed over a small metal vial attached to a silver chain, she knew what she had to do.
The woman had always dabbled in chemistry, she personally studied alchemy and plants. Only Ander knew of her proclivity for concocting poisons in her own free time, at first it had just been a simple hobby for a busy royal lady. But now it was her brother's way to the throne, and her to being his advisor.
As much as she hated Hyacinth for what he had done though, she couldn't help but feel conflicted when she slipped the first drop of poison into his afternoon tea. He had killed his own sister though, and he would drive the kingdom to ruin if he ever took the throne. It had to be done. She only wished that the poison worked quicker, but it would be too suspicious if he simply keeled over dead one day, so a slow decline it was.
Azalea would need to get her black shoes repaired soon, there would be a funeral in a matter of months.
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Hyacinth was wandering in the castle gardens again, it was the third time that day that she had seen him walking aimlessly through the flowers and fruit trees. It was almost sad how lost he looked out there, looking at the same plants and fishponds that he had always known. The woman set down her porcelain tea cup and turned her gaze from the window to the chess board in front of her.
"He's out by the anemones again," she said as she moved her last rook to protect her queen.
Across from her Ander didn't bother to move his eyes from the game board, that was probably why he was the better chess player. He refused to refocus his attention from the matter at hand. He moved his queen in a risky but damning move, he would have her in checkmate within his next move. Despite knowing her doom was at hand Azalea still tried to make a smart move.
"Checkmate," his even voice announced, there was a small frown on his lips as he responded to her earlier comment. "Leave him to his roaming, he may as well enjoy the fresh air while he can, he's been feeling quite ill recently you remember."
"Indeed," she began resetting her pieces. "Perhaps we should visit him later tonight, we can take him his evening meal and join him to eat." According to the scullery the young prince hadn't been eating much lately. Her and Ander's presence would likely convince him to actually ingest his meal. Despite their true intentions, Hyacinth trusted them. She couldn't help but realize it was because they were the only people in the castle to even talk to him, it was sad really. But he deserved it, he had to.
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"Does this taste strange to you?"
Azalea looked up from her bowl of lamb and carrot stew and made a point to keep her face even and unremarkable. "Do you not like it? You can always ask the kitchens to make you something else." They both knew he wouldn't ask the kitchens, spineless prince that he was.
"No it's delicious," he hurriedly said. "It's just that I feel something is off with the taste. Floral notes perhaps?"
Ah yes, 'floral notes' the poison she had been dosing him with for over a month now. It had been working too, he had left his room less and less over the last few weeks, she'd seen the mostly full plates he'd been leaving outside for the staff to pick up. He was suspicious, and through castle rumors she knew he had brought the issue up to his parents only to be put down immediately. No one would believe him, they all distrusted him too much.
"Let me be the judge of that," she reached out her spoon towards his bowl, asking for a bite. She knew such a small amount wouldn't hurt her. There was a reason she was dosing him slowly.
Hyacinth hesitated, and that familiar pang of guilt ran through her heart. But no, she couldn't feel sorry for him, he had killed her cousin. He would pay for that. Besides he pushed his bowl towards her slightly and let her swallow a spoonful of what they both they was poison. Her resolve steeled.
"It tastes perfectly normal to me, maybe you are imagining things again. You know how you get carried away with those day dreams of yours."
The prince looked into his bowl once more and then picked up his spoon. "Of course. You're right, I'm just letting my thoughts get away from me."
"I always am right Hyacinth, we both know that." She spoke with an easy smile and light tone. His huffing laugh in return was nothing but genuine.
Okay, here’s a major bit of backstory. Let’s do this
I might change some small details of this later, but for now it’s good enough to share.
Cw: brief suicidal ideation, violence, hatred and fear of monsters, (let me know if I missed anything)
The iron lock clicked in place with a promise of isolation and Heather fumed. The heavy wooden door trapping her in her bedroom stood unfeeling, and the young girl couldn't help but kick it, hoping her parents on the other side of the door knew how she was feeling. Betrayal burned in her veins and hurt was beginning to calcify in her heart. When no reply or apology answered her she ground her newly sharp teeth and kicked the door once more for emphases and turned to look at her prison.
Her bedroom was fitting of a princess, large and full of various tapestries and golden candlesticks and jewelry. A rich green rug adorned the the stone floor and old leather-bound books of plants and kingdom history were lined up neatly on the shelves.
She would lose her mind if she was trapped here for the rest of her life, at least if she became queen she would've been allowed to finally leave the castle grounds because then she would make the rules. But because of the events of the night, she would never be crowned, as was her birthright.
No, her future here was not one of power and responsibility, it was one of silence and gilded cages.
Heather decided that she wouldn't accept it, absolutly not. She had left once that night, she could and would do it again.
If she was going to be a monster she at least wasn't going to let people treat her like one.
She began packing with little hesitation, procuring a leather shoulder bag from the back of her expansive closet and trying to find something in the depths of the closet that wasn't suited to royalty. Eventually she decided upon a pair of well made riding trousers that if covered with enough dirt shouldn't give her away, and a simple play dress that became a more masculine looking tunic once she cut it considerably shorter in both the skirt and sleeves and then tore two slits in the side of the skirt for mobility.
After dressing in a haste, tying a scarf painfully tight around her leg wound, and tossing a few of her most important things in her bag (small ornamental dagger she received as a gift from her uncle, an old and worn soft animal toy that resembled a bear, and a golden compass she was given by her eldest cousin) she looked in the mirror above her small vanity.
It was the first time she had looked at herself since the attack, and suddenly she understood why her father had reached for his sword.
She didn't look human.
Her eyes were more yellow than green now, pupils no longer round but oblong and slitted, the hands coming to to feel at her new fangs were hairier than her father's and her nails had grown into curling claws. Blood was dried on her face and hands and drenched the nightgown that was now thrown with little care onto the cold floor. There was dirt smeared on her cheek and mixing into the large and deep claw mark still lazily oozing red. The thin skin around her eyes was pink and shiny with the pain of betrayal and Heather could barely recognize herself.
She didn't look like a crown princess anymore.
She was halfway to the balcony with a length of rope when she remebered something very important. Hyacinth.
Her twin brother had always relied on her to get through the trials of court life, he was sensitive and not suited to the scrutiny and pressure of the throne. But he couldn't come with her, not this time.
Not even five hours ago they had escaped the same way as she was about to, it didn't go well.
(Her breath was ragged in her lungs and she couldn't close her eyes, the beast's jaws were inches from her face, blood stained teeth shining in the moonlight and red saliva dripping from its jowls. It's breath smelled of death and the turned soil that awaited her. The look in the massive wolf's eyes told her everything she needed to know.
Still, she turned and ran.
She wouldn't survive, but distracting the animal would hopefully be enough of a distraction for Hyacinth to get away, it was her job to protect him, it had been since the day he was born half an hour after her.
Her heart was pounding in her ears as her feet tore into the forest floor, desperation pushed her faster than she had ever run, ducking around trees and hoping the the wolf could be out maneuvered.
She learned that it was agile as it was fast when he lunged over a log she had barely cleared and plunged it's teeth into the flesh of her calf. She screamed with the fire of the Sun and deciding not to go down without a fight she threw her arms out infront of her and plunged her sharp nailed thumbs in the beast's glowing eyes.
Wait, glowing? She thought as the wolf reared back in agony. Normal wolves don't have glowing eyes. This was a monster, and if she survived she would be one too. She could feel the wound burning with some kind of magic and a different kind of fear bloomed in her gut.
Monsters were dangerous creatures, they were killed the moment they were found in polite society because of the threat they posed. They had sharp teeth and knew nothing but malice in their hearts. A monster could not become queen or live in a castle. A monster was not welcome to live anywhere but the most magic dense and wild places in the world. And only because humans feared the wild too much to hunt them there.
Heather could feel her ears stretching as she backed away on her hands. The transformation had already begun and she was becoming something terrible.
She had to save her brother before the wolf went after him too, in her last moments of humanity she would save his. She had to.
"Run! Hyacinth run!" She screamed out into the too bright night and prayed to whatever goddess was listening that he would be safe. Then she looked down at her lengthening nails and stood shakily, she had no weapon, but she was a monster now, and she would act like it.
Heather lunged forward with bared teeth and jumped onto the wolf's back, clawing at his neck and trying to bite through his thin skin. The two beasts yowled in pain and tore at eachother in mutual frenzy biting though skin and slashing eachother open until the girl stood up in hollow victory with one foot on her attacker's corpse.
She would've laid down and never moved again if Hyacinth hadn't burst out the the bushes with tears streaming down his face and a sword trembling in his hands.
"You- you're alive!" His voice was like a whisper in the wind and his eyes were unbelieving. "I- I am so- so sorry, I should ha- have faught it. I had a sword." He stared down at his trembling hands and Heather couldn't help but run to him and hold his face in her clawed hands.
"No, don't be sorry. I'm so glad you hid." She could never be angry with him, not when it came to this. She could lose her mind when he left his music sheets in her room or chewed with his mouth open in the royal court, but never this. "You need to go home, Hyacinth. It's not safe here."
The boy grabbed her monstrous hand with no hesitation and pulled her after him. "Ok, let's go."
"No!" She ripped her hand from his and backed up. "I can't go home, don't you understand?" She pointed at the blood dripping from her too large teeth. "I'm not like you anymore. I can't go with you."
"Please, mother and father will understand. Surely they will know you did it to save me, right?"
"I'm a monster! I'm not their daughter anymore." Her voice broke on this and she fell forward, letting her brother catch her in his thin arms.
"No, no, they love you. Maybe it can be fixed, the wizard must be able to fix this!" And he threw one of her arms over his shoulder, not caring that blood was getting onto his own nightgown. "We can fix this."
Maybe she went with him because a small part of her still had faith that her parents loved her more than they feared monsters.)
They hadn't been able to fix it, her parents had taken one look at her and decided she was a lost cause, trapping her in her room and saying that no monster would disgrace their family name. She wasn't sure if they meant to leave her there forever to rot, or that they would hush her up permanently. Whatever it was she wanted no part of it.
Hyacinth had frozen up in the woods at the first sign of trouble, which she was eternally greatful for because it meant he survived. But in the wild he wouldn't last a day. And Heather wasn't sure when the beastly rage would hit her and she would lose all connection to who she was now. Would she rip out his throat the moment the next full moon rose? She wasn't going to risk it.
But she had to say goodbye, he deserved far more than that, but it was all she could give.
Their rooms were right next to eachother, and while she couldn't risk trying to climb from her outwards balocny to his, the fall being two stories and not having much for handholds, she could risk the other balconies. The castle was built in a large oval around the famed royal gardens, with walkways and towers shooting off the outside walls like the Sun's rays. And being the prince and princess came with perks, such as the balconies a good jumps distance from eachother looking out over the gardens. She just had to wait out the guard shift.
So Heather tried to ignore the pain lancing up her leg, and the deep sorrow burrowing itself into her gut, and when the clock tower rung twice she slipped through the door like an assassin and hopped from one platform to another, praying that Hyacinth's door was unlocked, it usually was.
And almost as if the spirits were apologizing for the night's events, his door was open, and she was able to close it behind her before anyone was the wiser.
The first thing she noticed in her twin brothers room was how dark it was, only a few lanterns were lit by his piano and the rest of the room was bathed in a mournful darkness.
"Hyacinth, I'm here to apologize, " she called out softly into the large room. She was only given a seconds notice before a body slammed into her, tackling her to the ground and heaving with quiet sobs.
"I am so sorry, I'm so so sorry!" His voice was breaking on every other word and Heather could hear the wetness clogging his throat and nose. "They were supposed to find a cure, they were supposed to help!"
"Shhh, its going to be alright," she lied to the sobbing boy in her arms. She would tell him her plan once he calmed down, Hyacinth could never hear reason when he was upset like this. So she rocked him back and forth until he stopped heaving and the tears dried in her own eyes. She couldn't believe she was leaving him to the wolves like this.
Once he sat back to face her she smiled sadly, "I'm going to have to leave now. It's not safe for me here and before you even think about it, I don't blame you. But I have to go." She held out a clawed hand to hold his face and tried to act braver than she felt, like she always did when it came to her brother.
"Would you help me, just this one last time?"
Hyacinth sniffed but nodded, his voice taking on a resigned quality. "One last hurrah?"
Heather snorted wetly and nodded, pulling them both off of the floor and leading him towards the outward balcony where a rope was still tied to the stone handrail.
"Before you go, you need a better disguise."
She hadn't expected that, she turned to her twin, "And what do you suggest? It's not like I have many clothes that suggest anything but royalty."
"No, no I dont mean that, if you roll in enough muck you should be able to look the part of an urchin, it's your hair."
Heather contemplated kicking him in the shin for the urchin remark, but refrained against it, they simply didn't have the time to start a fight over something dumb, not anymore.
"Well if you know something better to do with my hair, be my guest. I didn't have any scissors in my room."
Hyacinth hummed and tipptoed off to his paper strewn desk to find a pair of scissors and then returned and told her to sit on his vanity.
"Cut it short, like yours."
"Are you certain, it took you so long to grow it out like this?"
"Yes, I'm sure. Long hair will be hard to take care of where I'm going."
Hyacinth didn't hesitate while he began to snip through her dark hair. "And where are you going?"
Heather sighed mournfully, "If I tell you, then you'll follow me."
The prince set down his scissors abruptly and Heather knew this was the hardest part. "Why can't I come with you, we both know I won't survive here, not without you."
Heather stood and turned to him, putting her hands on his shoulders. "I don't know how dangerous I am going to become. And we both know that if I kill you I'll only kill myself as well. I hate to say this Hyacinth, but you are just going to have to learn to live without me. I promise you that you are strong enough to do it, you'll make a great king."
And maybe that last bit was a lie and they both knew it, but it couldn't change things. This story wouldn't end happily for either of them, and they would just have to live despite it.
"Please just finish my hair, I'm so sorry about all of this."
The rest of the haircut was quiet and soon enough they were collecting the long tresses and tossing them into the fireplace, hoping that no one in the castle would smell the horrific stench of it and come running.
"Before you go," Hyacinth put a hand on her shoulder as she turned to step onto the tarrece. "I was going to give this to you tomorrow, for our birthday portrait, but I suppose now is my last chance."
Her brother took her hand and placed something cold and smooth in it, when she brought it to the moonlight she found a locket in her palm. It was circular and made of silver, the metal itched slightly in her palm and she recalled the tales of werewolves and silver daggers being more effective. But it didn't hurt, and she would never tell Hyacinth if it did.
In another small bit of irony the face of the locket was decorated with a crescent moon. When opened the pendant she found two small paintings, one of her smiling softly forward, and the other of Hyacinth with a matching expression.
She put it around her neck without out a second thought.
"Thank you," she reached out to hug him but her twin only held up a finger.
"There's one more thing, I couldn't find the courage to save you tonight, but I hope that this gift will do what I could not." And he handed her his sword.
Vervain was an aptly named weapon, in the language of flowers it meant 'protection from evil', Heather took it with hesitant hands.
She had never been taught to wield a sword, becoming queen one day didn't have much to do with swordsmanship after all. But Hyacinth had been trained to fight, or at least the very basics of wielding a blade. He had never been good at it though, his demeanor not suited for violence. Her brother was a poet, not a fighter. She supposed it only made sense that he part with the blade, he was to be king now, and no one expected for the king to join in on battle, even if he would be expected to carry a ceremonial sword. It would be much more useful to her.
The weight was a bit heavy in her small hands, the pommel was wrapped with black leather and right where the blade and the guard met there was an inlaid purple gem. Hyacinth's color. Their parents had always dressed them in signature colors, purple for Hyacinth and green for her. The shades always went well together, Heather often wondered if it was because they were twins, that they were presented as a matched set.
After staring at Vervain for a long moment she nodded her head in acceptance and took the sword belt her brother was offering to her. There were tears growing in her eyes again as she buckled it around her waist and slipped the weapon into its sheath.
"You did me no wrong brother, any safety this weapon will bring me will be in your name." She took a deep breath and pulled him into a tight hug. "You're going to be okay Hyacinth, don't let the pressure break you down, you can do this." She pulled back reluctantly and pressed a kiss to the crown of his head.
"Will I ever see you again?" Her darling little brother asked in a choked voice.
She held the rope in her bloody hands and readied herself to begin the desent down. "Not unless I hear you call for help."
And the monster climbed over the wall and slid down the rope with clumsy hesitation. She didn't let herself look back as she ran from the grounds and into the nearby woods, hoping to find a road or path that would lead her to some kind of safety or painless death. She had lied to Hyacinth when she said she knew where she was going.
She looked to the moon above and for the first time in her life prayed with any kind of sincerity.
"Lady Moon, your powers over the creatures of the night did this to me. If you want to claim me as your own as you seem so adamant to do, then please don't forsake me now."
She couldn't hear any kind of verbal answer, but she thought the moon might've gotten a bit brighter in the sky, and she went back to walking. Not a minute after she found a small footpath and began to follow it through the forest as the sun rose behind her.
A new day, a new start. The guilt still sat heavy in her gut, she doubted it would ever leave.
Little thing I wrote from Hyacinth’s perspective to get a read in his inner dialogue and personality and such.
Content warnings: grief and mourning. Talk of death and murder. Poisoning. And Hyacinth generally being miserable.
Someone was trying to kill him, Hyacinth was sure of it.
His parents called him paranoid when he brought the topic up on one rare occasion where he joined them for evening tea. The large balcony covered in flowering wisteria vines and jasmine was a beautiful backdrop to the young prince explaining his fears to the king and queen.
The longing cry of an owl in the distance accompanied his mother’s quiet snort and father’s deep frown.
“Son, nobody wants to kill you. And if they did, you are protected at all times. You live in a castle for the Sun’s sake.”
He never brought the topic up again after that dismissal. But the feeling in his gut never left.
Sometimes he would eat his food and something strange would run across his taste buds. He didn’t eat a lot after that happened too many times. Occasionally the goblets of water delivered to his room tasted sickeningly sweet, he would dump the contents over his balcony ledge and accept the headache that taunted him.
Once the man had to dodge a falling stone while walking wistfully through the expansive gardens at the center of the palace. When he told the nearest few guards they had all told him they hadn’t seen such a thing. When he showed them the large rock now embedded in the ground they told him it had always been there.
He thought about leaving often. Running away from all he had ever known and trying to find somewhere where no one knew his face. It would be hard to find such a place though, everyone knew the face of his long dead sister. After her death their parents had sent out paintings and lifelike ink drawings to every temple and shrine in a mass mourning. And unfortunately for him in this situation, Hyacinth and his dead twin had almost the same face.
Running was useless, and he was too scared to try even if he wouldn’t be recognized. He had only left the grounds once in his life, and the shrine to Heather in the castle's temple told him everything he needed to know about what happened when one left the stone walls.
He would die out there, just as she had. Or, he assumed she had. Things weren’t quite that simple.
But surely if his twin was alive she would let him know that fact? Right? She wouldn’t just leave him here to rot while she got to experience the freedom they had been chasing that dark night in the forest?
She was dead, every other explanation hurt too much to consider. And since she was dead, it was his fault. He had gotten her killed after all.
Hyacinth had stared into the bright eyes of the beast that had attacked his dear sister, he had a sword in his trembling hands, and instead of charging forward bravely, or even just throwing the sword at the massive wolf, he had cowered like a coward.
And Heather had died the next day, she couldn’t stay after what had happened. And she had left and never returned. Dead somewhere in the wilderness and Hyacinth was to blame.
He had accepted the guilt a long long time ago, and he had no plans of letting go of it. Without the regret tearing at his insides he wasn’t sure who he would be anymore.
Sometimes, on his worst days, he wondered if the rumors were right, maybe he had killed her on purpose, eager to take her future throne. It had been ten years since her death, he might've forgotten his true intentions. Maybe his intentions didn’t matter at all, the result was the same. She was gone, and she wasn’t going to save him this time.
Which for many reasons was incredibly unfortunate, the most prominent at the moment being the fact that someone was trying to kill him, and the girl who had always been his protector, wasn’t there.
Hyacinth stared down at his too-sweet smelling wine and chucked darkly. The whole situation felt a bit ironic.
He dipped a pale finger into the poisoned liquid and watched the ripples hit the edge of the golden goblet. It looked a bit like blood, he wondered if he preferred this slow death by poison and self starvation over a knife to the gut. Bleeding out seemed more poetic to him, and for that reason alone he would’ve chosen it over this quiet rotting away. But he understood why his murderer had chosen this method, it was much less obvious. They must know the castle well to know that no one would believe him if he claimed his life was in danger. Whether it was true disbelief or just retribution for his sister’s death Hyacinth could never tell, but most of the castle staff seemed completely uninterested in his suspicions.
Heather had always been the more likable one after all.
For a moment the prince considered drinking the cup dry and choosing to confront his fate sooner, but he as always, eventually decided against it. He didn’t want to die, not truly. He just didn’t want to live here anymore.
He stood from his music sheet strewn desk and carried the goblet with him out to his second balcony, his favorite one. He liked it for a simple reason, it faced outwards. If he tried hard enough he could pretend he was somewhere else. Somewhere far from his fate in life; a weight of gold being set upon his head and the responsibility of a kingdom thrust into his shaking hands, or being the victim of a political murder. Whichever came first.
He poured the liquid off of the balcony and looked down at the grass far below. Or, there had been grass there once. Now it was just a patch of brown.
Hyacinth wondered when his murderer would get tired of waiting. It would be a lovely evening to die. The sun was in the hills and the songbirds were singing out their last choruses before they slept. With the scent of sickly sweet poison still in his nose Hyacinth decided to sit on his carved marble bench and watch the sunset.
It felt a bit sad to have a bench that could sit two and have no one to share it with. He would probably have someone to watch the sky with if he didn't keep turning away all eligiable suitors. And he didn't want to be alone forever, but he knew none of the lords and ladies who came to court hoping to woo him actually wanted to get to know him. They wanted his power, he could see it in their eyes, always flicking to the tiara on his head that siginfed him as first in line.
Sometimes he considered taking a chance, even if they just wanted his power, they would still be someone to talk to. The only people in the castle who bothered to listen to anything he had to say where his cousins Azalea and Ander, and they had little appreciation for songs or poetry, so there wasn't much to talk to them about.
But he wasn't completely alone, not long after he sat down to watch the clouds turn a blazing orange and pink a quiet squeaking inturupted his brooding. The scratching of small claws came nearer and Hyacinth mindlessly bent down to lay a hand on the ground so he could pick up the little grey rat and bring her up to his shoulder. Zinnia rubbed her soft forehead against his neck and settled down.
At least he had her, he hoped she would be able to move on quickly and live a good life once he was dead. She wasn't a normal rat, she would likely find some mage in need of a familiar and finally be able to help someone worthwhile. But for now she refused to leave his side and he was glad of it, he needed her.
The sun quickly gave away to the bright moon and Hyacinth felt the ever encompassing melancholy and guilt start to choke him. He'd forgotten it was a full moon that night. He went inside and closed his gauzy curtains to block out the haunting light, moving to take a seat at the golden harp in one of the large room's corners. He doubted he would sleep much that night, so instead he would work on his newest song. A slow and lonely dirge if he'd ever heard one but dear to his heart all the same, and that was all that mattered truly, as no other soul would ever hear it.
On moonlit road you ran and fled,
From soft dungeon and cruel words said.
To forest dark and dank you go,
Away from love and hate you grow.
And here I sit awaiting news,
Of death or hope or bright new views.
The days they are all dark and dim,
For I was too afraid of him.
I failed you dear but still I wait,
Hoping you come through that gate.
You gave your crown and left with sword,
I pray that you will hear my word.
For danger dwells within these halls.
And oh the voice of sleep she calls.
But I have no want to sleep,
No dreams of falling down so deep.
So lost one if you hear my plea,
Protector please come set me free!
When his fingers finally stilled on the taught strings and his voice quieted, Hyacinth laughed shakily to himself. The song held much more hope than he usually let himself hold onto, but he couldn't bear to throw it out. It made something fragile hum deep in his chest and he wasn't ready to let that last bit of light go. Not just yet.
Ok so this is a first draft and I’m still trying to find her voice and such, but uh, here’s something I guess
Cw for classic vampire stuff as well as being attacked by said vampire stuff
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Dear diary,
Last night I went on a walk in the town gardens, and died.
I know it sounds absurd, if I was dead I wouldn’t be able to write this entry, but I promise you it is the unfortunate truth. To anyone who may read this book in the distant future, if you somehow managed to find these journals despite my plans to bury them deep beneath the ground one day. Please listen to my words, and know that I do not speak a word of a lie.
I was painting last night. It's a scene of the sunlight coming in through my oldest sister’s balcony window and decorating the floor in beautiful rays. But I was having trouble with the vines growing on the balcony ledge and needed a break to clear my head and rest my hands, so I decided to take a short walk through the gardens near the city center. I was hoping that the night blooming flowers would bring me inspiration and new strength of mind to work on the project. However as I made my way towards the center of the garden where an altar stands to our beloved Sun and Moon, something grabbed my shoulder, and then all I could feel was a sharp pain in my neck, almost like thorns were embedding themselves into my flesh.
Then my strength began to drain, I could feel my hands numbing, my legs shaking. I couldn’t fight back, the hands holding my arms in place were much too strong, it felt like being held by brick walls. The only glimpse I could get of my attacker was of long golden hair falling in loose waves over my shoulder. And then everything began to fade into a soft relief. A quiet like I had never known before.
And the thread of my life was snapped in two, and I died in that garden.
I woke up with the crescent moon hanging right over my head like a sickle on a string, and the statue of my dear Sun staring down at me with apathy. My neck ached like nothing I’d ever felt before, and my mouth was dryer than parchment. But the worst part was the weakness in my limbs as I tried to stand. It was like my bones were made of lead and my muscles crafted from pond water. I fell to the ground and wept in confusion and agony, but no tears came. My nose didn’t grow wet with snot and my mouth remained entirely dry.
That is when I began to think something truly horrible had happened to me. So I crawled up from the cobbled path and dragged myself home step by exhausting step.
Aside from the guards and doorman, only Ramona had stayed up for me. She immediately began to panic when I came in trying not to stumble over my own feet.
I managed to convince her that I was just tired, (thank the moon I took so well to courtly manners) and departed to my room where I promptly fell into a deep sleep.
I awoke to a terrible heavy feeling in my heart and to my skin burning.
The sun was only just peeking through my window but it had reached my arm and it hurt. And then I began to understand. I rushed from the bed and closed the curtains, then I sat at my boudoir and looked at my reflection. Or I tried to. But there was no person in the mirror, just the collar of the clothes I had fallen asleep in last night.
And then I felt my teeth.
And they were too sharp against my unnaturally cold fingers.
I’ve heard of monsters of course. They are known to taint this land with their evil deeds and wicked nature. But, stories of them usually involve The Wandering Woods were they roam freely. Where neither knight nor mage dare to tread in fear of becoming the object of the forest’s wrath.
I thought I was safe. But I suppose I have made a fatal mistake, because as I mentioned, I’m dead. I’ve tried to feel my pulse and there’s nothing there. My skin is like ice and I don’t feel the need to breathe.
Last night I was bitten by a vampire, and now I am one as well. I can’t think of another explanation. I can’t stay here any longer. If my family was to find out… I don’t want them to know what I have become. It will only hurt them. And as pathetic as I’m sure it sounds.
I don’t want to die again, especially not at the hands of those I love the most.
I think I know where I need to go, but first I must make my preparations. If someone was to grow suspicious I would no doubt be hunted down and executed. Civilized society has no use for a monster like me, I hope I don’t hurt anyone. Though I fear the hunger in my gut will never leave me, I have never heard of a vampire dying from anything but the sunlight or a stake to the heart. A little hunger shouldn’t kill me.
