I was a young man roaming Germany in 1942 when I came across an old museum. The framework was delicate and the architecture was impossible. I stopped with my traveling book to record (sketch) what my eyes saw, when an older Gentlemen appeared before me. The museum was close to closing and the man surely wanted to go home. Though instead of asking me to make my way back towards the entrance he simply sat beside me and watched me sketch. He didn’t introduce himself, he simple said "I knew a woman who could sketch that way once." I stopped drawing to meet his eye and I found myself oddly curious. Of course I asked about her. He said It was a long long time ago but he remembered it like it was yesterday. I said surely not too long ago, for the man before me was hardly a day over 40. He laughed and agreed that I must be right. I asked him what he knew of the palace we stood in and his eyes sparkled. "Long ago... Longer than anyone left is here to remember a war was left upon these palace walls and if they could talk... oh the stories they could tell..." I replied simply that i would love to hear some history. The man warned me that it was a dark past indeed, another world away. That the story he was speaking of was so ancient "some may call it an old wise tale, some a lie, but to the few who know the truth.. they call it a legend.”This perked my intrigue.
"She was princess beloved by all, even her queen and she lived in a post apocalyptic monster ridden world. Now monsters come in all shapes and sizes but these were the things of nightmares. Drainers of blood, pale, and cold to touch. Her name was unimportant, they called her a lot of things. She was beautiful. She has black hair that fell like a certain beyond her shoulders, her eyes were deep and blue like ocean, and her lips were pink and delicate. Her complexion was so fair the townspeople would refer to her as the fairest of them all. She was a delicate treasure. Unfortunately all treasures are coveted by...darker forces.
Beyond the walls monsters fought to break into the kingdom. The kingdom Arelia was surrounded by two outer walls. The first was to protect the castle and main village, the last stretched out miles in every direction. It was a labyrinth of death and the only safe way through was a gate that even the townsfolk didn’t know the location of. Only the queen was rumored to know the inner workings of the wall. Everyday she took a walk to her apple orchid. She would bring fresh apples to the children. This day would be different though. On this day a rogue Vampire would break through the castle defenses with hopes to steal the queen. Would hop the castle wall into the Orchid to find the princess, would decide that she is ever more beautiful and want her for the Vampire king instead.”
“Wait. wait. Wait.” I said raising an eyebrow.
“Vampires? In Germany? You’ve got to be joking.”
“Do you want to hear the rest or not?” He was peering down at me unamused. I was never one to leave a story, no matter how absurd unfinished. I let him continue:
The princess was in the apple orchid filling a basket to bring into town. On days when the queen was busy she often did this in her place. She felt the crunch of the snow beneath her winter boots. The frost bit her cheeks and the sun was hidden behind the clouds. The orchid was vast trees upon trees provided shade and cover from the wind. She plucked another apple and inspected the sides. Not a mark on it.
On the other side of the castle wall a monster crept slowly. He had climbed an impossible climb over the Kingdom’s outer limits. Guards had barely gotten wind of the intruder. He might have gone on undiscovered had he not stopped to feed on a widow. Her scream traveled through the kingdom in hours. Children went inside, fathers lit pitchforks and sharpened stakes, mothers boarded up windows. The kingdom was under attack. The guards to the kingdom searched everywhere. The queen was locked away to safety. The princess was still in the garden. They searched for her, to alert her of the news and bring her inside where she could be protected but no one seemed to know her whereabouts. That is when he saw her. He had just dropped over the wall at the edge of the garden. The orchid trees were tall and so she couldn’t see him too. A small pond of frozen water lay between them. Wild birds roamed the tops of trees. It was their shrieks of fear upon the entrance of a new threat that alerted the princess of his presence. The birds didn’t normally sound so anxious. She tried to run, he was much faster. The pain from fangs piercing her neck was dulled by adrenaline. She could feel her life being sucked away and hear the shout of guards in the distance coming to save her. The princess blacked out. When she awoke she saw the things that had attacked her. Tied to a cross, holy water and the like being thrown at him. They set him a blaze. “Have you ever heard the sound of a man set on fire?” I shook my head no. “It’s painful even to listen to. The gut wrenching scream of a man in complete agony. He begged, like they all do. They all beg for their lives...despite their lives already being gone.” Chills ran down my spine. I had to give it to this gentleman, the story was dramatic.
“They had found him in his escape and he’s burned to ash?” I asked and the man nodded before continuing. The princess noticed an apple laid nearby - the one she dropped. And a rush of events came back to her. Her hand found her neck to feel the marks where she’d been bitten. Looking down at her hands she could see her skin was white as the snow. The fairest of them all. She wanted to laugh at the irony. Who could be whiter than snow. Had her veins pulsed with blood they would of showed through her translucent skin. She no longer felt the cold of the snow beneath her, she figured because the temperature of the snow was probably not far off from that of her own. Her hair fell around her, blood soaked the ends of it. It was black, like an oozing waterfall. The color was midnight without stars, darker than the feathers on a raven. A deer was wandering the orchid at this time. It stopped to graze just beside the princess. The guards weren’t watching her. Maybe they assumed her to be dead but they were preoccupied burning her attacker. She turned to stare at the deer. She enticed it closer to her. She slowly ran her hands along its back. She adored animals but, her throat burned. It felt as though someone had ripped her insides raw. She could hear the heartbeat of the deer loud in her ears like a drum calling her by name. She lost control. The guards turned at the sound of the deer in pain. The saw her stand on shaky legs the curtain of her hair covering her face. They saw her slowly lift her head to reveal piercing blue eyes and lips stained with the blood of a fallen victim. They saw a vampire.
She was taken prisoner in the castle cell and she didn’t fight back against it. She sat in her stone cell, iron bars dozed in holy water and covered in crosses prevented escape. She made no move to leave. Her people would see she wasn’t a monster. Surely the queen would understand. An exception would be made for the princess. A vote is held as royal court members decide what to do with her. The queen is the deciding vote. A huntsmen is summoned to bring the court the princess’s heart.
“What about the king?”
“Hmm..? Oh yes the King. When the princess was just a girl the world was much less safe. The walls had yet to be built. The king was a brave and caring man and would not hide behind walls whilst his people weren’t safe. The plans were in the works but incomplete. He was an easy enough target. They captured him and for the princess’s ninth birthday they sent her his head.”
“Good lord.”
“He isn’t so good.” Responded the man. The poor girl. “After that the queen ruled over the kingdom. The princess would take her place when she died. Though now the princess sat immortal at 15 in the castle dungeon, waiting to be executed. A huntsman was sent and he could hardly look at his princess. He knelt outside her cell and apologized as he told her what must be done. Fear overtook her eyes.
“How can this be?” She asked broken, “my people want me dead, my mother?”The huntsman simply shook his head. He apologized again. “No.” she locked eyes with him. “You will release me.” she demanded “I am the princess of Arelia and I command to be let go.” He did as she asked. She told him to bring the queen the heart of the deer that lay in the orchid and she made her escape. It would seem that not only the queen knew of its hidden pathways.
So the princess with her snow white skin made her way into the realm of monsters. For refuge she found a village of dwarves. They were hidden deep in the forest and she stayed with them. She offered a protection with her strength and she was always kind to them. She fed outside the village on animals that passed and kept to herself. Years went by and the queen felt the war approaching. Scared for her kingdom she went to see the kingdom seer, an oracle with a mirror of magic. She asked the mirror to tell her what would be the downfall of her kingdom. It showed her the girl. The princess in a hidden village, alive.
“How?” asked the queen. “That girl should have died.” She slammed the mirror down on the desk. “Bring me an apple.” She said to the seer and a poison apple was brought. The queen realized she could trust no one but herself. She paid the seer for his silence and went off through the tunnels to find the village. She sneaks in disguised as an elderly woman. A lost traveler selling apples. The princess is reminded of home and graciously accepts one.
“Thank you, madame.” She says before she takes a bite. Her fangs pierce the apple and it taste like nothing. She hadn’t tried to eat regular food since the change. How disappointing. She chewed and swallowed to be polite. The poison took effect then. Slowly her body became numb and then she fell to her knees. She looked up at the old woman but there stood the queen. “Why?” she mouthed as pain filled her.
“Long live the princess, Fairest of them all, Snow white.” said the queen, a blade in her hand. She was going to stake her heart out herself. A dwarf saw a fallen snow white and through a rock at the queen. Soon enough she was chased from the village with pitch forks and the like. Someone and injured their princess. She was carried back to the village and placed on an alter. The covered her in flowers. She was still breathing. They tried to revive her many ways, none worked. They crossed her arms over her chest and went on with their lives. Years passed snow fell, the apple on the ground rotted and turned to compost. Spring came and went five times. The queen turned grey in her castle the war on humanity raged on.
The prince of the knight, king of vampires, all powerful ruler of the monsters himself finally decides to take to the battlefield. He leaves his throne to join the fight. He was about 2000 years old then, but he didn’t look a day over twenty. Time worked differently for his kind- he would age, just very slowly. He stands with royal arrogance and menacing green eyes. His hair dark as coal his lips a smile that read ‘i’ve already won.’ His skin pale and icy like his glare. He stood tall, proud, with a pointed nose and sharp jaw. He was handsome and he would go find himself a way to break down the kingdom Arelia. His brother called upon him.
“Philip.” He said “We must move forward now. The troops have grown impatient.”
“Brother. They will be rewarded for their loyalty to the crown. Calm them down this war will be won.” His brother nodded and left the room but still even the second oldest in the vampire crown grew tired of this war. Out for a patrol, brother to the king, Matthew combed the forest. A group of human guards dropped from trees ambushing them. Fire was lit in a circle around them and spears were thrown like stakes aiming for the heart. Two were killed instantly, they lay on fire burning to ash. The others fought back with intensity but they were outnumbered. Matthew was hit. He was losing too much blood, too much life too quickly. His heart had been missed but this was close enough. He was dying. Reinforcements made it to them. The human guards were fed upon but matthew was in bad shape. They carried him to the King.
“Your brother!” Shouted a soldier. “He’s been hurt.” Philip ran to him. They were dragging his brother dripping blood through the doorways.
“Brother!” He shouted it was too late. He lie still. He wasn’t breathing. He cut his arm and brought it to his brothers lips. The blood of the vampire king was stronger than any other. It was the pure blood of one born a vampire not changed. It flowed into his brother now slowly healing the wounds created. It was not enough. Matthew was buried before sunrise.
The war continued but King Philip had a newfound vengeance. His brothers death would not go in vain. The troops were divided. Creatures were thrown out of their homes. No one would stand in his way. There was a harsh cruelty in the way he ruled. The dwarves heard wind of the Vampires closing in closer to the castle and packed up their village to move. They couldn’t take the princess with them. They left her there and moved on.
It wasn’t long before she was found by a group patrolling the forest. She was brought before the Vampire king. Philip looked at her and saw his victory in the war. The princess of Arelia, missing all these years and now she lie before him. Already turned. His fang bit down on the inside of his cheek and his mouth filled with blood, he leaned over the princess and kissed her lips. The blood trickled down into her mouth riding her system of the poison. She opened her eyes. The princess licked her lips, the taste of blood fresh in her mouth. She turned to see she was surrounded by monsters. She was in the heart of the Kingdom of Vampires.
King Philip explained her absence to her. How the war still rages, how she is no monster but Vampire royalty how she should join him. He told her of how humans had turned on each other, how fear and driven them to madness. He asked her to join him as his bride and they could rule over all of Arelia, all of the world together. She refused.
“My people need me.” She said.
“What people? The same that poisoned you, Perhaps you mean the queen that sentenced you to death? They will only ever see a monster as while we ….all see a ruler. A princess- no a queen.” The princess takes her leave despite what he says and vampire king lets her go. His subjects are furious with him but he silences them. “She will be back.”
In the kingdom of Arelia she walks the streets. No one recognizes her now. It’s been too long. She’s still in the royal blue gown she disappeared in. A dark cloak hangs on her shoulders and a hood clings to her hair, hiding her face. She sees the last of humankind behind walls. Every action is driven by fear instead of thought. They abandon the innocent and they do not care for others. The citizens are looting the markets, supplies are at a vicious low. People are randomly accusing others of being a monster and innocent women and men are staked and burned alive. Her kingdom has already fallen. She returns with a heavy heart to the vampire king.
“ I’ll join you.” She says broken.
“Good.” He smiles and orders his people to prepare for a ceremony.
“Ceremony?” she asks.
“You will be my new bride. You will pledge allegiance to me as your husband and king and then we will storm Arelia together.”
“I do not love you.” She answered.
“You will learn” was his only response before she was whisked away to prepare. Her long hair was put up, her royal blue gown swapped for a red one, and her lips painted red. The dress was very mobile, how else would she be expected to fight in it.
“Fight?” She asked thinking she’d never fought before.
“It’ll come as instinct.” A woman said as she helped tie her dress. It was corseted in the back and felt like velvet. The arms weren’t poofy like the last one she’d wore. It was light and held no underskirts. She felt scandalous.
“Shouldn’t I be in white?” She asked and the woman laughed.
“We do things differently here. Your union will not be before god for god has abandoned those who have abandoned death. Instead it will be before your people, since we are who you serve now.” That didn’t sound so bad. To the princess she would always live to serve her kingdom. “You will mate with the King. You will let him take you and then announce to the kingdom that you are his in mind, favor, and body.” If the princess could’ve blushed she would have. Talk ‘mating’ seemed so aggressive. Still she was brought before her King in a chamber. Subjects view from behind a screen as his hands traced down the curve of your body. She had fear in her eyes and he smiled at her viciously.
“You are mine now. Say it” He told her.
“I am … yours. In mind, favor, and body.” She repeated. He was pleased with her and so he moved slow. His fangs cut his mouth again and his kissed her, his blood spilling down her throat. His fangs bit into her collarbone and her body was on fire. Where his hands traced her skin she melted. The exchanging of blood was a sacred mating tradition. It eased the pain of virginity loss and heightened the senses of all parties involved. Kisses and bites trailed down the curve of her breast and she let out a soft sigh of pleasure as he took her. She now belonged to the vampire king.
No time was wasted between the ceremony and battle strategy. Her dress was torn in the mating ritual and she stood in a drawing room explaining the pathways and tunnels of the walls in a tattered gown. She would have been embarrassed but her people had seen her in the throws of passion and none of them would dare say anything to the King’s bride. Her shyness lost, she was confident and planned strategy. When the troops were informed and the plan ready she sought out with them. She was a new woman, she was a vampire, she was a queen.
“What shall we call you, your highness?” asked King philip. “You have been reborn my love.” She thought this over. She could say anything she wanted. She could be anyone.
“I am Snow white, Queen of the Vampires.” Her subjects bowed at her words. On one knee they lifted heads and sang in unison.
“Long live Queen Snow white.”
The castle was stormed and the battle was easily won. People were so terrified of their presence they practically gave up. Villagers were chained and imprisoned. The queen was brought to the center of court. Now an old woman she looked at the princess with wide eyes.
“You.”
“Yes me. Fairest of them all. Snow white.” She spit her words back in her face. “You are wicked and evil and to your own daughter.”
“Step daughter” She hissed the words full of venom “ I never loved you.” The trail ended there. Queen snow white flashed over to her, snatching the queen’s crown and placing it on her own head. The queen was forced onto a bed of hot coals. Chained to it and poked with hot pokers. She was made to dance for the new queen’s amusement. She danced until she died-muzzled, mutilated, and alone. The remaining humans were forced into labor camps. Farms were created where they lived our their lives in odd safeness compared to the chaos that ensued before. There was peace. They ate, raised families, worked and lived just as before with the added twist of mandatory blood banks. Every week they lined up for blood to be drawn and they were sent back to work and live their lives. It was simple. Their choices had been stripped from them and stress was gone. They lived many centuries this way.
“There was no more war and there in the heart of the kingdom sat Queen snow white and her vampire king.” The man finished his story.
“That is a marvelous fairy tale. Do they use it to scare children?” I asked when he was done.
“It’s no faerie tale” said the gentleman. “Its truth.”
“That simply cannot be. For you and I are human and we are not enslaved.”
“Every kingdom has its downfall. Snow white never truly loved the vampire king Philip. They were together out of mutual hatred for the queen and the state of humanity, and then together in order to rule. She plotted to kill him and he had her executed. Though without her leadership over humanity riots started. The execution of the queen made the royal family look weak. Rebel groups formed, revolutions happened, riots started. A kingdom fell. It is said that all the members of the royal family were beheaded and burned. The remaining vampires, without a leader, fled to hiding. Time passed and vampires became the ingredients to children’s tales. Of course not all of that is true.
“No?” I asked because i was genuinely curious as to which part he considered to be false.
“The vampire king was never caught. He faked his death and escaped….” he paused “ but, then again so did Queen Snow white.”
“Where are they now?” I asked my brain still reeling from the tale, still thirsty for more information.
“Who knows?” he said with a smile. I shook his hand and he escorted me back out of the museum. The large heavy doors closed and the sound of the lock echoed through the pillars outside. I turned to watch him leave and as he descended the stairs back up into the exhibits he passed a mirror. This wouldn’t of been a strange occurrence to me but the mirror… bore no reflection.
