The sun bathed the road in golden warmth as the royal carriage rolled past rows of swaying trees. Princess Maribelle, radiant in pink silks and too many ribbons, cooed affectionately at the fluff in her lap.
"Who's a good little hero? You are! Yes, you are, Floof!" she chirped.
Floof... known in less humiliating times as Valen, Prince of the Vampires... well former prince of the vampires. blinked up at her with the hollow gaze of someone who had known true darkness, war, and ancient power... and was now wearing a lavender bow on his head.
Her hand combed through his fur again.
He wanted to bite it.
Instead, he sneezed.
Behind them, the guards marched in formation. The princess had insisted on taking Floof to visit a noble friend in the countryside. A perfect outing, she claimed, to show off her new "magical animal plush."
Valen had tried to hurl himself from the carriage at least twice.
The first time, the princess thought he was being playful and hugged him tighter.
The second time, he actually succeeded. only to land face-first in a pile of hay and get shoved back inside by an overly enthusiastic stable boy who thought he was a gift for his sister.
Now, the carriage bumped gently down a wooded trail, and Valen twitched at every rustle. Something was wrong. The air tasted sour, like blood left out in the sun.
He sniffed the wind.
Metal. Sweat. Leather. But not from their guards.
He glanced up just as-
Crack!
An arrow hit the lead horse. Chaos exploded.
"Ambush!" shouted one of the knights.
Another arrow zipped past, grazing a guard's helm. Bandits. no, trained killers. emerged from the underbrush, weapons drawn and eyes sharp. Not highwaymen. These weren't here for coin.
They were here for blood.
The carriage swerved as the driver fell. Maribelle screamed. The guards fought valiantly, but they were outnumbered, and more bandits closed in.
A knight yanked the carriage door open.
"Princess, we have to go! Now!"
Maribelle clutched Floof tightly. "But what about my-"
"No time!" The knight grabbed her arm and pulled her out as the carriage tipped. She stumbled into the woods, Floof still squished in her arms.
They ran.
The princess didn't stop until her feet gave out. They collapsed into a narrow cave behind a moss-covered ridge.
Panting, dress torn, tiara gone, Maribelle clutched Floof like a teddy bear and trembled.
"Don't worry Floof, I won't let them hurt you," she whispered, eyes filled with tears and bravado.
Valen sighed inwardly.
She was annoying. Spoiled. Overly affectionate. But… she didn't deserve to die, not like this. Not crying in a cave with straw in her hair and dirt on her cheeks.
And she was crying now, face buried in his fluff.
He looked down at the collar binding him to the forest's magic. Fel's voice echoed in his head "So long as you wear this, you'll be under my commands… even out here."
Valen growled low in his throat. Then, with a small shake…
Snap.
The collar dropped to the cave floor.
Maribelle blinked. "Floof…?"
His red eyes glowed faintly.
She barely had time to gasp before Valen placed a hand to her forehead.
"Sleep."
Her body slumped peacefully into the corner of the cave.
Valen turned toward the sound of boots approaching. Transforming back to his original form.
It's Time for a hunt.
Three bandits swept into the clearing outside, scanning the area.
"Cave's up ahead," one muttered. "She can't be far."
"Orders were to bring her alive."
"Yeah, but the fluffball's mine. Weird thing kept glaring at me."
The bandits never saw it coming.
A faint mist swept the forest path. One robed figure took a step forward. and immediately jerked back as a thin, gleaming needle of blood pierced through his eye and out the back of his head.
A thud.
The others turned, alarmed.
Another sharp whistle. More needles.
"Wh-what is this?! Magic?!"
"Do you see anything?! I can't-"
Drip. Drip.
The blood of their fallen comrades slithered unnaturally across the dirt, pooling together. One bandit screamed as his own blood betrayed him, twisting from his veins, forming a red tendril that yanked him back into the woods.
"Monster!"
They were right.
A shape floated through the mist. a silhouette in the air. Not human. Not beast. Just… eyes. Glowing crimson. Glimmering with something far more ancient than their godless chants.
A blade formed mid-air, sharo and elegant. A blade made entirely of blood. The floating shadow grasped it in one hand. Ridiculous. Impossibly ridiculous.
Until it moved.
Three bandits charged. trying to flank. The blood sword flicked left, right, and then down. All three dropped. A clean slice on the cheek of one. A gushing wound on the other's shoulder. The last? Skewered to a tree.
One tried to pray.
Valen was behind him before he could finish the word. And cut him open, now all of the bandits lie dead upon him.
He dragged one corpse into the woods and pressed two fingers to its temple.
His blood slid into the wound. Eyes fluttered open.
"Speak, who sent you."
The corpse shuddered, mouth jerking into words.
"Sent… by the cult... Children.. of the hollow sun… sabotage royal line… remove the princess quietly… use her as offering..."
Valen laughed. "Cowards and idiots. Typical."
He released the blood magic. The corpse fell still.
He glanced back at the cave.
Princess Maribelle still slept peacefully, her face tucked into her arms. A small smile touched her lips. Dreaming.
With a sigh, Valen stepped back into the cave and curled beside her, he wore the collar, thus he was fluff and warmth once again.
Morning came.
"Floof!" Maribelle shot upright. "You're okay! Oh I was Soo worried."
He gave her a blank stare.
"You know I had the weirdest dream," she said, stretching. "You turned into this… this dashing warrior and saved me, you were like whoosh and wham and whoosh and wham and. ooh! I think I hit my head!"
Valen blinked twice.
"Anyway, you were sooo brave," she whispered, hugging him close. "And you're still the cutest!"
He allowed himself one brief, dignified attempt to smother himself in her skirts.
When the knights of Duke Eldrin arrived to escort them the rest of the way, they found no trace of the attackers.
Just a shaken but cheerful princess, a confusing trail of bloodless bodies, and a very fluffy animal chewing a leaf like nothing had happened.