The Kingdom of Lune

Fleur awoke in a strange room her head still dizzy with everything that had happened. She sat up looking around the room. It seemed dark but there was a chandelier lighting the room. The bed was huge and Fleur felt small in it. The last thing she remember was waking up and having someone call out to her then nothing. She rubbed the back of her head sorely surprised to find her hair had gone undone and now lay in a curly wave red long loose mess. She slip out of bed and walked around the room. There were paintings of all sorts most of them of serious looking people with paler then white skin and cold eyes. She felt uneasy and continued to walk around the room was indeed rich but very plain and cold it made Fleur feel a little sad.

Fleur walked around some more looking at gorgeous vases and the beautiful walls. There was a warm rich carpet under her feet and Fleur felt very out of place in this old fashion royal looking place. She walked over to wear large heavy curtains hide the outside and opened them a little so she could look outside. The first thing she noticed was how high up she was she could have sworn she was in a tower of some sort. Way done she saw a little village with people running about busily. The houses all looked as if they were from medieval times with old tile roofs the poorer one were hay there was a gorgeous cobble stone street and Fleur felt fascinated. She noticed many people were outside getting food chatting and such which Fleur found rather odd sense it was night time. She looked up and her eyes went wide when she noticed the moon. It was full and it was...Red? Yes indeed the moon was red red just like her wild hair. Her liquid honey eyes stared confused but amazed it was oddly beautiful. She leaned closer to the window and noticed that some of the people far below had noticed her a few were even looking upward. Fleur blushed and waved smiling some people waved back. She heard the door nob turning and backed away from the window letting the curtains fall back into place.

They were whispering about him again. No matter, the members of the royal court of Lune were always mumbling about some problem or other.

Of course, Prince Keres was always a problem. Born crippled by the sun, he was in no way fit to rule. The nobles pretended to worry, but in him they saw a chance to obtain power. Marrying the young werepire would be an easy way to gain control of the throne if you managed to pair him with a daughter or niece. A duke of Lune, a prominent advisor of the the King and Queen, managed to do just that. Today, his well-off position would be secured after the last hurdle; the prince himself.

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Keres stared blankly at his parents who were seated across from him on the other side of the table. No way. He must have misheard them. "Pardon?"

"You're going to be engaged to Lady Scarlet." they repeated, giving him expentant smiles. Keres simply returned their excitement with wary cautiousness. Were they hoping he'd start singing and dancing? When her son didn't respond, the queen spoke again. "You'll do it, right?"

Silence.

The female werepire's beautiful face formed a perfect frown. Her highness' eyes were filled with a sneaky idea. "After all... it's not like you have a reason for refusing."

Keres struggled to mantain his composure, and took care in choosing his words. "I... don't desire to be wed at this time."

The queen smirked. She had the prince right were she wanted him. "Are you saying your personal feelings are more important than the wellfare of the kingdom?"

'Yes.'Keres replied silently. "Mother, you know that my marrying Lady Scarlet has nothing to do with the wellfare of the kingdom. This is just you making sure I don't turn into an old maid."

Mother's queenly demeneor shattered. "Well, I can't have my son be alone all his life can I!?"

Keres rolled his eyes. "Mother..."

The queen's face hardened. "No! We all know how incapable you are at making friends, let alone girlfriends!" Keres tried to object, but her highness cut him off. "Your father, Advisor Yoro, and I have decided. No more objections from your part are required." She then gave him the you better behave like a prince or I'll make you look, stopping the angry words that threatened to explode from Keres' mouth. The prince held in his fury, but outside the moon slowly turned red.

"Very well, Mother." Keres turned and left the room, without bowing like proper manners dictated. After he was far enough away, the prince's surpressed feelings finally blew, kicking over a chair. The werepire's fists were clenched, his nails digging half-moons into his paper-white skin. Why couldn't he stand up to his mother!? The queen of Lune was an imposing woman, indimidating without effort, and who possessed an extremely powerful royal aura. When Keres' mother made up her mind, there was no stopping her. Unless... An idea was forming in Keres' head.


"Well, I can't have my son be alone all his life can I!?"

"After all... it's not like you have a reason for refusing."


If he had a reason... Suddenly, Keres' thoughts were interrupted by a twitching of his ears. While he hadn't had these keen senses all of his life, recently they were growing stronger, and they were telling him someone was nearby. Someone human. Human? Keres hadn't seen a human since he was five years old, when a delegation from Sol arrived. Obviously these mortal creatures were rare in Lune, and Keres' curiousity was peaked. Anyways, perhaps the human could be useful... Making his way silently towards the rarity, Keres turned the corner. There was a girl, with long red hair facing away from him, but she had heard the door knob turn.

Keres didn't recognise her. "You... you're not from around here, are you?" he asked this question in monotone, but anyone who knew him would've detected a hint of hope in Keres' somewhat wary tone.

Fleur turned and blinked at the strange pale man who entered. He did not look too much older then her but Fleur could already tell he was different then her. She blinked her golden honey eyes and spoke. "W-Well no...I-I don't know where I am actually...I woke up here in that bed I think someone carried me...But I have absolutely no idea..." Her cheeks became red with embarrassment and her soft gentle voice seemed to echo in the empty room she looked around the cold room once more and her face frowned her golden eyes filling with sadness. "This place is very void of emotion...It makes me sad..." She lowered her eyes then realized how impolite she was being she looked up blushing wild rosy red. "O-oh no I'm so so soo sorry I haven't even been proper p-please forgive me so." She shyly looked the man in the eyes and gave him her most sweet happy smile it seemed to light the room up a little and that made her glow in joy. "My name is Fleur... Fleur Du-Champ I'm from New York city." She looked around once more. "Ummm...If I can ask...where am I... and who are you???"

This girl who was stumbling and tripping over her own words was unlike anything Keres has ever seen. Her hair was a flash of fire in the somber room, the flush on her cheeks adding to the flame. The way she actually expressed her true thoughts was alarming, as that was something extremely dangerous to do, even in close company. The court here knew how to use knowledge to their own benefit, Keres could tell you that much. But he wasn't too sure what to make of her, and he was even more lost on how to talk to this girl, who seemed around his own age. For some reason, this irritated him. Then again, lots of things irritated Keres. He frowned. This girl was too weak for his plans... but she was the only way out of the arranged marriage.

His annoyance making his words blunt, "You. Human girl." For lack of a better way to word it, Keres simply went with a, "Marry me."

Of course, it didn't even occur to him that the human girl wouldn't already know his situation (or even refuse, for that matter), so Keres just went right on ahead and grabbed her wrist, proceding to drag her along at his speedy pace.

Suddenly feeling the need to set a story, "We met when you got lost and wandered over here. We became friends. We have a romantic relationship." He paused. "What's your name? I'm Keres."

Fleur could tell she was annoying the man and slowed her talking a little there was a second of silence before in the bluntest of ways he asked her to marry him. Her cheeks flushed wild shades of red and before she could form any answer he took her wrist and was dragging her along. She listened to him confused and stumbled over words her mind was blank. "I-I already told you my name...My name is Fleur..." She tried to understand what he had just done but she was too busy trying to keep up with his fast pace. As she looked him and his serious face that was paler then pale she could tell he had a reason for doing this probably a good one to pick /her/ of all people. But what was his reason she needed to know before she agreed to anything. She dug her feet into the ground making them stop.

She coughed her weak body wasn't use to the fast pace he was making her go. "Kere's...I can tell you have a very very good reason for asking this of me...But before I agree to anything anything at all... I need to know why..." Her golden eyes locked onto his dark one's holding him there not letting him move or tug her. Fleur always came off as weak but her golden honey eyes though sweet could hold a stern gaze and right now like too sniper riffles they were locked on Kere's not letting him move her a muscle. "I know people have there reasons for doing things...You would never ask a girl as...Odd as me anything so quickly so what is it spill it- Arranged Marriage??? Parents trying to make choices for you??? Incests??? Messed up past??? I wanna know... If you have a good reason...I will gladly help you if not...I will gladly find my way out of here even if that means getting lost and sleeping hell knows where at some point...Got it??" Despite the seriousness and deep meaning of her words her voice was gentle as ever never changing from its honey soft tone. Fleur had that quality about her at times her sweet gentle demeanor could capture people. That was why she was odd Fleur often changed peoples live's or that what her mom told her Fleur just thought she was weird enough to make an impact.

Keres frowned. He had forgotten her name? Oh well, it wasn't like he was one to bother with memorizing other people's names anyways. But the werepire prince stood frozen as the human made eye contact. No one ever ever made eye contact with him, so the young man just stood there, at a loss for what to do or how to respond as the human -Fleur- ranted and rambled on her own stumbly way. Was it just her or did all humans trip over their words like that? And what was with her tone of voice? Nobody besides Keres' mother had even spoken to him that way, and even then only when he was a small child. Was the human making fun of him? Did she think him immature, inferior? That must be the answer. Keres' dispassionate eyes narrowed into a glare. "You will do as I command, human. But if you must know, my mother is indeed forcing me into an arranged marriage. However, if I present her with someone I already care about, she will call it off. So, you will need to pretend to be my lover for an unknown amount of time." Keres turned around, and continued to walk forward. "Of course, I will try to make it as short as possible."

Sparing Fleur a glance, he resumed speaking. "We are going to meet the queen now. I need her to approve of you, so don't mess thing up too badly. I will do the talking, all you have to do is agree to everything I say. Your manners need to be worthy of a princess." Keres decided to fill the human in a little bit on what was happening, in hopes that she would use the information to not behave like a fool in front of his family. "My mother is the matriarch of Lune, while my father supports her from the side. Luckily the werepire blood overides all other lineage, or we would only have a decent ruler every other generation."

Keres stopped in front of a large oaken door. "Are you ready?"

Fleur sighed realizing he was not listening to her per-say but when he continued dragging her she allowed him. "It is an arranged marriage..." She thought and nodded to herself a smile forming. "I will help you I believe no one should be forced into marriage and if me helping you shall stop it then I will do so gladly..." She admired the corridors they passed listening to Kere's. "I hope you know I'm not doing this cause you command me...I do what I want thank you." She huffed then blinked. Had he called her human??

She puzzled over it and suddenly realized just how out of place this was. Her memory's flooded back the machine the scientist the everything that was how she got here...But she could not be in her own time could she...Her brain picked up on Kere's voice as he explained everything about his mother and her mind picked up on the word Werepire. It resound in her head ringing around. She was not in her time period was she even on her earth??? Could be get back??? What was the point if she did no one needed her anyway. She shook everything out of her mind she was terrified at her own discovery but there was nothing she could do now she'd agreed to help Kere's he was cold and probably would come to hate her but he needed help and Fleur would help.

She suddenly realized they had stopped she looked up at Kere's and took a deep breath. Her eyes looked at his and she blinked looking down realizing very well that any man who did not want to marry a woman by force had a soft heart who somewhere deep down hoped for something more then obligation. Fleur made up her mind she did not care really where or when she was but she did care for the people around her even if she had just met them. She stood tall made herself look as princess worthy as she could and smiled. "I'm ready~" Her voice nearly sang with sweet gentle confidence and her face glowed though deep down her heart and brain were slapping each other and screaming. What have you done...

"Mother?"

"Keres? Oh- KERES! Who is that!?", he mother replied, shocked by the unfamiliar girl who had just walked into her presence. The queen's sharp mind scrambled to piece together the situation. The first thing she noted was that the girl was not a creature of the night, she was-

"A more appropriate question, your Majesty, would be what is that? Did you bring a snack for your royal parents in hopes they might change their minds?" The royal advisor leered nastily, savoring the 'power' he had of Keres in this situation. He slowly began to circle around the pair (specifically Fleur), like a hyena waiting for the lion leave the prey. "How thoughtful of you." Yoro finally took a step closer, looking the human girl up and down. "Humans are so hard to come by." The vampire reached out a hand and took a strand of Fluer's pink hair between his fingers.

Keres snatched the old man's hand away. "Don't touch her." he snarled with a quiet anger.

The queen's eyes widened. It all made sense now. The way they entered holding hands, the fact that Keres was willingly touching someone (a girl, no less!), the glorious almost-two feet of height difference, and finally Keres' obvious protection of the said girl.

Yes.

Her Highness grinned. "Now, now, Yoro. Be nice to our guest." -she made eye contact with Keres- "I'm sure she's very very important, after all."

After a moment's silence the werepire could no longer keep her cool.

"OMIGAWD KERES YOUR HAVE A GIRLFRIEND!?!?!?" The queen launched herself over to the duo, knocking Yoro over like he was a bowling pin. She fingered the human girl's hair, cheeks, and clothes. "AND SHE'S SO CUUUUUTE!", her Majesty squealed.

Fleur felt awkward and slightly scared as she was circled but her honey eyes showed no fear, as Yoro? Was it? Circled her like a vulture. Instead of showing fear she simply blinked calmly and smiled politely. Though she could not help but look at Kere's thankfully when he stopped him from touching her. Fleur was a shy blushy creature so being touched by someone she did not feel comfortable with never put her in a good situation.

She looked over at the queen who's eyes were clearly observing and showing she was thinking. Fleur blinked at the queen then at Kere's then at the queen. She was about to speak when the queen nearly trampled her and began squealing and touching her all over. Fleur could not hold back despite her best efforts a wild blush and a giggle as the queen touched her hair. "Not really your majesty... I'm quite plain where I come from but your so sweet for saying so." She smiled and blushed more the wild colors of her cheeks and hair and eyes lighting up the room.

Though it was at this time Fleur realized how terribly under dressed she was. The queen and Kere's were both /royals/! Not only was Fleur nothing close to royal but she was still dressed in her futuristic clothing which to the queen and Kere's probably looked like peasant clothes not to mention judging from the time zone she found herself in very improper. Fleur was only in a loose cotton blouse and capris jean pants and WHERE WERE HER SHOES???? Fleur's face became rose red as the queen continued her inspection and suddenly Fleur felt all her flaws bubbling up to the surface. Her dirty face? Her hands with paper cuts, Her wild curly hair probably had nots. She squirmed shyly begging for the queen not to notice her. She needed an explanation for her dress she could tell Yoro and the others were looming over just waiting for an excuse to /eat/??? Her or who knows what.

She quickly thought up an excuse and smiled. "Sorry for being so improperly dressed everyone... Kere's just rushed over so unexpectedly I had no time to change or wash I-I bet I look simply horrid please forgive me though I-Il dress better next time." She gave her sweetest smile and even her eyes lit up. Fleur was shocked at how confident she managed to sound and clearly her excuse worked because the others in the room stopped staring at her all except Yoro who still seemed to loom making her stomach turn and her face pale.