He hated this room. She spent a lot of time in lately looking at her jars. His own heart was in one of them. All the men she dared love all who had given their heart to her she literally took. Some women collected favors, like candies or cards or jewels from suitors. Those were for plain or even noble women. For a woman as great as she, black velvet accepted the beating - or unbeating - hearts of those who would love her. She always waited until there was nothing left to admire, took it as a memory he supposed.
"How much longer before the Crimson Prince is in a Jar?" He said with contempt for the man. He never liked him, reminded Tyros too much of himself before her met Tatyana. Though he regretted using such a tone as he realized it may have upset her. She responded, "He isn't going in one. He will never fall, and we will never be apart. He loves me and I him, he absolves me of my sins and gives me virtue. Love the greatest of all virtues."
"Don't talk like one of them you aren't one of them. We are the same -- not them." He said as he said all things with the hope she would see his loyalty and their inevitable destiny to be together.
"Why can I not be both? What about me is such a monster that I can not have virtue?" She almost sounded like virtue or morality mattered to her. Like a long lost child speaking.
"He's not the pillar of virtue he was when you met him." Tyros said deciding to keep his case targeted on his competition not on Tatyana, whose magnificence washed over him. She seemed even move lovely, if it were possible, these past few months. "He allows vampires to rape the forest and feed upon his citizens. He declared an unceasing war against his brother who only wants to preserve their way of life. We are the monsters her Tatyana, and he has sided with us."
Slapping him across the face Tyros felt the sting emotionally and physically. Appearing to be smaller in frame her strength came from a supernatural well aged vampiric core fueled by a beautiful dark force. Desperation tinged her voice as if holding onto a fantasy and if believing something so deeply could actually make it real she said, "Do not dare accuse him of such things. He is perfect, and lovely. The unquestionable. He is virtue incarnate, and HE LOVES ME."
She stepped back looking at her shelf of hearts. Tyros eyed his on the shelf, "You summoned me, Lady Velvet."
"Yes, how was the assault? Did he open a large enough opportunity for your hounds and soldiers to press through?"
"He started but someone stopped him. We did a full charge but the pack is nearly destroyed, fighting with a dozen wolves. And the other immortals froze in the river as the rangers stood their ground. We can't get the immortals past the river with out the wolves and the I don't have the man power to make a hard enough press. I could get personally involved. There is not a mage of swordsman in their ranks that could stand against me. It would take time perhaps a decade but I would kill them all for you. I would butcher the entire world for you to love me."
"I can not love a monster." She said as if a disease fell off of her tongue, "The solution is to simply create more wolves. I've discussed it with the Crimson Prince and he has designated 3 villages for you to convert and train."
"Are you asking me to spread their filthy curse. Breeding is a manner of controlling them. To unlease the curse, and on purpose infect others with it sickens me. It should not be done."
"How could I have ever loved you?"
The words hit him stronger than the slap. An eternity in a moment of silence followed by, "I don't know, I am not worth to be loved." Looking up at the jar containing his heart he added, "It will be done. I will infect train and unleash a massive force. By tooth and claw victim will beget victim and make your world perfect."
"I will still never love you Tyros. But you are a good pet."
He turned to leave filled with ecstasy that he was such a good pet. He even did something he no longer thought himself capable of doing -- smiling. He was a good pet.
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Yuleti had moved from the Crimson City nearly a decade ago. He felt to be in the woods produced a more temperate environment for his young children. The Crimson City was a tribute to virtue to be sure, but with the war and the cold ones, it seemed better to get away and be one with the forest. But the forest had not enjoyed more than a two week spring in all the years he had been here. For rebellion against the Crimson Prince the local lord's forest died showing to resist virtue is always folly.
The village did its best to help it regrow and was able to nurture a few trees. Grenrul actually maintained a grape vine nearly to harvest last season. He tried not to worry about what it was his children would eat, he knew virtue would win the day and the forest return. To be Noble is to be steadfast he often told his son Huron.
He heard a scream. It was from his hut, Huron. He ran leaping over the well throwing open the door to his hut. Blood covered the hut and some black hairy beast was gorging himself on Huron. He reached for the quarterstaff he had by the mantle and heard a deep commanding voice cut through the scene of now dozens of people in the village screaming. What could be happening? He focussed on the voice.
"They are of no use dead. They must be bitten and live. Bitten and live, control yourself you stupid beast." Lord Tyros, the Lord Tyros who had come to lead the Crimson armies stood in his hut next to this beast. He sliced it with his curved blade causing it to recoil from his dead son. He fell to his knees and crawled to his son as the beast recoiled and said, "Thank you, thank you my lord. For trying to save our house."
"No, thank you."
Yuleti looked up just as the wolf beast used its razor teeth to shred a chunk of flesh from his arm.
"You are mine now." Tyros said as Yuleti felt a collar clasped around his throat.
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Gallendriel enjoyed spending time with the talking trees and thought her father did too. He always seems scared and worried. Not like he use to be. She could not help but wonder if it was something she had done. If she was not a good enough daughter, or if she asked too many questions. She loved her father and new that he loved her, she just wished he wasn't so sad. She talked to the Ent, "what's your name?"
The tree who was little more than a sappling said, "I'm Red. And I will grow tall and strong and take care of the trees. My seed dropper says you elves of Hyrule will always protect the trees too."
"Oh Yes, you are very pretty, and all life is to be respected and Loved. Love is the greatest of all virtues. That is what father says."
"Gallendriel we must be going now." Her father called out to her. Uncle Mervic was talking to him at the edge of the grove. Father was never happy after speaking to Mervic. She said back to the Ent, "Goodbye it was wonderful to meet you."
"Me too, come back no matter how soon an Ent will never forget. Especially one as nice as you."
She skipped over to her father and overheard uncle Mervic say, "...creating them in hundreds is what he said. As soon as Tyros is comfortable using them as fodder they will overwhelm all the exhausted checkpoints we have left. If we wait much longer there will not be a chance. We could get cut off from it like how we were cut off from the golemns."
"I will never turn to the Lightning sworn." Her father snapped, talking to Mervic always made him angry. "To call on a dragon for help will undo all the Deliverer did and all we have built."
"My Lord, the Demon is a Dragon as well."
"Yes but he didn't kill my wife." Looking down at Gallendriel his face went white and with out speech. Father never talked about Mother except to say she loved Gallendriel and that men with out virtue took her.
"My Lord?" Mervic said softly to break the silence.
"Of course, it is time. We are out of choices." He bent down, "Uncle Mervic is going to take you someplace safe. I'm so sorry for everything. Please know and never forget that I love you. You will be safe and that is what is important. I pray that mercy can wash away what I will do." He embraced her so tightly that it hurt. She almost complained but was stopped as she had the clear feeling her father was saying good bye. Tears came to her eyes before she even knew what was happening. She felt scared and alone and frightened then terrified. Where was dad going? What is wrong? Did she do something?
He cried too a steady silent stream across his face. Looking into the eyes of her father she tried to look at every part. She never knew her mother and know had to be with out a father, alone. She had to remember him she had to know his face. She was desperate to create some memory, some thing that she could cling to. Someway that meant she was not alone.
"You will be safe, and its possible I will come back for you. Don't give up on yourself or on Hyrule. What I have for you is the Greatest of all Virtues and inspires all my actions."
With that Mervic took her by the hand and they walked south. Father walked North.
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