Broken Beauty and the Beastly Vampire Prince

Fairytales Don't Come True

Third Person POV

The partying, the endless orgies, the drinking, and the constant desire for one-night stands and needless s*x was all gone. He was tired, so tired of the days blending in together. It was always the same monotonous thing every day. He paced, back and forth, in his room, muttering to himself. Finally, he could take no more and strode back to the library, the one place he seemed to find solace, no matter how tired or drained he seemed to be. The many cons of being a vampire.

The servants, upon seeing him, scattered, fleeing for the exit. He supposed that was to be expected, considering his loss of temper the last time he had been present. Still, it rankled. He glared, as one of the older, wiser, vampire servants approached, curtseying respectfully, their eyes fixated firmly on the floor.

“How may I serve you Your Highness?” she asked smoothly, never once looking into his eyes, as they had been instructed to do by him.

“Bring me some blood” he rasped, feeling parched and his mouth dry.

When was the last time he had feasted on blood? He wracked his brain trying to remember but he constantly lost track of time. Why bother checking the hours when time passed by so unbearably slowly?

The woman nodded and went to leave, before she hesitated and turned back, a questioning look on her face. “Do you require sustenance from a human or simply from a bottle?” she queried, her tone tentative and a little frightened.

He looked at her impatiently. “Just the bottle” he snapped, not in the mood to have some female fawning over him “And be quick about it will you. Christ” he muttered as she turned and scurried away “How hard is it to fulfill a simple bloody request?” he huffed.

His friend came wandering in. Damon, his best friend who’d had the misfortune to be in the castle when the curse had taken effect, but had adjusted surprisingly well, a wide grin on his face. Lucian rolled his eyes. Judging by the way his clothes were crumpled, and the way his hair was mussed up it didn’t take a genius to work out what he’d been up to, with some servant girl strumpet no less.

“You look like hell,” Damon said, arching a brow as he ran a hand through his raven-black hair, smoothing it down, a twinkle in his eyes.

“I could say the same thing to you” Lucian snarled, feeling irritable.

“At least I’m taking care of myself” Damon countered back “When was the last time you drank man? Not to mention the reports I’m hearing of you losing your temper constantly. It’s not anyone else’s fault but yours that we’re in this situation. You don’t have to make things worse for everyone" he snapped "You're frightening the women especially."

Lucian’s eyes turned red. His voice was dangerously soft when he began to speak. “You forget your place Damon” he hissed “We might be friends but that doesn’t give you lenience to cross over the line."

“Somebody has to tell you like it is,” his friend said bluntly, crossing his arms over his chest. “You’re beginning to lose what little humanity you have Lucian. Pretty soon you’re going to be unrecognizable the way you are. Is that what you want?” he demanded, “to become a beast like everyone thinks you are? To give credence to the reputation of being a Beastly Vampire Prince?"

Lucian gave him a sardonic smile. “I am a beast” he sneered “It’s not like that’s a lie. Why do you care so much, Damon? You can come and go as you please. It’s not as though you are trapped in the castle itself like I am. In fact, I haven’t seen you for what? Twenty years now?”

Damon shifted uncomfortably. “I came to visit you” he snarled “and to get to the bottom of the rumors that were going around town. Your parents are doing the best they can as the rulers of the vampires, but the town is terrified of you all. It’s a miracle there hasn’t been some sort of uprising against us. The way you’re going, I wouldn’t be surprised if you caused one” he snapped.

“Let them try” Lucian growled “I’ll tear their hearts right out of their chests," he said icily.

It wasn't an empty threat. That's what scared Damon. Who was this person standing in front of him and where was the Lucian that Damon remembered?

“See, that’s exactly what I’m talking about,” Damon said with annoyance “You talk so coldly like it means nothing to kill. Where is your heart, Lucian? You used to care about people, humans included. Are they so easily disposable to you?” His tone was incredulous.

The servant woman had the misfortune to come in at that very moment, clutching a bottle and two wine glasses which she set down on the coffee table next to them. A human girl was with her. Lucian’s hand shot out and he grabbed her by the arm and sunk his teeth into her neck. This time he allowed the girl to feel nothing but pleasure, letting it course through her veins, the girl’s eyes closing as she moaned, her body relaxing as Lucian took his fill, the servant woman looking at Lucian askance. Damon was pissed. The girl went pale as he drained her blood. Finally, Lucian pulled back and let her fall to the floor, the servant woman picking her up and cradling her as Lucian licked the blood from his fangs, an arrogant smile on his face. He smirked, enjoying the look on his friend's face, which was one of shock and anger.

“Does that answer your question Damon?” he said quietly, c*****g his head at his friend who had stiffened “I can be merciful when I choose. She felt only pleasure as I took her blood rather than pain. But do not confuse me as being a pushover. If anybody attacks this castle or makes the mistake of angering me, I will use the power I have at my disposal to make them suffer.” He was nonchalant, as he eyed his friend who went silent. The tension in the room grew even thicker. The servant woman grew uncomfortable.

The servant woman rushed out the door, the poor human girl in her arms. Damon clenched his jaw. “You didn’t have to do that, you had blood at your disposal right there” he accused, pointing at the bottle and glasses.

“I did it to make a point” Lucian snarled, sitting on the couch and broodily eyeing his friend “yet it seems not to have made much of an impact. Should I fetch another girl?” he asked with some amusement.

“So, the rumors are true” Damon murmured, a regretful tone in his voice “You truly have become a monster. The people call you the Beastly Vampire Prince and it seems fitting, for indeed that is what you are” he breathed.

Lucian just smirked. There was no remorse on his face, no repentance. No inkling of guilt over what he had just done. If anything he looked completely satisfied by his friend’s reaction. Was this all a big joke to him? Where was his conscience?

“Lucian it’s not too late to find some shred of decency within you” Damon tried, his voice gruff with emotion “I know this isn’t the life you would have chosen, but isn’t it time to just accept it? Didn’t you get told that the curse or spell would be lifted if you found someone to love you as you are and who you could love in return?”

Lucian snorted. He couldn’t help himself. “True love” he mocked “as if such a thing exists,” he said with contempt “That sorceress b***h was lying. Besides” he added, gesturing towards himself “who do you think is going to fall in love with someone who looks or acts like a beast?” he said sourly.

“That’s because you act like one” Damon groused “If you would just change your ways. . .” he trailed off, unable to finish the sentence.

“Some princess will come along and save me from myself” Lucian taunted, shaking his head and laughing to himself “You are so naïve Damon, still believing in fairytales. Why don’t I just invite all the unmated shifter women down here and see if one of them fall in love with me while I’m at it?” he suggested sarcastically "I could marry a werewolf mutt" he laughed.

“It’s not such a bad idea,” Damon said seriously.

Lucian scoffed. “As if I want to be in love with a mangy mutt. A beast marrying a beast, how ironic” he mused.

Damon sighed. He eyed his friend with regret “If I stayed, would it make a difference?” he asked, hopeful.

Perhaps he could encourage Lucian to change. It was worth a shot. At the very least it would mean Lucian was not alone. Even though he too, had been cursed as being a vampire, he didn’t hate Lucian for it. He had come to terms with it and even embraced it. He felt sorry for Lucian whose tentative hold on his sanity was beginning to slip. Maybe loneliness was somewhat to blame for his shift in personality.

“I doubt it, but if you feel your company is desirable then by all means feel free to stay,” Lucian said idly.

Damon exhaled. Lucian certainly wasn’t making this easy on him. But for the sake of their friendship, he was willing to try anything at this rate. Besides, he had a few things to take care of in town. It was no trouble for him to stay and spend time with Lucian while he was here. But would Lucian resist his attempts to bring him back from the path he was attempting to take?

“I will stay, if only for a few weeks,” he said finally, glancing at Lucian over his shoulder, peering out the window “By then I fear we will have gotten sick of each other’s company.”

Lucian reached over and grabbed the bottle, tipping blood into each of the wine glasses. He sniffed the glass and wrinkled his nose. It smelt metallic and slightly bitter. He put his glass back down, his appetite suddenly gone. Damon strode over and took a long sip of his, swallowing and murmuring his approval. To Damon, it tasted delicious. Any other vampire would have found it immensely appealing, or at least any other vampire in the castle.

“Maybe I can find your princess for you” Damon muttered “She’s out there Lucian, I guarantee it. If you would stop being pig-headed you might have found her by now.”

Lucian chuckled. “I wish you luck,” he said highly amused now and less angry “because such a girl does not exist in this world or this lifetime. They are all the same, wanting nothing but riches and power. I have yet to find one who is sweet or innocent.”

“So narrow-minded” Damon countered, swigging down the rest of his blood in the glass “But I bet you anything, I can find you a girl that is exactly the opposite of what you describe. You my friend” he advised Lucian, sitting beside him on the couch and putting his feet up on the coffee table “just have not been looking in the right places.”

Lucian highly doubted it. But if Damon wanted to believe in fairytales, then who was he to stop him?