Prince Valdin

Once upon a time in a land far away lived a King and his Queen. Their kingdom was one of very little strife and the people lived there lives in peace and harmony. The King and Queen were happy. They had almost everything that they wanted. They ruled the land fairly and all the villagers were happy with their King and Queen. They only worried because the king had no heirs

They sought the counsel of physicians. Unto them came a traveling Doctor, who was the most knowledgeable of all on childbirth and babies. They explained the situation: the way that each infant had been born healthy then quickly turn white and cold.

“I can tell you how you can keep the baby you will have alive. Your child will probably have light sensitivities so you must keep him from the suns light. When you have your child, you must draw all the curtains and light only one oil lamp for light. In addition, your child will require fresh blood to ensure his blood is pure from disease. Blood is the secrete of keeping your child alive. When you first feed the child, you both must prick your fingers and put one drop of each of your blood into the first substance that your child has. This will sustain him through his first birthday. After that he will have to have two drops of blood from a pure source each year.”

The king and queen thought this man insane although when they tried to find him to question him he was gone. No one had seen him except for them. No one had heard of him throughout the entire kingdom. The two of them decided that it had to be a sign and they decided to follow the advice of this man if they should have another chance to have a child.

In the weeks to come, the Queen announced that she was again with babe. Many in the kingdom were skeptical and reluctant to celebrate. Then king announced to them that they were positive that this child would live. The King let the people know that a messenger of the gods had visited them and that they had assurance the baby would live. Then the people rejoiced.

Soon the time came and the Queen gave birth to a beautiful dark haired child with large green eyes. They decided to give him the name, Valdin after both his father and his mother. As soon as the baby was born and wrapped, the king came to the queen and poked his finger and she poked hers. Since he was to suckle, they decided that the first two drops of blood would be given to him directly. They both held their fingers over Valdin’s mouth as he was about to cry and the blood drops mingled and landed in his mouth.

The King and Queen announced there was to be a night feast, in honor of the new Prince Valdin. Everyone in the kingdom was so happy that no one even thought to question the hour of the feast.

Near the time of the feast, an odd-looking old woman came to the King and Queen as they prepared to meet the people. As she came close to the king and queen and looked into the young princes eyes, this warning she gave. “If ever tainted blood you drink then you will thirst after blood from that day.” She grew quiet and then after a slight pause the woman went on. “Only can a stake through the heart or tears of his own true love given freely ever set him free.”

When the woman paused, a hidden spy crept silently from the room and went to tell all that he had heard. The spy did not hear the ways that the prince would be set free of the curse only how to set the curse in place.

King Val was so shocked that all he could do was stare at the woman in disbelief. The Queen silently wept and took her child in her arms. The woman disappeared as they were trying to come to grips with what they had just heard.

The spy went to the neighboring Kingdom’s king telling him of the curse that could be set upon the new Prince if only they would bid their time. King La Mir started planning the new Prince’s down fall.

The prince grew and the people loved him although they rarely seen him out before sunset they loved the gracious Prince Valdin. The loyalty of his people was without a doubt almost like the worship of a god. Many felt that they would give their life for their prince and the prince felt this same kinship to his people. King Val and Queen Dina were very proud of the son that they had raised.

Prince Valdin’s 16th birthday was coming up and he was to choose his bride to be, just after his birthday celebration. The prince had found his love, in a swamp far from the castle when he had been hunting by the moons light one evening. He had come upon a lovely maiden combing out the tangles in her long jet-black hair and speaking to a white wolf that sat near her. As the prince approached, the wolf started to sing. This startled the maiden, as the wolf never sang to anyone except for her.

As the Prince had approached his green, eyes took in the maiden, she had the same white color skin as he did although her eyes were a sapphire blue, and that reflected the light of the moon looking like two huge dark pools. The Prince was captivated by her every move. Several times while he was out he would visit with her and they became very close speaking of everything and nothing at all. He knew in his heart of hearts that he would announce her as his queen when the time came.

The time of Prince Valdin’s birthday feast had finally arrived. He would announce his choice of bride as well as be handed down the crown. His Father had become ill and his mother and father wanted to see him safely crowned. They had so far been able to keep all taint from him, and they had forgotten the warning of the old woman. Just before the celebration, the Prince received a cup of mulled wine. He was told that it was his sacred cup and that he was to drink every drop before his celebration. The old spy, true to his employer and had found the blood of a tainted soul and taken but a few drops and placed it in the wine he had served the prince.

Valdin took the cup. As he was about to finish it, the King, having seen the drop of blood coming from the bottom of the cup, recalled the warning. As the blood dropped into the Prince's open mouth, the King cried out a warning just as it touched his tongue.

The prince try as he might could not stop the change that was coming over him. He screamed and fell to the floor. His body convulsed as the change came over him. The King ran to his son, gripping him and holding him down, hoping to reverse the change.

The King watched in horror as the princes eyes rolled back into his head and his body stopped moving. King Val had not the strength of heart to stake his son, knowing that he could not lose his son upon the people of the kingdom either.

Now his son was coming to, his emerald green eyes held a red tint of blood, and his once loving heart turned to ice.

King Val left his son and with a heart full of sorrow left the room and locked his son within. He went to Dina and told her of the betrayal and of the change in their son. Dina wept tears of sorrow. Dina went to the Maiden who awaited her love and told her of the change and of the sorrow that would await her if ever she were to see him again.

With a heavy heart and sorrow in her soul, maiden Kiera, dressed in her gown of white silk and went without the king and queen’s knowledge for one last sight of the Prince.

Prince Valdin had been given a sleeping potion to keep him from the people. As Kiera approached his chamber, she charmed her way through the posted guards and was able to get into the princes suite. He lay upon his bed fully dressed, appearing as dead.

Kiera could not see him without a fondness, or a loving heart. Memories flooded her of all the time that they had spent in the swamp and the lovely flowers that he had found blooming in the night and given to her. She had but one Moonstar left, it was in her hair. She pulled it from her hair and a tiny tear dropped from her eye unto the petal of the flower.

Then as she crossed the room the sleeping potion began to wear off, and the prince’s eyes opened the red tint had almost completely covered the green color of his eyes. He looked upon his love and although he could remember the love he had for her, he could not contain the beast that was within him. He sat up and his love spoke from within. “Get out I do not want you to come to harm.”

Kiera froze in place at the sound of his voice. So struck was she by hearing him that she could not bear to leave him. “I cannot leave you!” I will share this fate with you or die before you,” she finished in a whisper.

The prince stood and went towards her and stopped himself. “You must leave me! I do not want your life to become as mine. Tainted and filled with hate.” When he had finished speaking all the green left his eyes the taint had finished and he was without an ounce of love left. He then saw not his love but the beating of her heart within the veins of her neck. He could no longer contain himself. He ran the rest of the way across the room grabbing her. The shock at his change was so great that she did not resist. Just as he was, about to take her blood the flower fell from her hand and the tear caught within touched his hand.

Quickly he fell back, the tear had caused him to fall to the floor and he cried out. The guards quickly came into the room one of them had within his hand a stake. They were to stake him if he attempted to take anyone’s blood. As they entered the room Kiera seen the stake and fell on him. Gripping the flower that had fallen and placing it in his hands.

She watched as the green came back into his eyes. The guards watched as he continued to change back to the prince that they loved.

Quickly the spy within the castle tried to leave and he was captured. The vile of blood was still within his pocket and Queen Dina questioned him upon finding the truth, he was sentenced to death upon a spike near the edge of the kingdom.

The people of the kingdom heard of all that had passed and in celebration, they decided that they would indeed celebrate their new King and Queen to be. They drank deeply of the dark red wine that resembled blood. Their loyalty to their Prince was so strong that they decided to become the kingdom of the night in his honor. All their activities they would conduct at night, only the solders would stand in the daylight hours.