Vandel
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Dressing for the kidnapping of a princess can be tricky business. Despite this, I think I fully rose to the occasion with my outfit of choice for the day.
I stared at myself in the mirror for a minute, giving a little spin and enjoying the way the thick fabric of my cape twirled with me.
The kidnapping had gone far better than I ever could have hoped. We had grabbed the princess in a matter of minutes with only a few casualties. Most of the deaths had been brought on by that annoying blonde that had noticed me first in the Cathedral. It had been fun to tease him but considerably less fun to watch him run down two of my best demons.
I noticed a few strands of hair had fallen out of place during my little spin. Frowning, I quickly moved to adjust them so they would look just right.
I think I had heard rumors about that blonde. Not many, of course, just whispers. His name was Sir Rippy...or Riddle...or something like that. Fresh out of training and he was already the kingdom's golden boy. There was no doubt in my mind that the king would send him to retrieve the princess. And when he finally arrived—I'd be there waiting for him.
I turned to leave but then caught another glimpse of my reflection in the mirror and smiled at it.
"My lord-"
I snatched a brush from my dresser and hurtled in at the head of Tuttle, the servant who had just stuck his head into the doorway.
I turned around slowly to glare at him. "Damnit, Tuttle! What did I say about leaving me alone during my mirror time!"
"I'm sorry, sir-"
"Mirror time is MY time! Got it? When else am I supposed to scheme?"
Tuttle bowed his little bald head. "My lord, we have brought the princess to the cell, as you requested. She put up quite a fight so we had to restrain her. She wants to talk to you."
I gave him a little shrug, nonchalantly. "Alright. I'll go over and humor her." Tuttle turned to leave but I held up a black, gloved hand, causing him to freeze in a magic hold. "Tuttle, can you tell my mummy dearest that the job is finished, just as she requested."
I released him from the spell and Tuttle blinked, slightly dazed. "You could have just asked me to wait, my lord. I don't see why you needed to use magic to freeze me."
I crossed my arms, casting him a blank scowl. "I do what I want." Things just seemed way cooler with magic.
Tuttle bowed his head. "Alright, sir. I'll go tell her." And with that he scuttled off.
I looked back to the mirror again, adjusting my collar. Once I was satisfied, I turned with a final whisk of my cape and made my way down the hall.
The click of my boots' heels echoed down the empty corridor and I loved it. It made me seem all the more menacing. Two of my guards were stationed in front of the princess's cell and they instantly bowed their heads the second when they saw me. I waved them away with one quick gesture before stepping into the cell with as much suave as the universe could possibly handle.
The princess was sitting there, her hands chained behind her back. Her hair was a mess, dark curls sticking up every which way. She glared at me as I entered.
"Princess," I said with a charming smile.
She spat at me.
Luckily, with a snap of my fingers I was able to freeze the disgusting slob of saliva midair before it hit me. This not only made me look extremely cool but powerful as well.
I shook my head, taking a step closer. "Now, now, Princess. Let us be civil. There's no need to be so rude."
"Rude," she snarled. "You kidnapped me at my sister's wedding!"
I clicked my tongue at her. "Yes, but spitting on someone's fancy outfit is another level of rudeness entirely, don't you agree?"
"You'll pay for this!" she hissed, a seething fire burning in her eyes. "You think my father will let demon scum like you kidnap the heir to the throne? He's going to send the best knights in the kingdom after you! And when they come—you're going to be screwed, pretty boy."
Well, at least she thought I was pretty. It seemed she and I could agree on one thing.
I gave her a little shrug. "Best knights, hm? You wouldn't happen to be talking about that knight everyone is so hot and bothered over...Sir Riptide, was it?"
"Ridley."
"Yes, yes, I knew that, of course. Sir...Ridley."
Princess Annette nodded and I saw something in her eyes at the mere mention of him, a sort of glow.
I tried to keep the smile out of my voice when I spoke again. I could work with this. "Ah, so, Sir Ridley, it is. He's fresh out of training, isn't he? It should be marvelously delightful to kill him in front of you."
That caused her to instantly tense. She quickly shook her head. "You can't kill him. He can defeat you, I know it!
I simply smirked at her. "Oh, is that so?"
I twirled a finger around once and with a hiss, a small dragon made of smoke curled through the air. It was a child's trick, really. Anyone with even a little magic could do it, but it looked pretty cool at dinner parties. I had realized long ago that it was an easy way to look extremely powerful in front of stupid mortals. As I had anticipated, the girl's face paled.
"Ah, but could it be that your worry for Sir Ridley's safe return is more than just a princess awaiting her knight? Perhaps...you're in love with him."
A deep flush spread across Annette's face and I knew my arrow had directly hit its mark.
The girl quickly shook her head. "What do you want?"
"Ah, finally you show some proper etiquette, Princess."
"Just tell me."
I took a step forward, wrapping one gloved hand around the metal bars to create an added dramatic effect. "I want you to marry me."
Annette let out a loud snort of laughter. "You can't be serious."
I slicked my hair back with one hand, still smirking at her. "Oh trust me, Princess, I am." I took a step back now, placing a hand on my hip. "If I marry you then your kingdom becomes mine. The demons will take over and we'll not only rule everything but we'll have enough power to get rid of the Bone King once and for all."
"I would never marry you."
"Why not? You could get worse offers. I'm rich, I'm powerful, I'm smart, I'm good looking, I'm stylish, I'm suave-"
"You're self centered."
"Beside the point." My eyes narrowed. "Perhaps I'm not making myself clear, Princess. This is less of a proposal and more of an order. You will marry me and I will get your kingdom."
"Ridley will save me," Annette growled. "I'm sure of it."
I simply shrugged, slowly turning away. "We shall see, Princess, we shall see. I await his arrival with great anticipation."