Chapter 9 - POISON

Vivian approached further, trying to get a better glance of the mysterious person. "Did the Queen allow you to come, or are you trespassing?" The croaky voice asked from inside the bars. 

"Who are you"? Vivian asked. 

"I can ask you the same thing". Still facing the other way, the mysterious person asked. "In all this time I have been a prisoner, my only visitor was the Queen," the figure chuckled maliciously. "So tell me young woman. Which one are you?"

Vivian frowned, should she answer him? She wondered. "Why do you care which one I am? What difference does it make? I am on this side of the bars, and you...still stuck in there for...well, I can only guess more than a decade." Vivian snorted lightly.

"You are feisty, like Vera" He mumbled. Vivian wondered to whom he was referring to as Vera, until it hit her. Vera was the nickname of the Queen Guinevere. To be able to say the nickname of Queen, that person must be someone special. 

So, Vivian tried "You're Devon?" She asked in a whisper. 

"And You're perspective." The man noted. He finally turned around for Vivian to see the desiccated face of the man. It appeared as if someone put a coat of dry skin over an skeleton. 

"You…" Vivian trailed off. "I am right. You're Devon." She noted. As Vivian stared at the condition of the man in front of her, she couldn't help but wonder how could this man possibly be willing to help Vivian. Devon was a prisoner of the Queen for god's sake. 

"Now that you know who I am, care to reveal your identity? Or are you a coward, worried that I'll tattle to the Queen."

"I'm the Queen's wife, Vivian." With daring eyes, Vivian acknowledged herself. 

"Wife?" Devon snorted. "How fascinating. I never pegged the Queen as someone interested in women. And I would know, because…" and he trailed off.

Vivian felt a pang of bitterness in her as she wondered what Devon possibly was implying in this moment. Did Carson misinterpret the relationship between Devon and Queen Guinevere? Could it be that there was something more going on between them? And what Vivian failed to understand even further was why did she let that bother herself so much. Sure, she pretended she was infatuated with the Queen. But it was all an act after all, there were no real feelings involved.

"People's taste can change". Vivian smirked. She didn't know how else to reiterate as she felt a surge of rage within her.

"Yes… People's can. But a Vampire? It's like being frozen across time. There is nothing about a Vampire that could ever change." He chuckled maliciously.

"Or perhaps you didn't know the Queen as well as you thought you did?" Suggested Vivian.

"Of you little foal. You spent what? A night with that woman and you perceive yourself as an expert?" The skeleton, like Devon, mocked Vivian with his malicious laughter. Vivian however didn't lose her composure. She waited patiently for Devon to finish laughing before she said anything. 

"If you are an expert, why do you think she collapsed after drinking from me"? Vivian asked, getting to the point. 

"She… drank from you"? Someone Devon seemed to be concerned and devastated by the fact that the Queen drank Vivian's blood rather than she passed out upon doing so. "As in...she drank your blood"?

Amazed by the reaction given by Devon, Vivian suppressed a smirk and took a deep breath before answering calmly, "Yes. While we were in bed…" She paused, noticing the change in Devon's muscle-less face. "She drank from my nipple. Usually milk is the preferred beverage but she dug in and decided for blood. Also, as a Vampire I don't lactate so it's not like I had any other choice." Vivian declared with a shrug. 

"Don't let it get to your head." Devon snapped. "She won't be repeating it again. Cause guess what...your blood is poison to her" He declared. 

"Poison?" Vivian was taken aback. "That's a real thing"? She couldn't believe her own ears. The legend of poison was pretty much a… well a legend. No wonder it is something no one believed. The concept of poison was like an opposite of soulmate. 

The concepts of soulmate showed that for everyone, there is one person out there meant to be just for you.

As with Poison, there is always a certain someone for you (if you ever become a Vampire) whose blood you are not supposed to drink. A minimal amount can cause transient loss of consciousness. But draining the person whole...can kill you as well.

Of course, Vivian won't die being a Vampire, but she surely can kill the Queen.. even as a Vampire.

This suddenly made the dynamic between the Queen and Vivian very difficult, but she also remembered something else. If Vivian's blood was poison to Queen Guinevere, that meant...she would be awake any second now. Fearing the wrath of the Queen, Vivian decided to make a run for it, to get out of this secret dungeon...but unfortunately as soon as she stepped out… she noticed Queen Guinevere standing at the exit with red both on her eyes and robes.