The Vampire Queen

Three sets of dark eyes watched her scurry to complete her chores before dark. The last rays of light were disappearing quickly, and she was growing frantic. The eyes followed her every movement, waiting for the right time to strike.
The owners of the eyes were vampires, and hungry for blood. The woman they were watching looked delicious, not to mention she was beautiful. They had been stalking her for days, and today they would attack.
She was the lady of the manor, of noble blood. As it was, she was engaged to a noble man in a far away province. She seemed happy, but no one really knew because she kept to herself. The way she acted, you’d think she didn’t care.
The sun had now vanished completely, and she was still out and about in the open. The moon was nearly full, casting an ethereal glow on the earth. One of the vampires moved forward, taking a cautious step toward the woman as she continued her chores. Translucent clouds floated over the moon, creating menacing shadows and bringing a slight chill to the air. He stepped closer and closer, until he was nearly a foot away from her. She turned to walk in his direction and gasped when she saw him. Her green eyes grew wide as the vampire flashed his fangs. The vampire moved slowly toward her, never taking his eyes off her neck. As he drew closer, the clouds dissipated, shining down once again. The gilded silver of her necklace caught the light and his attention. He looked at it, and drew back suddenly, with a faint gasp. Her necklace held the object sacred to his people; the Queenstar. The vampire stared at the necklace, going so far as to lift it from the woman’s chest, unbelieving. She protested by pulling her neck back, but the vampire grabbed her around her waist, holding her in place.
“Stand still.” He commanded, his eyes flashing up to meet hers. She obeyed and stopped struggling against his grasp. He turned his gaze back to her necklace, entranced by it. How could a mere mortal have gotten this? He wondered. He started to ask, but a large being tackling him to the ground and away from the woman stopped him. She stood there, watching him and the man wrestle for dominance. The man pulled out a stake to stab the vampire, but both were shocked to hear the woman’s voice.
“Don’t! Leave him be.” She said softly. The vampire stared, amazed by her compassion. He’d meant to kill her, and here she was trying to save his life…well, him at least. The man holding him to the ground stared down at him, prepared to disobey his lady’s orders.
“William!” she snapped, demanding his attention. “Let him up.” The man looked down at the vampire, at his mercy, then got up. The vampire climbed to his feet, keeping his distance from the man. His companions stayed hidden, but moved close enough to protect their friend if needed.
“But, milady, he nearly attacked thee.”
“Nearly being the key word. Go inside, I shall follow shortly.”
“As you wish, milady.” The man disappeared inside the manor, defeated, leaving the woman at the mercy of three vampires. The other two emerged from the shadows and advanced on the woman, but a gesture from the first vampire stopped them. His dark eyes met the lady’s green orbs.
“Is ‘thank you’ enough?” he asked.
“Close enough.” The lady answered. “I won’t do it again.” The vampire nodded.
“Your necklace…where did you get it?”
“It’s a family heirloom. It’s been in my family for a long time.” Again the vampire nodded.
“Are you not afraid of us?” he asked.
“No more than anyone else.”
“You know what the necklace is?” this time the lady nodded.
“The story was passed down with the necklace, but I’ve never believed it.”
“It is a legend, nothing more.” The vampire said, turning to leave.
“What’s your name?” the lady stopped him. Not a question he heard very often. He usually heard, Hey, a vampire, let’s kill it.
“Gerard. And you?”
“Jade. Lady Jade, actually.” The vampire turned once again to leave and disappeared into the night with his companions.
*Gerard’s POV*
As the three of us made our way back to our underground coven, I couldn’t stop thinking about Lady Jade, and the Queenstar she wore. I knew the legend behind the necklace was true, so why had I told her it wasn’t? As a way of repaying her for saving me? Was I trying to protect her?
“Why were you staring at her?” one of my companions asked. I turned to him, a knowing smile on his lips. Should I tell him?
“She wore the Queenstar.”
“No way! Seriously?!" He took my silence as an admission. "Dude, do you know what this means?!You found her! You have to tell your dad!” That’s what I was afraid of. Let me clear things up. My name is Gerard, I’m a vampire. You got that already. What you didn’t get is the fact that I’m the crown prince of the vampires, along with my younger brother, Mikey. Our father is the King. Bet you saw that coming, right? Well, my father has really been after me to settle down and take the throne so he can enjoy the rest of eternity. I’m all for taking the throne, but without the attachment. But it’s ancient vampire law that a prince can’t take the throne without a mate. Bummer for me. Guess I’ll never get the throne.