Vamp Guards ✔️

F I F T Y -F O U R

"Alright," Iris said, "let's talk."

Zoe nodded frantically and straightened out her dress. It was a tan color fading into a soft pink. Her torso was beige and as it went down to her skirt the color shaded pink. The dress had a flounce design and as she sat the dress appeared to make a puddle around her, so Iris couldn't tell exactly how she was sitting.

"I will tell you everything you wish to know. Where would you like to start?" Zoe laid her hands in her lap and attempted to look at Iris with a friendly, honest expression, but she came off and anxious and fidgety.

Not due to the fact that her answers might sound false to the prince, but that he wouldn't believe her.

Iris looked around the room and brought an old looking wooden chair where he was standing. He sat down and crossed his arms, a sigh leaving his mouth.

"I want to know why you want my help."

Zoe nodded and cleared her throat, ready to dive right in.

"I've heard a lot of rumors about this kingdom. The good and the bad, but the good always seemed to trump the others. I liked what your kingdom had to offer even before I became this," she said it like it was poison in her mouth. "Some of the rumors I heard was that the vampires here were treated kindly. The King saw them as loyal workers rather than slaves. And then your reputation came to light.

"I didn't know if any of them were true. When all this happened to me, I was desperate and angry and alone. I eventually found my way here in hopes that the kindness they say you share to the vampires was true. I came here because I thought you could help me, and that maybe you would get the King on my side. It might sound selfish, but I wanted to get your help because you had ties with a strong army."

Iris didn't move from his position, but his eyebrows gradually lowered, making a crease on the forehead, an expression he had on when he was focusing hard on something. There were thousands of thoughts running through his mind, but he had to take a step back from his plan when she said something that caught his interest.

"I see.." His frown deepened. "You said before you became this. Were you not always this type of vampire?"

"No." Zoe shook her head and balled her dress into her fists. "No, I wasn't. My sister changed me. She's the evil threatening the balance between vampires and humans. She turned everyone in our village into the sickening monster she calls the "new generation". Once she declared her plans, the ones she turned agreed to fight beside her, I didn't. I had no problem with the life we were living; it wasn't perfect, because vampires and humans would never live in perfect harmony, but at least it was stable. My sister was fed up with the treatment. She–"

"Wait, your sister is the leader of these new vampires? I thought you were?"

"Klaus said that, didn't he?" Zoe referred to the vampire Kai and the guards captured in the village. Zoe talked to him briefly after they threw her into a cell of her own.

Iris nodded.

"I am a leader, but not for the new generations. I lead a smaller group, one filled with vampires like me that were forcefully turned, and who don't want to engage in the war my sister is trying to start."

"Where are they?"

"The kingdom I came from has already been captured by the vampires. Well, I took over the kingdom. All of it."

Iris frowned and leaned back in his chair. Zoe sighed before shuffling in her spot.

"Now you should really listen," she said and narrowed her eyes. "I invaded the kingdom with my group and threatened the King. Out of fear, he allowed us to take over. It's currently our base; that's part of why I never talked about it, but anyway, I took over the kingdom for multiple reasons.