Vanessa sat on the edge of the large fountain in the Village Square of Relinas. The fountain bubbled and frothed, the only sound in the square. The square was relatively empty for that time of the night with only a few Elder Vampyres, sipping blood and swapping gossip from times long gone by. A Vampyre is considered an Elder when he reaches one thousand years old. You see, Vampyres are not true immortals. They do die but they age at a much slower rate than humans and have an average life span of at least two thousand years. There were very few Vampyre elders near or at two thousand years old, the Vampyre Hunters made sure of that. The Vampyre Hunters had not been able to find the hidden Vampyre cities yet but had flushed out many Vampyres. Those who were near or at Two Thousand years old were from the Age when Vampyres openly drank the blood from living humans, thus causing panic among the humans and creating a firm and unwavering fear of Vampyres that was still firmly in the mind of humans to this very day. In these times, Blood Merchants bought and sold livestock from which all drunken blood was drained in this new Age under a new High King and Queen. The High King had forbidden the trade or taking of human blood and the new generations never knew what the blood of humans tasted like. The Elders all said that once you tasted even a small trace of human blood, you could never be content with livestock blood again. Vampyres who dared break the law and drink of human blood were banished to the Thousand Sands in the south. No sane Vampyre tried to survive there. There were no caves to hide out in when the sun rose and it was a known fact that it was a cruel, but fitting, death to be banished to the Thousand Sands.

Vanessa dipped a finger in the fountain's water. Where was Danica? It was nearing the time Danica said she was going to meet her. Had Danica backed out or had she simply forgotten? Maybe she had planned to make her wait around for nothing she was, after all, Raoul's sister and probably had wanted to get Vanessa out of the shop as soon as possible. Vanessa was ready to give up and leave when a cloaked figure came striding into the square. The figure came up to Vanessa and she realized that it was Danica.

"Sorry, I was helping Raoul with a customer. It was a young man, demanding to have his fortune read in three or four different was. Raoul had insisted that each way would yield the same fortune each time but there was no swaying this Vampyre and when Raoul asked that he be paid eight Aris for the initial charge the Vampyre flew into a rage, saying that Raoul was a lying thief. He had to be forcefully removed from the shop," Danica explained in a low whisper so no one else could hear.

"Well, I'm glad you came. What did Raoul reveal to you after I left?" Vanessa asked, getting back to the reason she was here. Danica's face twisted into the slightest of grimaces.

"Can we go somewhere more private?" Danica inquired, shifting her weight uneasily and looking around.

"I suppose," Vanessa replied, growing suspicious of Danica. Danica led the Young Countessa away from the town square, down various streets and back ways Vanessa had never been down before. She was obviously in the Common District, where Danica felt most at home. The Vampyres here acknowledged their passing with nods and words of greeting to Danica. Danica would only make eye contact with them and nod her acknowledgement. Finally, they entered into a small Blood Bar. Blood Bars served blood to those who stuck around but also served as a cheaper outlet to purchase the life-giving liquid in mass quantities. Where as the blood Vanessa drank in her father's home, the manor of Relinas, came from a secondary buyer who made sure the blood was high quality, the blood here came directly from the source: the livestock raised by Blood Farmers. Therefore, because there wasn't the draining charge or a Merchant transport fee, the blood was cheaper and easier to afford by the common Vampyre. Blood Bars like this one made sure the common Vampyre didn't go hungry. The bartender was a younger male vampyre and he looked up as they came in.

"Ah, will it be the usual, Dani?" He asked, smiling a warm smile at Danica and her well-dressed guest.

"Yes, please, and a private booth for me and my friend," Danica replied. The bartender nodded and gestured towards a curtained booth. Danica went over and pulled the curtain back, beckoning Vanessa to enter. Upon entering the private booth, Vanessa noted how intimate and comfortable it was. The table was low to the ground with cushions on either side to serve as "chairs". It was lit by several candles set in small alcoves. Danica entered after her and sat down one side of the table. Vanessa carefully folded her legs beneath her and clasped her hands on the table. Danica was running a hand over her head as the bartender entered the curtained area. He carried a tray laden with cups and a large, silver pitcher. He set the tray down on the table, bowed politely, and left. Danica sighed as she poured the blood for Vanessa and herself. Vanessa couldn't help but notice how Danica poured the blood. It was done with grace, as a Countessa would. There was more behind Danica than what met the eyes, no doubt about it. Danica passed the cup carefully to Vanessa before pouring blood for herself in the second cup. They drank for a moment, savoring the taste carefully.

"It's robin's blood, if you were wondering. I find that it has a lighter flavor than other bloods, as if the robin's power of flight gave its blood wings," Danica explained, lowering her cup.

"It must be very costly then! If it is from such a small animal then there must have been many caught!" Vanessa blurted, shocked at Danica's explanation.

"Not really, this particular Blood Bar cultivates several kinds of small bird for their blood. They raise robins, sparrows, jay birds, and finches for their blood as a Blood Farmer would raise cattle or sheep," Danica replied, smiling as Vanessa's outburst. For a Countessa she was certainly sincere and open hearted. "I have to ask, why exactly did you come to have your fortune read yesterday?"

Vanessa drank and thought for a moment about what she wanted to say before replying, "I am to be married soon to the Count Stephan. His last wife was slain by Vampyre hunters a while back and my father seeks to form an alliance with him. His bargain: me for a treaty. I wanted to know what my future held after I married him but, according to your brother, I have a different intended. Did he reveal to you anything about that?" It was Danica’s turn to think. Should she reveal what the bones had said? Would Vanessa think that she was lying or crazy? But the truth needed to be told, it seemed that there'd be no other way to court another girl if Vanessa didn't know the intent behind it.

"The character next to "marriage" indicated "female." This means that your wedding is not to any Count, it is to a common female Vampyre whom you have already met, not too long ago I might add," Danica said, hoping to leave a subtle hint as to who said female Vampyre was. Vanessa looked shocked at this revelation. In the history of the Vampyres, no two females had ever fallen in love, let alone gotten married. It just didn't happen. Yes, there had been some documented relationships of two males falling in love and joining themselves in secret, but they had received such persecution that it was sometimes hard to separate fact from fiction. Vanessa looked down at her hands, a female Vampyre she hadn't met too long ago.....

"Danica, you're the one, you're my intended, aren't you?" Vanessa asked, quietly. She looked at Danica, hoping the answer would be no, hoping that Danica was just playing some kind of cruel joke on her because she was a high society Countessa who had gone to a rustic common Vampyre for a fortune-telling.

"I am. My brother rolled the bones for me only an hour before you came and told me that the Countessa I was about to meet is my intended. I had hoped, as you are likely hoping now, that the bones had been wrong, that it was some joke Raoul was playing on me, but its not. You and I are intended by destiny and she does not like to be defied," Danica replied in a hushed voice. Vanessa buried her face in her hands, Danica thought she was crying for a moment before the Countessa again looked at her.

"The bones contradict themselves then; how am I to conceive a child by you, another female? Common sense dictates that two females or two males cannot produce children," Vanessa stated. Danica shrugged.

"I suppose a solution will present itself. Look, its not like fate said we have to be joined right this moment," Danica said, trying to comfort Vanessa. "Give it some time, let me get to know you and I'll let you get to know me. Before you know it there will be no doubts where we stand on Destiny's decree on how we are to be sexually oriented." Vanessa gave Danica a weak smile and Danica smiled warmly back at her.

"Destiny's funny that way, isn't it? Well, I will allow you to get to know and court me, Danica of Relinas, and then, if you have done your job properly, we will bind ourselves to one another. For the moment, I must return to the Manor before mother and father notice me gone," Vanessa stated, getting up and fluffing her skirt.

"When shall we meet again?" Danica asked, crossing over to her intended.

"I shall come to your brother, I think I need one more glimpse of my future before I plunge into it," Vanessa replied, allowing Danica to give her a quick peck on the cheek. "I bid you a fond farewell, Danica, until our next meeting." Vanessa nodded and exited the private area, leaving the blood bar. Danica drained her blood in one gulp before tossing a few Rir on the table.

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"Danica you're a marvel!" Raoul declared, lifting his younger sister up and twirling her around. Danica laughed along with her brother as he set her back down, smiling from pointed ear to pointed ear.

"I think Vanessa was a little opposed to the idea before I said that we didn't have to do anything right that moment and I'd take some time to get to knew her," Danica replied, sharing in Raoul's smile.

"She consented and that's all that matters, Danica, Destiny isn’t so hard after all. Who knows? Maybe this time next week you'll be binding yourselves together," Raoul said, becoming very excited. Danica gave him a look that told of trouble to come.

"I don't think It'll be that soon after I asked her to take a chance on me. Maybe in the next two weeks if everything goes well. I'm still worried about how sincere she is about the whole affair, she is betrothed to Count Stephan, after all. What if her father doesn't break the engagement to Count Stephan off? Or worse, what if Stephan decides that he will come and take Vanessa even if she and I are bonded by Vampyre laws?" Danica asked, suddenly becoming frightened and wary.

"Don't worry about that. We will cross those bridges when we come to them, alright? You just need to focus on how you are going to court your Countessa. What you both need to ask yourselves is: am I going to be the stronger one in this relationship or is she? Remember, this will only work if you set it up like a normal relationship, an equal relationship. You know what father and mother always said," Raoul explained, reassuring his sister at the same time.

"Yeah, you must allow for compromise and allow your partner to be the stronger one, at least once every so often," Danica recited, recalling her parent's words. "But I think since I'm the one who came out into the open, she's going to let me be the stronger one."

"Are you sure?" Raoul countered, crossing his arms and cocking an eyebrow in a questioning expression. Danica didn't have time to answer, however. There was a knock at the door and another customer awaited Raoul’s services. "Duty calls. Get the door, Danica."

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