Chapter 1: Vivianne

Introduction

    As Vivianne hit the ground from a mighty strike she bit her lip in frustration, “not again, Elliot you're too good at this than I am….” Elliot was her uncle he was a charming man who raised her, since she could remember. They were just up to their normal sparing that they attended to every morning at daybreak in their garden. “Well maybe you should actually learn from your defeats than winning my dear,” he laughed as he helped me up. “You do look like you’ve been thinning out lately, have you been not eating again?” Elliot's eyes were full of concern. Vivianne tried to avoid eye contact as she once again bit her lip, since this was a bad habit of hers “can’t really say..” She mumbled as she crossed her legs together tightly as she stood in front of him. With that a deep sigh came out of Elliot “I swear your a grown woman now dear?”. He was right though Vivianne was nearing her 20’s, which once she hit 20 she would no longer be a teen but a adult. “Well I’m just busy practicing my archery and dart throwing, so I kinda forget to eat?” She mumbled as she shrugged her shoulders like it was no big deal. Elliot frowned deeply making his forehead bunch up, “how do you expect to finally get a wife with that face?” she chuckled at him. Elliot rolled his eyes and turned to walk to the back door to get into the house “who needs one when I’m busy parenting!” he laughed. 

When Elliot was gone Vivianne turned away to face the lake which was behind their little cottage ‘so peaceful’ she thought. A gentle wind began to sweep her hair into her eyes, so she simply shielded her face with her hand, “I wonder? Why is elli always making me practice so much, it’s not like the world is at war or there is any dangers around her. There’s never been maybe a few thieves stealing from the local baker, yet nothing else. I mean sure we hunt for food sometimes that's always fun I guess? Never bothered asking ‘why’ from elli, since he raised me from birth…. Just I feel a pit in my stomach,” Vivanne mumbled to herself as she was lost in her own little world.  Her and her uncle live in a small quiet lake town with mountains surrounding it no travelers no troubles, useless the town drunk thinks about stealing again. Yet, that's just a natural happening in her town.

She can’t say that she doesn't think her town is beautiful and nice, everyone is so happy and always willing to help her uncle with problems when raising her. Vivianne heard a rustle in her sunflower patch, “Elizabeth? Are you trying to catch me off guard?” Vivianne shooted as she placed her hands on her hips. Soon a girl with sandy brown hair that was in a perfect braide emerged she was wearing a large yellow victorian dress with pink flower pattern all over it. “Why are you so observant Vivi! Always ruining my plans of a secret lunch attack!” Elizabeth giggles as she brushed off the dirt on her dress.  Vivianne walked up towards and as they both embraced each other while giggling their heads off, “aren't you supposed to be meeting your husband to be?” Vivianne asked as her eyebrow rose in ‘are you ditching again?’ Elizabeth was her childhood friend and practically only, since she's the only girl in the town that her uncle approves of being around. Elliot is always frantic about where and what Vivianne is doing, so since Elizabeth is like a sunflower in a field of weeds he made a big effort to keep them inseparable and they we’re in some ways.

“You know me! I’m not going to let no man run my life, I swear my parents are so insistent on marrying me off to the highest bidder. Yet, I’m unfortunately use to this lifestyle since they been forcing it on me for all these years? What's so bad if another arrangement doesn't go as plan!” Elizabeth smirked, “well I mean I never even got to talk to a guy in that way since Elli is the dictator over my ‘LIFE’, I swear I can’t even look at one.” Vivianne pouted as she glared through the kitchen window where she could see him checking up on them. ‘Why does he still watch me as if I am a infant?’ she thought as she gave him a scole look. “Haha, your so lucky he cares I bet every girl in the village would BEG to be in his sight!” Elizabeth swooned over the thought. “Sure he's a handsome man I guess?” Vivianne shrugged I mean he's her uncle so she doesn't see him in that kind of way.

“Oh! Vivi the blood moon was rumored to come out tonight. I heard about it from the local herbalist old Mimi we should sneak out and see it together.”Elizabeth said with a wink. Knowing that nobody was allowed to be outside during it, since they say it is to be a link between the ‘unseelie’. Unseelie are the dark fair folk who want to destroy humans and make them unhappy, that's what everyone heard from legends and fairy tales. Vivianne thought on it thinking about how angry and disappointed Elliot would be if she did sneak out. Elizabeth leaned towards her with a pouty face “you know if you say no I’ll be ALL! Alone outside, who knows if the legends are real I’ll be mauled and eaten alive. Yet, only will my lovely Vivi know why I am gone and you’ll suffer everyday knowing you could have kicked some magic butt!” Elizabeth said trying her best damsel in distress act. With a long sigh Elizabeth nodded her head, “well if you're going to curse your death upon me guess I have no choice, being hunted by you would be worse than any punishment Elliot could give.” With that Elizabeth squealed over joyed with delight. “I’ll just bring my pure iron daggers with me than not even a high fae can harm me,” Vivianne chuckled at the thought.  Her uncle use to read her many ancient books from when the humans and ‘Tall folk’ use to co exist. Until the Shadow court came and wiped half of the humans out in the mundane world, that's when the royalty of the humans tricked the dragon (or what they called witches) from the courtless to sacrifice their lives by using all their magic to create a wall of thorn and raw power which they controlled.  

         The dragons we’re promised they’re ancient relics back so they could open up the gateway to the underworld so the spirits in their realm can finally rest. Since when a fairy or magical being dies their cursed to be a spirit forever and roam in the shadow or courtless courts. The queens promised they’d get the artifacts all together and achieve their last pled, but no the queens did nothing instead they locked their relics away. Vivianne thought on how the dragons or witches would have felt, ‘all they wanted was to free the souls of their kind.’ She was pondering until she realized Elizabeth was shouting in her ear, “where are we going to meet!” 

Vivianne took a second to register what Eli just yelled “how about near the lilly patch near the dock on the lack, bet the view of it would be fantastic.” Vivianne smiled brightly as she winked from knowing they’re doing something forbidden. “Okay than! So we’ll meet there before the moon hits its peak than right Vivi?” Elizabeth asked wide eyes. Vivianne replied with a head nod, “of course, you should leave now though so your parents planning didn’t go to too much waste.” Vivianne smirked. Elizabeth twirled around on her tip-toe “of course this princess must save the prince from awkward silence from the ‘family’, just remember don’t slip up to the uncllee!” Elizabeth yelled before she dashed out through the daisies. 

                Vivianne then walked to the backdoor when she opened it she smelt her uncle's wonderful cooking of the deer they caught from a few days ago. “Elii, you should make me some cookies too with that deer!” she called out while she closed the door behind her. His head popped out from the kitchen “already on it, tell me something I don’t know you want!” he smiled as he waved the oven mit for the fire stove around.  Vivianne started heading towards the stairs ‘freedom’ she said under her breath as she made her way to the shower. Their maid Eleanora was standing outside the bathroom, she was more like a nanny though for Vivianne. She was a bit younger than Vivianne by a few years, Elliot brang her home one day when I was around 14  from a travel to the town on the other side of the mountain. She was thin as a skeleton and had big empty eyes also she rarely ever spoke, she kept it to the minimum. Barely anyone knows she lives in our house, since she refuses to go outside. 

           Vivianne looked at her assuming she was basically saying ‘your bath is ready’, I nodded to her and she did the same back. I told her she didn’t need to do anything at all for me even tried taking her to my lessons, but she refused and claimed herself as a maid. “You should lay down or get some fresh air Eleanora, the sunflowers are gonna die soon since winter is upon us.” Vivianne pleaded with her to actually be a little bit human. Yet her words were just a waste of breath as for Eleanora just ignored her and went on with her daily dutys. “Jeez she really needs to find a hobby, maybe reading?” Vivianne assured herself, since Eleanora completely let Viviannes words fly past her.  

                   Vivianne soon found herself taking off her petticoat and blouse along with her leather trousers.  Her undergarments we’re of a light blue which complemented her soft baby white skin, as she proceeded to shove off her boots and undergarments she leaped into the bathtub. Not thinking before she leaped in her skin was burning from the hot steamy water that Elenora just drawn for her, “OWCH!” she screeched as she stood up in the tub and began adjusting slowly to the hot temperature.  As soon as she was done with her bath she got out and grabbed the towel on the old copper railing on the wall, and wrapped it around her. As she grabbed another towel and rubbed it together in her hair to get the water out of it, “Why is my hair so thick?” she muttered under her breath. Soon a white fluffball of her dog came running into the bathroom after forcing himself through the door which was slightly cracked. Vivianne bent down as she fassened the towal around her and picked up Arthure. “Hello my little wee Arthure,” she spoke in a baby voice as the dog let out a little ‘ruff’ as his tail swayed fastly side to side. At first Elliot refused to let her keep the dog, yet the dog was so sick and injured he felt hopeless for the poor small thing.  Vivianne found the dog while she was hunting for prey in the woods, she spotted the knotted up bloody fluff ball in a tiny opening of a hole in a tree. Soon she nursed him back to health with the help of Grandma Kiki the villages herbalist. Arthure was lickng her check as she headed downstairs to her room which was right across from the kitchen, “diner is ready my darling!” Elliot called out sweetly. Vivianne opened the door to her room as she quickly replied with a “alright.” 

                    Nicely folded cotton pajamas and undergarments laid on her flower pattern quilted baby pink sheet. As Vivianne placed Arthure down by her close on her bed she looked around her room, her faded out light blue room had peeling paint where the ceiling started. Her dressers were made from oak wood and stained as her hair brushes, ribbons and old combs layed ontop of her dresser. She inhaled the sweet scent of honeydew which the whole house always continued to smell like, Elliot and Elenore always made sure to keep the house tidy. Vivianne was done getting dressed as she twirled around to walk out as Arthur curled up in her bed and fell asleep. Elliott was at her door staring down as her “didn’t even bother to brush your hair? It's going to become a crows nest if you keep on not attending to it,” Elliot scolded her as he rolled his eyes. “Why don’t you brush it for me than, you use to always do that? What I’m I to old now to get my haired even brushed out.” Vivianne chuckled as she brushed her fingers through the ends of her wet hair.  Elliot then showed her a plate he was carrying full of chocolate cookies Vivianne quickly snatch the whole plate as she started scarfing cookies off the plate one by one. “Slow down you might chook!” Elliot scrambled to get her to slow down. Viviane smiled widely as her mouth was full of cookies “I w-on’t~” she struggled to say as her mouth was full.

               Elliot rolled his eyes and walked to the kitchen as Vivianne followed, they always just grab plates and stand around in the kitchen to eat and that's what they did. Elenora even joined in on dinner chats as she ate in the kitchen even if it was a nodd or a simply ‘mhm’ or ‘nope’. Soon as they realised it was dusk and the deer was completely almost gone from everyone going and getting a second plate, “Remember to lock everything and keep the curtains closed, okay Vivianne?” Elliot instructed as he went off to lock and close all the curtains on the windows. Eleonora spoke softly under her breath “The unseelie king opens a portal on tonight, since the blood moon. Death will come swiftly for who they find since this is their night on Mordain.” Viviannes eyes were wide since this is the longest thing she ever heard Elenora say. “How do you know the fae even exist? Isn’t it a story to keep children and the people in line?” Vivianne asked Eleanora, yet she just rolled her eyes and headed out of the kitchen.  “Thanks for the answer?” Vivianne pouted and went off into her room as well. 

                Vivianne sat on her bed along side the sleeping ball of fur which was Arthure. “Shadow court, night court, fall, and winter. These are the evil fairy's Elliot told grim stories about to me growing up,” Vivianne noted as she twirled her finger through a piece of her hair. “Scary, blood driven killers they’re things of nightmares and the shadow court's king runs them all? Was Elliot just trying to get me to be afraid of the dark; thats something he’d only do to keep me in arm's length.” Vivianne sighed as she looked outside her window, which was right by her bed. “Elizabeth is probably already making her way to the docks, her parent’s would be worried if anything we’re to happen to her.” Vivianne hesitated to open the window her gut was screaming ‘No!’, but she made a promise to her Eli. With that she unlocked her window and she climbed out of it making sure to close it back up once she was out. Her daggers were in the bag she had grabbed before stumbling out and with that she felt secure, “alright the moon is almost up into the sky...So red like blood.” Vivianne said as she examined the moon as it was rising above the mountains. Vivianne looked off towards the lake and seen the dock in the distance with a figure standing alone upon it. Elizabeth was already there so with that knowledge Vivianne started to sprint towards the dock.

Author's Note

ignore grammar problems please and thankyou