Our story begins with a gorgeous sunrise in the kingdom of Vampire Princess Alexis Crystal Aero. Her kingdom co-existed in the world of Terraformal with several others and too many to name. The princess who's in waiting for the throne awakens in her earth inspired bedroom. She yawns letting her beautifully white teeth and fangs show and her slender, hourglass body sits up from the silk pillows. Her milk-white body was covered with a royal blue, silk nightgown that falls to her knees with spaghetti straps. She steps on to the soft lush green carpet with her perfect feet and topaz colored nails.

Princess Alexis then goes to her bath ran by her maids and bathes before going to her closet to dress. She looks through her Victorian styled gown with her ruby red eyes wondering what to wear. Her parents required her to be wedded before they would give her the throne. They knew she could handle it but they didn't want her being lonely with the weight of the kingdom all on her back. Princess Alexis's strength would only last a few years before she would snap and turn into a tyrant......so, today, she will read to resumes of potential mates.

Princess Alexis settles on a beautiful topaz yellow and black dress and black heels. Her onyx black hair was taken down from its braids. It falls to the middle of her back in cascading waves. Ready for her day, she walks out her room and looks around for a particular person: Her personal knight.

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Beauty can't exist without ugly. Love can't exist without hate. Happiness can't exist without sadness. Good can't exist without evil. I can't exist without you.

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Naturally considering that he was sworn to protect a princess who was a vampire, her chosen personal knight wore rather dark tones and was waiting for her in a hall that had the curtains drawn in every which direction. It was ideal for an individual of her species, though of course for him while he appreciated the fashion it could do with a little lightening up in terms of use of the windows.

As soon as he she had arrived and started to look for him, he politely dropped down onto one knee and his silvery hair drew straight over his eyes in the process. He was averting his eyes in the polite manner of a knight meeting an actual member of royalty.

Certainly he was a dedicated individual who was sworn to die rather than let the slightest harm come to her, but he wasn't of noble blood. Therefore he still felt it was required to avert his eyes away from her as well as speak only when spoken to. It wasn't becoming, of course, to say anything when she had not done the same to him.

In this manner, one might have considered him an individual who had preformed a perfect level of service. As a result, he had no idea that she was looking for him on a day where she sought out suitors. Rather he figured that she must have intended on dispatching him on some mission.

If there were some enemy who's life she wanted him to cut short, then he could have done it without skipping a beat.

What she had actually wanted with this task, however, was going to be quite a surprise for him. He wasn't expecting it by any means at all.

Then again, he wasn't one to question the judgment that he had been sworn to follow without the slightest difficulty. He was that devoted of a personal knight.

With those blue-green eyes pointed downwards, he waited the commands that he might very well have taken to the grave with him.

Princess Alexis smiled down at him and spoke, "Rise, my knight, and good morning."

Once he stood, probably a half foot to a foot taller than she, Alexis continued with, "I hope you slept well if you slept at all. Is breakfast ready and have you eaten?"

Once she heard his response, she nods, "Ok....and you don't have to avert your eyes all the time. I know you respect me."

Unlike some of the other royal family members, Alexis was actually kind and saw the servants as beings rather than animals. She gotten her personality from her mother....her father was a bit more cold but never did anything that offended his mate. Her two older brothers, though, were the coldest of them all and were...unfit for the throne if peace were to remain within Terraformal. They despised their sister from the day her father announced that she would be taking the throne. They are also the reason why she has her own personal knight.

Alexis walks down the hallway sighing, "Suitor day.....where I read resumes of fake love of desperate princes....."

She looks at him as she asks, "Will you stay by side all day? I do not wish to face them alone."

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Beauty can't exist without ugly. Love can't exist without hate. Happiness can't exist without sadness. Good can't exist without evil. I can't exist without you.

With that he had arisen and looked toward her. Thus far he hadn't used anything like a personal name, perhaps as a sign of dedication to her. While he had one, which was Hamish, he didn't personally use it all that often.

"I slept properly, though I was not permitted to eat without you I had thought." Soon he tilted his head carefully and looked toward her with a bit of a blink. He had realized, of course, that would have meant that he was going to breakfast, though he wasn't entirely sure why she cared about food anyway. He was under the impression that she hadn't needed it.

While his actions might have looked like they were the result of being around other members of the family who certainly had acted like animals, he actually had acted this way out of a genuine feeling of devotion. It wasn't out of fear that he groveled, but rather because he actually was dedicated to her cause.

"Should I stand with you, I wouldn't mind of course, however I perhaps had best ask one question. Are the suitors that I prepare for fellow vampires to you?"

If they were, then he knew that he would have needed to be prepared just in case they had gotten out of line.

"The breed of vampire I belong to don't solely rely on blood to survive. True, our meat is nearly undercooked to rare, we still eat. We feel less like a monster and more in control of ourselves", she explains walking into the dining hall. It's a typical dining hall that you would see in a castle. Her family sat there eating in silence but Alexis continued to speak to Hamish.

"Most are as preferred by my family but I believe few are different species. Human, elf, werewolf and etc.", she says sitting down. A maid serves her immediately and Alexis gives a smile to her.

"Thank you, Valerie. Could you get a plate for Hamish please?", she requests and the human maid bows to her.

"As you wish", she says and leaves. Her eldest brother, Xevo, sneers at her and voices, "Goood morning, princess."

"Morning, Xevo...Kyle.", Alexis greets to them. The maid hands Hamish a plate, "Here you are."

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Beauty can't exist without ugly. Love can't exist without hate. Happiness can't exist without sadness. Good can't exist without evil. I can't exist without you.

Admittedly, it was rather embarrassing to not have known that for Hamish. Despite the fact that his dedication to her bordered on the fanatical, he was actually never prompted much on how it was that she had existed. Part of that perhaps had to do with the fact that he considered the knowledge of vampires to be something that wasn't for his ears.

After all, there were members of her family just as she had thought that weren't nearly as charitable as she was. Looking up slowly, he smiled for a moment and exhaled.

"That's very kind of your, Your Royal Highness." He bowed his head politely and then thought. "Well, perhaps it's best that I have a silver blade, just in case." The knight was, of course, hinting at the fact that if a werewolf got out of hand then he had a weapon that would have been able to take care of them quite easily.

Looking back toward her for a brief moment, he sighed gently and looked into her eyes. "Was there anything else that I could help you with for the day?"

While he wasn't a suitor, it certainly seemed like he treated her much better than most of them probably would.

Alexis had a small blush going as he looked into her eyes. She slightly hated when he did that as it made her immortal heart flutter. She coughs and shakes her head, "Not at the moment, Hamish. Just sit and enjoy your breakfast."

She gestures to the seat beside her and her father speaks up, "Readying for today, daughter?"

"Yes, father. I was instructing Hamish to stay close to me in case any of these suitors should get out of line."

Kyle scoffs, "You should be happy these fools want you. I found it shocking that you have any at all. You aren't that beautiful! You are average!"

"Say what you will, Kyle, but you know full well that I'm not just average.", Alexis retorts. Though the others couldn't hear it, her voice wavered a bit in hurt. Hamish should be able to tell though...as much time as he spent by her side.

Alexis sips her red liquid as her father scolded Kyle for insulting her.

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Beauty can't exist without ugly. Love can't exist without hate. Happiness can't exist without sadness. Good can't exist without evil. I can't exist without you.

With a smile he nodded a bit and looked back to it, glad that the food was cooked to more human specifications honestly. One thing had surprised Hamish, and that was his constant ability to get that blush going. At that moment he finally started to wonder if he liked her.

Considering the way that Kyle was treating her, Hamish soon had an opportunity to return that favor. It hadn't taken long for him to reach down to his sword and with a dramatic flourish he pushed out the chair from underneath him.

However, it seemed like Alexis' father chimed in before he got a chance. Still, he looked over and snarled. "If you were to say that about her again, then I might just kill you. So what if it would be murder? You have no right to treat her that way!"

Admittedly he had a feeling that was going to get her undying heart to flutter as well. Hamish wasn't trying to act like a hopeless romantic, even if it was quickly turning out that way. Rather, he was just trying to do at this point what felt right for him.

Something inside him really didn't like the way that Kyle talked, and he wasn't going to take it sitting down.

Alexis's heart did flutter at his speech and it left the brothers and father speechless. Kyle squints his eyes and growls, "Filthy human! I'll talk to my sister how I want to!"

Kyle stands ready to challenge him but his father injects again.

"Sit down, you stupid fool! There's a reason why this human is protecting Alexis and it's due to his strength and battle tactics.", his father announces.

Kyle stared at Hamish with a burning hate but sat down. Alexis senses tension in the air so she puts a hand on her knight's arm.

"Diffuse the situation and stand down, please. He won't hurt me now....will you?", she spoke and directed that last part to Kyle. He grumbles and turns back towards his food.

"See? Now please eat.", Alexis asks him and she begins to eat her food.

_________________
Beauty can't exist without ugly. Love can't exist without hate. Happiness can't exist without sadness. Good can't exist without evil. I can't exist without you.

Grumbling for a few moments, Hamish eventually put away his sword in the process, though he honestly hadn't wanted to. Exhaling a bit, he said something to himself before he looked over to Alexis. "Well, for what it's worth, I wouldn't hurt you like some people would."

Even though he had done exactly what her father had suggested he did, and sat down once more, Hamish took this opportunity to glare over at Kyle. It looked like a golden opportunity to do so, and in the process he seemed to be creating a little rivalry.

While he might not have completely understood his own feelings toward Alexis just yet, it looked like cultivating a rivalry like this was an excellent way to prove himself to her. If nothing else, then he certainly liked the fact that he got quite a feeling of power from this.

Naturally he probably would have been better off not fighting Kyle, but it certainly was a good way to lock horns and maybe even show off a bit. Soon enough he was just back to eating breakfast and exhaled again.

Alexis nods and ate as well. Kyle glared back with a burning passion....how dare this human speak to his superior like that?! He is a royal prince and that dirt dared to talk to him! He'll put him in his place soon.

After breakfast, Alexis took a stroll around the garden before welcoming the suitors into her home.....she sighs at the thought then asks, "Hamish, do you have a love? Have you ever been in love before?"

She looks at him before proceeding, "I'm asking because I am worried about making a wrong choice....I don't want to be stuck in an unhappy relationship with a man who I can't love."

Alexis waits his answer stopping under a beautiful orange blossom tree. Some of the flowers fall in her hair.

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Beauty can't exist without ugly. Love can't exist without hate. Happiness can't exist without sadness. Good can't exist without evil. I can't exist without you.

With a bit of a grin, Hamish had gawked at Kyle a couple of times during breakfast. He liked the feeling that he had when talking like that, perhaps because he realized that indeed he had spoken down to her and Hamish liked to help put Alexis' opponents in their place.

Regardless, he had soon found himself accompanying her on the stroll along the garden. Even had she not wished him to do so, he was supposed to be her constant guardian. He sort of had to come with her at this point.

"Honestly, I guess I'm married to my job of protecting you, and I suppose it would be a very difficult task to choose someone for you since you would truly have to be with them forever." He then realized that he should have probably faced the facts about his own feelings.

"If there were anyone I loved, then...it would be you, but you deserve a full-blooded immortal who could be at your side always, and not a weak human like myself." She looked marvelous with those flowers he had to admit.

Alexis blushes tomato red at his statement. She didn't expect this from him. Truthfully, she didn't think he loved her beyond a friend. With this new information though, she started to reflect on her own feelings for him. Alexis can admit Hamish is a very attractive man......silver hair...gorgeous eyes....

Basically her best friend from the start and he admits that he is in love with her....she is left stunned and unable to respond.

"Hamish...I-", she begins but gets interrupted by one of the maids. She bows to her and says, "The suitors are here, ma'am. Your father urges that you be back as soon as possible for the meet and greet."

She bows towards Hamish and leaves. Alexis looks at Hamish sadly....of course her parents wouldn't want a human as a son in law...

She gives a small smile and kisses his cheek.

"We will discuss this later.", she voices then heads to the throne room.

_________________
Beauty can't exist without ugly. Love can't exist without hate. Happiness can't exist without sadness. Good can't exist without evil. I can't exist without you.

Completely truthfully, he didn't even think that he loved her beyond a friend. Rather, he had always thought that he had just thought about her as though he were a friend and someone who required his services. This was sort of an admission to himself as much as it was an admission to her.

Regardless, soon enough she was interrupted, as she was quite stunned in the response cycle. It would seem that she would be required to go through with looking at all of these suitors anyway.

Blushing a bit as he was offered that kiss, he blinked and turned toward her. "I would be happy to, but I think you had wanted me to come with you for now."

Naturally he followed along to the throne room. Previously she had requested that he would have done so, and he would have of course been happy to. He was starting to get an idea, but it wasn't something that he thought he should have mentioned out loud to her.

They walk into the dark and intimidating throne room. The room's intimidation strengthened when her father and brothers sat in the room at the same time but brightened when either Queen Irissia, Princess Alexis, or both sat on their thrones. Luckily for the suitors, only King Rhys sat on his throne along with his wife by his side.

Alexis is in her throne chair which was moved to the bottom of the stairs from the other chairs. Once she was settled, thirty suitors were called in one by one to meet and greet the princess. Most were handsome princes dressed in the royal garments of their kingdom, few were average with ok clothing, and the rest were unattractive. They all bow before the princess, kiss her hand, and announce why they have come for her hand in marriage. All claimed that they are in search of love but it was easy to spot blatant liars....especially if their pants look a little tight.

Alexis, however, had a hidden standard that even she didn't know about. She didn't notice how she was comparing all the suitors to her knight. Whether they rivaled his looks or skill set or morals, she always found a flaw in them and fall short to Hamish. She sighs at the end when the last suitor left. Alexis has to be courted by five different princes in 6 days. On the seventh day, she must choose her husband.

She looks to Hamish sighing, "This is going to be a long week..."

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Beauty can't exist without ugly. Love can't exist without hate. Happiness can't exist without sadness. Good can't exist without evil. I can't exist without you.

One thing was for sure, and Hamish looked every bit as dark sometimes as the throne room did. That was because he had of course taken on a good bit of his persona from hanging around with vampires. Unlike her other staff, he actually did wear that wispy blue and silver armor that represented his position, and had the mysterious look about him that would have fit considering that he was a servant to this most undead of royal families.

Nevertheless, he had the distinct disadvantage in being human, and Hamish drove out all of the thoughts of being with her from his mind for the time being. After all, he figured that there was no real way that it could have happened really. She deserved a purebred vampire to be her mate that never suffered through the indignity of regular humanity.

Irrespective of this, Hamish had no way of knowing that he was actually being used as a sort of gauge for the others, and he certainly didn't know that he was coming out on top. What he did realize, however, was how lustful many of the people were here.

Turning toward her once she spoke to him again, Hamish actually scowled for once.

"You shouldn't have to go through this. For men who are being arranged into a marriage, they all certainly seem to be quite lustful."

A princess of course, he thought, needed to be treated properly, and none of them looked like they would have ever treated her right at all.

Alexis sighs nodding, "Agreed but I can't oppose this right now."

She stands wiping off her dress and was handed a list of all the princes. She read through them not remembering half of them. Her subconscious wonders back toward what was recently confessed to her....Hamish loved her and, right now, none of these princes fit the bill to be her husband.

Alexis breathes in finally ready to face the vultures.

"Lets go, Hamish. Lets get this over with.", she walks off to the first prince's room. That day, princes 1, 3, 4, and 5 weren't interesting at all. One was a shy Elven man named Amrúmen. Number three was a mute vampire prince named Darcy Cormwell. Four was a talkative vampire named Daniel Deschanel who wasn't remotely interested in Alexis's life. Five was a hobbit prince named Bulbo Loamsdown, a boring prince that was safety cautious.

The only interesting prince was a vampire prince named Pascal Blanchard. The date went like this.

Alexis went to the gardens to meet the next prince of the day. Amrúmen was a nice elf prince but wasn't really that talkative. Once the two entered the scene, Pascal smirks at Alexis swirling a glass of blood in his hand.

"Ah...my beautiful princess...how are we today?"

Alexis blushes slightly at the romantic scene he has set and responds with, "I'm fine, Prince Pascal...."

_________________
Beauty can't exist without ugly. Love can't exist without hate. Happiness can't exist without sadness. Good can't exist without evil. I can't exist without you.

Exhaling deeply, Hamish soon found himself shaking his head. He didn't like the fact that she was going to have to go through with all of this. That wasn't comfortable for him to watch, but it didn't look like there was much that he could do.

Out of everyone, it only actually looked like Pascal had anything to offer her. At the moment, he was a passive observer. The fact that he had to be here surely wouldn't have made Prince Pascal uncomfortable at all.

Being someone who was a member of the royal class meant that he was probably quite used to this sort of thing. Nevertheless, he ended up being the one who felt a sort of discomfort at all of it.

To some degree, it had actually looked like she liked Pascal, or at least tolerated his company. Having been quite a trained individual, there wasn't anything on his face that suggested he was jealous. Hamish simply looked sort of neutral.

Nevertheless, internally he actually felt quite jealous, since he had wanted to be with her and was now starting to realize just how much he had wanted to be with her. It wasn't something that he usually would have thought about, but now at this point he was fully grasping just how much it was indeed present in his psyche.

Looking up slowly, he swallowed, keeping his thoughts to himself for now.

Alexis sat on the other side of the table wondering what he has to offer. Pascal gives her a cup of tea and she takes it.

"You look beautiful today, Alexis. I wonder how you stay such a pearl. Even most vampires can't stay this beautiful.", he compliments her.

"Oh, um....Well, I stop aging I reach 21. Maybe I'll lose my shine then."

"That's where you are wrong for a jewel as gorgeous as you will never lose your shine. You'll be as radiant this day even in the future.", Pascal smooth talks to her.

Alexis had a blush and sips her tea. The whole date consisted of them talking about the future and what would happen if they ended up together. Unknown to her due the smooth talking way he said it, he mentioned that she wouldn't be in rule or have any say in political governing. She'll be a figure head and he will be the one with all the power. Hamish might've heard it since he is feeling jealous and he might be picking through his words to find a flaw in the vampire prince.

She gets up to leave and bids Pascal farewell. He was up and wrapping her arms around her in a flash.

"Goodnight, my beautiful pearl....may you seek comfort in my arms if you have a nightmare...", he breathes to her.

Alexis nods red again and slightly pushes him away. She didn't want to be in his embrace if she didn't choose him. Pascal didn't fight it and bows her out. The two leave and Alexis breathes out.

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Beauty can't exist without ugly. Love can't exist without hate. Happiness can't exist without sadness. Good can't exist without evil. I can't exist without you.

While he still didn't really show any reaction like he had wanted to, Hamish was having a tough time taking any of this. It looked like this suitor was laying it on pretty thick, and he didn't really think that any of these sorts of stuff was honestly said. Pascal seemingly had a silver tongue, but he didn't think that a lot of the words that were produced by it were at all genuine.

Sighing a bit, he ultimately did pay attention to everything. Most notably he was looking for pieces of information that he could have used against the other, and he did indeed have it.

Once she had again been independent of the other person, Hamish turned back toward her with a careful sigh. Eventually he had wanted to use that information that he had picked up.

Looking toward her, he blinked for a moment and decided that it was the right time.

"You realize that he told you that you would have no political power at all, don't you." Hamish knew that she would have trusted him to pay attention to everything. "He would ultimately be running everything that your parents leave to you."

Since he was keeping his jealous emotions out of the way that he had said it, it all ultimately sounded pretty honest, and it really was. Hamish wasn't making this up because he wasn't the type to go around spreading rumors anyway.

That might have been one of the reasons that she had always been so ready to trust him in fact.