Lucian

        At the shore of the Black Sea to the East in a very reserved castle in a town of Russia lived the most beautiful princess at that time Cathline or Cathlina. Her father was the czar of Russia Nicholas Zoloto  and her mother was Catherine The Duchess of Scotland.After their marriage Catherine and Nicholas decided to move to Russia from Scotland because of the Viking invasions of Scotland at that time in  1266 . Nicholas wanted his wife and his 1-year-old daughter to be safe. And for the safety of his loved ones  Nicholas moved them to a hidden castle in the woods. The woods were facing the seashore so his daughter could see the beautiful sunset from the west and his wife would look at it remembering about home.They were happy to be there.          Nicolas was a very busy czar he always went to wars especially on the sea with the Vikings trying to keep them as far away as possible from his country and even though he was old in his 50's he was a great warrior with a long  gray beard  and breathtaking  blue eyes like the color of the sky  and the clothes made of a lion's fur.    Cathline's mother Catherine was a very good-hearted woman , respectful to the poor and sick.She loved the walks in nature and the sea.She was 10 years younger than her husband. They were a beautiful family. When Cathline turned 18 years old they organized a big celebration, every noble family from Russia was invited at the party.They had 3 nights of celebration for their daughter where they ate and danced as long as they wanted to. Cathline was happy to finally be a woman but she was worried because even though she was ready for marriage she couldn't find the right prince for herself.She met many noble gentlemen at the party but none seemed to impress her .She was really disappointed.She was so beautiful her blonde long curly hair shined like the sun her blue eyes were as blue as the sky and big like two rare pearls and her thin tall pale body made her look like an angel,she was as white as the pearls themselves just like her mother, a beauty. All this beauty for nothing because she didn't want to get married to the noble men she met and her father didn't want to force her into marriage, he cared too much about his daughter's feelings and he didn't want to choose for her.This was her life so she had to choose  and because she was an only child if she won't get married until the age of 25 there's a possibility she will never get married and the royal bloodline of her family won't pass to generations.        The first night after the last celebration day for her 18th birthday Cathline went to sleep early. In the middle of the night she suddenly woke up ,walked to the balcony and watched the stars she said:     -Oh...I wish I could find my real soulmate, a Prince I will love and cherish for the rest of my life.Dear Sea please help me...I can't continue like this..disappointing my parents..After saying that Cathline went back to sleep.The full moon was so bright a curtain of light shined through her window and in the silence of the night walks could be heard from her balcony.There was a tall black shadow of a man coming from the outsides of the castle. He looked at her and tried not to wake her up.He fell in love with her pure beauty but still would stay away because he didn't want to scare her away. She opens her eyes slowly and sees him standing in her balcony. It was a small balcony that was facing the sea and as he stand there the moon shines through him and lights his body from behind but still the darkness of the big room covers his face.She feels a loving presence she's not scared of him as his suave voice says: - Oh my God! You are so beautiful! I've never seen someone as beautiful in my whole life!      She thinks is just a dream and admires him , looks at him then asks him if he wants to be her husband. He smiles as she smiles back. As the moon passes by the sea and the night comes to an end the mysterious gentleman leaves without a trace leaving her astonished.Cathline goes back to sleep and dreams about him all morning. She wakes up happy and she can't believe that what she experienced last night was just a simple dream. She goes on  with her day. Goes to the piano lessons, studies grammar and does all her chores in time .Thenshe goes to her room in the evening to check her balcony again but there's nothing left. Its like there didn't put foot anyone except for her. She watched the sea waves hitting the shore and listens to their music. As the sunset comes she gets excited and she believes she will see the mysterious gentleman again.    Now that is night she keeps waiting and waiting but nothing. She falls asleep...Then in the next morning she feels really down, Cathline is missing the Prince of the night. He didn't come to see her again but what she doesn't know is that he also misses her.  In his dark castle on an island surrounded by fog sitting on his chair Lucian is thoughtful and distressed he misses Cathline but he knows he can't go back because eventually, she will find out he is not a mortal.All alone in his empty castle  Lucian sips wine from his golden cup and thinks about his lost family and about the time when he was still a living person. It was before the invasion. Everyone has been killed but he survived after drinking blood from the golden cup of life at the order of his own father. After drinking from the cup of life Lucian turned into a monster, a vampire that sucks life from the living ones and is cursed to do so for the rest of the eternity. HE can't die no matter what but at what cost?He has to suffer and see others suffer and pass through life, he saw his friends and family die, everywhere he went people were dying and he cound't take it anymore , that made him return to his castle on the island where he was all alone and didn't have to see any more people suffering to death.    But something about Cathline made him feel alive again and he couldn't stop thinking about her.It was like an obsession. He knew that she will call him again and if she does call him again he will return to her but if she doesn't he will leave her alone. Lucian was a very good person, noble and pure Prince that never got to marry because of the wars and invasions. He always loved people and wanted the best for them even for the peasants he didn't know personally he would always offer them food and money.But now that he is a  vampire he can't even go outside during the day because the sun burns his skin so he can't help anyone and if he tried at night the thirst makes him lose his mind and control. There was no cure and no hope for him.     Then the next night Cathline calls the mysterious Prince.She goes at the midnight to her balcony stares at the beautiful full moon and says :    - OH! Come! Come my love ! Come Prince of darkness wherever you are!     She repeats that sentence a few times then when she sees that nobody is showing up, she decides to go to sleep.But Lucian heard her. He shows up quietly in the darkness as the clouds cover the moon. He admires her sleeping and feels her breathing ,her heart beats. Cathline opens her eyes and sees Lucian.He tells her: - Oh you're so beautiful like nothing I have ever seen in this world ,please be my bride and let's be forever together loving each other for every single day of our lives.Marry Me ! He didn't know her name yet she didn't know his name yet but they fell in love at first sight even though they saw each other in the darkness not in the sunlight. They trusted each other.     Cathline doesn't answer his request and she goes back to sleep. He leaves.... In her dream she is with Lucian and they are making love  in her room.Her eyelids move faster and faster as she is still asleep, sweating.She wakes up and jumps off her bed scared.It was just a dream. Nobody is in her room at the moment. She can't see Lucian's shadow anywhere.Then goes to take a cup of water to calm down.The princess is starting to feel restless..She doesn't go to sleep anymore that night, stays awake. In the morning as she takes her dress on she starts to think about how much she doesn't know about the mysterious gentleman.She's somehow confused and scared but can't stop the burning in her heart and the feeling of something that's missing. She knows what's missing. He is missing. Then she asks herself: -Why is he only appearing during the night and never when the sun is up? Is he a demon? Is he a ghost? Is he a creature that has no soul? Why did he choose me? Maybe I should call him again but this time I really need to see him better.      As Cathline goes on with her day her mother Catherine and her father Nicholas ask her to show up for some suitor. He's name is Arnvald the Cruel and he was the leader of the South-North Vikings at that time. He was much older than Cathline he was 45 years old and she was just a 18 year old but at those times age didn't really matter.Nicholas the czar was very happy because because if his daughter would marry Arnvald there will be finally peace with the Vikings and they will never attack Russia.Catherine the mother also agreed and said it was a good idea for a peaceful future. Cathline's father knew that his daughter won't like this idea but he had no choice but to make her marry Arnvald because if she won't marry him there will be a war between the powerful Nordics and them.    Cathline enters the room and meets Arnvald but she doesn't look very happy about it she asks her father: - Father ,who is this? -He is Lord Arnvald he is your future husband.Her father replies -What?! You want me to marry a Viking??! They destroyed the land where I was born how could you make me do this father?! (Yelling in tears as she  runs outside slamming the door. The guards bring her back to her parents and Lord Arnvald the Cruel. She tells them: - You can't make me marry someone I don't love!Im not going to do that Arnvald gets really mad and takes his sword out. The Czar calms him down by saying: -Relax Arnvald, take it easy, just give her a few days she is going to change her mind just let me talk to her more about it and I promise you see will agree and love the idea - Fine. But You have 7 days to make her marry me if not Im going to invade your country and destroy every piece of this castle. Said Arnvald Crying in her room alone Cathline doesn't know what to do anymore.She can't marry that cruel person,she wants to see who is the mysterious man.This can't happen to her. Czar Nicholas comes into her room sits on her bed and starts to talk and explains how  this marriage could save the land from war but she with tears in her eyes tells him : -Father I can't marry this man I love someone else and I want to marry that man  Her father replies: -Who are you in love with my dear? -He is a Prince that comes to my room every night when I call him and He said he wants to marry me -What?! Who comes to your room every night?! And you didn't tell me?! I can't allow that to happen again! You're going to marry Lord Arnvald and there is no going back. This is my decision I don't know who is the mysterious Prince you saw these nights but he is not going to return and you can cry how much you want now. But in the future you will see, as a grown woman.The most important things are safety,financial and physical! You are going to love Lord Arnvald I assure you my dear The Czar leaves her room after saying that. Cathline cries more and more until she falls asleep and sleeps until the next morning. She's missing Lucian. All day she stayed in bed, her mother thoughts Cathline was getting sick.They called doctors but they didn't find anything wrong with her.Everything was alright. But she was still feeling sick and alone and knew there was no hope she was going to see Lucian again.        At the midnight she calls Lucian again: -Oh come! Come my love! Whenever you are please come to me ! And through the balcony door she glances  and sees a handsome,tall man with long blonde hair, the hair went down to his shoulders and was as shiny as the moon, his eyes were blue ,blue like the dark sea at night. Cathline gets closer to Lucian and asks: -Whats your name? He answers: -My name is Lucian and Im on this Earth from a very long time please don't be afraid and accept to be my long eternal wife...    They look each other in the eyes.Cathline sighs and says: -But I can't marry you! She starts to cry and runs downstairs until she gets to the castle's kitchen. Lucian leaves...disappointed and hurt he returns to his castle that night.    In the kitchen there is Cohen a young 18 year old servent boy that helps with the cooking. He asks Cathline: -What's wrong my dear lady? What happened why are you crying? -Is none of your problems, please its not big deal at all. Don't worry. I will be okay...eventually -But who made our lady cry in the middle of the night?! She answers: -They want me to marry someone I don't love and I can't be happy with that because I love someone else.All the money in the world can't buy my heart but somehow he charmed me....And for this I'm going to take my life because I can no longer be happy with this mess.               She runs back upstairs to her balcony and gets ready to jump into the waves brought by the stormy sea. She takes a few steps and jumps into the stormy sea, Cohen runs fast through the balcony door then throws himself into the waves saving Cathline from drowning. He takes her to the shore as the sun rises he holds her into his arms and rubs her cheeks trying to wake her up but it doesn't work. He kisses her lips and resuscitates her back to life. Some soldiers see them on the shore and go to help.They call the Czar and the Queen to come and amazed by how brave Cohen was to save the Princess they make Cohen a knight of the royal house. Cathline is still alive but she forgot everything that happened . She has amnesia, she can't remember anything about Lucian anymore, she can't remember about the feelings she had for him...Laying in her bed numerous doctors tried to help but they couldn't do anything more than bring back the memories she had about her family and the royal house.She didn't remember Lucian.Now the feeling of missing is gone, she can finally be calm .But her father Nicholas remembered about the mysterious man she told him about.The man that would show up every night at her balcony.Therefore the Czar changed her room and moved her to the first floor of the castle where was no balcony and covered her windows.He locked her old room with a key that he gave to Cohen because he trused him . -Cohen, my knight I give you this key and I beg you don't let my daughter enter that room, especially during these seven days of waiting Cohen asks: -Seven days of waiting? Waiting for what? -Waiting for what?! You didn't know? I have seven days to make Cathline marry Lord Arnvald The Cruel or the Vikings are going to destroy our country! - So are you exchanging your daughter for the safety of your kingdom?Are you really going to give your daughter away to the enemy? Can't there be another plan? The Czar stopped to think more for a second and as he looked at Cohen asked: -Do you have another plan?I have no choice...        -What If I kill him and hide his death so your daughter doesn't need to marry a cruel Viking? -What?! You think you can kill the most powerful, the smartest and bravest Viking?! You are crazy! Nobody ever dared to think something like this about Arnvald.But what you say makes sense,and Im going to think about it during these seven days...       In her room alone in the darkness with only a candle to light the night Cathline can't fall asleep. She feels like something is missing. Of course the feeling is back again but this time she has no idea what is missing and its confusing her. Cohen knocks at her door .She tells him to come in. Cohen a little shy asks: -How are you feeling my lady? Are you seeing any improvements with your memory ? -No..not really I feel like I remember almost everything but still there is something I feel that is missing but I don't know what that thought is. Get closer Cohen! She said. Cohen gets closer as he sits on her bed. -Cohen , do you know what is missing? What I can't remember please let me know if you do because is driving me crazy I can't even sleep anymore! -My lady I don't know what that could be but I remember that you told me something -And what is it Cohen? -You told me that you can't marry Lord Arnvald because you love someone else to much! -Do I love someone else? And who could that be? Cathline is confused....              Cohen bends over her bed and gets close to Cathline's lips. He kisses her deeply without hesitation           -You are the one that I love Cohen! She smiled and started to cry.