The Crown's Obsession

Harriet was covered in blood, trying to catch her breath after killing some of the vampires who had gone rampant and sucking the blood of the humans. At the same time, even the humans, who were capable, succeeded in ripping some of the vampire's head off from their body while lighting it up in fire. 

She pushed herself from the wall before corking the gun she had in her hand. Stepping out, she looked for the vampires. On finding one of them, she pointed her gun at one of the coldblooded creatures, who was draining blood from one of the villagers' necks. 

She pulled the trigger, but before the bullets could hit the vampire, he had caught sight of her. The vampire was quick to pull the human in front of him, and the human got shot. The vampire jeered at her. 

"A gun is not a toy to be handled by a woman. What are you doing here, instead of learning to cook?" sneered the vampire. 

Harriet knew the human was long dead, and she took her shot in shooting the vampire again, but all the bullets were collected in the human's body. "Don't even know how to aim," taunted the vampire.

"Why don't you stop hiding behind the corpse like a coward if you are that brave?" retorted Harriet while taking out the bullets from her dress pocket and trying to add them into the gun. 

On hearing her words and seeing the woman shuffle with the gun, the vampire quickly threw the human to the wall and came right at her. Harriet didn't have enough time to load the gun, and she used both her hands to stop the vampire from taking a bite from her neck. 

"For a woman you are strong," grumbled the vampire, and he pushed her against one of the house's walls. 

Harriet used her elbow to hit the vampire, and she tried to attack the vampire, but this blood-sucking creature was stubborn. Her hands reached for the dagger that she carried with her. Grabbing it, she used it to create a deep cut on the vampire's arm. 

"It might be because I like cutting people like you more than cutting the vegetables in the kitchen," Harriet gripped the knife. 

Hearing her words, the vampire turned angry and came to attack her. It took less than a few seconds of duel before she staked the vampire's heart. Blood spilt on her dress, and she got up from her place. 

Just as she turned, she gasped and brought her knife to point at the person whom she had met a few days ago. 

"How rude to point that knife at me. I haven't done anything...at least not yet," said the vampire with red eyes and his fangs visible as he smiled at her. 

Harriet didn't let her guard down, and she tried to keep a distance from him. The last time when she had stabbed him, nothing had happened, and he continued to live. Was he not like the rest of them?

"You seem to be very skilled when it comes to fighting and killing people. Where did you learn it from?" asked the stranger with red eyes. 

"Get yourself and your creatures out of these lands," ordered Harriet. 

"I don't think I have ever seen a woman like you fight and think she could be attractive," he continued to flatter her. 

But Harriet responded with, "You people don't belong here, go back to the place where you came from and let us live in peace." 

"I mean the way you used the knife, hmm. But the way you handle the gun, could use some work. Life is after all precious in the living realm," replied the vampire. Harriet could only believe that they were speaking two different languages as neither wanted to listen to the other. "What is your name?" he asked her. 

Harriet didn't know what this vampire wanted, "Are you here to offer peace?" she asked him.

"Always picking such long names," the person smiled more widely. He then said, "I am Vladimir Lazarus." 

Harriet quickly pulled out the other gun that she had hidden in her dress and pointed it at him, "Leave," she said. 

The vampire was deaf because he took a step forward. Without wasting a second, she pulled the trigger, pressing her finger over and over again until all the bullets had been exhausted. Harriet finally realized this was no ordinary vampire because he was the Devil. 

Even though the silver bullets could harm a vampire, this person felt no speck of pain. Blood did spill out from his body, but he was unaffected by it. 

"You look surprised. Haven't you figured it out yet?" Vladimir questioned her. 

"Devil," Harriet glared at him.

"Harriet!" someone called for help, and for a moment, her eyes snapped in the other direction before finding the Devil, who came to stand right in front of her. 

"How about I solve these vampire issues, and we can create a truce between us two," smiled the Devil. Within one second, he disappeared in thin air, and Harriet's eyes snapped around to see where he went. 

When she returned to where her men were, who had been fighting the vampires, one of them came to her and said, "The vampires have fled. They suddenly dropped everything and left." Harriet realized the deal had been made even though she didn't agree or disagree to it. 

Helena's thoughts came back to the present time, and she stepped down from the carriage to be followed by Vladimir. She couldn't believe how things had not changed since the first time she had met the Devil. The only difference between her past and present was that now she had a family, while in the past, she had never got the opportunity to have that. 

Both Helena and Vladimir entered the building, walking to the room where Duke Briggs was working. 

"Lady Helena, it is so good to see you here," said the man, standing up and greeting her. When his eyes fell on the man behind Helena, he said, "Looks like you changed your personal guard," he chuckled. 

As usual, Helena didn't laugh, and she stared at the man in front of her. But Vladimir found certain humour in it and chuckled. She then said, "I have received complaints from many people that you have taken their lands forcibly while claiming it to be yours by misusing the documents that were sent to you by the High House. Do you have any explanation for it, Duke Briggs?" 

The man raised his eyebrows and started to laugh, "I am sorry but I don't know what you are speaking of. People are just trying to spoil my name for no reason, I am a dignified person who wouldn't do such things."

Helena's eyes narrowed, "I have already sent my men to your house to search those documents." She pulled out the official letter from the High House from her coat and placed it on the table. 

"What is this?" Duke Briggs asked in suspicion. 

He quickly picked up the letter to read and scoffed, "I am not going to resign from my post. My father worked hard to have this position in our family." 

"And you screwed it. You are in no position to call yourself as the Duke, when you are misusing your position and stealing the assets from the hardworking families," ordered Helena. 

"I want a trial for this! I need proof against me before you come to decide anything. But you will never get any of it. Just because you are close with the King of Devon now, doesn't mean every word of yours shall be followed. I am not leaving my position," said the Duke, his words firm. 

Before coming here, Helena had thought to hold a meeting for the complaints she had received from the people. But after seeing the Duke's face, she had changed her plan. 

Vladimir decided to take a slow walk near the window as if he wasn't in the room because Helena had told him not to poke his nose. 

"Sign it, unless you want an even more severe punishment charged on you," came the serious words from the head of the High House.

The Duke glared at Helena as if she had lost her mind, "Who are you to tell me that?" he questioned her. "For so long my family has been the Duke of this place and we have been looking at the affairs of the people and in control. You know who you are? The woman who had dethroned her own uncle after her brother tried to commit treas-"

In the next second, Helena had pulled out her gun, pointing it at him, "I have been running on low patience. Don't test your luck."

  "If I were you, I would listen to her. She's even shot me too," came Vladimir's advice from where he stood near the window, a smile on his lips.