A Summer Of Missing Princesses

After some squabbling about whether we really are lost or not, we finally start walking in a random direction.

“I think Fairrest Kingdom is down this way,” Wisdom says.

“How do you know for sure?” Síneag challenges Wisdom.

“I can sense it,” Wisdom says.

“Oh come on! Is this about your so-called “vampire senses” again?! You know that’s a load of rubbish, don’t you?! You do NOT have special senses!” Sìneag argues, stamping her feet.

“You are not me, therefore, you do not know for sure. What if my senses really are special?” Wisdom asks.

“Maybe we could ask that person?” I suggest, pointing to someone walking in our general direction from the horizon.

“Hey, good point,” Wisdom says.

The person draws closer and closer. As they get closer, I notice that they have mint green pentagons on their face on each cheek.

“Hello!” I call out.

The others join me in waving to the stranger. He seems to notice us and heads towards us faster.

“Ew, why’s he got...” Sìneag begins, but EpicCourage muffles her, realizing she’s about to say something offensive.

“Hello, there,” the stranger says, stopping a few feet away from our group, “I haven’t seen anyone like you guys around before.”

“We’re looking for a place called Fairrest Kingdom,” Wisdom sates, “Which way is it from here?”

“Fairrest Kingdom, you say...? Hmmm... Well, there are multiple ways you can get there... If you head south and pass through Swampe Kingdom, you can reach it, but if you want to avoid Swampe Kingdom, and I don’t blame you, you can head south west first and cross through Dayzerk Kingdom. The other way is the eastern passage from Savan Provence into Stony Brook, south from Stony Brook into Fox Meadow, south from Fox Meadow into Cat Crator, and then west from Cat Crator into Fairrest Kingdom,” the native says.

“I’m sorry, but, we aren’t actually from around here...” I say.

“Hmm... I know. A map will help you guys out,” the native says and pulls an old map out of his bag.

“Oh, thank you!” I say, accepting the gift.

“I wish you luck, whatever it is you are up to,” the native says and then continues on his way.

“Let’s see, then...” I say, holding the map up so we all can see.

“Ew! The map is so old!” Sìneag whines.

“Please, Sìneag, stop whining about everything...” Korallee says.

Sìneag just stands there with her mouth open, surprised that anyone would complain about her complaining. Honestly, I’m confused about what could possibly be so bad about Swampe Kingdom.

“Okay, girls. Should we cut through Swampe Kingdom or should we go around?” I ask.

“Since it is quicker, we should go through Swampe Kingdom,” Aleena says.

“Ew! No way! Swampe Kingdom sounds disgusting! I don’t even want to set foot in a place with that name!” Sìneag objects.

“I’m going to have to agree with Sìneag... Swampe Kingdom sounds miserable,” Korallee says.

“I say why not? We’ve been through a black hole, nothing could possibly be worse than that!” Mór argues.

“I think the native knows better than we do. It would be wise to proceed with caution and avoid going to Swampe Kingdom,” Wisdom points out.

“I like pancakes,” EpicCourage says, clearly distracted, “Oh, I mean, sure, why not? Pass through Swampe.”

With that, it was a fifty-fifty vote.

“Well, we’ve been traveling long enough. Let’s just cut through Swampe Kingdom,” I decide.

Princess Sìneag proceeds to using language that should not be coming from the mouth of a princess. Wisdom quickly covers Aleena’s ears.

“I’M NOT GOING THROUGH SWAMPE KINGDOM!” Síneag concludes.

“What does...” Aleena begins, but everybody else shushes her.

“Oh, excuse me. I probably should watch my temper...” Sìneag says, blushing.

“That would be wise and most appreciated,” Wisdom says with a nod.

I lead and we all head south. The golden grassy plains of Savan Provence seem to continue on for a long time.

“Hey, EpicCourage,” Mór says as we are walking.

“Hmm?” EpicCourage asks, slowing her steps to match Mór’s.

“Back at your home, did anybody ever tell you the story of Caramel Moon?” Mór asks.

“Oh yes! Caramel Moon is pretty fascinating,” EpicCourage says, “He’s actually a distant relative of mine.”

“Oh really? I never knew he was royalty,” Mór says.

“Not technically. He isn’t of royal blood,” EpicCourage says.

“My mom used to tell me stories about him,” Mór says, “Do you think he actually ever had super powers or was the whole thing just a big joke?”

“Well, one could say that we all have a bit of super power within us,” EpicCourage says with a chuckle.

“Do you really think so?” Mór asks.

“Sure, why not?” EpicCourage asks, tilting her head to the side a bit.

“I think it would be cool to have the ability to fly,” Aleena says.

“I can fly,” Wisdom says, “Just not here and right now. It is much too sunny to be flittering about.”

“You know, my castle is extremely tall!” Aleena says.

“I bet it isn’t as tall as mine, though!” Sìneag argues, “And probably not as ornate either!”

“It is pretty tall, though... We have this really long spiraling staircase, too!” Aleena says.

“So do I!” Sìneag interrupts again.

“Well, have you ever slid down the banister?” Aleena asks.

“No...” Sìneag says and then asks, “Did you?”

“I sure did! It felt like I was flying!” Aleena cries out excitedly.

“...if you were going in circles, I think that a closer comparison would be a crash landing,” Wisdom points out.

“Well, yeah, I did crash once I reached the bottom...” Aleena says.

“Ouch! That sounds terrible!” Korallee comments.

“My mom and dad said I’m lucky I didn’t snap my neck,” Aleena says, “But it was very thrilling!”

“...maybe I should try sliding down my own banister when I get home...” Sìneag suggests.

“That doesn’t sound very safe. If Aleena nearly snapped her neck, who is to say you won’t get injured?” I ask.

“Well! For one, I’m NOT Aleena. And for another, we have fairies! If I get severely injured, one can heal me!” Sìneag says.

“Well, okay, If you say so. I can’t stop you,” I say.

The more we walk, the more the scenery changes. The long golden blades of grass grow shorter and greener for a short time before becoming brown and swampy. The ground beneath our feet becomes sticky and slimy.

“I’m guessing this is Swampe Kingdom,” I state.

“Yuck! How dreadful! This place is as terrible as I imagined!” Sìneag yells.

“I can carry you if you need,” Korallee offers.

“NO! I DON’T NEED HELP!” Sìneag yells and instantly falls into a deeper section of the swamp.

She gets covered head to toe in muck! She begins screaming very loudly at that point.

“Sìneag, please...” Korallee says, fishing the little girl out of the mud, “I CAN carry you.”

“I’M RUINED!” Sìneag screeches.

Korallee cradles the little muddy girl gently and wades through the swamp with her.

“Let’s get Aleena out of the mud as well,” Wisdom says.

EpicCourage picks Aleena up and she doesn’t even complain.

“I sure hope we don’t have to walk too much further...” Mór says.

As we slowly trudge through the swamp, Sìneag continues complaining. Eventually, we do make it to solid ground.

“Oh, finally... We must be out of the swamp now...” Sìneag grumbles.

“Actually, it would appear that more swamp is beyond this point,” Wisdom points out.

“Gosh darn it!” Sìneag complains.

The figure of a man appears from a building built on this solid piece of land. He stops and stares at us a moment.

“Why, who might you lovely ladies be?” the man asks.

“We’re travelers. We’ve come from far away,” I say.

“I see! I haven’t seen any women as gorgeous as you all in ages,” the man says with a laugh, “But you look awfully miserable.”

“Yeah, we’ve been traveling for awhile...” Aleena says with a yawn.

“And we’re filthy! Do you have any clean water or anything at all?!” Sìneag asks.

“Well, I’ve got lots of stuff... Come on into the castle and relax a bit!” the man says.

“Castle?” I ask.

“Yes, of course. I am King Bizzarous! Ruler of Swampe Kingdom,” the man says, bowing slightly.

“A king! Why, I thought maybe the one we were looking for was in Fairrest Kingdom!” Wisdom exclaims.

“Oh, Fairrest Kingdom... Bleh. What a boring place,” King Bizzarous says and wave us inside.

The guards watch in surprise as we enter the castle.

“You will be treated most excellently, most excellently indeed... First you all may take off your muddy shoes. I can’t have mud tracked in my clean halls!” Bizzarous says.

“Oh, but the mud is on more than just my feet,” Sìneag points out.

“Ah, yes... My servants will provide clean water and a place to wash off,” Bizzarous says.

He whistles and his servants rush in to escort us to a bathing room.

“Hey, this guy sure is nice!” Aleena comments as she splashes herself with water.

“Yeah... I wonder if he’s missing his daughter,” I comment.

“Well, if he is, you’ll find her quickly,” Wisdom says.

Korallee lingers at the edge of the bathing room. She’s just as muddy as we are, but for some reason, she won’t join us.

“Korallee?” I call to her.

“Yeah, Selima?” Korallee asks.

“Why won’t you join us?” I ask.

“I want to...but...I don’t know... Something isn’t quite right here...” Korallee says with a sigh.

“I’m not sensing anything. It might just be the planet change effecting you,” Wisdom points out.

“Maybe...” Korallee says, “And I suppose it isn’t proper for me to remain muddy...”

“Come join us!” Aleena calls, beckoning.

Korallee briefly allows herself to be soaked and then quickly removes herself from the water. I watch her, curiously. She remains in the corner until we all have had enough of washing. The servants rush us some clean towels to dry with.

“Thank you,” I call.

“The king would like to see you when you are finished,” one of the servants notes.

“Huh? Okay,” I say.

“Hmmm, maybe he’ll tell us about his missing daughter,” Mór suggests.

“You know, I’m really digging this bathing room design. I’d like something like this at my own castle,” Sìneag says, running her fingers across the design on the wall.

“I’m dry! I’m ready to go!” Aleena calls out.

We all finish drying and set the towels down neatly. The servants escort us to the king’s chamber. He is seated with one leg crossed over the other.

“My! You all look so much better clean!” Bizzarous comments, “Now, might I ask why you have come all this way and why you mention Fairrest Kingdom?”

“Well, you see... I’m on a quest to find and rescue the seven missing princesses,” I say.

“And you’re not a princess?” Bizzarous asks.

“I am but a commoner, your majesty,” I say.

“Hmmm... Hard to believe. You look like that other girl there,” Bizzarous says, pointing to Mór.

“I’m Princess Mór of Snyvolon Kingdom, sir,” Mór says.

“Never heard of Snyvolon,” Bizzarous says, “You must be from another planet?”

“Indeed. Selima, Aleena, Sìneag, Mór, and Korallee are all from Earth,” Wisdom states.

“Earth! Earth! Oh goodness, Earth! That old place still exists? I’ve only heard of it from old stories!” King Bizzarous exclaims, throwing his arms in the air.

“When Enetrer-1 was separated from Vampiro, Vampiro moved to Earth’s moon. Your galaxy has been missing for quite some time, but yes, Earth still exists,” Wisdom says.

“Vampiro... Speaking of which, I heard there was a colony of vampires up north in the Dark Woods,” King Bizzarous says, “Not that this is any use for you all. Nobody goes into the Dark Woods and survives.”

“Your vampires are from Vampiro. We had close relations many years back,” Wisdom says.

“Hmmm...” King Bizzarous says, “Servants! I demand a feast right away!”

“A feast?” I ask.

“Yes, of course! You guys are my welcomed guests, I ought to treat you to the very best,” King Bizzarous says.

A flurry of servants rush by and occupy the next room over. I assume that there is a kitchen in that room. The king takes this time to stretch a bit, looking a bit sleepy. Korallee eyes the king cautiously.

“Do you all need anything in particular?” King Bizzarous asks.

“Yes, we would like to know if you happen to have a daughter,” I say.

The king falls silent. The servants begin serving out appetizers to us. After some silence the king shakes his head no.

“No. No I do not have a daughter,” King Bizzarous says, “I never wanted a daughter. I had a woman, but she died while pregnant to my child.”

“Oh,” I say.

“I have sought out a new woman for quite some time now, but none of them were as beautiful as the woman I lost,” King Bizzarous says, “And it’s a shame I never got to meet my child as they died with their mother.”

“Aw, I’m so sorry!” Aleena says.

“...Anyhow... Eat. Enjoy yourselves,” King Bizzarous says.

I don’t know if it is safe to deny the wishes of the king, so I reach for some food. The princesses follow suit aside from Korallee. As we eat, more food is brought to the table. King Bizzarous stares at Korallee.

“Young lady, why do you refuse to eat my food?” King Bizzarous asks Korallee.

“I... I’m not hungry...” Korallee says, looking like she is about to cry.

“Not hungry?! But surely traveling this far has worked up an appetite!” King Bizzarous exclaims.

“...I’ve been forced to eat for so long; I just want to chose for myself when to eat...” Korallee says, “You see, before Selima rescued me, I was being held captive by goblins... Those horrible little creatures took delight in forcing me to eat more than I could handle. They hurt me and laughed as I was in pain... So you see, I am choosing not to eat your food, as delicious as it looks...”

“Oh... I was unaware...” King Bizzarous says, “Shameful creatures those goblins are!”

“Have you ever met a goblin?” Korallee asks.

“No, but they sound terrible. How can anyone be so selfish? That’s just not right!” King Bizzarous says.

“Your majesty, I hate to break it to you, but we’ve got to get going soon. There still is a princess out there who needs our help,” I say.

King Bizzarous stares at me as though I have just said the most offensive thing ever.

“No! No! There is no hurry! Please stay as long as you need! I assure you, if there is a princess out there, she’ll be fine!” King Bizzarous argues, “Stay the night! I have rooms to spare! I assure you, we have the best beds in the entire world!”

“Why would it hurt you if we left?” Korallee asks.

“I’m concerned about your well being! It would hurt me badly if something terrible happened to any of you!” King Bizzarous says, “So please, stay here in my castle where it is safe!”

“It would be selfish of you to keep us here,” Korallee points out, “I figured you hated selfish people.”

“I’m not selfish! I’M NOT!” King Bizzarous cries out.

Korallee flinches, staring wide-eyed at the furious king before her.

“Then it is settled. Come on, let’s go,” I say to the princesses.

“FINE! FINE! I DON’T CARE! IF YOU ALL DIE, IT SERVES YOU RIGHT!” King Bizzarous yells.

Quickly, we make a break for the door. EpicCourage lifts Aleena onto her back and carries her piggy-back style. Korallee does the same for Sìneag despite her squirming and arguing that she can run on her own. We run south, and we don’t stop running until our feet hit solid ground once again.

“That... That was a close one...” Wisdom comments.

“Too close for comfort,” Mór agrees.

“What even is wrong with that guy? He seemed so nice at first!” Aleena whines.

“Well, some people are like that,” Mór says, “...my own father was like that towards the wolf people...”

EpicCourage frowns and then says, “Wait a minute... The Lopospoli went extinct...”

Mór shakes her head no.

“They are still alive, but, well...they aren’t in a very good place...” Mór says.

“The people of my planet have been at war for years over what looked like the complete annihilation of the Lopospoli...and you’re going to tell me they are still alive?” EpicCourage asks, “And that we’ve been fighting over nothing?”

“Hey, it’s alright, we all make mistakes...” Mór says.

“Hey guys, umm, I think we may have reached Fairrest Kingdom!” Wisdom announces.

Wisdom points towards a very green town with towering houses. There are people everywhere going this way and that. Alright, now that we found the right kingdom, we just need to find the king. We all walk into the town together. By this point, the sun is getting close to setting.

“It’s nearly twilight and there still are so many people out,” Wisdom comments.

“That looks like a castle,” Sìneag says, pointing to an even larger building.

I agree with Sìneag, there is definitely a castle. The townsfolk look at us strangely as we make our way to the castle. Before we even make it to the gates, a guard stops us in our path.

“HALT! ONLY AUTHORIZED PERSONNEL ARE PERMITTED TO CROSS THIS POINT! NO TOURISTS ALLOWED!” the guard yells.

“Greetings,” I say, bowing slightly, “Sorry to interrupt... I am Selima, official Princess Tracker. My trail has brought me here.”

The guard stares blankly at me and then glances at the other princesses.

“And who are they?” the guard asks.

“These lovely ladies are the other princesses I have tracked down,” I say, “Princess Aleena of Fairwood, Princess Sìneag of Mycono, Princess Korallee of Tellis, Princess Mór of Snyvolon, Princess Wisdom of Vamp, and Princess EpicCourage of Jebbron.”

“...if that’s so...” the guard whispers, “Come inside at once!”

The guard escorts us all into the castle. The other guards step aside as we hurry inside. He leads us to a room where a man with blonde hair stands, staring out a window. He turns to face us when we enter.

“Whoa, whoa, whoa! Magnus, what are ya doing bringin’ these women into the castle so suddenly?!” the man asks, looking concerned.

“Good evening, your majesty,” I say, bowing to the blonde man.

“N-no! Don’t bow to me! I’m not a king!” the man exclaims.

“You aren’t...?” I ask, standing up straight.

“I’m Head Knight and Advisor to the princess,” the man says.

“Oh... Where is the king?” I ask.

“Ahem... The king died... He was killed,” Magnus whispers to me.

“Oh,” I say.

“So what in the world is this?” the advisor asks.

“This woman, Selima, claims to be an official princess tracker,” Magnus says, “Tillin, I suggest you hear them out.”

“But of course,” Tillin says, “I was actually just about to send my boy Zachary out to look for the missing princess. You see, Princess Miranda isn’t the type to run off and disappear, so when we found her missing, we became concerned.”

“Who do you think is responsible for her disappearance?” I ask.

“If I had to guess, I’d say it was someone from the Dark Woods...” Tillin says, fiddling with his mustache nervously, “But, well...nobody who enters those woods ever comes out alive...”

“The vampires!” Wisdom says.

“You think vampires were involved?” Tillin asks.

“I KNOW so, actually. The vampires who got left behind when Vampiro and Drayzeen got separated must have gone rogue!” Wisdom announces.

“Well, that complicates things further...” Tillin says.

A young boy with dark skin and smooth black hair appears in the doorway.

“Tillin! I’m ready to go!” the boy announces.

“Well, actually...” Tillin says.

“Huh? Did Princess Miranda come back already?” the boy asks.

“No, Zachary, it’s just that this young lady just showed up and said she’s looking for princesses,” Tillin says.

“Oh...” Zachary says, looking sad.

“Well... I don’t have to go alone.. If you want to come with me, I’d be glad to have some help,” I say to Zachary.

“Really? That would be awesome!” Zachary says, getting excited.

“I’ll come too, if that’s okay,” Wisdom says, “I know how to handle moody vampires.”

“Okay, Zachary, Wisdom, you guys can come with me,” I say.

“If you want, I can look after the others for you. I’m pretty experienced with watching over princesses,” Tillin says.

“Alright, well, that’s settled,” I say.

“Good luck! You certainly will need it!” Tillin says.

Zachary, Wisdom, and I head back out of the castle, escorted by another guard.

“Sooo... Where are you from?” Zachary asks.

“I’m from a planet called Earth,” I say.

“Earth? What is Earth?” Zachary asks.

“It’s a very watery planet that revolves around it’s sun once every 365-366 days located on the other side of a black hole from here. Oh, and by the way, did you know that with proper shields in place, you can use black holes as teleportation rings?” Wisdom asks.

“What...?” Zachary asks, not understanding any of that.

“Oh, and I’m from a planet called Vamp,” Wisdom says.

“Okay, well, welcome to Drayzeen!” Zachary says with a grin.

“Have you ever been to the Dark Woods?” I ask him.

“Nope!” Zachary says, “But I know where they are!”

“Very nice!” Wisdom says, “Lead the way!”

“Do you always where a spacesuit?” Zachary asks, glancing back at Wisdom after taking the lead.

“No...but your sun is way too harsh. I’d die instantly if I took it off,” Wisdom says.

“Hah hah, getting in character to pretend to be a vampire?” Zachary asks.

“Well, actually...” Wisdom says.

“...you are a vampire...?” Zachary asks.

“You got that right,” Wisdom says.

“Well! Nice to meet you!” Zachary says, grinning.

“Nice to meet you too, kid!” Wisdom says, “Don’t worry, I don’t bite.”

“This is awesome!” Zachary exclaims.

“How old are you?” I ask the boy.

“I’m nearly 14,” Zachary says with a shrug.

“I actually would have guessed you were younger. I’m 15,” I tell him.

“15! Wow, so, like, we could be friends!” Zachary says.

“And I’m 117,” Wisdom says.

“ONE HUNDRED-SEVENTEEN! Zachary exclaims.

Wisdom laughs. By the time we get close to the woods, the sun has set, making the Dark Woods even darker. Wisdom takes the spacesuit off and packs it away with some sort of vampire magic, I guess.

“Wow! Green hair?!” Zachary asks, “I’ve never met anyone with green hair! One time, I met this girl, her name is Shrinkity Dinkity, and she has the reddest red hair ever!”

“You’re cute, kid... Get ready to fight... These vampires are no joke from what I heard,” Wisdom says, “Whatever you do, do not let them get your neck.”

“Alright, ma’am!” Zachary says.

“Let’s do this thing!” Wisdom says.

The three of us charge into the Dark Woods. The trees within these woods have very dark bark as though they had been burnt and their branches either have no leaves or black leaves. Their knotted roots rise out of the ground like petrified snakes. Everything is so quiet and still. Wisdom transforms into a bat and flies around, listening intently.

“This way... I can hear them...” Wisdom whispers and flies ahead of us.

Zachary and I follow the green bat all the way to a fortress hidden in the woods. The whole place looks gloomy and death ridden. Skeletons of decayed bodies litter the ground. Some of the skeletons that are still complete have their hands on their necks.

“Whoa...” Zachary whispers, staring in awe.

“This is the place, alright... These people died an agonizing death, but, for some reason, did not become vampires themselves...” Wisdom notes.

“Oh no... You don’t think they’ll kill Miranda as well, do you...?” Zachary asks.

“I guess that would depend...” Wisdom says, “In any case, we must hurry and then get out of here...”

We sneak up and approach the door. Surprisingly, there are no guards. I reach up and open the door. The door creaks loudly, giving us away.

“Oh no, oh no, oh no...” Zachary whispers, panicking.

“Which room do you think they are keeping Miranda in...?” I ask Wisdom.

“I’d say that one down the hall looks suspicious...” Wisdom says.

As soon as all three of us step into the fortress, the doors slam shut behind us. I jump in surprise. Zachary holds his sword out, ready for an attack.

“I wonder what that was. I don’t see anyone else around,” Wisdom comments.

With a whoosh, all the lanterns lighting the hallway are turned off. Wisdom, Zachary, and I all stand with our backs to each other. Crazed laughter rings out all around us, and, suddenly, a bunch of brown and black bats show up.

“We didn’t invite you here, you know...” one of the bats says.

“Yeah, don’t you know it is rude to walk in uninvited...?” another bat asks.

“Stay back and we will not hurt you,” I say, brandishing my sword.

“Heh heh heh... Do you know what we do to those who enter uninvited?!” the first bat asks.

“I’m going to guess you don’t treat them very nice...” Zachary comments.

“AH HAH HAH HAH!” the vampires laugh at us.

“WE KILL INTRUDERS!” the first bat exclaims.

“Guys, hold them off, I’m going to break Princess Miranda free,” I announce.

“What?!” Zachary asks.

I break from the group by ducking low and sliding under the swarm. As I am heading down the hall, the vampires are still trying to stop me. I don’t want to have to hurt them, but they are leaving me no choice! I slide until I’m standing up right again, then I do a backflip with my blade drawn. A second backflip and a left slash are my next moves.

The vampire bats are dropping, still alive, but injured. There has to be about a million vampires in just this one fortress! I give them a right slash and a twirl, clearing a perimeter.

“Hah hah, I don’t even have a sword,” Wisdom says, punching a few vampires out of the air.

At least the vampire princess isn’t too upset about fighting fellow vampires. I finally clear the swarm and reach the suspicious door down the hallway. Inside, I find a large glass tube with many smaller tubes coming from it. Inside of the tube is a blonde haired girl who appears to be unconscious.

Upon further inspection, some of the many tubes are draining blood away from the princess. The many contraptions littering the room lead me to believe this is some sort of blood farm factory. There has to be some way to stop the machines...

“HEY! HEY YOU!” a voice calls out suddenly.

A tall vampire woman with dark makeup is standing at the door. I stand up straight and turn to face her, realizing I’m trapped.

“WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU’RE DOING HERE?!” the woman asks.

“I... I’m here to save the princess!” I declare.

The vampire woman puts her hands on her hips and raises and eyebrow before laughing at me. Clearly, she thinks this is funny.

“I demand you unhook her this instant!” I say, pointing my sword at her.

“Oh! A sword! How scary!” the woman says with a laugh, “You seriously think you can kill a vampire with a sword? How dumb are you?!”

“No, no. I don’t intend on killing anyone, actually,” I say with a shrug, “But if you don’t help me, I’m going to have to attack.”

“Riiiiight. Hah! Well, you aren’t going anywhere alive!” the woman says, licking her lips.

“Let the princess go!” I yell.

“Hey, it’s not like we’re killing her. We need her alive, you see. Royal blood is absolutely the best blood and my minions would agree. We only take as much as we can safely at a time,” the woman says, pointing to the monitors.

“Well, how about a trade, then?” I ask, “Fresh blood.”

“...HAH! NO WAY!” the woman laughs, “I bet you aren’t even royal!”

“Actually, I am! I am Princess Korallee of Tellis!” I lie.

“Princess Korallee of Tellis?” the woman asks, raising an eyebrow, “Is that some place on Earth? There isn’t a Tellis here.”

“Yes, yes it is from Earth,” I say with a nod.

“...and you’re seriously willing to trade places?” the woman asks, “There has to be some sort of catch!”

“Nope. Just give Miranda back and I’m all yours!” I say, dropping my sword.

“Wow, uh... I was not expecting this...ummmm.... The Dark Wood Vampires thank you kindly for your pleasant donation!” the woman says.

She uses her magic to temporarily tie me to a chair. I suppose she expects me to run off as soon as Miranda is free. I sit still and wait patiently as the woman halts the machines and unhooks Miranda. Princess Miranda is very weak and full of holes from being hooked to the machines. The vampire lady helps her to the door.

“Now... You’re going to greatly regret trading places with her!” The vampire lady exclaims.

Using her magic, she takes hold of me and puts me in the chamber that once held Princess Miranda. I cry out in pain as the needles bury themselves in my skin. The vampire lady seals the chamber and starts up the machines. All I can do is stand there and watch as my blood gets siphoned away.

“Hah hah hah hah! Fresh blood!” the lady exclaims.

I feel myself growing weaker and weaker with each passing second. My vision begins to blur. The door to the secret room gets thrown open suddenly, startling the woman. I can just barely make out the figures of Zachary, Wisdom, and Miranda standing there.

“YOU VILE DEMON! YOU RELEASE THAT GIRL IMMEDIATELY!” Wisdom yells.

“W-What...? Who... Who are you?!” The woman asks, stepping away from the control panel.

“I am Princess Wisdom of Vamp!” Wisdom states.

“Vamp! Oh dear! I... I thought we lost Vampiro...” the woman says.

“We thought we lost you,” Wisdom responds, “Now shut this operation down at once.”

The computer starts flashing and sounding an alarm. The vampire woman gasps and checks the monitor.

“N-no... Impossible! The blood is contaminated!” the woman shrieks.

“That’s right, the girl you have there is unclean. Your minions won’t be too happy if they find out you are feeding them contaminated blood!” Wisdom says, “Well, whatever minions are left...”

Zachary holds up a box that is being held shut by a few rubber bands. The vampire woman sighs and shuts the machine down. She opens the chamber and unhooks me.

“You filthy liar! I bet you aren’t even a princess!” The woman hisses at me.

I just smirk in response. She throws me to Wisdom who grabs me before I can fall.

“Ma’am, come with us. I’ll take you back to Vamp,” Wisdom offers.

“B-but... I had EVERYTHING living here!” The woman cries out.

“Your machine is broken and your minions are gone,” Wisdom points out.

Zachary and Miranda put their hands on me and I instantly feel much better. I draw my sword at the woman. She snarls and throws her arms in the air.

“I surrender!” she announces.

“Good, now get in the box,” Zachary says, pulling the lid open a little.

The lady transforms into a bat and flies into the box.

“Hi guys...” she grumbles.

“M’ lady!” the minions screech happily.

“Well, we did it! How do you feel?” Wisdom asks me.

“Amazed... I can’t believe we saved all the princesses!” I say.

“Huh?” Miranda asks.

“This summer, seven princesses from seven kingdoms all vanished. I took on the task of rescuing all seven with the help of my magic armor,” I explain.

I tap the button to make the helmet face shield appear.

“That sounds like a lot of fun! I wish I could save seven princesses!” Zachary exclaims, “But... I’m glad you invited me to even just this one rescue mission. Thank you.”

With that, we head back to Fairrest Castle.