Vescur & The Midnight Prince
The love story of Vescur & The Midnight Prince, as recounted by the fireside on a rainy night by a local Orlendian storyteller in Bradstowe. Many variations of the story are told throughout The Isles of Orlend, some are re-written as a children's fairy tale whilst others have been blacklisted on the University of Bradstowe's list of Forbidden Tomes.
Vescur the vampire had spent thousands of years locked away in his castle in exile.
Tired of a lifetime of solitude, he thirsted not for blood, but for a greater purpose in life. So he did seek the advice of a great friend of his, the slate haired sorceress, and asked: "How can I find a new King who will take my allegience?" She smiled a knowing grin and replied: "Shadows hear no prayers, Vescur. No one can see you behind walls so high." Vescur contemplated on the wise words of the sorceress for many months.
He paced around in restless anxiety before deciding to tear down the walls of his castle, brick by brick, until all was bare. He regained his composure, dusted off his fine cloak, and set off in search of a new kingdom to call home. After a long journey of traversing bleak terrain, he stayed at an inn called The Hammer & Anvil and spoke with the locals. As he sat at the bar he felt many eyes upon him. His keen ears picked up whispers that made him blush. Whilst he enjoyed the attention greatly, he realised that the patrons of this tavern mistook him for a foreign king! Vescur realised that the king he saught would never be found in a tavern, and he'd have to attract his attention another way. He went to a bustling marketplace in his finest black shirt, flirting a little with craftsmen along his way. He made his way through the entire city making himself known and leaving a wake of thirsty gossip behind him. As days went by the streets were abuzz. Vescur's plan to attract the right attention wasn't working as he intended and so he started to hide away once more, not knowing how to handle his fame. He quietly kept to himself in a room rented from a blacksmith, where he could sit and write quietly for the night and plan on what to do. Knock-knock-knock. Vescur opened the door to the cold night air to find none other than the castle cook, sheepishly standing at the door with a letter. "What's this?" "I've come to deliver this invitation to you. The Prince requests an audience." Before Vescur could get a word in edgeways, the blushing cook had ran away back to the castle again. Evidently, word of an exotic vampire in town had caused quite a stir, so Vescur donned his cloak and went to the castle to present himself. When he arrived at the gates there were no guards to stop him, and The Prince himself stood there in handsome elegance before him in a regal coat of red brocade. "Walk with me. You have become the talk of the town, and I have much to say on this matter." Vescur was surprised when The Prince started leading him away from the castle, and they went on a long midnight walk together. Vescur spoke at length about his journey, and the lifestyle he longed for. The Prince expressed great interest in hobbies that they shared. They walked back to the castle where Vescur was invited inside and offered a glass of crimson wine by the cook he met earlier (who winked at both of them before retreating from the royal chamber). After a silent moment after the doors closed, The Prince spoke to Vescur in a tongue more devillish than his own. "You are not the only vampire of this land. I know what you seek. Perhaps you can give me something in return." "You have but to speak it, my Prince."
"Kneel."
And so, he did.
The original ending to the story has been lost to the ages, and many folks argue over the second and third acts of the story. This is what has made Vescur & The Midnight Prince such a popular tale, because it is retold in hundreds of different twists & turns all across The Jolundrian Empire as spoken performances and theatrical plays.
Tired of a lifetime of solitude, he thirsted not for blood, but for a greater purpose in life. So he did seek the advice of a great friend of his, the slate haired sorceress, and asked: "How can I find a new King who will take my allegience?" She smiled a knowing grin and replied: "Shadows hear no prayers, Vescur. No one can see you behind walls so high." Vescur contemplated on the wise words of the sorceress for many months.
He paced around in restless anxiety before deciding to tear down the walls of his castle, brick by brick, until all was bare. He regained his composure, dusted off his fine cloak, and set off in search of a new kingdom to call home. After a long journey of traversing bleak terrain, he stayed at an inn called The Hammer & Anvil and spoke with the locals. As he sat at the bar he felt many eyes upon him. His keen ears picked up whispers that made him blush. Whilst he enjoyed the attention greatly, he realised that the patrons of this tavern mistook him for a foreign king! Vescur realised that the king he saught would never be found in a tavern, and he'd have to attract his attention another way. He went to a bustling marketplace in his finest black shirt, flirting a little with craftsmen along his way. He made his way through the entire city making himself known and leaving a wake of thirsty gossip behind him. As days went by the streets were abuzz. Vescur's plan to attract the right attention wasn't working as he intended and so he started to hide away once more, not knowing how to handle his fame. He quietly kept to himself in a room rented from a blacksmith, where he could sit and write quietly for the night and plan on what to do. Knock-knock-knock. Vescur opened the door to the cold night air to find none other than the castle cook, sheepishly standing at the door with a letter. "What's this?" "I've come to deliver this invitation to you. The Prince requests an audience." Before Vescur could get a word in edgeways, the blushing cook had ran away back to the castle again. Evidently, word of an exotic vampire in town had caused quite a stir, so Vescur donned his cloak and went to the castle to present himself. When he arrived at the gates there were no guards to stop him, and The Prince himself stood there in handsome elegance before him in a regal coat of red brocade. "Walk with me. You have become the talk of the town, and I have much to say on this matter." Vescur was surprised when The Prince started leading him away from the castle, and they went on a long midnight walk together. Vescur spoke at length about his journey, and the lifestyle he longed for. The Prince expressed great interest in hobbies that they shared. They walked back to the castle where Vescur was invited inside and offered a glass of crimson wine by the cook he met earlier (who winked at both of them before retreating from the royal chamber). After a silent moment after the doors closed, The Prince spoke to Vescur in a tongue more devillish than his own. "You are not the only vampire of this land. I know what you seek. Perhaps you can give me something in return." "You have but to speak it, my Prince."
"Kneel."
Being reminded of one of the phrases that usually linger in my mind, "A quiet chat over sherry and souls", I shall take all other comments through a different venue.