Valley Of Silence

[Chat Noir]

Cian Mac Cionaith - or McKenna as it was now called - stretched out on the lusciously soft bed in his room. He was visiting the Princess of Geall, and he had just been shown to his room,which was more than he had ever experienced in his life - which was a long one.

He had originally lived as a human in Kerry, Ireland, in the 16th Century, but after an unfortunate encounter with the vampire queen Lilith, he was now a blood-sucking, parasitic vampire, albeit a blood-sucking, parasitic vampire with extremely good looks.

This was now the twenty-first century, and he was getting slightly bored of the whole lifestyle - drinking pigs blood from the butchers (Cian didnt want to kill humans, so he went with the alternative), staying indoors during the day.....

Cian needed something more to his life than this!

 

[Kynna]

Princess Anora walked through the grand halls towards her own chambers. "Can you get my riding boots ready and bring them down to the stables, please," she asked of her maids. They nodded and curtsied. "Yes, of course, Princess," they said in unison and went to go do as she requested. She knocked on her guest's door. "Mr. McKenna? I'm going riding. Would you care to join me, or would you like to rest from your journey," she asked through the door. She waited patiently for the answer. For all she knew, he was already asleep.

The princess got many guests from all over the kingdom, as well as beyond. She was used to entertaining them. Walks in the gardens, riding the horses, a few hours in the library, a tour of the castle and the grounds, whatever they wanted. Her mother liked to host parties, and the queen was keeping an eye out for a suitor for her daughter, as well as the kingdom.

 

[Chat Noir]

Cian glanced up from the bed, and replied, "I would be glad to." He looked out the window at the dusky sky, and smiled. Prime time for vampires, so he could now leave his room.

He stood up and opened the door, looking down with a smile at the petite princess. "And please - call me Cian." Even after nearly five and a half centuries, Cian still had his Irish accent, and pronouced the name like "Key-An"

 

[Kynna]

Anora smiled, pleased she could entertain her guest. She looked up at him as he opened the door. He was much taller than she was. Then again, most people were taller than her. "Very well," she smiled at him. "Then I ask that you just call me Anora," she grinned. She lead him outside and down the hill to the stables. Her maids were there waiting for her with her riding boots and her horse already saddled for her. "You may pick any horse to ride, though my second favorite is the last stable on the left. The brown stallion with the white ear. He's very docile," she suggested with a smile.

 

[Chat Noir]

Cian followed her down to the stables, his tawny eyes watching her the whole time - she was beautiful, he thought, but way out his league - she was a princess for God's sake, and he was a vampire who had been an Irish peasant boy in human life. They just wouldn't gel even if he wanted to - and he wanted to, despite his best intentions.

He looked around the stable when they got there, and his eyes just passed over the docile brown stallion, instead landing on a black stallion which was neighing, and shuffling around restlessly in his stall. Cian smiled. "This one." He went over to the horse, and stared it in the eye until it calmed down and stood silently and still.

 

[Kynna]

Anora blinked, wide-eyed. "Oh, he's new to our stable. He is still a bit wild," she trailed off, watching the young horse calmed down. "Wow," she breathed. "You have quite a way with horses," she smiled, impressed. She walked over to them and looked at the black horse curiously. "I have yet to name him. I was going to name him Moonshadow. What do you think," she asked, looking up at her guest. She had a curious interest in uncommon knowledge. The dark secrets always drew her in, and helped her better understand that certain object as a whole. Like knowing two sides of one coin; there were always two sides to a story.

Like her guest, Cian. He looked pleasant enough, but his eyes seemed to hold dark secrets. They made her curious; she wanted to know what he knew that she didn't. She didn't have the feeling that he would take advantage of her. No, he seemed like a gentleman. A daring gentleman, an assumption from his choice of her horses. She found it exciting, thrilling. A total flip from her everyday mannerisms.

 

[Chat Noir]

Cian rubbed the horse's neck fondly and smiled over at Anora, "He reminds me of my old horse - Etoile." He then throught wryly about how he had owned that particular horse over two hundred years before. "But Moonshadow is definitely a good name for him - he is mysterious, and intriguing - like me." He chuckled, and swung himself up onto the horse's bare back.

"So, where are we going?" He inquired, drawing on all his Irish charm and manners. As a human, he had been quite the ladies man, and even more now that he was an otherworldly handsome vampire. He winked at her.

 

[Kynna]

Anora smiled, pleased that she'd chosen a worthy name of the half-wild stallion. "Oh, are you sure you don't want a blanket, at least," she asked him. She didn't want her guest displeased when his clothes got dirty. She went to the bench to change into her riding boots and handed her other shoes to her maids before she went to her horse and climbed up into the saddle.

She chuckled at his charm, a trait she'd always found amusing in men, though annoying in most. Cian did have her interest, though, and she was enjoying his company. "Actually, I was going to leave that up to you," she smiled at him. "Have you seen anything of interest in my kingdom that you would like to visit?" She steered her stallion out of the stables and turned back to him to listen to his answer.

 

[Chat Noir]

Cian shook his head. "No - I've always ridden barebac, from when I was about five, until now." He deliberately didn't mention the fact that it had been at least five centuries since he was five years old, but continued on to answer her question. "Well, I noticed the orchard has ripened, so perhaps there?"

He clicked his heels against the horse's flanks, and it obediently trotted out of the stables, following Anora and her stallion. He glanced at the beautiful princess, and smiled, "I also see something right now that is interesting." He wondered afterwards if this was wise, or if he would be considered to be impudent.

 

[Kynna]

"Really," she asked, curious. "Perhaps I should try it, though I would have to put a blanket down on this one," she chuckled, patting the horse's neck. "He likes to roll around on the ground." She turned the horse to the trail that would lead to the orchard and looked back as he said he saw something else interesting. Anora looked at him curiously. "What is it," she asked, a friendly smile on her face. She did find him charming, and there was no doubt that he was easy on the eyes. Her mother would surely try to get him to court her, not that she didn't anyone else. But Anora though, just maybe, she might agree to this particular one.

 

[Chat Noir]

Cian smiled, "You." He grinned and galloped off down the path. He turned and called back over his shoulder, "Race you!" His eyes twinkled - this would be an excellent opportunity for the princess to let her hair down a bit, and just have pure, unadulterated fun.

He leaned forward, rubbing the black stallion's neck with a smile. "Let's see what you got, big boy." He murmured softly as the horse charged along.

 

[Kynna]

She blushed, blinking. She'd been called beautiful by several men, all possible suitors. But none had been so direct to say they had an interest in her. She recovered about a second later and laughed, urging her stallion forward. "Come on, Sunny," she said, and the horse obliged to gallop after the young stallion. The young stallion was fast, but Sunny was a runner. He lessened the distance between him and Moonshadow, looking determined as his hooves moved quickly over the ground.

 

[Chat Noir]

Cian glanced behind him, and grinned when he saw that the beautiful princess was gaining on him. Moonshadow leaped over the fence to the other side, and slowed to a canter. "You alright there, princess?" He slowed his horse to a stop and smiled back at her.

 

[Kynna]

Anora smiled, feeling like she was flying as Sunny leapt over the fence and slowed as he got closer to the young stallion. "Of course I am," she said happily. "Though, forgive my hair. I'm sure it is a mess by now," she chuckled, bending over to pet her horse's neck.

 

[Chat Noir]

"No - you still look beautiful." Cian grinned, and fondly rubbed the horse's neck. "So, should I dress in a suit for this evening's dinner?" The queen had invited him to join them for the special dinner that was being held that night for him and the other special guests that the Geallian royal family had invited.

 

[Kynna]

She smiled at him, resisting the urge to check her hair with her hand. "You are kind, thank you. As to the dress code..." she thought a moment. "Yes, I think a suit would be appropriate," she decided with a nod.

 

[Chat Noir]

Cian nodded in acknowledgement, and smiled. "No problem. So, will you show me your beautiful orchards?" He smiled at her, straightening up on the horse's back.

 

[Kynna]

"Of course," she smiled. "Luckily, you have gone in the right direction," she said cheerfully and urged her horse ahead of his. Sunny obliged and began going towards the sweet-smelling orchards. Their destination covered two large hills and were surrounded by forests on all sides, though far enough away so that each plant got the adequate amount of sun and water. "Here we are," she smiled at him.

 

[Chat Noir]

Cian followed her on the back of Moonshadow, and watched her smile. Her smile lit up her face like the morning rays of the sun, he thought to himself. He smiled at her, "This place is beautiful - not as beautiful as you though." The vampire smiled and looked around him. "What fruit are these?"

 

[Kynna]

She smiled, as she was glad he enjoyed it. She blushed as his compliment and playfully rolled her eyes to disregard it. "These are pears. And there are peaches on the North side," she told him with a smile. They were both her favorite fruits, and she was glad to have an abundance of them to eat whenever she liked. She urged Sunny forward slowly, enjoying the clean and crisp air around them.