((moved to Kansas thread))

One by one different merchants came to complain about the attack on the city and who was going to pay for all the damages?!?!

"The answer is simple. You will pay for your own damages. You know the life you chose when living in the Underdarke. Babylon is one of the few neutral zones and that is why we are constantly a target for those that want chaos, not neutrality."

"Yes but when I lived on the surface...Queen Samleanus helped us when we were attacked before! Why can't you do this now?"

"I know this and how often were you attacked on the surface world? Once...maybe twice in a 10 year period? Here it happens all the time, if we constantly helped you repair every time we were attacked, why the City would be poor. I will compromise. You supply the goods and I will supply the labor for repairing your shop."

The merchant seemed happy with this solution and walked out of the throne room with a smile on his face.

"Next..." Elvanshalee said, while trying not to sound bored, tired and just sick of being here.

"Hello Princess...So good to see you..." The voice dripped with much sarcasm and a chill instantly went down the Princess's spine.

"The time has come for all good things you know of to come to an end." The female beneath the dark cloak removed the hood reveiling the face of a drow, one that Elvanshalee had never seen before. "Close the doors and lock the throne room down, you my princess have now become my prisoner. Too bad all your best troops are now neatly tucked away in a cavern where they can not come to save you." She took off the rest of her cloak to reveil the body of a spider. A drider in all her finery stood before the Princess of Mana and keeper of Babylon, her wicked teeth gleeming terribly by the light of the torches.

Elvanshalee didn't even flinch at this, her gut feeling had been correct...next time she would follow her gut. Same as the gut feeling she had about leaving Gabryael in the city with her. There was something about that vampire, something she simply could not explain. Of course now that might not matter anymore. The emotions she had for him were stirring within her as she gazed at the drider standing before her.

"So...you are???" Shalee raised her hand motioning toward the female.

"I am surprised you don't know me. After all it was your father who exciled me, but since he is not here...You will do," she caressed the hilt of her dagger, a longing of death lingering in her wicked red eyes.

"You knew my father...probably better than I did no doubt. Were you two lovers? I mean after all he did have unusal tastes in women."

The drider snarled at her, "No...we were not lovers! Like I would waste my time on THAT male."

"Really? Hmmm, most women wanted him...including my mother." Shalee hoped she was getting her insanely pissed off, this would hopefully give her an opening that she needed. Right now any spell casting would be her death. She only hoped Gabryael found the gift she'd left for him in his pocket. It's quite possible that he would be her only hope to come out of this alive. That is if he was still alive.

"Please stop such worthless bantering princess. It will do you no good. We've locked this place down, your clerics are either dead or being held captive, the same with your mages. Gag her, we can't have her casting a spell now can we?"

One of th drider's male troops came up behind her...caressed her cheek lovingly..."Might I have a taste?"

"Not now! We have better things to do...You can have her later. For now gag her."

"Pity," he kissed her cheek and then gagged her with a leather strap. "Can't have you getting away now can we." He proceeded to tie her hands to the arms of the throne along with her legs. "Only the best for our beloved Princess." He ran his hand down her neck and let his fingers rest between her breasts. "Later...I promise." He snickered at her and went over to his leader with a wicked grin on his lips. "She humiliated me once beloved, I shall do the same to her," he kissed the drider woman lustily and then they both began to laugh.

The princess showed no emotion, to show emotion would show weakness and she'd be damned if she'd show it in front of these two. To hell with the both of them.

When Gabryael appeared beside her, to say she was shocked was an understatement. Did he read her mind? How did he know? At this moment she only cared that she might just live to see tomorrow.

"It would appear that the throne room isn't as locked down as you thought it to be?" Shalee batted her eyelashes at the pair knowing she was foolish to do so, but she just couldn't help it! Her mother was shining through at this moment in her daughter's personality!

"Kill them both!"

The drider backed up while taking her lover with her, "Make sure they finish the job," she released him with a wicked gleam in her eyes.

"But, of course my love. Only the very best for you. Come on and play nice so we can get this over with!" The male drow charged in going for blood with Gabryael.

Even with the gruesome death of their comrad, the others were not motivated to leave. The wrath of the drider hung over their heads and they feared her more than him. Gabryael's answer was all the weaponry pointed in his direction. In one fluid motion they advanced in a wave of death and destruction on him and the princess.

Since Elvanshalee couldn't move since she was tied down to the throne she was a sitting duck, no voice to shout since she was gagged and no hands to cast a spell.

Not everyone died, in the flury of death and destruction...the drider's lover and another warrior scurried out like roaches when the lights are suddenly turned on. They would of course report this to her, but not the EXACT reinactment. After all the vampire did get stabbed with the sword! He was wounded after all. Maybe not dead, but wounded all the same.

Somehow Shalee managed to watch the fight with dispassionate eyes, if fear would have shown on her face...it might have given the attackers extra umph to try for her. The fact that she'd love to just faint away right now was an understatement. But, she didn't...she stealed herself during the duration of the fight and now the aftermath. Gabryael was careful as he cut her bindings and removed the gag from her mouth. So gentle with her but so deadly with the others. Amazing transformation, this intruged her all the more. When he spoke to her, it broke her out of her thoughts and she actually blushed just a bit.

"Um your highness? Could you remove this for me?" He said pointing to the impailed sword.

"Yes of course." She gripped the hilt with both hands, "This is going to hurt a little and no doubt you'll need to feed soon with all the blood loss. Get ready." She sucked in her bottom lip, half closed her eyes and pulled the sword out in a smooth, quick, easy motion. She fell back onto the throne and just sat there...waiting to see what would happen next.

"Hmmm...all things considered, I don't want you leaving this room at the moment." She held up her wrist, "Go ahead, it's the least I can do since you saved me from certain death."

"Come then," she said calmly. "I know just the place for you to go." She grabbed a hold of Gabryael's arm with more strength then one could really think possible from such a lithe looking person. She pressed the transporter button and into the dungeon's of Mana they appeared.

"Hello he prefers not to be named. My friend needs susitence, who is on death row?"

An evil chuckle came from his lips, "Oh I've a couple of special boys just for you my friend. They've been shall we say, very bad. One especially, he is the one who tried to kill your sister your highness."

"Yes he would be an excellent choice. Come Gabryael, your meal awaits." She let her prison guard take Gabryael by the hand and lead him down the long dark hallway to where solitary confinement was established. "There you go my boy," he said as he unlocked the cell door. "When you are ready for more, I've your next candidate a couple cell blocks down."

"Not a problem. I think this will serve your purpose in the days to come, yes?" She arched a white eyebrow while asking her question to him. "I think this will work out perfectly for you." She grasped the tips of his fingers by hers, depressed the button on the teleporter which found them once again in the throne room. Carnage was everywhere, the clean up crew was already in place. "We shall have it cleaned in no time highness," said one of the servants. Shalee nodded to her, "Good, I don't want any extra rumors spreading about that don't need to be." She turned and looked at Gabryael, "All things considered, if you are not to tired I think it would be a good idea for you to stay with me."

His simple response caused Shalee to smile softly at him, "I'm glad you are available." She waved the servants to keep up with their cleaning as she and Gabryael exited the throne room. So much had happened to her that day, it was all she could do to continue moving in an upright position.

The pair twisted through many cooridoors until they finally came upon a room toward the back of the castle. Here Shalee quietly opened the large oaken door and upon entering it was obviously her private study. They'd been here before, but thru teleportation. She was too physically and mentally exhausted to teleport anymore that day. What she wanted to do was relax without having to worry about something else happening to her.

"I need to relax and have a drink." She wavered a little bit on her feet once the door was closed. The princess was actually showing weakness in front of someone else other than her family, which she rarely ever did. One of her servants had already stoked the fire and lit several candles throughout the room. Some fresh fruit had been laid out along with a bottle of rich red wine and crystal clear goblets. The couch in her study had never looked so inviting with it's over stuffed pillows and a fur lined blanket. "Yes...this looks very good." Once again wavering on her feet as she made for the low table next to the couch.

Shalee was pleasantly surprised when he helped her sit down on the couch and as she sank into the pillows was even happier when he brought her the wine and food. "Please...no more pomp or anything of that nature...please sit with me." She patted the couch with her hand while speaking to him. "No one can get in here right now, I have a protective ward on the door," she sighed then smiled just a bit, "Thank you for saving my life."

His voice so soft, it caressed her skin as he spoke to her. "Now I have a question. How did you know I was in trouble? You were far away from here and yet you appeared? I know I gave you the teleporter but how did you know to use it when you did? It can't be *perfect* timing." Again her eyebrow arched, but as she sipped her wine. A look of satisfaction crossing her features as she swallowed the wine slowly, savoring the flavor one droplet at a time.

She tapped her finger against her chin while he translated the story to her. "I find this whole thing very worrisome. I'm almost wondering if it really has anything to do with me at all? I'm wondering if it has more to do with my mother or father? Probably my father, since Babylon is known to be more his domain than my mothers. Of course the problem there lies in the fact no one knows where he is." The princess settled in further into the pillows on the couch. The wine helping to calm her nerves just a bit, the cheese adding a special touch to well...everything.

"I'm sorry you are in the middle of this. Granted yes you work for Babylon, but nonetheless I am sorry for all of this. Making you kill like you did when you try not to." She laid her hand on his arm and squeezed him slightly letting him feel her concern thru that simple action.

"Yes you did, didn't you?" His hand covering hers sent chills up and down her spine. You know the good kind of chills, not the icky ones. "So Gabryael, if you didn't work for Babylon...Would you have still come to save me?" She didn't remove his hand from hers, but she did put the wine glass down and cover his other hand with hers. So in a sense they were holding hands without really paying much attention to their position. No doubt Elvanshalee could have cared less since they were alone.

His answer made her smile, but then those lips of her held another trembling truth to them, "Save the Princess or save Elvanshalee the person?" As she asked this all important question she leaned in to hear every nuance of his answer.

The look on his face that was normally so well...non-emotional in her viewpoint spoke a 1000 words for her right now. He blushed? What in the world? She never knew a vampire could do this along with his words of rescuing her and not a title, that was just well...Shocking to her. Most men that tried to get close to her only wanted her for the title, not the person. She sat back against the couch with this *smile* on her face, only one of her hands remained in his now, but wow...what a feeling.

Ok so his thumb was rubbing on her hand sent tingles up and down her arm, causing her hair to stand on end. This was of course in the good kinda way, not the bad kind. She had no trouble with him being a vampire, heck her father was turned shortly after her mother got pregnant. Maybe that's why it didn't bother her like it might other people. So with the mood she was in, you know that mood. The one where you are happy to be alive when you almost died and now have someone here with you that likes you for you and not for WHAT or WHO you are...Shalee laid her head on his shoulder, showing a softer side. That one that doesn't come out that often, because especially in the Underdarke that is a serious sign of weakness. Her dark tresses splayed down over her shoulder with the white streak giving off an unusal appearance by the firelight.

As he took her in his arms and began to slowly stroke her hair, Shalee gave out a very contented sigh. Was it a sigh of relief that he didn't turn her away? Or was it a sigh of happiness? Or perhaps both? She felt at ease with him and wasn't the least bit surprised by this at all. When she'd met him, she had liked him instantly. There was something about him, she couldn't quite put her finger on it and right now she really didn't care to try. Then it happened, he kissed her forehead...she couldn't help but look up at him and give him such a smile...one that spoke a lot more than anything she could possibly say. She tipped up as much as she could and kissed the him on the chin, not the most romantic of places but hey that's the only place she could reach.

It had been a LONG time since she had been kissed, to say that she was rusted was an understatement, so when his lips touched hers it was electrifying! She raised her hand up to bring him closer to her, then kissed him deeply...letting him feel the desire that was rising within her.

Ok so this was ever so nice to be touched and handled in such a way. Amazing that she could even have any sort of energy after the trials of the day, all things considered.

Even when his lips traveled to her neck it didn't register in her mind that this could be a bad thing. Memories of him being a vampire were thrust from her mind at this precious moment in time. The growl only fanned the flames, so much so that a similar moan errupted from her lips. Just then her arm flung up knocking over a lamp or three, not really caring in the least and the room went dark...

(Fade to Black)