A Bloody Surprise

Scarlett was absolutely shocked. How could Lazarus just propose to her all of a sudden? She knew nothing about him, and he knew nothing about her. Scarlett had always dreamed of having the most magical fairy-tale-like love story where she would fall in love with her charming prince, who would give her his heart and the world. She wanted to be treated gently, like the first bloom of spring, or the morning dew. She did not know what the guy in front of her was capable of. Besides, she really could not be blamed for being cynical about a man who drank blood from a wine goblet. Gazing at the moon, she stood still as though her feet were glued to the ground.

"Can you at least say something? My feet are hurting." Lazarus' voice jolted her back to reality.

Flustered, she stammered, "Marriage? Are you... Are you being serious?"

"Would I get down on one knee, holding out a ring in my hand, if I was joking?"

"I suppose not," Scarlett said in a low voice.

"But why do you want to marry me? We barely even know each other!"

"Yes, you do have a point. Tell me, what is it that you want to know?" Lazarus asked with a cheeky grin.

"First of all, why did you ask for me?"

"Scarlett, you might think that I am crazy if I tell you this, but the truth is that you have been my love for over three centuries now."

Lazarus' answers shocked her. No one lived for that long. Longer than three hundred years? Was he trying to fool her? He barely looked like he was in his twenties. While she was still in a daze, she heard his voice again.

"And without you, I am nothing but a monster. My life is worthless."

Those words felt like her stomach was being pulled into a deep pit. She almost felt nauseous. What was that sudden gloominess that she was experiencing?

"Okay... My next question is, what are you? You certainly can't be human if you have lived for three hundred years."

"I... I'm immortal," Lazarus replied weakly.

"Are you like a demon? Or a monster?" Scarlett asked in a shaky voice.

"No, I am a vampire, or in modern terms, in a member of the Ruby Clan."

"Is that why you were drinking blood? Do you hurt people?" Scarlett questioned.

"Yes, I need blood to survive. But I don't drink it very often... Just once in two weeks to keep me alive and functioning. No, I don't hurt people. In fact, I save them. The blood that you saw me drinking was from a donor. We call them Red Saints."

Scarlett was more than relieved to hear that he was not a monster who hurt people. But still, it made her uncomfortable that he was standing right in front of a vampire. She had heard of those creatures from books and stories alike, but she had never seen one in her life. She was imagining them to look more like a ghastly demon, but the one in front of her was insanely handsome.

"Are you really telling the truth?" she asked.

"Yes, and if you don't believe me, I can prove it to you."

"Then show me," she said.

"Alright, I want you to think of your future with the man you love. Let me know once you are done."

Scarlett closed her eyes and began dreaming of a future, where she was with her handsome prince, who loved her with all his heart, made her the queen to his Kingdom, treated her with gentle kindness, and always respected her. They lived happily in a beautiful palace with their two children. They were going on horse rides, having picnics, visiting the local villages, enjoying a cooled drink in the summer, celebrating happy moments in life, cherishing every moment with their children while watching them grow, and being madly in love with each other... A few moments later, she slowly opened her eyes.

"I'm done," she said.

"So you were dreaming of a beautiful life with your Prince Charming with two kids in a spectacular palace. You saw yourself going on horse rides, having picnics, visiting villages, enjoying the summer, and celebrating with your family, didn't you?"

Lazarus' question scared her a little. How did he find out exactly what she was thinking about? Was he able to read her mind?

"What kind of sorcery did you use on me?" Scarlett stammered.

"Well, I just used my imprinting power on you. What you dreamed of, was actually not your subconscious desires, but my vision that was put into your mind. Now that I have stopped using my power on you, why don't you try picturing the same scenario again?"

"Fine."

Scarlett closed her eyes again. The second time, she saw herself living up the mountains in a peaceful cottage, farming and feeding her cattle. Her life was so serene and calming. She would cook and clean after her husband left for work, and they would sit down together for dinner, talking about their day. She only had one son, and they both loved him dearly. They also helped out the villagers in need, providing them with food or shelter.

"This... This can't be!" Scarlett said in shock after opening her eyes again.

"Do you believe me now?"

She did not know if she should or if she could, but she felt like there was no other option for her now. So she decided to give him the benefit of the doubt for the time being.

"Alright, I'll believe you."