I sat down to update I'm Glad It's You. The last chapter was a little intense in all the right ways, but still took a lot out of me. So… as I sat to continue my previous fic, this came streaming out of my head instead, lol. I'm almost positive it is some sort of self preservation instinct to keep me from losing my mind. Anyway, balance is good. I hope you enjoy reading about these two as much as I did discovering them.

And don't forget to review… pretty, pretty pleeeeaaaasssseee!

A/N I'm supposed to say I don't own anything, which is ok, because I don't...except for the concept, that belongs to me.

Pamela de Beaufort sat in her tower. She just sat as the walls seemed to close in around her. She didn't feel like reading or writing today. She didn't feel like singing or sewing. She didn't feel like any of the usually mundane activities that occupied her time and kept her mind off the reality of her situation.

She was a prisoner, this fact no matter how it was ignored by her captures, could not be denied.

She was a prisoner locked in a tower. It was her punishment, imposed by her completely unimaginative parents. It had always been her punishment and after 25 years, she was sure she had spent at least 20 within these walls that were a particular shade of grey that made her stomach turn.

This was only because it took her longer to speak than most children. Once she did learn to speak, she found there were all sorts of things you could be locked away for. So, she stayed locked in her tower, far above the rest of the world.

She stood and walked to her only window. The beauty pulled her blonde braid from her back over her shoulder, so she could toy with it between her fingers. She had thought a lot recently about her predicament. She had acted out a lot recently because she was thinking a lot about her predicament. And she had been locked up a lot recently due to thinking and acting out a lot because of her predicament. It was a cycle that repeated itself every few years; 5 to be exact. However, her parents were not opposed to throwing her up here arbitrarily and at their whim.

She rested her elbow on the stone ledge and leaned out. There was fog and the air was cool. It was always cool and she had never seen the sun, though she dreamt about it often. She sighed and dropped her cheek to her hand as she brushed the end of her golden locks across her lips. This couldn't be life. She looked down at the castle below, the people scurrying around in preparation and the large fortress that surrounded it all. Even when she was allowed out, she was watched closely so she wouldn't venture beyond the gates.

This particular time she had been sent to her tower for… she couldn't even remember. She couldn't even remember how long she had been here this time. She couldn't measure the days by the sun; the sky never seemed to change. She tried counting visits, but sometimes she was so dazed by the end, that she forgot to record them. Once you forgot a few days, there was no point. It was probably close to a week and before that she had been sentenced to a month.

She sighed again and jumped when she felt a cold hand on her shoulder. She turned to find her mother; a short dark haired woman with dark eyes in a dark gown. She was so trapped in her thoughts that she hadn't heard the key turn and her door open, even though it creaked quite loudly.

The noise was a precaution that she had devised, so she would be alerted to her visitors. She didn't like being surprised.

Even though no one ever came to see her but these two, she felt like it was the only way she could protest their …arrangement and it gave her some hope –whatever that was. No matter what they did to the entry way, they couldn't stop the noise and this pleased the blonde.

Pamela blinked and composed herself. She didn't say a word as she walked passed her father and nodded. He too, was short with dark hair, but where the woman was slim; he was a bit round about the middle. When she was younger she would poke him and it made her giggle. As you can imagine, this caused her to be locked away for a period of time. She spent two weeks in captivity every time, though in truth, she thought it completely worth it.

She reached into the cabinet on the wall and retrieved one glass and a small blade. Her parents took their places at the table.

"Child," Her mother's voice was not soothing; it jerked and hissed in a way that almost hurt the girl's ears. She had spoken that way all her life, but the fair maiden would never get used to it. "what's the matter? Are you not glad to see us?"

She managed a smile, but not too wide, that too was punishable and though life outside of the tower wasn't much, she did want out in time for the festivities - if you could call it that. "No, it's not that. I'm just a little tired I guess."

The man spoke up next. His voice was loud and attacked her delicate ears as well, "It is for your protection that we keep you here. If you were to venture beyond these walls, savages would surely take you and eat you." This actually seemed to excite him. He didn't say it, but she saw it in his eyes as he scanned her body.

She shrugged and moved on with her task. She didn't see how that would be any different than their current arrangement.

She dragged the tiny blade across her alabaster skin and broke open her wrist. The crimson liquid that poured from her was caught by the glass she held beneath her wound. The couple licked their lips and she rolled her eyes. Attitude was not tolerated, but she knew that they were no longer paying attention to her. They were focused on the blood that they came to take day after day –or maybe it was night after night – she didn't know.

Her wrist healed and the glass was full. The older woman was salivating, as she always did. This disgusted her child, but was much more desirable than the man's reaction. He smacked his lips and hummed in anticipation. The blonde handed the glass to her mother and she drank.

Pamela held out her arm to her father. He caressed then kissed it, as was his ritual. She didn't like it. It sent dread through her, but it would be over soon. She repeated her actions with the blade and he brought her wrist to his mouth and began to suck. She thought this was quite inappropriate for a father, but what did she know, she had only ever had the one and had nothing to compare it to.

This was their arrangement: she remained captive and her parents fed on her.

When they were finished, her wrist healed again and Pamela went back to her window. She was slightly slower than before, but today's feeding was one of the better ones. Over the years, there were nights that they left her weak and once it took her an entire month to return to her natural state (an entire month that she spent here, within her small stone palace). They didn't stop during this time, though they did take less of her. She supposed that had to count for something.

When she was a child they made it a game, but once she was old enough to know this wasn't normal, they gave up all pretence and indulged fully. It was at this point that the man had begun to satisfy his hunger for her, by taking what he wanted directly from the source. He had also begun eyeing her in a way that made her feel dirty and seemed to upset her mother.

The couple sat at the table hunched over. They would need a few moments to collect themselves. It was always like this and had been for as long as she could remember. They drank from her then seemed to lose all ability to move or be coheren. When they were recovered, they left without a word but were clearly intoxicated. Her father seemed to eye her hungrily and she knew one day he would want to satisfy that urge. It was only a matter of time.

She sighed and couldn't help but wonder if she would ever be lucky enough to be taken by the savages her father threatened her with.

XXX

"Tara, bitch, are you out of your mind?" Lafayette loved his cousin dearly, but she was far too impulsive and seemed to like danger. She was always getting into trouble and he was always getting her out. This time, however, she had gone too far.

"No," Tara was confident with her declaration. "She's up there, Lala. I saw her."

"And what was you doing so far outside the realm anyway? Delilah is gon' be furious."

Tara just looked at him and pulled back one side of her mouth. "No, she ain't." Her mood was heavy. "Delilah don't even know I exist. You're the only one of us important enough to be counted."

This broke her cousin's heart, but he wouldn't cry and ruin the thick black liner that he had spent the morning applying. They were both dark and for this reason had grown up outside the city walls in the field, pastures and forests. It wasn't a law, it's just how things seemed to turn out over the generations and neither of their mothers was in any condition to change their station, not even for the sake of their children.

It had been a simple life, but they wanted more. Lafayette was brought to the city by a nobleman. He had aided the young man once and now was the lover he lived with at court. He had also made quite an impression on the Empress upon his arrival and was asked to serve in her temple. He was the only man allowed to see her priestesses. This was probably because he was not a threat in the least and they seemed to thoroughly enjoy his company.

"No." He said forcefully. "You have thought of some ridiculous things in your time, but this, this will get you fuckin' killed." He began to sashay away.

Tara chased after him, not ready to give up yet. She positioned herself in front of him and held his shoulders so he had no choice, but to listen. "Lafayette, she's been gone since before I was born. When was the last time anyone saw her?"

Lafayette didn't answer. His cousin was right and if anyone else had come to him, he might have helped, but this was the one person he loved more than life. There was no way she would succeed where others had failed and he couldn't bare to lose her.

"Exactly, not since the night they took her." She dropped her hands, knowing that he wouldn't leave and would let her continue even though he probably wouldn't agree. "25 years, and almost 5 solstices now, without her and I'm the only one that has ever seen her."

He cut her off. "How you know it was her? You ain't never seen the girl."

She snapped back at him. "A blond in the middle of that foggy, dreary ass castle? Gold hair in that place? When you ever seen or heard of that shit?" She could tell he was thinking about it. "Plus, if she ain't a prisoner, why she locked up in a tower?"

"I don't know. Maybe she got a fetish. Remember Ms. Twindle, she liked to be locked up too." That was the best he could come up with.

The woman she described did sound a lot like the princess and how could someone have hair the color of sun in a place where it never shown. "What the hell were you doing out of the realm?" he repeated his earlier question.

The dark skinned woman in front of him dropped her head. He already knew what she was going to say, so he didn't make her. "Did you find her?" He was speaking of his aunt and Tara's mother. His cousin just nodded.

Leticia Maenard, or Lettie Mae, had a slight problem with spirits. Both sisters did, but while Lafayette's mother's were in her head, Lettie Mae's were in her cup. She disappeared from time to time and Tara always went searching for her. She had seen much of the country beyond the realm on her sojourns to retrieve her mother, so it wasn't all together bad.

"She ok?" She brought her face up to meet his as if to say, are you serious? "I mean as ok as she can be, bitch." He pursed his lips.

Tara smiled at him and shrugged. "Never know. She sleep now. Your momma gon' keep an eye on her while I'm gone."

"My momma know you leavin'?"

"She said it was my destiny." They both almost fell over laughing. It felt good.

"That bitch almost as crazy as you."

Tara was more thoughtful now and looked into her cousin's eyes. "Look, Lala, they were preparing for some festival when I got there. It's the best chance I got." She was pleading with him to help her, but she would do it alone, if need be. "It'll take three days to get there…"

"What? You gon' just walk in and ask for the blonde girl that got stole quarter of a century ago and they gon' give her back? They probably drankin' her and shit. You know them people can't resist what's runnin through her. Why you think dey took her in the first place?" He waved his hand in her face.

It wasn't that he wasn't convinced; he just didn't see why she had to be the one. "If you found her, why can't you just let a soldier know and they can go get her?" He knew the answer. Tara wanted to count. She never had and feared she never would. He knew what it was like and he couldn't blame her.

"Look, just give me the amulet." She put her hands on her hips. He was thinking about it. "I'm going to get her whether you help or not, but at least she'll be protected that way." Her eyes turned slightly sinister. "You wouldn't want me to tell the Empress, you been wearing her robes would you?" He knew she wouldn't, when would she ever have an audience with the Empress.

He disappeared into the temple and came back with a velvet cachet. It was a deep purple, too deep to be anything but sacred. He held it out to her. When she reached for it he brought it back to him and warned her, "If you die, bitch, Imma kill you, ya understand?" He gave her the bag. "If you ain't back in a week, I'm going to Delilah."

XXX

Tara had been traveling for two days, before she reached the fog. She was glad to have reached the kingdom so quickly and commended herself at having taken a shortcut, even though she would have lost at least a day if she was wrong about the untouched road. She had good instincts though and she usually followed them.

She didn't mind traveling and the young woman liked the time it gave her to think. This trip in particular was a pleasure. She wasn't thinking about the horrible situation she might find her mother in or how long she would stay home and safe before she had a 'spell' and ventured out again. This time she thought of what it would be like to return to the city with the lost princess. She was going to count and that's all that mattered.

When she reached the wall, it was easy to enter. The gates were open and no one stopped her. There were so many people of all castes that she fit in very well. So she slowly made her way through the crowd and toward the tower. She looked up to see her prize. She continued forward, never taking her eyes off the girl in the window. She was the piece that would give her a place. Returning her safely was the only thing that mattered and she wouldn't let anything get in the way of that.

XXX

Pamela wasn't able to attend the festival, though it was in her honor. They had been collecting her blood for over a month now; a little at a time so as not to deplete her entirely. It was like this every year. The town's people gather and drank of the princess they would never see.

Her parents told her it was too dangerous with so many strangers roaming the grounds. She walked to the window to look over all the 'strangers' that were such a threat to her. A small movement in the middle of the crowd caught her eye. She couldn't see their face. A deep brown hood caused a shadow to fall on their features, but they moved with purpose through the people. Their steps were far too deliberate to be a guest enjoying themselves. A small wave of hope rose in the girl.

The stranger's head turned up to her window. Her heart raced. It surprised her, she had never really felt anything before, but this was nice. She almost stumbled as she began collecting her things. She had already planned what she would take. She had had several years to prepare for this day.

When Pamela finished gathering her things, she sat quietly on the bed waiting. She wore her traveling cloak around her shoulders. Though it was years old, it was in perfect condition, since she never traveled. She gathered some food and two more dresses. These too, were new. She remained in her gown most of the time having no place to wear proper clothes.

She would leave her gown on for the journey. It was thick enough. She didn't know where she was going and didn't want to ruin her clothes along the way. She thought it was best to have something decent for when she arrived at her destination. She wanted to be as presentable as possible, even if she was just going to be fed to savages. She donned her hood and waited. Her things were tied in one of her sheets in a nice bundle and rested beside to her. She watched the door with growing anticipation.

She was supposed to fear this moment, but instead she welcomed it.

XXX

This had been infinitely easier than Tara thought it would be. She slipped right passed the front gate and through the crowd. There was one man guarding the door to the tower, but he appeared to be asleep.

As she approached him slowly, she smelled a familiar scent; one she had been plagued by since childhood. She instantly knew from experience that she would be able to slip in and out with her trophy and without detection. If her mother's episodes were any indication, he would be out for at least a few hours. She grabbed the keys from his belt and climbed the stairs.

There were so many and when she reached the door she had to catch her breath before finding and inserting the correct key. Pamela heard this and she felt a flutter in her stomach, this was new too. She liked it. She wouldn't describe it as giddy, because she didn't know what that meant, but you can be sure that that's what it was.

When the door opened she stood. The figure was smaller than she had expected. For some reason she thought savages would be larger. She wasn't afraid, but she didn't want to show her excitement either.

She walked over and pulled back the hood that hid her intruders face. It was woman, she was beautiful. This made her heart beat in a way she had never felt before. She swallowed and steadied her breathing, not wanting to seem too eager to be kidnapped.

She looked into the girl's eyes. They were dark like her mother's, but they seemed alive and warm, where the older woman's had always been dead and cold. "Have you come to collect me?" She almost smiled, but thought better of it.

Her voice tickled the peasant's ears. Tara expected the blue in her eyes, they all had blue eyes. What she didn't expect was for them to pierce her soul and wrap around her heart.

She couldn't think of that now, it would only distract her from the task at hand and she needed this triumph. Whatever was flowing out of those eyes and into her would have to wait until her deed was done.

She had to shake her head in order to return her focus to the mission at hand. She cleared her throat in an effort to sound authoritative and strong, "Yes."

The girl walked to the bed and picked up her bundle. She strolled back over to her rescuer or kidnapper – at this point they were one in the same and it didn't matter – and handed it to her. "You won't mind carrying this, will you?" Tara took the bag from her and struggled to break eye contact. The blonde seemed to be having trouble doing the same.

The ivory princess followed Tara to the door. But she stopped abruptly before she reached it and turned. This caused the girl to pump into her. Electricity raced through both of them. They each swallowed hard and made awkward apologies.

"I almost forgot." Tara reached in her pocket and pulled out the purple bag. She tipped the open end in her hand and a silver chain landed in her palm. There was a deep blue stone trapped in a cage of silver symbols on the end.

Tara gently pushed back Pamela's hood and placed it around her neck. "This will keep you safe." She smiled sweetly and the blonde noted that this may be the first time she had seen anything as beautiful as this woman who had come to take her. The back of her chocolate fingers brushed the side of her neck as she placed the necklace. Another wave moved through the blonde, though this time she didn't know what the feeling was.

Tara grabbed her hand and squeezed. The blonde was paralyzed. "Are you ready?"

And there you have it... I'll still be updating my other fic, but it feels good to have this out of me.

As always comments are wanted and NEEDED! You're my muse and it helps me get excited about updating faster ; )