So maybe Fionna wasn't royalty, but that was how he treated her. That vampire king who had opened her eyes to how wonderful she really was. That rocker who believed in her no matter what, who had never abandoned her, and who never would. He loved her, he had for a while. And she loved him too. They took care of each other. He was there when she needed help, or when she was in over her head. She was there when he needed someone to listen to a new song, there at every concert, and there in his rare moments of vulnerability. She was his hero, his angel…

…his princess

Fionna, the Vampire's Princess

Fionna was sick. Simple as that. She had the flu or something, and felt so awful she didn't even want to get up and call Cake to come take care of her. Nope. She woke up way too early, before dawn even, and he stomach mutinied. She ran to the bathroom and threw up, then returned to her bed with the garbage can in tow.

That had been five hours ago, and she hadn't been able to go to sleep since. She was laying on her bed, moaning and wishing she could cry. But she didn't cry. Fionna the human, the adventuress, the hero, did not cry over something as silly as the flu.

And this was the position poor Fionna was in when her boyfriend decided to pay her a surprise visit.

Marshall Lee hardly ever came to visit Fionna during the day. The sun was so bright and in the Grasslands around the tree house there wasn't shade for a long way. But for some reason he woke up that morning and felt like he needed to go see Fionna. So he'd covered his skin as best as he could, grabbed a big umbrella and set out.

The Vampire King floated up to the window, for he'd never felt the need to use the door. "Mornin', Fi!" he called into the house, but received no response. "Hey, Fi, you here?" he shouted again. This time, there was a quiet groan from Fionna's room on the next floor up. Marshall dropped his umbrella and rocketed up to the third floor. It was dark up there, so he peeled off his protective gloves and tossed them aside.

"Fionna?" Marshall said quietly.

Fionna rolled over at the sound of his voice nearby. She opened her eyes, and he saw them glittering in the darkness of the room.

"Fionna!" he cried, rushing over. He floated beside the bed and gazed down at her.

She managed a weak smile. "Hey, Marshy. Could you not talk so loud? My head hurts."

"Of course," he whispered. He dropped down so he was actually kneeling on the floor. "What's wrong with you, Fi?"

"I'm sick," she croaked.

Marshall laid a hand on her forehead, but he was so startled he immediately pulled it back. "Glob, Fionna, you're burning up!"

Fionna rolled her eyes. "You're a vampire, Lee, I always feel warm to you."

"No, this is even hotter than normal," he said with a shake of his head. "You have a fever or something."

"Oh." Fionna thought this over quietly. "That's bad, right?"

"Well, it's certainly not good," Marshall replied. "Come on, I'm gonna take you to the Candy Kingdom. The doctors, or Gumbutt, or someone more qualified than me will know what to do." He reached down and began to pick her up.

"No!" she cried, and winced at the volume of her own voice. "No, please don't. It hurts to move. I don't want to go anywhere, Marshy. Please just stay here with me." She looked up at him, her blue eyes watery.

Marshall Lee sighed. "Do you at least have some medicine? We've got to bring your fever down."

Fionna clenched her eyes shut as she thought. "Maybe in the cabinet in the bathroom. I think that's where Cake kept it."

Marshall glanced across the room to wear animal skins hung in the door of the bathroom. "I'll be right back, Fionna, I promise." He leaned down and kissed her forehead, then floated off.

In the bathroom, he didn't see a cabinet so he tucked his fingers around the frame of the mirror and tugged. It swung forward on a hinge. There wasn't much inside, just a toothbrush (unused), a paper cup (slightly crumpled), and thankfully a bottle of purple medicine. Marshall pulled it out and read the label on the back.

"12 milliliters? Good glob, what's that mean?" He sighed in exasperation. Then he noticed that there were small numbers and lines etched around the clear plastic lid. He twisted it off and flipped in over so he could read it better. "12 mL," he read aloud to himself. "Hm, how convenient."

He floated back out to his girlfriend and poured the correct amount of goopy syrup into the cup. He set it on the table beside the bed and then helped Fionna to sit up. "Here," he said, handing her the medicine, "drink this."

Fionna titled the cup to her lips and downed the medicine. Suddenly her eyes widened and she was spitting it back out, right into Marshall's face. "That tastes awful!"

"Ew, Fionna! That was disgusting!" Marshall snapped, wiping the purple spit off his face with his sleeve. Fionna flinched and he instantly felt bad. "I'm sorry it doesn't taste good," he said more quietly, "but you have to take it. It'll make you feel better."

"Fine," Fionna grumbled, crossing her arms over her chest.

Marshall poured the medicine again and handed it back to her. She swallowed it with a grimace.

"Thank you," Marshall said as he recapped the bottle.

Fionna closed her eyes and plopped her head on her pillow. "Will you cuddle with me, Marshy?" she asked timidly.

Marshall Lee blinked a couple times to make sure he had heard her right. "Uh – sure, Fionna." He pulled himself up onto the bed next to her and laid down, keeping his distance.

Fionna opened her eyes and saw him there. She slowly scooted closer, like every move was a jab through her chest, until she was pressed against his chest.

Marshall wrapped her arms around the girl, holding her close. He stroked her back. Soon enough, her breathing became steadier and less labored. He could hear her snoring faintly. He felt himself drifting off as well. As his eyes slipped shut he kissed her forehead and whispered, "Feel better, my princess."

Fionna, The Vampire Queen

Fionna knew they were running out of time. Soon, she would be physically older than Marshall Lee. And she would continue to age, just getting older and older until she died. And then he would be alone again. Alone with a mother who had hurt him and a best friend who couldn't even remember how much he meant to her. He would live forever mourning all he had lost, all the heartbreak he had felt, and the hero he couldn't save.

So one night, she asked him, point blank. Told him if he wouldn't do it, then she didn't want to be with him anymore. Said it would be too hard to watch him stay the same as she became an entirely different person. He smirked smugly, and said that he'd only been waiting for her to ask.

He did it that very night, in his house. They didn't want anyone to know, because they would all try to change her mind. But Fionna loved Marshall Lee, and Marshall Lee loved Fionna.

He gave her immortality, but that was all. She didn't have fangs, she would burn in the sun, couldn't fly, and didn't need to eat red. She didn't have all the perks of being a vampire, but that was okay. She would be with him forever.

Fionna went alone to tell Cake. The poor cat cried when she saw the bite-marks on her sister's neck. She knew Fionna had chosen her fate. Knew that Marshall Lee would never have done it unless Fionna asked. She cried, but in her heart she knew that this was what was best for her sister. It would save her from so much pain.

They were together when Gumball found out. The prince exploded, turning on the vampire and lashing out. Gumball threatened to unleash the full force of the Candy Kingdom's army on Marshall Lee. Marshall Lee calmly responded that if Gumball tried that, he would suck out all of his pink, and leave him to suffer humiliation as the colorless king of the Candy Kingdom for the rest of his life. Bubba formally withdrew his declaration of war and wished his friends the best of luck.

Flame Prince was the one that worried them the most. He was to most volatile of the bunch. When he was told, his mohawk flared angrily, but then died down. He shook his head sadly and told Fionna that she could have done so much better. Then he simply walked away and they never heard from him again.

Being immortal did not mean that things were perfect for Fionna. She and Marshall Lee fought sometimes, just like all couples do. But they always figured it out. It nearly killed her to lose Cake and Gumball, but Marshall Lee was there to wipe away her tears. He never liked to see his Vampire Queen suffer.

And to this day, the land of Aaa is still protected. There is still a hero that will give anything to help a person in need. And to this day, the shadows in her wake seem just a little bit darker. The air behind her is just a little bit colder. Because the Vampire King would never let his Queen adventure alone.