ivory tower
or: the tale of vincent and lovely, as written in blood with a shiny silver fountain pen.
reprinted from a strange book of fairytales, donated by an anonymous source. gn!reader, fairytale fluff, no content warnings. major spoilers for all parts of vincent and lovely’s storyline up to and including april 2022 (“your vampire … about feeding”), plus a few extra little details from me. the course of true love never did run smooth. vincent finding his happy ending in 5000 words or less.
once upon a time, there was a handsome prince.
the prince lived with his father, the king, in a great palace that stretched high into the sky. the palace was renowned for its beautiful gardens and jewel-tipped spires, and the tallest tower was so tall that it could be seen by all the people of the land.
the people loved their king, and their prince as well, for the king had ruled justly for many years and ensured peace and prosperity throughout his domain. indeed, the royal family was much beloved across the realm, and even the people of the neighbouring kingdoms thought fondly of the good king and his son.
the prince’s life was very good, and he spent his days doing all of the things that princes of his age were supposed to do - mingling with the lords and ladies of the kingdom, helping his father manage his many lands, enjoying himself with all the pleasures and luxuries of high society.
and so, the years went by without a trace. the sun rose and set, the king ruled justly, and the kingdom prospered.
and through it all, through the many long years, vincent solaire was unhappy.
“vincent? you there?”
sam’s voice. is he really back already?
“thought you were keepin’ watch tonight. everything alright?” he’s too kind. vincent’s fuse has been shorter than usual lately, and he can’t quite figure out why. even alexis has started to comment on it, and considering how famous her delightful temperament is, that’s definitely a bad sign.
“yeah, it’s fine. i was just about to head out.”
he scoops his car keys off the coffee table and walks over to the door to get his jacket. he’s only on patrol for a few hours - when he’s done, he’ll head straight to the bar downtown, the one with the inchoate bartender. maybe that will fix him.
“see you later, yeah?” actually, maybe he ought to go back to that new place a few blocks further down instead. the air elemental behind the bar in there doesn’t do as good a peach daiquiri, but unlike the other bartender, he doesn’t know that vincent’s been out drinking almost every night this week. if he’s honest, it doesn’t really matter where he goes - there’s always someone (or two, or five) who wants to have some fun. he’ll be able to satiate all of his thirsts at once.
he doesn’t shut the door behind him, too busy thinking about the night ahead.
sam watches him leave, a single shadow passing under the looming, twisted remains of SURGE, and he doesn’t say a word.
-
the prince, you see, had been very lonely for a very long time.
unbeknownst to many, the royal family possessed a special sort of magic, passed down through blood, which granted its bearer many strange and mystical powers. one of these powers was life and youth everlasting, and while many considered it a blessing, the prince saw it as his greatest curse.
he had his father, but the king was a busy man, and the prince often felt as though his father regretted having a son who was as unhappy as he. his elder sister, the king’s first child and the princess of the realm, was far more spirited and headstrong - the two siblings quarrelled often, and every time, the prince longed for her true companionship, rather than her ire.
he was amiable enough among the nobility, liking to spend time with his close companion, a stern but kind duke who had grown up in a kingdom to the south and shared the gift of immortal life, and whom the prince considered to be a brother to him. the duke’s friendship was treasured greatly by the prince, yet it was not enough to soothe the aching in his heart.
for many years, the prince wandered the halls of his father’s great palace, with neither aim nor purpose. nothing could satisfy his restlessness - not magnificent feasts, or splendid dances, or lavish gifts. there was simply no passion in the unhappy prince, and his days passed with no event or distinction.
doomed to an eternity of solitude, he saw no purpose in his life, and envied the people outside of the castle for their short but happy lives. every day, as was his custom, he would journey to the top of the tallest tower, and gaze from the jewel-encrusted windowsill at the world moving on without him.
however, all of this ended on an warm night in the middle of autumn, when the prince’s life would be changed forever.
he had been walking in the palace gardens, half-heartedly admiring the fountains, when he turned the corner to see a figure in the middle of the path. this was highly unusual, as the gardens were forbidden to visitors without an official escort, and the silhouette was not that of a servant or a guard.
the figure did not notice him, and as he stepped forward it became clear that they were staring up at the palace in wonder. he approached the stranger, and upon speaking to them, realised that they did not recognise him as the prince of the realm.
the figure was a traveller, who lived in a faraway part of the kingdom, and who had come after hearing rumours of the strange, ethereal beauty of the wonderful palace, but had become hopelessly lost on their way. they had seen the jewelled tip of the tallest tower sparkling in the moonlight, and in their haste to reach the gates of the palace, had accidentally entered the gardens through an unlocked side gate.
the prince was fascinated by the traveller, and by their earnest nature and great beauty. not knowing who he was, the traveller spoke plainly to him, and the prince was overcome with joy at the thought of having a friend with whom he could speak freely, and who honestly enjoyed his company.
alas, he could hear the palace guards patrolling nearby, and knew that his time with the lovely traveller would be cut short. the prince hurried the traveller back to the gate which they had entered from, and told them to return to their lodgings for the night.
he asked for their name, which they gave, and told them that he would soon come to see them, if they would only have patience.
the traveller nodded and quickly departed, and the prince was left standing in the silent gardens, smiling to himself in the jewel-coloured moonlight.
“lovely, your timer’s going!”
“okay, coming!” you come running out of the bedroom, half-dressed and still damp from the shower, straight to the counter to grab your oven gloves. will is coming over for tea and a chat this afternoon, and you’ve been busy getting everything ready - including making things to snack on, despite the fact that you’re the only one who actually needs to eat.
(he’s told you a thousand times that will literally could not care less, and he’d be just as happy talking shit with you in the mcdonald’s down by the roundabout, but you always insist on making an effort.)
(he’s under strict instruction not to tell anyone, but will’s taken to calling you his favourite progeny - vincent’s a teeny bit jealous, seeing as that’s normally his title, but honestly? he doesn’t blame the old man. the whole clan loves you if he’s honest, the precious human darling of the solaire clan, and he’s so incredibly lucky to have the honour of being with you.)
while he’s distracted, you nudge him out of the way with your hip so you can put the muffin tin on the cooling rack. you’ve made jam tarts, and while the jam is positively molten at the moment, he’s sure they’ll be delicious once they’ve cooled down a bit. he’ll try and steal one when you’re not looking, even though he knows that somehow you’ll notice and smack him with the tea towel.
(sam’s really the one who likes your jam tarts the best, even though he’s busy today and can’t come. vincent suspects that it’s mostly because of some sort of ironic blood/jam comparison, but he can’t lie - it is quite funny seeing sam panic because he’s got jam all over his hands and he can’t find a tissue anywhere.)
“don’t think i don’t see you! they’re hot!”
“come on, lovely, he won’t notice one missi- ow! hey, okay, okay, i’m not touching!”
foiled again… how do you always know? he plucks the tea towel out of your hand and turns your chin gently with his fingertips, leaning forward to kiss the tip of your nose as you turn the oven off.
“you’re a lost cause, mr solaire.” he can hear your smile as you say it, and it makes his undead heart race.
“oh, i’m well aware, little one. how about a kiss for this incorrigible knave of hearts then?”
you pull him closer with sticky, jam-covered fingers, and neither of you says anything for a little while.
-
the prince and his traveller came to know one another well, and very soon they had fallen in love. the prince would visit the traveller almost every day, and before long the whole palace had heard about his lovely companion.
his father was especially pleased, as he had seen how desperately miserable his son had become, but had been unable to free him from the loneliness that had gripped him. it did not matter to him that the traveller was not of noble blood, or that they had known nothing of his son’s status - indeed, the king and the traveller both enjoyed the company of the other greatly, and quickly bonded over their shared affection for the prince.
for a short while, all was well for the unhappy prince. his traveller love helped him to rediscover the joy that his life had lacked, and much to the prince’s excitement, his darling and his brother the duke quickly became fast friends.
unfortunately, a dark shadow soon fell upon the lives of the prince and his love.
one evening, after the prince had departed from the traveller’s lodgings and set off for the palace, a strange man snuck into the traveller’s room and stole them away to a secret place he had prepared, intent on keeping them as his prisoner.
this thief was in fact one of the prince’s retainers, a secretly wicked and sadistic man who had overheard his moonlit meeting with the traveller and coveted their sweet smile for himself. his secret chamber was in fact an abandoned cell underneath the east wing of the palace, freezing cold and with no hope of being discovered.
the prince was distraught when he returned to the traveller’s rooms the next morning, and though he, his brother the duke, and all of the palace guards searched high and low, the traveller was nowhere to be found.
the traveller wept and despaired, far below the earth, and shouted desperately for the prince to save them. but the thief was cruel and revelled in their screams, and kept them as his prisoner while he partook in his despicable fantasy.
terrified and alone, the traveller knew that they could not be saved by even their beloved prince, hidden as they were. as the thief taunted them, their fury grew and grew until it overflowed from their very being, and this power broke them free of the thief’s restraints and wounded the wicked man until he was helpless to attack them.
the traveller was very frightened, not understanding the strange power that had arisen within them.
miraculously, the prince had been pacing frantically in the east wing just overhead, and had heard the commotion - he rushed to his lover’s aid, and when he saw the thief cowering against the wall, the prince did not hesitate to draw his sword and remove his vile head from his body.
he took his darling into his arms, and saw that their lovely face was filled with fear. he explained to them the power that had saved them - unbeknownst to anyone, they had possessed since birth the gift of the arcane arts, and the blessing of lightning in their blood had protected them from evil.
as the prince held his traveller love, he swore that harm would never come to them again, for as long as he lived.
“have you seen my magical history textbook anywhere?”
“uh, i think it’s i-”
“never mind, i found it!”
exams are coming up, which means that you and vincent have spent most of the last few days drowning in textbooks, revision guides, and practice papers. the kitchen table has barely been visible for the last two days, covered in notebooks and empty coffee cups, and vincent’s thoroughly fed up with the whole thing.
he looks up from his laptop to see you rifling through an abandoned pile of papers, history textbook cradled in the crook of your elbow, and decides that enough is enough.
“that’s it. you’re coming with me.”
you stare at him, half out of his chair and gulping down the rest of his (once-warm) coffee. “but we have t-”
“nope,” vincent declares as he ushers you over onto the sofa, “we’ve done plenty of that for the weekend. you are going to sit there and turn on the tv while i get the blankets from over there, and then i am going to utterly destroy you at mario kart.”
well, you’ve never been able to turn down a challenge like that. “bring it on, lover boy. it looks like you’ve forgotten how last time ended-”
“no no no, the only reason i got hit by that green shell was because somebody got a little bit competitive and accidentally gave me a static shock just as i was about t-”
this goes on for about ten minutes before either of you remember you were actually supposed to be playing the game, work all but forgotten, and vincent does not, in fact, totally destroy you.
(the convenient elbow to his side just before he launches a blue shell at you has nothing to do with it.)
-
and so, the unhappy prince found peace with his traveller once again, even after the terrible ordeal that the cruel thief had inflicted upon them. the lovely traveller began in earnest to study the arcane arts, and soon discovered the vastness and wondrousness of the mysterious power within them.
the prince, ever devoted to his love, vowed to assist them in their studies in any way that he could - the pair could often be found within the palace library, discussing at length the many tomes and manuscripts that were held there, or rushing about the halls of the royal academy of the arcane arts.
at first, the magic was strange and alarming to the traveller, who had never encountered such forces in the world. but they were patient and dedicated, and through their efforts came to love the lightning inside of them, for not only its power but the comfort it brought to them also.
however, for all their kindness and their love for one another, neither the traveller nor the prince were to know about the terrible tragedy that would befall them in the coming months.
the time soon came for the great contest between kingdoms. every year, a meeting was held at which the finest practitioners of magic would compete for the entertainment of the people, where they would demonstrate their arcane mastery and the strength of their convictions in the name of their realm.
this year, the competition was to be held in the great arena of the neighbouring kingdom to the prince’s own. the traveller heard of this competition, and although they longed to display the immense magical power that they had learnt to embrace, they were afraid that all of their talents would pale in comparison to those who had studied far longer than they.
the prince soon comforted them, assuring them of his support, and the lovely traveller’s talents allowed them to quickly be accepted into the great contest.
busy as he was, the king could not leave his realm to join his son and his darling traveller on their journey to the competition. but before they set out, he took them both into his arms and kissed them on both cheeks, and wished the traveller well in their endeavours.
the prince’s friend, the southern duke, also accompanied the pair - he was trusted greatly by both as a loyal friend, and it brought the brave traveller much joy to know that they had found true companionship among the prince’s family.
when the three arrived, the arena was filled with skilled magicians from kingdoms far and wide. the prince and the duke were taken to a special viewing box for the representatives of their kingdom, and although he longed to be with his love in the moments before they competed, the prince’s faith in his traveller’s vast power and resolve kept him steady.
“max amperage contestants are called to zone 1. that’s all max amperage contestants, please make your way to zone number 1. the category will begin shortly.”
the tunnels underneath the arena are packed with contestants, and it’s honestly a little intimidating - you can’t go five steps without bumping into another nervous earth elemental, or overconfident sonic energetic, or exhausted freelancer.
the other members of the DAMN electro team are occupying most of the corridor to your right, and the ones that are about to compete with you are still warming up by the wall. you’ve finished with your warmup, not wanting to exert yourself too much before the actual competition, but now the nerves are starting to set in and it's freaking you out a bit.
“all contestants for magnetics categories, please stand by. that’s all magnetics contestants, please stand by.”
the floor and walls are all made of that hard, smooth linoleum stuff that looks all bright and colourful, and even though it’s nice and cool against your back where you’re leaning on it, it’s unfortunately good for amplifying the sounds of chatter and excitement in the corridors. it’s all a bit overwhelming - the lights, the noise, the heat of the crowded tunnel, and you take a hurried swig of water before rushing after the DAMN electro squad captain towards the zone 1 waiting area.
the sunlight blinds you for a moment, but the air is cool compared to the tacky closeness of the tunnels, and it feels good to finally be out in the arena proper. the squad captain is giving a last-minute pep talk, and you peel off your (delightfully soft, it has to be said) squad jacket while she’s talking.
the sun is warm on your skin, and you take a moment to breathe, feeling a little bit like a solar-powered battery.
it feels even better when you turn around and look up to spot the conspicuously dark viewing box overhead. you can’t see inside, but you plaster on a big grin and wave enthusiastically at the windows. somehow, knowing that there’s probably an overexcited vampire leaning up against the glass and recording every minute on his phone to take home and show william, you don’t feel as frightened any more.
-
the lovely traveller was soon called to stand in the centre of the great arena, and reveal their powers before the crowd. steeling their courage, the traveller summoned all of the lightning they could muster, and cast it into the air with a mighty yell - all those who saw it were amazed at the raw power of the traveller, and despite fierce competition they were declared the second-place champion of their art.
the prince was filled to the brim with pride at the sight of his sweet traveller, and as soon as they stumbled from the circle to reach him, he kissed them deeply and praised them at length for their performance. the duke, too, was highly impressed, and offered his sincere congratulations also.
the traveller was called back to the centre of the arena to receive their medal, and the prince and the duke gazed proudly down at the stage from their faraway box. it seemed, for one shining moment, that all would be well for the traveller and their prince.
all at once, a wave of darkness engulfed the arena, obscuring the sky in such a way that the sunlight struggled to reach the ground. the earth shook with a mighty tremble, and the sky above the arena tore open to reveal a black, unnatural void. the crowd panicked, terrified, and hurried to escape, but the arena had been sealed shut with dark magic, and they could not break free. from the great tear in the sky, a plague of terrifying creatures with the faces of monsters and the powers of death descended upon the arena with a fearsome screech.
the prince and the duke drew their swords, and joined the royal guards of the host kingdom as they rushed to the aid of the frantic crowds. they fought valiantly and saved a great many people, but the prince’s mind was consumed with thoughts of his traveller, and despite their arcane skill he could not help but fear for them.
when he reached the traveller, they were exhausted, having defended those around them from the wicked monsters with their powers of lightning. he spurred them on, and they battled side-by-side as best they could, but the demons from the sky were fierce and refused to die - the pair knew that they would soon be overwhelmed.
one of the horrible beasts leapt at the prince and began to attack him, but before its vile claws could pierce his flesh, the traveller - in their true love for the prince - used their last burst of energy to strike the creature with lightning and rip it from his body.
the prince turned to thank them, but before he could speak, a second beast appeared unseen, and grasped the defenceless traveller in its demonic fist. the traveller struggled, but the monster was too strong, and dealt the traveller a devastating blow as the prince drove his sword through its wicked heart, killing it for good.
the prince knelt beside his bloodied traveller, and wept with despair when he saw the fatal wound that had befallen them - the duke, hearing the prince’s cry, hurried to his side.
the prince held his lover’s body close, begging them to stay alive and by his side, as the duke realised what would have to be done.
“lovely, i know you can’t hear me.”
“lovely, i’m so sorry.”
“i love you more than anything in the world, and i hate that i had to do this to you. my lovely, you didn’t deserve this. you didn’t deserve to be turned like me, dying in the dirt, in pain and afraid.”
“you’re safe, now. we’re at home, in our bed. the blood is taking, and your body’s reacting to the change. all you have to do now is sleep.”
“i couldn’t let you die.”
“sam is safe, and he’s with his wolf at his house. will knows about us, and he’s ready to help when the time comes. the clan is with you, lovely, and they love you too.”
“i will move heaven and earth for you, and you will never be afraid again.”
“i swear it on my life. every everlasting day of it.”
-
the traveller awoke, and while they were sleeping, the world had changed around them.
the tearful prince was there at their bedside, and explained what had happened as he took them into his arms, grateful for their survival.
the dark magic that had sealed the gates and released the demons upon the arena was the work of an evil clan of assassins, who sought only to spread destruction and grief across the land. the seal had been broken and the creatures vanquished by a vast crowd of good magicians, who had seen the chaos from across the city, but the devastation had been great and many had already lost their lives.
the traveller’s wounds had been fatal, and they had come within a whisper of death. but the prince, in his desperation, had called upon the ancient magics of the royal family to save them, as he could not lose his love so soon.
the magic had saved their life, but in order to do so, it had taken the blessing of lighting from their blood, and replaced it with its own mysterious power. they would live eternally, like the prince, but the lightning inside them that they loved so much would forever be weak and pale, never to return to its former splendour.
the lovely traveller was distraught, and screamed aloud in frustration at the unfairness of it all - the prince let them grieve the life they had wanted, and vowed that even if it broke his heart, he would let the traveller leave him forever if they could not bear the sight of him, the man who had forced eternity upon them.
they did not force the prince to leave, or demand that he apologise. the traveller knew that he had acted out of love, and that this course had been the only way to preserve their life. they knew this, and they did not blame him, for they loved him still.
the traveller had only one request, and the prince saw it done immediately - he carried them to sit by the window, and all at once they saw that they were atop the tallest tower of the palace, watching the world move on before them.
the jewelled windowsill sparkled in the light, and the sweet traveller thought only of that first, moonlit meeting - that secret moment in the palace garden when their life had changed forever.
the prince, too, thought of that moment, and as the lovers cried in their embrace, the world outside could not hear them. they were too far away.
"holy f- lovely, you're going to give me a heart attack one of these days!"
you give him that stupidly adorable fake-pout, but the effect is somewhat ruined by the laughter that keeps slipping out. "can we even get those any more?"
he's… actually, he has no idea. "well, not that i've heard of - but i might be the first!"
you’ve been getting used to your new body and its senses, which is objectively good news, except for the part where you can now successfully surprise vincent and scare him half to death. he’s used to being able to hear you coming, what with his senses being much sharper than yours, but now you can hear and see just as well - it makes it a lot easier to sneak up on him when he’s distracted.
you’ve been using this power for evil, and while vincent’s convinced that he’s going to die of fear one of these days if you scare him while he’s brushing his teeth again, he’s glad that you’ve been able to find some levity in your new life.
“oh, poor baby. let me kiss it better?”
“well, i suppose it couldn’t hurt - or at least it shouldn’t when baby vampires keep their fangs to themselves…” he’s not going to let you forget that - you’d got a bit too excited about kissing him, and nearly put your fangs right through his tongue before he’d pulled you away by the scruff of the neck like an unruly cat.
“look, that was one time- don’t tell me you didn’t do that the first time you kissed someone when you were like this!”
he grimaces, remembering the poor elemental who’s lip he’d had to heal during an especially exciting night out in the months after he’d been turned. “touché, lovely. it’s true, you’re not the first to have teething problems.”
“exactly. now, are you going to let me kiss you, or do i have to scare you again?”
unsurprisingly, vincent chooses the former option.
-
and so, the unhappy prince and his lovely traveller’s lives were changed forever. the traveller came to live in the palace with their new family, and the king rejoiced to see that his son had found a companion to share his immortal life with.
the duke, too, was filled with delight at the fortune that had befallen his brother the prince, despite the heavy cost, and he remained a steady friend to the pair for as long as they would live.
it was not long before news was spread across the many kingdoms of the wedding of the prince and the traveller, and people came from far and wide to see the union of the two lovers who had suffered so, and yet had found happiness in each other. the wedding was a grand affair, with much music and dancing and merriment - when he saw his precious traveller, the prince wept for joy to marry them, and it was clear to all who saw him how greatly he adored them.
the celebrations lasted long into the night, and as the first rays of sun broke over the kingdom, the prince gathered his love into his arms and carried them up to the top of the tallest tower, where they might see the dawn of their new future together.
yes, as the moon rose in the sky, vincent solaire took his vampire lovely by the hand and kissed them atop the jagged remains of SURGE, cool light glinting off the ruined metal, and he was unhappy no longer.
and so, in the light of day and the dark of night, in the sweet union of blood and friendship and family, the unhappy prince and the lovely traveller lived happily ever after.
masterlist
this is an original work by @gingerbreadmonsters - please do not repost or misattribute
82 notes
·
View notes