The Underworld:

His sullen ochre coloured eyes fell on the cream coloured bedspread first. Holding it up to his nose, he inhaled the scent deeply. It smelled like winter in July, surprisingly cold and crisp, like fresh frost over green grass when the moon was full and mysterious, but with a hint of amber warmth like the fiery sun off of lilacs in the summer heat.

Amelia.

The silk fabric slid against the course stubble of his unshaven cheek. His eyes closed involuntarily as images of her invaded his mind like a ruthless battle he could neither prevent nor escape.

You give breath to life.

The silk bedspread slipped through his fingers and fell back in a heap on the bed as he recoiled as if from a snake. His brows furrowed in an arch of sadness on his chiseled face. Dark purple circles painted themselves his under eye area like little half moons and his eyes no longer held the spark that highlighted them with a warm liquid Topaz. Moving to her dresser, he casually looked at her jewelry dotting the shelf below the mirror which was inlaid with ivory Mother of Pearl and light blue Lapis Lazuli, pearl and diamond earrings set in gold graced the dark wood shelf. Her father gave her those, he remembered. His fingers lightly brushed the edge of her dresser and came to stop at a black suede pouch. Nervously, he ran his fingers over it. He shouldn’t be in here and most definitely should not be rifling through her things. His finger caressed the mouth of the drawstring pouch and it yielded to his touch. A ring. He grasped it in his hand and brought it out into the light. A pained grimace briefly flashed on his dark features as he tried to contain the belligerent emotions fighting to reign freely like a storm across the perfectly flawless canvas of his face.

”Will you walk with me?” That was the first and last time that he saw surprise so clearly written across her face.

( Tortmented by Her )

I was thinking about Underworld Evolutions and the mish-mosh of influences that you can see in the openings scenes (when the elders hunt for William).  There are Roman influences in their battle gear, Celtic influences in the design and emblishments on their clothing and architecture. All of which makes sense considering Hungarian history well before that scene in the movie takes place (1202).

So boys and girls, here's a little history lesson on Hungary. I stole all of what you see. Do take note that there actually was a Corvinus (first name Matthias, which amused me to no end because I don't recall actually reading any history before coming up with the names for my 'knights'. There was also a Janos but that's typically a Hungarian (and Polish) name. Amelia also has a stint in Hungarian history and it turns out (from what I remember from Polish and Hungarian history) that Countess Erzsébet Báthory was related to her in some way, shape or form. Looks like the Underworld team did more research on Hungarian history then they did on fixing the inconsistencies in the final cut of the movie. Owwww, I'm so cruel. I just thought this might be useful for me because I refer and write about some historical stuff in my fanfics with Amelia (like when the knights went off to fight against the Italians who were trying to secure Hungarian land for the Dodge. Yeah, that really happened, I wasn't pulling it out of my arse).

*All of this is from external sources like wiki who loathes me because I just cut and paste their stuff. *

The Celts occupied Hungary in the 3rd century BC but were conquered by the Romans around the beginning of the Christian era. Until the early 5th century AD, all of Hungary west of the Danube (an area known as Transdanubia) was included in then Roman province of Pannonia. The Roman legion stationed at Aquincum (Budapest) guarded the north-eastern frontier of the empire. The pleasure-loving Romans planted the first vineyards in Hungary and built baths near the region’s thermal waters. They were forced to abandon Pannonia in 451 by the Huns, whose short-lived empire was established by Attila. The Huns were followed by Goths, Lombards, and finally the Avars, a powerful Turkic people that was subdued in turn by Charlemagne in 796.
In 896, seven nomadic Magyar tribes under the leadership of Arpad swept in from the Eurasian plains beyond the Volga River and occupied the Danube Basin. The Magyars terrorised Europe with their raids as far as Spain, northern Germany and southern Italy until they were stopped in 955 by the German king, Otto I at the battle of Augsburg and subsequently converted to Christianity. Hungary’s first king and patron saint, Stephen I was crowned on Christmas Day in the year 1000. Medieval Hungary was a large and powerful state which included Transylvania (now in Romania), Slovakia and Croatia.
In 1456 Hungarians under Janos Hunyadi stopped the ottoman Turkish advance at Belgrade but the Turks defeated the Hungarian army at Mohacs after a peasant revolt in 1526. Buda Castle capitulated in 1541 and Hungary was divided into three parts. The central part was in Turkish hands, Transdanubia was governed by the Austrian House of Habsburg and the principality of Transylvania became a vassal state of the Ottoman Empire. The Turks were finally expelled in 1686 and Hungary was subjected to Habsburg domination, eventually forming the Austro-Hungarian Dual Monarchy in 1867. Following the defeat of Austria at the end of World War I, Hungary lost two-thirds of its territory and nearly as much of its population.

( Some more history  )

I can't feel my senses
I just feel the cold
All colours seem to fade away
I can't reach my soul

I would stop running
If I knew there was a chance
It tears me apart to sacrifice it all
But I'm forced to let go

Tell me I'm frozen
But what can I do?
Can't tell the reasons
I did it for you

When lies turn into truth
I sacrifice for you
You say that I am frozen
But what can I do?

I can feel your sorrow
(I sacrifice)
You won't forgive me
(...)
But I know you'll be alright
(...)
It tears me apart that you will never know
But I have to let go

Tell me I'm frozen
But what can I do?
Can't tell the reasons
I did it for you

When lies turn into truth
I sacrifice for you
You say that I am frozen
But what can I do?

Everything will slip away
Shattered pieces will remain
When memories fade into emptiness
Only time will tell its tale
If it all has been in vain

I can't feel my senses
I just feel the cold

Frozen
But what can I do?
Frozen

Tell me I'm frozen
But what can I do?
Can't tell the reasons
I did it for you

When lies turn into truth
I sacrifice for you
You say that I am frozen

Amelia's eyes grew wide. "He's got the key?!"
Matayas nodded his head. "We need to get her out of the village. Where is she Amelia?"
Amelia shook her head with desperation, "I don't know. I stopped going when Viktor caught me visiting once. He was right, it was becoming too dangerous to see her under the circumstances. I told Tanis to move the family somewhere safe and never tell a soul. Not even me."
Matayas nodded curtly. "He will tell me." There was a certainty to voice. Poor Tanis if he was to deny him the information he desired.
"Go now, quickly! Come back with news. We must get to her before the Lycans do!" Her voice was low and dangerous but not without much worry.

*****
“No! You don’t understand. She is never to know. Do you understand, never! Amelia wills it as such.”
The odd green eyes of Andreas Tanis peered curiously at Matayas as the Knight paced like a caged animal in front of him. Truth be told, this was the first time he had seen the old knight so riled up. In a way it sort of amused him.
“My, my Matayas, what has gotten you so worried?”
Matayas stormed up to Tanis, his eyes dark and troubled. The historian could feel his hot breath on his face. “Sonia is dead. And Lucian is free.” Tanis’ mouth slightly parted as he drew a slow breath into his body. “My God,” a look of concern crossed his face. “So the real war has started, hasn’t it?” He was struck with a sudden realization. “Wait, that means…”

Matayas crossed his black leather clad arms across his chest. “That means that Lucian has the key…,” his brooding eyes met Tanis’ green ones as he continued to slowly pace around the room while he seethed. “That means-”
“That with the help of Lucian and the key, all Marcus has to do is find her. Lucian probably sent the Lycan horde to look for her as we speak.”
Matayas closed his eyes and rubbed his temple. “It’s not only Marcus I’m afraid of.”
The historian peered at Matayas from the corner of his eyes. “Who then?”
“Viktor.”
“Viktor? Why Viktor? What’s he got to…ooooh. I see.”
Matayas’ head snapped up quickly. His hands grabbed the dark purple velour of Tanis’ collar and pushed him against the wall. “No, you don’t see, you don’t know and most importantly, you don’t write. Understand?” Sighing deeply, Matayas let him go with a quick apologetic look.
Tanis searched Matayas’ face with his sparking eyes. “Why do you hate them so? Viktor and Marcus, you hate them. I can see it in your eyes.” Matayas turned to look out of the castle window.
“Marcus is honorable but too weak to understand what it means to do his service to the coven. And Viktor, Viktor is a ruthless warlord with no honour what-so-ever.”
Tanis chuckled darkly as he looked at Matayas with a questioning in his eyes. “And Amelia, what of her? Is she honourable, throwing her lot in with Viktor?” The Knight shot Tanis a cautionary stormy look. “Amelia…does what she has to.”

“I see.” Tanis chuckled a little. “You know, I didn’t understand it before. But now I do. I understand why Amelia is concerned about her daughter. With Selene being the heir to the throne one day if,God forbid, anything ever happened to our precious Amelia or to Viktor or Marcus…but why do you care?”
“Because I serve Amelia.”
“Riiiiiight. I'm sure that's it exactly.”
“I don’t have time for this, Tanis. You just makes sure that your quill is not faster than your reason. I’m going to for the girl!” Matayas turned his back and began walking out the door, “I must take her someplace safe before the Lycans get to the village!”
Tanis gazed across the room in thought and whispered quietly, “I don’t think it’s the Lycans you should be most concerned with.”

Yes, Tanis kept everyones secrets.

****

The village had already been ravaged by the Lycan when they arrived on their swiftest horses. Amelia's throat constricted as if death had squeezed it with its bony fingers, itself. Fear made her heart pound roughly against her breastplate. What if she was already dead, or worse?

"Amelia, my dear, tell me what she looks like so that I can help you find her." Amelia raised brow at Viktor. "Thank you Viktor, but just take care of the Lycan and I will search for her."  Amelia prodded her horse forward into the village, leaving Viktor eyes to trail behind her as he frowned.

****
The blood flowed down his chin as he held the girl in his arms. She would not turn, no, she would simply die. Just like her twin cousin. Wiping the blood from his chin, he heard the beast behind him. Spinning on his heels, he plunged his swoard into the Lycans midsection and bared his fangs at it. It lay dead on the floor. Looking back into the barn, another girl, older, appear in the doorway from where she had been spying. No longer did he need to ask Amelia for a description, the girl looked quite like her royal mother...

"Don't be afraid, my child. Come. The beasts that ravaged your family are dead." She ran into his arms...
*******
Her eyes glowed green as she glared at him. "You lied to me."
********
The metal coffin encased her body and locked her underneath the ground at the same time that a metal disk, thicker then the door of Ordoghaz itself, rolled into place trapping the knights in their cold, damp cave. Both parties would slumber, one only peacefully.
*******

Mun salivates over herself.
Amelia: You must excuse her, she has no manners
Mun: Shakes her head no and continues watching the video, while pointing to the screen and mumbling incoherently
Amelia: Translation: Zita Gorag (Amelia) is so much prettier but tell me that woman in the vid does not look like you.
Mun: Okay, okay, I'm over it now. Well, she looks like you, a younger you. Actually, don't think I won't work this into your history. It's PERFECT for something I had in mind. Only, you have to imagine that the little boy is actually Selene and the woman doesn't die in the end. Other then that IT'S PERFECT for part of your back story.
Amelia: You need to get a life.
Mun: Sad, but true. Consider this vid as part of your history. Except, you would be immortal in some parts and mortal in others. SQUEEEE! Fun video.
Amelia: Freak.
Mun: The words of the song are even perfect! And...and, I see the story in my head!
Amelia: Frrrreak. So...what's the story behind this video, then? My story.




The back stories that appear in this vid would include:

-The first time Matayas and Amelia see each other in years
 -Selene's birth and then giving her away...then Matayas finding out that Marcus knows where she is. So Matayas takes her and her new "family" away to live somewhere else
 -Matayas and Amelia fighting over how the situation is to be handled
-Matayas deceiving Amelia in order to save Selene (which he knows the elder would have wanted in the first place
-Matayas betraying the Council and fighting some Death Dealers sent to kill him. Being exiled.
-The development of the relationship between Amelia and Matayas that ends thanks to certain factors (shhhhush)
-Amelia's development into a very elegant yet slightly (haha) cold ruler
 -Him getting revenge for Shhhuuuuuuush, not yet.
-Marcus leading her to believe that Matayas was dead...hahahahhahaa and and..and...I'll stop before I burst with glee. I feel a writing challenge coming up, yes I do.

Sometimes I think that it was fate that brought Viktor, Marcus and I together in this immortal bind. For each of us had special abilities and skills which together, despite our ambitions to weave designs against each other of our own choosing, allowed us to rule as successfully as we did. Sure, we never ruled at the same time, except in the beginning, but it was somehow easier knowing that you didn't have to do everything on your own for eternity. Now, at least for the foreseeable future, I must. I find myself questioning "God's" designs. Why did I survive? Do I not have my own secrets? My own schemes and plots? Have I not been as treacherous as they at times? I assure you that I have. So what it is that I am being asked to do? Ensure the survival of the coven? Of our race? Or to ensure the biological integrity of the human race from the vile vermin that are our cousins?

So this thing called "destiny". Do you believe it is already written for you, or do you believe that you craft it with your own desires?

A small smile, which never entirely *doesn't* look condescending, tugs at the corner of her mouth.

"And what is it that you desire?"

Synopsis: There are those who know us better than we know ourselves. This is a chat between Amelia and Matayas after Amelia runs into Selene and her 'pet', Logan, at After Dark in Tenebrae Nostro (with bits of Selene's conversation interwoven). It's rough, needs spellcheck and is unpolished but, ah well.


I have been as careful as I can.

Amelia pulled off a leather glove and let it sail to the white marble floor in her chambers. As she walked through the room, a trail of clothing followed her. A discarded leather corset lay next to her and beyond that there was another glove, a pair of heavy boots, a silver hair clip. Her head hurt with her daughter's confessions.

I have been alone for so long.

Taking off the holster at her side and the scabbard holding Viktor's sword, Amelia set it down absentmindedly on a chair as she breezed passed her more-than-humble surroundings. Out of her back pocket, she discarded the fliers she had found at one of Frost's clubs.

Do either of you even the slightest way care what this does to me?

She had already peeled off the leather body suit and pulled on one of her simple silk flowing 'night' gowns, which was only embroidered in the lace overlay on the chest, before she had even realised that she had done so.

I will never be you.

x-posted to Tenebrae Nostro

The wind whipped around her viciously as if it wished to hurt her; its efforts were in vain.  She stood on the balcony overlooking the gardens with dark blooms breaking off their frail stems. Gone, with the sweep of the Great Mother's hand. And yet, Amelia stood defiant and as the winds tunneled around her, lightly mussing her hair which was swept up in an elegant hair arrangement. Her eyes remained fixed on some distance point but she saw nothing. Resting her fingertips on the marble veranda, she remained motionless and could be mistaken for one of the marble statues gracing the garden.

The Elder was preoccupied. It seems that she was destined to be flanked by men. Dangerous men, who through their charm, power or desires to help her kind were attractive, but whose egos or emphasis on self-importance was great reason for caution. Upon careful examination, Amelia found that her coven's strain of vampirism was truly superior to the rest. That was a source of pride - as much as one could say that one can be proud of a virus -and yet, again, caution lest Drake or the Merovingian make a power play to try to dominate them. As far as she knew, her kind was some of the oldest and strongest true vampires there were. The others were the remnants of mortals ravaged by a disease that they could not control. If she was to die in this war she would do so, but not before taking Deacon Frost's pathetic minions down with her and making sure that a strong anointed Elder took her place.

She walked back inside, shutting the cathedral-styled windows behind her and made her way through the sitting room only to stop at a chessboard lying on a mahogany table. 

Moving the king forward with a slender fingertip, she stared at the squares.

On one hand there was Drake, sort of like Viktor: promising victory with the ability to deliver, egotistical in his own right, strong and stubborn with the desire to protect the bloodlines. Yet callous with desire to expand whatever he meant by the ‘vampire nation’, with conquest, with the belief that superiority made one ethically exempt from certain moral principles.

Moving the other king from the other side, she slid him forward.

On the other hand, there was the Merovingian, slightly reminiscent of Marcus:  The one with great power, even though others might not immediately understand its breadth and what it can do for you, enterprising, refined elegance masking sharp edges, a silent commanding presence and an understanding into the intricacies of the world. Yet, so suave that through his honeyed words she was still unsure of what to make of the incredible snake charmer who commanded some Lycan and vampires.

Drake had offered her power: reign over the vampires under a banner of one nation and getting rid of Deacon Frost. Truth was, she'd settle for the death of Frost, and wanted the eradication of those weaker vampire bloodlines whose inability to curb their bloodlust threatened their own little masquerade. She'd settle for the destruction of the Lycans so that for the first time in more than a thousand years, her house could know what peace was, if only for a moment. Amelia surely strained to remember what it was composed of.

With the Merovingian it was not what he could offer but what you could ask for....

The question with both of these men was: what were you willing to pay? Amelia was not nearly naive enough to believe that there were no strings attached. Powerful men don't give anything away for free, except their wrath.

Pushing the pawn forward with a fingertip she thought of her next move in this new war.

Then there was Michael. Devastated, brooding Michael.  Prone to quick emotion that quickly faded into self-pity. Just like Lucian. But just like Lucian she had to take care that his bitterness did not overwhelm him and cause him to strike against them at a time that they didn’t need another front opening up on them. How to best mobilize him? How to make him forget about what he could no longer have and make him see that an alliance with the vampires was to his benefit? He could never be pure, such was his true curse, but he could bring the Lycan into order with her guidance!  Yes, if they only saw that her way was best. The coven could be great again; it would survive this Blood God and many other enemies after it. Their army would destroy those wretched lower castes of vampires and the Lycan.

She moved the Knight forward and her eyes lingered on the ivory piece.

Lastly, there was that hunter. So oddly like them and yet not one of them at all. The one thing that he had in common with the other three was that she didn't trust any one of them. But that was it.

Her eyes wandered over the chess pieces again and a little hiss rumbled in her throat. As the clap of thunder boomed throughout the house, so did the scattering off all the little chess pieces as she swept her hand over the chess board in anger.

"Enough." It was time to go honour the dead.

Her Highness has a contingent of her own warriors and some of them are being used as NPCs while others are included in fanfiction and posts. I thought it could be good to give a rundown of her vampiric family tree, kind like a whose who within the warrior class. There is a hierarchy to this. The higher you are, the better the rank. This based on Underworld but adapted to her role playing.

                                                                                                                  Marcus (First Vampire: Elder)

                                                   Amelia (Elder: Hungarian Princess)                                                                            Viktor (Elder: Warlord)

Royal Knights: Their loyality is only to Amelia as they were the Royal Knights to her and her family during their reign in Hungary. They refused to be turned by Marcus and demanded that if they were to be turned that Amelia do it so that they could continue to serve under their Lady. They are her most trusted confidants but for it they suffered Marcus' wrath who sent them into exile.  They  are some of the oldest  vampires in the coven after the elder and the remnants of her court when she was Princess Amelia of Hungary. Very strong, they excel in warfare, strategy, politics and chivalry (of course, they are *knights* wink, wink. Think round table).

Matayas (Royal Knight: Primary NPC, 1201AD)                                                                                                          

Lothoro (Royal Knight: Secondary NPC, 1201AD)
Thasos (Royal Knight: 1201AD)
Darious (Royal Knight: 1201AD)
Lazar (Royal Knight: 1201AD)
Janos (Royal Knight: 1201AD-2007AD)

Royal Guard: The Royal Guard are basically that. Guards that are employed by the Knights to watch over and protect Amelia when they are at war. Again, they are the remnants of her court when she was the princess of Hungary. There are only five original Guards left now thanks to the Lycan attack on Amelia's convoy. They arrived earlier and were thus spared their deaths. Four of the originals were turned by  Amelia but one was turned by Matayas right before he was banished so that he could have a blood link with someone who would be around the princess. That way he would know what was going on in the coven and whether Amelia was alright. Amelia lied to both Viktor and Marcus, telling them that she turned Vasylis. Otherwise they would have killed Matayas because it was by that time forbidden to turn someone without council permission.

Vasylis (Royal Guard: Primary NPC, 1209AD/ turned by Matayas)

Miklos (Royal Guard: 1205AD)
Tamas (Royal Guard: 1205AD)
Gregor (Royal Guard: 1205AD)
Borias (Royal Guard: 1205AD)

Other Children: Might work on this one day, for now it is not important to her RP.

***