It had been an eventful day for one Julie d'Aubigny, a duelist, opera singer and – since sundown – a vampire hunter. It was not a bad track record for a 17 year-old girl. Oh, oh, and she was also a personal friend of the Sun King, if that mattered. Since she had been born in his court, she had never seen Louis as a distant, royal figure, rather than a funny uncle. She probably should not mention that to anyone.

"Julie? Julie!"

"Ohh."

"You let your mind wander so much it will be captured by faeries," said the man next to him. She had stabbed him once, but then they had made love, so it was ok. Louis - not the king king, mind you, Louis d'Albert – was sweet and one of the few people she could call a real friend – and for a reason. For example, right now he was helping her get rid of a body of a vampire.

"My mind would come along splendidly with the faeries, I'll have you know," she said proudly.

"You know, I have not a single doubt about that. How about this wooden stake?"

The witch had given her very detailed instructions. "The stake is to slay – I mean, to stay."

He nodded solemnly. "And the head? I mean, it's not attached to the body."

She let out a short giggle. "Ohh, that was my own addition. You know me, always so clumsy with the sword!"

"Julie, you have barely ever lost a duel. You are the best fencer in France!"

"And that's why you love me?"

Louis d'Albert deflated. "Yes, that is why I love you."

She absolutely loved to tease him. She also loved him. As as friend, but not only in a platonic way because, oh wow, they'd had their moments. But right now, definitely as a friend who helped her bury the undead.

The young nobleman thrust his shovel into the dirt. "You know, we should have the servants –" he started, but Julie quickly raised her finger to her lips.

He sighed. "Yes, can't have the servants know my dear friend just killed a prestigious guest from – where was he from again?"

She smiled, "Hungary!"

"Oh, yes, the prestigious guest, did I remember to tell you how prestigious exactly he was, who just happened to turn out to be a vampiré."

"Vampire, Louis, vampire. Say it like normal people."

Another sigh. "Yes, vampire."

"And a threat not only to everyone here, but had he gone undetected, the king himself!" she said with a dramatic flair. She felt like a situation like this needed a certain gravitas.

"Oh, dear god, me?" said Loius – and this time it was indeed the king – who had just appeared from behind the trees with an entourage fit for a, uh, king.

"Louis!" Julie exclaimed and two sets of ears perked up. She sighed. "You know how annoying it is, when everyone in here is called Loius? Like, people, don't you have a shred of imagination?!"

Both men named Louis outed a hearty laugh, not to mention at least three in the king's retinue. She rolled her eyes markedly.

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"Would you care to explain why the Hungarian ambassador is lying on the ground with a stick of wood in his chest and his head severed?" asked the woman next to the king. She was beautiful, powerful. She carried herself in a manner distinct from the king's other lovers. Her name was Elizabeth, and Julie could feel there was a connection as strong as the stronger rope between her and this mysterious woman. But that, that was another story.

She looked down, slightly embarrassed. She had to admit, it did look a bit suspicious when you put it like that. The king had let her off easy in the past, but inciting an international incident, that might be hard to sweep under the rug. She shrugged shyly and offered: "He was a spy?"

The kings face twisted in fury. He almost ranted. Almost, but kings did not rant and he was not alone. He calmed himself down with remarkable ease, and in a very calm tone, said: "But young lady, of course he was a spy. He was an ambassador, that's what the diplomats are for. It would not do to, would it, if we just killed them at the first sign of subterfuge?"

Her cheeks burned. Her stomach turned.

The kings fist was trembling, a sign of aggression that would not go unnoticed by the court gossipers. Elizabeth laid her hand on his. "Your highness, could I have a word with the girl, alone?" she said softly.

This seemed to have an almost unnaturally calming effect on the king. Julie wondered if the court had noticed the influence she held over their monarch. He stayed quiet, but nodded.

The elegant woman walked to Julie, who was now painfully aware of her choice of plain pants and a white shirt splattered with blood. "Please, follow me," Elizabeth said and they walked deeper to the woods.

In a few moments, the king's lover turned to face the younger woman and whispered: "It was a vampire, wasn't it?"

The shock on Julie's face must have been obvious.

"Stake, decapitation, I was not born yesterday, you do understand?"

The would-be vampire slayer swallowed and nodded.

The woman in her crimson dress glanced back at the men on the hill. "Good work, if a bit sloppy. Must be your first?"

"Yes, m'lady," Julie said silently.

"I can see that. Dreadful how they let them in the courts in the east. No manners at all!", Elizabeth said, shaking her head. "It was a witch who told you… the procedure?"

Julie marvelled at the casual way the woman spoke about the undead. "Yes… m'lady."

"Can you please stop with the m'lady, it's unbecoming of you."

This level of informality took Julie by surprise. Elizabeth might not be of a high noble bloodline, but as a lover of the king, she was awarded a good deal of respect. "But– I'm– I'm just a girl. An ordinary peasant."

The woman laughed. "Ordinary is indeed what you are not. The will be telling of your exploits for hundreds of years."

"You see the future?"

"No one sees the future," Elizabeth said strongly. "It is always in flux. Let that be the first lesson of the world you are about to enter."

"I – I don't understand."

"Never admit your ignorance, either," the older woman said coldly.

"I seldom do, but…" Julie started by her voice faltered. Her whole life was built upon her not tripping on her feet, on her always being on steady footing. Even the vampire had not staggered her for more than a mere moment. But the way this woman spoke of her and the… world she was about to enter? Never before had she been caught so off guard.

"He is not the queen of this board," Elizabeth said, eventually. "He is merely a rook."

"The queen?"

"You do know chess, don't you, child?" the woman spat.

Julie nodded. She preferred swords, but she knew chess. She also did not appreciate the tone this lady sliding into. Confidence surged within her. "Of course, he is not the queen. No one starts with the queen. He was the opening move, baiting me into action. Well, let me tell you, Beth, if it is action they want, action they shall have. For they may think a foolish girl like me does not recognise their game, but that is a fool's gambit."

Elizabeth's eyes lit up. She gave a small applause. "Well done, well done! That is the Julie d'Aubigny I came here to see!"

"Well, then, can you make yourself useful, and tell me what you know? For we are not actually playing chess, are we? In chess, the board is known to both players, but in this game, the pieces are hidden. It is much more like a card game. So, lady Elizabeth, show me your hand."

The woman grinned with glee. "Oh, what spunk! A hand it is, indeed, and to be more precise: a fist. A Red Fist."