Author's Note: Happy Halloween season! To help you get in the mood, here's a saucy story about witches and vampires. ;)
After the fall of Wall Maria, it became difficult for witches and vampires to hide their existence, now that so many people were shoved into close quarters within the remaining two Walls. It started with a few rumors here and there, and then all of a sudden, everyone knew someone who had seen the supernatural creatures with their own eyes. Belief spread rapidly for stories that were once mere legend – and so did fear. Having just endured a titan attack, no one was eager to have more monsters in their midst.
Yet, not all monsters were created equal. Despite initial objections from the Wall Cult, witches became revered by society. Not only did they make incredible medicinal contributions and help crops grow, but they were also able to protect citizens from the more problematic vampires.
The fanged creatures largely lived inside a deep network of caves that was only accessible through the Underground City. This subterranean existence was preferable for them, given that they couldn't survive in direct sunlight. Furthermore, it was rumored that they lived in much the same way human aristocrats did, with a hierarchy and formal etiquette and luxuries mansions. However, since no human had ever come out of there alive, such things were difficult to prove. Humans only knew for certain that the vampires had a queen, because the witch princesses occasionally ventured underground to negotiate with her – though such negotiations rarely yielded a lasting benefit.
Despite the witches' best efforts to achieve a peaceful resolution, it seemed impossible to permanently prevent vampires from attacking humans. Most of the creatures were cruel and selfish – caring for nothing beyond the fact that they both needed blood to survive and enjoyed drinking it. Even though they could technically drink without killing, they often chose to kill anyway, because they saw humans as mere livestock that existed only to feed them. Moreover, their proximity to the slums provided them with easy access to a food supply that the human government wasn't likely to miss – if they were willing to settle for malnourished blood, of course.
Many weren't, and these rogue vampires lived apart from the core of vampire society. They instead chose to make their homes on the surface, hiding from sunlight during the day and emerging at night to feed. It was impossible to know when and where a vampire might attack, and if a human were unfortunate enough to be targeted, their only hope was that a witch would just happen to be close enough to assist them.
For this reason, at least one witch was permanently stationed in every town, and more traveled from place to place as they hunted vampires who had killed humans. Each region – north, south, east, and west – was overseen by a witch princess, who was responsible for handing out assignments and stepping in if things took an extremely bad turn. The four princesses were chosen by the Council of Elders that resided in the capital city of Mitras, and the requirements included being an exceptionally powerful, wise, and well-respected member of the witch community. Once chosen, a princess served for life until she stepped down, was deemed physically unable, or was removed for improper conduct – though the last method hadn't been necessary since the first group of princesses ruled nearly a century ago.
You had recently been elected as princess of the southern region, and you certainly had a full schedule as you tried to balance both your royal duties and your work as a squad leader in the Scout Regiment. On top of all that, you were married, and you wanted to give your husband every bit of attention and support he deserved. After all, Levi was an absolute treasure.
Yet, there was no avoiding the fact that you had to occasionally take days-long trips into the interior to meet with the Council or the other princesses. You hated being away from your husband for so long, though he always put on a stoic face and assured you that he could survive until you returned. Yet, he was always waiting at the door whenever you came back, eager to make up for the lost time between you two.
Until he wasn't.
You nearly had a heart attack when you were informed that Levi wasn't waiting in your shared bedroom, but resting in the infirmary. Your concern only grew when you learned that his injuries were due to a vampire attack. The monster had targeted his subordinates, and true to form, Levi fought to defend them. While mercifully, no one had died during the encounter, your husband was...different.
It took until the exact moment you saw the blackout curtains darkening the infirmary to realize what different meant. During the attack, some of the vampire's blood had gotten into Levi's wounds. And it had transformed Levi into a vampire himself.
No one argued with you when you removed the chains that bound Levi to the bed. Nor did they argue when you dismissed the guards, creating privacy for yourself and your husband. After all, you were one of the most powerful and well-respected witches in the known world. If anyone could handle a vampire, it was you.
Once you two were alone, the first thing you did was reassure Levi. Despite what society believed, being a vampire didn't inherently make someone a monster, and you wanted him to know that he could still retain his humanity – that he could live without being a constant danger to those around him. You also promised to find a way to change him back, and in the meantime, you would help him adjust to his new needs.
Without further ado, you then scratched your wrist and held it to his lips. He recoiled at first, revolted by the possibility of harming you even as his vampire instincts urged him to drink. But once you explained that he would only lose control if he didn't drink regularly, that he could possibly kill someone later if he didn't take your blood now, he gave in.
You may not have been a vampire yourself, but after policing them for so long, you were familiar with their biology. Thus, while he drank, you coached him on how to produce endorphins so his donor wouldn't feel pain, as well as how to produce a healing agent that would seal the wound once he was finished. You didn't need to provide guidance on how much to take, because after decades of seeing human injury and death, Levi knew exactly which signals indicated a person was going to pass out from blood loss.
Once that was finished, you told him he'd have to drink your blood once a month – or more if he was seriously injured – in order to prevent his more primal instincts from taking over. Then you took him back to your shared bedroom, and you crafted a magic ring that would allow him to survive in sunlight. With that, Levi had everything he needed to return to his normal duties as a Scout.
The fact that he was now a vampire was largely kept quiet. Even his subordinates – who had seen the attack but were unaware that the vampire's blood had mingled with his own – remained in the dark. Despite the fact that Levi would never harm anyone, society hated vampires so much that it was better if the world thought he was still human. Besides, given that he'd been so pale to begin with, his transformation was easy to hide – as long as no one saw the fangs, of course.
In order to keep himself in check, Levi drank from you diligently at every full moon, though he always felt guilty and ashamed of his needs. After all, you were his wife – the most important person in the world to him. The last thing he wanted to do was hurt you, but at the same time, he couldn't let himself go crazy and endanger his comrades. You tried to ease his conscience, assuring him that he wasn't causing you harm, and that you were happy to give him what he needed. But even so, he was always incredibly careful when he drank from you – never taking too much, and always giving you endorphins so you didn't feel any pain.
You were able to keep up this charade for several months. But, as luck would have it, a witch huntress happened to pass Levi in the marketplace one day, and she was able to tell instantly what he was. Only your authority as a princess kept her from killing him right then and there. However, she still reported both of you to the Council.
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Mere days after the incident in the marketplace, you and Levi were summoned to Mitras. While you initially thought the Elders only wanted to hear your side of the story, once you arrived, you realized that the situation was frighteningly more serious. You and your husband hadn't been called here for a simple audience. Instead, you both were being put on trial.
Despite your vehement objections, Levi's wrists and ankles were chained to the floor of the Council chamber, though you were able to stop the guards from putting a muzzle on him. Meanwhile, out of respect for your position, you were allowed to stand unfettered at his side. You took advantage of your freedom and slid your hand into Levi's – showing solidarity, as well as demonstrating that he wasn't a threat to you or anyone else.
Together, you faced the Council and the other three princesses, who sat behind a raised bench that curved around half the room like a crescent moon. Behind you, the spectator area was overflowing with common witches who had come to watch the proceedings. After all, it wasn't every day that one of their princesses was charged with harboring a vampire.
You had to listen to a lot of frustrating nonsense – charges being read, the Council members making speeches about duty and integrity – before you were finally allowed to tell your side of the story. You tried to keep your anger from showing as you explained how Levi was turned into a vampire against his will, and how he had never attacked a human. You also reminded the Council that the law only prescribed execution for vampires who were a threat to innocents – which Levi was not.
"But how can you be sure?" one of your peers – the Princess of the East – asked thoughtfully from her raised seat. "While Captain Levi may not have attacked a human yet, we all know that vampires cannot survive without a steady supply of human blood. It is only a matter of time before he will need to drink, and if he attempts to suppress the urge for too long, he will lose control and become an even greater danger."
"He has a steady supply of blood," you insisted. "There's no danger of him losing control."
This earned a few raised eyebrows and quiet murmurs from the council bench. "A steady supply?" one of the elders questioned. "From where?"
You hesitated. While there wasn't strictly a law against such things, willingly giving your blood to a vampire was such a strong taboo that you were afraid of turning everyone against you completely. Then again, the Council was strict about following the rules, and they wouldn't conduct executions without legal justification. So, even if it meant incurring their revulsion and disdain, telling the truth was better than the alternative.
You squared your shoulders and stated as resolutely as you could, "From me. I give him my blood once a month – or more often, if he's injured. And I will continue to do so until I find a way to change him back into a human, so there's no chance of him ever losing control."
As expected, the crowd behind you erupted with a deluge of shocked gasps and hurried whispers. Even the elders and princesses could only stare at you, too stunned for words. It was so rare for a witch to commit this taboo that most in attendance had never even heard of it in their lifetime – and certainly not involving a princess.
Instinctively, you wanted to curl up and hide. But then you reminded yourself that – taboo though it was – you hadn't actually done anything wrong. Levi needed blood to survive, and you willingly gave it to him. You weren't hurting anybody. In fact, you were saving a life – your husband's life.
Unashamed, you lifted your chin and looked directly at the Council. "So, now that we've proven you have no grounds to execute Levi, are we done here?"
Upon hearing your impertinent tone, the elders managed to find their voices. One of them – the High Elder – leveled her stern gaze at you and stated with authoritative quiet, "On your head be it. If Captain Levi ever attacks a human, you both will atone with your lives."
You felt Levi stiffen, saw him open his mouth to argue – until you squeezed his hand in silent reassurance. This was how it should be. The two of you were married, and whatever happened, you would face it together. You were certain that, if your roles were reversed, Levi would have felt the same way.
Besides, you had absolute faith in Levi. You knew he was a good person, knew he would never give in to his vampire instincts and harm an innocent. And by agreeing to the Council's terms, you were declaring that confidence for all the world to hear.
"I accept," you declared. "I stake my life on the fact that Levi will never attack an innocent human."
Several of the elders blinked, surprised by the strength of your resolve. While committing a taboo was rare, it was even more uncommon to find a witch who would give her life for a vampire. Such was the animosity between the two races.
"Very well," the High Elder spoke. With an idle wave of her hand, the chains around Levi disappeared.
You shot one last glare at the Council before turning to leave. Yet, as you looked at their faces, you realized that not everyone was your enemy here. While the elders seemed either concerned or irate, and the Princess of the West appeared positively spiteful...the northern and eastern princesses gazed back at you with a subtle softness. Perhaps their youthful open-mindedness allowed them to sympathize with you – to recall that they both had lovers back home, who they would do anything to protect.
In contrast to the silence radiating from the council bench, the audience was roaring with scandal. Some shouted encouragement to you and Levi as you walked out of the room, while even more hurled insults. But most were just excited by the juicy gossip – delighted to discuss the first troublemaker princess in a century.
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As one might expect, rumors spread like wildfire in the wake of the trial. Most were unflattering to your reputation, resulting in a growing number of witches calling for you to be stripped of your title. Of course, even the truth was enough to get you removed, but for some reason, the Council allowed you to keep your position. Perhaps more of them sympathized with you than you realized. Or maybe they just wanted you to suffer until you resigned.
The worst was when witches started openly calling you a blood whore. It was a highly vulgar term for someone who allowed a vampire to drink their blood during intercourse – which involved committing several taboos. The act was more common in the Dark Ages, when vampires practically advertised their existence by living in grandiose castles, and humans would offer themselves up as toys merely to escape their miserable lives. After all, an ample dose of vampire endorphins was enough to make anyone forget their troubles, and combining those endorphins with intercourse only multiplied the pleasure – many times over.
People were only guessing when they spread such rumors about you and Levi. They had no evidence beyond your statements at the trial, which contained no details about the circumstances under which you gave Levi blood. But although you would never admit it, they had actually hit the nail on the head.
Despite society's revulsion at the idea, you felt no shame whatsoever. Sure, it would have been awful if it weren't completely consensual, or if you were somehow devaluing yourself, but your situation was entirely different from the depravity of the Dark Ages. You and Levi enjoyed a healthy, loving marriage, and you were sleeping with each other anyway, so what did it matter? By sharing your blood, you were only helping Levi, only deepening your connection with your husband, only creating more pleasure for both of you – and those were all good things.
Unfortunately, Levi had a harder time brushing it off. As soon as he caught wind of the term, and what it meant, he was overcome with guilt. He hated that you were being ridiculed on his behalf.
Unaware of this, you prepared to give Levi his monthly dose of your blood when the moon rose full in the night sky, just like you always did. But when you tried to entice him into bed with you, he turned away, folding his arms around himself as he tried to resist the instinctive urge to feed. Despite the fact that his body was literally trembling with need after having your delicious blood practically dangled in front of him, he still felt too guilty over the damage to your reputation.
Your heart broke upon seeing the pain and self-loathing his eyes. However, you weren't giving up. You refused to let him suffer or be ashamed of his needs – especially when he had done absolutely nothing wrong.
You slid your arms around his waist, pressing yourself flush against his back, letting him feel every soft curve. Your lips ghosted across his ear as you whispered, "We're married, and what we do in our bed is sacred. Their opinions don't matter to me – not one bit – because it's none of their business."
You moved to his nape, pressing supple, enticing kisses along the sensitive skin there. "Come on, my love," you encouraged gently. "Come to bed. You must be thirsty."
Levi tensed, his guilt warring with his body's instinctive responses to your advances. "I...I don't..." he whispered, his quiet voice trembling.
"Shh," you cooed, lightly nipping at his skin, letting your hands roam. Since Levi's modus operandi was to put your needs above his own, you figured you would just have to show him that by taking your blood, he was doing a good thing for you. So, with sincere desire coating your voice like honey, you continued, "There's nothing wrong with doing it this way. It's what I want. Please? It feels so good, darling."
A soft groan escaped his throat, and he twisted to face you, his lips finding yours as he finally gave in. Humanity's Strongest could deny his own needs all day long, but it was different if you were the one asking. He was utterly devoted to you, and he would do absolutely anything you wished – because that was how he expressed love.
You grinned into the kiss, glad that he no longer had to suffer because of society's stupid opinions. On top of that, you were delighted by the pleasant heat that bloomed in your core as your body responded to what it knew was coming. You hadn't been exaggerating when you told Levi how good it felt to offer yourself to him in more than one sense of the word.
You were still smiling when you pulled him down onto the bed, and his fangs grazed carefully across your throat.
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It took a few years, but with your stubborn determination and magical talent, you found a way to turn not just Levi back into a human, but all vampires. Of course, actually convincing every single vampire to drink the potion would be a whole other task, but at least the potential for a peaceful future existed – as far as vampires were concerned, anyway. And seemingly overnight, you went from being sneered at and slandered to being hailed as a hero.
However, you hadn't forgotten the way the Council and most of society had treated you – not to mention that they had almost executed your husband. So when you were invited to Mitras in order to receive a medal from the very people who had once put you on trial, you attended. But you had something else in mind for the Council's ceremony.
This time, instead of being looked down upon by the elders, you stood on equal ground in front of them, with Levi at your side. All of you were facing a crowd of spectators – larger than the audience at your trial, since there had been more notice this time. You listened with blatant disinterest as one of the elders gave opening remarks, choosing instead to exchange soft glances with your husband, occasionally smirking at a silent joke that only the two of you could understand.
Then the High Elder stepped forward. "Fellow witches," she began, projecting her voice throughout the room, "we are gathered here today to honor the contributions of Princess (f/n) (l/n), whose great strides in potion-making have given us a way to peacefully end vampirism. She will be receiving our most prestigious award, the –"
"I refuse," you interrupted, completely calm, yet loud enough for everyone to hear.
The High Elder blinked, momentarily stunned, as if she couldn't fathom that anyone would even consider interrupting her. Then she turned her head to stare at you. "What?" she breathed, her thin lips barely moving to form the word.
"I refuse the award," you repeated, unable to stop your mouth from curling into a smile. "I don't want it. In fact, I don't want any part of your prissy, fickle system. So I'm resigning from my role as a princess, too."
A collective gasp arose from the audience. The High Elder looked as if she were about to die of shock, and you wondered when someone had last dared to embarrass her so thoroughly. A second later, she recovered, and her regal features tightened with anger.
However, before she could form a retort, the Princess of the East spoke up. "What will you do?" she asked curiously, her voice soft and thoughtful.
Although the Princess of the North did not speak, she was watching you with a similarly interested expression, eager to hear your response. As you suspected, despite their quiet nature, both your northern and eastern counterparts had been rooting for you all along. The thought warmed your heart – as did your answer.
"I'm going to spend more time with my husband," you murmured happily, threading your fingers through Levi's. The two of you exchanged a glance, at which point, your smile melted from victorious to completely smitten. Human or vampire, you loved Levi with all your heart – though you would secretly miss the delicious flood of endorphins that came whenever he drank your blood.
The two princesses grinned softly at you and your husband, pleased by your answer. Perhaps they would even be inspired by your actions and re-evaluate what was really important to them. Or perhaps they would rise to the top of this dogmatic organization and make it something to be proud of. Either way, you would be rooting for them from your office at Scout Regiment Headquarters.
After throwing one last smirk at the High Elder, you left the ceremony with Levi at your side. All around you, witches clapped and cheered, drowning out the High Elder's demands for order. Yet, you and Levi couldn't have cared less about any of it. You two only had eyes for each other.
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After that day, you settled into a slightly less hectic routine, never once regretting your choice. Of course, with the titans still around, life wasn't all sunshine and rainbows. However, you at least enjoyed practicing magic a lot more, now that the political drama was gone. When you weren't spending some delightful quality time with your husband, you could often be found tossing ingredients into your cauldron, or waving your wand to make your paperwork do itself. And of course, charming Levi's tea to turn him into a neko would never grow old – though he blatantly wished it would.