After many adventures, Alistair returns home from his wanderings to the palatial Darkwater estate. Aware of his return, Alistair’s parents threw a royal gala in his honor. This homecoming was the night he was fated to meet the illustrious beauty, Christina Dangustino, a captivating and exotic social butterfly, also born into nobility of high standing. Christina was always the life of the party and ardently pursued by many suitors. After a brief introduction, Alistair and Christina fell deeply in love and were betrothed by their approving elders to be married in the coming fall; a spectacular event with all of Europe’s nobility in attendance.
The night before the wedding, Christina stealthily came to Alistair’s private chambers to seduce him with a dark gift. In the heat of their passion, Christina sunk her teeth into Alistair’s neck and turned him into something he could never imagine; in either his wildest dreams or worst nightmares. In a state of horror, he screams “Why have you done this to me”? In turn, she says, “My dearest love, I want us to live forever in eternal love…
And so they shall…
In a panic, Alistair leaves before the morn of his impending matrimonial ceremony unaware that his life will never be the same. He collects his treasured belongings and flees before the dawn, to find himself at the Crimson Flag Inn, owned and operated by one, Arabella Pennywell. Scared and broken, he asks for a room for the night which turned into several months. One night, he become acquainted with a wise old gypsy woman. Realizing what Alistair has become, she fears for her own life and tells him a great lie to save her own soul. She convinces him that to break the dark spell of Christina’s dark kiss, he must seek true love again. Arabella had recognized that Alistair was unique and had a special ethereal quality overshadowing her other patrons residing at her inn. She very much adored having him around and never inquired the whereabouts of his nightly sojourns or his incessant need to sleep quietly in his darkened room until sunset. She nurtured him with compassion, becoming entranced with his mysterious benevolence. Arabella was drawn to her new boarder’s charismatic charms and highly empathetic to his current state of solitude. His wit and charm had won her over. After some deep, yet compassionate consideration, Arabella finally realizes Alistair’s affliction and summons him to bestow the gift upon her. He refuses at first, but sees how much she loves him; he finally obliges. Soon after, the newly consummated lovers run away together to France; Christina stalking them and never far behind…