Name: Delilah Rancour
Age: 35(looks) 6,995(actual)
Eye Color: Cerulean Blue
Species: Vampire, Blooded; French Bastion
Family: Albert-Father Sienna-Mother
Marital Status: Betrothed to Piotr Sokolov
Face claim: Eva Green

Loyal | Quick Witted | Stable | Protective| Selfless
Secretive | Cold | Calculating | Manipulative

Some people are born for greatness and others greatness is thrust upon but both could be said of Delilah Rancour. Her father, Albert Rancour, was a descendant of one of the Original Six vampires whom the gods both blessed and cursed. To the true Blooded vampires the Original Six and their family lines were like royalty. Of course the turned vampires believe the Original Six and the true royal line were unworthy of the gifts they were given. That was something neither Albert nor Sienna, her mother, would allow their daughter to know raising her in a sheltered life.

From the age she was able to hold a sword her father began to teach her how to fight and defend herself while her mother taught her how to read and write. The most important thing for a Bastion was to be able to protect the King’s line, so lessons as far as knowledge other than war and strategy were rare, most Bastion’s gaining only a limited education but that wasn’t what Sienna wanted for her daughter. Within Albert’s line there had only been male children until Delilah and so things had to be done differently now.

Those who knew her well were impressed with her dedication to learning the art of war and protection along with her belief in the Bastion lines and that of the King. Albert often telling her that Gideon would be the future of their species and the future was something worth protecting. Delilah’s interactions with the royal family were limited but she often followed her father into meetings as she became older. That was where she first saw Gideon Ashworth, the Prince and the man whose shoulders all their futures rested upon. To Delilah it seemed a heavy burden to have to carry but he seemed to do so with ease, comfortable with his station in life much like she was. It didn’t hurt that he was also very handsome and intelligent, easily commanding a room of elders much in the way his father was able to.

Delilah was a quick learner and soon she was schooled in not only the sword but in dance as well, her mother believing she needed to be well versed in the arts as well as battle. Sienna often told her daughter that dance had as much to do with life and battle as the actual skills to fight. It taught her grace and how to move quick and in a fluid manner which helped her to out maneuver others. That however was not all she was taught, vampires from around the world were brought in to teach her languages since being a Bastion often involved much travel and backing the King which meant that you needed to understand what was being said. Diplomacy was not her job but if you were meant to escort a King you couldn’t run the risk of making him look the fool.

When Delilah was eighteen her father decided to expand her training placing her into the care of another Bastion who was training Piotr Sokolov, the son of the Bastion of Russian descent. Piotr spent more time in training trying to impress her than listening to their instructor so as she got better, he progressed very little blaming everyone but himself. Delilah had once tried to speak to him about the matter and explain that opening his mind and being malleable like heated steel would get him farther than pushing back against those who sought to lift him up. Though he was handsome it was hard to see him as such when he didn’t seem to take his training or the tasks at hand seriously wanting things to be handed to him which was not how training worked. Delilah was easily able to take him in any fight and yet he claimed that the only reason she was able to do so was because he allowed it which angered and frustrated her beyond measure. After a few years of training together it was obvious which of the two was stronger and more ready and willing to accept the job before them.

All of that changed when the last person she expected to see walked into the area their instructor used for training. Piotr was in even more disbelief than she was but he seemed to see it as a challenge whereas Delilah saw it as traditions changing since for the first time a future King was being trained to defend himself and others with more than words. Gideon was a quick study and seemed to be a natural, needing a way to put all of his excess energy to use. It wasn’t long before he was besting Piotr which caused the Russian to be incredibly frustrated and had him lashing out. That also meant Piotr making rash decisions which managed to get him even farther behind in training as Gideon and Delilah quickly surpassed him. Often times after the sessions he would attempt to get Delilah alone to vent and in those cases she would tell him to put forth the effort instead of expecting everything to come easy. How was he meant to protect the King when it seemed most could best him in a duel?

Within a few year’s time frame Gideon and Delilah had both surpassed not only Piotr but those meant to train them and were often found all hours of the day and night sparing. This was something they did for well over a century finding a sense of calm in the presence of one another able to meet one another strike for strike like a dance only the two of them understood. Gideon had grown from the boy trying to find his place to a man who would one day become King. The young Prince filled out in a way that was hard not to notice and Delilah often times founds herself looking to him for no reason. Quick and sharp quips would often leave her tongue without much thought, she wasn’t trying to be vexing but that was just part of her personality. Within this time Piotr tried his best to gain Delilah’s attention but she had no use for a man who was less than her equal even if he believe their fates were intertwined which was an opinion he voiced every chance he had. Every time Piotr said something to the effect of Delilah being his mate when Gideon was around she could see the Prince tense up in response. Though to be honest Delilah was sure she did the same given there were those in the regular army who would be better suited for her than Piotr.

It was during one of those training sessions that Gideon ended up pinning Delilah beneath him and the pent up tension between them finally came to a head. Delilah knew it was a huge risk and it wasn’t proper behavior for a Bastion, even one in training but the moment his lips touched hers it just felt right. That was the beginning of a secret and highly scandalous affair and no matter how wrong it was, when Delilah was with Gideon and it was just the two of them it felt like nothing else mattered. There was no doubt that she would give her life for his and it made the connection between them stronger than any Prince or King and Bastion in history.

It was something they couldn’t publicize no matter how much Delilah or Gideon wanted to. The King liked Delilah a lot because she was the elite of the Bastion but she had the feeling his opinion of her would quickly decrease should he find out she was in love with his son. So many females were brought in from what seemed like all corners of the world as the King sought a mate for his son. It was hard for Delilah to see other women flaunt themselves in front of Gideon seeking his attention, no matter how many times he told her that she was the only one he would ever want and love, she couldn’t help but be jealous. The women the King had chosen were also so soft and perfect having never worked a day in their life or held a sword in their hand. They were meant as a symbol of status and to hopefully continue the Royal line with strength and beauty. It wasn’t that she was jealous of the women getting a little attention from the Prince since she knew his true feelings, she was jealous of the fact that they could speak to him openly and seek affection whereas she had to keep to the shadows waiting for a time when she could see him away from everyone else.

During this time Piotr was relentless in his attempt to court Delilah taking advantage of the fact that Gideon was far busier than before with his Princely duties as he prepared to take his father’s place. It frustrated Gideon to no end that Piotr tried to take advantage like that, Piotr often telling Delilah it was inevitable that Gideon would take a mate and when that happened she could be forced to protect them both. It was a horrible thing for him to say but he seemed to know something was going on.

No matter the words which left Piotr’s lips Gideon always had a way of soothing her worries and fears. They were in uncharted territory after all and both were willing to put all they were on the line in order to be together. It was more than her status as a Bastion that she could loss should the King find out about her and Gideon after all. Years passed as she allowed herself to become lost in a life that was better than any daydream, that became especially true when Cecilia was able to sooth the King into understanding. There was no one who could turn a phrase like Cecilia and that was the true strength of the Bastion. Delilah’s strength came in the form of physical combat but Cecilia was far more sly and the speaker of the Bastion for obvious reasons. Her voice was like honey and could make even the bitterest truth easier to swallow.

As with all beautiful dreams things began to get strained and Gideon and Delilah were pulled in two different directions as conflict between the Turned and Blooded began to build. As the Prince it was Gideon’s job to work alongside his father and it was Delilah’s job to continue combat training and make sure that despite the different lives they had lead, all the Bastions could work together and show a united front. Gideon would speak to her of the state of their species and she could see the toll it was taking on her love, he was not yet King but he held such weight on his shoulders feeling responsible for his people. Though she tried to sooth him she knew in her heart that he would not be at peace until their people were.

Piotr began to question her authority among the Bastion and tried to display her as weak. It was a twisted game he played trying to bring her down to be able to step in as the man who lifted her up but it didn’t matter how he tried to make others view her, she was strong, skilled and didn’t take kindly to opposition and disorder among the ranks. Delilah offered Piotr a challenge, if he truly believed her to be weak and unfit than he should be the one to show the rest of the Bastion in hand to hand combat who was weak. Unable to back down from a challenge Piotr accepted believing he could use his size to his advantage. Locking up, Piotr easily overpowered Delilah pushing her to the ground but she rolled out of the way and was quickly on her feet her booted right foot connecting with the side of his head easily taking him to the ground. As he tried to regain his footing she wrenched his arm pressing her knee hard against his back as she pulled his arm back hard. Using brute strength Piotr slung her across the combat area but she landed on her feet in a crouch. Running straight at him she leapt into the air her left foot hitting his chest as the right connected just beneath his chin causing his head to snap back as he hit the ground with a hard thud. Standing over him her eyes were cold as ice as she insured her position and dispelled any hint of doubt within the Bastion that weakness was not something that ran in her veins.

One Night changed the course of history and Delilah’s life forever. It would go down in vampire history as the Great Betrayal but to those who lived through it though it was a perversion of belief and a massacre. The screams were what awoke most and it was something that would never be forgotten since once it entered your mind there was no way to forget the sound of terror and pain. The Bastion were charged with protecting Gideon but there would never be a day that went by that Delilah wasn’t filled with guilt and self-loathing for her inability to help so many others. As chaos erupted Gideon remained calm and for the first time Delilah could truly see why he was the future King and it had to do with more than blood. Gideon refused to leave to his people to die when he believed he could help them, his Bastion stood strong with him but Delilah could see the unease in many of them since their families were not as protected as they themselves currently were. Varian begged his son to listen to reason and take refuge in the bunker but Gideon refused to do so when so many others weren’t afforded the same safety.

The next words out of King Varian’s mouth were not ones that any Bastion could argue with. Though they were the generation charged with protecting Gideon they were loyal to the current King and when he ordered them to force Gideon into the bunker they had no choice. Gideon argued with his father to allow those with families to be able to gather them but Varian stood firm that was not an option the Bastion knew their duty and what loyalties were their priority. It was a death sentence to those left outside of the bunker and they all knew it. Delilah had never been an overly emotional woman but for the first time in her life she felt her heart truly break as she looked at the others of the Bastion who she counted as siblings and some of them looked shocked while others were angry. With no option they corralled Gideon into the bunker the Prince distancing himself from them, she had not doubt that he felt betrayed and rightfully so but this was not their choice either.

The night was far from over and the sounds of fighting and heart wrenching screams seemed to echo in Delilah’s ears nothing else existing. Piotr tried to wrap an arm around her in order to show her comfort and solidarity but she moved away from him. Suddenly Gideon fell to his knees and Delilah felt true terror wondering if somehow whoever had orchestrated this had somehow gotten to Gideon. In a split second she was on her feet and at his side, brushing his hair back she watched as emotions she had never seen in such extent causing his features to clench. A roar of rage left him before he was on his feet once more now pacing, every once in awhile she could see hesitation in his step as he was overtaken by something. The entirety of the Bastion realized what they were witnessing, the rise of a new King. Varian having likely been killed out in the chaotic battle which was wagging just outside the thick walls which were unable to hide or lessen the sounds none of them would ever forget.

It was hard to watch the man she loved with every fiber of her being going through something she could never understand. There was so much pain and rage within him and there was nothing she could do to sooth it, what they were hearing being nothing compared to what he was surely experience. The closer it got to sunset the more they all felt like caged animals regretting following King Varian’s orders but there was no way to change that now. The only thing they could do was avenger their losses the moment the doors released.

As the moon rose they all felt it in their bones, Gideon the first to emerge from the bunker bringing the rage of the armies of hell with him. Each Bastion had their own agenda, for some it was to hunt for family and others it was to rip apart anything remaining in the city that shouldn’t be there. Her eyes were keenly glued to Gideon having never seen him in his current state also being aware there were still potential dangers lurking. Glancing down at something which caught the moonlight her eyes landed on a familiar sword her throat constricting recognizing the hand that held it to be her father’s due to the crest on the family ring. Delilah felt sick and lightheaded realizing there was no body which went with the hand.

Picking up the sword it was unbalanced in her hand, made for someone with a larger grip and longer arms but she didn’t care. Anything that moved which didn’t belong in the city met a slow and gruesome end leaving nothing resembling lycan or human in her wake. The only thing which kept her going was the fact that her mother was still alive having returned home to France when she found out she was pregnant. It was that very thing which caused Delilah to hold onto what little sanity she had as the city was filled with sorrow when all the traitors and murderers were dealt with. So many were laid to rest that night that Delilah feared their species may never recover.

Such a tragedy should bring a species together but instead many just tried to place blame despite the fact that Turned and Blooded had both lost their lives in the attack. Gideon committed himself to finding the truth but Delilah wasn’t sure she ever wanted to know what could drive someone to orchestrate something so purely evil. Gideon weeded out traitors and questioned them but in the end it turned into a spectacle of an execution as he sought to dispel any radicals who may think the same way. The day of the coronation was a bittersweet one in Delilah’s eyes, it was the day they had all been looking forward to but none of them ever imagined the pain and heartache which would lead to it.

Swearing her allegiance to Gideon was easy since she had known for centuries that she would walk beside him, anywhere he would go so would she and his life was always above her own. That was something Gideon couldn’t stand but he was her King and she a Bastion, his life was far more valuable than her own. As the days went on something other than the massacre seemed to be weighing on his shoulders and though she made it clear he could speak to her about anything there were certain things he closed her off from. It didn’t hurt, she knew that everyone had their secrets and as the King his were the most important to protect so she vowed to just be there for him instead.

Desperate times lead desperate men to desperate actions. Due to deep seated jealousy, Piotr saw the rift beginning to occur between Delilah and Gideon. Piotr had always made awkward attempts at courting Delilah but she never believed he attempts were serious nor had she listened to his misplaced opinions of her being his mate. That was until Delilah was leaving Gideon’s room one evening and Piotr stopped her in the hall knowing exactly where she came from. Darkness had been building up within Piotr seeing the two of them surpassing him in training and then Gideon getting the woman he had loved from the day he laid eyes on her. Add on to that Gideon now being the King whom Piotr had sworn an oath to stand by and was forced to watch Delilah give the King love and understanding which Piotr believed was meant for him. Piotr was not a man who was used to being turned down and not being the best. So if Piotr couldn’t be the best in weapons and fighting then he would at least get the woman he wanted.

Piotr confessed his feelings and it was a sincere gesture but Delilah had never been interested in Piotr like that, she was his friend and cared about him as such. Expressing that to him in the kindest way that she knew how, his face began to turn red and she could see his anger rising but he managed to stomp it down. The next words out of his mouth were not what she expected. Piotr offer Delilah an ultimatum, she either left Gideon and agreed to be his mate and wife or he was going to leave to travel the world. The ultimatum Piotr placed before her was one she never expected especially when their species was in such need of unity and a strong King. The war was increasing in intensity and Delilah knew they needed all the Bastions in order to be at full strength to protect Gideon especially after the Great Betrayal. He also played on her doubts about her ability to handle being Queen. Gideon’s mother made it seem so easy but could she truly be a Bastion and the Queen? It seemed like that would put them all at another disadvantage which wasn’t something they could afford.

Piotr being the kind of man that he was played on all her fears. Even if Piotr wasn’t the best the Bastion had to offer he was still necessary. With the Turned increasing in numbers and drawing more to their cause she couldn’t allow Gideon to be left vulnerable. Was she willing to put her own love and happiness aside in order to make sure her people had a chance? She was, but the idea of breaking Gideon’s heart killed her, as did the fact that Piotr seemed very proud of himself knowing she would always place her species and duty above her own happiness. It was underhanded but he was used to getting what he wanted no matter the course of action necessary to get it.

Delilah spent the better part of the day avoiding Gideon to the best of her abilities. No one could say that Delilah was a coward but she was terrified of facing Gideon, she could tell him the truth but she knew that Gideon would kill Piotr and that would cause the total destruction of a full line of the Bastion. They needed their full numbers and the King executing one of his Bastion was not going to bring any sense of unity to their species and it would put Piotr’s blood on her hands. The next time Delilah saw Gideon she schooled her features showing nothing as she calmly told him that what they had was over. Even though she knew it was for Gideon’s own good, the expression upon his face and hitting him with another loss so soon after his parent’s was cruel. There was such disbelief and heartbreak hidden in the eyes which had always been so warm and full of love for her. As he reached for her she swiftly turned and made a hasty exit down the hall not wishing to make it any harder than it already was. Turning a corner all facades of being strong left her.

Cecelia caught sight of Delilah as she began to run with tears streaming down her cheeks. Everything she had ever wanted in her life was gone and all it had taken was the jealousy of another. Cecelia tried to stop Delilah and tried to find out what was wrong but Delilah knew better than to allow Cecelia’s persuasive voice into her head. The only thing she did do was make Cecelia swear never to tell anyone what she had witnessed, she knew it was unfair to Cecelia but there was so much Delilah couldn’t explain.

The Bastion was no longer as strong as it once was and probably never would be again. Every time Delilah saw Gideon it ripped her up inside so she forced herself to suppress everything she had ever felt for him. She had sworn an oath and now until the end of her days she was bound to Gideon and to the Bastion even if she wanted nothing more than to run away from it all. Having found a way to stall her agreement with Piotr she told him that until the species was at peace she could not be his wife or mate. Their duty was first to their species and to their King. This news hit Piotr hard causing him great frustration which he turned into hostility towards Gideon knowing that deep down the King was the reason for Delilah’s change to their agreement but he wanted her bad enough to wait.

For three centuries the tension remained within the Bastion there being no way to mend some of the bridges which had been damaged. Or they just weren’t willing to put forth the effort to try anymore. Once they had been a strong and united group of warriors and now they were no longer worthy of the title Bastion.

Things only became worse when the truth was finally revealed, Grigori Sokolov, Piotr’s father was the man behind the worst night in vampire history. He betrayed not only his people but his King, Grigori ran from justice disappearing into the night leaving Piotr to defend himself and his lack of knowledge of anything his father had done. Despite the kind of person that Piotr was even Delilah didn’t believe he was capable of having knowledge of the Great Betrayal. For the first time in nearly three centuries Delilah had approached Gideon’s bed chamber and knocked on the door knowing now more than ever Gideon could use a friend. With no response she opened the door to find the King gone a note the only thing left behind. The meaning was clear, there was no longer anything for him as King. After so many emotional blows it seemed only logical that he would eventually break. Instead of being sadden over it Delilah was enraged, their species needed their King now more than ever and he had abandoned them.

The civil war within their species only became worse without a King to attempt to bring order. The Bastion tried but they were still far from what they had once been and for every step they seemed to take forward they were forced to take multiple steps back. It was only a few years after Gideon’s disappearance that word reached Delilah that her mother and brother had been killed when a group of rogues slaughter their village and burned it to the ground. The news caused so much hate and rage to burn within her heart and she just wanted to be done with it all but as those thoughts began to bloom within her mind she knew that would make her no better than Gideon. During this time Piotr became a surprising pillar in her life no longer feeling the need to compete since as far as either of them were concerned Gideon was nothing more than a ghost of a memory.

The death of her remaining family was a reminded that the Bastion was all she had now, which was the same for many others, which meant no matter their hardships and pain they needed to come together. This was something Delilah voice far more eloquently than she had ever hoped to, she liked to think that Cecelia had leant her skills of speech. The others of the Bastion surprisingly listened to her, since Gideon had disappeared she had felt so weak and for the first time in centuries she felt like the woman she had once been. She didn’t want anyone else to loss family in this war, Delilah was lucky to have the rest of the Bastion but many were left with no one. The time for pity and mourning was over, King or no King the Bastion had a duty to their people and so they came together once more creating the close knit group they had once been.

Delilah took Iris under her wing teaching the younger vampire everything that she knew. It was rare for Delilah to share such a closeness with anyone these days but Iris was the baby of the Bastion and though she was skilled there was always room for improvement and there was no one better to teach her. Iris had been brought into the Bastion when she was merely six given the Great Betrayal having pushed the timeline for Iris’ initiation. The King may have left the city but in his absence the Bastion became peace keepers and hunters trying to keep the city from imploding due to the conflict which was barely staying under wraps.

It was also during this time period when Delilah would slip away from the Bastion and her duties and trade coin for any information on Gideon’s whereabouts. The King had taken on a one man mission to hunt down and end Griorgi, knowing both well the thought of the two meeting in combat made her uneasy unsure of which might win. The skills of both were something which would likely become legend as would the battle they would one day fight. It seemed as soon as Delilah received any information on Gideon’s location he had moved on but with how slow information was able to travel she wasn’t surprised.

Centuries spread on as Delilah and the rest of the Bastion busied themselves with trying to contain the conflict and wipe out the colonies of rogues which were trying to grab a foothold. It seemed to be a never ending battle and Delilah was beginning to give up any hope of ever making a difference or the conflict subsiding when news from China reached them. Gideon had taken down Griorgi and with that act of vengeance settled Delilah was hoping that Gideon would return but as the years went on it was obvious he had other plans in mind. That was when she finally explained to the Bastion exactly what she had been doing all these years. Piotr seemed rightfully hurt by her admission but the rest of the Bastion understood since just because Gideon renounced the crown didn’t mean they weren’t bound to him. The return of the rightful King was the only way to bring peace.

The Bastion tracked down and followed every lead which had to do with Gideon but they were often times too late. It was a cat and mouse game which went on for centuries until they finally managed to corner him. The debate and refusal of Gideon to take back what was his birthright and his responsibility grated on Delilah’s nerves knowing he could be the King they all needed if he only let go of the past. They had all been betrayed but that didn’t mean the whole species needed to suffer and wipe themselves out. Cecelia was their last card to play, no one could easily say no to the woman and yet Gideon did.

Growing tired of the back and forth games they played Delilah offered Gideon something she knew he couldn’t back down from. An ultimatum which was not extended lightly as Delilah vowed that if Gideon won they would allow him to live his quiet life but if she bested him in single combat he had to take up the crown once more. It was obvious to Delilah that he didn’t believe she would be half the challenge she once was but she had been fighting the same forces he had for just as long. As much as Gideon wanted to be left alone for eternity, Delilah’s need for him to be the King she knew he could be out weighed that, as did the love for her people and the wish to see their suffering end.

Meeting Gideon in single combat should have been a decision she struggled with but she had locked the love she had for him away centuries ago and this had nothing to do with emotion and everything to do with the future. As their blades locked up a thrilled went down her spine remembering the countless hours they had spent sparring together when they were younger. Many times she had bested him and many times he had bested her but this was for more than just ego. The clash of metal could be heard as they met one another thrust for thrust. It was a dangerous dance the two were locked into neither willing to give an inch. She could see the moment of realization dawn on Gideon, she was willing to die for her beliefs, was he willing to kill her or be killed for his?

It seemed that with each strike of their blades a small bit of the wall which held back her feelings for him began to crumble but she refused to let up. Even if she did love Gideon it didn’t matter, it was the same dilemma as in the past, what was she willing to do to protect Gideon and her people? The answer was a clear one, hurt him. As their blades clashed once more she met his eyes words only he could hear tumbling from her lips, “Be the King I know you to be.” The battle waged on no one in attendance able to look, until Gideon yielded. Delilah knew if anyone else had issued such a challenge to Gideon they would have never gotten the outcome she had, the past no matter how long ago it was always remained and feelings such as those they shared never truly died.

That morning there was a knock upon her door and she expected to see Gideon standing there but instead behind the door stood Piotr. It seemed the time to make good upon her agreement with Piotr was now and after waiting for countless centuries he wasn’t willing to wait much longer especially after seeing the exchange between Delilah and Gideon in battle. Delilah had hoped to be able to ease Gideon into the idea given it had been thousands of years since they were together but Piotr had other ideas slipping a simple engagement band onto her hand. It was something he had held onto since the day she had agreed to his terms and it felt more like a death sentence than an engagement.

Despite the spark which had been reunited between herself and Gideon it was just another remind of what was never meant to be. The following day Gideon noticed the rig and Piotr made sure to make a production out of the whole situation which caused her to feel even worse. Whatever barrier Delilah believed they might be breaking through was quickly fortified and Gideon once more became cold and distant towards her which she couldn’t fault him for.

Thankfully their days were quickly taken over by dealing out swift justice to the rogues they came across as Gideon began to work on setting up the ruling body in a new way. Never had Blooded and Turned vampires worked together in such a way but Gideon believed it to be possible and Delilah believed in him. So the start of a new era is what has brought them to Evermore, Colorado, a city full of supernatural beings and a hub for vampires as well.

Now as they settle into the city wedding plans are being made for the start of the New Year no true date being set of as yet. Between the new city and the upcoming wedding Delilah is on edge more than usual and takes solace in Iris and Cecilia more than ever before having never been one for girl talk and the likes. Piotr on the other hand took any opportunity that he could to make Gideon feel like the lesser man, the one who had lost out, often being met with the wrath of Kit in public and Delilah behind closed doors.

The future of the vampire race seems bright and for the Delilah is grateful even if her own future seems dim in comparison.