Discworld and Member Articles
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Written by Mynona
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Friday, 26 August 2005 |
I woke with a jolt only to see a foreign ceiling. And when I thought about it, neither the sheets nor the bed felt as it should have. I was instantly alert, scanning the room, wherever it was, for enemies, traps, anything that could explain what I was doing here. In a rush it all came to me, as it usually does when you’ve awoken before your brain. I was in a guestroom in the Succarn coven. I was here as a guest and as a representative of father’s. When we’d taken the Gradeft sect out their hunting grounds had been freed for someone else to take. Father had spent quite some time working out what sect needed what and I was here to inform the Succarn that they were entitled a part of it. They’d get a choice of some different areas and I’d negotiate with them about it. Everyone was greedy, they wanted more than father was willing to give so he’d told me to be hard and not to give in to anything. I wasn’t planning to.
I woke with a jolt only to see a foreign ceiling. And when I thought about it, neither the sheets nor the bed felt as it should have. I was instantly alert, scanning the room, wherever it was, for enemies, traps, anything that could explain what I was doing here. In a rush it all came to me, as it usually does when you’ve awoken before your brain. I was in a guestroom in the Succarn coven. I was here as a guest and as a representative of father’s. When we’d taken the Gradeft sect out their hunting grounds had been freed for someone else to take. Father had spent quite some time working out what sect needed what and I was here to inform the Succarn that they were entitled a part of it. They’d get a choice of some different areas and I’d negotiate with them about it. Everyone was greedy, they wanted more than father was willing to give so he’d told me to be hard and not to give in to anything. I wasn’t planning to.
I’d arrived late last evening, or should that be early in the morning, and they’d had a banquet ready for me. We didn’t need food, and it actually demanded power to digest it but I assumed that they wanted to show off. The High Prince of Succarn had come as a bit of a shock, though. She hadn’t been a prince at all. Her bonded had looked at me suspiciously the whole time and when it was time to leave I was quite unnerved. There was something wrong about it all but I had no idea what it was. I was very glad that father’d insisted I’d bring six guards though. They did make me feel safer although I knew I could handle most of what came up. And a physical threat wasn’t really expected. I was not glad, however, that Emilio hadn’t been allowed to join me. Until we were officially bonded he’d have to stay home since he didn’t have an official title. It was hard to leave him but I didn’t want to rush the bonding just because I didn’t want to travel alone.
A knock was heard and I realised that that was what had woken me in the first place. I shook my head to clear it.
“Yes?”
“The High Princess of Succarn has sent a message, lady.” Fuck, it was Nathan, I didn’t know why father had insisted on him going with me. Our dislike for each other was almost legendary but we were mostly behaving civilised. Mostly being the keyword. I didn’t want to mess up in front of another sect, I wouldn’t bet on him behaving. He’d do something like that, even with the threat of sever punishment, just to see me humiliated.
“Enter.” There wasn’t really much I could do, besides hoping that the other, more experienced guards, would keep him in line. Clay and Steven were with me, as always. Since that time in the prison they’d been considered as ‘mine’ and they seemed to like it. I never understood that but as long as they were happy I wouldn’t argue.
Nathan slithered inside, most vampires walk and move as big predators, wolves or great cats, but not Nathan. He moved as a snake and for someone with a human physiology it was very disturbing. He did a sketchy parody of a bow before standing up. Usually I would have punished him but I hesitated to do it while I was a guest. They probably wouldn’t have said anything but it could do damage anyways.
“Well?” I said, rather impatiently when he’d stood in the same spot looking me over for the ten minutes. I know I was wearing a nightgown but was it really that surprising? I had, after all, been sleeping.
“The High Princess and her bonded will see you in the green lobby at 8 this evening. A guide will be provided.”
“A guide?”
“She’s standing outside now, lady and she said that she’ll show you around whenever you feel inclined. She’ll also provide you, and us, with humans, should we so desire.” By the look in his eyes, he desired and not only food. If I didn’t handle this well, we’d get a bloodbath on our hands, like that time the Gradefts had decided to maul our humans. I’d better issue an order about Nathan being forbidden to feed alone.
“Please send her in in about an hour.” Nathan left without bowing or acknowledging me or the order. I needed to something about that before he got totally out of hand. I called out for him before he reached the door.
”Please find Clay and Steven and have them come here in half an hour.” I would have to pull primping-time short but I almost always did.
I hurried for all I was worth… not really, I forwent the shower but that was about it. Teeth, hair, getting dressed. I even had a few minutes to spare before the knock signalling Steven and Clay’s arrival. I never doubted who it was and I wasn’t disappointed.
“Enter.” And they did, with style. I knew that the guide provided by the Succarn sect was outside so I allowed them to prance. Males are so easily impressed with themselves. The didn’t bow, they kneeled, in full. They’d never done this to me before and it wasn’t really required but as the door fell closed they raised their heads and grinned at me. Playacting all the way. I had to laugh.
“What would I do without you two?” I said as I tried to calm down. I also motioned for them to get up. Although I’d never required that they’d kneeled, they wouldn’t rise without prompting, even if they’d gotten down because of a joke. As they rose their grins faded.
“We had to… you know…?” Steven was embarrassed about something, which was rather unusual.
“I called you here because I have some trouble with Nathan, I take it that your display had something to do with this? Or am I totally out of line?” Sat down in one of the rather stiff-backed chairs provided. I didn’t ask them to sit down because I only had two chairs. Although the room I was staying in was nice it wasn’t what I should have gotten. I didn’t care enough to demand better accommodations but some of the guards had expressed their wish for me to argue about it.
“Yes it is, he’s… he doesn’t behave appropriate.” Clay finally managed to say.
“You mean: he’s rude, cocky, disobeys me and the higher ranking guards, you in this case and doesn’t show any respect?” They both nodded, in tandem. It was almost scary.
“Yes, little lady, that’d be it.” Clay murmured, he didn’t want to tattle but on the other hand, what Nathan was doing was wrong and possibly dangerous. “If you don’t mind me asking, lady, what did he do?”
“He doesn’t bow, don’t acknowledge me or my title and I really didn’t know if he’d carry out my orders or not. But the biggest problem is that I don’t know what to do about it. He’s behaviour merits a punishment, or several, but I don’t want to do it here. It’s bad form. Does he act this way around father too?” They both looked at each other before, apparently deciding that Clay’d continue talking.
“He doesn’t, he’s very servile with our Lord. We don’t understand why he’s doing this but he needs a punishment, little lady.”
“Also, while I remember, he’s not to be allowed to go to the pens alone. I’d prefer it if you went at least two and two all of you but it’s very important that he’s never let out of sight.” I sighed, as nice as this was, I still wasn’t any closer to a solution. Nathan needed punishment but what? It couldn’t be too gruesome or too harsh since I needed him functional. Sometimes I hate responsibilities. “Any ideas for punishment, apart from beating the snot out of him?”
“Not really, lady.” They looked sad at this and I knew that they were. Their purpose in life was to aid me, when they failed, in no matter what task, they resented themselves. I couldn’t fathom why I deserved people like this but I wasn’t going to complain. I’d walk on eggshells around them, yes, but I wouldn’t complain… a lot. Not that they failed me very often, in fact, this was one of the very few times they had and I didn’t really think that it was that big a deal but I knew it was to them. I rose from the chair and walked over to them.
“Have either of you ever behaved in this manner?” I knew they hadn’t and that it wasn’t really fair but I’d do this anyways. The shock on their faces was answer enough but I needed to hear it.
“No!” They both said shaking their heads rather vigorously.
“Then how can you presume that not knowing the proper punishment is a failing? I see it as an asset. You know better than him.”
“Thank you lady.” Clay said and leaned into my shoulder. Which must have been a strange sight because I’m much shorter than either of them but I wouldn’t deny them the comfort. After I’d comforted Clay for a while it was Steven’s turn. Vampires are a really touchy-feely species and they needed reassurance that I wasn’t angry with them. It was all rather odd and awkward in the beginning but I learnt that too. A knock on the door disturbed our tentative peace. I hadn’t thought that it’d taken half an hour but obviously it had.
“Enter.” I said and as the door opened I saw that Nathan was still on guard. “You too, if you please.” He sneered at me but he entered with a rather delicate looking woman who had fitted better in kindergarten than in a vampire coven.
Nathan strode forward with his usually slithery stride though this time it was also tinted with confidence and a certain smugness. I was planning on changing that confidence to overconfidence and I was no longer overly concerned about how I did it.
“Please sit down, I’ll be with you in a moment.” I told the guide and went for Nathan. I positioned myself right in front of him and all he did was leer. I cocked my head to the side as if inquiring something. He flashed fang. I smiled back as I backhanded him straight across the face. I hit him hard enough to make his head turn and him to take a step to the side. When he straightened up I could clearly see that I’d broken his nose again, it was ridiculously off center.
“Why!?!” He yelled, he was very angry with me, and he had no business being it. I backhanded him again but from the other side this time, if I was going to hit him I’d at least do it on both sides. Don’t want him to end up lopsided. I’d apparently hit him harder this time because he took several staggering steps before straightening. He dared to lunge at me. I’d never thought that Nathan was particularly bright but this was stupider than I though that he would be. Despite me being attacked neither Clay nor Steven acted, they knew I could, and had to, do this myself. I caught him with one hand on his chest and the other in his hair, daring him to use his, still free, arms. He didn’t, point for him. I wasn’t going to show mercy now, however, Nathan had this a long time coming. I tightened the hold I had in his hair and forced his head backwards, displaying his throat to me. I gently moved the hand I had on his chest towards his neck, stroking it slowly.
“I’ve been nice to you, Nathan. You’ve been the new guy. I don’t know why you haven’t returned the favour and I probably will never find out. This is a part of your punishment, when we get back you’ll get taken off the guard-list never to be returned.” He tensed as I spoke, as if trying to get out of my hold, he wouldn’t succeed though. I used the hand on his neck to tear his throat out. It was bloody and messy and rather barbaric but it should show him who was in charge. Sure, at the moment he was on the floor struggling to breathe trough a missing piece of ‘tubing’. He would live although he might not feel like it at the moment. I did see horror and something akin to fear in his eyes. I’d settle for that if I couldn’t get respect.
I turned away from Nathan and the mess he was making on the floor.
“I’m sorry you had to see that…?” The guide looked a bit shocked but not as outraged as I thought she might be.
“It’s all right, you’re in your right to punish those who doesn’t obey...lady.” Her eyes was locked on the still moving form of Nathan. She suddenly seemed to come to her senses and looked towards me, though careful not to look me in the eye. “I’m Ella, I’m your guide during your stay here.” She rose and did a graceful curtsey. I wonder if she’d agree to teach me, I still hadn’t figured out how to do that. You need to place your foot like that while at the same time bending your other leg like that and hold the skirt and… that’s where I usually ended up in a pile on the floor. Often with me toes knotted together. I did motion for her to stand although I did wait a little longer than was common, I wanted to know if she could hold the position. She could, and she also rose with the same grace, I almost got envious. She sank back in the chair without being prompted but her attitude was a little worried until she realised I wasn’t going to chaste her for it.
“If you wouldn’t mind, I’d like to feed before I meet with your Lady and Lord.” That was a really backward way of putting it but it was the way to do it since she was the one with the title. He’d just bonded to the title. Vampires had early recognised women as a power source and as such we were allowed the same rights as men. It was rather odd because in most other things the men were very gentlemanly and opened doors and suchlike. It was nice though.
“Of course, do you want to have someone sent up or would you prefer to go down to the pens, lady?” Asking instead of assuming, good. Most nobles would want to have humans delivered but I preferred to go to the pens. I also demanded that my guards would do the same while here.
“I’d like to go to the pens, if it isn’t too much trouble, Ella. Would you mind if one of my guards accompanied us?”
“Not at all, you’re allowed to bring the guards with you everywhere, lady. That’s why they are guards.” Diplomatic, I liked that.
“Thank you. I assume that they can go down there later, while off duty and feed themselves. They will behave, of course.” I looked at Clay and Steven who was still in the room. “One of you comes with me, the other takes ‘that’” I pointed at Nathan who’d gone still on the carpeted floor. “back to your rooms.” I looked back at Ella and indicated that she’d go first. I wouldn’t know the way, if I hadn’t studied the maps that father had supplied me with. I wasn’t going to reveal my knowledge though.
Ella was an agreeable person and vampire, which was quite possibly the reason for her getting the guide job. She was a bit too servile and submissive but I could forgive that since she’d just seen me rip my guard’s throat out. That tends to make an impression even though it might be a bad one rather than good, but better an impression than none. I just didn’t want to be present when father found out. It was a given that I’d include it in my report so I most likely would be. Eeep.
The pens were located in the bottommost floor, just as in all other covens, and it allowed me to see quite a lot of the interior while getting there. Seeing plans and seeing the real thing is never quite the same. In general the coven was ‘nice’, it was not overly rich but they had style and showed it. Much isn’t always more. It gave the coven a homier feeling than ours did but I still preferred Camrille, home sweet home.
The pens themselves were a bit more bare, a bit more prison like. And I mean that not the ‘modern’ kind of prison with electronic locks and surveyed time outside. No, this was a prison of old kind of style, all bars, all stone and all bare. The walls and floors, not the humans, mind you. I still preferred our coven, I don’t care if I’m biased or not. The humans seemed all right with the arrangement though so who was I to comment. The odd, for me at least, thing was that they had a list. The list had all humans’ names and a number and marks for when they were bled. It was a feeding schedule. Well, if it worked for them. I also had no way of making sense of the list or the designations so I decided to look inquiringly at Ella until she either explained it or just told me what to do… whom to do. She got it, eventually.
“As you can see, Anna and Lina are available. So are Daehtihs and Elohssa. Does your Highness have a preference?”
“I don’t have a clue to what that list says but I’ll take your word on it. And no, as long as they are willing I do not care about other characteristics.”
“Your coven doesn’t use a list like this?” Ella asked, confused.
“No.” Hadn’t I been clear enough?
“How do you know whose time it is? How do you avoid doing damage?” She was curious but reserved, didn’t believe what I’d said.
“We ask.”
“But… that can’t work. They will lie! Not everyone will ask! It’s…” Ella was rather upset about the whole thing. She was falling into pieces about a list.
“It works perfectly. Every vampire asks and all the humans are truthful. It’s rather nice to have them ask if you’re interested. It’s a simple thing really, we respect them and in turn, they respect us. It’s a win-win situation.” I was thinking that Ella was either a really old vampire or a truly submissive one. One that would trust everything and anything her master told her and wouldn’t question it. And I knew she wasn’t old because she wasn’t powerful enough. I wasn’t going to argue about it though, I did not have time nor energy to deal with an upset vampire. I had other things to worry about. Ella fetched Elohssa and Lina for me and Steven, I hadn’t understood a word of her explanation about how the numbers after the humans’ names corresponded with the rooms… cells. It was all very odd, but it worked. And considering Ella’s previous reaction, talking about it would only make her upset. The humans were filling but it was strange not asking or being given permission beforehand. It was stiff. No trust and no consideration. But when in Rome.
“What would you like to do now, lady?”
“Could you show me around a bit? I don’t want to have to rely on you just to get myself from the throne room, or wherever your High Princess prefers to meet, and back to my rooms without bothering you.”
“Of course, lady. This way please.” She started talking about the coven as she walked, it should have been interesting but she was only relaying information mentioned to her. There was no conviction or real knowledge behind the words and it disturbed me greatly. I was insanely curious and if someone told me anything I would look it up and try to find information on and about the subject. Mostly just because I could. I didn’t trust anyone who didn’t have the same drive, at least in part. Just accepting everything at face value must be boring and it is quite stupid. When the tour was finished it was still a couple of hours until I was to meet with the royals of Succarn. I decided to wait them out in my room. I’d gotten just about as much of Ella as I could manage in one sitting.
The High Princess and her bonded had decided to meet with me not in the throne room, because it was overly large and it’d feel backwards just being three people in there, but in a room similar to it in all ways but in size. There were a small podium that held two chairs and massive table of red wood. The table had some paperwork on it, as if to appear that the two in the chairs were busy and important people. I read some of the papers upside down and concluded that most of it was French verbs and a list over clothing made for the coven.
It was stuffy, overly decorated, despite the look of the rest of the coven, and designed to show the attendees who it was that held the power. I was not impressed. Power comes from the person, not from stage prop. And having spent so much time with and around father I’d finally realised what power meant. Father’d also shown me the proper way to use it. By the looks of it, the Succarn High Princess could use some pointers. True her guards were tall and wide of shoulders, all male for some reason, but they really shouldn’t be flirting with me, a visiting dignitary. Whether it was behind their princess’ back or not. The sound of a coppershod staff hitting the stone floor interrupted my musings. Play ball.
“Your Highnesses, may I introduce to you, her Highness, Alexis Dracula of Camrille. Lady Dracula, I present to you the Succarn High Princess Amie Foragê and her bonded Jonathan.” Jonathan of no last name, interesting. You see, a vampire with no last name is either too insignificant to have one, but in this case I doubted it, or has been forbidden to use the one given to him. A turned vampire often took the last name of the vampire who turned him or her. To be denied the right to that was rather harsh. Also, Jonathan hadn’t been granted the use of his bonded’s last name either. I wasn’t going to dwell on it too much, at present at least, because I had more pressing things to do. I inclined my head towards the two, acknowledging their rank, that was higher than mine, and I was greeted in return by Amie, but not Jonathan. I wasn’t going to tear his throat out though. Amie could have been a petite woman, if it wasn’t for her size, true, she was short but nothing else about her was ‘small’. She had rather dull looking blond hair in a high hairdo that’d probably get stuck in doors when she walked trough them and eyes as watered down winter skies. Jonathan was as dark as Amie was light, and he was also looking rather delicate sitting next to her. His hair was cut really short and his eyes darted this way and that but always returned to me.
“Greetings High Princess, I come here bringing a message from my father, the Rector Lamia.” By telling them that title I also told them that it really was business. The Rector Lamia held power over all vampires, as a High Prince he could only make deals with other royals, not order them. This was also business in that it concerned the whole Succarn coven, not just them as leaders.
“Speak the words of the Rector Lamia and we will listen.” The rather screechy voice of Amie echoed strangely in the room. It was as if the seen proportions didn’t match the real ones. Also, Amie had to be really weak in her power, or at least think she was, if she had to speak like that to show her greatness. I saw it as purely pathetic.
“Not long ago a coven became no more. The Rector Lamia, in all his wisdom, has chosen your coven to receive some of its old bounty.” If she wanted to play, I would join her. I wouldn’t hold back to keep her happy, though. That was the reason for her man. Also, I love playacting and I just couldn’t let a chance like this pass me by. When she’d figured out what I’d meant with my little speech I saw greed light her eyes. It was, as always, an ugly thing to lay eyes on and not for the first time I wondered why people always assume that the grass is greener on the other side. A few seconds more and greed’s head also rose within Jonathan. I really wanted to be somewhere else, anywhere else.
“We’re waiting for the Rector Lamia’s words.” No, I thought, you’re not. You just want the gift.
“The Rector Lamia has found it in his grace to bestow on you a part of the hunting grounds. A fifth to be exact. I have with me all the paperwork needed for you to be able to chose wisely. After you’ve decided I’ll return the papers to my father and you’ll get a confirmation letter that well grant you access to the grounds you’ve chosen.”
“The Rector Lamia is most gracious.” Her words were sweet, as was her smile, her intent was not. I went forward and offered her the papers.
“Read this trough and we’ll talk more when you’ve finished it.” I waited for my cue to leave and when she waved me away with her hand she never lifted her eyes from the case with documents I’d left on the table. A guard followed me out and I hoped it was just bad luck that it was the one who’d flirted the most. I doubted it though. He was wearing dark brown leather pants and an orange shirt, I almost felt sorry for him. His shirt was open, though, and relieved a well muscled chest and an abdomen that didn’t have a six-pack as much as cobblestones. His rather nondescript face played second fiddle and it showed. I shuddered when he gave me what he thought was a winning smile and turned to my own guards who’d waited outside. Much to their annoyance. Clay smoothly stepped in front of the Succarn guard without seeming to do so and we left. I really hoped that I wouldn’t have to meet him again.
I returned to my rooms utterly exhausted, this day had really frayed on my nerves. First Nathan, then Ella, then the royals and lastly the annoying guard. I really wanted it to end, and even more, I wanted to go home. But I couldn’t, not until I had finished here. Well inside the walls of the room I went straight to bed, I did not want to speak, or even interact with anyone ever again. Eh, at least not until tomorrow. Sometimes the sheer idiocy of some people annoyed me to no end. I had just gotten comfortable beneath the covers of the bed when there was a knock on the door. I did not groan, it might have sounded as if I did but I didn’t… honestly. I ignored it and burrowed myself deeper when another knock came. I decided to ignore that one too and if it was really important they’d knock again and I’d get up. They did and I slowly eased myself up. I promised myself a workout tomorrow. To blow some excess steam. It’d be safer for anyone in my sight if I did.
“Enter.” I didn’t yell but I was close. The door was forcefully thrust open and in strode the moronic guard from before. “What are you doing here?”
“I came to finish what we started.”
“What?”
“I know that not many believe in love at first sight but what we share is more and deeper than love.”
“I feel the need to repeat myself; what are you talking about?”
“The passion runs deep and I know it can be frightening but I will be gentle.” I looked into his rather honest face and wondered where the stage personnel had left my script. I was obviously not partaking in the same conversation as the other man.
“What?” I couldn’t help it. What other was there to say?
“Come on, you needn’t be shy with me, we’re destined to be together for all time.” He smiled at me. I looked back. I wasn’t up to saying ‘what’ once again. “Our love shall shine so bright it’ll be the envy of every vampire who sees it. Every night and every day from no until the end of days we’ll spend together.” He stopped to take a deep breath and to position himself in the ‘tragic hero’ pose with one arm across his chest and the other lifted in front and over his face as if shading the nonexistent sun. I managed to speak before he’d started again.
“What are you doing *here*?” I said and swept with my arm around the room, defining ‘here’. He didn’t miss a beat.
“I came to tell you that your love is answered and that you need not hide it nor be ashamed of it.”
“I already knew that.”
“Oh my love!” He launched himself at the bed but I rolled out of his way. Vampire healing or not, I didn’t fancy being hit in the chest by 150kg muscle. Whether or not it proclaimed to love me. “I scared you, I’m sorry.” He looked ashamed, a mean feat with someone of his composition.
“Yes, you’re acting very strange and that’s scaring me. Also, I’m not your ‘love’ and I don’t’ know from where you’ve gotten that I love you. I don’t even like you.” Could I be any clearer? No, didn’t think so. Would he get it? I doubted it.
“There’s no one to hear, you can stop playing coy. I know your heart as well as I do mine.” I was beginning to fear that I’d be in want of a fire extinguisher soon.
“I do not like you in any way, shape or form. In all honesty, I’m starting to loath you. Now please leave my room.” I pointed at the door, just in case he didn’t understand it.
“You needn’t hide! You’re so bound by what others are expecting of you that you can no longer act on your own desires. Let’s run away. We’ll sever the ties that bind you to those who abuse you like this and I’ll take care of you for ever and ever. Come, let’s leave. No time like the present.” He moved as if to grab me again but this time I moved even further away.
“There is no love, there is no ‘us’. I have no idea where you’ve gotten that notion but if you don’t leave I’ll force you.” My voice had grown more and more stern, not something that happened often. Not even Nathan was this annoying.
“Don’t do this. I love you.”
“No you don’t.” I said and looked his squarely in the face. Willing him to leave me the hell alone. He moved towards me once again and I called out for my guards while again moving away from his reach. The guards came into my room looking rather surprised to see me, literally, running around in my nightclothes.
“Remove this man and never let him in again.”
“No! How can you do this? We love each other!” His outbreak stunned the guards enough to allow him to make a run for it. He didn’t make it, though. William raised an eyebrow demanding to be told what had been going on while he escorted the Succarn guard outside. When the door had closed behind them I made it for the bed and forced myself to fall asleep as fast as possible. This had really been sucky day.
A sound brought me awake again, a continuous kind of sound. For some reason the word ‘carpentry’ made itself known. My mouth felt full of cotton and my thoughts fought their way trough syrup. I hate syrup. It’s too sweet and stick and you always manage to get some of it on the floor and then your socks will stick. But ‘carpentry’. Most of the coven is made from stone, not much wood was used. Except as furniture and doors. Doors? Knocking! I was suddenly wide awake and going from sleep addled to awake in less than four seconds created some rather strange side effects. I was up before I’d awoken and as I started to recognise things I was standing before the door opening it with a rather vicious yank.
“Yes!” I think that my bloodshot eyes could be heard. I couldn’t have gotten a lot of sleep last night. That coupled with the lack of sustenance during the trip was not a good combination.
“High Princess Amie wants to see you.” William did look a bit ashamed to have awoken me, point to him. I studied the corridor closely, I didn’t see or hear anyone.
“Fuck her.” William managed to look appropriately shocked, though the laughter he hid behind a cough kind of ruined it. “How long has I been asleep for?”
“Two.” I snarled something incomprehensible at the wall opposite the door. My estimation of Amie hadn’t been high to begin with but it had suddenly sunken even lower.
“Please tell Her Highness that I’ll meet with her in an hour.”
“Er… she wanted too meet right away.” William started to look really worried. I continued to snarl though this time I added fangs which lent a rather odd lisping sound to the whole thing. The effect was rather disturbing.
“I *will* meet her in an hour. If she want it sooner she can call on me yesterday.”
“As you say.” He bowed really low, probably hoping he wouldn’t have to tell Amie. I understood his hesitation, Amie appeared to me as someone who’d kill the messenger. I hoped she would remember that the messenger was mine to kill… er… protect.
I consequently did not hurry through cleaning and dressing, I took ample time in the bathroom doing things I normally avoided like the plague. Though in the end it didn’t help, I ended up in front of the doors to the Succarn mini throne room anyways. And I wasn’t really that surprised that I was kept waiting for ten minutes. Keeping someone waiting is an age old trick to get the other part to feel inferior. It doesn’t work nearly as well when you’ve requested that the other party hurry. I used the time to collect myself instead of getting nervous, which was the point, and thus I could enter the stage calm.
And a stage it was. There had been some small changes since I was last there. The carpets that had covered the stone floor had been taken away save those on the podium where the two royals were sitting. A fire had been started in the heart behind them, illuminating them from behind, creating a rather odd feeling because there weren’t enough light in the room from the beginning so the two vampires appeared only as silhouettes. That’d have been cool if it wasn’t for the chairs that had been imposing before, but was now only shadowing their smaller occupants. Vampire sight only helped that much with this kind of backlight. The table that had before held some papers now held piles of it and a couple of old looking tomes. Judging by what I’d seen previously it was probably a couple of renderings of Ars Erotica.
“You are late!” Amie’s voice echoed even more than before, it had to have something to do with the missing carpets. I really didn’t need her scratchy voice thrown at me more than once.
“I was precisely on time.” And I had been, the extra ten minutes was because of their orders.
“You should have come when we called.” This time it was Jonathan who spoke. Judging by his voice he was more annoyed than her.
“I was sleeping when you called and I couldn’t present myself to you in a nightgown.” Well, I had no real aversion to it, if it wasn’t for the fact that father’d know and then I’d be in real trouble. And Amie wasn’t impressive enough to make up for a punishment.
“You should have hurried.” He really was annoyed, he needed some syrup. Syrup? I’m never going to answer the door again.
“I am here now, what was it you wanted that was important enough to make me lose sleep over?” Neither of them had apologised for driving me out of bed. Bad form I think. They probably think of it as another show of power. It’s true that your subjects shouldn’t question you but by offering answers and the occasional ‘thank you’ you became better liked and the subjects would serve you out of other reasons than obligation. And loyal servants were the foundation of every well working coven, and most civilisations to be truthful, and it lessened the chance of betrayals. It was obvious that Amie and Jonathan had taken a course in ‘power’ but only gone to the introduction day.
“Your insolence will be noted but we have more important business to attend to.” Jonathan was still speaking, and it was odd, shouldn’t Amie be, she was, after all, the High Princess. He was just a consort. “We have studied the documents and found them lacking.”
“Excuse me?!” That was preposterous. Lacking? There was nothing wrong with the papers I’d handed over to them.
“There were pieces missing from the inventory of the grounds. Pieces we wanted.” Jonathan sounds more than angry, he sounded as a child, denied of what was rightfully his.
“All the property has been clearly marked. There is nothing missing.” I knew there wasn’t. I had been, forced, there when father had studied the maps.
“There are parts missing. What about Carluke, for example? I know that that was a part of their grounds.” I could feel his anger as static field emanating from his chair. I could also see the odd arm or hand gesture when they become large enough to end up outside the chair’s edges.
“You’re only second in choosing, Carluke, and the other parts you accuse me of being gone, has already been taken.”
“It can’t!”
“I assure you it can.” I went for the cold ‘look’. The man had the gall to talk like that in front of me.
“Why?” He really was the little kid who had been refused a sweet and was on the verge of a temper tantrum.
“You dare to question the Rector Lamia?” I was getting angry, I usually had better control than this but my nerves had been chafed upon greatly the last few days.
“We do not. In front you is a list over our choices. Take it and return to your quarters.” Amie had spoken hurriedly, and I could sense her anxiousness. I picked the paper up, it was the only one lying by itself, and turned to leave. Before I existed I threw a ‘syrup’ over my shoulder. Let them make of that what they will.
I had almost reached my rooms when a figure blocked my path. I stopped and looked curiously up at Jonathan. I wondered what he was doing here. I had just left him and his bonded, whom I had been talking to. What did he want now? Maybe it was the syrup, that was quite reasonable since Jonathan had a serious lack of it. In fact, he looked as if he’d been eating lemons. Very unsyrupy.
“You just come here, like that and ruin everything.” The words weren’t spoken, they were spit. A terrible way for words to go, methinks.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” And I really hadn’t. I tilted my head and stared at a spot about two inches to the left of his ear. It’s annoying as hell for the person you’re speaking with and you know that you’ve won when your victim turns around. Jonathan hadn’t…yet.
“I’m talking about you and your uppity attitude.” At his words I could feel my guards stiffening. I lifted my hand a couple of inches. It wouldn’t due for them to attack Jonathan, he was a royal, although a bonded one.
“I still don’t have any idea what you’re talking about.”
“Carluke was ours! You ruined it!”
“Carluke belongs to Shitaski, as is their due. They had a more urgent need for grounds so they got to chose first. And that was not my decision either, it was father’s.” Cool, calm collected, all lies.
“It’s your fault! You’re to blame for this! Vlad’d never did anything like that before. You’ve ruined *him*!” That got me seething, not because he’d insulted me, but because of what he said, or implied, about father. And since when did he know father? His talk had made me revaluate him and I tried to see what was not on the surface. And there it was, weak from disuse and distance. Jonathan was my blood-brother. He was father’s fledgling. I knew that father had turned a human but why hadn’t he told me that it was Jonathan, especially when he knew I was going here and that Jonathan was bonded to the High Princess. I hadn’t done anything to father. He was just as he’d always been. Eh… or at least for as long as I’d known him. He might have changed since he was born several centuries ago. In fact, if he hadn’t I’d be really disappointed.
“What are you talking about?” I had a sudden feeling of déjà vu when I said that. Though I really didn’t know whom of my persistent ‘suitors’ I’d preferred. But no one asked me and I got both. Help?
“You! You changed *him* and ruined everything. I was disowned when you were born. He didn’t want me when he had you!” Ah, so there it was. He was jealous. Though I found it hard to believe that father had disowned him just because I had been born. Despite vampire borns not being common, there had been some cases and in those the father and sire had never disowned the ‘older’ sibling in favour of the younger. Disowning, and prohibiting the disowned the use of the last name is rather uncommon and is only used as a sever punishment.
“I haven’t done anything wrong. Unlike you. I do not care for the title, as a matter of fact I thought father was joking when he told me at first. Since then I’ve resigned myself to my fate and I will live up to the expectations. Something you obviously didn’t do.”
“That’s all lies! You’re wrong!” Once again the guards tensed and this time they even took a step forward. I could also see more guards peeking around the corner, no doubt coming here investigating the noise. Jonathan was rather loud, very loud if you speak in vampire terms.
“Don’t.” I said, reinforcing my hand gesture. I did not need a dead royal on my hands, especially not when in said royal’s coven.
“You can’t order them about! They are mine. Mine to order! All mine!” He started towards me and that was obviously more than my guards could take. Suddenly Jonathan was faced with two guards, Clay and William, who pressed him towards the wall at the side of the corridor. They never touched him, just kept walking towards him when he backed up.
“Listen to me Jonathan, I’m only going to say this once. I don’t care what your relationship with father or me is; I don’t care what you think you’ve got right to. I’m here for one purpose and that purpose has now been filled. I’m leaving as soon as I can. I dislike you because of the way you act but I’ve been order to do this so I will. I hope I never have the misfortune to meet with you again.” At the beginning of my ‘speech’ his head has turned to face me. If he hadn’t been a vampire I’d feared he’d gotten himself a whiplash but he seemed fine. I could see rage building within him and I didn’t care. I was close to the edge myself. As soon as I’d finished talking I brushed past him, er and the guards keeping him in place. I headed towards the rooms but I changed my mind. I didn’t want to spend time going back when there was nothing for me there. I turned to face Steven.
“Collect the others and meet us outside. We’re going home.”
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