Luca
Licking my lips as I took the final sip of my victim, I felt her life-force drain from her body and every ounce of her soul disappear into the night. This was my favourite part, that second where you are in full control of whether a person lives or dies and although I would normally never drink this close to the point a person's heart stopped. I felt a greater need to, the pull of puppet strings. Her body fell limp in my arms and as I dropped her onto the stone floor of my manor home.
Pulling out a handkerchief, I dabbed at the corners of my mouth and then headed back to sit at the dining table, pouring myself a glass of wine. I savoured the flavour in my mouth. My victim's blood flowing through my veins and warming my face up lightly. I now appeared to have more of a warm glow and no longer looked as if I was knocking on death's door.
"Mr Darc!" I shouted and within seconds my butler ran in and stopped suddenly at the body of the girl, "Clean that up will you."
"Of course, my Lord, right away." He snapped his fingers and in came two footmen who proceeded to lift the girl's body up and took her out of the dining hall. "My Lord, there appear to be some men on horses riding towards the manor, shall I not allow them to get too close?"
"Hmmm," I paused, taking a sip of my drink, "Permit them to come in, maybe we are finally having a dinner service that arrives to us." A sinister smile appeared across my lips as the bell to the front door ran through the house. "Don't make them wait outside for too long."
Mr Darc turned on his heel and headed out the room, shutting the doors behind him and thankfully to my superior hearing, I heard them introduce themselves as lords of Empress Arabella and began to beg to see me. The sounds of their wet shoes clicked against the stoned fall of my foyer and for a minute, I waited, allowing them to take in the sights of my home.
I wondered if I should leave them to look around, to see how long they would wait for my arrival or if I should make them come to me. I decided on the latter.
"Send them through." I said through the mind link to Darc, he wasn't like me but after taking a blood oath, binding his life to mine, he'd been given a physic link to me.
Soon four men walked into the hall, each with their own personal guards. They came prepared to a vampire's home it seemed. One attempted to stand at his tallest height, to show he could be intimidating and wanted to appear as the strongest one of the four. He seemed to be the youngest of the four. I scoffed at his attempt as his companions took a step back as they caught the sight of me, sitting at the head of the table. My glass of wine swirling in my hand, my fingernails tapped against the glass while I watched them closely.
"My Lord," They lowered themselves a little to the floor, gave me a small bow and looked up at me. Their hearts pounded loudly in their chests as sweat glittered on their foreheads. "Thank you for seeing us at this late hour." I rolled my eyes, already bored and continued to drink my drink. I despised humans, especially the ones that begged.
"We are here to beg for your services," One of the males began to stutter as he stepped forward, catching my eyeline and instantly stepping back. I could smell the fear coming off of him in waves.
"Our Empress ---- she is gravely ill, and we wish to ask for your help."
"And how is that, my problem?" I asked, looking at the scared one again.
"Please my Lord, we have heard of your abilities, and we wish to ask, to beg you to use them on our Empress." The third male spoke, a medium size-built man. Older than the rest, judging by the wrinkles around his eyes and greying hair.
"Ha Ha Ha!" Darc laughed as he stood beside me, and I shot him a deathly look, to which he fell silent.
"And what abilities do you think I have, Gentleman?" I asked, placing my glass down on the table and relaxing my shoulders a little.
"Don't play with us, demon!" The youngest man spoke sharply and appeared unafraid towards me, storming forward slightly and smacking his hands against the back of one of the dining table chairs.
"We know what you are and as you belong to this Empire it is your duty to aid the Empress."
"I 'belong' to the Empire? Did you hear that Darc? I am property it would appear." Showing my fangs only slightly, I stood from my seat and cleared the space between myself and the youngest man, who suddenly stood frozen in terror.
"And if you know of my abilities, you know of what I could do to you," I whispered, bringing my face close to his as he held his breath. "You wouldn't be able to even blink and I would have your beating heart in my hands."
He didn't budge, but neither did he stand down as he swallowed a lump in his throat. His heart slowed down, while he took control of his fear. Impressive. He looked at me with the stare of a soldier, one who was determined to be loyal to his commander and that commander was his Empress. He wasn't backing down, even if I did threaten to eat his own heart.
"You are a member of this Empire, and your Empress needs you." He bellowed. I admired his strength. Turning around, I stooled a few steps while I contemplated his words.
"And what will I be given in return?" I asked, still wondering what the full story was.
"We can pay you in gold, any value you wish." Another voice, not the youngest one.
"I have gold and plenty of it," waving off their offer, I turned back, looking at them up and down. "what else?"
"Ehhh, castles, you can have your pick of any castle." Spoke the oldest one.
"No, I have no need for such things."
Aside from the youngest one, they all seemed flustered and unsure of what to offer me. Quite frankly, I wasn't too sure either. I would have taken anything, but I wanted to see how far they were willing to go for their Empress. The oldest one's breath caught, and I caught his stare and then looked back and forth to his comrades. The youngest one pulled out a seat from my table and made himself comfortable. I was beginning to like him and would most certainly make used of him.
"You can have an entire village of people to ehh – whatever you wish to."
"Oh, an entire village, well now that could be interesting." I sat back down and saw the panic in the medium builds man's eyes, realising his words. "No, that won't do either." I said and watched the relief appear on his face.
"The Empress." The youngest man broke his silence while he leaned slightly forward, clasping his hands together. "You may have the Empress but only if she is saved."
The other three men stepped forward in panic, realising the youngest words and the gravity they took. The Empress. The words rolled around in my heart as I thought about it. I'd been told she was of great beauty, dark haired and fair skinned, like something from a fairy tale. She wouldn't be my first wife, most likely neither my last but perhaps she could become useful, I was becoming bored of this life as it was. And was in need of entertainment.
"Now that is more interesting, as what though?"
"As your bride." He finished his sentence and the other men's eyes widened.
"Yes, you may take her as your bride and rule the Empire alongside her."
"Bold of you to speak for your Empress so plainly. Are you her adviser? Brother? Or perhaps a lover who wishes her life spared?" Tapping my fingers lightly on the arm of my chair, I weighed my options and wondered if this was the furthest they would go. "And what would your Empress say to this?" I wondered if they were just promising empty things now.
"She will be grateful for her life being saved. This is her brother Tristain; he only speaks for her as she is not able to do so herself." The older one composed himself suddenly and stood next to the chair Tristain was sitting in. "Please my Lord, she doesn't have much time left."
I sat there for another minute or two, thinking and wondering if this was even worth any of it. If I were to save her from the illness, they believed she would stay human, perhaps keeping her soul from damnation. She wouldn't turn into a Vampire unless I drank her blood once she'd tasted mine. Which she would eventually do. They all did. I would rid her of her disease in doing so, and would ultimately create a companion for myself.
"I will do it, but on one other condition."
"Yes, name it!" Shouted the shorter one.
"Once we are wed, she is to bear me an heir by the next Blue Moon, which I believe gentlemen is in the next eighteen months. And if she does not, then the deal is off, and she will be turned into something like me."
I could see the wheels in their brains turn as they thought of my offer, both looking at each other with the same intent and message, almost as if they were like Darc and I. They then both nodded in agreement as they sealed the deal with themselves and then with me.
"When can you do it?"
I stood up and looked at Darc, not answering them clearly as I would need to prepare, plan and make my estate ready. I would be gone for a while it would seem.
"Escort these gentlemen out Darc --- I will send word when I am ready."
The men were then escorted from the dining hall and out of the house, while I sat and thought on the whole process, excited a little to see where this plan was going to take me and wondered just how Empress Arabella would take the news that her soon to be husband was a blood sucking murderer, older than her thought could even process.