by J. E Hanson
“This is a monumental ceremony, not only for the vampires around the world, but for all hybrids. May I please, have the two guardians, who are in charge of the Princess, to stand before me now?” Zohar spoke and orders.
I watch intently, to see who steps forward. I’m blown away when Willow appears. Willow and Christian steps forward and I never expect them to do that. Charlie smiles lovingly at his daughter, who now stands in front of Zohar.
Zohar turns to my guardians. “Are you both willing, to teach her about the laws of both vampire and Meropis? Are you both equally responsible for any actions from the Princess? Do you promise to remain her loyal friend and consort? Will you be her advisement, armor, and soul protector? Will you direct her, and guide her as your future queen?” Zohar asks all the important questions.
The nerves spark throughout my body, and the nerves causes me, to shake violently. Christian and Willow willingly accept the oath they make to me. They bite into their wrists and pour their blood into a gold chalice. Zohar hands the gold dagger to me. Christian steps over to me, and he slices my wrist open for me. He pours my blood into the gold chalice. Saber bites into his own wrist, and pours his blood into the same gold chalice. I remain on the small oak stage with an open wound. Zohar lifts the gold chalice in the air. He speaks in a different tongue. Smoke enters the room with two red fangs midair. Christian cleans my arm with his mouth. He continues, to pour his blood directly into my open wound.
“You will start feeling the side effects from our blood exchange,” Christian whispers to me.
My eyes close from the intense euphoria. I can feel his blood coursing through my veins and into my heart. The feeling is indescribable. Relaxation flows from my head and through my toes. This is such a bizarre, but calm feeling.
“You need to remember, to breathe through the side effects,” he whispers.
“What are the other side effects?” I whisper in return, asking him.
“I will tell you tomorrow, and you are already feeling a few tonight.”
After he cleans himself off, he takes his place next to Willow. This feels almost identical to the time from my past, when I accidentally drank my dad’s whiskey. The whiskey knocked me out for the entire evening. My nerves disintegrate, and my body feels light. Everyone and everything twists into vibrant colors. The colors are alive and brilliant. The scents around the room are lush and extremely pungent. Christian's cologne permeates the air with ease. The drawback to this heightened sense of smell, are the other potent scents from colognes and perfumes. My head starts to throb from the combination of scents. My vision drastically improves, and I swear that I can see behind my head. I remind myself to remain perfectly still.
Zohar uncovers a tiara made of diamond and rubies. Zohar lifts the tiara to the crowd, and he speaks in a bizarre tongue. He pulls the tiara down, and he stands in front of all the Vampire Enforcers. One by one, they kiss my tiara. It shocks me to realize all the customs they participate in together. Even Willow and Christian kiss the tiara. My grandfather follows in suit last.
The tiara sits on my head ten minutes later. The flashes of light blind me. The euphoric emotion keeps me calm. I smile goofy, and I feel drunk. At least I can hope and pray that pictures of drool aren’t hanging from my mouth. This feeling makes me feel incredibly woozy.
Zohar continues, to speak in a different tongue. After waiting patiently in what feels like forever, he allows me to stand up. My tiara reminds me of a disco ball, from the way it shines brightly around the room.
Christian returns to my side, and he helps me off the small oak podium. “Before you ask, you will have to go through this again, when you become queen.”
My grandfather follows through with his promise. “I’m so proud of you, and you look absolutely stunning this evening, granddaughter.”
We embrace and flashes of light shoot from every direction. I turn around to see that the podium has already vanished. I accept a dance with my grandfather, and he escorts me to the dance floor. Luckily, for me, Louie taught me all the ballroom dances that we will participate for tonight. My grandfather instantly takes the lead. Willow makes sure she takes her share of pictures.
“Why did you change my last name?” I courageously ask my grandfather.
“I want to leave you everything, in case something should ever happen to me.”
“What if something happens to me instead?”
“That will never happen! He blurts out, and he continues, “Christian will make sure nothing will happen to you. He’s an excellent Enforcer. I’m so thankful that he’s openly supporting you. He wants to make sure you remain safe. He always follows through with his promises. So no, my dear, he doesn’t like to lose, and losing you, won’t be in his cards. I know for a fact that he will take good care of you.”
I perform a proper curtsey at the end of our dance. A skinny woman walks over to my grandfather, and he takes her hand. The woman could easily pass for my age. Christian returns, and he leads me into another dance. The world around me spins, and the room ripples into giant waves.
“Do you still feel the side effects?” Christian asks as I stumble a few times. The only thing I can do right now is nod yes.
“The side effects will go away soon,” he reassures me as he pulls me closer.
“What other side effects will I have?” I managed to ask him.
“You feel the euphoria right now. You will notice a few subtle changes, but at least the euphoria will dissipate in a few short hours,” he swings me around the dance floor and continues, “your vision; smell; and taste will drastically improve. You will have thoughts and feelings in the future, but these feelings are not yours. The same will apply to me.”
“You have to explain all of this to me again, once the euphoria fades away,” I say to him.
He laughs and twirls me around the dance floor.
“How long will these extra feelings last?” I still feel drunk with euphoria.
“It depends on how many times we trade, or create this bond. The extra feelings will last for twenty years. If we continue, to bond even more, then it will last a lifetime.”
I think I have drool escaping my mouth. I lean my head on his chest, and try to see through the euphoria. The room constantly spins inside my head.
“How long does this normally last with let’s just say… a normal vampire?”
He gently caresses my cheek. “With a two hundred year old vampire it can last twenty months, but we traded blood twice, so it will be forty years for us.”
I peer into his perfect ultramarine eyes. “That makes me an old woman. Will I still age?”
He twirls me around again, but brings me back to him. “That depends on what you want with your life. My advice to you is to age and enjoy your human side. You deserve to marry a man, who is mortal and bear his children. You deserve to age with someone, and watch your grandchildren fill your yard.”
“You may think I deserve a lot of things, but what mortal will approve of these things?” I open my mouth, and point at my awkward fangs. He closes his eyes with a slight smile. He keeps my head on his chest.
“The choice is ultimately yours, but I will never turn you. I already turned someone into a vampire a long time ago. You have no idea, the guilt I feel for turning him,” he peers at me, with sadness in his eyes.
“I never asked you to turn me. I’m sure that I can find others, who will turn me,” as soon as I said that to him, he scowls at me.
“I will make sure nobody turns you. You must enjoy your life, and not become one of us,” he says to me as he grits his teeth.
He bows gracefully, to signal that he’s finished dancing with me. I slowly curtsy to him, and another man appears, only to scare the daylights out of me. “So, you’re Chris's Jeannie that he has been yacking about!” the unknown man tries to shout over the stereo.
This man has short blonde hair with jet-black ends. The unknown man has piercings in his face and ears. He has tattoos that he’s trying to conceal. This strange man
could pass as another brother to Christian and Alexander.
Christian shakes the man's hand roughly. “I wondered when you were going to show up, Joey.”
He wears a canary tie and a canary with slate vest underneath his jacket. He has the same style as Christian. I remember exactly who he is, and this man tops the list with Christian as one of the most wealthiest supernatural creature. Although they have similar appearances, Joey wears dark eyeliner. I blush immediately, after he calls me Christian’s Jeannie.
“Stop worrying sweetheart, he doesn’t say a whole lot to me,” Joey continues to tease him, “he only mentions you every time I talk on the phone to him. I’m Joey, by the way. He’s the jerk who forgot, to introduce me to his girlfriend,” Joey kisses my hand, after he introduces himself to me.
I blush at Joey. “I have no idea what to say, but it is so nice to meet you.”
He also has a certain confidence and charm about him as he nudges Christian. “I taught all these dudes how to dance. If it wasn’t for me, you would have a bunch of dead guys dancing around like a bunch of stiff fucks,” Joey continues, “I have to leave for my own babysitting detail. Oberon just asked me to babysit his niece. I don’t even know if I should—or not.” Joey appears lost and confused.
“Is this Ember?” Christian stops laughing and asks.
Joey shakes his head no. “Gabe must have filled you in on her. No man, there’s another one to babysit, and she happens to be Rosebud's daughter. Rosebud was murdered along with my best friend, Blaze. Ember and Rosalie are also cousins. Oberon told me that the girls are hard for him, to watch over all the time. Gabe is keeping his distance from Ember, but they are watching her. Oberon worries about the trip they plan to go together. They have no idea of the danger they are in. Khan and Reno are after all royal members, who support Saber. Some of his supporters are fairies. The good thing is that there are too many McClouds on the loose for Khan to catch. He wants the McClouds off the royal throne, to bring another family into power. What do you think I should do?”
“I know what it’s like to have your parents brutally murdered, and it isn’t an easy thing to deal with. I think it would be an excellent idea, if you were able to keep her safe too. I appreciate Christian and the rest of the Enforcers for keeping me alive. I’m extremely thankful for each day they are giving me. If it weren’t for them, there’s no telling where I would be right now. I say you should go for it,” I answer for Christian.
Joey smiles at me, and he nods with approval at my answer.
“You heard what my Princess says. I value her thoughts, and she’s better educated on the subject of losing parents than I am. I assume she’s also a princess?” Christian confirms my answer as he asks Joey a normal question.
Joey chuckles as he shrugs his shoulders. “She’s another princess, as if our hands aren’t busy enough. Not only do we have Ember, but Rosalie to worry about. From what Oberon told me, she doesn’t think things through, and she can be an airhead at times.”
Christian glances at me calmly. “That should be fun for you to handle, since you can also be irrational at times. You can handle this challenge perfectly.” Christian pats him hard on the back.
They switch their conversation to politics. I respectfully excused myself to the bathroom. I found an empty stall, and close the door behind me. I daydream about the events from tonight. I try to snap myself out of this euphoric mood.
I hear the main bathroom door open and two sets of heels walk across the floor. I listen to their conversation.
“So, what do you think of our new Princess, Shelly?”
“What are your thoughts, Tracy? How do you feel, when you watch your man dance with the Princess?”
I instantly recognize the two women. I keep perfectly still and pull my feet up. They show no signs of knowing that I’m in the bathroom stall.
“He’s only with her in case something happens to Saber. I firmly believe he only wants to be with her for the title of king. If Christian is king, then he fully accomplishes his goals of ruling this fucking world. He will always remain the same disgusting vampire he inspires to be.”
I peek through the crack, to watch Shelly reapply her lipstick. “I really don’t know… he appears to be falling for her. I’ve never seen him look at anyone, the way he looks at her—not even you. He never notices anyone else in the room. I honestly believe that if anyone goes near her, he will end their existence.”
“All vampires only care about themselves. She has nothing to offer him,” Tracy argues back.
Shelly drops her compact, but picks it up. “She can still have kids. From the both of us, she can give him kids.”
“He always talks about his stupid daughter. How stupid can he be? What woman would willingly put a freak in her womb? Oh, wait… Saber did that! Look at how well that turned out,” Tracy laughs.
The women continue, to laugh hysterically. My stomach starts to churn. Tracy continues to run her mouth with pure ignorance. “Christian only worships himself, and he will never love her.”
~~~***~~~
The women left the bathroom, after ten minutes of how I will make a horrible princess, and how he will never marry me for love.
I inhale a deep breath, and exhale slowly. The euphoric feeling keeps me perfectly content. A few shouts are coming from the hallway outside.
“Jeannie, are you in here?” Willow yells in the bathroom.
I put my feet down, and left the stall. “I’m still here, Willow.”
“Christian is going out of his mind wondering where you’re at!”
While I wash my hands, tears stream down my cheeks. Willow notices my tears. “What’s wrong, Jeannie?”
“Is Christian only nice to me, because I’m a princess?” I cut the crap, and went straight for the jugular vein.
Willow wipes off my face, and reapplies my makeup. She pushes me out of the restroom. “If that were true, then he would have never let you stay with us. He would find an excuse, to put you in New York City, or something stupid. He wouldn’t spend any money on you either. Trust me, when I say that he’s crushing hard for you.”
I follow her through the corridor. Christian has his hands behind his head, and he’s visibly upset. I think I can feel the other symptom of our bond—or side effect.
“I found her, Chris,” Willow announces.
He wheels around on his heels to face me. I can feel his emotions, and this starts to freak me out. I can feel his fear and relief coursing through my veins. I apologetically hug him. “I’m sorry that I made you worry.”
His feelings change from worry to happiness. I don’t believe that I like this one single bit. This must mean that he can feel me too. His emotions confuse me completely.
He pulls me close to him. “Are you ready to leave?”
I grab his hand, and we exit the expensive building. Christian and I slid safely inside the limousine. The media are a distance away from us now. This experience emotionally and physically drains me. I rest my head on his shoulder, to fall asleep. He wraps his arms tightly around me, and holds me close to his lukewarm body. He makes me feel completely safe and secure. I already depend on him for so much. Before I knew it, I fell asleep on him.
The next thing I remember is waking up in a gigantic bed. I glance around the room in total confusion. I check myself over, and realize that my hair is down. I only wear a red slip. The time reads four o'clock in the morning. Christian types away on his laptop. He’s also stripped down to just his slate dress slacks.
I clear my throat. “Where am I?”
He stops typing, and he eyes me through his hair. “You are in my bed, and you have another hour, before Leo takes over for the next two weeks. Go back to sleep.”
I take his advice, and fall back to sleep. It surprises me that I’m actually sleeping in his bed. The huge mattress feels extremely soft. There has to be at least three king size beds put together in this one large circle. An ivory bearskin keeps me warm and extra safe. I drift off to slee
p in no time. My first dream with Christian happens. He replaces the mysterious lover in my raunchy dreams. This should be a nightmare, but I dream of having intense sex with him.
He steals my breath away from his intense speed in bed. I shout his name aloud by accident, and his name repeats in my dream. I even told him how much I love him. Every part of my body responds to his sensual touch. The heat between us set off sparks. We are about to launch into a triple X scene, when sadly someone rudely awakens me with a French accent. “Time to wake up, sleepy head!”
I open my eyes, and glance around the room. To my bitter disappointment, I’m back in my bedroom all alone.
Leo throws my workout clothes at me. “We have a long day ahead of us, and you need to put your clothes on.”
I can’t remember how I got here, and I’m in my bed with a shirt only. My throat gargles a few expletives as I rush to change in my bathroom.
I complain loudly through my bathroom door, “There’s nothing like snapping back to reality!”
“Do I hear complaining?” Leo shouts through my bathroom door.
A few additional expletives mumble underneath my breath. My iPod stays with me in case there are cardio exercises today.
“You appear to have a hangover,” Leo teases as he pats me hard on the back.
“I might as well have a hangover. I’m so glad I have sunglasses, because my eyes are killing me.” The brilliant lights shoot around the room in vivid colors.
Leo laughs and he opens all the doors for me. “That’s what happens, when you create a blood bond. Now, you belong to Christian. Therefore, no other male vampire can stake his claim on you. Please, pardon the pun, my dear.”
“What does a blood bond entail? I don’t comprehend any of this.”
Leo finishes his sweet drink, and he sets it down on the mahogany table. “You may experience vision; hearing; and taste differences,” Leo continues to talk, but now underneath his breath, “you will also want to fuck him.”
“I hope I misheard you, but you muttered that last part. Will you please, repeat that?”
