by T. S. Ryder
Found sighed, rolling her eyes. Her gaze landed on a figure on a bench partially obscured by a lilac bush and she tensed. It was Vlad. Though his head was bent over a book, she couldn't help but feel he had heard every word.
"Let's go back," she said quickly, grabbing Wava's arm. "I want Alexandru's opinion."
Even as she spoke, Vlad's head rose. This time, Wava saw him too. Together, the women turned away. With any luck, Vlad was still stinging from his two hundred lashes and wouldn't be in the mood to pursuing them.
Luck, it seemed, was not with them.
"Wava, Found. I'm glad to see you," Vlad was soon walking beside them.
"Leave us alone," Wava said. "Haven't you caused enough trouble?"
"Don't be like that," Vlad easily kept pace with them. "I have wanted to apologize to you, Found. I'm sorry that I threw you down those stairs. But I was acting purely out of self-defense. Getting kneed in the jewels will make any man go a little crazy. And it's not like I was trying to kill you. I was the one who sent help for you."
"Oh, in that case, all is forgiven," Found replied sarcastically. Her fists clenched, but she knew that reacting against him wasn't a good idea. It was best to just get away.
"Get away from us before Alexandru gets here," Wava snarled, pulling Found along faster.
Vlad snickered. "Afraid that he'll lose his temper and get himself beheaded?"
Found glanced around. Alexandru said that he was going to meet them out here after he was done discussing whatever it was the Empress wanted him for. Would he really attack Vlad again, after what happened last time?
No, he was too smart for that.
Still, Found went faster, jogging by this time. They emerged from the gardens, headed for the palace. Alexandru was just stepping onto the wide porch, chatting with a couple of guards. He tensed when he saw the three of them. Vlad moved a little closer to the two women as Alexandru began striding towards them.
"Oh, half-sister," Vlad sighed heavily. He grabbed Wava's arm, stopping her. "It must be so hard for you, to be in this world but not truly part of it. Even this little female that has only known your brother for three months, is more connected to him than you can ever hope to be. But then, who would want you?"
Wava's lips pressed into a thin line. "Let go of me."
"You're an AB positive. It's the most disgusting blood type available. You're useless, even to the lesser Vampires. No good as a breeder, as a feeder… quite frankly, you're worth less than the mud on my boots."
Wava's arm snapped out. Her hand flew towards Vlad's face, but he caught her wrist, yanking it backwards. Wava let out a high-pitched yelp.
Moving faster than Found could see, Alexandru was suddenly between them. A hand lashed out, wrapping around Vlad's throat and a second sunk into his stomach. Vlad gasped noisily, releasing Wava.
"No!" Found screamed as Alexandru punched Vlad again.
Wava pulled her away from the two Vampires, but her gaze wasn't on the brothers. Instead it was on the palace guards. Alexandru seemed to remember where he was, but it was too late. Even as he dropped Vlad to the ground, the guards surrounded him. Two shoved Alexandru to his knees. The muscles of his neck roped. Found knew how difficult it must be for him to submit, especially in this situation.
"You saw, they attacked without provocation," Vlad gasped, hunched over on the ground.
"You set us up," Found realized. Rage boiled through her and she stepped forward, swinging. One of the guards blocked her and shoved her back.
Alexandru snarled, fighting the guards that held him down.
"Don't," Wava said sharply. She pulled Found away from the vampires. "Sandru, don't. You know that fighting the Empress's guard is the same as fighting the Empress herself."
A muscle twitched in Alexandru's forehead, but he forced himself to go still. Found snarled, glowering at Vlad. She would have liked nothing more than to have a silver knife in her hand to stab him right in his stupid, smug face.
"He was harassing me and Wava," she said as the guards yanked Alexandru's hands behind his back and cuffed him. "He deliberately provoked us."
One of the guards glanced at her. "You should come speak on your husband's behalf to the Empress then. This is the second altercation these two have been in on her grounds and she will want to deal with them personally."
Found's hands clenched. If the Empress had any sense at all, she'd see that Alexandru wasn't at fault. But then, she already had him whipped once. Who was to say she wouldn't do worse now?
Anxiety coursed through Found's blood. Wava grasped her hand and they followed after the Vampires.
Chapter Nine
Alexandru mentally cursed Vlad three ways to hell and back. But he had been harassing Wava and Found and certainly that would count for something? The silver cuffs burned against Alexandru's wrists, but he knew better than to fight against them.
The Empress' mouth was drawn to a tight line when they were brought in. Alexandru flinched at the disappointment in her gaze. Even if he had been baited, a Vampire worthy to be her heir would not allow himself to be so easily tricked into losing his temper.
"Take those shackles off Alexandru. He will remain calm," the Empress sat back on her throne, glaring at him and Vlad in turn, clearly at the end of her patience. "What was it this time?"
"Vlad was harassing me and my sister-in-law. My brother defended us," Wava said before Vlad could.
"I wouldn't call it harassing—"
"Enough!" The Empress got to her feet. "I tire of your infantile behavior, Vlad. Give me a reason why I should not have your carcass fed to the pigs this very night."
Alexandru would have smirked at how pale Vlad's face went, but he knew better than to revel in his rival's downfall when his own fate was yet to be spoken of.
"This is just a plot to make me find disfavor—"
The Empress's glare cut him off. Vlad bowed his head. His hands clenched and shook and Alexandru almost allowed himself to smile. It did feel good to finally see the ever-talking Vlad silenced. Clearly the Empress had no interest in hearing his paltry excuses. Just when Alexandru thought that Vlad would remain silent forever, he lifted his head again.
"Mother," he started and then paused at the Empress' surprised look. "I call you Mother because you are my mother, just as I am your son. My loyalty has always been with you. I may be childish, foolish, vain and have the brains of pig slop, but you cannot deny my devotion."
The Empress inclined her head. "This is true. You have always proven your loyalty."
"Has my brother done the same? When we warred against the Shifters and they were at your gates, was he the one to abandon his own lands to defend his mother?"
Alexandru's hands clenched. Those events had happened when he had just been given his first lands. At the time of the siege, he had been a captive, unable to even help himself. It was decades ago and he had proven himself many times since then!
"He will argue that he has shown his loyalty since," Vlad continued, almost as if he could read Alexandru's thoughts. "But he was the one who, when facing the Matriarch of the Bears, not only allowed her to live after he defeated her, despite all the Vampire lives she has taken, but returned lands to her that he had rightfully won! Why would a general who has been clear on his desire to be Emperor do that? Unless he intends to raise an army of Shifters against you, Mother. I say Alexandru cannot be trusted."
Alexandru growled deep in his chest, but the Empress flashed a warning look at him and he fell silent again.
"And as for the human girl…" Vlad turned and stared at Found. Alexandru wanted to gouge out his eyes for daring to lay eyes on her. "Well. There I must admit I am at fault. I was weak, Mother. I meant no disrespect, but I could not smell a mark on her and she is so beautiful."
What was he saying? Found moved to Alexandru's side, shivering. He put an arm around her.
"I drank her blood while my brother was making his treaty with the Shifters," Vlad declared.
It wa
s only Found's warmth against him that stopped Alexandru from lunging at his brother. "Lies!"
"I drank from her," Vlad repeated.
"He's lying!" Found shouted. "He didn't drink from me."
"My claim was laid before my brother's. This girl and her child both are mine." Vlad stood straight and looked the Empress in the eye. "Mother, she is mine."
***
It couldn't be true. Found shook as she wrapped her arms around Alexandru. Vlad hadn't drunk her blood. Except… except when she fell down the stairs, she had lost consciousness. What if his fangs had pierced her and she simply could not remember? The thought made her sick to her stomach. She wished she could just wrap herself in Alexandru’s arms and disappear from this cold, stone palace.
The Empress's terrible gaze flickered to her briefly before she folded her hands in her lap. "I do not believe that you drank this girl's blood. You have always been a silver-tongued liar and I thought I might have a use for you. But you do not take responsibility for your mistakes, Vlad. And I grow tired of this vendetta you have against my son, my general."
A brief, beaming smile shone on Alexandru, but he tensed further, if that was possible. Found glanced at his face to see a look of understanding on his face, but his mouth tightened, his eyes growing grim.
"As such, I will give you one last chance to redeem yourself, Vlad. You shall face Alexandru in a fight to the death. Should you win, all of his lands will be yours. The human and the child will be yours."
Found gasped. Alexandru's hold tightened on her.
"And if Alexandru wins… well. If he wins, then I will make public what I have already decided in my heart. He has proven himself kind and able to live harmoniously with humans. He is wise when it comes to the Shifters, willing and able to stop this silly feud between us. All he must do now is prove himself willing to do what is necessary with his brothers."
Found couldn't stop herself from gawking. Her husband–the next Vampire Emperor? She knew that it was his plan, but somehow hearing it from the Empress herself made it seem all the more real. It was more than that, though… if Alexandru was Emperor, she would be Empress. Her head spun.
More pressing was this fight to the death. Alexandru looked grim and determined, but not afraid. Vlad, however, was ashen, eyes wide as though his neck was already on the chopping block. He didn't expect to live. For all his bluster, for all his laughing at Alexandru's threats, he was afraid of him.
"I request the fight take place at once," Alexandru said. "Let us get this unpleasant business over with."
Vlad turned to glare at him, but the fury and hatred landed on Found. "I should have killed you. If I have the chance, I will yet kill you."
Alexandru turned his back on his brother, cupping Found's face in his hands. His eyes were soft as he kissed her.
"He will not touch you," he said under his breath. "You will be seated by the Empress for the fight. Please, during the fight, close your eyes. I don't want you to see me like that."
Found nodded numbly. Her husband kissed her once more and stepped back, letting Wava take his place. The other woman shivered, but she didn't look any more fearful than her brother.
"Alexandru has never killed another Vampire," Wava whispered. "He has made many threats, but has never had to follow them through. Now he must. No-one will mourn Vlad, but Sandru will not find this easy to do."
***
Found was seated beside the Empress at the sidelines of a large arena. It reminded her of the gladiator pits she had read about and shuddered. That was exactly was this was.
The stands were soon crowded by Vampires and from the snatches of conversation she heard, Found realized they were betting on the outcome.
"Can't you resolve this another way?" Found twisted her hands, glancing up at the Empress, whose expression was cold.
"Alexandru defeated the Shifter Matriarch, but not in the agreed upon way. He was meant to face ten heroes. He only faced one. Some take it that he backed down from the challenge. This is to prove he will do what is necessary. If he cannot protect you from the likes of Vlad, then he cannot be my heir."
Found stared in horror at the woman. How could anybody be so cold? Was she always like this, or had her unnaturally long life turned her heart to stone?
A cheer from the crowd drew Found's attention back to the arena. Alexandru and Vlad, both wearing only pants, had strutted to the center. Vlad, though tall with well-defined muscles, was tiny compared to Alexandru.
Found knew that the smaller Vampire had no chance to win. Alexandru's gaze sought her out and as promised, she closed her eyes.
The fight took longer than she expected. There were cheers and gasps from the crowd. Grunts of pain echoed in her ears and though she longed to open her eyes and see what was happening for herself, she clenched her hands and kept them closed. An earth-shaking cheer suddenly went up.
"You can look now," the Empress patted her hand.
Found's eyes snapped open. Alexandru stood alone, holding the limp, lifeless body of his brother.
"My sons, here is your future Emperor. Alexandru, my heir," the Empress called out.
The Vampires cheered. But even as the crowd chanted his name, Found could only feel sorrow at the slump of Alexandru's shoulders and the gentle way he laid Vlad's body on the ground.
Chapter Ten
Six months after the fight that had promoted him to the Empress's heir, Alexandru sat on the edge of his bed, watching his wife nurse their newborn child. It wasn't yet dawn, but the baby's crying had woken them both. He could not believe that he was so lucky to be blessed with this family.
"The stars were watching out for me," he said, smiling at Found.
She gave him a distracted smile. "What do you mean, love?"
"When I chose you to be my wife, the stars were watching over me. There is no way I could be so lucky to find you if they were not."
Her eyes sparkled. He loved looking at her like this. He would never get enough.
"They were watching over me, too," she said. "All I wanted was to escape that place, but instead, I found myself. I have a husband who loves me and now a child. I never knew before how hollow I felt."
The baby finished nursing and Found lifted her to her shoulder to burp her. Alexandru felt his smile widen and he was certain he was a goofy sight. His little daughter was beautiful. She was human like her mother and perfect in every way. He would teach her to hunt, fish and fight. He would buy her the best silks and laces for her dresses and if anybody broke her heart, he would destroy them.
"We need to decide on a name," Found sighed.
They had not been able to agree on a name. Or rather, Found had not liked any of Alexandru's suggestions, but had been unable to tell him what sort of name she was looking for. It must be difficult, to have no name but one that was given to you not out of love but a necessity.
He reached for her hand. "Darling, she's perfect just the way she is. We'll find a name, I promise." He leaned forward, kissing her, gently at first, then more passionately.
Found's eyes became sultry. "The doctor said I have to either drink three quarts of your blood or wait three months before we can make love again."
Her words made him tighten and he groaned. "Don't speak like that. It makes me want you."
"I know it does. I figure if I must be tortured with desire, so must you."
"How can you even be thinking that way after giving birth just three days ago?" Alexandru shook his head, laughing. "Even without the pain—"
"It doesn't hurt much anymore. I've already drunk… what, one and a half quarts? I think I'm probably healed up already."
The baby let out a burp that seemed too loud for such a small body and they laughed. Found nestled their daughter in her arms, stroking the small red cheeks and fuzzy black hair. It was a surprise, but the baby looked more like her Aunt Wava than either Alexandru or Found. Wava had been thrilled and had made enough clothes that it would be next to impossible for the little baby to
wear them all.
"I heard you speaking with the Empress," Found said, a smile crossing her face as she gazed at her husband. "She seems to be very pleased with your work with the Shifters."
Alexandru felt himself swell with pride, remembering his most recent conversation with the Empress. "She is. Negotiations with my brothers are going well and there haven't been any major skirmishes since the Bear Matriarch submitted to me. Even the others–Wolves, Lions, Tigers–they all respect my authority."
"The Emperor of Vampires and the King of Shifters. Is it everything you hoped?"
"More. I have you."
He bent and kissed his wife's mouth, teasing her lips open. With a moan, she pressed herself closer, careful not to jostle the baby. Alexandru chuckled as he withdrew.
The baby's face wrinkled and Alexandru scented a smell, not unlike sour cheese. He held out his arms for the baby. "Little miss needs a diaper change."
***
"You made a stinky, yes you did."
Found had to fight back laughter at her huge, imposing vampire husband talking baby talk to their daughter as he changed her diaper. It made her love him all the more. Every time she thought her heart would burst if she was any happier, he did something that made it swell even further and somehow make more room.
Alexandru's giant fingers deftly fastened the tiny snaps on the baby's sleepers.
Found climbed out of bed. Her body felt a little tender if she walked or sat for too long, but other than that, she was healing faster than she expected. Being a Vampire's bride definitely had its perks. Alexandru drinking from her was off the table for as long as sex was. Having a transfusion of his blood just after giving birth and then drinking a little at every meal afterwards was really helping her get back to her normal self.
She stepped onto their balcony. The sky was beginning to lighten in the east, heralding a new day.
Alexandru came over to her and shifted the baby to one arm so he could bring Found against his chest, kissing her soundly. Found wrapped her arms around him.
