Vampire Kingdom 2: The Pact

by Leigh Walker

  My heart was heavy as I headed to the blood slaves’ quarters. I would do my best not to lie to them, but I had to stay within the confines of the queen’s orders. She’d commanded me to be positive—I had little choice but to oblige.

  The mood in the lecture hall was quiet boredom. Professor Talbot was busy lecturing on the obscure history of one of the soon-to-be-visiting dignitaries. Elise was yawning, Constance was examining her nails, and Alexandra was half-asleep as the professor droned on. When she paused to take a sip of water, I cleared my throat. The professor turned to me, her immaculate black gown brushing the floor stiffly. “Yes? What is it, Lady Victoria?”

  I stepped forward. “I’m sorry to interrupt, but the queen has asked me to address the candidates. It’s important.”

  Professor Talbot’s eyebrows rose a fraction, but she stepped aside for me to take the podium.

  “Good afternoon.” I forced myself to smile as I faced the candidates, but of course it was a lie. I felt sick as I continued. “Queen Danica called for me earlier today. She was pleased that everyone seemed to have an excellent time at the ball. She’s spoken with the guards, and they have unanimously expressed an interest in something—something that has to do with you directly.”

  The room was silent but no longer because they were bored. The blood slaves leaned forward expectantly. Alexandra looked as though she were holding her breath.

  “After enjoying the liberties of last night, the guards sought the queen’s permission to court you. When she initially seemed amenable to the idea, several of them asked for her blessing to propose.”

  The room broke out in excited, nervous chatter.

  “The queen is inclined to grant these requests, but first, she sought your approval. She asked me to tell you that you are esteemed members of her staff, and she will only approve this step if it’s something you’re equally enthusiastic about.” Everyone started talking at once, except for Professor Talbot, who watched me in shocked silence, and Elise and Alexandra, who knew better than to take those statements at face value.

  I cleared my throat. “Do any of you have questions?”

  “Yes! Oh yes, I do!” One young woman immediately sprang to her feet. She was the girl I’d seen kissing a guard on the dance floor. Her cheeks were flushed, and her chest heaved with excitement. “D’you know which guards have asked for permission to propose?”

  “No, I’m sorry, I don’t.” That wasn’t exactly the truth: the queen had told me that Alexandra’s beau had asked for her hand. “But the queen expects several more requests before dinner. She said the guards were eager to be able to move forward, as many of them have been dreaming of this privilege for a long time.”

  The girl nodded, eyes bright, as she sat down.

  Alexandra raised her hand, and I nodded to her. “Do you think there are any concerns with such a plan?” she asked.

  I started to speak but hesitated. She knew how I felt about the queen. I couldn’t take those words back, but I also couldn’t risk saying anything of the kind in front of the other women, not to mention Professor Talbot. “The queen’s concern is that the council will be shocked by such a modern approach. I must speak with them afterward, but Queen Danica wanted me to address you first. Because if you are not, of your own free will, interested in courtship with the guards, she will not permit it. She wants you to know that your consent and wishes are of the utmost importance.”

  The queen was a truly gifted politician. She knew that by giving the candidates the power to choose, she was empowering them. But of course it only benefitted her in the end.

  Another girl I’d never spoken to raised her hand. “Would we continue to live at the palace?”

  I nodded. “The queen didn’t give many details, but she said that married housing and… c-children’s quarters would be provided within the castle compound.”

  At that, everyone burst into excited chatter.

  One of the older candidates, a stunning woman in her fifties, raised her hand and stood. “My name is Carmela, and I was one of the first candidates chosen at the Trade.” The other women nodded to her deferentially. “I’ve never in my time here seen a guard purposefully mistreat a candidate—I believe them to be kind-hearted and loyal. As I understand it, they’ve taken vows to never marry. I’m sure their prospects to date have been almost as bleak as ours. No wonder they’re eager—wouldn’t they be honored and thrilled to be able to have a family of their own? I know I would’ve embraced the chance to marry and have children if I were younger. The queen has been mostly a merciful master. I would encourage you young ladies to take advantage of the chance to have your own full, happy life.”

  Again, everyone started talking at once.

  “Ladies.” Professor Talbot stepped forward, her voice sharp. “Will you accept the responsibilities of becoming wives to the guards and mothers to their children? You understand the implications, of course. Your children will not be human, nor will they be vampire.”

  Everyone stopped chattering, and Alexandra rose. “What would they be, exactly? None of us have been told about such creatures.”

  “Well, they aren’t creatures—they’re mostly the same as you and me, of course.” Professor Talbot straightened her shoulders. “But they are called intercrosses, and they are neither vampire nor human. Each one is different, and some of them have talents. Some are even immortal.” Gasps and whispers rippled through the crowd. “But little is known about them, for they are very rare. In my three-hundred years as a vampire, I have never come across one.”

  “Why is that?” Alexandra asked.

  “Because until now, vampire-human unions have been frowned upon. But things change. They always do, even when it takes a long time. Now, I have answered your questions to the best of my ability.” Professor Talbot nodded at them. “I believe you owe Lady Victoria and, more importantly, the queen, an answer.”

  But Alexandra didn’t sit down. “Before we give our answer, I have another question. If such unions have been frowned upon in the past, how do we know that we won’t be persecuted for marrying the guards? How do we know our children will be safe?”

  I stepped forward, wiping my sweaty palms off on the skirt of my dress. “Because the queen has sworn to protect you and any children borne from these unions.” That wasn’t a lie. But it also didn’t tell the whole truth.

  Alexandra caught my eye, but I looked away. Soon after, the candidates voted. The results: a unanimous yes.

  23

  A New Light

  Lady Dowd glared at me over her wine goblet. She was clenching its stem so hard her knuckles were white. “Why has Her Highness sent you? Last I heard, she thought you quite beneath her son.”

  “Well, yes. She probably still thinks that, but she sent me just the same.” I coughed as the council members stared at me. I was in their private meeting room, a dark and austere place filled with tapestries and oil paintings of old, famous vampires—I assumed. Dominic and his father were not in attendance. Queen Danica had called them away to plan for the guests arriving the next morning. I was sure it was no coincidence—the queen wouldn’t want the prince to hear my stump speech to the other council members. I would barely be able to tolerate it myself.

  The council was still staring, and I nervously cleared my throat. “Thank you for receiving me on such short notice. As I said, the queen asked me to speak about one of her initiatives that is, uh, time sensitive.” I took a deep breath, readying my nerves. It was best to get it over with. “Queen Danica wishes to propose a decree that allows the guards to marry the blood-slaves.”

  “I knew it!” one of the council members shouted.

  “How dare she? It’s a crime against nature!” another cried.

  “I told you she was going to do this. I said it last night.” Lady Dowd slammed down her goblet. Good thing it was tin. Otherwise, it would’ve shattered. “And she sends you, an insignificant human, to do her dirty work. The irony is not lost on me.”

  One o
f the men next to her shook his head. “It’s come to pass,” he said. “The queen will not listen anymore.”

  Unsure of what to do, I decided to tell them what I needed to then flee. “The queen believes that these unions will strengthen your position in the kingdom and the other realms. She feels showing mercy and inclusiveness will further bind the…” I took a deep breath. “Humans to your kind.”

  Lady Dowd, who was tall, buxom, and imposing, leaned toward me. “The queen twists her words to suit the one thing she cares about—herself.”

  I took a tiny step back. “In support of this position, Her Highness has spoken to both the guards and the slaves.”

  “Oh, I’m sure she has.” Lady Dowd narrowed her eyes. “Go on.”

  “The guards have asked permission to wed the slaves, but the queen refused to grant it—” I heard several sighs of relief. “Unless the blood slaves agreed to the idea. I’ve just come from them, and they have unanimously voted yes. I am meant to secure your blessing before the queen proceeds with a decree.”

  “And what if we say no?” an older-looking, dark-skinned vampire asked as he straightened his ascot. “What then?”

  “I’m sure Her Highness will take it under advisement.” Several of the members gave snorts and grunts, but I ignored them. “The queen has asked me to deliver this message because I have particular experience with the topic and can assuage your concerns. I can tell you, firsthand, that it is entirely possible for a human to love a vampire with a whole heart.”

  “That’s because your race is insipid, dull, and naive,” Lady Dowd said. “Of course you would love your superiors. But that attachment isn’t, and can never be, the love of an equal. Your race is incapable of such sophistication of feeling.”

  My cheeks heated. I needed to speak with tact, but I longed to throttle her fleshy neck. But that got me thinking about my neck and what Lady Dowd might do to it, not to mention the queen.

  I took another deep breath and continued. “Though I understand that you believe this, I have to disagree. I have very real feelings for His Highness, and they’re natural, fine, and pure. Just because you might think they are below you, they are not below the prince: he loves me in return. The guards have expressed sincere hopefulness at the prospect of being able to marry the slaves. Some of them have already fallen in love and requested the queen’s blessing to propose. You might think that below them, but the queen does not.”

  Lady Dowd cursed under her breath; I doubted she’d ever had a real feeling in her life. “If both sides are decided, and the queen approves, you are merely here for show. So now you are dismissed.”

  “Very well.” I nodded then curtsied. The queen had prepared me for that, so when I stood, I raised my gaze to meet Lady Dowd’s. “It’s my understanding that you should consider yourself lucky, then, to be included in the conversation at all. I wish you a good afternoon.”

  They council broke out in angry conversation as I took my exit. Leaning against the wall outside in the hallway for support, I put my face in my hands. I’d gone and done it—I’d angered a bunch of old, scary vampires and aligned myself with the deranged queen. I was her messenger, her puppet. The problem was that I did believe that the guards and slaves should be able to marry each other if they wanted to. But the queen only supported that because it would do her bidding. She didn’t care about doing the right thing. In the long run, people, my people, were nothing to her. We were lowly pawns, and when we weren’t moving in the right direction, she would herd us like cattle for the meat-packer.

  “What’s going on?”

  I peered up to see Dominic frowning at me. My heart lurched and sank all at the same time, something I hadn’t thought possible. “Hey.”

  “What happened?” He turned his frown to the council chambers. “What on earth are you doing out here?”

  I stood up and straightened my shoulders. “I had an errand with the council.”

  He waited, the muscle in his jaw tense.

  “Your mother sent me.”

  He cursed then clamped his hand on my shoulder and didn’t say another word as he marched me back to my room. Once we were inside, he started pacing. “What the devil were you doing for my mother?”

  I reminded myself to choose my words carefully. My life and Dominic’s future depended on it. “She wanted me to speak to the council about the blood-slave situation.”

  He raked a hand over his head, making his close-cropped hair stand up a bit. “She has no right to speak to you. I will go and see her immediately.”

  I swallowed hard. “Dominic… I think you should leave this alone. I’m fine. She didn’t touch me. She asked me to speak to the council and the slaves because she felt I was the best person for it. I’m a human in love with a vampire, after all. And I’m government sanctioned.” At least for now.

  He stopped pacing and stared at me, his eyes fiery. “I will not tolerate her any longer. If she comes near you again, I will attack her.”

  I nodded because I’d expected nothing less. But the queen’s words rang in my ears. You will do what I ask, or I will separate you from him for good. I didn’t know what to do, what to say. If I told Dominic the whole truth, the queen would deliver me to the emperor.

  Maybe there was a slight chance Dominic could protect me from that fate. But if he knew the truth—that his mother had threatened me, blackmailed me, and would turn me over to a murderer if I didn’t bend to her will—he would start a war. Though we’d discussed fighting the queen, the immediacy of the danger made me swallow the truth. If I told him everything she’d said, he would go after her that night. His mother was ancient, powerful, and from all reports, nearly impossible to kill. That meant I could lose him at any moment. I would never live with myself if I brought harm to Dominic. To lose him would be worse, much worse, than ending my life. I would protect him until my last breath, even if it meant keeping something of that magnitude from him.

  “I spoke with the slaves,” I said calmly. “They unanimously voted in support of the right to marry the guards.”

  “Of course they did.” He exhaled deeply. “I wish the right were granted in the spirit of equality. But that’s not at all what the queen is up to.”

  I nodded, happy to find some common ground with him. “Several of the guards have already asked for permission to propose.”

  Dom nodded. “I’m not surprised. The guards and the slaves have been circling each other for years, as isolated as we are here. I’m sure it’s a happy day for them. What about the council?”

  “It’s not a happy day for them.” I sighed. “They see this as a defeat and my visit to them as an insult. But I told them what your mother said—they’re lucky she’s still extending courtesies to them.”

  “This is as close to openly breaking with them as I’ve ever seen.” Dominic’s eyes were dark. “Now that she’s taken this step, there’s no going back.”

  “What use are the council members?” I asked. “Do they have any power over her?”

  “They don’t have much use, unfortunately. They’ve been slowly decaying over the decades, feasting on donated blood and shutting themselves up in their council chambers to discuss their importance at length. I believe they could be persuaded to fight against my mother, but they are also lazy and fear any sort of change. They want the status quo—to continue to rule in secret and live the life of spoiled, largely useless nobility. They don’t want my mother to rock the boat by going public. On the other hand, they would be leery of fighting her because not only has she been holding the reins for centuries, but if she loses, there will be change. They are set in their ways. From both sides, I discount them. I neither fear them nor believe we could rely on them.”

  “That was the sense I got,” I agreed. “If all they care about is their comfort and standing, they’re no use to us.” I wanted to cry. No one could come to our aid in a fight against the queen. We had no allies, no choices, and no escape.

  Dominic came and took my hand. “You
were still brave to face them, as well as my mother. What else did you discuss with her?”

  There were so many things I couldn’t say. I racked my brain for something appropriate that stayed within the queen’s guidelines. “She said something about the marriages—it echoed what you said.” I raised my gaze to meet his. “That the children borne from the guards and the slaves will be loyal to her.”

  Dominic nodded. “She will build her army from the ground up. For an immortal being, the time it will take is of little consequence.”

  “She said that intercrosses are interesting beings. Some of them are quite powerful, I understand?” I watched his expression carefully.

  “Yes, some of them are.” A glimmer of recognition, a flash of something, passed over his face. But it was so quick I might’ve imagined it.

  “Your mother seems to think they’ll make a fine army; in fact, their blood may be toxic to your kind. Interesting, isn’t it? She wants to learn all sorts of things about them—to test them, train them, and see what they’re capable of,” I said.

  When he didn’t say anything, I continued, “She said an intercross can be talented. Of course she said they aren’t as good as a vampire, but she says that about everybody.”

  Dominic’s face betrayed no emotion. “Yes, she’s quite prejudiced.”

  We stared at each other for a beat. There were a lot of unspoken things between us, too many for my weary head to take in. But one question continued to thrum through me: did Dominic know what I was?

  “Do you suppose I might be one? An intercross?” I watched his face carefully.

  Dom started then composed his features. “I don’t want to guess—it isn’t fair.”

  I studied his face. “My mother comes tomorrow with her vampire husband”—who is likely my father, and who tried to kill me—“in tow. I have special powers, although nothing as brilliant as immortality or levitation. But still—it makes sense, doesn’t it? I mean, if any of this makes sense…”