Blissful Danger

"Sir, your guest has arrived." the assistant said to Ian.

" I trust there were no issues Levi?" Ian asked, his voice stern and stare unwavering.

"No sir. She is located where you requested and the staff have been informed to be on their best behavior." Levi responded. His boss was very clear in his expectations and he knew the consequences of failure.

"Good. See to it that I have my usual table for dinner." Ian said turning the leather chair to face out across the garden.

"As you desire, sir. " Levi said, taking his cue to exit the office.

Finally it was all coming to fruition. The months of planning and searching. The years of waiting. She was now finally within arms reach and that is all he required to finish what had been started so long ago. His eyes flickered down to the garden. Pink roses blooming, quite a feet in this environment. They had been her favorite and for her he had made sure they would survive here, in her garden, in the last place he held her before fate intervened.

A soft knock came on the door. He already knew the presence on the other side and his lips pressed into a firm line of annoyance. This game was becoming quite annoying, but today it would end.

"Enter." he said his voice booming, a commanding threat to anyone who heard.

" I would think you would give me a far warmer greeting than that dear brother" the man said entering the office.

"Brother? That is a term long forgotten on us. One that ended the night you took my soul." Ian said the cold fury blazing in his eyes.

"Come now you can't still be bitter over that? It's been ages and frankly if it were so then you wouldn't be able to withstand all this time." Desmond said with the same smirk he always wore.

"I withstand because I know what you never will. Why have you dulled my mood with your presence Desmond?" Ian said, his patience wearing thin for this traitor before him.

" I have come to tell you that you have been summoned." Desmond's eyebrows arched at the challenge he just laid before Ian.

So it is has finally come to this. Well then we shall see who is standing in the end, Ian thought.

"I will be there." Ian said dismissively waving Desmond off.

"Oh dear brother, you think us all fools. You are to appear tonight" Desmond said standing.

"Fine " Ian retorted thought clenched teeth. He knew what Desmond was doing, trying to irk him by interrupting his plans. But that's fine, he had prepared for this.

"See you soon...brother" Desmond said leaving the office with the door wide open.

Ian leaned back in his chair. He played over and over in his mind how many times he should have taken the opportunity to stab that bastard in the heart. However, that will have to wait, the grand council has summoned him and he must deal with this business before finishing old debts. He slowly got up from his chair and strode down the hall, there was something he needed to see.

******

The curtains were drawn with just a small amount of light peeking through. The sun was setting and it cast a pink glow across her face. She was resting peacefully, probably the first time in a long time. A smirk crossed his face. Rest for now my darling, because tonight your dreams will leave you breathless. He watched her for a few moments more before leaving the room, it was time to deal with the council.

He walked through the dim halls filled with a musty odor of days gone by. He realized that while time had moved forward this place had remained as stuck, unwilling to change. As if it's mere presence would halt time itself. An unlikely thought because the world had continued to change even when there were revolts, war, and famine. He steeled himself as approached the councils inner chamber, today would be the last of their meddling, today the tides would turn. He stepped through the steel door into the inner circle, the whispers came to a still as the elders turned to observe him.

"Ian it is glad that you have come." Council member Shaw stated.

" I was summoned, this is not a social call," Ian stated his words pointed.

"Very well then, let us commence with the meeting since we seem to have lost formal pleasantries, " Council member Vaughn replied.

"As you wish," Ian said as he took his place on the tile circle in the middle of the casting states.

"You have been summoned today to discuss a situation most dire. One that another has not been accused of in over four millennia" Council member Shaw stated.

"We are allowing you one opportunity to disclose of any transgressions you have committed to receive light punishment. If you withhold any information ,I must inform you the punishment will be far more severe "Council member Vaughn retorted.

"I understand the rules" Ian said, a stoic mask forming on his face.

He could see Desmond in the background, a smirk plastered across him. He knew that Desmond thought that this would be his moment of victory over Ian, he would finally have taken him down. However, he had gravely miscalculated his opponent.

"Lord Night, you have been accused of trying to bypass succession laws to the ruling throne by eliminating competition. What do you say?" Council member Shaw queried.

"I have bypassed no laws. The only 'competition' I have removed were those who threatened my safety and my lineage. I have abided by all else." Ian replied smoothly

"Then you deny that you murdered Lord Crest because he was before you in line to the throne?" Council member Vaughn asked.

"I do not deny killing him, but it was not for his seat to the throne. It was for a transgression he made on my premises. He entrapped and killed one of the staff during a party. You well know the rules that there are no killing of humans be they food, pleasure, or enemy." Ian stated his gaze fixated on Vaughn.

"And why did you not send him to the council for punishment?" council member Shaw asked.

"Because he was quickly turning to the man's sister as another victim. So I ended him there. Nothing more, nothing less." Ian's ice like voice filled the room.

" I see," council member Vaughn broached "And the rumors that you slaughtered Lady Bennett?"

Ian scoffed, "I did not kill her. I had visited her to obtain a document she was giving to me. After I left she was more than well. However, perhaps you should look within for your murderer of her." He leveled his gaze right to Desmond.

"What document was so dire she would agree to see you at such an odd hour? " Council member Shaw asked.

This was it, the moment of revelation. He reached within his coat pocket and pulled the scroll from inside. He placed it onto the table.

" A document that proves my birth lineage. That shows without doubt, I was born to the first line of vampires. Which makes me the only one to rule the throne." Ian said, the room went still.

The council members moved forward to look at the scroll. There in undeniable ink laid the Night family tree. At the bottom the last born was Ian and at the top was the name that had been the beginning. Before Vlad the impaler, before the first "undead" there it stood, Kha. Kha the creator, a fallen god.