George, thankfully, wasn’t just a sword for hire. He’d made a hobby out of various things. One of which was leatherwork. He’d been using it to make a little money and Alpha Wolversen assisted him in discreetly selling it. The local area had a thriving tourist trade and George could now spend hours making very simple things for this. He’d been slowly saving the money that wasn’t used for their upkeep. The money that came from selling a few of the things he’d taken from Ana’s suite in the palace he’d invested for her, and he’d not touched that money. Rather, he had and had invested most of it into land or stocks that he’d been told would stand the test of time. George actually went through a connection who used an oracle for this. The person readily took predictions from a few oracles, and they combed the predictions looking for clues which would point in the direction of where safe investing would be. Then they’d look at prevailing opinions and trend
“I don’t know George. Truly, I can’t read anything into this. Technically, the way I see it is, there is no guarantee for either of us. It’s full of questionable phrases. I have to make the call for our safety rather than going home to meet our death. Until I see anything that says that my father won’t uphold any of the current or future charges.” Adriana sat in bed looking at a slip of folded newsprint. George brought the article with him when he returned home. It hadn’t been easy to gain it without being observed. Tearing out articles from printed material members were granted to read was poor form and considered rude. But George knew there wasn’t much call for this newspaper now as it was weeks old before he’d been able to get this copy. There was very little chance that someone would come looking for it. “You’re willing to hold out for nothing less than amnesty.” George felt relieved that he didn’t need to argue this point with Ana. Though he’d
Franco Gervais sat in his throne room, dealing with the current matters at hand. Several vampires came forward and offered with news of the Blood Traitors Network. Others brought forth information to varying degrees on who had been involved in the poisoning of his Empress and her daughter. It felt like fated played its hand. Lolita had betrayed him and birthed another’s children. One of which betrayed her and killed her. Franco would happily give more credit to fate for Tatiana’s condition now. She’d been attacked by the Blood Traitor who fathered her child. That Blood Traitor died even as he tried to slit Tatiana’s throat and failed. Now Franco struggled to find his only true blood daughter. With Tatiana clinging to life with all expectations that was temporary now as she’d stopped taking blood and food. Dionysius, the innocent one in this, hadn’t stood a chance against the sister she’d idolized. Ordered by Ordered, Edger went to a reporter that hung around
“I can’t believe it. This is news everywhere. I have to take this to Ana. She has to see it right away. She’s waited so long for this to come to pass.” Edith entered the solarium, where she loved to work and maintained an office. Her mate, Allan, sat in a chair, reading through a report. He was the orator to her brains, and they represented the perfect power couple. Edith held several envelopes and waved an opened letter about excitedly as she spoke to her mate. “Are you sure it’s not a setup? Honestly, Edith looks at it. He sent a message directly to you for his daughter?” Allan had a point. Though she knew how the Emperor knew how to get the message to his daughter. She’d told him when she knew he didn’t want to harm her. Edith hadn’t told him where she was or how she knew. Only that someone helped his daughter stay well hidden. “It’s an invitation, love. Well, two invitations. There’s one for us and one for Ana and a life partne
Edith dropped by with correspondence for Ana and waited with her. When Ana looked at the envelopes, she saw her father’s royal seal and her slow heartbeat sped up and she felt like she couldn’t catch her breath. Ana ended up settling into a chair before she fell down and took a moment to compose herself. “It’s from my father and it’s addressed to me. His seal is on both. It’s official correspondence.” “Yes, he entrusted me to find a way to get it to you. Now this one is an official invitation to his mating celebration. But I’m dying to know what’s in this one. So, go on and open it up. Tell me what it says.” “Oh, yes, open it. It’s a good thing he sent an invitation to me, right?” “It could go one of two ways. He wants you to return and be part of the royal house again. Or he wants you back to kill you. We won’t know until you read the letter carefully.” “Read, right? Carefully.
Edith left them finally to study the documents in their hands and discuss what they would do in response to this attempt by her father to reach out to them. “How are we going to respond to this, George? Or Caun, whatever your name is. Goddess, how do I call you? What name do you want me to use? This is all so much. My father took his time, so why do I feel like it’s all so fast? It feels like my mother and Dionysius died only days ago.” Ana couldn’t help but feel like this was off. Like she’d fallen asleep at some point, and this was a dream that would change into a nightmare before she woke up with a kink in her neck. “Hm. Let’s stick with George for now to make things easier on both of us. I think this name change will take a bit to get used to. Actually, I forgot to tell you about the latest rumours going about the club love. Everyone is on pins and needs because there’s word floating around that your father has been discussing
“So, we’re agreed. We’re going to risk returning to the Vampiric Court?” Ana watched George as he packed his bag. Someone could pack everything else and return it when to them when they knew exactly what was happening. “Yes, George. I can’t see us allowing this chance to get away from us. Let’s go back and see what my father has to say. If this is all real, then we have nothing to worry about. I know my father’s handwriting, and this is his handwriting.” Ana wanted nothing more than to go back to the palace and her father’s court. She’d never believe that she’d miss the place and its terrible memories. What they would find and what would happen to them was what worried Ana. “I know we have problems with many things, and I doubt we’ll get away scot free, because my father has proof that we broke several laws. What I believe we can see when we get there is at best some form of punishment for not staying put in the dungeon, because he won’t be able to
Ana anxiously waited with George to go through the portal. It took them most of the day to travel here. Of course, they could have taken the portal location in the Black River Pack Territory, but they didn’t want anyone tracing their travel and causing trouble later for the wolves because they harboured them during this time. The mages worked efficiently and effectively to move the travellers and their baggage through. All the while, Ana avoided allowing them a good look at her. Neither she nor George wanted to answer questions as the gossip lines and news pamphlets were ripe, not only within the Vampiric Empire, but throughout the supernatural communities. Each faction had their own version of newspapers and the magazines. Celebrities and leaders were something that made the news.Ana normally didn’t make the news, preferring to stay in the shadows. This only made things more difficult for her, as people appeared to be fascinated with the mystery b
Please Note: If you hate the idea of it never happened that way or a cliffhanger ending. Please don’t read past Chapter 153. Ragnar, you can’t do this. I know the timeline is altered and I understand it could have devastating consequences. But we can’t go around using magic to change things back the way they should have been. I’m sure things have changed like this before, and you didn’t do anything then.” “It’s out of my hands. The Dragon Council is sitting right now discussing this issue. I’ve got no say in it beyond my report. If they feel everything that’s happened must be changed, then that’s what will happen. It’s a last resort. But Maximus Lioness isn’t the vampire who should have that name. Something went wrong there, and that’s just one problem with the timeline, as you call it, is wrong. Adriana and George shouldn’t be in the positions they are in. All the things that happened to Adriana weren’t supposed to happen. Her mother shouldn’t be h
North American Ruling Council - Two Weeks Later Ana walked the halls again of the NARC Headquarters, doing her thing. The meetings did not differ from they’d been before. Her plans were falling into place. Her father was pleased and Caun finally could do his original job before easing into his position as a titled royal. The talk around the building didn’t stop with creatures awake at all hours of the day and night. From wild affairs to several battle royale, Ana was busy catching and keeping up with it all. She’d already been requested to assist with preventing a war from breaking out between the Nanaue, a Hawaiian shifter race of sharks, and the Merfolk, mermaids, and mermen. Fun times for all, as there are more than enough sharp teeth and injured pride to go around. This wouldn’t be a simple mediation, and Ana craved the challenge. The Dragon Ambassador did something. Ana suspected magic, because when she retur
Four Days Later - Meeting About the Future Ana woke that evening to find Caun wasn’t beside her, which was odd. When she found him, which took some effort, he was in Tatiana’s night garden exploring it with several of their guards. She had to ask several people to track him down. “Caun, what’s the matter? Why are you here?” “Oh, good evening, love. I was speaking to your father and the attacks on Tatiana came up in our conversation. You were still asleep, and I didn’t want to interrupt you. While we were talking, your father said that no one could tell me how her attackers from the first incident entered here. Since we have several excellent investigators as our guards, I thought we’d take a look around to see if we could find something that could explain how, if not, who did this.”“Oh, good grief I can understand my father not asking me how she pulled this foolishness off, but Caun I’m surprised you didn’t ask me.” That had Caun
Caun stood in line with the last of the guests filing through past him. He’d lost count of the hundreds of hands he shook. There were guards everywhere, and it made him uncomfortable, be he as George, who he still identified as, belonged with them. He kept his eye on his mate and marvelled at how she pretended not to be bored and uncomfortable with the many comments on her unique dress. The side-eye glances and the judgemental glares. It would be a difficult and busy evening. Caun hoped things would get better from here on out. That they’d be busy enough that she wouldn’t be able to brood or her the courtier’s opinion on anything.“So far, so well, this evening. Let’s see how far we can go with no scenes with any of the superficial fools who think they are powerful people.” He whispered this into Ana’s ear. It was a joke, because no matter what he said to Ana, she wouldn’t believe him. She now was a secretly powerful person. “We’ll see the night is sadly still young
Evening of the Celebration of the Life Partner Pairing Adriana thought it was crazy to see the clothing laid out for Caun and her. She’d never seen Caun every in such regalia and her own unique sense of fashion so intricately woven into the more traditional garb of a formal event. Instead of a full-length gown with sashes, ruffles, and silk flowers enveloping it. Ana wore a full dress with a closed slit up the front of the gown. Beneath it, she wore a pair of trousers and boots. Her bodice was a beauty with false draping that allowed her to wear a short, cropped jacket that Matched Caun’s jacket only it was far shorter. It was feminine, but allowed her to show her rank as the Vampiric Ambassador and a soldier within her father’s military. Which pleased her greatly because it meant her skills weren’t a dirty secret or an embarrassment to her father. Ana’s lady’s maid didn’t have a comment or criticism about anything she assisted Ana
Ana could see the sigh of relief at her words in the way her father relaxed and Eva, too. As if even this setting didn’t quite keep her father’s anxiety at bay and Eva somehow shared in it. Could she really be supporting this?Ana couldn’t see how this would be in her best interest to let this happen. If she even pretended to go along with it and encourage it, then Ana could, too. “I am relieved to hear you say this. Eva has been pressuring me to get this done before we celebrate anything because she doesn’t want there to be any miscommunication between us. I admit I agree with her. There’s been too many things keeping me from being fully in your life and now with most of that gone, I hope you will accept my attempts at rectifying that.” Her father stood up at saying this. “Come here. There’s one thing I’ve missed since you could talk.” Ana frowned because she wasn’t sure what he was speaking about and took a step back.
Ana couldn’t help it. When they entered the private well-lit moon garden of the Vampiric Emperor, she had to marvel at the artistry of it’s many curated garden paths. It was like a maze laid out before her and put Tatiana’s garden to shame. Here her father could find a little quiet solitude away from the prying eyes of his courtiers and guards alike and he guarded that privacy as if it were more precious than gold itself. She held onto Caun’s arm as they entered the space and stepped down toward the pathway Edger used to lead them to her father. The gravel that made up the surface of the path crunched softly under their feet as they followed. The sounds of night birds in the trees floated down to them as a few random lightning bugs flitted between the trees, and the space looked like someone had infused it with a sweet healing magic that was full of warmth and gentleness.“I have to say I like your father’s choice of private spaces. Between this and
Edger did return after they’d relaxed a little and changed. Ana still couldn’t help it. When she discovered the clothing, her father had commissioned for her, she’d stopped dead in her tracks in disbelief. Her new lady’s maid gave her a note written in her father’s handwriting which spoke volumes that he’d not dictated it to someone. He’d taken the time to write to her. Ana knew that wasn’t a normal relationship between child and parent, but they weren’t exactly normal people. [Adriana love, this note is to ensure you understand that situations of safety and security forced my hand to do and say things I never wanted to say to my daughter. You aren’t hidden or an embarrassment to me. I am relieved to have proven you are my daughter. Your mother tied my hands when it came to raising you, but I kept eyes on you at all times. Your life partner and you will find I’ve arranged for clothing for you in the tastes you are comfortable in, with a touch of nob
Ana entered the suite first, followed by Caun and finally Edger. A smartly dressed couple stood there waiting for them. They weren’t in the royal livery, though they clearly wore a livery. It wasn’t unusual in the days before Adriana’s birth for other leaders to have their servants in their own livery. There were a few these days, but many were no longer used since the houses no longer existed. “The Emperor took it upon himself to outfit your servants in your personal livery. This is Jacque and Rachel. They will ace as your personal maid and valet.”Ana nodded at them in recognition. These were people her father hired for them, and that was fine. They knew enough not to say anything suspicious in front of them. The pair curtseyed and Ana dismissed them. “We’ll speak later. I’m sure you have plenty to keep you busy. Are my weapons going to be a problem for her Edger?”“No, Princess, she has received training to look after, maintain, and store your weapons appropriately should the need