Ana watched George from the corner of her eye. So far, he’d stayed back and observed. She didn’t need anyone to fight her battles, and it didn’t matter if those battles were political or physical. This was absolutely not acceptable. The female representatives weren’t so bad, but the males. The males appeared threatened by females. Ana wasn’t the only female having issue or taking issue about this issue. “Sir, while I appreciate your condolences and offers of assistance. I would like to clarify that I have never presented myself as a damsel in distress at any point. That is a narrative created by others to try to limit my abilities because they perceive me as a threat. I, on the other hand, couldn’t care less about their narratives and I will continue on as I have been. The emperor chose to send me here because I am the daughter who can say no to him. Think about that for a moment. I’ve told the Blood Demon no and I’m still standing here.”
Franco finally found himself alone. This was something that rarely happened. He’d lost his rights to privacy when he’d foolishly followed his mistaken belief. Franco believed at one time only he knew how to rule the Vampiric Empire and carved a bloody trail through every single province that existed. He’d betrayed friends and family to achieve this and ended up with a life partner he despised and would never trust. Franco didn’t know what to do with himself. This time occurred so rarely, he didn’t know what to do. He felt he needed to do something. Then he saw the new post on his desk. Edger already opened and read it. Now Franco only had to read it and the response Edger composed. If all went well, Franco would sign and seal it. This filled several hours in most days. His life was a revolving schedule that randomly switched up to avoid becoming a target for an enemy. Franco stopped beside his desk and saw Adriana’s signature on th
Dionysius ran like mad down the corridor. She’d fallen asleep while reading again and she didn’t have time to dress because of it. Who knew where Tatiana was again? She was supposed to wake her up on time and she didn’t. Now she tried to make up the missing time by speeding up the travel by running through the servant’s corridors. She happily smiled when she enter the private dining room and promptly lost her smile when she notice two male vampires seated at the table and her parents weren’t there. Tatiana was there already and flirting outrageously with one of them. The other male looked unimpressed and bored. Another pair of prospective suitors and Tatiana got first pick again. At least when Adriana was there, Dionysius had a chance to choose as well. Now she received Tatiana’s discards, and she feel like a dog whose only means to survive was to beg for table scraps. “Dionysius, how kind of you to join us? These are the Edelweiss brothers. Jacob and
It didn’t take George long at all to get all the information he needed. He suspected that these situations and events weren’t connected to their problems. Adriana’s issues were with someone who didn’t like her personally and wanted her out of the way. George’s issue was why there were multiple reasons various people would like to see her gone. From her position as ambassador, to where she stood on the list with a claim to the emperor’s throne. Adriana didn’t understand the danger she was in, and right now George was ready to burn it all to the ground to make sure she was safe. He knew it wasn’t a sane thought or a smart move to try. When George returned, he discovered the Dragon shifter ambassador arguing with his mate before Adriana. It looked pretty heated. If he didn’t know any better it could become dangerous, but they knew Dragons would covet mates more than treasure itself. They were the ultimate treasure in
Lolita hid her annoyance with her family and tried to keep the dinner conversation civil going for a while. Her ungrateful daughters and life partner made her look like a fool. All because she’d wanted a son and was promised one. It was difficult enough to hear the ancients lamenting about how she’d failed to produce a male heir and the empire would fall without a strong male figure on the throne. Her mother was at the head of that lynch mob and the topic was her favourite one to start a fight with, or to dig a little further at Lolita’s self-confidence and pride. Tatiana all but fled the room at the end of that conversation, but Lolita would speak to her about her rudeness once dinner was over. They set dessert before them, and they ate it. Lolita had watched Franco barely touch his meal, and it was the same with his dessert. That wasn’t unusual. Whenever they fought, he’d lose his appetite. He’d feed on blood al
The evening’s social event was anything but relaxing for Ana, and she wanted to go home before it barely started. She despised how people treated her like a flake and a child. Her age and gender shouldn’t be underestimated. She was smart and strong, wasn’t she? Or was that all foolishness that others lied to her about? She’d done things her sisters never would, and she was trying to progress through all the obstacles others kept putting in her way. How much more did she need to deal with? “Penny for your thoughts?” George asked when she’d stopped responding to him or anyone else. He didn’t think it was good that she was this distracted. “Just wondering how much scandal I would stir up if I punched a vase or wall in sheer frustration.” Ana knew he’s find her thoughts funny but take her frustration seriously. If anyone could get Ana out of her mood, it was George. He just had a way about him that made it possible fo
Adriana and George followed Ragnar and Sherri to a small sitting room. Both security teams cleared the room and then left when it was deemed secure, leaving the two couples alone with each other. “First, I wish to make this clear. We expect nothing from this, but this concerns us too much to not get involved. Since we are in private, may I call you Adriana and George?” Ragnar tried to set the tone for the whatever he wanted to say to George and Adriana.Adriana nodded, all the formality often wore her down, and she felt it wasted too much time. “I have no problem with that, as we are of similar rank and privilege.” “Thank you. This is all going to seem impossible. We aren’t sure how this all works truthfully, and we aren’t looking for any favours now or in the future for this. Sherri may be human, but she is definitely a hybrid of some sort. What I mean is, everyone knows pure humans don’t have any special abilities. Since she’s
Franco wasn’t feeling very well. His stomach was fine until he took a taste of the dessert tonight. It tasted as if the baker failed to follow the recipe correctly and it was far too sweet. He disliked overly sweet things, and he was sitting at his desk contemplating going to bed when he was interrupted when his office door crashing open. The guards suddenly were confronted by more of his guards. “What is going on? Why are you in here?” He demanded as he stood up behind his desk. Franco found he had to brace his hand on the surface of his desk as he became dizzy, and pain settled behind his eyes.“Emperor, we came to report the empress has fallen ill suddenly. The healer has demanded we check on all the royal family because he fears it’s poison.” The guard announced from the doorway, blocked by his personal guard.Franco grunted. “Then find more healers. I find I don’t feel well myself.” Franco felt like his voice came from somewhere else. He knew he was speaking, but it somehow
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