Chapter Four - Adriana Gervais - 19 yrs old

           It was all in the portfolio. Someone compiled this very well for the Emperor, and she could almost see the fear in the person’s soul as they put pen to paper while laying this out.

           Now she needed to get the interviews done to know whether she could trust them. Ana knew she could work with people, but that didn’t mean she would trust them. That was all part of the Vampiric court. Backstabbing was everyone’s specialty, and she doubted it would differ from where she was going. Well, at least, among her staff. Someone would be charged with getting the dirt on her and telling the Emperor. Another would do the same thing for her mother. They would leave Ana in the dark about it until she did something unforgivable.

           Speaking of doing something unforgivable, what was she to do about that walking tasty treat of man the Emperor put in control of her safety? She highly doubted he put them together to encourage them to play with each other in the manner she was so tempted to. His eyes said the same thing. Ana was sure he’d watched her hips sway all the way to the sitting room.

           It had her worried because it wasn’t just a sin, but a crime against the morals of the Throne and Vampiric Society. Crimes against the morals of the Throne and Vampiric Society were usually punishable by death. Because that went against the foundations and fundamentals of their society. What better way to destroy the empire than to destroy what they built it upon?

           The guilt felt real, yet she’d done nothing. Yet, she couldn’t get his wind tossed hair and sky-blue eyes from her mind. Or the thought of his chiseled chin and sculpted cheekbones. Was the rest of his body the same way? If it was… No, Ana knew her mind couldn’t go there. But it had been doing just that this entire time.

           It couldn’t mean anything. He wasn’t from the same caste as her and people didn’t rise or lower castes at a drop of the hate. So she couldn’t beg the Emperor to allow him to move from one caste to another. It didn’t happen.

           Before she knew it, he was back. He’d looked good before, but now he was in his dress uniform. They tailored the grey and blue uniform to his body, and he looked like he was all but chiselled out of stone. Each gold button was shining brightly in the gentle lighting of the blue sitting room. He’d tied his hair back in a neat ponytail and his collar was high enough to accent his freshly shaven jaw.

           “Well… At least, you clean up well. I’m surprised the Emperor didn’t punish you for entering his presence like that.” Ana deliberately used her prickly and hostile tone to try to push him away subtly. She hated to do it, but it was her first line of defence when she needed to distance herself from others.

           “When the Emperor calls and you’re told it’s urgent, then he gets what he gets. I’m sure he knew I was training before he summoned me. If I offended your sensibilities, I apologize. It wasn’t my intention.”

           “You didn’t, just don’t do it again. If you are in that state, then send someone to tell me why you’re delayed. If I can’t wait, I will send word of that.”

           “Fair enough. Shall we secure your portfolio from prying eyes?”

           “Definitely, thank you.” Again Ana led the way out of the Blue Sitting Room, and she could feel his eyes on her backside. She tried to tolerate it, but soon found herself rolling her eyes and turning around to glare at him. “Please refrain from staring at my hips. If your eyes are on it, then you aren’t doing your job of keeping me from behind, killed or kidnapped.”

           George had the decency to blush and give her a rueful smile. He’d been caught and called out at the same time. “I apologize. I wasn’t aware I was doing that, and I will attempt to stop doing that.”

           “Thank you.” She turned back and continued down the corridor into the Royal Family’s Wing, where their quarters were. “I would like to ask you to accompany me to interviews with my new staff. Not as my bodyguard, but as an advisor. You showed how observant you are and I’d like to see if we can’t get it to work for us. So when the interviews are being conducted, I want you to pretend you are there to guard me, but you’re truly there to assess their character and their intentions.”

           “That’s an interesting endeavour. I will do my best when they occur to do exactly as you ask. Is there a reason you want me to do this?”

           “I want to know who is planted within my staff to report to my mother and who will report to the Emperor. Also, the potential risk to my being betrayed or backstabbed by a member of my staff.”

           “Ah… Yes, that’s an excellent idea. Am I to assume that your parents will have different people on your staff working for them?”

           “Yes, I would expect so, and they’ll probably be working at cross purposes with each other. Here we are. I’ll leave it in the vase by the door. Anyone looking for it won’t search there for something like that. I’m not known for my imagination.”

           “You don’t say? What are you known for?”

           “Since my room is finally clean and all my mother and sisters’ things are gone from my room. It’s safe for me to lose these foolish pairs of shoes for something a little more comfortable.” Ana walked out of the high-heeled shoes her mother insisted she wear and pulled a pair of black Doc Marten’s with red roses and vines details on them. With a cheeky smile, she held them up. “Comfort and common sense. Pretty, no?”

           “Definitely unique. Though I was aware of your choice in footwear before. It’s well known within the ranks of the guard.” George smiled as he said that and watched her lace them up.

On most women, they’d look like a couple of heavy weighs on them, because their proportion was out of whack to their bodies. George had to admit that Ana could pull them off with ease and an interesting form of grace.

He had to stop himself from licking his lips as her skirt climbed a little higher above her knee.

He could see the light playing between her inner thighs and he felt the temptation to get a closer look. George wanted to know if those white thighs were as soft as her creamy skin promised. He had to clear his throat to halt his groan of sexual interest.

           George turned away from the sight of her and steeled himself for a long evening. “We should go before we’re late. The Emperor wouldn’t be please about that.”

           “Oh, yes, of course.” Ana couldn’t help it. She was falling on old practices. Push the person away and then tease them. Rinse and repeat until they gave up in frustration and went away. But this time she could feel his eyes on her, and the warmth of awareness formed deep within her. She felt the need to clench her thighs closed and the Moon Goddess save her, rub herself against him.

           She didn’t know how she’d survive this. They’d only been introduced an hour ago.