Evening of the Celebration of the Life Partner Pairing Adriana thought it was crazy to see the clothing laid out for Caun and her. Sheâd 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 Caunâs 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 fatherâs military. Which pleased her greatly because it meant her skills werenât a dirty secret or an embarrassment to her father. Anaâs ladyâs maid didnât have a comment or criticism about anything she assisted Ana
Caun stood in line with the last of the guests filing through past him. Heâd 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 theyâd be busy enough that she wouldnât be able to brood or her the courtierâs opinion on anything.âSo far, so well, this evening. Letâs see how far we can go with no scenes with any of the superficial fools who think they are powerful people.â He whispered this into Anaâs ear. It was a joke, because no matter what he said to Ana, she wouldnât believe him. She now was a secretly powerful person. âWeâll see the night is sadly still young
Four Days Later - Meeting About the Future Ana woke that evening to find Caun wasnât beside her, which was odd. When she found him, which took some effort, he was in Tatianaâs night garden exploring it with several of their guards. She had to ask several people to track him down. âCaun, whatâs the matter? Why are you here?â âOh, 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 didnât 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 weâd take a look around to see if we could find something that could explain how, if not, who did this.ââOh, good grief I can understand my father not asking me how she pulled this foolishness off, but Caun Iâm surprised you didnât ask me.â That had Caun
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 theyâd 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 didnât 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. Sheâd 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 wouldnât be a simple mediation, and Ana craved the challenge. The Dragon Ambassador did something. Ana suspected magic, because when she retur
Please Note: If you hate the idea of it never happened that way or a cliffhanger ending. Please donât read past Chapter 153. Ragnar, you canât do this. I know the timeline is altered and I understand it could have devastating consequences. But we canât go around using magic to change things back the way they should have been. Iâm sure things have changed like this before, and you didnât do anything then.â âItâs out of my hands. The Dragon Council is sitting right now discussing this issue. Iâve got no say in it beyond my report. If they feel everything thatâs happened must be changed, then thatâs what will happen. Itâs a last resort. But Maximus Lioness isnât the vampire who should have that name. Something went wrong there, and thatâs just one problem with the timeline, as you call it, is wrong. Adriana and George shouldnât be in the positions they are in. All the things that happened to Adriana werenât supposed to happen. Her mother shouldnât be h
Adriana Gervais, third daughter of the Emperor of the Vampiric Empire, was a mouthful for anyone to say. Privately, anyone who knew her called her Ana, because it fit her better. At six feet talk with a wild mane of auburn hair and skin that glowed under moonlight, she wasnât someone that needed an impressive name or title. Ana wasnât delicate like her sisters or mother in appearance. No, she was the spitting image of the female form of her father, Emperor Franco Centauri Gervais, the Emperor of the Vampiric Empire, the Blood Demon Himself. Anaâs claim to fame was her personality because it didnât go with her appearance at all. Sheâd cultivated it like that. It was a protest against everything her mother and sisters were. The heir was Anaâs sister, Tatiana Gervais, and donât you dare call Tatiana, Ana, that was criminal? Highly insulting to Tatiana and her delicate nature. That explanation always made Ana snicker. Her eldest sister was a crazed vipe
Ana was too tired right now to fight and if this Count was coming with multiple eligible sons, her mother would insist, she be there. âI just got back from a training session, a rather long one, and now you want me to rush around to get ready for a dinner with yet more strangers who couldnât be bothers to come to a party you set for a week ago? Oh right, he wants to impress our father for some favour, doesnât he? So now we have to trot out looking all cute and fake to play host to his sons, too.ââAdriana, you might not be in a hurry to find a decent life partner, but Iâm more than ready. Now stop being a bitter old maid and chop chop. Get a move on, father doesnât have to allow Count Saint Germane this time, and if you dare to embarrass us this time, I wonât protect you from fatherâs wrath.â Tatianaâs nasally voice penetrated the bathroom through the open door. It was an annoying experience, being unable to get any privacy whatsoever when changing.âOf course, mother claims they are
George was called up through the ranks of the Royal Guards, fairly quickly. He excelled at what he did and succeeded at almost everything they tasked him to do. Heâd been here a month now and worked his butt off to make a good impression on his seniors. But he had one difficulty that he didnât dare tell anyone about. How distracting it was for him to train a short distance away from the youngest daughter of the Emperor. He could watch her move for hours. No one had caught him yet, or guessed that heâd love to take a taste of her. The mental images of what he wanted to do to her were more than pornographic. They were downright sinful, and he suspected theyâd both enjoy them. George knew that would never happen. She may train here, but she was not of the Guardian caste. He must remember that. There would be nothing between them ever, there couldnât be. Her father forbade a long time ago, with a punishment of death for anyone who found their life partn
Please Note: If you hate the idea of it never happened that way or a cliffhanger ending. Please donât read past Chapter 153. Ragnar, you canât do this. I know the timeline is altered and I understand it could have devastating consequences. But we canât go around using magic to change things back the way they should have been. Iâm sure things have changed like this before, and you didnât do anything then.â âItâs out of my hands. The Dragon Council is sitting right now discussing this issue. Iâve got no say in it beyond my report. If they feel everything thatâs happened must be changed, then thatâs what will happen. Itâs a last resort. But Maximus Lioness isnât the vampire who should have that name. Something went wrong there, and thatâs just one problem with the timeline, as you call it, is wrong. Adriana and George shouldnât be in the positions they are in. All the things that happened to Adriana werenât supposed to happen. Her mother shouldnât 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 theyâd 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 didnât 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. Sheâd 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 wouldnât 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 wasnât beside her, which was odd. When she found him, which took some effort, he was in Tatianaâs night garden exploring it with several of their guards. She had to ask several people to track him down. âCaun, whatâs the matter? Why are you here?â âOh, 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 didnât 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 weâd take a look around to see if we could find something that could explain how, if not, who did this.ââOh, good grief I can understand my father not asking me how she pulled this foolishness off, but Caun Iâm surprised you didnât ask me.â That had Caun
Caun stood in line with the last of the guests filing through past him. Heâd 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 theyâd be busy enough that she wouldnât be able to brood or her the courtierâs opinion on anything.âSo far, so well, this evening. Letâs see how far we can go with no scenes with any of the superficial fools who think they are powerful people.â He whispered this into Anaâs ear. It was a joke, because no matter what he said to Ana, she wouldnât believe him. She now was a secretly powerful person. âWeâll 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. Sheâd 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 Caunâs 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 fatherâs military. Which pleased her greatly because it meant her skills werenât a dirty secret or an embarrassment to her father. Anaâs ladyâs maid didnât 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 didnât quite keep her fatherâs anxiety at bay and Eva somehow shared in it. Could she really be supporting this?Ana couldnât 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. âI am relieved to hear you say this. Eva has been pressuring me to get this done before we celebrate anything because she doesnât want there to be any miscommunication between us. I admit I agree with her. Thereâs 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.â Her father stood up at saying this. âCome here. Thereâs one thing Iâve missed since you could talk.â Ana frowned because she wasnât sure what he was speaking about and took a step back.
Ana couldnât help it. When they entered the private well-lit moon garden of the Vampiric Emperor, she had to marvel at the artistry of itâs many curated garden paths. It was like a maze laid out before her and put Tatianaâs 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 Caunâs 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.âI have to say I like your fatherâs choice of private spaces. Between this and
Edger did return after theyâd relaxed a little and changed. Ana still couldnât help it. When she discovered the clothing, her father had commissioned for her, sheâd stopped dead in her tracks in disbelief. Her new ladyâs maid gave her a note written in her fatherâs handwriting which spoke volumes that heâd not dictated it to someone. Heâd taken the time to write to her. Ana knew that wasnât a normal relationship between child and parent, but they werenât 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 arenât 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 Iâve 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 werenât in the royal livery, though they clearly wore a livery. It wasnât unusual in the days before Adrianaâs 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. âThe 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.âAna 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. âWeâll speak later. Iâm sure you have plenty to keep you busy. Are my weapons going to be a problem for her Edger?ââNo, Princess, she has received training to look after, maintain, and store your weapons appropriately should the need