The vacant!

PRESENT DAY (END OF FLASHBACK)

Jasmine still sat in her room alone with her thoughts. The tears weren't coming anymore, due to the relief she felt from baby Kyle's kick… but her heart felt heavy, her eyes were puffy and she couldn't exactly put a finger on what she was feeling at that moment.

A knock came on the door and she looked at the door immediately, wondering who it could be until the person spoke up. "Hey, Jasmine, it's Loretta," she said and Jasmine released a breath of relief before she stood up and opened the door to let her in.

Loretta took one look at her face and knew she had been crying. She didn't want to talk about it though because Jasmine was pregnant and her mood would be all over the place so she decided to fix it the best way she could.

"You should wash up before coming out, it's time for dinner," she said and Jasmine shook her head before sitting back on the bed. "I'm not hungry, Loretta. I just want to rest," she replied and Loretta rolled her eyes before going to sit beside her.

"You can't continue this way, Jasmine. You took a vacation to clear your head and now that you're back, you have to show them or else they'll think you're weak and may overthrow you… you know it too, Jasmine, we have enemies and they're all looking for ways to get rid of you,"

"I know this too, Loretta but I just don't want to eat dinner. I just want to sleep." Jasmine insisted and Loretta shook her head, she was bent on making her follow her out for dinner.

"As a leader, Jasmine, you don't get to do what you want all the time. Now go and wash your face, wear something good and come out for dinner. They need to see you and know you're back to rule as the true leader that you are," she pushed.

 Jasmine just looked into blank space before she sighed and faced Loretta. "Fine then, I'll come for dinner," she finally agreed and Loretta smiled… She was glad that she agreed to it. She took Jasmine's hand and squeezed gently "You'll be fine. You have us," she encouraged her and urged her to go and wash up in the bathroom while she waited.

Jasmine stared at the mirror for a long time after she had rinsed her face and thought of Loretta's words. She made a lot of sense though; she had enemies and couldn't always do as she wished because they'd be searching for flaws and errors so she had to be perfectly undefeatable. Her strength and determination came back immediately and she rushed into the shower to have a quick wash before she went out and Loretta helped her into a dress then dried her hair for her while they conversed and laughed.

She suddenly felt at ease and was ready to have dinner. Even though it could be suffocating.

Together with Loretta, they both left her room and headed for the dining room where the food had already been placed for everyone to be served. Loretta waved at Drake, Athens, and Arturo who all sat together at a side of the table. She saw they saved a seat for her so she knew she had to leave Jasmine to sit on her own assigned seat.

"I have to go now… but be strong,"  she whispered and patted her on the shoulder before going off to join them while Jasmine just stood there as everyone found a seat for themselves.

She could feel their eyes on her but she didn't meet their gazes as she held her head high and majestically walked to her chair. A guard pulled her chair out for her and she gave him a grateful smile before she sat down and pulled herself closer to the table. Everywhere went silent and she wondered why for a moment before she realized they were waiting for her… she was the new leader! She gave a smile and raised her hands. "Let's eat!" she gestured and the maids began to serve.

One chair was empty though and it could be seen on everyone's faces, how they stole glances at the empty chair and then looked at her to see how she was faring while sitting for dinner without Kyle beside her.

Kyle's chair was empty, it was another harsh reminder that he was gone and was never coming back and Jasmine felt the emptiness too but didn't want to show it to anyone at the dining table even though they all felt uncomfortable.

Arturo suddenly stood up and everyone looked at him "We know Kyle is dead but I think it's time we all put his death behind us and move on. We can't keep on mourning him forever because we all know he's never coming back. It's time to choose a new ruler for ourselves," he said and people began to murmur at the table at what he just said.

Athens stood up too and began to speak while Jasmine just watched, "I agree with Arturo, a kingdom without a ruler is defenseless. We've lost our former ruler and we've mourned him quite enough so it's time to choose a new ruler," he spoke in agreement with Arturo and voices began to throw in their agreement too because they needed a ruler and it was high time they chose one.

Raul who just watched everything in silence smiled to himself and took his glass from the table. He picked up his cutlery and began to clink the fork against the glass to get everybody's attention.

Everyone, including Jasmine, turned to look at him and he stood up to say his own piece too.

"Since we've all come to this decision and everyone thinks it's time to choose a leader, I would like to say that since I am the second in command after Kyle, I'm the perfect person to be chosen as the new leader of the vampire kingdom," he said proudly, a smile on his face and Ariel stood up and took his hand. "That's right everyone, Raul is the second in command to Kyle so he should be the next leader of this kingdom and we all know it," she supported him but Athens stood up immediately too.

"Kyle already passed on his position to Jasmine right before he died so that makes her the new ruler of this kingdom and you know that,"

"Yeah that's right, he also willed most of his properties to her so she should be the ruler since she has a share of Kyle's properties." Arturo chipped in as Athens sat down and met Raul's blazing eyes defiantly. Signaling on him to do his worst… if he could.

"I completely agree too. Jasmine is the next ruler because that's what Kyle willed before he died," Loretta said too and Raul sat down. He was already losing it, his temper was skyrocketing and he didn't want to show them he was pissed at how they dismissed him for being the leader.

Kyle was dead, gone for good but they were still taking orders from a dead man. He looked at Jasmine and she was staring at him too with blank empty eyes.

He looked away and fisted his hands under the table so no one would see as he calmed himself down. Ariel noticed and placed a hand on his lap to help him calm down from the infuriating words they just threw at him.

Raul knew he had to come up with a way to get rid of Jasmine from that position she was claiming to be hers so he'll become ruler of the vampire kingdom. He had to be the leader because he worked so hard to be second in command just so he'll be able to easily claim the throne if Kyle died. Now that he had the throne so easily accessible to him, Jasmine wanted to take it from him. After all his years of work? He couldn't let that happen. He couldn't lose the throne to a woman that wasn't even an original vampire but a hybrid.

He forced a smile on his face once he had successfully calmed himself down and figured the only way to be the leader was that he had to plot Jasmine's downfall. "Okay then, since Kyle already decreed her the queen, we have to follow his wish because it was his dying wish," he said even though it burned him from the insides to vomit those words. Athens, Arturo, and Loretta smiled at his statement and they nodded their heads in agreement.

Raul decided to divert the discussion topic from this of leadership since the air was getting thicker with tension and Jasmine was still giving him an icy look that was enough to kill him.

"So I heard Bernard's and Trisha's father have been found," he said and Jasmine spoke for the first time.

"Yes, Raul. Athens already informed me so we're going to come up with a plan on how to get him captured," she said and Raul nodded even though his mind was somewhere else. "Actually, I came up with a plan with Arturo's and Loretta's help. Would you like to see it?" Athens offered and Jasmine smiled at him "Sure, Athens. You offered to help, why would I say no?" She replied and Athens smiled before he began to speak while everyone listened with rapt attention. Everyone except Raul and Ariel.