A/N: This is a sequel to the story 'Changes'. It takes place 20 years after Vlad leaves Stokely to be the Grand High Vampire. I'm going to try to update as often as possible, though it may sometimes be a while between updates. That's about all the new information since last time. Reviews are welcome as they have always been, and I hope you enjoy the story.

Prologue

Maybe I should have stayed back in my tent, Vlad thought as he dodged just in time to avoid a stake aimed at his heart. He disarmed his attacker and drove the stake into its owner's chest with deadly precision. It was the determining battle of a long and arduous military campaign and Vladimir Dracula, the Grand High Vampire, was in the thick of it. All around him the fighting raged, screams and blood and dust filling the air. He tackled another of the enemy to the ground and grabbed his head with both hands. With one strong twist Vlad separated the vampire's head from his body. Both parts turned to dust and Vlad got up to continue the fight.

When the fighting stopped Vlad looked out over the moonlit battlefield and surveyed the aftermath. Only the unharmed or wounded remained; the slain were dust. He himself had sustained deep gash that extended along the side of his face, as well a rather large wound from when one of the enemy had tried to stake him in the back. Both would heal soon enough. At least he didn't need that lung in the meantime.

He recognized one of his generals approaching from across the battlefield, limping as he healed from his own injuries. "It appears we are the victors, General Petrescu."

The general nodded, observing the able bodied vampires helping the wounded. Some of the defeated vampires had begun to flee, either flitting away on foot or by taking flight as bats. "What are your orders, Your Grandness?"

"Find the ones that are ours and take them back to the camp," he said, not taking his eyes from the scene before them. "If Khan survived, bring him to me. Slay the rest."

Chapter 1

"Welcome home, Your Grandness."

"Thank you, Helena," Vlad responded. Helena had been waiting for him at the door of the castle when he arrived. She was Vlad's favorite assistant out of several he'd been given upon his coronation, and had to be the most congenial vampire he had ever met. She was beautiful as well, but what vampiress wasn't?

He handed his traveling cape to one of the servants and his bodyguards, Nicolai and Dmitri, did the same. Nicolai was the senior of the two, having served the Grand High Vampire who preceded Vlad. Tall and athletic with closely cropped black hair and brown eyes, he was a formidable protector. Dmitri was a younger vampire recently recruited into the service of the Grand High Vampire. Nicolai was training him to be one of the secondary bodyguards of the Grand High Vampire. They followed close behind as Helena and Vlad walked to his study. "I prepared the execution orders for Abdas Khan; they await your signature," Helena said as they walked.

Vlad groaned. He had hoped to have some time to rest before getting back to business. "More paperwork? It would have been easier if I killed him outright." No one was standing next to him with a pen and legal forms when he was on the battlefield.

"Yes sir," she agreed automatically. "You'll find them on your desk. I also took the liberty of having the servants bring up a mug of warm blood for you."

"Is there news from the Council?"

"Councilor Kwan requested an audience with you to discuss the recent developments in Mongolia. Count Vitali sent a strongly worded letter expressing his displeasure with your recent edict on breather relations. Councilor Ngala submitted a draft of his assessment of slayer activity in his homeland, and Councilor Markovic sends his regrets that he will be unable to attend the next meeting of the Council due to a peasant problem."

Nicolai and Dmitri took their places to stand guard by the door of Vlad's study as he and Helena went inside. "See if you can schedule time for me to meet with Kwan by the end of this week," Vlad said as he went to his desk and found the papers Helena had placed there. Flipping through the pages, he quickly read the contents and signed by his name at the end. Handing them back to Helena, he added, "And tell Count Vitali that my word on the matter is final."

She nodded. "I shall see to both immediately. Is there anything else I can do for you, sir?"

"That will be all, Helena. You may go."

"Thank you, sir. And, if I may say, congratulations on your victory over the rebels, Your Grandness."

Vlad nodded to her and watched as she left, closing the door behind her. He dropped into the antique chair behind his desk and sighed. It felt good to be home.

The journey back to Transylvania from the steppes had been tiring. He sipped from the mug that had been waiting for him, savoring the richness of the fresh blood. Such simple pleasures had been difficult to find on the field of battle. Vlad looked to the piles of paperwork that had accumulated in his absence. It wasn't easy to return to the tedious work of his office after the excitement of war.

He wasn't even supposed to fight; it was unprecedented for the Grand High Vampire to risk his life, or rather, unlife on the battlefield. The Grand High Vampire was expected to remain in the safety and comfort of his castle and leave the fighting to his generals.

Vlad was tired of spending his existence being constantly watched over by bodyguards. He was stronger and faster than any known vampire, and he had yet to encounter an opponent with skills even close to his, so it wasn't much of a risk for him to fight in one battle. Besides that, he hoped to bolster support for the campaign by joining his troops at a crucial time. Even though he was the Chosen One, many of the things Vlad had done in the twenty years since he took the throne had not helped him gain the favor of the vampire community.

Ushering in a new era for his people wasn't easy, and had required Vlad to do things he never thought he would do – things he never wanted to do. Many times those difficult decisions helped make the world safer for breathers, completely unbeknownst to them. Recreational breather hunting had been outlawed, and incentives had been established for non-lethal feeding techniques and finding alternative blood sources. But compromises had to be made.

He opened the bottom drawer of his desk and reached inside, practiced fingertips easily finding the square of paper squeezed behind a stack of files. He extracted the object from the drawer and brought it into the light. Gazing at the snapshot in his hand, Vlad allowed himself a sad smile. It was an unremarkable photograph; three children with their arms around each other's shoulders, all grinning at the camera. They were at a carnival on a sunny summer day. A blonde girl with her hair tied into two braids occupied the left side of the image, and on the right stood a dark haired boy with brown eyes. And in the middle – smiling without a care in the world – was Vlad. He had been twelve years old when the photo was taken, back before his 'condition' had banished him from the sunlight and all normal things like carnivals… and friends.

Seeing himself as a young boy made Vlad's dead heart ache as he wished he could return to that time of happiness. How many hours had he spent staring at that picture, wondering what had happened to his childhood friends, wondering what his life could have been like if he had not been born a vampire?

Placing the snapshot back in its hiding place, Vlad turned his attention to the present matter of the enormous pile of paperwork on his desk. As he reached for the first paper on top of one of the piles Vlad heard footsteps approaching and Nicolai's order to halt. "Let me in!" a voice on the other side demanded.

"His Grandness is not to be disturbed, and you aren't scheduled to meet with him," Nicolai replied.

"Oh, he's not to be disturbed, is he? You tell that breather-lover I want to see him immediately!"

The door cracked open and Dmitri stuck his head in. "I'm sorry to bother you, Your Grandness, but Count Vitali is here and wishes to speak with you. Shall we send him away?"

Vlad shook his head. "No, it's alright, let him in."

Having heard Vlad's response, Count Vitali pushed past Dmitri and entered the study. Dmitri closed the door again as the Council's liaison representative strode over to Vlad's desk. "You have a lot of nerve, Dracula!"

Vlad frowned but overlooked Count Vitali's use of such a familiar name with him. Count Vitali always had difficulty respecting his authority, but Vlad had resolved long ago not to execute Council members for personal reasons, no matter how disrespectful they could be. "What is it now?"

"Your new law prohibiting recreational breather hunting is the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard of in all my years serving this government. It had better be some sort of sick joke!"

Vlad's eyes narrowed at him. "Do I look like I'm joking, Count Vitali?"

"The Council would never have allowed this! And you can't create a new law without approval from the Council!"

"I think you'll find I can. 'In times when the greater vampire community is threatened by outside forces, the Grand High Vampire may issue laws without seeking the approval of the Council in order to protect against immediate danger'. The 1499 Statute on Secrecy, section seven, paragraph nine," he quoted effortlessly, having read and re-read the archaic statute dozens of times over.

Count Vitali was visibly riled. Vlad imagined his face would have flushed bright red if he had the ability. "What danger? What outside forces?"

"The recent increase in peasant mobs has also led to an increased number of slayings. The Committee on Breather Activity has concluded that breather hunting often precedes the formation of peasant mobs. I created the law to reduce slayings; therefore I had every right to do so without the approval of the Council or anyone else."

Count Vitali let out a harsh laugh. "The peasant mobs have existed for centuries! They are no more a threat to us now than they have ever been. I assume that next you'll make a law against killing breathers for any reason at all! Even for food! That's been your plan all along, hasn't it? You didn't do this for the good of vampires; you did it because you're nothing but a pathetic breather-lover! You slaughter your own people but protect them!"

"That is enough," Vlad said, getting to his feet. He had limited patience for being shouted at, and that patience was running out.

Count Vitali ignored the warning tone in Vlad's voice, continuing to rant. "You and your precious breathers! But I can see you don't care enough to stop drinking their blood! You simply have your servants do the dirty work for you! You hypocrite!"

For a brief moment Vlad entertained the idea of breaking his promise and slaying Count Vitali just to shut him up, but decided it wasn't worth it. He took a breath to calm himself and then called for Nicolai, knowing his bodyguard could hear him on the other side of the door.

Nicolai was inside immediately, ushering Count Vitali out of the room. "You're a disgrace to vampirekind! Traitor!" Count Vitali cried as he was pulled away.

Vlad could hear Count Vitali cursing him all the way down the corridor. His voice faded into silence, but his words echoed in Vlad's head. Vlad picked up his mug and then put it back down. He had lost his appetite.