AN: This is my very first True Blood story. The idea came to me one night and I just had to write it down. Pairings: Sookie/Bill, OC/OC, Franklin/Tara, (almost all other canon couples, including slash couples). So, read, review and enjoy!
Disclaimer: I own nothing you recognize. Any OCs are mine however, so don't steal them without permission!
Warnings: Minor violence, some coarse language, sexual situations and references.
A teenage girl in a blouse and breeches with a long lavender coat and long light brown hair dismounted from her white Arabian mare. Her blue eyes sparkled as she handed her reins to a stable hand and entered the stately manor house.
"Your majesty!" A man just inside the doorway exclaimed.
"Hello, Franklin." The girl said dismissively. Then she glanced into the next room. Her eyes widened. "My, my, Franklin, you have been a bad boy." In the room, sitting at a table, was a dark-skinned human girl.
"Hello there, human." The girl approached the human.
"Please don't scare her, your majesty!" Franklin said shrilly, moving lightening fast to hover behind the human's chair.
"Oh, shut up, Franklin." The girl waved a hand at him. Then she turned to the human. "What is your name, girl?" She demanded.
"T-Tara." The human stuttered. After a pause she spoke again, "Franklin called you 'your majesty'. Are you some vampire queen?"
"Some vampire queen?" She said with a laugh, "I am Aliena, the vampire Queen of the world. All vampires answer to me." Aliena noticed that Tara had begun to tremble.
"How did you get that position?" Tara asked. Aliena laughed again.
"I have held it since the moment I became a vampire. I was the first vampire. I was bitten by two diseased bats. Their mixed venom made me what I am started the race of vampires." She told the girl. Tara's mouth hung open in shock and her eyes were wide. Aliena laughed harshly.
"Your majesty! You're scaring her!" Franklin hovered behind Tara. Aliena ignored him and tugged on what looked like a silver leash with a black leather handle.
"Come along, Joshua! I told you not to dawdle!" She called out the door. In came a tall vampire dressed in a white t-shirt, jeans and cowboy boots. He wore a silver collar around his neck, to which the leash was attached. "Tara, this is my consort, Joshua. Joshua, darling, this is Tara, Franklin's companion." She then turned to Franklin. "Were you planning to turn her? If so, might I suggest a silver collar lined with copper like my Joshua wears? It is quite helpful when they tend to be stubborn. Now, Joshua, stay here with Tara and Franklin, while I talk to Russell. And behave, you know the consequences." With that she kissed her consort lightly on the cheek, putting the leather end of the leash in his pocket and flitted out of the room.
Joshua sank down on the couch with a sigh. Tara looked up at him.
"Does she hurt you?" Tara asked him softly. He shook his head.
"Not much. It's complicated." He replied.
"Complicated?" Tara echoed.
"Well, she believes I am the reincarnation of a human lover she once had, who died before she could change him. I don't know whether or not I am. She changed me the moment she could get me alone. Attacked me in an alley on my way home. When I didn't accept her she put this on me." He indicated the silver collar without touching it. Franklin had been watching the exchange. Now a smile crept across his face.
"Tara, love, why don't you stay here with Joshua while I go sort out some things? I'll be back in half an hour." He said. He squeezed Tara's hand and left. Tara went to sit on the couch next to Joshua.
"Do you ever want to run away?" She asked him.
"Yes and no. See, I miss my family and friends and I can't stand this collar, but I can't leave her. She may not look it, but she's a mess. I suppose it goes with the territory of living as long as she has. I think she might fall apart if I left. She actually reminds me a bit of one of my ex-girlfriends. Scatterbrained, yet extremely intelligent with incredible wisdom and insight at times. But anyway, the queen loves me; I couldn't break her heart by leaving her. I can't hurt anyone else that way." He explained.
"Anyone else?" Tara asked. Joshua looked down.
"There was a girl at my school who was desperately in love with me. I think I loved her back, but I'm not sure. We dated on and off. But after we broke up for the last time, she still had hope we would be together. But I crushed her. In a completely insensitive way. She broke down completely. Couldn't go to class. Would randomly start crying in the halls. It wasn't long after that that Aliena turned me. I can't leave her. I can't break anther fragile girl's heart." Bloody tears trickled down his face.
"The vampire Queen of the World is fragile?" Tara scoffed.
"Extremely." Joshua closed his eyes.
"Sorry, it's just…startling, that's all. To learn that the ultimate leader of the vampires is fragile." She murmured.
"Stay with Franklin, Tara." Joshua said abruptly. "He loves you, I can tell. He will be good to you, Tara. Better than you could ever hope for." Tara stared at him.
"But I'd be a prisoner." She resisted the urge to add like you. But he seemed to sense the unspoken words.
"It's a good life, Tara. And yours will be better with Franklin. Trust me." He told her.
"If you are ever free of the queen you should go back to that girl. At least tell her you are sorry. Maybe Aliena will let you do that. You need closure, too." Tara smiled at Joshua. He smiled weakly back at her.
"Maybe I do." He said thoughtfully.
Meanwhile, Aliena watched Russell Edington, the King of Mississippi.
"Russell, you know I barely tolerate your association with these wolves, but I need a team of them to collect the girl Sookie Stackhouse for me. This is taking to long." Aliena said. Russell shifted uneasily.
"What about this business with the Queen of Louisiana selling vampire blood?" Russell asked.
"I will deal with her. You stay out of it." Aliena said shortly. "As for the magistor, he is abusing his power. Send him a message, saying he must come meet me here. For now I will require your best rooms for my consort and me."
"Of course," Russell said smoothly. "We always have a suite of the best rooms waiting for your visit. And I am looking forward to meeting your young consort." Aliena smiled.
"Joshua!" She called and the vampire boy appeared by her side. "Joshua, this is Russell Edington, the King of Mississippi. Russell, this is Joshua, my consort."
"Well met, Joshua, well met indeed!" Russell said. He extended his hand to Joshua, who shook it. Then Aliena noticed the slight blood stains on Joshua's cheeks from when he had been crying. Before she could say anything, a vampire came to lead them to their rooms.
When the door had been closed behind them she turned to him.
"Joshua, darling, why have you been crying?" She asked, putting her hand on his cheek. He would not meet her eyes.
"Memories," He muttered. Aliena sighed and sat on the bed.