Disclaimer: Don't own Southern Vampire Mysteries *pouts*

Veil Between Happiness

Understandings

Despite the blonde vampiress, Pam's warning, Bill was still curious about the consort.

That evening, when he rose, he decided to go to the garden to find a vampire who would tell him the story of his King and his Consort.

He drank a True Blood as he aimlessly wandered through the maze-like gardens. As he turned right, he stopped dead at the sight of the object of his thoughts.

She was not alone, though he didn't expect her to be, after witnessing the King's possessiveness. His blond King walked alongside of her, gently holding her hand. She would occasionally leave his grip to lean over to smell flowers that caught her attention. However, she never wandered out of reach of his arms, like she was tethered to an invisible leash.

"I thought I told you to give it up." He heard from behind him. He turned to see Pam sitting casually on a stone bench, with a smirk on her face.

"Excuse me?" He asked politely before turning back to watch the couple.

"Don't try and go all 'polite southern gentleman' on me. I warned you last night to stay away from her. Oh well," she shrugged her shoulders. "I guess I shouldn't be surprised. I know that look. You're obsessed with her. But then again, you're not the first."

He said nothing, still choosing to watch his King with his Consort. He was compelled to turn away, however, when the King pulled his consort to the ground, before falling atop her.

As he turned, he found himself once again facing Pam. Her smirk, if possible, was even wider as she too could see the couple on the ground.

She sat up on the bench, and daintily crossed her legs, suddenly businesslike. "I have a deal for you." She said; the look on her face crafty and shrewd.

He looked at her suspiciously, "What is it?" He asked cautiously, not trusting her. She was, after all, the King's Second in Command.

Her face was schooled into a mask of practiced innocence. "It's simple really. You tell me your version of how King Eric came into power, and then I'll tell you my version."

He searched her face for any hint of deceit, and when found none, carefully began to tell his story. "It's not complicated, and of course you've heard it before, so I don't know what the point of me reiterating this is. But," he added hastily as he saw Pam's glare, "A couple of years ago, Eric was the Sheriff of Area 5 in Louisiana. His Queen was killed by the King of Nevada, who was also extremely corrupt, so, to save himself and others from being terrorized, Eric killed his King. I assume somewhere along the way he picked up Sookie his Consort."

She looked at him with a bored look upon her face. "Are you done?" She asked with a yawn, which was ridiculous, for vampires had no need to yawn. "Okay my turn. Are you ready?" And upon Bill's nod, she playfully crossed her legs, and clapped her hands like an elementary school teacher would to get her pupil's attention. "Once upon a time there was a big bad vampire Sheriff. He had power, money, good looks, and a loving, devoted Child. But he was missing something, and it made him brooding and angry, which was good for business, but made him cruel. Then one evening, a kind and beautiful telepath walked into his bar, and he found what he was missing. Love. He fell in love with her, at first sight, and she too fell in love with him; but it took much longer. All was well, until his Queen was killed, and his new King threatened to take his telepath away from him. The King wanted the telepath by his sides at all times, and Bonded to him, so she could never leave." She rolled her eyes in the direction of the couple. "This did not sit well with the big bad vampire Sheriff, so he arranged an army to fight for him, and by extension, the telepath, Sookie. They won the battle, the big bad Sheriff turned into the big bad King, got to keep his telepath, and the rest, as they say, is history." She finished her story with a satisfied smile.

Despite himself, Bill turned back towards the couple. "He fell in love? The vampire fell in love? That's why he took down a King, destroyed an Empire? For love?"

Once again, Pam rolled her eyes. "Don't sound so shocked Southern Boy; you'd be surprised how many wars are fought on behalf of woman, or for woman. Or maybe you wouldn't. Maybe you've heard of this one; two civilizations fought over one woman, and one was completely wiped out. Ring any bells?"

Bill looked at her with some surprise. "Helen of Troy." He whispered.

She looked pleased. "That's right. I'd say two vampire factions fighting each other isn't that big of deal in the grand scheme of things."

"And you're telling me to back off?" He asked, wanting to clarify.

"That's exactly what I'm telling you. He loves her. She is the first to love him unconditionally, and he is unwilling to give that up. He is never going to give her up. He will die before that happens."

Bill frowned, "I can't just leave her. He is not treating her right. The chains, the veil…."

She sighed in disgust, and grabbed his hand, and tugged him closer to the couple on the ground, but not too close. As they inched nearer and nearer, they could begin to make out moans spilling from the consort's mouth. "Ah… ah…. Yes, Eric…. Yes! Right there, more… more!" He thrust into her, her long dress hiding anything, and she reached her climax, chanting, 'I love you', over and over again.

Pam smirked at him. "Does it sound like she's being mistreated to you?"

Bill looked aghast. "But… the chains, and the veil…. She enjoys this? She loves him anyway? But how…?"

Pam felt like breaking into a jig. "Of course she loves him! That's what I've been trying to tell you! Their relationship is complicated, and you wouldn't be able to understand it, but understand this: They love each other, it doesn't matter if she's in chains, or he's the one that put her there, that doesn't matter, because they're together." She stared at him long and hard, and he nodded, and she sighed in relief. It seemed like he'd finally gotten the message.

"I think I will leave now." He said heavily, taking a heavy sip of True Blood. "Tell King Eric that he will be informed when the database is done. I must get back to work now." With that, he turned, and disappeared into the gardens.

"Well?" Eric asked his kneeling Child. Sookie was in their room, getting ready to sleep at dawn with him. It was just him and his Child.

"I think Compton finally understood. He has left to go work on the database, and will no longer even entertain the thought of interfering in your relationship with Queen Sookie." It was a well known fact that, in private, Sookie was not the Royal Consort. She was Queen.

Eric smiled, huge and manic. "Good, very good. I must go see my Queen before dawn." He rose, and began heading towards the door.

"Master, if I may say however, I think your little show in the gardens really helped to convince him." Pam said with a smirk.

Eric smirked back. "Who said it was for show?"

A/N: Kind of short. But hopefully it answered a lot of questions. Only one more chapter after this and it will answer every question that you have about Sookie and Eric (hopefully). I will of course be continuing to work on Nothing Personal, but I will also be started a very dark, multi-chapter story entitled Shattered, for the winner of my auction. Kitchycoo won the auction with an astonishing bid of $70! That will be coming out shortly, as well as the next chapter of Nothing Personal. Thanks for reading!