The Edgington Estate was an architectural orgy in pompous flamboyance. It was nothing but a blatant display of monetary power and it irked Eric in more ways than one. He had been raised a prince, and - apart from a dry streak back in medieval Europe – his path alongside Godric had been prosperous by and large, but Eric had never been one for loud-mouthed boasting. He was convinced that true power was of the subtle kind; the kind that permeated a presence, and that kind of power didn't require any castles. However, he couldn't deny that the marble pathway felt immaculately smooth beneath his feet and the dark garden around him was beautiful. It wouldn't have been so bad, if it wasn't for the fact that the grounds were positively crawling with dirty dogs.
He had two of them following behind him as he walked, one in front of him, and he could count at least five more in the immediate area, their ragged animalistic breathing revealing them even though they were concealed by the darkness. Their stench filled Eric's nostrils, but he didn't express his loathing even in the slightest. He remained deadpan, ignoring the scornful growls from the pair behind him as he followed the unshifted head guard up the steps to the main entrance. The were slipped inside, forcing Eric to spend a small eternity waiting on the porch. Then, he emerged again, holding up the door with an arrogant grin on his face. Eric didn't grant him as much as a look. The door closed behind him and he had time to cast a brief glance at the elegant hallway before he once again had company.
"Ah, Mr. Northman. Area five, no?"
The vampire that came waltzing into the hallway was dressed in a red velvet robe, a shimmering leopard-print scarf wrapped around his neck. His wavy black hair was slicked back and his dark eyes glinted with a deceitful illusion of youth. Together with a cloud of expensive cologne, he brought along an aura of snootiness that could have been sensed from miles away. Eric gave a short businesslike bow, raising an eyebrow slightly as the vampire in front of him held out his hand.
"I'm Talbot," he said, smiling broadly.
Eric watched as Talbot's gaze roamed over him in an all but discreet way and grinned inwardly. He was used to being adored, by humans and vampires, men and women alike… but this one, Talbot, was much too flaming for his taste. Nevertheless, his obvious interest could prove to be useful to him. He took Talbot's hand, tightening his grip just a little more than the situation called for.
"A pleasure…" he said slowly, just hinting at a sly smile.
Their eyes locked, and Talbot went as far as dabbing his own lips with the tip of his tongue. Though Eric might have found this amusing in another setting, he quickly became bored with the little charade. Thankfully, Talbot shortly decided to move things along.
"We were just sitting down for dinner. You are welcome to join us." he said, gesturing towards the archway from where he had come.
Nodding politely, Eric followed Talbot into the candlelit dining room. The ceiling was higher than it had appeared from the outside, creating an acoustic that amplified each footstep and hushed voice. The massive oak table in the middle of the room was big enough to accommodate a whole banquet, and the small gathering around it made it seem even bigger. Eric's immediate impression of the scene was that of a puppet show. It appeared as if half of the group would have given an arm or a leg to be anywhere but right there. The frivolous atmosphere was so fake and brittle that Eric could almost taste it. He first spotted Lorena next to Bill, her pale hand resting on top of his on the table. Her expression was content to the point that it was almost nauseating. Bill however looked stiff as a board, more so than he usually did, and he shot Eric a sharp glance telling him that he wasn't particularly happy to see him. On the opposite side of the table was a shady-looking male vampire that Eric didn't recognize, lazily picking his nails. Beside him was the blonde girl that Sophie-Anne kept as a pet, nibbling quietly on a cracker, and next to her was the Queen herself, her face dark with an unattractive glumness. And finally, at the head of the table, was Russell Edgington, King of Mississippi. He greeted Eric with an amiable smile and yet Eric instantly knew that he held nothing but contempt for this vampire. It was an odd, primal notion, and it surprised him somewhat. Instead of exploring it deeper Eric once again took a short bow.
"Pardon my intrusion, my Lord," he said.
"Don't be silly, Sheriff." Russell answered grandly. "Please have a seat."
Eric did as he was told without even blinking, intentionally taking the seat next to Bill. A wicked part of him hoped that Bill could smell Sookie on him even though that probably was too much to wish for. Talbot returned to his seat next to Russell, his gaze drifting away from Eric only briefly before it was on him again. Eric ignored him, instead watching the King closely. He leisurely concluded the discussion he had been having with Bill before turning his attention towards Eric.
"So tell me, Mr. Northman," the ancient vampire said, "what brings you all the way to Mississippi?"
"I was searching for Mr. Compton, since he had been reported as kidnapped." Eric said, glancing shortly at Bill. "And the tracks led me here."
Russell cocked his head, though it was obvious that he had been expecting this answer.
"A mere misunderstanding." he said. "And as you can see, Mr. Compton is doing quite well. He is here for business, as well as an occasional guilty pleasure."
Lorena chuckled softly, and Eric watched as Bill forced a cunning smile to match that of the King's. Oh Billy, now what have you gotten yourself into? he thought. Smiling accordingly, Eric turned to Sophie-Anne, putting on a forged, humble expression.
"I did not expect to see my Queen here." he said. "Your highness."
Sophie-Anne made a desultory attempt at the condescending glance that was her signature, but her heart wasn't in it. Russell put his hands together, rubbing them like someone who could barely contain themselves.
"What do you say, dear? Should we tell him?" he grinned towards Sophie-Anne.
He reached out to touch her shoulder. She drew back to avoid him and he shrugged theatrically, raising his eyebrows at Eric. Not sure what to think of this, Eric held his ground, even if seeing Sophie-Anne in dismay was pleasurable to him.
"We were going to keep it a secret, but what the hell." Russell continued, still grinning. "Your lovely Queen and I eloped on a whim and got ourselves married a few nights ago, merging our two areas into one glorious kingdom. Isn't that delightfully foolish and romantic?"
"Very…" Talbot mouthed sarcastically from across the table.
"Ah, Talbot darling, don't be like that." Russell said. "You know perfectly well that you'll always be my favorite."
He turned away from Talbot just in time to miss his pouting grimace.
"Things are changing, that is true, but it's all for the greater good." he said, again looking at Eric. "Yes, Mr. Northman, I think you'll find that a lot of great changes are in the making..."
Though Eric waited, Russell added nothing to his cryptic statement, and as if on cue a procession of waiters entered the room bringing the dinner. It was made up of various blood infusions, something that Eric found to be an insult to fresh and living blood, but he pitched in as expected. Russell led the conversation as the group dined, more often than not bringing it towards the feebleness of humans and the travesty of the mainstreaming-campaign. Eric picked up on this, relating an instance where a human historian society had laid claim upon one of his properties that he was about to demolish, arguing that it should be preserved for educational reasons. It was only partly true, but he was awarded with laughter from Russell as the vampires in the group contemplated the irony of human historians. The dinner progressed well into the night, and Eric became more and more convinced that he was sitting on a heap of concealed trouble and that he had to dig deeper. As the group rose from the table to move into the lounge, he approached Russell with his back slightly slanted, a ploy he often used to appear less intimidating.
"My Lord, may I be so blunt as to request a private audience with the Queen?" he said. "We have some business matters to discuss."
Russell watched him shrewdly for a moment and then turned to Sophie-Anne. She was fuming due to the fact that Eric had just talked over her head, something that she definitely wasn't used to, and this seemed to amuse him.
"Fair enough." he said, giving Sophie-Anne a long look. "You may use the library across the hall."
Sophie-Anne raised her chin, gesturing for Hadley to follow her as she started walking out of the room.
"Leave your pet here." Russell said, his expression cordial but his tone stern. "Don't worry - we will keep her company. There is always room for a little extra dessert."
Sophie-Anne gave a high-pitched growl and stormed off. Hadley watched her leave and then went cautiously up to Russell, her head hanging in acceptance of her fate.
"Enjoy." Russell grinned to Eric, nodding towards Sophie-Anne's direction.
The King placed one arm around Hadley's back and the other around Talbot's, escorting the remaining group into the lounge room. Bill threw Eric an inquiring look over his shoulder, but Eric didn't pay him any attention as he sauntered towards the library.
Sophie-Anne sat in one of the leather couches with her arms crossed as Eric entered, looking more like a child forced into detention than a royalty. Eric closed the door behind him, pausing for a brief moment to listen with his right ear against the wooden panel. The library seemed to be soundproofed. Excellent. Acting as if he was more interested in the well-filled bookcases than Sophie-Anne, he unhurriedly walked up to the couch. He had planned to take a seat next to her, but found that he liked having her beneath him on yet another level too much. He remained standing, looming above her.
"I must congratulate you," he said, smiling delicately. "seeing as you've managed to solve your financial issues and all."
Sophie-Anne glared quietly at the floor, pressing her lips together.
"Though," Eric continued, "I'm surprised that you haven't sent the Magistrate on me out of spite."
"He killed him…!" Sophie-Anne spat, her dark blue eyes flashing.
"What?" Eric frowned, failing to hide his confusion completely.
"Russell tortured the Magistrate into marrying us, and then he killed him." Sophie-Anne stated coldly, staring at Eric.
Eric quickly gathered his racing thoughts. Clearly, what he had seen so far this night had only been the tip of the trouble-mountain.
"Are the Authority aware of this yet?" he said.
"They should be." Sophie-Anne snorted. "But he has connections like a fucking tarantula. He's wired. Wired deep. And the most fucked up part is; I don't think he even cares if they find out or not."'
Eric reflected briefly on the information he had obtained. He had only ever heard of Russell Edgington before tonight, but it was obvious that he was a fundamentalist and not just a little mental at that. Also, there was hardly any doubts that the were in Bon Temps came from Russell's jurisdiction… but Eric had more questions that demanded answers, the most burning being the one that had brought him on this trail in the first place.
"If that is true, he is a first class lunatic; which would make you two the perfect couple." he drawled. "But what I don't understand is why he wants Sookie Stackhouse. He must want her, or else Compton wouldn't be here."
Sophie-Anne produced a strange longing smile that looked daunting paired with her otherwise derisive expression.
"Same reason I wanted her." she said. "She's part fae."
Eric's fingers curled somewhat, pushing his nails into his palm.
"That means… her blood…?" he said slowly.
"Yes. Bill has experienced it for himself." Sophie-Anne said, raising her eyebrows in mockery. "I thought you would have tried her out by now."
To this Eric had no come-back; because the truth was that he had. Realization came crashing over him like an avalanche and he parted his lips. He had stayed with Sookie for far too long that heated night after the attack, and by the time he had gotten back to Fangtasia it had already been dawn. Pam had given him the strangest look as he came inside, but he had been too wrapped up in Sookie's scent, too drunk on her delicious blood to question why he hadn't even noticed the morning sun touching his skin. Her blood, it was fae, that'swhat had been so different about it… the stories he had once written off with a laugh were true... Eric noticed that Sophie-Anne was scrutinizing him and snapped back to the present, turning his gaze stern and cold.
"How much does Russell know?" he said.
"He believes it to be bullshit, but he is keen to find out." Sophie-Anne replied. "Bill has done what he can to keep her out of here, but he sent one of his mongrels-"
"I ripped his throat out." Eric interjected, causing the pale red-head to eye him with heightened caution.
"Good." she said, rising from the couch and turning away from him. "I hate them almost as much as I hate being locked up in this fucking hell-hole."
Eric had to fight harder than ever to contain the emotions that whirled up inside of him, threatening his control. A part of him wanted to direct all attention towards the ancient puzzle, the puzzle he had been trying to solve this past millennia and that now seemed to have gained almost all of the missing pieces, but he sealed his urgent impulses away. There were too many blanks left. Sookie, the weres and Russell… it just didn't add up. Eric watched Sophie-Anne as she stood over by one of the bookcases, suddenly defensive. There was more to this. There was another layer.
"What is really going on here?" he said lowly.
Sophie-Anne's gaze was sullen as she lifted it from the floor.
"What are you going to do?" she mumbled.
Eric took one step closer to her.
"Tell me what you know."
"I can't…-"
Sophie-Anne's wrists were like cold marble in his hands as Eric shoved her up against the bookcase by swift force, her back connecting with it hard enough to make some of the books fall out. She bared her fangs with a hiss, but Eric only answered by extending his own, staring her down as cornered her, his hold around her flesh so strong that it would have shattered wood.
"Sure you can." he growled.
"He'll stake me for even talking to you in the first place...!" Sophie-Anne hissed.
Eric reveled in his former Queen's transformation, a crude grin forming on his lips. There was nothing left of her authority. The tables had finally turned into their true direction. He could smell her fear, fainter and more complex than that of a human, but nonetheless; Sophie-Anne was genuinely afraid. Her auburn locks were falling out of their carefully adorned arrangement and her pearly white neck was fully exposed inches away from his fangs. The situation might have been almost erotic if Eric hadn't found her so pitiable.
"It's either him or me, angelcake." he said. "And I can assure you that I'd enjoy it ten times more than he would."
Sophie-Anne stared darkly up at him. He could tell that she wanted out of here; and that she'd probably realized - reluctantly - that for this Eric would be her best shot right now.
"Russell wants war." she gritted, her fangs retracting as she spoke. "And he intends to get it by rallying all the supes that disagree with the revelation. The mainstreaming-movement have been trying to deny their existence, but the opposition exists even within the Authority. The local weres are with Russell because he supplies them with his blood, and the Texas monkeys will join him once he eradicates Isabelle..."
Eric loosened his grip on Sophie-Anne somewhat. He had been right in his assumption regarding the blood. Also, he knew very well of the clusterfuck that was Godric's old area. It was overflowing with extremists and it had taken a firm ruling to keep it under control. With all the hate that still lingered there since the bomb, and the complete lack of homage that most of the resident vampires paid Isabelle, they would only be happy to get rid of her.
"After Isabelle, there are the surrounding areas. He will infuse them with his madness until their heads explode like wildfire. All that will be needed is a spark." Sophie-Anne continued, her face twisting in loathing. She gave a short chuckle. "And those in doubt of his power? He will have Sookie, and when the rumor starts spreading that he can walk in the sun…-"
"… he will turn into a god." Eric said, finishing her sentence as he stared into vacant space.
There was a knock on the door, making both vampires stir and correct their positions. The door opened to reveal one of the many guards that Eric had seen enveloped in the shadows of the estate.
"The King requires your presence, Sheriff." he said, holding up the door.
Eric gave Sophie-Anne a final grave look before he turned and walked out of the library. Her stare into his back was so intense that he was surprised it didn't cause a burn.
The sound of wicked laughter and the strong scent of blood hit Eric as he approached the lounge. The room was dimly lit by the fire in the ornate fireplace. Facing it was a seating area consisting of several loungers and divans, most of them that were now occupied. The group of vampires had been joined by a number of young and attractive humans, and the scene that met Eric wasn't a social gathering as much as it was a feeding orgy. His eyes moved from one body to the next; fangs, bruised skin and crimson stains. He saw Bill on his knees by one of the divans, feeding from a brunette girl. Lorena was watching him with a passed out and very pale Hadley cradled in her lap, caressing the girl's fair hair between her fingers, grinning like a hyena with her lips drenched in blood. Over by the fireplace, Talbot was being courted by two half-naked young men. The shady male vampire with the British accent was driving a knife across the tanned flesh of a moaning woman's inner thigh, licking the blood as it poured out of the cut. Eric stared at the decadence. They were absolutely insatiable. Animals, and nothing more. Russell had been sitting close to Talbot, but when he noticed Eric entering the room he got up, motioning for Eric to follow him.
"Sheriff, please." he smiled. "Walk with me."
Eric joined Russell and the two wandered side by side out of the lounge, into a far stretching hallway that led further into the estate. It was decorated with invaluable paintings and the wood-paneled walls had embedded glass cases, containing collectables in pristine condition, from so far back into history that Eric was at a loss when he tried to identify some of the objects.
"Did you have a nice chat?" Russell asked, turning to Eric.
"She is beautiful." Eric said. "But she's essentially a basket case with a bratty attitude. A rather odd choice of a wife, if I may say so."
Eric watched Russell in the corner of his eye, smiling in discreet triumph as his statement produced the desired effect. Russell raised his eyebrows at Eric's boldness, only to completely alter his expression with a smug grin.
"She's a pawn." he said. "A high-maintenance one yes, but still merely a pawn."
The hallway ended in a circular room with a massive chandelier in the roof. A guard was standing close to the wall, silent and unmoving like a piece of furniture, and neither of the vampires paid him any attention as they approached a large double-door.
"I trust that you have noticed the increased number of weres in your area?" Russell said, opening the doors for them.
"I have." Eric answered shortly.
He followed Russell into the most overly sized office he had seen in a long time. If the desk hadn't been there, he would have mistaken it for a trophy room. There was a genuine set of medieval battle-armor standing in a corner, and the glass cabinets that covered the walls were filled with ancient trinkets and jewelry.
"They're mine." Russell continued. "I have employed them for centuries. They are simple-minded but fierce, and if you feed them properly they will remain loyal. Much like dogs, really."
He gestured for Eric to sit down in the chair in front of the desk, as he himself took a seat in the grand velvet fauteuil that overlooked the office. Eric sat down, knitting his hands in his lap as he watched the vampire in front of him. This thin, balding creature that had lived thrice as long as Eric and now was King of the biggest area in Northern America. He wondered just how many kingdoms he had seen rise and fall, and how many bloody conflicts throughout history that were of his design.
"I've had a slight issue lately though." Russell said. "They had little trouble gathering an unwilling vampire and bring him to me; but they have yet to succeed in collecting a lone, human girl. A small-town waitress, at that."
"Would that be Sookie Stackhouse?" Eric asked, his voice devoid of emotion. "Mr. Compton's pet?"
"Mhm, yes." Russell said, wrinkling his nose. "You know of her?"
The old vampire's tone was heavy with greed. He wanted her bad, and he didn't even bother to conceal it. He wanted to drain her, lock her up and drain her again. Eric clenched his jaws. He would hurt him long before he hurt her.
"She's… special." Eric said, forcing his words and pleading that Russell wouldn't detect it.
"Undoubtedly." Russell answered, seeming unfazed. "I brought Compton here mainly because of her, but he has proven to be utterly useless. I only keep him around because it makes Lorena less insufferable. She tends to get awfully cruel when she is unhappy."
Eric had seized to listen. As Russell spoke, he had cocked his head a little to the right, revealing the object that sat in the cabinet directly behind him. Eric would have recognized it from miles away. It was a delicately crafted brass crown; untouched by the thousand years that had passed since it had been ripped of his father's head by a dirty werewolf paw. The final piece of the puzzle fell into place. Vindictiveness had a color; and it shot through Eric's vision like a white hot light. Slowly, he turned his gaze to Russell again. Det var du, din jävel, he thought. Det var du…
"What I'm asking you, Mr. Northman, is if you would be so kind and bring her to me?" Russell said, oblivious to Eric's reaction. "There is a generous reward in it for you."
Eric's voice was cold and professional.
"Certainly." he said. "You'll have her after sunset tomorrow."
Swedish translation:
Det var du, din jävel. Det var du… = It was you, you bastard. It was you…
A/N: Again, so sorry for the wait! This chapter took on a life of its own, stretching out so far that I decided to split it. This means two things; next chapter will come faster than you think, and the lemons that I promised will be extra juicy to make up for the split. See you soon! Love, EF.
