A/N: I'm finally getting where I want my story to go. Thank you for sticking around. This chapter probably isn't the way anyone thought it would go, and it certainly isn't the way I thought it would go. We have a plot, and we're going with it. I apologize for not updating sooner. Enjoy.


Bill lowered his head ceremoniously. "Thank you for your patience. I will see to it myself that this is taken care of."

The vampire nodded. "I would hope so," he said in a thick French accent. "Thank you, your majesty. I wholly appreciate everything you have done for me and my progeny."

Bill smiled a wholesome smile, full of that southern charm. "Please, don't thank me. It is only my job to actively seek what is best for you and the subjects under my rein." He stood up and shook his hand. "Portia will see you out."

Once the vampire left, he straightened out the lapels of his suit and sat back down at his desk. If there was one thing he hated, it was wearing these suits. He hated being so constricted. True, he craved the glamor of the 20's like every other vampire his age, but he would only accept it back if the suits weren't so cramped. He wanted to keep a certain air in his kingdom: glamor, charm, and class.

"To the Gracious King of Louisiana, William Thomas Compton,

"It is my great honor that I welcome you into such a humble monarchy. It is not every day that one of the greatest young vampires in the nations takes hold of such a great state, filled with class and valor that only a true native could rein. Welcome, with every great honor and meaning behind the word.

"However, due to the lack of reputable sheriffs you have under your monarchy, Eric Northman aside, it strikes me with great discourse-"

Just then, unannounced the doors to his office flew open. Katerina Pelham strutted in like she owned the damn place. She slammed the doors behind her and placed herself in the open chair immediately in front of his desk.

"Good evening, Ms. Pelham," he said, most disinterested, not tearing his eyes away from his letter, "come in. Sit anywhere you'd like." It was only then that he looked up at her. "How did it go?"

"Exactly how you said it would. It was…amazing."

He set the letter down on his desk and gave her more of his attention. "Tell me everything."

"The bird came back to life. We sat in a circle, and at first I was weary, but she started chanting. We thought we were just helping the poor thing into the spirit world, but then she started chanting something else. It was Latin, I think. She said something like, 'bring this bird back to life.' I don't know, witch shit."

Bill rose from his seat, undoing his cufflinks as Katerina began to unbutton her shirt. "So she cast a spell on the dead bird and it flew."

"For a couple of seconds at most, but…it was spectacular."

"Your work for me in that circle is done, Ms. Pelham. It is no longer safe for you there."

"What are you going to do to them?" She smiled a seductive little smile as she revealed the teddy she was wearing underneath her clothes.

"What I've already told you will have to suffice." He smirked. "Anymore and I'll have to glamor it out of you."

"Well, we wouldn't want that now, would we? Shall I send out the procurer for you?" She started toward the door, but before she got anywhere Bill grabbed her by the throat. Katerina was a good little spy, but she was dumb. Their relationship would go no further than this.

"No. Tell him I'm giving him the night off."

After about ten minutes of meaningless, but fun, sex, he heard a scuffle outside. Katerina didn't even seem to hear it, but Bill did. It was Sookie. He could smell her.

"Wh-what? Why did you stop?"

He sighed. "Get dressed."

"But I'm not finished yet!"

He rolled his eyes and grabbed for his pants. "We'll finish this later. Get dressed."

"Your majesty, a human has been caught walking onto the palace grounds. What shall we do with her?" His head of security's voice broke the silence of the room over the intercom.

"Who is it? Is it Sookie Stackhouse?" he asked, standing over his desk, his finger firmly lodged on the intercom.

"Affirmative, your highness."

Oh, shit. "Let her go, you idiots. Send her in, straight away." Sometimes humans were so stupid! He specifically told them that if she were to walk onto the property to respectfully escort her inside, not handle her like a piece of raw meat.

"-so you can get your filthy paws off of me right now! I don't know WHO you think you are! You are damn straight that I am THE Sookie Stackhouse, now let me go!" He could hear her voice all the way in his bedroom, and he took no time getting out there to greet her, Katerina on his heels. Two of his guards had either arm firmly in their grasp.

Bill sighed. "I told you to let her go. Leave immediately. See Ms. Pelham out." She held her head high as she walked past Sookie, fang marks out and proud. She showed no shame to his ex-girlfriend.

The guard on the right nodded and dropped her arm. "Right away, your highness."

Sookie crossed her arms angrily over her chest with narrow eyes. "'Your highness?' Are you kiddin' me?"

"Sookie, so nice of you to drop by." A familiar scent suddenly washed over him. He was at her side in seconds thanks to vampire speed, and he gripped her arm firmly in his hand as he inhaled at her neck. "Why…why do you smell like Eric Northman?" He could smell his blood in her like she was doused in a cheap perfume!

She yanked her arm away from him. "Don't talk to me like that! It's none of your fuckin' business!" She stopped herself. "I-I'm sorry. I just don't appreciate being manhandled by your idiot guards! You're king? I almost didn't believe it but here you are. Where's your crown?" She practically spit at him.

"Vampire Monarchies are not a subject a human-"

"A human? Bill, it's me. Don't talk to me like I'm some blood bag you're bangin' for fun."

Eric Northman seems to be doing that, he thought, grateful she couldn't hear him for once. "Sookie, please step into my office and we'll talk some more about this."

Once inside, he shut and locked the doors. He was fuming. He ran to her side and grabbed her arms roughly, bearing his fangs. "Sookie Stackhouse, I will NOT be made a fool of in my own palace! I am the vampire king of Louisiana and no HUMAN is going to make me a mockery! Do you understand me?"

"Bill…" Sookie furrowed her brow. "What happened to you?"

"You went missing. That is what happened to me." He released her.

It was silent for a moment. They continued to make eye contact, neither finding the right words to say to the other. He backed away from her and took his place at his desk.

He broke the silence. "I am sorry my guards were so impolite. They were given specific instructions not to harm you. Don't give humans a simple job, especially when it's their only job. They'll fuck it up."

"Um, it's okay. Can I sit down?"

"Yes, of course! What brings you by?"

"I just..."

He cocked an eyebrow. "You and Eric are together," he said with disgust. He stopped her before she could speak. "I can smell it on you."

She glared at him. "What I do and where I go is none of your concern, Bill. Can we please drop it?"

He picked up the letter and continued reading it, not really giving a shit about her anymore. If she wanted to fuck up her life with Eric Northman, she could go right ahead. He was done protecting her from him. At this point, there was nothing he could say to her to convince her otherwise. His mistakes were too grand, and Eric's weren't. She wasn't his anymore and she could make her own decisions.

She crossed her legs and sat back in the chair, allowing herself to relax. "Well, I figured since you were…king…can't you make laws? I'm scared, okay? I'm scared of me and myself and of Russell and every other dang thing out there in those woods that's tryin' to kill me! Can't you make laws that all them have to follow?"

He scoffed, setting down the letter once more. "Look, I am and I can but I am not going to put in place a vampire law for a human, Sookie. It's bigger than that! Vampire monarchies are much different than you think they are. There isn't just a king or a queen that sits there and looks pretty like they do in England. I cannot put forth a law, especially for a human…that is no longer mine."

"Bill," she said, rising and filling the gap between them, "you told me that no matter what, you would protect me. Whether or not we were together, you would always seek to protect me. You might not remember sayin' that but I do, fresh as yesterday for me. You aren't doin' a very good job of it."

Bill lowered his eyes. She was right. Every word of what she said was right. "Sookie, I will do my best. If there is anything I can do, it will take time."

She sighed and turned to leave, but stopped herself. "How did you become king anyhow? No, wait… I don't wanna know. If there's one thing I learned from us bein' together? Every time I learned something new about you I ended up wishing I didn't know it. Goodnight…your excellency."