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Chapter 7

I hide behind Glalda as the clan walked through the stone hallway of the Vampaneze Mountain.

Looking around I couldn't help but think that the inside of the mountain looked a lot like the inside of an old stone castle and that the Luminous lichen was much brighter in the vampaneze mountain then in the vampire mountain.

Turning a corner I saw that this hall had many doors that I guessed lead to rooms.

Glalda lead me to the door on the very end of the hallway and opened it to revile a decent sized room with both a coffin and a four-post bed.

I turned to Glalda and asked, "Is this your room?"

Glalda smiled and answered, "Well it was but now it's our room."

I blushed a little but stepped inside and then asked as Glalda closed the door behind us, "Why is there a bed and a coffin?"

Glalda sat on the bed and pulled me to sit on his lap, "Because sometimes I like sleeping in the bed and sometimes I like sleeping in the coffin."

I was about to tell him that he really was childish but suddenly there was a knock on the door.

"Come in!" Glalda called out and I tried to get off his lap but he held me in place; coursing me the blush madly as an unknown vampaneze opened the door.

The unknown man bowed at us, or more like bowed to Glalda since I received a cold stare, and he said in a military tone, "The Vampaneze Court wishes to have an ordinance with Councilor Glalda and his clan tomorrow night after breakfast about the mission to Vampire Mountain and about your …guest."

Glalda nodded and the man left.

Turning back to Glalda I said in a saddened tone, "The vampaneze outside your clan don't seem to like me do they."

Glalda gave me a reassuring smile and peck on the lips, "You are the first vampire to ever be in the Vampaneze Mountain other then Kurda, so they are weary but once they get to know you they will love you like my clan does."

I seriously hoped so.

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The next afternoon, Glalda woke me and said that it was breakfast time.

Walking into the dinning hall, I saw shocked to see how many Vampaneze there were inside the mountain, there at least a hundred and they all turned and starred at me; some of the stares were cold and even angry but most of them were more curious then angry.

Glalda lead me through the silently starring crowd.

We stopped at a table were Caleb, Zack and Mac were eating.

Caleb gave me a warm smile and said in his normal cheery tone, "Good evening little one. I hope you like your new room and I hope Glalda didn't molest you to much on your first night here."

I could have died of embarrassment right there and then, Caleb may not have said this very loudly but because the hall was dead silent I knew every vampaneze had heard.

Zack gave a loud snort of amusement and said, "With the way the kid is blushing I'd say Glalda did."

I glared at Zack and told him, "He didn't!"

Suddenly Glalda laughed and I turned to him to tell him that he really isn't any help sometimes.

After a very awkward breakfast, Glalda, his clan and I walked to the Vampaneze Court hall.

There were guards standing at the large stone doors, Glalda walked up to them and said, "Councilor Glalda and his clan have arrived for there hearing."

The guards nodded and opened the doors for us and Glalda walked straight in with Caleb and me after him, then the rest of the clan after us come in two at a time.

Looking around the hall I saw that it looked nothing like the Vampire Prince's hall, it looked more like a throne room in mid evil times.

The grey stonewalls were covered in paintings of, from what I could guess, old vampaneze court members.

Then looking forward I saw twelve throne like chairs, all but one were occupied.

It wasn't hard to guess that these were the court members.

Two of them were rough looking women.

When we were standing in the middle of the room Glalda stopped and the clan and I stopped behind him.

One the male vampaneze court member that was sitting in the middle of the other members stood and said in a loud deep voice, "The court welcomes you back Councilor Glalda."

Glalda stepped forward and bowed, "Thank you Councilor Markus, it is good to be home."

The one called Markus smiled warmly at Glalda and I couldn't help but notice that he looked very old and he some how reminded me of Paris Skyle.

"Glalda would you mind telling us why there is a half vampire in our mountain!" Came the angry voice of the vampaneze sitting on Markus' right side.

The man looked very rough with scares all over his face.

Markus turned to the vampaneze and said in a calm but strict tone, "Councilor Vlad, you all not speck to a court member in that rude manner. Glalda is one of our most trusted members and he will have a reason I'm sure for bring the young half vampire with him."

Then the old vampaneze turned back to Glalda and said, "But before you tell us why this young one is with you Glalda you will tell us if you completed your mission."

All the members turned their attention to Glalda.

Glalda suddenly looked down and replied, "I fear that I didn't do as the court decided."

The court members looked horrified and I was becoming confused. Glalda told me that the princes had agreed to a new peace treaty.

"Why is this so!?" Vlad roared.

Glalda gave the vampaneze a hard look and replied, "Because I didn't like the idea of forcing our control into our cousins. I decided that I would have an ordinance with the vampire princes first and see if we couldn't arrange a new peace treaty."

I was seriously becoming confused, but one thing was for certain Glalda had made the court members mad.

"You went against our agreed plan and just make up your own!?" One of the vampaneze women yelled while many others yelled that he was a traitor.

The hall was becoming loud with the members yelling until Markus, who hadn't said a word, stood and yelled in a booming voice, "SILENCE!!!"

The hall suddenly turned dead silent and Markus turned to Glalda with anger in his eyes and said, "Tell us from the begin what happened and how you came to decided to go against our plan."

Glalda told of how Kurda hide him and his clan inside the vampire mountain and how Glalda realized that no peace would come of the original plan and so he decided to chance it and then how I came to be with them and how he started to fall in love with me and them about his meeting with the princes.

"The vampire princes were not pleased about me being there and one of them seems to have the same hate from vampaneze as Vlad has for vampires but then when I told them that the Vampaneze Lord has been found and how we wish to fight against him too they saw sense and they have agreed to meet with three of our court members and me in a months time to debate a new peace treaty and I have already made it clear that we refused to have anything to do with the stone of blood and they have agreed to this."

All the court members were speechless and I was horrified that to hear that the original plan was for Kurda to kill the other princes and destroy the stone of blood and then force the vampires to unite with the vampaneze and I was also horrified to find out that the Vampaneze Lord had been found; and to say that I peeved that Glalda hadn't told me these things sooner was an understatement.

But I knew now wasn't the best time to get angry with him but once we were alone I was going to kick him right were it hurts.

After a few minutes of silence, Markus stood and said, "Young Glalda what you have told us is defiantly not what we had expected and while I'm sure the court is with me when I say that it was wrong that you went against our plan but your plan was well thought and worked so the court will excuse you for that."

The other members of the court nodded in agreement, though Vlad looked like he wished to say more but he held his tongue.

"But now we must discuss the matter of your feelings for the half vampire." Markus said, as he looked me in the eyes.

I saw that his red eyes held no disgust or anger for me; in fact they seemed to look at me as if he already liked me but I decided it was just wishful thinking on my part.

Suddenly Vlad stood and yelled angrily, "A vampaneze taking a vampire as a mate is unheard of, let alone a half vampire!" With that said he gave me a harsh glare.

Glalda tried to push me behind him but I refused to move, I wasn't going to let this vampaneze think of me as weak and I meet his glare with one of my own.

Suddenly one of the women court members stood and said, "While I do not care that he is a half vampire, I agree with Councilor Vlad that Councilor Glalda should not mate him simply because he is much too young."

Next to stand and speck was a vampaneze that looked about thirty with long hair, "Councilor Gwen has a point but we must remember that Glalda himself is still very young, he has only been a vampaneze for two years, so they have time to wait until the half vampire is old enough physically."

The other seven members seemed to be quite happy to let Glalda and I mate; like Glalda had said most of them trusted him so they were fine with it. The last one to have his say was Markus.

"I like most of the court members trust your judgement of the young one's character and I also believe that this unity would make peace with our cousins easier." He gave me an encouraging smile and finished, "But we must be fair and decide if this is to be allowed after we talk to all of those in Glalda's clan and with the young one himself so we can see if we think he will be a good councilor's mate. We will speck with you first Glalda."

Glalda nodded and Caleb grabbed my arm and led me outside the hall.

After the doors were closed I turned to Caleb and hissed, "Why didn't any of you tell me about your original plan or the little fact that the Vampaneze had been found?"

Caleb gave me a confused look and answered, "I assumed Glalda did tell you."

I sighed when I realized that I couldn't take my anger out on the longhaired vampaneze and said, "No he must have forgot to inform me."

The clan and I sat in the hall outside the Vampaneze Court Hall and waited; suddenly I started to feel very nervous when it finally hit me that I was going to have to go and face the court members by myself.

Caleb must have sensed my unease for he gave my shoulder a comforting squeeze and said, "Don't worry, just be yourself and answer their questions honestly and they will like you… well Vlad won't but he hates vampires more then most."

I saw that when Caleb said Vlad's name he got an add dreamy look in his large red eyes and realized that Caleb had a thing for the mean looking vampaneze; I saw this as a good way of getting back at him for always teasing me and Glalda, "So how long have you loved Vlad?"

Caleb looked at be me in horror and blushed madly, "W-what a-are you t-talkin about?"

I gave Caleb a cheeky smile and chuckled, "I maybe young and naïve but I'm not stupid. You really do make it obvious. So have you told him because really it looks like he could do with a lover."

Caleb sighed and replied, "No I haven't told anyone because there is no point. Vlad would never want me."

"Why not?" I said seriously, "You're a grate guy, you're a good cook, fun to be around-"

"A known non-vampire hater." Caleb interrupted, and I saw the problem.

Caleb made it quite obvious that he didn't hate vampires and really wished to make peace with them and Vlad would obviously not find that attractive in a lover.

"Oh."

Suddenly a guard came and told Caleb the court wanted to see him now.

As Caleb walked toward the doors leading to the hall, Glalda walked out with a big smile on his face.

But it was quick to disappear as he saw me glaring at him.

Caleb chuckled as they pasted each other and I heard him say to Glalda, "You're in trouble."

After Caleb had gone in and Glalda stood in front of me, the vampaneze leader asked me, "Why am I in trouble?" like he really had no idea why.

"Why didn't you ever tell me about 'plan one'?" I hissed angrily, "And I would have really liked to know about the small fact that the VAMPANEZE LORD HAD BEEN FOUND!"

The clan looked at us with amusement but I was anything but amused and Glalda knew it.

Glalda sighed and replied in a whisper so the clan couldn't hear, "I'm sorry but I didn't want to worry you when you were already mourning your friends death and recovering from your trails… and also because I feared that if you knew about the Vampaneze Lord and the original plan you would not want to come here with me."

I felt some of my anger disappear but still I snapped back, "Next time I want the truth, is that understood."

Glalda nodded and suddenly smiled and asked childishly, "So am I forgiven?"

I sighed and nodded, though I was still a bight angry with him for not trusting me with the truth.

Two hours pasted and the vampaneze court was hearing the last clan member now.

My nerves were turning me into a reek because I was to be next and all the worst things that could happen were running through my head.

Glalda tried to comfort me but my emotions were winning.

But when the guard came to get me, I forced my nerves down and walked into the hall trying my best to look confident.

The court members all looked down at me from their thrones and I had never in my life felt so small, it was like I was a simple mouse standing in front of twelve cats of hell but I made sure to keep my poker face up, I knew that this was about showing them that I am worthy of being part of their race and it wouldn't happen if I looked like nothing more them a coward.

Markus was the first to break the silence by saying in a gentle tone, "It would seem that you has the respect and full support of Glalda and his clan, young one. They have been telling us many good things about you."

Suddenly Vlad snapped at me, "Is it true that you ran away from the vampires to escape death like a coward?"

The court members all looked angrily over at Vlad but than looked at me, interested to hear my reply. I lowered my head in shame and answered in a small voice, "That is true."

The hall went silent and it seemed like the vampaneze were waiting for me to continue with an excuse but I really didn't have one; I could have said that Kurda talked me into it but I knew that wasn't why I fled, I had been scarred.

Suddenly the one called Gwen spoke, "Glalda said that you ran away because Kurda talked you into it; is that true?"

I looked at her and saw that she was trying to help me and I was grateful but knew I had to speck the truth, "Kurda had come to my room and told me he would lead me out of the vampire mountain to escape but the truth was that I was scarred and Kurda talking about me escaping gave me hope that I could survive but I will always regret my decision."

Vlad stood and roared, obviously thinking that I didn't really want to be with Glalda, "Because you meet Glalda and his clan?"

I shook my head and replied, "No I will always be happy that I meet Glalda and the clan but because of my decision to flee, a friend of mine was killed."

Markus gave me a sympathetic look and then said, "I believe that we have pushed this matter fare enough, on to the next matter. Glalda and his clan have told us that you took a serious wound to the chest to save Glalda. Why would you do this?"

I looked Markus in the face and replied seriously, "Because I love him and I could not bare the thought of him being hurt."

Markus gave me an approving smile and I knew that I had at least convinced him of my true feelings for Glalda.

The court members continued to ask me questions like, why did I first agree to become a vampire, why I would want to be mated to a vampaneze and if I would be willing to submit myself to letting Glalda mark me as his mate and I answered truthfully and as best I could.

But then Vlad, who had obviously been trying to find something to use against me, asked me one question that I had been asking myself for awhile now, "What side will you choose if the new peace treaty does not stop the vampire's and vampaneze from going to war?"

I looked at the rough looking man and sighed, thinking about my answer and finally replied, "If I must make the choice I will fight alongside Glalda but I will not lie in saying that if an injured vampire came to me for help that I wouldn't give it."

I hoped that this would be a good enough answer because it is what I truly feel.

And I guess that it mustn't have been a good answer for Vlad looked peeved and Markus stood and said, "We thank you for answering our question young Darren Shan. You may leave now and dine then you and Glalda are to return to hear the Court's decision."

I gave the court a quit thanks and left the hall.

I found Glalda waiting for me outside, he looked confident that everything was going to be ok and this made my highly-strung nerves relief a little.

We went and ate in the dinning hall, where Glalda started to stuff his face with food.

Not that I blame him; the meetings with the clan members had taken most of the night and we had missed out on lunch.

But I wasn't hungry; I was too nervous about the Courts decision and all the stress on my nerves was starting to darn me emotionally.

Glalda could obviously sense my weariness because when he had finished eating he wrapped his strong arms around my lean waist and gently told me, "Stop worrying. Markus liked you the moment he saw you and the others trust and respect his wisdom, so there is a good chance that they will follow him in his decision."

Sighing I leaned into his embrace and replied, "I hope you are right."

Suddenly the guard from the court hall walked in and said, "The court members have made their decision, please return to the hall."

Glalda and I stood and followed the guard back to the hall.

Walking in, I tried to find answers in the court members faces but they were all blank.

Once Glalda and I were standing in front of the court Markus stood and addressed us.

"After much talking and argument," the old vampaneze looked over at Vlad as he said 'argument' and I didn't have a doubt that Vlad had tried his hardest to stop Glalda and I mating, "the court has come to an agreement; when we heard that young master Shan ran from his clan to escape death we were not sure if he was worthy of being made part of the vampaneze community but then we heard of his act to save Councilor Glalda and agreed that he is worthy of a chance."

I could hardly hold back my relief and happiness, they were going to let Glalda and me mate.

Markus suddenly continued, "Glalda, we will allow you to make Darren Shan your mate, but you must wait until the boy at least looks old enough."

Glalda looked a little disheartened by that and I couldn't really blame him, after all it would about twenty more human years before I even looked sixteen.

Then Vlad added, "But you must mark him now to show that he has submitted to the vampaneze."

Both Glalda and I were not bothered with this, nor were we surprised.

I had seen Kurda's markings and figured that I would have to let myself be marked too.

Glalda moved toward me and raised his sharp nails to my left cheek.

I winced slightly as I felt three razor sharp nails cut through the soft tender skin but Glalda made sure to move quite and left me with three bleeding cuts.

Then I couldn't help but blush as Glalda licked the cuts to close them and I knew that I now had three fresh scars in my cheek.

I belonged to the vampaneze now.

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