A/N: Disclaimer in Chapter 1.
I've decided on the gender now, thanks for all your opinions they really helped me decide whether it should be a boy or a girl. Although some people have now suggested twins… the jury's still out on that one.
Chapter 10: HeirAll traces of tiredness immediately vanished from Vlad's figure. He straightened himself, his eyes fixed low as he fought to control the evil inside of him. Erin heard the slow release of his fangs accompanied by his natural hiss.
Vlad's slowly looked up and around the Council members in the room.
Each one took a step back at the blackness in his face; his eyes were onyx abysses as he fixed his gaze on each Council member.
His whole posture exuded power and strength, as well as fear. As harmless as he looked in his grey t-shirt and tracksuit bottoms in that moment he was the most terrifying being on the planet.
This was why Vlad was the Chosen One.
This was the first time Erin had actually seen him prepared to relinquish control he held over his evil side.
Dhamphir began to speak, "We already have outrage amongst the clans from this news…" Erin snapped her head around to him. Dhamphir gulped and nodded understanding her silent request to shut up.
YEKNODELTTILYEKNODELTTIL
Olga still hadn't appeared, Bertrand hissed before vanishing from the room, presumably to fetch the troublemaker himself.
The Count appeared in the room, his head obviously pounding from the way he clutched at it. "What is the meaning of this noise?"
Bertrand reappeared with Olga, his hands gripping her bicep completely unforgiving of the pain he was causing her. As soon as he was safely in the room he let go of her causing her to stumble slightly. She looked around the room, seeing everyone gathered there. In a flash she sped from the room but Vlad pulled her back towards him. Olga fell to the floor, looking up at her youngest cousin in complete fear.
Vlad tossed the charred remnants of the paper smouldered red and crinkled under the heat. The title was still readable across the top of the paper.
'DRACU-LOSES HEIRS.
Shocking news has emerged that Count Dracula never married Magda Westenra this means that by ancient vampire law the couples' children, Vladimir and Ingrid, are illegitimate.
Being illegitimate means that neither child holds claim to inherit the Clan throne or even legally part of the Dracula clan. The only legitimate heir is therefore Olga Dracula the current heir of Ivan Dracula.
What does this scandal mean for the Chosen One…'
"What for the love of garlic have you done?" He snarled, bending down to her level. Erin didn't care about in uncensored language. They all had a right to use it at the moment.
Illegitimacy was defined as children being born to parents not married to each other, and vampire culture was backwards compared to modern day breather culture.
Vampire law denied illegitimate children the rights and inheritances that children born to parents legally married to each other were given. The law had never been rescinded, although it was often ignored. If it were announced publicly there would be no choice other than to obey the law and Vlad had to uphold the law. For it to come out that Vlad couldn't inherit the vampire name because his parents weren't married could spell disaster, as he shouldn't even be allowed his position being an 'illegitimate' child.
Magda and the Count had never actually married, they nearly married when Vlad was 13 and while they referred to each other as 'ex' and on occasion the Count addressed her as his wife they had never undergone an actual ceremony.
"Vladdy?" The Count asked, unsure why his son had completely lost his control. He looked at Ingrid who looked as if she was about to burst.
"What is going on?" Ivan suddenly asked, no one had noticed him enter the room.
"Shut up!" Vlad told his father and uncle firmly. His attention snapped back to Olga, "Did you even THINK before contacting the papers?"
Olga scrambled backwards trying to escape Vlad, her eyes darted back and forth trying to find somewhere to hide. She knew her new powers would be useless against Vlad.
Ingrid stepped forward to take over from Vlad bending down to Olga's height. "This was all about inheritance wasn't it? As soon as you transformed you knew you could legally inherit if there was no one in your way."
Olga stood and ran, Vlad let his evil take control. With a flick of his finger Olga flew up into the ceiling. She screamed as her back and head impacted against the ancient, solid rafters in the roof.
"Do you even know what you've done to our kind?"
He clenched his fist and Olga screamed as she felt herself being squeezed tighter and tighter.
"I have had most of my choices taken away, my life isn't my own, I'm in the middle of a war and you have damaged the reputation of my son or daughter before their even born. All because you want to be heir to the Dracula throne." The damage to his child as what fuelled Vlad's anger, everything else he could weather but not that.
"I'm sorry!" Olga screamed.
"I *never* cared about the throne but I care about my clan and my kind. If my kind loses faith in me then we might as well let the rebels slay us all."
Most vampires were traditionalists and would probably withdraw their support because of this, regardless of how well Vlad ruled over them.
Olga screamed again, her voice becoming more and more high pitched, as the pain grew unbearable. "I said I was sorry."
Vlad's lip curled upwards. Vlad lifted his left hand a fireball beginning to form. "Sorry isn't enough!"
The Council watched in pure fear at Vlad's actions, no one dared comment on it. He'd never gone this far before, this was the side of him they urged him to release but now they understood why he controlled it.
Erin watched the petrified vampires shaking her head slightly. Vlad was a Pandora's box; once it was opened they were desperate to close it.
She stepped in front of him gently placing her hands on his chest. Vlad looked down at her, she didn't care about any scandal that Olga may have started. Erin let her left hand trail itself upwards towards his cheek. She immediately felt wetness there; she brushed it away with her thumb. Slowly his eyes turned to a grey, not fully there yet but she was making progress.
With her right she slowly clenched Vlad's fist the fireball disappearing. Once she was satisfied it had completely vanished she opened his hand and linked their fingers.
Erin stood on her tiptoes and wrapped her left hand around his neck, pulling him forwards. Vlad remained tense before accepting her hug and pulling her, albeit slightly awkwardly, closer to him. Erin felt his tears seeping into her robe.
YEKNODELTTILYEKNODELTTIL
"Thank you Erin…" An American accented voice called from above breaking the silence.
Erin ground her teeth, "Remember what I said I would do to you if you caused any problems." As if to emphasis her point Erin threw her own fireball as a warning shot. Olga cringed her eyes screwing shut tightly. "Just be thankful its night."
The Council couldn't understand how Erin had managed to calm him down; Erin pressed a soft kiss to his hair.
Erin could feel his sorrow, but it wasn't for him it was for her and their child.
"Where do you stand?" She asked, looking at the Council over Vlad's shoulder. If they were going to go against him they could get out right now.
They shared a look with each other. Silently agreeing with each other.
Atilla was the one who answered. "With the Chosen One."
Erin wasn't sure it was out of fear of Vlad's power or out of genuine respect for him.
The Count moved to Erin's side placing a hand on her shoulder as she held his son. "This needs to be dealt with quickly." The longer it remained unchallenged, the fiercer the opposition became. "Send for the clans, get them here before dawn."
Yao raised his hand prepared to object to the suggestion, "Legally…"
"JUST DO IT!" Vlad roared from Erin's shoulder making his wife jump. He pulled away from Erin, his eyes dark and puffy.
Yao nodded before vanishing. Fromik and Dhamphir remained quiet beside Atilla.
Atilla finally spoke softly, "Magda never wanted to get married." She told them, "It's not the children's fault. The law has never been enforced." She was trying to defend the Dracula name. It wasn't Vlad or Ingrid's dishonour it was their parents or rather their mother's for never marrying the Count.
"Vlad has to uphold the law." Bertrand groaned.
Lucius opened his mouth to speak, "No." Vlad cut him off sharply, Lucius automatically closed his mouth. Vlad's guess had been right – he was going to suggest something to do with Ingrid.
Vlad looked up seeing Olga still suspended from the rafters, he waved his finger sending her flying towards the radiator. Olga hit the metal radiator with a clank, gasping as it dug into her side. Fang cuffs flew out at her immediately locking around her wrists and the heating pipe holding her to the radiator.
"What are you going to do to Olga?" Erin asked him softly, she didn't have any pity for the vampire not after this stunt.
"Return her powers to the mirror." He told her, loud enough for Olga to hear. She would retain her fangs but that would be it, she wouldn't be able to speed, fireball or create fire. She wouldn't even be able to transform into a bat.
"NO!" Olga yelled, Vlad couldn't do that to her. She looked towards Erin and Ivan pleading for their help they ignored her.
"Do it." Ingrid spoke fiercely, never had she wanted her cousin gone more than she did in that moment.
Vlad whipped his head around to face her, "You don't deserve to be heir. You acted against me and my family, be glad I'm not turning you to dust. If it's my last act as Grand High Vampire then it'll be worth it."
TBC
A/N: This idea was born out of how traditional vampires could be in their views (e.g. men inheriting the title even if there's an older sister).
As for the Count and Magda I'm going from series 1 episode 3 when Vlad and Ingrid prevented them from getting married for the first time.
Thanks for reading.