Sookie's POV:
I had woken up from my long nap feeling famished. So much had changed in just the past twenty-four hours that I had forgotten to take the time to stop and eat. Marten had told me that my stomach was squirming while I was sleeping. I was a little embarrassed.
A flight attendant brought a plate of food and a glass of water for me and placed it on my tray. For the first time in months, I ate food that I hadn't prepared on a portable stove or an open fire; it was delicious.
After I finished, she took my plate and empty glass away just as we heard the pilot's voice telling us that we were nearing New York City.
I look at the time on the large T.V. screen and see that it is almost 4:00 in the morning. I click on my seat belt and sit back looking out the window. I felt Marius put his hand on mine. I turned to look at him and smiled as he kissed my forehead.
"Oh please, spare me," Marten scoffed. "If I could I would probably vomit at your displays of affection." He definitely reminded me of Pam.
Marius glares at him silently giving him a warning.
Marten's face falls a little and he says, "Sorry master. And I apologize to you Sookie. It's just that I'm not used to seeing this type of interaction, especially from him.
I smile at him, "That's alright Marten. So what have you two been up to while I was sleeping?"
"We were just talking about tomorrow night or rather tonight," Marten says.
"What's going on tonight?" I ask.
"The annual vampire council summit starts this evening. My city is hosting this year's shindig. Most of the vampire king and queens from all over the world are arriving today. Some are already here."
My face falls and it does not escape their notice.
"Is Eric coming too?" I ask quietly.
"Yes, I believe he is travelling to the city by coffin this afternoon."
Now I fight the urge to vomit. I start biting on my fingernails. Marius caresses my hand and turns my head to him by holding my cheek.
"It's going to be alright Sookie. I will be with you always," he says trying to reassure me. It was now inevitable that I would have to see Eric very soon.
It wasn't that I was afraid Eric was going to hurt me physically; I was afraid of having to face him, of having to put everything on the table and deal with it all. I was afraid that he wouldn't accept my new feelings, the turn that my life had taken. I was also scared of getting emotionally hurt again. I was scared of how he may have changed. Like going back to his old lifestyle and realizing he didn't love me anymore. Even after drinking Marius' blood couldn't purge me of these fears.
We land at the airport and quickly exit the plane with Etienne still in bindings. Marten and his bodyguards jump into a car with Etienne. I look at Marius worriedly. I don't want them to hurt him as he looks like he is in enough pain. My own tortuous experiences cause me to sympathize for him.
Marius looks at me and tells Marten to remove the bindings from Etienne once they get to their destination.
Marius and I get into a helicopter nearby.
"Where are we going?" I ask him as I buckle my seatbelt in preparation for my first helicopter ride.
"To one of Marten's homes. We are going to stay at his downtown penthouse maybe tomorrow night we will stay at one of his other homes."
The helicopter ride is about twenty minutes and we land on top of a tall building. I take in the magnificent city lights and the Statue of Liberty. I look out onto the sky and see a hint of the light of the sun coming up.
Marius leads me down into the building and punches in a code into the elevator. We go down a few floors until the elevator stops and the doors open. The lights automatically turn on for us as we step into a plush foyer area opening up into an equally elegant large living room. The black steel blinds cover the windows.
"Come," he says taking hold of my hand. He leads me down a long hallway and into a bedroom. He flicks on the lights and walks toward one of the cabinets attached to the wall. As he rummages through, I look around the room. It is furnished with modern furniture. The floor is dark hardwood and the cabinets along one side of a wall are mahogany. The bedding for the large king-size bed is white. There is a large flatscreen T.V over the fireplace and a few paintings.
He pulls out leather binder. "I am going to have a shower in one of the other rooms. You can use the bathroom in there. Look in the walk-in closet, there should be some something to wear in there for you. Marten took the liberty of ordering some attire for you." he tells me pointing to the other doors in the room.
"Okay," I say. He gives me a quick kiss and leaves the room.
I walk towards the closet, open the doors, and turn on the lights. I gasp at what I see. The closet is humongous. There is one wall covered with just footwear. Two of the rows are men's shoes and the rest are women's. I look closely at a few of the pairs and see that they are all my size. One section of the closet is men's clothing as well. I examine some of the suits and casual wear and figure that they must be Marius' clothes. I look at the women's clothes and they are all my size as well. All of the clothes are brand name and expensive. I take one of the evening gowns off the rack and stand in front of the mirror. It is salmon coloured with spaghetti straps. I try to imagine what I would look like in it. It's been a long time since I wore anything nice like this.
"You would look stunning in that gown," Marius says. He is standing by the door smiling wearing nothing but a towel around his waist. His hair is still a little damp and pulled back. My mouth drops open as I stare at him. I almost drop the dress.
"Thanks, but Marten didn't have to buy all these expensive clothes. I'm sure he must have spent way too much for all of this," I say putting the dress back on the rod.
"Nonsense," another voice says. "I get all my clothes for free from the designers. Even women's clothing. They were happy to send me all this when I knew that you were coming."
I turn around to see Marten standing by the door grinning. Marius is picking out some underwear from his drawer.
"I hope that all these will fit you," he continues, "I wasn't too sure about your size, so I went from memory. A lot of these sizes run a bit smaller but I must say that you have a firmer body now from what I remember, not that there was anything wrong with it before. Your best assets haven't changed," he says, his eyes raking over my body especially my chest and hip area.
I start to blush again feeling awkward.
"Marten," Marius says sternly giving him a fierce look.
"Sorry, master," he says looking down ashamed. "I should go downstairs and get ready to rest for the day. Have a good morning and afternoon Sookie."
I smile at him, "You too Marten, have a good sleep. Thank you for this," I say gesturing to the clothes.
"I will see you downstairs," Marius says and Marten leaves.
Marius walks towards me and rubs my back. "I apologize for my son Sookie. Sometimes I think that no matter how old he gets, he can still be so adolescent at times."
I laugh lightly placing my hands on his chest. "That's okay. He still looks like an adolescent boy anyway."
I breathe in his scent and almost forget about how I must smell right now.
"Oh god, you smell so good and I must reek," I say stepping back from him.
"Nonsense, you always smell terrific," he tells me giving me a light kiss.
"Yeah but I'm dying for a shower too. Do you know where the underwear and nightgowns are?"
He points to a few drawers. I go and open them and find dozens of panties. All of them are different. I choose a pair that looks the most decent and I search the other drawer for a nightgown. The nightgowns are a bit racy too. There are shear, silk, lace and satin lingerie that only go a little past the butt or even shorter. I choose a purple satin one with spaghetti straps. After choosing my sleep wear I head to the luxurious large bathroom and take a shower. I don't stay in there for long because I know that Marius has to leave soon to rest in a secure area.
After my shower I head back to the bedroom and find Marius lying on the bed with the blanket drawn wearing boxer briefs. I climb into the bed and he pulls the blanket over us.
"Is this your bedroom?" I ask him resting my head against his chest.
"Yes, although I do not sleep in here. This is my room when I spend time with Marten."
"It's really great," I say giving him a quick kiss above his nipple.
"Where did Marten take Etienne?"
He runs his fingers through my damp hair. "He took him to one of his warehouses. His maker will now know that he is in dire need since I am no longer near him."
"What's going to happen then?" I ask looking up into eyes.
"If she cares for him, then she will try to find him. When she does, she will have to come to Marten. When that happens then I will confront her."
"Oh," I say laying my head against his chest again.
"You said we might be moving to another house, how many houses does Marten own?" I ask.
"He owns quite a few," he responds. "He has accumulated a large fortune for himself since he became king. He owns shares and a lot of businesses all over the state. He also owns rare artwork and antiques."
"Wow."
"I wish I could take credit in his entrepreneurial skills but he acquired all of this on his own. He is more than capable of taking care of himself," he says sounding like a proud father.
"That's great," I say rubbing my hand against his chest.
"Your family will be staying at the Waldorf and will be arriving at 3:30 pm today," he says.
I look up at him excited, my heart swelling. "Oh my god, thank you so much!" I cover his face with a bunch of kisses.
He brings my lips to his and we deepen our kiss, but then I start to think about my family and Eric.
I break away and ask, "Does Eric know that my family and friends are coming here?"
"No, not yet. But he could be alerted to that fact soon if he has had their phones tapped. Although I doubt it will be shortly since he will be in a travelling casket today and they are not scheduled to leave Shreveport till later this morning."
"Okay," I say breathing a sigh of relief. Last thing I wanted was a rambunctious Viking terrorizing his way through here looking for me.
"Marten has were guards. They will watch you over the day and take you to the Waldorf."
I smile against him, "Thank you so much. Thank you for bringing my family here."
I lean up to kiss him and he kisses me back. Things start to escalate. With encouragement from me, his hands roam over my waist and all over my back. Mine run down his chest and back as well. I put my leg over his and try to shift even closer to him. I can feel a hardness pressed against my lower stomach. His hand moves to my butt and he caresses my left butt cheek with one hand and my breast with the other.
This time he breaks away and moves his hands to my upper back.
"It's already dawn," he says.
I'm gasping for air at this point, "Oh," I say breathlessly.
"I must go. I need to talk to Marten."
I nod still out of breath. He gives me one last kiss and leaves. I think about what just happened but soon I fall asleep.
Eric's POV:
I take a sip from the bottle of synthetic blood and look over my itinerary for the week long summit. I let out an unnecessary sigh and lean my head back. I don't want to go for many reasons. There was the tiny hope that Sookie might come back. I didn't want to hear annoying questions or comments from other vampires concerning her whereabouts. But most of all I was not looking forward to seeing Rosamund. Just the thought of being in the same room as her makes me livid. Because we are married we must attend many of the functions together. This trip will definitely be a test of my patience.
The only good thing about seeing Rosamund again is that Etienne may be with her. Then I would be able to question him about Sookie. When I finally have the proof that I need that he approached her without my consent, then his existence will be forfeit. I know that Rosamund values him highly and with his life in my hands, I will use for my benefit. I will bargain with her to end our union officially in the eyes of the council. When that happens then eventually I will have my revenge. I will make sure she suffers for coming in between Sookie and I. She will be in pain for weeks before I end her life.
It is almost dawn so I turn off my laptop and put it in one of my bags. I finish off the bottle and get into the travelling casket securely locking myself in the small tight area.
Bobby and the weres were coming in about three hours to retrieve my casket and my luggage. They were my daytime protection and travelling with me, Pam and my royal vampire guards.
I close my eyes and hope that this week will go by quickly.
Sookie's POV:
I wake up a little past ten and jump out of bed giddy and excited. I go into the closet and put on some yoga pants and a tank top. As I re-enter the bedroom, I hear a beeping sound. I look around and see a white little envelope symbol flashing on the T.V. screen. I find the remote control and press the same symbol on it, right away the T.V. turns on and Marten's face is on the screen.
He is staring into the camera shirtless and smiling, "Good morning Sookie!"
"You are probably wondering why you see me. My father asked me to leave you a message for today, but rather than writing out a note which is such a hassle I thought I would do it this way. Don't you just love modern technology? But anyway, I took the liberty of ordering you a masseuse and some other people who will give you a facial, manicure, pedicure, the whole works. They should be here around noon. I'm sure you are looking forward to that after roughing it in the sticks for months. Also feel free to wander around the penthouse. It is quite large and there are plenty of things to do. If you are hungry the were guards can take you downstairs to the breakfast room. I hired a chef for you. Oh by the way the weres should be in the living room waiting for you. Have a great day!"
The television automatically turns off. I make the bed and walk out of the room, closing the door behind me. I slowly walk down the hall and this time the blinds are all down on the windows. The sky is shining bright. I walk a little bit more until I reach the large living room to find three men sitting on the sofa. One is playing with his cell, while the other two are looking at newspapers.
"Ms. Stackhouse?" the one who is looking at his cell asks.
"Yes," I smile politely.
They all stand.
"My name is Luke, this is Tom and Nicco, we work for Mr. Meijer," he says politely.
"Oh, it's nice to meet you," I say. Two of them are tall and bulky. Luke is around 6 feet and not as bulky, but I could tell that he was in good shape.
"Are you hungry?" he asks me.
I nod and they take me downstairs to the breakfast room. I ask for an omelette, a bowl of fresh fruit, and some orange juice and coffee. I finish my meal and afterwards I ask Luke if he could show me around. He takes me to some of the floors. There are more bedrooms, a few more living rooms and one large library. He also takes me to the floor where the swimming pool and whirlpool are.
It is almost noon so he takes me to another floor where there are multiple people waiting for me. I lie down on a bench and get a massage which feels so good. I also get other beauty treatments including a haircut which originally I had been dying for. I almost tell her to cut most of it off but I can't bear to see it go. I have never had my hair this long before and it is almost up to my butt. I ask her to give me a trim instead.
Hours later I am finished and I look cleaner and refreshed.
"Ms. Stackhouse, your family should be arriving at the Waldorf any moment," Luke says.
"Okay," I say excitedly. I go back up to Marius' room and put on a t-shirt and jeans.
We arrive at the Waldorf a half hour later and they take me up to their room.
I knock on the door and can hear Jason calling, "Who is it?"
"It's me you doofus," I yell back.
A few seconds later Jason opens the door, "Sookie?" he whispers.
He looks like he is about to cry and I can feel the tears forming behind my eyes as well. He grabs me and gives me a big bear hug.
"Oh my god Sook, where the hell have you been!" he yells, holding me tighter.
I start sniffling, "I'm so sorry to have worried you all!" I wail, happy and ecstatic.
He kisses me on the cheek. "Don't ever leave us like that again," he says, a few tears running down his face.
"Oh my god! Sookie!" Tara screeches.
She comes running up to me. Jason lets me go and this time Tara gives me a big hug.
She lets me go and I see Charlotte standing in the foyer holding my baby nephew. More tears come from my eyes. I walk up to her and she holds out the baby to me.
I hold him softly in my arms, "Hello, Evan," I coo. "I'm your Aunt Sookie." I kiss his chubby cheeks and hold his little hand. He smiles at me. Just then Emily sprints to me from out of nowhere.
"Aunt Sookie!" she yells holding onto my legs. J.B. comes up and lifts her into my other arm. I cannot believe how much joy I feel at this very moment holding both my god daughter and nephew.
A little while later we all sit in the living room. I hold on to my nephew, bottle feeding him as he falls asleep.
"You like our fancy digs Sook?" Jason comments. "We got the presidential suite. There are four bedrooms, plus a kitchen, the living room, plus we even get our own butler and cook!"
I smile at him as I take the bottle away from Evan's mouth. He is now asleep but I continue to hold him in my arms.
"Who is the guy that is paying for all of this anyway? The people only told us his name was Mr. Meijer," Tara comments.
"His name is Marten. How'd y'all end up here anyway?" I ask.
Tara and Jason relay the whole story. Apparently some men had come and knocked on both their doors early this morning. They had told them that I would be here in New York and that I wanted them to come and see me. Of course they were hesitant, but because they missed me they took the chance. They had arrived here by a chartered Concorde. Apparently those same people had gone to see Sam but he couldn't make it because he had no one to fill in for him at the bar. I start to wonder about Amelia, hopefully she is ok.
"So who is this guy Sook?" Jason asks.
"He is a powerful vampire and I guess he is a friend," I reply.
"What do you mean you guess?" he says.
"Well his maker is my special friend," I say quietly, blushing a little.
They both stare at me. "What happened with Eric?" Tara finally asks.
"I'm no longer with him," I say.
"What?" she says.
"Have you guys seen him lately?" I ask.
"No, we haven't seen him. He called me once after you had disappeared and ask me if you had called. After that we all tried to get in touch with him but he never accepted our calls. I even tried to go down to his office in Shreveport but I can't remember what happened," Jason says. I probe his mind a little, and can sense that he may have been glamoured by Eric.
"What happened between you two Sook?" he asks concerned.
Charlotte gets up to take the sleeping baby away from me and to the room. I look into her mind a little bit. She is not as excited to see me but is happy to have gotten a free trip to the big city. She can't wait to go shopping tomorrow.
I sigh, "It's a long story Jason. All you need to know is that I'm not with him anymore and it's over."
"He cheated on you didn't he?" he says. The look on my face gives me away. "That son of a bitch!" Jason yells angrily.
I stand up and go to him.
"Jason it's okay. It's in the past and I'm over it," I tell him.
He starts to calm down, "Well it serves him right Sook that you left him. So who is this new guy you are with?"
"Well he is a vampire too. I met him a couple of months ago in Canada."
Jason looks at me with uncertainty in his eyes. "Another vampire?" he says.
"Yes but he is different," I reply. Jason is still looking at me with one eyebrow raised.
"He is different," I say. "Just wait until you meet him. Look let's just forget about it for now, tell me all the news from Bon Temps."
Jason, J.B., and Tara launch into stories and gossip about the people in my hometown. We talk for a few hours until it starts to get darker. The hotel chef makes a large dinner for us and we all sit in the dining room. Just then Luke hands me his cell phone.
"Hello?" I ask.
"Hi, I missed you. How has your day been?" Marius asks. I smile and excuse myself from the table.
"I missed you too. Today has been so great. I can't believe they are all here, my nephew has gotten bigger. I can't wait till you meet them."
"I cannot wait to meet them as well. The sun will be down in about 15 minutes and I will be there shortly," he says.
"Okay I will see you soon, bye."
"See you soon Sookie," he says.
I hand Luke back his phone and join my family again.
Marius' POV:
I fly to the hotel and make my up to the suite where Sookie's family is staying. She is emitting a great deal of joy and contentment and it gets stronger as I get closer. I knock on the door and can hear Sookie excusing herself. I hear her running and she opens the door with a huge smile on her face.
"Hey," she says. I take her into my arms and give her a hug. I inhale her scent. I can smell various humans and a were, most likely her brother.
She lets me go and takes me hand. "Come, I'll introduce you."
She leads me to the dining area. They are talking amongst themselves but stop as soon as they seen me. They look at me speechless and bewildered.
I look at her family and especially her brother. I can see some resemblance to Sookie in his facial features and the baby that is sitting on another woman's lap. The woman that was with Sookie the night I had met her is also sitting at the table. She does not remember me because that night I had silently glamoured her to forget me.
"Geez you guys can quit staring," Sookie says to them. "Everyone I would like you to meet Marius."
"Marius, that is my brother Jason, his wife Charlotte, and their son Evan. Over there is Tara (Sookie gives me a quick look as though she knows that Tara was glamoured), her husband J.B., and in the high chair is their daughter Emily."
"Hi," they all say in unison.
Her brother stands up and walks toward us and holds out his hand.
He stands there and stares at me waiting for me to shake his hand.
I look at it and decide to oblige him. He grasps my hand firmly.
"It's nice to meet you," he says. "My sister has been screwed over by other vampires before, so I want to know right now what your intentions are toward her."
"Jason!" Sookie says in a scolded tone.
"It's quite alright Sookie. You want to know what my intentions are?" He lets my hand go. "My intentions are to protect and care for your sister for as long as she wants me to. As long as she is in my care nothing will happen to her and she will not get hurt again. She means too much to me. And because she cares deeply about you, I will protect you and your young son as well."
He stares at me and his demeanour softens a little.
"Are you satisfied now Jason?" Sookie says. "Come on let's have supper!"
We go to the table and I take a chair beside Sookie. I clasp my hand in hers as I watch her and family and friends converse. They also ask me questions about my background as well. Mostly I watch Sookie as she is practically glowing in the warmth and love that is surrounding her.
An hour passes by and my cell phone vibrates. It is a message from Marten.
"Sookie, we must talk," I whisper to her. She excuses herself from the table and I lead her to the front door. We step outside the suite.
"Are you going somewhere?" she asks.
"Yes I am going to the summit with Marten."
She looks worried. "Why?"
"I am going to tell them that you are now mine. If that is what you want," I say.
She looks down to her hands. "You need to tell them that so that Eric can't force me to go back to him right?"
"Yes but mostly because I do want you to be mine."
She looks back down to her hands again. "We've never talked about what this is between us," she says gesturing to us both. "I don't know if I'm ready for another relationship Marius. I mean technically I'm still with Eric. This is all happening too fast."
I hold her hands, "Sookie I am not pressuring you to make a decision right now."
"Eric is going to be there right?"
"Yes he will."
She paces a little in the hallway. "Then he'll know I'm here," she says her face flushing.
"He won't get to you, I will make sure of that," I tell her. "But you will probably need to see him, maybe by tomorrow evening."
She paces a little faster. "No! I'm not ready! I mean I know that it is inevitable that I have to face him, but... oh I don't know!" she gasps. She moves to me and puts her arms around my waist and lays her head against my chest. "Oh how things were much easier when it was just me and you in our private place in this harsh world."
I take in her scent. "I have to go soon Sookie," I whisper.
She lets out a sigh. "Do it. Do what you have to that won't end up with me having to go back to Eric tonight but just don't hurt him. And I will see him tomorrow night."
"You are sure?" I ask. She nods her head.
"Go. Spend more time with your family," I tell her. I give her a lingering kiss, watch her go back into the suite and I leave the hotel.
I fly back to the penthouse into Marten's office.
He is going through some emails.
"Sookie is happy?" he asks me.
"Yes extremely," I reply.
"I have had the papers drawn up that officially make you the new sheriff of New York City," he says. "Isaac has stepped down."
"Good," I reply. In order to help solidify my claim of Sookie, Marten made me the sheriff of this city so that I can have more political power. He had offered me his royal title and territory but I told him that was not necessary. I did not want to take away from him what he had worked so hard to build.
"All these years I have taught you how to make your way through this world, now you will be teaching me," I smile, having no experience with vampire politics. He smiles back at me.
I go back to my room and put on a dark gray pinstriped tailored suit with a white dress shirt. I wear no tie. I meet Marten in the living room area and he is wearing a black suit with a black tie and white shirt.
We drive to the building in a black Audi R8 where the event is being held. It is a building that Marten owns.
We reach the building and the valet takes the car. There are dozens of people standing outside and I can feel all eyes on us. We walk into the building and into the enormous lobby where there are more vampires and some pets standing around. I hear some gasps and murmurs as we make our way to the doors of the conference room.
We reach the doors that lead to the large conference room where the vampire kings, queens, and council members are meeting.
The doors are heavily guarded by vampires but I use one of my gifts to make them stand aside and open the doors for us.
We walk in just as the elder council member Lucius Antonius is speaking, "There are many important issues that need to be addressed in the forthcoming nights..."
The crowd interrupts him with their murmurs of shock and surprise as Marten and I walk toward the center of the room near the place where the council members are sitting.
He turns his head to me. He appears to be shocked, fearful, and astonished to see me.
The crowd gets louder.
"Order, Order!" the Greek vampire Castor says.
The room starts to quiet down but there are still faint murmurs.
"Marius, it has been awhile since we have last seen you," Lucius Antonius says sounding startled.
"Yes I believe the last time we met was in 1789. You never gave me a proper goodbye," I say smirking. He stiffens even more. Fear is written all over his face. I remember that moment the last time when Marten and I went before the council together. Our meeting did not end well for them. They had blatantly disrespected me and my son so I had no choice but to end the existence of 7 of their council members. Lucius Antonius ran from the room like a coward as his companions burned. I thought about going after him and giving him the same fate, but I decided to let him go.
"Why are you here?" Castor asks somewhat timidly.
"I had an issue and a development that I needed to make known to you. Since you are the council and the individuals who supposedly govern our kind I thought I would share them with you."
They all shift uncomfortably from the seats as the murmurs from the crowd get louder.
"First of all I would like to inform you of my new position as sheriff of New York City."
The crowd gasps and erupts in loud chatter.
"Order!" Castor says loudly once again.
Lucius Antonius is looking even more shocked and worried. "Do you confirm Meijer?" he says his voice somewhat coarse.
"Yes, I have appointed my maker the sheriff of New York City. If he allowed me, I would give him my kingdom as he is more than worthy to be a king," Marten says firmly.
"Very well, the council recognizes you as the sheriff of New York City," Lucius Antonius says glancing at the other members.
"I told you that I had an issue that I needed to address before the council and the esteemed kings and queens in this room as well," I say conservatively.
His features become even more worrisome as the other members look between me and him. The crowd becomes silent waiting for me to speak.
I look quickly around the room and back to Antonius.
"I want it to be known before you all that I have laid claim to Sookie Stackhouse, the bonded human of Eric Northman, king of Louisiana," I say in a calm and collected manner.
The onlookers explode in a cohesive gasp and the whispers erupt into a loud shocked chatter. I can feel all the eyes in the room looking back and forth between me and Northman. I turn to my right side and look straight at Northman who is standing beside a vampiress whom I assume is his wife. The look on his face is one of confusion, shock, and overwhelming anger.
Eric's POV: Prior to Marius' and Marten's arrival at the summit conference
I stand in the lobby with Pam surrounded by dozens of vampire kings and queens and their entourage waiting for the opening night of the summit to begin.
I observe the security that guards all the entrances and the security cameras on the walls. Since Rhodes, the security has been very tight for these large types of gatherings.
"You should have worn the gray suit," Pam remarks.
"Why do you question my attire?" I ask feeling exasperated.
"So that you can stand out in this sea of vampires dressed in nothing but black suits and black evening gowns," she replies. She is dressed in a gold and white Alexander McQueen gown.
"Maybe I just want to be a part of the crowd," I say dryly.
"That is such bull, master," she says.
Just as I am about to reply Rosamund appears, "She is so right, Eric. Since when have you ever just wanted to blend into a crowd? Though you look as handsome as ever in that black suit." She eyes me from top to bottom.
I rein in the fury that is building within me. "Go away," I scowl quietly.
"As much as I would like to heed your request I cannot," she says smiling. "I believe that we are sitting together." She hands me her seat number and it is next to mine. I let out a low growl.
I quickly remember the only reason why I wanted to see her. "Where is Etienne?" I ask her sharply.
"I don't know. He wanted a holiday so I sent him away. I haven't heard from him in two days," she says with a worried expression and I can tell that it is a genuine concern.
I can feel the tension in Pam. She is thinking the same thing I am. What if Sookie was with him?
Rosamund does not give me the time to contemplate that thought. "I fear for his safety Eric. I am well known in this world and wealthy, what if someone is holding him for ransom?"
She tries to touch my arm but I pull away. "I don't care," I tell her coldly. "In any case if that were true, don't you think the kidnappers would have contacted you by now?"
She doesn't say anything further.
Just then the doors to the conference room open.
We walk into the regal room. The seats are lined up in rows against each side of the large rectangular room. There are 15 chairs at the front of the room for the council members. Pam and I take our seats along with Rosamund.
I was eager to see Marten tonight to inquire if he has found anything new regarding Sookie. I look across to where he was assigned to sit and see that there are four chairs empty. I guess he is running late.
We all rise as the vampire council members make their way to their seats. They stand observing us for a few moments and then take their seats. We sit down after them.
Lucius Antonius is the first to speak, "It is a great honour to have all the prestigious king and queens from every territory here in New York City for our annual gathering. I know that many of you have travelled a long ways to be here and for that we are grateful. Despite the many oppositions and disagreements amongst us, I know that we all have one common goal; and that is to see our kind flourish in this world. On behalf of the council we welcome you."
The crowd erupts in cheer.
"There are many important issues that need to be addressed in the forthcoming nights..." Antonius says but he is cut off as the doors are opened.
The crowd gasps in shock as Marten walks in with another vampire. I quickly realize that this is no ordinary vampire; he has a special aura around him, no doubt everyone here can sense it as well. The crowd is clamouring at this intrusion.
"Order, Order!" Castor says.
The crowd quietens down.
"Marius, it has been awhile since we have last seen you," Lucius Antonius says. Marius, Marten's maker, I think curiously. I have wanted to meet Marten's reclusive maker for hundreds of years and now he was standing here before my eyes. Perhaps Marten will introduce me later. I can sense that Antonius is not happy that he is here.
"Yes I believe the last time we met was in 1789. You never gave me a proper goodbye," he says with a smirk on his face. No doubt the rumours about his powers were true.
"Why are you here?" Castor asks him.
"I had an issue and a development that I needed to make known to you. Since you are the council and the individuals who supposedly govern our kind I thought I would share them with you," he says in a somewhat sarcastic tone. He continues on, "First of all I would like to inform you of my new position as sheriff of New York City."
The crowd gets a little louder again and Castor tries to bring them back to order.
"Do you confirm Meijer?" Antonius says in a rough voice.
"Yes, I have appointed my maker the sheriff of New York City. If he allowed me, I would give him my kingdom as he is more than worthy to be a king," Marten says determinedly. It is obvious that their bond is strong and that there is a great deal of respect and admiration.
"Very well, the council recognizes you as the sheriff of New York City," Lucius Antonius says to Marius in a resentful tone.
"I told you that I had an issue that I needed to address before the council and the esteemed kings and queens in this room as well," he says calmly. He looks at the council members who are less than comfortable with his presence. He also glances around the room.
He speaks, "I want it to be known before you all that I have laid claim to Sookie Stackhouse, the bonded human of Eric Northman, king of Louisiana."
All I hear from his mouth is Sookie's name and after that a huge gasp of disbelief from the room. Did he just say Sookie Stackhouse? For a few moments my mind is reeling. I am only getting confusion from both Pam's and my emotions.
Did he just say what I think I heard? My answer is confirmed by the dozens and dozens of pairs of eyes that are now looking upon me. My mind is becoming clearer again. He has my Sookie! Rage starts to flow within me. He has kidnapped her and is holding her against her will. It all starts to make sense. No wonder we were not able to find her. There are still many questions clouding my mind, but right now the only thing that matters is getting Sookie back.
He looks right at me with a smug grin on his face that I will wipe off in just a few seconds.
I am ready to erupt. I get up from my chair and walk towards him ready to attack. My fangs descend. "She is mine. You cannot have her," I snarl in attack position.
Instantaneously, Marten is between us in a protective and vicious stance facing me. His fangs are down as he hisses at me clearly protecting his maker. He is ready to attack as well. I feel Pam beside me in attack mode too.
The atmosphere in the room turns chaotic; they are all shocked by the turn of events.
"Marten," Marius says calmly placing a hand on Marten's shoulder. He says something to him in a language that I don't understand but sounds familiar. It is a type of dialect of Old Norse. Marten eases up and gradually his fangs retract.
I can vaguely hear both Castor and Antonius trying to control the crowd and the situation as I continue to stare at the vampire who has my Sookie.
"Master," Pam says placing her hand on my shoulder. She is trying to calm me down. This is not the place for this; there are too many people watching. I retract my fangs as well and turn to face the council.
"Marius, surely you must be aware of some of our laws," Castor says. "One of which is that it is illegal for vampires to touch much less have another vampire's bonded. The consequences of which can be final death."
"I am well aware of that. But she is not a vampire and she has not been in his care for several months now. I found her on her own, not in the protection of any vampire or supe," he says. "I also know that it would not be illegal if I were to get your approval for the transfer of ownership, so to speak."
I stare at him lividly and at Castor. Certainly they will not agree to his reasoning.
The council looks amongst themselves with fear and confusion. This is a troubling sign.
"Is this true Northman that she has not been in your retinue for several months now?" Castor asks.
I glare at Marius. "Yes. But he is keeping her against her will. I am certain of that," I growl.
"I can assure you that it is quite the opposite. She is with me because she wants to be," he says in a factual tone.
"My master tells the truth," Marten says looking at the council. "He would never lie."
They remain silent quietly deliberating amongst themselves.
"All these new developments have occurred rather quickly that we cannot make a decision tonight. For now the human woman shall remain with Marius until further notice," Castor says. All the council members rise and are rushed out by members of the security team.
I am beyond furious. Security begins to escort out the other kings and queens from the room who are still beyond stunned. I stand there staring at him waiting for the others to leave.
Now it is just he, Marten, Pam, Rosamund, and I. Already infuriated I turn to look at Rosamund who is still standing close by watching the scene.
"Get out," I say thickly, with rage in my voice. She doesn't move. "Get out before I literally throw you out."
She looks like she is about to protest but my face must appear to be so menacing that she quickly complies. She walks briskly out of the room.
Once she leaves I turn back to the object of my rage. "You will give her back to me right now," I say.
He looks at me with a stoic expression. "Perhaps we should discuss this in a more private setting," he says.
He and Marten walk out of the room through another entrance. Pam and I follow closely behind them to the empty hallway. They walk toward a bank of elevators and Marten hands him a keycard. Marten owns this building.
Marius speaks to his child in their language. Marten says something back to him almost sounding defiant. Marius glares at him with a warning and Marten reluctantly nods his head.
The vampire walks into the elevator alone and motions for me to join him. I tell Pam to stay behind as well. The elevator doors close and he uses the keycard to take us higher up into the building.
The elevator stops and opens up to another room similar to the conference room downstairs but smaller. I wait for him to step out first and I follow after him. The lights are turned off but with the aid of my enhanced vision and the city lights coming from the large windows, I can see him clearly.
"Do you think you can control yourself long enough to have a civilized conversation?" he says.
I take the moment to size him up. He is almost as tall as me but maybe two inches shorter and has the same build. He has shoulder length wavy dark brown hair and blue eyes. Most would probably consider him handsome. Seething, I stare at him, "Yes."
"Good," he says. He walks to the other side of the room. "You want Sookie back," he states. "But I'm afraid that is not going to happen."
"You will give her back to me. She is mine, my bonded, but most important of all, my wife," I say in a threatening tone.
He smirks at me. "I have much respect for you Northman. I have much respect for most vampires who have persevered through this world for a long time. Also aided by the fact that my son speaks highly of you. So I will forgive you for your useless threat," he says in a low tone.
"The only thing I want from you is Sookie," I retort back.
"Naturally you do but like I said that is not going to happen. She is beyond perfection and you were a fool to let her go."
"I didn't let her go," I snap.
"Of course, I honestly didn't believe that you did. But you did do things that made it easier for her to leave you. So now you must deal with the fact that you have lost her because of that."
The calm tone of his voice is irritating. "I have not lost her, she is still mine. Whatever hold you have on her is what is keeping her from coming back to me," I spat.
"I see there is only way to settle this. You must hear it from her."
Finally I hear something that I want from this imbecile. "Take her to me right now," I demand.
"No, not tonight. But the next night..." he says but I cut him off.
"You will take me to her tonight," I order.
"Do not push me," he says in a grievous tone. "Like I was saying you can see her tomorrow evening. I will send you the address. Tonight she is spending time with her brother and nephew as well as the rest of her friends."
I stare at him bewildered. I had kept track of their telephone calls, mail and their movements. My people should have informed me that they left town.
"We have nothing further to discuss," he says. My nostrils flare as he walks by me to get to the elevator. I can smell Sookie's scent on him and I immediately lose it.
My fangs descend and swiftly, I grab him from behind and throw him across the room. He smashes into a wall leaving a large hole. In my vampire speed I go to him with the intent of ripping off his arm but he pushes me with such force that I smash into the wall on the other side of the room.
In a quick second he is in front of me with his hand around my neck effectively pinning me to the broken wall. Given his age, I know that he is stronger than me, but due to my overwhelming rage I successfully free myself from his grasp and pin him against the wall. He punches me in the face and I land on the floor. As he tries to lift me up, I punch him in the stomach hard and drops of blood spurt from his mouth. We continue our struggle for another minute or so until he has me pinned to the ground. Just as I am about to free myself, I start to feel a searing heat run through my body. I look into his eyes and see that they are no longer blue, but have turned bright red. The heat in my body is getting stronger; he is using his power on me.
"I won't hurt you this time because of Sookie. But if you ever provoke me again, the next time I won't be so lenient," he says in a severe voice.
He lets me go and stands up, ripping off the remnants of his tailored coat and dress shirt. He gives me one last look before breaking through a window, flying away.
A/N: The long awaited Eric and Sookie reunion is coming up in the next chapter! I got hard work in real life to do in the next coming days so I will start writing it after.