A/N: Disclaimer in Chapter 1.

Thank you all for bearing with me so far even though I'm having problems at the moment.

I love to hear feedback, it encourages me to try and make each new chapter (hopefully) better than the rest.

Chapter 21: Charge

Everyone watched the Council in complete silence, trying to work out whether or not this was a sick joke.

"Vladimir Slovodan Napoleon Dracula is standing trial." Augustus repeated while looking directly at Vlad there was some sadness in his eyes.

Vlad blinked furiously, he couldn't understand this. "Why?" He managed to splutter out. He hadn't done anything wrong unless…

Augustus looked grim he opened his mouth to speak but Baylor, an angrily looking ginger haired vampire with a beard, spoke first. "You transformed a half fang before your eighteenth birthday."

Bertrand leapt to Vlad's defence; there was a clause that let him transform her. "She was dying Vlad had no other choice! Erin was claimed and by that law he was allowed to do it!"

Mikhail a young vampire, younger than Bertrand with blond cropped hair smiled, "Not claimed publicly, she might have worn his ring but it hadn't been announced to our kind. How can we take his word for it that she was claimed by him before the transformation?"

Erin and Vlad were officially engaged, there was no disputing that fact but being announced publicly was a different matter altogether.

Bertrand snapped at them angrily, that was a technicality. "You're just trying to find a way to stake him."

Augustus looked indignant at that comment, "Of course not…" He would never consider having the Chosen One slain but Vlad had broken the law.

"What does this mean if Vlad's guilty?" Erin asked, she was confused now.

"Ritual staking." Ingrid told her gravely, Erin felt her hand fly to her scar. Vlad couldn't be killed for saving her. "For both of you." Vlad heard Ingrid's comment and his eyes flickered to Erin, he had an apology in them. Erin shook her head, he didn't need to apologise to her, he'd saved her. The Council were doing this for a reason.

Vlad stood defiantly, before them. His actions had saved Erin; there was nothing wrong in them although he had hated himself for doing it. "I didn't do anything wrong."

"We'll be the ones to decide that!" Jorgen snapped, he was a middle-aged vampire (exactly the same age as the Count) with long black hair that fell to his shoulders. He had a pinched expression as he looked at them all.

The final council member, Elyan was descended from a North American Indian tribe of vampires; he was a more gentle and tolerant vampire. He listened to both sides before making any kind of decision. His hair was platted around the front and fell naturally behind his back; it was greying slightly at the temples.

This was inevitable the Count realised, if it was going to happen Vlad needed somewhere where they could take safely and where the Council couldn't get up to anything.

"I'm not having my son stand trial here!" The Count shouted at them angrily, there were too many holes in the walls for vampires to hide and lurk and listen in on their strategy.

"Fine." Augustus agreed readily, there was no way a fair and just trial could be held in only one room.

"We're going to Vlad's manor?" Erin asked them quietly, Vlad nodded reluctantly. He never thought out of all the official functions that he would have to hold there that his own trial would be one of them.

At least this way he could guarantee his own privacy.

YEKNODELTTILYEKNODELTTIL

Vlad landed quietly in front of his manor gateposts; he looked down at Erin waiting for her eyes to open feeling slightly nervous. Erin slowly opened her eyes and swept her gaze along the large grounds towards the manor. The grounds were well tended; rows of hedgerow were planted in Tudoresc patterns.

Vlad was right; it was the same size as the school. The manor had the same russet coloured brickwork that the school had, dating it back to some point during the Stuart era. The windows alternated between squares of greenish, clear glass and diamonds of the same colour. All were inlaid in red. In a few places she could see decoration in stained glass although in the dark it was impossible to tell which colours had been used. High chimneys rose from the roof, some had four grannies others had two at the top of them, all were decorated ornately.

There wasn't an archway or a visible courtyard unlike the school, there was an arched, oak doorway complete with a decorative porch that would shield Vlad from the sun.

Vlad pulled her slowly towards the door, their feet crunching on the cream coloured gravel. As they drew closer Erin was sure she'd been wrong, that Vlad had been wrong, this manor was bigger than the school.

He clicked his fingers and the doors swung open allowing them entry into his home. Although he didn't say it verbally Erin knew he was inviting her in – a key thing if she wanted to enter his home.

The insides were spotless as well, not a single speck of dust rested on the tables. Thick heavy drapes covered the windows. Looking out the windows were tinted, she turned to him in confusion.

"Protective UV coating." He explained, he'd had it done so he wouldn't appear to be afraid of the sunlight, when he'd bought the manor he'd missed the feel of the sunlight on his skin so he had a coating put on the glass so he wouldn't have to live in the dark so much. He rested his back against the panelling.

Vlad clicked his fingers and all the lights in the manor turned on, bathing them in a bright glow. She just knew he wasn't one for hiding in the shadows.

"Everything's so clean." She smiled at him.

"I've had cleaners cleaning this place twice a month for four years. Don't tell Dad." He made her promise; Erin nodded although she had a feeling the Count would find out on his own.

He saw Erin looking at the furniture, "The manor came with it. Most of its not too bad, some is terrible." He admitted with a small smile. The furniture was from a mixture of eras, the manor had been going with everything included as the family that previously owned it (a breather family) had hit hard times and didn't want auction of a collection that had taken generations to build.

"Its you." Erin told him quietly. She wasn't sure what to think about this place.

"I have coffins in rooms already, and clothes – dad's idea." He admitted reluctantly.

Vlad sped across to her and pressed his forehead to hers, "I'm not expecting you to like it." He wasn't even sure if he did, out of six choices, five had been castles. He didn't want to live in a castle.

"I haven't seen all of it yet." She reminded him with a smile. She wasn't going to make a decision about his home without seeing it all.

"I know." He couldn't help but smile back at her.

The sudden sound of people entering his home behind him drew them apart, bringing them back to the reality for why they were here with a thump.

YEKNODELTTILYEKNODELTTIL

Vlad just about remembered where the library was located in his own home, they were going to be having their meeting in there. The library was a massive room on two floors. There were a number of books housed in there, about what Vlad had never had the time to find out. He hadn't wanted to at the time. Erin had never seen such a collection of books outside a public library whereas Vlad had grown up with collections like these.

Vlad wished the slayers would hurry up and arrive, he could do with them here see if there was a slayer loophole he could use.

"I swear the first thing to go will be the Council!" Vlad spat at Atilla and Augustus, pacing back and forth. The Council were far too fond of the power they'd gained in the four years without a Grand High Vampire.

"You know you can't…"

"You know I can!" Vlad knew that law inside and out, he had a chance to disband them now.

"It won't be the first thing you do Vlad." Ingrid told him firmly, it couldn't be the first thing to go. He had to do something first before his wish was even possible.

"Why did you even go and tell the other members of the Council?" Vlad shouted angrily at Augustus, "We had the law on our side, this whole mess could have been avoided."

"It just slipped out."

"I'm on trial over something that just slipped out?" Vlad's mood jumped up from irritated to murderous. The whole building began to shake. Ingrid hit him to distract him, it worked. She'd seen Erin do it once or twice, it had been a gamble but it had paid off.

Ingrid cut Vlad's rant off, addressing her grandmother with her arms folded across her chest angrily. "And when were you going to tell us about this?"

"I was trying to get it announced publicly, that way the Council wouldn't have a wing to fly with." Atilla told her grandson angrily. That was the reason for her visit.

Ingrid wasn't going to let her blame them, she hadn't exactly been truthful either. "If you'd told us what you were up to then we might have had this in place and sorted hours ago."

Erin spoke quietly, "Secrets hurt." She told the Westenra matriarch. "We know that better than anyone." She gave Vlad a small sad smile, which he returned immediately.

In a flash Vlad was beside her with his arms around her waist from behind. He kissed her temple softly making her close her eyes and lean in towards him before perching backwards on the nearby table with Erin still in his arms.

Atilla and Augustus looked at each other, giving each other a silent nod. "We need to go in before Mikhail, Baylor and Jorgen try to fix this any more than they already have. They're going to twist everything you say out of proportion until it supports their argument, you can't let them use any of your words against you."

"That makes me feel confident." Vlad muttered under his breath earning a tap to the chest from Erin.

Augustus and Atilla vanished then letting the other vampires continue their conversation.

"Why are they doing this now? Do they really hate him that much?" Erin honestly couldn't think of anyone hating Vlad so much when he hadn't done anything, other than her father that is.

Vlad leaned down and whispered into her ear. "Its about power."

"When Vlad's eighteen they wouldn't have been able to do anything about it. They couldn't prosecute someone who'd authority is above them."

"Can't your dad…"

Ingrid shook her head cutting Erin off in mid speech, "Dad doesn't have the power that Vlad has, he has a small amount over the Council but not enough to let Vlad get away with it." Ingrid strode across the room, using long strides to reach her brother. She stood in front of him. "You are going to go in there and not let them get away with it. You're going to be every bit the vampire leader you're supposed to be and put them in their place, understand?" She ordered.

Vlad nodded, Ingrid like this could be scary.

Erin grinned up at Ingrid, "You really do care about him, don't you?"

"Don't be stupid." Her façade as back up again, "If he's slain who'll give me power as number two?" She smiled at her before clipping her brother around the head, "Don't let me down." Vlad suddenly had a flash back to his blood tests.

Bertrand poked his head around the door; he was making sure that none of them were up to anything underhand. "Vlad, its time."

Vlad nodded, standing he brushed himself down before slowly walking towards the doors.

A hand suddenly appeared in front of his chest, pushing him backwards. Erin looked up at him through her eyelashes, suddenly nervous and shy.

"I want to be in there with you." She whispered.

Vlad went to protest it wouldn't be a nice sight but he conceded. He nodded and Erin smiled. He leaned down and kissed her tenderly. This might be the last time if the Council had their way.

Erin gripped at his neck pulling him down to her height. Vlad bent following her, wrapping his arms tightly around his waist. Erin opened her mouth and moaned as his tongue brushed lightly against hers, twisting her fingers in the hair at the nape of his neck.

Vlad slowly pulled back from her, they couldn't afford to keep the Council waiting any longer. He pressed a few final kisses to her lips before looking beyond her to the doors of the hall.

He glanced down at her and she nodded, pulling her shirt down slightly.

Vlad steeled himself before he pushed the door open.

TBC

A/N: Thanks for reading.