Hi fans! I am beyond overwhelmed at how many people have personally messaged me or left reviews on this story at how much you love it and want another chapter. It is so humbling and I can't thank you all enough for your messages.
Unfortunately I have had this chapter written for almost two weeks, but I have been without WIFI! Shock, horror! It so has not been easy but I managed to get a mac book and use 4G to upload this story. As the wifi is still down, I am not sure how long the next chapter will be, but I promise to find all look holes.
I like to give special shout outs and thanks to these amazing people who contacted me: persiegirl20, Awela, sarahlouiseadams23, ffacowgirl89, and Clovetech.
All of your messages and personal reviews have been seen and really made me push through and find time between work and work travel to find time to write this story. This chapter is dedicated to you all :) Thank you for the support!
Sorry for the massively late update everyone. Enjoy this story! There is a hint in this chapter for a possible new story, if you find it let me know on your thoughts. Happy reading!
Blaine's POV.
In life you always have a one chance. One chance to find the right job, one chance to reach your dreams, one chance to find the right person. The choices we make define ourselves….and our future. True, there is only one life that each person has and therefore only one chance to get things right but the key to truly being happy is to live without regrets. Every decision I made up until this point defined the person who I was, the person I will become, and what legacy I will be leaving behind. I decided to follow in my father's footsteps and become a royal guard, my blood made me pack leader, and my king made me his son's confidant. When I was a pup I was going to work my way up in the royal guards and become a pack leader and the royal protector of the once and future king. My blood helped me along the way and that was my dream, but dreams can change. My job led me to love, it led me to Kurt.
People don't decide who to fall in love with; fate decides. People come into your life for a reason or a season, and Kurt came into my life for a reason; because he was my other half. The moment I knew that I was in love with him, I decided that the only thing that mattered in my life was Kurt. Every decision I made after that was for Kurt. Fate decided that I fall in love with him, Kurt decided that the rules didn't matter, and I decided that if that made him happy then the rules be damned. I decided to follow him to the end, I decided to give him a protection amulet, I decided to keep the secret, and I decided to break every rule for Kurt. Would I do it again? Without question. Do I have any regrets? None. I still have no regrets as I sit here alone in the castle's dungeon.
I have been sitting in this dark, wet, and freezing dungeon for two days now, awaiting my punishment from King Burt. Who knows how many rules I have broken recently. At the moment though, I don't care. The only thing I care about is Kurt and everyone refuses to tell me what is going on. The King has forbidden my friends from seeing me, my father can't look at me, and Kurt is nowhere to be seen. How did I get here from the pits those vampires call a lair? That is actually a short story.
It had been several minutes since I forced the antidote down Kurt's throat. His eyes, still showing pain and despair at me, finally closed and they hadn't reopened. I had Kurt laying in my arms and I shook him. Sebastian and Wes pulled away from us to give some space, like the space would somehow push away what they had done to Kurt, like it had marked my soul. I would never be able to push it away or forget it, no matter how hard I try. I held Kurt close to my chest, resting his head on my arm while the other hand resting on his face.
"Kurt, come on Kurt, open your eyes!" I demanded.
My hand tapped his cheek a few times but there was no response. "Kurt!" I yelled again but still nothing.
Kurt's body was slumped into me and I could barely see a chest rise and fall. Were we too late? I gave him the antidote in time. What if we were given the wrong one? What if Kurt was dying from this poison? Kurt's skin was slowly becoming cold and a part of me turned cold forever.
"Kurt! Kurt, please!" I screamed, tears were now rolling down my face. Why wasn't he waking up? "Guys, I don't think he's breathing!"
After that, everything was a blur to me. Sebastian started barking orders to his new found army, ordering them to round up any surviving Brothers of Blood and throwing them into the dungeons until punishment was decided. The rest of the group huddled closer and, with Sebastian in tow, Jeff used his last remaining strength to teleport us back home. I heard shouting and seeing Nick catch a collapsed Jeff before several other figures loomed over us. Some barked orders as a man forced Sebastian onto the ground and restrained him. Wes and David helped Nick with Jeff as they walked closer to some nurses running towards us. Then, it happened. My father and the king arrived and two guards ripped Kurt's unconscious form from my hands.
"No!" I screamed but my father and another guard forced me back.
They pried my arms around my back and pinned them there. I screamed and yelled as I watched Kurt's body be placed on a stretcher and doctors ran him through the castle gates.
"No! Kurt! I must go with him!" I yelled but no one would listen.
I thrashed my body, using my hips and momentum to shake my father and the man offme. I forced my head back and forth but they kept predicting my moves. I lurched my body forward, I had to follow Kurt, but they forced me back. The force was so great that my legs kicked out. To someone watching I looked crazy and deranged.
"Blaine, it's over!" My father yelled to me but I refused to listen.
"No! Kurt, I need to know that he's okay!" I demanded, my cheeks wet with tears. "I need to be there for him!"
"Enough!" King Burt yelled. "Artemis, take your son to the dungeon! It is over, Blaine!"
The last thing I remembered was a doctor coming at me with a needle and my dad's hand forcing my neck to the side, a prick, and then it all went black.
And that takes us to how I ended up in a dungeon. Sure, some people might say that a father who refuses to see their son in jail, fights against their love for so long, and helps to sedate them sounds barbaric and an unfit parent but the soldier in me sees someone who was following the King's orders. I do hate my father for not supporting me but I do not hate him for following his king. I am sure that if mother was still alive he would have fought for her if the need arose. For now, I am supposed to just sit and wait for when my father and the King can stand the sight of me and I worry with every fibre of my being for Kurt.
End Blaine's POV
Nick's POV
I sat in the same seat that I sat in just days before as I watched Jeff fast asleep in the same hospital bed. I couldn't believe that we are right back here again. What was Jeff thinking? Running into one of the biggest fights ever half-cocked and injured? He could have been dead! The doctors said that he was lucky to be alive with all that magic he used in a body that was half healed. If the man wasn't already in the hospital I was going to put him in it, that is how angry I am at him. He is the love of my life. Does he not get that? One wrong move, or one wrong spell and Jeff would not be here. That idiot. And he heard my song? That is even worse! He would know how long I pined for him, how long I waited. The truth would make him feel so guilty!
I shook my head. Jeff hasn't woken up for the last two days, but Mum said that he is just exhausted. A good sleep and a few more doses of antibiotics for his previous injuries is all he needs. Jeff will wake up when he's ready, like he usually does. As for me, well, I am sporting a very nice white plaster on my head for some large gashes and a square patch on the side of my abdomen for another wound. Antibiotics and pain killers for me it seems. My mother was not too pleased about that, but it is better off than what Cedric received, I guess.
I pulled out a book from my bag beside me and opened up to my latest chapter. After a few minutes a soft knock sounded at the door. It was Wes and David and it seemed that my mother finally released them from her sight.
"Hey," I said to them and motioned for them to take a seat, to which they took.
They looked a little more worse for wear than I did. Wes took the most hits especially with that lightning strike. He had some burns on his arms from the strike and had bandages wrapped around both arms that looked like white sleeves underneath his polo shirt. David had an arm wrapped in a sling and bandage patches on his neck and other places hidden by his clothes.
"A little witch magic does wonders for healing, doesn't it?" David said in an attempt for a joke.
"I guess it does," I joked, and closed my book.
Wes was silent for a while. He still had some bruises left on his face but at least he can keep his eyes open with that nasty bruise on the left side of his face. He couldn't sit still and he kept fiddling with things in his hands.
"What's wrong, Wes?" I asked, careful to keep my voice down.
"There are rumours that the king is meeting with officials as we speak to talk about Blaine and the situation," he answered.
"What? But the situation has been resolved. Kurt is home safe and Cedric has been defeated," David whispered.
"It appears that how it was handled in the first place is up for debate," Wes continued. "The King is angry at Blaine for disobeying his oath, the King's orders, and putting Kurt's life in danger."
"But the medallion wasn't entirely Blaine's fault," I said quickly.
Blaine messed up his oath, I admit that, but I will be damned if he goes down for something that he did not predict.
"Blaine could not have known that Kurt would get mixed up into a battle and his memories would be wiped," I added. "Besides, Kurt was the one who initiated the relationship. Kurt wanted to keep it hidden and Blaine tried to avoid it."
"Are you blaming Kurt?" Wes asked annoyed.
Blaming Kurt? That ticked me off! "Of course not!" I whispered loudly. "All I am saying is that Blaine never admitted his feelings to the prince until the prince himself told him first. Blaine reasoned about the marriage law and Kurt scoffed at it. The two of them chose to break the rules together. Blaine should not be hung up to dry alone and it sucks that he is dealing with this alone. We should be there with him and someone has to tell him about Kurt!"
"It is not our place to tell," David whispered back. "It is the King's business and…..and he needs time to deal."
"Time to deal?" I yelled, causing Jeff to make a sound. When Jeff continued to sleep, I continued in a whisper. "What about us? We haven't had time to process anything!"
"But….Kurt is….." David began but couldn't finish the words.
"I know what Kurt is!" I yelled again.
This is crazy! The whole thing is bullshit. The love of my life is back in the hospital bed, the king is still all business and wants everyone who failed to pay, and we can't even see our friend. This is the time to heal, to grieve and to rebuild, not to turn on each other.
"There is also rumour that I might be permanently in charge of the team," Wes added.
Okay, that is it!
"Get out!" I yelled, forcing myself out of the chair.
"What?" David and Wes said.
"I asked you two to get out," I repeated, my volume lowered a bit for Jeff. "This is not the time or place to be talking about the future of this team and putting the blame on Blaine."
"We aren't putting the blame on Blaine," David replied.
"No but you are justifying the King's anger towards him."
"Why are you defending, Blaine?" Wes asked. "He kept secrets from all of us."
"Yes but I heard the whole story and it shouldn't change the way we see him. He is still an Alpha and we are still his friends, he needs our support, not to turn on each other and follow like good little soldiers. We need time to heal, to regroup, so before we all say something stupid and disrupt my partner's sleep, I am asking you to go."
David sighed sadly and slowly got up from the chair. "Okay, he's right, Wes. We will go."
Wes said nothing as he mulled over my words. I watched the pair of them leave the room and close the door behind them. I slumped back into my chair with a sigh. That went worse than I expected. I can't believe Wes is so angry at Blaine. Blaine did many mistakes but we shouldn't abandon him. We shouldn't be finding a new leader, now. I leant by head back against the chair and closed my eyes for a minute.
"You're not going to sing another song, are you?"
I gasped at the sound and jumped a little in my seat. There staring at me with those stunning eyes was Jeff.
"You're awake!" I exclaimed as a rushed to sit beside him on the bed.
I ran my hand through his hair and watched as his eyes closed for a minute and he took a deep relaxing breath. He was so handsome and funny, can't believe that he is mine.
"Hard to sleep when you lot were yelling at each other," Jeff joked.
And then he opens his stupid mouth. I chuckled and pulled my hand away from his hair, earning a small pout from him.
"You were an idiot, you know that?" I told him. I could already feel the hot tears prickling in my eyes.
Jeff cocked that stupid smirk of his before he slowly pushed himself up against the pillows, grabbed either side of my head and pulled me close until our noses were barely grazing each other. His gaze was so intense that I had to look away, the man always knew how to make my heart race.
"Look at me," Jeff said huskily. I brought my gaze back to his. "Did you really think that a hospital bed would stop me? Nick…..you make me think before I act, think before I speak. You make me want to be a better person. That…..that v-vampire h-had me by the throat because he had my whole world in his hands."
My heart stopped in my chest as I stared into Jeff's eyes. They were turning slightly red and tears were rolling down his cheeks. I could already smell the saltiness before they even touched my own skin.
"There was no way I was going to let you go into the den without m-me," Jeff continued, his hands slightly shaking.
I took a deep breath to stop my own tears from falling and I held my hands on top of his.
"I would have burned the world to save you."
My strength failed me in that moment and the tears burst down my face and I let out a small sob. I fell into Jeff's arms and he gently be pulled me down onto his bed. I laid my head on his chest as he wrapped his arms around me tightly and kissed the top of my head.
"I love you, Nick, and I am so sorry that it took me so long to realise it."
"W….what?" I said, trying to soothe out my breathing.
"I heard you last time we were here," Jeff explained. "You….you loved me for so long and I acted like a total jerk to you."
"No, Jeff, it's o-okay."
"No, it's not," Jeff interrupted. "I hurt you and you never told me you were waiting for so long."
"It doesn't matter how long I was waiting because either way it was worth the wait."
"I am still so sorry. I will spend the rest of my life making it up to you."
"Saying sentiments like burning the world is a good start," I joked.
Jeff chuckled and tightened his grip around me. "I'll always burn the world to save you."
"Sire, I understand that you are wanting this whole situation resolved and buried but right not it isn't the time," Artemis said, as the whole high council sat around the large table.
King Burt sat at the head of the table, his eyes staring at his hands longingly.
"You need time to grieve, to mourn the losses, and regroup yourself and this kingdom. Time heals all wounds," Artemis continued.
A loud slam on his chair's arm rest and King Burt had the whole room into silence. He slowly raised his angry eyes and looked at every single person before speaking.
"I do not need time, Sir Artemis!" King Burt yelled. "Everything needs to be settled before I can even begin picking up the pieces. Your son put us into this mess, I am just trying to dig us all out of it."
Artemis looked down at his hands, similar to what the King had just done. His face tinged with a slight red colour showing his embarrassment. One of the other high council members awkwardly coughed, gaining the king's attention.
"Forgive me, sire," Sir Darius Duvall said quietly. "But it is in this council's opinion that Sir Blaine is not completely responsible for this…..situation."
The king leant forward onto the table, holding his chin on his clasped hands, staring at his advisors.
"Oh really?" King Burt began. "Then please, enlighten me."
When none of the council members continued, Burt sighed and let go of some of this anger.
"Gentlemen, you may speak freely," the king added.
"Sire," Darius continued. "the one to plan for this situation is Lord Cedric. He began a hidden rebellion and caused a siege on the palace. His plans were to destroy the royal family, if it weren't for Sir Blaine then the prince may have…..(cough)….may have been lost that night."
"Sir Blaine and the rest of the royal guards did follow their oaths to you to protect the royal family with their lives," Felix Wyatt added.
"We agree, Sire," Henry Montgomery quickly interrupted before the king could speak. "that Sir Blaine did break the oath of not falling for your charges, and that an example might be necessary, but full blame on this goes directly to Lord Cedric."
"An enemy that was defeated by the acts of Sir Blaine and his pack," Darius reminded.
"Then…." King Burt sighed. "What are your opinions then, gentlemen?"
"In my opinion, Sire," Darius began. "The bad deeds of Sir Blaine should be wavered after his heroic deeds during the siege, locating the prince home, and defeating Lord Cedric and…(cough) Prince Kurt."
"But my son is still lost because of him!" King Burt yelled. "To do those heroic deeds, as you so eloquently put it Sir Darius, Sir Blaine broke several laws!"
"Then perhaps severe consequences, such as banishment or death, could be wavered then?" Alister Sterling suggested. "A healthy compromise?"
"Death has not been enforced in this kingdom except for treason?" Felix reminded the council. "Sire, I agree with Sir Alister. It is our opinion that Sir Blaine has not committed treason and therefore the severe consequences should be wavered."
"We completely understand and respect your feelings, my King," Artemis finally said. "My son betrayed your trust and….put the prince into a precarious situation, but in this meeting should we not examine this with logic rather than emotion?"
"How do we know that Sir Blaine is to blame for starting this to begin with?" Alister suggested.
Everything whipped their heads in the knight's direction, eyebrows raised in shock.
"Forgive me for my bluntness, Sire," Alister quickly added. "But no one in this kingdom has ever known about what went on between Sir Blaine and Prince Kurt. We do not know the entire story. Should we not, at least, hear both sides of the story before we punish Sir Blaine?"
"A fair trial" Darius agreed. "When we know all of the facts then his Highness can make a decision on the punishment."
"Sadly my son is not here to give all sides of the story!" Burt yelled again, then falling sad once again.
"Sire, is it not fairer to at least try?" Felix asked gently. "Apart from this situation, Sir Blaine has had a flawless record. Do we not owe it to Sir Blaine and Prince Kurt to at least hear what happened? To give Sir Blaine a chance?"
The room instantly fell silent as the King mulled over his longest and dearest friends' words. He knew they were all right. He should be thinking with logic and not with emotions right now but it is very difficult. Perhaps having all of the facts could help him with both conflicts.
"Very well," the king finally agreed. "Sir Blaine shall have a trial; tonight."
"And what of the vampire?" Artemis piped up with annoyance. "Do we trust him and his new found allegiance to the crown?"
"I was not expecting that, I can tell you all that right now," Burt said baffled.
"To be honest, Sire, neither were we," Darius said.
"He did assist with the mission," Henry offered. "I do not condone what he and his father put this kingdom through. However, as playing devil's advocate here -"
"No kidding," Alister interrupted.
King Burt and a few of the knights chuckled slightly before they regained their serious expressions. Felix rolled his eyes at his long time friend.
"As I was saying, Sebastian Smythe did prove himself somewhat truthful in vowing to be loyal to the crown on the mission."
"Yes but his intentions were to stop his evil father," King Burt replied. "Now that his father is vanquished, what motivates him now to stay loyal to us?"
"My son has given me reports, your highness," Darius began, opening a notepad with notes in front of him. "Apparently, Lord Smythe's true intentions were to defeat his father because he had lied to him and his kind about the cause of his mother's death and his intentions to take over the throne."
"I don't understand," King Burt said in confusion.
"Lord Smythe's mother was Lady Aurelia," Darius explained. "She worked along side my dear wife for a time."
"Ah yes," King Burt said, leaning back in his chair. "I remember her now. I lovely woman; kind and caring. One of the best healers this kingdom had. Very unlike any of her kind."
"She was an advocate for the old ways, Sire," Darius added. "A vampire that believed in peace, partnership. According to my son, many of those who opposed Lord Cedric were following under the name of Lady Aurelia, and therefore were fighting for Lord Sebastian. Lord Sebastian fought under his mother's name because he believed in the values that she did."
"And where are the remaining Brothers of Blood?" King Burt asked.
"You mean the ones that survived the civil war?" Alister questioned with a smirk.
King Burt rolled his eyes. It is easy to see where Sir Jeffrey got his personality from.
"Lord Sebastian has them chained up deep within the caverns of the vampire hive, Sire," Darius answered. "He has some of his most trusted guards watching over them."
"And how can we trust them, let alone Lord Sebastian?" King Burt asked.
"Because leading the charge is Sir Daedalus, Lady Aurelia's bodyguard and dearest friend," Felix answered.
"And tell me gentlemen, why we should trust vampires that followed an evil dictator for so many years?"
The room was silent for a few minutes as all of the men in the room were deciding their answers.
"Because they did not know they were following a dictator," Artemis eventually replied. "Lord Cedric brainwashed his men, after her ladyship passed away. He used their pain and desperation for justice to influence them into thinking that we were the enemy, that we were responsible for her death, and that we were suppressing them. All Lord Cedric craved for was power, and when Lady Aurelia passed and her positive influence was gone, there was no stopping Lord Cedric. Majority of those who joined the Brothers of Blood were fed lies, just like Sebastian was. They were shown the truth, they were given a choice of a better life and a better future and they took it. Actions speak louder than words, Your Highness. If we want a future filled with peace, to end this war, then we must trust Lord Sebastian and his followers, extend the olive branch."
"We agree that the young vampire has a lot to learn," Henry added. "But technically he is next in line to rule the vampires."
"A status that was demanded by Lord Cedric," Alister reminded. "Before him, all magical creatures, including vampires, answered to the sorcerers."
"After some vampires revolted and became the Brothers of Blood," Artemis interrupted. "That is what started this whole mess. All magical creatures had a balance. Some vampires became consumed with power and wanted to rule over everything and everyone; including the humans. King Burt's ancestors defeated them and so to protect the new realm from the remaining followers of the Brothers of Blood, the monarchy was created."
"Aside from the vampires, no other magical race has had an issue with following the monarchy," Darius added.
"But there was no monarchy to begin with before the revolution," Henry said.
"So, what do we do?" King Burt questioned. "We take away Lord Sebastian's power? One that was stolen? Or we let him keep it?"
"In my mind, Sire," Darius began. "If we allow Lord Sebastian to keep his power, the vampires will have a leader to follow, a leader that will keep them in line. That is something that the race did not have to begin with and allowed some members to become corrupt. Lord Sebastian could still pledge his allegiance and the royal family will still be in charge of the realm, but, it will stop the vampires from revolting again for having to follow one leader. They will have a voice for themselves and have some sort of power."
"An alliance with a vampire leader?" King Burt began. "Interesting idea, Darius."
"It sounds similar to a concept that Wesley was telling me about Earth," Henry added. "Some rulers of countries, such as Eng….England have a monarchy but a Prime…Minister is the voice of the people then delivers it to the Queen."
"So Lord Sebastian acts as this…..Prime….what?" King Burt asked.
"A Prime Minister," Henry correct. "Essentially yes. Instead of following us, the vampires follow Lord Sebastian and Lord Sebastian has an alliance with us and delivers the needs of his people to you."
"I am intrigued by this notion," King Burt said. "Again, though, we have not addressed how we can make sure Lord Sebastian stays in line and continues on the path his mother had placed? What is to make sure he does not revert and become his father?"
"I might have another suggestion for that, Sire," Darius said with a small smile.
It had been a very very long time since a couple of wolf guards had dragged Sebastian and locked him in a dull room. He was surprised more than anything that he wasn't locked up, similar to what they did to Blaine. Sebastian, of course, did not want to be locked up in a dungeon but he did try to help his father take over the realm and go stir crazy on people. He also did try to get rid of the Queen and the Prince. Actually, he should just keep his stupid mouth shut because if he pointed out those things to the wrong person, Sebastian could end up worse than being thrown in a dungeon.
Sebastian kept pacing the room, drifting his eyes through the small window in the corner. He could see a small patch of grass that looked very peaceful. Peace is something Sebastian hadn't seen in so long, he was nervous that he had forgotten what it looked like. Could he still be able to make it up to his mother? Continue her legacy and rebuild what his father initially destroyed? Sebastian had years worth of damage and lies to clean up and he didn't know how or where to begin with. Defeating his father and trying to save Prince Kurt is a pretty good start, I guess.
Now the feeling of dread crept into him. He had no idea what the King would do to him now. Would he be thrown in prison? Banished to that stupid Earth world? Stripped of his powers? Or worse, be killed? Somewhere in this castle, his life were in the hands of several men; most of whom were wolves. Yeah….Sebastian was dead.
A knock on the door sounded before it opened and a six foot tall hunk of man walked in. To say that the man was hot was an understatement. Besides being tall, which is one of Sebastian's weaknesses, the man had lush brown hair, that was not even styled, just perfectly brushed like he didn't care what he looked like. He was easily at least two years older than Sebastian with built muscles like he could easily do over fifty push-ups, and piercing green eyes that danced all over Sebastian's body. If any other man did this to him, Sebastian would have known they were checking him out but this man seemed to be examining him, sussing him out. Nobody could read Sebastian, he preferred it that way and he did not like people trying to.
"Who the hell are you?" Sebastian demanded, stopping his pacing and staring directly at the man.
The man returned his eyes to look at Sebastian and gave him a small soft smile.
"Sebastian Smythe, son of Lord Cedric and Lady Aurelia Smythe," the man said. "I have been assigned by King Burt himself. I am here to help you change, to become what Lady Aurelia wanted you to be."
"Excuse me?" Sebastian said, straightening his back in retort. "I do not need any help!"
"I hear that you don't play nice with others so I am here to adjust your attitude."
"WHAT?!" Sebastian growled angrily, his eyes already turning a red tinge and his muscles tensing ready for a fight.
"Hmm," the man said not even fazed by Sebastian's reaction. "It appears your patience could use some work too."
Sebastian's anger increased and his whole eyes turned completely red and he hissed at the man, baring his sharp teeth at him. If the guy made one more comment, Sebastian was going to lose it, and he didn't care who sent him.
"I see that you are a bit more like your father than initially depicted," the man added.
That's it! Sebastian launched himself at the young man, intending to throw him onto the ground but as he used his speed to hit his opponent, the man quickly moved to the side, grabbed the back of Sebastian's shirt collar. He then used the momentum to flip Sebastian over and onto his back. Before Sebastian could thrust his hips to flip the man, the man's weight pressed down on Sebastian and he locked his legs around Sebastian's and pinned down his arms. Sebastian was completely immobile and it all happened so quickly he never saw it coming. When Sebastian stared at his opponent after a second or two, he finally noticed that the man's eyes had turned completely red as well. Sebastian didn't need to see his teeth to know that the man was also a vampire too. Incredible, he had never seen any vampire have such control over his inner power that he could use his vampire strength and speed without letting loose the entire beast and bare their fangs. He used the inner power of a beast without completely lashing out and letting it take over. Beautiful face, beautiful body but a horrible attitude. The man was the holy trinity of hot boys, Sebastian thought. Sebastian was in complete awe for a moment that he had calmed down and his eyes turned back to normal and his teeth retracted.
"I see you have calmed down a little," the man said, his eyes still red and his muscles still tense.
Sebastian didn't retort, he was still in shock at the control the man had over his beast. He had heard his ancestors being able to have such control but that was before the vampires revolted and they craved power instead.
"Who are you?" Sebastian said, his body completely calm.
The man's eyes reverted back to their piercing green colour but the weight of his muscles were still pinning Sebastian to the ground. The guy clearly knows exactly what he's doing.
"Let's try this again," the man replied, again ignoring Sebastian's question. "I have been sent here, Lord Sebastian, to assist you in becoming a great ruler. To make sure that you can be trusted and will lead the vampires to a brighter future, not allow others to revolt and cause another civil war."
"So you're my watch dog," Sebastian retorted in annoyance.
More weight was put onto Sebastian, causing him to groan in slight pain. The man never showed his beast again.
"I am your council, whether you like it or not. As you have already gathered, I too am a vampire. However, unlike you and your family, I did not revolt against the monarchy. I trained under the supervision of your mother, Lady Aurelia."
"What?" Sebastian said in shock. "You…you knew my mother?"
"For a time," the man answered, shrugging a shoulder, still not removing himself. "I was only eight when your mother passed away."
"That's more than what I got," Sebastian scoffed, looking away. "I only got five years."
"And I am sorry for that," the man said, showing the first sign of emotion. "Truly I am. Your mother was a wonderful lady. Your mother taught me, and a small few of other vampires, the old ways of the vampire race. I believed in the future she saw and she believed you would lead a better life for vampires. She was taught under Sir Darius' wife, and I was taught under Sir Darius himself."
Sebastian scoffed. "You were taught by a wolf?"
"Wolf skills that are currently being used to pin you to the floor."
Sebastian rolled his eyes in annoyance but thought wise to keep his mouth shut.
"Because I was your mother's pupil I was allowed the small opportunity to stay at the palace and continue learning. I even fought our kind when you attacked the castle. After that, the King couldn't trust any vampires so myself and the other followers fled to a small part of the realm, only known by Sir Darius and his wife."
"If you're expecting an apology you aren't getting one."
"You are lucky I still follow your mother's beliefs, Lord Sebastian."
"Stop calling me that!" Sebastian yelled angrily. "My father stole that right from King Burt and Prince Kurt! The vampires follow the monarchy! I did terrible things because of a lie! I don't deserve anything."
"True, you did terrible things," the man agreed. "But from what I heard, you have never killed in the name of the wrong cause. I believed your mother when she said you would lead vampires back to the correct path. King Burt has brought me back to ensure that you keep to it as well."
Sebastian scoffed again. "I can't just twitch my nose and make it happen."
"You do realise, I love a challenge?"
And then it happened. The man above Sebastian gave a smirk that made the blonde's heart skip a beat. It was the sexist smirk he had ever seen. A smirk that made one of his eyes twinkle. The only person ever to pull off such a smirk was himself. He knew of course because he saw it in the mirror everyday. Now Sebastian knew how others felt when he did it to them. But this guy, although incredibly good looking, was already a pain in Sebastian's ass and he still has yet to tell him his name!
"King Burt has also allowed you to keep your title, Lord Sebastian," the man continued.
"What? That….that's not possible."
"It is," the man replied showing off another smirk. "Your fate has been decided, Lord Sebastian. You are hereby decreed, Lord Sebastian, head of the vampire coven, ruler to the land of the east, advisor to the king on all vampire matters."
Sebastian was shocked. His mouth even dropped and did the stupid O shape that he refused to do.
"If you follow in your mother's beliefs, and the vampires are loyal to you and your mother than you shall keep your title, your power, and no harm shall come to you. If you divert from this path than there will be dire consequences for yourself and those you lead. This is your chance and King Burt is giving it to you and only you."
"But…but….I…." Sebastian stuttered.
"The olive branch has been extended, Lord Sebastian," the man interrupted. "Shall you take it? Shall you leave the past and work towards a brighter future?"
"Um…I…..yes…." Sebastian eventually replied.
The hot vampire smiled and slowly released his hold on Sebastian and stood up in front of him. The man stretched his back for a moment, showing the six pack muscles underneath his shirt, before he held a hand out for Sebastian to take.
"By the way, Lord Sebastian, the name is Hunter Clarington. A pleasure to meet you."
King Burt stood in the hospital ward of the castle, the same place he goes between all of his meetings. He has spent every waking peaceful minute he has there. This time he was staring through a floor to ceiling window, watching as more of his subjects walk through an open gate with candles in their hands. It was the first time in years that the castle gates were open to the public. Ever since the civil war began, the castle was on complete lock down and his subjects refused to walk outside while the Brothers of Blood were still somewhere in the realm. Burt just wished that his subjects had come out of their homes for a better reason then sadness.
A soft hand landed on his shoulder, causing Burt to jump and pull away from his thoughts.
"I'm sorry," a gentle voice sounded. "I didn't mean to startle you."
"No," Burt said, clearing his throat. "It's fine. You didn't startle me, Carole."
Carole smiled and handed Burt a fresh cup of tea.
"Thank you, Sire, for allowing my son, his friends and myself to stay in the palace for a little longer."
"I should be the one thank you, Carole," Burt said, taking a sip of tea. "You….you found my son and adopted him as one of your own. You kept him safe for when I couldn't."
"You cannot keep blaming yourself," Carole insisted. "It will forever haunt you, Sire."
"Please, we are practically family, Carole. When we are alone, please call me Burt."
"Very well…Burt," Carole said with a smile.
Eliana Duvall quietly came into the room and gently knocked on the doorway. The pair looked at her and gave her a smile.
"Apologise, Your Highness, for the interruption, but I need some assistance from Carole," Eliana said.
King Burt placed the cup down on the table.
"I'll leave you ladies to it," Burt said sadly. "Please…..just…"
"Yes Sire," Eliana said, knowing what he was going to say. "We will. Besides, you should go get some sleep while you can."
King Burt was too exhausted to reply and simply nodded his head and headed for his suite in the castle, followed by one of his guards. Carole and Eliana watched the king leave before the pair walked away.
"I cannot thank you enough for your hospitality, Eliana," Carole said as the pair walked.
"Please, thank you for assisting me, Carole," Eliana said. "It isn't every day that I get to learn about human anatomy too. Healing your son's wrist the other day was a new experience for me."
"Well, assisting you with Jeff's treatment yesterday was a good experience for me too."
"I am sorry that we met under unfortunate circumstances," Eliana said.
"I am too," Carole agreed. "But let's try to continue combining our skills, shall we?"
"Indeed," Eliana replied as the pair opened a door at the end of the large corridor.
Inside was a large room with a queen sized bed inside. The covers were bright gold and magenta in colour, the colour or royalty. The two women smiled sadly at the person lying on the bed and continued their work. Carole started checking pulses and marking down heart rates while Eliana started mixing up more herbal potions.
"Do you still doubt yourself, Eliana?" Carole whispered.
"At first I didn't," Eliana answered honestly. "But now…..after how long it's been….I am not so sure."
"You did the best that you could," Carole said. "From what I've seen, you have no reason to doubt yourself."
"Then why has he not awoken yet?"
The two ladies stopped what they were doing and looked down at the man in the bed. There, lying in royal pyjamas, was Kurt. In the same place as he was when he was first brought in. When he finally returned home, Eliana feared that they were too late with the antidote and that Kurt was dead. However, with skilled work and the right herbal potions, Eliana and Carole were able to start Kurt's heart and breathing again. To anyone else, the pair would have said that the antidote was mimicking death, that was how slow his heart rate was. To each other, Kurt was technically dead for two minutes before they brought him back. They made a vow to each other that they would conceal that from the king. He shouldn't have to experience more pain than he already has. Ever since they brought him back though, Kurt has yet to open his eyes. No one knows to this day if he has all of his memories back.
"He looks so peaceful," Carole said fondly.
"He still has brain activity?" Eliana asked suddenly.
"Yes, still high as usual," Carole answered.
"He could wake up at any time," Eliana muttered. "Why hasn't he?"
"It is the mysteries of the body, Eliana," Carole replied. "There are many things that we still have yet to understand, especially when it comes to magic. He will wake up when he is ready."
"Alright," Eliana sighed. "He is still good. Let's go get ready for his next blood work then."
Carole nodded and followed Eliana out of the room and quietly closed the door. The only noise in the room now was the quiet beeping of Kurt's heart rate monitor and the machine scanning his brain activity. A rustling sounded through the room and Kurt's left hand started to twitch ever so slightly. After another minute, the brain monitor started peeping. Soon a pair of eyes slowly started to open and Kurt's stunning blue eyes was revealed to the world.
So...did anyone fear that Kurt might have been dead while reading this chapter? ;)
I really hope that you all liked it. Send me your thoughts!
Till next time :)
~AngelAlexandra~