A/N: Disclaimer in Chapter 1.
Only two chapters to go after this.
Chapter 28: PreparationsVlad stood surrounded by the surviving Council members, they scrutinised him closely. Renfield stood before him holding up various designs and patterns of outfit for them to decide on.
It hadn't been Vlad's idea. Vlad was perfectly content to choose his own outfit for his coronation but of course it had to be as vampiric as possible and everyone had different ideas of what 'vampiric' meant.
"The coronation is in a week right?" He asked Erin quietly, she nodded, and the preparations were still very last minute.
"It has to be completely black." Atilla reminded her grandson.
Vlad rolled his eyes; it wasn't exactly an easy thing to forget.
"It must be ornate," Augustus noted, "Something that compliments his power and no other vampires can match." He looked at Vlad, "Definitely no charcoal suit this time. Its not very vampiric." Augustus pleaded with him, the rest of his kind wouldn't approve of it. Erin thought Vlad looked very handsome in his suit last time. Vlad reluctantly nodded.
He considered throwing another fireball but a glance towards Erin told him that it wasn't a good idea. He forced himself to calm, he was getting stronger everyday and back to his normal self.
"How about you let Vlad decide what he wants?" Erin asked them making them turn to face her.
She knew Vlad would be happiest in jeans and a t-shirt…if he was allowed to wear it.
"You're not our Queen yet half fang." Yulis told her firmly, he was always angered that Erin never reacted to the insult 'half fang' all she did was roll her eyes – she'd been called far worse in her life and unlife to let it bother her.
"She will be so I suggest you start listening to her." Vlad commented not looking at him but tossing a smile to Erin.
"Another mate would be more appropriate," Yulis scoffed before pointing a finger towards Erin, "She has no power, no influence in our world." Vlad slammed his hand down on the table cutting him off – it was either that or wasting his power on him.
"Erin has more than enough influence and power." Ingrid told Vlad's only real threat in the council. Yulis narrowed his eyes at Ingrid's comment. "And she will be in charge of you." Ingrid couldn't resist that last remark as Yulis' jaw dropped at her reminding him. He could disrespect her once the pair were mated. He'd always wanted them mated before the coronation.
Atilla seized her chance now the subject had been changed, "What about the mating ceremony?" Atilla asked looking at Erin with barely concealed disapproval. Erin shook her head and rolled her eyes. The Dracula patriarch had given his blessing and that's all that mattered to her. "It'll be public of course."
The thought hadn't crossed Erin's mind, she looked at Vlad. The idea of standing in front of hundreds of their kind, many of whom neither had ever met was a daunting thought. Vlad could see the panic in her eyes.
"Private." Vlad countered with a sweet smile. He didn't want to have his entire kind watching them; they had no say in their private lives.
"You are our leader, our kind will expect…"
"Our kind will have no say in my mating ceremony. I don't want strangers watching us on one of the most important days of our unlives."
"You're kind aren't strangers they're your subjects!"
Vlad folded his arms and the candles flickered, "Its our mating ceremony so we have the final say."
"Its important to our kind. Never has a Grand High Vampire mated with anyone." The last Grand High Vampire remained single, only the very first Grand High Vampire was mated. "You're a Draculesti, your clan holds the Brother Mirror. It deserves to be noted."
"And our wishes deserve to be respected."
"She will need to be crowned your Queen afterwards. That can't be done privately. It has to be done on the same day."
Vlad's jaw clenched, he knew there was no way of getting out of having some form of public ceremony on the day of their mating ceremony.
"She can be crowned publicly but what happens before is between us and our family only. That is the end of the discussion, are we clear?" They muttered their answers, "Are we clear?"
"Yes sire."
Augustus raised his hand, "How about a banquet afterwards…"
Vlad felt like banging his head against the wall.
YEKNODELTTILYEKNODELTTIL
A thought had been nagging at Erin ever since the conversation had begun. "Who going to conduct ceremony?" Erin asked quietly,
"It's usually the Grand High Vampire." Augustus answered, "But as Vlad's the one getting mated, for it to be perfectly legal it'll have to be either a member of the Council or the clan chief."
Vlad was the clan chief by default being Grand High Vampire, although no one actually mentioned that around the Count.
"That'll be me then." Atilla answered smiling at Erin, she knew she could disrupt the ceremony as well as refuse to conduct it when the time came to do so.
"Isn't Crone still alive?" Erin asked her, reminding her of her own mate. Crone was the clan leader not her. Atilla's smile slipped.
Ingrid smiled at Erin's mock confused question. She really wasn't terrified of putting Atilla in her place, the rest of the family was but she wasn't.
"What about the clan patriarch?" She asked quietly, "Vlad is a Dracula, descended from the most powerful clan. He's clan chief because of his status as the Chosen One; his father's still alive. Can't he conduct the ceremony?" Usually clan chief assumed the throne when the previous chief was slain, the Count was still around so he still held some form of recognition.
Augustus considered her question, "I suppose it would be legal." He nodded.
"Is that what you want?" Vlad asked Erin quietly.
"I want someone we know conducting it." He read between the lines, she wanted someone she trusted and so did he. He couldn't take the risk one of the Council would ensure she couldn't be crowned Queen by altering the ceremony in some way.
"That's not right…"
"The Young Queen is right." Archer smiled, "The Count is still around that makes him the Clan Father." The term had never been applied to anyone before. "He can still legally join them together in the ceremony."
Erin smiled, Vlad grinned back at her. His father would agree, he'd never miss out on anything as important as this.
Archer steered the conversation back to the reason they were here, the coronation. "Back to his outfit…"
Ingrid raised a finger; forcing them to halt, "Don't forget Erin's…"
Vlad wasn't going to suffer alone.
YEKNODELTITLYEKNODELTTIL
"Is your mum coming?" Erin asked Vlad, once the Council had completely conceded to defeat and left them alone. Erin didn't want to ask while his Gran was around.
"Didn't invite her." He smiled at her; his mother didn't have a part in his life anymore. Her last visit had sealed his decision.
Erin squeezed his hand. "She's your mum."
"She gave me life but she's not my mum." Vlad told her with an ironic smile on his lips. He saw the concerned look on Erin's face. "Its fine, really Erin. I don't want her there."
Vlad seemed sure, even if he invited his mother he knew she wouldn't come unless it benefited her in some way. He'd dealt with that last time she'd visited.
Erin gave him a small smile, at least he had his dad, her parents didn't care about her at all.
"Are you going to be okay without your parents being there?" He asked as if he could read her mind.
"I have Ryan, I told you he's all I've got…" Vlad pulled a mock hurt look, "Apart from you and your family. Vlad I'm used to them not being there for me. I'm not going to miss them, I haven't in all the time I've been with you. If they want to know me they can find me."
Vlad wasn't entirely convinced but he nodded.
Erin wanted to change the uncomfortable subject, she knew Vlad would let her. "Has Renfield fixed your crown?" She asked him, the slayers had kicked it when they took her.
"Yeah…unfortunately." He muttered under his breath making her laugh. He really hated that thing more than he hated being the Chosen One.
She couldn't resist asking, even though she knew what the answer would be, "Are you going to wear it for our ceremony?"
"NO!" He answered quickly, "Its bad enough the Council are going to be there." The Council had a duty to witness their union given his role in their society.
"I'm glad it isn't public." She admitted to him, "I'm not used to your customs so at least they won't pick up any of my mistakes."
Vlad couldn't believe that she honestly though she'd make a mistake, "You won't make a mistake."
"How do you know?"
"Because Ingrid and Bertrand are going to grill you on the ceremony," They had insisted on that, "And I definitely know you won't because I love you." His faith in her was overwhelming at times.
"I love you too."
Vlad pulled her towards him kissing her firmly. Erin opened her mouth allowing him to deepen the kiss before grasping his jet-black hair and tugging on it lightly angling his head so she could kiss him easier.
A shadow stopped in front of them, Vlad groaned pulling out of the kiss and resting his forehead against Erin's.
"What is it Renfield?" He didn't look away from Erin's humour filled eyes.
Renfield gave them a quick bow, "The slayers want to talk to you."
TBC
A/N: Please let me know what you think.
Thanks for reading.
