A/N: Happy Valentine's Day from me to you.
The muses have been swimming in my head and I told you that you would have another chapter of Precious Love soon. I wanted to have it yesterday - but this week has been a little hectic. Please forgive me. But it is jam packed with stuff stuff and more stuff. So I hope the day late is worth it.
All my thank yous to my Beta team and of course to my Divine Ms. T. If you haven't done so already, take a look at all the beautiful Chapter Banners that she does for me. She captures all the characters perfectly. Sweetie you are the best!
Thank you for reading and I hope you enjoy this sweet Valentines present. I think that the only thing better would be Eric wrapped in a bow (Yummy).
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Chapter 35
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Jason's POV
I roll over and reach for my end table. When my hand hits a sort of round item, I open my eyes. There is nothing on my nightstand but my phone, ever. Hitting the item again, it turns on a light. Okay, I don't have this kind of light. My lights are on the headboard. Wait a minute this isn't my bed.
Sitting up a little, I slowly look around the room. I'm not in my room but it looks like I'm in a hotel room or at least it looks like a hotel room. It's complete with the standard two full beds with the nightstand in between. The light in the corner isn't on but from the light on the night stand I see a chair, curtains and TV that is sitting above what looks like the dresser. It seems like a standard room in about a hundred hotels in this country. Okay, so I'm in a hotel. The question is how the hell did I get here? Last thing I remember was getting ready to leave the house for Kentucky. My bag was packed and I was heading for the door when… yeah, I woke up here. I've got no idea what the hell is going on. I mean, I didn't drink that much. What the fuck? Where am I?
I sit up fully and look at the clock. It says seven. But seven when? It was after midnight when I planned on leaving the house. I figured if I drove all night, I'd get here by lunch time, two if I stopped a few times. So it won't be seven in the morning but can I have crashed and it is seven at night or seven the next morning? I know it wouldn't take me days to get to Kentucky. So I'm thinking it's the just the next day. I mean shit why can't I remember?
I lean over and grab the remote for the TV. Maybe it will have one of those menus that talks about where we are, the town or something like that. Not that I've been in a lot of hotels but I've seen movies where the guy checks out the TV for information. I mean those cops shows are usually accurate, aren't they? Hitting the power button, I see the screen come to life. The screen starts showing me pictures of the pool area, the dining room, main lobby and a few rooms. I hit the button on the volume to hear what is being said.
Thank you for choosing the InLight Inn, Jackson Kentucky. The only Inn in the greater Jackson area catering to all humans. We thank you for choosing to be In the Light with us. Check out is 11am. If you wish to stay another evening, we ask you let our front desk know by nine am. Our kitchen is open all night and the dining room is open from seven am until eleven pm. Breakfast is served all day and can be made to order until eleven pm. Please take advantage of our meditation and spiritual rooms during your stay. Please see the receptionist for scheduled times for public use. InLight worship services are held in the Breaking Dawn day room each morning at eight and we have a complimentary bus to our chapel for Sunday services that leave the main lobby at nine, eleven and three. Special services are posted in the main lobby. All rooms are non-smoking and for your convenience, we have all the standard channels for in room viewing. All cable and select TV has been blocked due to its non-Christian content. CBN and Daystar are available on demand for 3.99 for the first hour and 10.99 for all additional hours. Please contact the front desk if you wish anything other than this for your viewing pleasure.
The pool area off the main lobby is open from ten am to nine pm. All children under the age of thirteen are to be supervised…
Okay so I'm in Kentucky. But how the hell did I get here? Getting what I needed from the welcome channel, I flip it until I land on CNN. Okay, that's good, the news. What's going on in the world? I see a man standing outside what looks like that Vamp bar in Shreveport. I lean a little closer when the dude starts talking.
"Sam, you heard right. We received a press release right after sundown this evening. It seems that two certain Louisiana residents didn't waste any time in taking advantage of the new laws put in place just days ago. As you remember, the law had just been passed giving rights to Vampires to marry under the state civil union act. That's right folks, someone has taken the plunge. It appears that the new Louisiana Liaison to the Vampire population, Eric Northman has married his long time love, Susannah Brigant in a small ceremony at his home last evening. According to the statement sent to us, Mr. Northman and his new bride have known each other for some time, meeting when she was studying at Cambridge. Though his bride is an American citizen she has done most of her studies abroad, receiving degrees from both Cambridge and Oslo. The announcement further says that she has only recently returned to the US after deciding to write a book on ancient Norse and Vikings. We have heard in some reports that Mr. Northman, Louisiana Businessman and investor, and now acting liaison, has ties to the Norse community as well as knowledge of the Viking era. Apparently, his new bride had come to ask for his help to research the topic. They soon fell in love and as they say, the rest is history. Mr. And Mrs. Northman intend to stay in the Louisiana area and with Mr. Northman's new position as liaison, I assume that we will be hearing more from them in the upcoming days and weeks. We tried to contact Mr. And Mrs. Northman at his club, Fangtasia, but as you heard here yesterday, there was a bombing here and they are currently closed for renovation. Sources close to the couple thank everyone for their well wishes and respectfully request that the press gives them time to enjoy their marriage before giving any interviews. This reporter hopes that they will emerge from their wedded bliss soon so that we can start learning more about what will be undoubtedly an historic union."
"Thank you, Emily," another reporter says. "We also attempted to reach Nan Flanagan, representative for the AVL, for her comments and those of the Vampire community. She is in transit overseas but her office released a statement saying that they are pleased that a Vampire with the caliber of Mr. Northman decided to be the trend-setter in such a wonderful and exciting time in history. They hope that other Vampires who feel the need will follow the trail that Mr. Northman and his new bride have blazed." He pauses and looks up at the camera. "CNN requested time with Reverend Newlin, spokesperson and leader of the Fellowship of the Sun church to see if they would like to weigh in on this announcement. Church sources indicated to us that they thanked us for the opportunity but, and I quote, "they wouldn't be a part of any media spectacle of this announcement". We were also informed that the Reverend Newlin will be giving a press conference sometime tomorrow from his compound in Texas to address this announcement."
I turn the TV off and throw the clicker onto the other bed. I lean forward trying to remember to breathe. I feel sick from what I've just heard. This has to be one big sick joke. How did all this happen? If I believe what Sam said, this is all that Vamp's fault. Leave it to Sookie to cause me so much trouble.
I pick up my phone and dial Sam but again it goes to voicemail. Hitting the end button I lower my head. I can't believe that Sookie has gone and married this guy? No wait, he's no guy, he's a freak, a monster, or what did the Reverend call him? Yeah, he's an abomination. She fucking married that, that thing. I mean, I know from the picture they showed it's my idiot sister but where did they get it? It looks like it was inside that Vamp bar. When did they take that picture or where did they get it? Come to think of it, where the fuck is Gran and who the fuck is Susannah Brigant? I have no idea who to even call to find Gran. It's not like she had a phone and with what has come of the house, hell, where would I even look? It's not like the cops can help me, no one remembers Gran or that waste of space sister of mine. She could be dead in a ditch somewhere and I wouldn't know, Sookie doesn't seem to care and the only other person who believes me is Sam and I can't find him either. I swear I've fallen into one of those Twilight shows.
I pick up my phone again and hit a few buttons and put it to my ear.
"This is Reverend Newlin." I can hear the smile in his voice.
"This is Jason Stackhouse. Just wanted you to know I'm in Jackson. Is there anything you want me to do before I meet with the people up here?" I ask him.
"Jason, we were worried about you. I thought I'd have heard from you sooner. You left for Jackson earlier than I expected; good, good. I was concerned when you left the other day. Your friend was most informative but when I couldn't reach you this morning, I thought perhaps you were turning to the daemons that surround you." He says to me.
"Sir, no sir. I'm ready for whatever the Lord has for me." I say sitting up a little straighter.
"Well then, we are in business. We need to make a statement at that meeting in Kentucky. We need them to realize that the Lord's faithful followers aren't going to stand for this kind of behavior." I can hear him moving things around.
"I agree with you Reverend. I'm up for the challenge." I nod as if he can see me.
"Excellent, Jason; I knew when I met you that you were a soldier of God. We will just forget that little outburst about your family. I trust that you've put all of that behind you?" He pauses but I don't say anything. No point in talking about something that no one believes. "All right then, I want you to go to the inLight church in the morning. Reverend Seth Melody is a very good man but is very young and doesn't have much experience in what we need to do. He is willing and knows what needs to be done, but I think he needs some help. He has a few men with him that may have the training that could be helpful. I want you to coordinate with them and then prepare for your mission."
"I won't let you down, Reverend." I say to him.
"I know you won't Jason and we will have our victory soldier. I have complete faith in you."
"Will you be joining us for the message?" I ask him.
He pauses for a moment before he speaks again.
"Well, that wouldn't work now would it? No, I have some meetings and this press conference tomorrow. For the sake of the mission and the church, I need to be here. We need to show many different fronts Jason. No point in putting all our eggs in one basket, am I right?"
"Well if you think that's for the best…" I trail off.
"Believe me, the mission will be better served this way. Now, tell me, what else do you know about this woman they are all talking about today? Imagine a sweet little girl marrying that…that animal. It's appalling. No one can find out much about her. From what Ike is telling me, I understand that she lived in your town for a short while. We need to know all we can on her, Jason, so what can you tell me? I know that you were a little confused before but what do you know about Susannah Brigant?
"You found information on her?" I ask him.
"Well not much," I hear papers moving again. "Ah here it is. We know that she lived in the house that your family once owned and then she and her family left. After that, there is some information, but not much. It appears that her parents have passed as well as her grandparents. She doesn't have any other family for us to talk too. Jason, I need to know if you remember anything about her. What we have isn't enough to go on. Everything is very vague until she popped back up in the US only a month ago. We need to know anything you can remember. Do you think some of the other residents of that town would remember her? Do you remember her in school or, goodness I don't know. We need leads Jason. We need something to use against her." He says.
"Reverend what do you want me to tell you? I can only tell you what I know." And what I know, no one wants to listen too.
"Well, just tell me what you remember," he says, "even if you think it's insignificant. It could end up being most helpful."
"She's funny, Reverend. I mean funny in the head. She knows what people are thinking before they say it. I'm not sure of her other abilities but that's the daemons work if you ask me." I growl the last part.
"I can't use that, Jason," he sighs. "No one is going to believe us if we say that she can read people's thoughts. I need other things so what do you know of her? All the pictures of her on the news are of a little, sweet and innocent girl. I know she was young and that she was sheltered by all accounts. We have people canvasing the area to see if anyone knows anything but do you know what kind of woman she became?"
"SHE'S. A. FREAK!" I scream into the phone. "What do I need to do to get you to believe me? She was a freak as a child and she's a freak as an adult." I start breathing heavy. This whole thing is a freak show.
"Jason, you need to calm down. I understand your feelings for this situation seem to run deep; but you need to focus," the Reverend says to me. "I understand that she lived in your home when she was little. Did you have any interaction with her? Do you know if her family kept in touch with anyone after they left?" He asks.
"Reverend, I tried to tell you before. She never left. That…that girl you are talking about is the same Sookie Stackhouse she's always been." I yell at him.
He is silent for a few minutes. "Jason, I see that you haven't gotten over this thing you've gotten into your head. We may need to discuss a few things when you return."
"Reverend…" I start again. But he cuts me off.
"I see now that the mention of this Susannah person is discomforting to you, so we will end this conversation here and we will look into having you resolve this issue when you return. I wouldn't worry yourself on any of it. We will take care of this woman from here. Now, you remember what to do?" He asks me.
"I do, Reverend," I huff.
"Good, now Sarah is going to be coming up to the inLight church to do some recruiting for our cause. Follow her lead and your success will be in your grasp." He says.
"Sarah, she's coming here?" I ask him.
"Yes, she should be there tonight. I told her to see if she could find you when she got there. I'll give her a call and let her know that you are waiting on her. I presume you are at the inLight Inn?" He asks
"I am but…" I try to say but he cuts me off again.
"Excellent. Make sure she has everything she needs, Jason. We need as many people on our side for this. They are delusional with all this media hype. I tell you, Jason, this whole ordeal about Vampires and Humans marrying is blasphemy. We need to show people the light and sometimes they need to walk through the fire to get there. We need them on our side if we are ever going to win this war."
"I understand, Reverend." I say to him. I don't really, but yeah, I get it, sort of.
"Very good. Take care, Jason and I'll see you when this whole thing is over." He says and hangs up.
I sit there for a few minutes just trying to take in all that the Reverend said. It is really starting to make my head hurt, but one thing I know is that the Reverend should be here. I'm not sure why, but he needs to be.
Getting up, I reach over to grab the clicker and turn the TV back on. I sit back on the bed and hit a few of the channels. All of them are running some pictures of the Vamp and his club in Shreveport along with one or two of Sookie. They seem to be recent and there are none from Bon Temps, Gran or the Farmhouse. They switch over to a few cameras on the street to talk to people about the news. Many of them are indifferent and some are actually happy. There aren't any that are mad about it and I know that the stations must be Vamp sympathizers if they aren't getting any good Christian folks to talk out. The whole thing is making me sick so I decide to get up and get some food. I've no idea when Sarah will be here, but I know no matter what, I'm going to need food. Sarah has a tendency to need a lot of energy. She has been leaving me alone lately but that doesn't mean nothing. She's a beautiful woman and she could leave me for months and I'd still come back to her. Hell, even Sam seemed to be smitten with her when he met her. At the very least he had trouble concentrating after their little meet and greet. Yeah, I so know the feeling.
I grab my boots and am heading to the bathroom when there is a knock on the door.
I go and open it without looking. It isn't like anyone knows where I am or what I'm doing here. Maybe it's the manager or something. Hell, maybe I ordered food and I don't remember. I wouldn't rule anything out. This has been such a fucked up day.
I open the door to greet the person when I stop in my tracks.
"Hello Jason," Sarah almost sings to me. Her voice hits parts of me I didn't know existed. Hell, she has a way of talking that could melt butter it's so smooth. Nothing else seems to matter when she starts talking like that.
"Hi," I say as she walks by me and into the room. I can't help but turn and follow her with my eyes. I shut the door and move so I'm further into the room. I can't seem to take my eyes off her.
"I was excited when you called me this morning," she turns and starts to unbutton her coat. "It was brilliant of you to suggest I come up to help with the new church," she finishes unbuttoning her jacket, pulls it off her shoulders and lets it fall to the floor.
Before me stands this beautiful woman in the smallest pair of underwear, bra and thigh highs I've ever seen. I used to think that red and black were sexy but this woman's baby pink outfit is just, God. I guess I'm not eating anytime soon.
"Come here, Jason," she purrs. Her voice forces me to move an before I know it, I'm on my back with this beautiful woman over me. "You are going to do what I say, aren't you?" She asks me.
I just nod my head. My voice seems to have left me.
She smiles. "Good boy."
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SPOV
We are sitting around the table eating the spread that has been set out for us. I'm starting to feel a little uncomfortable. Not from the conversation but from my clothes. The top of my dress feels like it's shrunk three sizes in the last hour. I am about to excuse myself to see if there is anything I can do about my situation when Masen walks into the room.
"Excuse me, Your Majesty," Masen bows slightly.
"Yes?" Stan asks.
"I think you are all going to want to see this," he motions with his hand for us to go into the other room. "I have it on in the next room, Sir."
Eric helps me to my feet and we follow the rest of our entourage into the next room. Masen picks up the remote and increases the sound. I try not to fidget too much but I know that I'm not hiding my emotions very well when Eric starts rubbing small circles into the small of my back. It feels amazing but not exactly where the pain is coming form at this moment. I turn in the direction of the TV to see what concerned Masen so much that he came to collect us all.
Once again, the big story of the hour is in this newspersons opinion, ground breaking. Mr. Northman, Vampire, Businessman and Entrepreneur residing in Shreveport, Louisiana is the first Vampire to marry a human under Louisiana's new law making it legal for such a union. His new bride, a Mrs. Susannah Northman is a world scholar and met Mr. Northman when she returned some time ago and recently rekindled their relationship when she returned to the states in hopes of getting Mr. Northman's assistance on a historical book she was doing researching for. As our affiliates in Louisiana have already said, according to the spokesperson for the couple, they do intend on staying in the Shreveport area considering Mr. Northman is the acting liaison for Vampire affiliations. He has recently taken over for Sophie-Anne LeClerq who has held the position since the great reveal several years ago. There was talk that Ms. LeClerq was not representing the interests of the Vampires in the Louisiana area and after careful consideration the Governor in conjunction with the AVL has appointed Mr. Northman while looking into allegations of fraud and embezzlement surrounding Ms. LeClerq and her businesses.
"Who gave that information out?" Eric asks.
"Council thought it was pertinent after receiving your message last evening that we say something to explain Sophie's removal from the area." Stan says.
Sources close to the couple have asked that we respect their privacy until next week when they will be giving a formal statement. Again, the top news of the day is…
Stan takes the remote and lowers the volume.
"Well, I guess the cat is out of the bag," I sigh. "Did they use my real name in any of the clips?" I ask no one in particular.
"They did, M'Lady," Masen says. "They informed the public that you are Susannah Brigant who has just returned from Oslo a few months ago."
I turn to face Eric. "What is Niall going to do with this information?" I ask.
"He cannot do anything, M'Lady," Stan interjects. "That is, he can't do anything without the Council's approval. He will have to wait until Kentucky to make any formal inquires or complaints. The biggest will no doubt be that Eric has bonded and wed a member of his royal family without proper approval."
"Well, we have that covered," I smile up at Eric. "Gran and Poppa already gave their blessing along with the Goddess," I put my hand over where my mark of Eric and my insignia is. He smiles and places his hand over mine.
"So, legally and formally, he needs to wait." Stan says.
"Yes, but what about informal and not so legal venues?" I ask. "It isn't like Niall Brigant plays by the rules."
"No, he doesn't. But the Council knows of your human marriage now and they know that Eric has bonded. It will not take long for them to put two and two together." He responds.
I sigh. "I have a bad feeling about all of this," I turn to Eric. "I don't think that Niall is very stable at the present time. He is worried and this may put him right over the edge."
"Do you know something?" He asks.
"No, it's a logical progression, if you think about it," I put up one finger, "I've come out of hiding if you will," I put up a second finger. "He has been looking for me for lifetimes," I put up a third finger, "With me bonded to you he has lost his power over me. You don't think he's going to come after me or at the very least try to make trouble for us before we can meet with Council in Kentucky?" I ask.
Before Eric can say anything I feel movement on my other side."You are public now, M'Lady," Dax says. "Niall can't do anything to you without the world knowing; and I mean both the Human and Supe world. If anything happened to you, we would all know where to look. Niall's position as Prince is precarious at best. He's doesn't want to harm it any further."
I sigh again. "I hope you are right," I say to them. The pain in my chest is more than I can stand now so I turn back to Eric. "Do you mind if I go freshen up?" I ask him.
"M'Lady, we have prepared rooms for you and the Regent," Stan turns to Eric. "I know that we made plans for you to stay at the Night House, but with this information that has just gone out, I would feel more at ease if you and Our Lady stayed on the compound. There is more than enough space for all of you and your guards can work with mine to keep you all safe. Plus, Her Grace will be here within the hour. She wishes to speak with both of you."
"I thought she may want to speak before the meeting but I didn't expect it tonight." Eric says raising an eyebrow to Stan. "What do you know?"
He shakes his head. "In earnest, I know nothing of what she wishes to discuss with you. All I was told is that it was most urgent that she spoke with you tonight. She indicated that several lives weighed in the balance upon decisions that were made here this evening."
"Very well," Eric says and turns to me. "Go freshen up and I will be up in a moment." He kisses me softly.
I turn to see Brianna waiting by the door with Isabella and Dalia. "I will show you the way, M'Lady." Isabella says to me.
I follow the women out of the room after giving Eric a small kiss. It doesn't escape me that all the men in the room bow slightly in my direction. I'm going to have to talk to Eric about that later. I follow the women out and see that Brianna is holding the travel bag she packed for me.
"Do I have anything to change into?" I ask her.
"Yes, mum," she says. "I placed a dress in the carry-on just in case you wanted to change."
We follow Isabella up to the second floor and turn left down a corridor. She opens the door and ushers the three of us in.
"This front room, is your sitting area," she says when she follows us through. The room looks similar to our sitting room at home. "Through there," she points to the double doors at the far side of the room, "is the bedroom and bath. All the windows have been replaced with sun-shielding glass so there is no need to worry about shutters. His Majesty had them put in last week and they are working out very well. No longer can you tell from the outside what rooms Vampires are in." She smiles at me.
"Thank you, Isabella. You have been most kind." I say to her.
"You are welcome, M'Lady," she moves closer to me. "And if I may say so, Our Sange Cap has been waiting so long for you that I think he might have started to give up hope. But we all knew that one day he would find you. We are all thrilled that he finally found you when he did. I don't think any of us could have waited for him to proceed with his plans any longer. I can already tell that you are going to be an amazing addition to this Genealogica and a spectacular Queen."
"Well, we are getting ahead of ourselves," I smile at her. "I'm not a Queen yet."
"But you are a Princess and that title, I can already tell, you hold with grace and dignity. I am so proud to have you with us, M'Lady." She smiles.
She walks out of the room and I turn to Brianna. "Please tell me that dress is light and I can do without a bra. My chest is killing me." I put my hand up to cover the offending parts of my body.
"Would you like me to call the doctor?" Bri asks as she places the bag on the bed.
"No," I shake my head. "She said that my breasts would enlarge quickly but I didn't think they would hurt. They feel like I'm carrying two bowling balls around." I laugh.
Brianna smiles. "Well, that usually happens when your milk comes in. But I've never seen that happen before a mother has given birth. It might mean something. Are you sure you don't want me to call the doctor?" She moves to pull out a light pink wrap dress with thick straps. It looks to be silk or something close but I really don't care as long as I can get out of this dress and bra I'll be a much happier person.
"No, if I'm still uncomfortable in the morning, we can call her. It may just be from flying." I start to take my jacket off and move toward the bed.
Bri helps me out of my red dress and the offending undergarment. If I didn't know how expensive it was, I might have thrown it away. Okay, it's not the bras fault but still it was hurting me. As soon as drop it to the bed, I let out a large sigh. "Oh that feels so much better."
Bri helps me into the wrap dress that crosses in the front and ties to the side. I am thankful that my overabundance on top is rather perky because the dress doesn't look bad with nothing underneath. I sit down so Bri can fix my hair while I put on a pair of strappy sandals that match perfectly with the outfit. I turn to see Eric has entered the room and I smile.
"You look a little less stressed, Min Kara(My Love)," he moves toward me and kisses my cheek. "I'm sorry that the announcement upset you."
"It wasn't the announcement. Though, I wouldn't rule Niall out just yet. From what I've learned over the years and from listening to my grandfather, Niall Brigant is nothing if not tenacious."
"I felt in the bond that you were uncomfortable. What has upset you? If Stan or Dax have made you …"
"Eric," I laugh. "Your boys are perfect; exactly what I expected."
"Well, they are far from perfect and now they belong to both of us, but that doesn't answer my question."
I sigh deeply. "My chest hurts," I say softly. "I needed to get out of that dress and undergarments."
"Is there something wrong," he moves to kneel near me. "Do you wish me to call the doctor," he puts his hand on my tummy.
"Eric, your son is fine. Doctor Ludwig mentioned that my breasts would grow. They just hurt. I needed to get into something that is more comfortable."
Eric looks up at Brianna. "Is this normal?"
"My Liege, there is nothing normal about this pregnancy. But Lady Susannah wants to wait until the morning to call the doctor if need be. She would know above all if the child is in danger. I see no warning signs of distress so we should be fine," she smiles down to me.
"Well, I will be watching closely, Min Kara. If anything seems amiss, we will contact Ludwig immediately." He stands. "Are you ready? Her Grace should be here soon."
I smile, taking his hand, he helps me up and we make our way to the door with Brianna right behind us. When we get to the sitting room, Dalia and Stefan are waiting to escort us down to the small receiving room Eric has told me he's setup for his guest.
We walk in and see that Godric, Tomas, Dax and Stan are already there along with Isabella. I smile at how she looks at Stan. It's very nice to see someone who loves their Sire so much. I can feel it through the blood that she is very loyal to him and by extension Eric.
"There you are," Stan says. "You look lovely, M'Lady," he says and bows to me. "I was going to have you listen in on our humans tonight but when Her Grace informed me of the urgency of her visit, we decided to postpone that little exercise."
"Whenever you wish me to listen to them I will, Your Majesty," I bow my head to him.
"Oh, NO!" He shouts. "I won't let Eric call me that I will definitely not let you. Stan, Stanaslov or anything else will do," I go to dispute him but he puts up his hand. "My position here has only been a placeholder for our Sange Cap. Once he takes his place, things will be changing and I for one will be glad of it." He huffs.
"Change, what will be changing?" I look between all the men in the room.
"Min Kara," Eric kisses my temple again. "We will talk all about this later," he turns to Stan. "I hear a car in the drive."
He nods. "Masen is already on it," he turns to the door.
It's a few moments before I hear noise at the door and footsteps making their way to the sitting room.
"Your Majesty, Her Grace and company," Masen announces from the door.
We all stand and genuflect as Her Grace walks in.
"Stand, all of you," She says in a raspy voice. "I wish to finally meet Our Promised One," I stand to see the older woman making her way toward me. What I didn't expect to see was who is helping her move about.
"Hadley?" I ask softly.
"Hello, um, well, I guess I should say Lady Susannah." Hadley says softly.
Oh shit, it just hit the fan.
***0***
Sarah Newlin's POV
"You just sleep now, my good boy." I say as I run my fingertips up his jaw and over his forehead. "Remember your promise. Do not fail me."
"Mmmmm," he mumbles but doesn't open his eyes.
I take another look at him before getting up and grabbing my things. Slipping back into my shoes and coat, I tie the strap closed and go for the door. I turn and take another look at him, smiling, I walk out the door.
I am half way to the car when I hear something behind me. Turning quickly, I get ready to eliminate the stalker. I can't risk anyone seeing me. We are too close and I've worked too damn hard to start over now.
"Had fun, daughter?" I see the bright red hair and perfect smile of my mother.
"Goddess, mother, I was ready to send you flying!" I whisper but I know she can hear me. "What are you doing here?" I ask.
"I could be asking you the same question," she points to the door. "How is coming to visit, this, this boy helping our cause Sari?" She asks.
"It wasn't and stop calling me Sari. It's Sarah until this is all done. Besides, we are almost there. Why are you bothering me about Jason? He is fun and light and I enjoy him," I smirk and run my tongue across my bottom lip.
"I thought you were considering the Shifter? At least he would bring something to the table if you decided to breed with him." She says.
"Mother," I huff. "Jason is just, well his mind is easy and pliable. It's no work. Oh and since you didn't ask, the Shifter isn't here and I was lonely. What's the problem with me having a little fun with Jason?"
"Bedding him is not in the plan, Sari," she grabs my arm and before I know it, I'm in the little suite across town that my loving husband had secured for me. When he suggested that I stay at the new inn, I suggested something a little more upscale. Being so loving, he made it happen for me. Yeah, loving, my ass. He likes having me on his arm, in public and on his sound bites. He thinks my words are made of gold and can talk anyone out of anything. Goddess if he knew how true his impressions really were, he'd have a heart attack or at the very least, start a bonfire in the church square and roast me while spouting his passages and calling me a witch or something as equally inaccurate.
I pull away from my mother. "What if I have a little fun? He is beautiful and uncomplicated. I just wanted to have some fun. Why are you being like this? I said the Shifter was pretty and I might, MIGHT want to see if something could form. Please tell me you didn't already decide he was for me? Jason is just, he is good." I smirk thinking about how good he really is.
She shakes her head at me. "Please tell me you aren't falling in love with that Human."
"WHAT? NO!" I scream at her.
"I would hope not," she sighs. "I would have hoped you had learned from my mistake. You can't trust Human's Sari. I thought I taught you that much."
I sigh. "Mother, I know what you told me. I was just letting off some steam. Newlin has been, well, he's been difficult lately. He has been listening to his advisers instead of me. Our plan is not moving as fast as I hoped."
"Well make it happen, Sari. The sins of the father fall upon the son. His father has wronged us now it's time for his son to pay." She growls.
I can still see the hurt in her eyes. I know that what she says is true, to a point. She was wronged, lied to and dismissed. Michael Stephen Newlin wronged my mother and wronged our kind. Payment must be made and it will be in the form of his son. Our kind does not grant gifts lightly, there is always a price.
I sigh. "I know, mother," I say. "You wanted it done in a way that he couldn't redeem himself. I'm working on it."
"Make sure you do," she turns and walks toward the door but stops just before grasping it, "and stay away from that boy. I warn you Sari, you will end up with a broken heart just like me. Human's can't be trusted."
With that, she turns and vanishes into thin air I listen closely hoping that she isn't anywhere close. Closing my eyes I let out a deep breath. Dealing with my mother is always taxing. Grabbing my bag, I head to the large bathroom with the garden tub. I smile at that. Steven always gets me a garden tub. At least I've had that much influence on him.
Starting the water, I pull out the sea salts I've brought with me and pour some into the tub. Once I feel that there is enough, I remove my jacket and shoes and climb in, sighing when the water surrounds me. It feels so much like home.
Hearing my phone from the other room, I call it to me. I know by the ringtone who it is.
"Yes, Steven?" I ask him.
"Have you seen our Jason yet?" He asks. Not a hello or I miss you darling. No, Steve is always about business.
"Of course I have and he is on board for what we need to do." I say to him. Though, I hadn't said a word to Jason, I know he'll do what is expected of him. He always rises to the occasion. Thinking of how well he rises sends a warm feeling all the way to my core. MMMM, he does rise well.
"Are you listening, Sarah?" He scolds me.
"What did you say?" I ask him.
"I said we need to make sure that Reverend Melody knows what kinds of tithes we are expecting from his fair church. Perhaps you can persuade him into giving us more? You know that we have extra expenses coming." I can hear him moving around. I wonder if he's home or with one of his bible study girls. Not that it matters but still, a girl never wants to be second in her man's eyes. Even if said girl is just with him to destroy him.
"How would you like me to persuade him?" I ask as I roll my eyes.
"Oh, I'm sure you will think of something. Now, while you are there, see if you can get working on the Governor. I made arrangements for you to meet him in downtown Jackson the day after tomorrow. He has allowed three new businesses to open that are operated by Vampires. The first is that hotel they are having that, well what do Vampire call a get together? You need to make sure that he sees the error of his ways. We need him on our side, Sarah. The Governor of Texas may be close to siding with us but Louisiana is proving to be difficult. We may need to do more than what we've been doing. For goodness sakes, are you listening to me?"
I look at my nails. "Of course Steven, every word. What time am I meeting the Governor?" I ask.
"Two o'clock at his suite at the Grande. Don't be late. Oh, and Sarah, we will need to discuss a few things when you return." He says.
"What would that be?" I ask him.
"Well, we may need to do something to boost our image. I was talking to a few of the elders and they seem to think that we would look very good with a little one or two in our sound bites."
"Children," I sit up suddenly. "You honestly want to have children for a sound bite?"
"It's for the cause, Sarah. Honestly, you need to look at this from the viewer's perspective. We need to look like the all American family. Have you seen those pictures of that Brigant woman?"
"Who?" I ask.
"You know who I'm talking about; the one that married the Vampire. Her picture is playing on every news station. It's really getting out of control. She looks like some little girl going on a picnic. They have a picture of her at that bar in a white dress with red flowers. Goodness, I think I've seen three of our teens walk into church in similar dresses. Tell me, how are we going to get people to believe that Vampires are evil with that little girl walking around married to one?"
I sigh. "I don't know Steven. But I'm not having this conversation over the phone with you. It isn't something we can make a decision about now, anyway. So tell me, are you coming to Kentucky to oversee the mission?"
"I don't think so…" He starts to say.
"Steven," I purr and allow my voice to go low. "You know that you need to oversee things like this. All the missions have been a wash up until now. The warehouse was a disaster and the few little attacks on the Vampire businesses didn't even make the news. What do they have in common? They've all been managed by someone other than you."
"I…I know that," he says blankly and I know my voice has hit its mark. "But Ike said…."
"Who are you going to believe, my love? Who is in this with you?" I ask him pushing a little more power into my voice.
"You, um you Sarah; you are always in this with me." He says with the same monotone.
"Good, now what are you going to do?" I ask.
"I…. I will see about coming up there. I need to be there to make sure this doesn't go wrong. There is too much at stake this time. Too many Vampires…" He trails off again.
"That's right. Now, I want you to go home and go to bed. When you rise, you will decide that you need to take care of this mission, personally." I hum a little to him and I know he's completely in my trance.
"Yes, my love," he whispers to me.
"Very good, Steven," I purr. "Now say good night to your wife."
"Good night my darling." He says and hangs up.
I smile and sit back in the tub and close my eyes. Hopefully, this will all be over soon and I'll be able to get back to my life. With a little luck, my mother will allow me to keep both Sam and Jason for a while. Sam may be something I can see a future with but Jason is different. He really is a lot of fun. Maybe, just maybe when this is all over, my mother, Petra, Siren of the sea will leave me the hell alone and leave me to make my own decisions.
***0***
SPOV
"Hadley?" I ask again.
"Ah, so I see you remember my newest addition to my compound. But allow me to introduce to my other companion," she pauses. "This is Aniketos. Regent, I believe your paths have crossed from time to time." Her Grace motions to the man that has come in behind her.
"They have Your Grace," he turns to the man. "Aniketos Exustio, Warrior guardian, we welcome you here this evening but Your Grace I'm confused as to why he is here with you." Eric says from my side. His hand has been on my lower back and I can feel him holding me a little tighter than before.
"It is simple, Regent, I'm here to offer my services to you and yours," he bows his head to Eric and I.
"We are honored by such an offer but why do we garner such gifts?" Eric says.
"Viking, all in good time," Her Grace says and goes to move to a chair by our side. "Much needs to be said and much needs to be decided," she motions to Hadley. "Our new Vampire has been deceived by the wayward Queen and changed without permission," I gasp but Her Grace continues. "She is in need of her only living relative's assistance," she pauses. "Lady Northman, Consort and Bonded to the New Viking Regent, she needs your help and would be forever in your debt if you agree."
"But Hadley and I aren't really related. I've nothing to do with the Stackhouse's Linda and her father were just a smokescreen to hide me from Niall and the others." I say to them. Not that they wouldn't know this already but yeah, I needed to say it.
"Well, that is not completely true, M'Lady," Aniketos says.
"I…I don't understand," I say to him and then look at everyone else in the room. "Gran and Poppa told me my heritage. I don't know where I would be connected to Hadley." I say.
"If I'm not mistaken, they told you Corbett's side of the family, did they not?" Her Grace says. I nod. "I would think that they didn't tell you everything that made up your mother, Patrice's lineage did they?"
I think about it. No, they told me that she was part Handmaiden, Dae and Fae but other than Handmaiden, I didn't know where the rest comes from.
"If I may?" Aniketos looks at Eric and he nods.
"Very well. I am sure you are aware that Patrice Castalides Brigant's Mother, Sesi was Handmaiden and Fae. Not unlike your grandmother, her mother was another Handmaiden, a daughter of Avalon. She was also part Fae. Sesi had connections to the Earth Fae, a cousin to the ruling family if I remember correctly. Her mother also had ties to Niall but the link is very fine and would need a true timeline to confirm. But that is neither here nor there. For the bases of this explanation, it is Patrice's father that we want to focus on."
"Demetrios Catalides was one of three brothers, Daemeon, Trista and Demetrios fathered by one of the most powerful of our kind. His name was Acacio and he lived a very long life in this realm. I believe you know Dameon as your territories council," He pauses and I nod my understanding. No wonder Mr. Catalides looked at me funny last night, we're related. I'm sure something in me called to him. It was very weird but I'll deal with that later.
"Dameon is the only child of Acacio and his mate, Circe. However, though Circe did not give him any more heirs, it didn't stop him from seeking other women to do just that. Circe may have been his mate, but they never finished the bond between them which allowed Acacio to do basically anything he wanted. It wasn't long before Acacio found another woman to be infatuated with. Demetrios was the second born to Acacio from a Faerie named Brinne. He was considered the black sheep if you will. It wasn't like Acacio had much to defend himself. He was known as a very wild Daemon and Demetrios was the product of a very heated fling he had with the Fae. However, at the time, Brinne was promised to a pure blood Fae by the name of Dillion and he refused to accept the child as his own. With no other choice, Brinne gave her first born son to his father to raise. Acacio brought him into his home but Circe had trouble accepting him as did his mother's family. So Acacio found a cousin who had just lost her child to be his wet nurse. I believe that Demetrios always saw Leni as his mother. If memory serves, she was very kind and most loving," he pauses again. "So, at this point, Acacio had two sons and should have been satisfied with that. But as I said, Acacio was a wild Daemon and though Demetrios had a difficult time of it with not being a pure Daemon, Trista was probably the undoing of his father."
"Acacio was gone for long periods of time once his boys were older. He would find things to do and places to go. Many thought that he was restless and in search for greener pastures. There is no doubt that Acacio had his share of lovers in his time but only one gave him his third and final heir. While out in Eastern Europe Acacio met and fell for a Daemon by the name of Thera. Unbeknownst to him, she was a chaos Daemon, Her father being one of the oldest of his kind. By the time Acacio realized what and who Thera was, she was with child. They could only hope that Trista would lean toward the temperament of his father and not his mother but only time would tell. The child came into this world but due to complications, Acacio lost his precious Thera. After mourning her death, Acacio found yet another Daemon wet nurse and made the long and lonely passage back to his home. I don't believe that Circe was surprised to see her husband return with yet another babe that was not hers. But in true Daemon ways, she never said a thing. In fact, she treated Trista better than her husband's other motherless son, hoping that with love and tenderness he would not show signs of the affliction. Trista didn't show any signs for the first ten years. They thought that somehow the affliction had passed them and they were very careful."
"Time passed for the small family and they went about their lives. It wasn't until fifty years had gone by that Trista showed signs of his affliction. When Thera's father found out of the child, he took him and disappeared. We assume to train him in how to rain havoc upon the world. Acacio was beside himself and made it his life mission to find his son and bring him home. No one saw either Daemon for another twenty years. In that time, Acacio was killed during a battle over land near his home. Trista's brothers thought that they had heard the last of him until rumors and stories began to spread of the two Chaos Daemons and what damage they were causing all over the European continent."
"Though, chaos Daemons love to spread havoc wherever they go, when a chaos Daemon decides to inflict it's wrath on a human, you see the worst of their affliction. Almost all human children who are born from the connection with a chaos Daemon go mad or at the very least destroy themselves some way. The mother of the child usually lives shortly and dies a horrible death; punishment from falling for the wiles of the Daemon."
"Okay, so if I got this straight, this Trista is what, my great uncle?" I ask him. "Does that mean that he's after me or mine or…"
"No, My Lady, Trista has no need of you. You are not human and he wouldn't think of coming after you for fear that the wrath of your kin would hunt him down and kill him. No, he went in search of a human and found an eager one in Linda Stackhouse." He turns to look at Hadley.
"Did you know this?" I ask Hadley.
She shakes her head. "No, I thought that Kyle was my father and that Linda was just crazy to stay with him. I didn't know about Trista until I came to see Her Grace." She tries to smile but it still looks like it's full of pain.
"Okay, so Linda had Trista's child and Trista is my uncle. So Hadley and I are what, second cousins?" I ask him.
Aniketos nods. "And other than Trista, you are the only direct connection to her." He says.
"No, if Mr. Cataliades is connected to me, then he is connected to her," I point to Hadley.
"Yes, this is accurate however, what she needs is a female connection and that is you, Our Promised One." Her Grace says.
"Why?" I ask.
Hadley looks at Her Grace who nods. She takes a deep breath that I know she doesn't need and looks at me. "Sookie, I mean, Goddess this is going to be hard," she clears her throat and begins again. "My Lady, I know you must remember how messed up I was as a kid?" I nod and she continues. "I am not going to sit here and blame everything I did on my parentage. I may not have had a lot of choices but I had some and I made the wrong ones."
She paused for a moment but I wasn't going to debate her statement. She may have had the genetic makeup to be crazy but she still had some choices, like she said. I know Gran would have words with me for judging her, but I don't care. The times I remember with Hadley aren't particular happy memories.
"I won't bore you with the details of where I was after I took off on Linda. I did end up in New Orleans and wasn't in the best of ways. I…I got in with a really bad crowd and was working at a place down near the waterfront. It wasn't pleasant and I did a lot of things I'm not proud of. But that is where I met Remy," she pauses again and when nobody says anything she continues. "I didn't know it at first, but he was a Were. I didn't know what one was until I caught him changing once. I thought I was having a flashback or something, I was so freaked out. But Remy explained everything to me. He didn't belong to any pack but he was strung out on more than what we were doing at the club. He told me that regular drugs ran through his system to fast and someone he knew had turned him on to V."
I hear growls from several of the Vampires in the room. V was a sore point for many vampires, I knew. I mean there were drainers out there killing just for the blood. I would was just as pissed.
"Go on, child," Her Grace pats Hadley's hand. "Once you have explained it will be done."
She nods and continues. "He said that he was getting it from some guy who ran it from Oklahoma. He wanted me to do it with him and when I refused, he, well, he beat me. He told me that I was his and I would do what he said or he would throw me out in the street. I didn't know what to do. He was right, I didn't have anywhere to go and I didn't want to end up back on the streets, so I listened to him and did what he told me to do. That is when his true nature came out," she pauses again and takes yet another breath I know she doesn't need. "Night after night he would have guys coming to the house. It didn't take me long to figure out that Remy was not only getting stuff from this guy in Oklahoma but distributing it as well. Some of the guys would come and go once they got their score. While others, well, Remy liked to share but only to show me he could share me."
I didn't need her to elaborate. I understood what she was saying. She looked down at her lap before she continued.
This lasted for months. If I protested or tried to get Remy to leave me be, he'd beat me and then the torture was worse. I started taking the V just so I didn't have to deal with him or his friends. I was hooked and he knew it. He then started using the V to get me to do other things. Within six months I was completely in his control."
"I don't know how it happened, but I found myself pregnant. I knew it was Remy's because he insisted that all the guys he brought up to our room used protection. He may have liked to share me but he didn't want to lose control of me. When I finally figured out that I was pregnant, I was over three months along. Remy started to lay off me then. I think the ass was actually happy about having a kid for a while. He actually bragged about it and he let me stop with the V and didn't expect me to entertain his friends."
She pauses again for a moment with a shudder as if the worse is yet to come. I take hold of Eric's hand for strength. He sends me love and calming feelings and the little one inside me sends a flutter or two. But even that doesn't calm my nerves. There is more to this story. Hadley is sitting in front of me, a Vampire and oh so not pregnant. Where is the baby?
"We went on like that for the next several months. I thought things were looking up and that Remy really did care about me and the baby. That is, until I was about seven and a half months along. I was sitting in the front room of our apartment when he came crashing in with about five of his buddies. I didn't know these guys and didn't like the way they looked at me, so I decided that I'd leave and go for a walk hoping that they'd be gone by the time I got back. That, however, wasn't Remy's plan. He told me that I was going to be their fun that night and when I protested he slammed me into the wall. I…I won't horrify you with the details but by the time they were done and had left, I was bloody, battered and in labor. Our neighbor heard the commotion and when Remy left with his friends, she came to check on me. We both would have died right there and then if she didn't help me."
"Hadley…" I say softly squeezing Eric's hand.
"No, please, let me finish," She looks at me and I nod. "I got to the hospital and they told me they would have to take the baby. He was small, Oh was he small and he was six weeks premature. They took him away to the NICU and started to work on me. I guess when Remy came back he bumped into our Neighbor, Mrs. Flint. She is old but tough and she told him that if he didn't leave me alone that she would tell the police everything that went on in our apartment. Remy didn't like being threatened. I'm not sure if he did it himself or if he had one of his friends do it, but Mrs. Flint was found dead in her apartment the next day. The door was locked and the police didn't know how anyone got in. But I knew. I knew who did it and it was only confirmed when Remy came to the hospital. He…" she shakes her head. "I knew when he left me that I would never be safe. Not if he knew where I was. I snuck out of the hospital and only made it a few blocks before the beating that Remy gave me before he left started to take its toll. That….that's when Sophie found me."
"What about the baby?" I scream out. "You just left your child in the hospital?"
"He was in the NICU and the doctors said he would be there for some time. I knew he would be safe and would give me time to figure out what I was going to do. But then I met Sophie. I thought…I thought I was safe with her. Then the moment I was healing she….she did…It was worse than what I endured with Remy. Then she turned me and I didn't know what to do." She starts to cry and I can see the stream of red flowing down her face.
"As luck would have it," Her Grace interjects, "there was a nurse in the NICU who is part Daemon. The child was not in the best of health and Hadley's condition before the birth was not ideal. She knew what her kinds of children needed and attempted to sneak him blood. It was doing something to improve his health, but not enough. Remy only came to see the child once and the nurse was doing everything she could to keep the child in the hospital. I'm not sure how she knew but she told me when I met her that she knew that Remy needed to be kept away from the child. The hospital was getting ready to release him to his father since Hadley couldn't be found. He'd already spent eight weeks there and they thought he was fine to go home. After Hadley told me her story, I knew what needed to be done. When my faithful servants arrived a few days ago, they took him before Remy returned to collect the child and brought him back to me."
"Where is the baby?" I ask looking from one side of the room to the other as if he'd appear out of thin air. The reasons on why this child came to be really don't interest me at the moment. All I know is that I need to have him with me and I need it now. I am aching all over for this child; his need, his desire, his…his thirst. Yes, his thirst.
"Calm yourself, Promised One," she says to me. "He is right here," she motions to the door where a woman that looks not much older than thirteen walks in with a bundle in her arms. I am out of my chair and take the child before another word is said. I feel this unexplainable pull from over my left shoulder and down into my breast. Before anyone can stop me, I move the top of my dress to the side and place the little one to the left nipple. He opens his eyes and stares at me as he latches on and I know immediately that this is what he needs. This is what we both need. The pain I'd been in for the last few hours. The need to have this child in my arms makes perfect sense now. He needs me, and we…we need him.
"Hello, My little one," I say to him and I hold him close. "There now, it is all better now. I'll make it all better."
***0***
EPOV
Susannah moved so quick I could not stop her. I know every Vampire in the room was startled by her speed. I was about to question what was going on and demand answers, but I stopped when I see Susannah placing that child to her breast. That is when I felt it. I felt what she must have been feeling, what they both have been feeling; a connection between the three of us locked into place and I know as I know the sun will rise this day that this child belongs to my promise. No, not just my Promise, he belongs to both of us.
I stand and make my way over to her. "Susannah," I say softly.
She slowly moves her eyes from the child to me. "Isn't he beautiful, Eric? Look how he knows what to do. He's going to be strong before we know it, I can tell." Her smile is so bright, I would think it blinding.
"Of course he will, Min Kara [my love]," I say and place an arm around her. "Come and sit so you will be comfortable. I suspect he'll get heavy soon, holding him in such a manner."
She nods and I help her to sit down. Brianna brings over an ottoman for her to rest her feet on. My Susannah smiles her thanks and brings her attention back to the child.
"The Goddess was right, your Promised One is exactly what he needed." Her Grace says.
I get a very strange feeling all of a sudden. Something from what Aniketos has told us makes me feel cold. I look up and out at Her Grace. "Is this what you needed from my Bonded? You needed a wet nurse?"
"He is ours, Eric," Susannah says softly. "Can't you feel it already? He has taken my blood, our blood and he is part of you and of me. No one will take him from us now."
"Susannah…" I start to say but stop. I feel something in our bond. It is faint and if I didn't concentrate on it, I would have missed it. But yes, I feel it and I know it's coming from the little one in my beloved's arms.
"No one is going to take that child, not now, anyway." Her Grace says.
"How do you mean?" I ask. "If this child is to be with us and the Goddess has blessed it then I will fight to the death to keep him just where he is." I growl to the room.
"Calm yourself, Viking. No one will take your son. He will be with as all your others will be with you. But he is special, you must understand. There are children of loins and children of the heart. Can you love them all the same?" She asks.
"We will love him as any others," Susannah says as if she is in a dream.
"What do you see child?" Her Grace moves forward in her chair.
"I see children, all our children. Our Sons are strong and brave. Our daughters are as beautiful as any handmaiden and shine with the sun. Together our children will hold the secrets. Together they will rule all." She moves slightly not ever taking her eyes off this little one in her arms. "I see them running and oh, what a beautiful snow leopard you will be, my son," she kisses his forehead and I feel a jump in emotions. Not from Susannah but from the babe in her arms. I lean into the both of them, putting my hand on his head as he eagerly suckles from his…Mother. My promise is his mother as I'm to be his father. I know this in all that I am.
"You see anything else?" Her Grace asks?
Susannah shakes her head.
"Then it is as it's been foretold. This is your first, first of many if you choose to accept him into your hearts, your world, your bond and your legacy," she stands. "Do you accept this gift, Eric of the Norseman, Regent and soon to be King and High ruler as the prophecy has foretold?"
I look back at my Promise and the child she has moved to her other breast. This all seems so right, so true and so, well perfect. There is nothing in me that I would ever deny this child as mine.
I look at Her Grace. "I accept." I say.
"Than what name do you give this child?" She asks with a booming voice.
"Alexsander…Alexsander Erik Northman," I say without thinking. I feel love, pride and joy from my bonded as I announce the name of our first child to the key leaders of our Genealogica."
"All those present, members of Regent Northman's Genealogica, one of the oldest of our kind, hear me. Your Sange Cap has announced the name of the first Prince to your line. A child that will hold the blood of your Sange Cap and his Princess, Queen, Mate and Promise as if he was carved from part of them and held in their soul. The blood and truth will entwine this child into the legacy told so long ago. Welcome your Prince and serve his parents well. Pledge your loyalty and fealty to the safety and success of all the Northman children for they will be a blessing to us all." The words resonate through the room even after she finishes speaking.
When I look up, every single person in the room is down on one knee, head bowed in front of the three of us. Even Dalia and Vivi are present and doing the same. I feel through all the blood connections in the room their promise to our family, our line and our legacy.
I nod to all of them and then turn my attention back to Susannah. "Our son looks beautiful in your arms, Min Kara [my love]."
She smiles. "Sander, my beautiful sweet boy; you are safe now. Nothing will harm you. No, not while your father and I can protect you."
I lean in and kiss my son's forehead. Knowing that he is just as much a part of me as the one My Promise is carrying inside her. The knowledge of this fact is undeniable.
I close my eyes and for a moment, I see Sander with another boy running around in the sun while Susannah holds another to her breast. She is laughing watching the children. In that moment, I know I'll do anything to make that image a reality. No one, no matter who they are will harm my Mate, my son or any that I call mine.
I see the child's eyes shift from Susannah to me.
"Hello, my son," I say and touch his head again. "Welcome to your home."
***0***
Avalon
I look into the pool and see The Promised One with her Viking, holding the first of her children. I feel the warmth on my skin as I look up and smile.
"It is done, My Goddess," I say.
"Not all of it," she says.
I look back to the pool. A glow seems to surround the couple including the child. I smile when I realize what she is doing. When they undress the babe, they will see a small mark on the back of his shoulder, the same mark that his mother wears over her heart. As the Viking's father was blessed, as he and his Promise are blessed, so will be his child.
"The Goddess' kiss," I say softly.
"None will dismiss their claim on their children. None will question who supports and blesses their union. There will be no mistakes this time. They must succeed."
I look back in the pool. "I can't wait to meet him."
"You will Adele. You will meet and love them all as our precious Susannah will. The prophecy is moving forward. They need all the help they can get and you will be there when she needs you." She says.
I feel the warmth moving away from me but I can't seem turn away from the pool. The images before me are just too beautiful to turn away from just yet. The beauty and joy coming off to them is infectious. I could watch them for hours.
"Blessed Be, my girl. Oh how I wish your mother could see you now."
I finally pull myself away from the pool and turn to walk to the arch and back to my love. He will want to know this news as soon as possible.
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