Set between books 6 and 7:

The doors outside the hall were sturdy and confrontational. Despite the crowded corridor outside I felt completely alone. A bugle sounded from inside the hall and the line in front of me moved forward. My new escort vampires raised there spears and answered the bugles cry by bringing them down hard twice on the stone floor. The doors opened with a creak. I gulped, my mouth dry, my legs heavy. One of the escorts prodded me in the back, a young vampire with a row of thorns around his neck, a septic scar across one eyebrow. "Time to face the future, Mr Shan." I nodded and entered the dining chamber, time stood still as hundreds of vampires raised their glasses as one, and I made my way to the top of the table. Where the princes sat. I took my place. "Speech!" cried one vampire and the cry took up the hall, everyone shouting, screaming and stamping. The cries died down and I willed myself to say something, anything. I opened my mouth no words came out. What seemed like an eternity passed. I was stuck in front of hundreds of vampires-and I looked like a fool.

***

I lay on my hammock, staring at the ceiling. How awful. How humiliating. In my head I could here the vampires sitting around despairing at the dunderhead they had chosen to be their new prince, wondering, perhaps, if I had been better suited to the halls of death...

The past night was a blur of embarrassment. The silent speech. The drink tipping over me, drenching my clothes... Then the last, final, shame, tripping as I left the hall, and the roar of laughter that followed me out of the hall. The door of my chamber clicked open and I rolled away from the two people who entered, Mr Crepsley and Harkat Mulds. Harkat went to his hammock and sat upon it, not saying a word. Mr Crepsley hovered by the door. "It is unpardonably rude to be late for your first official night as a prince." He said, "Rude enough I would guess, to warrant a short sharp trip to the halls of death."

"Good!" I growled sulkily. "Better there than here. I'm not leaving. Ever!"

"Your majesty" said Mr Crepsley, a hint of irony scathing his voice. "You are acting like a toddler." I did not reply. "Perhaps you are not up to being a prince at all, perhaps, you are so weak you wish to simply...give up?"

"I couldn't give up. I would die. They would kill me." I said thickly, trying to hide the fact I was close to tears.

I could tell he was smiling as he replied "so then what have you got to lose by taking your rightful place?" he asked. The door clicked softly. He had left.

"You can't change the past, but it is easy to change the future." Murmured Harkat. I looked at him questioningly. "Mr Tiny used to say it..."

I got up and headed for the door. "I suppose I've got no choice." I sighed, ashamed all the same.

I rounded the first corner and Mr Crepsley was standing there with Seba, his friend and mentor, leaning against a wall counting softly: "Thirty two, thirty three," He stopped counting when he saw me. "Thirty three, Seba, you owe me a new cloak." At that he turned to me. "Ready to take on your powerful status?" he asked. I looked up.

"If I don't, you might end up in charge, and then where would we be? "I teased.

"With a lot better Prince!" he replied, a grin on his face, and then, before I could take a swipe at him he ran off up the corridor, and I followed, with no chance of catching up, laughing at the astonished faces of passers by as their new prince raced through the corridors, leaving a trail of confused vampires in his wake.

Please, please review! Thanks in advance. There is a slim chance I may do call outs for those who leave questions or something particularly interesting. (