"It was over the next two centuries that our blood feud truly began.
"During Niklaus' reign, the vampires killed Kristof's son, Laszlo, after he tried to lead a rebellion against the
vampires in France. A lycan named Lukacs took his place as alpha, and that's when we made our first mistake.
"We underestimated Lukacs' ability to rule and fight. He led a rebellion against the vampires in L'viv and
somehow managed to defeat us. He and the surviving lycans fled to Germany, where they built yet another
stronghold.
"The lycans then began to kill random vampires on the streets whenever they saw them. I believe we lost a total of
twenty-one vampires before we retaliated.
"In late 1144, the lycans caught four of our Council members in Paris and killed them. The members were Abel,
Misao, Charles, and Sara. They were promptly replaced, but their deaths infuriated Niklaus.
"It was then that our war officially started.
"When Niklaus awakened Erik in 1150, we were on the losing side of the war. Erik sought to change that. He was
a much better strategist and warrior than Niklaus, and he believed that he could tip the scales in our favor.
"A young lieutenant from Morocco named Mael was turned by Adam in early 1220, and he brought with him new
battle strategies and better weapons. He helped us win our first battle against the lycans, and Erik appointed him
as General of our warriors.
"Twenty-five years later, Erik and Mael created an elite fighting team specifically designed to kill lycans
appropriately named the Death Dealers, and Mael was placed in charge of training them.
"That same year, the French regent, Jakob, was killed in a street brawl with the lycans. He was immediately
replaced by a younger vampire named Louis.
"When I was awoken 1250, the war was under our control. We were winning battles with the Death Dealers, and
the lycans eventually stopped attacking us so frequently."
The entire Coven gathered in the tomb and fixed their eyes on Amelia and the Council. The younger vampires
watched with wide, curious eyes, since most of them had never seen an Awakening ceremony before.
Amelia took a deep breath and rose from her seat on the throne. She raised her hands to silence the vampires and
quickly scanned their faces. "My fellow vampires and Council members," she began, lowering her hands. "As you
know, it is the year 1350, and according to the Covenant, it is time for the next Elder to rise."
A cheer rose up amongst the vampires.
"Silence!" Amelia snapped, getting the vampires' immediate cooperation and attention. "It is time for me to
awaken Niklaus." She descended the two steps that led to the lowered floor where the crypts were and went
directly to the silver crypt on the far right. Taking a deep, steadying breath, she knelt down beside the silver
cover. She placed her fingers in the tiny holes surrounding the "N" and turned the rounded plate in a complete
circle.
The vampires all watched with interest as the mechanisms of the crypt were started.
The silver cover sank into the hole and broke into four curved pieces that disappeared into the floor around the
hole. A moment later, an ornately carved Gothic-style casket rose up out of the hole.
Amelia turned the casket down onto its side on the silver posts that supported it. She went to the head of the
coffin and looked in at decaying corpse of Niklaus. She pursed her lips and pressed the small button on the side of
the casket, watching the bar move from his chest to his mouth. She lifted her arm to her mouth, pushed her sleeve
back, and bit down into her wrist. She positioned her bleeding arm over the funnel-like opening in the bar and let
her blood drain into Niklaus' open mouth.
The blood coursed through all of his body and began to rejuvenate the long-dead cells. Memories flashed through
his mind, Amelia's memories, memories of what had happened over the past two hundred years that he had
missed.
Amelia wiped the blood from her lips and put pressure on her wrist to help the already healing wound close up.
She motioned for the Council to step forward, and she backed away, indicating that her part of the Awakening
ceremony was over.
The Council members took Niklaus' casket from the posts that supported it and carried it to the room behind the
throne. They set it down on the stone table right behind the throne, removing it from the other vampires' view.
Soujiro, the new Council member from Nagasaki, went to the closet to get Niklaus' clothes. When he came back,
he found Amelia standing at the head of Niklaus' casket. He shook his head at the longing look in her eyes and
laid the cloak over the lower half of the coffin. He looked over at Eva and nodded to Amelia.
Eva nodded in agreement and went to the older female's side. She touched her shoulder gently and smiled at her
when she looked up at her. "My Lady, would you kindly leave us to our work?" she asked, sweetly.
Amelia studied her for a moment before nodding in agreement.
Eva took hold of Amelia by her elbows and led her back to the main tomb. She smiled warmly at her and left her
to help the Council finish with Niklaus.
Amelia held her elbows in her hands and stole quick glances behind her at the Council and Niklaus.
A few minutes later, the Council stepped forward. They parted on the stairs and turned to watch Matyas, the new
Council member from Moscow, set Niklaus on the throne. Once that was accomplished, they turned to Amelia.
"My Lady, do you wish to sleep now?" Adam asked.
Amelia looked at the Council and shook her head. "No," she replied, looking back at Niklaus. "I want to stay
awake until he rouses fully from his slumber." She walked over to the throne and sat down beside Niklaus' legs,
curling her legs underneath her. She rested her hands on his right knee and fixed her eyes on his face.
Eva smiled knowingly at her and turned to the gathered vampires. "Everyone, the Awakening ceremony has been
completed," she announced, waiting for their cheers to end before continuing. "As you can see, the Elder Niklaus
has been awakened. He is weak from his sleep and must be left in peace until he is fully restored. No one is to
enter the tomb unless they have permission from the Council. Is that clear?"
The vampires all nodded in agreement and slowly filed out of the tomb.
Eva smiled triumphantly and turned to Amelia. "We will leave you in peace now, my Lady," she told her, smiling
at the Elder.
Amelia tore her eyes from Niklaus to look up at the Council members. She smiled gently at them and nodded in
agreement with Eva's statement.
The Council members bowed their heads to her and left the room.
There was something on his hand… Something soft… and familiar… Niklaus slowly opened his eyes and looked
down at his lap. He smiled in relief as he saw the back of Amelia's head. He slowly lifted his hand from his leg
and rested it on her head, stroking her black curls lovingly.
Amelia opened her eyes the second she felt the contact, but she stayed right where she was, not wanting to distract
him yet. After a moment, she shifted slightly to get more comfortable and lifted her head to meet his eyes. She
smiled warmly at him and rested her chin on her hands.
Niklaus returned the smile, though it looked grotesque on his decayed lips, and dropped his hand from her hair to
his leg, leaning his head back on the throne and closing his eyes. He let out a shaky breath and opened his eyes
again to look down at her.
"You can rest now if you like," Amelia told him, reaching up to stroke his cheek with her hand. "I'll watch over
you."
Niklaus reached up and took her hand in his, meeting her eyes squarely.
"Don't worry," Amelia said, smiling at him. "I'll be here when you wake up again."
Niklaus smiled in relief and kissed her palm gently before setting it back on his leg. He closed his eyes again and
fell asleep almost instantly.
Amelia smiled gently at him and rested her head back on his knee to rest some more.
100 Years Later…
Amelia's icy blue eyes fluttered open, and she quickly scanned the tomb for any sign of other vampires. She
sensed someone beside her and looked to her right to see Erik propped up in an old wooden chair, her eyes
widening as she saw him. She looked up sharply as she heard the sliding doors to the tomb open, and she was met
with yet another surprise. Niklaus.
"Amelia, you're awake," Niklaus noted, walking up to her. He wordlessly went around behind her and quickly
checked the blood tubes to make sure that everything was all right. He checked Erik's tubes as well before going
back around to face Amelia. He knelt down before her and placed his hands on her knee, fixing his icy eyes on
hers.
"Niklaus, why am I awake?" Amelia asked, confused. "It's not my time to rise."
"The Council and I thought it would be best if all three Elders were awake from now on," Niklaus answered. "Or
at least until the war ends." He tenderly brushed the listless curls from her face and smiled at her before
continuing. "The war is becoming more perilous for us, and we feared for the safety of our sleeping Elders. We
felt it would be safer for all three of us if we were all awake."
Amelia stared at him in surprise for a moment before sighing in defeat. "I forgive you for this," she whispered,
leaning her head back on her throne.
"Wonderful," Niklaus said, smiling at her and standing up. He was about to leave when she spoke up again.
"Niklaus," she called.
"Yes?" he replied, turning to her.
"Stay with me?" she asked, fighting to keep her eyes open.
Niklaus smiled warmly at her and took a seat beside her throne. He laid his hands on her knee and rested his chin
against the backs of his hands. He watched her closely until she fell asleep again before closing his eyes and
allowing himself to doze off as well.
Erik stood to the left side of the throne room and pulled on his cloak. He turned to face Amelia, who sat on the
throne, and moved to sit on the armrest beside her.
Amelia promptly moved her elbows so he could sit and let him wrap his arm around her shoulders. She smiled up
at him and looked over at the doors as she heard them slide open. Her face brightened immediately, and she
rushed over toward the doors to meet Niklaus. She wrapped her arms around his neck and hugged him tightly.
Niklaus instinctively returned the embrace and buried his face in her hair, nuzzling her neck gently.
Erik glared at Niklaus and cleared his throat to get their attention.
Amelia released Niklaus and half-turned to look at her brother. She smiled at him, took Niklaus' hand, and led
him over to the throne where Erik now sat.
"Were you planning on explaining yourself or not?" Erik asked, bitterly.
"Now, Erik," Amelia scolded, smiling at him. "I'm sure Niklaus has a perfectly good explanation for everything."
Erik rolled his eyes in irritation and gave Niklaus an expectant look.
Niklaus sighed heavily before beginning his explanation. "Shortly after Amelia woke me, we received word that
the lycans had moved to a new stronghold in Hungary. We're not sure exactly where in Hungary, but we know
that it's there somewhere. I placed Mael in charge of our Death Dealers, and he's been doing a fine job. He sent
spies to the Ukrainian stronghold, and we've destroyed it. The few lycans that survived fled to Hungary.
"We had the Council re-stationed in Budapest a few years later. I urgently needed to speak with them, so I placed
Jozsef in charge of this Coven while I traveled to Budapest to speak to them. Shortly after I left L'viv, the lycans
destroyed the Coven in Nagasaki. They left no survivors. I brought the Council back here with me, and we
decided to awaken both of you."
"So, what are we planning to do now?" Erik wondered, fixing his cold eyes on Niklaus. He was suspicious of the
older vampire's motives even though he'd just explained everything.
"We were planning on having a meeting with the Council to discuss what we do next with the war," Niklaus
answered.
"That sounds like a good idea," Amelia replied, standing up. She went to Niklaus' side and took his hand in hers.
She turned back to Erik and smiled at him in exasperation. "Come on, Erik. Everything will be fine. Does it really
matter if all three of us are awake?"
Erik started to answer but decided against it and lowered his gaze to the floor.
"That's what I thought," Amelia said, nodding once in agreement with herself. "Come, Erik, Niklaus. Let's go
meet with the Council." With that, she headed upstairs to the meeting room, dragging Niklaus along by his hand
behind her.
Erik sighed in defeat and followed them upstairs.
"At that meeting, we wrote and signed our fourth set of Coven laws, which were immediately put into place.
"Shortly after that meeting, we had Mael send a troop of Death Dealers to Dresden, Germany, where the lycan
stronghold was.
"Two years after the arrival of our Dealers in Dresden, the fighting broke out. It was the first official and the
bloodiest battle of the war, the Battle of Dresden."
After five years of fighting in Dresden, the Elders had finally decided to take a look for themselves, mostly at
Amelia's insistence.
The three vampire Elders sat atop their horses on a hill overlooking the lycan stronghold. They could hear the
fighting that was only a few miles from them, and it didn't sound like it was going well for the vampires. They
had been sitting there for hours, simply listening as the battle raged on.
Amelia caught a fleeting glimpse of fleeing figures, lycans she assumed, and her horse began to back away in
fear. She leaned forward in her saddle and gently stroked the mare's smooth black neck, seeking to calm her.
When the mare was finally steady, she pressed a soft kiss to her neck and sat back in her saddle, fixing her soft,
blue-gray eyes on the lycan fortress.
Niklaus and Erik looked over at her in confusion before they both heard something in the woods behind them.
They whipped their heads around to scan the trees, but they neither saw nor smelled anything.
Just as they turned back to the stronghold, all three horses reared and threw them.
Four large lycans in full lupine form stepped out of the shadows and closed in on the Elders, snarling viciously at
them.
The Elders stood up, and Erik and Niklaus moved to protect Amelia. To their shock, Amelia pushed aside their
efforts and took a step forward.
The lycan in front of her roared at her, saliva dripping from its fangs.
Amelia was completely unfazed by this challenge and promptly hissed at the lycan, her eyes turning ice blue.
All four lycans took a threatening step closer to them, clearly not afraid of the Elders. Either they didn't know the
three were the vampire Elders, or they simply didn't care.
Amelia's fists clenched in anger, and she took a deep breath to calm herself. She saw Erik and Niklaus each take
on a lycan out of the corner of her eye, and she turned back to the remaining two, who now stood in front of her.
Both werewolves snarled at her and took yet another step closer to her, both of them thinking she was just a
helpless female.
Unfortunately for them, Amelia overheard that thought, and her rage skyrocketed. She unclenched her fists and
dropped her hands to her sides, glaring at the lycans.
One of the lycans leapt at her, and she turned her palm to it. It instantly burst into flames and fell to the ground,
writhing and screeching in pain.
The other lycan watched the flaming, flailing corpse at its feet before turning its fury on Amelia. It charged her,
only to suffer the same fate as its fallen comrade.
Amelia then turned to Erik and Niklaus and was pleased to see that the lycans were still alive. She immediately
raised her arms slightly, and both of the lycans burst into flame.
The male Elders jumped away from the smoldering bodies and turned their surprised eyes on Amelia. Through
the flames, they could see her face clearly, and their shock only grew.
Amelia's eyes were glowing ice blue as she stared down at the burning lycans at her feet, and they could see the
bloodlust in her gaze. She almost appeared to be laughing at their fates, and her fangs had grown to an abnormal
length, even for a vampire.
In a blink of her eyes, the look was gone, and she was back to normal.
"Amelia," Niklaus called, cautiously stepping closer to her. "Are you all right?"
"Yeah," Amelia agreed, holding her head in one hand. "I think I'm all right now."
Niklaus and Erik sighed in relief and smiled at her. Little did they know that they would see much more of
Amelia's frightening power in the centuries to come.
"That was the first time I'd ever actually used my strength to its full advantage. I hadn't been able to control
myself when I set those last two on fire. Though now I have no trouble controlling my urges to set things aflame, I
didn't have much knowledge or control over it back then.
"Needless to say, no more lycans attacked us that night. They could smell the smoking flesh of their fallen
comrades, and they were smart enough to stay away.
"Our horses had fled when the lycans had appeared, so we simply sat down on the grass to watch the rest of the
fight, which wasn't much.
"Shortly after I'd killed the lycans, the battle ended, and the lycan fortress went up in flames. Both Erik and
Niklaus had looked at me, thinking I'd done it.
"We watched the fortress burn until Mael and several other Death Dealers approached us with three unconscious
lycans in their grasp. They were the alpha male, his mate, and the beta male. We took them back to L'viv with us
and imprisoned them immediately, but we didn't get to their trials until two years later."
Amelia and Niklaus lay side by side in their bed, sound asleep. Niklaus' arm was draped across Amelia's waist,
holding her to his chest. His face was pressed against the back of her neck, his lips just barely touching her skin.
A sharp wail sounded from across the room, and Amelia moved to get up, but Niklaus held her down. He met her
eyes when she looked over her shoulder at him in confusion and surprise. "I'll go," he whispered into her ear,
kissing her neck lightly. He slipped out of bed and walked over to the cradle on the other side of the room,
hearing Amelia sit up in bed to watch him. He reached in and lifted the squirming infant from the bed.
Amelia watched him from her spot on the bed with soft eyes and a smile on her face.
Niklaus settled the sobbing baby against his shoulder and began to rub his back soothingly. He pressed a light kiss
to the top of his son's blonde head and turned to go back to his own bed, meeting Amelia's eyes. He smiled at her
and walked over to where she sat, resting his cheek on his baby's warm head. He eased himself down beside her
and continued to rub the baby's back to calm him down.
Amelia scooted closer to him and ran the back of her hand along the boy's round, little cheek, smiling at him.
The baby opened his clear, blue-gray eyes and looked up at Niklaus before turning his candid gaze on Amelia. He
began to cry again when he saw her and tried to get away from Niklaus.
Amelia shook her head and took her baby from her mate. She kissed the thin flesh of his forehead and settled him
in her lap. She lifted her arm to her lips and bit down into her wrist. She propped the infant up with one arm and
held her bleeding arm up to his mouth.
The baby instantly latched on to her wrist and began to suckle. He opened his crystalline eyes again and met
Amelia's gaze.
Niklaus watched Amelia feed their son for a few minutes before he gently pried her wrist from the child's mouth,
sensing that she was losing strength. He fixed his eyes on hers and put pressure on the wound, helping it close up.
When Niklaus let go of her arm, Amelia wiped the blood off her son's lips with her thumb and lifted him to her
shoulder. She settled him against her chest and began to rub his back, humming a soft tune to lull him back to
sleep.
The boy kept his eyes open and fixed on his mother's face as long as he could, fighting off the tug of sleep.
Eventually, the tug won out, and he closed his eyes. His little body fell limp against Amelia's shoulder, and his
breathing slowed and evened out, indicating that he was sound asleep again.
Amelia kissed his cheek and moved to get out of bed to put him back in his cradle.
Niklaus stopped her and gently pushed her back down by her shoulders. He smiled at her and took the infant from
her arms. He took the child over to the cradle and laid him down on his back. Covering him with the thin blue
blankets, he kissed his forehead and rested his hand on his tiny chest. "Sleep well, Sanyi," he whispered, leaving
his son to go back to Amelia.
"Shortly after Sanyi's birth, we held the trial of the leaders from Dresden that we had captured. They were found
guilty of war crimes, and they were sentenced to execution.
"Because of what I'd done to Kristof, I didn't think I could handle the execution. I had stayed inside with Eva and
Sanyi while the lycans were being killed.
"We had eleven peaceful years after that with only a few little skirmishes here and there."
Amelia hurried down the stairs and to the weapons room with Sanyi in tow. She dragged him along behind her as
she headed towards the back room. She burst through the double doors and quickly scanned the room for anyone
that could possibly help her. She spotted Mael in the storage room and sighed in relief as she rushed over to him.
"Mael," she called, stopping in front of his desk.
Mael turned around and, seeing her, dropped to one knee in respect. "Yes, my Lady?" he wondered, standing up
again.
"I have a huge favor to ask of you," Amelia said, slightly out of breath.
"I'll do what I can," Mael replied, smiling gently at her.
"This is going to seem odd," Amelia explained. "But I'm late for our meeting with the Council, and I don't know
who else to ask."
"What did you need, my Lady?" Mael prodded, slightly exasperated with her.
"Will you look after Sanyi for me until our meeting is finished?" Amelia asked, pulling Sanyi out to stand in front
of her.
"I won't be any trouble, Mr. Mael," Sanyi said, shaking his head vigorously. "Honest."
"Sure," Mael agreed, smiling at Amelia. "I don't mind watching him for a little while."
"You don't?" Amelia breathed, relief washing over her. "Oh, thank you so much, Mael." She let go of Sanyi's
hand and kissed Mael's cheek in gratitude before kneeling down before her son. "You be good for Mael. Don't
touch anything, and stay out of his way."
Sanyi nodded in agreement and smiled reassuringly at her. "I'll be good, Mom," he told her.
Amelia smiled at him and kissed his forehead gently. "Thanks again, Mael," she said, hurrying back to the
meeting room.
Mael shook his head at her as she disappeared and looked down at Sanyi.
The boy was quite small for his age. The top of his head only reached to Mael's stomach, and he was very skinny.
His blonde hair fell in tight curls to about his shoulders and was tied back into a low ponytail at the base of his
skull. His face was still round and soft with his childhood, and his small nose was dotted with a cluster of faint
freckles. He turned his large, innocent blue-gray eyes up on Mael, and he smiled slightly at him, showing his
perfect, white fangs.
Mael had only met the boy a few times but had already gotten a bit of a soft spot for him, just as all the other
vampires had. He returned the smile and ruffled Sanyi's hair affectionately. He turned away from the eleven-year-
old and walked back over to the wall that stored all the weapons.
Sanyi watched him pick up a curved katana, and his curiosity was spurred. He hesitantly walked over to where
Mael sat at the desk, and he fixed his eyes on the sword the Dealer was cleaning. "What's that called?" he asked
after a moment, pointing to the sword.
"It's called a katana," Mael answered, smiling down at the boy. "It's a Japanese samurai sword. We had them
imported from Japan when we had a Coven there. As a matter of fact, Soujiro, the Council member from Japan,
was a samurai before he was turned. He taught me Bushido."
"Bushido?" Sanyi wondered, curious.
"It's what they call swordsmanship in Japan," Mael replied.
"Cool," Sanyi breathed, fixing his amazed eyes on the shiny blade again.
Mael saw the longing look in the boy's eyes, and he stopped cleaning the sword, turning to Sanyi. "Would you
like to learn?"
"Could I?"
"Sure you can. I'm sure your mom won't mind you learning how to defend yourself. It'll give you something to do
during the day too. How does that sound to you?"
"That sounds great!"
"Good." Mael chuckled slightly at Sanyi's enthusiasm and stood up. "Why don't we go get started now?"
"Yeah!" Sanyi rushed out into the next room and stopped to wait for Mael.
"Follow me," Mael ordered, walking off toward the training area. Once there, he walked over to the wall and took
down two wooden swords. He tossed one to Sanyi and swung the other one a few times experimentally. "You
ready?"
"Uh-huh."
"Sanyi had been so excited about learning Bushido that neither Niklaus or I could tell him no. He spent about two
hours every day with Mael practicing, and I found that I was glad to see him enjoying something enough to
continue with it.
"Our fifth and final set of Coven laws was written and signed during our meeting that a few months later before
disaster struck.
"We had been in the middle of our Council meeting when Mael had interrupted us with news that the lycans had
attacked our Coven in Oxford.
"Sanyi was sad to see Mael go away to Oxford, but he had promised to train hard with Soujiro while he was gone.
"The ten year Battle of Oxford had begun. Its end proved to be a turning point in our war."
"Mother, Father, Uncle Erik!" Sanyi called, rushing into the main hall. "I want to show you something."
Amelia looked at Niklaus and her brother and shrugged, standing up from her seat. She followed Sanyi into the
training area with Niklaus and Erik at her side. She nodded to Soujiro, who stood in the middle of the room, and
sat down in the place Sanyi presented to her. "What's this all about, Sanyi?" she asked, watching him turn to join
Soujiro.
"I want to show you what I've learned," Sanyi answered, jogging over to where Soujiro stood.
Amelia glanced over at Niklaus suspiciously, but he only shrugged nonchalantly, fixing his eyes on Sanyi and
Soujiro. Erik simply smiled knowingly when she looked at him.
Sanyi and Soujiro bowed low to each other, and the former dropped to a stance.
Soujiro grinned at his opponent and placed his hands behind his head. He balanced himself on his right foot and
began to idly tap his left toes on the floor. "Here I come," he announced, taking a small jump into the air. He
landed and vanished, running top speed at Sanyi. Just before he reached the younger vampire, he reached for the
sword hanging at his side.
Sanyi responded by reaching for his own sword.
They drew at the same instant and skidded away from each other. Sanyi was still dropped to his stance, while
Soujiro knelt on one knee on the floor.
Soujiro stood up and turned to Sanyi. "You've finally learned how to counter the Shukuchi," he said, smiling.
"I'm impressed."
Sanyi didn't answer but did return Soujiro's smile. He straightened and turned to face his opponent.
They were just about to continue when the doors burst open.
The Elders stood up quickly and looked over at the doors to see who'd interrupted them.
Mael entered with Jozsef, and they both dropped to one knee before the Elders in respect.
"What are you doing here, Mael?" Niklaus asked, irritated.
"I've come to inform you that the Battle of Oxford has been won," Mael answered, smiling at the Elders.
"What happened?" Sanyi wondered, appearing beside Niklaus.
"Lukacs has been killed," Mael replied, nodding to Sanyi.
"Really?" Amelia asked, finding that hard to believe.
Jozsef stepped forward then and held out his hand to the Elders.
Niklaus took the object from his hand and carefully examined it, looking back up at Jozsef when he didn't
recognize what it was.
"It's the branded skin from Lukacs' arm," Jozsef told them, proudly.
"You killed him, Jozsef?" Sanyi asked, suspiciously. He knew that Jozsef wasn't very strong, so he didn't really
believe that he'd killed the infamous lycan leader.
"I did," Jozsef agreed, nodding to Sanyi.
"This is wonderful news!" Niklaus exclaimed, clapping Jozsef on the back. "Come with me, Jozsef." He led the
vampire regent from the room, leaving Amelia, Erik, Mael, Sanyi, and Soujiro.
Amelia gave the others a sympathetic look before following along behind them, Sanyi and Erik falling in behind
her.
"Lukacs' death was promptly announced to the entire Coven, and Niklaus rewarded Jozsef with the regent
position in Budapest.
"Lycan activity severely diminished after the announcement of Lukacs' demise, but it didn't stop entirely. It
wouldn't be until later that we would learn why.
"Thirty years after Lukacs' supposed death, Sanyi began training as a Death Dealer. He was by far the youngest of
the new recruits at fifty-one. He excelled greatly in his training and became an official Dealer in 1520.
"It would be three years later after Sanyi's first mission as a Death Dealer that Kristof's dying promise would
finally be fulfilled."
Amelia, Niklaus, and Erik stood at the base of the stairs, patiently awaiting the arrival of the Death Dealers.
Amelia held Niklaus' elbow with one hand, and she was staring at the front doors, anxiously. Niklaus and Erik
were silent beside her, watching the doors as well.
Amelia looked up at Niklaus and bit her lip lightly, mindful of her fangs. "Do you think he's okay?" she asked,
nervously.
"He'll be fine, Amelia," Niklaus answered, turning to her. He patted her hand reassuringly and smiled at her.
"He was trained well," Erik added, smiling at her as well. "He's a very good fighter. He'll be all right."
Amelia nodded mechanically and fixed her eyes on the front doors again.
A few more minutes passed before the Death Dealers arrived. They came through the front doors slowly with
Mael in the lead.
All of their heads were down which worried Amelia to no end. She released Niklaus' arm and took a small step
closer to the Dealers. "What happened, Mael?" she asked, her voice wavering.
Mael met her eyes briefly before looking back down at the floor in shame. "Sanyi…" he began, unable to bring
himself to tell her. "Sanyi…"
"What about Sanyi?" Amelia wondered, getting frightened immediately. "What happened to him? Please tell me
he's okay."
"He… he… fell…" Mael finally said, his voice tight in his sorrow. He'd been very fond of the young vampire
prince and treated him like he was one of his own.
"He fell?" Amelia repeated, her voice catching.
Mael nodded and presented a battered dog collar.
Amelia's vision blurred with tears as she reached out to touch the collar. She let out a choked sob and ran outside
into the torrenting rain, pushing the Death Dealers out of the way. She covered her mouth with one hand and held
the railing of the porch with the other for balance. After a moment of fighting her tears, she collapsed to her
knees and buried her face in her hands, sobbing freely.
Niklaus watched her for a moment before taking the collar from Mael's hand. He wiped the dirt from the tag and
read the name. Pooka. His eyes brimmed with tears as he remembered how heart-broken Sanyi had been when his
childhood pet, Pooka, had died. He had insisted on keeping the collar and had taken it everywhere with him.
"How did it happen?" he asked, knowing he would have to tell Amelia later when she wanted to know.
"We were in an alley when the lycans snuck up on us," Mael explained, keeping his eyes fixed on the floor. "He
heard them coming and pushed me out of the way just before the lycan attacked me. He in turn got stabbed in the
chest… He saved my life in exchange for his own… He died a hero if that is of any consolation to you, my Lord."
Niklaus nodded slowly and pursed his lips to hold back his tears, clutching the dog collar in his hand. "Did you
bury him?" he wondered.
"Yes," Mael answered. "We buried him under the oak tree he used to play in when he was young right by… his
dog."
Niklaus nodded in agreement with that place and looked out at Amelia. "I'd better bring her in out of the rain,"
he said, brushing past Mael to go to Amelia's side.
Erik laid a reassuring hand on Mael's shoulder and smiled gently at him when he looked up. "It's okay," he told
him, patting his shoulder lightly. "It wasn't your fault." He turned from Mael and the Dealers and went upstairs
to his room.
Niklaus stopped beside Amelia and fixed his sad eyes on her shaking form. He knelt down on the stone doorstep
and laid a gentle hand on her shoulder, smiling warmly at her when she looked up at him.
Amelia wordlessly turned and fitted herself against Niklaus' chest, sobbing into his shirt. She felt him wrap his
arms around her and lift her up into his arms, cradling her to him, but she made no protest.
Niklaus carried her back inside and upstairs to their room. He changed her into her nightgown and tucked her
into bed, kissing her forehead gently. He noticed off-handedly that her eyes were ice blue, her fangs were fully
elongated, and she didn't blink or move. He was a little worried for a split second but knew that she would be
fine.
He was in for a rude awakening in the years to come.
"I completely lost touch with the world after Sanyi's death. I didn't eat unless I was fed. I didn't move unless
someone carried me. I didn't sleep at all. My expression never changed, and I didn't acknowledge anyone who
came near me. I simply stared off into space for twenty-five years before Niklaus and Erik put me back into
slumber.
"While I slept for seventy-six years, there was not much that happened.
"We gained a Coven in the New World led by three vampires named Christopher, Robert, and Evelyn. Their
Coven laws were written different than ours and were put into immediate effect.
"The lycans also gained a fortress in the New World led by David.
"In the years that followed my awakening, quite a bit happened that affected me directly.
"The lycans killed off a squad of Death Dealers and two more Council members. I was furious and went to France
alone.
"That was the second time my powers got out of control. I helped the French Death Dealers storm the Marseille
den, and I slaughtered nearly half the lycan pack there without mercy before they were finally able to stop me.
"Seventy more years passed before we Elders decided to move from L'viv to Budapest. It was in Budapest that this
whole ordeal with Niklaus began."
Outside, the common Hungarian thunderstorm raged on. Lightning flashed and lit up the dark rooms of Hus av
Dod.
Amelia sat in a leather chair in the library with her legs curled underneath her reading a book. She looked up
sharply as she heard the front doors bang open, and she stood up, setting her book down on the table beside the
chair. She went from the library to the main hall and froze in her tracks at what she saw in the doorway.
Niklaus stood in the doorway, rainwater dripping off of him, and he was panting slightly. In his arms, he held a
slender young woman.
That young woman was what drew Amelia's attention. She was quite skinny and pale. Her breathing was ragged,
and she was shivering slightly from the cold rain, her thin nightgown clinging to her skin. Her waist-length raven
black hair dripped water and was plastered to her face and arms. Her head lolled against Niklaus' shoulder, and
Amelia could see a bloody bite mark on her neck.
Amelia's eyes widened slightly as she noticed this. No new vampire had been turned in years, and now Niklaus
brings home a pretty young girl that he'd turned just that night. She shook her head to clear her mind and hurried
to Niklaus' side. She called for assistance and quickly examined the girl in Niklaus' arms.
A moment later, a male vampire servant sauntered into the room and hurried to the Elders' aide. He took one look
at the girl in Niklaus' arms and started in shock.
"Take her upstairs," Niklaus ordered, handing the unconscious girl to the servant. "Third floor. Put her in one of
the rooms across from ours."
The servant nodded and adjusted the girl slightly in his arms. He carried her up the stairs to the third floor and
unlocked one of the rooms across from the three Elders' chambers. He took her inside and paused in indecision.
"Lay her down on the bed," Amelia told him, appearing behind him.
He nodded in agreement and did as he was told.
"Go get me some dry clothes for her, and do be quick about it," Amelia said, going to the girl's side.
"Yes, ma'am," the servant replied, leaving to carry out his orders. He came back about ten minutes later and gave
Amelia the clothes she'd asked for.
"That will be all," she said, smiling at him. "Thank you."
The servant nodded and left the room, closing the doors behind him.
Amelia turned back to the unconscious girl and tenderly brushed a strand of black hair out of her face. She sighed
heavily and hurriedly changed her into the dry clothes. She laid her back down in the bed and tucked the covers
up to her neck.
As Amelia was cleaning the blood off her neck, the girl's eyes fluttered open. She looked around the room slowly
with half-lidded eyes before her gaze landed on Amelia. "Who are you?" she asked. Her voice was soft, lilting and
carried a light British accent. "Where am I?"
"You're safe in Hus av Dod, little one," Amelia answered, pulling the stained cloth away from her neck. She met
her eyes and smiled gently at her. "I'm Amelia. What is your name?"
"Sonia," the girl answered. She watched Amelia a moment longer before her eyes slid shut, and she fell asleep
again.
"During Niklaus' reign, the vampires killed Kristof's son, Laszlo, after he tried to lead a rebellion against the
vampires in France. A lycan named Lukacs took his place as alpha, and that's when we made our first mistake.
"We underestimated Lukacs' ability to rule and fight. He led a rebellion against the vampires in L'viv and
somehow managed to defeat us. He and the surviving lycans fled to Germany, where they built yet another
stronghold.
"The lycans then began to kill random vampires on the streets whenever they saw them. I believe we lost a total of
twenty-one vampires before we retaliated.
"In late 1144, the lycans caught four of our Council members in Paris and killed them. The members were Abel,
Misao, Charles, and Sara. They were promptly replaced, but their deaths infuriated Niklaus.
"It was then that our war officially started.
"When Niklaus awakened Erik in 1150, we were on the losing side of the war. Erik sought to change that. He was
a much better strategist and warrior than Niklaus, and he believed that he could tip the scales in our favor.
"A young lieutenant from Morocco named Mael was turned by Adam in early 1220, and he brought with him new
battle strategies and better weapons. He helped us win our first battle against the lycans, and Erik appointed him
as General of our warriors.
"Twenty-five years later, Erik and Mael created an elite fighting team specifically designed to kill lycans
appropriately named the Death Dealers, and Mael was placed in charge of training them.
"That same year, the French regent, Jakob, was killed in a street brawl with the lycans. He was immediately
replaced by a younger vampire named Louis.
"When I was awoken 1250, the war was under our control. We were winning battles with the Death Dealers, and
the lycans eventually stopped attacking us so frequently."
The entire Coven gathered in the tomb and fixed their eyes on Amelia and the Council. The younger vampires
watched with wide, curious eyes, since most of them had never seen an Awakening ceremony before.
Amelia took a deep breath and rose from her seat on the throne. She raised her hands to silence the vampires and
quickly scanned their faces. "My fellow vampires and Council members," she began, lowering her hands. "As you
know, it is the year 1350, and according to the Covenant, it is time for the next Elder to rise."
A cheer rose up amongst the vampires.
"Silence!" Amelia snapped, getting the vampires' immediate cooperation and attention. "It is time for me to
awaken Niklaus." She descended the two steps that led to the lowered floor where the crypts were and went
directly to the silver crypt on the far right. Taking a deep, steadying breath, she knelt down beside the silver
cover. She placed her fingers in the tiny holes surrounding the "N" and turned the rounded plate in a complete
circle.
The vampires all watched with interest as the mechanisms of the crypt were started.
The silver cover sank into the hole and broke into four curved pieces that disappeared into the floor around the
hole. A moment later, an ornately carved Gothic-style casket rose up out of the hole.
Amelia turned the casket down onto its side on the silver posts that supported it. She went to the head of the
coffin and looked in at decaying corpse of Niklaus. She pursed her lips and pressed the small button on the side of
the casket, watching the bar move from his chest to his mouth. She lifted her arm to her mouth, pushed her sleeve
back, and bit down into her wrist. She positioned her bleeding arm over the funnel-like opening in the bar and let
her blood drain into Niklaus' open mouth.
The blood coursed through all of his body and began to rejuvenate the long-dead cells. Memories flashed through
his mind, Amelia's memories, memories of what had happened over the past two hundred years that he had
missed.
Amelia wiped the blood from her lips and put pressure on her wrist to help the already healing wound close up.
She motioned for the Council to step forward, and she backed away, indicating that her part of the Awakening
ceremony was over.
The Council members took Niklaus' casket from the posts that supported it and carried it to the room behind the
throne. They set it down on the stone table right behind the throne, removing it from the other vampires' view.
Soujiro, the new Council member from Nagasaki, went to the closet to get Niklaus' clothes. When he came back,
he found Amelia standing at the head of Niklaus' casket. He shook his head at the longing look in her eyes and
laid the cloak over the lower half of the coffin. He looked over at Eva and nodded to Amelia.
Eva nodded in agreement and went to the older female's side. She touched her shoulder gently and smiled at her
when she looked up at her. "My Lady, would you kindly leave us to our work?" she asked, sweetly.
Amelia studied her for a moment before nodding in agreement.
Eva took hold of Amelia by her elbows and led her back to the main tomb. She smiled warmly at her and left her
to help the Council finish with Niklaus.
Amelia held her elbows in her hands and stole quick glances behind her at the Council and Niklaus.
A few minutes later, the Council stepped forward. They parted on the stairs and turned to watch Matyas, the new
Council member from Moscow, set Niklaus on the throne. Once that was accomplished, they turned to Amelia.
"My Lady, do you wish to sleep now?" Adam asked.
Amelia looked at the Council and shook her head. "No," she replied, looking back at Niklaus. "I want to stay
awake until he rouses fully from his slumber." She walked over to the throne and sat down beside Niklaus' legs,
curling her legs underneath her. She rested her hands on his right knee and fixed her eyes on his face.
Eva smiled knowingly at her and turned to the gathered vampires. "Everyone, the Awakening ceremony has been
completed," she announced, waiting for their cheers to end before continuing. "As you can see, the Elder Niklaus
has been awakened. He is weak from his sleep and must be left in peace until he is fully restored. No one is to
enter the tomb unless they have permission from the Council. Is that clear?"
The vampires all nodded in agreement and slowly filed out of the tomb.
Eva smiled triumphantly and turned to Amelia. "We will leave you in peace now, my Lady," she told her, smiling
at the Elder.
Amelia tore her eyes from Niklaus to look up at the Council members. She smiled gently at them and nodded in
agreement with Eva's statement.
The Council members bowed their heads to her and left the room.
There was something on his hand… Something soft… and familiar… Niklaus slowly opened his eyes and looked
down at his lap. He smiled in relief as he saw the back of Amelia's head. He slowly lifted his hand from his leg
and rested it on her head, stroking her black curls lovingly.
Amelia opened her eyes the second she felt the contact, but she stayed right where she was, not wanting to distract
him yet. After a moment, she shifted slightly to get more comfortable and lifted her head to meet his eyes. She
smiled warmly at him and rested her chin on her hands.
Niklaus returned the smile, though it looked grotesque on his decayed lips, and dropped his hand from her hair to
his leg, leaning his head back on the throne and closing his eyes. He let out a shaky breath and opened his eyes
again to look down at her.
"You can rest now if you like," Amelia told him, reaching up to stroke his cheek with her hand. "I'll watch over
you."
Niklaus reached up and took her hand in his, meeting her eyes squarely.
"Don't worry," Amelia said, smiling at him. "I'll be here when you wake up again."
Niklaus smiled in relief and kissed her palm gently before setting it back on his leg. He closed his eyes again and
fell asleep almost instantly.
Amelia smiled gently at him and rested her head back on his knee to rest some more.
100 Years Later…
Amelia's icy blue eyes fluttered open, and she quickly scanned the tomb for any sign of other vampires. She
sensed someone beside her and looked to her right to see Erik propped up in an old wooden chair, her eyes
widening as she saw him. She looked up sharply as she heard the sliding doors to the tomb open, and she was met
with yet another surprise. Niklaus.
"Amelia, you're awake," Niklaus noted, walking up to her. He wordlessly went around behind her and quickly
checked the blood tubes to make sure that everything was all right. He checked Erik's tubes as well before going
back around to face Amelia. He knelt down before her and placed his hands on her knee, fixing his icy eyes on
hers.
"Niklaus, why am I awake?" Amelia asked, confused. "It's not my time to rise."
"The Council and I thought it would be best if all three Elders were awake from now on," Niklaus answered. "Or
at least until the war ends." He tenderly brushed the listless curls from her face and smiled at her before
continuing. "The war is becoming more perilous for us, and we feared for the safety of our sleeping Elders. We
felt it would be safer for all three of us if we were all awake."
Amelia stared at him in surprise for a moment before sighing in defeat. "I forgive you for this," she whispered,
leaning her head back on her throne.
"Wonderful," Niklaus said, smiling at her and standing up. He was about to leave when she spoke up again.
"Niklaus," she called.
"Yes?" he replied, turning to her.
"Stay with me?" she asked, fighting to keep her eyes open.
Niklaus smiled warmly at her and took a seat beside her throne. He laid his hands on her knee and rested his chin
against the backs of his hands. He watched her closely until she fell asleep again before closing his eyes and
allowing himself to doze off as well.
Erik stood to the left side of the throne room and pulled on his cloak. He turned to face Amelia, who sat on the
throne, and moved to sit on the armrest beside her.
Amelia promptly moved her elbows so he could sit and let him wrap his arm around her shoulders. She smiled up
at him and looked over at the doors as she heard them slide open. Her face brightened immediately, and she
rushed over toward the doors to meet Niklaus. She wrapped her arms around his neck and hugged him tightly.
Niklaus instinctively returned the embrace and buried his face in her hair, nuzzling her neck gently.
Erik glared at Niklaus and cleared his throat to get their attention.
Amelia released Niklaus and half-turned to look at her brother. She smiled at him, took Niklaus' hand, and led
him over to the throne where Erik now sat.
"Were you planning on explaining yourself or not?" Erik asked, bitterly.
"Now, Erik," Amelia scolded, smiling at him. "I'm sure Niklaus has a perfectly good explanation for everything."
Erik rolled his eyes in irritation and gave Niklaus an expectant look.
Niklaus sighed heavily before beginning his explanation. "Shortly after Amelia woke me, we received word that
the lycans had moved to a new stronghold in Hungary. We're not sure exactly where in Hungary, but we know
that it's there somewhere. I placed Mael in charge of our Death Dealers, and he's been doing a fine job. He sent
spies to the Ukrainian stronghold, and we've destroyed it. The few lycans that survived fled to Hungary.
"We had the Council re-stationed in Budapest a few years later. I urgently needed to speak with them, so I placed
Jozsef in charge of this Coven while I traveled to Budapest to speak to them. Shortly after I left L'viv, the lycans
destroyed the Coven in Nagasaki. They left no survivors. I brought the Council back here with me, and we
decided to awaken both of you."
"So, what are we planning to do now?" Erik wondered, fixing his cold eyes on Niklaus. He was suspicious of the
older vampire's motives even though he'd just explained everything.
"We were planning on having a meeting with the Council to discuss what we do next with the war," Niklaus
answered.
"That sounds like a good idea," Amelia replied, standing up. She went to Niklaus' side and took his hand in hers.
She turned back to Erik and smiled at him in exasperation. "Come on, Erik. Everything will be fine. Does it really
matter if all three of us are awake?"
Erik started to answer but decided against it and lowered his gaze to the floor.
"That's what I thought," Amelia said, nodding once in agreement with herself. "Come, Erik, Niklaus. Let's go
meet with the Council." With that, she headed upstairs to the meeting room, dragging Niklaus along by his hand
behind her.
Erik sighed in defeat and followed them upstairs.
"At that meeting, we wrote and signed our fourth set of Coven laws, which were immediately put into place.
"Shortly after that meeting, we had Mael send a troop of Death Dealers to Dresden, Germany, where the lycan
stronghold was.
"Two years after the arrival of our Dealers in Dresden, the fighting broke out. It was the first official and the
bloodiest battle of the war, the Battle of Dresden."
After five years of fighting in Dresden, the Elders had finally decided to take a look for themselves, mostly at
Amelia's insistence.
The three vampire Elders sat atop their horses on a hill overlooking the lycan stronghold. They could hear the
fighting that was only a few miles from them, and it didn't sound like it was going well for the vampires. They
had been sitting there for hours, simply listening as the battle raged on.
Amelia caught a fleeting glimpse of fleeing figures, lycans she assumed, and her horse began to back away in
fear. She leaned forward in her saddle and gently stroked the mare's smooth black neck, seeking to calm her.
When the mare was finally steady, she pressed a soft kiss to her neck and sat back in her saddle, fixing her soft,
blue-gray eyes on the lycan fortress.
Niklaus and Erik looked over at her in confusion before they both heard something in the woods behind them.
They whipped their heads around to scan the trees, but they neither saw nor smelled anything.
Just as they turned back to the stronghold, all three horses reared and threw them.
Four large lycans in full lupine form stepped out of the shadows and closed in on the Elders, snarling viciously at
them.
The Elders stood up, and Erik and Niklaus moved to protect Amelia. To their shock, Amelia pushed aside their
efforts and took a step forward.
The lycan in front of her roared at her, saliva dripping from its fangs.
Amelia was completely unfazed by this challenge and promptly hissed at the lycan, her eyes turning ice blue.
All four lycans took a threatening step closer to them, clearly not afraid of the Elders. Either they didn't know the
three were the vampire Elders, or they simply didn't care.
Amelia's fists clenched in anger, and she took a deep breath to calm herself. She saw Erik and Niklaus each take
on a lycan out of the corner of her eye, and she turned back to the remaining two, who now stood in front of her.
Both werewolves snarled at her and took yet another step closer to her, both of them thinking she was just a
helpless female.
Unfortunately for them, Amelia overheard that thought, and her rage skyrocketed. She unclenched her fists and
dropped her hands to her sides, glaring at the lycans.
One of the lycans leapt at her, and she turned her palm to it. It instantly burst into flames and fell to the ground,
writhing and screeching in pain.
The other lycan watched the flaming, flailing corpse at its feet before turning its fury on Amelia. It charged her,
only to suffer the same fate as its fallen comrade.
Amelia then turned to Erik and Niklaus and was pleased to see that the lycans were still alive. She immediately
raised her arms slightly, and both of the lycans burst into flame.
The male Elders jumped away from the smoldering bodies and turned their surprised eyes on Amelia. Through
the flames, they could see her face clearly, and their shock only grew.
Amelia's eyes were glowing ice blue as she stared down at the burning lycans at her feet, and they could see the
bloodlust in her gaze. She almost appeared to be laughing at their fates, and her fangs had grown to an abnormal
length, even for a vampire.
In a blink of her eyes, the look was gone, and she was back to normal.
"Amelia," Niklaus called, cautiously stepping closer to her. "Are you all right?"
"Yeah," Amelia agreed, holding her head in one hand. "I think I'm all right now."
Niklaus and Erik sighed in relief and smiled at her. Little did they know that they would see much more of
Amelia's frightening power in the centuries to come.
"That was the first time I'd ever actually used my strength to its full advantage. I hadn't been able to control
myself when I set those last two on fire. Though now I have no trouble controlling my urges to set things aflame, I
didn't have much knowledge or control over it back then.
"Needless to say, no more lycans attacked us that night. They could smell the smoking flesh of their fallen
comrades, and they were smart enough to stay away.
"Our horses had fled when the lycans had appeared, so we simply sat down on the grass to watch the rest of the
fight, which wasn't much.
"Shortly after I'd killed the lycans, the battle ended, and the lycan fortress went up in flames. Both Erik and
Niklaus had looked at me, thinking I'd done it.
"We watched the fortress burn until Mael and several other Death Dealers approached us with three unconscious
lycans in their grasp. They were the alpha male, his mate, and the beta male. We took them back to L'viv with us
and imprisoned them immediately, but we didn't get to their trials until two years later."
Amelia and Niklaus lay side by side in their bed, sound asleep. Niklaus' arm was draped across Amelia's waist,
holding her to his chest. His face was pressed against the back of her neck, his lips just barely touching her skin.
A sharp wail sounded from across the room, and Amelia moved to get up, but Niklaus held her down. He met her
eyes when she looked over her shoulder at him in confusion and surprise. "I'll go," he whispered into her ear,
kissing her neck lightly. He slipped out of bed and walked over to the cradle on the other side of the room,
hearing Amelia sit up in bed to watch him. He reached in and lifted the squirming infant from the bed.
Amelia watched him from her spot on the bed with soft eyes and a smile on her face.
Niklaus settled the sobbing baby against his shoulder and began to rub his back soothingly. He pressed a light kiss
to the top of his son's blonde head and turned to go back to his own bed, meeting Amelia's eyes. He smiled at her
and walked over to where she sat, resting his cheek on his baby's warm head. He eased himself down beside her
and continued to rub the baby's back to calm him down.
Amelia scooted closer to him and ran the back of her hand along the boy's round, little cheek, smiling at him.
The baby opened his clear, blue-gray eyes and looked up at Niklaus before turning his candid gaze on Amelia. He
began to cry again when he saw her and tried to get away from Niklaus.
Amelia shook her head and took her baby from her mate. She kissed the thin flesh of his forehead and settled him
in her lap. She lifted her arm to her lips and bit down into her wrist. She propped the infant up with one arm and
held her bleeding arm up to his mouth.
The baby instantly latched on to her wrist and began to suckle. He opened his crystalline eyes again and met
Amelia's gaze.
Niklaus watched Amelia feed their son for a few minutes before he gently pried her wrist from the child's mouth,
sensing that she was losing strength. He fixed his eyes on hers and put pressure on the wound, helping it close up.
When Niklaus let go of her arm, Amelia wiped the blood off her son's lips with her thumb and lifted him to her
shoulder. She settled him against her chest and began to rub his back, humming a soft tune to lull him back to
sleep.
The boy kept his eyes open and fixed on his mother's face as long as he could, fighting off the tug of sleep.
Eventually, the tug won out, and he closed his eyes. His little body fell limp against Amelia's shoulder, and his
breathing slowed and evened out, indicating that he was sound asleep again.
Amelia kissed his cheek and moved to get out of bed to put him back in his cradle.
Niklaus stopped her and gently pushed her back down by her shoulders. He smiled at her and took the infant from
her arms. He took the child over to the cradle and laid him down on his back. Covering him with the thin blue
blankets, he kissed his forehead and rested his hand on his tiny chest. "Sleep well, Sanyi," he whispered, leaving
his son to go back to Amelia.
"Shortly after Sanyi's birth, we held the trial of the leaders from Dresden that we had captured. They were found
guilty of war crimes, and they were sentenced to execution.
"Because of what I'd done to Kristof, I didn't think I could handle the execution. I had stayed inside with Eva and
Sanyi while the lycans were being killed.
"We had eleven peaceful years after that with only a few little skirmishes here and there."
Amelia hurried down the stairs and to the weapons room with Sanyi in tow. She dragged him along behind her as
she headed towards the back room. She burst through the double doors and quickly scanned the room for anyone
that could possibly help her. She spotted Mael in the storage room and sighed in relief as she rushed over to him.
"Mael," she called, stopping in front of his desk.
Mael turned around and, seeing her, dropped to one knee in respect. "Yes, my Lady?" he wondered, standing up
again.
"I have a huge favor to ask of you," Amelia said, slightly out of breath.
"I'll do what I can," Mael replied, smiling gently at her.
"This is going to seem odd," Amelia explained. "But I'm late for our meeting with the Council, and I don't know
who else to ask."
"What did you need, my Lady?" Mael prodded, slightly exasperated with her.
"Will you look after Sanyi for me until our meeting is finished?" Amelia asked, pulling Sanyi out to stand in front
of her.
"I won't be any trouble, Mr. Mael," Sanyi said, shaking his head vigorously. "Honest."
"Sure," Mael agreed, smiling at Amelia. "I don't mind watching him for a little while."
"You don't?" Amelia breathed, relief washing over her. "Oh, thank you so much, Mael." She let go of Sanyi's
hand and kissed Mael's cheek in gratitude before kneeling down before her son. "You be good for Mael. Don't
touch anything, and stay out of his way."
Sanyi nodded in agreement and smiled reassuringly at her. "I'll be good, Mom," he told her.
Amelia smiled at him and kissed his forehead gently. "Thanks again, Mael," she said, hurrying back to the
meeting room.
Mael shook his head at her as she disappeared and looked down at Sanyi.
The boy was quite small for his age. The top of his head only reached to Mael's stomach, and he was very skinny.
His blonde hair fell in tight curls to about his shoulders and was tied back into a low ponytail at the base of his
skull. His face was still round and soft with his childhood, and his small nose was dotted with a cluster of faint
freckles. He turned his large, innocent blue-gray eyes up on Mael, and he smiled slightly at him, showing his
perfect, white fangs.
Mael had only met the boy a few times but had already gotten a bit of a soft spot for him, just as all the other
vampires had. He returned the smile and ruffled Sanyi's hair affectionately. He turned away from the eleven-year-
old and walked back over to the wall that stored all the weapons.
Sanyi watched him pick up a curved katana, and his curiosity was spurred. He hesitantly walked over to where
Mael sat at the desk, and he fixed his eyes on the sword the Dealer was cleaning. "What's that called?" he asked
after a moment, pointing to the sword.
"It's called a katana," Mael answered, smiling down at the boy. "It's a Japanese samurai sword. We had them
imported from Japan when we had a Coven there. As a matter of fact, Soujiro, the Council member from Japan,
was a samurai before he was turned. He taught me Bushido."
"Bushido?" Sanyi wondered, curious.
"It's what they call swordsmanship in Japan," Mael replied.
"Cool," Sanyi breathed, fixing his amazed eyes on the shiny blade again.
Mael saw the longing look in the boy's eyes, and he stopped cleaning the sword, turning to Sanyi. "Would you
like to learn?"
"Could I?"
"Sure you can. I'm sure your mom won't mind you learning how to defend yourself. It'll give you something to do
during the day too. How does that sound to you?"
"That sounds great!"
"Good." Mael chuckled slightly at Sanyi's enthusiasm and stood up. "Why don't we go get started now?"
"Yeah!" Sanyi rushed out into the next room and stopped to wait for Mael.
"Follow me," Mael ordered, walking off toward the training area. Once there, he walked over to the wall and took
down two wooden swords. He tossed one to Sanyi and swung the other one a few times experimentally. "You
ready?"
"Uh-huh."
"Sanyi had been so excited about learning Bushido that neither Niklaus or I could tell him no. He spent about two
hours every day with Mael practicing, and I found that I was glad to see him enjoying something enough to
continue with it.
"Our fifth and final set of Coven laws was written and signed during our meeting that a few months later before
disaster struck.
"We had been in the middle of our Council meeting when Mael had interrupted us with news that the lycans had
attacked our Coven in Oxford.
"Sanyi was sad to see Mael go away to Oxford, but he had promised to train hard with Soujiro while he was gone.
"The ten year Battle of Oxford had begun. Its end proved to be a turning point in our war."
"Mother, Father, Uncle Erik!" Sanyi called, rushing into the main hall. "I want to show you something."
Amelia looked at Niklaus and her brother and shrugged, standing up from her seat. She followed Sanyi into the
training area with Niklaus and Erik at her side. She nodded to Soujiro, who stood in the middle of the room, and
sat down in the place Sanyi presented to her. "What's this all about, Sanyi?" she asked, watching him turn to join
Soujiro.
"I want to show you what I've learned," Sanyi answered, jogging over to where Soujiro stood.
Amelia glanced over at Niklaus suspiciously, but he only shrugged nonchalantly, fixing his eyes on Sanyi and
Soujiro. Erik simply smiled knowingly when she looked at him.
Sanyi and Soujiro bowed low to each other, and the former dropped to a stance.
Soujiro grinned at his opponent and placed his hands behind his head. He balanced himself on his right foot and
began to idly tap his left toes on the floor. "Here I come," he announced, taking a small jump into the air. He
landed and vanished, running top speed at Sanyi. Just before he reached the younger vampire, he reached for the
sword hanging at his side.
Sanyi responded by reaching for his own sword.
They drew at the same instant and skidded away from each other. Sanyi was still dropped to his stance, while
Soujiro knelt on one knee on the floor.
Soujiro stood up and turned to Sanyi. "You've finally learned how to counter the Shukuchi," he said, smiling.
"I'm impressed."
Sanyi didn't answer but did return Soujiro's smile. He straightened and turned to face his opponent.
They were just about to continue when the doors burst open.
The Elders stood up quickly and looked over at the doors to see who'd interrupted them.
Mael entered with Jozsef, and they both dropped to one knee before the Elders in respect.
"What are you doing here, Mael?" Niklaus asked, irritated.
"I've come to inform you that the Battle of Oxford has been won," Mael answered, smiling at the Elders.
"What happened?" Sanyi wondered, appearing beside Niklaus.
"Lukacs has been killed," Mael replied, nodding to Sanyi.
"Really?" Amelia asked, finding that hard to believe.
Jozsef stepped forward then and held out his hand to the Elders.
Niklaus took the object from his hand and carefully examined it, looking back up at Jozsef when he didn't
recognize what it was.
"It's the branded skin from Lukacs' arm," Jozsef told them, proudly.
"You killed him, Jozsef?" Sanyi asked, suspiciously. He knew that Jozsef wasn't very strong, so he didn't really
believe that he'd killed the infamous lycan leader.
"I did," Jozsef agreed, nodding to Sanyi.
"This is wonderful news!" Niklaus exclaimed, clapping Jozsef on the back. "Come with me, Jozsef." He led the
vampire regent from the room, leaving Amelia, Erik, Mael, Sanyi, and Soujiro.
Amelia gave the others a sympathetic look before following along behind them, Sanyi and Erik falling in behind
her.
"Lukacs' death was promptly announced to the entire Coven, and Niklaus rewarded Jozsef with the regent
position in Budapest.
"Lycan activity severely diminished after the announcement of Lukacs' demise, but it didn't stop entirely. It
wouldn't be until later that we would learn why.
"Thirty years after Lukacs' supposed death, Sanyi began training as a Death Dealer. He was by far the youngest of
the new recruits at fifty-one. He excelled greatly in his training and became an official Dealer in 1520.
"It would be three years later after Sanyi's first mission as a Death Dealer that Kristof's dying promise would
finally be fulfilled."
Amelia, Niklaus, and Erik stood at the base of the stairs, patiently awaiting the arrival of the Death Dealers.
Amelia held Niklaus' elbow with one hand, and she was staring at the front doors, anxiously. Niklaus and Erik
were silent beside her, watching the doors as well.
Amelia looked up at Niklaus and bit her lip lightly, mindful of her fangs. "Do you think he's okay?" she asked,
nervously.
"He'll be fine, Amelia," Niklaus answered, turning to her. He patted her hand reassuringly and smiled at her.
"He was trained well," Erik added, smiling at her as well. "He's a very good fighter. He'll be all right."
Amelia nodded mechanically and fixed her eyes on the front doors again.
A few more minutes passed before the Death Dealers arrived. They came through the front doors slowly with
Mael in the lead.
All of their heads were down which worried Amelia to no end. She released Niklaus' arm and took a small step
closer to the Dealers. "What happened, Mael?" she asked, her voice wavering.
Mael met her eyes briefly before looking back down at the floor in shame. "Sanyi…" he began, unable to bring
himself to tell her. "Sanyi…"
"What about Sanyi?" Amelia wondered, getting frightened immediately. "What happened to him? Please tell me
he's okay."
"He… he… fell…" Mael finally said, his voice tight in his sorrow. He'd been very fond of the young vampire
prince and treated him like he was one of his own.
"He fell?" Amelia repeated, her voice catching.
Mael nodded and presented a battered dog collar.
Amelia's vision blurred with tears as she reached out to touch the collar. She let out a choked sob and ran outside
into the torrenting rain, pushing the Death Dealers out of the way. She covered her mouth with one hand and held
the railing of the porch with the other for balance. After a moment of fighting her tears, she collapsed to her
knees and buried her face in her hands, sobbing freely.
Niklaus watched her for a moment before taking the collar from Mael's hand. He wiped the dirt from the tag and
read the name. Pooka. His eyes brimmed with tears as he remembered how heart-broken Sanyi had been when his
childhood pet, Pooka, had died. He had insisted on keeping the collar and had taken it everywhere with him.
"How did it happen?" he asked, knowing he would have to tell Amelia later when she wanted to know.
"We were in an alley when the lycans snuck up on us," Mael explained, keeping his eyes fixed on the floor. "He
heard them coming and pushed me out of the way just before the lycan attacked me. He in turn got stabbed in the
chest… He saved my life in exchange for his own… He died a hero if that is of any consolation to you, my Lord."
Niklaus nodded slowly and pursed his lips to hold back his tears, clutching the dog collar in his hand. "Did you
bury him?" he wondered.
"Yes," Mael answered. "We buried him under the oak tree he used to play in when he was young right by… his
dog."
Niklaus nodded in agreement with that place and looked out at Amelia. "I'd better bring her in out of the rain,"
he said, brushing past Mael to go to Amelia's side.
Erik laid a reassuring hand on Mael's shoulder and smiled gently at him when he looked up. "It's okay," he told
him, patting his shoulder lightly. "It wasn't your fault." He turned from Mael and the Dealers and went upstairs
to his room.
Niklaus stopped beside Amelia and fixed his sad eyes on her shaking form. He knelt down on the stone doorstep
and laid a gentle hand on her shoulder, smiling warmly at her when she looked up at him.
Amelia wordlessly turned and fitted herself against Niklaus' chest, sobbing into his shirt. She felt him wrap his
arms around her and lift her up into his arms, cradling her to him, but she made no protest.
Niklaus carried her back inside and upstairs to their room. He changed her into her nightgown and tucked her
into bed, kissing her forehead gently. He noticed off-handedly that her eyes were ice blue, her fangs were fully
elongated, and she didn't blink or move. He was a little worried for a split second but knew that she would be
fine.
He was in for a rude awakening in the years to come.
"I completely lost touch with the world after Sanyi's death. I didn't eat unless I was fed. I didn't move unless
someone carried me. I didn't sleep at all. My expression never changed, and I didn't acknowledge anyone who
came near me. I simply stared off into space for twenty-five years before Niklaus and Erik put me back into
slumber.
"While I slept for seventy-six years, there was not much that happened.
"We gained a Coven in the New World led by three vampires named Christopher, Robert, and Evelyn. Their
Coven laws were written different than ours and were put into immediate effect.
"The lycans also gained a fortress in the New World led by David.
"In the years that followed my awakening, quite a bit happened that affected me directly.
"The lycans killed off a squad of Death Dealers and two more Council members. I was furious and went to France
alone.
"That was the second time my powers got out of control. I helped the French Death Dealers storm the Marseille
den, and I slaughtered nearly half the lycan pack there without mercy before they were finally able to stop me.
"Seventy more years passed before we Elders decided to move from L'viv to Budapest. It was in Budapest that this
whole ordeal with Niklaus began."
Outside, the common Hungarian thunderstorm raged on. Lightning flashed and lit up the dark rooms of Hus av
Dod.
Amelia sat in a leather chair in the library with her legs curled underneath her reading a book. She looked up
sharply as she heard the front doors bang open, and she stood up, setting her book down on the table beside the
chair. She went from the library to the main hall and froze in her tracks at what she saw in the doorway.
Niklaus stood in the doorway, rainwater dripping off of him, and he was panting slightly. In his arms, he held a
slender young woman.
That young woman was what drew Amelia's attention. She was quite skinny and pale. Her breathing was ragged,
and she was shivering slightly from the cold rain, her thin nightgown clinging to her skin. Her waist-length raven
black hair dripped water and was plastered to her face and arms. Her head lolled against Niklaus' shoulder, and
Amelia could see a bloody bite mark on her neck.
Amelia's eyes widened slightly as she noticed this. No new vampire had been turned in years, and now Niklaus
brings home a pretty young girl that he'd turned just that night. She shook her head to clear her mind and hurried
to Niklaus' side. She called for assistance and quickly examined the girl in Niklaus' arms.
A moment later, a male vampire servant sauntered into the room and hurried to the Elders' aide. He took one look
at the girl in Niklaus' arms and started in shock.
"Take her upstairs," Niklaus ordered, handing the unconscious girl to the servant. "Third floor. Put her in one of
the rooms across from ours."
The servant nodded and adjusted the girl slightly in his arms. He carried her up the stairs to the third floor and
unlocked one of the rooms across from the three Elders' chambers. He took her inside and paused in indecision.
"Lay her down on the bed," Amelia told him, appearing behind him.
He nodded in agreement and did as he was told.
"Go get me some dry clothes for her, and do be quick about it," Amelia said, going to the girl's side.
"Yes, ma'am," the servant replied, leaving to carry out his orders. He came back about ten minutes later and gave
Amelia the clothes she'd asked for.
"That will be all," she said, smiling at him. "Thank you."
The servant nodded and left the room, closing the doors behind him.
Amelia turned back to the unconscious girl and tenderly brushed a strand of black hair out of her face. She sighed
heavily and hurriedly changed her into the dry clothes. She laid her back down in the bed and tucked the covers
up to her neck.
As Amelia was cleaning the blood off her neck, the girl's eyes fluttered open. She looked around the room slowly
with half-lidded eyes before her gaze landed on Amelia. "Who are you?" she asked. Her voice was soft, lilting and
carried a light British accent. "Where am I?"
"You're safe in Hus av Dod, little one," Amelia answered, pulling the stained cloth away from her neck. She met
her eyes and smiled gently at her. "I'm Amelia. What is your name?"
"Sonia," the girl answered. She watched Amelia a moment longer before her eyes slid shut, and she fell asleep
again.