Disclaimer: I own nothing. The characters belong to Joss, and the WB, the actors to themselves.
A/N: Hope this makes up for my absence -
Today I am twenty-three. And life has fallen back into a familiar pattern. We often travel, and I am almost always with my Father. I am now considered somewhat of a man. Tonight I am to be turned.
Am I frightened? I suppose a bit. Who isn't afraid of their life ending, really? I realize I will never be able to walk in the sun again, and I will have to start drinking blood. We are in Ireland once more. I remember sitting on this very bed when I was sixteen. Thinking about how I would ever fill my Father's place.
I still wonder that sometimes. I have gone to his meetings now, though, and while I do not think I will ever be ready to rule, I have discovered I can be a leader when I must. Experience has proven that.
And then there is a knock at my door. I am surprised to see it is my Mother, not my Father. It is still to early for the ceremony to start, however, so I suppose it's not a formal business.
"Mother." I say in greeting, bowing. She walks in as I step aside. She wears a dark red satin gown for tonight, doted by tiny sparkling diamonds on the delicate material. Her hair is simple, flowing down in waves.
She looks at me for a moment, in my clothes. I wear a black shirt with a loose collar, and black pants. She smiles proudly, then sobers.
"Connor, there is something I must speak with you about before tonight's ceremony." She says, then she looks at the small chamber I have that holds cushioned chairs, and walks toward it, I following.
She takes a seat, spreading her gown, and I sit across from her. "Connor, you know that when a human is turned,"
"-They loose there souls."
"Yes, correct." She said gravely. "But neither your Father, nor I, nor the seers can foretell what is to come with you." She smiled bitterly. "You have always been a favored child of the fates, that they mask you from us. But one thing is clear: you are meant for great things."
A moment of silence passed between us, as she took a moment. "I know that me and your Father have tried to prepare you as much as possible for this transition. But we... I understand how hard it can be if you maintain your soul." Connor nodded, unsure. "Without a soul, we may not feel... the same towards certain people. People we thought we... loved, or cared about, may cease to matter."
"Mother, I will always respect you, and Father..."
"No, darling, that's not what I'm talking about." And I was, for the first time with my Mother, truly confused. "We have... trained you, prepared you enough to know that you will remain loyal to this court, we know you enough. But... Dawn"
"-Dawn has nothing to do with this." I said coldly. I didn't wish for it to come out that harsh. It had been hard not knowing whether Dawn was alive, dead, or in between all these years. But life at court had kept me tied down here, my duties would not permit me to go.
"Wrong. Privately, Angelus has been doing some backround research on the girl. Aside from being a slayer's sister, she's something known as the key." I looked at my mother now, attentive. She had caught my ears. "About eight years ago, she didn't even exist. She had a god after her, but they were defeated by her sister. The key to all dimensions, Connor, she is herself a centuries old ball of eternal energy. Enough to end this world, to end anything in it. She is a liability to this court."
"And you and Father want to... kill her?" I asked warily.
"He is willing to let you make your decision. Because what ever you decide affects this court."
"Mother, I haven't seen her, spoken to her, I don't even know if she is alive."
"She is." And at that, she rose. I rose to meet her.
"How do you know? When?" I was asking her as she walked towards the door without turning.
When it opened for her, she turned. "She's in the dungeons, Connor. You are permitted to see her before tonight. She's unconscious at the moment. No spells have been put on her, she's only wearing magic resistant chains. Only so she won't escape. She just arrived this afternoon, catching us off guard. She was pretty fast, and strong. And very determined. I know your history with her, so I guess she trusts you. What ever you wish, Connor, it's up to you." And with that, mother was gone, and I was rushing down the stairs.
I reached the dungeons speedily. As soon as the guard opened the steel door, I could smell her scent, along with some other rotted ones.
I remember as a small boy, I would hear my Father sentence people to time in the dungeons before their real sentence. The dungeons was where people were tortured. Sometimes my acute hearing would pick up the screaming, moaning yells, and I would have trouble sleeping. I told my parents this once. While my Father told me not to be weak, my Mother had them place steel soundproof doors. She told my Father it bothered her as well, and she was not as sadistic as he was. I wasn't supposed to hear that part, but I was, once again, a small curious boy.
I followed the maze of passages past bars of prisoners, half rotting, starving, weak little creatures. And then I came upon her.
Her cell was empty save for a hard wooden bench, which she sat on, and dirty water. The ground was dirty, caked with mud, and other things that smelled to repugnant to get a better look at. As soon as she saw me, she rushed to the bars, to meet me.
"Connor, you came!" She said, there was relief in her eyes that touched me. She took my hands. I couldn't speak I found, and she saw this, so she rushed out, "I had a vision of you being turned into a vampire, and I suddenly woke up from my coma. I rushed home for weapons, changed, and came here to rescue you. Oh, and I found your note." She said, grinning, holding it out as if she wasn't in a dirty prison.
I looked at her confused, then remembered: I had never been able to truly explain who I was to her. She had gone into coma, I had left to learn the ways of my Father. My relief and happiness at seeing her alive shattered. My smile left my face, and I felt my lips move to a straight line. I removed her hands from mine, and stepped away.
"Dawn, there's something we need to talk about... something you should know about me." Her grin fell as well. Her eyes looked worried. "I just need you to listen, Dawn. Okay? Just listen." She could only nod.
"My name is Connor. My father is... Angelus, and my mother is Buffy summers." I knew she would know the names. Her eyes widened in recognition of a famous slayer's name, and she gasped loudly. She began to step away from the bars, shaking her head. I maintained my voice level. "All my life, I have been trained to rule in my Father's place. You saw me being turned... tonight I am to be." Her eyes were watering. "I didn't mean to lie to you, Dawn. I meant to tell you... but then you fell into a coma, and I had to leave. Do you remember the demon, Sajahn?" She nodded absently. "The prophesy stated that I would defeat it." Now I was raising my voice a bit, because she was sitting on the bench, covering her ears, whimpering. "Accept my world, Dawn! I accepted yours." I said the last part coldly. Upon looking into her big blue eyes, I saw that betrayed, hurt look once more, only it was also mingled with anger.
She stood, and walked slowly over to the cage, that look in her eyes. "So, you're a prince of..." she looked around the dungeon, "this kingdome?"
I nodded with a straight face, keeping my distance. She looked me in the eye, then spat at my feet. "Go to hell, Connor, along with your kingdom, and your family. Though I suspect you will anyway. But I'll be dead before I accept your world."
A swirl of emotions rose in me, anger that she dared to insult either me or my family, betrayal at thinking I could trust her, and it felt like someone had just stabbed me in my heart and was twisting the blade.
I gave her a grim stony look. "That can be arranged." I said, my voice sounding darker than my Fathers, if that was even possible. I turned and walked away. On my way out, I stopped by the prison guard. "Clothe her. She is to be brought to the ceremony, with chains on. Perhaps a spell to counteract the magic within her. I don't care how you do it, but I want her at the ceremony, conscious, and helpless." As an after thought, I added, "Oh, and make sure she looks beautiful, something elegant." And I left up the stairs, then headed toward my Father's study, where I knew he would be.
He was on the phone finalizing some sort of deal. He nodded at me, so I sat down. He hung up, and turned. "Son." He greeted.
"Father, Dawn, the girl, is to be at the ceremony." My Father raised an eyebrow, but let me continue. "I have ordered she is to be clothed well, and groomed, but to keep the chains on. She is to be conscious of what is happening to me the entire time. As for my first hunt, you may save whatever idiot you have chosen. I want her. Running around this castle. Unarmed, no means of escape, only herself, no magic." My Father leaned back, and smirked.
"Son, you have come a long way." Was all he said, then I stood, our conversation finished, and went to see the seamstress to send down a... tasteful gown.
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