I don't own Cirque du Freak, Remember to review.
The infirmary of vampire mountain was full after the battle with the vampaneze. Larten barked at one of the medics to find a bed for his daughter. The medic, an older vampire named Seamus, looked sympathetically at the young vampiress on the stretcher. "I'll do what I can Larten. I don't know about a bed, but I'll see to it that she gets attention straight away." He left, and Seba's assistants gently placed the stretcher on the floor, leaving to go see if any other vampires needed help reaching the infirmary.
Larten and Arra sat next to their daughter, Arra stroked her hair softly, while Larten held onto one of her hands tightly. "You could have asked a little nicer you know Dad," Elena groaned.
Her father chuckled weakly, "Well perhaps if you had not gone and gotten yourself stabbed I would be perfectly pleasant."
"Like you wouldn't have done the same thing." She muttered, biting her lip as a wave of pain flashed over her.
Seamus returned with a pile of strongly smelling cloths and a needle and thread. "Let me see the wound." Arra lifted up the portion of Elena's shirt covering the cut, which was still bleeding profusely. Both Larten and Arra paled considerably, as Seamus pulled the skin taut to assess the damage. Though neither were normally squeamish, nor unused to gory flesh wounds, it was somehow different when it was their daughter's injury. "You were lucky girl, it's a clean slice, not a stab wound. Unless it gets infected she will likely live." The medic prepped the needle and thread and looked sympathetically down at her. "This is probably going to hurt quite a lot."
Elena's fingers gently squeezed Larten's and he squeezed back. She let out a sharp gasp of pain as Seamus placed the medical cloths over the wound to clean it. Within seconds, the cloths had been stained pink with her blood. Laying them to the side, the medic began to stitch the wound closed. It was impossible to tell who was holding to the other's hand tighter. Larten or Elena. A little of the edge was taken from Arra's anxiety every time the stitches pulled the skin closer and closer together. Snipping the thread once the deed was done, Arra held her upright, as Seamus wrapped another medicine soaked cloth around her middle and then wrapped her in bandages.
"Thank you, Seamus." Arra said gratefully, still holding Elena in her arms.
"Of course, that's my job." He smiled, and then his voice grew stern. "Now, you aren't to do so much as get out of your coffin until that's healed, understand?" Elena nodded. "Good. Larten, Arra, keep changing those bandages and soak them in these," He handed Larten a handful of herbs, "It would be best if someone stayed with her all the time. If she rips her stitches or infection sets in bring her back here immediately. But for, now I have to ask that you take her back to her chambers, a lot of people need medical attention."
"Do you have another stretcher free to carry her?" Arra asked.
Seamus nodded, "I'll have someone bring one over."
Elena finally loosened her grip on Larten's hand. Arra continued stroking Elena's hair while Larten and another vampire carefully lifted her onto the stretcher. Arra took the other end of the stretcher from the other vampire and they carted Elena back to their chamber. "Why are we here?" She asked.
"You have to stay as still as possible so you do not tear out your stitches." Larten explained. "So no hammock, you can stay in here. One of us will stay with you and the other will sleep in your hammock in Darren's room."
They laid her inside the coffin. "Which one of you is going to stay?"
Arra looked at Larten and a silent agreement passed between them. "I am." She said after a while.
"I will go find Darren." Larten said, he stooped over a placed a kiss on Elena's forehead, "You just concentrate on getting well." He stood and paused for a moment before pulling Arra close and kissing her cheek tenderly.
Elena's eyes snapped to her mother as he left, "So does that mean…" She trailed off, knowing Arra would know what she was asking.
"Yes. We decided after the Hall of Flames, but we didn't want to distract you two." Arra climbed into the coffin next to her, making sure not to jostle her too much. When her arms were securely around her daughter she started the lecture that she had been chewing on since the battle. "That was an incredibly stupid thing you did."
"I'd do it again." Elena said stubbornly.
"You almost died Elena."
"But I didn't. He would have killed you."
"Probably," Arra admitted bluntly, "But I would much rather die than have you on death's door anytime."
"Isn't it better we're both alive?"
"I'd rather you were safe."
"He would have killed you." Elena repeated quietly. Larten and Darren had slipped into the room during the conversation and quietly stood off to the side. "I only just got you back, I couldn't lose you again."
"I could say the same about you." Arra replied, kissing the top of her head.
Darren coughed awkwardly, and his father threw him a withering glare. They both approached the coffin cautiously. "Well I'm glad both of you aren't dead." Darren said.
"I would have to agree." Larten said as Arra held out an arm so she could hug Darren close to her.
"My point is still the same. For the both of you." Arra said softly, pulling Darren closer to her. She looked up at Larten, "Have you heard anything about his trial?"
"Arrow came to see me. Kurda's trial will happen before anything else. And they will hold the funerals before they deal with Darren's case."
"They can't kill him," Arra whispered with her lips pressed to Darren's brow, "Not now, I won't allow it."
"It'll be okay mum." He replied quietly.
"Are we going to Kurda's trial?" Elena asked.
"You are staying right here with me."Arra growled.
"But-"
"You don't get a but, you lost that privilege when you stayed in the fight when we expressly told you not to."
"I would like to go." Larten interjected, stopping the argument before it could go any further. His face darkened. "I need to hear it from his own mouth what he did to Gavner. And-" His voice wavered, "Perhaps he will at least have the decency to tell us what he did with his corpse." Arra reached a hand out to grasp Larten's.
"They'll find him Larten, with or without that traitor's help." She tried to smile, but it barely touched her eyes.
"Paris told me about you and Gavner." Elena said to her father softly. "Why didn't either of you ever say anything?"
"What's she talking about?" Darren asked, looking up at his father.
Larten sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. He swallowed a lump in his throat. "I found Gavner when he was just a small boy. I took him to Paris and gave him to a human woman I-uh," He glanced at Arra, "had relations with raised him."
"You raised him too Larten." Arra said quietly, "He always saw you as a father figure, to the very end."
"Did you raise him too?" Darren asked his mother, thinking she had been the human woman his father spoke of.
To Larten's surprise Arra smiled, "No." She glanced at Larten worriedly, "She's long since dead."
"It is alright," He said gently, albeit unconvincingly, "I am long past it."
"That still doesn't explain why you didn't tell us." Elena said crossly.
"Because Gavner and I had not even discussed the matter ourselves. He never called me his father, I would not let him, I did not deserve the title."
"Not that you know of anyways," Arra muttered under her breath.
"You had no problem letting us call you dad." Darren said stubbornly.
"Yes but you two actually are my children."
Harkat made his way into the chamber, "Seba sent…me…to tell…you….that….the trial…is…starting…soon."
Larten looked down at Darren, "Would you like to go?"
"Yes," Darren said quickly. "For Gavner." He added.
Larten smiled and put a hand on his shoulder. "We shall see you after." He told Arra.
"If they put it to a vote will you speak on my behalf?" She asked.
"What would your vote be?"
"I think you know."
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The Hall of Princes was absolutely packed for the trial. It seemed every vampire in the mountain was even more eager to see Kurda fall than they had been to see him made Prince. Yebba spotted Larten and Darren and waved the pair over. "They've saved you a seat at the front Darren," The massive general said kindly.
"Me? What for?"
"Without you we never would have discovered Kurda's plot." His father explained darkly.
"Aye." Yebba concurred, "We would have made him a prince and he would have brought us all to ruin."
"Come along." Larten said to Darren, following Yebba to the front where one of the very first benches was left open for them. They took a seat, and a number of vampires patted Darren on the back as they filled up the benches behind them.
When all three princes were seated in their respective thrones the door of the hall swung open and a group of four guards led Kurda Smahlt through the hall. This time, the vampires around them erupted in jeers and taunts. Kurda's guards blocked the more serious blows thrown at the fallen General, but they let most of the punches and jabs land on their mark. Kurda endured all of the torment silently, holding his head high, as his torso and arms slowly turned purple from bruises. By the time he reached the princes he could have passed for one of the vampaneze he had allied himself with. Despite the abuse, and Darren's key role in receiving it, Kurda managed a small smile he directed at the boy. Larten gave Darren's shoulder a reassuring squeeze.
"Kurda Smahlt!" Arrow shouted when the guards had stopped just below the platform where the princes' thrones were situated. "You are to answer for your actions in bringing the vampaneze here, killing Gavner Purl, and plotting to bring the clan to ruin. How do you plead?"
Kurda lifted his chin high, "I am guilty of only the first two charges."
The vampires behind him sneered angrily at him. "Lies!" Someone roared and lunged forward to stab Kurda. The guards managed to restrain him and looked to the Princes.
"Take him out of the Hall." Paris said firmly, "And if anyone else tries anything of the same nature remove them as well."
"I could reach him." Larten muttered under his breath next to Darren. "I could go up and slit his throat before anyone could stop me." A cold shiver ran up Darren's spine at the malice in his father's voice.
"Larten, behave." Seba said sternly. Darren reached out and gave his father's hand a reassuring squeeze. He relaxed only when his father's shoulders slumped, a sign he was no longer prepared to attack suddenly. He turned his attention back to the interrogation.
"You brought the vampaneze here to ambush us yes?" Arrow barked.
Kurda's head remained high. "Yes."
"And you meant to steal the Stone of Blood?" Mika interrogated.
"Yes."
"To hunt all of us down and kill us one by one." Arrow roared, pounding a fist against the arm of his throne.
"No." Kurda said.
"Then what was your aim in stealing the Stone of Blood?" Paris asked.
"I was going to use it to track vampire's down, but not to kill anyone. The vampaneze and I were working together to come up with an arrangement to meld the two clans once again. They would give up some of their practices and we would give up some of ours. We would only kill those who would not comply. It was meant to be diplomatic but I'm afraid we've run out of time."
"What do you mean out of time?" Mika asked.
"My companions informed me that Harkat's message was indeed true. The Lord of the Vampaneze has risen at last." The hall filled with a deafening silence.
"You are certain of this Kurda?" Paris asked calmly.
"Positive. Mr. Tiny told the vampaneze where to find the boy and his father. He has emerged from the Coffin of Fire completely unscathed. You should hardly be surprised. Surely the coming of Darren and Elena meant something. Where one half of a legend comes true the other usually follows."
"What's he talking about?" Darren murmured to his father.
Larten sighed, "Your mother and I are going to have to have a very long conversation with you two later. Put it from your mind for now."
"How did you plan to steal the Stone of Blood?" Mika asked, "Surely you knew that one of us could open the Halls. You couldn't hold fast here forever."
Kurda jutted his chin out further in defiance. "Poison." He said simply and the vampires behind him hissed. "I was planning to give you three a bottle of wine. When you toasted to my health you would fall and I could hold fast here until Sire March arrived. At which point, I hopefully would have had successfully integrated the vampires and vampaneze here. Vancha would be free to join the new clan or fall like the old ones."
"Do you have anything else to say for yourself?" Mika demanded.
"Only this. My only regret was the murder of Gavner Purl. He was a noble and honourable man. But I would have killed him again and a hundred others like him if it would have worked." Larten clenched his fists until his knuckles turned white. "I hid his body in a narrow crack in the cavern where he was killed." He lowered his voice, "He deserves a proper funeral."
"On that we can agree." Larten muttered darkly. Darren fought back tears as the memory of Kurda driving his knife into Gavner's ribs came flooding back. He looked over at his father and saw a few tears roll down the side of his cheek. He really did love Gavner like a son, Darren thought to himself.
"And the Vampaneze Lord?" Arrow questioned, "What of him?"
But Kurda would say no more.
Paris looked sadly at the fallen General and Prince that never-would-be. "I would kill you honourably if it were up to me." He said. "I know you had the best interests of the clan at heart, but rules are rules. You have betrayed the clan and acted dishonourably. You are to die like a traitor." He pointed a spindly finger at Kurda. "All in favour?"
"Aye." Arrow growled.
"Aye." Mika said softly.
"It is done." Paris said. "Take him to the Hall of Death."