CHAPTER 4
OUTSKIRTS OF ARA' MANTH
"You said I remind you of something. What is it hmm?" Bonnie asked as she's tracing Damon's lips with her finger.
"Kiss me again then, and only then I'll tell you." Damon said. Capturing Bonnie's finger softly between his teeth and starts to suck on it.
"Where are the days when you had to earn my kisses" Bonnie said with a sigh. "I feel so ... I don't know ... easy." Bonnie said and gave Damon a flirtatious look.
"Come here woman" Damon said as he flipped Bonnie under him. "I swear I won't be able to control myself one of these days if you keep looking at me like that." Damon said with a sexy smirk.
Bonnie bit her bottom lip and looked up at Damon with wide Innocent eyes. "What look Damon?"
I'm fucked Damon thought to himself before he bent down. His lips against her cheeks, brushing it lightly, sending shivers through her that made her whole body tremble.
"If you want me to stop, tell me now" he whispered hoarsely. When she still said nothing, he brushed his mouth against the hollow of her temple. "Or now." He traced the line of her cheekbone. "Or now," his lips were against hers.
" – Or – "
But she had reached up and pulled him down to her, and the rest of his words were lost against her mouth. He kissed her gently and carefully. He groaned softly, low in his throat. They rolled over on the grass, tangled together, still kissing.
"Bonnie, Bonnie? Where are you?" Meredith called out.
"Damon I have to go, Mer is looking for me" Bonnie said breathlessly and kissed Damon again.
"Don't go, come home with me tonight " Damon said once their lips parted.
I can't Damon. I really wish I could, but ...
"Don't you think its time we tell your mother about us." Damon interrupted her clearly annoyed.
Bonnie pushed Damon off of her and got up. "Its not the right time Damon."
Damon also got up and folded his arms in front of him. "Let me guess when is the right time" he said with sarcasm and fixed an intense gaze on Bonnie. "Oh I know, never, right?"
Bonnie looked down not able to stand Damon's intense gaze on her. She pushed one of her untamed curls behind her ear, but it only falls back over her cheek.
Nervous habit of hers. Good. We can't always be in control Damon thought to himself.
Bonnie looked up and Damon was gone.
"There you are my little friend" Meredith called out happy behind Bonnie with a wide smile and red cheeks. "And let me tell you this. Honey beer do taste deeeeelicious." Meredith said as she hugged her friend.
Bonnie couldn't help, but to laugh at her inebriated friend. "Mer how much honey beer did you have?" Bonnie asked with a smile as she steadied her friend against her.
"Enough for the both of us." Meredith said and giggled.
"Time to get you home young lady and in bed." Bonnie said and laughed.
EMPEROR'S CASTLE
To say Empress Elena was furious was the understatement of the century. She was beyond furious. She walked around in the large dining room fuming. Her face was paler then ever. Her eyes pitch black.
"I take it the creature is still alive." Lucian said as he picked a small piece of raw liver on a fork and put it in his mouth.
"Can I get anymore disgusted by that creature. That thing wants me to negotiate more blood. He is drying our Kingdom Lucian." Elena spat out with blazing eyes.
"Well humans are always greedy for more gold" Lucian said as he looked with sick fascination at the lifeless eyes in the head of a young girl who have met her gruesome end by him.
"For him alone Lucian." Elena said in anger and banged her fist hard on the large dining room table.
She flipped her beautiful dark tresses angrily to the side. "Two hundred humans a day for the creature because he and his ever loyal advisor came to the conclusion that, that's what a vampire overlord needs to survive.
... Elena's voice faded away as Lucian fixed his eyes at the ethereal beauty in front of him. He can still remember the day he first met the little Elena , or rather found her.
A small girl just three years of age who had just witnessed her father stake her mother in a fit of rage right in front of her. He found her hiding in a closet in the old library. Her glowing olive skin. Beautiful sad doe eyes begged him not to tell her father where she was. He knew their bond was sealed when he smiled and reached out his hand to her and she slowly placed her small hand in his. He was holding the small hand of ARA' MANTH's most powerful weapon. Lucian knew the Emperor never saw his own daughter as a true blood vampire.
It is said that the Kings of Olds and the High Witch Goddess Inanna each gave to one another a peace offering after the Terrible War. Inanna's gift to Vladimire was for him to be able to conceive a heir for his kingdom with his human wife Empress Katherine. Vladimire turned the Empress Katherine into a vampire right after giving birth to his child. This child was conceived on the night when the moon was at its strongest. Some even went as far as to say that the day the child was born, Inanna sent some of her life force in the child.
What if ... Lucian thought to himself. What if Elena is the ...
"Lucian" Elena said hard. Interrupting Lucian's thoughts.
"Did you hear what I've said" she asked sharply.
Lucian smiled. "Our Emperor's black book. Just another sign of madness" Lucian said.
"The creature is getting more and more obsessed with its black book." Elena went on furiously.
The black book listed all Vladimire's victims and provides details of how he killed his prey. In this book he also listed the quality of each victims blood.
Elena turned around slowly and walked to the open window. From where she was standing she had a beautiful view over ARA' MANTH.
"So beautiful and its all mine" she said breathlessly.
"All yours indeed, My Empress " Lucian said behind her.
"Is it true that our kind, and the humans and witches go to the outskirts of ARA' MANTH?" she asked with a smile.
"Yes that is true Lucian said as he too looked at the beauty of ARA' MANTH over Elena's shoulder.
"Does it feel good to be young and carefree, Lucian?" Elena asked still with a smile on her beautiful features.
"Now that I do not know" Lucian said with a smirk.
When Elena burst out laughing. Lucian looked at her in awe. Her features soft and beautiful and her doe eyes now brown with a twinkle. May the man who captures her heart one day be worthy of her. Lucian thought to himself
"It would be such a tragedy and out raged if anything happened to, let us say ... the vampires on the outskirts" Elena said as her doe brown eyes went dark.
"Such a tragedy indeed." Lucian repeated with eyes equally dark as Elena's.
"Summon the witch born from a wild dog. She's to possess twenty witches. They are to be send come tomorrow night to the outskirts of ARA' MANTH and kill only the vampires. Leave the humans and witches unharmed. These possessed witches are to say that they'd been sent by the secret witch council meeting to kill all vampires."
"It shall be done my Empress" Lucian said with a wicked smile.
"Good. Leave the creature to me. Its end will come tonight." Elena said in a cold voice devoid of all emotion.
"The army still answers to the Emperor. I believe the other generals will have no questions, but general Thade will. He was your father's most trusted general during the war." Lucian said.
"I'm well aware of general Thade and I'm also well aware of our general Thade's instincts for survival. He knows Vlad can't protect him anymore. He is no threat." Elena simply said.
...
Bonnie got home from Meredith at sunset. She found her mother on her favourite spot at this time of the day.
The young girl smiled and walked to her mother where she was sitting on a bench in their little garden. Her mother's gaze on the sunset. She wrapped her arms around her mother from behind.
Both beautiful woman watched the glorious scene in silence. The colours in the sky changing subtly from blue to various shades of red, orange and yellow. The beautiful golden rays of the sun on ARA' MANTH.
"It never cease to amaze me" Bonnie said with a soft smile. Unaware of how the golden rays of the sun reflect beautifully in her emerald eyes.
"This is one of the most amazing things in our world that we can appreciate everyday." Altheya said and rested her head against her daughter's arm. "During the war all species longed for the light. Fourthy days of darkness drove many of them mad, so mad that they turned on their own kind ... eating their own young." Altheya said in a tone Bonnie never heard before.
"In the absence of light, darkness shall prevail" Bonnie said softly.
"But not when there is still good" Altheya said smiling at her.
"Yes, not when there is still good." Bonnie repeated with a smile.
"There is still good in this realm and every other realm." Altheya said pinching Bonnie's nose playfully.
"Mother, does the other realms really exist?"
"What kind of question is this, child?" Altheya asked surprised. "Yes they do exist. The world does not stop at the outskirts of ARA' MANTH.
Bonnie's face went warm when her mother mentioned the outskirts.
"Remember when you were a little girl I told you about the six realms and their inhabitants and how it came that our blood line ended up here in ARA' MANTH?" Altheya asked Bonnie with a serious on her face.
"Yes I remember. I could never stop listening to it over and over again."
"Than never stop believing in it Bonnie, even when everyone around you is in doubt. Don't let false beauty mislead you to the real beauty out there or in here" Altheya said and placed her hand on Bonnie's heart. "Promise me this Bonnie."
Bonnie looked at her mother's serious face and felt a feeling of forewarning. "I promise mother" she said softly.
...
EMPEROR'S CASTLE
Elena watched the last golden sun rays of the sunset. A memory of a smiling little girl sitting on a young woman's lap, both gazing at the sunset with the young woman's arms protectively and warm around the little girl, flashed through her mind.
When the memory was gone the sky had begin to turn dark.
"Your mother could never get enough of ARA' MANTH's sunsets, but to me she was more beautiful then all the sunsets in ARA' MANTH. Vlad said as he slouched his way into his chamber..
So that's who the little girl and young woman was ... Her memories had faded to darkness over the years and that feels good. It feels good to feel nothing.
"I was told that you await my presence in my chambers." Vlad said.
Elena turned to her father. "Yes father, come have a drink with me" Elena said and pointed at the table with two golden goblets on it filled with blood.
"You look just like your mother" Vladimire said as he looked Elena in the eyes.
"So I have been told father" Elena said as she looked at her father where they are seated opposite each other.
Elena ... Vladimire said.
Hearing him say her name for the first time in her life startled the young girl.
"I loved your mother. The only woman to bring back my humanity that I locked away for so long. After I ... I ... staked her I begged the witch Goddess Inanna to bring her back to me, but even the Goddess herself could not bare to do such a thing." Vladimire said as tears started to form in his eyes. He touched his eyes and looked at the wetness on his finger in surprise and wonder.
Elena scoffed.
Vlad looked up. "She could never make peace being a vampire for eternity and I could never make peace being without her for eternity. She became a hard woman without humanity, but when she looked at you I saw the woman who holds my heart. Oh how I longed for her to look at me like that again." Vlad said. His blue lips trembling. He took out a bloody handkerchief and wiped the blood from his mouth.
"I was just a little girl when you took away the only thing beautiful from me. For years I have feared you, despised you. ARA' MANTH's great vampire overlord. He wants me to call him father but he never acknowledged my own existence " Elena spat out. "And you say you loved my mother?" Elena asked mockingly. "A creature like you cant love." Elena screamed at her father.
Vlad closed his eyes tiredly.
"Look at you. If only your people can see you now." Elena laughed bitterly.
Vlad opened his eyes. " I know that look."
"What look?" she asked hard, tears silently rolled down her cheeks.
"The same look your mother had after I turned her."
"Good. At least my mother was spared from having to live in fear and darkness." Elena said in a cold voice.
Vladimire stood up with great struggle. He picked up the goblet and lifted in the air with a shaky hand. "You, Elena Mina Claudius are my only heir. The last of my blood line. A gift from the Goddess herself.
Elena also stood up. "A gift you never embraced, father."
"And how blind I have been to this gift." Vlad said.
"Don't become me Elena." Vladimire said and brought the goblet to his ... and emptied it.
It fell out of his hand and he slowly and painfully made his way to his bed. One hand gripping his chest. He fell on his back and looked up at the beautiful painted ceiling.
"I ... I ...painted this for her." Vladimire croaked out. He turned his head to Elena and slowly raised his hand to her.
"My gift to ... to you Katherine. The Emperor died with his wife's name on his lips. Black blood coating his bed and floor.
The new ruler of ARA' MANTH EMPRESS ELENA fell to the bloodied floor on her knees and for the first time in her life she allowed herself to cry.
...
Bonnie was still in bed the next day when her mother called for her. She got up quickly and dressed.
"Yes mother?"
"Is this for you?" Altheya asked holding a cute little white kitten with black spots on each paw and big green eyes.
"Oh she is so adorable" Bonnie screamed in delight. She took the little kitten gently from her mother.
"It must be lost or a present for the neighbours. Here is also a card." Altheya said.
"Its for me" Bonnie said as she lovingly rubbed the kitten against her cheek enjoying its soft fur against her skin.
"For you? From who?" Altheya asked surprised.
"Oh ... uhm ... from Mer" Bonnie quickly said.
"Well Mer's got good taste." This little kitten is a rare breed. Altheya said while she stroked the kittens back.
"I'm going to take her to my room" Bonnie said and kissed her mother on the cheek.
As soon as her door closed she opened the card.
This is who you remind me of. Take good care of her as I will of you. Damon
...
Later that day Bonnie walked over to Damon where he was sitting with his friends drinking and laughing. Bonnie turned to Meredith and told her to wait for her.
When she got to their table all laughter stopped. The guys watched Bonnie with interest.
"Hi Bonnie" Damon said awkwardly and as soon as he got to his feet Bonnie kissed him passionately.
"Bonnie" ... Damon said as soon as they parted their lips from each other.
"Thank you." Bonnie said and kissed him on the tip of his nose before she walked away.
What the fuck did you do to get kissed like that by this hot little school girl. One of his friends asked.
"Hey she's not just some hot little schoolgirl. She's my girl" Damon said surprising himself with this revelation. "And I got her a cute little kitten." Damon said with a wink.
"Just a kitten?" Enzo, Damon's best friend asked.
"A kitten with the same eye colour as hers." Damon said with a smirk.
"Okay that's it I'm going on a kitten hunt. I have more eye colours on my list" Enzo said and all the guys laughed.
Bonnie joined Meredith with a blushing face.
"I can't believe I saw that" Meredith said wide eye with a wide smile.
"I know. I can't believe I did that" Bonnie said as she holds her warm cheeks with both hands.
"Bonnie you far from being the shy girl that I knew Meredith said as she took Bonnie's hand and they continued walking.
"What can I say. I'm in love my friend." Bonnie said softly.
"If love is making people act all silly and do things on impulse like what I've just witnessed then I'm ready for love. So look out love here I come." Meredith said pulling a funny face and both girls burst out laughing.
