First off, let me assure all of you that I was not holding this chapter hostage waiting for more reviews. While I appreciate them and love to read them, I don't find it fair to the people who do review to hold chapters hostage. That said, life got a little crazy and this is the first chance that I have had to work on this in a while. I hope it will be worth the wait.
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Yuuki turned to face the newest addition to the group and felt her heart constrict with a sudden feeling of inadequacy. Standing in the doorway was none other than the woman that she had seen Kaname with the night that she had followed that young vampire boy to the vampire party. Even though she now knew that she and Kaname were meant for each other, seeing the woman that was so much better for him for so long still made her heart feel like it had been ripped from her chest.
Kaname felt her stiffen and put an arm around her shoulder and pulled her flush against him in a gesture that was comforting, protective and possessive at the same time. "Sara," Kaname said levelly inclining his head slightly, "What brings you here tonight?"
"Kaname," she said with a predatory smile. "I felt the wave of power when she awakened and wanted to greet the newest member of our class. Who is she?"
Yuuki felt insulted that Sara would speak to Kaname about her when she was standing in the room with them so she inserted herself into the conversation. "My name is Yuuki Kuran. It's nice to meet you," she said warmly.
"I wish I could say the same." Sara replied rudely before turning her attention back to Kaname. "So you married her then?"
"Not yet," he replied stroking Yuuki's hair in an attempt to soothe the anger that he could feel simmering just under the surface. "We intend to do so, however."
"Then how is she a Kuran?" Sara demanded, eyes narrowing slightly at Yuuki who, rather than shrinking away returned the glare with one of her own.
"I am a Kuran by birth, the same as Kaname. Than answers more than one of your questions," Yuuki said pulling herself up to her full height (which admittedly was not that considerable).
"And what would the other questions be?" Sara asked coolly.
"Why I get to be queen," Yuuki replied. "As a Kuran the right to rule is mine, and as Kaname's wife, the right would be doubly mine."
"And how can you, someone ignorant of our most basic pureblood traditions, dare to site tradition to me. One who was raised in the vampire society and has many years on you." Sara demanded. "I recognize you. You were at the party hosted by the Aidous. I saw you on the upper balcony spying on us, But you were only a human then. How is it possible that you are a pureblood vampire now?"
"How does anyone become a pureblood?" Yuuki snapped back feeling the hairs on her arms rise with the force of her anger. How dare she come into my home and demand answers of me. I don't care who or what she is, that is uncalled for, Yuuki thought adding more fuel to her anger. "I was born one, as I told you earlier. As to how I was a human, that is none of your business."
"I think that if you are to be my queen, it is my business," Sara said shortly. "I believe it may be all of our businesses, especially since you will be marrying the only other pureblood who can claim kingship while he lives." Everyone present could feel the threat in her words as well as the implication that Yuuki may not be an appropriate mate for Kaname and should be replaced with someone more fitting: namely herself.
"I disagree," Kaname interjected. "Whomever I decide to marry is my business not that of any other vampire. Even if she was still human, no one would have a say in the matter. And" His voice got decidedly colder, icy even as he continued, "I do not appreciate the implication that my life may be cut short so another could claim the throne."
"I assure you," Sara said with a smile that didn't reach her eyes, "nothing of the sort was implied. I was only stating the fact that you can take the throne if you choose, I promise." She reached out to touch his arm soothingly, but was stopped by Yuuki grabbing her wrist.
Sara raised an eyebrow and looked at her in shock. In direct contrast to the elegant flowery language of the other purebloods, Yuuki cut to the chase and said, "Do not touch him."
"Excuse me," Sara said attempting to pull her wrist from Yuuki's grasp. Yuuki tightened her grip slightly watching Sara's eyes tighten in frustration and seeing a slight clinch in her jaw before she released her hand abruptly causing Sara to have to take a step back to regain her balance. Yuuki took advantage of the space to place herself between Kaname and Sara.
"You heard me," Yuuki said in a voice few had ever heard her use. The younger nobles exchanged worried glances and the other nobles backed away to give the purebloods more space. Even though they didn't know Yuuki, they did recognize the aura she was emitting and the danger it represented.
Ruka felt her chest tighten a little in fear, her tone had been strikingly similar to the one she had used with Rido and Ruka had no idea what Yuuki might do next.
"Yuuki-sama," Ruka whispered attempting to go to her only to be stopped by a hand on her arm. She turned her head to see who had grabbed her only to see Kain shaking his head at her. "We have to do something," she hissed looking at him.
"And what do you propose we do?" he whispered back.
"Anything!" she whispered desperately. "She may lose control and hurt someone. Even killing her uncle nearly destroyed her. We have to help her."
" She had Kaname-sama right there with her," Kain reminded her gently. "If you try to interfere you may be the one that she accidentally hurts. Just stay out of the way." Though she didn't like it she had to admit that Kain made sense, if anyone could help Yuuki to regain control, it would be Kaname.
"How dare you speak to me that way," Sara said with disgust dripping from her words.
"How dare I?" Yuuki asked with a derisive laugh. "How dare you? You come into my house and threaten my fiancé and insinuate that he would be better suited to another. I will not allow it! Who the hell do you think you are?"
Yuuki's eyes had begun to glow red and Kaname decided it was time to intervene. The soothing circles had ceased to be effective and things were beginning to get dangerous. "Yuuki, love, you need to calm down," he whispered in her ear. "Remember what I told you earlier. You have to control your emotions or-"
He was cut off by Sara's indignant statement of, "I am a true pureblood princess, born and raised. You on the other hand may be a pureblood by birth but in reality you are no better than a level D." Everyone in the room gasped at what she had said to Yuuki. That was the worst insult you could say to someone who was not, in fact a level D. "That's all you are, and ex-human vampire who just happens to be a pureblood." Silence met the end of her statement before it was broken by a low growl from Kaname that received an inquiring look from Yuuki's confused and now wine colored eyes.
"That was quite uncalled for Sara," he said anger coloring his tone.
"But accurate," She interjected. "She doesn't even realize that she had been insulted which just proves my argument. She has no right to be queen."
"I will never rule without her," Kaname said with conviction. The implication that he would not rule with Sara clear under the words.
"Then I challenge you both for the right to rule," she replied with a wry smile.
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Come on, by now ya'll were expecting something like that, right? I would never let them take the throne that easily. Again, I appoligize for the delay and I hope you enjoyed my newest chapter. Please leave me a review if you feel so inclined and thank you for reading.
Stickdonkeys