Alright, so I'm well aware I say I'm going to do something and don't do it. More specifically, I always end up getting side tracked and don't get stuff written by the time I say I will. So here's chapter eleven. I guess I can thank Bloodlines for spurring me to get this chapter done and at least finish my ongoing stories.

I'd also like to extend a great thank you to everybody that reviews my work. It really helps to know that people are reading and enjoying it.

Chapter Eleven

I was snapped out of my sort of concentrated trance by Grissom, who had to snap his fingers directly in front of my face to get my attention.

"Rose? I know you probably appreciate the artwork, but we are here to meet someone."

I sighed, "I suppose. How do you go from so casual to so serious?"

He smiled, and replied with a smirk, "Years and years of practice."

I opened my mouth to speak again, but he put his finger to his mouth, "Rose, this is one of those times you don't want to speak unless spoken to."

I sighed again and nodded. He headed to the other side of the room and I followed, walking behind him through the large doors.

We were in a room of similar height, but smaller in every other way. Instead of paintings lining the walls, there were simply the same sort of guards as there had been outside. On the far end of the room, beneath a large, ornate tapestry with the same sort of royal crest on it, was a throne of sorts, sitting roughly three feet above the ground on a raised section of the floor with a few small steps spread circularly around it. The throne, however, was not what caught my attention.

The figure in it did.

It was a person adorned in what looked similar to the uniform the kings in the paintings had been wearing, but it was more modernized, and more practical.

It had a full body covering suit instead of the tunic the others had, made of a material I couldn't be sure of but had a similar look to the cloaks the guards had, with a black colouring to it. The cloak was almost identical to the guards, but instead of being fastened to a pair of shouldered armour plates, it was fastened around the neck with a chain bearing a pendant, again adorned with the same royal crest. Finally, their head was adorned with what seemed to be a custom fitted helmet with a rounded look and a single slit for eyesight that gave off a dim blue light. There was also what seemed to be a set of three slits on the bottom of the helmet, around the area the chin and mouth of the wearer would be, likely air vents.

Whomever it was, it was probably the closest thing to a king my kind had.

The figure rose and walked in my our direction, moving with long, quick strides.

"So, you must be the infamous Rosemarie Hathaway."

The voice was definitely male, with a slight static sound as if it was coming over a radio. It sounded almost generic in the sense it had almost no real accent. The three slits around the bottom also glowed red slightly as he spoke, revealing a sort of mesh embedded in them.

"I have been told a lot about you, and I must say it is nice to see you at last, in the flesh."

He extended his gloved hand out to me and I quickly took it.

"Well, glad I can make a good first impression," I replied before muttering, "Whoever the hell you are."

His grip was firm and quite strong, and he replied with a loud, playful laugh, "I presume I should introduce myself before starting conversation, shouldn't I?"

I smiled, "It probably wouldn't hurt."

"Very well. My name, let's face it, is not important. What you do need to know, is that I am the CO of the 2nd RGD. Or Death, as some would call me."

"Death? That's a little melodramatic, don't you think?"

He laughed again, "I didn't choose it. Because of our nickname, Deathwalkers, our CO is informally referred to as "Death."

"So, name's not important? Trying to hide something?"

(A/N: Imagine this guy's voice rising to a sort of anger as he says this next sort of speech. I couldn't think of a way to properly word that, so I figured an A/N would suffice.)

He shook his head, and spoke quickly, with a low tone, "Not at all. To me, our names ties into who we are, and how we live. Things we've done throughout our lives are often tied to our names. I can assure you that in some circles, the mere utterance of my given name would have you beheaded without precedent. My past is one many people do not like to admit happened, and I am among them. However, for the purposes of history, and our continued survival, I can accept some things as necessary. For now."

Slightly shocked by the slightly dramatic speech, I couldn't really think of much to say to the man. So I simply stood silently.

"I apologize for the outburst. I've been told I have a habit of it. Now, you are here because you were given the option of joining us upon graduation. Well, it's a bit more complicated than that. You'll be leaving your Academy about two weeks before your trials begin. You have about six months of school ahead of you after you leave."

"Oh great, more school," I muttered quietly.

Another laugh, "Your current schooling is mostly academic, this is almost entirely combat focused. You're going to learn things even the Queen's guard doesn't use. Still interested?"

I nodded.

"Good to know. Now, KG Grissom gave you a ring on your way here. Do not take that thing off. I can't explain why to you now, but you'll learn later."

I nodded quietly again.

"Excellent. Now, I suppose you're free to leave. I'll be seeing you in a few years time."

I nodded again as I turned and left, following Grissom just as I had when we arrived.

So, I'm going to try and write at least part of a chapter each night and have a chapter done each weekend. After I finish chapter twelve of this, I'm going to try and write the next chapter for Science Meets Magic. That might take a good two weeks since I've thoroughly confused myself on where the plot is going for that story.

Short Version: Chapter Twleve of Live, Love, Hate coming next weekend (I seriously hope), and the next chapter of Science Meets Magic coming by the end of September.