A/N: Disclaimer in Chapter 1.

I *might* not be able to post tomorrow but I will definitely try to do so…

Chapter 16: Throne and Circlets

The hall was still a mess from the coronation; food was still resting on tables most of it going mouldy by now. They hadn't had chance to sort it all out. They still didn't have chance, they were currently in the room to install some of the devices that they needed to defend the manor. Every key room would need the devices.

Vlad shuddered as he saw his throne. He didn't want to even look at it. The anger bubbled inside him like intense lava, his rage growing more and more until he finally couldn't contain it anymore. It erupted violently like a volcano.

A large ball of fire appeared in front of them and hurtled across the room towards his throne. It hit the throne immediately erupting it in a ball of flames.

Erin's eyes widened, she knew what Vlad was capable of but he rarely lost control. She knew this had been brewing but she hadn't expected him to take it out on his throne.

Erin went to thump him in the shoulder but she remembered his injury. She decided to clench her fists instead; her finger nails digging into the palm of her hand. "What did you do that for?"

Vlad shrugged, "I don't know." It had felt good though.

Erin shook her head, "You know they'll pick out a new one for you." She reached up and brushed his hair. He didn't look at her yet he was still watching the smouldering remains of his throne. Erin wasn't going to admit there was a chance Vlad would never get his former role back, he would be Grand High Vampire again.

"I know."

Erin wasn't going to scold him, he needed an outlet at least it hadn't been anything crucial he'd destroyed. His throne could always be replaced.

Vlad rubbed his shoulder, the stitches making his skin itch. Erin slapped his hand away. If he weren't careful the stitches would tear open again.

He gave Erin a wounded look but she wasn't having any of it. "I know what torn stitches are like,

For the first time he saw the circlet in the hall that Jonno had taken from him, resting carelessly on the side. He strode across the room and picked it up slowly inspecting it. He hadn't damaged it at all.

"What are you doing?" She asked, the circlet was useless now and it would be for however long Olga was in power.

He just smiled and began to lower it to rest on her head.

Erin darted out of the way, "Vlad…"

"I want to see what you look like with it on." He tried again but Erin darted out of the way once more.

Erin looked up at the circlet, narrowing her eyes at it warily. She didn't trust it not to sneak down on her head. "Vlad its bad luck to wear the circlet before a coronation."

He pulled his hands back again, his eyebrow rising throwing in a couple of blinks.

"That only applied to my crown." He protested with a smile. He'd been superstitious when it came to wearing his crown again after what had happened last time. He wasn't going to chance being injured by it again until he was supposed to wear it officially. "Erin, Olga has took my birthright, we've nearly been killed, our home has holes in the walls," She laughed at that poor reason, "Erin, please."

Erin looked into his eyes and nodded, she'd never get any peace until she tried it. Vlad gave her the most charming smile at her willingness to let him do this. "If anything else happens, I'm blaming you," She gestured with her hand towards the circlet, "And that."

The circlet fit her perfectly, Vlad gently stroked her hair. The weight felt strange to Erin and she reached up to touch it.

This was supposed to be what happened. Erin was supposed to be wearing this circlet and taking her rightful place by his side as his Queen.

"I look stupid don't I?" Erin crossed her arms and stared at him. She wasn't dressed in a formal vampire dress or even in a breather ball gown, she was dressed in a t-shirt and jeans – hardly fitting for a crown.

Vlad brushed her hair from her eyes, "No you don't."

He'd wanted to see this circlet on her head for weeks, she deserved this. He'd spent years convincing her she deserved it, Olga wasn't going to take it from him so easily.

Erin opened her mouth to protest but Vlad quickly leaned down and kissed her. She felt him smile against her lips. She moaned as she felt his tongue enter her mouth, her knees beginning to tingle. She grasped the back of his neck and pulled him closer to her arching up into him. Vlad ran his hands underneath the hem of her t-shirt.

"Master Vlad what do you want me to…" Renfield trailed off as Erin pulled back away from Vlad, he finally realised what he'd walked in on. Erin dropped her head onto Vlad's chest, straightening out his shirt and hers.

"Being married has no privacy." She muttered,

"Did we have it before?" He asked, they'd never had privacy. He rolled his eyes and looked up at Erin, "What is it Renfield?"

Renfield looked uncomfortable as he watched them, choosing to look down at his shoes. "What do you want me to do about the holes Master Vlad?"

Renfield had disturbed them to ask that? There was an obvious answer to deal with that.

"Fill them in with something." Erin answered before Vlad could inject a curse into his answer.

Renfield was surprised at Erin's firm and slightly annoyed tone but cowered under Vlad's not amused gaze "Very good Master…Mistress Erin." He tottered from the room clumsily as he went, Erin pulled back from Vlad. He moaned as she stepped from his embrace, he didn't want her to move from his arms.

Erin pressed a quick kiss from his lips earning a growl from him, "Come on, defences first, kisses later."

Vlad reluctantly moved, he really didn't want to do this but he knew he had to. He lifted his fingers trailing them up and along her cheek until it reached her hair, lifting the circlet from her head. It felt strange she could feel the invisible weight still there.

"You'll wear this properly yet." He promised her vehemently.

He'd make sure of it.

YEKNODELTTILYEKNODELTTIL

Vlad tossed something towards Erin; she fixed it to the wall. It had small hooks that pressed into the wall easily. The circular object wasn't a sensor it was too thick for that, it contained something inside it but she wasn't entirely sure what it was. She only hoped she didn't trigger it accidentally.

She looked at the device curiously. "What does this do?" Her curiosity had gotten the better of her.

Vlad squinted as he looked at it, "It…" He trailed off, he really didn't have a clue what it was but he hoped to bluff his way through it to try and make her feel more confident. Erin knew him too well for that though but instead of being worried she was amused.

"You don't know do you?" She smirked.

"Dad confiscated a lot of things over six hundred years, some of these things must be useful… and they're all we've got." The last part was quiet, there should be more he could do to protect her. He couldn't rely on these little devices it was his job as her husband to protect her.

Erin tipped her head looking at the sad expression of her husband, "We'll think of something Vlad," She knew he was disappointed that this was the only form of protection they had. "This isn't all we can do, its what we can do for now." They needed some form of defences before they considered how to tackle this.

"So you've forgiven Ingrid?" Erin ventured carefully.

"What makes you say that?" Vlad asked her curiously. Erin shook her head, Vlad's tone told her all she needed to know. She should have known that Vlad wouldn't forgive and forget easily.

Erin stepped in front of him, "At least you're not getting revenge."

"I want to." He answered, "But I'm not that person." He couldn't do revenge, he never had been able to.

Erin grasped his cheeks and stood on her toes, "I'm proud of you for that." Another thought came into her mind. He was putting aside his differences until this entire mess was sorted. "Are you going to recall Robin, Wolfie and your Dad?" She asked, it was something that hadn't been brought up.

"I don't think its safe for them yet." He answered quietly.

"The longer you leave them, they'll begin to think we're dead."

"I don't want them in harms way Erin, we can defend ourselves but they can't. Dad's always run away from anything that looks violent, Robin causes more problems than he solves," He involuntarily shuddered at the thought that Robin had been to blame for him being distracted so Erin had ended up with a stake in her stomach. "And Wolfie's too young to defend himself." He nodded as he began to speak again, "They're safer away from us at the moment."

"Vlad we don't know how long they'll be away."

"Ninety three days at the most."

Erin shook her head slightly he was using the deadline for her to be crowned Queen to guide him. She didn't want him to think like that so she began to scold him, "Vlad…"

Erin was cut off as a slightly dejected Bertrand sped into the room, "Vlad, we've got visitors."

TBC

A/N: What do you think?

Thanks for reading.