A/N: Disclaimer in Chapter 1.

The last chapter…

Chapter 30: Crown

Ingrid let loose a tremendous fireball, aiming directly at Olga.

"NO!" The familiar cry made her jump and she watched as Bertrand sped in front of Olga in an effort to protect the young vampire. Ingrid's eyes widened, as she was powerless to stop the fireball, it continued on its path set to hit Bertrand.

Vlad flicked his finger and Ingrid's fireball jerked to the side as if being tugged by a piece of string. Ingrid would never forgive herself if she slew Bertrand by accident.

Bertrand tipped his head studying Ingrid; there was something about her that he couldn't quite put his finger on. Something important.

Bertrand hissed at Ingrid for trying to hurt Olga. Ingrid shuddered at the thought of him protecting her cousin. "This isn't you." She tried to explain to him, trying to get through to him. She understood now how Erin had felt when she tried to talk to her brother.

"It's him now." Olga grinned at her stepping out from behind Bertrand, tapping her saviour's shoulder affectionately. He seemed pleased at the 'reward', a slight smug look over his face

Erin and Vlad shared a concerned look; Bertrand on Olga's side wasn't a good thing.

Bertrand turned towards Ingrid, confusion filling his eyes. Ingrid frantically shook her head from side to side. She couldn't look at what Olga had done to him, what she'd done to his pride.

Ingrid rushed towards Bertrand; Bertrand didn't move instead he felt an odd sense of connection to her telling him that she didn't mean to harm him – only Olga. Ingrid lifted her arm to his cheek, he didn't shrug it off and Olga was surprised at his reaction, even more so as she trailed her hand down his neck to rest on the fresh scar.

He didn't react violently as he had done with her.

"What have you done to him?" She refused to let her voice break, refused to let Olga know how deeply she'd upset her.

"Made him mine, shame he can't be my consort though." She muttered musingly, deliberately trying to get a rise from her oldest cousin. "There's also the problem with the age gap."

Ingrid didn't care about the age gap, she never had she'd only used it as an excuse not to be with him back when she was terrified of how she felt. Bertrand knew the world and had more experience, she found it endearing that he could always surprise her by telling her something from his experiences she never knew before.

Bertrand glanced down at the ring around her neck. It seemed familiar but he couldn't make out the whole detail. He reached out a hand towards her.

Vlad though he was about to attack his sister and stepped forwards ready to defend her if he needed to. He didn't want to lose his sister thanks to the effects of Olga's bite on Bertrand.

Bertrand hissed and spat as Vlad tried to approach Ingrid. Ingrid nodded to Vlad to tell him to obey Bertrand's wishes. It would be safer for them all that way. Bertrand wasn't hostile to Ingrid but he was to Vlad, Ingrid would have to be careful how she played this. She didn't want her brother being slain because of the bite Olga gave Bertrand.

She wished it could be as simple as slaying her cousin to reverse the effects of it on him but nothing in their world was ever that simple.

Ingrid was terrified for a few moments as she saw Bertrand's hand growing closer and closer to her neck before dropping slightly to pick up the ring that resided there. He toyed with the de Fortunessa crest, running his fingers along the engraved lines.

He hadn't given it to her to wear so she must have found it. A surge of possessiveness overcame him and he looked at her smiling, pushing the bindings he had to Olga out of his mind if only for a few minutes.

His eyes seemed to somehow flicker as if someone had flicked a switch; he was suddenly the Bertrand she knew.

"You're wearing it?" He asked in amazement, his eyes becoming softer almost immediately as a rush of positive emotion filled him: happiness, love, hope and joy.

Ingrid ducked her head down, "I made a mistake." Ingrid whispered shyly, "I shouldn't have said no." Bertrand lifted her head up to look at her eyes. Erin and Vlad shifted uncomfortable understanding for the first time how everyone else felt when they were intimate in front of them. "Come on." Ingrid took his hand, "We're taking you home." She turned to lead him towards her brother and sister-in-law.

Bertrand's eyes reflected a battle that was waging internally. His manufactured desire to protect Olga and his natural one to protect Ingrid. "Olga…"

Ingrid shook her head, "You protect Vlad, you've never protected Olga." Bertrand opened his mouth to speak, but Ingrid continued before he could stop her. "Olga bit you, none of this is real. Focus on us and the times you had training Vlad." Bertrand nodded, his eyes closing as he fought to think of those times.

Overruling a bite wasn't easy.

"Go to Vlad." She whispered to him, pressing a soft kiss to his cheek. Bertrand's eyes snapped open, "Don't let the bite control you."

Bertrand tried to move, his actions were stiff. He forced his legs to take steps towards Vlad and Erin. Erin nodded encouragingly and Bertrand knew it was the right action even if he had to force himself to do it.

Olga was amazed, Bertrand should have killed her cousin on sight.

"He's mine now!" Olga screamed unable to believe her eyes. "My bite…"

"Love overrides the loyalty bite." Erin was slightly smug in that respect, love had overridden any chances of being loyal to Vlad. Love was the ultimate form of loyalty it couldn't be taken lightly.

"Why do you think Erin isn't loyal to me?" Vlad had a slight smirk on his lips as he said those words. Erin felt her own lips quirking upwards.

Olga glared at him, love had never been considered to exist before. It was a myth amongst their kind, regardless of how Vlad and Erin acted around each other.

Bertrand came to stand beside Erin and Erin gave him a warm smile. He was back where he belonged.

Olga let out a scream of anger; this wasn't supposed to be how it was supposed to turn out. She wouldn't stand for it. She was going to do something about it right now.

Olga didn't aim for Vlad, she clearly knew she was no match for him instead she aimed for Erin.

Vlad had been right.

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Erin saw her coming and darted to one side, making sure she was in an open space where she couldn't be trapped by her.

Olga only had forty-eight hours training maximum – that's counting from the second Bertrand was taken. Vlad's initial training had been more about throwing punches and using powers than actual tactics, so she was going to be on guard for that. However it was important to remember that the training regime may have changed thanks to Olga's bite.

Olga threw her first blow, missing Erin widely. Erin retaliated and his Olga square in the jaw. Olga's head snapped back and she cried out. Erin hadn't even used all of her strength and she'd already hurt Vlad's treacherous cousin.

As she fought Erin realised what Jonno had meant about the lingering effects even though he hadn't called them that. Her movements were sluggish giving Olga the slight edge she needed.

Olga retaliated trying to gain a hold onto Erin's clothing but Erin was wearing a tight jacket. Bertrand had always insisted snug clothes were better for battle than flowing clothes that the enemy could latch onto.

Olga gave up quickly after only skimming the smooth leather of Erin's clothes. She hit her in the ribs surprising Erin but it wasn't strong enough to do any form of serious damage. Erin was surprised that Olga couldn't do better she would have though Olga would at least try to train herself over the last few years but she'd clearly not even bothered.

Olga tried again bring her arm back but Erin wasn't going to give her the chance to catch her unawares again. Erin took the opportunity Olga presented her with.

Erin grabbed Olga's arm yanking her shoulder roughly. Olga let out a scream as she felt Erin preparing to dislocate it.

Erin felt something grab her shoulder and throw her against the wall, knocking the strength out of her. Her hip hit the wall with enough force to bruise the bone itself. Erin bit her lips to stop herself from crying out, she could feel her sharp teeth piercing her flesh.

The entire wall shuddered and the trophy on the table a few feet from her fell over from the force of her landing.

"BERTRAND NO!" Erin opened her eyes to see Ingrid manhandling Bertrand, forcing him to turn one hundred and eighty degrees completely.

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Ingrid forcibly spun Bertrand to face her, she'd never expected him to attack Erin after turning to their side again. Or so she thought.

Bertrand's brow furrowed in confusion. He seemed confused at Ingrid's reaction. Olga would have been pleased but Ingrid was furious.

Ingrid grabbed Bertrand's hands, holding them in her own. "Erin is family, you don't attack my family."

"But…"

"No buts. I love you Bertrand and that should override the bite." It overrode it in the sense that he couldn't hurt her but he was finding it hard not to harm her family. "Please Bertrand, fight it."

"I can't…"

"You can." She pleaded with him. "Olga bit you to turn you into nothing more than her slave, remember what it was like before you became a slave. Use that to fight it."

Bertrand nodded looking her in the eyes; he leaned down to her height before hesitating and pulling back. Ingrid wasn't going to let him get away from her that easily; she grabbed his hair and pulled him back down, kissing him desperately.

Ingrid pulled back quickly, this wasn't exactly the time to kiss in the middle of a fight. "Please, just try."

He nodded, closing his eyes and focussing on the past.

His eyes snapped open and he looked down at her. Ingrid completely lost sight of the Bertrand she knew.

Bertrand shot forwards aiming directly for Erin once more, she'd attacked Olga she needed to be stopped.

Ingrid darted in front of him once more, stopping him from moving. He pushed her to one side but not forcefully, he wasn't going to hurt her but he was going to hurt Erin.

Bertrand grabbed Erin's jacket, yanking her into the air. Her head banged against the wall causing her vision to blur for a few moments, splinters and flakes of paint gathered in her hair. Erin knew better than to try and kick him, his posture meant she'd never land a blow.

Her back scraped against the wall as she moved, she didn't dare take her eyes from him. They would tell her his next move.

"Put her down." Ingrid begged Bertrand. Ingrid knew that Vlad wouldn't hesitate slaying Bertrand if he thought Erin was about to be killed.

Bertrand ignored Ingrid and extended his palm. Erin chanced a look down to see a fireball forming, she felt like the time he's caught her in he training room. She began to struggle desperate to escape his clutches but it was no good.

"Bertrand…" She tried but his jaw locked tighter.

"You attacked Olga." He growled at her, the fireball grew and expanded rapidly. Erin's eyes widened.

"Bertrand, please, let her go." Ingrid pleaded frantically. She grabbed his arm and tried to tug it from her but to no avail, Bertrand was far stronger than her. The only one who could beat him was Vlad.

Bertrand ignored her again, Ingrid grabbed onto the fallen trophy from the nearby table. She looked at him, she was really going to hate doing this and it would hurt him.

She closed her eyes and swung the trophy around, hitting Bertrand square in the head. It landed with a loud CLUNK.

Bertrand's eyes widened before the fireball abruptly disappeared and his grip on her slackened. Erin dropped to the floor, landing on her back awkwardly forcing her to let out a small groan of pain before she quickly stood to help Ingrid.

The older vampire pitched forwards as darkness over came him. Ingrid caught him and with Erin's help turned him so he was lying lengthways against the wall, safely out of harms way.

"Are you okay?" Ingrid asked Erin, torn between her concern for her not-quite fiancé and Vlad's wife.

"Yeah, thanks." She smiled at her. Erin looked down at Bertrand, "He'll forgive you."

"I went against him in battle." Ingrid honestly couldn't see how Bertrand could forgive her after that.

"The bite is making him confused but remember love overrides any bite." Erin quirked her lips, "I know that."

"Maybe it wasn't strong enough…" Ingrid began before they were both distracted by Vlad.

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Vlad found himself being knocked down to the floor, two Hunters hovered above him. They didn't have any weapons at all but Hunters were known for creating their own weapons. Clearly they weren't confident in facing him alone, Hunters never worked together to fight a single target like this.

He tried to pull his arms away but the other's grip always tightened on his legs without any hope for escape without hurting himself. He decided to try another tactic. Using about a quarter of his strength he rolled to the side. The vampires were startled by his action, obviously Olga hadn't learned that yet.

They tried to grab him while he was still on the floor but Vlad didn't give them that opportunity. He darted upright taking on a defensive stance. The Hunters blinked confused at first before darting over to him and trying to grab him.

Vlad spun and grabbed one of their arms, tugging them roughly until he felt the bones break and ignored the disgust he felt at his own actions.

The Hunter collapsed to the ground in pure agony clutching his arm. Vlad kicked him in the jaw, feeling that give and watching the vampire slide to the ground completely unconscious.

"I'm not that easily beaten." A gruff voice from behind him spoke, he turned slowly to face them. The Hunter he'd ignored was cracking his neck and knuckled menacingly. He wasn't intimidated though, even though the vampire was taller than him he could still tackle him.

The Hunter waited for him to make the first move and Vlad didn't disappoint although he didn't perform a physical move. He blew on his hand and the Hunter flew backwards, Vlad didn't use that much power he wanted to show the vampire that he could use his powers if he wanted to.

He succeeded in riling the vampire by the way it charged at him, anger was always the key to your undoing in battle. It was the worst emotion to have on the battlefield – it made you careless. Vlad stood his ground he wanted to get a good hold of him.

The vampire tried to strike blows at Vlad, their forearms collided again and again but the vampire couldn't break through Vlad's defence. Abruptly the vampire stopped his attack causing Vlad to stumble forwards slightly, the vampire didn't notice as Vlad managed to catch himself quickly.

The vampire slipped through Vlad's defences and grabbed his throat, gripping it painfully. Vlad grabbed the wrist and twisted it from his neck, feeling the nails of the vampire scraping him even though the gloves the Hunter wore.

Vlad twisted him, pinning the Hunter face down on the floor, his arms pinned behind his back. The Hunter kicked his legs up from behind, hitting Vlad square in the back and forcing him to lose his grip on the vampire.

The Hunter spun and suddenly Vlad was pinned to the ground. The Hunter could have smiled under that mask, it looked like his eyes were smiling anyway. He couldn't see a table nearby so he reached down to the floor and ripped one of the floorboards up, breaking it in two a sharp jagged edge appeared – the nails still attached – the vampire threw it up in his hand spinning it so the edge was pointing directly at Vlad.

Vlad glanced across to see Ingrid stepping in with Bertrand just before he did. It only served to stress the importance of ending this as quickly as possible so Erin didn't get hurt.

Vlad dodged his head in time from being distracted the floorboard hit the floor, splinters breaking off and hitting him in the eyes. He looked up in pure fury at the vampire.

He threw the vampire away from him, no longer in the mood for these childish games as a plan had entered his mind.

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Vlad darted as fast as he could for the cushion in the corner of the room. The cushion on which *his* crown resided. He could still see the part Renfield had broken when Ingrid had tripped him up all those years ago. It was something he hadn't quite gotten around to repairing yet.

He needed to show that being Grand High Vampire was his birthright whether he truly wanted it or not.

Vlad quickly slipped the crown onto his head. He winced as he felt the bones digging into his scalp. Olga smirked thinking that it was the warning signs of him preparing to turn to dust. Nothing happened and he looked down on her smugly.

Half of the Hunters bowed before him, dropping to their knees. For them he'd demonstrated his power, Olga couldn't match it. Even if he was performing a coup and she was according to the Council 'the rightful inheritor' he was still the stronger power he'd taken it from her with the simple action of wearing it.

Olga screamed, Vlad's authority was already being recognised because he was wearing the crown.

Vlad surveyed them, it was about time they recognised him as their leader but the damage had already been done. He'd have to deal with them himself. He knew they were now capable of treason, he couldn't afford to have them around.

Erin pushed herself up from the floor, rubbing her hip as she did so. It would be painful for a while but she could cope with it.

"That crown is mine!" Olga spat at him from her position on the floor. She pushed herself to her knees and slowly rose, if she was a breather she could have been described as being winded.

Then Vlad had an idea, if she wanted the crown so badly she'd have to prove it was her birthright. There was only one way she could do that.

"Fine." He took the crown from his head and held it out to Olga. Olga's eyes were flickering in pure fear she knew what her cousin was asking her to do and he clearly had the support of the Hunters from the way their eyes flickered back and forth throughout the short exchange, he'd pinned her into a corner.

"Put it on Olga." Vlad snarled at her, "I'll bow if the crown accepts you and doesn't turn you into a pile of dust."

"Vlad…" Ingrid hissed, she couldn't believe what her brother was suggesting. At the back of her mind there was a flicker of fear that the crown would accept Olga.

"Its what she's afraid of, she won't put on the crown because she knows what will happen the moment she does. It's not her birthright." He summarised loudly for the all to hear.

Olga searched the room with her eyes, there was no means for escape at all. She was trapped inside. Vlad's face was the picture of innocence, as if he couldn't work out why she refused to try it on even though he'd stated his reasons moments before.

There was only one tactic Olga had left as she studied the crown, she couldn't stall for much longer. She needed the upper hand even if her only option proved to be futile.

Olga grinned as she looked at Vlad, "How do I know this is the real crown?"

Vlad didn't show any sign of emotion at her words. Vlad would never pull a trick like that, besides he didn't need to. The power it held didn't affect him, he controlled and regulated when he wore the crown. It added to the abilities he already had.

The only thing Vlad was getting worried about was the location of Jonno and Mina they were supposed to have been there by now but still there was no sign of them. The young vampire couldn't help but worry, he could do with their backup.

Before Vlad could stop her Olga's face twisted into a toothy grin.

She looked down at her hand, and the crown in it.

"There's one way I can check is suppose…"

Before Vlad could stop her Olga had sped across to where Erin was standing, her reactions still sluggish she couldn't move away in time. Olga gripped Erin's arm tightly, holding her neck with her other hand, the sharp edged of the bones in the crown digging into her skin. She couldn't bite her but there was something else she could do instead.

What she was about to do was the price of being in love – watching those you loved get hurt. It was more delicious as Vlad anticipated what was about to happen, Olga enjoyed the way her cousin's face twisted into a look of pure horror.

Vlad shot forwards preparing to yank his wife from his cousin's grip. "After all you do want a Queen. Let's make her one…"

In the blink of an eye she slammed the symbol of the Grand High Vampire down on Erin's head.

Erin screamed in pure agony…

THE END

A/N: I'd like to say thank you to everyone who's read this fic. Thank you for being so patient with me as I broke the habit of my posts while I have been ill, the new story will be back to its regular habit of two chapters per night.

Thank you to everyone who's reviewed so far. They've really inspired me on to keep typing through my illness and hospital situation.

I hope I managed to do a different twist that people weren't expecting.

The final part of this saga will be called 'Survival'; the first couple of chapters will be uploaded some time on Tuesday. I'll upload an A/N to let you know its up.

I would like to say thank you again for all your support during 'Entitled' especially when I felt extremely ill.

I hope you've enjoyed reading it as much as I've enjoyed typing it.