The room grew smaller as my gaze rested on a vampire before me. For a moment, I suspected my eyes were deceiving me. This simply couldn't be true. It couldn't be a coincidence. It had been years since we had met. We weren't even on the same continent when we had known each other. The chance of us meeting now, in Louisiana, let alone Shreveport, and not to mention in Eric Nortman's apartment was close to zero.

"Serena, my dear."

Sophie-Anne Leclerq reached up from the couch, her silk dress twirling around her pale legs. In an instant she stood before me. Her hair was as red as I remembered, and put up in an elaborate hairdo that had gone out of style decades ago. She was beautiful; breathtaking even. But I was too petrified to appreciate her beauty.

"Finally we meet again."

She held her arms open as if she wanted to invite me in for a hug. I couldn't bring myself to speak. Every muscle of my body seemed to have stopped working and my feet had stuck to the ground. This was a dream, I tried to tell myself. It's time to wake up now. My fingers pinched the skin of my arm. It hurt, and nothing happened.

"What the fuck are you doing here?" I hissed, hoping my increased pulse would be sensed by Eric. We were connected by blood, and I needed him. I needed answers.

Sophie-Anne clicked with her tongue as she shook her head. I could feel her gaze running up and down my body, tracing every inch of my skin. My life hadn't been in danger for some time now, and I had almost forgotten how it felt.

"It's Queen Sophie-Anne now, Serena. You can address my with your majesty, or your highness. Whichever you prefer," she spoke with an air of lightness. Everything was a game for vampires.

"Wait a minute," I replied, trying to piece everything together in my mind. "You're the queen of Louisiana?"

Eric had spoken of a queen many times, never referring to her name. I was a bit out of the loop regarding vampire politics and I wanted to stay out of it for as much as possible. Never once did I dare to think that the queen would be anyone I know. I thought everyone who knew who I was had either lost track or me, or had died the true death.

"Well, of course!" Sophie-Anne replied. She started to circle around me. "Did Eric not tell you?"

I shook my head as I felt my shoulders hunch forward with every step she took. Sophie-Anne was close to me, too close. Within a second I could be dead. I tried my best not to think about it.

"Oh…" She came to a halt. "You didn't tell him that you and me go back? How unfortunately awkward."

"I didn't think I would ever see you again," I replied, feeling the need to defend myself.

"Well, here I am!" A smile unraveled on her lips. "And it seems like we have a lot to catch up on. Why don't you sit?"

There was no point in defying her. I reluctantly sat down, pressing my knees together as I placed my hands on my lap. My heart was pounding uncontrollably. I had fallen into the traps of a vampire once again, and this time, I doubted I could talk my way out of it.

Sophie-Anne paced up and down in front of me, her silk dress dragging on Eric's carpet. She looked just like I remembered, and even though I knew vampires couldn't alter their appearance much, I was still surprised. She brought back memories. Memories I wanted to forget. How the hell did we end up running into each other?

"It's been a long time," Sophie-Anne began. She came to a halt and placed her hands on her hips, a glowering look in her eyes. "What are the odds of finding you here? In Shreveport of all places!"

She spoke exactly like they did in old black and white movies I used to watch when I was younger.

"Not to mention in Eric's apartment. Did I notice you even have a key?"

"What if I did?" I said, finding it were the only words I could force out of my mouth. I didn't have to justify my behavior, or relationships, to her. I didn't belong to her. Not anymore.

"I'm just surprised Serena." She began to pace again, twirling a curl of her red hair around her finger. "I remember quite vividly you ran away from vampires and vowed to never be in their company ever again. But something tells me you and Eric are a little more than merely acquaintances."

I wished I was wearing my silver jewelry. Or carried my pepperspray. Or had something wooden to defend myself with. With every fibre of my body I tried to scream for Eric to come to me as soon as possible.

"Why do you care?" I spat, my brows forming a stern arch. "What I do now is none of your business."

Sophie-Anne seemed to be delighted by my response and let out a soft sigh. "I missed this Serena. I missed looking at your perfect face. You smell exactly the same, like the salt of the ocean. If only I could get a little taste…"

I decided to ignore her comments. "Cut the bullshit. Why are you here?"

"I was here to discuss business with one of my sheriffs. Boring stuff, really. But now I know you are here… My, my… This is something else. I frankly must punish Eric for not telling me he was sheltering a mermaid."

The word coming out of her mouth sent tingles up and down my spine. The palm of my hands were growing sweaty as I felt my heart pounding in my throat. Sophie-Anne was the first vampire who knew what I was. She took me in, told me I was hers now, promised to protect me from the other vampires. It was years and years ago, but I remembered every little detail of our time together.

But isn't this exactly what Eric is doing? A voice in my mind disturbed me from my train of thought. At first glance, Eric and Sophie-Anne seemed alike. Both were incredibly intrigued by mermaids. I couldn't blame them. They had been long enough on this earth to have seen everything there was to offer, and I was that one thing that was curious. I admitted that—even though it was vampires I was running from—being under the protection of one made me feel more secure. The difference between Eric and Sophie-Anne was that one of them had good intentions.

"He doesn't know we have met," I replied, shifting my position on the couch. "Like I said, I never thought I'd be seeing you. I had no idea you were the Queen."

Vampire politics were all unfamiliar to me, and I made a mental note to study the rules and regulations once I got home to prepare myself—if I ever would get home.

Suddenly Sophie-Anne sat next to me. Her knee was touching mine, and even through the fabric of our clothing I could feel the coldness of her skin. She was trying to find my eyes, and I couldn't look away. I couldn't appear weak. I wasn't afraid of her. If she wanted to hurt me, she would've done so already.

"Why did you never tell anyone about me?" I found myself asking.

"Why didn't Eric tell anyone else?" she replied. "For selfish reasons, Serena. Once your state becomes public knowledge, you will be hunted. How can I have you all to myself if you're constantly being preyed upon? You would be dead within a day."

I ruffled my brows. Deep down inside I knew that Eric also had personal reasons for keeping my identity a secret. My blood was like the finest drug to them, unlike anything they had ever tasted. Vampires didn't like sharing humans, let alone a mermaid. Yet I could also hope that he cared for me, even though that was a very unlikely emotion for vampires to possess.

Once I thought Sophie-Anne loved me. How wrong I had been. Now she was sitting in front of me, reminding me of the pain and the struggle I began to wonder if I was wrong for trusting Eric. Never trust a vampire, I had been told. I had trusted two in my entire life and one betrayed me. Who was to say that Eric's feelings for me were sincere?

Looking in her eyes I was so grateful vampires couldn't glamor me. Sophie-Anne was still able to captivate me nonetheless. She was beautiful, stunning even, and her skin seemed to glow under the soft lighting in the apartment. It didn't surprise me she had become a queen. She had always been destined for more.

"This is why it can never work out between you two," she continued. "Vampires cannot mix with other species. We are too egotistical for it."

A light smile appeared on her lips, as if she was telling me it was alright that Eric didn't care for me. As if she was a girl telling her best friend that the boy she was dating was seeing someone else. That she was too good for him.

"Eric is different."

She let out a manic laugh. "Oh honey. I have known him for a long time. I have never seen him care about something apart from himself."

I shook my head, forcing myself to believe my own words. "He's changed."

Then she reached out, the tips of her finger just brushing against my temples before putting a lock of hair behind my ear. I held my breath, my fingers gripping my knees. How much I once enjoyed her doing this…

With light speed Eric appeared in front of us. His eyes were spitting fire and under his calm composure I could sense he had to hold himself back. He was addressing a queen after all.

My heart fluttered upon the sight of him. I released the breath I was holding and allowed my muscles to relax, only raising my shoulders again when Sophie-Anne placed her hand on the small on my back as she leaned forward towards me.

"Hello, Eric," she said, as if nothing had happened. "It is a beautiful night, do you not agree?"

"Get the fuck away from her," he replied, his hands curled in fists. "She's mine."

A problematic term, yet it had saved me before.

"You didn't tell me you had dear Serena all for yourself," Sophie-Anne continued. Her hand was now on my shoulder, her face dangerously close to mine. I turned my head so my cheek faced her.

"I didn't think you cared to know I was sheltering a human."

I appreciated Eric's effort, and I probably should've told him about her, but it had simply never come up.

"A human? Don't be silly darling. We all know she is much more than that."

Eric never was one to let his emotion show, but I'd be damned if I didn't see some form of surprise on his face. His eyebrows raised and his eyes widened just enough for me to notice, and probably for Sophie-Anne to notice as well.

"Serena didn't tell you about us? Shame. You missed out on some wonderful stories. Perhaps one day she'll be able to enlighten you."

"Why are you here?" he hissed, completely glossing over her revelations, which I didn't mind. Although I was sure we would still have that conversation later and I wasn't looking forward to it.

"I came to talk to you, but I found something much better. Instead, we need to talk about Serena. I can't believe you have kept her to yourself for all this time."

His eyes then met with mine, and for a split second I was scared. I could see he was demanding answers. At the same time, Sophie-Anne was still glued to my skin. Everything coming out of my mouth had to be chosen carefully.

"It was a long time ago," I finally responded. "I had no idea she was the Queen of Louisiana."

"Surprise!" Sophie-Anne exclaimed gleefully.

"I haven't seen her in years. If I knew who she was I would've told you."

"So I guess I should thank you, Eric, for giving us a reunion. Now what would make things really perfect if I could just get a little taste. Would you allow your Queen?"

Her hand stroked the side of my neck as she flipped my hair over my shoulder. I shuddered upon her touch and I tried to turn my body, but Sophie-Anne's grip was firm and kept me closely to her. I thought about channeling water, but apart from making the tap in the kitchen burst, there wasn't much damage I could do.

"No," Eric replied firmly. He stood before us. "She. Is. Mine."

Sophie-Anne sighed and let go of my body. Once I was released I immediately stood besides Eric, grabbing his arm both for safety and to hold him back if necessary. Even the Queen had to uphold the laws of human ownership but Eric would be staked if he did anything to her.

"I guess I'll have to do with the memories," Sophie-Anne said, raising her shoulders. "But I'm not going to let that spoil this evening. In fact, the timing of this reunion couldn't have been more perfect."

She pushed herself upwards, standing in front of me and Eric. With her heels she was still quite short, and even I towered over her. What she lacked in height she made up in dominance, and I wouldn't dare crossing her. I doubted anyone who did lived to tell the tale.

"I need you to do something for me Eric," Sophie-Anne began. "Something you I imagine you do not want to do. I need to to testify against Alain Martin."

"No," Eric replied firmly.

I had no idea who Alain Martin was, but I figured I would find out soon and kept my mouth wisely shut. I had a feeling Sophie-Anne wasn't done yet.

"I knew you would say that, and I had no idea how to convince you. Until now."

Her eyes rested on mine.

"You'll testify, or I'll spread the word that Eric Northman is sheltering a mermaid."

A/N: I bet you didn't see this one coming! If you don't recognize Alain Martin, don't worry, he's a character I created. I really hope you like this twist. I think it adds a fun new dimension to Serena's background story.

I'd love to hear your responses on this one! Please leave a review and I will see you guys again soon 3