AxidentlGoddess, bunnychica9, Kassandra J and str8jacket, I thank you all for your reviews. Also a big welcome to the new readers this has gained since the last chapter. Good to have you here :) I hope you all enjoy the chapter, and look forward to your thoughts.
/
/
/
/
Eric's POV
"Do you think the king thought you were lying to him about us being married at the time when we saw him then? That's the reason why he's assigned Fabien to seek out the details of our marriage?" Tyra asks me as we lie in bed after taking our shared bath.
"No, Matsukata would have spoken out if he'd have seen through the charade. He's very much that kind of vampire. He's just checking up on me, and you as well to know what kind of people he has closer to him I should imagine. This is why I wanted us to marry so quickly, because I just knew he'd do something like this. What I didn't know is that he'd hire Fabien to do it. What a stroke of ironic luck," I reply.
"That makes me breathe a slight sigh of relief. Unless he finds some way to touch me, indirectly of course," she replies, referring to the fact since she is mine he cannot really lay a finger on her. He can however find out she omits an amazing energy if he does anything like accidentally brush her arm, and then wonder what it is he just felt. I know you must think we're overreacting, but what happened last year even though most of the time is far away can still only feel too real. Tyra still suffers nightmares about it, sometimes I have too. Even though he can't take her, I doubt his maker has such regard for vampire lore. Especially since this isn't his kingdom. It's his progenies, which is even worse for me.
"Let us not speak of this any longer. I do not want you to worry. If it came to it, Tyra, if he did find out I'd kill him before he got to you if I'm honest. I'd be prepared to have my fangs ripped out and be locked in a silver coffin to ensure your safety. Obviously that isn't the ideal solution but I'd do it. I'm stronger than him anyway. After drinking your blood I could take out him and his security without issue. I just wanted you to know that. You won't be taken from me again," I tell her, kissing the top of her shoulder.
"You're forgetting something. Being parted from each other would drive us both insane. So let's hope it doesn't come to that, or if it does you'll just have to be your usual cunning self about it, and not go kill him for glory and make sure everyone know it was by your hand. Anyway, all this is, it's just speculation of what 'could' happen. Are you looking forward to his celebration?" she asks me, stroking my chest and making me feel calm inside again. Her energy is pure peace to me.
"For purposes of keeping my ear to the ground yes, but not for much more than that," I tell her honestly. "Are you?" I ask her.
"Hmmm, I'm unsure. On the one hand it could be interesting. On the other, there are very few vampires I have any time for," she replies equally as honestly.
"I noticed the address he listed on the invitation was not Sophie Anne's former residence," I voice.
"He actually confided in me over that, or flat out lied. I'm unsure which. I can tell when you're lying but I'm not so good with other vampires. Pam can still fool me. Anyway I digress. He said he couldn't live in the same place she'd died in, and that for a short time she'd made him a very happy vampire," Tyra replies, while I think on her words for a few moments.
"He attempted to pass off the marriage as one out of devotion and not merely a merging of states for financial gain. Interesting," I tell her.
"Mmmm, it is." she replies simply, each blink lasting a little longer than the last.
"I'm sorry, I'm keeping you awake. You sleep now." I say, stroking the side of her face and kissing her. She turns over and curls up against me, asleep within moments. I banish all thoughts of my new king, his possible past bad deeds and future motives fro my mind, and happily join her moments later. I awake again at 5pm, and instead of finding Tyra next to me I see a note instead. She explains she's got things to do in the daylight hours, and that she'll be seeing her friend Lafayette tonight so will not be back until late.
"Oh, but you're still here." I tell the cat when she jumps onto the bed and meows at me, nudging my hand with her head shortly afterwards. She demands attention when she wants it. I get up and get dressed after a few minutes, checking my cell for messages. Amongst others is one from Fabien informing me he's roping in Cassius to search for any information on Sophie Anne's death, or should that be murder? When I head upstairs and find Pam, it turns out I receive some interesting information from her.
"We've been invited to a celebration being thrown by the king on his gaining of the state, it's two weeks from now. From the wording of the invitation it seems there will be a few other state regents present too. There, I've given you sufficient notice to purchase a new outfit," I tell her, watching her looking interested. Whether that is over the party or purely the prospect of a new dress, I do not know. Pam does love to shop.
"Speaking of the king, I have news for you. Apparently, and this is through the usual grapevine, the king and Sophie Anne were seen together socially a hell of a lot prior to their marriage. He showed her off to his associates endlessly, so I've been informed," Pam tells me with a raised eyebrow. "Looking every inch the besotted pair too, so my source tells me, so what does that say?" she adds.
"He either went to great lengths to show her off and convince everyone this romance and whirlwind marriage was the real thing, rather than a merging of states for financial gain on his part. Or it really was true, and her death a genuine and poorly timed accident. I'll get to the bottom of it one way or another," I tell her, watching the corners of her mouth begin to twitch into a smile.
"You're hoping he did, don't you? You're hoping you'll find enough evidence to throw light on the fact he murdered Sophie Anne for her title, he'll get hauled in front of the brand spanking new, we-cannot-be-bribed authority, and he'll lose control of the state. Thus meaning of course he'll never come into contact with Tyra again, and you'll be happy," she replies, working out my inner thoughts superbly.
"Of course," I reply, raising my eyebrows. She's right. If there was a way I could get the vampire only one step from San Lu away from here I'd do it. This is it. I know it probably sounds like I'm leaping all over this and taking things too far unnecessarily, but Tyra's safety is of paramount importance to me. Just in case you hadn't worked that out yet.
"Oh here, you have the usual stack of mail. I took the liberty of removing the poison pen style death threats and junk mail usual'," she says as she passes me a large pile of envelopes, paper and padded, and a couple of Amazon boxes at the bottom.
"Thank you." I tell her before she moves off to sort out the cash in the registers with Deborah. I take the mail back to the office and begin by opening the small boxes from Amazon, so the books inside are ready to give to Tyra when she gets here. It is now that my thoughts turn to her naturally, and I wonder what she's doing right now. Taking my cell from my pocket, I decide I'll find out…
/
/
/
/
Tyra's POV
"Well Cobie just arrived here to drop off the work he's done and pick up some more box files from me, I saw Esmeralda earlier to do the same, and managed to get all of the files I was working on in the early hours dropped off with their respective clients...yeah I was up at eleven...yes I do feel like having a nap, you're right...okay I'll see you later, love you, bye." Those words there are the tail end of a telephone conversation I just had with Eric, while Cobie sits and waits patiently for me to be done.
"I still can't believe you married the grumpy old motherfucker," he states, shaking his head and laughing to himself.
"Well if I didn't, who else would?" I reply in jest, making him cackle more.
"Seriously though, I'm glad you're happy. I guess he's not too bad, for a filthy bloodsucker," he replies. Of course, for the most part vampire's and Were's do not get along, and the temporary truce Eric and my wolves formed last year to protect me from Russell Edgington is now well and truly over. He sees how happy Eric makes me though, and that is good enough for him.
"He's great." I reply, smiling as I think of my new husband. Cobie just shakes his head once again, and with that we go back to business. I hand him over the box files he has to take care of next before he departs, leaving me alone in my house for the first time in a while. Totally alone too, since miss kitty is with Eric right now. Heading out of my office and into the kitchen, as I walk I take a good look around at my lovely, humble little abode.
I feel sad in a way that it isn't going to look like this for much longer, the way I've had it and loved it since I brought the place four years ago. I've always been so proud of how nice I've got it to look, how I paid for every single thing within it myself out of my own money, how I worked so hard to fund living on my own. I have to think on the bright side though, and consider how much more wonderful it will look once it's all been remodelled. Also, it will be the home I share with Eric. The first home we will live in as a married couple, so I do have that to look forward to. I make myself a cup of coffee and head outside, picturing Eric's rough sketch of the build plan in my head and trying to imagine what it would look like right here in front of me. Alas I fail. I don't think my artistic imagination is highly evolved enough to let me picture something from virtually nothing.
I can't even walk a clear path around pretty much half of the property because it's so overgrown. The clear space where I do my archery is likely to be eaten up with construction though. I might have to see if there's a way around that, or find another clearing somewhere else in the forest to do this. We'll definitely have to get professionals in to take some of the trees down. After noting this and a few other things I head back indoors and finish my coffee, deciding to do a spot of housework before getting ready to see Lafayette and Jesus in just a couple of hours from now. After managing to get the vacuuming done in record speed (I always do when I don't have a cat here who likes to fight with it), dusted, cleaned the bathroom and the kitchen, and changed my bed linen, I'm done. I head for a shower at approximately 6.30pm, figuring I won't need much time to get ready since my destination is only a thirty second walk from my home. Once out and dry I dress and blow dry my hair back to its usual poker straightness, and then apply minimal makeup before grabbing my keys and bag and heading on over. I can smell dinner wafting through the trees and over the space between Lafayette's home and mine, and note that whatever it is we're having for dinner it smell delicious.
"Oh my god, you've actually got a tan!" are the first words I'm met with when Jesus opens the door to me, giving me a warm hug moments afterward. He's right of course. You can't go to both Australia and Morocco and not come back with a little bit of colour. I even sunbathed nude one day just so I wouldn't get any tan lines. Eric enjoyed checking me over to make sure I didn't have any on the evenings too.
"I know, I feel strange not being the colour of a milk bottle!" I reply as I head in and Jesus closes the door behind me. I then see Lafayette emerge from the kitchen to welcome me.
"I got clam chowder and fresh corn cooking up in there, can I get you a drink while you wait for a brother to add his secret blend of spices and...hold the fuck up a second!" Lafayette begins, before snatching my left arm at the wrist and yanking it in front of him as his sentence falls apart. "Girl, what be this glittering away on your fourth finger?" he then adds in a shocked tone.
"Well, I was going to talk to you about that," I begin.
"You better start talking fast honey child, just when the fuck did you and Mr Deadman get engaged?" he demands, but not angrily.
"Well Lafayette, we're not just engaged. We're married," I tell him, wincing in anticipation of his reaction.
"You're what now?" he shrieks, his eyes wide.
"Let me cut in here and give the proper reaction to such news. Congratulations, honey," Jesus tells me, putting his arm around me and giving me a kiss on the cheek with a smile.
"When, and why?" Lafayette asks, still in semi horrified shout mode.
"Two days ago, and because we're in love of course," I laugh in reply, reaching out to hug him while he just looks even more confused. "I need to explain some finer details to you, finer details I need you both to keep under your respective hats." I then add. After three bowls of steaming hot clam chowder, freshly baked bread and plate of corn cobs have been served up on the table outside on the deck, I begin that explanation.
"So he'd actually planned it all along and this thing with the king just sparked him to marry you quickly to keep you safe? Awww, that's so romantic," Jesus states as soon as I'm done, while Lafayette looks thoughtful.
"That pretty much sums it up perfectly. So, big poppa, are you going to speak at all?" I reply, and then ask my quiet friend. I'm expecting some of that famed Lafayette fire to come blazing out and scorch me and my decision, but when he does open his mouth and speak,s I find I'm pleasantly surprised.
"Hooker, you know I gots my own reasons for trusting your new husband as far as I could throw him. That don't mean it extends to how I feel about him being with you though. That dude, he treats you like gold. Not even I can deny that, or the lengths he goes to in order to keep you safe. Blood bond or not, I'm pleased he put a ring on your finger," he tells me, giving me as pleased a smile as he can manage. You have to remember how strong his dislike for Eric is.
"I'm so relieved you've taken it well, it's all I could have wanted. Of course, I am regretful that I just did not have time to invite you. I would have liked to have had you there, and I think you were working anyway," I reply, watching him nod understandingly.
"You both did what you had to do, and it was the right thing to do if you aks me. Now honey child, let me get a better look at that bling, damn!" he replies, reaching out for my hand. "He got an eye for ice, that's fo' sho!" He then continues after I've taken off my bauble and handed it to him for a closer look.
"He does, he has immaculate taste," I reply proudly.
"So does this mean I'm gonna lose my neighbour soon then? I naturally take it you'll be moving in with Eric?" Lafayette asks me as he hands me back my engagement ring.
"Actually no, you'll be gaining one. Eric is moving in with me, but only after my current house has been remodelled and extended," I reply, watching his eyes widen in surprise.
"Well ain't you just full of surprises tonight, hoggin' up the limelight over there, hmph," he replies, taking his smoke box and beginning to roll himself a joint.
"Then someone jump in, I'm all done," I reply, holding up my hands to indicate my finality.
"Oh no, you've got to sit and tell me all about your vacation so you'll be chatting for a time yet. Let me go fetch you a top up first though." Jesus tells me before going inside to fetch a fresh bottle of wine from the kitchen. So as I tuck into my second helping of chowder I relish in once again reliving my vacation memories through conversation. After we're done eating I even quickly excuse myself to retrieve my laptop from my house, so I can be one of those terrible people who show off endless holiday location snaps. To be honest, each picture is different though and Lafayette and Jesus do seem very keen to look through them all. The ones of Eric and the crocodile are particularly amusing to them.
"That one is gorgeous. You both look so in love," Jesus says warmly when he gets to the pictures covering the European leg of our trip. The picture in question was taken by a nice vampire I got taking to while in France. She was Russian, so it was the very first time I got to try out speaking Russian to anyone other than Dmitri or his brother. She said I did very well and made very few mistakes. Anyway, the picture she took I edited to change to black and white. It is of me and Eric standing on the balcony of a restaurant we were at. I'm smiling at him with my hands rested against his chest while he gazes down at me with one arm around my shoulders, the other hand stroking my arm. It is a beautiful shot, candid and lovely. I look from the picture to the couple beside me, and have to smile to myself. Never in the time I've known him (well, as a good friend I've only known him for a year) has Lafayette had a serious boyfriend. Looking at him with Jesus right now I observe that serious is just what they look, very close in their relationship. I'm pleased for him. This closeness is something I point out to Lafayette as I help him watch the dishes a little later in the evening.
"You look stupidly happy with him, you know," I comment as he hands me a plate to dry.
"We both found our prince charming huh, peach tree? Even though yours sure as fuck ain't as charming as mine," he replies teasingly.
"Eric could charm a nun right out of her habit. In fact, I think he has on one occasion a long time ago," I reply, remembering something Eric told me about hiding out in a Romanian convent of all places in the early 1400's.
"That would not surprise me." Lafayette replies, eyebrows raised in mild amusement. Speaking of Eric, when I'm nicely fed and watered (and mildly drunk if I'm honest) I carefully head back to my house and find him standing outside waiting for me. My cat is with him too, weaving around his legs before scampering over to me
"Did you lose your key?" I ask him giving him a kiss.
"Not lost, I just cannot find it right now," he replies as I open the door and let us both in, the cat running on in ahead of us both.
"I would say you should have come on over to Lafayette's, but I know why you didn't of course," I comment knowingly, kicking off my shoes and switching the two freestanding lamps on before sitting on the couch.
"Did you enjoy your evening?" he asks me, removing his black leather jacket and coming to sit down next to me.
"I did, did you? What have you been doing?" I ask him as I get up again and head to the kitchen to fetch myself another glass of wine. Red after white, I better make this my last. Otherwise I stand to have a headache in the morning. He waits until I'm sitting beside him again before he answers.
"Having an otherwise good evening ruined by the fact the king's Louisiana representative, the 'general' as he referred to himself as in charge of all state vampire affairs while the king is away. This will be much of the time as well, since he plans to mainly reside in New York three weeks out of four. So for three weeks of each month I have to deal with Quentin fucking Rothman," he replies, practically biting off and spitting out the name of the general.
"Quentin Rothman, the name alone sounds slimy for some reason," I reply, while he pulls my legs up across his lap and slides a hand under my long dark purple dress to stroke my legs. I'm wearing a summer maxi dress, but I've teamed it with a warm cropped waist cardigan to keep out the spring chill. I haven't quite got used to dressing in non-summery clothing after being in Morocco.
"He is. He's an arrogant, pompous little asshole. He tried to physically take Mai Ling too, and terrified her in the process. He would have hauled her off with him too if I hadn't have told him such behaviour hardy reflected well upon his king. Also, Fabien was in front of her before he could do anything more and told him she was his in all his fanged bared, bad tempered glory," he replies, smiling somewhat.
"He's gorgeous when he's angry, isn't he?" I comment.
"Very," Eric replies. Of course, they were lovers once upon a time. Also as you know, it doesn't bother me at all. "It's safe to say she probably is his right now too." He then adds, laughing a little bit.
"He'll work his way through the whole damn bar," I exclaim lightly, shaking my head as I laugh. It's true, he will. Deborah has succumbed to his charms, all of the female vampire dancers and two of the guys also have too. He's never laid a fang on Ginger though, dismissing her as 'a skank' as he worded it. He knows she'll never sleep with him, but he flirts shamelessly with Pam as well. He's a massive whore.
"Anyway, hurry up and drink your wine. I have plans to work my way through various parts of you." He tells me. I finish my wine in two gulps, and then get carried unceremoniously over Eric's shoulder to the bedroom. I think it's safe to say that tonight has been a good night, one which also only gets better as soon as my bedroom door shuts behind us.