ALL HAIL THE KING

They wasted no time, flying to Merlotte's. Despite Eric's oversized jacket, Sarah had to suppress a shiver when they landed, the cold wind still feeling as if it were whipping through her bones.

The gravel made barely a sound as they carefully walked towards the far window on the building, looking over the pool table along the length of the bar. Sookie, Bill and Sam were still inside, all facing Sarah and Eric as they crouched low at the window, though they remained unseen. All of the focus in the room was upon the vampire that stood before them, his hands clasped behind his back, his shoulders broad but relaxed.

Sookie? Sarah called in her mind, knowing that her best friend could hear her, though the telepath showed no reaction, we're here, don't worry; he won't be a match for all of us.

She didn't nod, but the flick of her fringe told Sarah that her thoughts had been heard. It was the signal they often used at work to communicate that Sookie could hear her loud and clear.

Sarah glanced to Eric, his gaze set so intensely on the strange vampire that she was surprised there weren't two saucer sized holes in his back. His brows drew together, a slew of Swedish curses that Sarah was familiar with rolling from his lips as he took her hand, pulling her away from their hiding place. The stealth had faded from his steps as he said, 'he's calling us in.'

Eric obviously hadn't liked the way in which he had done so, but Sarah didn't press the issue, all of her focus on the vampire that turned to face them as they entered the bar, obviously not concerned at having another vampire at his back.

Could it mean that even Bill was young compared to him?

'Ah, you must be Eric and Sarah,' the vampire said, that same impenetrable smile donning his lips as he looked them up and down, noting their joined hands for a moment before he turned back to Sookie, Bill and Sam, directing them to sit down. By the way they complied, there had been some severe threats handed down to them. Sarah and Eric both bristled at the idea of this stranger even thinking to harm their friends, but they both stood their ground, neither showing the anger they both felt burning deep within.

Sarah doused the flames that threatened to erupt within her gaze, plastering a smile on her lips, going for nonchalance as she asked, 'didn't I run into you earlier?'

'Yes, you did,' he said, a subtle bow of his head in acknowledgement, 'and I am rather glad you did. You have saved me an awful lot of time.'

'Really, how do you mean?' Sarah asked, not wanting to let on that she feared she already knew exactly what he spoke of.

He stepped forward just slightly, one hand still resting behind his back as the other gestured towards Sarah. 'I have been looking for you for some time,' he said, that smile becoming ever so slightly brighter, 'desperate to find you.'

Sarah glanced to Eric, seeing the glower he had levelled on the vampire, one that should have intimidated the pants of the pompous prick. Sarah squeezed his hand, trying to communicate to him, to tell him to listen just for a moment before she turned her attention back to the stranger.

'I'm not sure why,' she said, smiling as brightly as she could manage, 'I'm just the meek little English girl in this town. You can ask any of my friends here.'

'Stop playing games with me Sarah,' he said, accent a little thicker, 'I know what you are, what you have hidden within you, and I want it.'

Sarah felt the anger sizzle through Eric, but still held him back, hoping that his anger wouldn't give them away.

'I'm sorry you've wasted your time coming here, but I just don't know what you're talking about. I'm just a waitress, nothing more.'

He shot forward, only to come face to chest with Eric, his head tilted ever so slightly to stare up the towering height of Sarah's gorgeous Viking vampire. With fangs bared, power rippled through the air, Bill edging out of his chair, ready to support Eric.

'Out of my way Northman,' the vampire growled.

'No,' uttered in a voice that sent chills down Sarah's spine, but the other vampire didn't falter – he was either too stupid to know when to back down, or far stronger than Eric – but by the smirk that crossed Eric's lips, Sarah knew it had to be the former, especially as Eric said, 'you've not quiet worked out how old I am, have you? Because you feel about 700 to me little boy.'

700 and Eric called him a boy?

"803,' the vampire corrected, clearly livid at the remark. He took the smart path, stepping back. 'The business I wish to propose is between me and Sarah, so I suggest you step aside.'

'And Sarah is mine, therefore it involves me also.'

The vampire stepped back, sitting on a bar stool, still facing Sarah and Eric. 'Fine,' he said, apparently unfazed as he fixed a cufflink before looking up again, 'you can play the ignorance card, but any intelligent vampire,' a pointed stare at Eric, 'can tell simply by your scent that there's something a little different about you. It's earthy and smoky, but alluring all in the same moment.'

Eric had mentioned that she smelled different, but he'd also said that all humans did. Could it really be that her scent was that strong?

Oh god, Sookie, Sarah thought, please tell me he's been too distracted to realise that there's something different about you too.

'So, what does this all mean?' she asked, trying to keep his attention on her, 'because so far you're not making any sense.'

He smiled, leaning back more comfortable on the bar in his confidence as he said, 'I know what you are.'

Sarah squeezed Eric's hand before stepping forward. As much as she hated the idea of confirming anything this vampire had to say, she couldn't help herself. To finally know something about where her powers came from, to finally solve even a fraction of the mystery that had haunted her throughout her life was a chance she could not pass up.

'What do you think I am?'

'I am yet to truly believe it, but from all I have studied, you are what the legends call a True Druid, an elemental being of equal beauty and terror that rose from fire and ash of the earth whenever the population of vampires and werewolves became so vastly out of proportion to humans that the very existence of humans came under threat. They were times of extreme darkness and war, with races fighting for claims on territory, and in the midst of it all the True Druids would appear. Though there were but a handful each time, they wielded the very powers of the earth, using it to stop the wars and bring the vast populations of vampires and werewolves back down to more manageable numbers, threatening the very fires of hell that they seemed to control on those who tried to increase the numbers beyond natural constraints again.'

A True Druid.

The words echoed through her mind. Could it really be true, could Sarah really be the being that this bizarre vampire described with a delighted smile on his lips?

'How did you find this out? How did you know what to look for?'

'Simple, my dear,' he said, folding his hands behind his back as his intense stare stayed locked with hers, 'I had a spy in the Fellowship of the Sun before it and it's leaders were decimated by that fortunate fire nearly one year ago. He escaped, telling me the story of a tiny English girl who could wield the elements with a mere gesture of her hand, one who had a vampire and werewolf with her. I am disappointed to say that it has taken me this long to have found you, but I must say that I am glad I did. There are so many things that having the only True Druid in the world could do for a vampire king.'

'I'm sorry, but a king? Which king?'

He bowed his head, that regal manner stronger than ever as he said, 'Lucian Ştefan Dimitru, the vampire King of Arkansas.'

Eric's jaw ticked. Obviously he'd heard of this vampire.

'So, you know what I am?' Sarah said, trying to hold her strong stance even as the realisation that this man knew the secret she had tried so hard to protect sent tingles of fear crawling up her spine, 'what do you want?'

He opened his hands. 'I want you to align yourself with me, of course. You'll find that with Edgington gone, there is no stronger kingdom to join. Sophie-Anne is a mere girl, weak, especially if she knows of the extreme power so very close to her yet chooses not to wield it to her advantage.'

'Sorry to disappoint you, but I'm happy exactly where I am right now,' Sarah said, feeling Eric's arm snake tightly around her, drawing her closer, 'you'll have to find someone else.'

'There is no one else,' he growled, and all of the fangs in the room were bared yet again, 'This offer has an expiry date, Sarah. I suggest you take it, or I will consider you against me.'

'But I have no qualms with you. I didn't even know who you were until I walked in here!' she exclaimed, exasperated, 'all I want to do is live my life in peace and quiet, pretending that I am just the normal person I've always wanted to be.'

'And how will you feel in five years, Sarah. You may decide that one day you'd like to trade that quiet existence for a little more power. If the legends are true, and I believe they are by the stories my messenger relayed to me, then you could decimate an entire population of vampires in one state in mere days. Without aligning to me, I take that as a threat.'

'Then you're just as ignorant as the humans who riled against vampires just because they were different,' Sarah said, feeling anger flame within her, the emotions reflected in her gaze, 'but I shouldn't find it surprising that a greedy man like you who doesn't want to share the new toy he's discovered someone else has would be like that.'

'You bitch!'

'Take one more step and I'll rip your spine out you cockroach,' Eric growled, appearing in front of Sarah, pure rage rolling from him.

'If I can't have her, no one will.'

Lucian darted around Eric, his speed terrifying as he gripped Sarah from behind, his arms a vice around her waist. She had barely a blink to fathom his intentions to fly her from the building, but her anger burst to life in the form of flames that crawled over her skin. She was used to fire appearing on her arms, but the scream that Lucian unleashed, one that nearly burst her eardrums as he released her, told her that he had not expected the reaction. She spun around, seeing the flames that he tried to douse; his clothes and skin smouldering. The pool table shattered as he slammed into it, glass breaking as he threw himself through the window, but not before he stared at her, terror in his stormy eyes before he disappeared.

They stood in silence, the only sound in the building being Sookie and Sam sliding out of the booth they had been directed to sit in. They stared at the gaping hole that the King had made, then turned their gazes to Sarah.

Sam uttered a curse, breaking the stillness of the bar.

'What the…hell?' Sookie said.

'What?' Sarah said.

Sookie just pointed to the mirror behind the bar, watching Sarah as she walked to stand in line with it, a little scream erupting from her lips as she saw the fire that crawled over not only her arms, but her whole body. She didn't feel even slightly warm, nor did her clothes smoulder and burn like the floor beneath her as she glanced down.

She gasped at the sight, the flames extinguishing as she looked up to Sam. 'I'll pay for that.'

He just slumped in the nearest chair. The grill was looking a little worse for wear tonight, and it was going to be costly. Sarah made a note to ask Eric to help him with the repairs. After all, it was because of her that it had happened.

The guilt was short lived though as so many other realisations assailed her. All she had feared had just come true: all of the things that she and Eric had argued about earlier had been made reality. She felt Eric pull her head to his chest, felt him whispering reassurances at her ear and she wrapped her arms around him.

'And I thought that we might be able to get married without incident this week,' she said, feeling tears burning in his eyes.

'That bastard is not going to spoil our week,' he said, so much emotion in his voice, 'he's gone, and after the show you just gave him he won't be coming back for a while, so let's enjoy ourselves. We can deal with him later.'

'But–'

'No buts,' Eric said, 'this is our week, Sarah, and nothing is going to change that.'

A hand appeared on her back, rubbing up and down. Sarah looked to Sookie, seeing the smile that lit her best friend's lips.

'Eric's right,' she said, that sweet southern voice flowing over Sarah, 'we've faced a lot of crap, but we've never let it stop us before, and we're not going to let it stop you and Eric from enjoying the happiest day of your lives.'

Sarah smiled, turning to embrace Sookie, whispering, 'thanks.'

Sookie just hugged her back, not letting go even as the door burst open, Pam and Sophie-Anne striding in. They glanced at the destroyed pool table and the shattered glass window, both quirking a brow.

'Seems we've missed the party,' Pam said.

The Queen opened her mouth, but found her feet dangling, a heavy hand on her throat that lifted her into the air. She didn't protest, sighing instead. She had obviously expected the reaction, and after the beat down she received just a few nights before, she wasn't going to argue.

'How did you not know?' Eric growled.

'Know what?' she asked, obviously exasperated.

'That it was the King of fucking Arkansas that had worked out what Sarah is!'

'You hadn't worked that out either, brainiac, so stop bitching at me because he's got a theory.'

'You mean, you don't even know?' Sarah asked.

The Queen narrowed her gaze. 'Know what?'

'Put her down Eric,' Sarah said, placing her hand on his shoulder, tugging him back a little, 'she's telling the truth.'

Though a little grudgingly, Eric placed the fiery haired Queen on her feet, waiting for her to straighten her jacket before he dropped the bombshell, the vampire actually showing an emotion as Eric detailed the events. She glanced at Sarah, the pieces falling into place, a curse escaping her lips. She darted towards Sarah, keeping enough distance that Eric didn't try to attack her.

'It makes so much sense now,' she said, voice just above a whisper.

Great, now the bloody Queen of Louisiana and Mississippi was staring at her like she had suddenly become a shiny gold crown that she just had to have. How could the day get better?

Thankfully, she turned back to Eric. 'It was the King of Arkansas, you said, that pieced all of this together?'

'Yes.'

The Queen pursed her lips, glancing to Sarah, prompting Sarah to ask what made the vampire look so worried. A frown actually crossed her ruby red lips, as if she feared that being the mere messenger of the words she was about to voice would land her in trouble with Eric, but after a moment to steel herself she said, 'he's very well known in the vampire community, especially because of his tendencies to be a possessive, maniacal son of a bitch.'

Sarah sighed, 'just what I needed.'

'How'd you get rid of him?' the Queen asked, 'he doesn't normally run from a fight.'

'I burnt him,' Sarah said.

The Queen quirked a brow. 'You did what?'

'I burnt him,' she sighed, flames rolling over her hand for a moment before she extinguished them, 'you know, with fire?'

Normally the Queen did not take sarcasm well, but she merely stared, a flicker of fear within her gaze as she said, 'you'll have royally pissed him off.'

Sarah rolled her eyes at the irony in the statement, 'I figured as much.'

'No, you don't understand,' she insisted, glancing between Sarah and Eric, 'Lucian is terrified of fire. It's how he lost the only woman he's ever professed to have loved, and he blames himself. If you used fire, you'll either have scared him into hiding for quite some time, or…'

'Or what?' Eric growled, not appreciating her pause.

'Or he won't stop until he possesses her, or she's dead.'

They spent another hour at the bar discussing the vampire King of Arkansas, Sarah absorbing as much information as she could. The trip home was quiet, Eric holding Sarah tightly against his chest, their legs intertwined. There was so much to think about, their minds a whirlwind of thoughts, but as they touched down at the front door and their eyes met, they knew that there was no way they would let the crazy bastard called Lucian Ştefan Dimitru keep them from exchanging their vows. They had been through so much together, so much fear and pain, but those moments were overshadowed by the light that filled their lives when they were together.

Eric never released her, carrying her into the house and straight to their bedroom. They would not fear the King of Arkansas, not when they had the support of their friends and their love of one another. As the sun rose they would rest just as Tara had instructed, and tomorrow night they would enjoy their Hen's and Buck's nights, knowing that they were one day closer to being able to call each other husband and wife.