Disclaimer: The characters depicted herein are the sole property of Charlaine Harris and HBO.

A/N: So it's been nine whole months since my last update. Somehow an apology doesn't really seem to cut it, so instead I'll just thank everyone who has continued to review and pm me asking for more. I have a lot left to write with this fic, so if people are still interested I will keep going.

Cheers,

MiddayD

Chapter 23

I woke up with a heavy feeling of dread. Tonight was the night that Preston had scheduled a huge party between the vamps from Nevada and Hawaii, attempting to publicly secure a friendship between the two kingdoms. That was, of course, before I killed Victor with a silver dagger and cut off De Castro's arm an hour later. The fact that Felipe never intended to secure any kind of friendship, publicly or otherwise, was not the point. What we were all facing now was going to be an event similar to that of Rhodes: a trial in front of a jury elected by members of both retinues, followed by blood in champagne glasses and dancing.

Of course, if I was found guilty of attacking two incredibly powerful vampires unprovoked, the dancing seemed unlikely.

Maybe I'll get lucky and they'll find Felipe guilty...of kidnapping me and of being an asshole.

Rubbing the sleep from my eyes, I rolled on to my side and looked at Eric. It was only 3:00pm so he was still in his daytime rest, and yet even while sleeping he seemed as anxious as me. Rightfully so, I suppose. From a political standpoint, I was Eric's bonded and so punishment chosen by the jury would likely have to be inflicted on me by him. Furthermore, Eric was still expecting to be made an example of, as Felipe had put it the night he showed up with Victor at Eventide, for having come to Hawaii without permission in the first place.

For now, it seemed, we were no longer on De Castro's good side.

After laughing at that last thought, I decided it was time to get out of bed and make some coffee. Eric wouldn't be up for another two hours or more, but I had some major thinking to do before then. Not only about the impending trial but also about the bizarre series of bonds formed between Pam, Preston, Eric and I. I had tried to wrap my head around it last night, but there was just too much going on to concentrate. One thing is certain, though, Pam will now know my feelings.

Nope, still not ready to deal with it.

* * * * *

After brewing a pot of coffee and taking a long shower, it was time to look in a mirror and scope out the damage to my face. When we had gotten back to our rooms the night before, Eric wanted to heal me but I refused on the grounds that the bruise was proof of being assaulted.

"My word is proof enough, lover; they do not need to see it on your skin." Eric had said with a pained look on his face.

"You can heal me after that trial, but until then it stays." I replied.

"You are so much trouble" Eric had said, before gently running his fingers over my back until I fell asleep.

Seeing my reflection under the bright lights of the hotel bathroom today, though, I wish I had let him heal me. The entire left side of my face was purple, and there was a huge bump that extended from my lower cheek to my forehead. Somehow, my first real attempt at a holiday had turned into yet another occasion where I got beaten up.

All I wanted to do was lie on the beach with Eric under the stars, go for a swim, kiss him, touch him, hold him…and instead we were planning ways to lie to a jury, use Preston's gift to 'persuade' them to believe us, and read their minds to determine whether it worked. If it doesn't, well, Eric and Pam are always up for a good fight.

Deciding that applying some foundation was both futile and completely ridiculous; I gave up and switched to styling my hair so that it could fall over my face if I wanted it to. It wouldn't be able to completely hide the bruise, of course, but that was the point. Eric woke up just as I was finished getting ready.

"Dear one, why am I in this bed alone?" He called out to me sulkily.

Rather than answer him, I walked out of the bathroom to show him my attempts at looking presentable. Visibly wincing at the bruise on my face, Eric pulled me gently to the bed.

"You still look stunning, lover" he said, while kissing my neck and smelling my hair "though are you quite sure you do not wish to be healed?" He asked quietly.

I shook my head, and he gave me a small smile.

"I will just have to make you forget about it then" he said huskily, and pulled my skirt off in one swift motion. As he kissed and licked his way up my legs and between my thighs, I did.

TBC