27

The Drive, The Sharing, and The Random Thoughts

Surprise, everyone. I have to post this chapter sooner than expected. I have been working on editing this chapter because for the next two weeks, I'll be in training and I won't be able to work on the story. I've also made it extra-long so that maybe it'll tide y'all over until I return. I'll work on the chapter while I'm in my hotel room but I won't have time to post it. As always, thank y'all for reading, reviewing, favoriting, and alerting this story. Y'all are wonderful. Have a great weekend and 4th of July.

The story idea is mine but the characters belong to Charlaine Harris.

I wondered if vampires ever get cold. Have you ever wondered that? I never thought about it until tonight. I know that it's summertime but with the speed that Eric is driving, I'm about to freeze to death. The jacket that he gave me to wear is doing very little to keep me warm. Because he'd left the corvette at the bar, he decided to drive his Porsche. He asked if I'd mind riding with the top down and I said no. And I meant it … at first. I honestly had no idea that it could be this cold on an August night but he didn't seem to notice. He was sitting in the driver's seat looking straight ahead. His beautiful hair flying helplessly behind him. His handsome face was as blank as ever. I wondered what he was thinking because I could feel what he was feeling. He was feeling anger, rage, and guilt. Guilt was the strongest emotion of them all. I don't like that he's blaming himself for what Quinn did to me or tried to do to me. It's not his fault. He had no way of knowing what was going to happen. I'm more than sure that he would have protected me. I just wish that he knew that.

I glanced at him and his face told me nothing. It was cold and hard. His eyes were raging and staring at nothing as he drove us to meet with the king. I looked out into the night as we sped along. The downtown area was bright because of the streetlights and the beautiful moon. People were still walking the streets. Some were laughing. Some appeared to be on dates. Others were talking on their cell phones as they hurried along. I wondered what their lives were like. I wondered if any of them felt as I do. I wondered if they ever felt that they needed more out of their lives or if they were content with how things are. Were they happy with their jobs? Did they ever wonder what it would be like if they were single or married? Did they want more or did they have enough? I used to believe that I could walk through this life and be content with what I had. At one time, I was going to force myself to go with the norm even though I'm not a part of that norm. I used to think that I could marry a guy like Sam and be content in my life. I thought that I wanted the 2.5 children and the white picket fence. I believed that I didn't need the adventure or the excitement. I could serve fried pickles and iced tea all day and night and everything would be okay. I'm so glad that I didn't settle for less than what I deserve. If I had, I wouldn't know what I know now.

"You know what?" I asked him.

He answered by looking at me.

"I'm going to share things with you tonight and what I'm going to say, I don't want them to change what we have," I said. "I want you to still be my friend. They won't change us?"

For the first time since we've been in the car, I could see something on his face. That something was concern. "No," he whispered. "There is nothing that you could tell me that would change us. You have my word."

I sighed as I began to speak. "What Quinn did to me isn't the first time something like that has happened to me. When I was nine, my uncle tried it too. Gran's brother tried to rape me. Or he'd at least planned on it." Afraid to look at him, I stared out the window as I talked. "I hated it when he would come to Gran's for Sunday dinner. He used to always want me to sit on his lap but I wouldn't do it. I would always run to my grandpa. Grandpa would drape his arm over my shoulder and make him leave me alone. Grandpa told me this one time that he notices how I change when he comes around. Grandpa asked me why." I shook my head no as I remembered. "I wouldn't tell him but I think he knew why. Deep down, he knew why. Grandpa always made it a point to be at home when he would come for Sunday dinner. Except for this one time."

A scary noise built up in Eric's chest. The car began to go faster as his anger filled us and it soothed me. It made me feel safe.

I dropped my head as I steadied myself for what I was about to tell Eric. I almost thought against it but I wanted to share my experiences with him. They haven't always been the best experiences but they're mine. And now that I have the chance to share my life with someone, I don't want them to be mine anymore. I turned to face him as I spoke. "On that last Sunday, I was out back in the treehouse that grandpa had built for me and Jason." I began to smile. "It was really for me because it was pink with white shutters and the placard that hung over the door read 'Sookie' in big white and pink letters. It was beautiful. Grandpa built it with his own two hands. He said that it was mine but we'd tell Jason that it was his too so that he wouldn't feel left out. He never wanted to use it because it was pink. Jason said that it was too girly for him to hang out in. I was glad. I didn't want him in there anyway. It was great that I had a place of my own and I was nine years old. It was so great. I was the only nine-year-old girl in Bon Temps with her own house. I was fancy."

Eric smiled briefly as he weaved in and out of traffic.

"Well, anyway," I continued. "I was in there playing on that last Sunday. It was the Sunday that grandpa had to go visit his family. He left on Tuesday but promised me that he'd be back that Sunday before dinner. He told me that if he wasn't home by the time he arrived, I could wait for him in the treehouse. He said that he'd be there to get me just as soon as he got back. He'd pop right in and we'd go and eat dinner together. So, that's what I did. I always felt safe in the treehouse." I wiped a few wayward tears from my face.

"I was sitting on the little couch, listening to my radio and playing with my doll that day. When I heard the door open, I thought it was Jason but it wasn't. It was him. And I had nowhere to go." I shook my head and said, "I was in a tree. I couldn't jump and I sure couldn't fly. He sat down on my couch next to me. He patted his lap and told me to have a seat. I said no. You know, to this day, I blame myself because I should've heard him coming and I didn't hear him. I could always hear his thoughts but not that day and I can't figure out why."

Eric figured out for me. "You felt safe. You were in your safe zone. There was no reason for you to believe that anything would happen to you."

"Hmm," I said. I looked at him and nodded. "You're probably right. Nothing ever happened to me when I was in the treehouse. I always felt safe there. It was mine and grandpa built it just for me. I never thought of that. Thank you."

He said nothing.

I continued to share. "He touched my leg," I said. "I jumped up and ran to the other side of the treehouse as fast as my little legs could carry me. I ran to the corner and cried. When he began walking towards me, I pressed my body into the corner and begged him to leave but he wouldn't go. He was smiling as he approached me. He was smiling down at me as I cried."

Eric roared out in anger as he sped faster down the long stretch of road. He was swerving in and out of traffic. He was driving so fast that I couldn't tell if we were on the road alone or not. Yet and still, I wasn't afraid.

I closed my eyes as relived that moment. "He kneeled down in front of me. He had the nerve to tell me that I didn't have to be afraid of him. He only wanted to love me as uncles love their nieces. I could see in his mind what he wanted from me and it terrified me. He reached out to touch me and nothing. Nothing happened."

Eric turned to look at me.

"He never got to try and touch me again," I said. "My grandpa showed up at that exact moment. He never knew what hit him. My grandpa had me in his arms and out of that treehouse in seconds. Grandpa carried me into the house. Gran and daddy ran over to see what was wrong. He told them that I'd fallen off the ladder. He said that he was going to get me cleaned up and put me to bed." I began to chuckle. "He'd gone so far as to smear dirt over my legs and on my dress and they believed him. Gran and daddy offered to take care of me but grandpa wouldn't let them. He took care of me. Gran went back to cooking dinner while daddy continued watching sports. He put me to bed and waited for me to tell him everything that he'd ever tried to do to me. And I did." I shrugged my shoulders. "I guess killing Quinn made me think about him. Gosh. I hadn't thought of him in years. I haven't said his name since that day." I whispered as I said, "It's been over twenty years."

"Is he still alive?"

I shook my head no. "Grandpa killed him that day. I don't know if he killed him when he hit him while we were in the treehouse or if he killed him after. I know that he was laid out on the floor. I don't think grandpa would have killed him in front of me. I just know that I never saw him again after that. I didn't have dinner with the family that night. I didn't want to. Anyway, since he was a known drunk and a heavy smoker, no one suspected a thing when he burned up in it … in the treehouse, I mean. The family believed that he'd gone to the treehouse to have a few drinks since Gran wouldn't let him drink in the house. She didn't want him drinking around her grandchildren. Or smoking for that matter. She was always worried about us getting bronchitis."

I shrugged my shoulders before continuing. "Before it burned down, grandpa came into my room and closed my blinds. He said that I needed to rest. He kissed my forehead and told me that he loves me. No one saw grandpa leave the house but me. He popped himself from my room and to the treehouse. He was back in the house with us before anyone knew anything. Soon after, the treehouse burned down. Gran thought that I'd be sad to have lost my treehouse but I wasn't. I was glad that it was gone. I would have never used it again. I wouldn't have been able to … not after that."

Eric slowed the car down. "Does Gran know what happened to her brother?"

"Yeah," I responded. "Grandpa would never hide anything like that from her. He told her after my parents went home. After she learned of what he tried to do to me, she wasn't upset that he was dead. She wanted to kill him all over again. My grandparents have always loved me. Especially my grandpa. He's my biggest fan."

He frowned but I couldn't figure out why. Well, that is until he spoke. "Your mom was there? She didn't come to you as your grandfather carried you up the stairs … crying? She knew that you were crying and she didn't care?"

"No."

"Why?"

"I've never been one of her favorite people," I shared.

"She's your mother."

"Maybe she doesn't realize it." I looked down at my phone and stared at it. I unblocked my mom's number and just stared at it. "At first, I thought that it was just Long Shadow. I say that because when you first hired me, those girls that Pam was supposed to send away were waiting for me. They were harassing me and saying that I did things with you to get the job. I wanted to let them know that I'm not that type of girl. I would never do anything like that for a job."

I could almost feel Eric's body tense from the other side of the car. "You used your gift."

"I used my gift," I agreed. "I wasn't thinking. I should have known that it started with Long Shadow. As soon as I finished my demonstration for the girls, he asked if was working for you. I told him yes. And he had to have thought something was up when you protected me from that guy that was about to slap me. I go back to that night and I realize that he was watching you as you talked with me while we stood at the bar. 20/20 is hindsight, right? It didn't dawn on me until tonight that the little bit that he knew about me could have been given to the vampire that took Pam. He could've given them my name and that's all they would've needed to find me. There aren't too many Stackhouses in Louisiana. They only needed one person to betray me. Just one."

"Your mom." He stared ahead as the reality of what he'd said sunk in.

"My mom," I whispered.

He looked at me full on. "How can you be sure of this?"

"She was working with Quinn," I clarified.

His knuckles whitened as they gripped the steering wheel.

I nodded my head. "When I wrapped my free arm around Quinn as I was killing him, I could see her talking to him. My mom was giving him information about me. She didn't hire him. She didn't have the money to do that. Someone else did but she's helping them." I looked at Eric as I continued. "She told them about me … about what I can do. She gave them a picture of me. They know what I look like. They know that I work for you."

"Who all knows?"

I shook my head as I said, "I don't know." I chuckled. "She must really hate me."

I could feel Eric's eyes on me.

I turned to look out the window. "She's always been like that with me but not with my brother. When I was a little girl, she wouldn't hug me or kiss me goodnight. She wouldn't tuck me in unless dad made her do it. She thinks that I'm a stain on our family. Do you know what it's like to be four years old and to know that your mom wishes every day that you'd never been born? I do but it's not something that you can put into words, you know?" I looked at Eric and sighed. "I'm so glad that you don't know what that's like."

The car slowed down a little more as I talked. The red taillights of the cars ahead of us were clear enough for me to see now. "I tried to block her thoughts out but I never could." I turned slightly so that I could see him and said, "I had the ability to do it. My grandpa had taught me how to do it but when it came to my mom, I never could block out her thoughts."

"Why?"

"Don't think that I'm crazy but I used to hope that one day, I'd do something good enough for her to think something nice of me. I wasn't a difficult child. I didn't want much. Just one nice thought, " I shared. I turned back to look out the window. "That day never came. It never will."

The Louisiana trees looked beautiful tonight. Everything looked so beautiful and different for some reason. The oleanders seemed to be brighter and prettier. They were probably even a bit deadlier than they used to be. The pine and oak trees seemed to stand taller and looked even bigger … if that's even possible. The scent of the pine seemed to be stronger tonight. The tangled overgrowth seemed to be fighting to get closer to the edge of the road. They wanted to be seen and admired too. Everything wants to be seen and admired tonight. I didn't know where we were but the only light in the sky was the moon and it made everything even more appealing and beautiful. Everything that the moonlight touched was amazingly stunning.

"My dad was never my hero," I shared. "He would stand up for me … at times but not enough. It always came back to mom. He loves her and she is the love of his life. I never understood why he stayed with her. I don't get why she is so much more important that I am. He tried, though. He did. Don't get me wrong," I hurriedly added. "I'm not condoning that he stands by her when she's wrong. I'm just saying that I understand."

His face was even colder and harder when he spoke. "I do not."

"He loves me," I said. "He just doesn't love me enough." Now that broke my heart.

I closed my eyes and inhaled the scents of the night and listened to the sounds of the owls and the crickets. I've always loved the sounds of the night. They don't compare to what the daytime has to offer but at night, these creatures can be free. They can be who they are. They don't have to hide. They can linger in the shadows as they bathe in the moonlight.

"I don't love her anymore," I whispered. "And I'm not sad about it and that makes me sad." I looked at Eric full on this time. I turned to face him. "I feel nothing for her. I thought that I would be sad but I'm not. I think that's another reason why I agreed to keep my face battered and bruised. I wanted to look at myself and feel something for what she helped do to me. I thought that maybe I'd cry or call her and beg her to tell me why she's done this to me but no. I don't need an explanation. I feel nothing. No sadness. No pain … well, a little pain."

Still driving but at a slower speed, Eric asked, "What does that mean?" His question was a loaded one and if I was a different person, I'd want take him up on his offer.

"It means that I want her to suffer in life," I said. "I don't want her to die. I want her to live her life feeling the way she's made me feel. I want her to feel as she's made me feel my entire life." I suddenly felt ashamed of what I'd said. I looked down at my lap and closed my eyes as I wished that I could take those words back.

"No," Eric stated firmly. "Do not feel bad for what you are feeling. Whatever you feel for your mother, she deserves. I have known you for less than a month and I can see the goodness in you. Your light and your heart are beautiful. You are beautiful and it's not just on the surface, Sookie. You are an amazing person. And I am honored to have been given this chance to know you."

I leaned over and kissed him. "I am the one that's honored." For the rest of the drive, I held his hand in mine.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

When Eric drove us to huge metal gates, I realized that we weren't anywhere near the warehouse. We had to have been further out. It made me wonder if we were going to be able to question Dawn tonight. There is no way Dawn was behind those gates. Jake and I wouldn't have been permitted to come within thirty miles of this place. You should've seen it. Thick stucco walls were on either side of the metal gates and they were about fifteen feet tall. There were these huge hulking vampire guards standing outside of them. Watching. Waiting. I swallowed down my tongue and my heart when they approached the car. I'd never seen scarier looking vampires in my life.

"Is this the king's home?" I whispered.

"Yes, and those are his guards. They are always out here and they are always ready," Eric informed me. "You have nothing to fear. You are safe here and you are safe with me."

"I know," I commented. "I don't doubt that."

One of the vampires tapped on the window. Eric lifted his hand as to tell him that he was going to wait. The vampire stepped away from the car and crossed his arms behind his back and waited. "Don't be afraid."

I couldn't believe that I'd agreed to meet with William. "I'm not. I just can't believe that I'm doing this. I don't like him and I sure don't want his help. I don't trust him, Eric. He's always trying to plant doubt about you in my mind. I don't like it."

"Neither do I," he stated. "We need to meet with Bill and you know it. We need his help."

I knew it but that didn't mean that I wanted to do it. I sulked as I said, "I know."

He stared at me and said, "We can put this off if you want. We don't have to meet with him tonight. We can arrange to meet him another day if that's what you prefer. I do not want to cause you more stress. You've already suffered enough trauma. I don't want to add more to it but after what Quinn did to you, the king needs to be made aware." He paused as he looked at me. "He needs to see the damage that has been done to you."

I could tell that there was more.

"The person that hired Quinn will tell their boss that the tiger is missing," he said. "The culprit could possibly contact the king to let him know. They could say that he was last seen in my bar. I would pay the price. We must get to the king before they do. We need to let him know what happened. We need to let him see your face. He must smell the scent of the tiger on your clothes. If the king is going to help us, he can possibly get the information a lot sooner than we can. But the choice is yours, Sookie. Just say the word and we'll go back."

I glanced in the backseat at the bag of ripped clothes that I'd worn earlier this evening. It all made perfect sense and I know that Eric is right in everything that he said. "If the person calls the king looking for Quinn, they're probably the one that hired him." I shrugged my shoulders and said, "Great idea."

"Are you sure that you want to do this?"

"I'm not." I then looked down at my dress and back at Eric. "Do I look okay? I had another dress that I could've worn but I didn't want to waste it on him. I don't like the way he looks at me. I think he might be a pervert."

"You look beautiful," he said as he laughed. "You'll be fine if you stay close to me. And you will stay close to me."

"Yes," I promised. "I'm not going anywhere."

Eric stared at me for a long minute as he came to some resolution that I was not aware of. He let down his window before raising his hand and motioning for the guard to come back to the car.

Two of the guards approached the car. They were speaking to Eric in hushed tones. A third guard approached the car and was looking at me. He closed his eyes and inhaled. He said something to Eric and he let each of them know that I am his. I reached over and quickly grabbed his hand. The third guard continued to stare at me so I looked down at my lap. I didn't need another vampire dying because he was going to try and glamor me.

"He is expecting us," Eric assured the first guard. He then reached behind us and shoved the bag in the vampire's hand. "Make sure to deliver this to the king."

The first guard walked away with the bag in his hand and began speaking on a phone. The second guard watched Eric. The third one, he came to my side of the window and continued to stare at me. I leaned over and began kissing Eric. I wrapped my arms around his neck and kissed him. I did that because the vampire inhaled and I knew that he could smell my virginity. He was probably wondering if I was up for grabs. I needed to do something to let him know that I wasn't. Even though I was a bit embarrassed, I must admit, I was enjoying it. I also wanted to make sure that Eric was going to enjoy it too. I began to stroke his fangs with my tongue. His arm tightened around my waist. "You know what to do," I whispered as I kissed my way to his neck. "This is getting to be a bit too much."

Whispering in my ear, he said, "We can fix that, my lover."

I giggled. "Bite me."

And he did it without hesitation.

I pressed his head closer to my neck as he fed from me. The pleasure of feeling him feed from me is the most sensual and sexual thing I've ever done. I never thought that I could have feelings like this from a vampire bite. "Don't heal them," I moaned in his ear. "I want them all to see that I am yours."

He removed his fangs from my neck and stared into my eyes. He brushed my hair from my face and kissed me again. I think we would have still been kissing if the first guard hadn't cleared his throat. "You can go in now," he ordered as the gate opened.

Eric kissed me once more before returning me to my seat.

I glanced to my right and at the third guard who was still peering into the window at me. "Creep," I said. I stuck my tongue out at him as Eric drove through the gate. I smoothed down my dress and said, "I think I'm falling for you."

Eric had a smirk on his face as he glanced at me. "You think or you know?"

"I know," I answered with a smile.

He reached out and took my hand. I stared out at the king's massive home. The lighting that lit up the yard and the driveway was very understated. I think it was so that others wouldn't notice the massive home that was sitting off on side of the road covered under the guise of trees. The grounds were impeccably and stunningly manicured. The house was absolutely gorgeous. Moss hung from the columns of the old plantation style home. The house had to have been at least two stories. The balconies looked like the balconies from my most favorite movie in the entire world … Gone with the Wind. The king's home was the epitome of something from the old south. Though it was beautiful, I was leery of whom we were going to see.

"The prey walking willingly into the lion's den," I muttered.

Eric laughed heartily as he stopped the car.

Once he was out, came over to my side of the car and opened the door. He offered me his hand as he helped me out. Under the bright lights of the king's home, Eric lifted my face to his. His fangs snapped into place as he looked at the bruises, the black eye, and the busted lip. "When we are done here, I will heal you," he promised.

"Okay," I replied.

A vampire appeared out of the darkness and Eric threw the keys to him. "Good evening, Sheriff."

Eric nodded at the vampire as he led me up the stairs and in between two more muscular guards that led us through the front doors of the king's home. I had never seen a house so massive in all my life. The ceilings were high and these big windows looked out at the most beautiful flower garden I'd ever seen. Gran would have loved that garden. She and grandpa would have spent days working in that garden. The tulips. The tiger lilies. The moon flowers were the most beautiful I'd ever seen. I didn't mean to look like a tourist but it was beautiful.

"Impressed?" Eric asked as he leaned down and whispered in my ear.

"Not really," I said. "I've seen better. Gran's tulip bed is much prettier. Her pink roses would put those flowers to shame."

He smiled as he pulled me closer to him. "Remember what I told you. Know your place here. No mouthing off to the king. This is not a relaxed setting. This is an official meeting with the king. When you are speaking with him, remember to be respectful at all times."

"I will," I whispered.

"Unless he asks you something directly, stay quiet and let me do the talking."

"Yes, Master," I said.

His grip tightened on my hand. "It gives me great pleasure to hear you say that."

"What? You like it when I say yes?" I jokingly asked. "I guess I'll say it to you all of the time then. Yes. Yes. Yes. Oh, yes, Master."

He looked at me and smiled. He was about to reply to me but he didn't get a chance to. A female vampire walked up to him and planted the sloppiest kiss that she could on his mouth. He didn't return her kisses and he didn't push her away either. She had a lot of nerve and I didn't like it. I took my hand from Eric's and pushed him back away from her. I stared up at the tall vampiress. She smiled down at me and showed me a pair of the whitest fangs I'd ever seen. Her red lipstick was smeared over the pale skin below her lip. The lipstick paired with the jet-black hair was a bit much but she was attractive enough. She even looked good in her red suit. Not good enough to be kissing on Eric.

I turned to Eric and wiped her cheap … it probably cost more than my entire outfit … lipstick from his mouth. I stood in between them and asked, "Who are you and why are kissing my Master?"

She looked at me and began to laugh. She looked at Eric and asked, "Who is this human? And why does she feel she can tell me whom I can and cannot kiss?"

I know that Eric told me to keep quiet but she's not the king. I can say whatever I want to say to her. She was just some hussy that took it upon herself to kiss on my … on my … I don't know what he is to me just yet but she had no right kissing him. "I'm Sookie Stackhouse and I'm his. You can't kiss him because you want to. The master is …"

"Free to do whatever he wants," she interrupted. The unknown vampiress looked at him and asked, "Have you taken to being claimed by humans, Eric? Please, tell me that you haven't gotten so desperate that you're getting serious with a human. She's pretty enough but she's still a human."

Eric didn't answer her question. Instead he introduced me to the vampiress. "Salome, this is Sookie and she is mine."

Salome looked at me and smiled. "Are you serious? She is so tiny, Eric. You can't do the things to her that you have done to me. The things that you like. She is far too fragile. You could possibly hurt her." She sandwiched me in between her and Eric as she caressed his face with her finger. "Now, I, on the other hand, can take whatever it is that you have to offer. If I remember correctly, I know what you like." She closed her eyes as she inhaled my scent. She looked at me and licked her lips. "Oh. I get it. She's a virgin. Is that why she's glued to your hip?" Her eyes suddenly widened. "Is she an offering to your king or to me? Hopefully, she's for us all to share. If time allows, maybe we can break her in together." She reached out to touch me and I guess I did something that shouldn't have. I smacked her hand away.

"You don't touch me unless I say you can," I snapped at her.

She dropped fang on me.

I could feel Eric's posture change as he stood closer to my body. His hands were on my waist. I could only guess that he was preparing himself to move me if he needed to. I could hear his fangs as they, too, dropped into place. "You don't want to do this, Salome. She did you a favor by smacking your hand away. She is mine and is not to be touched by you or anyone else. You know the laws."

She tucked her fangs away as she stared at me. Not saying anything. She hissed as she looked down at me.

I stood tall and looked up at the tall vampiress. "Am I supposed to be afraid of you?"

"Yes," she answered. "You are."

With my head held high, I said, "Well, I'm not. I'm not going to play these games with you. You don't touch me or my ... my master." I stood as tall as I could in front of Eric to let her know my meaning.

Her pale green eyes were staring and unblinking as she looked at me. I could have sworn that a hint of a smile appeared on her face but it was gone so fast that I couldn't quite tell.

I was fascinated at how she looked at me … at how her demeanor changed in a heartbeat. I know that I was supposed to be afraid. Shoot, I was afraid but I couldn't back down now. I couldn't do that. That's not me. I know that she could hear my heart pounding in my chest but I didn't care. I had to stand my ground despite how scared I was. I was so scared that I wanted to cry but I didn't cry. Guess what I did?

I laughed.

And I couldn't stop.

"What's going on here?"

I looked up and there was the king. God, knows I wanted to stop laughing but I couldn't stop. I held my breath but I still laughed. I pinched my arm as hard as I could and I was still laughing. Nothing was working. No matter how hard I tried, I couldn't stop. I looked up at Eric for help but there was nothing that he could. So, I did the only thing that I could do. I laughed.

The king stared at me as if I'd lost my mind. He almost looked worried. "Is she well, Eric?"

Eric's face remained emotionless as he spoke. "She is. She's nervous and when she's nervous she breaks out into a fit of giggles." He looked at me and then at the king. "She should be done soon. Her nervousness is subsiding."

I wasn't too sure that he was right about that.