Marten's POV:
The honorable Xi Chang requests your presence in one of the conference rooms this evening, before the summit, the callers tell me. One of his secretaries had called me on my private number.
What did he want? I think to myself. Xi Chang was one of the council members representing Asia. I don't think I offended him in any way, at least from what I could remember in the last hundred years or so.
I let him know that I would be there.
I put on my cream-colored slacks, white long-sleeved shirt and my cream-colored double-breasted coat from Chanel and allow my hair stylist to work his magic. We were in France after all, I needed to look extra good.
"Hey hun," Sookie smiles as she walks into the room as carries her plate of vegetables and fruit. She looks at me through the mirror. "You're lookin' good," she says before taking a bite of a carrot.
I smile back at her. She was in her shorts, a t-shirt and barefoot. She had decided to sit out tonight's' presentations at the summit, but was going to join me at a party on a yacht later on this evening. It was the queen of Norway, the hostess, who had invited us.
I had received so many invitations prior to arriving here that I had to carefully decide which one to attend. I was glad Sonya was here so that she could represent me at some of the ones that I declined.
This new meeting with Xi Chang was going to definitely throw off my schedule. I had planned on attending a different meeting. I text Sonya back quickly to let her know that she was going to have to take my place at that one.
These were the days that I wish there were three or four of me.
Sookie yawns as she continues watching my stylist work on my hair and my makeup. Yes, I wore makeup! I was pale as a ghost due to not seeing sunlight in almost a thousand years. I didn't want to blend into my brand-new custom white Chanel suit.
"Maybe lighten up on the spray tan," Sookie says with humor in her tone.
"You just had to go there," I quip back. I loved joking and laughing with her. I loved her sense of humor, especially her contagious laugh.
After the stylist is done, I get up and go to my awesome, pregnant wife. I pick her up bridal style while she's holding her plate and take her to the living room. I take her out to the patio that overlooked the tranquil garden and fountain.
There was a hint of the sun still shining beyond the horizon. How wonderful it would be to be able to watch a sunset with Sookie. I start feeling a little down and Sookie picks up on this.
I set her down and she puts her arms around me.
"Marten, you don't need to feel that way," she says to me. "I love being out in the moonlight with you than watching the sunset by myself any day."
We kiss for a few minutes before Ron interrupts us, letting me know that transportation was here to take me to the event.
"I'll see you later," I tell Sookie before giving her one last kiss.
"I can't wait," she smiles at me. "I went through a ton of dresses trying to find the right one. Finding a maternity dress for a yacht party is hard!"
Ron and I arrive and head into the building and as soon as I enter, I am surrounded by a swarm of vampire reps, royalty, and other delegates who wanted to speak to me.
I excuse myself from the swarm as soon as I spot Chang's secretary who leads me to the conference room where he was sitting alone.
I bow before he invites me to sit down.
"You must be wondering why we have invited you here," he says.
"A little," I say nonchalantly.
"We have concerns about your new situation," he says. "By that I mean the council and I have concerns."
I raise my eyebrow. I knew what he was referring to, it was Sookie's pregnancy. What the fuck did they have a problem with?
"Tell me, how did she become pregnant?" he finally asks.
Oh shit, I knew this was bound to happen and questions like these would come out. Sookie and I had already been prepared to tell people it was by sperm donor, but we hadn't thought as far as if an important member of the vampire council would ask us this question. I could continue the ruse and say it was a sperm donor, then be faced with the possibility of them finding out the truth and be in a shit load of trouble or I could tell them the truth. I decide to delay the answer.
"It's a private situation, your eminence," I say. "Having a baby was something my wife and I have been looking forward to since we got married."
"Hmmmm, there are many rumors," he says. "Of course, we prefer to get the truth from the source and won't let any of these narratives sway our opinions, but you are a king of a royal state in the new world and you hold a position and power that requires one to have a certain degree of esteem."
Wait, was this asshole saying that having a pregnant wife was tacky? I was about to rip him a new one, but he continues on.
"We have heard of your ancestry and the fact that your mother was fae and your grandfather was a full-faery. This was confirmed by our faery sources. They also claim that you somehow were the one to impregnate your wife due to your combined fae heritage."
I give him a neutral stare, trying not to show any hint of emotion. Of course, those damn faeries in San Francisco would blab that to everyone who would listen.
"I have only just been informed about my fae heritage. Like I've stated before, I never knew my human mother," I say to him. "As for me being able to procreate, I've been intimate with many women throughout my long life and not once have I ever impregnated one. The reason being is because I'm vampire and cannot reproduce."
"But apparently you have now," he adds.
Motherfucker…. I think to myself. Sookie won't be too thrilled that the council now knew about our baby. I knew that eventually they would connect the dots. The council weren't stupid, at least when it came to snooping into the lives of royalty.
"So far, medical tests are showing that my wife is carrying a normal human baby with fae heritage of course," I say to him.
"But of course, this child is not normal," he adds again.
Fuck, I wish he would just shut the hell up about my baby….
"The baby belongs to my wife and I," I say sternly. "We will raise the way we see fit. You haven't told me what your concern is."
"Yes, naturally we are concerned about how other vampires will react to the news that you have fathered a child naturally," he says.
"And?..." I say.
"Well, some vampires might not feel it is right that a member of our race is fathering children," he says.
"Wait, you think there might be jealousy or something?" I ask.
"Something to that degree…" he adds. "Which is why I think we should try to keep this knowledge confidential."
"I agree," I say.
"But of course we were told this information by faeries who had informed others, such as other vampires," he says.
"Who did you hear this from?" I ask curiously.
He looks at his phone, "She will be joining us, the one who had informed us of this last night."
What the fuck?...I look behind me to see the door open and Rosamund walking through by herself.
The door closes and she comes to sit across from me. She gives me a knowing look and then looks at Chang.
"It was Queen Rosamund who informed us of this news," he says.
I look at him, then at her.
What the hell were they playing at now?
I keep my face neutral and emotion free. I don't bother saying anything, until they tell what they're trying to do.
"Marten," Rosamund says.
I turn to look at her.
"I was informed last night from some faeries that were located not far from here about the situation between your wife and you," she says calmly.
I don't speak, but look at Chang.
"The queen has a proposition for you. It might work out in your favor, to keep your faery wife and your child safe," he says.
Of course! This bitch always had an ulterior motive.
I still stay silent.
"Marten, what I am proposing is a royal marriage, between you and I," she says.
I look at her like she's gone nuts. Of course I already knew this chick had a few screws loose. I had heard stories of her many lovers and other entanglements she got herself into to. She definitely wasn't a faithful woman to her husband king Ulrich, not that vampires were faithful spouses to begin with. She had been the lover of Eric Northman and I'll admit, I did try and have a go with her over a hundred years ago, but it was one time, and it definitely wasn't worth remembering. Ever since then, she had tried to entice me every time she saw me, now this bitch wanted to marry me?
I wanted to laugh in her face and tell her to fuck off, but that wouldn't be diplomatic.
"Thank you for your offer, but I am not looking to enter a royal marriage at this time," I say calmly.
"Marten, please hear me out," she pleads. "I know that you've refused so many offers throughout the years and decades since you became king, but I think now is the time for you to finally marry another royal member with a vast fortune and territory. My kingdom is one of the most profitable territories in the world, not to mention a place where many vampires flock to and want to plant down roots. With our combined resources and power, there is no limit to what we can accomplish."
"Aren't you forgetting about your current husband?" I ask her as I lean back in my chair.
"Ulrich?" she practically scoffs. "Our marriage contract is coming to an end. We are done. He is looking for another connection, just like I am."
"I'm sure there are many out there who would take you up on your offer," I say.
"I don't want any of them, I only want you," she says. She stands up and walks around the large table towards me.
If only I could roll my eyes at her, but like I said, I needed to remain diplomatic, after all, we were in her territory.
She stands in front of me and does something strange. She gets down on her knees in her Louis Vuitton dress and faces me.
"I'm asking you to marry me," she says, her voice full of confidence.
I stare at her, then at Chang, who was waiting for my answer.
"Is this why you brought me here?" I ask him, not wanting to look at Rosamund anymore, who couldn't even look more pathetic than she already was.
"You need additional protection, Rosamund has the means to provide that for you and your new situation," he says.
I look at him and wonder what she bribed him with or rather was blackmailing him with.
Fuck this place…. I think to myself angrily.
"I'm not available," I say as I rise from my chair.
At the same time, Rosamund stands up.
"Marten, we have known each other for so long, like how we knew and loved Eric Northman," Rosamund says. "I respected and loved Eric just as much as you do, and you have to ask yourself, how did a thousand year old smart and ambitious vampire like Eric meet his final death? How was it that he met a human faery hybrid just less than a decade ago and somehow he met his death while we was with her? Now you are with that same woman, do you really want to share the same fate as him?"
"Watch how you speak about my wife," I sneer. I was so done with being diplomatic, the next thing this bitch said was not going to end well for her.
"I am worried for you as our most others here as well. They won't tell you to your face, but they think that you are bewitched," she says. "I can protect you and help you. If she is carrying your child, I can help you protect the baby."
I scoff out loud. "I…. I will not listen to any more of this. Like I told you, I decline your offer and do not wish to hear another word about it again. I'm sure there are any number of other kings or even queens who would marry you, but I am not one of them. So if you will excuse me, I have things to do."
I bow to Chang, then leave the room without looking at Rosamund.
What a fucked up night… I suddenly worry about Sookie. I knew how Rosamund was, she couldn't stand other women who stood in her way and right now Sookie was in her way. I call Ron and tell them to amp up the security on her. I was going to cut this trip short and head home tonight instead of staying for the remainder of the summit.
I calmly walk out to head back to the chateau.
When I arrive, I sense something strange. A strange feeling overwhelms me, like as though I was feeling tingling…
I check my bond with Sookie and there was nothing out of the ordinary with her.
I race up to the bedroom in vampire speed and surprise her, who was getting ready with my stylist doing her hair.
"Marten!" she says surprised. "I thought you were at the summit."
"Yes," I say to her. "I need to talk to you."
The stylist leaves the room and I go to her, checking her over to make sure she was well.
"Marten, you're scaring me," Sookie says. "What's the matter?"
"I just had a weird meeting," I tell her. I tell her everything. She sits there quietly, I could sense her anger rising.
"I knew it!" she says. "I knew that woman would somehow play a part in my life."
"Babe, don't worry about that," I tell her as I pull a strand of hair from her beautiful face. "I am definitely not going to marry her, nor is she going to play a part in our life. But I think we should leave tonight, just to be safe."
She nods her head.
We pack quickly and head to the airport. I had my plane on standby, ready to go at a moments notice if anything arose.
"I hope you won't get in trouble for leavin'," Sookie says as she lays her head on my lap, while I scroll through my phone, answering and sending messages to excuse my absence.
"No, my love," I say to her. I probably pissed off a few vampires, but nothing to really worry about.
"You didn't find out any new information about your mother though," she says.
"No, but that can wait," I say.
My phone starts pinging like crazy as I get hundreds of messages from various people.
"You are doing what?!" a message reads from Sonya.
I open her message and attachment.
My eyes pop open in surprise as I read the headline. "A match made in heaven or should I say in the night.. Queen Rosamund of France and King Marten of New York are set to wed. This will be the biggest event of the year and the most talked about royal match in history!"
I was so surprised that I almost drop my phone on Sookie's head.
"Are you ok?" Sookie asks me as she looks up at me.
Fuck me…. I think to myself with my mouth agape.