Things Are Not As They Seem

Kiara had excused herself to go home to retrieve some of her personal belongings to bring back to the mansion, some of her work things that she would need to be able to work from his home so that he was able to keep an eye on her. Although he was not very fond of the idea that she leave the estate with Christian now on the loose, he had taken a few of his other guards with her, ones that he trusted fully with her safety, the guards that had been protecting him since he ascended to the status of King of Louisiana. He had already spoken with Martin to stock in a wider variety of human foods and refreshments to cater to Kiara for a longer period of time and to supply the guards with a meal when required to keep them happy. Since he had planned that he would ask Kiara to stay with him on a more permanent basis, he wanted to make sure that she had everything at her disposal. Although he still had his hesitations about everything that had been happening over the last few weeks, Kiara's past, Jessica's involvement with the Tiger John Quinn, and now with the new sudden arrival of the young boy that he believed to be dead had turned up unexpectedly on his doorstep throwing him into turmoil. He had tried calling Jessica, but had received no answer, but he had not felt any need for alarm as he had not felt anything that caused him to be alert, but he still needed to get a hold of her as soon as he could, he needed to warn her.

Bill had things that he needed to arrange, Kiara would be back in a few short hours and he wanted to get things set up in the guest bedroom for her, to make it like how she would want it. He had already had everything set in motion, ordered the necessary items and they were already delivered upstairs and he had several of his day staff already working on it now, he had ordered some final touches to make it feel like she never left home. It was a good thing he had a very photographic memory. He was casually and quietly sipping away on his blood as he continued to type away on his computer to have things all set up.

"Your majesty?" a quiet voice peered in through the crack in the doorway.

"Please come in Marie...What can I do for you?" Bill asked as he shut off his computer screen.

"Your majesty, I don't wish to impose and I don't wish to question your abilities. But is Ms Griffen staying here?" he asked.

"Yes, Marie, she is staying here, and will be indefinitely unless i say so. Why? Do you have a problem with Ms Griffen?" he asked curiously.

Marie took a hesitant step forward and closed the door behind her, very uncertain of how he would react.

"Sir, she betrayed you. She hurt you, I have never seen you so upset. You have been so happy these last few weeks, all the staff have noticed it. I jut don't want her to hurt you anymore" she said offering a smile.

"Marie, what I do in my personal time does not concern you or the other staff. But i thank you for your concern. But she shall not be going anywhere" he said, his voice in a much sharper tone.

"Of course your majesty, i only wish for you to be with someone who loves you for who you really are, a true gentleman. You are kind, handsome and a very loving person...I do apologize sire, it is not my place to say those things" she apologized.

"Thank you Marie, now I do have somethings that i must attend too" Bill smiled as he watched Marie curtsy and then leave him alone.

He had found it curious that Marie would be so out with him, she had never displayed that kind of tone with him before and he found it really odd. He had felt something from her that he had never felt from her before, a warmth. He knew that she looked up to him in some way, he had taken her on because of her impressive skills that she came with. He did not need another new thing to deal with. He just hoped that things would be ready in time for when Kiara arrived home.

Kiara returned after a few hours. The guards helped her carry some boxes and things and she herself carried a box as well. As they stepped in the servants seemed to know what should be done, taking the boxes up stairs.

Kiara hesitated a bit before knocking on the office door. She'd brought over fresh donor blood. She hadn't wanted to say anything before but she could smell his injury and true blood didn't do much in helping a vampire heal. She didn't expect him to feed from her, but maybe some fresh donor blood would help more than a bottle of royal blood.

Bill continued to work away on his computer filling out his details for items that he had purchased, and so forth, he still his conversation with Marie fresh on his mind, and not only that, but now that Christian was still out on the loose and there had been no sighting off him. He would need to have a talk with Eric Northman, he would need to know, rather finding out from him that spotting him in Fangtasia. He could hear that Kiara was now home and he felt a little more at ease now that she was safe, he heard her knocking on the door.

"You do not need to knock Kiara" he smirked as he shifted in his seat, his wound on his neck had not fully healed properly as he had only been drinking True Blood, and that would not help him fully heal.

She smiled shyly as she walked in. "Well, I didn't want to interrupt" she said as she set the box down nearby and pulled out a flute of still warm blood.

"I brought you some fresh donor blood. I...could smell your wounds before but I didn't want to say anything" she said as she set the flute on his desk. "I figured fresh blood would be better than true blood"she added.

"Thank you..I have not had the time to feed properly. I have had things on my mind to deal with. Was there any problems retrieving what you needed?" he asked as he took a small sip from the chute that she had provided for him as he settled back into his chair, already feeling the full affect of the blood healing him, he had not had time to call for a donor as he was already troubled with the fact that there was Christian on the loose and what that would mean if it was discovered that he was the boys 'Maker'.

She nodded. "I got what I needed. My compound is on lockdown so all my donors are safe from... well you know" she said, not wanting to mention the boy less someone was listening in.

"I tried going upstairs, but one of the servants said 'it wasn't ready'. What did he mean by that?" she asked softly.

"I tried going upstairs, but one of the servants said 'it wasn't ready'. What did he mean by that?"

Bill laughed a little at that, he knew that the guest bedroom would be ready shortly, but he had not expected her to be home for at least another hour, so her new quarters were not fully ready yet.

"Well...with Christian out there, and I have not been able to sense him like I am able to with Jessica, I found it appropriate that you should stay here...If you wish?" he smiled as he took another sip of blood.

She blinked and nodded. "I...well sure I'd like to stay but..." it then hit her. She usually left a few days during daylight to tend to her business. So did Bill mean he was turning the guest bedroom into a work space?

"...are you giving me an office or something?" she asked finally.

"...are you giving me an office or something?"

He laughed at her comment, always straight to the point when it came to Kiara, he took another sip from his blood and drained the glass.

"I took the liberty of making it into your new work space. With all the latest equipment and items that you may require to attend to your business and anything else that you require to work. If there is anything that you need, all you need do is let me know, or if i am unavailable then Marie shall attend to it"

She smiled, ignoring the directive to go to Marie. She was someone she wanted to avoid for a bit. Her good mood would surely be soured with Marie's comments and looks.

"thank you Bill...I...didn't expect it after...well you know" she said softly, looking down at her lap.

"Did you really think that I would throw you out? Toss you aside like you mean nothing too me? Kiara you may think that I am a monster to do that. But the thought never even crossed my mind. I may would have wanted some time to think, but with this new...problem if you want to call it that has arisen. I have taken the shorter route" he said as he leaned forward in his chair and his arms rested on his desk.

Did she really think that he would toss her aside like yesterday's newspaper? Did she really think so little of him that he would cast her aside whenever a problem arose in their relationship.

She nodded. "I guess I'm not used to people being so... accepting of my past" she gave him a nervous chuckle. "I mean, the last time someone found out of my full past they came at me with two guns" she said casually.

She had at least expected Bill to be angry and shove her in a corner of the house of at least not want her around for a lengthy period of time, but he seemed to be taking things better than she was.

"Kiara...I may be a vampire, but i do not wish to labeled as the others. I have done things in my past that I am not proud of, one of them waltzed through my door yesterday. So we all have demons to bare, some more than others. But if it wasn't for them then we wouldn't be who we are. There is somethings that i keep from you because of your safety, and i do not like discussing them because it was from a time in my life that I wish to forget" he said as he hated talking about this, if she knew he was still seeing Lilith, who knew what that would do.

She nodded and smiled. "I'm not prying into your past Bill, but I do ask you bear with my cynicism. I'm not used to having good people around me, let alone people who accept me so it's a bit of a new experience for me" she said softly before seeing the flute of blood she'd brought was empty.

"Would you like some more?" she asked, motioning to the empty flute.

"No thank you. I have fed enough for tonight. I do believe that your new office should be ready. If you would like to see it? he asked as he stood from the seat, he and Kiara had not really been intimate since she revealed her past too him, and he was not sure if they were both ready for that kind of step yet, not with the way things were. His mind was already clouded by his thoughts.

"I do believe it should be to your liking" he smiled as he offered her his hand.

She smiled and got up. They both went upstairs to the second floor where the work space was completed. As she opened the door she gasped. Work spaced seemed like an understatement.



Everything was decorated with rich dark wood furniture, a clean efficient layout for everything including her computer which they had set up already. Things were set up so she could see them and face the door if someone walked in. She touched the desk which had a clear glass laminate, the sort of thing you'd put papers beneath to keep them always in sight. Unwillingly an image of her and Bill ontop of said desk flooded her mind but she banished it. Ever since Bill had learned of her past he'd been physically distant from her and she didn't want to do anything to make that worse.

There was a door across her desk that was opened but it didn't lead to the bathroom that was still connected to the now new office. Puzzled she walked up to the opened door and gasped. The door connected her office and Bill's master bedroom. She looked at him, at the space that lead to his room, then back at him, words failing her in every regard.

Bill lead her upstairs to the second floor to the newly renovated guestroom that would now be here office, he watched as he leaned against the door frame and inspected the office which he found quite refreshing, it was decorated with dark wood furnishing, he hoped that this was just how she would like it. He then proceeded to watch her walk towards the door that led through to the master bedroom. He wanted as she turned to him curiously.

"I didn't think you would want to sleep in your office. So i had your stuff moved into my room. You can redecorate if you wish...but nothing too bright. A new wardrobe has been built in and extended for whatever you wish. I do hope the office is to your liking" he smiled softly.

She took a moment to let everything sink in before she flung herself at him. Not enough to tumble him down, but enough to make him take a step back. Wrapping her arms around his chest in a hug she looked at him.

"Oh Bill...I...I don't know what to say I'm so..." overwhelmed would be a good word, considering it was a gesture to say he accepted her back into his personal space. "I'm so happy" she settled on, happy being an understatement as that feral part of her wanted to just strip him naked and ride him until he begged for mercy and the gods knew she was his.

He stumbled back as she threw herself into his arms, he froze slightly as this had been the closest physical contact that they both had since everything had come out into the open, but he relaxed into the embrace as he wrapped his arms around her and held her close.

"It makes me happy that your happy. I want to spend the rest of my life making you happy Kiara...And as soon as things have settled down and there is no more problems. I plan to take you to Vermont" he smiled softly as he tucked a lock of hair behind her ear.

She smiled more then blinked. "Bill...are you saying...what I think you're saying?" she asked, reaching up to wipe the few happy tears that threatened to slide down her cheeks.

Vermont was one of the few states currently that allowed marriage between vampires and non vampires and she knew personally that the concept was popular as she had already dispatched lots of workers and donors to several high end parties.

"Bill...are you saying...what I think you're saying?"

He thought about this for a moment, he had to word this right.

"When the time is right..then yes. But i think we both agree that it is not that time yet. When things have settled down and i feel that there shall be no more problems. Then yes i shall make you my wife" he smiled softly.

She smiled more. "You...may have to run that by me again... surely I had something crazy stuck in my ear" she said with a chuckle before she kissed him. Throwing caution to the wind, and the fact she wasn't as eloquent as he was, she figured a kiss would be a better medium to express her feeling of joy.

When she kissed him, he felt something awaken in him, something that he had not felt before, how she did this to him, he did not know.

"I Bill Compton..take thee Kiara Griffen..to be my lawfully wedded wife...To have and too hold. To love and to cherish. In sickness and in health, everything I have belongs to you. All that I am belongs to you" he smiled, he had left out the death part, considering it may put a damper on his mood.

She blushed when he spoke, even more so she licked her lips and looked at him. Her heart pounded, in joy and expectation, but overall in love. How Bill could make her frightened and joyful in the span of a few minutes she'd never know, but he'd wormed his way into a part of her heart she knew no one had ever owned before.

"Well then Mr. Compton... you'll have to take me into that bedroom and make an honest woman out of me" she whispered with an underlying seductive growl.

"I thought I already did?" he smirked at her as he scooped her up so that she was over his shoulder as he walked slowly towards the bedroom, laughing as she squirmed in his arms as he dropped her to the freshly made bed. Watching as she giggled as he lay down propped up beside her.

"It is good to hear you laugh..I fear that i have been the one to make you stop" he said as he frowned, drawing circles on his exposed skin. His palm resting on her stomach as he thumb traced a small circle around her naval as he stared into her eyes and took in her beauty.