Bill entered the Queen's waiting room, it was adorned with rich reds and purples, accenting the dark mahogany wood which dominated the room. It was early in the night, and the last place he wanted to be was here, but she had summoned him, he had no choice. Bill, clad in black leather from his neck down, waited as he watched Sophie-Anne threaten one of her peons.
The Queen lurched onto the standing blond vampire. Her legs clamped around hips, her left hand flew to his scalp, entangling her fingers in his hair and yanking down his head forcefully. Her right hand pressed the tip of a gilded stake to his chest.
"Make. Them. Go. Away."
The gulp coming from Antoine was audible before he whispered a protest, "But Your Majesty, the humans at the IRS-."
The rest of his sentence vanished as the stake slid into his chest, its tip scratching his heart, the Queen ready at any moment to push it in those last few millimeters.
"As you wish," he gasped as regally as he could manage.
Bill guessed from the look in his eyes, Antoine would not be going near the IRS, Queen Sophie-Anne, or Louisiana for the next few decades. He couldn't blame him. The Queen's retainer to Bill was two months behind already, and Bill had little patience for the woman's antics. He'd put up with her at first because he needed protection from a monarch to ensure his safety and independence from Lorena. Louisiana had drawn him in with New Orleans' decadence while poverty blighted the rest of the country. He also had the slightest of fondness for his home state.
Once he'd introduced himself to the Queen, she'd employed him in a job that quite suited his talents: procuring meals and lays for her. One portion of the relationship with his Maker Bill had quite enjoyed was the art of deception and seduction. Sliding masterfully into one role or another was a favorite activity of Bill's-it let him forget his true self.
He'd a planned tête-à-tête with the Queen later this week. Since she was behind in his salary, he figured it was a good time to take a leave of absence. Now that vampires were known to humans, he wanted to fly to Europe and spend sometime sightseeing, and more importantly, networking.
He was quite certain Sophie-Anne wouldn't be queen for much longer. A rich state like Louisiana under such weak control? He'd no doubt someone would soon attempt to seize power. When that happened, he wanted to be as distanced from the Queen as possible; courts of conquered loyalties typically met their final deaths immediately. Bill had no delusions about his current power and status.
"Ah, yes! Mr. Compton!" the Queen's sugary sweet voice, a high-pitched overture that was painful to Bill's ears, rang out as soon as Antoine had left the court.
Bill did a half-bow, "Your Majesty. How may I be of service?"
Sophie-Anne reclined on her red velvet chaise lounge and feigned exhaustion. Her over-theatrics of dropping her head back, placing the back of her hand against her forehead and sighing vexed Bill deeply. He impatiently waited for her order.
"William, I'm deeply troubled and in need of a distraction. I'm thinking, plump, blonde and Southern. But not too plump, the way they used to come. I need you to return to your home town there is someone there that I want...Randy will give you all the details that you will need. I expect results William.....Now go! Before I change my mind"
Bill nodded briskly, he couldn't wait to be out of her domain. "Of course."
He turned hastily from his Queen, he wasn't sure how much more of this he could take.
But now he had his orders, to return to the place that he once called home.
The Queen lurched onto the standing blond vampire. Her legs clamped around hips, her left hand flew to his scalp, entangling her fingers in his hair and yanking down his head forcefully. Her right hand pressed the tip of a gilded stake to his chest.
"Make. Them. Go. Away."
The gulp coming from Antoine was audible before he whispered a protest, "But Your Majesty, the humans at the IRS-."
The rest of his sentence vanished as the stake slid into his chest, its tip scratching his heart, the Queen ready at any moment to push it in those last few millimeters.
"As you wish," he gasped as regally as he could manage.
Bill guessed from the look in his eyes, Antoine would not be going near the IRS, Queen Sophie-Anne, or Louisiana for the next few decades. He couldn't blame him. The Queen's retainer to Bill was two months behind already, and Bill had little patience for the woman's antics. He'd put up with her at first because he needed protection from a monarch to ensure his safety and independence from Lorena. Louisiana had drawn him in with New Orleans' decadence while poverty blighted the rest of the country. He also had the slightest of fondness for his home state.
Once he'd introduced himself to the Queen, she'd employed him in a job that quite suited his talents: procuring meals and lays for her. One portion of the relationship with his Maker Bill had quite enjoyed was the art of deception and seduction. Sliding masterfully into one role or another was a favorite activity of Bill's-it let him forget his true self.
He'd a planned tête-à-tête with the Queen later this week. Since she was behind in his salary, he figured it was a good time to take a leave of absence. Now that vampires were known to humans, he wanted to fly to Europe and spend sometime sightseeing, and more importantly, networking.
He was quite certain Sophie-Anne wouldn't be queen for much longer. A rich state like Louisiana under such weak control? He'd no doubt someone would soon attempt to seize power. When that happened, he wanted to be as distanced from the Queen as possible; courts of conquered loyalties typically met their final deaths immediately. Bill had no delusions about his current power and status.
"Ah, yes! Mr. Compton!" the Queen's sugary sweet voice, a high-pitched overture that was painful to Bill's ears, rang out as soon as Antoine had left the court.
Bill did a half-bow, "Your Majesty. How may I be of service?"
Sophie-Anne reclined on her red velvet chaise lounge and feigned exhaustion. Her over-theatrics of dropping her head back, placing the back of her hand against her forehead and sighing vexed Bill deeply. He impatiently waited for her order.
"William, I'm deeply troubled and in need of a distraction. I'm thinking, plump, blonde and Southern. But not too plump, the way they used to come. I need you to return to your home town there is someone there that I want...Randy will give you all the details that you will need. I expect results William.....Now go! Before I change my mind"
Bill nodded briskly, he couldn't wait to be out of her domain. "Of course."
He turned hastily from his Queen, he wasn't sure how much more of this he could take.
But now he had his orders, to return to the place that he once called home.
