Lessons with a purpose...

Salome smiled from the bed, watching as Nora filled a goblet before their lessons began.

“Nora, today I want to discuss a few specific lines with you from the often spoken litany that the Guardian uses at our meetings. ‘We swear fealty to the Blood and to the Progenitor. The First, The Last, The Eternal. Lord and Lilith, Father and Mother, protect us as we protect you from this day until the hour of the True Death’. What does that mean to you, in your own words?”

She rose and pulled on her favorite robe, taking a glass of blood for herself and moving to the lounge. She patted the space beside her invitingly.

Nora smiled as she sat beside Salome and took a sip of her blood filled glass. Thinking over the words that Salome spoke about, words that she herself had uttered countless times throughout the years and yet had never put much thought into.

"Well, I suppose it would mean that we swear our loyalties to the vampire bloodline and to Lilith, the first vampire ever created, our first ancestor. The First is obviously Lilith, since she was the first vampire created. The Last could be because she still lives in the blood which would also make her The Eternal. Because she does not die as long as vampires exist, since she is in all of us. And finally, that we ask for protection until we meet the True Death."

Nora had grown accustomed to their casual meetings, no longer feeling nervous or worried about Roman and his finding out. He had grown paranoid enough that he would see a simple discussion as treason and have them tortured or put to death. She leaned back onto the pillow and took another sip of the blood that filled her cup, waiting for Salome to speak.

Salome took a sip and smiled...

"But you leave something off the last line. 'protect us as we protect you from this day until the hour of the True Death'. What do you think it means by 'as we protect you'?"

She gently stroked a stray hair from Nora's face.

"Ah, yes I did leave that off didn't I? Well we protect one another, the children of Lilith and we protect the vial of blood that is said to be Lilith's blood."

Nora was not convinced that the blood in the vial was truly the blood of Lilith or just the blood of an ancient vampire claiming that it was, in fact, the blood of the original vampire.

Salome shifted positions to face Nora a bit more.

"What if I told you there was more to it? Perhaps that we are to keep her teachings pure and safe as well? Would this surprise you? Possibly even people who are dedicated to that task?"

She had to be careful here...this was the point she had been planning for. If the little Chancellor followed her thinking, it would be safe to bring her into the inner circles. She waited quietly for Nora to think and respond, a gentle smile on her lips the whole time...

Raising her brows as she pondered Salome's words, "Well, if it truly does mean that then there is a poor job being done here really." She spoke again quickly so that Salome would not misunderstand her.

"What I mean is that we say the words as though they are what we believe. Then Roman, The Guardian, blatantly spits in the face of those words. He is not the only one that does not believe, I know this much to be true."

Pressing her lips together, Nora smiled and chuckled to herself, "I just don't understand why there seems to be so much hypocrisy. If they do not believe, then say as much. If they do, then do the same."

Salome smiled. The Chancellor was in her pocket now. She had just accused the Guardian openly of treason. Careful words were still needed but the game was closed.

"Truthfully spoken, as always. Yes, the hypocrisy does seem to conflict. If I were to know of someone you could meet with discreetly. One of those who keep her words pure and live by them as law...would you want to meet them?"

She sipped from her glass as she watched the question play through Nora's mind...

Replaying Salome's question mentally, Nora smirked "Well obviously they are not politicians if they keep their every word." She chuckled to herself at the very thought of meeting someone who held fast to every word that came from their lips. Nora had the greatest respect for Godric and Salome but they were both even known to lie to other people at times.

"Yes I think I would like to meet this completely honest person. It would be an interesting experience I think."

Taking another sip of her blood, Nora smiled softly wondering what world it was that she was going to be introduced to.

Salome smiled and made a mental note to contact Anton and make the arrangements for a meeting with one of the lieutenants of the Order. She set her glass aside and smiled again. She ran a gentle finger across Nora's soft lips and looked in her eyes.

"I will set a meeting then. Let us set that aside and look to more pleasant things..."

Nora smiled and placed a kiss on Salome's beautiful mouth and began to trail her tongue over her swan-like neck.

"I think that is the best idea that I've heard all night."