One for the Kill, Two for the Thrill
One for the Kill
Ali chewed on her nail ignoring all the men and women around her. Humans could be so boring sometimes. The only person who had her attention was Darius. He had been her guard for over seven hundred years. He was a good man and more importantly a good vampire. Not that that meant anything. They had never been lovers despite the various rumors that went around the court. And despite what the rumors said about her hand in his last lover’s death, those hadn’t been entirely true either. She had killed the bitch, that was true, but not for the reason that everyone seemed to want to believe. Not that they would ever say anything about it to her face. Whatever her faults, Alexandra was still their queen and she would always be their queen.
“My lady? My lady!” Someone was to the point of shouting. Ali’s sigh was more of a growl as she turned her eyes back to the interloper. The look on her face clearly told the small, round man before her that she was bored and far from amused. He would have to watch himself very carefully. He gulped and seemed to hesitate as if wanting to take a step back. He stood his ground instead. “Lord Byron has come with his offering for you King.”
Ali closed her eyes and massaged her temples. It really had been a century since the last king had died. It was hard to imagine. She had liked Luke. He had been a kind and gentle man. Everyone had been certain that she would kill him, but she had kept him around. In part probably because he had amused her, but more because of the fact that she didn’t kill her kings. There had been the one barbarian she had really wanted to kill, but even him she had been loathe to get rid of. It meant getting another king too soon. That was the only thing she hated about being queen, how quickly she was forced to go through kings. It was that damned tradition. While others would simply break the tradition, she was a vampire, vampires didn’t break tradition, they followed it with a strict adherence that would make others sick.
“Let him in,” she ordered.
The procession that Lord Byron led was extravagant as always. Every lord, lady, and noble who presented her a king for her to choose from always tried to outdo the others. In a way going last really was a good idea, but so was first. At least that was what they believed. Ali didn’t care. She merely picked a human male who was favorable in her eyes. Few ever were so it was usually not really a contest as her tastes tended to change leaving the nobles guessing. The man this time was effeminate with short brown hair and dark brooding eyes. His lips were pouty and he reminded her of something between a model and the modern emo style. She hated him on sight.
Alexandra stood up and slowly made her way down the steps to take a look at the man being offered to her. The train of her green grown trailed after her slithering slowly down the steps with each slow, deliberate step that she took. Her head was held high, black curls falling down around her and cascading down her back. She looked every bit the queen that they all knew her to be. Disdainful eyes fell on the human. The young man fidgeted clearly afraid. That caused a sardonic smirk to curl the corner of her lips. “He’s young Byron…that I can approve of,” she said softly. She waited a moment allowing Byron to relax before she spoke again. “But I won’t take your puppet,” she hissed. Her face contorted as her fangs lengthened. The look of panic on the human’s face was just blossoming as she grabbed him by the neck and drew him to her.
Fangs sank into soft, yielding human flesh. He was hot and his warmth slowly began seeping into her cold sink. Blood rushed into her mouth as she began to suck on the twin bite marks. It was warm and sweet. He had been indulged in Byron’s household and she could taste it in every drop that she took. She could feel the human’s body go weak, his knees giving way. Her arm wrapped around him to hold him up. She wanted every last drop of his precious blood. Unfortunately, as always, the pleasure was over far too quickly. Ali ripped her mouth away taking with her fangs flesh and blood. She spat the skin at Byron and watched with pleasure as it hit him in the face and fell onto his immaculate costume. “Never try to play me for a fool again Byron. Next time, it will be you I kill and not your precious lover.”
Byron’s face went paler than usual and his face contorted with rage. “You bitch!” He screamed. Before he had the chance to launch himself at her, Darius was in front of him, one hand around his neck and the other holding a blade inches from his eye.
“You forget to whom you speak,” Darius said softly. A satisfied smirk stole over Ali’s face and she allowed the entire court to see it too. She didn’t care what they thought. She never had. IT was why she was still queen after so many ages.
She turned her back on the two men and began to walk back up the dais and towards the passage behind it. “Darius, escort Lord Byron out and then join me in my chambers.” She left the room pleased to hear the buzz of excited gossip that hissed through the room at her pronouncement. She had a plan to enact. And she had to act quickly. But for it, she needed Darius. She wondered if he would agree. She had never thought that he wouldn’t. She had no reason to believe that he wouldn’t. After all, she loved him and love was supposed to conquer all. She could only pray that the old human adage was correct or all her careful plans would be for nothing.
“My lady? My lady!” Someone was to the point of shouting. Ali’s sigh was more of a growl as she turned her eyes back to the interloper. The look on her face clearly told the small, round man before her that she was bored and far from amused. He would have to watch himself very carefully. He gulped and seemed to hesitate as if wanting to take a step back. He stood his ground instead. “Lord Byron has come with his offering for you King.”
Ali closed her eyes and massaged her temples. It really had been a century since the last king had died. It was hard to imagine. She had liked Luke. He had been a kind and gentle man. Everyone had been certain that she would kill him, but she had kept him around. In part probably because he had amused her, but more because of the fact that she didn’t kill her kings. There had been the one barbarian she had really wanted to kill, but even him she had been loathe to get rid of. It meant getting another king too soon. That was the only thing she hated about being queen, how quickly she was forced to go through kings. It was that damned tradition. While others would simply break the tradition, she was a vampire, vampires didn’t break tradition, they followed it with a strict adherence that would make others sick.
“Let him in,” she ordered.
The procession that Lord Byron led was extravagant as always. Every lord, lady, and noble who presented her a king for her to choose from always tried to outdo the others. In a way going last really was a good idea, but so was first. At least that was what they believed. Ali didn’t care. She merely picked a human male who was favorable in her eyes. Few ever were so it was usually not really a contest as her tastes tended to change leaving the nobles guessing. The man this time was effeminate with short brown hair and dark brooding eyes. His lips were pouty and he reminded her of something between a model and the modern emo style. She hated him on sight.
Alexandra stood up and slowly made her way down the steps to take a look at the man being offered to her. The train of her green grown trailed after her slithering slowly down the steps with each slow, deliberate step that she took. Her head was held high, black curls falling down around her and cascading down her back. She looked every bit the queen that they all knew her to be. Disdainful eyes fell on the human. The young man fidgeted clearly afraid. That caused a sardonic smirk to curl the corner of her lips. “He’s young Byron…that I can approve of,” she said softly. She waited a moment allowing Byron to relax before she spoke again. “But I won’t take your puppet,” she hissed. Her face contorted as her fangs lengthened. The look of panic on the human’s face was just blossoming as she grabbed him by the neck and drew him to her.
Fangs sank into soft, yielding human flesh. He was hot and his warmth slowly began seeping into her cold sink. Blood rushed into her mouth as she began to suck on the twin bite marks. It was warm and sweet. He had been indulged in Byron’s household and she could taste it in every drop that she took. She could feel the human’s body go weak, his knees giving way. Her arm wrapped around him to hold him up. She wanted every last drop of his precious blood. Unfortunately, as always, the pleasure was over far too quickly. Ali ripped her mouth away taking with her fangs flesh and blood. She spat the skin at Byron and watched with pleasure as it hit him in the face and fell onto his immaculate costume. “Never try to play me for a fool again Byron. Next time, it will be you I kill and not your precious lover.”
Byron’s face went paler than usual and his face contorted with rage. “You bitch!” He screamed. Before he had the chance to launch himself at her, Darius was in front of him, one hand around his neck and the other holding a blade inches from his eye.
“You forget to whom you speak,” Darius said softly. A satisfied smirk stole over Ali’s face and she allowed the entire court to see it too. She didn’t care what they thought. She never had. IT was why she was still queen after so many ages.
She turned her back on the two men and began to walk back up the dais and towards the passage behind it. “Darius, escort Lord Byron out and then join me in my chambers.” She left the room pleased to hear the buzz of excited gossip that hissed through the room at her pronouncement. She had a plan to enact. And she had to act quickly. But for it, she needed Darius. She wondered if he would agree. She had never thought that he wouldn’t. She had no reason to believe that he wouldn’t. After all, she loved him and love was supposed to conquer all. She could only pray that the old human adage was correct or all her careful plans would be for nothing.