Sins Among Royals

Ebony was furious. All of her preparations and hard work had come to nothing!

Her father was still alive and her brother had survived Felix’s attempt on his life. It struck her as odd that her mother was nowhere to be seen as she mulled over her thoughts in a cell in the dungeons. She had been captured, detained like an animal. Unfortunately for her she was not held in the female cells but in the lower levels. Where the men and those that had committed serious acts of violence were kept.

It was dark. There was barely and light to illuminate her tiny little cell and she barely had enough room to move. Ebony knew she would escape. It was only a matter of time till someone felt sorry for her and went to visit. She would use that to her advantage and gain her freedom so that she could finish what she started.

Silence echoed around her, the occasional drip of a drop of water rang through the cells like a bell through the empty streets of a city. She sat, with her legs pulled pulled up to her chest, her arms wrapped tightly around as she rocked back and forth. The bed provided for her was thin and cold and offered very little comfort to her. There was a hole drilled through the rock in the corner where she was able to relieve herself and a small lamp on the wall, Ebony suddenly found herself spiralling into a deep, dark depression as doubts and fear began swirling in her mind and in her heart.

Meanwhile, in the upper levels of the dungeons Andrew hovered over Nathaniel’s shoulder. The pair were confined to the entry hall of the prison during the day and, while Andrew found it peaceful and quiet it was a different story for Nathaniel.

“Do you mind?” Nathaniel barked at his creator. The pair had barely been in each others company and he already wanted to be rid of him.

“All that time alone has made you grumpy Nate, would you like a back rub? Or any other rub?” Andrew trailed his fingers down Nathaniel’s arm slowly, seductively. “I’ve been alone for so long Nate, would you mind rubbing me down?”

Nathaniel gave Andrew a sharp look that would send a cold shiver racing through anyone else. Andrew however took it differently. “You know how much I love it when you look at me like that,” he grinned and stepped around the side. He rested his hand against Nathaniel’s gently and began raking his fingers up and down the backside of his hand.

“Andrew,” Nathaniel sighed deeply. “You came to me for help and the man you serve under is dying. I thought that might warrant some kind of concern on your part.” It had long been a great frustration for Nathaniel and ever since he had woken up to the life he now had Andrew often pressed his buttons by pressing up against him. It didn’t matter how many times Nathaniel brushed him off he always seemed to take it as a hint to continue.

Removing her hands from Nathaniel, Andrew huffed and frowned, “Well,” he began as he propped his hands against his hips and leaned away from his charge, “when you put it that way. I suppose I should show some concern.” But Andrew was a little bitter at the thought of it. “Why should I show too much concern when you are going to bond him and Indie anyway,” while he enjoyed Indies company part of him had long hoped that Noah would never find his mate.

“I don’t know that it will work and if you don’t help me he might die and she will be stuck in that beastly form,” Nathaniel took another breath. The many thoughts whirling around his head made him more than a little dizzy. “So you can help or you can bugger off.”

Andrew pouted, “Why are you being so mean? Everything will be fine. I’m just having a bit of fun,” Andrew said as he trailed his fingers up Nathaniel’s arm again, “you remember what fun is don’t you Nate?” Nathaniel growled as Andrew threw his head back and laughed. “I can’t resist! You make it too much fun my pet!”

Before either of the vampires could say anything else they heard the rusty gate outside open, the metal door slid open and Victor appeared, dishevelled and tired.

As soon as he stepped over the threshold of the door. it closed behind him.

“Master Victor!” Andrew bowed respectively towards the old King. He had lost so much that Andrew and Nathaniel couldn’t help but marvel at his strength.

“Andrew, escort me to Ebony.” He demanded gently. “There are questions I would like answered,” His frown then deepened as he takes his finger across his stubly face, “I must also inform her of her mother’s death.”

Andrew merely bowed respectively and walked towards the door that sat next to his desk. A small keypad sat on the far side. Punching in a short numerical code the door quickly opened and the pair stepped in. Andrew again pressed a single button and the door slid closed. The elevator began descending, the dead silence punctuated by an occasional shudder of the metal box or a loud thump from the outside.

A loud ‘ding’ let them know they had reached the level they were after.

The prison cells of Blackwood were vast. Once upon a time many of the cells housed prisoners but now it seemed many prized their freedom over incarceration and the prison sat empty, most of the time. Of the two hundred and thirty cells Andrew had counted there were only a dozen or so that housed a living soul, the rest were often visited by rats and spiders.

As the door slid open the pair were hit with a silent, eeriness that made Victor feel more than a little unsettled. Andrew was used to the depressing feeling he often got when he checked on his inmates but he sensed Victors uneasiness. “This way my King,” Andrew offered as they stepped from the safety of the metal box. “Miss Ebony is just there and I will be close by, should you need me.” Andrew pointed towards the cell nearest the elevator door. It had been many years since Victor ventured into the prison and as he walked off alone towards his daughter he had many mixed feelings.

In the blink of an eye Andrew was gone and Victor felt alone.

“Who’s there?!” Ebony’s voice rang out through the darkness, her voice carried along the largely empty halls of the underground cavern.

“It’s me,” Victor replied as he came to stand before her cell. The sight of his daughter brought sadness to his heart. What had he done wrong for her to be so wicked and evil? Ebony had never expressed her desire to become Alpha Queen and had only recently started hinting that perhaps she would or should be named among the first Alpha Females. Victor didn’t understand her disappointment, he had named her Alpha alongside her husband. What more did she need?

“What are you doing here?” Ebony spat in hatred. She hated everything about her father and had come so close to killing him before she was knocked unconscious by an unknown entity. “I suppose you’ve brought mother with you to scold me.” Ebony slammed herself against the bars, her eyes wide as she cast her gaze around but only saw darkness.

With a heavy sigh Victor stood awkwardly, “She’s dead.” He muttered quickly. There was no other way for him to speak as he sensed the anger in his daughter’s heart. She wanted to fight, she wanted to argue but Victor was drained and couldn’t bring himself to do it.

Much to his dismay Ebony chuckled, her evil chuckle soon turned into a torrent of laughter as she leaned against the bars of her prison cell.

“Oh that’s too bad, I would have loved to have done it myself,” she meant every word of what she said. Her mother stopped being her friend when she stopped helping Ebony get to where she wanted to go. “Tell me,” she grinned wickedly, “Who do I thank for that?” A sneer settled across the angry features of her face. She would reward anyone that killed her family.

“Well you can’t thank her but you can lay flowers on Astrid’s grave.” Victor sighed. Everything his family had worked so hard for over the generations seemed to be falling apart and he was having trouble keeping it together. “Your brother will live,” Victor grinned. “Despite your efforts he and his mate will be bonded in a way that will make it nearly impossible for you to kill either of them.” Victor knew it was cruel to taunt his daughter but he wanted to gauge her reaction.

She did as he expected. Reaching out through the bars she tried to claw at her father. “I will kill him and I will get what I deserve! I deserve the throne, I deserve the attention, the followers, the glory!” Her screams echoed through the dark cavern agTheyain as howls rang back from the other end. They were not of approval or support but they were howls and snarls of danger.

“I don’t think they agree with you,” he chuckled softly as he stepped closer to the cell. He peered in through the vertical bars as Ebony retreated back into the darkness.

He heard her laugh softly. “They’re locked away, what do their opinions matter. Besides daddy all I wanted was to see your face one last time.”

Victor gasped loudly as something in her cell began glowing. She stepped forward and he soon saw that her eyes had a red sheen to them, “what the hell,” he whispered as she began chanting.

“Bestow unto me knowledge, power, strength and life. let all the years you have lived be mine. let your life serve me well and bring me the power of the crown.”

Victor found suddenly that he could not move. All his limbs had frozen as his eyes were locked to the glowing red of his daughter’s. What was she doing? He heard the words she spoke but he didn’t hear the meaning, he didn’t understand what she was doing.

Soon he felt weak but still he did not fall to the floor. “W-what are y-y-you doing.” He muttered as Ebony leaned against the bars. She curled her hands around the metal and squeezed, it crumbled in her hands as she stepped through the gap she’d made.

“Do you smell that daddy?” She taunted her father as her glowing eyes soon disappeared, “that is the smell of a new era in this world, that is the smell of your reign ending and mine beginning. Poor little Noah stands no chance against me and neither does that little bitch he calls a mate” she gloated as she walked towards her dying father. Ebony had learned of spells and incantations that took all the years and vitality from one and transferred it to her and while it wasn’t the life she wanted it was only a matter of time before she killed the vampire and the fairy.

Much to Ebony’s surprise her father laughed, he scoffed and chuckled and teased as he felt his life slipping away. “You will never rule as Queen Ebony. And when you die I hope your brother destroys every bit of you. I hope he and Indie leave no trace of you to be found and I hope they raise your sons as their own. You will be forgotten by history, forgotten by the people you are so desperate to rule. You will die, unloved and unwanted.” Victor knew he walked a dangerous line but he was already dying. “I was right in denying you the crown and the throne. I was right.”

Ebony lunged at her father as her anger got the better of her. Andrew watched from the shadows, there was nothing that could be done to save Victor. Before he returned to his office to warn Nathaniel he heard a gurgling gnarl and when he turned back to Ebony he was not at all surprised to see that her wolf had twisted in hatred so much that it had turned into Loup-garou. The last thing Andrew heard was Victor’s weak laughter as his own daughter ended his life. At least he could be at peace and walk alongside Grace into the afterlife.

As Andrew disappeared into the maze of tunnels it didn’t take him long to get back to where he wanted to go. Nathaniel stood, surprised that he had not come back up through the lift. Quickly, Andrew walked to the lift and pressed a red button off to the side.

“What does that do?” Nathaniel asked quickly.

“It’ll keep Ebony wandering down there long enough for us to create a spell,” Andrew responded grimly.

“So Victor ended it then?” Nathaniel queried quickly as he looked over Andrew carefully. “Tell me what you saw.”

Although Andrew was Nathaniel’s creator all knowledge and power had been transferred to Nathaniel when he woke from his death. It was something the first vampire had ensured would happen every single time a new vampire was created. It was to make sure that the most powerful of their kind thought carefully about its actions and understood the consequences of taking a human life. Something much different to what was depicted in pop culture.