Kings and their Queens

Chapter Five - Vampires

Lillian's POV

I awoke to soft humming and dim light coming from the other room. Sitting up, I am immediately aware of three things. One, I can see every, single item and piece of furniture in this mostly dark room. Two, I can smell the person in the next room, his natural body odor which is weirdly mint and patchouli? That, and some interesting male hormonal scents that I find overwhelmingly erotic and three, I can hear EVERYTHING. Literally everything. So I focus. I hear his breathing. I hear his humming quite loudly and then I hear the most lovely chuckle with a low rumble of sorts.

"Hey there, I hear you're awake", Nikolai says while sauntering over in a crimson colored robe. "How did you know"? I ask. "Well, the same way you knew I was here. I heard you shifting around on the bed, I realized the exact point you became aware of your enhanced senses the moment your pulse increased, and then my sweet" , he walked closer to me and stooped to be able to look me in the eyes, "I smelt your excitement".

Just like that I experienced my most embarrassing moment in my life. 'Good God, I need to be swallowed by a hole right this minute. I grabbed the duvet and pulled it over my head and hid. I hid in plain sight. In front of the vampire king. Like an ass. He slowly pulled the duvet down and looked at my face while I looked elsewhere, he gently touched my cheek and when I looked at him he said, "Lillian, you were raised as a human and I expect this culture to be a bit much for you to take in at once. Us vampires are a bold race. We revel in our love. We embrace honesty, even the raw kind and we are in no way at all, ashamed of our sexuality. Lillian, you do you baby, you'll never be forced or rushed to do or accept anything you're not quite ready for".

' Just like that, I started falling hopelessly in love.' Getting out of bed I thanked him profusely for being as patient and accommodating as he has been to me and he just smiles at me saying he would do anything to help make this transition easier. He leads me to the next room where there's a lit wood burning fire in the fireplace. I take a seat on the plush, royal blue couch and he points to a table with several thick, old looking books. "Those are the Grimoires your father left you, would you like to take a look?" he asked.

I nodded, but stayed put. "This is the first time I'm seeing you being apprehensive. Are you alright? If it's too soon we can wait". He assured. I shook my head and said, "no, no, it's alright, it's just that it's a look at who my father truly was and it's like knowing him for the first time. I never knew he was a wizard. I never knew my mother was a pureblood vampire, it's all news to me". He sighed, and carefully approached me, sitting right next to me, he pulled me in for a soft embrace saying, "it's okay, I know it's alot, I'm here for you".

When we pulled away, I looked into his eyes for a moment and that's when I first saw it, adoration, he adores me. My heart fluttered. I walked over to the table and looked at the books, they were all labeled numerically, one to seven. I picked up the one labeled one and went back to the couch, I placed the heavy book between us and opened it. There, stuck on the inside of the cover was a bright pink post it addressed to me. It said, "Lillian my heart, this first Grimoire will explain any possible power you may have inherited and how to use it, love Dad".

At this moment Nikolai said, "Lillian, a feast is being prepared in your honor, will you be ever so kind as to accompany me to the dining hall in an hour's time?" I nodded but then asked, "A feast? In MY honor? I mean sure but a feast? In my honor? Why though? "

"Well my sweet, I've found MY QUEEN after all, haven't I?" I smiled at him, and made a curtsy, promising to read the book later and made a dash for the en suite saying I need to get ready. I came out of the shower, wrapped in a soft, white terry robe, with a towel wrapping my hair only to come face to face with Nikolai. He leaned in and inhaled deeply close to my neck. Sending goosebumps all through my body. Sensing my awkwardness, he apologized saying he really needs to learn some self control and took me to the huge walk in closet.