Court of Darkness

16. The transformation - Nicki

Nicki entered Alexander's office with a cup. She put the cup on his table.

"Your blood, my king. O negative, as requested." She bowed for him. Alexander was leaning with his cheek against his hand. He had looked bored but smiled when he had entered the room. He reminded her of a lazy cat some days.

"My favourite." Alexander said, but she knew he hadn't been talking about the drink.

"But you know that I don't like it when you're so formal around me. Nicki, it's just the two of us. Relax a little. Take a seat." Nicki nodded and sat down in the chair that was the nearest to Alexander's desk. She blinked and Alexander had disappeared. She then felt his cold hands on her shoulders. He started to massage her. She felt his breath against her ear as he whispered in her ear.

"Have you considered my offer, love?" Nicki closed her eyes as a shiver ran down her spine. His voice was deeper than usual. She could hear his longing. She knew that he wanted her. His touch had made it obvious. The two of them were secretly seeing each other. Alexander had wanted to make their relationship public but Nicki had told him that she didn't want that. She had wanted to get more used to it before everything would change. Before she would become the future queen and stand in the spotlights. She liked their secret. Before she had decided to date him she had requested that he would share with the kingdom that he was a vampire now.  It hadn't gone exactly... smoothly. Some of the folk had feared their king, called him the devil. Fights had broken out but Alexander's soldiers had managed to get it under control again. Others started to worship Alexander like he was a god. The nobility had seen the opportunity to gain more power and requested that he would make them immortal too. He had told the nobles that he would consider it. The truth was that he would honour their request but was delaying it for one reason. Her. Alexander wanted her to be the first person to be turned into a vampire but he wouldn't do it until she was ready. It had been three weeks since he had asked her the question. This was the first time that they were discussing it again.

"I have..." she said softly, looking at his empty chair.

"And what is your answer, my love?" He sounded patient but Nicki knew better. He was eager to turn her. To make her his equal. To share his immortality with her so they could be together forever. Immortality had made him greedy, yet she had still fallen in love with him.

"I trust you. I trust you with my life. I trust that you'll guide me. That you'll teach me how to be a vampire. I trust you that you will protect for as long as I need." Alexander's hands stopped with massaging her shoulders. She stood up and walked towards him. Alexander loosely grabbed her wrist and pulled her against his body. She didn't stop him.

"And?" He asked her. She saw the hunger in his eyes. She knew that he knew what she was going to say.

"I'm ready. I'm ready to be your equal. To become your queen. I want to be your lover, Alexander. And I want you to make me the first creation of the first vampire." Alexander smiled. His canines were visible. He leaned in to give her a passionate kiss. Nicki's hands rested against his muscular chest as they kissed. She then looked breathlessly at him. Alexander raised his hand and started to caress her cheek.

"This will be a fresh start for you. For us. Once you've turned you'll finally be my queen." Nicki saw the love in his red eyes. Those eyes still scared her but she saw the love in them.

"I'm sorry that I've made you wait." Alexander simply chuckled and placed his hand under her chin, making her look up at him.

"It's alright, dear. We will have eternity together. That makes up for all the waiting. Are you ready to be turned tonight, or do you want to delay it a bit longer?" She smiled at him. Some of the folk saw him as a monster but Nicki knew that Alexander hadn't lost his heart.

"No. I'm ready. All the people I love are in this room. I have you. I don't want to say goodbye to my family. They sold me to the palace. You're the one I care about. There's no reason to delay the transformation. I'm ready to love you for eternity." Alexander's face lit up when she told him that she would love him for eternity. That angelic face would be the last thing she would see before she would become a vampire.

"Then I shall turn you." His fangs came out. Alexander bit in his wrist and held it against her lips.

"Drink my queen. Drink as much as you want before I'll drain you. When you wake up, you'll be my equal and I'll be ready to worship you." Nicki took his Alexander's wrist in her hands and started to drink his blood. It was weird. It tasted metallic but also... sweet? She didn't know how much she had drank when he moved his wrist away. Suddenly he had pinned her against the wall. Vampire speed. An ability that she would have when she woke up. Alexander's red eyes found hers again.

"Are you sure that you want this Nicki? Once I start to drink, there's no way back. Are you sure that you want it?" She saw the worry in his eyes. He was worried that she had changed her mind. That she was too frightened to go through with it. She nodded.

"I'm ready Alexander. I want this, I want you. I'm yours to take. If I have to die then I want to die in the arms of the person I love the most." Alexander let go of her arms. She wrapped her arms around his neck as he bowed down. She felt his fangs sink into her neck. She gasped softly. Her nails scratched the skin of his neck but it didn't bother Alexander. He was too occupied. The pain that Nicki had felt from the bite started to subdue. It started to feel pleasant instead. The toxins forced the prey to stay. A wave of darkness came over her. She welcomed it.

•

Nicki remembered how she had woken up the first time. She was in Alexander's bed. She sat up. Her servant uniform was gone and was replaced by a velvet black dress. It was the most expensive piece of clothing she had ever worn. Alexander was sitting in a chair next to his bed. He stood up when he saw her sitting up. He then sat down next to her. He took her face in his hands and forced her to look in his eyes. Compulsion.

"You'll forget your human life. All the suffering, all the pain will be forgotten. You'll get a fresh start, Nicole Lalesse. When you wake up again you'll be the strong, powerful woman you were always meant to be. Your king will be waiting for you." Sleep had washed over her.

Nicki woke up and sat up in bed. Her surroundings were unfamiliar. She was confused. Where was she? She saw a tall, handsome stranger sitting in the chair next to her bed.

"Where am I?" She had asked him. The handsome stranger smiled at her, with his sharp canines visible.

"Welcome to the palace. To my bedroom to be precise, Nicki Lalesse. I'm king Alexander Dubois. The First Vampire and you are The First Creation. We will make a fine pair, you and I." Nicki's stomach turned. She was fine with serving him but a fine pair? Really? Why had he used those words? She didn't know this guy. Why did he think that they would work that well? Nicki got out of his bed and bowed for him.

"I will serve you with pleasure, my king. My master." She said and looked up at him. She swore that she saw sadness in his red eyes but it was gone within a flash. Had she imagined it? It didn't matter. Her throat was hurting. She stood up again and Alexander handed her a cup that had apparently been standing on the nightstand.

"Drink and you shall reach your full potential." Nicki snatched the cup of blood from his hand, not caring if it made her seem rude, and drank eagerly from it. She emptied it and handed the cup back to him.

"I'll be your warrior. I won't disappoint you master. I'll learn how to use my new abilities and be the best soldier you could wish for." The king reached for her and caressed her cheek.

"You'll be like an extended part of me Nicole. I can't wait to discover what you'll do with your new power." Nicki had smiled at Alexander.

"Neither can I, master."