The Vampire's Crimson Kiss (Editing)

Chapter 30/The throne sinister

After watching the ritualized punishment, we moved to the middle level of the Tower where the Throne room was. The last time I had been here was when we had been alone with him. Then the place had felt still, empty, and dangerously lifeless. Now it was teeming with people.

The Duke had changed into a long robe, which signified his position in the court. He had waited for me, and this time I was behind The Duke and Electra, who was holding his hand ceremonially. The high priestess was there in her red robes. On a signal, we all marched through the space to the thrones. When we approached, Electra went to the consort's throne to the left of The Duke's throne of skulls. Before she could sit down, The Duke looked at her.

"No, my dear, manners dictate that our guest sits in the Throne sinister," he said, sounding as if she were eating peas with a knife.

Electra tried to shoot daggers at The Duke with her eyes. Then she looked at me, hoping this was the moment when looks could really kill. She failed, so she moved over to my left and mumbled.

"I will force feed you the excrement of your own kind," she muttered in the shadow tongue under her breath.

She went and stood before the throne, which was on the far side of the Throne sinister. The Duke indicated the throne to me, and I nervously approached it. We all waited for The Duke to sit down first.

"A good cook will never offer anything she has not tasted herself," I replied discreetly in the shadow tongue. It was a quote, not just any quote, but one with literary references. Electra sat down, looking at me in near shock. I looked back, and with my smile, I was able to convey a clear message to Electra.

"Yes, I speak your language, and I'm well read too."

Her stunning face looked almost comically upset. I almost felt sorry to dislodge that cute kitten nose of hers, almost.

I did know a little about Vampire courts from my reading. I sat on the sinister hand; this was the left hand of mercy, and I would have to counsel leniency. On The Duke's right was the senior religious leader of the coven, who would promote punishment and retribution. The Duke would decide, but I had the power to influence events for good. I could feel the fury emanating from Electra; she didn't have a lenient bone in her undead little body.

The way the court worked was that the vampires stood around, and then one by one, they would come forward with one issue or another. Most of it wasn't of great importance; mostly, it was the Duke agreeing or denying requests related to the operation of the coven. It wasn't particularly interesting stuff, but I was learning more about the workings politics of the coven.

Then, a blond-haired man came forward. He was thin but perfectly formed, with the burning yellow eyes of a vampire. He turned out to be the coven's Doctor Sklarnok. Vampires themselves didn't need a Doctor since they could not be ill or unwell, but I got the impression from the conversation that The Duke had deliberately sired a human Doctor to look after the health of the familiars in the coven.

"Lord," began Doctor Sklarnok, "I would like your permission and support to establish a small hospital of sorts on the edge of the lake. Just a building with beds, possibly on the docks of Camden Town. I would like your authority to gather once a week during the evening, where I would offer the people of the villages my best efforts and advice."

"You would waste our valuable medical stocks stored carefully in our vaults on the jurgrath fisherfolk," said the high priestess.

The Duke said nothing at this point.

"Not quite, Your Reverence. I would not use our precious stocks of antibiotics on them, clearly. There are many remedies they are unaware of, medications that can be obtained from natural plants. I'm sure I could help many with even basic advice," said the doctor.