The Vampire's Crimson Kiss (Editing)

Chapter 10/Throne room

I emerged and caught my breath. The open sky had disappeared, I stood in a huge hall between two rows of columns. It was the throne room. Sadismann walked towards the nightmare-throne it stood grimly, the thousands bleached skulls on watch to the room.  the large flags of crow black and ghost-flowers hung from the ceiling. This was the room where I had first heard him speak to his vampire coven. On the walls hung large canvases each was different but nothing I could recognise.

"I don't get Vampire art? It doesn't show anything ?" I said. Why do Vampires never make things simple? 

"It's not Vampire Art." said Sadismann looking at the picture "That's a Jackson Pollock - Human. That's a Rothco - also human, and it shows everything. Before the fall this art commanded prices which would make even your father wince."

"The night sky over water is nice" I said trying to be positive about something.

"Yes I actually met van Gogh once. I was in Paris.." Sadismann's attention wavered, then returned.

"Lord" I said. He looked at me  like we had met in some past life. Memories dropped like sleep's dust from his glance. 

 "So you looted it?" I had heard of the stories of streets full of looters during the collapse before the vampires rose.

"No, I bought it before the fall." Sadismann " There is more in the vaults carefully preserved. I keep these here they move me. Speaking of beauty, walk towards me".

I stood tall and walked towards the skull throne that Sadismann had installed himself on.

"Feet in line good, hips swaying as if to invisible music good. Now up, and sit down here, remember grace" Sadismann ordered me to walk down the central aisle towards the throne. I did so with as much grace as I could muster. The seat was below Sadismann. I said looking out wondering what it would be like with a room filled with onlookers.

"So who sits here?" I said.

"That's for the consort, currently untenanted, on important occasions the high priestess sits here. It suits you well flesh girl." Sadismann said looking down.

"Why my lord are you so fastidious to how I walk? " I asked. I called him lord these vampires were such suckers for flattery. 

Sadismann titled his head and "I am fastidious in how everybody walks." 

"That's hardly an answer" I smirked. 

I looked down. The chair sat in was not made from skulls but looking down it was carefully carved in every detail with patterns and Vampire writing. 

"My soldiers must goose step, nothing puts fear into an enemies heart more that Stechschritt. It is difficult and takes practice and coordination it turns gutter trash into elite troops."

"Mary said it meant you could spot infiltrators and spies, the first earth army men can't do it right" I said.  

"That sounds like Mary. Full of useful and dangerous information. She's right but she doesn't understand that sometimes war is more than war, it's theatre and sometimes you should do things with style, even kill. The transience of beauty is the only thing which truly endures.  So as for the women of the coven, I couldn't let them slouch around. Everything in the coven has to be marked with sensuality or it is not done."

Sadismann smiled and paused.

"You walk very well but there is something slightly wrong. I can't just put my finger on it. Go out and walk down. Keep walking, walking stop. Come back and turn around. Follow that mid line there, this is the path the queen must take at the coronation. Walk up and sit on the consort's throne again. Again"

I followed his orders. I ended up facing him backwards and felt his eyes move over me.

"Got it. come we have one more location to visit on our night's jounrey" he said.