"Sire? Sire you asked me to intervene if you showed inclinations to kill our Queen," said Marcus' underling.
I took a moment to admire his dedication for I could imagine myself in a similar situation of having the guts to face a pissed off Marcus. At least that is what I am assuming his pit black pools of eyes were saying but it could be any number of things really. Hunger, passion and aggression all produce that same intense black sheen in any vampire but as a Royal as I now was my intense emotion will be reglected in a colour of royalty. Each royal had they' re own colour. I was not yet sure what mine was.
Marcus took a deep calming breath that was entirely unnecessay but it was effective all the same for he calmed down enough to ease the black pits into a lighter ebony.
"I have a proposal I would like you listen to and consider. To consider well. Its a proposal I make in good faith and one your would be wise to accept." He said this with his head turned to the side and his back facing me as he tried to calm himself down further. But he was talking. Talking instead of acting and that was a good sign. So I paid attention. I did not after all want to provoke him off talk and into action. Although I have lived a long long life already, I would not mind surviving a few more years.
"I'm listening," I assured him trying to do my part to render him calm.
"Mate with me," he said whirling around to see my shocked reaction. Whatever it was I was expecting him to say this was not it.
"Be my bride and I will be your King," he said. But why? It made no sense he knew mating with me will not make him King in a true sense not like killing me would. So why mate a all. What was in it for him?
My questions must have been apparent on my face for he answered it, " You must be wondering why I would wish to mate with you. I like you have a strange and unique talent. My talent unlike yours is a well kept secret. It is useful only to a King or Queen. It was why your father kept me close and it is why you will need me close. You have no acknowledged the gifts your sire bequested to you but once you do you will know with startlng clarity what it is I am capable of and then you will have come to me, seeking me out. Needing my services but as a full Queen you wil have held all that cards in your hand and I will have been rendered subservient to your power. That I do not wish. I have no desire to be pulled back into servitude even for one as beautiful as you. The power t decide my future is now in my hands and I assure you I will do what is needed to ensure my future is free. As I see it I can only be free in two instances. Either I take you to bed as my mate or I kill you now and become KIng."
My mind reeled at his offer. In all my years of living I have never ever mated with anyone. It had never crossed my mind to een try for a mate let alone actually follow through on having one. To mate is both greatest curse or the greatest pleasure. At least that is what I had been told over the years.
"Why would you offer to mate with me? You could have just killed me and taken the throne. You would be a better King then I could ever be Queen," I said wanting to know despite the whirl of deep black that suddenly pooled into his eyes.
"Do you recall visiting England in 1816? You were at the Duke of Kensling's bethrotal ball. It was not quite dark and you were rushing in to change for the nights' festivities. I was there as well and had been returning to my own rooms when I came upon you recognising you for what you were. Knowing you for who you are. I had leaned down to grab a kiss of you. Simply because you were there and I was there and your cheeks were flushed red and you looked so ...fresh. But you saw through me and knew of my intent. You lured me in with your large guillible eyes and then threw me over your shoulder in an impressive manuver that had me on my ass. You took off like a bat out of hell after that. I heard you did not even stay for the dance that night."
I recalled the incident with the same clairty as if it had been just yesterday. But it did not explain his desire to mate me. But he started talking again so I had no reason to prompt him to speak. Instead I remained quite and listened.
"Do you recall the war you fought along myside. Pretending to be a man as you severed heads and tore out guts with your bare hands after having lost your weapons in the heat of battle. That day is one I would always remember with greatest respects," Marcus said before finally falling silent.
"But that does not answer my question," I said feeling confused.
"No it doesn't and I don't intend it to,' he said with a shrewed grin.
