Crimson {COMPLETED}

CHAPTER IX

JACKSON'S POV

OCTOBER 10
10:06 a.m

WE WALK up to the palace gates and some servants walk us inside. Emily nervously chews the teething ring despite earlier judgement.

"What are we gonna tell him?" She asks. "'Gimme Alice back or else?'"

We get inside and a servant bows to us, going upstairs to fetch Christos.

"Everything will be fine." I put an arm around her. She steps forward, out of my embrace.

"Not so fast Cupid." She puts the teething ring back on her wrist.

"You're still mad at me?" I play with her auburn hair.

"Of course I am." She hisses. "You vampires all think that you can do whatever you want to us mortals and we just have to deal with it."

"In all fairness Emily, you'll be a full fledged vampire in a few days. Not a mortal."

"Because of you!" She spits.

"Jackson, Emily."

We both whip our heads around as Christos is turning down the staircase.

"What can I do for you two?" He smiles.

"Where's Alice?" Emily demands. "Christos this is ridiculous and childish. Where is she?"

"What about this is ridiculous? Alice and I were just spending some quality time together."

"Yeah I bet you were." She scans around the foyer. "You better not have gotten your freaky fangs anywhere near her or so help me, I swear on everything holy I will drive a stake into your cold blooded-"

Em, watch it. That's a very serious threat, to the prince no less.

She turns and glares at me.

Christos just laughs off her threat of literal murder. "Emily, why so hostile? Why don't you and Jackson come settle down, have some tea or something."

"I don't want tea." She says through bared teeth.

Christos ignores this and calls for a servant. "Please, get Emily and Jackson settled somewhere and get them some refreshments." He lingers a moment and then the servant nods. He told her something telepathically. Something he didn't want us to hear.

"Oh and Emily," Christos stops us, "you'll be glad to know that not a single drop of blood has spilled from Alice's pretty little veins." He smiles just enough to show his fangs.

The servant ushers us into a room on the second floor. We sit on the lush couches and she pours us some tea.

She doesn't sit down and just smiles at us.

Emily gets up, going towards the door. The servant doesn't even blink.

Emily grabs the handle and pulls but it doesn't budge. Due to safety reasons, no doors lock from the outside around here, so the door must be chained or something.

"I'm sorry Lady Emily." The servant doesn't turn to look at her. "But Master Christos has requested that you stay here until his say so."

"Where even is he? I need to talk to him." Emily charges back over and glares at her.

"He is very busy overseeing Lady Alice's fitting."

Emily's face lights up at the mention of Alice. She sits down next to me.

"What's she getting fit for?" She fiddles with the teething ring on her arm.

"She's being fit for a few dresses as she said she wanted to spend a little time here at the palace."

Emily looks ready to go ballistic but she keeps her cool.

"You must keep up with the gossip around here, yeah?" I lean into the couch. "What does she think of Christos?"

"I'm not too sure." She folds her hands In front of her. "She seems very bashful around him. I think that's a good sign."

"A good sign of what?" Emily picks at her nail polish.

"Well, Master Christos has been in such a good mood with her around. No ones seen him this happy in so long." She shifts on the balls of her feet. "We've all been kind of hoping Lady Alice will marry him so he'll be like this all the time."

"But he could be with any girl. He's a damn prince he could have whoever he wants." Emily grips the couch cushion.

The servant shrugs. "Not quite sure why he's so determined to win her over. Some of the kitchen staff thinks they might be mates and that's why he's so drawn to her."

Emily's eyes widen and her grip on the cushion tightens so much that her nails break through the fabric and dig into the stuffing. Her strength must be kicking in. At this point in her transformation it's likely.

"So when you say he's trying to win her over," I start, "do you mean that Alice doesn't seem interested?"

Emily's breathing slows back down.

"So it seems." She scowls. "But as stubborn as Master Christos is, well...I have a feeling he won't give up that easily. He seems to really like her."

The door opens and two guard stand there.

"We have received order from prince Christos to escort these two out." One of them says.

"But we haven't even finished our drinks." I hold up a tea cup.

Emily gives me a confused look and I wink at her.

Trust me. Go with it.

The guards look confused on how to respond. They close the door, no doubt guarding it.

"Mr. Reed, you are very clever sir but Master Christos is two steps ahead of you. It would be best to finish your drinks and go with the guards." The servant takes the teapot and walks out.

She knew I was planning something. And of course she knows I'm not going to rat on her for reading my thoughts. Servants are taught very early on that they aren't to read the thoughts of the royal family and company.

I lean back into the couch, noting Emily's disappointed look.

"Christos knows me too well for me to get away with anything." I chuckle. "He must've known I would have something under my sleeve. Clever bastard."

"What now?" Emily sets down her empty tea cup.

"We have to leave. No other choice." I stand up. Emily stands too, glancing at the holes she left in the cushion and grimacing at what she's becoming.

I put her arm on mine to her dismay. We walk out and the guards start to follow us.

I turn to them, still walking. "That won't be necessary."

They follow not far behind anyways. Reasonable I guess.

We walk out through the front door, Emily starting to swear excessively.