Heir to the Eternal Throne

Chapter 12

            Aldrin sat behind the long table at the end of the main hall, six trusted warriors on either side of him. More lined up along either side of the hall as a company of twenty other warriors entered the room. These vampires, however, were not his. They were the enemy sent by Count Kalfon and among them, in the middle to be exact, was Karen.

            From what Aldrin could tell, she was in good health and as the count's ambassador promised, unscathed. As they neared the center of the room, the vampires parted, allowing Karen to walk freely ahead of them and approach her brother.

            "It is good to see you are well dear sister," Aldrin said with a welcoming smile. Karen responded with a slight bow.

            "I am glad to see you as well. Even more so on the field of victory," Karen responded, taking a seat in a chair across from him. "Forgive me brother but we do not have long. Count Kalfon is in a bit of a hurry to see us back within his borders."

            "I bet he is," Aldrin said, his smile fading. "What do you know of this? Is it a plot?"

            "I doubt it. He was quite kind to me during my stay. If it had not been for him, I would have most likely been a prisoner here." Karen looked back at the soldiers behind her. "You would not believe half of what I have to tell you."

            "Well, tell me anyway. Better I know what to expect." Aldrin sat back, taking a deep breath.

            "Count Kalfon has been building up supplies and forces for a war for years. Best I could tell from what I saw, close to a couple thousand vampires alone. Not thralls." Karen looked back to her brother. "I am not sure what he is playing at, but he showed me a store room stacked with armor and weapons. He said there are more."

            "You are right, that sounds absurd. The other counts would not stand for it," Aldrin admitted, crossing his arms.

            "That is what alarms me as well. If he has managed to collect all this without their intervention, then we can only guess what he promised or said to get away with it. He didn't give me much of a clear answer when I asked." Karen sat back. "But he did keep his word. In that respect, I do not think this invitation is a trap, of any kind."

            "Trap or not, he is expecting us. You can thank Andras for that foolish notion," Aldrin said with a snort.

            "Andras?" Karen looked taken aback, her head flinching at the name.

            "Yes, the woman has a talent for pushing her boundaries and she managed to accept the Counts invitation before I could have a proper conversation with you about this. If this turns out to be a trap, she has killed us all," Aldrin growled between his teeth.

            "Why is she alive then?" Karen asked, raising an eyebrow.

            "Let us talk about that when we have more privacy. In the meantime, if you have reason to trust his word, then I will trust yours. Still, on the side of caution, we are not surrendering our swords when we get there. If he means well, he can provide some means of proof," Aldrin insisted glancing behind Karen at the counts soldiers.

            They were well armed and armored compared to what he just fought against. One would swear they were well disciplined as well for how long they stood there without word or complaint. Not even a request to sit and share in their food. He had to admire this a little. Still, he was playing at something. The question was what.

            "Well, I will see to it that his men are given time to rest and fill themselves. Then we can talk some more in your chambers," Karen said, getting to her feet.