Of Wine and Roses

Chapter 5 The Second Night

Dracula called the twin nts nts to the circle, and asked what they\'d learned that day. \"As you had suspected sire,\" began Regal. \"There is one vial of Garlic Juice from Miss Kale\'s belt, missing. There were eight in total, when we drew the manifest list the night we locked up all the weapons. All other weapons are fully accounted for.\"

\"And the servant Two?\" asked Teargoss, from his perch above the pair.

\"Still no sign of him. We\'ve searched everywhere onto he grounds. And nothing. The barn hands have said that all the horses are present, and there is no one hiding in the stored carriages.\"

\"Very well,\" Dracula announced. \"You may go.\"

The pair bowed and left the room. Hailmann took the circle. \"I wish to apologize for my servant\'s actions. I\'ve no idea what has gotten into him.\"

\"Your apology is not accepted,\" said one of the ladies. \"You are responsible for his actions, you should have known something was going on with him. Pray the child survives well, and that the parents do not wish to take revenge on both of you.\"

\"Her parentage has not YET been decided,\" Hailmann sneered. \"Until we hear from the woman, I request that they not be addressed as such.\"

\"Watch your step Hailmann,\" warned one of the males. \"Your progress to success in this case is not as appealing as theirs. D and Kale have acquitted themselves most admirably. Yet you have yet to demonstrate any parental concerns for the child. You are not impressing us in the least.\"

\"I will have my chance,\" he said. \"And you will all see that a Dhampire raised by me, will be better off, than with those two up there.\"

The counsel turned as the chamber doors opened, and D strode in. \"I request to address the counsel,\" he said. Dracula waved Hailmann aside, a strange twinge of satisfaction of doing so glowed through him, but he suppressed the smile that begged to spread across his face. D stepped into the circle. \"I bring you news. Aceline has woken, and is doing much better. She haten ten some chicken soup, and is currently enjoying a bed time story with Kale.\"

\"What story is that?\" asked Teargos.

\"She suggested that if you wish to know, that you may use your abilities to listen in, but asks that you do so carefully. Aceline still needs to rest. The story she is reading to Aceline is one from your collection.\"

Dracula leaned back in his seat and stretched out his mind, ensnaring all in the room with his power, guiding them carefully to the upper floor. \"Kale?\" he whispered with an effort he rarely had to use with his sons.

\"Dracula. Are they all with you?\" she asked back.

\"Yes.\"

\"Good.\"

\"Aceline, this is a story I read when I was a little girl. I loved it then and wanted to read it to my babies as they grew up. Now I know you\'re tired, and I\'ll only read a little at a time. When you fall asleep, we\'ll read some more the next bed time.\"

\"Ok.\" The little girl cuddled closer to her, looking at the pictures in the book her mother had the mutants bring her earlier that day. \"The Happy Prince,\" she said, \"Is it about daddy?\"

\"No. It\'s a very pretty story though. You still want to hear it?\" She nodded and Kale began to read.

The counsel listened to her and felt her care for Aceline in her voice. They listened as she read of a bird that stayed in a town to do the bidding of the spirit that resided in a statue. An hour had passed, and she stopped reading. \"She\'s asleep, counsel,\" she said. She pulled to covers over Aceline as she settled her down on her pillows. \"I didn\'t want Aceline to hear what I am to tell you tonight. Not till I can explain it to her in a way she can understand. Now that she\'s asleep I\'ll be right down.\"

\"Very well.\" A short time later, Kale entered the counsel chamber, looking rather tired herself, but nonetheless willing to go on.

\"The counsel will hear from you tonight Miss Kale,\" stated one of the counsel members. \"Take the center circle.\" She stored forward and sat down in the chair that occupied the circle. D had not used it, he preferred to stand most times. But the events of the last 36 hours had tired her, and she felt better to sit, than stand.

\"Miss Kale,\" stated a woman, \"You are human are you not?\" Kale nodded. \"And as a human you are prone to human ltielties. You will also grow old and die. How do you challenge these statements from Lord Hailmann?\"

\"Very simple,\" she said, with a slight smile. \"I will not grow old and die.\" She could hear Hailmann suppress his laughter, as the counsel looked to her puzzled. \"What I am about to tell you, must not leave this room.\" She stated coldly and flatly. \"Lord Dracula, do I have your assurances that what I say now, will not come back to harm me later?\"

\"If what yoe abe about to say is what I think you are to tell us, then you have my assurance. Any action taken by the nobles present against miss Kale for what she tells now, will answer to me.\" The counsel members all nodded. \"You may begin Kale.\"

\"Thank you. I know that such a statement is considered ludicrous among you, but I promise you it is a statement of fact. I will not grow old and die like normal humans, for I am NOT a normal human. I am an Ark survivor.\"

\"WHAT!!! Counsel!! I did not know this! You most assuredly cannot place a child with this MONSTER!\"

\"Be quiet Hailmann, sit down and listen. You may actually learn something.\"

\"I doubt that!\"

\"Try it and see. Or are you too proud to admit that this is something you wouldn\'t understand?\"

\"You little bitch!\"

\"Watch your mouth!\" Dracula commanded. \"Do as she says, sit down and shut up! The counsel will hear what she has to say. WITH NO FURTHER INTERUPTIONS!\"

\"Yes, my lord.\"

\"Thank you. As I was saying. I am an Ark survivor. I was supposed to die, but there was a bungle back then and I survived. I\'m not the monster that people would believe me to be. In the year 2001 I was a mere grocery store cashier, kidnapped from my place of business after hours, before returning home. I was placed in a tank of suspension fluid to test it. The scientists were trying to perfect the suspension procedure for their more important dignits, as, and military leaders. But in the end it didn\'t work. So they tried fetal clones, placed in cells inside the captured test subjects, to protect the leaders form the suspension fluid. It worked, for the most part, but when I was supposed to be killed, by having my brainstem surgically detached, a previous injury scar prevented this, for they believed that procedure was already done. That\'s how I survived. D found me, six years ago, in the facility during an earthquake, res rescued me. I\'ve been with himchoichoice ever since. That fact that I love him didn\'t happen till almost a year later. There were numerous side effects of the tank, two of which is that I will never grow old, nor will I die of old age.\"

\"And what of children?\" asked one of the men. \"We all know from previous encounters in D\'s past that he will not father children by any woman for any reason. Why do you not seek another man to give you a child? Surely that would be preferable than to take this child.\"

\"As I said, there were numerous side effects. Another being that...I cannot have children. Ever.\"

\"We see.\"

\"So you see, D and I will be around a LONG time for Aceline. Of course she will learn of death as part of life, as any child should. She already knows this from the death of her brother Peter. The circumstances of his death are unknown to us, and she has not chosen to discuss the matter. It is best these things are left for the child choose the time to talk about it. She will in time, and we will be there to listen, and to comfort. Will you do that Hailmann?\"

\"It is weak for a Dhampire to cry over mortal death!\"

\"I see. Then you would not bend your ear to hear her cry for her brother, you will not hold her as she grieves? That is the most important part of being a parent, or guardian. To be there, when she needs you most.\"

\"Is it not true that you will still fall to ailments that affect humans?\" asked another woman.

\"Possible. But please remember, there were a number of illnesses in my time that I had already been immunized against. I have seen a number of children and adults of this era, being quarantined because of Chicken pox, Measles, and other childhood ailments that I already had. Also, upon awakening, D had the foresight to have a healer immunize me straight away for ailments of today. As well I had received a number of blood transfusions from healthy individuals of today, for injuries sustained. I feel quite confident that the antibodies in their blood, have already immunized me, and have bonded to my blood.\"

\"These injuries of the past,\" said one of the male members. \"Does that include the incident, with Adrian? Your indiscretion with him also needs to be addressed. If you are to be mother to this child, and D the father, how would she react to know that her mother is unfaithful?\"

Kale clenched her jaw, she\'d hoped that this wouldn\'t have come up. She barely forgave herself for it already, and she still hadn\'t sn win with Adrian about it. \"The incident,\" she said. \"Is one of the injuries, yes. But the indiscretion, you are referring to, was the result of injuries to both of us. Hypothermia, caused by the water we were submerged in, and delusions on both our parts. Neither of us knew the other was who we were. I believed Adrian were D, and Adrian believed I were someone else. D has already come to terms with it, and has forgiven me. For that I am eternally grateful. Adrian and I will talk when next we meet. Which I don\'t expect will be for some time. That is ALL that needs to be discussed about it here.\"

\"We will decide that!\" stated a woman.

\"NO!\" Dracula interjected. \"What has been said on this matter is all that need be said. The only question I have is this. Kale. Will it happen again?\"

\"Dear god I hope not. Nor will I consciously choose this kind of incident to occur.\"

\"Very well. That will be all on the matter. Are there any other questions? No? Then all grievances have been address have they? Good. We will adjourn, until the servant Tow is found.\" Dracula tapped the stone on the pedestal, and the counsel retreated through the doors behind him. \"Miss Kale. Though I\'m sure you wish to do so, you must not return to Aceline this night. I sense that she will recover quite well now with Logan watching over her. Please return to your own room.\"

Kale\'s heart dropped in her chest. She\'d hoped she could kiss Aceline as she slept one last time before Dracula said this, but that wouldn\'t be so. \"As you say, Dracula.\"

\"That\'s Lord Dracula to you,\" Hailmann stated. \"Do you not even show your father-in-law the respect he is due! What kind of a role model will you be!\"

\"The kind you obviously aren\'t. Dracula already knows how I revere him. And unless he wishes me to change that view, I will address him as he permits me. Otherwise, HE himself will request that I correct it. NOT YOU!\"

\"Impertinent little witch!\"

D tried to rush him, but Kale put out her arm, blocking his path. She looked to him her eyes telling him all he needed to know. \'He knows he\'s losing, love. Let him have his little temper tantrum. It won\'t do him any good.\'

D nodded, and stood to her side. \"Are you quite through acting like a 5 year old?\" she asked. \"I for one would like to get some rest.\" Hailmann growled at her, and left. D grasped Kale\'s hand. \"Its all up to Aceline now,\" she said. \"The counsel promised to hear her wishes before making their decision.\"

\"Yes. I remember.\" \'But there is still one other they have yet to hear from.\' D eyed his left hand, as he felt the sym within nod its tiny head.