The Dark Queen -- Chapter 27

Chapter 27

With the death of the American King came unopposed rule for my sister in the Americas.  The Brotherhood everywhere was broken, and many fled.  The ones who stayed followed the strict laws of equality and justice set forth by my sister, Queen Debra.  We took up residency in New Orleans, for my sister had gained a certain fondness for the city.  People will say it his her that gives the place it's dark edge, and they are one quarter right.  We entertain, and even have hosted the Vampire King of England twice.  The invention of airplanes made the trip much easier, and he is planning to come again within the year.  He just can't get enough.

Our nights remind me of the years spent in Holland, but without the abuse and obvious separation of classes.  It is how vampires are supposed to live...having fun where everyone is accepted and no one is denied anything.  Many humans flock to my sister's palace.  It sits in the Algiers.  Residents say it is best party in town, and it only ends when the sun comes up.  People often marvel at the realness of the vampire head on display in the grand foyer.  My sister likes to tell her guests he was once a King, and warn her vampire subjects they could suffer the same fate if they ever broke her laws.  No one even dares to try, for my sister remains to this day the oldest living vampire in North America.  I am second.

So if you ever find yourself in the city of New Orleans, and want to have a night no one will ever believe, ask a local where to find the Queen of New Orleans.  They will point in you the direction of a palace in Algiers.  As a warning, you may want to refer to her as Mistress when you meet her.  Although the residence is commonly called the Romanian House, you can just as easily find yourself alone with a Puerto Rican beauty or a captivating Dutch vampiress.  We have something for everyone at the Romanian House.  Just expect to lose a little blood.  Believe me, you will not mind, and you will never forget.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uSD4vsh1zDA

The Dark Queen -- Chapter 26

Chapter 26

The meeting took place at a neutral hotel.  It was awkward at first, for the King instantly recognized Debra.  He was obviously uneasy until my sister thanked him for giving her eternal life.  She ran her hand down the front of his pants, and the growth underneath was obvious.  They struck a deal fairly quickly after that.  The terms were the ones the King had suggested, but Nevada and California were included in the territories given to my sister.  Debra suggested they finalize the deal in private, and the King eagerly rented a room.

The hotel manager was quite disturbed by the sounds emanating from the hotel room.  This amused the King's escorts until Angie started rubbing her hands on her own breasts.  Suddenly, they could care less about the noises.  Yvonne paid to the hotel manager to step away for twenty minutes while I slid my hand down Angie's thigh.  The man hastily agreed, and went down the street for a drink...or maybe three.  When we were alone, Yvonne took the one escort behind the manager's desk.  Angie stripped right in the middle of the floor, and I ran my tongue down her back.  The two escorts dropped their trousers and moved towards us.  We made sure they were too distracted to hear what was going on upstairs.

Queen Debra wasted no time with foreplay.  She was more than excited already, and the flowing dew between her thighs proved that.  She stripped down the King and pushed him on to the bed.  He was not used to an aggressive woman, but he was certainly aroused.  Debra stroked his manhood several times before removing her own clothes.  He was engorged to his full extent.  She climbed on top, straddling the King, and dug her nails into his chest.  The King winced at first, but the movements of Debra's hips made him forget the pain.  The King went to grab the Queen's breasts, but she caught his wrists, and pinned them behind his head.  

Debra bent down and kissed the King's lips.  She slid her mouth down his chin, ran her tongue along his jawline, and bit into his neck.  The King tried to push her away, but Debra resisted.  "I want to taste you, my love," she scorned, as his blood rolled off of her lips.  He relaxed as the Mistress brought her hips into his with more force.  Debra bit his neck again and he squirmed.  When she had drank enough, when she knew he couldn't handle it any longer, she whispered in his ear, "I'm gonna cum."  Queen Debra brought herself back up to her knees.  His blood ran down her front.  She started to tense, and Debra grabbed hold of the wooden bed post.  The King felt weak, but so intoxicated by the passion of the woman he had turned.  He grabbed Debra by the hips as she yanked out a spindle from the bedpost.  Mistress Debra looked the King in the eyes, and when he returned her gaze, he was scared.  Queen Debra thrust the wooden spindle into the King's heart, and then came harder than she ever had before.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yJL5SE1i0u4

The Dark Queen -- Chapter 25

Chapter 25

For six nights the Brotherhood waged war against Queen Debra.  For six nights she, Yvonne, Angie, and myself beat them back.  The attacks were random, and often involved many more vampires then ourselves, but the Brotherhood was young.  Their eldest was not quite a century old.  We defeated them easily and made them pay for their acts with their lives.  On the seventh day, the remaining members went into hiding and we sought them out.

With fang and claw and wooden spike, each member of the Brotherhood was eliminated.  Some bent the knee to Queen Debra, and she exiled them instead.  The women who served the Brotherhood were also condemned to death.  My sister had no desire to repeat her folly in Holland.  In three weeks from the start of the war, New Orleans was ours.  This was only the beginning.

The Count, as many referred to the King, was not pleased with Debra's actions, nor did he like anyone who challenged his rule.  He left his inland home of Baton Rouge and traveled to the city of New Orleans.  He took up residence in his Algiers palace.  Guards protected the compound constantly as large search parties were sent out to find the Mistress and her disciples.  That's how the King referred to us.  When his minions dwindled, vanishing night after night, the King finally decided to sue for peace.

The lone messenger found the four of us in the Lower Ninth Ward on a Thursday evening.  As instructed by the King, he knelt before my sister Debra and handed her a note.  It was a peace offering from the King.  He was granting all of the lands of Texas, which included New Mexico and Oklahoma, to Queen Debra in exchange for her leaving Louisiana and causing no further problems for the King.  My sister refused.  What the King did not realize it was he she was after.  Debra sent the messenger back to the King with her reply.  She would require a face to face meeting to discuss her terms.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YnfgSw4ZTCw

The Dark Queen -- Chapter 24

Chapter 24

New Orleans was a city plagued with vices and corruption, and the underworld controlled most operations.  The network of vampires was expanse, leaving little room for an outsider to gain footing.  The only option for most was to start at the bottom and work their way up.  My sister had no intention of following protocol.  Our reunion with Angie was cut short on the docks only two minutes after we stepped foot onto American soil.  The man, a vampire of American-Slovak decent, ordered us to register our names in the official log of New Orleans vampires.  When my sister refused, two more vampires joined him.  They would back down that evening, but our descriptions were circulated among the Brotherhood.

The Brotherhood was a society of male dominant vampires that worked more like a modern day crime ring.  Angie was fully aware of the organization, and gave us every detail about their operations.  Women, no matter who they were, were expected to take their place as servants and submissives.  Angie had avoided such a fate only because she belonged to the more tolerant Miami district of vampires.  That said, she was allowed very little freedom in the city of New Orleans, or in the state of Louisiana itself.

Harassment became the standard as we spent our nights getting oriented with the city.  Violent threats were common, and so were the promises of rape and abuse.  As quick to anger as my sister could be, she remained patient.  Debra's plan was was to make the King of the Americas come to her.  She took great steps towards achieving this goal the night she wore her crown publicly.  She also referred to herself as Mistress as well as Queen.  The Brotherhood was predictably outraged.  They sent numbers to subjugate my sister or worse.  Although there were twenty of them, the Brotherhood never took into account one simple fact.  They were dealing with four vampires who's combined age was over fifteen hundred years.  You could say the Brotherhood was greatly weakened that night.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fGZ3MBYOmUs

The Dark Queen -- Chapter 23

Chapter 23

1891 was the year.  I will never forget it.  Queen Victoria still ruled, but she was old, and more of a symbolic figure in England.  My sister grew increasingly bitter and began talking about death.  She was tired of living.  She cursed the day she was changed to an immortal.  She would have rather suffered one lifetime of cruelty by her Romanian husband King and died than live out an eternity of meaningless nights.  I was scared, and rarely left Debra's side.  The only time I let her out of my sight was when the King was with her.

Everything changed the day a letter arrived from the States.  Angie would often write, but this time it was different.  This letter contained a picture.  It was amazing how humans learned to capture a person's actual likeness on a card.  My sister Debra stared at it for a long time as I read the letter out loud to her.  The picture was of a man...a vampire, who resided in the port city of New Orleans.  His face, Debra had not seen for over four hundred years.  He was said to be of noble Romanian birth, and the self appointed Vampire King of the United States.

For a very long time Debra did not speak.  She must have channeled her anger towards the one man who was the cause of her life...the very man who stared up at her from that picture.  He was the one who took her dignity and forced her to be a slave to the darkness.  Angie, Yvonne, and myself had done it willingly, but not Debra.  She was never given a choice.  Late that very evening, Mistress Debra approached the Vampire King of England and asked to be released.  When he asked why, she explained with such emotion, the King could not say no.  Nor would he have.  The English King gave hope that not all men were evil.  He respected Debra, and he helped make the preparations for her departure.  

The night before we set sail...yes, Yvonne and I would join her, the King hosted a celebration in my sister's honor.  Everyone made a toast, and we all danced into the early morning.  Often, vampires would encourage, "Kick that American King's arse."  Others would say, "Tell them the English sent you."  Although two centuries we spent in England, my sister never considered herself one of them.  She was an indentured guest, but she enjoyed the encouragement anyways.  

As the party was winding down, the King gathered everyone around.  He wanted to present his former Mistress with a gift.  He spoke passionately about the fiery woman who came to him in desperation and demise.  He lectured proudly how every great ruler must learn humility, learn from their mistakes, and he was no different when he was younger.  He talked emphatically about how my sister had grown, and how terribly much he would miss her.  The King opened a box he had placed upon the table.  He reached his hands inside and then lifted my sister's crown above his head.  He exclaimed that if an American King of Romanian birth was to be overthrown, then let it be by a Romanian Queen.  He placed my sister's crown upon her her head, and everyone, except for the King himself, knelt down before the once again crowned Queen Debra.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iaEmQJG2HHU

The Dark Queen -- Chapter 22

Chapter 22

The times were changing rapidly.  The age of human royalty was coming to an end.  The American colonies, aided by England's bitter rival France, fought for independence and won.  Even vampires have strong national allegiance, and they cursed the ungrateful colonists.  Amused, yet horrified, the English would sit by and watch as the French King suffered his very own revolution a short time later.  He would lose his head.  In England, things were different.  The royal family was revered, honored, but increasingly real power shifted to Parliament.  Vampires wanted no part of breaking tradition and held firm on their beliefs of complete royal rule.  My sister, although no longer a Queen, was one of the strongest advocates of that ideology I knew.

In 1837, an eighteen year old woman became Queen and ruler of England.  She was officially coronated in 1838.  My sister followed her reign with keen interest.  Although there were scandals, Queen Victoria fought for many of the same things Debra had when she wore the crown.  The young Queen brought about great social reforms and was the embodiment of morality.  During her reign, there was a cultural, colonial, and industrial explosion.  Many vampires would argue Queen Victoria had little to do with those things, but my sister, as stubborn as she can be at times, stood firm that it was the Queen's guidance that led to such great fortune.  It was obvious to me, if not to everyone, that Debra was now living vicariously through Queen Victoria.

In celebration of the matriarchal reign of Victoria, Mistress Debra began hosting galas, concerts, and tea parties.  She would insist on attendees adhering to the strict dress code that was inspired by the Queen herself.  Yvonne was always present, and so were the many suitors that followed her.  After over century she still never bored of the game, and still never settled for one person in particular.  "Variety, Emilie," she would often chuckle, "that is the spice of life."  As for myself, I had romances.  Some lasted longer than others, but none ever more than a decade.  Ten years was my limit to decide if eternity should be spent on one heart.

I can not say my sister Debra was happy again during the years of Victoria's rule, but I would say she was complacent.  She was a wife to the Vampire King of England in everything but title and name.  He treated her well, and allowed my sister freedom to do as she pleased.  He particularly liked Debra's new found social agenda.  The King was very fond of a good party and interesting company.  If everything seemed merry at all times, I knew one thing at least was missing to Debra.  No matter what the count of guests attending an event was, my sister always planned for one more.  That plate, she made sure, was never touched.  Although everyone assumed my sister's prudence always planned for the unexpected guest, I knew the placement was always set for Angie.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uY58uPtAM68

The Dark Queen -- Chapter 21

Chapter 21

The Vampire King of England was a fair man.  He never ordered my sister to do any more than she had agreed upon.  She shared his bed, of course, and accompanied him to public functions.  She was charming and silent just like she was supposed to be.  I knew it ate her alive even though she would never admit anything was wrong.  A few times I caught her weeping in the gardens, but she would quickly dry her eyes and talk about the beauty of the flowers.  Occasionally the King would ask Debra's advice on matters.  That's the only time she appeared to be truly happy.  I think my sister just needed to be wanted.

Angie was not allowed to attend events in court.  She was of lower birth, and to be clear, of colonial birth.  This made her a second class citizen in England, even among vampires.  Out of respect for my sister, by order of the King himself, Angie was never mistreated.  She was just not permitted to partake in royal functions.  Or, if she did, it was as my Lady in Waiting.  You see, I was never asked to renounce my noble birth.  The fact I now held a station above my sister Debra was one thing we never dared talk about.  I should have, I suppose, given up my title, but it did make life easier for all of us...especially Yvonne.  She became the sweetheart of the noble class.

It is true Yvonne was not born into royalty, but she was of European birth.  Her sire, Jochem, was well known and mostly hated outside of Holland.  Her story of revenge upon the man who had enslaved her pleased the elite.  They welcomed her with open arms and gifts.  She was constantly courted by men and women alike.  Parties were dedicated to her.  My sister would always smile at the fortune of the one she had saved...the one who had whispered, "Night Mother."  Debra always said Yvonne was the reason fate had brought her to Holland.

Life was hard for my sister Debra in England, and we lived there longer than any other place in our past.  She was not mistreated or mocked, but she was not bowed to or followed either.  She just simply was.  She lived to serve the King, but she was no longer a Queen herself.  It was the sacrifice she had made to protect Angie, Yvonne, and myself.  It was her own sentence for creating anarchy in Holland.  The hardest decision came the night when Angie asked Mistress Debra to release her.  Angie was unhappy in England.  She would no longer be treated like a second rate vampire, even though her sire was a Queen at the time.  Angie wished to make a new life for herself in the colonies and start over.  

With a tear in her eye, Debra kissed Angie on the cheek and bid her goodbye.  My sister stated her door was always open for her to return, and Angie replied so was her's if Debra ever decided to leave England.  My sister would have liked nothing more, but she was bound by her oath.  Instead, Debra fell deeper into depression and the decades rolled on.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_OfyTFfOOz0