Vampire regent, p.1
Vampire Regent, page 1
part #9 of Immortal Council Series
VAMPIRE REGENT
The Chronicles of the Immortal Council #9
by
D.C. Young
Other Books in The Chronicles of the Immortal Council
1. Vampire Abduction
2. Vampire Exodus
3. Vampire Sovereign
4. Vampire Magic
5. Vampire Vacation
6. Vampire Reflections
7. Vampire Enigma
8. Vampire Spirit
9. Vampire Regent
10. Vampire Intuition
Other Books in J.R. Rain’s Vampire for Hire World
Burning
Afterglow
Radiance
Dead Ahead
Dragon Lessons
Vampires She Wrote
Wolf Moon
Fire Warrior
Fang
I, Samantha Moon
Vampire Apocalypse
Vampire Regent
Published by Rain Press
Copyright © 2019 by Rain Press
All rights reserved.
Ebook Edition, License Notes
This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.
(Vampire Regent is based on the characters created by J.R. Rain; the use of story situations and supporting characters from the “Vampire for Hire” universe is authorized by J.R Rain.)
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Foreward
Prologue
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Epilogue
Reading Sample
Foreward
by J.R. Rain
Hi there and welcome!
J.R. Rain here, and I’m so excited to introduce you to my “Vampire for Hire World”! As you might have guessed, these are written by writers other than me. Fair warning, these stories are non-canon (as in, unofficial) but they’re still a ton of fun. I’m excited to see the Samantha Moon world grow, and I’m equally excited to see all these wonderful writers exploring her world with me.
So, sit back and enjoy Vampire Regent!
—J.R.
Vampire Regent
“Not everyone that history thinks is dead is lying in a grave. They walk among us, people. I should know. I've seen proof that Elvis never really left the building.”
—Samantha Moon, Vampire Abduction
Prologue
“I need to talk to the Detective,” Marie roared for the second time.
Julia winced at the volume and rage in her voice. Truth be told, she had never heard Marie raise her voice more than a handful of times in all the centuries they had traveled the world together. She had always boasted the constant even temperament that was the modes-operandi of every successful European monarch.
Recently however, Julia had noticed an uneasiness in de Guise's demeanor. She labored to carry herself with her unusual poise and grace; but there was something unsettling rising up in her old friend.
“I've already contacted Samantha for you, Marie,” Julia assured her in a soothing, hushed tone. “She is rather busy with some distressing family business but she promised to come as soon as she could.”
“Good, I want to know as soon as she arrives. I'll be in my room.”
Marie de Guise spun on her heels and went straight up the grand staircase of Elysium House. Shortly after her departure, Julia heard a door slam shut upstairs and could only shake her head.
Queens!
What's her problem?” Veronica asked, peeping around the corner into the hall. She was closely followed by Bjorn Ragnarsson; as was to be expected. The two had been inseparable ever since they'd joined the rest of the Council to face off against an evil doctor and his zombie army about three years before.
“She's just a little anxious about some news she got this morning. Turns out an old friend who she assumed had passed away a long time ago might actually be alive.”
“Sounds like good news to me. Dramatic, much?”
Julia shook her head, shrugged her shoulders and walked off in the direction of the living room. She would avoid divulging Marie's personal affairs to Veronica or other members of the household as much as she could.
She walked straight through the room, ignoring the others and the looks of curiosity they focused on her, and went out onto the balcony. The blaze of the evening sun was gone, giving way to the spectacular colors of dusk. The view made her sigh instinctively.
As Julia looked out over the city and watched the first lights twinkle to life, soon to illuminate the valley below, she hoped that Sam Moon would contact her sooner rather than later. The more time she had to think about the news Marie de Guise had received, the more she was convinced they had no time to lose on the matter at hand. Furthermore, Marie would not rest until Sam had dispensed her professional opinion on the issue.
She sighed again.
It was easy for her to put herself in Marie's shoes. In her own life, Julia had had many loves and suffered many losses. Hers had been a long life so far and she had been through it all a hundred times over. In her heart of hearts, Julia hoped it was true and that Marie's beloved Antoinette might still be alive.
A vampire; but alive nonetheless.
She continued to look out over the picturesque valley but her eyes saw nothing. Even as the pinks and golds of the waning sunset faded into the grays and blacks of nightfall, she stood like a flawless marble statue leaning against the stone balustrade.
“Julia?” a voice said softly.
She turned to see a bewildered Sam standing in the balcony doorway.
“Oh, Sam!” Julia cried, rushing to her with outstretched arms.
She hugged the detective tightly as if she hadn't seen her in years. Sam was quite taken aback. She had never seen Julia emotional before. The woman was always the perfect picture of propriety.
When she released Sam, Julia took a step back and smoothed her customary Greek style cotton gauze dress. She kept her eyes down and Sam could tell she was slightly embarrassed by her wanton display of sentiment.
Obviously, something had upset her greatly.
“What is it, Julia? You seem quite unlike yourself. Has something happened?” Sam's tender and reassuring tone was exactly what was needed to ease Julia's demeanor.
“It's not me, Sam. Marie received a telephone call today. The news was rather disconcerting.”
“Was it Marie who asked for me to come?”
“Yes.”
With that revelation, Sam instantly knew the gravity of the situation. In the years, Sam had been interacting with the Elder Watchers of the Immortal Council; Marie de Guise had made it quite plain that she was quite indifferent to Sam. The two barely spoke as a result.
“What was the news?”
“Sometime, probably a decade or so after Marie made her transition to immortality, her faithful servant and companion, Antoinette Nemours died peacefully in her sleep.”
“Okay, nothing out of the ordinary there,” Sam said.
“No, not at all, Sam. In fact, Marie knew when it happened. She even attended the funeral and visited Antoinette's grave site many times.” Julia quickly raised her hand to stop an interruption from Sam. “It seems that Antoinette didn't actually pass away in her sleep. She was turned by a vampire and her natural death was faked.”
Sam's eyes widened.
“Exactly!” Marie said loudly from behind them. Julia and Sam whirled around to see the vampire leaning calmly against the doorway. Her temper had cooled incredibly with the setting of the sun. “And I want you to find her and bring her back here to us so I can find out what happened to her and where she has been for all these centuries.”
“You don't need me for that, Marie,” Sam scoffed. “The Easter Watchers must know of her existence and where to locate her.”
“That's just it, Moon. They don't and I find that very peculiar.” Just as suddenly as she had appeared, Marie dropped her cool facade. She wrung her hands and her lips quivered as if she would burst into tears. “I don't think she knew that my husband Louis came to me in my bedchamber that night when I died. And the more I think about it, the more I have to believe that she had no idea I was made immortal that night.”
“Well, that would change the look of everything in this case, Marie,” Sam said.
“Yes, I know.”
“Let's go down to the library,” Julia suggested, taking a quick glance into the salon where there were several eager immortal, eavesdropping ears whose owners were busy pretending they weren't listening.
“Yes, let's do that,” Sam agreed.
The three silently made their way to the stairs and descended into the vast library below Elysium House It was an arena of knowledge, one that Sam could only compare in stature to the Occult Reading Room at Cal State Fullerton.
“Indeed, Sam,” Julia agreed, hearing her thoughts clearly. “The Alchemist's is quite comparable if not just a bit superior to mine.”
Julia was the only vampire Sam could remember having the power of thought reading. She'd met many people who had the gift, her daughter Tammy included; but it was a rare ability among vampires to be able to read other vampires minds.
Sam had once consulted Archibald Maximus on why that was the case among her kind and the answer had been less tha
The three women settled down, facing each other while seated in the armchairs of a comfortable reading alcove. Sam, had become accustomed while dealing with members of the Immortal Council, and waited patiently for Marie de Guise to begin her story.
It took several minutes of her gathering her thoughts and occasionally sighing deeply, but she eventually took a deep breath and began to speak.
Chapter One
“You have a choice to make, my dear,” the king's solemn tone and the grave expression on his face spoke volumes to the twenty-two-year-old. It was not the first time he had made a statement. His expression had become more strained each time he had made it.
“I understand, Your Grace” She responded. “It is a difficult thing and not something which I intend to take lightly.”
“It is a difficult decision, indeed,” Francis responded. “I would not wish to put this burden upon anyone, but it is important that the choice you make is your own. We have spoken many times about the benefits of accepting the offer of each suitor.”
“We have indeed she whispered. “And the consequences as well.”
He might have forced a decision upon her. In fact, he might have made the decision for her and not bothered to allow her a choice in the matter, However, King Francis I had paid her the respect of choosing the man with whom she would spend the remainder of her days. Though a decision had been needed for months, Francis had given the proceedings pause after the death of Marie's infant son, Louis. The boy had been named after his father who, as fate would have it, had also died the previous summer. To force anything upon the grieving widow and mother might have been the death of her as well.
Thus, three kings presently waited for Marie de Guise to make a choice which would have a profound effect upon history.
“We hold all of the bargaining chips in this situation, Marie,” Francis continued. “Though you are no virgin bride, your fertility is proven and any King with a head on his shoulders will regard that highly.” His expression softened a bit and a partial smile shadowed his lips. “But you really should make a decision soon. A trip away might help to clear your head; to the chateau in the mountains, perhaps? The snow is gone and the wildflowers will be in bloom soon.”
“I appreciate your kindness,” Marie smiled. She did not want to continue to hold things up. She knew that everyone was becoming more and more anxious by the day. Her heart was leaning in one direction already, but she had not yet spoken the name of the man she would marry aloud. She would make a decision but she would search her heart one more time; one more night. That single compromise was set in her mind the moment she made it.
“Tomorrow morning,” she said after a few minutes had passed. “I will declare my decision to you and the court tomorrow morning.”
“You are certain?” Francis asked.
Marie hesitated only a moment. Making such a promise to the king was not something to take lightly. She sucked in a breath, held it a moment and then responded. “I am certain.”
“Very well then,” the king declared as he dismissed her from their private counsel. “The court will be assembled tomorrow morning to hear your decision.”
“Let it be so, Your Grace,” Marie responded as she curtsied before the king and then took her leave of the private chamber.
She was attended by a vast entourage as she retreated to her own part of the palace. As Duchess of Longueville, Marie was afforded great privilege at court. As a potential consort to either Henry VIII of England or James V, her welfare was of the utmost importance. She was watched over as diligently as the king himself.
Both of her suitors sought her in order to strengthen their alliance with France. James V of Scotland had sealed an alliance with Francis and France the previous January when he was wed to Madeleine de Valois, Francis' daughter. The alliance was sealed, but Princess Madeleine's health had been tenuous at best. It had been the hope that Madeleine would recover, but by July she died and left James without a wife or any offspring. The death of Marie's own husband, Louis of Orleans, Duke of Longueville the month before Madeleine's passing, had left Marie a widow and, to the thinking of many, the legitimate choice to replace Madeleine. It might have been a simple thing to arrange, except that Marie gave birth to Louis' son, naming him after his father in August. Baby Louis died some months later, leaving Marie to grieve a friend, a husband and a child.
Given a previous of grieving, marrying James V might have been a simple thing, except for the fact that Jane Seymour, Henry VIII's beloved third wife, had died giving birth to their son Edward in October. Tired of the eternal struggle to rule his holdings in France, the year 1537 wrapped up with Henry making an appeal for Marie's hand in order to prevent James from once again securing the French alliance for Scotland.
For Francis, there were many benefits and consequences to be weighed between the two suitors but he had not found it in his heart to force Marie into accepting a decision he made. In some ways, where Marie was concerned, it might have been easier than having to make a choice. Neither of them is my Louis, she had confessed to herself many times over the previous six months and repeated as she swept into her chambers and sought out the seat beside the window which overlooked the vast palace garden.
“Can I bring you something, madam?” Antoinette asked as she accompanied Marie to her favorite spot. The others in her entourage had learned through experience that only Antoinette was allowed to follow along behind Marie into her private chambers without being invited. Instead, they waited dutifully and patiently at the door.
“I wish that you would make a choice for me, dear Antoinette,” Marie responded.
“I could never presume to do such a thing,” Antoinette answered.
Marie had chosen Antoinette to attend in her privy chamber when Princess Madeleine had given the Duchess the pick from among her own attendants. At the time, Marie had just been assigned chambers at the palace by Madeleine's father, the king.
Marie was wise and took the gesture exactly as Madeleine had intended it; a trusted handmaid would best be found from among those the princess had recommended. From that moment, Antoinette had always been with her. She had chosen her partly because her name was the same as her own mother, but also because of her kind and humble demeanor.
“I know you would not,” Marie responded. She considered asking for Margaret, the younger daughter of the king, to come sit with her, but she would not presume upon the daughter of the king in such a way. There were ways of hinting that she would like her company, however. “Has Margaret come back from riding?”
“She has not,” Antoinette responded.
“Would you advise me as soon as she has?”
“I will, madam. Will there be anything else?”
“For the moment, I would prefer to be left alone.”
“Very well.” Antoinette curtsied before retreating to the door.
“Oh, Louise!” Marie sighed What a mess you and Madeleine have left me to sort out.”
Her thoughts turned to Madeleine and the extravagant affair which had been her wedding to James. In spite of the fact that the marriage had been arranged as part of a 20 year old treaty, Madeleine and James had made a striking couple and Marie hoped that Madeleine's health would hold out so that she too could enjoy the happiness that she and Louis had shared. Five months of festivities had followed the nuptials, most of which Marie had missed. It had been discovered that she was with child not long after the ceremony had been carried out and suddenly, she was on her own path.
Marie had lived the dream vicariously through Margaret, who had missed barely a moment of her older sister's honeymoon trip. Once Madeleine had left the shores of France, darkness had settled in and had held her in its grip as piece by piece her happy world had crumbled under the fist of Death.
Spring had begun to bring Marie out of her dark slump as she witnessed the new beginnings in the garden below her window. As so many flowers bloomed and trees blossomed there, so did her dormant heart. She was to be the consort of a king and thus, a queen. It was hard not to relish such a promise, but the joy which might have come was dampened by the fact that she was forced to make a choice.
