Chapter Six - George Atwood - 23 yrs old

           Adriana powered through dinner conversation with a surprising skill and wit that George found fascinating. He would have enjoyed listening to her speak for hours. Alexi, however, appeared to prefer the sound of his own voice and opinion.

           She eventually backed out of the conversation and pretended to listen as she finished the last course before dessert was served. It was torture to watch Alexi finally smile at Adriana and whisper he wished she was the dessert instead of the sweet young thing offering him her wrist willingly.

           Adriana glared at him and said nothing as her fangs sank into the wrist of the young man standing beside her chair.

These were humans from the feeder caste, humans who willingly gave of themselves for the survival of all other castes. Nameless members of society, yes there were laws against feeding too deeply and if death accidentally occurred, there were laws to deal with that as well.

But what Alexi inferred was something that occurred between life partners and the most ardent lovers. Something that triggered an urge in George for Adriana.

George could feel his fangs and struggled to keep them sheathed because right now he wanted to tear Alexi a few new holes and force him to apologize to Adriana.

“I highly doubt you would find it nearly as appealing as you believe you would. You may want to learn more about me before you make any permanent future plans.”

“Who said anything about permanent plans? You don’t have anything to bring to the table to entice me into any permanent arrangement. I just said I’d love to know what you taste like when I sink my teeth in.”

“Alexi really? The third son saying this to me? That will be all I’ve lost my appetite. You, sir, are so interchangeable with your brothers that your seat will save money because anything that carries your eldest brother’s initials won’t need to be changed until the seat passes out of your hands.”

George was the only one this far down that heard the entire disgusting conversation. But as luck would turn bad for Adriana and a silence fell at the entire table when Adriana spoke.

The emperor’s eyes shot to the end of the table where Adriana sat, and George could see the fury in his expression. He ripped his teeth from the wrist he partook of and stood. His lips and teeth glistened with blood. The emperor was livid with embarrassment and anger.

“Apologize immediately and then go to your room. Stay there until I come and deliver your punishment at my convenience now.”

“Emperor, I’m sorry it was a response to something…”

The emperor interrupted Adriana. “I don’t care. I didn’t ask for an explanation. Take her to her apartments and make sure she stays there until I am ready to deal with her. No one is allowed to see her until I have delivered my decision on her punishment. Dinner is over. Thank you for attending. I apologize for my daughter’s bad manners.” He stormed out of the feasting hall, and they quickly removed the members of the feeder caste from the hall.

George knew he was the instructed to remove Adriana from the room and oddly it was a relief. But what did this mean for her? What punishment would she receive? Would she lose the position of ambassador before she ever performed her duties?

“It’s time to go, your princess. Please don’t make anymore fuss.” George stepped in and glared at Alexi, who smirked in his seat. They entertained him with Adriana’s misfortune and everyone’s embarrassment. George knew he wouldn’t forget this or forgive him ever if he ruined Adriana and his chances of stepping away from this disastrous family. She would do better away from it in every way.

“Yes, I can’t wait to leave. As for your wish, sir, you will never have the chance you wish for. That I ensure you that one so odious wouldn’t survive.”

“Princess, please after you.” He had to get her out of there now. Adriana had just threatened Alexi’s life. George was waiting for someone to take overreact to the situation.

“I’m done here. I hope everyone else’s evening goes better than mine.” Adriana stormed from the room with a sour look on her face. She was surely seeing red after what he’d achieved, even if it was accidental. He acted like a spoilt teen, and George doubted that his mother would address any of it. Throughout dinner she was nothing but a submissive creature agreeing with her life partner’s words about absolutely everything.

Count Saint Germane was a man who took up space and ensured that everyone knew it. His greed was apparent to everyone within minutes of their settling down to dinner. George didn’t see if the emperor noticed, but he must have. The emperor had agreed to nothing and disagreed with nothing as well. The man behind the throne was cagey, with a red hot temper that flashed to life in a heartbeat.

As they walked down the corridor. “Not a word until we are in my apartments. Propriety be damned, I need someone I can trust, and if I can’t trust you, then you won’t be my bodyguard.”

“Fair enough. We will speak in private, and I feel, Princess, that we both have much to say in the matter.” George followed closely behind Adriana, sure that the empress would have someone harass her with messages of threats and insults, but perhaps they would come later when their company wasn’t there.

As she predicted, the dinner was to introduce the couples and Adriana saw no gifts. Now George was sure that she wouldn’t see any. The woman lived with one disappointment after another. She didn’t need to be struck physically to be beaten down.

He hoped this didn’t ruin her new position, because it was the key to her surviving with her sanity. All George wanted was to be a comfort to her and protect her from this. But he felt trapped. Duty bound to watch and trapped by his station in life was not a position he could save her from.

By the time the fourth course was finished, he’d decided there was no way he could walk away from her. She needed someone on her side. He could only pray that he could fulfil that need even to a fraction of what she needed. He’d silently made a vow he’d be there for her in any way he could their entire lives, no matter how hard the future hurt him to watch and her experience side.