Page 162 of Treasured
My eyes widened. We really were diving straight into this. I thought I’d at least have time to wrap my mind around ruling an entire country, but no.
I glanced at Sebastian. He smirked, his eyes twinkling. Vampires might be long-lived, but we enjoy a good ceremony.
Evidently. I infused as much dryness into the word as possible.
Out loud, Sebastian said, “Go ahead, Estrella De La Point. We will accept your pledge.”
She dipped her head and extended her left hand towards us. Gripping the hilt of the dagger, she plunged the blade through her own hand.
My heart stuttered, but no one else seemed surprised.
Estrella’s blood dripped steadily on the floor. “In the names of Ithiar and Isvana, gods of blood and the moon, may your reign be filled with darkness, strength, and power. I hereby pledge myself to you both as your willing servant. Do with me as you will.”
She made a religious gesture with her free hand and stared at us.
Were we supposed to say something? I wished I had a manual, a textbook, or even a pamphlet with directives on how to proceed.
Sebastian knew what to do, though. He stepped forward, placing his hand on the vampire’s head. “We accept your vow of loyalty, Estrella De La Point. You may stand.”
The mindreader withdrew the shadow dagger from her hand, the wound healing immediately as she rose to her feet. “Thank you, Your Majesties. I look forward to serving you for centuries to come.”
She moved to the side, revealing rows of vampires all waiting to swear their allegiance to us.
“Oh my gods,” I muttered. “This is going to take forever.”
I was already exhausted from the earlier events. A battle to the death wasn’t exactly a walk in the park. Already, I knew I’d be sore for days. Sebastian glanced at me, frowning. He gestured over his shoulder to a nearby servant, who scurried away. A few minutes later, the servant returned with a few others. Between them, they carried two identical black thrones.
The seats were set up, and I pulled my wings into myself. Sebastian and I sat at the same time. I shifted, trying to get comfortable. My husband, on the other hand, took to the throne like he’d been born to sit in it.
“Next,” he commanded regally, his voice echoing through the throne room.
One after another, vampires came to the foot of the dais. They repeated variations of the same vow Estrella had taken. Those who did not have shadows of their own used daggers formed by others, and each pledged their allegiance to us.
Minutes became hours. The Blood Moon set, the sun rose, and servants drew curtains over the windows. Sebastian sent a raven shifter after Phyrra and Marius to inform them of what happened and to ask them to stay with the Second Order of Isvana’s Chosen Ones until it was safe to return.
Still, the vows kept coming.
When the last vampire, a black-haired lord named Gareth, was finishing his vow, my eyes were barely staying open. The moment the lord finished, Sebastian took my hand in his. He met the eye of a vampire standing nearby, one who’d pledged their own vow not long ago.
“The queen and I are retiring,” Sebastian said. “We are not to be disturbed.”
“Of course, Your Majesty.” The vampire dipped his head. “Have a good night.”
Sebastian brought us back to our room. It remained untouched, and the bed called my name invitingly. My entire body was sore. Sebastian helped me undress. Wordlessly, he led me into the bathing room. I showered, going through the motions of washing my hair and body mechanically, before slipping on the first nightgown I could find.
Then I collapsed on the soft, welcoming mattress. It hugged me like an old friend, and I buried my face into the pillow.
I was asleep in seconds, dreaming of a bright future for Eleyta.
* * *
We slept for two days, only waking to feed and take care of personal needs before falling back into bed.
Killing queens was not for the faint of heart.
On the evening of the third day, a knock came at the door, pulling me out of sleep. Sebastian was already standing by the time I lifted my head off the pillow.
“I’ll get it,” he said, drawing on a pair of trousers.