He had never been to the catacombs underneath this castle. This place served as a wine cellar, a prison, and by far, the largest cemetery Alec had ever seen. Most of this cemetery was dark, and all of the bodies lay underneath the earth.
He looked up and saw three torches in the middle of the cemetery. He instinctively knew he would find his mother’s body there.
Alec walked slowly toward the torches. Sure enough, three women lay above the earth. Two of them had been there for a very long time. He knew they were once Hannibal’s wives simply by the weathered dresses they wore. The third was his mother.
Her headstone read, ‘Zelda Wolfe. The most desired woman in the entire coven.’
Alec got down on his knees and just stared at her. Since she had only been dead for a few days, she appeared to be sleeping. Alec touched her and found her to body to be cold and clammy. He quickly pulled his hand away.
He felt tightness in his chest and lungs as if all of the air was trying to escape. He found it hard to breath, which was caused by him trying to hold back tears. He took several deep breaths trying to keep the tears from coming, but he couldn’t.
Alec started to cry softly at first and then said, “Well mother, we did it. I’m king now. I didn’t kill Hannibal, but I wish I did,” Alec paused and continued. “Father is dead now. You’ll see him soon.”
Alec couldn’t contain his sorrow any longer and began to cry uncontrollably. “Oh mother, I’m so sorry. I didn’t want this to happen. I wanted to see you smile at me once again, and tell me ‘well done’, but that won’t happen.
“I’m so proud to have been able to call you my mother. I wanted to give you grandchildren. I wanted you to watch them grow up. Now you can’t.”
Alec wiped the tears from his face and said, “Please forgive my arrogance mother. I got you killed, and I’ll never forgive myself for that. I’ll miss you. I’ll be sure you’re always held high in the minds of all.”
Suddenly Alec heard his mother’s voice in his head as clear as if she were there.
Alec my darling, you didn’t get me killed. Hannibal allowed Natasha to kill me, so don’t feel any guilt. Alec, I’m proud of you. Know that I loved you on sight. I think a part of that was because I knew you were the child of a close friend of mine. I know Lily would have wanted me to love you, as she would have, so that’s what I did.
Don’t mourn me, my son. I’ll always be in your heart, and you can miss me every now and then, but don’t mourn. A king in mourning is a miserable, bitter man. You don’t want to be that way.
Now I must go. I just had to say goodbye. I look forward to seeing your father. Be a good king. I love you, my son.
Alec looked around and said, “Mother, don’t leave me. I need you.” Zelda didn’t answer, so Alec called out to her again. “Mother!”
When Zelda didn’t answer, Alec began to cry and didn’t stop until there were no more tears. He gently kissed her on the forehead and left her where she lay.
Alec went to the council chamber and found five bodies lying in the middle of the room covered just as he asked. ‘But now what?’ He though. He had not planned on living through this, and didn’t plan past the coup. He didn’t have any idea about what he wanted, or should, do next, besides naming a new Clan of Kings.
Adding to the confusion, since his father now was dead, and he had no one to be the leader of the Mixed Bloods. He forgot to include any of this in his plan. Although they weren’t aware of it, he now had hundreds of half breeds without a leader. He knew he had to do something.
When he stepped in the door, all present stood and waited for him to sit. When he did, he didn’t sit in the second seat. Rather, he sat in the seat of the king.
Half of the room gasped in shock. Alec expected this and he waited for the room to quiet down before he spoke.
“Brothers and sisters, I suppose you’re wondering why I’m sitting in Brother Hannibal’s chair. I sit here because Brother Hannibal is dead. For those who don’t believe me, I’ll show you his body as proof. Master Darth, will you please uncover Hannibal?”
Darth stood up and uncovered Hannibal. All again gasped.
Alec continued to address the council. “Master Darth, if you could stay there for me, I have more to say.”
“Yes, my lord,” Darth answered.
“Brothers and sisters of the council, I am now your king. How did this come about you ask? It’s simple. I planned to kill Hannibal after he separated my parents and took my mother for his mate. My parents were happy, and he had no right to do what he did. I also did it for all of you. Hannibal was not a good king. He took advantage of his leadership, and manipulated everyone because of it.
“At our last meeting, Hannibal lied to all of you. My mother was not sick, and Louis and Samuel weren’t away on coven business. At that time, all three of them were dead. I’m sorry to say Lady Opal and Lady Deidre also are dead.
“As it turns out, Hannibal knew this and instructed Brother Victor to save himself and his mate. In the meantime, I told my father about my mother’s death. In his rage, he went to see Brother Victor with plans of killing him. Master Darth if you please.” With that, Darth uncovered Victor’s body.
“Here lies Brother Victor as proof. Charity got in my father’s way, and he killed her as well.” Darth next uncovered Charity’s body. “Since I was not there, I also can assume when he attempted to leave the chamber of Brother Victor, he was surprised by Lady Natasha. He probably didn’t want her to say anything, so he killed her as well.” Darth uncovered Natasha’s body.
“Hannibal told me himself that he witnessed everything. However, not before he killed my father.” Darth then uncovered Jaymes’ body. “Technically, there should be five more bodies present, but since I don’t know what my father did with Louis, Samuel and their mates, I can’t produce them for you.
“I’ve gone to the catacombs and seen my mother’s body for myself. If you doubt me, you’re more than welcome to see her for yourself. She’s in the middle of the cemetery with Hannibal’s other two mates. Master Darth, you may sit down now.”
“Thank you, my lord.”
“I must confess something to all of you. I’ve gone to great lengths to ensure Hannibal got what was coming to him, but it was not me who ended his life. It was Master Xander. Xander tells me he had his own personal grudge, outside of my own plan, even though he was a part of my plan. To him I owe a debt of thanks. Because of him, I can see my beloved Brie once again.
“At first I doubted him. I had to use less than desirable tactics to get him on my team, but reluctantly he agreed. Again, I’m grateful. I thank him personally. I’m happy he’s on my side, and hope he remains there. Master Xander, would you like to tell your story?”
Xander stood up and said, “Yes, my lord.”
“You have the floor.”
“I know all of you thought I was happy with Natasha, and I was. It turns out she came to us with one thing on her mind. She desired to be queen of the coven. The only way she could accomplish this, however, was to become Hannibal’s mate.
“At first I was so blind with love I couldn’t see this. Natasha knew Hannibal and I were close, and she used it to her advantage.
“Over the past months, she rejected intimacy from me. I had to know the reason. As it turns out, she was being intimate with Hannibal.
“I ignored it, and continued on with my duties. I was, and have been, ready to kill both Hannibal and Natasha for their betrayal. Luckily, Master Alec came to me with a beautifully well thought out plan.
“I wanted to keep my secret, so I pretended to be uncomfortable when I was away from the castle for long periods of time. In reality, I didn’t want to leave the two of them together for a long period.
“When Master Alec told me what I was to do, it made me happy. I could keep an eye on Natasha. I knew Hannibal could have any woman in the coven that he wished.
“The night Queen Zelda died, I watched my very own mate walk into Hannibal’s bed chamber, all the while knowing, the queen was there as well. I wanted to protect the queen, and kill both my mate and my master all at the same time. I couldn’t do this without arousing suspicion, so I waited.
“Later, both Hannibal and Natasha emerged from the bed chamber. I waited for our queen to come out, and she didn’t. When it was safe, I looked into the bedchamber to discover our queen, dead.
“Even though Natasha claims to have killed our queen, I’m not sure. I, however, am grateful. The timing was perfect. This allowed my murderous mate to die, and because Hannibal was not aware of my presence, I was allowed to kill him as well.”
“Thank you, Master Xander,” Alec said. “Now you know what has happened, but I’m sure there still are many questions you want answered. I plan to clear them all up right now.
“I’m your king, but don’t have plans to remain so. Even though years ago, I fought tooth and nail not to go to the Baby Farm, that place has become my home, and I long to return. Therefore, I’ll be stepping down and naming my successor.
“Before this happens, we’re to have two funerals. One will be for the recently deceased Clan of Kings. My father will be included in this because until only recently, he held the second seat, and in my eyes, he’s still of this clan. The second will be for my mother, alone. She was your queen and she loved all of you. She did what she could to put coven first without reservation. I alone hold many of her secrets. Believe me when I say, she was more than a queen. On the night of the funerals, there will be an induction ceremony. It is then that I’ll name the new Clan of Kings, including my successor.
“Before we leave here tonight, I would like all of your thoughts about our newest clan. The Clan of Mixed Bloods no longer has a leader, and as of this moment, they’re not aware of this fact.
“I look to all of you to advise me about what I should do. Hannibal would always start with the number one clan leader on the council. By the time the vote got to the twelfth, the one sitting in that seat voted with what the other leaders said, regardless of what they really thought.
“Tonight, I’ll start with the twelfth and end with the first. Master Cameron, what are your thoughts?”
Cameron had no idea on what to say. However, he himself lost two children to this clan. “I personally think you should disband this clan and return them all to their original clans.”
“Master Heinrik?”
“I agree with Master Cameron.”
Alec asked all of them, and they all agreed with Cameron.
“I see all of you still would like to hold on to what’s dear to all of you. Fine then. When Master Boris arrives, we’ll hold a vote. I don’t expect he will disagree. We’ll do this between the funerals and the induction ceremony.
“Oh yes, before I forget. I would advise you all dispose of all those who were loyal to Hannibal. This way you’ll not have any problems from any of your fellow clansmen. Is there anything else anyone would like to say before we adjourn?”
The room was exceedingly quiet and no one said a word. Malachi stood up and began to clap in honor of his new king. Soon the entire council applauded Alec. Despite the death of his parents, all he did, all he endured, this moment made it worth his while.
Alec smiled, stood up, and said, “This meeting has ended.”
Alec left the council chamber and went to his own chamber. He sat in the nearest chair, put his face in his hands and cried again. This time the tears were for his father. Alec couldn’t help but feel guilty about addressing the council as king. This was by rights his father’s task, he thought. Jaymes was supposed to be king in Hannibal’s passing, but he was not there to do so.
At that moment, Alec changed his mind about who he was going to name as his successor. Before he announced his choice, he first wanted to write a letter to his beloved Brie, to let her know he still was alive.
Alec spent the remaining hours of daylight on the letter, fell asleep when the sun came up, and continued when the sun went down.
He went to the mail carriage, gave the letter to the driver, and said, “Take this to the Clan of Farmers and make sure Lady Brie gets it.”
Alec turned to go back into the castle, but to his surprise, the top five greeted him in the courtyard before he could return to his chamber. He didn’t expect them to seek him out. He wondered what they wanted.
“What can I do for all of you?”
“My lord,” Darth said, “we would like to see you in council chambers, if you’re not busy.”
“Certainly, Darth.”
They made their way to chambers and closed the door behind them.
“What do you want to discuss?” Alec asked.
“My lord, we have voted, and we think Xander should be king,” Julian said plainly.
“Oh? Why is this?”
“Because he killed Hannibal.”
“Is this the only reason?”
“Yes.”
Alec looked at Julian and smiled, “The five of you are the oldest of your clans. This is why I chose you to join me in my little venture in the first place.
“Each one of you possesses a quality that’s unique from the others amongst you. All of you are qualified to lead the coven. I’ll only say this. I’ve made my choice, and Xander is not it.” Alec got up and said, “This meeting has ended,” and left the council chamber. He then went to see Mistress Kali to discuss the proper procedures for funerals of dead elders.
The following evening, Brie was sitting in her office with bloodshot eyes from the tears she had cried everyday since Alec left. All in the clan had done what they could do to keep her from thinking about her mate.
The nursery was down to two children. Only Brie and one other were in the nursery. Boris was concerned for her welfare. It was his job to ensure all within his clan were happy and healthy. He himself worried about Alec, but because of his position, he had to hold it together for the others who depended on him.
He went to the nursery to check on Brie and found her sitting at her desk with her head hung down. She was not moving. She obviously was deep in thought, and Boris hated to disturb her.
“Hello Brie.”
Brie looked up and said, “Hey.”
“Any word?”
“None. I only can assume he’s dead.”
Boris shook his head and said, “No. He’s just busy.”
“I don’t believe it. When we were together, no matter how tired he was, he would always find time to talk to me. He would find time to be intimate with me. Alec is never too busy for me. I should have received a letter by now, but I haven’t. He’s dead.”
“Brie, this is a slightly different situation. Perhaps he is too busy.”
Brie slammed her hand on her desk and yelled, “How dare you say that! Alec is never to busy for me!”
Boris walked over to his long time friend, touched her on the shoulder and said, “Brie, forgive me. I love him just like you do.”
Brie stood up and said, “Well, why haven’t we heard from him? What if he’s dead?”
Boris pulled Brie close to him, hugged her, and said, “If he’s dead, we have to go on like he told us to. Press on I believe, is what you told him. We must press on if he has left this life. I know it will be hard, but if he’s to be happy in the afterlife, we must live as if he were alive.”
Moments later, Isabella knocked on the door.
“I hate to interrupt you two, but the mail carriage just arrived with a message from the Castle of Kings.” Both Boris and Brie waited with baited breath. Isabella smiled and held up the letter that Alec wrote to Brie.
Brie smiled. Her smile only was slightly bigger than Boris’ was. She snatched the letter out of Isabella’s hand, ripped the envelope open, and began to read the letter aloud.
‘My dearest Brie, please forgive me for not writing sooner, but there has been so much going on. Before I get into the details of what has been going on here, I first want to say I’m sorry. I’m sorry I left the way that I did. I heard you call my name, but I couldn’t bear looking into your sad eyes.
‘Those eyes have looked at me with so much love hundreds of times over. Those eyes were sometimes angry, and sometimes seductive. Most of the time, those eyes, your eyes, eyes of compassion for your love of life. How could I look into the eyes of compassion knowing I was going against all those eyes stood for?
‘Forgive me, my darling. I preferred to remember you as the strong passionate woman you are. Honestly, the thought of that has been the only thing that has kept me going. I’m glad I have you.
‘So, much has happened in the last week I hardly know where to start. Hmmm…Your father is well. I was hoping he would allow me to call him father, but I’m not sure he will let me until I explain to him my feelings. I’d like to tell you.
‘Bartholomew was the man who sired me but never was my father. Jaymes Thorn is the man I’d come to know as my father, and well, because of my arrogance and selfishness, he’s dead. I now have no one to call father. So, if you get a chance to speak with your father about this before I do, please tell him my wish.
‘I’ll say it’s because of your father and not me, Hannibal no longer lives. Our coven is free. That’s right beloved, I’m now king, leader of our great coven. This, however, means nothing to me without you by my side.
‘Honestly, I personally don’t think I could handle the pressure. Therefore, it’s my one and only desire to come home to you, Boris, and Isabella so we can continue what we know how to do so well. I know you’re reading this letter aloud to them since I’m aware of how they also worry about me.
‘Boris, my brother in blood. How I missed having you at my side. Because I wished you to live on, I didn’t wish you to stay here with me. Know that I missed both your wit and your wisdom. Because you weren’t here, we can go on. Both of us still are alive.
“Isabella, my beautiful friend. I miss your voice. You’ve become a sister to me. Even though you yak my ear off about nothing most of the time, I look forward to having you yak at my ear some more.
‘On to the last part of my news. It’s with a very heavy heart I say my mother also has died. Forgive me, my darling. She was, without a doubt, the first love of my life. I love the both of you, but she was my mother. I’m sure you understand, but I feel the need to explain.
‘Zelda Wolfe took me in because it was what my birth mother wanted. I didn’t know this until after her death. It’s hard to explain in this letter, but I’ll try to tell you when I see you. Anyway, she raised me, she loved me, and she died for me.
‘I tasked her with something I was not aware is forbidden. However, she knew of the consequences, and did it out of her love for me. She only wanted what was best for all of us. She loved her coven. She doesn’t want me to fault myself for her death, but I can’t help but feel this way. When I next see you, you can help me understand what she was trying to say to me.
‘I’m happy to say that in a coven of thousands, less than 100 have died. Most of which were loyal to Hannibal. Oh, I’ve forgotten my first decree. Those who are loyal to Hannibal must die. Boris, you know what this means, and I already know there are none loyal to him within your walls, but just in case, I have to say it. Kill them.
‘So, there will be a few more than 100, but that’s still a good number right? I think so.
‘Well family, I must end this letter and get on with coven business. We have to bury our coven’s royalty, or at least honor their memory. I only say this because I have no idea what father did with Louis, Samuel, Opal and Deidre. However, for the Clan of Kings, there will be a funeral. I plan to hold a separate ceremony for my mother. She meant more to this coven than anyone will ever know.
‘The council then will meet to discuss the fate of the Clan of Mixed Bloods. They’re now without a leader.
‘After that, we’ll have an induction ceremony and I’ll announce my decision about the ones who will sit in these great seats, and the one to succeed me. We’ll celebrate as a coven, and then I’ll return home.
‘Beloved, thank you for being who you were when we first met, and thank you for being who you are now. You’ve changed me, and it’s a good thing.
‘I hope all is well at home and I’ll see you in two days. I love you. Alec.’
Brie finished reading the letter, and the three of them were in tears. However, this time the tears were tears of joy. They were so happy to learn Alec was alive all they could do was cry.
Boris looked at Brie and said, “See, I told you he was alive.”
“You did. How do you know more about my man than me?
Boris smiled, looked at Brie, and said, “With the absence of Bertrand in my life for so many years, I needed someone I could once again call brother. Over the years, Alec fell into that category.
“Simply put, in the 500 years that I’ve been alive, I’ve gained a brother who didn’t come from a decision made by my parents. Alec worked his way into my heart just by being who he was. I’ve gained a brother over the years, and family never tells.”
Brie smiled and said, “I think I speak for Alec when I say I’m glad the four of us have found each other. We make a good team.”
Isabella looked at Brie and said, “I agree.”
Boris took a deep breath, and asked, “Brie, there are two children left in the nursery, and, we’re to be at the Castle of Kings tomorrow. When are the children leaving?”
“Tomorrow.”
“Fine. As much as I hate to leave them behind, Remus and Emma will be in charge of the farm until we return. Remus will have ten to his team, and Emma will have ten on her team. The rest of us are to leave tonight.”
“Boris, you need to rest. You’ve already been up for three days.”
“I’ll not disappoint my brother. I can rest on the way. Isabella, wake as many as you can in two hours. After that, we’ll be on the road. Tomorrow, we’ll be at the Castle of Kings to bury our elders as a clan. Hop to it ladies, we have work to do.”
The following night, the entire coven once again was gathered. This time it was not a time of celebration, but a time of sadness.
When the coven gathered in the grand ballroom, five coffins sat in front of the room. None besides those who already knew had any idea who lay in those five coffins.
One hour after sunset, the ceremony began. The somber music began to play, the clan leaders filed in and took their places. Afterwards, most of the coven expected Hannibal and his four brothers to file in as the music played, but this was not the case.
Instead, Alec, Kali and three of her clan filed in with pillows covered with black handkerchiefs. Alec stood in front of Hannibal’s seat. Kali and three of her clan stood in front of the remaining four seats. When the music stopped, Alec began.
“My great family, it’s with a heavy heart I tell you our king is dead. Because I sit in the second seat, by law I’m now your king. The reason my brothers are not here is they’re also dead.
“However, these five coffins don’t represent all of them. Two of their bodies, we never recovered, so we only can remember them as they were.
“We stand before five of us who have left this life. These are the bodies of Hannibal, Jaymes, Victor, Charity, and Natasha.
“As a result, something that has never happened in the history of our coven will happen tonight.”
Alec removed his handkerchief to reveal the crown Hannibal never wore. “This crown represents our king. I place it on his coffin so we’ll all know he was and always will be our king.”
The ceremony continued with the representation of all who once lived. One at a time, they placed something near and dear to the deceased on their coffin. Once finished, Alec spoke again.
“My family, I know the five here and the five that are not, meant something to each and every one of you. I ask you hold their memories in your hearts as I do mine. You’re now welcome to bring your last words to them and whatever gifts you may carry.”
Once everyone returned to their seats, Alec stood up and said, “My great coven, I’m to have a short council meeting with all of the clan leaders. Afterwards, there will be another funeral for our queen.
“Her funeral will begin in two hours. After her funeral, we’ll bury them all in our coven’s cemetery, and we’ll move on until the next time we’re to say goodbye. This funeral has ended.”
Alec walked out of the ballroom followed by the remaining clan leaders. They went to the council chamber to discuss the fate of the Clan of Mixed Bloods.
Alec sat down and said, “Welcome family. We’re here to discuss the fate of the Clan of Mixed Bloods. Master Boris, in your absence, we talked about what we’re to do about the half breed clan. I would like to hear your thoughts on this.”
“That clan was created simply because Hannibal felt guilty about demoting your father,” Boris answered. “He had no right to rip families apart. There’s no telling what would have happened to them in the future. I personally saw them being used, abused, raped, and murdered simply because Hannibal decided to lump them all together because of their race.
“I propose we disband this silly clan. Allow everyone to return to their families, and we can continue to be the strong, formidable coven we have always been.”
Alec nodded and said, “Well said, Master Boris. I’m glad you’ve chosen to say this, because this also was the choice of the rest of us. Now, let me see a show of hands for those who wish to disband the Clan of Mixed Bloods.” Everyone in the room raised their hands. “Very well then. Let the record show all clans agree. Are there any other questions or concerns before we adjourn?”
Igor, who hardly ever spoke in council meetings, asked, “My lord, I, like some of my other brethren, were wondering who you were going to choose to succeed you.”
“Master Igor, I’ll not reveal that until the induction ceremony. It’s not up for a vote. However, I’ll say the one that I’ve chosen is from the top five clans of this coven. Your new leader will be a good leader. The remaining four seats of the Clan of Kings also will be from the top five clans. Are there any other questions?”
Heinrik spoke up and asked, “My lord, Master Carmine has told me the statue of your mother is finished. He was going to place it inside the castle on the way to the garden. Would you still like her to be placed there?”
“I’d forgotten about that. Certainly. I think it’s a great place for it. Actually, do you think he could put it in the ballroom for her funeral? Her body is too delicate to move from the catacombs. Afterwards he may place it in its permanent position.”
“I’ll have him do this, my lord.”
“I’ll ask one last time. Are there anymore questions?” No one said anything. “Good. This meeting has ended.”
Alec walked out of the council chamber, and headed for his own chamber. It was there where Brie was waiting for him. When he rounded the last corner, he ran the rest of the way. When he got there, he burst into the door, to find her sitting reading a book. Brie looked up, ran to Alec, and tackled him to the ground.
The two of them wasted no time with words, they let their bodies say how much they missed and loved each other.
They kissed as though they were starving without one another. The lovemaking was so ferocious they broke several of their new things in the process. They sucked each other’s blood as though it were their last meal.
They went at each other until thirty minutes before Zelda’s funeral. It was then that they finally spoke.
Alec kissed Brie with a bloodstained mouth and said, “I missed you so much.”
Brie smiled at him and said, “And I you.”
“I’m sorry we can’t go for round two, honey. We only have time to shower and get ready for my mother’s funeral.”
“How did she die?”
“We’ll discuss it later. I have so much to talk to you about, but there’s no time. Come on let’s get going.”
The two of them showered and prepared for the funeral of the queen. Thirty minutes later, the entire coven gathered to lay her to rest. Alec was the last one to enter the ballroom. He stood next to the statue of his mother and looked at it for a moment. He looked at his coven and spoke.
“Family, we’re gathered once again to lie to rest our coven’s queen. Zelda Wolfe was a beautiful and extremely smart woman. That was a well-known fact within the entire coven. Because of this, she was the most desired.
“I happen to have known her a little bit differently from all of you, because she was my mother. A little over 100 years ago, I was born of a different family. Bartholomew and Lily were my birth parents.
“Because of the circumstances, I was given to Jaymes and Zelda so they could raise me. Growing up, I had no idea I was not born into the Clan of Kings, and because of what my mother always told me, I always thought I should be here. She would always say to me, ‘One day you’ll be king.’ I never forgot that.
“Not long after my twentieth birthday, she came to me and told me it was my duty to leave, and it almost broke her heart. She didn’t want me to leave, and neither did I, but she pushed me anyway. I’m glad she did.
“During the time I was away, I learned how to be a very effective leader, and for some reason, people followed me into fire if I asked them to.
“But we’re not here to talk about me. My mother loved her coven. So much in fact, she left my father to be with Hannibal in order to make things better. She was trying to convince Hannibal to make a few changes for the best of all of us, and well, because of me, she failed.
“If she were here she would say it’s not my fault she’s dead, but in my heart, I don’t believe that.
“Just know I loved her more than anything on this earth, and wish she was here to see me today.
“For those of you who don’t know it, Master Darth is her father. I would like to give him a chance to say a few words, if that’s his wish. Master Darth?”
Darth shook his head and said, “No, my lord. I prefer to keep my grief to myself.”
“Very well then. If anyone else has something to say I’ll allow them to do so at this time.”
Aurora stood up and said, “Lady Zelda and I were very good friends…”
Zelda’s friends and family got up and spoke remarkable things about the woman they knew and loved. To some she was a drinking friend, to others she was the older sister who held all secrets. She was something good to many.
Once everyone was finished, Alec got up and said his final peace.
“Thank you everyone for your kind words.” Alec put his hand on the statue of his mother and continued. “This statue is a gift from Master Heinrik’s clan to all of you. He commissioned one of the most talented stonemasons this coven has ever seen to create this piece of work. Master Carmine will you please stand up.” Carmine stood up. “Let us give him a round of applause.” Everyone in the room gave him a standing ovation. Carmine smiled and nodded as to say thank you. When everyone sat down, Alec continued. “This statue will be placed inside the castle, in the foyer that leads to the garden. It’s there where my mother spent lots of time. The garden was her place of solace. I’ll put it there so each time you enter the garden, you’ll remember this about her.
“Now I’ll say thank you again for your kind words. Lastly, Zelda Wolfe was a queen, a sister, a daughter, and a mate. Above all things, she was a mother. My mother. I’ll miss her very much.”
Alec again placed his hand on the statue of his mother, looked up at it and felt like crying, but he was king, and couldn’t cry in front of the entire coven. He closed his eyes and thought about all the good she had done for everyone she knew, including him. He thought about her passion for life and her people. He stood there and remembered everything he could about her. Of those things, there was nothing bad.
The room was incredibly silent as Alec said his last goodbye to his mother. They understood. Zelda was more than just Alec’s mother. She was their queen, and mother to all of them. They remained quiet as Alec took a deep breath in order to compose himself.
“Directly after my mother’s likeness is removed, we’ll then have one last ceremony to take care of and then we’ll celebrate like we have never celebrated before. Master Carmine, if your team will please take my mother’s statue to its final resting place, we’ll get on with our last ceremony.”
When Carmine and his team returned, Alec got on with the last ceremony of the evening.
“Family as I told you earlier, something is going to happen tonight that has never happened in the history of our coven. We’re going to have an induction ceremony to fill four seats of the Clan of Kings. After which, I’ll renounce my leadership to the one who I’ve chosen to be my successor.”
The entire coven roared with disappointment. Alec waited until they quieted down and then continued. “As much as I’m now aware you want me to remain your leader, I can’t. I can’t do this for lots of reasons. Two of them I’ll tell you.
“First and foremost, if things hadn’t gotten so out of hand, this leadership I now hold would be my father’s. He was to be our king upon Hannibal’s passing, but because he’s also dead, he can’t be king. I would be forever guilty if I remained your leader.
“Second, I have a mate who so loves our coven’s children she never would be happy being your queen. I love her so much that I’m giving up my leadership so she’ll always be happy. When she’s happy, I’m happy.
“I promise the one I name to take my place will be a good leader, and will never fail us in any way. Let’s get to it, shall we?
“I’ll start with the naming of the fifth seat and work my way up to my replacement. Please hold your applause until the end.” Alec looked up at his mother’s statue and smiled to himself. He thought about her sitting in front of him and said, internally, “Mother, I don’t want to be king. I just want to love Brie. I hope this is okay with you.” He got no answer, but thought she would approve of what he was about to do. He believed that his mother believed in him. He had to. She wasn’t there to disagree with him.
Alec again smiled, looked at Julian. He thought of how Hannibal had the coven’s infrastructure all messed up, and he intended to rectify it. “The one for the fifth seat, I chose because of he was once a coven leader himself. All of his clan is 100 percent loyal to him which proves this. Because he is the youngest of the top five, in the fifth seat I place Master Julian. Will you please take your seat?
Julian smiled and sat in his new chair.
“The fourth seat was easy for me. There are two reasons I chose this person. There has never been a woman on the panel of elders, and you are older than Julian. Mistress Aurora, if you please.”
Aurora stood and sat in the fourth seat.
Alec paused and looked at the three remaining men on his team. He turned to the coven and said, “The last three seats I struggled with. These three men mean a lot to me, and I didn’t want to offend any of them. However, I had to do what was best for the coven.” Alec paused again, turned back to the last three and said, “Bertrand, when I started on our little venture, I had you as my replacement. Your clan has a knack for leadership, and this is a good thing. However, you also have the ability to motivate people. I put you in the middle as balance. I’m certain you’ll be the deciding vote on many issues.”
Bertrand got up, stopped in front of Alec, hugged him, and went to his seat smiling.
Alec paused for a bit longer and then finally said, “Master Xander. “Xander, you and you alone did the hardest part of my plan. You killed someone who was invincible. Because of your ability for stealth, you killed Hannibal and he didn’t even know what hit him. Your peers believed you should be king for this reason, but I disagreed. Even though you’re a good leader, you’re a warrior first. The warrior’s approach to leadership is not necessarily good for all. I have chosen you for second. Congratulations.”
Xander got up and happily took his new position.
Once Xander sat, Alec paused for a moment and then said, “Finally, Master Darth. Darth, everyone knows you for your reputation. Everyone has told me you’re the cruelest man in our coven. I believed it until the two of us had a private conversation. I’ll not say what we talked about, but I’ll say that after our conversation, I no longer believed it. I chose you because I have no doubt in my mind you’ll do what’s best for the coven as a whole. You’ll take our coven’s laws more serious than all the others.
“Lastly, I also believe you should have been on the panel of elders a long time ago. You were only months younger than my father. And even though I didn’t always believe it, you should have been second seat in his passing, and not me.
“All rise for our new king. Master Darth Wolfe, may you live long, and continue to prosper.”
Darth stood up and sat in the first seat of the Clan of Kings. The coven clapped and cheered for what seemed like forever.
When the applause died down, Alec continued. “Even though we’re looking at our new panel of elders, it won’t be official until they’re inducted. Before I get to that part, I just wanted to say thank you to the five of them, and would like you to thank them as well. Without their help, we would not be free.
“I have one more thing to say as your king, and then the induction shall begin. We have decided the Clan of Mixed Bloods can go home. There’s no longer such a clan. With this said, shall we begin?”
Kali stepped forward and placed the clan laws on the podium.
“Darth Wolfe, Xander Lestat, Bertrand Bloodworth, Aurora Lessard and Julian Drake, you’ve been proposed for membership in the Clan of Kings by me and duly elected. Therefore, it’s my pleasure to announce formally your induction into our clan.
“I understand you’re aware of the requirements to become an elder…”
When the induction ceremony was finished, the coven again applauded their new leaders. Alec then addressed the coven for the last time.
“We’ll now hear from our king.”
Alec sat down and Darth addressed the coven for the first time.
“It feels good to be recognized by one so young. I would personally like to thank Master Alec for all he did for our coven. During his mother’s funeral, he said people would follow him into fire if he asked them to. That’s true. He has a magnetism about him that’s hard to ignore. He’s extremely smart, and has the gift of leadership rarely seen outside of the Clan of the Night.
“Although arrogance in one is rarely seen as an asset, Alec has found a way for this to work for him. He’s a credit to his upbringing, and we have Jaymes and Zelda to thank for that.
“He has tasked me to be your leader, your king. I’m very surprised. If I were to choose, I would have chosen Xander, but Alec is right. A military approach to leadership is not always good for all. However, I’m happy with his choice.
“We now have five empty seats on the council, and as my first order of business, we’re to fill them. Before we do that, I would like to place the remaining clan leaders in the seats I would like them to sit.
“Master Malachi, since you’re the only one who’s related to one of the panel of elders, you’ll go from seventh seat to first seat. In your mother’s passing, you’ll take her place on the panel of elders.
“Mistress Kali, your job is very important to our history. Therefore, you’ll go from eight to second.
“Master Boris, you now hold the lowest seat on the council. Because you once held a council seat, and your clan provides us with the means to continue, I’m promoting you to third.
“The fourth, fifth, six, and seventh seat will be held by Igor, Angela, Heinrik and Cameron, respectively, based on their ages.
“Before our little adventure actually began, Master Alec asked that we choose those to succeed us. He told us if we had not already chosen, please choose. The ones who the panel of elders chooses shall take the remaining five seats. I’ll ask we choose in order. I’ll choose first.”
The new Clan of Kings chose all of their replacements. They sat in the remaining five seats that were left.
Darth was happy with his new council and moved on. “My family, here we have our new clan leaders. I expect they will carry on all of our traditions and nothing will change. Now before I announce the next event, I’ll say again, I’m grateful to master Alec for his endeavor. He has set us free, and I propose a thirteenth seat, an honorary seat only to hold one so great. My coven, I present to you, Master Alec Thorn.”
The coven gave Alec a standing ovation. They were forcing something on him he didn’t want, but he stood and smiled. When the coven quieted down, Darth had a surprise for him.
“Master Alec, because you’ve given us freedom, you’ll be written in our history books as so. I also will ask Master Carmine to create a stone statue in your likeness. This statue will be placed in the garden where the current statue of Hannibal stands.”
Alec shook his head and said, “No, my lord. That’s the place for your statue. I don’t want my likeness there. I’m not leader of our coven.”
Darth smiled at him and said, “If only for three days, you were our king. I’ve done nothing. I only was one that followed you into fire, as you put it. Yes, Alec, as king I say your likeness will take the place of Hannibal’s, and there it will be throughout eternity. I’ll find another place for my statue. The courtyard perhaps? Yes, that will be the new place for the current leader of our great coven.
“Your statue will stand as something no other in our past has. Yours will represent your desire for freedom and our coven’s willingness to accept your gift. I also propose your statue remains for all time. You and you alone, gave us freedom. Your story will be written in our history books as so.”
“My lord, although I sought out freedom for our coven, that doesn’t warrant me a place of honor.”
“Oh, but in my eyes it does. You, Master Alec, will have an honorary position in our council meetings. You’re not required to attend, but the seat will be waiting for you none the less.”
“My lord, I’ll do as you ask, but I’ll say my duties are with the Clan of Farmers. They’re my family, and I hold them most high above all others.”
“As you wish. Well, my great coven there’s much work we have yet to do. However, before we do, we shall have a celebration. This celebration is to celebrate a new beginning. So, eat, drink, dance and be happy. This meeting has ended.”
~~~