366. Of acceptance, bargains and a little mercy

Cassandra Pendragon 

"But," I continued, "to make sure I won't properly earn your wrath there is one more thing we should talk about. Judging from your reaction your talk with your mom didn't go too well and I imagine both of you were quite content with cutting it short. Did she… have you talked about the role Ahri and I might play in your life?" Both girls immediately focused on me and even the siblings at the fire paid more attention to what I had to say than their culinary experiments.

"I'll take that as a no. I'm not one to beat around the bush so I'll just say it," and pray to all the gods that your mom won't take a bite out of me for spilling the beans. "Alassara asked me if Ahri and I would consider becoming your godparents. Well, we would, that is, if you want us to."

"Are you serious?" Layla's voice wasn't yet as cold as it had been before but she didn't sound like a sweet girl either anymore. And I had somehow hoped for a bit more… warmth.

"Course I am. Look, it doesn't mean we'd suddenly be trying to tell you how to tie your shoes. In fact, I hope it's not going to matter at all, but…"

"In case it does, you want to know if I'm on board." The vampire turned to the side and even though I couldn't be sure, it was much too faint for that, I'd have been prepared to bet that her ears were turning slightly pink when she asked Reia: "what do you think?"

"Me? What's that…" when Layla rolled her eyes at her I could just about imagine what the two of them had been talking about behind my back.

"You know what. Could you live with… sharing?"

"I'm not some candy and neither is Ahri, you know," I grumbled under my breath, quietly enough for them to ignore me if they so chose to. Which they did. Resoundingly. Big surprise.

Reia sounded like a tired teacher, who was forced to explain for the hundredth time that two and two indeed equalled four, when she replied: "Lay, you realise that would mean something had happened to your mom, right? Do you honestly think I'd want you anywhere but with us?"

"Us," I questioned. "As far as I'm aware…" again they ignored me and I couldn't even blame them. I'd have done the same thing, considering how hollow my remark had actually been.

"It's more than that, you know," the little vampire said and reached over me to grab Reia's hand. "I'd have a real claim… I know we talked about how nice it'd be if we were family. Well… this is real and knowing our nature also pretty much set in stone. If we don't do something now she… I… we won't let go. Are you really sure that's what you want? I don't age… neither do you. What if…"

"Save it," Reia replied. "I could throw Sylvia off the cliffs and I don't think that's going to change anytime soon," right, that particular piece of work was still waiting for me. Along with the rest of our royals. Oh my, what a fun morning I still had to look forward to, "but she's still family. I know my sister, it's the same with you and your mom already. If I can't get rid of you anyways I'd rather have the opportunity to pull your hair without causing anymore trouble." Except for me, but who cares, eh?

"Do you mean it?" Layla's inflection had changed again. She was sincere… and vulnerable.

"Of course I do. Unless," Reia narrowed her eyes and sought my gaze, "this doesn't mean I have to share a room with her, does it? She snores."

"So do you," Archy interjected from the side and immediately clamped his mouth shut when we stared at him. "Sorry," he mumbled, blushing.

"At least you'll have some company the next time you're stuck in there," I shot back.

"The next time… oh hells, no! You're going to do that to me? Again?"

"Until you can find a way out. Told you, you're going to curse your stubbornness. I take it this means I don't have to worry about bats chasing me?"

"I can't control bats," Layla explained exasperatedly. "Why would you even think that?"

"Bram Stoker. If we have some time I can tell you all about the funny little rumours surrounding your race. Most societies have some legends about vampires but they hardly even scratch the surface."

"Are we better or worse in reality," Layla asked thoughtfully.

"A little of both. That's it? No complaints, threats of pleas?"

"No… thank you, though. You make it sound like a small thing but it really isn't. So… thank you." Before I could rack my brains for something sincere and maybe funny to say she had already slipped around my sister and hugged us both. "It means a lot to me." 

I sought Reia's gaze over the flood of golden locks between us before I wrapped my tails around them and said: "And to us, Layla, and to us. Welcome to the family." My ears twitched when I heard a hiss behind me. Suppressing another sigh I added: "now, excuse me for a moment. I have to save that old hag from your mom, or maybe your mom from food poisoning. The Madame surely looks like she has passed her expiration date long before the Cataclysm." They smiled dutifully, which I appreciated immensely, considering the pun wouldn't have been that good, even if they had known what an expiration date was, while I got to my feet. 

The two, for want of a better word, ladies were spitting mad, one wringing her hands, her old bones shaking from head to toe, while the other was slowly turning into a veritable tigress, eyes aglow, fangs and claws extended. Usually I'd have banked on any human backing down, when confronted with a gimlet eyed wrath of nature, but the Madame had proven long ago that she was no ordinary human and about as afraid of death as I was of pain. Which is to say she didn't cordially invite it to her birthday tea but it held no sway over her actions. 

Layla's last words still ringing in my ears I focused on their exchange, its suppressed volume the only resemblance of self control they had left. "In all my years I've never," Alassara hissed before the Madame interrupted her:

"Met anyone who wouldn't kiss your ass simply because you were born with a silver spoon up yours…"

"Born? I come from nothing! Even my life has been taken from me before I was even born! Don't you…"

"What? Compare myself to you? That's just it, missy, do you think I've shed a single ounce of blood less than you have? That I've cried less tears, cursed less people? Who do you think…"

"I take it you haven't come to terms, yet," I interjected. Both women whirled around and I couldn't suppress a small jolt of appreciation when they didn't react in any way to what they saw. The Madame even advance a step in my direction when she growled:

"This is just as much on you! Did you know she'd asked for a year of servitude? What happened to your promises? An army? Immortality? And now I hear that I have to contend with a dragon, who hasn't been here longer than a few hours, for the one and bargain for the other? Is it…"

I raised a hand placatingly but when I spoke my voice made the words wither in her throat. "One, I never promised you anything. I gave you options. Two, after everything you've lived through, do you really still believe in a free meal? If so, I'm sorry but then you're even more naive than the daughter you're trying to protect so fiercely."

"Are you threatening me," she pressed out, a string of spittle clinging to the corner of her mouth.

"Why does everybody think that? Trust me, if I was threatening you, you would know. I'm simply trying to figure out if I have to become involved. It's not much of a secret that I like Alassara and believe it or not, I like you, too, and I'd hate to see this turn into a real fight."

"It wouldn't be a fight, it'd be a slaughter," the vampire commented. When the Madame swelled like a bullfrog she quickly added: "and that's not the point. You want something from me. It's only fair…"

"Ha," the wrinkly woman interrupted and raised a gnarled finger. "But that's it." She turned to me: "I went out on a limb for you in exchange for this. Shouldn't you be the one paying the price?"

"I never said that. As far as I'm concerned, I played my part, the only reason why you even have a chance to gripe about the price is me. Or do you think the last vampire lord on this island would have come to you because you're such a jewel and she just has to have you?"

"So I can either play along or rot in the streets for all you care, is that what you're saying?" I sighed, again. Maybe I should start running a tally. Days with less than five sighs were good ones, the rest…

"No, I'm not. But neither of us is going to be coerced by you. If you want something… ask."

For a moment I thought she'd try to hit me, her jaws were grinding, her eyes twitching and a sickly, red-green colour was rising in her cheeks but the old bat had more self control than I had expected. She took a deep, calming breath and grunted:

"I need this, as you very well know. Please…"

"Then why can't you pay," Alassara asked snidely. The Madame huffed and puffed but finally admitted:

"Because I have a baby girl to look after and a handful of others who might as well be my daughters. I can't simply abandon them for a year."

"And I'd never make you," the vampire reassured her. "But neither will I share my blood with you without any form of… it's not even compensation. Let's call it reassurance. You're clever, headstrong, already influential, and I want to make sure I'm not nurturing my next opponent."

"Have you lost your marbles? You have a gods damned angel in your pocket, right alongside a couple of dragons and a few sorcerers, powerful enough to challenge a fucking army! Why would you think I'd ever…"

"Because people are stupid," I mumbled quietly. "We've all seen it, haven't we?"

"I'm neither people, nor stupid," the Madame erupted. "Whom do you take me for? To get as old as I am as a mere human you have to know two things. One, the battles you've got to take and two, even more importantly, the battles you can't afford to fight. I know a dead-end when I see one."

"Which is why I'm asking for a year and not a hundred," the vampire stated surprisingly softly. "I don't think I've misjudged you, but neither am I going to underestimate you."

"And what about my girls? Will they have to pay as well, should they choose this path?" I only listened halfheartedly to the ensuing reply, since I was wrestling with my own thoughts. Should I offer to pay the price? Despite her demeanour the Madame wouldn't forget it and Alassara wouldn't make me bleed, literally or figuratively. On the other hand, if this was going to mean anything at all, the Madame would have to pay her dues herself.

"They won't. You will," I finally stated and cut their squabbling short. 

"Come again," Alassara said, her eyes narrowed at my audacity to make a decision for her.

"It's simple, isn't it? Once you turn her, she can do whatever she likes and if that includes turning her… children, so be it." The old woman and already opened her mouth to protest but closed it again, her eyes cast downwards thoughtfully. The vampire, on the other hand, replied:

"She won't. She'll only be able to turn others once I've fed her my blood, in other words, once I've set her free. Until then everybody she turns will be bound to me."

"Same difference… a year isn't much…"

"Really? From where I'm standing a year might as well be an eternity with you around. Not that I care," she immediately added, without convincing anyone. Alassara cared for the people here, she cared for her home. Always had.

"Are you kidding me," I hissed, without much fire. "What's it going to be? Ruthless ruler or magnanimous patron? You can't have it both ways."

"Maybe she can," the Madame interjected. "This isn't as much about me as it is about you, isn't it, vamp? Tell me honestly, aside from your daughter, is there anyone left of your bloodline?"

"No," Alassara admitted grudgingly. "They all burned protecting this place."

"Then I'll be the first," the Madame nodded. "I think I get it now and I might have a solution we can both live with. The easiest way would be for you to turn a few others before me, but I think I know why you don't want to. The only ones you'd offer it to wouldn't take you up on it. In a way, you need me to rebuild, just as much as I need you to survive. Which means we should be on equal footing, shouldn't we? Turn me, set me free immediately and I'll sign any gods damned contract, even a magical one, you want me to. But I'm not going to taint what I am by bartering for my life with my freedom. Never did, never will."

"And where's the difference to signing a binding contract?"

"Simple. If the incentive is right, every contract can be broken and I won't have sullied the one thing I've risked everything for. Plus… I said I'd sign anything. Doesn't mean I'm not going to haggle." Before I could comment Alassara said with a hint of satisfaction:

"Agreed. Under one condition. We're doing the haggling before anything happens."

"Fine by me. Should we send the youngsters packing? I wouldn't want my daughter to see me getting spanked."

"Elisabeth," so the old crone actually had a proper name and she had passed it on to her daughter as well, "if you think you can get the better of me because you've been dealing with scum for a few decades you've got another thing coming. Plus, I don't think I need you as much as you need me." A greedy spark ignited in the Madame's eye when she replied:

"We'll see about that. But don't go running to the authorities, even if we have them now, when I take you to the shed."

"And my job here is done," I mumbled more to myself than anybody else. "Before I go, I've got something for you." With a thought I made one of the crystals materialise from my stamp, where I had stored them after the last pocket debacle, and offered it to the vampire. "It's a communication crystal that's linked to my aura. The magic is mine. It'll work. Just… did you listen when I talked to Layla?" She nodded.

"Of course, I might have been distracted but she's still my daughter. Thanks, by the way. I didn't expect you to try and persuade her."

"I didn't. Reia did. But that's not what I'm getting at. I… I think I'd like her to have that thing, if that's alright with you." My words made her smile beautifully.

"I probably would have given it to her anyways. After all, it's not only going to be me who'll come running when she falls from now on, is it? It's only right that she can call you whenever she needs to." She took my hands in hers and added warmly: "thank you Cassandra, you and Ahri both."