My lips thinned into a straight line, not enjoying this persona. But I did understand it. I stood on my tiptoes, my mouth aiming for his ear. Luckily, he obliged and bent so I could speak privately with him. I whispered too quietly for anyone else to hear, “Thank you. For telling me the truth.”
The redheaded Overlord nodded his head once and straightened. He strolled over to a chair, unbuttoned his suit jacket, and sat fluidly onto the seat. Back to ignoring me.
I barely kept myself from rolling my eyes. I took a seat next to Lord Xenon on the love seat and pretended the entire morning hadn’t shaken me to my core. I asked, “Who’s going to officiate her ceremony?”
Lord Xenon cast his black eyes on me. “Cleo requested Lord Cato handle it all.”
I tapped my fingers on the arm of the loveseat. “Even the beheading? Isn’t that normally the Queen’s job here?”
“It is unless the individual wanting Eternal Slumber requests for someone else to do it.”
My attention turned toward my father. “Why did she request him? Were they friends?”
“No, they weren’t,” Lord Xenon hedged. “But Lord Cato and Lord John were close before he requested his own Eternal Slumber. And Lord Cato performed his. She’d like the same.”
I hummed, closing my eyes and leaning my head back against the wall. It was damn hard to do with a crown on my head. I yawned behind a fist. “She wants to make sure she sees her soul mate in the afterlife. I didn’t know she was superstitious.”
“Actually, I don’t believe she is.” The Overlord poked my arm, barely even a touch. “Don’t fall asleep. They’ll be coming to get us shortly.”
“Not sleeping.” Another yawn. “Just relaxing.”
A thoughtful moment. “Rough night?”
I snorted. If he only knew. “The entire day was rough.”
The gentle knock came too soon on the door.
I groaned as I stood up, stretching. I fixed my dress and patted my cheeks to wake myself up. Eternal Slumbers were never pleasant. And they were fucking long. Especially, if the individual was old. And Cleo was.
Lord Cato opened the door to stop the knocking.
We filed out behind him.
Our bodyguards shadowed our steps.
Lord Otto’s blond head turned in my direction, and he flicked a finger at me. He reminded, “Up front, your majesty.”
I quickened my steps and moved to the front of the line. We stopped at the doors to the memorial hollow. Friends and family would already be inside, including the woman wanting to die.
None of us spoke, standing patiently.
The voices inside the room finally began to quiet.
Almost time.
Cleo was saying the last of her good-byes.
She eventually opened the door for us, allowing her executioner in. It was tradition. Their last chance to change their mind. If the door didn’t open, then the Eternal Slumber was called off. But the door was open.
It was death time.
I walked into the silent room, the Overlords and bodyguards following behind. This entrance opened up directly onto the platform, only one light lit from above spotlighting a single chair on the raised area. More chairs surrounded it, facing out into the intimate crowd. I led our group to those seats.
The only royal who didn’t sit was Lord Cato.
He stood in the middle of the stage next to Cleo.
My father turned to her. “Cleopatra Conto, do you agree you’ve requested your Eternal Slumber?”
“I do, my lord,” she answered.
My eyes narrowed at her in surprise.
Her tone had bite. Not what I’d expected.
Lord Cato questioned, “Cleopatra Conto, do you still wish for your Eternal Slumber?”
“I do, my lord,” Cleo hissed.
She definitely didn’t like my father.
He stared patiently at her. “Cleopatra Conto, do you have any last words?”
Her mouth thinned, pausing a moment. “I do not, my lord.”
My father gestured toward the chair. “Please have a seat.”
This was the strangest Eternal Slumber I’d been to.
Why in the world would she want my father to officiate her death when she didn’t even like him? It made no sense whatsoever. But, occasionally, the old were…odd.
Cleo took the seat under the spotlight.
Lord Cato began speaking of Cleo’s life. Her childhood and adult time in Egypt. Her slow migration to the west. Her accolades within the vampire hierarchy. Her previous husband. Her two surviving children. Her soul mate.
Her entire damn life.
I kept my ankles crossed and my hands placed on my lap. If I swayed at one point, I wasn’t the only one. Hours passed by. My stomach growled—quietly, thank god.
I should have had breakfast.
I eyed my father.
He was even talking about her favorite heirlooms.
After a moment, it clicked.
Fuck. My father was brutal.
Lord Cato was drawing this out.
Making her wait. He didn’t like her either.
Another hour passed. Then another.
Her family and friends had even stopped crying.
I stifled a yawn and blinked relentlessly.
I would not fall asleep. I would not.
Cleo held up a hand, her tone a warning. “Lord Cato, I believe that is enough. Your words have been very kind, but I’m ready.”
Thank fuck.
The Overlord nodded his head. “As you wish.” He moved behind her and released the back of her chair. It gradually reclined until she was lying flat on the seat, now a table. My father reached behind his head, drawing out his sword. It gleamed in the spotlight. “Cleopatra Conto, your Eternal Slumber is granted.”
His sword blurred, ending her life painlessly.
Luckily, her head didn’t fall onto the floor.
I’d witnessed that a few times. Very distressing.
Her loved ones started crying again, sniffling and weeping at the loss of her life. I really hated these things.
Lord Otto snapped his head in my direction.
Shit. Right.
I quickly stood to my feet, the other royals following. I led them from the room, exiting into the hallway again, our royal guard following our silent procession. I headed straight back into the waiting area…and right to the bathroom.
“Don’t you dare take forever, your majesty. I’ve had to piss for an hour!” Lord Otto growled in warning. He punched my father’s shoulder hard enough to knock him back a step. “Really, asshole? That was torture.”
My father simply grinned.
With my right hand on the bathroom’s door handle, I hissed in annoyance, “Someone tell Phoenix I want a fucking feast sent to my office. I’m heading there after I finish my business.” I glared at Lord Otto as I moved into the bathroom. “And it will be a long piss. Because I’ve been holding it for three hours!”
I slammed the door. Jesus.
*
“This is not exactly what I had in mind,” I griped, speaking to the Overlords sitting inside my office. I cut into my steak with quick jerks of my hands. Squinty glares for all the bastards here. “I had intended this to be a private meal.”
Lord Otto pointed his fork at my closed door. “The entire stronghold is packed with Cleo’s clan, and the staff is busy with them.” He stuffed mashed potatoes into his mouth. “And we were hungry too. No need to make the servants work even harder.”
I sniffed. “We need to hire more staff.”
Lord Xenon lifted a brow at his companions. “I’ve been saying that for years.”
Lord Belshazzar leaned back in his chair and sipped at a glass full of crimson blood. “And the funds will still go toward our army. That discussion is closed.”
Lord Xenon frowned—slightly—but didn’t argue.
How could he when we’d been attacked yesterday?
Guess Lord Xenon and I had something in common.
We liked to be pampered.
I sighed and attempted to ignore them the best I could while I ate. It wasn’t difficult really. We sat in comfortable silence and relished the feast we were partaking of. I was beginning to think most of them had skipped breakfast too.
A ping from Lord Pippin’s phone had him removing it from his pocket. He tapped on his phone and began reading. He appeared to be reading it over again and again. The freckles on his nose and cheeks stood out in stark contrast as his face paled, his teeth clenching so hard the muscles showed on his jaw. He muttered under his breath, “Fuck.”
By now, we were all staring at him.
“What’s happened?” Lord Cato questioned.