Perhaps I was thinking only of my own feelings; maybe he had liked me, even. But I doubted it.

I felt I was the only vampire who knew this; the only one who understood that sometimes a business relationship is just that—business.

It seemed like no one was going to speak; the undercurrent of thoughts was thick enough to swallow. I played with my juggling balls like the world itself revolved around my deft fingers running the thin plastic back and forth between my hands.

It was a nervous gesture. I could not help it. I wanted the Torturer to say something, anything, to declare that, since there were no challenges, the territory would have to be re-absorbed by the council and the underlings sent elsewhere.

I did not feel sorry for the weaker vampires; I could do nothing to help them and I was less capable than they in many ways. At least they were guaranteed their own lives and privacy. I had to fight for mine now that the King was dead.

I felt suddenly weary, tired of worrying about all the stupid things I had to fix in my life.

I really did miss the damn bastard. I was more than pissed that someone had offed him. I wanted revenge for the way it made me feel—naked and vulnerable now.

I wanted to show the killer that the King had not been my lover or my brother-in-arms, but my shelter and protector.

I did not do well when these were taken from me.

“So you will not contest at all?” Again, the busybody could not simply let the moment go.

I was almost positive it was Sparrow now; he liked to make me squirm any chance the bastard got.

“Is that not what the record states? Was it somehow still unclear? His death was no action of mine,” I placed the ball down on the table, lacing my fingers, “And you should do well to remember that I do not have to defend myself before the council. I have already been absolved of the matter before the Elders and I will not sit through another round of inquiry. The King’s death is most untimely and unfortunate for me. Do not doubt that, of all his government, I am the most put-out by it. Even if I had killed him, it would be in my right to still refuse his owning. Thus, I see no need to press the issue. Are you quite finished whining at me, or do you need a moment while the rest of the council finishes the important business?”

That seemed to break the silence, since I managed to control my temper and voice into succinct truth that did not sound too over-done. I could have ranted or raved, but amongst vampires, such responses were often childish and poorly received.

Calm, controlled and unemotional—this was the mark of both the innocent and the powerful. To get emotional was to show weakness, and I could not afford it. There would be time to release my rage later. At the moment, it was important to establish to my peers that I simply did not have any reason to kill him, and even if I had, it was not about territory—the first thing that everyone feared a second would go after.

“Well, since the Jester has truly no objections or designs on Jarlsberg, the Sword puts forward to challenge,” This was from the other side of the table.

I was almost relieved to hear someone had an interest. At least I could be reminded that Jarlsberg was more than just a small piece of land; it was strategically valuable in the same way that Russia was. Everyone wanted it at one stage, but no one had been able to take it.

“The Mage also moves to challenge for Jarlsberg.”

The council settled down as the Sword and Mage began the act of bickering over the city and holdings, offering up other locales in an effort to bid-out the other.

I knew who would win as soon as they began, though.

The Mage was just the scarier of the two, and when it came down to it, a lot of vampire politics was about tactics and who the more violent monster was.

They continued to debate for at least ten minutes before the Sword accepted the Mage’s offer of another territory and business. It was less strategic, but less likely to lead to the pair fighting outright.

It had been nearly a hundred years since anyone had killed over territory challenges. It was not that we did not do it; it was that there was not much need normally. There were not enough vampires to need that much land. We tended to cluster in small groups of three to six, and Dominus typically paired up with each other; there would be the one who owned the territory and their second. In the event of the first Dominus dying, it was sort of an automatic will.

The whole ‘second in charge’ had come in around the time of the witch hunts. We had seen a few vampires and whole families dying from the sheer lack of communication and the fragmented manner in which we lived. The council meetings had stopped being optional around that time for all but the Elders. It had saved us from destruction.

By the time the meeting was coming to a close, it was almost four A.M. and tempers had become beyond outrageous.

The sword and the warrior were fencing to the roar the crowd’s amusement. Sire and child had gotten into an argument- this was something that seemed to happen every time they were in the same room, and could only settle it with a round of sharp blades.

It was not that unusual; we fasted before the council so that our normal patience would not avail us. The Emperor had found that hungry vampires would settle a matter more quickly and with less thought then sated ones.

Part of me thought he just liked to watch six-hundred-year-olds bickering like school children.

Donors were brought in and the council adjourned to their various factions and the large reception hall once more. I joined a few of the older folk in the smoking longue to indulge in cigars and talk about the finer things in life in the hopes of stirring up some patronage, but they were more interested in discussing topics like golf and rugby. That got old after twenty minutes and I decided to take my chances and see if the Truthseeker would be interested in taking me on again.

I stepped out of the longue, cigar still in one hand and I was waylaid by the Princess.

In her defence, I did see her coming, but in my defence, I did not realize it was for me until she was upon me.

“Jester! Just the man I have been looking for. I hear you’re going to Capita!” She planted herself between me and the exit and I let all the air out of my lungs. I figured she would try her little spiels on me eventually, and I liked what she was selling. I was probably the most receptacle of her ideology, but I was not going to help her scheming; it was not yet a threat to the Emperor, so he ignored it as yet another of her cute, little traits. Eventually, however, she would step on toes.

I did not want to be there when those toes stepped back.

“Good evening, Princess. Unfortunately, I haven’t got the time to chat with beautiful women, even radiant goddesses such as you. But allow me one indulgence: this talk about Capita, it is merely unfounded rumour.”

She cocked her head at this. “So you’ve rejected the Spider’s offer?”

I patted her hand lightly, condescending in a way I knew I found personally abhorrent and probably pissed her off twice as much, “My dear, there must be an offer for one to reject it. I’m afraid that, while it is a peculiar rumour, it is nothing but falsity and illusion, much as my deep longing for the comfort of your smile holds me warm at night.”

Her mouth drew into a sharp line, “Do you really expect women to fall for such an outdated and transparent line like that?”

“It worked in my day,” I managed to look surprised and shocked at her affirmation rather than resigned.

It was good acting on my part.

“Well this isn’t the dark ages any more, Jester,” Her tone had switched into lecture mode.

I started scanning the crowd for an escape while she began blabbering about what she did best—women’s liberation from the Emperor’s oppressive grip. I could not see any rescue coming, so I decided to cut off her thoughts mid- rant I was tired and it had been a long night.

“Listen, Princess, I know that you feel strongly about this quaint, little topic, but a woman’s place is in the kitchen, not trying to talk her way into men's business.”

I pushed past her and ignored the look she gave me in return. She was really going to piss the Emperor off one of these days, and I certainly was not going to be there when the tallest flower got cut.

I weaved through the crowd, brushing a donor out of my way when he did not move of his own accord. Outside, the night was at its coldest—always darkest right before the dawn. I could make out the echo of clouds overhead and the smell of a bakery beginning its pre-dawn activities not too far away from the hotel. The asphalt had that damp coolness to it that leeched all the heat away; all good mortals were safely tucked away in their beds, dreaming of the day and the comforts of sunlight.

The time that people call the dead of night, the world seems frozen before its next thoughts.

I breathed in the night air, tasting the tang of car fumes and the usual city smells.

This time of night was the moment when you whispered to friends, when you did not dare to raise your voice too loud in the event something heard.

When I had been young, I had wondered what it was that heard whispers in the dark. Then, as I got used to my immortal life, I realized the truth—it was me.

“Jester, I have heard a most disturbing rumour.”

I almost jumped out of my skin when the Spider spoke from behind me. I had thought I was alone, but apparently I was not the only creature in the night.

I righted myself and continued breathing normally once again. He noticed my flinch and smiled thinly.

I gave him a sheepish grin; a clown never apologises for being a fool. “A rumour, milord?”

“That you have refused my offer to join me in Capita. Strange, considering your current circumstances, that you refused this generous offer.”

I laughed, “You know, I am curious where that rumour came from, I’ve been running it down all evening. From the moment I stepped in the door I’ve heard some fantastical rumours about where I’m going this year. Everyone seemed to think that this time I was leaving Jarlsberg for Capita!” I felt my laughter draining out of me as I looked at his face, “It’s not... I mean, that was just the rumour mill...”

“Ah, I see the indirect route with you is not very effective. I had hoped to be a little less subtle; after all, you have a reputation of monogamy with the King to consider, and certainly, I can understand you need time to mourn his loss. I will not pressure you for anything more than that.”

“Why does everyone assume I was sleeping with him—it was just business!” I snapped.

Oh, shit. I just snapped at an Elder.

My heart stopped the moment the words were out of my mouth and I felt my hands fly up, covering my treacherous jaw. I did not dare move as I clenched my eyes. If he smacked the shit out of me, I would not have been surprised; but instead, I heard laughter.

“You mean that you and he never once...?” The Spider was staring at me.

Heat crept into my features. I knew what was coming—the same question every vampire asked me, “No. Never.”

“How long has it been since you were with another vampire?”

I sighed, “Five-hundred-and-seventeen-years,” —Thirty-three days and six hours; but he did not need to know that.

It takes a lot to make a vampire over a thousand surprised, but my lack of sex-life usually does it.

He stared, “You haven’t had sex in five-hundred years?”

I snorted, “I’ve been with mortals,” And then, because that hardly counted for our kind, “But nothing with another vampire in a while.”

After the first fifty years, celibacy was actually pretty easy.

“And why do you deny the Black? Is he not acceptable?”

I fidgeted, “Look, is there something other than my love-life we can talk about, Dante?”

That teasing smile was back.

The Spider crossed his arms, “Avery, why don’t you want to come to Capitra?”

I mirrored his position and cocked my head to one side, “You’re saying that there is an offer for patronage in Capita?”

He nodded once.

I felt myself stilling as I mulled this over in my mind. Capita was huge, diverse and, if the rumours were correct, would only have two other vampires in it to compete with for hunting or harems.

But could the Spider respect my privacy like the King had? I got a distinctive vibe that he was interested—or maybe I was just flattering myself.

He had a brand new, little Dominus to train and educate after all, and no one turned someone they weren’t hoping to spend a long, long time with; but that did not take me completely off the food chain.

When you predated most modern and old fashions of sexuality, you tended to end up willing to try anything. The Emperor, for example, was an extreme fetishist, and did not really care if he was in bed with a man or a woman—or both at the same time.

Reportedly, he had also been with some of the things from the Abyss that bore no resemblance to anything mortal. I had no idea how old exactly the Spider was— he might have been older than the Emperor or younger—but, after a certain point, curious bedroom tastes were hardly uncommon. I am not precisely a prude, but I am discerning.

Boys with eternity to play eventually played together. So, with the possibility that my virtue was in danger… did I want to go to Capita?

The big city was full of things, from old dusty books in long dead languages to things that went bump in the night.

I had heard he had entire packs of werewolves, fairies, even human witches. It would be a change from the quiet three hundred years. I might even expand my fame into other circles.

I could be the first vampire to be on posters in werewolf bedrooms.

“My business is my own. I report to you for functions or anything council related, but otherwise I’m left to my own devices. No touching my herd. And I need a contact schedule that doesn’t conflict with any tours. I usually saw the King about twice a year.”

“I need more PR than that.” He responded, settling into negotiations, “I am bringing in three other underlings and another Dominus; There is a great deal of activity in my city, and I am expecting two factions of other beings to begin disruptions. I need to show a united, but unthreatening front. I need you in the mansion with me, entertaining parties and playing host.”

“Isn’t that what you should get your progeny to do?” I asked.

He smiled, “You underestimate your charm, Jester. This wicked grin of yours can slay a man of pure heart from ten pace; and the way you move when people are watching is practically criminal.”

He was leaning over me now, catching my hand and pinning it to the column behind me, a light, teasing embrace that made me catch my breath. I was definitely getting a vibe.

“A woman can’t compare to this—no matter how rare. Besides, the paranormals of my town hardly understand what a social power having a female is. They will be far more inclined to positive reactions to you… Like any man with hot blood.”