BXBX NOVEL Chapter 38: The Vampire Monarchy
If there was anything he had learned from being a vampire, it was that strength was the only absolute.
Prince Ezra. It sounded like something out of those robot puppet shows. "What does it mean?" Olivia turned to look at him. "I\'m now a prince. What does being a prince mean?"
"Nothing." Olivia turned to the road. "Like I said before, nobility is not an officially recognized social class in vampire society. However, a lot of people want it to be."
"So, it\'s just a pretty title?"
"No. It\'s more than just a title. Being a prince means you\'re powerful. At least as strong as a Count. At least. Given that you just absorbed Valaren, you\'ll still have trouble against experienced Counts but eventually you\'ll be able to stand on equal grounds with City Lords."
Ezra sat back, stunned. He had already seen how powerful ordinary subjects could be. City Lord? His mind struggled to place how powerful they would be. He didn\'t even have a metric for comparison.
"Being a prince also means that if the vampire monarchy is brought back into power, you\'ll be in line for the throne."
"Wait, what?" Ezra sat up, nearly bashing the windshield in shock.
"The vampire society isn\'t all sunshine and rainbows. We have the Monarchists who are vampires that seek a return to the days before the Death Wave." Olivia tapped the steering wheel, bringing up a hologram of the city map. "Since the progenitor\'s line has been lost to time, only those with a relic has a legitimate claim to the throne.
The favorites of the monarchists are currently Prince Arthur and Prince Caspian. The council are watching them carefully for any moves of dissent."
Ezra thought about it. "If the monarchy is brought back, wouldn\'t that mean a war?"
"Essentially, yes." Olivia nodded. "There are more than one noble and each noble has an equal claim to the throne. No one would be willing to let someone else take a throne that could be theirs."
She scanned the map and dismissed it. "On that note, don\'t tell anyone that you\'re a prince until you can look Itachi Yaiba in the eye and tell him to fuck off."
Ezra sat back, contemplating his new status. The more he thought about it, the more a grin began to grow on his face. He imagined it.
Himself sitting in a vast throne room not unlike Count Griffin\'s. Vampires kneeling before him. The whole world, his for the taking. That\'s a nice image.
His blood sang softly at the thought of the challenge. Even Valaren growled in acknowledgement in the middle of its sleep. Maybe. Just maybe.
The drive to his old apartment was quiet, the silence filled with his thoughts. He occasionally glanced at Olivia, who seemed deep in her own contemplations.
When they finally pulled up in front of his old apartment, Ezra chuckled, breaking the silence.
"It\'s funny and creepy at the same time," he said, looking at the familiar building. "You and Gen were stalking me, and I never even noticed. Case in point, you know my house address."
Olivia stayed quiet, her expression unreadable.
Ezra stepped out of the hovercar and stood in front of the red-bricked building. It was a modest structure, its bricks weathered by time and elements. The building had a sense of age and history, a place that had seen countless lives and stories unfold within its walls.
Home sweet home.
He entered, climbing the familiar stairs to reach his apartment. Each step echoed with memories of his life before the transformation. As he got to the door, he paused. "You wouldn\'t happen to have a key would you?" He asked Olivia. "I think I\'ve lost mine."
Olivia placed a hand on the lock, and the door buzzed before clicking open. Ezra pushed the door and it opened with a creak. "Thank you."
Ezra walked in, taking in the small, cluttered space. The apartment was filled with personal mementos, each item holding a memory.
That was the lamp he\'d bought for his late night reading while he\'d studying at the university. That had been the rug he\'d bought with his then girlfriend. He smiled, thinking about her breasts. I wonder how she\'s doing now.
He paused, reminiscing about the times he had spent here. Late nights studying, lazy weekends on the couch, texting his girlfriend after work and the quiet solitude he had once cherished.
Olivia\'s voice pulled him out of his reverie. "Pack all you need."
Ezra nodded and began packing his essentials into a single suitcase. Clothes, documents, a few cherished items. All of it fit easily. He\'d replaced the IDs and documents that he could after Emily, his ex had stolen them.
Who knew what she\'d have used them for if she still had access to them. Probably more debt. He chuckled to himself.
As he worked, Olivia stood, relaxed by the window, watching the outside world with an intensity that suggested she was more alert than she appeared.
He clicked his suitcase shut and then paused, hearing footsteps approaching from the hallway. The door banged open with a forceful kick, and a man sauntered in as if he owned the place, followed by three thugs.
The intruder was tall and broad-shouldered, with a chiseled jaw and piercing eyes. His hair was slicked back, and he wore an expensive-looking leather jacket over a simple white t-shirt. His whole demeanor screamed arrogance and danger.
Ezra recognized him. Hadron Kane. Member of the Three Axe gang. Experts in weapon procurement and ruthless loan sharks. They were the owner of the company that Emily had borrowed from.
Hadron caught sight of Ezra and frowned, a puzzled look crossing his face. "Who the hell wears sunglasses at night?"