"We have a problem." Jamie said hurriedly and quietly as he came up the steps in a graceful yet fast manner.

"Alex's mother is here to get him and somehow she's already aware that an Original vampire lives here. So you're going to need to act like a Royal for a bit or we'll have a bloody battle on our hands."

I felt my stomach clench in fear at what Jamie was saying. "Is there any way to send her away?" It was a stupid question but I had to ask anyway.

"Nope, she wants her son back." Jamie replied. "I've invited her in for coffee as a proper drone would do when another vampire Royal visits. So let's put our game faces on and not keep the lady waiting." With this Jamie's posture becomes very straight like a servant and he bowed before allowing me to head downstairs.

"Oh great, I'm going to have to deal with this drone servant shit for a while." went through my head.

Before following me downstairs, Jamie went to Leah and Audrey's room as well as Mia's to make sure that they did not emerge while the Royal was here. Gabe had only just passed out again and was unlikely to wake up in the next hour or so. Jamie knew how to act like a drone, Leah and Audrey did not.

I went downstairs trying to mentally prepare myself for the encounter. Which isn't as easy as it sounds for an Ethereal.

As I entered the dining area I had to stop myself from bursting out in shock.

Rose was of course sitting next to a lady with salt and peppered hair. She looked to be in her mid forties and one glance at her features announcing her parentage to Alex for the whole world to see.

I caught the end of their conversation as I entered the room. "While we're blood related, I unfortunately took after my mother too much and didn't get the vampire genes." Rose was explaining.

Trust my sister to be able to make friends with anyone, even an Original Royal Vampire.

"I'm so sorry honey." came the reply as the Royal put her hand over Rose's, making me fight the urge to rip the hand off. "Sometimes humans are born to vampire parents, it's just unfortunate thing that can happen. As long as your sister is looking after you."

"Of course she is." Was all the response that Rose gave.

"Sorry to make you wait." I announced my presence to the Royal, still trying to push the nervousness down into the bottom of my stomach.

Surprisingly, the woman stood to introduce herself. "It's nice to finally meet you, my name is Cynthia Davenport and unfortunately, I'm the mother to the idiot that tried to attack you, Alexander."

"Hi," I replied back, rather startled that I was being formal with a Royal. "My name is Violet Charr and I'm a newly awakened Original." I was skirting with the truth a bit, hoping Cynthia would buy it. "Yes we do have your son locked up, for an Original his plan wasn't very well executed."

"You're telling me." Cynthia stated. "I've been trying to teach him to be more discrete for YEARS. But no, he HAS to be like his father. So stupid that he's going to get himself caught by hunters and killed. If he keeps going this way I'm going to have to have him locked up right next to his father."

Jamie came into the room at this point, standing very tall and properly like a professional butler would do. We also had a steaming pot of coffee, milk, sugar and saucers lined up on a silver tray.

"Please sit." I invited Cynthia and Rose, who were sitting anyway but it was sill polite as Cynthia had stood to greet me. I hated having to ignore Jamie like this though.

"Now, as to your son." I began before Cynthia interrupted me.

"I'm not here to rescue the idiot, I'm here to make sure he's being justly punished for his disgraceful behavior. He's 20 for the love of all things and maybe some pain, real pain, will help him learn." Cynthia said, her eyes lighting up at the prospect of getting to hurt someone, even her own flesh and blood apparently. "If he ever steps out of line again, feel free to send him back to me with all his limbs in different boxes.."

It was a chilling thought that a mother would even consider doing that to her child. The Royals don't seem to respect or share a family atmosphere at all. It seems that the only thing they share is on a genetic level. It made me thankful I wasn't raised by a Royal.

"Ok then." I replied to Cynthia before calling for Jamie.

"Would you please go and get his little highness from the basement. Made sure his hands stay chained though. We wouldn't want to have to take Cynthia up on her offer of sending him back in pieces already, now would we?"

I could tell Jamie was suppressing a smirk as he left for the dungeon.

"I like you." Cynthia commented to me. "Even though you're newly awakened you have a good head on your shoulders. You should come by the mansion some time so we can have devonshire tea."

"Well we wanted an introduction to the Royals, I'm pretty sure tea with one qualifies." I thought to myself.

"I would love to." I thanked her.

"Come anytime you like, just let the security at the front know your name and they'll let you in." Cynthia said. "So, have you found your kindred soul yet?"

I spat out the coffee I'd just taken a sip of, coughing my lungs up at the same time.

"I'm sorry, but my what now?" I asked of Cynthia.

"Surely you must know that all vampires have a kindred soul that they bond with. I suppose it's a lot like having a soul mate or the mates from those silly werewolf stories. It's the one person you'll truly love." Cynthia was looking at me like I had three heads for not knowing this.

"I'm sorry, our father who was the vampire was found and killed by hunters when Violet was only one year old. We're both lacking in our vampire heritage knowledge." Rose interjected for me.

"Well that explains a lot." Cynthia gave me an apologetic look, but before this conversation could continue a disgruntled Alex was dragged into the room in chains.

If he looked unhappy and angry before, then one look at his mother changed his look to outright terrified.

"Wh-wh-what are you doing here?" Alex stumbled, terror lacing his voice.

"Collecting you from another one of your atrocities Alexander Leonard Davenport." All traces of the warmth in Cynthia's voice and face had vanished as she looked upon her son.

'We're going to go home now, but before you do I want you to apologize to this nice young lady here." Cynthia gestured to me.

Alex looked like he wanted to refuse but another look at his mother and he was blubbering some apology to the ground that I couldn't really understand.

"Ok," I told him when he'd finally finished blubbering. "Just don't mess with me or mine again and we'll get along fine." I thought it was a strong enough warning, but Cynthia didn't think so.

"You should know the punishment for crossing an Original and this girl now knows that she can send you back home in pieces. She lost her vampire father at one year old and is still a better Original then you, you ingrate." Cynthia almost spat at her son.

"Thank you for the coffee." Cynthia said turning to me. "Now with your permission I'd like to take my sniveling son home."

"Be my guest." I told her.

Now, most normal mothers would grab their sons by the hands or even their ears to drag them out if they're in trouble. But Cynthia Davenport grabbed her son by his shackles and proceeded to drag him through the house, out the door and all the way down to the driveway before she threw him in the boot and drove off.

"Interesting lady." I commented to Jamie as he relaxed when the Royal disappeared from view.

"Each one is different." Jamie told me, "But my back is thankful she's gone." He tried to stretch his back out like he actually had back pain or something.

"You realize your 'pity me' act doesn't work when I know you're getting younger and you're body is in less and less pain all the time." I said

Jamie paused mid stretch as he realized he'd been caught. A sheepish smile crossing his face. "I had to try." He said shrugging.

"Well in that case you can explain what this kindred soul stuff is about." I said, looking at him.

Jamie furrowed his brows as he thought about it. "I've heard about it, but I honestly thought it was just a legend. While I would believe such a legend of an Ethereal, who would have thought that a Royal would have someone that they cared for as much as themselves?"

I had to nod in agreeance at this point. "Although it would explain why you've never felt attracted to anyone." Jamie theorized. "Because you're waiting on 'the one'."

"That sounds corny." I interjected. I was never one to believe in love stories after all.

"It also wouldn't surprise me to learn that this applies to all of your children as well. Just look at Leah and Audrey and tell me they're not bonded on a soul level." Jamie observed.

He could very well be right. Which is both great and kind of scary.

We both headed back inside to call a family meeting and explain what just happened to everyone.