There was silence at the other end of the line. Henley told Alaric who his family was and what it meant to this world. Dad confirmed the facts, just in case Alaric thought he could get around it.

The mood seemed to get tenser as the seconds ticked by. Henley looked angry, mom was ready to start a fight on his behalf and dad was ready to settle it. Poor old Asa was sitting in between them all, awkwardly trying to take notes.

"You and I must meet again," Alaric finally offered.

"The only time that I will meet with you is the day that you agree to free humanity and create an equal partnership with them and the vampires."

Alaric laughed mercilessly.

"Ah, the feeble dreams of those who have not seen many days. Perhaps you'd like to take a trip through the history books to see how well a free society worked for your species. Then take a dalliance through the pages where it tells of a time when the vampires tried to create a harmonious life with humanity and had their efforts thrown back in their faces. Instead of listening to us, they ran away. All they can see is the fear, they cannot be bothered to ask questions."

"Well, I can and have." Henley shot back. "And I will show the world that a vampire is not someone to be feared."

"Let me guess, you're going to be a big, brave boy and marry Claudia. How truly marvelous. Except, there's one little problem. You know, you're human, she's a vampire. You can't have kids with her until you become a vampire and as the heir to the throne in her mother's province and actual leader of her own province, she needs to create children. And of course, there's you. The leader of the humans must be human. What will you do, Henley? Be the king that the humans need or give it all up for a woman?"

For a moment, Henley paused. He looked at me with a knowing smile. It was better than his angry face.

"Both," He returned. "I will claim the throne, declared king and then abdicate with a public announcement of my plans for the future. I will show them with my love for her. If they accept it, then great. If they don't then so be it. The title means nothing to me."

Alaric huffed a soft laugh of amusement, still mocking. I don't know why any of us expected any different.

"But without that title, you cannot do a single thing for them."

"Of course I can. Claudia's going to take you up on that province of her own and I'll be there beside her."

"I am?"

Henley frowned at me, wordlessly asking me to remain quiet and just go with the flow. I'd never wanted the place. I didn't know how to lead, even if it was in my blood.

"Well, that's an interesting turn of events. How startling it is that Claudia's changed her mind all of a sudden."

There was silence for a few seconds, then Alaric blew me away.

"Alright. As you wish, your highness. Prove your lineage with solid fact. When you have the firm details, send word to Oliver and he will make a public announcement. Let the humans have their king. Let them rejoice in your appearance in their world. Spark hope in their lives if that floats your boat. When you have their attention, we will make an announcement that you intend to transform to be with Claudia. It will be interesting to see how well that is received. In the meantime, we will begin preparations for the border alterations. I expect great things from you, Claudia."

"Yeah, great," I muttered.

"What about Jameson?"

"Oliver will begin an investigation into him, he will be placed under house arrest until it is complete."

"Add Welling to that investigation as well."

Alaric chuckled.

"You've always had a soft spot for him, Silas."

"He's always been worthy of keeping a watchful eye on."

"Alright, added as requested. Anyone else?"

"Yeah, that Oliver Beaumont is a little shady." Mom offered.

In the background, we heard Oliver laughing.

"A little shady? The heat of the south must be affecting your mind, Dahlia. Oliver is very shady. One week, people. I want to hear of this great king that will change humanity's attitude towards vampires."

The line went dead, Henley slumped into the seat with a heavy groan. His head rolled back while he muttered that he'd lost his mind.

"You're not changing your mind on marrying our daughter, are you?"

Henley slowly lifted his head and looked at the frowning queen in front of him.

"No, I wasn't talking about that,"

Mom smiled wickedly.

"I know, just teasing. After all, we heard how well that porking went."

"Mom!"

She shrugged.

"Public places, Claudia. You should know better."

Great. Just utterly perfect.

"Can we just move along please?" I grumped.

"Alright. We have solid proof. Asa, if you wouldn't mind sending it through to Oliver, please?"

"Yes, your highness."

"Also suggest that a timeline of events is created so that everyone knows what to expect. Ask that we are kept up to date with the investigation. In regards to the Dalievinpo family, it might be a good idea to search for any financial records. There might be a bank account that will assist Henley in his ascension and perhaps a few clothes that are a little more regal."

Henley looked down at his shirt and jeans, frowning as if he couldn't understand what was wrong with them.

"You're not going to make me wear something ridiculous, are you?"

"There will be occasions where a suit will be required. A little grooming wouldn't go astray either."

Damn, I liked the roughness that Henley had. I pouted at my mother, making her roll her eyes. I didn't want much but I did have a few little demands. That sexy as sin stubble was staying, departing only for highly important events. Shirts that could be ripped off him, they were mandatory so spending a fortune on them was not wise.

The thought of tearing open a shirt, breaking the thread and hearing the buttons scatter was truly delicious. It created a new storm and like he knew, Henley looked at me with a smirk. If we had our way, the rest of tonight would be spent under the sheets in my bed. No wall activities, just a mattress thumping good time. I couldn't wait.