^^ Monroe ^^

— Alice —

"-Visualize the world itself in the Eleven Dimension Format." Besan sat us down in some of the seats, and created a visual aide to what he was talking about, not that I needed it.

I nodded and closed my eyes, viewing the world as a Construct, the space around me as layered and interwoven; the eleven dimensions that made up reality were everywhere, but I focused on the air above my hands. A sphere, maybe a foot wide, above my hand, was slowly encapsulated in my mind.

"Now, add mana to the vision. As much as you can." He continued.

I spread a thin layer of mana around the ball, creating a shell, and then pushed a good third of my mana into the sphere.

"Last step, envision a Pocket, a piece of the Small Dimension that folds between the others, temporarily hiding from Time or Space, the Large Dimensions."

I grinned and thought of what he'd said, burying my little Hidden Pocket deep between the Seven Small Dimensions, but I drew a thread out of Time, and sewed it into the sphere, surrounding it in malleable time, which would hopefully allow me control over the time within that little bubble, by allowing or not allowing Time in, whilst also giving the pocket structure.

"Oh! Okay, you've managed the next stage, the manipulation of time... huh. Took me weeks to-"

"Keep teaching..." Victor admonished him gently.

"Right, Sorry!... Alright, so you'll need to create a spicket of sorts, a tap to allow the time in or out. If the time doesn't leave, it could damage things. Things like the space around the Pocket." He explained.

The pocket gained a Heart-like shape, at my direction. A major vein in allowed Time and the Other Ten Dimensions, but the Artery out also let them leave. One chamber immolated matter, and let the raw mana flow to another chamber, while the dust that was left went to a third chamber; the second chamber was linked directly to my Mana Core, and it would refine the mana into a higher energy state, allowing for a greater purity and therefore better results on purifying my Mana Core, while the Third went to my stomach. Because my Mana Core was linked to the second chamber, it would be constantly trading and purifying the mana so as to increase my proficiency with magic.

The fourth chamber could hold living things in perfect stasis, with proper life support and time, along with potent healing spells, while also draining them just like my prison cells. Because it was in a different dimension, size became irrelevant, and the previously 1ft sphere could hold a near-infinite amount of matter, should I be so inclined; because the matter never left earth's orbit, nor this realm, it wasn't an issue of cosmic balance, which was nice.

I contemplated, and then decided upon the physical representation, which wasn't required, but I liked the idea, as a way to limit the ability of others to cut me off from the energy being supplied by the Dimension. My heart, yet an inky black, like a heart made of liquid obsidian, laced throughout with whatever color my Mana Core turned to.

"Uhm... okay... red flag for creating a death trap the first time you use Spatial Magic, but very impressive nonetheless..." he hummed.

I sent the pulsing obsidian heart away into its new home dimension, and then focused on my chest, feeling the connection to my Mana Core and stomach settle. A wicked thought occurred, and I opened my eyes, looking at the mildly disgusted human. "A girl's gotta Eat, lad." I grinned, using the Fairy Queen's Eldritch Horror Eyes and Voice, and he flinched backwards violently with a swift shriek.

'His fear is quite delectable, yes...' the Fairy Queen commented, giggling softly, before descending back into that deep state of sleep she and the others were all apparently in. The fear he'd felt had given me a rush of endorphins and also mana, which was an interesting discovery; it wasn't just Sex I could take energy from, it was all emotions.

I laughed as the effect faded, and Victor chuckled a little, patting his apprentice's head. "She's teasing you, Besan. Roll with it. She's mastered the basics, now move to higher subjects. Teleportation was on the list, and very clearly connected to what she just learned. You have about thirty minutes, and at her rate of learning, I imagine you'll make it in time."

My stomach grumbled loudly, and then the ice entered my veins, as I realized how truly hungry I was. "Mm, actually... can you lead me to my... meal? Food? My Mana is going to run out at this rate..." I grumbled, clutching my stomach.

Zara agreed, tilting her head and begging up at Victor adorably. "Foooood?"

Adrian laughed and nodded. "Ah, Yes, that... Well, breakfast is usually after this period, the Self-Study or Mentor period... so get through the next part of the lesson, and we'll take you to get some food a little early." He nodded easily.

I nodded and looked at Besan. "Alright, next lesson, let's start. Is it Teleportation? I think I've figured that out, actually, I just needed to know how to use the Magic." I inscribed a circle with a thought, altering the Ingredients for location, and then simply cast the spell, taking Besan and I to the other end of the room. "Can I eat now?" I asked, looking away from the flabbergasted young man.

Victor frowned slowly. "You only needed a catalyst to understand the feeling, not any real training, didn't you?"

"Pretty much? I said as much, and you didn't listen, so don't blame me. Now, I need food, and if you don't feed me, my dragon and I are going to make a meal of him." I frowned at Besan, and Victor laughed, then paused, likely sensing I was very serious.

I was immediately led down below the college and into the bedrock by Victor, -Adrian had to go speak to some people, and do his job,- as he explained mine and Zara's 'Meals'.

"We've managed to gain the approval of the cities within our little Kingdom, and the assistance of another Vampire, a man named Monroe, in the collection and... disposal, of your meals." He explained.

"There's no need for that, I have a few ways to dispose of them, but I don't plan on drinking them dry, I'm not an idiot, nor do I plan on drinking their blood at all. Who knows what kind of diseases they have? I plan on draining the Mana, darling. Very different, and very clean." I nodded as he looked at me curiously, and thanked him politely when he opened the door to the main prison, which was a large circle of cells, overlooking a center area with dissection implements, sometimes mistaken for torture implements, though I suppose you wouldn't care for the difference if you were alive during the process.

"Interesting... well, as for this room, there is a Healing Course that requires us to dissect a human, and show the healer students, so that the weak ones who can't handle blood will be weeded out." He explained, and lead me towards the stairs.

"I see... and this Vampire?"

"Oh, yes. Well, he offered a good price, he only wants a 10% cut, meaning one in ten prisoners is his." He hummed, and frowned when I stopped moving. "What's wrong?" He asked.

"10 Percent?!? Are you fucking insane?!?" I hissed at him, pissed off. "The contract was clear, was it not? And even without it, he's ripping you off!!!"

He sighed. "We needed someone to take the blame for all the Vampire Prisoners, and that meant a public Vampire who would say he's the one drinking from them. If you'd like to renegotiate-"

"Summon. Him. Now!!!" I seethed, the Fairy Queen's Voice coming out without my intention, but I didn't disagree.

He raised an eyebrow at me, and walked us to the back of the prison, past all the cells, where a large iron door was. He opened it with a key that he handed a copy of to me, and then showed me in. A copy of the dissection room outside was in here, but absolutely pristine, with white smooth marble and a large amount of bright light from all directions to eliminate shadows. The table was big enough for most creatures, and if it wasn't, there was the section of floor behind it, which was thirty feet by thirty feet, with magical manacles to hold things down.

"Hmph. It's nice, I guess..." I muttered.

"I'm contacting him now, hold on." He chuckled, and muttered a spell for long-distance communication.

A silky voice slid through the air like honey, a sexy chuckle announcing the vampire's presence. "Ooh, two calls in two days, I am becoming popular... what do you need, Sorcerer, I'm in the middle of gathering your requested Items?"

"Come. Here." I commanded before Victor could speak, using the Vampire Queen's Authority and the Fairy Queen's Voice.

There was silence on the other end for a few moments, and then a teleportation Sigil shined in front of us, releasing a tall, russet-skinned man, -much like Lady Yurin,- with short black hair stepped through. His red eyes searched the room, and found me, then his head tilted.

"That's odd... I was sure I heard the Dread Lady Yurin..." he hummed softly.

"You heard ME, BRAT, And you will not claim a single CALF of MY!!! CATTLE!!!" I hissed at him, and grabbed his silken shirt by the collar, dragging him down to my level. "Am I Understood?" I whispered, showing him everything that came through my eyes when I summoned the various spirits inside me.

His knees buckled, and he bowed below my waistline, kissing my feet shakily. "I am deeply sorry, Ancient One, I would never steal from one such as yourself, not ever!!! I assure you, I had no knowledge, nor intention, to give insult!!!" He bowed again, laying his forehead against the ground between my feet.

"I am uncomfortable having been part of this..." Victor hummed.

"He's a Gentry Vampire, Victor, and I'm a Demon Queen. If you'd wanted a Vampire to work for me, you should've asked me first... but I'll take him. You, Monroe; you are MINE, now. Understood?" I raised an eyebrow expectantly.

"Thy will be done, Majesty, I will not disappoint... please say you forgive me for insulting you?" He shivered, as my glare was still focused on the back of his neck.

I released the power and nodded slowly. "You are forgiven, of course; you will continue to gather the Death Row Prisoners, and continue to publicly take credit for them. In private, in our own society and Court, you will make it clear that a Demon Queen is at this Academy, and you are Mine. You will receive One Tithe, numbering no more than 14, and all others are mine." I decided on 14 because, according to Lady Yurin, she could live quite happily off of just 7, one every four days, though she had her Elven Servant to slake her thirst.

His ears twitched at the number 14, and I sensed euphoria from him. "Of course, Majesty, they will know of your Territory within the hour of my departure!!! Do you wish anything more from me, Majesty?" He asked happily.

"My name is Duchess Alice Taurus. My family are the Taurus' of Grand Pillar. Other than spreading my name within the Court, and gathering for me all the unclaimed Cattle I was promised, you may do as you see fit, with your 14 Head per month." I nodded.

"Understood, Your Majesty..."

"Ah, and one last thing; teach me how to read peoples' minds, yes? Just connect to mine, so I can feel it, I'll figure the rest out myself." I hummed.

'As you wish, Your Majesty... the arts of Vampiric Meddling within the mind are many and vast, but they are also innate to all who are more than Commoners, the Gentry and Peers... and especially the Royals.' His voice sounded in my mind, and I traced it, examining the thread of mana that connected us, and created my own, overpowering his, and making it permanent, like a quantum entanglement that you could turn off and on at will.

'That will do...' I nodded, reading through his memories and finding him a generally upstanding Individual, beyond a few instances of panicked mauling of innocents when he was dying of thirst, and his regret afterwards. 'Yes, you will do nicely as my first Vampiric Servant, Sir Monroe. Obey, and be rewarded. You can imagine the horrors that await you if you displease me, so I will not waste my breath threatening you.'

'I live to serve, Your Majesty!' He smiled.

'Good. Off with you then, back to work.'

He stood and bowed at the dismissal, stepping back and teleporting away again.

"Now that that's finished, I'm in need of a Meal. You may wish to leave." I nodded to Victor, and approached one of the cells. There were only twenty-four people here, one in each of the cells on the bottom floor of this ring, but I selected one, reading his memories swiftly. He was guilty, unsurprisingly, but it was still something I worried about, and a good reason to learn mind-reading.

I strapped him to the dissection table, right in front of the others, and raised an eyebrow at Victor. "How's your stomach for torture?" I asked casually.

"I was under the impression you'd just be drinking their blood?" He frowned.

"I'm not drinking their blood, as I said; I'm unsure about the diseases they might have. However, due to my Demon Queen Status, plus the Succubi I received in my Gifting ceremony, I can drink peoples' Emotions, as well; this means I can torture this one, and feed off the fear of the rest, without ever drinking his blood." I explained calmly, and tightened the leather straps.

He blinked slowly, and hummed. "I see... in that case, I'll leave you to it; none of these men are strong enough to harm you, and my stomach for torture is nonexistent."

"Alrighty-then. Buh-bye." I waved my fingers at him casually until he teleported away, then reached for his mind, and touched it. 'By the way, how long is my 'Breakfast'?'

He shivered slowly, I could feel it. 'About thirty more minutes...' He sighed in relief as I cut the link, thinning it down to a negligible little one-dimensional strand.

"Alrighty! I've got thirty minutes with YOU, sweetie!" I poked the nose of the terrified prisoner, my eyes the very blackest of pits, and my voice like gravel screeching over glass and a chalkboard.

—

I didn't even need ten minutes to fill up on raw energy from their Fear, and I didn't even have to do anything to him except burn him a bit with an iron poker, and make them think I enjoyed it. Afterwards, one of them was placed into the Black Heart, to see if it worked properly.

When I felt that his life-signs were stable, I sent in the rest, and then had an idea, trapping their minds into believing they were in a maze full of horrifying things they couldn't quite see, and were always chasing them. Their heart rates became erratic, but the fear generated was near-constant, and I could instantly resuscitate them without even thinking about it, so it was a near-constant buffet, and soon I was too full, so I fed it to Zara and the Succubus and Incubus and my Amphiptere and Bulette, making them stronger. After a moment of thought, I fed the three queens, and shivered at their thanks, delivered from inside my own soul.

Still, the amount of mana that was cycling through my Mana Core and being purified, then cycled again, was astronomical. Even shared out to everyone else, it wasn't enough; it was still too much. On a stroke of genius, Zara opened mental channels to her siblings and mine, then my parents and Vera, (apparently viable across this great distance due to portals and the fact that we were blood related,) and fed them the purified mana as well, finally stabilizing my system. They knew they were receiving Mana, but from whom they'd only have to guess once.

I left the channels open, but once I had a hold of it, I changed it a bit, making it like a Gravity-fed System; when they used mana, I'd replenish it, but otherwise my mana Cycled throughout the Dark Heart and my sword and armor, which I knew would get stronger and more effective for magic the more mana crystallized in between the atoms of the material. As a material made from a biological substance, it was unquestionably superior in its ability to grow stronger and sharper and more protective than other blades and armors.

Still, it was like I was constantly feeding, but my stomach was still hungry, so I drank some of the the nutrients from the humans in my Dark Heart, feeding Zara as well, and then Healed them easily.

"I wonder if and why I'm the first to think of this?" I hummed, and walked towards the first of my classes, a required course on basic War Magic.

'Simply put... most Vampires are not Master Mages, but rather Knights... we prefer to kill and drink with our hands and teeth, even the most elegant of us.' The Vampire Queen answered with a chuckle.

'I hope you're not planning on having me kill any innocents, because you'll be sorely disappointed.' I frowned, and took a seat near the back of the large classroom, built like an auditorium or theater class with its stadium seating in a half-circle around a center stage.

'Innocents? No. Many, many, many Enemies? Oh yes, my dear, I do.'

"We missed you at breakfast, Alice. Let's talk." A group of six girls centered themselves around my seat, smirking, while the speaker stood in front of me, her hand on her sword.