Chapter 110

Chapter 110
Rolland
I yawned, waking at sundown as one does. The servants had my suit readied, starched and pressed. I dressed. There’s no need for showers unless I’m trying to raise my body temperature. I don’t make human stink, or any scent other than being undead, so a simple wipe down is enough.
My morning meal was on the table, already poured, the way I like it. I do rather enjoy having my meals alone. It gives one time to adjust myself to be able to tolerate imbecilic mortals, and incompetent underlings.
A double shame that this was all the superb blood I had left too… Lord Below, 13-5-9A was a treat, but my portion was given away, to a mortal no less who’s probably crying about having to consume fellow livestock. 
And they made a fool of me showing their faces!
I had to sit at the table with a barn animal, and literal livestock. I had to smile and be mannerly, barely understanding old vampiric, but at least they didn’t misbehave, or make a scene. If they would have ruined my party, that mortal would have been in parts delivered to the bull’s door.
I nearly broke my wine flute. I would not dare spill a drop of my king’s private selection…. I dare say if I had the patience, I would, but my hands are not ‘gentle’ enough.
I can’t throw them in cages and give them bread and water. Their misery, and apparently ‘malnutrition’ spoils the batch.
Whatever.
My plan produces enough for my people. They must feed as well, and leaving the commoners hunting produces bastard lines of unaccounted for weaklings. That is detrimental to our society; it makes hunters.
I rang the bell by the door as I exited, and the thralls came in with bowed heads to tidy my room. Once I left, they dusted, and vacuumed.
I smelled vampire dust.
…. What mass amount of death did I miss? I heard no sounds last day.
Instead of heading to my office, I went downstairs. There was a gathered crowd… four large wooden boxes sat in the living room. 
“What is this.” I hissed.
“My lord, we had to contact Lord Lucian-” I cut him off. I’d slapped him before I had a handle on my temper.
“What?!” I yelled.
“…. Forgive me sire! We had no choice; you told us not to disturb you!” he begged, and I hesitated to strike him again.
They were quiet. I could tell there was more bad news, but they would not speak.
“Rolland, your temper is too hot.” Said Anuli, having the nerve to chastise me.
“You speak to freely.” I countered. “But I assume you know what’s going on.”
“I do, because I had to speak with our progenitor.” She said seriously…. I listened. “Hunters found where we placed our lowest caste, and you see before you the entire den in Hillcrest County….  They burned the building to the ground.” She walked over and turned on the tv. 
“-Log Cabin Pharmaceutical chairman Bigsby Brian along with 8 pharmacists were arrested this morning for a combined total of 932 counts of alleged fraud this morning,  leaving doors closed.”
The feed was live, and there were several world news broadcasters in front of the warehouse… On the outside it looked like a normal, one-story brick family run pharmacy, but underneath had tons of product. Fuck… Every narcotic we make, from normal to supernatural will be inspected now…
What the fuck.
I saw the building.
I saw my thralls.
I couldn’t believe it. This is the Light getting in the fucking way of my ascension.
Why me Lord of Balance? Have I not drained enough in your name? 
The First day of my promotion, the First day, and everything goes wrong.
“We lost 45% of our shareholders.” She said apathetically… Spiteful bitch.
I bet she enjoyed this, damn loyalist.
“I must speak with Lord Lucian.” I said turning around, bumping into someone. “Get out the f-”
“Go ahead and finish that statement.” Said my lord.
Fuck.
He stood there pale as moonlight, arms crossed, in his full, unrestricted glory. His dark eyes were red rimmed from hunger, and anger, while he wore mortal street clothes. He wore a plain button-down white shirt, and slacks, but I found myself feeling like a toad. I kneeled down so low I could see his boots, and he put one on top of my head.
He showed me my place… I didn’t resist. I cannot best the one who made me, as he is about four times my strength. It would only lead to a beating.
“You sleep while this goes on, and you wish me to allow you to hold More  responsibility?!” He boomed.
“Forgive me sire. I did not know.” I said feeling like a dog.
“You didn’t want to either.” He snorted. “I’m fucking here for the night now; I need to fix this before father comes sniffing around. Get up and go replace our numbers. Anuli, I want you to go out and mingle with our investors. Let them know that everything is under control. Fargo, dispose of the dust in a way that doesn’t lead the Headhunter’s dogs to our main coven, since Rolland was asleep, and didn’t tell you not to bring fucking Boxes of our dead fledglings here.”
“Yes sire.” Fargo bowed, stammering over his words like someone trying not to trip on ice….
Lucian’s look at me brought that feeling I had not known since he bit me.
Fear
“Give me a stake.” He hissed. He still had a boot on my head.
“My lord please; you gave me orders! Let me fulfill them.”
I couldn’t see, but I heard one placed in his hands, and no one moved a muscle. No one said a word…. His desire is law… If he told me to do it to myself, my body would with or without my consent….
“This is my fault.” He huffed in anger. “I didn’t compel you not to do this, trusting my First Turned.”
“Forgive-” he clicked his tongue, which forced me to stop talking.
“Does that bring back 60 vampires?” He asked, though he didn’t want me to speak. “Some of those fledglings weren’t even a Fucking decade, why should you continue to exist? Hmm? You don’t think I don’t know what you did behind my back, after I said I didn’t want a blood ball?!” He roared. “You purposefully did that to make me look bad. You did this! Its’s why I said announcing our plans so loudly was not to be done, you dumb twiddly dick dipshit!” 
“I wanted to impress them!” I said that truthfully, but I remained thoughtless. I could feel his gaze upon my soul, and he already knows my traitorous heart…. Why is it still intact?
“Your heart is intact because I will it.” I Hissed in pain while he growled every word. “I put you here because I didn’t want to be. I’m inclined to put an end to your prancing in my paddock little gelding.” He put the full weight of his boot on my head, and I felt the tip of the wood evaporate my clothes. They became dust, then the top layer of my flesh, exposing my ribcage. As I lay on my back, and the reality set in, I found myself begging.
“Let me make this right!” I yelled.
“We lost 2.2 million in assets, men, money, the pharmacy warehouse, and drugs in one day while you had your thumb up your ass!” He spat. I felt it go in a little deeper… I could feel the calcium in my bones become sand, and I felt my heart beating.
It beat because I was about to know what being killed felt like again… Last time it was my choice, this time… this time he would take it away for good.
“Begone.” Lucian growled. “I expect you to bring back 60 new fledglings, and you will care for them, and train them. Now you have the Secret Police’s snouts in our business, and that fucking cow is going to make sure they find everything they can take.”
That was a sore spot, but his anger at the Battle Bull saved my life. He stood, and kicked me so hard I landed at the base of the stairs. I coughed black clotted blood… He hit me hard enough to breathe, but I was greatful that I was allowed to…
I frantically got up, and instead of getting the servants to get my car, I got it myself like a commoner.
“Do not return until your task is done!” he shouted.
“Yes sire!” I yelled.
I hated myself… I Kneel, Bow… I begged.
It should be me in that chair upstairs barking orders! I do all the work. I hold all the chips, I move their feet and this place wouldn’t be anything without me! ME! Yet he comes and barks and we bow.
He yells an order and I’m compelled to lick his feet. As I sped off, my 4 loyal, those I turned came with me. I will take his abuse as a boon. It is a blessing, since I am making this small army. If I can help it, the next generation will be loyal to me, and I’ll find a way to even the playing field.
There’s only so much throwing an old flame’s name around can do… but at least he’d made a major mistake giving me the authority to raise a coven to replace the one that was lost. At least some good can come from this embarrassment.