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ROSES FOR RACHEL✔
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📰 Episode_34
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I made my way to the libr@ry with my handy sidekick, Cromley. I wanted to use my moment of downtime to study up as much as I could on my vampires and their lives. If I’m going to be a good leader, I nee-d to know more about them. I found a section labeled histories and started scanning throu-gh the titles on the shelf. I re-ad throu-gh a book about the earlier vampires, back before they were as civilized as they are now. It re-ad more like a horror story about the dangers of human and vampire interaction. Things had been savage before the rule of King Polis, who was the first ever elected leader. He brou-ght the vampire population together, and he was the one responsible for building these un-derground worlds they live in now. After a coupe, King Polis was killed and replaced with King Delfur who eventually went mad and almost led the entire population into a downfall, before Calvin’s father took over.
I was shocked as I re-ad about the cruel treatment that used to be allowed before Gordo. As much as I had thought I hated him, he had done a lot of good for humans and vampires alike. Sure, he had implemented the use of feeder schools, but aside from that, in his early years, he was a good ruler. He stabilized the civilization and was responsible for so many of the vampire advancements. I frowned as I thought about Calvin. I wonder now when Calvin told me he didn’t want to be like his father, if he meant because he was joke and weak, or if he meant he didn’t want to go from being beloved and good, to going in a downward spiral the way his father had.
I was slightly annoyed when I realized the book hadn’t been upd@t£d lately. Calvin’s birth is mentioned as a side note, but the Gordo led vampire uprising wasn’t mentioned and neither was anything new on Calvin’s mother. I stood, heading back to another shelf to find another book, cringing when I pas-sed one called ‘The Changing Process’, and then jumped when Cromley ban-ged on the door.
“Your highness,” He addressed me quic-kly. “You’ve received another letter.” He said walking over to me with his long arm outstretched.
“From Calvin?” I asked surprised. “He alre-ady s£nt one for today.” I said abs£ntly as I took the letter from his hand.
I recognized his handwriting instantly, and I started to get excited about two letters in one day, but then my attention was drawn to how thick the writing was, like he was pressing ha-rd as he wrote, and there was a slightly more hectic motion to the words instead of the usually perfectly lined script.
♣♣♥♥♣♥♥♣♣♥♣♥
📰Rachel,
I’m not sure how much longer I can keep this up. Every time we start to get to the bo-ttomof things, and think we are ma-king a difference, more trouble comes. I’m done trying to do this di-plomatically. I’m done ti-ptoeing on feelings and trying not to anger people. Make sure you’re guards know that the fighting is getting worse and that they nee-d to be even more vigilant. I lost 15 more of my men today alone, and I am not standing for this anymore. You may not hear from me for a while. I can’t sit back anymore, I’ve got to really fight alongside my men. I love you, Rachel. Stay strong for me. I’ll s£nd word.
💗💗💗💗💗💗
✒ All my love, Cal 📝
I folded the letter up and left the libr@ry in search of Pedro. There has to be something we can do to keep Calvin from ma-king a mistake or getting himself killed. Clearly the stress of this all is getting to him and he can’t possibly be thinking clearly. It’s bad enough that he is there in the first place, but then the fact that the king is actually fighting is even more insane.
I rushed back into Gordo’s suite and barged into the study, all of the people wh!pping around to look at me with displea-sed eyes. Miss Angela had the nerve to roll her eyes at me. “This is a closed meeting, your highness, we don’t nee-d any of your help on anything else.” She told me and I could feel the blood in my veins boiling.
I was taken back for just a second and then I laughed. “I’m sorry, who in this room is a queen, and who is the appointed official?” I asked her and she dropped her jaw. I looked away from her and over to Pedro. “I nee-d to speak with you.”
“Your highness, we will be finished here in just a few more minutes.” Master Xander said politely bowing his head.
Master Pedro stood up. “I’ll speak with you in your room.” He said walking around the desk but Miss Angela gr@bb£d his arm.
“Don’t leave now.” She said to him with a snarky expression and she tilted her long face towards me. “You don’t have to take orders from a human.”
Pedro looked down at her in shock, and Xander and Miss Francine leaned away from her like they didn’t want to be as-sociated with her. “I may be a human,” I said walking to her slowly. “But I am a human who is married to your king, and you will treat me with respect, just as I have treated you with.” I said firmly. “Now I say this meeting is over.” I told her pointing to the door.
Everyone else got up, heading towards the door and I smiled a thanks to them, but Angela remained seated and folded her arms. “You’re not my boss.” She said childishly and I couldn’t help but laugh in her face.
I opened my mouth to reply, but Pedro cut me off. “You may not want to recognize her has your boss, but I as-sure you she is, and so am I.” He snapped at her. “Now you can apologize to your queen and leave, or you can be esc-rted out and to the dungeons.”
They exchanged a ha-rd glance, but she stood, then walked towards the door. Cromley st©pped her from leaving. “Enough of this.” He said angrily. “I won’t stand for this type of behavior towards my queen.” He glared into her eyes. “I will take her to the dungeons myself.”
He gr@bb£d her arm and there was terror on her face. She’d called Pedro’s bluff and found out that he wasn’t kidding. I raised my hand to Cromley. “St©p.” I told him as she fought against him and he dropped his hands from her. “She doesn’t die for being a bit-ch.” I told him, then I walked over to her. “You just remember that it was a human that saved your life.” I said lowly as I pas-sed throu-gh the door, Pedro and Cromley right behind me.
As we entered into the main room, I saw that the others were still here, staring at me wi-de eyed and bowing with smiles as I walked throu-gh.
“You really should have punished her.” Pedro said as we walked into my room, leaving Cromley to guard the door.
I turned to him. “Yes, well, I think the embarras-sment was probably punishment enough.” I shrugged. “Besides, I am really not ok with the punishment for everything being death.” I explained. “Especially not just because she was rude to me.”
Pedro sighed, obviously deciding not to argue with me. “What was so important that we end our meeting early?” He asked and I pas-sed him the letter, chewing my l!pwhile I watched his eyebrows rise as he re-ad. “This is not good.” He said.
I rolled my eyes at him. “Well, duh.” I said with my brows raised too. “That’s why I c@m£ to you.” I told him. “What were you all still discussing in there anyway?”
Pedro shook his head and went to sit down at the foot of my be-d. “I knew the fighting was getting worse, but I didn’t realize we were losing men at such a high rate.” He said as he stro-ked his chin. “We’ve got to get Calvin back here if it is truly as bad as he says.”
“How?” I asked sitting down beside him.
“Ask him to come.” He said simply, turning his face to mine. “If you beg him to, I know that he would.”
I dropped my eyes to my perfectly painted f!ngernails and watched the light glitter off of them. “I don’t think I can do that, Pedro.” I sighed. “This means a lot to Calvin, and I’d feel bad using his feelings for me as a ploy to get him to drop what he’s doing.”
Pedro put his hand on my shoulder. “This could get him killed.” He said softly, holding up the letter.
I leaned over to Pedro, resting my head on his shoulder, and he patted my back. I know he’s right, Calvin isn’t thinking clearly, and the last thing I nee-d is for him to be acting on hate fueled emotion and get himself murdered. “Fine.” I said weakly. “Who knows if my letter will even get to him in time.” I pointed out.
Pedro stood up. “You’ll call him.” He said. “Hearing your voice will make the impact even stronger.” He nodded to himself, like an idea was forming.
“We’ve got satellite phones that we’ve been using to communicate with Calvin’s lead warrior, Master Ronald, to keep us up to d@t£ on the latest news.” A troubled look crossed his face. “Actually, it is a little strange that we didn’t hear about this from him.” He said looking down at the letter. “I’ll go get the phone.” He said quic-kly, rushing from the room.
I walked over to the other side of the be-d and picked up Calvin’s pillow, hvgging it to my che-st and trying to smell him on it, but the scent was ha-rd ly there anymore. Pedro scurried back into the room carrying a big black and yellow phone that looked more like a walkie-talkie. “Master Ronald?” He said into it a couple of times, pausing in between, as he sat down on the foot of the be-d again.
Some noise crackled over the line, but nothing I could decipher. I put the pillow back, then c@m£ to sit on my knees in the floor in front of Pedro while he called into it more times, more urgently every time. After 10 minutes went by with nothing but background noise, a voice finally c@m£ across. “Pedro?” He asked breathlessly.
Pedro and I both jumped and I gr@bb£d the phone from his hands. “Calvin?” I called into it, my che-st in pain from how ha-rd my heart was beating.
“Rachel?” He asked.
I sighed, “Oh my god, Calvin.”
There was more noise, almost like shouting in the background. “Rachel, what’s going on? Why are you calling? Are you alright?” His voice was frantic and I glanced up at Pedro.
“Ask him where Ron is.” Pedro said quic-kly, his face a calm mask.
I was breathing heavily too, hearing Calvin’s strained breaths coming across. “Calvin, are you ok?” I asked. “Where’s Ron?”
“He’s dead.” He whispered. “We’re un-der attack.” He said and then there was more shouting. “Get to the back!” I head Calvin shout, then a loud ban-ging sound.
“Calvin?” I called.
“Rachel, I’m sorry.” He said. “I never should have gotten you caught up in all of this. I don’t know what’s going to happen to me.” He breathed. “We have to go.” He said. “Don’t s£nd any more men, we won’t be here.” He huffed. “We’ve got a chance at the bastard behind this, and we’ve got to go to-.” The phone cut out for a second. “Be praying that we are successful, then I can come home to you.” There was something that sounded vaguely like gunsh0ts. “I can’t write you or call. It’s going to be radio silence, make sure you tell Pedro that.” He sounded like he was running. “Rachel, I love you. If something happens to me, no matter what you find out, plea-se believe I love you, so much more than I ever thought was possible to love another person.”
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✒To_be_Continued
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