The Bliss of Ignorance Can Never Be Replaced
Liam hadn't smiled in awhile lately. Diana knew that with absolute certainty as she watched the line of Cainites file out of his back office. Aside from the Toreador gentleman, who gave her a lurid leer, they all ignored her. The primogen were always pompous, but this lot definitely was outdoing their counterparts in other cities. How could Liam possibly smile in a room filled with these people?
When the last of them disappeared down the hall, Diana walked over to the open door to Liam's office and rapped her knuckles against the doorframe. A formality, really. She could see him plain enough, sitting behind his desk with his fingers bridged and his forehead pulled into a deep scowl. When he looked up at her something changed. For only a moment. His dark eyes showed a little bit of a spark. But that was gone before it began, his mask of formality drawn tight. "Miss Abel," he said courteously. No doubt, at least one of the primogen was lingering to hear what business a Malkavian girl, so far beneath them, could want with the Prince.
"Prince Stephens," she said, just as formally, even as she practiced her new, American accent.
He gestured her forward and Diana stepped inside, quietly closing the door behind her. Liam's mask didn't dissolve liked she'd expected, but he did stand up. "You're back." He took a halting step, like he wanted to walk around the table to her, but was stopping himself for one reason or another.
What was going on?
"Are you busy?" Diana asked. "I can come back later."
He gestured vaguely to his appointment book. "All that's left is to acknowledge new Kindred in the city," he said. "Just a Ventrue, I think. Things have been surprisingly quiet."
She smiled. "I'm glad for that." They could all do with some quiet, what with the work they had ahead.
Why was he hiding behind his desk like that? Men could be so silly. Lifting her skirts a little bit, Diana made her way around the room so that she could stand by him. Liam tensed a slightly as she approached, apparently debating something male in his head before he turned to face her directly. He took a hand, lightly kissing her knuckles. "It's good to see you again, Diana."
Well, that was more like it. Diana opened her mouth to reply, but suddenly, the door swung open. It took her a moment to register what, or rather, who she was seeing. She knew immediately that she recognized the delicate, bird-like features of that face, with skin pulled tight by blond hair that was up-swept and neat. It was the cold, angry glare coming from the green eyes that brought the memory back completely. "Ursela..."
The glare, for one moment, turned surprised, as Ursela took in the room. "Liam?"
For his own part, Liam barely managed to get "Ursela?" out in his sputtering. Quickly, he curled his arm around Diana's waist, shifting her behind him. She couldn't know for sure, but Diana was almost certain she could smell a surge of vitae, coursing into his skin and turning his flesh into a steely armor that could protect him against damage. When she stood up on her toes to peer over his shoulder, she could see why. Ursela's entire body was trembling in fury as she glared at the two of them. She forced a smile, but her voice was pure ice as she said, "Liam, my darling, sweet, sweet boy. I never thought I would find you!"
"I didn't want to be found, Ursela," he said quietly.
"Hiding in plain sight as the Prince of Sunnyvale?"
"Are you here for acknowledgment?"
"What did they do to you?" Ursela asked. "The Children of Eden? I didn't think you would survive."
"I survived," Liam said in a measured tone.
She put on a pout. "Why didn't you find me?"
"I didn't want to find you."
Ursela's eyes settled on Diana. For a moment, all Diana saw was fury, but that fury changed abruptly, into something much more startling. Recognition. "You..." she whispered. At once, she reached for her pistol.
Liam's eyes caught hers. "Freeze," he commanded in a tone that he only used when he was activating Dominate.
It worked. Ursela's body went rigid.
"Diana," he said quietly, "get out of here."
"You're with them now?" Ursela asked incredulously. "You're with her?"
"I suggest you leave, Ursela." Liam's voice was painfully quiet.
"What have they done to you?" Ursela hissed. "What hold does she have over you?"
"None but my honor," Liam replied.
"Honor!" Ursela let out a bitter laugh. "You don't have honor. We don't have honor!"
Liam shook his head. "It's past that time in life when you can speak for me, Ursela," he said in a voice barely above a whisper.
Rigid, both with rage and with the final whispers of Dominate, Ursela narrowed her eyes at Diana. They barely knew one another. Diana had only ever seen Ursela once. But they were tied together. Tied by the horror deeds wrought by Ursela and Liam, in the name of destroying the Children of Eden. The blood of Diana's father was on their hands. And Joseph's blood too. And dozens of others. Now, Diana felt a new bond of hatred forming between them. But she didn't know what it was. It wasn't her fault Liam had been demented. It wasn't her doing that had led him to join with Artemis. She was nothing in this. But the way Ursela looked at her now...Diana felt like it was all her fault somehow. Ursela saw something that she could not see.
"Whatever hold you have over him," Ursela said softly, her voice trembling, "you will break it. Or I'll break your neck."
"Leave," Liam said.
"Or what?"
"Or I'll call a bloodhunt on you."
Whether that was a threat that was too real to ignore or whether she was merely regrouping, Ursela shut her mouth. "I'll go," she said. "With your permission, of course."
Liam's Dominating tone returned. "Leave."
The freeze broke and Ursela took a few steps back, before turning around and storming out with a huff and a swish of rich fabric.
Neither of them moved for a moment. They stood motionless, listening to her footsteps fade away into the hall. And even for several minutes after that, nothing happened. But then Liam turned around, looking down at Diana. "What was that about?" Diana asked meekly. "I thought you loved her."
He opened his mouth, then closed it. She watched his face, almost completely placid. Only his eyes showed any signs of life and in them, she saw him reaching a decision. "We have work to do," he said, returning his to desk. Whatever decision he'd made, it wasn't one that pleased him. And it left her with a lot of questions.
When the last of them disappeared down the hall, Diana walked over to the open door to Liam's office and rapped her knuckles against the doorframe. A formality, really. She could see him plain enough, sitting behind his desk with his fingers bridged and his forehead pulled into a deep scowl. When he looked up at her something changed. For only a moment. His dark eyes showed a little bit of a spark. But that was gone before it began, his mask of formality drawn tight. "Miss Abel," he said courteously. No doubt, at least one of the primogen was lingering to hear what business a Malkavian girl, so far beneath them, could want with the Prince.
"Prince Stephens," she said, just as formally, even as she practiced her new, American accent.
He gestured her forward and Diana stepped inside, quietly closing the door behind her. Liam's mask didn't dissolve liked she'd expected, but he did stand up. "You're back." He took a halting step, like he wanted to walk around the table to her, but was stopping himself for one reason or another.
What was going on?
"Are you busy?" Diana asked. "I can come back later."
He gestured vaguely to his appointment book. "All that's left is to acknowledge new Kindred in the city," he said. "Just a Ventrue, I think. Things have been surprisingly quiet."
She smiled. "I'm glad for that." They could all do with some quiet, what with the work they had ahead.
Why was he hiding behind his desk like that? Men could be so silly. Lifting her skirts a little bit, Diana made her way around the room so that she could stand by him. Liam tensed a slightly as she approached, apparently debating something male in his head before he turned to face her directly. He took a hand, lightly kissing her knuckles. "It's good to see you again, Diana."
Well, that was more like it. Diana opened her mouth to reply, but suddenly, the door swung open. It took her a moment to register what, or rather, who she was seeing. She knew immediately that she recognized the delicate, bird-like features of that face, with skin pulled tight by blond hair that was up-swept and neat. It was the cold, angry glare coming from the green eyes that brought the memory back completely. "Ursela..."
The glare, for one moment, turned surprised, as Ursela took in the room. "Liam?"
For his own part, Liam barely managed to get "Ursela?" out in his sputtering. Quickly, he curled his arm around Diana's waist, shifting her behind him. She couldn't know for sure, but Diana was almost certain she could smell a surge of vitae, coursing into his skin and turning his flesh into a steely armor that could protect him against damage. When she stood up on her toes to peer over his shoulder, she could see why. Ursela's entire body was trembling in fury as she glared at the two of them. She forced a smile, but her voice was pure ice as she said, "Liam, my darling, sweet, sweet boy. I never thought I would find you!"
"I didn't want to be found, Ursela," he said quietly.
"Hiding in plain sight as the Prince of Sunnyvale?"
"Are you here for acknowledgment?"
"What did they do to you?" Ursela asked. "The Children of Eden? I didn't think you would survive."
"I survived," Liam said in a measured tone.
She put on a pout. "Why didn't you find me?"
"I didn't want to find you."
Ursela's eyes settled on Diana. For a moment, all Diana saw was fury, but that fury changed abruptly, into something much more startling. Recognition. "You..." she whispered. At once, she reached for her pistol.
Liam's eyes caught hers. "Freeze," he commanded in a tone that he only used when he was activating Dominate.
It worked. Ursela's body went rigid.
"Diana," he said quietly, "get out of here."
"You're with them now?" Ursela asked incredulously. "You're with her?"
"I suggest you leave, Ursela." Liam's voice was painfully quiet.
"What have they done to you?" Ursela hissed. "What hold does she have over you?"
"None but my honor," Liam replied.
"Honor!" Ursela let out a bitter laugh. "You don't have honor. We don't have honor!"
Liam shook his head. "It's past that time in life when you can speak for me, Ursela," he said in a voice barely above a whisper.
Rigid, both with rage and with the final whispers of Dominate, Ursela narrowed her eyes at Diana. They barely knew one another. Diana had only ever seen Ursela once. But they were tied together. Tied by the horror deeds wrought by Ursela and Liam, in the name of destroying the Children of Eden. The blood of Diana's father was on their hands. And Joseph's blood too. And dozens of others. Now, Diana felt a new bond of hatred forming between them. But she didn't know what it was. It wasn't her fault Liam had been demented. It wasn't her doing that had led him to join with Artemis. She was nothing in this. But the way Ursela looked at her now...Diana felt like it was all her fault somehow. Ursela saw something that she could not see.
"Whatever hold you have over him," Ursela said softly, her voice trembling, "you will break it. Or I'll break your neck."
"Leave," Liam said.
"Or what?"
"Or I'll call a bloodhunt on you."
Whether that was a threat that was too real to ignore or whether she was merely regrouping, Ursela shut her mouth. "I'll go," she said. "With your permission, of course."
Liam's Dominating tone returned. "Leave."
The freeze broke and Ursela took a few steps back, before turning around and storming out with a huff and a swish of rich fabric.
Neither of them moved for a moment. They stood motionless, listening to her footsteps fade away into the hall. And even for several minutes after that, nothing happened. But then Liam turned around, looking down at Diana. "What was that about?" Diana asked meekly. "I thought you loved her."
He opened his mouth, then closed it. She watched his face, almost completely placid. Only his eyes showed any signs of life and in them, she saw him reaching a decision. "We have work to do," he said, returning his to desk. Whatever decision he'd made, it wasn't one that pleased him. And it left her with a lot of questions.