So, in celebration, a snippet:
"We had a visitor, my lord."
"The king again?" Vlad asked, noting his use of the word 'had'.
Willie shook his head. "No. The policeman."
Vlad raised an eyebrow. "The policeman?"
"He carried a message from the king," Willie said. "If I may be so bold, my lord--I don't like that man." He held out a folded piece of paper, slightly smudged.
"If it makes you feel any better, he annoys me too," Vlad said, and opened the note. There was only one word: Progress?
"On which end?" Vlad asked in reply.
"My lord?"
Vlad waved him away. "I suppose I will be visiting the king this evening," he said, and briefly touched the book hidden inside his jacket. "He wants a progress report, and I actually have something to report." Something that might--or might not--mean Valerian's untimely demise. "If I'm going to be past dawn, I'll send word."
"Past dawn?" Willie shook his head. "But--"
"The king knows what I am," Vlad said gently.
"But do you trust him?" Willie asked.
"I don't know," Vlad said after a moment of silence. And that was the truth. "I have no reason not to--at least at the moment."
"While you're useful," Willie muttered.
"Yes." It was not an ideal situation by any means. But it was a novel one. "And the hour grows late. I do have news for the king."
"Yes, my lord," Willie said, and turned to go.
Vlad hesitated. "There is something I would have you do, if you don't mind."
"Yes, my lord?"
"I need a copy of the book," Vlad said. "I only have one copy, and there's a young vampire in the dungeons who might need one eventually. Do you think you can find someone to print a copy? Discreetly?"
He didn't have to name the title of the book. This wasn't the first time that Willie had fashioned a copy of that book. One less-than-memorable copy had been handwritten.
"I'll do my best, my lord," Willie said.
"I know you will." Vlad tucked the king's note in the pocket beside the other book, and then followed his servant down the stairs.
He had made progress, yes. But the king would not like what he had discovered.
As usual, copyright belongs to me.
"We had a visitor, my lord."
"The king again?" Vlad asked, noting his use of the word 'had'.
Willie shook his head. "No. The policeman."
Vlad raised an eyebrow. "The policeman?"
"He carried a message from the king," Willie said. "If I may be so bold, my lord--I don't like that man." He held out a folded piece of paper, slightly smudged.
"If it makes you feel any better, he annoys me too," Vlad said, and opened the note. There was only one word: Progress?
"On which end?" Vlad asked in reply.
"My lord?"
Vlad waved him away. "I suppose I will be visiting the king this evening," he said, and briefly touched the book hidden inside his jacket. "He wants a progress report, and I actually have something to report." Something that might--or might not--mean Valerian's untimely demise. "If I'm going to be past dawn, I'll send word."
"Past dawn?" Willie shook his head. "But--"
"The king knows what I am," Vlad said gently.
"But do you trust him?" Willie asked.
"I don't know," Vlad said after a moment of silence. And that was the truth. "I have no reason not to--at least at the moment."
"While you're useful," Willie muttered.
"Yes." It was not an ideal situation by any means. But it was a novel one. "And the hour grows late. I do have news for the king."
"Yes, my lord," Willie said, and turned to go.
Vlad hesitated. "There is something I would have you do, if you don't mind."
"Yes, my lord?"
"I need a copy of the book," Vlad said. "I only have one copy, and there's a young vampire in the dungeons who might need one eventually. Do you think you can find someone to print a copy? Discreetly?"
He didn't have to name the title of the book. This wasn't the first time that Willie had fashioned a copy of that book. One less-than-memorable copy had been handwritten.
"I'll do my best, my lord," Willie said.
"I know you will." Vlad tucked the king's note in the pocket beside the other book, and then followed his servant down the stairs.
He had made progress, yes. But the king would not like what he had discovered.
As usual, copyright belongs to me.
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