Chapter 20 – The Immortal Goes to the Council

Even though one burden was gone, there was another hurdle left. After I had submitted the massive evidence to the Council, they requested my attendance including my clan members acting as prime witnesses to the accusation that I had against Chang Taehyung.

It was merely for formality.

The Vampire Council has seven members in total, they are the law and order of the Vampire World. They keep us from going berserk, and they lay rules for each vampire to heed as we assimilate ourselves to the Human World. Their ancestors were the ones who created a ruling to have Seven Emperors to lead the other vampires and it's been passed down from generation to generation.

Being one of the Seven Emperors comes with many benefits, but they were tiresome and burdensome so only the pureblood nobles were ever chosen. We were all trained, educated and prepared to become an Emperor. Our status does not come with just being noble only.

On the day of the hearing, I opened my eyes to warmth on my neck and noticed that Jiminie had climbed up on me in his sleep. His face was pressed against my neck, his arm and leg were thrown over me. I could feel his heart beating, the smell of his blood flowing through his veins and his vanilla scent.

This was bliss.

I ran a hand through his hair, feeling the soft strands going through my fingers and I wrapped an arm around his waist - keeping him close to me. He has grown a lot, I mused. Gone were the softness in his waist, and were replaced with tough muscle instead.

He has grown powerful, thanks to his dancing and his exercises. I ran my hand down his back, marvelling at the twist and curves of muscles and feeling him shiver slightly upon my touch. I heard a whine, knowing that he was about to wake up, and I stopped moving - not wanting to wake him.

"Don't stop, Alice," he whined.

Chuckling, I continued rubbing down his back as directed and then he shot up from the bed immediately like he was burnt. I stared at him in confusion. He looked extremely shy suddenly. His face was burning red, and it went up to the tips of his ears.

"Is everything okay?" I asked slyly.

"Erm nothing," he replied quickly as he dove back into the bed, bringing the quilt over him.

I eyed him, seeing him buried up to the tips of his ears. He looked adorable like that. I couldn't describe the feeling which overwhelmed me. Trying hard not to laugh, I ruffled his hair and got off the bed, heading to the bathroom. I knew what ails him, and I was not about to get him more embarrassed than he already was.

So I took a shower, taking my time scrubbing my skin and got out of the bathroom after I applied my usual skincare and headed to my wardrobe to get ready for the day. Wrapped in a bathrobe, I was mulling over what to wear when I heard Jiminie coming up to take a peek at me.

"What is it, Jiminie?" I asked.

"Today is the hearing, isn't it?"

"Yes."

"H - how are you feeling?" he asked softly. "Are you okay?"

My hand paused from taking out a hanger, hovering above the clothes as I registered his question. I lowered my hand, keeping it by my side. "I have mixed feelings about this," I admitted. "Though I am glad that he is no more Emperor, I … he was my childhood friend."

He approached and held my hand, squeezing it gently.

"I keep telling myself that he deserves it," I continued. "He killed my partner, and he made my life hell. He was always antagonising me, making me feel inferior and loathed whenever I achieved something. He's a bad man, abusive and he doesn't deserve mercy but I -"

"You can't stop wondering if there was another less painful way to deal the blow to him," Jiminie interrupted as he wrapped his arms around me, pulling me into his embrace as he rested his chin on my head. "Because of what you are as a person. You're kind, compassionate and empathetic. You're a good person, Alice."

"Being an Emperor is tiring," I complained.

"Can't you hand it over to another person?" he asked.

"I don't trust anyone else who could do what I do," I answered bitterly. "And besides, there aren't many noble and pureblood vampires around anymore."

"Why?"

"We … we kind of hate each other," I tried to explain as best as I could. "And my generation decided to stop following our parents footsteps and started mating with other vampires."

"How many pure blood vampires are there right now?"

"I don't know, a hundred maybe."

"That's really little, Alice."

"Yeah, our numbers were greatly depleted after the Great War two thousand years ago."

"What happened there?"

I took a step back and looked up at him. "I'll tell you some other time," I said. "I need to prepare for a briefing to my clan members before we head for the hearing. Do you want to come with me?"

He paused. "Sure."

.

Later -

"Do you really have to do this, Alice?"

I looked at the little one quietly. Around me, the clan members were getting ready to leave. We had gathered in the office's large conference hall, the preliminary briefing already over and the clan members knowing what to do or say when asked or questioned by the Council members.

I wanted everyone to be ready.

I went to him and held his hands. "This is important to keep Taehyung off the throne if he were to attempt it once again," I explained. "The Council needs evidence, and testimony from everyone who was involved. It's a big accusation, and that was why it took me years to gather everything."

"I want to follow you, Alice," he said with determination.

"That's nice baby but I can't have you there," I explained gently. "I don't want the others knowing about you and the thought of other vampires knowing about your existence is enough to make me hurl. And besides, you won't be safe there. You'll be the only human amongst all immortals."

"But Alice -"

"Hush baby, the Council is a scary place," I interrupted softly as I held his cheeks and squeezed them. "I don't want to bring you there."

He tried pleading at me again with his eyes and that made me laugh. "No begging," I said firmly. "I'll be back soon. Stay in my loft. It's the safest there. No one will dare to enter the home of one of the Seven Emperors."

He nods with a pout, making me laugh again. "Can I order pepperoni pizza?" he asked. "And tteokbokki with cheese?"

"You can order whatever you want," I answered as I gave him my wallet. "Do you remember my pin code?"

"Yes!"

"Don't use the black card," I said. "The AMAX card would be good for online purchases."

"Okay, I'll remember."

I paused. "Don't purchase your games when I'm not around, Jiminie," I added as an afterthought. "I'll know if you do."

"Aww Alice! That's not fair!" he whined, which made me smile. "I was intending to buy the latest Call of Duty game."

"Boss, we're ready to go," Sebastian added softly next to me.

I nod, my eyes on Jiminie. "Head home," I said as I tapped his chin playfully. "I'll be back soon."

"Okay Alice."

I eyed the clan members who were looking at me. Their faces were set. They were ready to go through this with me. My clan leaders were already there waiting too and they wore varying expressions. "Are you ready?" I asked. They nodded back. "Hold on tight."

With one snap of my fingers, I initiated a transportation spell powerful enough to accommodate everyone in the conference hall minus Jiminie and we disappeared. Seeing the two stone pillars after a millennium made the smile on my face disappear and I rearranged my facial expression as I noticed one of their familiars making its way towards us.

A familiar is a lesser being owned by an immortal who does as what they're ordered to do. Sometimes, they are forced to do odd jobs or chores unbeknownst to their kind. I do not own one, as it is a detestable thing to me. If I were to find those who were in captivity, I tend to buy them in bulk and free them later.

It can come in various forms, and they can morph into other creatures but they're usually in the form of a disgusting-looking tiny golem.

If Jiminie was here, he would freak out or worse, start making friends with them.

This certain familiar works for the Council and directs visitors to the place that we're supposed to go. That was his only job, and I had befriended it when I was a child - back when I was accompanying my parents. The familiar goes by the name of Kuindall and bowed deeply as soon as it was near me.

"Welcome to the Council, Emperor Alicia Harlequin Griffins," he spoke with a grandiose. "May I - if I dare so - see your emblem, Your Highness?"

I showed him the ring on my index finger - showing the emblem of a hummingbird on it and upon seeing it with its own eyes, Kuindall bowed again and told us to follow him. I stepped through the two stone pillars and followed the familiar as he led us across the darkened hall and up a spiralling stone staircase.

We left the dark, acrid basement and entered the ground floor - walking along the long stone corridor with a garden on our left. There were staff working on the garden, tending to the flowers and they paused from their work to bow in greeting as we walked past them.

Taking a left, passing by large doors, we entered the building as the familiar led us along a carpeted corridor and up the stairs. The lobby looked exactly like it had been a millennium ago, and I wondered about their interior designing. Why would they not change the design?

I don't get it.

"Oh, Alice! Hello! It's good to see you!" a cheerful voice interrupted suddenly and I turned around to see one of the Seven Emperors making his way jovially towards me. "Wow! Wow! Wow! You've brought your clan with you! This is going to be very interesting."

Emperor Flynn Haynes was an egoistic, prideful vampire who loves belittling beings that he deemed lesser than him. I find his character troubling and tiring, so I do not really dwell long in conversation with him though he is one of my business partners. I would rather deal with his mate, Elaine instead. She was warmer in person, an entirely different person than him.

"It's just half of my clan, Flynn," I answered. "They're here as witnesses. What are you doing here?"

"I came to cheer you on," he answered as he wrapped an arm around my shoulder, following along with us.

"You're just bored, Flynn."

"I don't have a plaything like yours, Alice."

I turned sour. "Don't disrespect him."

He laughs. "You're just whipped for him."

I put his arm down. "Don't disrespect him, Flynn."

He lets out a sigh. "You're too serious, Alice. It was just a harmless joke."

"It's not a joke," I said firmly. "I don't joke about Elaine either. So I suggest you shut your trap before I get angry, Flynn."

"Okay, jeez! You're such a sour puss," he exclaimed angrily as he took a step back, raising his arms up in surrender. "Why can't you take a joke? You're always high strung, Alice. Live a little!"

"You ought to be careful of what you say, Flynn," I said. "This is my mate you're talking about. I do not find it funny."

He grew annoyed at my statement and stormed off without another word. He didn't attempt to apologise either. What a prideful and egoistic vampire. I wonder what Elaine sees in him. I eyed his retreating back and looked ahead, rolling my eyes at him.

"Men."

After fifteen more minutes of walking quietly, we reached the Central Hall where the hearing would be held. Even though we knew that we won't be the only ones there, we were still surprised to see an audience inside. Telling them to take their seats behind me, I went to my seat.

The Hall has been rearranged to accommodate the briefing. Right at the front where the curtains were, there was a raised desk to accommodate the seven Council members. Facing the desk a few meters away was a single chair where Taehyung would supposedly sit. Behind him, were where the Seven Emperors would sit.

It seemed that four out of the Seven Emperors were already there.

Right at the farthest, sat Arakaki Elisa. She was a petite woman with questionable fashion choices. With flowing lilac hair that reaches to her butt, it frames a smallish face and a button nose and a pair of merciless eyes. She was ethereal, like how a vampire is and this iciness could only be melted by her mate.

Ban towered over all of us, standing at six feet with hair as white as snow. He had a piercing gaze and though he looks like he could bend a person in two, his soul is pure. He only loved one woman, and he had been searching on how to revive a dead person for centuries. He was odd but I trust him.

Rafael Pedro was thin as a rail, and frail-looking vampire. He stutters whenever he speaks but he's appointed as one of the Seven for a reason. Despite his outlook, he was a very powerful commander, and a genius tactician. His reputation precedes him.

Lastly, Aurelia Qiao. Despite our stature as nobles and pure bloods, she was the only one amongst us who was as kind to the lesser beings here. Though her personality had rubbed on me, she possesses empathy, kindness and love that no vampire could be capable of.

I nodded at them in greeting as I took a seat next to Ban. Flynn entered the room second to last, his face was a mask of annoyance as he sat next to Rafael. The last Emperor was Taehyung, the sole reason we were all gathered here in this Central Hall.

When he finally entered, I was surprised to see how drastic he looked. Two weeks after the news of his abdication must have hit him hard. His face was gaunt, ghastly as if the light had been sucked out from him and he didn't look at me as he took a seat in the middle.

"You good, Alice?" Ban asked.

I looked to my right, seeing the silver-haired man stare at Taehyung's back unflinchingly. His red eyes were glowing. With malice or hatred I could not understand but I noted his expression and looked straight ahead. I felt a soft hand on my wrist, Aurelia gave me a comforting squeeze.

"Yes."

"Good."

A few minutes later, the seven Council members entered The Central Hall and they took their seats at the front. Ju Tae, Arthur Fowler, Lolyn Gwilliam, Ursel Kuhn, Tore Candreva, Ejder Mustafa and Iffah Iqbal. These were the newly appointed Council Members after the previous ones have relished their leadership over to them.

They had been ruling for the past hundred years now.

"Now, let's get this hearing started," Ju Tae started as he began opening a folder, flipping through a few pages. "It took us a fortnight to go through twenty years worth of evidence as submitted by Alicia Griffins. I am appalled at how things had gone unnoticed by the previous members of the Council but we are here to put things right."

I let out a breath that I had been holding.

Finally, I can rest easy.

.

It took six hours for the hearing to convene. I was exhausted - mentally and emotionally by the time the Council decided to close the hearing. There were still many more rounds to go, as they needed the time to go through the information that I had.

It was not easy.

Bidding goodbye to the other Emperors, I got up from my seat to stretch. I felt a hand on my shoulder and my assistant handed a flask over to me - probably some blood to fuel me as we headed back down to the basement where the portal would take us home.

I didn't know what kind of expression I should wear as I gulped down the content, and handed the empty flask back to Sebastian. I knew the clan members were worried about me, I could sense their emotions and even though I was trying to stay calm, I was desperate to have this completed.

"I'll send you back to the conference hall," I said.

With a snap of my fingers and a flash of green light, we were transported from the Council's portal and to the conference hall. It was dark outside. It was already this late. I didn't realise the time passing by so quickly. Bidding everyone goodbye, I licked my dry lips, gathered myself and disappeared from there.

In the blink of an eye, I appeared inside my loft - at the right side of my queen-sized bed. Lying serenely on it was the love of my life. He was fast asleep, curled in a foetus position. Seeing his face made me smile and I went to sit down on the bed, letting out a soft sigh.

The exhaustion crept up on me and weighed heavy on my shoulders. Being Emperor was burdensome, especially when it involves a large group of vampires who relies on me. I was tired. I didn't want to think anymore. I dropped my face into my hands and rubbed, running my hands through my hair as I let out another sigh.

Without warning, I felt a pair of strong arms wrapping themselves around my waist and then the bed shifting as Jiminie shimmied his way across, resting his face next to my thigh. I felt him kissing my thigh - making me stiffen and his head rested on my lap.

"Welcome back home, Alice," he murmured.

"Hmm," I replied. "I'm home."

.