40

He was sitting on his throne with crossed legs, his eyes flicking over to the three witches he had called. The reason why it wasn't just Vesper, was because the other two also had to be aware of where they stood.

The air was thick with tension and unspoken words, Vesper looking still disheveled, her face a mask of frustration and concealed anger.

Allegra was the one to break the silence, looking at him with a suggestive expression, "Why did you call us, my lord?"

Sirius's voice was neutral when he spoke, "Many problems occurred last night," he answered, "Some can't contain themselves, some can't get their noses out from where they don't belong."

"Who are these who dared disturb you?" the blonde asked in a sweet voice, batting her long eyelashes.

"These," he said, his expression a mix of irritation and cynicism as he looked at Vesper, "are among us. What you did at night, was intolerable, Vesper. I assume you're feeling clearer now."

Vesper gritted her teeth, but didn't answer. She was no mortified, no regretful. And she couldn't wait for the opportunity to get to him again.

Allegra smirked sinisterly, exchanging a look with a Circe, who had a mischievous glint in her eyes, "Vesper asks you for forgiveness, my lord," she purred, her voice sickly honeyed, "She hasn't been herself these days."

Sirius's eyes pierced through Allegra's sarcasm, but he remained cool, "Such insolence again won't be tolerated," he said, tone clipped, "All of your actions here have consequences. Do you hear, Vesper? I have better matters to attend than to listen at your drunken raves."

"Maybe if you weren't so interested in that wretched scarface, you wouldn't have people rebelling against you," Vesper threw at him, her voice laced with indignation.

"Watch your tongue, witch," Sirius warned, his eyes flickering with a dangerous flash. "Your misguided jealousy and your childish behaviour have no place in my dominion. If you can't serve your purpose, you will leave," he said, pointing at the door sharply, "You're not irreplaceable. There are many other, men and women, willing to serve me."

"You should be grateful that you have me on your side. If it was Regan, she would have betrayed you without even starting," Vesper retorted, her voice laced with venom.

Sirius's jaw clenched at the mention of Regan once more, "I don't care," he grunted, his expression darkening, "I wouldn't side with my enemy in the first place."

"We have more significant matters to talk about," Circe interrupted, trying to diffuse the tension slightly, "What's going on with the rebellion?"

"The rebellion," Sirius said, leaning back in his throne, "It will be dealt with in no time. It's a lesson for everyone who dares break the rules, or defies my order."

Vesper's expression was a sneer, "And why don't you tell them who freed that prisoner, who broke your order?" she quipped, her voice low and taunting, "Why don't you tell them it was her?"

The two other sisters' eyes widened while Sirius's expression darkened further, the words striking a nerve. How had she learned that?

"That's none of your business," he barked, his voice like a whip, "She's mine to deal with. I don't owe to tell you anything about what I do with my prisoners."

The possessiveness in his voice made it obvious there was no place to suggest something else, but Allegra, clearing her throat, tried, "But she could be working with that man," she said tentatively.

But Sirius's reply was cutting and authoritative, "You're not here to talk about her."

"Oh, but she's exactly what we're going to talk about," Vesper said, her voice barely restraining anger, "About how you have pined for her, how....how much you care...."

The air in the chamber grew even more tense, like they were expecting a time bomb to explode. The two sisters looked back and forth at Vesper and the lord, their eyes wide. They knew their sister had been drunk, but saying such words....provoking him like that....

"You are crossing the line again Vesper," Sirius warned through gritted teeth, his patience wearing thin already, "Pull yourself together or I swear I won't be responsible to what happens to you next."

Vesper chuckled sinisterly, "Or what? Will you punish me? Banish me? Kill me? Do it if you dare. But deep down you know I am right."

The lord's fists were clenching as stood up furiously, however, when he spoke, his voice was chillingly calm, "Out, now," he ordered, pointing at the door.

"You can't kick me out like that," Vesper retorted, not throwing a step, "Regan's not the only princess here. I am a princess too, I am the princess of Limbo and you can't ignore me like that!"

Her words had taken a turn of insecurity and he was more than ready to poke on it, "Princess of Limbo, huh?" Sirius sneered, his voice dripping with sarcasm, "You're no princess here, Vesper. Not Regan, not you, not any of you. This is my dominion, my castle and you're all under my rule. As for Limbo, they banished you, didn't they? You forgot it that fast?" His words were like poison.

"You don't know anything," Vesper hissed, her voice trembling with anger.

"Oh, I know very much," he said with a cold smile, "You're here just because of your family's contract. They sold you. Do you want me to speak more about it?"

"That's not true," Vesper defended, though her voice wavered. "But you know what's true? That's what's true. Regan will never love you. She'll always despise you just like you despise me. And it is such a shame. You, the mighty tyrant, pining for that wretch."

Sirius's grip on his temper slipped, his irises now a pure swirl of bloody red. With a fist of his hand, he sent a wave of dark magic at Vesper, knocking her to the floor. Vesper coughed, her hand coming up to her throat, where he had placed an invisible force that wrapped like a noose. The other two watched, their eyes filled with a mix of fear and smugness. They knew Vesper had a crack to seduce men, but they had never expected such confrontation.

He strode over to Vesper in, his whole being now taut with restrained violence, "Out," he repeated, his voice a furious growl.

Vesper's breath was heavy as glared up at him, her cheeks red from the impact. She wanted to stay, to say, but it'd make it only worse. After his grip loosened slightly, she pushed herself up with a dramatic flourish and stumbled out of the room, her silky dress whispering against the stone floor. The door slammed shut behind her, leaving a palpable silence in the chamber.

Sirius took a deep breath and sat on his throne again, placing his hands on the armrests, trying to regain his temper. He didn't want to think about it, didn't want to think about any of Vesper's words. Allegra and Circe watched, their faces a mask of fear and high surprise.

"Now, as for the rebellion," he began again, as if nothing had happened, "It's going to be taken care of. And as for Regan, she'll learn her place."

Allegra and Circe shared a look, "And what about....Vesper?" Allegra asked tentatively.

Sirius's eyes narrowed, "You're going to warn her, that's what you're going to do," he said to Allegra and Circe, his voice low and dangerous. "Tell her to stay in line, or I'll make sure she regrets her existence." He gestured for them to leave and they did, not bothering to stay any longer.

Outside his chamber, Vesper was fuming aroun in the corridor, her face red with fury. 

"What's the matter with you?" Circe asked, her tone incredulous.

"Nothing. Leave me alone," Vesper retorted sharply.

"Sirius said he's going to punish you for what you did. You're taking it too far," Circe said, her voice holding a hint of concern. She knew that Vesper was acting impulsive and she didn't want her to suffer by Sirius's wrath despite knowing that what she was doing was foolish.

"Taking it too far? Weren't you and Allegra saying that he had a thing for Regan?"

"It was all a joke," Allegra's voice echoed in the hallway. "We were just trying to build some drama. We didn't think you'd take it so seriously."

Vesper turned to Allegra, the sight of her sister getting on her nerves, "Get out of my sight, you bitch," she said through gritted teeth.

"Calm down, it's not that deep," Allegra said with a sneer, "You're just trying to get attention, Ves. Admit it." 

Vesper's fists clenched, her face red with anger. Before she could react, Circe put a hand on her shoulder.

"Ves, you know that Sirius is too cold to form any sort of attachment to anyone. He can't do it with his allies, let alone his enemies," she said, trying to calm her down.

The blondie let out a mocking laugh, seeing through Circe's words, "How do you know that, Circe? Maybe Ves is right, who knows? It's not uncommon for powerful men to be drawn to strong women."

"Allegra, don't," Circe warned, nudging her with elbow.

Allegra smirked at Vesper, enjoying the anger and jealousy on her sister's face, "So, who is he drawn to? Freaky drunks like you who force others to love her?"

"And what about you?" Vesper shot back, "You haven't seen thrown yourself at him? You haven't tried to seduce him? You're such a hypocrite, a stupid blonde!"

Allegra's smile was smug, "Oh please, sis. I've just had some fun. Unlike you, I don't take things so seriously. I'm not desperate to get in his bed."

"Fun? Sirius doesn't even care about you. You're ugly and he doesn't like blondies. And you're also terrible at flirting. And yes, I want to sleep with him. What's your problem with that? You're so jealous," Vesper spat, anger and hatred pouring out of her.

Allegra's features twisted into an angry scowl, "And you think he wants to sleep with you?"

"Yes, and I'll make him want me, and I'll have him," Vesper retorted through gritted teeth. "I'm not like you, Allegra. You are just a passing fancy. He uses you and then throws you away."

"You think you're any better?" Allegra snapped back, taking a step closer with a clenched jaw, "You're worse! You think you have him all for yourself, but you're just another one of his toys. He doesn't give a fuck about you. You think we didn't see how he threw you away? And how he said she was his?"

Circe tried to calm them down, but their anger was too great. "Girls, stop it. We're better than that. You should stop fighting for him."

They both glared at Circe, "Shut up, Circe. You don't know what you're talking about," they said in unison.

Circe sighed, smacking her hand against her forehead. "For damn's sake, you two. You're both idiots. You think he gives a fuck about you both? Well, he doesn't. You know what Sirius cares about? Power. That's it. He's using you both to get what he wants, and when he's done, he'll throw you away. No one of you will get to sleep with him, no one will get his attention, and you'll both end up alone and broken. So why don't you just stop this madness and focus on yourselves?"

Vesper's face turned red with anger as she clenched her fists, wanting to punch something. Allegra, on the other hand, looked like she wanted to cry. She knew Circe was right, but it hurt to admit it. 

After some silence, Allegra spoke, "It's not the same. It's one thing to get in his bed, and another to get his affection. And Ves here can't spot a single difference, nor she can get either." 

Her words struck a chord and Vesper was seething with rage. She looked at them both, her face tight with fury. "You don't know what you're talking about! I'm the most desirable girl in the realm! I will make Sirius want me, no matter what it takes!" she said, her voice shaking with rage.

Circe sighed, her expression filled with annoyance, "You don't understand. He's a demon, for fuck's sake. They don't love. They just use."

"Demon, vampire, I don't give a damn about it. He's a man," Vesper spat, "And men want one thing. And I'll give it to him, he'll crave me and forget about that scar-faced bitch!"

Allegra was quiet for a moment, feeling a mix of pity and anger for her sister. But she couldn't help her own words, "So you're saying that just because he can't love, he can't desire, can't want to have sex?" she sneered, "You're both wrong. There's been many women here and he's had his way with them all. You're no exception, Ves. You think that he's gonna fall in love with you if you sleep with him?"

Then why the fuck he's after that prude?" Vesper retorted through gritted teeth, "Why can't he see what's in front of him? Why the fuck he's gone blind?"

"Maybe he's got feelings for her," Allegra shot back at Vesper, her voice filled with spite. "Maybe he wants what he can't have. She's a virgin, you know. Maybe that's his type."

"That means he wants sex," Vesper spat, her voice dripping with anger, "And if he thinks that a virgin is gonna satisfy him, he's even more of a fool than I thought!"

"Or maybe" Allegra suggested with a cunning smile, "He wants something else. Something you two will never understand!"

"And what is that?" Vesper demanded, stepping closer to Allegra, their faces inches apart.

Allegra's smug smile was infuriating, "You wouldn't understand, Ves. It's something called love. It's something you don't know anything about. You just don't get why he's so obsessed with her, because it's not about the flesh, it's about the soul," she said, her voice dropping to a taunting whisper.

Vesper's rage boiled over, and she slapped Allegra so hard her head snapped to the side. "Don't you ever talk to me like that again," she hissed, her eyes alight with fury. Circe rushed to Allegra's side and glared at Vesper.

"Vesper, stop it!" she snapped, "You're going to get us all in trouble with your sick obsessions. Someone must've already heard us and reported to him."

"I don't give a fuck!" Vesper snarled, "You think he's some sort of saint that's beyond us? He's a man, a powerful one, and he wants what every man wants. And I'll make sure he gets it from me!"

Allegra glared at her, her cheek burning from the slap, "You whore," she muttered under her breath, "Just because you're starving for it, doesn't mean everyone is!"

"And if you keep throwing yourself at him like this, he's either going to banish you completely or throw you to the wolves," Circe added, her voice tight, "And trust me, you wouldn't want either of those things to happen. You'd beg for mercy."

"Yes, you would," Allegra joined, "you'd kiss his boots clean. And it wouldn't change anything. He'd throw you away like he does now. And you know what, Ves? You're not desirable. I'm desirable. I'm the most beautiful girl here."

Vesper's fury was palpable and she strode to Allegra, grabbing fistful of her hair, yanking her closer. "You wish you were as desirable as me, you stupid blonde!" she hissed. "You think just because you think you're pretty he'll want you? Well, think again. He doesn't care about your looks. He cares about power. And I'm powerful. I'm not some useless toy like you. I will make him see that."

Allegra struggled against Vesper's grip and Circe intervened, shoving Vesper away, "Ves, stop it! Leave her alone!"

Vesper turned on Circe, her face twisted in rage. "Shut up, Circe. You're both jealous of me. But you know what? I'll make Sirius see. I'll make him throw you and that bitch to the wolves and then he'll realize what he's missing. He'll come crawling back to me."

"We're your sisters!" Circe reminded. "You can't throw us away just because of that! If you're so adamant, then go and fight with Regan, we don't fucking care anymore!"

"Yes, we don't fucking care," Allegra agreed with a sniff, still looking upset. "You can go and fight with Regan. Only if you manage to get through Sirius's guards, of course," she smirked.

Vesper glared at Allegra, but then turned on her heel and stormed away, her hair flying behind her.

Allegra took a deep breath, smoothing down her hair, "She's gone mad," she said, shaking her head.

Meanwhile, in his chamber, Sirius was waiting for the revolt's news. He had no doubt Vlad would crush it. It was just Regan, she had to pay for disrupting his order. But how could he make her pay? Had it been someone else, he would've taken care of it.

When the general finally entered, Sirius set the glass of wine on the table, listening.

Vlad began with his ever stoic expression, "The rebellion is handled, my lord. But the people.... they're having a grievance. They want gold. From your vaults."

Sirius raised an eyebrow, "Gold? Why they're not requesting gold from their local authorities?"

"The local authorities have gotten too greedy," the general said, his voice as cold as the steel he wielded in battle. "They blame it on you and your taxes."

"I already lowered their taxes this year," Sirius said with a frown. "But it's never enough for them." He leaned back in his throne-like chair, his eyes narrowing as he thought. "Very well. Give them what they want. But this is not a weakness. They shall be reminded of their place."

Vlad nodded curtly, "As you wish, my lord. And we've also gotten many complains about the local authorities. They've been abusing their power. Shall we investigate?"

Sirius leaned forward, his expression darkening. "Investigate and deal with them accordingly. If you find they've been going against my orders, hang them in the town square as an example. Make sure the people see that I don't tolerate corruption."

"And Mathias with his band?"

"Ah, Mathias and his rebels," Sirius mused, his fingers drumming on the armrest of his chair. "You shall bring him to me. I wish to know what he has to say."

"Of course, my lord. I'll make sure they understand the gravity of their actions," Vlad assured him. He excused himself, but before he could leave, Sirius called out.

"General wait," Sirius said, his eyes lingering on the scattered papers on the desk, "After the rebellion is done, you shall send for Artemis.

I have some unfinished business with her."

Vlad's eyebrows furrowed for a moment, but he didn't ask. "As you wish, my lord." He left then, his expression a mix of curiosity and confusion.