Vampire Queen's Soulmate

Understandings

Half an hour later, the two sat at the kitchen island. Rodrigo had a plate of eggs scrambled with spinach, mushrooms and cheese, perfectly seasoned, with cracked black pepper bacon. He savored the aroma of his meal, paused a moment to give thanks for the food, and dug in. Esme watched with some amusement. She knew he was spiritual, obviously, but it always tickled her somewhat to see people praying over their food. She didn't get it, but didn't deny anyone their beliefs.

She figured that was why the ones who stayed with her stayed so long. Some of the vamps struggled with being what they were, especially if they'd been religious or spiritual in life. Organized religion said they were now exiled, banned, an abomination. The fact that she had a vampire priest on her payroll seemed to appeal to the ones who wanted to keep that part of them. Though Arlan didn't have religious objects in his "church", and couldn't really say anything pertaining to a god, it was nice for him and the vampires that came to services to have some semblance of "normal", a remnant of their old life.

Now, Esme watched this very spiritual man next to her eat food that she had made for him. She couldn't eat real food herself, but she could taste what others ate sometimes, if they were very close. Most of the time it was a lover or a servant. Rodrigo was neither of those things, yet she could taste the eggs and bacon. This was interesting.... she said nothing though, and continued to watch him while thinking about this turn of events.

Rodrigo ate with relish. He was very much enjoying this late meal. The queen was a woman of many talents, but he expected that. Many of the stories he'd heard about her pertained to her powers, her violence, her ruthless ways. But there were others; how she was charitable, caring for those around her, a fair leader, and, quite frankly, a nice vampire. But as the saying goes, don't mistake kindness for weakness. There were those who found out the hard way. Esme was anything but weak. Rodrigo was intrigued by her. She was unlike any vampire he'd ever met.

He had a friendship with a vampire in his village. Eduardo was two hundred years old, and liked to keep to himself, but Rodrigo was special. He helped Rodrigo with certain rituals, and in turn Rodrigo saw that nobody bothered him. Eduardo had once been a medicine man, and was bitten by a rogue vampire. He ended up being shunned by the community. He and Rodrigo had often worked together before that, and the work continued. But he had changed, and Rodrigo didn't like the change in him. The spark was gone from Eduardo. The divine spark that held life force within the body was gone. Every once in a while, when they worked together, Rodrigo thought that spark came back, just a little. But it was fleeting.

He was lost in thought for a moment, chewing absently, when Esme brought him back to the present.

"What are you thinking, Ojo?" she was asking him. She stretched her arms up over her head, and rotated her neck.

Rodrigo took another bite, chewed and swallowed before answering.

"I was thinking about a friend back home. He's a vampire too," he replied.

"Ah. Would that be Eduardo?" Esme asked.

Rodrigo shot her a look, then shook his head and laughed.

"I should know by now that you would know who he is. Yes, Eduardo," he said.

Esme smiled at him, her eyes crinkling at the corners.

"I know all the vampires on this side of the world, and many on the other side. When a new vampire is born" here, she made air quotes, and it was Rodrigo's turn to smile, "I appear to them. I let them know who I am, and that I can be counted on to come to for guidance. I do ask for allegiance, and if that's something they don't wanna do, well, I have ways of persuading them," she explained.

"I imagine you are very persuasive," Rodrigo remarked as he finished the rest of his meal.

Esme rested her chin in her hand, and gave him a look.

"You have no idea how persuasive I am," she replied. Her eyes darkened just a little, almost imperceptibly so, but Rodrigo saw it.

He rose and went to the sink to wash his dish and silverware, and placed them in the drying rack. He turned to Esme.

"I am tired, reina. Will you show me to my room? I'd like to get settled, so we can start figuring out what we have to do to get rid of this spirit," he said. She was persistent, he'd give her that. He didn't want to get caught up in a fiery relationship with her just yet.

Esme stood, that smirk appearing again.

"Why do you deny yourself what you want, Ojo? Are you punishing yourself for something? Do you think you shouldn't experience pleasure?" she fired questions at him. She was genuinely curious. She'd never met someone, a man, really, who didn't avail himself of life's pleasures when the opportunity arose.

"I'm not denying myself anything. The focus should not be on what could be between us, but on how not to lose anyone else. Do you forget that your lover was killed while you were with him? Is that something you want to experience again?" Rodrigo shot back.

"Ah. There it is. You're scared," Esme pointed out, "don't wanna end up like my Caul, huh?"

"No. Why would I? My time on this planet isn't done yet. I have a lot more to do in this life, and it won't be ended by some dead vamp looking to get revenge on you for dumping and killing him", Rodrigo snapped.

One moment, Esme was standing at the island. The next, she had flashed herself right in front of Rodrigo. Her eyes had gone black, but there were no stars falling in them this time. Rodrigo could feel the anger flowing from her like waves crashing on the beach, a storm imminent.

"Does my honesty anger you, Reina? Would you rather I lied to you?" he asked calmly, exuding his own energy in an attempt to make her chill out.

It wasn't working.

"I love your honesty, Ojo," Esme said in a very different voice than the one Rodrigo was used to. Chills ran down his spine.

"Reina?" he said softly.

"Its me, Rodrigo. It's me," Esme said in the same, low, gravelly voice, eyes still black as night.

Rodrigo stood silent, waiting for her to continue.

"You asked if I had forgotten about Caul, and what happened to him. Do you think me so callous that I wouldn't remember him seeing as I planned and executed his funeral just last week?" she said. She stood very still, arms at her side, her legs spread apart.

"You continue to flirt and make insinuations as if you don't care," Rodrigo pointed out. He continued to put out calming energy, hoping the angry queen would stand down soon.

"That is my nature, Ojo. If you weren't so caught up in worrying over every little f*****g thing, you would have figured that out by now. But let me say this, and remember it. I loved Caul," Esme said. A tear, tinged with blood, rolled from the corner of her eye.

"I loved him," she continued, "And I am very attracted to you. Why, I don't know. But I am. I do feel that we will be together. But do not EVER accuse me of not caring, or loving. I'm the Queen of the Western Hemisphere. I am a vampire. But I'm also a woman. I may have been undead for longer than I was ever human, but I remember what it's like to be human, and have feelings like one."

Wiping the tears from her face, she looked up at him, her eyes now back to their normal color.

"I understand where you are coming from. I will try not to flirt with you if that's what you want," Esme said in her voice.

"Thank you," Rodrigo replied, internally sighing with relief. He had been afraid for a moment that she was going to hurt him.

Esme nodded, and turned to go through the living room to the hall that led to the bedrooms.

"Follow me. I'll show you where you will sleep."