Vampires and Slaves (Enter This Realm To Die)

Fidelis

I took Allan off his feet and began walking away with him in my arms.
Carlos yelled, "This isn't over, Fidelis! That boy will be Sheila's slave, sooner or later!"
I turned around and hissed cat-like. "The Queen and the Council found me not guilty, so you and Sheila better find slaves of your own!" I resumed carrying Allan home. The trip took us three days to get home, but it was worth it. Once we managed to get home, I laid down with Allan in my arms. I rested in my bed with him beside me. We both needed rest after what we've been through.

Allan

He takes me in his arms and hisses back at the boy, turning to carry me home without another word. Three days and we arrive. He lays me in his bed and takes the space beside me. I look at him, finally allowing myself to relax, and curl closer without speaking.

FIdelis

I held him close, covered us under the sheets of my bed, and fell asleep. I felt at peace being with him, having him in my arms and feeling his hair under my chin. I found myself lost in the dream of us that I had before our troubles began. I smiled in my sleep, still holding him close to me as I slept.

Allan

He holds me close, covering us, and closes his eyes. As he falls asleep, I flash a smile and affectionately nudge his neck with my forehead, closing my own eyes. I sigh and drift off to sleep myself.

Fidelis

After a long sleep, I rose and fed from Allan's wrist, feeling the familiar taste of sweet surrender and bliss flood my senses. Three days of fasting made me almost forget the taste of his blood, but it felt great to savor it in slow sips. After I had my fill, I unlatched myself from his wrist and bandaged it. He was still sleeping, so I laid down and held him in my arms to let him know I was still there for him.

Allan

I feel his arms wrap around me again and flash a smile in my sleep, cuddling closer. My dreams become more vivid as he holds me, more blissful.

Fidelis

I took him from my bed and laid him on the couch, gently tucking him in while he slept. I didn't attempt to go outside, not after the enforcer incident and the unwanted visit to the Queen. I decided to stay in the apartment for Allan's sake.
A knock sounded at my door.
I took a knife from a cupboard and slowly opened the door, clutching the knife in my hand in case it was the Bloodlust Twins. To my surprise and relief, it wasn't the Bloodlust Twins. It was only Silver, a former bloodslave of Carlos' who served as a lawyer. I lowered the knife and relaxed. "For a moment, I thought you were your former master. What do I owe the pleasure of seeing you again at this time around?"
Silver chuckled. "I just moved to the apartment downstairs to get away from my mortal clients. A rich couple worrying sick about their son being missing again. I figured you were involved, so I dropped their case. They told me repeatedly that they know their son's still alive, but they gave me such a headache, I had to ditch 'em while I was still sane."
I stored the knife away. "Takes one to know one, as they all say." I chuckled a little, then quickly turned serious. "Your former master and his sister are after my slave and I have no doubt they'll try to steal him even after the Council found me not guilty."
Silver poured a glass of orange juice and sipped it with her eyes on Allan. "There's only one way to get them off your chest and enforce the Council's decision. Since you really want to keep the kid, you got to change his name and get him accustomed to your habits. By the looks of it, the kid's already grown used to you."

Allan

I stir in my sleep, reaching out for Fidelis. When I realize he's not there, I wake and look around, finding myself in the living room. He's standing by the door speaking with a woman. I stand, worried it would be the same as the last time.

Fidelis

I sat down on a chair. "What makes you think I could change his name? I don't want to, since his name is lovely on him."
Silver took another sip of her juice. "I understand that, but it has to be done so Carlos and Sheila won't steal him from you. Believe it or not, Sheila's been targeting the kid ever since she found out about his blood. Humans with ecstacy in their blood are very, very rare. Only born once a century. Your slave is this century's special and rare mortal. Every slave Sheila had were mortals like yours- special because of the ecstacy their blood has. History states that the first of these rare mortals- surprisingly enough- was you, Prince Fidelis."
I gasped. Although Silver was a mortal of nineteen years, she was smart enough to make vampires think she was one of us. "You knew about that?"
Silver nodded with a silly little grin. "I keep my eye on any vampire's history. It's my obsession and a curse, since normally slaves weren't supposed to know other vampires' histories." She sipped her juice again, her face looking serious. "You got to make a choice, Prince Fidelis. Either change the kid's name or lose him to Sheila in spite of the Queen and Council's final decision."

Allan

I swallow and sit back down, unsure if they noticed me or not. Change my name? I-I wouldn't know how to respond to anything but Allan... If it means staying with Fidelis though... I study him, waiting for his response.

Fidelis

I looked at Allan. It would murder me to lose him to Sheila, but I didn't feel comfortable with changing his name.
Silver chuckled, like she was reading my mind. "Nobody else would know the kid's true name but you, me, and him. You can still call him by his true name, but you have to refer to him by his new one when around fellow vampires. I'll be your witness."
I stood up and went to Allan, taking his left hand. "Allan, I need your help. I know we've been together for almost five months, but I want to keep you longer than that. If you want to keep me like I do you, then help me change your name. Only Silver and the two of us will know your real name. Your new name will be spoken when around other vampires. Help me change your name if you want to keep me."

Allan

Fidelis walks to me and takes my hand, asking me to help him. Of course I want to keep him. A name... A name is a name. That's not what matters.

I nod and think.

"S-something similar?" I suggest. "Like....Aaron or something..."

Fidelis

I couldn't think of any name similar to his true name.
Silver chuckled again. "Try to look for a name that has a special meaning to it. Like your own name, Prince Fidelis. Your name is Latin for 'faithful.'"
I thought it over, with Silver's advice in mind. I looked at Allan, studying him carefully. His physical being was the same sacred treasure that my eyes fell upon the day I saw him. Like he was promised to me by the gods, a promise I swore to myself never to give away. "Arlan. Around fellow vampires, your name is Arlan. It means 'promise,' which is what you are to me. A promise from the gods."

Allan

"Arlan. Around fellow vampires, your name is Arlan. It means 'promise,' which is what you are to me. A promise from the gods." He decides.

Promise. My heart does that weird skip again and I flash a smile, nodding. I could get used to that.

Fidelis

I kissed his forehead. It was offical between him and me. Amongst ourselves, he was Allan; amongst vampires, he was Arlan. My Arlan, my promise from the gods. I looked at Silver. "You heard everything, so I don't have to spell it out for you."
She nodded and went to take her leave. "I'll send a note to the Queen as soon as I can. Even though Carlos ditched me, I'm still a bloodslave. I'm the Queen's slave now. Unlike the Bloodlust Twins and more like you, Prince Fidelis, the Queen treats me right. I'm out and about away from her because she gave me the liberty to do so. She visits me whenever she wants just to feed or talk. It's my priveledge as the Queen's bloodslave." She left without another word.
I returned my gaze to Allan. "Now that you're awake, how about you clean yourself off? Three days getting here's made you sweat."