Chapter Four – Rollon
Rollon’s muscles ached from swinging his silver sword for many hours, but the burn felt good. It had been relaxing to be in battle again, and it wasn't as though that was the longest one he’d ever fought in. Before he established his kingdom, it was common for him to go days in near-constant battle against marauding humans, other vampires, and shifters alike.
Rollon stepped from the shower, reaching for a fluffy towel. The battle had taken his mind off of the situation at home, at least for a little while. But how much longer could he stop himself from thinking about Tindra?
Not long, apparently.
He shook his head as he toweled himself off and pulled on a comfortable, business-casual outfit. The human was causing problems for him. Perhaps it was a sign that he should find himself a companion – one to satisfy his base urges. That was all it was, he knew. The dark desire every vampire was created with. The one looking for blood and a taste of dominance over those weaker than himself.
He headed for the library. He could always count on peace there.
As soon as he entered, though, his nose was hit by her scent. He froze, his gaze seeking her out at once. Tindra sat in a corner with Hilda, poring over something that he couldn’t see.
"Rolly!" Hilda ran for him, grinning. "You’re back."
Rollon caught her and lifted her into the air. He hadn’t seen her this happy since Eva . . . He pushed the thought away. I’ll have to ask Ingrid how she is faring soon.
"What are you two doing?" he asked.
Hilda turned up her nose. "Nothing that concerns you."
From the corner of his eye, he saw Tindra press her hands to her mouth. Rollon, however, only laughed and set the child back down. "Run along and help your sister. It’s almost time for supper."
Hilda scowled but did as he said. The human remained where she was, her gaze locked warily on him. He was tempted to turn around and leave, but what for? She was his son’s chosen, and he wasn't going to let her affect their relationship. He ignored her as he strode towards the shelf where all his favorites were.
"I . . . " she started.
Don’t look at her. Too late. Her large eyes were on his, drawing him in.
"I’m surprised, your majesty. Your grace . . . What am I meant to call you?"
"Rollon is fine unless we are at a formal event. In which case, my lord will suffice."
Tindra nodded. Her hands twisted around each other. "I’m surprised you would let her talk to you that way."
"Who? Hilda?"
"Yes."
Rollon selected a book and sat, but didn’t open it. "Hilda is a child. No matter how old she gets, she will always be a child. As you can imagine, we don’t get a lot of kids around here. She’s a good girl, but I confess that I feel somewhat guilty for her situation. Never to fully experience life . . . "
"Did . . . did you turn her?"
His expression darkened briefly. "No."
"Then why―"
"My sister did. Eva. She was my first lieutenant for many years and convinced me we needed to build an army of vampires to create some peace and stability for ourselves. Hilda was dying when she was turned . . . You see, Ingrid was Eva’s lover."
Tindra nodded again. "She told me she was a lesbian. But she didn’t tell me she was sleeping with the king’s sister."
"She’s not." Rollon sucked in a deep breath. "Not anymore, at least. Eva betrayed us all. She tried to kill me and fled before justice could be served. We haven’t told Hilda the truth, though. Eva was like a mother to her, and I didn’t want to see her in that pain."
"I see . . . " Her eyes actually shone as she looked at him. "It takes a strong man to do that. If it were me, I’d be badmouthing her from here to kingdom come. But for you to be able to put aside your grudges for Hilda’s sake . . . I really admire that."
She needed to stop looking at him like that. What did she think she was talking about, anyway? Was he a good man for not hurting a child’s feelings? That was the basic decency that could be expected from anybody. It didn’t make him any more good than not kicking puppies made him good. He turned his face away, hands clenching.
"I built this kingdom on blood," he spat out harshly. "I killed thousands of people. And not just to protect me and my own. I’m a vampire. We have all fallen into bloodlust at one point or another, that thirst for blood that seems unquenchable. I turned dozens of humans into vampires. I said that it was a gift, but I was stealing their lives from them. And you think I’m a good man?"
Her eyes were like saucers, hands clenched on the arms of her chair. Rollon flinched. What had he done that for? He didn’t need to frighten her. It was unnecessary and uncalled for.
"But . . . " she squeaked. "But you changed your mind. You realized what you were doing and took action against it. Bad men don’t admit they were wrong and change their ways."
The king was silent for a moment before nodding. "Perhaps. I’m sorry for speaking so harshly."
"It’s fine. You’re just not used to dealing with humans, right? Thor told me."
Rollon grunted. "You and Thor spent time together, then?"
Why did it make acid burn in his gut to think about? He wanted Thor to be happy, and this woman was beautiful – he didn’t understand how he had once classed her as merely pretty – and was charming, sensual and a gem to look at. Everything he wanted for his son.
"Uh . . . " Her cheeks stained pink and she bowed her head. "I suppose you could say that, yeah."
What did that mean? Rollon frowned as he leaned towards her, flaring his nostrils. Her scent rang strong between them. Too strong. If she had been physical with Thor in any way, even just embraces, then his scent would be clinging to her. As it was, there was hardly a trace of Thor’s scent on her. Enough for some casual contact in the same room, but not enough to indicate anything serious. Why was this human dragging her feet so much? Rollon narrowed his eyes at her. Was she defective in some manner?
"Why haven’t you bedded him yet?"
Her spine stiffened and she sat bolt upright. "Excuse me?"
"You heard the question."
"That is none of your business."
Rollon clenched his teeth for a moment. "As the king and Thor’s father, it is. Without his claim on you, others may challenge him. I don’t want to see him hurt because of it. You signed up for the selection. You didn’t protest when he chose you. Why are you here, if not to be his companion?"
She folded her arms and narrowed her eyes. "What goes on behind closed doors is none of yours or anybody else’s business. And as for other challenging him for me, let them try. I’ll kick them between the legs and then they’ll see about challenging him without my consent."
He couldn’t help but laugh at that. Her puny kicks would do nothing against a vampire, but it was good to know that she would fight for Thor. He relaxed. Humans were different. They didn’t operate by the same rules as vampires did. It would have to do for now.
Tindra twisted her hands and picked at her thumb. "Um . . . Actually, that was something I wanted to talk to you about. I saw him sparring today and he’s so fast and strong. It’s kind of scary, if I’m honest. Although, I do love a muscular figure. It’s just . . . he could snap me in half, you know? Any of you could. I don’t want to . . . be with my companion because I’m afraid of what might happen if I’m not. I want it for the right reasons, you know?"
He understood that but . . . "What are you getting at?"
"I was hoping that you could train me. To be stronger and teach me how to defend myself against the vampires."
That was a valid reason. And it would be good for Thor if the human became more confident. And as for these feelings? Well, spending more time around her might be a good thing. Surely his attraction was just because of the novelty. It would wear off as he got to know her more.
"I will teach you," he said. "I will expect you to work hard and give all your strength. Just because you’re human doesn’t mean that I will go easy on you. I won’t break you," he was quick to add, "but I will challenge you."
Tindra looked back up at him. There was a gleam in her eye that made him smile. She nodded. "Good."