As I walked through the Headquarters between Xander and Aveline, I was finally able to truly get a good look at the members in their coterie. All I saw was hatred. Face after face glared at me as we walked with and past them, most stopping when they noticed me. None tried to reach for me, whether to hurt me or yell at me, and none even said a word against me. I knew it was only because I had been claimed, and that Jacobi had ordered otherwise, that they were refraining from harming me. What I didn't know was why they weren't even saying anything. Maybe it was because all their words were already written on their faces.

We all walked into the ballroom, where the event had been hosted at. It looked significantly different than the last time I had been led through it. The tables had been removed and the lights were harsh and bright. The coterie was gathering in a semi-circle in front of the stage where the band had been playing before. Only instead of a band, there was a rather fancy, long, almost golden table settled with a handful of people sitting behind it.

They were, for a lack of a better definition, gorgeous. Seven of them were seated, discussing between each other in quiet voices things I couldn't make out. I would have mistaken them for human if it weren't for their unnatural beauty and the way they held themselves as if they had never moved slow and carelessly as a human in their entire life. It was fascinating.

Xander spotted my gaze of wonder as we moved towards the front of the coterie, settling between a few members who shuffled away from us when spotting me. He bent his head slightly towards me in order to address me with a hushed voice.

"The two Royals on the left are Vassily," He indicated to the two male vampires who were in conversation with one another. They looked like identical twins, with skin the color of fresh cocoa beans and hair as dark as night. A glance towards the crowd revealed pale blue eyes, which was a startling but pleasant contrast to their features. They held a professional appearance of authority that could easily be enforced.

"The two on the right are Thron," Xander continued, moving my gaze to the two Royals who were the only ones staring either in the distance or at the crowding coterie. One was a small man, both in frame and possibly in height. He probably was about my size. His hair was a platinum blonde color that I had to believe was dyed. The girl next to him was only a bit bigger than him, with blonde hair as short as his. Their emerald eyes waited boredly for something to happen, though I couldn't be sure what exactly they hoped for.

"And the three in the middle are part of the leading Royals, Roslind. The leading Royal is in the middle, Audrina Roslind," He stated, pointing out the last three Royals. Audrina Roslind was absolutely stunning and just by looking at her you could tell she was obviously the most powerful of the Royals. The men on either side of her were whispering things to her occasionally after looking around the room. The two men were large and frightening, with dark brown hair and equally dark eyes. Their skin appeared sun kissed, though it must have just been their natural color. I wasn't sure if vampires tanned. Audrina didn't stop looking over each member of the coterie, her mocha brown eyes intelligent with a hint of danger. Her hair, just as dark brown as the two men, was long and sleek, causing her features to appear even sharper than they originally would be. I found without even knowing her that I feared and was intimidated by her.

If this was who the leading Royal was now, I couldn't even imagine what Eve Raene looked like.

I tore my eyes from the table of Royals and looked at the area in front of them where the floor was bare except for one figure standing firmly in the center. Jacobi didn't let his eye wander from Audrina's form, his body tense but not wavering. I gulped, imagining how suffocating it would feel to be in the center of such attention awaiting punishment of all things. My anxiety grew just watching him stand there, even though he appeared unafraid and determined.

Audrina cleared her voice abruptly, causing every vampire in the room to freeze in rapt attention. I had to force my eyes to look up at the Royals, holding back my anxiety in hopes that this whole ordeal wouldn't be too bad. Perhaps they'd just fine him two hundred dollars for the first offence and such. Who knew?

"Jacobi Bryant, you stand here tonight in hopes of restoring your standing with the Royal families," Audrina began, her voice a deep seductive tune with promises of dark things tracing each note. As she spoke, I noticed a lilt in her words that gave away an unidentifiable accent. "You were ordered to host an event in honor of the Royals and instead of doing your duty, you were absent without explanation. This offence towards the Royal families is... profound. You will be allowed to explain yourself before punishment is deemed." She finished in such a sudden way that it seemed as though she was going to say more. When she didn't, eyes around the room shifted to look at Jacobi.

"As I explained before," Jacobi began to speak, his tone very sarcastic and annoyed as though this were a waste of this time and something he wasn't concerned with. "I had an issue with an uninvited coterie Master which resulted in a matter I was required to attend to. I would have made an appearance, but the matter caused me to be unfit..." He pronounced the 'T' sharply in the last word before pausing, "... in the case that the issue wasn't resolved."

Eyes shifted back to Audrina, awaiting a response. Her intimidating glare was pulsing on Jacobi's form, causing me to look back at him with curiosity. He didn't look afraid or intimidated by her. I wondered what he had done to make him so careless towards vampires as powerful as the Royals. Was it bravery? Did he consider himself capable of defending himself from them? Or was it pure ignorance or stupidity?

"What exactly was more important than hosting your rulers, Bryant?" Audrina's voice dropped dangerously. The question was a trap. Everyone knew it. I held my breath waiting for the answer.

"I would rather not disclose," He responded just as dangerously.

"Then I'll disclose for you," She stated before addressing his coterie, "Your Master abandoned his duties to heal our enemy, blood of the Monet, by calling his spirit. Didn't you, Jacobi?" She locked his gaze in hers, their distaste for one another as clear as day. Jacobi still didn't waver, instead building himself to stand more tense and alert than before.

"I did," He admitted firmly, causing a shuffle to move around the coterie. I felt the flame of embarrassment begin to flush through my cheeks at the mention, knowing disgruntled looks were being cast my way. Now everyone knew why their Master was going to be punished.

"Very well," Audrina submitted, causing me to wonder if she was going to accept such an explanation. "Bring forward the Monet." My heart seized in terror. What? Me? Why? I immediately clutched for Aveline next to me, who moved to protect me but was halted quickly by Xander. A terrified glance at him revealed his strained expression, full of uncertainty, but I knew he was keeping Aveline from being punished as well.

I was snatched by a random member of the coterie and pulled away from them. I was abruptly tossed into the center clearing, stumbling but not falling, where I could now experience the suffocating audience Jacobi had been the center of until now. I didn't think he got the amount of glares full of hatred that I got, though. Jacobi didn't even move his gaze from Audrina's, not even to cast me a glance.

"Monet," I was addressed by that deep intimidating voice of the leading Royal. Here I had been hoping to live to meet one and now I severely regretted that wish. It took my every ounce of courage to look up from the ground and into those terrifying orbs of power. "Take off your dress."

Oh, God. I looked towards Xander and Aveline, who were holding onto each other with such intensity that I knew they had to be feeling my fear. When Aveline caught my eyes, she nodded subtly, and I knew she meant me to obey whatever it was the Royals wanted. Only then would I possibly live through this. But to take my dress off in front of all of these people? I began to have trouble breathing.

"Do not make me say it again," Audrina stated dangerously. I hesitated, but moved to reach for the hem of the skirt of my dress. Come on, I tried to get my arms to lift the dress over my head, but they refused. My utter fear of being in my bra and panties in front of a crowd trumped my fear of unknown punishment if I disobeyed. When I released my hold on my dress, I heard the snapping of Audrina's fingers as she indicated for someone to help me relieve myself of my dress.

I began to panic when multiple vampires moved towards me, but they stopped abruptly without a word. For a moment, I wondered what made them stop. I yelped when strong hands brushed against my neck from behind, moving my hair to the side and gripping the fabric of my dress by the seams at my shoulders. When I glanced behind me, I quickly looked away, recognizing Jacobi's rage filled expression and not wishing to see it while he unclothed me.

I held my breath as he tore at the fabric, lowering it from my body so that I was left mostly bare. My body was shaking uncontrollably now, a mortified blush tainting my skin unpleasantly. I cast my eyes to the ground, tears flooding them against my will. My back was turned to the Royals, though I didn't remember turning.

"Hmm," Audrina sounded intrigued, "Let me see her face again." I felt Jacobi's arms move around me, his chest pressing against my back as he gripped my arm with one hand and my face with the other. This was the first time I took note of his scent; that earthy scent with tones of dark woods and a hint of vanilla. He turned me towards the Royals, holding my face tilted upwards so that I couldn't look away. My heart felt like it would explode in my chest in humiliation, fear, and panic.

"She looks like her father," One of the men next to Audrina stated with distaste, "It's obviously a trap of some kind." There was a wave of whispers as the fact that I was still alive even though I was so obviously just another trick my father had up his sleeve unsettled the mass around us. But I wasn't trying to trick them. I wasn't even sure what they meant by saying I was a trap. What made them hesitate to kill me immediately? What were they arguing about?

"Zelda. Ezra," Audrina said sharply, turning to look at the smaller blonde Royals on the right side of the table. They both gave her their full attention. "Where is Darsana?"

The woman, Zelda Thron, looked up in the air as though Darsana were hiding in the ceiling before looking back at Audrina. "She's in Germany," She responded, her voice lofty as though she weren't actually present. "She says she knows of the situation, but there are complications with the foreign coteries she must attend to first."

"She says the Bryant's concerns are sound. The Monet girl should be preserved until inspected," The man, Ezra Thron, finished. If I hadn't been so terrified of my current position, I would have been fascinated by the fact that I had just witnessed the use of a Royal to Royal bond. That being said, I was instead further confused as to what it was they wanted this Darsana to inspect. I knew it had to be something about the marks on my back, but why did this concern the vampires so much?

"Very well, she lives for now," Audrina submitted with a wave of a hand, "I've decided your punishment, Jacobi Bryant." As if on cue, Jacobi released his hold on me, allowing me to be able to lower myself and grab the fabric of my torn dress. I bundled the clothing as I stood again, hugging it to my body in an attempt to cover myself from the hateful stares.

"You will flog the Monet girl," I heard the words announced, but I didn't quite realize what exactly they meant at first. The silence that followed was deafening, only interrupted by my steadily increasing heart rate. Flog? Me? How exactly was this punishment for Jacobi?

"I will not," Jacobi's voice was seething with rage. I was stunned. I glanced at his angry form, glaring intensely at the leading Royal without fear.

"Twenty strong, deep strikes will do. I know she is claimed and will heal faster than normal. Because you felt healing that filth was more important than hosting your Royal families, you will inflict wounds on her. And then you will allow her to heal naturally, without aid of your spirit, your blood, or anyone else's'." Audrina looked satisfied by her punishment, though I still couldn't see how this was an actual punishment for anybody else but me. I began to tremble in fear of what could be my future pain. I'd never been beaten before. My mother had spanked me a few times, but that was nothing compared to a flogging.

"You order me to harm two members of my coterie, one of which being my Kindred. I will not," Jacobi growled through a clenched jaw, tightening his hands into fists. I finally understood why he didn't want to do it and why this was an actual punishment. It wasn't because he'd be harming me, the hated Monet, but because Xander and Aveline would feel every bit of pain I would feel and they wouldn't be able to do anything to ease it. I looked at them in horror, my feelings shifting suddenly.

It's one thing to be threatened with a painful beating, but to know the two people who cared enough to try to protect me would be sharing that pain?

"Remove the claim," I exclaimed, tightening my grip on my torn dress and looking at Jacobi desperately. He looked from Audrina to me in mild surprise. There was a confused shift in the coterie at my cry. I ignored the confused whispers, begging Jacobi with my eyes to do this before I got Aveline or Xander hurt.

"You will do no such thing," Audrina's voice boomed with powerful rage. "You will flog the Monet girl as she is and you will force her to heal from the wounds naturally. That is my punishment. If you refused, we will execute a member of your coterie as an alternate punishment."

"You would have me harm my coterie or else kill one of my own over a stupid party?" Jacobi snapped, his rage renewed as he glared at Audrina. "Eve would never have-"

"You think you're so special, don't you?" Audrina interrupted, rising from her seat heatedly. "Jacobi Bryant, the last surviving Kindred of the first Royal. Your beloved Maker is dead. I am your leader now. Challenge me and I will cut you down, leaving your worthless coterie scrambling in the dark until they are senseless rogues. It's your choice!" She slammed her fists on top of the table, denting into the metal intimidatingly.

I noticed that the coterie was no longer shining their glares in my direction. Even I knew it was messed up for Audrina Roslind to belittle the death of Eve Raene, who from what I could tell was deeply loved by the society of vampires. This, along with knowing their own was going to be harmed, shifted their bad feelings towards the Royals backing up the glare of their Master Jacobi.

"Well?" Audrina asked dangerously without backing down.

I didn't want my pain to be shared with Aveline and Xander, but I also didn't want somebody to die because of me. I knew it wasn't directly my fault. I had protected Jacobi, nearly died, and cost his time at a silly party. If I hadn't done that, he possibly wouldn't have been alive to host the event anyway. But I couldn't let some random person be killed for such a small matter. And who was to say it would be a random member? What if it was Xander or Aveline?

"I'll do it," I said quietly, addressing Jacobi directly. His intense glare wavered as he turned to look at me. I found Xander and Aveline's forms in the mass of the coterie. "I don't want... them to be hurt, but... I don't want either to..." I swallowed nervously, "I don't want anyone to die more."

I looked down at my hands, avoiding their guilty expressions. I knew they wanted to do something to help me. I didn't need any special bond to tell me that.

"Fine," Jacobi's voice was emotionless as he looked from me to Audrina, who sat down with a look of satisfaction on her face. "After this, my standing with the Royals will be on good terms again, I assume."

"Of course," Audrina smiled unpleasantly, waving for something in the distance. As if producing it from thin air, a vampire walked forward towards Jacobi with a frightfully intimidating whip, curled up and unused. I felt like I would faint, what courage I did have fading with each step the vampire made towards Jacobi.

I closed my eyes and wished I could disappear.

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