The Nocturnals

Chapter Sixteen: Coronation? No Problem.

Eliora spent a lot of the night thinking about everything. She thought about Kate. She thought about her betrayal. But most of all, she thought about being turned. The yellow eyes look as if they burn, as if the iris is so bright it melts the cornea.

Eliora looks in the mirror, cupping her lips as she imagines herself as a vampire. She imagines herself at Josh's side, being his mate. Vampires have never called their wives wife, they call them mate; a more sexual term. If Josh ever calls her that, he'll be overthrown even quicker than Eliora was planning. Josh... She has to stop calling him with his personal name.

"My bride to be looks stressed," Joshua leans against the wall in a tuxedo.

Eliora purses her lips, "What is it like?"

"What is what like?" Joshua's eyebrows come together.

"Turning."

Joshua scratches his head, "I honestly don't know. See, I was born. I'm a full blooded vampire. It doesn't seem too painful, don't freak yourself out."

"You were born? I didn't know vampires could do that," Eliora questions.

"Well, I think it's time we have 'the vampire talk'," Eliora rolls her eyes as Joshua continues, "Only men are born as vampires. Every female vampire was turned by their mate. In a human male's DNA, the chromosomes are XY. Male vampires' DNA is YY. One letter changes the whole entire being's species. When a female is turned, she keeps her XX DNA. This means the only option for offspring is male. Over time, when the male grows, his XY DNA turns to YY DNA. You catch my drift?"

Eliora blinks a couple of time in pure uncertainty, "What the hell does that mean?"

"Basically, true blood vampires are always male," Joshua explains.

"But how does that answer my question?" Eliora asks.

Joshua pauses, "You didn't ask why true blood vampires are always male?"

"Um... No... I don't even know how they were born," Eliora walks over to Joshua, crossing her arms.

"Right. Well since the male's turn their mates, Females' reproduction system is not frozen; only their aging is. If a woman were ever born as a vampire-well, it's impossible," Joshua laughs; an unshared joke.

Eliora hesitates after an awkward pause, "Right... So what happens in the coronation?"

"That's what I came here for," he goes to her closet, picks a lavender dress and throws it on the bed, "Change into that and come outside."

Joshua walks into the hall, leaving Eliora staring at the breezy dress. She puts it on, gawking at how the slight breeze from the AC touches places that even in her undergarments it wouldn't touch. The dress has a heart design, but the dip of the intersection goes all the way to her stomach. The dress' skirt is a high low, the front stopping a foot about her knee.

"No," Eliora huffs.

Joshua turns around, looking her up and down, "I think you look hot."

"Of course you do. I look like a skank," Eliora covers her chest. She walks over to the closet picking out a baby blue sundress with spaghetti straps and a white belt at the waist. She puts it on in the closet, then comes out.

"Wow. You look even more beautiful than my mother did in it," Joshua smiles.

Eliora blushes, "She wore this dress?"

"Yeah. Right before the coronation as well," Joshua offers his arm. He leads her down the hall, explaining all the wonderful things she could do for the castle and how she could take out the rebellion. Eliora forces her eyes to not roll.