I'm Doing This For Them

The Sorceress

"I don't know where you go off to every night and, frankly, I don't care," Dorian seemed to materialize out of thin air, blocking Alison's path to the castle doorway. "Tonight, however, you must stay here."

"What? What do you mean? Why?" Alison demanded. She had been on her way to visit JPG and Dorian's sudden arrival onto the scene had caught her very much off guard. But before she could try to skirt around him, he grabbed her arm. She pulled back, her time with JPG allowing her loyalty to Dorian to erode enough that she could physically rebel more easily now, but Dorian wasn't about to give in just because Alison was fighting back now. He had indeed noticed how their fights were becoming more physical and were no longer just morose and bitter remarks, but he was adamant and continued to cling to her arm even as she tried to tug away from him.

"I am having a rather... special guest, coming tonight," Dorian responded sharply. "This guest could be prepared to offer me the deal of a lifetime and I will not allow such a magnificent opportunity to slip through my fingers just because you could not control yourself!" he continued to drag her back towards the throne room, temper ill-concealed because of how outward her defiance was becoming.

"And can you not, for once in your life, act like a proper princess!" he continued, voice growing louder and angrier the longer he and Alison carried on in their physical and verbal battle. Why did she have to be so stubborn? So impetuous and impudent?!

"But why, then, father, keep me around if you fear that all I will do is jeopardize your negotiation?" Alison argued, still tugging.

"Because! She has demanded to see all of us," Dorian snapped back. "She instructed that the entire royal family be present and if we fail to do as she commands, she will not offer us anything!" Alison couldn't help but scoff at this.

"Since when did you take orders from strangers?" she demanded, but Dorian didn't answer, having noticed that Alison was no longer struggling to pull away. Apparently, her amusement and disdain at him confessing to obeying the words of a stranger had caught her ears long enough to convince her to stop fighting. He took the chance to lead her back down the long, dark corridors of the castle and to the throne room.

"And what is this deal, anyway?" Alison demanded as soon as she and Dorian were seated in their respective thrones. It was not Dorian who answered this question, however. Instead, it was Susanna, his wife and queen, who was already seated upon her throne. Hers and Dorian's were the exact same while Alison's was a few sizes smaller. Susanna sat on Dorian's right hand and Alison on his left. Susanna looked over her husband to give her wayward adopted daughter a withering look. It was a sharp, chiding glare, laced with disgust and disdain, and the irritation was clear in her voice when she answered Alison's snide question.

"Our visitor is a woman from a far away land, far more powerful than your father and I combined," Queen Susanna began and Alison was surprised by this remark. Her parents never admitted to being the weaker ones in any situation! Yet here they were now, admitting openly that this visitor was stronger than both of them, combined no less! Alison couldn't help but feel slightly curious, if not intrigued. The visitor must've been quite captivating indeed if she was able to get both of her parents to submit so fervently.

"She has promised to grant us an immense amount of fame, fortune, land, subjects, servants, and prey, if only we allow her to speak with us for this one night," the vampire queen continued. "She has offered private property for us to rule over and immorality and power beyond our wildest imaginations, but only if she can meet us all tonight. That is why you, Alison, must be here as well!" Susanna then bared her fangs at her troublesome daughter, her tone going from disdainful to downright angry. "And I am warning you now, child. Keep your mouth shut! Do not ruin this for us!" she snapped, but Alison gave her no reply.