Bran and Keoni were in the main room with the other vampires, discussing options while Ramar listened to the police scanner. Bran wanted to know if they were involved at any point. The cops were supposed to focus on keeping the peace, ensuring law and order was kept. They were not a part of the militia, and in Bran's opinion, they should not be involved in whatever happened against them.
Ramar turned on the television to hear the nightly news. It was only meant to be background noise while he listened to the scanner and the other vampires worked out the final plans for the dual assaults. Ramar did not expect the news on the television to offer the vampires more than they ever expected.
Usually, it was just the dull drone about crime, what other cities were doing and what was happening in the world. The presenters were replaced with a black and white fizzle. Then a dreary blue screen appeared with the message that there was going to be an important announcement from the leader in a few minutes.
Ramar's eyes lit up when Ana's face appeared on the screen. He grabbed the remote and called for Bran. Keoni followed him into the room as Bran rushed in. They were both equally as stunned to see Ana on the television.
Pierre approached the podium, staring into the camera.
"Good evening, citizens of Geniprea," Pierre began. "I have come before you tonight to warn you about a fraud who is telling terrible lies. This woman claims to be the dead princess, Anarameha Kerelos. I can assure you that it is not the case and such claims need to be addressed correctly. She must be punished for causing a public disruption. As such, I am offering a reward for her capture. Ten thousand credits to whoever brings this fraud to me. Alive and unharmed. It is not your place to dole out justice. That is all."
The screen went blank for a second, and then Ana's picture returned. The words unharmed and alive were large.
"What has happened?" Keoni murmured.
He frowned, turning to look at Bran.
"He doesn't have her anymore?"
"It would seem that way. Worried that you can't be the knight in shining armour rescuing the princess?"
"Screw you," Keoni snapped back. "You have no idea how capable Ana is, and I don't find it to be anything less than perfect that she saved herself."
Keoni thought he could spend a long time telling Bran what he knew about Ana now that he had his memory back. He spent a lot of time training her, ensuring that she could cope in any situation. The kick and the punch she'd give him proved how well she could move and how good the training had been.
Ramar raised his eyebrows with an amused smile. Bran liked to goad. He didn't care who the person was. It was always fair game to him.
"Well, kudos to you for not being emasculated by the strong and fearless princess. As for this new revelation, you may do as you please. Understand that those vampires out there do not care about the credits, they want two monsters brought to their knees and the royal family reinstated. Find Ana while we deal with Pierre and Garlet."
Bran turned to Ramar, hoping that he'd had the chance to do as he'd asked. It was a tall order, given how quickly things were moving now.
"Did you get the box that I asked for?"
"One of the guards retrieved it for me."
Ramar picked it up and placed it on the desk. Bran ran his hand over the lid, smiling as his eyes lifted to Keoni.
"When Pierre brought you to me, you were badly beaten, hanging from a thread. If that were possible, of course. The man was a fool if he thought that destroying a vampire was easy."
"But he did. He wiped out all of my,"
Bran shook his head, interrupting Keoni.
"No, he just thought they were dead. He also dumped them into the wasteland, which was a good thing even if it was a dangerous place to send them. When they gained enough strength to stand, they returned, surfacing in the drains. Various leaders took them in after an urgent meeting was held. We agreed that as a race, we would hide the SC's from Pierre's sight. They were weak. They still had wounds that were full of infection from that horrid wasteland. There was no way that anyone in their right mind would send them into battle. So, that's what they did. We scattered them throughout the various rings and quarters, ensuring that they could remain hidden. I was one of the leaders that did not receive a wounded soldier to care for. At least, not in the beginning. Like I said, Pierre brought you to me in a terrible state. I was given my orders to destroy you. He clearly couldn't figure out how you could take such a beating and still be alive and decided that I would be the better person to do the job. You arrived in this."
Bran's hand moved over the box to the edge, lifting the lid.
"It was covered in blood and torn in a few places, but after some tender care, it was restored to its former glory."
Keoni lifted his uniform out of the box. He was speechless, believing that he'd never see it again. Yet all this time, Bran had kept it for him. He'd cleaned it and repaired it, ensuring that it was ready for when it was needed again.
"Put it on. You have guests waiting to say hello."
Keoni's heart thudded hard. Was Bran saying what he really thought he was saying?
Bran and Ramar closed the door to the room, leaving Keoni to dress. Keoni quickly pulled on the skin-tight suit that acted as the last line of armour for his body. It covered his arms and legs, from his neck to his ankles. Over the suit was the more obvious body armour that protected his torso. Once the boots were on, Keoni picked up the helmet and walked to the door.
Opening it caused silence to hit the room. Keoni's eyes locked onto the group of vampires dressed like him. There was a familiarity to them, but like him, they'd adapted to their new life. They'd hidden while recovering. They'd struggled with the defeat and the loss.
When Keoni looked at these men and women, he knew them, but it felt like there was something missing. He understood why Ana didn't recognise him. In the years that passed, they'd changed.
Still, they turned and raised their hands to salute their general, the one they thought was lost. They'd searched the wasteland for him, returning with sadness until word reached them that he was okay. Memory lost but alive and in the care of a vampire leader. For the members of the Sovereignty Corps, it was something.
Keoni's gaze turned until he found his dear friend, who happened to also be his second in charge of the Sovereignty Corps. Seras was fractionally taller than Keoni but far more built than he was. Keoni wasn't used to seeing Seras with a lot of hair on his head. Like many of the men, he chose to shave it down to keep it neat and tidy.
Keoni smiled softly, raising his hand. With his loyal brothers and sisters, he would find Ana.