The Salvatore Saga, Part Four: My new Life

I was awakened by an older woman and felt incredibly tired, but I had no choice but to get up. Still in my robe, she led me into another room, which appeared to be some sort of dressing room.

First, my skin was oiled or treated with some kind of potion, and lotion was applied here and there. Then, I was given a pair of string panties to wear underneath my robe. I had to sit down while they did my makeup and hair.

There were five women, who seemed to be vampires attending to me. I wondered if they were Damon's former lovers and if this was some kind of punishment for them. However, they were extremely respectful and their intentions seemed genuine. After all, I was the queen of the vampires.

The strangest part was when they modified my fangs by placing collectors containing some kind of liquid to cleanse them. My fangs were still pink, and I had to let them fully extend, giving me the sensation of having a mouth full of teeth. But everything was fine.

It was time to proceed, and no amount of pondering would change that. Without any mirrors around, I had no idea what kind of makeup or hairstyle I would have. My black and blonde strands were left free, curled and framing my face after they finished my makeup and hair. Soon, it was time to get dressed. This room had no windows, and the stone walls gave it a slightly gloomy atmosphere.

Understandably, since we were in an old castle, such rooms were to be expected. There were rugs on the floor, but the women's heels clicked on the uneven stone surface. They were used to walking in here.

The women stood me up and took off my robe, causing a slight chill that made goosebumps rise on my arms. Then, an older woman entered the room carrying something red and black. It seemed to be a lot of fabric.

Of course, a bride wears red. At least, that was the case in our previous wedding. She opened the dress, allowing me to step into it, and lifted it up. Despite the seemingly abundant fabric, the neck was deeply cut, showcasing my dragon scales, with only a shimmering veil covering them.

The heavy red satin dress was adorned with old black lace, and it had ruffles around the neck. The sleeves, made of red lace, reached only to my elbows. I was given black lace gloves, and the girls started to cinch the dress around my waist. They used golden strands to showcase my slender frame.

The dress had a heavy hem that gave me wider hips and reached the floor, with a decent train trailing behind me. It was made of lace and silk, and having a train in my dresses was new to me. It made me walk slower and feel more regal.

I didn't have a crown, and I didn't ask about it, as vampires may not believe in wearing crowns. I just went along with the flow. I wore very high-heeled golden pumps that were laced up to my calves, but they were not visible under my long and heavy hem. Despite the heels, I could still walk, but the train made me walk slower and with more dignity.

I wasn't sure who would give me away this time, as the process was done differently. I briefly wondered if Nick Elias and Cole would dare to come here. It was time to start moving. As the girls urged me forward, I took a deep breath and walked slowly. One of the girls carried my train.

We walked through a dark corridor and entered the golden bridal elevator. From there, I saw my face for the first time. My hair was braided into a 3D braid and shimmered white as snow. Two strands framed my face. My expression was haughty, with ruby red lips. My skin was almost white, with no blush but some shading on my cheekbones, giving my face a narrower and slightly more mature look. My eyes were shaded in red and black, making their inky blackness appear even deeper.

I smiled slightly, surprised to see that my fangs had been made up as well. They were a deeper shade of pink, with darker tips, giving them a dramatic appearance. I thought they looked pretty damn good.

My dress looked absolutely stunning, and although my hourglass figure wasn't quite as pronounced as Mariella's, it was still visible in the tight corset-style bodice that lifted my breasts and showcased my cleavage.

I suddenly realized that my pheromones were in full effect, though I couldn't pinpoint exactly when they had been released. It seemed like our evening might become quite passionate. 

Before I could truly appreciate my appearance, the lift came to a gentle stop, and the doors slid open. To my surprise, the elders were waiting for us, each bowing deeply as they saw me.

I maintained a natural expression while Damon's voice unexpectedly echoed in my mind. "Just nod, no need to curtsy. Remember, you are the queen, higher than them."

So I nodded, regally acknowledging their presence. 

To my astonishment, both Meredith and Christina, my first children who were also vampires, were also present, along with Derek.

Derek smirked at me, just like Damon, and said, "Ready, my queen. I have to thank you, Mom. Not every guy gets to be a vampire prince."

Meredith chimed in, looking almost identical to me but taller, "Yeah, Mum, it's wicked nice to be a princess. Oh, by the way, you look stunning. I hope Dad realizes what he's getting."

I smiled and revealed my fangs, and to my surprise, Christina also had pink fangs.

I raised an eyebrow, and she explained, "Just imagine how jealous those two are. But let's get on with it." 

The elders proceeded ahead of us, and Derek escorted me, offering his arm. The girls took care of my train, gracefully carrying it. The sound of music began to fill the air, and I couldn't help but feel excited as I recognized Roxette's "Queen of Rain" being played in a more dignified version by a live band.

We walked alongside it, down a long corridor lined with a red velvet rug that muffled the sound of my heels. Torches illuminated the vast space, revealing hundreds, if not thousands, of vampires and other mystical beings. 

At the end of the corridor, I could see Damon standing, dressed in black and gold. His jacket had golden ornaments adorning the sleeves, neck, and front, and I could glimpse a heavily ruffled shirt underneath.

Behind him, the Salvatores stood in line, each wearing ruffled shirts and velvet jackets, appearing quite somber. On the other side stood Mariella, Mimosa, and Shadow, with Elena and Katherine behind them. All of them wore heavy makeup and old-fashioned velvet dresses.

To my surprise, Mariella's dress was peach-colored, Mimosa's was red, and Shadow's was deep green. Elena wore blue, and Katherine wore yellow. They were all beautifully ornate, and I could see the daughters of Mimosa, Shadow, and Mariella standing behind them as well. 

As we finally reached the end of the row, the elders bowed deeply to Damon and then walked behind the altar, ready to begin. Derek handed me over to Damon, who offered his arm to me.

Derek also bowed to his father, and the girls curtsied. Damon simply nodded, and they moved to stand next to the other children. The elders were dressed in ceremonial robes, black, violet, and golden. One of them stepped forward and began speaking.

"We are gathered here to witness the forging of a bond. A bond made of power, blood, and the connection between lust and love. These two individuals have come before us to create a bond that is unbreakable in the universe, both in this realm and beyond time."

He nodded at both of us. Although he spoke in Romanian, I could understand most of what he said. Then the next elder took the stage.

"This couple will serve as our inspiration. They will show us the path to a future where love and lust prevail. A bond like theirs will no longer be seen as a punishment but as a reward to be cherished. They will be our example of how vampires can love one another."

So, this whole thing had been seen as a punishment. My right wrist tingled slightly, a feeling I knew all too well. The next elder stepped forward.

"Vampires, from this moment on, we have true royalty among us. A true king and queen, brought together by powers beyond our understanding. They are meant to lead us, but not as tyrants. We can turn to them when we face enemies beyond our control. Our queen has protected us for centuries, and our future king has fought against enemies for just as long. Now, it is time for the high priest to begin the ritual, combining their powers, forging the bond, and crowning our king with the blood of family, enemies, and innocents. This bond will forever unite our queen and king."

Well, it seemed like I had just taken on a bit more responsibility. I kept my sarcastic thoughts to myself and controlled my expression as a figure in a fully black robe emerged from the shadows. His long sleeves concealed his hands, and as he got closer, I realized it was Wulfe.

His expression was serious, his vampire side fully visible, and his eyes had violet hourglass-shaped pupils. I was quite surprised, as hourglass pupils were typically a trait of the dark fae. 

Behind Wulfe, there was a massive black stone table. As he pointed with his pale hand, the torches surrounding the table were suddenly lit.

His voice, now deep and resonant, filled the vast hall. "We shall begin by collecting the blood of our family. Please, take your positions."

I observed as each member of our pack, including our children, walked calmly around the enormous table, each finding their designated spot. After everyone had settled into their place, Wulfe stepped to one end of the table and nodded.

Each person placed their right hand on a specific point of the table. Though their expressions remained neutral, blood began to flow through grooves, coursing towards slightly glowing white stones. Once the blood reached the stones, the corresponding family member could remove their hand and stand still.

More blood accumulated in the center of the table, originating from each person and filtering through the stones, causing them to turn pink. Wulfe plucked the pink stones and arranged them in a circle on different parts of the table.

Above us, a large monitor displayed the proceedings, a magical display rather than a technological one. Once the blood of everyone had been collected, a pool of it formed in the center of the table. Wulfe produced a wand from his robe and touched it to the pool of blood, muttering something in a faint, unfamiliar language.

The blood began to swirl and rise into the air, manipulated by Wulfe's wand and magic. He then took a golden goblet and directed some of the blood into it. Opening his own wrist, he poured his own nearly black blood into the goblet.

The mixture sizzled and bubbled, and I found it hard to detect any scent as Damon, with his pheromones unleashed, stood beside me, enveloping me in a cloud of pheromones.

 Next, Wulfe took a long, sharp needle and dipped it into the blood mixture. He then went one by one to each member of our family and stabbed the bloody needle into their hearts, injecting our blood into their hearts and binding them as well. I wasn't sure if this would make everyone more or less vampiric, but that wasn't the point. After he had stabbed each of them, he nodded and they were allowed to return to their places.

Wulfe raised his head, looked at us, and gestured for us to come forward. We walked in, and he placed me at one end of the table and Damon at the other.

He said to me, "Grab these handles and keep your hands in place. But first, give me your hand. Let's take care of the nastiness from the past."

I said to him telepathically, "How do you know that my tattoo hides a reminder of that year?"

He simply nodded, took off my glove, and Damon frowned. Wulfe explained something telepathically to Damon, who looked at me with concern.

Wulfe took the blood mixture and used his wand to touch several points on my wrist. He muttered something, and I could feel him using a little more force. Then, I could feel it start to unravel. I wasn't sure if the other females, dryads, had sensed this.

After it had fully unraveled, Wulfe touched my wrist with his wand, and I could see a string of blackness coming out. He placed his wand into a torch, and as the blackness burned away, the flame sizzled and turned a bright red, destroying the remaining binding that those evil wizards had once placed on me.

Wulfe nodded and placed my hands on the handles without my gloves. I could feel several needles digging into my palms and fingers, but I kept my grip. I could see our blood starting to flow onto the table, creating grooves again. My blood flowed towards Damon's, and his blood came towards me. 

Wulfe poured blood from a goblet onto one part of the table where both of our bloods mixed, combining with the blood of our family. This new blood began to move on its own, forming some kind of sign or symbol. I maintained my grip, feeling my blood still oozing. Soon, I could see our blood forming a very ornate letter "S". Salvatore, how nice. 

The scent of our shared blood, our familial blood, wafted through the air, carrying the essence of a story. It wasn't just one specific scent, but rather a fragrance that spoke of love, trust, life together, friendship, and soulmates.

Wulfe walked to the right side of the table, halfway opening his wrist and allowing his blood to drip onto the surface. Soon, the blood formed the shape of the letter "S."

I could sense his magic, along with Damon's and Salvatore's, rising in response. It triggered a reaction within me, causing my vampire power to surge uncontrollably. A red haze enveloped me, akin to a massive cloud. The audience gasped in surprise, while Wulfe simply nodded.

He ceased pouring his blood and approached me, allowing his own vampire power to emerge. It was black, with golden stripes, and our clouds merged together. His cloud, previously entirely black, now contained traces of my red. Similarly, my red cloud carried hints of black.

Wulfe acknowledged Damon, who released his grip on the handles and positioned himself on my left side. His vampire power emerged, a mixture of violet, black, and gold, blending with mine and Wulfe's. As our vampire powers merged, we each absorbed a portion of the other's abilities.

Wulfe nodded at me, signaling that I could release my hold. He then collected our now-golden blood from the table, which had transformed into a goblet.

Addressing the audience, he declared, "It is time to forge a bond. Our blood and power have merged, and now it is time for binding."

He took my left hand first, turning it palm-side up. I expected him to create a wound in my palm, but instead, he took a long dagger and dipped its tip into our blood. He then cut my forearm, starting from the wrist and extending nearly to my elbow. It was a painful wound, but I maintained a neutral expression. He positioned the goblet so that my blood continued to drip into it.

Damon rolled up his right sleeve, revealing his forearm, and Wulfe sliced him as well. Next, he pressed our wounds together. It was a bit strenuous, but he secured our arms with a few silk cords, ensuring they were firmly bound.

He then poured the remaining golden blood between our arms and into the wounds, causing a stinging sensation. He showed no mercy, and soon I could feel my arm melding with Damon's, making it impossible to separate them. Some golden blood still remained.

He used a thin fabric, dipping it into the blood and wrapping it around our arms from wrist to elbows. Damon grabbed my hand and I could feel my heart beating irregularly.

Smirking, Damon said to me telepathically, "Keep fighting. You'll get there in the end."

Our hearts would beat in the same rhythm again, but there was more to come.

Wulfe then said, "It's time for me to take my place as her guardian."

But Mariella was supposed to be my guardian, right?

Damon arrogantly replied, "It's a different thing, baby, completely different."

Before I could react, Wulfe sliced my right palm and his left one, joining our hands together. I could feel his palm merging with mine. Great. I had no idea what this would entail. Being bound to Wulfe wasn't necessarily a bad thing. It meant I wouldn't lose him, but I wondered what kind of guardian he would be and what he was protecting me from.

Then we had to drink the golden blood, just a sip each. Our family also took a sip, making it our blood, our family. Somehow, I suspected that there was more to come. The door opened behind us, signaling that it was time to move on and see what the rest of the day had in store for us. I decided not to dwell on tomorrow.