As promised, after only
a month, here's another chapter. I finally have the end goal in mind, and, this is just a guess, I'm
thinking there might be 3 or 4 more chapters before you see "The End" at the
bottom.
I will be re-writing
this entire story, with some major changes. I will be posting that re-write,
once it's written, at The Story Lover's Home.
I've also started
another story and I hope you'll enjoy it as much as you've enjoyed this one.
You can find it at Nifty Archive: lone-wolf-ranch, or on The Story Lover's Home.
Hearing that you're
enjoying the story REALLY makes my day, so drop me a line. Hearing that you're
not enjoying it helps me improve it, so drop me a line. Even if you say `Hey,
I'm reading it.', you encourage me to keep going, so drop a line to Jst4Fun2nyt@gmail.com !!!
Keep donating to https://donate.nifty.org/!
Sex isn't a significant
part of this story, nor is it graphic. If you're looking for masturbation
fodder, look elsewhere. This story will have many slow times, just like there
are in life. Other times, things will fly at you too fast. There will be dull
days, and exciting days. It's just how it's flowing.
Text
copyright ©Justin Forfun 2020-2023 All
rights reserved.
This work is fully
protected under the United States Copyright Laws © 17 USC§§ 101, 102(a),
302(a). All rights reserved. Placing or posting any
or all of this story on any website or distributing any of these works in any
way (in part or in whole) without the author's explicit consent is strictly
prohibited. Any copyright infringements will be prosecuted to the
fullest extent of the law. With some obvious exceptions, any names,
characters, or incidents are the product of the author's imagination, and all
are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons living or dead, events
or locales is entirely coincidental, and no harm or slanderous intent is
implied or intended. Any characterization of public figures is purely the
author's imagination and is in no way intended to suggest that they would
behave in the real world as they do in my fictional world.
DONATE to Nifty so you
can continue to enjoy my story and the thousands of others!!!!
*********************************************************************************************************************
Chapter 103
The Coldstream Guards were
assembled, and when I stepped out of the car, they all saluted. I looked and
saw William walking toward us, followed by a Colonel. After he introduced us,
Will led us to a secure door in a corner building. We entered to find nothing
but another locked door. He opened this door and led us to an elevator. We went
down and then exited the elevator onto a small subway platform and immediately
entered the waiting car. As soon as the doors closed, the single-car train sped
us to another platform, where we were led into another elevator.
Will explained, "This will
take us directly to the private residence. There are similar arrangements at
Buckingham, Sandringham, and Balmoral. The tunnels started as bomb shelters,
but there have always been secret passageways so the Monarch could sneak people
in or out without public notice."
We emerged into a vast
hallway, and Will led us to a formal dining hall. Standing at the end of the
table, I saw her. Queen Elizabeth.
She approached us. I couldn't
help it. I bowed. She smiled a genuine smile, not the one for the public, then
said, "Never do that again, young man. I know my grandson told you we are
family, and we never do that in private. When we do finally meet in public, you
are my equal. Do not insult the vampires of the world by bowing to another
Monarch."
She offered her hand, so I
took it and leaned down to touch my lips to her knuckles gently. When I
released her, I smiled and said, "Your... forgive me, cousin, but what should I
call you"
A voice from the corner said,
"Well, I have often called her Cabbage, though I doubt you could get away with
that. Such a genteel young man. Please, Greg, introduce us to your family."
I looked to see a tall man in
his early twenties walking toward the Queen. As he came to her side, he
affectionately put his arm around her and smiled. Vlad had told me about this,
so I was prepared. The gasps I heard behind me told me my family was not.
I nodded my head and said,
"Phillip, Elizabeth, may I present my husband Scott, my husband Billy, my wife
Beatrix, my son and heir Joshua, his wife Samantha, our daughter Tanya and her
husband Sam, our son Niko, our twins Jesse and Jeremey, our son Chipper, our
son Charlie, our son Davie, and of course you know Vlad."
Elizabeth was about to speak
when George asked, "Gan-Gan, can Lottie and I take everyone to our playroom?"
Elizabeth waved her hand in
George's direction, saying, "Go on then, and remember to stay in the residence
if you are going to go in the nuddie." She turned to me and added, "I do
believe that boy is going to be more trouble than Harry when he grows up."
Once the pups were gone,
Phillip and Elizabeth led us to what they called the family room. I guess that
meant it was supposed to be informal, but the décor was no different than the
images I'd seen of the formal rooms of this castle.
When I commented on this fact,
Elizabeth said, "I suppose Charles will keep all the rooms this formal, but I
do hope Willy and Kate make the family portions of the castles into homes
rather than museums."
Just then, Catherine came in
and said, "Will told me about the residential portion of your castle, Greg, and
I plan to do something similar here, as well as Buckingham and Holyroodhouse."
Elizabeth sat in an armchair
while Phillip stood behind her, slightly off to the side, resting his arm on
the back of her chair. She motioned for everyone to join her, so Scott, Bea,
and I sat on a sofa facing Elizabeth while Billy, Josh, and Samantha sat on
another.
Scott looked at Catherine and
asked, "Not at Sandringham and Balmoral?"
Phillip explained, "Those are
properties owned by Liz and me. When she passes on, they will be left to
someone we can trust, as we would like to continue living at both."
Scott and Billy looked at each
other, but Bea beat them by asking, "I'm assuming that Cousin Liz isn't
actually going to be passing on?"
Before this got out of hand, I
said, "I think it best if we let Cousin Liz explain that, but first, I think
Vlad should go into some history."
When I turned to him, Vlad
nodded and said, "The British monarchs have known about our existence since
Henry VIII. He asked me to change him. I knew his desire had nothing to do with
the good of his people or the love of his family. He simply saw it as a way to
keep his hold on the crown forever, in much the same way I did as Vlad Dracula.
I realized I was wrong in replacing myself on the throne, so I refused him.
Since that time, the Council has left it to me to decide which, if any, of
Europe's monarchs became vampires."
Everyone was focused on his
words, so he continued, "I was tempted to change his daughter, Elizabeth, but
the longer she reigned, the more I saw her weaknesses. I saw nothing redeeming
in any of them until Albert and Victoria. Sadly, when I came to visit, Albert
was already dying of stomach cancer. When I told him that changing him would
not extend his life, he decided to remain human. Victoria refused to accept his
decision, and when he finally died, she banished me from her empire for not
saving him. Near the end of her life, she finally allowed me to visit but said
she had no interest in life with both Albert and John Brown gone. On her
deathbed, she made me swear not to change her son, Edward."
Vlad remained silent for a few
moments, lost in recollections of Victoria. He looked up and gave a slight
smile, then said, "At times, I wish I had not made that promise. Edward was
much stronger than Vicky gave him credit for. In the end, it didn't matter.
Before I could discuss it with him, he was gone. I considered offering the
change to his son, George V, but with the events in Russia, I failed to discuss
it with him before it was too late. When his idiot oldest son gave up the
throne for Bertie, we all thought he had lost his mind. It turns out Bertie,
you know him as George VI, was an incredible leader. Sadly, his cancer was too
advanced."
Scott asked, "What do you mean
it was too advanced?"
Vlad replied, "You know that
changing a human doesn't cure diseases that are already well-established in the
body?" We all nodded, so he continued, "In June of 1940, after Dunkirk, he
found out he had cancer and asked me to change him. He knew that he would still
die, but he hoped it would give him enough time to see his people through the
war."
I glanced at Elizabeth and saw
her tears. Phillip had his arm around her shoulder to comfort her, but he was
also affected by the story of his father-in-law. Elizabeth wiped away a tear
and said, "Mother refused to be changed, even on her deathbed."
Vlad continued, "As I said, I
changed Bertie, but his cancer was too advanced, and the change only bought him
12 years. His dying request was that I change Lilibet. The night before her
coronation, I changed both Phillip and Elizabeth."
As Vlad said this last part,
Phillip stepped forward and knelt before me. He bowed his head and said, "I
hereby swear on my honor that I will, from this day
forward, be faithful to the King of Dracul. I will pay homage to him and
protect him, in person and in spirit, against all enemies. I freely swear this
oath in good faith."
Before I could react,
Elizabeth said, "You will forgive me, Your Majesty, but I feel that I cannot
swear the same oath while I wear the Crown of The United Kingdom. I give you my
word that I will swear fealty on the day that Charles ascends the throne."
I nodded at Elizabeth, letting
her know I understood the conflict, then I turned back to Phillip and said,
"While I appreciate your intent, oaths of fealty are not required." I turned back
to Elizabeth and continued, "I'm just happy knowing that the two of you will be
able to enjoy a more private life once you pass the crown to Charles. Have you
decided when you might step down? And how to make it believable?"
Elizabeth took Phillip's hand
and said, "I have mourned my beloved Phillip for over a year now. Shortly after
his passing, I let the public see me using a cane. I have done other small
things to indicate that my health was failing. I will take my usual trip to
Balmoral in late July, and after a month or so, I will pass away in my sleep."
Will asked, "You know, Granny,
Greg plans to let the cat out of the bag, as they say. Will you and Gramps let
it be known that you are still alive?"
Elizabeth gave me an
appraising look, glanced at Phillip, then shook her head, saying, "It could
cause a constitutional crisis. If I were known to be alive, it might be said
that Charles' reign was invalid. I think it best we leave that to the
conspiracy theorists rather than the courts."
"I agree." I said, then added,
"I think it best that those vampires who had their time on the world stage keep
a low profile for the next hundred years. Let the humans get used to the idea
that we exist before we resurrect too many historical figures."
I turned to Vlad and asked,
"Are there any other past monarchs I will be meeting over the next month or
two?"
Vlad nodded and said, "Unless
you think otherwise, I think it best I share that information in private,
Sire."
I nodded. I was about to ask
Phillip for a tour of the castle when I got a notification of an incoming call
from George. I turned to Elizabeth and said, "If you'll excuse me for a moment,
I have a call I must take."
I turned and took a few steps
away, then answered. George apologized for interrupting, but he felt I needed
to be made aware of the situation in Ukraine. Due to the ongoing hostilities
there, many vampires had lost their homes. Most wanted
to move elsewhere in Europe, with some wanting to relocate to Dracul now that
we were a nation. Unfortunately, the continued fighting made it difficult, if
not impossible, for them to travel safely through the war-torn region.
George had contacted the
presidents of both Russia and Ukraine, asking for a twenty-four-hour cease-fire
to allow both human and vampire refugees safe passage. The Ukrainian President
agreed, pending Russia's reply. Unfortunately, Russia's reply was an abrupt no.
George thought a personal call from me might go far in convincing the Russian
leader to allow our citizens to evacuate. I agreed, but before I had this
conversation, I wanted to make sure I had options.
I contacted Tommy to confirm
that our military could do the things I had in mind. He assured me that
everything I wanted was easily within our capabilities. I directed him to make
the necessary preparations. I next spoke with Hiroki Honda to check the status
of the rings I had asked him to make. I was quite happy with his reply and gave
him my instructions.
I glanced around the room and
decided that I needed to make this call now, regardless of who might overhear
my side of the conversation. I had my nanobots connect me directly to the
Russian ruler's private phone, bypassing all protocols and secretaries.
He answered with a brusque "Da?"
"Mr. President, this is King
Gregory of Dracul."
"How did you get this number?
How did you get around my assistant?"
"That is not important right
now, Mr. President. I am calling because my minister failed to represent my
desires properly, so I thought it best if we spoke directly."
"I will tell you the same
thing I told your minister. I do not give a damn if those bloodsuckers get out
alive or not. I will not allow a delay in my military advance, not for one
second!"
When I called, I fully
intended to be as diplomatic and polite as possible. After hearing his little
tirade, all that went out the window. I growled, and I could feel my eyes
glowing as I said, "I don't give a flying fuck about your petty little war, you
egotistical little shit. Twice I have asked nicely for you to allow my citizens
to clear out of the danger zone, and twice you have ignored that request. You
are about to learn the power of the Nation of Dracul. Effective at midnight
tonight, you will begin a forty-eight-hour cease-fire."
"And if I do not? What will
you do? You cannot threaten Russia!"
I grinned as I replied, "I
will be in your office in twenty minutes to discuss this further, Mr.
President." Then I disconnected the call and turned to Elizabeth to ask, "Where
is the nearest secure location I can land a jet that I would like to keep secret?"
She looked to William, who
said, "I can shut down RAF Northolt and have you there in five minutes. Your
family is, of course, welcome to stay here while you deal with this, Greg."
I nodded as I said, "I
apologize for having to rush out, and I thank you for hosting the family." I
turned to Josh and said, "You're coming with me."
True to his word, five minutes
later, William, Josh, and I were watching a modified Dracul X-47 jet landing at
RAF Northolt. After hearing William gushing over the jet like a child over a
Christmas toy, I promised him a chance to fly one as soon as we could make it
happen. As we approached the jet, I recognized the pilot and introduced William
to Yuri Gagarin. Three minutes later, Josh and I were in two of the four rear
seats and on our way to Moscow. After a vertical take-off, Yuri took us to Mach
.98 and, once we were at 60,000 feet, he took us hypersonic. At just over 8,000
miles per hour, our London to Moscow flight took all of eleven minutes.
Yuri had handed me the package
from Hiroki when he greeted us in London. On the flight, I explained my plan to
Josh, and once he finished laughing, he agreed it would work. We had to work
fast, and I was putting the finishing touches on Joshua as we were approaching
the Kremlin. The crowd gathered to watch our X-47 landing in what used to be
known as Red Square. A group of soldiers approached the plane but stopped and
snapped to attention when Joshua and I stepped down. They quickly surrounded us
and escorted us into the building. When we got to the office of the President,
his assistant did a double-take, then stood and saluted as we walked past and
directly into his office.
The President stood and
shouted, "Who are you, and what are you doing in my office? How did you get
past security?"
"I told you I would be here in
twenty minutes, Mr. President. I am King Gregory; did you doubt I would visit?"
I paused, then looked from Joshua to the President and said, "That's amazing.
Joshua, did you know how much you resemble the President of Russia? You could
be his twin! Forgive me, Mr. President, this is my son, Joshua."
The President looked at
Joshua, then turned to me and demanded, "What sort of trickery is this?"
I smiled as I said, "No
tricks, Mr. President. I just wanted you to understand why it is in your
interest to cooperate with my simple request." He remained silent, so I went
on, "I want you to look outside, Sir. You will see the jet that brought us from
London in eleven minutes. I want you to log in to your financial accounts, Mr. President.
You will find that you are flat broke."
I waited as he checked what I
was saying. He glanced outside, then he checked some accounts on his computer.
I heard him gasp. I had removed every ruble and kopeck. I grinned and said,
"The Nation of Dracul has no interest in the affairs of human governments, Mr.
President. You are free to have your little wars and rattle your sabers all you
want but know this. If you harm my citizens, I will hold you personally
responsible. If my citizens are harmed by your country's actions, I will hold
you personally responsible. You do not want me as an enemy, Mr. President. I
can bankrupt your nation as easily as I just
bankrupted you. I will be returning your money, Mr. President, as an act of
good faith. I will begin making the arrangements to move our people out of
Ukraine during the cease-fire you will agree to."
"And what of those still in
Russia? Are you removing them as well?"
I felt my grin twist into a
snarl as I said, "I'm simply removing our citizens from danger, Mr. President.
Are you saying the vampires of Russia are in danger? If they are, I owe it to
them to take action to protect them. Drastic actions. Have no doubt. I will
stop at nothing to ensure their safety, so consider your answer very carefully,
Mr. President. Are the vampires of Russia in danger?"
His shoulders drooped, and I
heard the slightest sigh. Then he said, "Of course, they are not in danger,
Your Majesty. Your people are welcome here as they have been for centuries. It
will be as you asked, in Ukraine. Effective midnight, forty-eight hours. No
more."
"I'm so glad we had this
opportunity to chat, Mr. President. I look forward to meeting you when I am in
Moscow next week. If you will forgive me, I need to make
arrangements for our citizens to leave Ukraine. I will pass on your best
wishes to the Ukrainian President." I turned to leave but stopped and turned to
add, "Keep in mind, your own security thought Joshua was you. When Dracul asks
for a favor, I'm sure you will be happy to do it. If not, I'm certain Joshua
will be happy to do it in your place."
Before Joshua turned to the
door, I removed the glamor and returned his appearance to his own. We walked
outside, climbed onto our plane, and twenty minutes later, we were enjoying
dinner with our family, Will and Kate, Elizabeth and Phillip, and Charles and
Camilla.