Epilogue

 

 

It has been a year since our meeting in London, and looking back, we've achieved so much more than I could have hoped for in such a short time. The big news is that today is the day. The day that Dracul takes its place on the world stage. The day that The United Nations publicly recognizes us as a Nation. George is officially our Minister of Foreign Affairs. Our dukes will serve as ambassadors to whichever nation they live in, and George has appointed ambassadors to another 113 nations.

The barons of the world had quickly decided that an absolute monarch would rule Dracul. I could declare laws as I saw fit, and no one could question my decisions. Of course, that wasn't in my nature. Many of the Alphas, er, Barons, had been elected to higher positions, and several of the packs that needed a Baron asked if they could elect their next leader. After discussing it with the dukes and duchess, we first decided to try it with two packs. Our primary concern was that an elected baron wouldn't phase physically, and we wondered if a non-phased baron could lead. Our fears turned out to be moot, for as soon as the first pack had their election, the baron went through the change into an Alpha. Once the second one did the same, we allowed the other packs to have their elections. All elected barons/baronesses went through the phase, and all the viscounts, counts, marquesses, and dukes developed physical attributes appropriate to their rank.

Mike suggested that we use the concept of `patents of nobility' like European monarchies had for centuries, so I spent several days signing documents with flowery language. We decided to hold similar meetings every 100 years, and if everyone was happy with their leaders, I would renew their titles for another century.

Mike has spent this past year, with input from the dukes and marquesses, creating a constitution and set of laws to govern our Nation. We have a small book with few laws; foremost among them are laws addressing the killing of vampires or humans. We negotiated with the world's nations that changing a human into a vampire was not to be considered murder, but the human had to be of age (16) and have given informed consent. We also addressed things relating to interactions between packs, er, baronies; created schedules of taxes; made regulations for immigration to Dracul; and regulations concerning how dual citizenship affected vampires.

As he promised during our visit to Windsor, Vlad first introduced me to Peter the Great and Nicholas III. He and I then met with Martin Luther King, Jr., Mahatma Gandhi, and Camille Vidart to discuss their views on world peace. I spent several hours with a few past Presidents of the United States who shall remain nameless. I spend an entire day meeting with Kings of places that were long ago absorbed into larger countries. More importantly, I've met with the current leaders of 42 nations from around the world. Prime Ministers, Presidents, Sultans, Kings, and Queens. Most were short, informal chats, but four stand out in my memory.

The first of these was shortly after our meeting. Cousin Liz called and said she would pass the crown to Charles in the next week, so Scott, Billy, and I traveled to Balmoral. We were there when Charles officially became King. He and I discussed the future of the relationship between our two nations, and he surprised me by saying that he had no intention of being changed. I almost asked him why not, but realizing that this was a personal issue, I decided against it. When Elizabeth's casket left Balmoral, Liz, Phillip, Scott, Billy, and I were smuggled out. Two days later, she did her renewal: they've been our guests ever since.

The second notable meeting was in December. I don't remember who got the bright idea that I should visit Moscow in December, but I wasn't happy about it. The Russian President was much more polite as Billy, Josh, and I were announced and led into his office. After fifteen minutes of small talk, he started mentioning all the advantages of being a close ally of Russia. We listened to him ramble on for over half an hour, and then he came to his point. He hinted that there could be a financial gain for us personally if we could arrange for him to be changed. I made no promises but didn't immediately deny his request. Of course, there was no way I would ever allow this megalomaniac to become immortal.

The third meeting that sticks out in my mind was the day that Josh and I decided to visit The White House unannounced. First, I need to explain the rings that Hiroki made for us. The stones on mine are enchanted with five different spells, er powers, er, I don't know, enchantments? Anyway, the Alexandrite has a disguising spell built into it so the wearer can assume the appearance of whomever they like. The four diamonds are enchanted to provide us with invisibility, a personal shield from physical attacks, the ability to perceive deception and compel honesty, and the fourth I use to raise and lower disguising spells I cast on things I want to conceal, such as the vaults at home. Joshua's differs only in that his fourth stone has yet to receive its enchantment as we haven't decided what to put on it.

Anyway, back to The White House. We were in Pittsburgh visiting Derek and his family when Billy suggested we visit Washington DC and take the pups to the Smithsonian, The Capitol, and The White House. We decided to start the day with a 9 am tour of The White House and were blending in with the humans when Josh sent me a nano-text suggesting we drop in on the President. I thought he was insane until Billy started giggling and nodding his head. It seems Josh had included Billy in the text. The next thing I know, Josh has gone invisible and sent me a message that if I don't join him, he'll be alone in the Oval Office. I look around, go invisible, and follow Josh through the hallways to the West Wing.

Five minutes later, we're looking over the shoulder of the President's secretary, looking for an opportunity. It quickly presented itself as the Attorney General came from a door to our left. Before he closed the door, we snuck in around him and were now standing in the Oval Office, alone with the President. I thought for a moment, then cleared my throat.

When he looked up, I quietly said, "Good morning, Mr. President."

He jumped slightly, looking around for the source of the voice, then asked, "Who are you?"

We both dropped the invisibility, and I said, "I apologize for the intrusion, Mr. President. I am King Gregory of Dracul. We spoke on the phone shortly after my home was destroyed." I turned to Josh and added, "This is Prince Joshua, my son and heir."

He grinned and nodded, saying, "The Russian President told me a story. I thought he had been hitting the vodka, but it seems he was sober. What can I do for you, Your Majesty? Your Highness?"

"Honestly? Nothing, sir. While I'm still unknown, we brought the family to see the sights of DC. After my coronation, I don't think I'll be able to join the public tours." I replied with a smirk.

The President nodded as he said, "If you stick to the plan George laid out for me, no, you won't be able to go anywhere in public for many years. Are you sure that's what you want to do?"

I smiled and said, "I've talked with my ministers, the dukes, and the duchess, and they all agree. The coronation will go as planned. You will be there, I assume?"

"I wouldn't miss it for the world." He replied.

We were interrupted when four men came bursting through the door with guns drawn. All were aimed at Josh and me as they put themselves between us and the President. With our shields in place, the guns were no threat to us, but there was the potential for someone to be hurt, so we slowly raised our hands as the agent in charge of the detail spoke with the President. Once they had talked, the agent ordered his men to stand down, then offered us an apology.

"No, we should be apologizing to you, agent. You and your men were doing their jobs." I said, offering him my hand.

"Thank you for understanding, Your Majesty." He said as he shook it. He paused, then asked, "If I may ask, how did you get in here past the staff and my agents?"

When I glanced at the President, he understood and said, "Agent, in order for him to answer your question, I must insist that you all be sworn to secrecy. Not one word, no locker-room gossip, no telling your spouses or partners, nothing. Am I understood?"

When they had all agreed, Joshua took the shape of the President while I simply vanished. When I re-appeared, I also looked like the President, so Joshua took the shape of the Vice-President. After changing into a few other people and going invisible several times, the agent in charge looked at the President, confused. In answer, the President nodded in my direction.

"The King and I have some, um, rather special abilities that would take far too long to explain. Suffice it to say that we are not a threat to your President." Joshua explained.

I gave the President a pointed look and added, "As long as your President is not a threat to me or my subjects, that is. I look forward to many centuries of peace and friendship between our Nations, Mr. President, but as your friend in Moscow found out, I will protect my people."

The President stood, walked around his desk, and shook my hand as he said, "As I understand it, I was the first of several calls you got on that day last year. That means the United States was the first to offer friendship to the Nation of Dracul. I hope that the United States will still be your friend, even if all other nations turn against you."

I nodded, then turned to the Secret Service Agent in charge and asked, "Would you like to escort us back to our tour? Or should we just quietly rejoin our party in the same way we left it?"

He smiled as we went invisible and retraced our path to rejoin our family. When we related our adventures, Niko complained that he didn't get to meet the President, while Chipper complained that he didn't get to have any of the fun.

The fourth meeting, which I doubt I'll forget if I live another thousand years, shouldn't have shocked me as much as it did. I was sitting at my desk signing some of the hundreds of letters of patent for the counts when Andrew sent me a nano-text asking if I was prepared to receive a King. When I asked which King, he said it was complicated and would allow the visitor to explain. I shrugged and told him to escort the man in as I put on my jacket and walked around to the front of the desk to greet this unexpected guest.

Andrew knocked two minutes later, then came in and said, "Your Majesty, may I present His Majesty, King Set Anubis, representing the World Council of Shifters. King Anubis, His Majesty, King Gregory of Dracul."

"Your Majesty, such a pleasant surprise. I hope you will forgive me, but I have not heard of the World Council of Shifters. Would you enlighten me?" I said as I offered my hand.

He shook it as he said, "It is I who must ask for forgiveness, Your Majesty. If you will indulge me, might we sit, and I will explain?"

I waved a hand towards the sofa as I asked, "Would you like something to drink? Please, call me Greg, and if you can spare the time, I must insist you join my family and me for dinner."

King Anubis nodded, smiled, and, after Andrew had brought us drinks, he explained, "I don't know if your advisors have told you, Greg, but vampires are not the only supernaturals in the world."

He went on to tell me about shifters, witches, and many other things I had assumed were myths. Ironically, even after being changed into a vampire, I hadn't given much thought to the possibility of other myths being real. I won't go into any more detail, as those are stories for others to tell, but his visit opened my eyes to a whole new world of possibilities. Before he left, he and I made several agreements that would benefit our citizens. I also had his support for my coronation plans.

Back to today. Everyone agreed when the dukes suggested that the former Council of Nine select one member who would be the one to actually coronate me and bestow upon me the title of King of Dracul. I was shocked when they chose Vlad. Once they explained their reasoning, I tended to agree with them. As the oldest living member of the Drăculeşti, he was actually the best choice. I laughed as I thought about the reactions when the humans found out he was the real Vlad the Impaler.

The world had watched as The United Kingdom crowned King Charles III, and we wanted a much more subdued event. We failed miserably. The eyes of the entire world were on us. We would be hosting sixteen Kings and their Queen Consorts, one Queen and her King, three Prince Regents, a Grand Duke, two Emirs, two Sultans, an Emperor, sixty-five Presidents, forty-nine Prime Ministers, and a Pope. That does not include the dozens of princes and princesses who are not the leaders of their various countries. Most of these world leaders would attend the ceremony and the reception planned for this evening and be back in their home countries before midnight. The new Prince of Wales and his Princess and their children would be our guests for a few days, as would King Alexander and Queen Maxima and theirs.

George has been at the airport since dawn to greet our visitors as they arrived and direct them to the aircraft that would bring them to the castle. On landing at the castle, Billy and Niko escorted them to one of the smaller ballrooms, where refreshments were set up for those who arrived early. As our visitors were gathering and socializing, Scott and Tyler were helping me dress.

I wanted to simply wear my tuxedo with the Drăculeşti crest, but Josh and Billy insisted that I have something more `royal'. They had Tyler design a floor-length robe made of black cashmere, lined with red silk, and trimmed in white fox fur. Tyler, or one of her minions, had embroidered a large dragon in red thread and mounted diamonds as eyes.

Hiroki had done an incredible job creating the Imperial Crown of Dracul, which the Duke of Dhaka dubbed the Crown of Gregory the Unifier because I was unifying the vampires of the world. A golden crown with eight dragon heads rising from the crown ring, four of which were joined at the top and holding a large, asscher cut alexandrite. The crown was ringed with eight rubies and eight black pearls and had a cap of red velvet inside. There was a jeweled sword they had dubbed Apărător (Protector) to represent my role as defender of the realm, a golden staff that was named Echitate (Justice), representing my responsibility to rule fairly, and an extremely heavy orb named Compasiune (Compassion), to remind me to balance justice with mercy. When I asked Hiroki how far over budget he had gone, Joshua told me to shut up and accept that the Crown Jewels of Dracul would become as famous and important as those of The United Kingdom. Hiroki later told me that if we included the throne crafted with walnut, ruthenium, leather, and red cashmere, he would value everything between $800M and $1.3B.

At 11:30 Central European Time, the Dukes and the Duchess were led to their seats in the throne room. There were seats reserved for the ministers and my family. Other than that, we let the leaders of the world simply fill in the available seating rather than offend someone with the location we chose for them. The media was restricted to three television cameras operated by Dracul staff and the two official photographers. Everyone was seated when, at 11:55, Scott, Billy, and Bea led most of our pups to the reserved seats.

At the stroke of noon, Andrew stepped into the room and struck the floor with his staff three times. With the room silent, he clearly stated, "Hear ye, hear ye, all present be silent and bear witness to these sacred proceedings."

At this point, Josh quickly strode to the front of the room and bowed to the Throne. He then stepped to the side, turned to face the assembly, and said, "The Throne of Dracul commands Igor Danila Markov to appear before it."

Immediately, Andrew announced Igor, who walked to the throne, bowed to it, then stepped to the side and bowed to Josh as he asked, "You summoned me, Your Highness?"

"Are you Igor Danila Markov, former Prince of the Council of Nine?"

"I am, Your Highness."

"And you are here representing said Council?"

"I am, Your Highness."

Joshua turned to the assembled dukes and duchess and asked, "This man stands before the Throne, claiming to represent the previous government of Dracul. Do you agree that he and he alone has that right?"

Derek stood, bowed, and replied, "We do, Your Highness."

"So say you all?" Joshua asked.

They all stood, bowed, and replied in unison, "So say we all."

Joshua turned back to Igor and said, "Make your statements, but make them true, on pain of death."

Igor replied, "On pain of death, I will speak nothing but the truth, Your Highness. The Council of Nine is no more. I have been designated to announce to the world that the Nation of Dracul hereby cedes complete and total authority, from this day to the end of days, to the chosen heir of the House of Drăculeşti, of the House of Basarab, historical and foretold, rightful rulers of our people. Furthermore, as the oldest living member of the House of Drăculeşti, of the House of Basarab, I demand that Gregory Fowler Warnick appear immediately before the Throne of Dracul to be invested with the full power and authority of said Throne."

Andrew announced, "The Throne of Dracul commands Charles Gregory Fowler Warnick to appear before it."

As I entered the room, everyone silently rose. Everyone that wasn't a head of state bowed in my direction as I strode to face the throne. I bowed to it, as it represented those I serve, then I turned and asked, "Who summons me to the Throne?"

Igor bowed again, then said, "I am Igor Danila Markov, oldest living member of the House of Drăculeşti, and as such, I affirm your right to sit upon the Throne of Dracul."

As Igor said this, Joshua stepped forward and knelt. As he did so, Andrew handed my robe to Igor, who draped it over my shoulders. Once it was secure, I turned and sat on the Throne for the first time. Of course, we had rehearsed things, but I refused to use the actual Throne, Crown, or any of the other regalia until today.

Once I was seated, Andrew announced, "The Throne of Dracul presents His Royal Highness Prince Brandon, bearing the Crown of Gregory the Unifier." At this point, Brandon entered carrying a red velvet pillow with the Imperial Crown.

When Brandon knelt in front of me, Igor lifted the Crown off the pillow, turned to the room, and said, "I am Igor Danila Markov. In my long life, I have been known as Vlad Tepes, also called Vlad Dracul or Vlad the Dragon. I have also been known as Vlad Dracula or Vlad the Impaler. Without challenge, I claim that I am the oldest surviving member of the House of Drăculeşti, of the House of Basarab, and as such, I claim my right to select and crown the first King of Dracul."

Derek stood and looked around the room as he asked, "Is there anyone to challenge his claim?" After a few moments of silence, Derek looked at Vlad and said, "Under the laws of the old Council and the laws of the Nation of Dracul, your claims stand. Vlad Dracul, name your heir, and crown him."

As Vlad was turning back to face me, I could see the desire on his face as his eyes roamed over the crown. There, in his hands, was the thing he had been chasing for centuries. He could simply slip it on his own head and declare himself King, and because of the theatric show we had just put on for the world stage, none of us could oppose him. I saw it when the thought crossed his mind. I saw the slight upturn of the corners of his mouth as his fingers caressed the crown. When his eyes finally met mine, I knew what he had decided, and I was horrified.

All the work, all our preparations, hadn't prepared me for the reality of the moment as Vlad raised his hands over his head and placed the crown on my head. Up to this point, I could refuse. I could have walked away at any point and someone would step up. Joshua could do the job. Derek could do the job. Even George or Reinhardt or Hiroki could step up and do the job. Now, as the crown settled onto my head, as Vlad adjusted it so it remained snug, there was no turning back, and I was suddenly overwhelmed with the inconceivable responsibility that was now on my shoulders.

As this hit me, I heard Vlad saying, "With the authority of the Houses of Drăculeşti and Dăneşti, both proud branches of the House of Basarab, I name Charles Gregory Fowler Warnick as the rightful Heir of Basarab, the rightful Heir of Drăculeşti, and the rightful heir of Dăneşti. As such, you are the rightful heir to the Crown of Dracul. With guidance from the gods, with the advice of faithful counselors, with the love of a grateful people, and with these honored guests as witnesses, arise and declare the name you shall rule under, Sire."

I stood and looked around the room with a new appreciation for the leaders I had met over the last year. I looked at King Charles and I could see how he had aged in the few short months he had carried the crown. I looked at the President of the United States and saw what decades of public service had done to a once spry man. I looked in the back corner and saw a young Liz and Phillip, smiling at me as they nodded their encouragement.

I took a deep breath and declared, "I am King Gregory the First. First King of Dracul."

As one, those assembled said, "Long live the King. Long live the King. Long live the King."

As the last sounds echoed through the room, Vlad motioned for the next step.

Andrew banged his staff and said, "Your Majesty, may I present Their Royal Highnesses, Prince Chipper carrying Apărător, Prince Charles carrying Echitate, and David carrying Compasiune."

As the boys reached us, Vlad first picked up Apărător and watched as Joshua buckled a swordbelt and scabbard around my waist. Handing me the sword, he said, "Your Majesty, this is the Royal Sword Apărător. Long may it serve you as you defend your realm."

He then handed me Echaitate and said, "This is Echaitate, the Royal Staff of Dracul. May its perfect balance always guide you as you rule in a just manner." He then handed me Compasiune and said, "And finally, this is Compasiune, the Royal Orb of Kasos. May its mass and shape keep you ever mindful to temper justice with mercy and compassion."

When he finished speaking, Vlad went off script by kneeling, bowing his head, and saying, "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."

I was about to reply when Josh dropped to his knee, 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."

Soon, every vampire in the room was kneeling and repeating this oath of fealty. It was word for word what Phillip had said when we visited Windsor. I guess that Vlad had decided that this wording was to become a Dracul tradition. Once these oaths were sworn and accepted, I pulled Apărător from his scabbard; not sure when I decided my sword was male, but he is.

I held him high above my head and commanded Joshua to kneel before me. As I lightly touched Apărător to his shoulders, I said, "For service to the Crown prior to our ascension, we name thee a Knight of the Most Ancient and Honorable Order of the Dragon. Furthermore, Sir Joshua Dracul, I publicly name you Crown Prince of Dracul and heir to our Throne."

When Joshua stood, I called for Morgan to kneel before me. I had to use careful wordplay as I told the tale of a young boy who saved the life of his, at the time, foster father. How he bravely risked his own life to keep me alive until help could arrive. I then touched Apărător to his shoulders and said, "For service to the Crown, we name thee a Knight of the Most Ancient and Honorable Order of the Dragon. For service to the Crown that goes beyond that which we would ever require of a subject, we create and award thee with the Cross of Vlad. Now and forever, the highest commendation the Crown of Dracul may bestow. All in our service, save the Royal House, shall defer to those thus honored."

There were other honors I needed to bestow, but most of the honorees were historical figures that I didn't want in the public eye for several more decades, so once I finished with Morgan and he had joined his siblings, I faced our guests, and those watching via television around the world.

I cleared my throat and said, "I am King Gregory of Dracul, and like most of my subjects, I am a vampire."