Enter the Shadow (Open)

Arthur walked into the main chamber of the Imperial Court, the one used when the Queen and her Court were allowing some of the lesser vampires to look upon them. Of course the Queen's throne was higher and much greater than any of the other thrones for the members of the Court. He personally liked his own little chair, a two to the left of the Queen's throne and carved entirely out of Onyx.

He hadn't been sure why he'd been given a black chair at first but after awhile it sort of made sense. After all, he was involved intimately with the human world at a high level and involved in the vampire world at a level just as high. Sitting down in his chair, Arthur put his rapier point down in front of him, spinning the sword aimlessly as he brooded over some economic changes in the human surface world.

Rebecca moved into the court again for she had left her sword against her throne and she needed it now to duel with, but as she moved into the hall, moonlight streaming through the windows she noted a man there, it was Arthur but she hadnt seen him for some while.

"Good Evening Arthur."

She said politely and walked swiftly up to her throne grabbed her emerald encrusted sword and turned to him again.

"How goes it? From the look on your face somethings troubling you."

Rebecca smoothed out a crease in her tight red velvet jacket and her leather trousers remains perfect on her skin.

Arthur looked up when someone walked into the chamber, fully intending to run them through with his rapier for being here if they shouldn't be. At seeing Rebecca, his Queen, he slid smoothly off of his chair onto one knee, his rapier still pointed at the ground,

"My Queen." he greeted formally before looking up at her with a faint smile, "It's been a while milady."

He chuckled lightly,

"The problems of being in two world at once milady. Nothing too much to worry about." he assured her even as he sighed a little, "Although I do wish the humans would just learn to follow orders like good little sheep. Everything subtle prodding with them... sometimes even my patience frays milady."

Rebecca smiled as he knelt on the floor and moving over to him she held out a hand for him to take, pulling him to his feet effortlessly she moved back to sit on the table not her throne, her legs dangling off the edge.

"It has been a while, if I could say you grew more handsome by the day I would, but I'll settle for handsome as always Arthur."

Bowing her head to him in respect she sighed a little few vampires shared his compassion for humanity, Rebecca was one of those, they had been defeated, that was that.

"You worry too much, what business to us is humanity? You should be enjoying yourself, not fretting away, hopefully now I'm here we can remedy that hm?"

Arthur smiled as he slid his rapier into it's sheath at his waist and moved over to perch on the edge of the table just a little way away from Rebecca to be respectful of her station,

"You..." he pointed at her with a grin, "My queen, have gotten better at flattery it would appear. However we both know that I'm still much better at flattery..."

He smirked a little,

"My queen, my lady, my Becca..." he winked at the last name, "You are could not be more beautiful, you are as the goddess Aphrodite. Your visage stills the breath and your heart quickens the pulse of all creatures of this earth."

Arthur smiled faintly,

"When I was human I worried too little... much too little." he sighed a little before grinning up at Rebecca, "My Queen... are you saying that you'd be willing to help me have fun?"

Rebecca smirked and tilted her head away from him so that he wouldn't see the small blush that started across her cheeks, turning her head back she leant forward to Arthur and smirked even more, she was having much more fun since the war was over.

"Why Arthur, you flatter me so! People will talk..."

She purred happily and slunk back to where she had been sitting do that she could tease him from a distance now.

"Oh, you are wicked Arthur! You know to use my name is strictly forbidden, but please use it again I do like the way you say it."

Letting her fangs softly extend over her lips Rebecca smirked and ran her Tongue over them, happy that she was getting some attention from the man but all the while she was aware he probably didn't mean it Arthur was a terrible flirt.

"I know that you want to make up for it but now let's concentrate on making you happy, and yes, if that would please you..."

Rebecca whispered.

Arthur chuckled lightly to himself at the way Rebecca, his Queen, tilted her head away from him,

"Why milday... some might say you were a little less than composed there, perhaps even blushing!" he teased lightly but smirking still, "People will say what they will say. I should think they shall mention my desire to see the that my Queen is happy, to the point of risking dismemberment from a certain other member of the Court."

His smirk dimmed into a small, peaceful, smile,

"If it is not out of line for me to say so my Queen..." he tilted his head to look her in the eye, "Your name is more important than your title. It shows who you are and that is more important than being Queen... if you'll pardon my insolence."

Arthur grinned, his own fangs slowly extending,

"Why my Queen... I'm sure I could partake in some wild hedonism if you would be so kind as to join me." he smirked a little.

Rebecca smiled softly and shook her head placing a shocked look on her face, surely she shouldn't have been blushing, she should be the one making him blush!

"How can you even suggest such a thing? Me? Blush? No!"

At the aknowledgement that Arthurs own fangs were extending Rebecca smirked, so she hadn't completely lost it after all. Flicking her hair back from her face she made sure that he could see every bit of her skin, that was exposed of course and her shadow sprawled across the floor in front of her.

"Oh so you are aware of Sterlings affections to me? Ah that man does vex me sometimes, I feel like I am using him as I do not return his feelings...ah..."

Rebecca placed her head in her hands and started to worry about him but as soon as the mention of 'wild hedonism' came up she smirked widely and clapped her hands together.

"What did you have in mind?"

Arthur smiled, the expression so very close to being a smirk,

"Well my Queen..." he winked at her, "Me thinks the lady protesteth too much... to quote an old englishman of great literary talent."

His eyes flickered over the form of his queen before he mentally scolded himself. Getting caught looking at the queen in such a way had been the end for many foolish vampires, each of whom wanted the queen as something akin to a trophy. He bowed his head lightly,

"The man does vex even the most patient..." he agreed, Sterling having vexed him often, "If my lady does not return the feelings of her most ardent pursuer... then does my Queen's heart yearn for someone else?"

Grinning, he shrugged in an attempt to appear casual,

"Well back when I was a human I'd win a duel or contest, drink and dance most of the night away and then spend the rest of it having sex with anything that moved." he shrugged, "Hardly a fitting night for a Queen me thinks..."

Rebecca smirked and shook her head laughing as she did so, jumping down from the table she poked Arthurs cheek and laughed again, his wit and argument indeed were not deniable.

"I suppose I cannot say it is not so, your argument puts me to shame!"

Chuckling partly from embarrassment and partly from the fact thinking of these things was quite funny, Rebecca let her mind wander to all of the men who had made an impression on her, they were many and she in a way had loved all but...none forever.

"Well it seems you have a history with Sterling hm? Anyway to answer your question my heart yearns for many people if only they could all manifest in one..."

Sighing Rebecca shook away her morose mood and instead chuckled darkly:

"Oh contrare! It sounds like an evening I'd be interested in, the duelling and sex particularly..."

Arthur bite the air lightly in the direction of the finger that had poked his cheek, smirking,

"My Queen it is my business to win arguments." he reminded her before winking, "But you play the game better than most I will admit."

He chuckled a little,

"Sterling is the oil to my water my Queen. Our styles do not mix so we do not mix." he told her with a small smile, "As for the man you are looking for... when they find away to create the perfect man I'll give you a heads up. Until then I'm afraid you'll just have to make do."

Raising an eyebrow, Arthur grinned savagely, his teeth showing prominently,

"Then you'd best practice not moving my Queen..." he looked down into her eyes, "I don't want to lose my teeth for getting caught up in the moment."

Rebecca smiled at the bite to her finger and she herself snapped her fangs after Arthur, leaning back onto a pillar of stone she let the coolness press into her even if it felt no different to her.

"Well then it is safe to say that you have done your job very well, maybe you should be given a raise there?"

Grinning she listened to the gossip, however old you got hearing someone elses opinion on someone else was always amusing and never failed to bring a smile to Rebeccas face. It was obvious that both men wouldn't get along but she hoped it wouldn't get to a point where shed need to interfere.

"I see...each to his own. And thank you I appreciate that, there surely is one out there somewhere I just need a few more decades to find him eh? Or I'll be like my sire, many long term lovers but never a King..."

Rebecca smirked and shook her head:

"Such confidence Arthur hints you're more than good in the bedchamber maybe I'd move on purpose, maybe I'd move in a very...seductive way."

Arthur chuckled lightly at the suggestion of a raise,

"Thank you my Queen but that is not needed." he tilted his head to the side slightly, smiling, "The satisfaction of my Queen is all the payment I require."

At seeing the grin form on his monarch's face, Arthur suddenly began to get the odd sensation that he might be the subject of thoughts, of plans and plots maybe,

"Yes... and I hope to remain separate from him for awhile. The man's likely to take objection to some of our conversation." he winked at her, "Don't look too far or you might not find him my Queen. We often find the things we want right beneath our noses."

He smirked right back,

"And then you won't be seen until the next night my Queen." he replied with a wink, "But you'd enjoy this form of kidnapping I assure you."

Rebecca chuckled and bowed her head again so as he may not see her blush, Arthur was a terrible flirt and she didn't take anything he said completely seriously. Smirking she played with a strand of her own hair while she leant on the wall.

"Then you have fulfilled your payment."

She moved from the court room and beckoned for him to follow her, Rebecca although joking about the sex was in the mood for a good fight and wondered if Arthur would oblige her, if not she could always engage in archery practice with him.

"Come with me Arthur I have use for you in the fighting arena, let us duel then see about whether we engage in the wilder stuff hmm?"

Rebecca walked softly down the corridor, smiling back at Arthur as the moonlight filtered through the windows in the cloisters.

Arthur smirked a little at seeing his confident Queen duck her head, one of the time honoured methods for keeping people from seeing blushes and flushes. He turned his smirk to a smile as he noticed her playing with a strand of her hair,

"Well then..." he grinned a little, "I'll see about earning that raise... and satisfying you more."

Raising an eyebrow, Arthur followed his Queen when beckoned. Following her into the next room, both eyebrows shot up at the request,

"You wish to duel with me, my Queen?" he asked, slightly surprised, "I would be honoured of course. I promise not to be so rough that we can't enjoy ourselves later."

Rebecca tilted her head to one side and laughed a little, boy Arthur sure did know how to turn a phrase but there was very little behind his words, or so she thought, it could be possible that he meant every word of what he said but a very large part of Rebecca believed this was not so.

"Please me more? Oh do tell me how you plan to do that..."

Almost purring the words Rebecca moved along the side of the room scraping it with her sword to make a rather unpleasant sound especially to the vampire ear. Raking a hand through her hair she waited for Arthur to make his move.

"Well then Arthur, choose your weapon of choice, then come face me in battle, I hope that you are quick on your feet."

Chuckling softly Rebecca whispered: "If of course such fun will occur..."

Arthur chuckled lightly and shook his head,

"I'm afraid not my queen." he bowed his head slightly, "It is not seemly for a gentleman to explain the most base deeds to his superiors."

He grinned in an effort not to flinch at the rather irritating sound of the sword on the stone. Drawing his rapier, Arthur smirked as he fell into an easy stance,

"Madam... my weapon of choice is always ready for one such as yourself." he quipped, winking at her, "If such fun will occur... it will be at your leisure."

Rebecca sighed and massaged her temples, she was in the presence of a true flirt and she did pity the partner that he was sure to take on in the next few years, she hoped that she had a strong backbone or this constant teasing would get to her.

"Well then Arthur, let us begin."

Moving from her stance Rebecca darted forwards and struck her sword against Arthurs before swinging it around to one side, ensuring her footwork was adequate to keep her from being blocked in anywhere, avoiding the sides of the room Rebecca continued to parry her sword at Arthur getting sly hits underneath his waist and one dangerously close to his crotch.

Arthur smirked a little as he danced away from most of Rebecca's blows, having to block the shot at his crotch while sticking his tongue out at her,

"Low blow my queen... low blow." he taunted as he pressed forwards, twisting and weaving his sword through the air to distract her and draw her attention before changing tactic in the blink of an eye, going for lightning fast jabs instead of slashes.

Rebecca smiled she expected to have fun with Arthur duelling, and that she certainly was having. Giggling slightly she began to block all the strikes from Arthur, quite a tame duel to her but she began to get a little faster Aiming mostly for the torso cutting his shirt so hid chest was exposed.

"Mmmm yummy yummy Arthur."

She winked and had to work harder for herself to block his sharper shots to her, almost letting one through.

"You cant blame me for trying to see you."

Arthur smirked a little and as he lunged sharply at Rebecca he concentrated on one of his favourite vampire abilities and turned into mist, woshing past her before reforming behind her, facing her back with a grin.

His shirt had disappeared,

"Very well my queen..." he slashed at her with a smirk, "Who am I to deny you?"

Rebecca turned around anticipating his attack and met his slashes with her own sword, she laughed happily enjoying the fight a lot, she was quite good at sword fighting and was glad for a nice relaxed battle. Smiling she took another lunge at his legs then sharply thrust up into his abdomen.

"You'd be a very bad man indeed!"

Smirking Rebecca danced away from all of his jabs to her body.

Arthur grinned and grabbed hold of Rebecca's sword as she thrust at his abdomen. Without breaking eye contact he pulled as she thrust forwards, running himself through on her blade. But he held onto her wrist to keep her from disengaging. He held his own sword's edge up to her throat,

"Oh my queen..." he leant close to her ear and whispered, "I am a bad man."

Smirking, he bowed his head and moved his sword away,

"I think I win that round." he commented lightly as he took a few steps back to move off the blade stuck through his stomach, "Want another round?"

Rebecca couldn't see what was coming in time so she let him run himself through with her blade and as the sword was pressed to her throat she smirked and whispered:

"You forget, oh dearest Arthur, there is a benefit to being Queen."

Unable to stop her smirk with her other hand she drew her dagger and flipped herself around the opposite side to the sword blocking her neck, easily wrenching her hand from Arthurs grip. Swiftly she kept hold of his hand and twisted the other to drop his sword and bring it back to join the other, Rebecca used her teeth to hold the dagger to his throat.

"I win. Do you want another round?"

Arthur grinned even in his compromised position,

"You know... there's something about a woman with a knife in her mouth..." he joked lightly, "Especially queens."

He smirked,

"Oh well. I lost." he grinned again as he turned to mist, flowing out of Rebecca's grip to rematerialise near his sword. He picked it up, "I'm up for another round if we're using tricks and alike."