The Vampire's Executioner

Chapter 17

The next evening, Lizzie headed back down to the library to do some more research. Not on Nikolai or the Dragulia family, but Marie Cozma. She was dressed down in her pajama pants with crescent moons splattered across a light blue sky and a white wife beater. Her hair was thrown up into a sloppy ponytail and underneath her arm was a rather empty binder. She hoped to fill that binder with her notes on the elusive Marie Cozma.

Lizzie made her home at the same desk in the library she had worked on the previous night, and she sat there idly for a moment, her mind starting to work some kind of game plan for how to get her research started. Her laptop was back in her room, but she didn't want to use the Internet unless it was a last resort. Though the Internet provided fast results, it was hard to decipher just what was real, what was hearsay, and what was in between. Her results would be biased, and she needed facts on this woman, not opinions.

But where to find this information? The library was huge, and that wasn't an exaggeration. All she could do was start looking for a diary, a biography on the royals, anything that could give her accurate information on Marie Cozma and her relationship with Nikolai. It took a good hour and a half, and while Lizzie had only found three books with her name mentioned, it was enough to start with. She took her seat once again, grabbed a pen and notebook, and started to write.

Lizzie actually learned quite a lot about the woman, and even though Marie seemed cold and calculating, Lizzie had to admit she had an interesting life. She was born August of 1504, when Vladislaus Dragulia first started to rule. By this time, the man was immortal, as was his wife, and his two sons had been born. Marie's father was a duke and a duchess respectively, so it was only natural for Vladislaus to invite the two to live at court with him and his family. Nikolai and Marie grew up together, and as a result, it was only natural for them to fall in love with each other. By the time their children were two hundred years of age (to humans, the age appeared to be between ten and twelve years old), Vladislaus and Duke Cozma drew up a contract that guaranteed marriage between the two.

Chewing her lip, Lizzie tried not to let her mind dwell on what she had just read. Nikolai had known Marie for nearly five hundred years, engaged for a little less. Such a prospect seemed rather boring. But then maybe if she was in love with someone, five hundred years together would feel like no time at all. She hadn't known about that kind of love before; never felt or experienced it. A part of her wished that she had, but she believed that if such a thing were to happen, it would happen in time. And her job saved her from worrying too much about that kind of thing. Although there were times when she wished she had someone.

Now, though, she had to protect Nikolai, and she decided that once this whole mission was over, she would take a much needed vacation. Her lips curled into a soft smile as she skimmed her scrawled writing, and she wondered if their love was like the archive of their relationship made it out to be. Were they really in love, or was it a calculated move?

She was glad she was human in this day and age. No prearranged marriages. No forcing love. Nothing of that sort. Lizzie knew that the traditions still rang true for some cultures, and she wondered for a moment if it was common for regular, non-royal vampires to still do such a thing.

Another couple of hours later, Lizzie stood and stretched. She didn't seem to find anything new besides what she had already found, and then decided to put some food in her stomach. Maybe this way, she'd be more energetic and inspired to continue to look through the archives. On her way towards the kitchen, she happened to run into the woman she wanted to know more about. Marie Cozma was walking gracefully down the hallway in a sky-blue silk robe, her luxurious pale blonde hair piled elegantly on the top of her head. Even just waking up, the woman was beautiful. Cold, but beautiful.

Even Lizzie could feel the tension bristling between the two of them. She knew that things needed to calm down between them if Lizzie was supposed to do her job to the best of her abilities. Though watching Marie and Nikolai fight was amusing, it was also distracting, and Lizzie took offense to Marie's constant complaining about her presence when all she was trying to do was to protect Nikolai and the Dragulia name.

She cleared her throat, but apparently, Marie either didn't hear her or ignored her, because she turned and kept her focus on walking passed Lizzie without so much as a courtesy nod.

"Miss Cozma," Lizzie tried, deciding to go with something polite rather than demanding. It was only then that Marie granted her a look – and an icy one at that. Marie stopped, but she only tilted her chin up in order to look down at Lizzie, emphasizing her position in the vampire hierarchy. Lizzie forced down a retort she had on the tip of her tongue and forced a smile. "Listen, I know that you don't really like me being here and I completely understand, but I just want you to know that I'm not here to upset you in any way. At least, I don't intend to. I'm trying to protect your fiancé, His Highness. That's why I'm here."

Marie scowled, contorting her feminine features into something harsh and ugly. "I am not stupid, Miss Grant," she said, her voice still beautiful despite its sharpness. "This whole assassin protector business is just a cover-up."

Lizzie blinked, literally confused at just what Marie was suggesting. "I'm sorry?" she asked, trying to keep her patience. "I'm not exactly sure what you're saying. What is it that I'm supposed to be covering up, exactly?"

"You and my fiancé," Marie snapped as though it was the most obvious thing in the world. Lizzie noticed that when Marie became more agitated, her hand gestures became more animated. "This whole assassin business is just a cover up because the two of you are fucking."

Even a word as crude as fucking sounded beautiful when a Romanian accent touched it.

Instead of being upset, Lizzie opened her mouth and let out a long laugh. "That's absolutely ridiculous," she said once she could catch her breath. Marie did not seem to be as amused as she was. Her whole face stiffened, and she crossed her arms over her chest. "Me and Nikolai Dragulia – His Highness?"

"I'm not stupid," Marie repeated; her voice cutting as she stared daggers in her direction. "I know what is going on between the two of you. I'm not blind. Do not take me as a fool, Miss Grant. This isn't the first time such an event has occurred when it comes to Nikolai Dragulia. I promised I wouldn't let such a thing happen right in front of my face again. I have put up with too much before; I don't need to deal with it again, especially not with some human."

"May I ask you a question?" Lizzie said, giving each word weight. "If something like this has happened before and you guys didn't reestablish your trust, then why are you marrying him in the first place?"

"You know what I think?" Marie asked, and before Lizzie could answer, she continued. "I think you are the one that is stupid, Miss Grant. Did you just ask me why I am marrying Nikolai Dragulia? Might I remind you that he is next in line to inherit the throne from his father, who has prepared to step down once the threat against Nikolai is settled? Do you honestly believe that we love each other? Maybe, once, centuries ago, but that has faded into obligation. I am well-bred and would make him the best ruler the Dragulias could ever hope he would be." She gave Lizzie a once over, her face contorted into obvious displeasure. "I do not care who he is fucking as long as he marries me, and I become the Queen of vampires."

"You're contradicting yourself, princess," Lizzie said, shifting her weight from foot to foot. "Either you care or you don't."

"As long as it's not in front of my face," Marie said, "as long as it's not publically known, I do not care. I will be Queen, and that is all I care about."

"Good, so stop bothering me about fucking your fiancé," she snapped before turning and heading into the kitchen without sparing Marie another glance.

At least Marie wasn't technically royal, not yet anyway. If Marie was going to be disrespectful to her, then Lizzie had no problem doing the same thing in return. Respect, she felt, was mutually exclusive. If she wasn't getting any, she wasn't giving any either.

Now what am I in the mood for? She thought to herself as she headed into the kitchen, temporarily forgetting Marie's temper, her hunger proving to be an excellent distraction.