“Cherie, you look enchanting.”

Amy looked up and saw the vampire that called him self Jean-Paul standing in her doorway. Gorgon sat by his heel, looking only to his master.

“I have learned that you had quite an adventures first day here.”

“This is kidnapping.” Amy snapped.

“Still sharp as a knife I see.”

Amy turned around and defiantly sat in a chair. “I’m not eating with you.”

Jean-Paul shoved away from the door jam. “Then you’ll starve I’m afraid, and I wouldn’t want that.”

“What do you want?” Amy yelled, anger made her jump up from the chair. “What do you want with me?! What is all this? I want to know right now what the HELL is going on!”

Jean-Paul frowned. “Such language. You are such a new independent woman, I see that but you don’t have to curse to prove it. ”

Amy picked up a book from the sideboard and threw it at Jean-Paul.

Jean-Paul froze as the book sailed past him, nearly brushing his ear.

“You are acting childish Amy.”

“I’m acting like anyone would act when they’re held against their will!”

“You are not being held!” Jean-Paul snapped the first sign of anger.

“Lies! Why won’t you let me leave.”

Jean-Paul’s eyes began to glow with tiny flaming sparks. “Because the Council would kill you Amy! Even now they are sending out assassins to hunt you down!”

Amy stopped breathing. “What?”

Jean-Paul came forward grabbing her by the arms. “Do you not understand how rare it is to find a Soul Mate? Especially for a master of my age? The Council will stop at nothing to see you dead before we could join.”

Amy blinked. “Join?”

“What you humans would call marriage. Except between us, it would be much more, it would bind us together for eternity.”

“Why would...”

“The Council wish you dead? Because I am Rogue Amy, do you understand this term? I had a seat on the council, but I gave it up. I was tired of the games they play and the politics. I left them and now they will stop at nothing to see me hurt for that dishonor.”

Amy looked up into Jean-Paul's eyes. “The Council? I thought they were a myth.”

Jean-Paul sighed. He pulled his hands away from her arms. “I am afraid they are very real. Now you know why you are forbidden to leave.”

“If you had never brought me here, I wouldn’t be in this danger.”

“This is destiny Amy. You would have come to me no matter what.”

Amy shook her head, for the first time tears burned her eyes. She held a hand to her forehead and tried to take deep calming breaths.

Jean-Paul reached out and pulled her into his arms.

Amy jerked back but couldn’t move an inch.

“I am sorry for the way this must progress Amy. But there is no other way, you must remain here and the joining must take place soon.”

“Joining?” Amy said. She blinked. “No. No!”

Jean-Paul soothed her, holding her struggling body close. “Non Cherie. Do not struggle.”

***********

Jean-Paul held the weeping Amy in his arms, quite at a loss of what to say. If only he’d known that there would be a Soul Mate for him, then he never would have left the Council and saved them both this unnecessary pain.

Damn the Council. They were so corrupt that still, two hundred years later they feared his power. He told them again and again, he had no wished to regain his power as head of the Council. He’d given it to his brother and so it would remain.

Amy’s tears had stopped. She now let her tired eyes close.

She’d been very strong not succumbing to hysteria or tears at the first mention of what was happening to her. He admired and liked that about her, she was a stubborn as his wolf Gorgon.

Suddenly Amy became a dead weight against him.

Jean-Paul blinked. The girl had fainted away.

Lifting her in his arms he quickly went over and placed her on the bed.

He rested a hand against her forehead. She looked so young for such a fiery woman. Her long brown hair had fallen loose from the hairstyle and curled around her face, framing it. A charming face, not strikingly beautiful, it was more pretty that anything. A humble beauty that Jean-Paul found most pleasing in women. He was surprised to realize that her eyes were silver, not the blue he had first thought them to be. Her lashes rested like crescents on her rosy cheeks. She looked like a healthy outdoorsy kind of woman, a face that matched her temperament.

Gorgon entered the room and jumped up onto the bed watching his master watch the girl.

Jean-Paul turned to Gorgon. “What? You wish to remain in the room with her now, is that it Gorgon?”

The wolf rested its head on the bed, closing his blue eyes.

“Very well. Although, don’t scare her too much when she wakes up.”

Jean-Paul turned and exited the room.

Madame Clare stood anxiously out in the hall.

“Master?”

Jean-Paul nodded his head. “Thank you Madame Clare, I know how much of a struggle it can be with her.”

Dominique came up behind him. “Did you tell her everything?”

Jean-Paul’s mouth lifted in a small smile. “Non. Unfortunately, she fainted before I could tell her everything.”

“Fainted!” Madame Clare said. “Oh non! Is the poor thing alright.”

Jean-Paul nodded his head. He couldn’t imagine calling Amy a ‘poor thing’.

“She’s fine Madame Clare, she’s resting now.”

Dominique handed him a telegram. “It is from Philip. The Council has already begun contacting other members to try and raise an army.”

Jean-Paul took the telegram and began to walk down towards his study. “The Council thinks to start a war with me Dominique. I know they would fear any new powers I would gain with Amy, but this is ridiculous. There must be something more to this then meets the eye.”

Dominique handed him a letter. “This is from Varlo.” Jean-Paul’s eyes widened. “Varlo? I thought he was dead!”

Jean-Paul snatched the letter and quickly scanned over it.

“That’s it.” Jean-Paul snapped. “Varlo and Philip both have Soul Mates. If I were to join with mine, that would make a triumverant work between the three of us. That is what the Council fears.”

Dominique shook his head. “Would they not have tried to kill off Varlo and Philip and their Soul Mates first?”

Jean-Paul laughed. “The Council had given up on the idea of there being a Soul Mate for me. I’m glade to prove them wrong, but now I’m afraid there could very well be a war.”

*********

Amy smelt sandalwood and trees.

She smiled and hugged her teddy bear closer to her. It yelped.

Amy gasped and jumped up on the bed.

She’d been hugging that wolf Gorgon! Not her teddy bear.

The wolf looked up at her and then put its head back down, appearing to go back to sleep.

“Gorgon!” A voice snapped. “Get off my sheets!”

A petite blond haired girl came forward and smacked the wolf on his rump. “Off!”

Amy watched fascinated as the wolf quickly complied.

The girl smiled. “That’s better. Hello, I’m Claudette. I’m your maid.”

Amy blinked. “Maid?”

“Yes, you know, a maid. Well let’s see. Tonight will be a little chilly, so I was thinking perhaps the deep blue gown, especially with that new Sapphire necklace that the Master dropped off. Have you taken a look at all the jewelry you own now? It’s in this cupboard here.”

Claudette pointed out a small cupboard that when opened, sparkled with rows and rows of jewelry.

“Oh my.” Amy said.

“Impressive non?” Claudette smiled. “Now then. I’ll run the bath, you’ll need it after snuggling up to Gorgon for the night.”

Amy laughed embarrassingly. “Yes well, I though he was my teddy bear.”

Claudette disappeared into the bathroom. “He sometimes likes to think he is.”

Amy got out from the bed, still dressed in the burgundy gown from last night. It was crumpled and the jewelry had been taken off her. Probably placed back into the...

Oh no! She’d fainted!

Amy groaned and covered her face with her hands. “Mademoiselle?” Claudette asked.

Amy pulled her hands down. “I fainted.”

Claudette nodded her head, serious. “Yes. The entire staff heard and we’re happy to know that he wasn’t anything serious. Goodness knows, I would have been in hysterics in your position.”

Amy perked up. “Would you?”

Claudette looked to be the same age as her, possibly even younger.

“Of course. But the Master is so kind and generous, you must know that by now.”

Amy pulled her gloves off. “Not really no.”

Claudette disappeared back into the bathroom. “You’ll see soon enough. And don’t worry so much about being locked up here, it’s for your own safety. Last night, three vampires were caught outside the boundaries of the property.”

Claudette reappeared carrying a bathrobe. “Here you are.”

Amy took the robe. “Who were the vampires?”

“Assassins from the Council.”

Amy eyes widened. Assassins.

“I’ll undo the back of the gown Mademoiselle.” Claudette’s quick hands went to undoing the tons of tiny buttons at Amy’s back.

“There you are. I’ll be here if you need anything Mademoiselle, just call out.”

Amy nodded her head and quickly escaped into the bathroom.

Nearly an hour later Claudette knocked on the door. “Mademoiselle, will you be getting out soon?”

Amy opened her eyes. “I suppose so.”

She got out, wrapped a towel around her and opened the door to come face to face with Jean-Paul.

Amy clutched the yellow bath towel close to her. “What are you doing here? Where’s Claudette?”

Jean-Paul motioned with his hand to the bedroom door. “She is outside.”

“I’m not dressed.” Amy stated flatly.

Jean-Paul looked her up and down. “So I noticed.” “Well?”

A smile tugged at Jean-Paul’s face. “Well what?”

“Are you going to leave now so I can get dressed?”

“I didn’t consider it.”

Amy pushed by him, her wet hair trailing behind her. She picked up the blue gown from the bed and stormed past Jean-Paul, heading back into the bathroom.

Once inside she snapped the lock with a quick flick of her wrist.

She heard a chuckle from behind the door.

As Amy slipped into her undergarments and pulled the gown up over her hips Jean-Paul called out from behind the door. “I do not believe you can do all those buttons up on your own Cherie.”

“Well you’d better send Claudette in then.” Amy called back.

The door handle turned and the lock snapped out of place.

“Hey!” Amy shouted.

Jean-Paul slipped the key into his pants pocket and motioned for her to turn around.

“Let me.”

Amy backed away, clutching the gown to her from the front. “No! Get out!”

Jean-Paul laughed and the sound trailed against her face like a fall wind.

“Come Cherie, I won’t ravish you on the cold bathroom tiles with Claudette hovering over us.”

Amy glared.

She turned around.

Jean-Paul lifted her wet hair and flipped it over the shoulder. His hands went to the lower buttons and did them up. He didn't do any monkey business, until the end when he kissed the sensitive part of her neck.

Amy yelped and pulled away, banging her toes into the bathroom toilet.

Jean-Paul smiled at her discomfort. “You see what happens when you resist my advances, Cherie?”

Amy frowned at him.

“Claudette?” Jean-Paul called out.

The blond girl came running in. “Yes Master?”

“Amy will be accompanying me out this evening. So I believe she will need some shoes.”

Amy stopped hopping around and looked at Jean-Paul. “Out? Where?”

Jean-Paul shook his head at her. “Oh no. You aren’t leaving this Palace. We will be having dinner tonight out on the terrace, off of my wing of the Palace.”

Amy huffed. “I am going to find a way out of here.”

Jean-Paul turned, “And I will follow you and bring you back…cursing all the way.”

Jean-Paul walked out of the bathroom. Amy shivered. She didn’t doubt his words.

*********

Jean-Paul held her arm lightly in his. Discomfort ran up and down each fiber of Amy’s body.

“Why do you fear me so much Amy?” he asked.

Amy looked up from the floor. “I don’t fear you. I hate you. There is a difference.”

Jean-Paul sighed. She didn’t hate him. She just didn’t appreciate what he was doing right now. “Later you will understand.”

“I won’t be here to find out.”

Jean-Paul was getting annoyed with her defiance of him. “You haven’t had any success yet Cherie.”

Amy didn’t respond.

Jean-Paul motioned with a hand. “Do you not think my home beautiful Amy.”

“It’s okay.”

Jean-Paul shook his head. “Okay? Very well Amy, keep building these walls around yourself. Soon you will find yourself very much alone.”

Beneath her breath she mumbled faintly. “I am alone.”

Jean-Paul continued down the corridor to the terrace, his guards following behind them.

When the doors opened onto the terrace he felt Amy’s spark of frustration. The terrace, since it was wintertime, was closed in by unbreakable glass. Had she thought to try and escape sometime during the meal?

“Jean-Paul!” A female voice cried out.

Amy turned her head sharply to the source. Jean-Paul watched Amy’s reaction. She saw a tall red haired woman with arms outstretched running towards them. He did admit that Caroline’s skin was that perfect pale complexion that all women tried to achieve and she wore a beautiful gold and ivory dress that came from her original time period of 1700. She looked beautiful as always, just like a fairy Princess. Amy’s mouth hung wide open.

“Good evening Caroline. Philip.”

Philip came up from his seat and smiled. Unlike Caroline, Philip tended to dress to the fashion of the day. It wouldn’t work well if Philip walked around in chain mail with a sword at his hip. Philip nodded his head at Jean-Paul. His short chocolate hair brushed the sides of his cheeks.

Jean-Paul motioned with his hand. “Amy. Let me introduce you to my friends, Philip and Caroline. They are Soul Mates.”

Amy flinched at that last word.

Caroline came up and practically threw herself onto Amy.

“Oh how wonderful! I’ve been so anxious in meeting you Amy. Aren’t you so lucky!”

Philip rolled his sharp blue eyes from behind his Soul Mates back.

Jean-Paul laughed at Philip. He agreed, sometimes Caroline could talk herself to the moon.

Philip pulled Caroline back a little ways. “Don’t crowd her Caroline. You’re going to frighten the girl half to death.”

Caroline blushed and mumbled an apology.

Philip held out his hand to Amy. “Hello Amy.”

Amy took it loosely.

“Are you a vampire?” She asked.

Jean-Paul smiled. “Of course he is, Caroline is his Soul Mate remember.”

Caroline burst into the conversation again. “Isn’t this wonderful! I can’t wait to start helping you for the ceremony Amy. Wait until I get you all the books on the flowers, oh and of course the cakes and the invitations and the...”

Philip cupped a hand over Caroline’s mouth. “Darling. Perhaps after dinner you two could discuss this.”

Caroline’s eyes actually sparked with blue flames. She reached behind her and jabbed Philip in the ribs. Philip let go of her mouth.

Caroline turned on him. “I am going to make this Joining the BEST that there has ever been since I never even got a Joining ceremony at all!”

Jean-Paul leaned down and said to Amy. “This is a very old argument.”

Amy looked up at him, eyes wide. “How old?”

“Three hundred years.”

For the first time Jean-Paul heard Amy giggle. He smiled and then motioned for everyone to take a seat. “Dinner is ready I believe.”

Amy sat down beside Jean-Paul while Caroline and Philip sat across from them.

Caroline continued, despite Philips warning, to fill Amy in on all the preparations that would be made for the Joining Ceremony.

Amy nodded her head but behind it all Jean-Paul sensed her panic. She saw for the first time that there probably wasn’t a way for her to get out of this.

Amy turned to him when the desert was served. “I...where is the washroom?”

Jean-Paul nodded his head to one of the footmen. “Jacque will escort you there. Don’t be too long, your desert will melt soon.”