The Rise Of Katherine

Author's Note: This is an addition to the Vampire For Christmas series. It takes place the day following Chapter 5. It is not absolutely necessary to have read the Vampire For Christmas series, but, in my opinion, it would make this story more interesting and meaningful. To loyal readers, I thought Chapter 5 ended the story, but your requests for more prompted me to return to Katherine's saga. In some ways this is the conclusion, not Chapter 5, as I had first imagined. Though, if I am honest, I don't foresee an actual conclusion. I have ideas for more stories about the characters in Vampire For Christmas. I hope you enjoy this effort.

As always, thank you for reading Thank you to those who have taken time to give feedback and to those who have rated my stories. Your response continues to overwhelm and inspire me. As usual, I apologize in advance for typos or editing errors. I blame my editor. Me.

The hand rubbing my back woke me from a deep sleep. I moaned as she kissed my neck. I opened my eyes expecting to see Dani. Instead, it was my partner, Colleen, along with Helena. They were both dressed in training gear I had not previously seen.

"Good morning, Love," said Colleen. "How do you feel?

"Relaxed. Calm. I feel like I've been carrying so much weight the past two months. Mostly, I feel so in love with you. Thank you for last night. I didn't realize how much I needed it."

"YOU needed it?" chimed in Danielle. What about ME?" she laughed. "Good morning, Colleen. Thank you for last night. Good morning, Helena."

Colleen smiled. "You two look pretty satisfied. Sadly, I had to settle for Mother yesterday."

The sound of Helena slapping Colleen's ass could have been heard throughout the house. "I'll give you settle, you ungrateful little tart. I'm surprised everyone didn't hear YOUR orgasm scream. Though, I suppose SOME people were busy with their own," she laughed. "Time for you two to get up," she said to Dani and me.

"Danielle," said Helena, "you need to go see your mate, then get dressed and join us in the Throne Room at nineteen hundred hours. We three have some work to do before Katherine's meeting. I'm glad you and she got to have last night. You both needed it."

After kisses and hugs all around, Dani collected her things and left.

"Katherine, you need to wear this," Helena said as she handed me a package.

I tore open the box like a child at Christmas. Inside was an outfit matching the ones Helena and Diana sported. It was a pair of black skin tight pants and a shirt of rich black leather reinforced with metallic strands. There were subtle differences. Helena's had gold accents. Mine, and the one Colleen wore, had silver accents.

"Royal armor, Love. You need to come to the meeting wearing your weapons as well," said Colleen.

"Why? Are we expecting trouble?" I asked.

"Trouble? No," said Helena. "We are, however, likely to need our weapons. That is, you will. We have a tribunal to conduct. Bridget, Victor and my guards spent the night interrogating Gustave's security. What they discovered is grim."

"Shit. Do we suspect others among the Leadership Committee?"

"Not at this time," she replied. "It's just that the extent of his betrayal is greater than we imagined. You have your work cut out for you."

"I have my work cut out?"

"You ARE Director of Security are you not? This is a Security matter. You're going to lead the tribunal. The family leadership and security personnel will be there to observe. I will assist as you need, but, for this meeting, YOU are, essentially, the Queen."

"Fuck," I said barely above a whisper. "Talk about 'on the job training'."

Helena and Colleen both smiled and hugged me. "You've got this, Love," said Colleen. "Now grab a quick shower and get dressed. You're going to look so hot in your new armor. They will all fear you and desire you at the same time."

I took my shower. I really wanted Colleen to wash my back but she and Helena had gone. I had to admit that Colleen was right. I looked amazing in my new armor. I strapped on my kukris and headed to the Throne Room.

When I got there, Helena, Diana and Colleen were standing at the foot of the dais deep in conversation with Bridget. None of them were smiling. I walked up to the group. Diana gave me a kiss and a hug. She asked how my time with Dani went. i gave her a thumbs up sign. She congratulated me. Bridget hugged me and gave me a lingering kiss. It seemed more an invitation than a greeting. My curiosity was piqued, as well as my interest.

"Katherine," said Helena. "Here is the order of events. In a few minutes Bridget will open the doors and let in the Leadership Committee and their security. We will already be seated on the dais. I will rise and officially open the proceedings then turn it over to you and take my seat. You will rise and instruct Bridget to bring the prisoners into the room. They will kneel at the foot of the dais. You will then ask Bridget for her report. After that, the agenda is what you make of it. When you feel satisfied that we have sufficient information, you will recommend a judgement. We will, in turn, starting with Colleen and ending with me, be asked for our decision. Should any of us dissent, we will do so at that time. I reserve the right of final judgement if there is disagreement."

"Do you understand how I want this to proceed?" she asked me.

"Yes, Mother," I replied. "If the decision is death, what do you want me to do?"

"You have two choices. You can recommend the Sun Chamber. That would be carried out with tomorrow's sunrise. Or, you can execute them instantly in front of the family. I would prefer that. It makes a statement that is inescapable. Do you feel you can do that?"

"Human Katherine would probably say no. She no longer exists. Vampire Princess Katherine knows that if these two were involved in an attempt to kill me, I will have no trouble dispatching them for their actions. Order in the family is critical for its safety and for the good of humans on this planet. I would like to say I would take no pleasure in exacting such a price. I can't. No one gets a second chance to try to kill me."

Colleen looked at me. Her jaw visibly dropped. "You HAVE changed. I did not expect that kind of response from you. I'm surprised. Not disappointed, just surprised. I love your new strength. You make me more more proud and happy with each day. I love you so much." She hugged me tight and whispered in my ear. "I'll show you just how much, later."

"Let's take our seats," said Helena.

Bridget opened the doors at precisely 1900 hours. The Committee members and security began to make their way to their seats. The looks on their faces and their whispers reflected their surprise at seeing us in full battle gear. You could almost taste the fear in the minds of some.

Helena stood. "Welcome. You are all here to witness a Royal tribunal. These things are usually done privately or with limited family spectators. Since you were here already, I thought it best that this one be public. Yesterday, you saw Collen execute Gustave. Though he was not given the opportunity for a tribunal, but was summarily executed by Colleen, the outcome would have been the same. We have considered whether or not he could have carried out his plans unaided by some of his staff. We are here to determine if he had help. This is a family security matter. Therefore, I turn the proceedings over to our Director of Security, Princess Katherine."

She sat down. I rose. "Thank you, my Queen. I take no pleasure in this being my first official action in my new position. I had hoped to become acquainted with you all under calmer circumstances. Don't mistake my displeasure for reluctance. Bridget, would you show the prisoners in?

Bridget motioned to Victor who went to the side door of the room and opened it. Gustave's two security staff were led into the room by Mother's personal bodyguards. The two were in chains and naked. They were shown to the foot of the dais and made to kneel about 3 feet apart from each other. I was a bit relieved they were both male. Though, after hearing Gustave's hatred of Colleen and myself, I would have been surprised if he had a female guard.

"Bridget," I said. May we have your report?"

Normally, I would have added a please. I saw how Mother, who is normally gracious, omitted such pleasantries when conducting official business of this nature. I decided it best to emulate her authority.

"Princess Katherine," said Bridget. "After the meeting yesterday, Victor, myself and other members of Royal security spent hours in exhaustive questioning of these two. We determined they were aware of Gustave's actions and did not inform a member of the Royalty of them as they are required to do. They knew Gustave personally created Vampires without permission of the Queen. Indeed, those new Vampires were created in such a way as to hide their existence from the members of the Royalty. They assisted in the transport of said Vampires to Genoa and to the warehouse in which we found them. They claim they were not aware of the planting of nor discharge of explosives designed to kill you."

"Bridget, was this information obtained through torture?" I asked.

She said. "It depends on how you define torture. Clearly, pressure beyond simple questions, was necessary. We Vampires who work in security do not give up information easily. It's how we are trained. I, personally, would not trust information obtained through torture. The person is likely to say anything for it to stop. That is not the case here. I assure you the information is reliable."

"That will do, Bridget," I said. I walked down the dais steps and stood between the two prisoners. "It saddens me that our first meeting is thus. I would like to hear from your own lips whether the information we just received is accurate."

"It is, Princess Katherine," they both said.

"That's unfortunate," I replied. "Do either of you have anything to say in your defense?"

"Only this," one offered. "We did not know Gustave's intent where you were concerned."

"Had you known, what would you have done differently?" I asked.

"We would have and should have informed a member of the Royalty," he said.

"Why was the creation of new Vampires not reported?" I asked.

"Gustave threatened us. He was much more powerful than both of us together. We were afraid," he answered.

"You could have said something when you arrived. Surely, you are aware the Queen would have protected you," I said.

"By that time, it was too late," he said. "The explosion had already occurred. We believed that you would think we were responsible. We weren't. Honest."

"I believe you," I said. "Is there anything else we should know? Have you given Bridget all appropriate details of whom else under Gustave's employ or influence was involved?"

"We have. I can only say that I am sorry and meant no harm to the Royalty." He replied.

"Noted," I said. "It falls to me as my first official act as Princess and Director of Security for the family to render my judgement. I find you both guilty of dereliction of your duty as personal security for the family. I find you both guilty of conspiring with Gustave to hide the creation of unsanctioned Vampires. I find you both guilty of aiding Gustave's plan through failure to act and failure to inform a member of the Royalty. A plan that would have killed two of your fellow security members and a member of the Royalty, me. It is my judgement that the penalty for your actions is Death."

I turned to the dais. "Crown Princess Colleen, what is your judgement?"

Colleen said, "your actions would have deprived me of two of my friends and the love of my life. There can be no other judgement. Death."

"Queen Consort Diana?" I asked. What is your judgement?"

Diana said, "this is a sad moment. I feel badly for you that you allowed your fear to overcome your knowledge of the Queen's rules, my rules. That does not excuse your actions. You placed the life of a member of the Royalty in jeopardy. My newly made daughter would be dead today had Gustave's plan succeeded. We should have been told. We would be rewarding you instead of judging you. Though it makes me sad to do so, I can see no acceptable alternative. Death."

"My Queen," I said as I faced Helena. "What is your judgement."

"Unlike my partner here," she nodded to Diana, "I feel no such sadness. I feel betrayal. I feel anger. I have come close to losing both daughters now in a very short period of time in Vampire reckoning. You heard me yesterday say how you owe your very existence to me. To repay me with such actions does not evoke sympathy. It evokes disgust. The sooner you two are removed from existence the better. Death."

Katherine," she said, "the only thing that remains is the how and when."

Human eyes would not have tracked the movement. My hands grasped the handles of my kukris and unsheathed them. In that same instant, I spun, extended my arms and decapitated both men, simultaneously. Their bodies immediately reverted to what their corpses would have looked like had they died as many years ago as they had been changed. I replaced my weapons, turned and walked back onto the dais and stood by my chair.

"We will leave their remains in place during the meeting of all security staff which will occur one hour from now instead of its previously planned time. I advise all security staff to use this time to ponder the day's events. Feel free to discuss with your charges any issues of which the Royalty should be aware. I remind you that your lives are sworn to their protection, but you work for me. I answer only to the Queen on such matters."

My canines dropped. My eyes began to glow. My voice did not rise. Instead, it turned deathly cold and firm. I allowed my gaze to sweep the room for a moment before continuing. "If any Committee member or security staff should ever decide to make an attempt on the life of any member of the Royalty, you had best succeed the first time. You will not live to make a second attempt. If anyone threatens a member of family security staff, they will likely not see the coming day. Are we clear?"

They rose as one and said, "YES, Princess Katherine."

I allowed my countenance to return to normal and took my seat. Helena rose. "That was a master class in tribunals. Thank you, Daughter. You truly are a younger version of me. You make me proud. It does appear you not only share my skills but my temperment."

"We are a family. Family members don't always agree. There are frictions just as there are joys. But, as a family, we share life, wealth, intimacy. I will add to Katherine's comment this one thing. I will brook no threats from one family member to another. Problems are to be resolved with the aid of any member of the Royalty. Any of you who chooses to not be part of the family is, as always, free to leave under certain conditions. The most significant is the prohibition against making unscanctioned Vampires. You are also required to safeguard knowledge of the family and its individual members. Response to violations will be swift and without mercy. Is there anyone present who wishes to leave the family?"

They all stood. "NO, my Queen," they said robustly.

"Then, this meeting is adjourned. Refreshments are available in the study.

Everyone filed out of the Throne Room leaving the four of us and Bridget. Helena said, "I have to say Katherine, I did not expect you to sound and act so much like me. I am not complaining. Diana softens my hard side. I like to think I have hardened her soft one as well. I see in you and Colleen a similar match. I'm starting to take comfort in the thought that the family is destined to continue as I have envisioned it. Colleen, did you see this side of her?"

"I did not, Mother," replied Colleen. "I did tell you she was tenacious and an aggressive competitor. I noted her natural leadership. I have watched you and Diana lead this family and how you complement each other. I was concerned that when it came time to lead the family I would not be able to do so as effectively as you. I now believe that won't be a problem. She is perfect."

"What happened over the past couple of days?" asked Diana. I also didn't see this side of you."

I looked at Bridget. She simply shook her head no. "Bridget and I have had a couple of conversations about what the family expects of me. She reinforced what you three have taught me and was especially insistent that I rise to the challenge of being a warrior, as you are, Mother. I promised her to not divulge the whole conversation at this time. Suffice it to say she has made me see some things from a different perspective. The events of the hunt were eye opening as well. I am determined to excel for the sake of the family. I don't want to be a Princess Consort. So, it was adjust or be miserable."

"You don't think it was an accident that I threw you two together do you?" said Helena. "Bridget is the best of security. That, and she knows first hand the damage we Vampires can do if left unchecked. Colleen made a great choice in you, Katherine. After what they have seen these past days, don't be surprised if family members are cautious around you. They are around me. They seem to be more at ease with Diana and Colleen. Little do they realize that both of them can be as tough and they are equally as lethal. After yesterday they probably see Colleen a bit differently. Colleen will handle the next tribunal. I want the family to see she is capable and willing as well."

"Now, we will leave you and Bridget to your meeting. Be tough but supportive at the same time, Katherine."

They each hugged Bridget and me. Colleen whispered in my ear. "Don't forget you have a date later." Then, they left.

"Well, here we are, Bridget," I said. What's your feeling about the tribunal?"

"First," she said, "thank you for keeping our confidence. As for the tribunal, it could not have ended any other way. I expected you to recommend the Sun Chamber. Your dual blade move taking both heads at once was worthy of any movie hero. I have taught you well. As for how you handled the questioning and the judgement. The Queen could not have done it better. I had to fight smiling the whole way through. It seems you are as tough mentally as you are physically when the occasion demands. I would serve you as Matriarch gladly and without hesitation."

"Fuck. That is the nicest thing you have ever said to me. And, that welcoming kiss when I came in the room? Should I read more into that than a simple hello?"

"I should hope so. If not, I'm losing my touch," she said as she winked at me.

"Now, how do you see this meeting unfolding?"

"I imagine it will take less time than I first thought. Much of what I wanted to cover has been demonstrated and discussed in the tribunal. I want them to be aware of your role. Please feel free to chime in. Also, when you are unavailable, what if we direct them to Victor? How would he feel if he was viewed as subordinate to you?"

"You act like he isn't already," she laughed. "Actually, he has volunteered to assist any way he can. If you are going to ask that of him, I suggest giving him a raise. Nothing large. A modest recognition of extra duties and honor."

"Good suggestion," I said. "Is there anything in particular you want emphasized?"

She said. "Why don't we bring them in over the year for some sparring and other advanced training? They should face you. And, I enjoy working with them. We can bring a group but only one from each household at a time. I think once a quarter would suffice."

"Let's do that. You handle that announcement. Okay, we seem to be ready. Open the door, please, and let them come in as they arrive. I will be curious to see who is early and who is the last. I pray no one is late. What should I do if one is?"