"I must go pull my youngest away from the winery," Flavio rose from the table. Flavio owned a grand mansion in Lissia, as did many other vampires who'd paid for upgrades. There was plenty of space and Flavio had plenty of money.
"We'll see you at the Council meeting; we're going, just in case," Wlodek nodded.
* * *
"Giff, I don't know why your father doesn't remember us." I wanted to cry again, but I had a meeting with the full Council and a few guests in less than an hour so I was doing my best to hold the dam up. Grant had Toff in the usual sling, but the baby was already trying to walk—or in Toff's case—run. Grant was up to that challenge, though—no normal baby was going to outrun a vampire. Toff smiled and laughed at me as I made faces at him. He'd sat in my lap during breakfast and I'd fed him off my plate. He loves ham.
Giff was the one in tears, now. She didn't understand what had happened to her parent. Well, I didn't understand either.
Giff talked and wept while she'd gotten me dressed in a plum silk tunic and pants, the tunic glittering at neck, cuffs and hem with jewel dust. Yeah, I don't know how they get it to stick, either. She'd done my hair next and placed my coronet carefully afterward. I might look like a Queen in the mirror, but I wanted to curl up somewhere and feel sorry for myself. I wanted Roff back and it didn't look like that was going to happen.
Drake and Drew were acting as guards today, even though they were my military and not my palace guards. Maybe they won a bet with Gavin, but I didn't really see that happening. They were dressed in full leathers and had both blades strapped to their backs. Four more vampire guards joined us as we neared the Council Chambers. The media had arrived in full force and was crowding the main hall, all of them attempting to record images of me. Somebody, it seems, had failed to tell me that my return to palace life was going to be plastered across vid screens everywhere.
I saw Tony and Gavin off in the distance, holding the news crews back behind a barrier. Reporters were shouting questions; I ignored them as I was herded to the left and down the hall leading to the Council Chamber.
I thought I was getting there early, but I was wrong. Everybody was already there and the place was packed. They all rose as I entered the room.
Kyler was there as well, calling out the topics of discussion for the day, which was what to do with the excess profits from the casinos, brothels and other business taxes. The floor was open to suggestion. Someone wanted wider streets to handle increasing traffic. There was a call for more solar energy farms to be put up on the light side to supply the demands of Casino City. There was a consensus on that item, so it was put to a vote and passed. But that only accounted for a fraction of the funds. Someone else stood—someone I didn't recognize. He was the newly elected Head of the Council for a city of vampires pouring in from Alliance worlds. Someone else in my absence had made decisions on those applications.
"I have been approached by exclusive clothing designers, shoe designers and jewelry designers," he began. "They are all willing to pay for the opportunity to open shops here and sell their work to tourists and residents alike. I propose that we clear ground on the eastern edge of Casino City and build those shops between there and Lissia."
I didn't like that idea at all—they wanted to build inside the buffer space I'd demanded between Lissia and Casino City. It would continue to creep in this direction; I just knew it, until the two became one. And it was more retail, on top of that. I wasn't opposed to fancy dresses, shoes, or jewelry, but I wanted a public library and a university, too.
"I was hoping to spend some of the money on a public library and a university," I said, causing everybody to go quiet.
"My Queen, those things should be discussed in time, but the designers may lose interest if we do not act on this quickly." The vampire was pushing his agenda. It seemed that most of the crowd was behind him on this.
"Call for the vote on whether we should consider this proposal, or go on to other things," I snapped. Kyler called for the vote and (no surprise) sixty percent wanted designer clothes and jewelry. I wanted to walk out of the meeting right then and there, but I sat there instead while a list of retail shops was discussed and a letter was drafted, inviting interested parties to submit applications to open shops here.
"I do not want those shops between Lissia and Casino City," I said, when we got to the part on where to put them. "I was very specific on my requirements when the proposal for Casino City was discussed. I required a buffer zone and I wish to keep it. I do not want tourists wandering into my city, without permission."
"My Queen," the vampire was standing and talking again, "we all realize that you have experienced trauma, but you cannot keep the visitors out of the city forever. They are paying taxes to support you and your palace. You cannot deny them access."
"What is your name?" I stood up as I asked.
"Xandus, my Queen. From Villius, an Alliance world."
"Kyler, how much of the taxes brought in from Casino City are going toward supporting me and the palace?"
Kyler Pulled a handheld electronic device into her hand and searched the records. "That would be nothing, Raona. In fact, the mining concerns you have set up under the ice cap are paying for the public vid screens that have been installed throughout Casino City, as well as paying for the water treatment and desalination plant that supplies water to Casino City and her sister city on the light side. Those funds also pay for repairs to the electrical lines that run from the solar energy generators on the light side."
"Now, Xandus, what did you say again about the taxes supporting me and my palace?" I was so angry by that time that I wanted to mist right in front of him and make him bleed. Xandus gulped; I think he was getting that idea, too.
"Please pardon me, my Queen, I was misinformed."
"If you will hand over the source of your misinformation, I will be pleased to set them straight."
"Raona, I wish to propose that the crown cease paying for all those items mentioned earlier—I had not guessed that anything provided to Casino City was being subsidized by the crown." Merrill stood near the back of the room.
"The invoices came to me, Merrill, what did you suggest I do with them? You all seemed oblivious to the fact that they existed at all."
"That will be rectified quickly, Raona." Merrill nodded and sat down.
"What do the taxes go toward, that come to the city?" Another vampire stood.
"Flavio is in charge of the Lissia city government, I suggest you ask him," I replied as coolly as I could. I was afraid my fangs would slip out and my eyes would go red. And since this was being recorded and fed to the public, that probably wasn't a good thing.
"Those records are available and open to the public," Flavio stood. I could tell he was angry as well, simply by the stiffness in his body. "We recycle as much as possible, which is near one-hundred percent, but we have to pay employees to accomplish this, as well as repair and maintain the water and sewer lines, the water treatment facility, pay for the expenses of getting information out to the citizens, street maintenance and repair; the list is quite long," Flavio huffed. "How long have you been involved in government, or was your election merely a popularity contest? Many of us here have acted in public office for the vampire race for a very long time. If you have complaints, I suggest you go through the proper channels instead of tossing them into the Queen's lap, when you haven't even begun to exercise your options."
"My apologies, I am new to governing, as you say," the vampire bowed stiffly and sat down.
"How many here now have been involved in governing for less than one year?" I asked. I was still standing and scanning the crowd. About fifty or sixty hands went up. "The crown will pay for courses to be offered to those members of this Council. I suggest strongly that you attend those courses. Are there any questions?"
"I will be happy to provide instruction, Raona." Wlodek stood. He'd been seated next to Merrill.
"Perfect. Set them up and put the word out. I want those courses taken and passed. I have no patience for foolishness right now."
Xandus was standing again although he looked pale, if that were possible for a vampire. "My Queen, we still have not decided where to put the new shops."
"We can put them on the north side, just west of the buffer zone," Gabron now stood. "There is empty ground there and it would be ideal for the shops in question."
Gabron's suggestion was put to the vote and passed. I refused to look at him the entire time.
"I want all the applications for the designer houses to come to me," I said after the location had been approved.
"But my Queen," Xandus was on his feet again. "These are my contacts. I have been working on this already."
"How much have they promised you in return, if their application is approved?" I asked. If Xandus could have deflated, he would have. "Kyler, have Xandus' accounts investigated," I sighed. Kyler made a note on her microcomputer. Xandus shrank into his seat.
Have him watched, I sent to Drake and Drew.
Already there, they chorused in my head.
"Did you think that I would be easily fooled?" I asked. "Is that what you thought? That I was some provincial, backwater monarch who might be fooled by your superior intelligence? Is that what you thought?" I walked toward Xandus, who was cowering, now.
"I can tell by your scent that you are five hundred years of age," I went on. "And there is a slight taint about you. Why is that? I am sorry I was not here to reject your application, because I surely would have rejected it. There is a lie in you somewhere, Xandus. What is it?"
* * *
"Now they see what a Queen can do," Flavio muttered. Roff, sitting beside his sire, glanced briefly at Flavio before turning back to the drama unfolding inside the Council Chamber.
* * *
"Let me see his application," I said. Kyler handed her computer over. I studied the records she'd pulled up. "It says here you are seven hundred years of age," I was reading the application form. "Why the discrepancy, Xandus? Wait—that isn't your real name, is it?" I stopped right in front of him.