Re-Education - 8. Chapter 8

I sat behind the table and nodded to Tommy so he could call the Court to order. I banged the gavel, looked at my assembled friends and family, and felt the incredible responsibility hit me. But now, thanks to people like Chris, Billy, Josh, and others, I was beginning to understand how to make it work.

“I apologize to the Court for the extended delay, but I am happy to announce that during our recess, we were able to address the issues that initially kept me from ruling on Mr. Barnes’ petition.

“Mr. Barnes, you and your clients will stand.” I waited a moment. “Based on our conversations and input from several sources, this Court finds that your petition has merit and that your arguments are well considered. This Court will address the vampire known as Trevor.

“Based on Mr. Barnes’ arguments, this Court hereby grants a conditional pardon for Trevor Bowers. Due to the nature of the crime, or crimes, said pardon is a blanket pardon for any and all crimes against the Nation of Dracul that have occurred or may have occurred as of midnight on yesterday’s date. As a condition of this pardon, Trevor Bowers will serve at the pleasure of Baron Gregory Fowler, in his present office, or any future office, for a period of a minimum of eighty years and, at a maximum of one hundred years, starting from this moment. The aforementioned service shall be at the sole discretion of and at the direction of Baron Gregory Fowler or any duly appointed representative. Do you understand the terms of your service?”

“I do, My Lord.”

“And do you agree to adhere to the terms of your service?”

“I do, My Lord.”

“Then you are free to go within the terms of your pardon. I hope this is the last we see of you on the wrong side of the law.”

“It will be, My Lord, and thank you.”

I did my best to use the same exact wording for Johnny and Tanya, and as I struggled with this, I realized we should have taken the time to write things out. While this trial had been a frustrating experience, it opened my eyes to the many issues we hadn’t planned for. Going through this process forced me to grow, both as a person and as a leader. From what I saw of their performance, it also helped my friends as they began to grow into their future roles. It was this realization that brought me to what happened after I had announced the pardons for Trevor, Johnny, and Tanya.

“The Court will hear the next petition.”

Billy, who had stood behind my right shoulder throughout this entire process, now stepped around to the front and faced me. He bowed from the neck and said, “My Lord, as your Lord Steward, it falls upon my shoulders to present suitable candidates to serve as His Lordship’s most trusted councilors.”

“Indeed, it does, Lord White,” I replied.

“If it pleases His Lordship, I command Trevor Bowers, Joshua Thomas Jackson, Brian Robert Simpson, Jacob Shawn Jackson, and Christopher Thomas Barnes to present themselves to His Lordship for consideration.”

They all stepped forward, bowed, and stood. My friends knew this was coming at some point, so they weren’t totally surprised, but Trevor looked absolutely stunned.

“My Lord,” Billy said, “Joshua Jackson has demonstrated knowledge, skills, and abilities such that he has gained the respect of his peers. I would therefore propose His Lordship bestow upon Joshua Thomas Jackson the title and position of Warden of the Grounds.”

I examined Josh as if I were considering this for the first time.

“My Lord, Brian Robert Simpson has shown himself to be a devoted friend and advisor to His Lordship and has demonstrated abilities and knowledge, as well as a desire to learn in his given field. I would therefore propose His Lordship bestow upon Brian Robert Simpson the title and position of Chancellor of the Exchequer.”

I moved my gaze to examine Brian. He stood proud, but I could sense his insecurity, as he felt unprepared to take this official title before college.

“My Lord, Christopher Thomas Barnes has shown himself to possess a keen legal mind, wisdom beyond his years, and a heartfelt devotion to justice. He has recently risked His Lordship’s wrath while arguing in Court in the name of compassion and has shown himself to be devoted to His Lordship through past acts of valor. I would therefore propose His Lordship bestow upon Christopher Thomas Barnes the title and position of Lord Advocate General.”

I glared at Chris, trying to show my displeasure at his attack on me in the recent trial as I examined him.

“My Lord, Jacob Shawn Jackson has shown himself to possess a quick mind, an ability to examine a situation from several angles, and a willingness to advise His Lordship on the proper path. He has also shown that he is not afraid to risk his life for His Lordship. I would therefore propose His Lordship bestow upon Jacob Shawn Jackson the title and position of Adjutant General.”

I examined Jake, doing my best to make him nervous.

“My Lord, my last recommendation may come as a shock to this Court, but I stand by it as firmly as I do the others. Trevor Bowers has shown compassion and dedication to helping young vampires who are in unfortunate situations. He has demonstrated amazing bravery in defending the lives of those who could not defend themselves, and he has shown natural leadership abilities that I feel the fates will someday reward. I would therefore propose His Lordship bestow upon Trevor Bowers the title and position of Lord Master of Children.”

Billy’s suggestion shocked me, but as he justified it, I realized that he was right on target. Trevor stood up to me in defense of children, literally risking his life to protect them. As I thought about this, Trevor struggled to keep the tears from rolling down his face as he stood before me for the third time in six hours. Mere minutes prior, he was standing before me, wondering if he would live to see another sunrise. Now, he stood before me as a candidate to serve as one of my closest advisors. I could sense that he was as overwhelmed as he looked.

As I walked around to stand facing this group of young men, Scott fell in step with me, and when we stopped, he was standing on my left. As we passed him, Billy fell in step and took his place just behind my right shoulder. I let my gaze wander over them as I considered my next move. I had a twist I wanted to implement, but I wasn’t certain if it was legal. I decided to take George at his word and make my own laws.

“Lord Steward, I am prepared to accept your recommendations and invest these vampires and humans into my Council, with provisions. I am leaning upon your knowledge, and I ask our honored guest, Baronet Pittsburgh, to speak up if my provisions conflict with the laws of The Nation of Dracul.”

James took a step forward and waited for me to continue. “Baron Consort David Scott Warnick shall have full authority to speak in my name and serve in my stead in any seat I may hold from now to the end of time. Any member of my Council, once appointed, shall serve for life, save they be removed at the request of Baron Warnick or myself, such removal being supported by three-fourths of all Council members.”

I saw James give Billy a slight nod, and then Billy said, “My Lord, your declaration granting your Consort your full authority is within the traditions and laws of Dracul. As to your Council, the composition of your Court is at your sole discretion. Your Lordship is held to your provision providing for the removal of the officers of your Court only by your adherence to this declaration. I would advise His Lordship to make no further appointments prior to clarifying what qualifies as being a member of His Lordship’s Council.”

“Baronet Pittsburgh, do you concur with Lord White?”

“I do, My Lord, and I would concur with your Lord Steward’s wise counsel that His Lordship appoints no others to his Council prior to the aforementioned clarification.”

I considered their words for a moment, then said, “I agree that your counsel is wise, and I concur. Until this Court decrees otherwise, the Council of Baron Fowler shall consist of Baron Warnick, Lord Steward White, and those we invest into our Council at this time. Jacob Shawn Jackson, step forward, face your Baron, and take a knee.”

Jake did as I asked, stopping three feet in front of me, dropping to a knee, and bowing his head.

I pulled my sword from its scabbard and held it high as I said, “Do you, Jacob Shawn Jackson, solemnly swear your loyalty to me, Baron Charles Gregory Fowler?”

Jake had studied Dracul traditions in the manuscripts, and he replied, "I, Jacob Shawn Jackson, do solemnly swear my unwavering loyalty to you, Charles Gregory Fowler. With body and soul, wisdom and strength, I pledge to serve you faithfully. In every endeavor, in every challenge, my allegiance shall not waver. May our bond be unbroken and our alliance be steadfast until the end of days. So say I, so shall it be."

I touched each of his shoulders with my sword and said, “I accept your oath in the name of The Nation of Dracul. Arise, Lord Adjutant General Jackson.”

Jake stood, bowed to me, and backed away a few steps to allow his brother to step forward. Trevor listened carefully to the words as the others were sworn in, and when I called him forward, he flawlessly swore his oath.

After swearing in my Council, I remained standing and said, “Master of Children, approach your Lord. Chief Marshal, have the minor vampire named Craig summoned to stand before this Court.”

Trevor stepped forward to stand in front of me, giving me a bow from the neck while Sergeant Riva left and soon returned, leading Craig by the hand. The boy timidly looked around the room until he saw Trevor standing in front of me. Riva led him to Trevor’s side and said, “The minor Craig, as you ordered, My Lord.”

I looked down and gave Craig a smile, trying to reassure him, then said, “Craig, it is this Court’s understanding that your mother is no longer alive. Is this true?”

“Yes, My Lord.” He fought back his emotions and added, “I watched someone kill her.

“And your father is also dead? Or you have no idea where he is?”

“I have no idea who he is, My Lord. Mama never told me,” he said with no shame.

“This Court declares the minor vampire Craig an orphan and, as such, a ward of The Master of Children.”

When I said this last, Joshua’s face fell. It tore me apart, but I had to do it right, so I said, “Master of Children, step forward and speak for your ward.”

Trevor stepped forward, bowed from the neck, and said, “I accept guardianship of the orphan vampire Craig, My Lord.”

“Master of Children, do you have a plan for the orphan vampire Craig?”

“At this time, I do not, My Lord,” Trevor replied, unsure of my plans but intuitively knowing his responsibility.

“Is there a vampire in this court that will accept this orphan into their home?” I asked, intensely aiming my gaze at Joshua.

He suddenly understood, and, taking a step forward, he bowed from the neck and said, “My Lord, if it please the Court, I will accept the orphan Craig into my home. Further, My Lord, I ask that you allow me to adopt him as my son.”

“Does the Master of Children have reason to object?”

“I do not have any objection, My Lord, and further, I add my voice to that of Lord Jackson, asking His Lordship to declare that the orphan Craig henceforth be the son of Lord Joshua Thomas Jackson, with all the associated rights and responsibilities.”

I looked at Craig and saw that he was confused. “Craig, do you want me to make Joshua your father?”

His eyes grew wide, and he shouted, “For real Uncle Greg?” It took him a second to realize what he had done, and in a more serious tone said, “Forgive me, My Lord. Yes, please, My Lord.”

“As a Baron of Dracul, having jurisdiction over this orphan, we decree that Lord Joshua Thomas Jackson shall take immediate custody of the orphan Craig until such time as the Master of Children has determined that Lord Jackson can provide an appropriate home environment for the child. This determination shall take into account Lord Jackson's subsequent actions and include an interview with the child and parent, to be conducted no less than fourteen days and no more than thirty days from today’s date. To assist in providing for the child, this Court grants Lord Jackson five thousand US Dollars from the funds of the Nation of Dracul. Lord Jackson, take your son, but remain in the Court.”

Craig looked up at me and asked, “Is My Josh my dad now Uncle…, er, My Lord?”

I smiled at him and said, “It’s complicated, buddy, but he will be. You have my word.”

He broke all rules of proper Court etiquette by rushing forward and wrapping his arms around my waist. I would teach him later; right now, I simply returned his hug. When he relaxed, I turned him around, swatted his butt, and quietly said, “Go to your Daddy, little buddy. I still have things to do.”

“Master of Children, remain where you are. To prevent further mental anguish, we shall discuss this next child prior to bringing him in. In the case of the minor vampire known as Chipper, Lord Bowers, please share his story with this Court.”

Trevor’s face lost all emotion as he coldly stated, “His parents were a young couple, well, they looked young, My Lord, I don’t know if they were or if they had just renewed, but anyway, they lived in a house out in Greenfield. They knew we lived on the streets, but they couldn't take us in; they couldn’t afford it. They gave us food sometimes and let us sleep in their basement on a wet night, let us use their laundry and get a bath, stuff like that. About a week before we found Craig, we went to their house, and there were flames coming from the kitchen windows.

“I told Tanya to go get a neighbor to call 911 while Johnny and I kicked in the front door and started shouting and searching the house. We got upstairs and saw the fire burning through the floor. We saw Roger hanging from the side of the hole where the fire had burned. We couldn’t get to him, but I don’t think it would have mattered. His legs were already burned off, and he wasn’t moving at all. We didn’t see Phoebe through the flames, so we ran back downstairs to the room where Chipper slept. We found Phoebe under a pile of wood and plaster that had collapsed just outside Chipper's room. Her head was smashed, and we knew she was gone too. Johnny pushed me out of the way and ran through the flames into Chipper’s room, and I followed.

“We found him hiding under his bed, so we wrapped him in a couple of blankets and ran back through the flames and got him outside. I didn’t want the humans to get him, and we couldn’t let the Baron get us, so we just ran. I had always heard that the Baron could cover up a vampire’s death and keep it from the humans, so I didn’t worry about anything but Chipper. We took him to our tent and took turns feeding him and holding him. We just held him and cried that whole night.”

Trevor had been a zombie as he told us the story, but when he finished, he broke down sobbing. He wasn’t the only one, and I waited until we all got ourselves under control.

“Chief Marshal McNiel and Marshal Captain Vega, stand with Lord Bowers,” I ordered. When they joined Trevor, I said, “I am ordering the three of you to act solely in the best interests of the orphan known as Chipper, as my actions could be seen as self-serving. I am granting temporary custody of the child to Baron Scott Warnick, Lord Steward William White, and myself until such time that we can petition Prince George to make it permanent. Such petition to be made no sooner than thirty nor later than sixty days from today. During that time, the three of you are to monitor the child and our activities in regard to him and report your findings to Prince George when we present our petition. During that time, you are, individually and jointly, ordered to step in and do whatever is necessary to protect the child if you find us negligent or unfit in any way. This duty supersedes your oaths to me, and on the issue of his welfare, you will disregard any commands from Baron Warnick, Lord White, or myself that you feel conflict with your obligation to the child. Are my instructions clear?”

They all said, “Yes, My Lord.”

“And can you carry out these obligations? Can you, or will you, step in if you feel it necessary?”

Again, they all said, “Yes, My Lord.”

“You have sworn before this Court that you will carry out this obligation. As such, I swear my cooperation in this matter and also swear that, if you need to intervene, I will take no actions against you for such intervention, on my honor as a Baron of Dracul, before these witnesses.”

Scott stepped forward and said, “I swear my cooperation in this matter and also swear that, if you need to intervene, I will take no actions against you for such intervention, on my honor as a Baron of Dracul, before these witnesses.”

Billy stepped forward and said, “I swear my cooperation in this matter and also swear that, if you need to intervene, I will take no actions against you for such intervention, on my honor as an Officer of Dracul, before these witnesses.”

“Sergeant Riva, please retrieve the minor vampire known as Chipper and bring him before this Court.”

A few minutes later, Riva returned, leading a smiling Chipper by the hand. As he brought him to face us, the boy’s smile began to fade as the stiff protocols of Court pressed down on him. In order to make him feel less stressed, I knelt in front of him.

“Chipper,” I said softly. “Trevor told us about the fire, and we know your mommy and daddy are gone. We all wish that didn’t happen, but it did, and you understand what that means, right?”

His eyes filled with tears, but he stood strong and said, “I won’t see them ever again, Uncle Greg. I’m all alone, ‘cept for Trevor and Tanya and Johnny and Craig.”

I nodded. “You’re right. You won’t ever see them again, but you’re not all alone. In fact, that’s why we asked you to come into the Court. Do you understand what the Court is?”

“Uh-huh. It’s where the boss vampires like you decide things for everyone else.”

I smiled at his viewpoint. “Since your mommy and daddy are gone, Scott, Billy, and I want you to come live with us. Would you like that?”

“You mean until Trevor and Tanya and Johnny take me back to the tent?”

I glanced at Trevor, who said, “We’re not going back to the tent, Chipper. I work for Lord Greg now, and I’m going to be busy. I’ll be around, but Lord Greg is asking if he can be your daddy. Do you want that?”

Chipper asked, “What about Craig? Are you gonna be his daddy too?”

Billy knelt beside me and said, “Craig’s gonna live with his Josh. Josh is gonna be his daddy. They both want that.” Billy looked at Craig and asked, “Isn’t that right, Craig?”

“Yeah, Uncle Billy. But I’ll be around a lot, Chipper, 'cause my daddy works with Uncle Greg, so we’ll be like a big family,” Craig said with a smile.

“And you ain’t gonna change your mind? Or get mad at me if I’m bad?”

I looked him straight in the eyes and said, “I promise I’ll never change my mind, but I won’t ever lie to you, so I have to tell you more about it. In a few months, we have to go ask my boss if it’s okay for me to be your daddy. There’s a tiny chance that he will say I can’t, but that’s the only reason you’d have to leave.”

“What if I’m bad?”

“We will handle that if it happens, but I will never throw you out for being bad. If you do things you know you shouldn’t, you might have to sit on a chair for a while, or if it’s really bad, I might spank you.” His eyes flew wide open when I said spank, so I explained, “I’m talking about a swat on the butt, not a beating like Craig had happen to him. I promise.”

That seemed to calm him, but he was still concerned. He turned to look at Scott, then Billy. When his eyes returned to mine, he nodded. “I want you as my daddies. You didn’t lie about spanking me 'cause if you wanted to trick me, you wouldn’t tell me I’ll get spanked.”

Scott scooped him up into his arms and said, “Well, let’s see if we can’t avoid the need for a spanking, okay pup?”

Chipper giggled and said, “Okay, Daddy.” Then his eyebrows came together in confusion, and he asked, “But if Uncle Greg is Daddy and you’re Daddy and Uncle Billy is Daddy, I’m gonna get mixed up.”

I laughed as I leaned in, kissed his forehead, and said, “We’ll explain it in a little bit, okay pup? Right now, Daddy has to close his Court. Can Daddy Scott take you over by Uncle Josh?”

He nodded, and Scott carried him across the room while Billy and I returned to our place behind the table. I turned to the face the assembly and said, “Anyone having business with the Court of Baron Gregory Fowler, speak now, or I will declare this Court adjourned.” I waited a full thirty seconds, then said, “The Court of Baron Fowler is adjourned. Barring unforeseen issues, I will not call this Court to order prior to year’s end.” I banged the gavel and closed my first Baronial Court.

I asked my new Council to meet me in the office in ten minutes, then Billy and I joined Scott, and I knelt to face my new son. “You wanted to know what you should call us?”

“Daddy ‘splained it to me, Dad,” Chipper declared.

“He did?” I asked, faking amazement.

“Uh-huh. He told me that my new brother says that you’re Dad, Daddy Scott is Daddy, and Papa Billy is Papa.”

As if it were planned, Jenny came in and handed Charlie to me. “Charlie wanted to meet his new brother.”

“I think that’s a great idea.” I knelt and held Charlie so they could look at each other. Charlie smiled and reached his hand toward his new brother’s face. Chipper looked at me for permission, and when I nodded, he reached out and took Charlie from my arms. Even though he was a child, Chipper had vampire strength, so lifting Charlie was no problem for him. Charlie was essentially indestructible, so even if his new brother dropped him, he would be fine.

“Why don’t you ask Jenny to show you the pool, Chipper? Dad, Daddy, and Papa have something we need to take care of; then we’ll come and swim with you, ok?” I suggested.

Sounding brokenhearted, Chipper said, “I don’t know how to swim.”

Josh and Craig were standing nearby, and Craig said, “I’ll teach you, Chipper. My dad has to go with yours.”

Chipper looked at us with a huge smile and asked, “Can we, Dads?”

“Sure, buddy, but you listen to Jenny, okay?” Scott replied.

“And Grandma will have breakfast soon. I want you two,” Billy pointed at Craig and Chipper, “to make sure you get enough to eat.”

Jenny said, “Craig, why don’t you take Chipper and Charlie out to the pool? I’ll be there in a minute. I’d like to talk to your uncles.” Once the boys were gone, she said, “I don’t think Charlie wanted Chipper to hold him, Greg; I think he wanted to taste him.”

I stared at her, my mouth agape, but my mates didn’t seem shocked at all. When I recovered the ability to speak, I asked, “From the reaction of these two,” I pointed at my mates, “this is normal?”

“Quite normal, Greg,” Jenny replied. “Sharing our blood with those we love creates a bond that humans can never experience. Chipper has fed from you and Charlie can scent that. He wants to connect with his brother. Chipper doesn’t feel it as strongly because he hasn’t fed from you enough yet.”

“So, he’ll want to feed from an infant?” I asked, horrified.

“At Charlie’s age, he would take just a few drops. As they get older, he’ll take a bit more,” Jenny explained.

I turned to Scott. “You feed from Matthew?”

He nodded. “Every time we see each other, Greg, we exchange blood. Not like a full feeding, not even as much as we’ll exchange as mates. More like what Jake and Riva are doing.”

I wasn’t sure how I felt about this, but as our sons had three parents, we had to be on the same page as much as possible. Knowing that there would be times when we disagreed on parenting, the three of us had decided that, in those instances, we would discuss the issue and come to a consensus. We also understood that there might be occasions where one of us would need to make a quick decision that the others may not immediately agree with. In such cases, we intended to support the initial decision while we discussed the issue further. If we decided to change paths, we would attempt to explain to Charlie, and now to Chipper, why we were making the change.

Based on this approach to parenting, I decided to wait for a chance to discuss this with my mates. “Jenny, until we discuss this, I would ask that you not allow the boys to feed from each other,” I said.

Sounding concerned, Jenny said, “As I said when you employed me, Greg, decisions on how you raise your children are yours and yours alone. I also said I would offer my opinions.” I waited, so she added, “In my opinion, it is a healthy activity, Greg, and I hope you will allow your sons to bond in this manner.”

“I would say it’s likely we will, Jenny. We just have to talk about it first.” I explained, then added, “I didn’t mean to imply that you would disregard our wishes; if it seemed that way, I sincerely apologize.”

“I never felt that way, Greg,” Jenny replied. “Like you said, you’re preventing any misunderstanding. Since I don’t see it as an issue, I might have allowed it without thinking. Anyway, don’t spend too much time with the big boys; your new son needs some time with his dads.”

When Jenny headed for the pool, Scott, Billy, and I headed for the office. Jake looked up from the desk and panicked. “I’m sorry, Greg, but I needed to get—”

“You needed to do your job, Jake; you’re fine.” I walked around and looked over his shoulder. “Are you almost done?”

He pushed me away and said, “You know you’re not allowed to read my reports.” A few keystrokes later, he said, “There, finished and sent.”

“Why can’t you read his reports?” Trevor asked. Unlike the rest of us, Trevor hadn’t had a chance to read any of the manuscripts we had borrowed from Prince George, so at least on some things, we knew what we were doing.

“Jake, Billy, and I have to report any major actions I take, Trevor. By having three independent reports, the prince will get a better picture of the truth,” I explained.

Trevor’s eyebrows knit in confusion, and he asked, “But the truth is the truth, isn’t it?”

Chris shook his head. “If you have ten people watch a movie, then interview them individually, you will think they watched different movies. Everyone sees and hears things through a filter of their own interests and experiences, so their memories will be affected by these filters.”

Trevor nodded his understanding, glanced at Chris, then turned to me. “At the risk of sounding stupid, My Lord, are these meetings ‘off the record’?”

“Don’t worry about sounding stupid, Trevor; you’re the new kid,” I reassured him. “You’ll get to know us, and you’ll learn what things are to be kept between us and what are not.”

“I just feel so out of place in here. Twelve hours ago, I was selling my body to feed Craig and Chipper; now, you call me Lord and ask my advice.”

“And to answer your question, most of our conversations are just between us,” Jake explained. “If we’re in an official meeting, the conversation is more formal.”

“Before you hold another official Court, I need to find a stenographer,” Chris said.

“Can’t you just video your Courts?” Trevor asked.

Chris, Jake, Billy, and I exchanged embarrassed looks, and then Billy replied, “The Court you just experienced was thrown together based on manuscripts we borrowed from George. Most of those are hundreds of years old. I don’t know why none of us thought of that.”

Chris said, “Unless you object, Greg, I’ll call Frederick and ask his advice.”

I was about to agree when the hotline rang. We all listened as Billy answered and had a short conversation with Frederick. After saying “Yes, Sir” several times and “Of course, Sir” a couple of other times, Billy asked, “How do I arrange that?” He nodded as he listened, then said, “Thank you for your assistance, General. We’ll see you Tuesday evening.”

When he ended the call, Billy turned to me and, in a formal voice, said, “My Lord Baron, Prince George commands that you, your Council, and your sons appear before his Court on Wednesday. Lord Jackson is commanded to bring his son as well.”