Re-Organizing - 4. Chapter 4

I followed Primo Fiore to find Count Nardone in a corner, surrounded by his Viscounts. As we approached, he dismissed his nobles, and Primo stayed a discreet distance away, allowing Count Nardone, Scott, and I a semblance of privacy.

We gave the Count a bow from the neck and waited. He smiled and said, “Don Fowler, Don Warnick, so nice to see you again.”

Even though it was considered rude to listen to the conversations of vampires around you, it was obvious that his Viscounts had heard. When he addressed us using terms of respect, they all visibly bristled. I had to maintain Court decorum, so I said, “Your Excellency, we are honored to attend you this morning.”

“If I had not known better, I would have said you have been a Courtier for centuries, Don Carlo. You handled your entrance with wisdom, and your audience with the Prince will be remembered for decades.”

Now, to twist the knife. Using his first name, especially a very private one, would be too much, but relaxing a bit would do the job. “Don Nardone, were it not for your counsel last night, I would have been like a ship in a tempest, knowing not which way the winds would take me.”

He grinned and raised his voice to ensure the other counts overheard as he said, “We quite enjoyed the dinner you hosted for us, Don Carlo. Wolfgang outdid himself. I do hope Don Davide and you can find the time to visit when my wife returns.”

“We look forward to it, Don Nardone.” I felt someone approach and knew that only another Count would interrupt, so I paused.

Nico said, “Count Menendez, join us.” When the Mexican Count stepped to stand beside him, Nico said, “May I present Baron Gregory Fowler of Pittsburgh and Baron Consort Scott Warnick.”

“Baron Fowler, it is an honor to meet you,” Count Menendez said, shocking us all.

“Excellency, you will forgive me. I know not what I might have done to deserve such a comment,” I said, genuinely humbled.

Count Menendez smiled. “If Count Nardone thinks enough of you to allow a familiar address, that is enough to gain my respect, Baron Fowler. May I also address you as he does?”

I smiled, wondering if Nico had set this up. I thought it best to play along, so I replied, “I would be honored, Don Menendez.”

He nodded and asked, “Don Carlo, I have heard of a project you are about to complete. Would you care to enlighten us? Or must we wait until you have results?”

I wondered how they had heard but realized that I was being naïve. Count Morrison no doubt knew what was happening in his County, and these leaders had their sources. I had barely started explaining where the idea came from when Count Morrison joined us. I told them our theories, our plans, and our current status. By the time I was done, I was speaking to the three Counts, nine Viscounts, and almost two dozen Barons. When I finished, everyone waited for the Counts to react.

Count Nardone was first. “I would like to duplicate your experiment, Don Carlo, if I may. Please have Warden Jackson contact my Aigtante to schedule a time when he can go over everything with my Confidanti.”

“I, too, would be interested in building a school to test your theories, Don Carlo,” Count Menendez said, nodding his head. “If Don Nardone has no objection, I will send my Ayudante de Campo to his meeting.”

“Baron Fowler, if I may interrupt?” Count Morrison said, speaking to me for the first time.

I bowed from the neck and said, “Certainly, Excellency.”

“Am I correct in saying this is the topic of your upcoming meeting with myself and Viscount Chester?” he asked.

“You are, Excellency. I believe the Barons of Concord, Manhattan, and Queens planned to attend as well, Sir.” I replied.

He turned to the other Counts and said, “I feel I can speak for the Viscount on this.” Glancing at Viscount Chester, he said, “Your counselors would be welcome to attend, saving the Baron from having to repeat himself. I am certain that he has many duties to attend to at home.”

Knowing that Count Morrison was trying to puff himself up, I tried to think of a way to avoid his move, but short of outright defying him, I was stuck. Fortunately, Nico also saw through this. “Sadly, Count Morrison, my Aigtante has other commitments this weekend that cannot be changed. As Baron Fowler’s current project will not be completed for several more weeks, we can try to allow him the time to attend to his Barony and plan to meet near Christmas.” His face lit up, and he said, “Don Carlo, might my wife and I visit your family over Christmas? This way, you may attend to your Barony, and I’m certain we could find the time to discuss this matter if we visit for several days.”

“It is unfortunate that other commitments prevent our meeting in New York, Don Nardone. We would be honored to host you and your family in Pittsburgh.” I turned to Count Menendez and said, “It would be an honor if you and your family could attend, Don Menendez.”

Count Menendez smiled and said, “I do not know what plans Doña Maria has, but if there is no conflict, we will attend. And if we are to visit, you must call me Don Fernando.”

Knowing better than to offer an outright insult, I turned to Count Morrison and said, “You are, of course, also welcome, Your Excellency. I hesitate to say that we have the room to host three such distinguished guests at the same time as I am not entirely familiar with my new home.”

I could sense Count Morrison's anger as he realized he had been outmaneuvered. He tactfully said, “Unfortunately, my family and I spend Christmas in Vermont, Baron. We will, of course, attend your meeting with the Viscount, as we are quite interested. Please keep us informed of the progress at your school. From what you have said, we might consider building the next one somewhere south, possibly Tennessee or Georgia.”

“I am open to any advice His Excellency sees fit to offer,” I said. “If I may be so bold, it might be wise to see results before we spend money. Baron Evans expressed his doubts about the efficacy of our planned program.”

“Baron Evans was a fool, Baron Fowler,” Count Morrison spat. “You will do well to consider his policies in that light when re-organizing your Barony.”

“I will do as you suggest, Excellency. In my only meeting with Baron Evans, I found him to be personable and wise. Unfortunately, I learned other things that led to my actions.”

“We will read your report, Baron. Would you care to expand on your comments?” the Count asked.

“With respect, Excellency, I would prefer to keep the details of what led to my actions from open Court, to preserve the late Baron’s dignity. I will, of course, lay his sins bare if His Excellency requests,” I said, knowing that Count Morrison would never want the entire Court to learn that the rumors about Baron Evans were true.

Nodding, Count Morrison said, “We agree with your discretion, Baron. We will hear the details in private when you visit New York.”

As he had joined our conversation, it wasn’t his place to dismiss me, as much as he wanted to, so Count Morrison excused himself and wandered off, followed by his Viscounts and a handful of Barons. This left me with Count Nardone, Count Menendez, and five of their six Viscounts. After a few questions about the school, Viscount Seattle approached his Count and asked for a moment. Count Menendez dismissed his Viscounts, leaving Scott and I alone with him.

“You will forgive me, Don Carlo. I addressed you as Don Nardone had without asking you. You introduced yourself as Charles Gregory, and I have heard your mate refer to you as Greg. Am I in the wrong?” the handsome Count of Mexico asked.

“Not at all, Don Fernando. While I have gone by Greg my whole life, when I met Don Nardone, I introduced myself by my full name. He assumed that I used my first name and gave me a familiar Italian version of Charles. Due to his rank, I didn’t object.” The Count started to object, but I continued, “The more he said it, the more it grew on me, and with his lovely accent, I find I prefer it. You may, of course, call me Greg, but considering your Spanish heritage, 'Don Greg' might not sound quite right.”

With a grin, he said, “You are correct. Don Greg does not flow off the tongue. With your permission, I shall continue to use Don Carlo.”

Scott explained how he became ‘Don Davide’ in a similar manner, and suddenly, to two-thirds of North America, we were Don Carlo and Don Davide. I grinned at Scott as I imagined him telling Jake to ‘Leave the gun, take the cannoli.’

Don Fernando spent a few more minutes with us, but like the other Counts, he had to circulate, giving time to his Viscounts and Barons. Scott and I had no desire to spend time with Count Morrison and his minions, so we sought out our Council. We found Billy and Chris with the Baron of Concord, who immediately asked when our crew would be available to start a school for him. From his tone, it was obvious that he was not one of Count Morrison’s minions, but he was wise enough to maintain a deferential tone toward the Count. Reading this, I told him of our plans to refuse any funding from Dracul for our school, giving us full autonomy on how things would be done. While he debated this with his treasurer, the Baron of Nashville joined the conversation, asking many of the same questions.

At noon, we all bowed as Prince George, the Counts, and the Viscounts left the hall and headed for the formal dining room. The servants quickly brought in tables and chairs for the Barons and our Councils, as well as the Councils of the Counts and Viscounts, followed by a buffet set up at one end of the hall. I waited and observed the other Barons before following their lead by sitting with my own Council at one of the tables.

“It seems Count Morrison’s minions didn’t like Baron Evans, Greg,” Chris reported as we sat down to eat. “The only good things we heard about him came from a few Baronies in the south or the west.”

“And his activities with children were well known,” Trevor added.

“How will the other Barons react when I announce a ban on sex with vampires under the age of seven?” I asked.

Billy coughed, then asked, “Are you above your own laws, Greg?”

I shook my head. “No, Billy, you know how I feel about that.”

He grinned and said, “Then you’ll either have to change your new law or kick me out of your bed.”

I thought for a minute and remembered that he had just turned six in August. I smiled and said maybe we should make it six. Jake argued that a vampire of five was the same as a human of fourteen physically, but most were more mature than their human counterparts. Josh and Brian wanted me to stand firm at seven, saying that exceptions were made for nobility in all societies. Chris pointed out that most societies had what’s called a Romeo and Juliet provision in their laws that allowed those close in age to consent. I finally agreed that six would be the age of consent, with a provision allowing those who are age five could engage in sex with a vampire under the age of eight. In practice, this meant that a vampire who looked fourteen could consent to be with one who looked nineteen. Personally, I thought this was a bit much, but Scott and Billy reminded me that even this would be a major change and if we didn’t allow some flexibility there would be problems.

Jake shrugged. “As to what other Barons will think, they won’t care, Greg. It’s your Barony. What you do doesn’t affect them, just like what they do doesn’t affect you.”

“Unless parents feel they need to move into or out of Pittsburgh Barony. If they do that in large numbers, it might cause issues,” Josh offered.

“Then we’ll have to pressure Count Nardone, Count Menendez, or even Prince George to make it a Continental law,” Chris stated.

“Well, you could always ask Don Nardone at his daughter’s wedding,” Billy suggested.

We all stared at him, thoroughly confused.

“No Sicilian can refuse a favor at his daughter’s wedding. Haven’t any of you seen ‘The Godfather’?” he asked. We all groaned, barely resisting the urge to toss food at him. Unfortunately, I knew I would be hearing similar jokes for quite some time.

As our meal continued, everyone told me of their conversations with other Council members and a few Barons. Our neighbors were eager to discuss how our various businesses would continue to interact with each other, while those at a distance were more interested in my inherited wealth. We were so involved in our discussions that I was surprised when Frederick spoke from behind me.

“Baron Fowler, might I have a moment?” he asked.

Scott and I stood to follow Frederick toward the Prince’s dining room. I was immediately concerned that I had overplayed my hand and that Count Morrison had changed the Prince’s mind, convincing him to discuss publicly whatever had caused him to summon me. When we turned to go into the green room, I calmed somewhat.

“I apologize for pulling you from your friends, My Lord. I need to discuss your airplanes,” Frederick said when he closed the door.

He quickly explained that he would be issuing orders to sell the late Baron’s plane, as I was only authorized two. He asked if I had talked with the crew that served Baron Evans or if I needed time to determine which crew I preferred to keep. Scott quickly said that we were more than happy with our original crew, and if the other crew needed employment, we were open to hiring them ourselves to fly the smaller plane, but we would need to interview them. Frederick said he would use that crew to reposition the older plane and would let them know of our offer.

“Now, if the two of you would accompany me to the Prince’s court,” he said, opening the door and causing my heart to stop.

We entered the Oval room of the main house and were announced as “The Assistant Adjutant to the Prince, Barons Fowler and Warnick, Your Highness.”

We bowed, and the Chamberlain directed us to the side as Frederick approached the throne. He bowed, and then George stood.

“It was brought to our attention that we were disrespecting our faithful servant. Today, we shall correct this unintended slight. Frederick Lucien Tyberius Jefferson, take a knee.”

Frederick knelt and bowed his head as the Prince stepped forward and drew his sword. Holding it high, he said, “Do you, Frederick Lucien Tyberius Jefferson, solemnly swear your loyalty to me, Prince George Julius Quintus Hamilton, and to the Nation of Dracul?"

"I, Frederick Lucien Tyberius Jefferson, do solemnly swear my unwavering loyalty to you, Prince George Julius Quintus Hamilton, and to the Nation of Dracul. 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."

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

Frederick stood and waited as two Marshals stepped forward and removed his red and black cape, replacing it with one trimmed in gold braid, designating him as part of the Prince’s Council. He then bowed and backed away from the throne as George returned to his seat. Frederick joined us and quietly told us that, as it was our fault he now had the official title, he thought it only fair we should witness his enslavement. We quietly laughed at his phrasing until we heard…

“Baron Fowler, you will approach the throne,” in Prince George’s stately Court voice.

I controlled my panic and stepped to the center, bowed, and then approached the throne, stopping ten feet from the Prince and bowing.

George glared at me and said, “When we summoned you to our court, we specified you were to appear with your Council and two minors. We appreciate your kind consideration in not bringing children to the social Court, Baron. We will see you and these children in our private office in two hours.”

“We will attend you, Your Highness,” I said.

His statement was a dismissal, so I bowed and backed away from the throne. Scott joined me, and the second we left the room, I sent a message to Jenny, mind-to-mind, telling her to immediately get the boys cleaned up, dressed and to the Prince’s home. Fortunately, they were already on their way back from the beach.

As we headed back to the hall, Scott asked, “You do realize he did you two favors?”

“By reminding me to have the boys? Or playing it off as if it were my plan all along?” I asked.

“Okay, three favors.”

I looked at Scott, confused, until I thought it through. By seeming to give me a public reprimand, he took a bit of the pressure off me. Rather than seeming to be his ‘golden boy,’ he demonstrated that I was just as susceptible to his ire as anyone else. He did it to reduce jealousy. He did it to help me make peace with those I had to work with.

Every Marshal still at the hotel must have helped Jenny get the boys washed and dressed because one hour and forty-five minutes later, an Escalade pulled under the portico with Chipper, Charlie, and Craig. I had never seen Jenny in her Marshal’s uniform, but she looked impressive as she led the boys into the hall. The second we saw them, we all headed for the door. The Prince had said ‘in two hours,’ which meant we were due in his office in five minutes. Knowing that ‘on time is ten minutes late,’ we walked through the house as quickly as decorum would allow, arriving at his office door two minutes early, or eight minutes late, depending on how you looked at it.

As the house ran on the Prince’s time, when he arrived twenty minutes later, he was, of course, on time. He brushed past us and entered his office. Five minutes later, Frederick opened the door and led us in.

Prince George was standing in front of his desk, so we entered and stood in a line facing him, with me in the center, Scott on my left, and Billy on my right. I held Charlie, and Chipper stood between Scott and me. Our Council spread out on both sides, with Craig holding tight to Josh’s hand. Jenny had apparently taught the boys to bow because Craig and Chipper did wonderfully when we all bowed to our Prince.

“Baron Fowler, we summoned you to ask why you felt it necessary to have your Master of Children investigate your Warden of Grounds. Do you doubt Warden Jackson’s morals?”

“Your Highness, I have no doubts about Lord Jackson’s honor,” I replied.

The Prince nodded, then said, “You also felt the need to have your Master of Children, as well as your Chief Marshal to…” he paused and looked at those assembled, then frowned. “Where is your Chief Marshal, Baron? Did we not make it clear we wanted your Council here? That means your full Council, Baron.”

“If I may explain, Your Highness?” He nodded, so I said, “Chief Marshal McNiel formed a paterna bond with the girl that Baron… With an orphan girl on Monday, Your Highness. Due to events, his mate was unable to join him until yesterday morning. I ordered them both to spend time with the child and appointed Captain Vega as Acting Chief.”

The Prince’s glare narrowed as he said, “You also felt the need to appoint your Master of Children, as well as your Chief Marshal and Captain of your guard, to oversee your behavior in regard to an orphan in your care. Do you doubt your own mates?”

“I doubt none of my Council, Your Highness.”

“Then explain your actions, Baron,” Prince George said in a growl.

“By having oversight, Your Highness, I sought to prevent anyone from questioning my intent, as assigning custody to myself could seem self-serving. As to Lord Jackson, I chose to impose upon him the same restrictions I intend to impose on anyone who seeks to foster or adopt a child. If I excuse him from scrutiny, others will expect the same, Your Highness.”

“The members of your Council should be above reproach, Baron, and as such, exempt from such restrictions,” Prince George all but snapped.

“With respect, Your Highness, is that an order?” I asked.

“It is very strong advice from the Prince you serve, Baron Fowler,” Prince George snarled.

“Then I must insist that my original orders stand, Your Highness,” I replied as calmly as I could.

I stood firm under the Prince’s glare, waiting for him to override me. He nodded once, then almost grinned as he asked, “What other things have you done in the past few days to irritate us, Baron Fowler?”

“The list is too long to enumerate, Your Highness. May I ask His Highness to be more specific?” I replied, suppressing my own grin.

No longer able to contain it, George laughed and pointed to the sitting area. “Sit down and tell me all about what caused you to break the vow I made about seating you, Greg. Jenny, tell the footman to get some food for these boys; I’m sure they’re hungry.”

“With respect, George, if we’re going to talk about that, I’d prefer the boys go somewhere else while they eat,” I said pointedly.

When George looked me in the eyes, I gave a slight nod. He then instructed Jenny to take the boys to his dining room and let them eat there. I asked her to take extreme care to keep them clean, even if it meant stripping them naked to eat. Chipper immediately started undressing, which totally removed the tension that had permeated the room.

After the boys left, I told George how Craig approached us, how Tommy and Sylvia had unselfishly offered to feed him, and about our short-lived ride in the Denali. I then told him about returning and discovering Chipper. When I described Trevor's courageous defense of the boys, George examined him closely, causing Trevor to swallow nervously but stand his ground. George then expressed his respect for Trevor's actions, rendering my Master of Children speechless. When I told George how Johnny’s sense of honor wouldn’t allow him to remain silent about his crimes, George expressed his respect for Johnny’s honesty, causing my Marshal, valet, and all around man Friday to squirm under the examining gaze of his Prince.

Chris and I gave a brief summary of the trial. When Chris said he had asked for an appeal, George almost laughed. When we explained how we pardoned our condemned prisoners and our reasoning, we got an appreciative nod. I then told him about installing my Council, and when I mentioned Trevor, George commented that it must have been quite an emotional ride for Trevor, going from death row to his Baron’s Council in a matter of minutes. Trevor said he couldn’t think of the words to describe the ride, but he felt it was worth it.

I explained how the summons to Court had connected us to Robert, which led to my conversation with Samuel. When I recounted what Samuel had told me, George remained silent. I lightly skimmed over our planning, preferring not to make it look like premeditated murder, though I did talk about our desire to talk things over with Baron Evans. When I said that, George just raised an eyebrow. I told George how we found Baron Evans and my reaction, leaving no detail out. Again, he stayed silent and simply listened. He turned to look at Jake when I told him how we found him with his neck broken; then he stared at me when I said I left Jake in Scott’s care while I ensured our safety and took control of the Marshals and staff.

George spoke for the first time when I mentioned Andrew. “Even with the money you now have, you could never afford to pay Andrew what he’s worth, Greg. Do everything within your power to keep him at your side.”

I nodded. “I’ve already learned something of his value, George, and you’re right. He’s invaluable.”

We all took turns talking about the few things we’d discovered about the Barony in the short time we had before our trip. Brian covered the finances and was happy to learn that George agreed with his desire to keep a reserve. My desire to upgrade and refurbish the properties was met with a bit more skepticism, but George made it clear that he expected me to do as I saw fit and then accept responsibility for the results. When we mentioned finding the will, George laughed.

“I have no doubt you stared at it for several minutes, then all broke into laughter at how insanely wealthy you now are,” he said with a grin.

“We were stunned, George. We still are,” Scott said. “We couldn’t spend it all in twenty lifetimes.”

“If you spend like Count Morrison, it will take you about twenty years, Scott,” George warned. “Don’t let the numbers make you lazy. Be as aggressive as Gareth was about growing your fortune and use it to ensure your children’s future.”

“You sound like you knew Gareth Evans, George,” Billy said.

“I did, Billy. Like all of us, he had his flaws. He was an old-school Baron; his subjects either respected or feared him, but few of them liked him.”

I said, “It would be nice if the vampires of my Barony liked me.”

“They may love you one day and despise you the next, Greg. You need to get over that and lead them, regardless of what they think of you,” George said, waving his finger at me like a parent admonishing a child.

I gave him a pointed look and asked, “And what about my nobles? Should I care what they think about me?”

Giving me a slight grin, George replied, "Short of treason? No, you shouldn’t give a damn what I think about what you do in your Barony, as long as it doesn’t go against the laws of Dracul or my decrees.”

“You mean the Counts or Viscounts decrees also, right?” Brian asked.

Jake said, “No, he means his decrees. But the truth is, even those don’t matter.” We all stared at him, waiting. Finally, he said, “If any of those above you make a decree that conflicts with the laws of Dracul, you can bring it to the Prince’s Court, or the Council of Princes if it’s a decree from George.”

“And if I still can’t accept it?” I asked.

Trevor stunned us all when he said, “Then you kill him and make your own decrees.” He glanced at George and added, “No offense, Your Highness.”

George smiled and said, “None taken.” We all waited for him to say more. When the silence lasted too long, he looked around and asked, “What? He’s right. Didn’t you listen to our phone call?”

“Speaking of phone calls, I tried to reach you and Frederick while all this with Evans was happening. Why didn’t you answer? I could’ve used some advice,” I said, almost whining.

“I was unavailable,” was George’s reply.

“Doing what?” I asked.

“Don’t forget yourself, Baron,” he snapped. “I can’t always be available to hold your hand.” His tone softened as he added, “It seems to me that you did fine, Greg.”

We sat in silence for another minute, contemplating our conversation, and then George said, “I’m going to call you before the Court before I dismiss it, Greg. You’re not going to like it.”

“For?” I asked.

“I’m going to declare your adoption of Chipper final, as well as Josh’s adoption of Craig. I want you to understand why before I do it,” he said. I waited, so he explained, “I understand your wanting to demonstrate that your Council isn’t above the law, and that’s a valid viewpoint. At the same time, when you suggest that Josh needs to be investigated before declaring him fit as a parent, you’re telling people that your trust in him isn’t complete. If you trusted him entirely, you would know that he’ll make a fine parent.

“And by putting anyone in a position of power over yourself, you diminish your power over your subjects. If you wanted oversight, to keep it from seeming self-serving, you call me, and I put that oversight in place, except I won’t—”

“For the same reason I shouldn’t put it in place over Josh; by doing that, you suggest that you have doubts about me,” I interrupted, finishing his thoughts.’

George nodded, “Exactly.”

“And by announcing publicly that you’re finalizing the adoptions, you’re saying that the Prince himself has full trust in us,” Scott said.

“Won’t overturning Greg’s waiting period look bad? Make people question his judgment?” Johnny asked.

“Barons’ rulings get overturned all the time, Johnny,” Chris said. “That’s why we had to put you, Trevor, and Tanya through all that misery. No one will care that George changes Greg’s decision.”

I stood up, breaking protocol as George was the ranking noble in the room, but we were done, and everyone knew it. “Well, George. Is it time for us to go back on stage?”

George sighed. “Sometimes I wish… ah, but that’s just a fairy tale.” Glancing at me, he said, “Yes, Greg, it’s time to get on stage.” He looked around as he said, “Everyone freshen up, and you better go get your boys ready. Lord Adjutant General?”

“Don’t start, George,” Frederick said. “I told you for years I didn’t want the damned title. Don’t start using it already.”

We all laughed as we headed for the door, listening to Frederick and George argue like an old married couple. Then it hit me: Could they be? No… Frederick would have… George wouldn’t… Jenny would have told… I was pulled from this line of thinking when we walked into the dining room to find Craig in his underwear and Chipper naked as the day he was born, both covered from head to toe in tomato sauce. I sent Jake back to ask George if we could have more time.

One hour, two showers, two firm talks, and fresh underwear later, we entered the Prince’s Assembly Hall for the official closing ceremony. While waiting for George to make his appearance, we told Nico about our dining room incident, which almost caused blood to be spilled; Nico laughed so hard he almost spilled his blood. We were discussing Marco and his future when the Lord Chamberlain pounded his staff on the floor.

“Lords and Ladies, stand near and attend, His Highness, Prince George, Prince of North America, Member of the Council of Princes”

We all turned toward the door and bowed as Prince George entered and made his way to the throne. Once he was seated, he addressed the Court. “Baron Pittsburgh, we command you to appear before the throne attended by your mates, your son, the minor vampires Chipper and Craig, your Warden of Grounds, and your Master of Children.”

We bowed and, as a group, advanced on the throne. Scott was on my left, Billy on my right. Scott held Charlie while Chipper held Billy’s right hand. Josh and Trevor followed, with Craig between them. When we were ten feet from the throne, we stopped, bowed, and waited.

“It has come to our attention that at your last Court, you assigned temporary custody of a minor named Chipper to yourself and your mates. Is this true, Baron?”

“It is, Your Highness,” I replied.

Is it also true that you assigned temporary custody of a minor named Craig to your Warden of Grounds?”

“It is, Your Highness.”

“It is our understanding that you placed conditions on these assignments, requesting your Master of Children to do an investigation into the fitness of the assigned guardians as parents. Is this true?”

“It is true, Your Highness,” I replied, tired of saying the exact same thing.

“Master of Children. Do you have any reason to believe that such an investigation is warranted?”

“I do not, Your Highness,” Trevor replied.

“We have no choice but to revoke these temporary custody arrangements. In—”

“No!” Craig shouted. Then, realizing what he’d done, he looked down, devastated.

"In light of the circumstances, we grant permanent adoptive parent status of the minor known as Chipper to Baron Charles Gregory Fowler, Baron David Scott Warnick, and Lord Steward William David White III. It is their duty to raise, nurture, and educate the child as they would their own, providing him with a proper name befitting his new family."

Craig dared to look up, hearing what Prince George had said about Chipper.

“In the case of Craig William Robinson, we grant permanent adoptive parent status of said minor to Warden of Grounds, Lord Joshua Thomas Jackson. It is your duty to raise, nurture, and educate the child as you would your own, affording him the choice to adopt your surname.”

“I wanna be Jackson!” Craig shouted, then realized he had done it again and gasped, covering his mouth. “I’m sorry, Your Highness, Sir,” he said, barely above a whisper.

George allowed himself a smile as he said, “Then Craig William Jackson you shall be, young man.”

After this decree, Prince George nodded, dismissing us. We bowed, backed away and rejoined the rest of our group, Prince George said, “We command Lord Trevor Bowers, Master of Children for the Barony of Pittsburgh, to appear before our throne.”

We all exchanged looks. George had said nothing about this, but Trevor had no choice but to obey. He stepped out, bowed, then advanced to the mark and bowed again. When George stood and pulled his sword, we all gasped.

“Lord Trevor Bowers, it has come to our attention that you did attack the person of Baron Gregory Fowler. Is this true?”

Trevor bowed his head and said, “It is Your Highness.”

“It is our understanding that this attack resulted from your belief that two minor vampires in your care were in danger from Baron Fowler. We further understand that you disregarded the potential harm to yourself and engaged Baron Fowler in mortal combat, risking your life to protect these two children from perceived harm. Is this the case, Lord Bowers?”

“It is Your Highness.”

Prince George stepped forward and said, “Take a knee, Lord Bowers.” Trevor knelt with his head bowed as Prince George touched his sword to Trevor’s shoulders and said, “Such actions demonstrate the highest degree of honor and bravery. In recognition of this, we invest thee as a Knight of the Order of the Dragon. Arise, Sir Trevor.”