7. First Business Meeting

Nikolai

King Ciro and Queen Rhapsody were already present in the meeting room when we entered along with Vladimir.

Ava sat at the head of the table and we sat on either sides of her. I felt Ava stiffen when she saw Lady Adira sitting on the other side of King Ciro. I guess that she's their Treasurer. How fortunate for us.

"Let's begin this, shall we?" Ava started. I had already made it clear that Ava was going to be the one to carry out this meeting. I wanted her to learn and this was all her plan. We had used our own money to help them and not Mozog's money but I thought it would be good for Vladimir to develop some sort of friendship with another kingdom. And Ava wanted to set up her own business so I was intrigued to see her in this role. I know she doesn't have a lot of experience—her only knowledge being limited to Volkov Corps. which also wasn't very much.

"Yes." Tension radiated out of King Ciro and Queen Rhapsody while Ava looked perfectly composed. There was no hint that she was doing this for the first time. Lady Adira avoided all kinds of contact.

"You owe me four million dollars." She started. "In compensation to that, I will take the gold and other precious metals worth 2 million dollars you offered to King Xillian. But I will not take it in the raw form. You will have it processed and made into jewellery of designs approved by me."

King Ciro nodded. "Agreed."

I leaned back in my seat and saw Lady Adira make notes of it furiously.

"Along with that, whenever I buy jewellery from you, I will get it a discounted rate than what the market price is."

"What percentage?" King Ciro leaned on the table with interest.

"Thirty percent." Ava replied.

The prices of these metals in our world were a lot less than in the human world. So if she gets it from King Ciro at cheaper rate and sells it in the human market...all I see for the future is dollar signs.

"That's too much." King Ciro shook his head.

"You admitted that the market for jewellery and precious metals is declining, King Ciro." Her voice was gentle. "I am possibly going to buy them from you for life. In bulk. This will create a steady income for Kingdom Prajini and increase employment. This isn't just a compensation deal, it's creating a friendship for life." She smiled. She wasn't just thinking of us, she was thinking of them too.

He wavered.

"And in the spirit of friendship between the two nations, I will reduce it to twenty percent only." Ava gave him a smile.

She was never really going to stick to 30%. This was her plan all along. The was a classic way of making people think that we are giving them a discount by hiking the price and then lowering it to original price, making it seem like we are giving them a great deal.

"Agreed." King Ciro said and Adira began making more notes.

"For the rest of the two million, you will let us dig two oil wells on your land." Goddamn this woman is smart. "And all the oil extracted from those oils will be ours. For life."

A reluctant smile spread on his face. "My land is very rich, Queen Avalyn. The oil you will extract out of those wells will earn you a lot of profit. A lot more than two million."

"The crude oil industry is not exactly booming King Ciro. The oil is lying idle and you aren't making any use of it. Let us have it. Again, the digging and extraction process will increase employment."

He still looked reluctant.

I looked at Ava, waiting for her next move. She looked at me for help and I gave her a motion to go ahead.

I'm not saying anything, she's on her own.

"While your offer is great, Queen Avalyn, having the two oil wells for life is worth a lot more than two million. Two million is just the cost of making one oil well. You are already asking for two wells and all the oil that you extract from it, for life. My land is gifted, Queen Avalyn, oil wells last for centuries." King Ciro said. He very well knew he was in no position to make a counter offer so his tone remained pliant.

Avalyn took a minute to think. "We will have the oil from the oil wells for the next ten years and you will process it for us too. After the time is up, I will give you thirty percent of the profits from the sale."

"Seventy percent. I'm going to be the one to process the oil." He countered. "It's going to be all my country's hard work and resources, Queen Avalyn. I believe that the larger portion of profit should be ours."

Hell no.

Ava was deliberating it. Not happening.

"May I remind you that you the kind we display not even about eight hours ago?" I raised a brow. "We saved you the lives of fifty females and your daughter, King Ciro. I believe money is a lot less price to pay than the virtue and sanity of your only daughter and heiress. Not to mention that we saved you from a possible public outrage and the beginning of revolutionary movement if you happened to snatch a fifty females from their homes and give them away to King Ciro."

"And I will forever be grateful for that, King Nikolai." He bowed his head. "But I can't agree to just thirty percent. It's too less." I knew he wouldn't agree to a percent less than that.

Ava looked at me for help.

She'd done perfectly in my opinion. Now it was my time. "We can agree to fifty percent and her Slave Eliyah," I motioned towards Adira. Her eyes widened as she looked at me.

"King Ciro, I—" She tried to argue.

"Agreed." He said immediately, cutting her off.

"I don't agree to fifty percent." Ava spoke suddenly. She looked at me, "sorry but this is my deal," and then she back at looked at King Ciro, "I don't agree to fifty percent and Eliyah."

He turned weary.

"I will, however, agree to fifty percent, Eliyah and her," she jutted her chin towards Adira. I had to work hard to control my laugh upon seeing Adira's outraged expression.

"Forgive me, Queen Avalyn but I can't just give you Lady Adira. She's a the Lady of Treasure of my Kingdom, a vampire and not just a slave."

"Considering the fact that we are here negotiating a deal for the money you owe me, and the fact that you took a loan from King Xillian nonetheless," Ava snorted, "I'd say she isn't doing a very good job. And if you can sell slaves, you can sell vampires too. You were about to sell fifty women and your daughter to King Xillian."

His face turned icy yet remorseful.

"I did not mean to be rude, apologies." Ava murmured. "But I mean it when I said I want Adira. It's the deal I said or our deal is off and I'll find a way to take my money back from King Xillian. And you can find a way to pay him four million dollars." My woman isn't just a firefly, she's a firecracker.

He remained silent for a moment. And the way his eyes fogged over along with Queen Rhapsody's, I knew they were mind-linking. "You can have her." He agreed. "And the deal we made stays." He said stiffly.

Adira gasped. "King Ciro, you can't—" King Ciro showed her his palm, silencing her effectively.

"Also," I added, "Your army will be at my command for the one time I ask for it, whenever and wherever it may be. And, in warlike situations, never will Kingdom Prajini stand against Soare- Luna."

He narrowed his green eyes on me. "Who is it that you wish to attack?"

He may not be that dumb after all.

"Mystic Lupus Pack," I told him the truth, "and Verdura Pack if they take join armies."

A smirk formed on his face. "You shall have it. Verdura is a pain in my ass and I have been waiting for someone to end Adrik for the last fifty years. Never knew it would be his own son."

A smirk formed on my face. I think I liked the man. He may be stuck to his old ways but he had a decent head on his shoulders. Especially if he chooses people over money. "Let this be a start of a friendship."

"It was nice doing business with you you too." He shook my hand and then Ava's.

Ava was relatively quiet.

King Ciro left after that but Queen Rhapsody, who was silent all this while remained here along with me and Adira.

"May I speak to Queen Avalyn alone?" Queen Rhapsody asked me.

I looked at Ava who nodded at me.

"Yes." I agreed. "And I'll take Adira to our Quarters."

Ava gave me a grateful nod.

Avalyn

Queen Rhapsody and I exited the conference room together and decided to take a walk in the gardens.

"I would like to thank you for your generosity. Also, for saving the loves of so many females and my daughter." Queen Rhapsody smiled.

"I would never let someone go through that." I smiled back. "There was no way I would have let that happen."

"You were the only one who spoke up and offered to help, for which, I will forever be indebted to you, Queen Avalyn." She bowed her head.

"I believe that us women should stick together. And what is the use of all this power if we cannot help those in need?"

"Truer words never spoken." She smiled.

"I would also like to apologise for Ciro. He needs to accept the reality. And the truth is that you have given us a very good opportunity and we need to grab it with both hands. This has been a blessing in disguise."

"What do you mean?" I asked her.

"Our land is very rich, Queen Avalyn. In every possible way. And we have very made good use of it for centuries and we have been the wealthiest nation for a very long time. I believe that the other nations grew envious of us and started to slowly reduce buying goods from us. They turned to humans, even if they charged a higher price for the same thing. Ciro also thinks that King Josias has a hand in the reduction of rains over our land." A scowl formed on her mouth at that.

"He can do that?" He has affinity with water, but influencing the rains? Thats too much.

"We can't accuse anyone but our lands have always had plenty of rains but since the last few years, it has been steadily decreasing and a draught like situation has been created for the last two years. We have underground water but rains are always better. I fear that if nothing is done, we won't have water to drink if we continue to rely on only ground water." She replied. "But that won't happen for another century or so. So we're good for now."

"Why don't you approach humans and get a deal or something?"

"Ciro does not prefer to trade with humans because the buy raw materials from him and process it and then sell it at a very high price. Ciro believes that they should not get those high profits when those are our goods. He also stopped selling finished goods to humans in the hopes that if their supply reduces, their price will increase and the other nations will be forced to buy things from us again."

"But the only thing that has happened is that our treasures are dwindling and we didn't know what to do. You are giving us more business and generating more employment in our country, which has been in a depression for too long. Ciro was too proud to thank you properly." She then paused and grabbed my hands and squeezed, "so thank you, Queen Avalyn." A lot of emotions passed through her green eyes. "For everything."

"It has been a pleasure, Queen Rhapsody." I smiled and she smiled back.

"I hope we meet again, other than these Annual Royal Summits. It's been a pleasure to meet you." She brushed her cheek against mine and then left. Well I really hope that I don't have to come here again. But I didn't say that.

When I returned back to our quarters, I saw Adira in the cage Eliyah was in earlier. She was wearing a collar too. She hissed at me as I walked by her. Rolling my eyes, I walked upstairs to Eliyah's bedroom. I knocked but when he didn't reply, I hesitantly opened the door. I could smell him inside.

I saw a cart besides the bed which held empty plates upon plates and bowls upon bowls. He must have been starving. Or maybe, he must have thought to take advantage of the opportunity before he will have to go back to whatever he ate earlier. He wasn't in the room but outside, on the balcony. I walked in and stood besides him, watching him as he looked at the vast gardens in front of us, broodingly.

"Had fun?" I asked but received no reply.

"I was told I would be left alone," he grunted.

"Why? Did anyone do something? Did anyone try to hurt you? Who was it?" I asked

"You." He snapped. "You're annoying me!"

Not bothered by his tone, I gave him a smile. "I have good news for you."

He didn't turn towards me or try to look at me but I knew I had his full attention. "You're not Adira's slave anymore."

He snorted. "That just means I'm your slave. How is that any better? I'm still a slave. I still belong to someone."

"At least it's not that bitch." I shrugged. "I don't treat my slaves that way. Well slave, I only have one. Two now, counting you. You can talk to Tessa if you want. You'll only get good reviews."

"Yeah how? Have you forced her to reiterate specific lines? Beat her up till she memorised all the good things about you?" He spat.

"It didn't get to that thankfully," I joked but when I saw his hands clenched on the railing forcefully, I realised that he took it seriously. "I'm joking, Eliyah." I said softly. "Believe it or not, not everyone is out there torturing their slaves at every turn they get."

"Easy for you to say," he said bitterly. "You're the Queen. You don't see the ugliness that goes on behind the walls. All you see is beautiful sights. And if you find anything you particularly like," he motioned towards himself, "you can snap your finger and it's yours."

"I know the ugliness that goes behind walls because I was once on the other side of them." His eyes snapped to me and he looked shocked. "But unlike you, I didn't let the ugliness convince me that the world outside those walls was the same. And I've been fortunate enough to be gifted with a mate who will do everything in his power to see to my comfort." A smile slid on my face at the thought of Nik. "I know it's not much but I can assure you that I'll take care of you, Eliyah. No one will touch you or hurt you. Nor will you ever have to participate in such competitions."

He didn't look like he believed it.

"I have Adira outside." He stiffened at my words. "She's my slave too now. And she's yours to kill."

He froze for a second before he whirled around and strode outside. I followed him. We entered the living room and Eliyah stopped when he saw Adira in the cage, wearing a collar.

His breathing turned harsh and I could hear his heart beating rapidly. He simply kept staring at her.

He looked at me, his eyes glistening. "I want to go for walk. Can you... can you come with me?" He sounded...troubled.

"I would love to." I smiled. We walked to the foyer when I saw Sofiya.

"Finally. I was searching everywhere for you, Avalyn." Sofiya hugged me and then pulled back, her hands rested on my shoulders and there were tears in her eyes. "I need to talk to you. I need to tell you something important."

I had been waiting for this for a while. I knew she was going to tell me what was wrong, why she had been off with me for all this time. My eyes slid to Eliyah who looked uncomfortable at the sight of the crying, heavily pregnant female.

"Of course, Sof. Eliyah and I were going outside for a walk, why don't you join us?"

Her eyes slid to Eliyah and she wiped a tear that escaped and hiccuped. "You won the competition, right?"

Eliyah gave her a sharp nod.

Sof looked at me, her tears tugging at my heart, "if he doesn't have a leash on, it's going to be a blood bath outside. It won't be safe for him." I had forgotten about that part. He would be 'fair game' for everyone.

My eyes slid no him as I thought of something.

"Fuck no." He hissed. "I'm not wearing that fucking collar or leash again."

"Wait here." I disappeared upstairs and I removed a large piece of ribbon from one of my dresses. I walked down and Eliyah looked at the ribbon with a flat expression and then at me like I was dumb.

"I might be a slave but I'm not a fucking dog. Forget it," he turned around to walk away but I caught his hand and tied one end of the ribbon on his wrist.

"Does this work?" I asked Sofiya.

For some reason, this caused her to cry harder, "yes." She nodded and then looked at Eliyah, "don't talk to her like that."

Eliyah opened his mouth to argue most probably but Sof cut him off, "I'm not saying it because she's the Queen. I'm saying it because she doesn't deserve your shit. Anyone else would have you punished or killed for those comments. And you know it."

His jaw clenched but he didn't reply.

We ended up going to the garden Eliyah was looking at from his balcony. It was still evening and the sun was setting because of which not a lot of vampires were roaming outside.

Sofiya remained silent but tears were rilling down her cheeks continuously.

"Have I done something that hurt you? Are you mad at me for some reason? I'm sorry." I apologised.

"No. Why would you say that?" She cupped her mouth.

"I don't know, Sof. You have been distant with me ever since the last time we came here." I sighed. I was tired of this. "You don't ever call me or message me. And whenever I do, you talk for like half a minute and then cut the call saying you will call me but you never do. At first I thought that you were just too busy taking over Mozog but even when you came to Soare-Luna, you were distant. You barely spent time with us and didn't talk like you used to." It hurt. She was the first friend I made, she was my best friend, my sister. And it feels like I hardly know her anymore. "What happened Sof?" I asked softly.

My words changed her mood and she wiped her tears. Did I say something wrong? I had been careful to not say anything that might hurt her feelings. And my tone had been gentle too.

She remained quiet for a while and I could see it from her expression that she had changed her mind about talking to me. "Nothing happened, Avalyn. I'm just pregnant and moody and tired and busy." She caressed her stomach. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have said anything. Sorry to waste your time." The moody part, I could agree with.

"You don't need to apologise." I shook my head. "I just want things to go back to the way they were. You were my best friend, Sof, my sister."

More tears rose in her eyes, "I still am, Avalyn. I'm sorry, I'm sorry. It's not your fault." She hugged me and I stumbled a step but caught my footing and hugged her back.

Something still felt missing.

"Hey, bitch." I heard a voice. Sofiya took a step back and quickly wiped her cheeks.

I was shocked to see that Queen Zakyra was the one who interrupted us.

"You shouldn't talk to yourself out loud, you look stupid." Sofiya told her.

I snickered. What's her deal?

Her red hair were flapping in the wind and she was in her usual outfit— lacy bra and bottoms like those of a belly dancer. Her golden skin was shining because of the golden hour. It's a shame that she wasn't that beautiful from the inside too.

"You should refrain from making such comments when you are surrounded by my men." She smirked and that's when I noticed.

Heartbeats. Many. All around us.

I turned around my self and saw that we had unknowingly walked to a secluded area and we were surrounded by men, Queen Zakyra's men.

"What the hell is this? You are threatening a Queen." Sofiya snarled. "Do you want war?"

"I do not fear anybody." She snarled back.

'Nik, we are in the northeastern end of the garden and Queen Zakyra and her men have surrounded us. Come here quickly.'

'I'm on my way. Keep her engaged in talks and don't do anything I won't." He said, urgency and worry evident in his tone.

"Why are you doing this?" I asked.

"Because you are a raging bitch." She narrowed her eyes on me.

"Is it because of the money? If it is, you don't need to pay anything." My eyes flickered all around me. There were about twenty men circling us.

I could use my magic but I didn't know what kind of power she yields. And I can't let them harm Sofiya. And definitely not her baby.

"Avalyn?" Sofiya sounded scared.

Thats when I noticed Queen Zakyra had pulled up a gun and was pointing it towards my chest—my wildly beating heart. This woman is crazy!

I released the ribbon, "run," I whispered to Eliyah and I put my hands up and took a couple of steps towards her so I would have all of her attention and not Sofiya or Eliyah, "we can sort this out without guns, Queen Zakyra."

'Come fast, Nik. She has a gun.'

'I'm on my way. Keep talking to her.'

"Don't hurt her." Eliyah tried coming towards me. Why does he suddenly care now? This is the worst timing ever! Why didn't he run away?

"Step back Eliyah!" I snapped. She will kill him.

"I'll help you out." Queen Zakyra said and then shot Eliyah in the chest.

I screamed.

Sofiya's started crying.

"Shut up!" She snarled and my voice died in my throat. Eliyah was on the ground and he was bleeding. Way too much. His heartbeat was faint. Too faint.

Her gun shifted to me again.

"Whatever it is that you want, let me know." I croaked. Eliyah is going to die because of me.

"That, I will get either way." She smirked and shifted the gun to point as Sofiya's heart. "Or maybe I can hurt someone that holds more value to you."

"No!" I snapped and she glared at me.

"I mean no." I said gently. "She's pregnant, don't harm her." She's heavily pregnant! It's pretty evident! What kind of woman is she?

"It's hard not to notice." She said drily. And then her gun lowered, pointing at Sofiya's belly. "I've never liked kids. They mess up a woman's body."

"No!" Sofiya said in horror and covered her belly with her arms, as much as she could.

In slow motion, I saw a wooden bullet escape the gun's nozzle and without a second thought, I closed my eyes and changed places with Sofiya.

"No!" Sofiya wailed.

I felt my heart stop for a second before a hot, searing pain shot through my belly.

I heard a loud, terrifying growl.

Nikolai is here.

Black spots danced across my vision.

He's here. Everything will be all right.

The earth slipped from beneath my feet and I felt my knees buck.

It hurt. It hurt too much. My hands covered my belly. I felt hot thick liquid coat it. I felt my blood coat my hands.

I collapsed on the ground but my head didn't touch the ground.

I saw a hazy figure through my eyes.

It was Nik.

I felt his hand covering mine, where I was shot.

I couldn't see his face. It was too blurry.

"I love you." I whispered. If these are my last words, I'll die happily.

The world faded.

The hurt ceased. Everything, the light, the sounds, the pain, it all just stopped.

But then I heard a loud, heartbreaking growl before darkness enveloped me.