Pre Edit Count – 2,313 Words

Song I listened to for this chapter: Ordinary Love by Ben Rector

Previously:

He looks from his Mate to the other males. “Because the last one was an ancestor of my family. You may recognize her name in fact. Freyja. It is the secret of the Vikings, and we are named the defenders of them. It was what made us different from the others, why we were so tall, athletic and so on. Nothing of what a normal human was at the time. We failed and have been cursed to become part of the past.”

He looks at his Mate, “If this is true, then you already have my loyalty and life. I will call all others who are left, and become the King you need, min älskade.” At that announcement, they all stare shocked at the Viking who seemed to grow before them all.

Now:

Sookie is shaken up and confused, but Eric soothes her, and soon she is sleeping in his arms.

Godric watches them before asking Eric, “How many can you call?”

His eyes caressing his Mate’s face while watching over her. “The entire Kingdom. There are more than you can ever guess.” He chuckles. “When we mentioned me being King, I never thought once that I would be the one to be calling back together the lost remains of the Vikings.”

Roman is shaking his head. “How did we never know who you were?”

Looking up at them, Eric replies, “Because for some reason a lot of my race are the descendents of the Angels, but we took the aspects of the females. Any dark headed Viking often ascended, but hardly any females ever did. I was sworn in as the last King, and after I became Vampire, I thought I was done with it. Then, about 700 years ago, I was informed that I am still the King to be of the Vikings to come. I never understood it, but dismissed it as a wish.” He waives his hand in dismissal as he had felt at the time.

Godric watches him. “Will we need to move back to the Old World?” He needs to know what must to be done.

Shaking his head, Eric tells them, “Where I am is my Kingdom. Vikings were scattered around the world. There is no land that is my Kingdom, my people are my Kingdom. It is one of the most essential truths out there, and my Kingdom is no different.”

Roman is watching him carefully. “But would it be better for you to have land?” Thoughts are chasing in his head, as he tries to think of ways to protect the Seraphim in his brother’s arms.

Eric looks up with a question in his eyes, “Why?”

Roman settles back, crossing his leg over his knee. “I was planning to talk to the two of you about this. Texas, now that Godric is not there and handling things personally, is going down fast. Plus we three know that the Fellowship of the Sun is going to become a much bigger problem. I am suggesting that I go ahead and name Eric, King of Texas. This will not alarm people when he calls his people to him. It will also put you in a better position with Russell. He cannot just swarm this state, not when he knows that Eric has Texas and will retaliate.” Nothing is said about the fact that since they are Mated to the same person, once they pledge the states will end being separate, but they will rule both together.

Eric sighs, his eyes looking slightly defeated, but he nods.

Godric can’t help the smile. “You two are already Mated, the pledging between you is what I wish. Between the pledging for me and Sookie, you have nothing to worry about. I also can assist with helping you get the state back in control. There is not much trouble, but Texas seems to attract rebellious souls. All in all, it is a good state for you to gather your Kingdom to.” The more he thinks of it, the more the state is perfect for his Viking.

Roman turns his head to the side. “Is this why you have never taken more than a Sheriff position?”

Nodding his head, Eric tells him, “Even if I thought it would be highly unlikely, I had to be ready. But all in all, I just wanted an ordinary life. Especially once I saw how wrong it could easily go, I just wanted to love Sookie. But, I will do anything to keep her safe.” The last is said with the sadness that they won’t have the normal life they had hoped for.

Knowing the same feeling in regards to his Mate, Godric nods. He has a thoughtful look though, “I suspect this may have been another reason Warlow wanted you dead. But either way it doesn’t matter. It is what it is. We need to ready ourselves, and there is no time to waste.”

Roman chuckles. “No indeed there is not. A maenad already here? I do not envy you. As you already know, the Authority is getting its own purging right now. Lilith’s blood is already disposed of. I am done placating the Sanguinistas. It sounds like much more is coming.” He shakes his head, still not understanding how the previous timeline came about, but he is doing his part to end the threat.

With that said, and their plans discussed in more detail, he leaves, needing to fly back to the Authority to control everything. He promises that Texas is now Eric’s so he can start his call to his Kingdom with the promise that they will have a place.

Godric and Eric are soon taking their Mate downstairs, and Eric makes sure the estate is locked down. He lays down Sookie and then sits heavily in the chair that seems to be permanently by the bedside now.

He rubs his face, then sighs. “I will perform the ceremony when I rise. Once I do this, it may alert a lot of Supes that something is going on. Nothing is secret.”

Godric just laughs at him. “You say that, and it is a great thing to keep in mind, but truly? This is a huge surprise. I knew you were a King as a human, and there is no mistaking your carriage as anything but royal. But, to find out that you are the one who inspires the King Arthur legends?” He just chuckles. He is going through Eric’s memories now, and is being highly entertained by them.

Eric looks guiltily at Godric, then shakes his head. “I hate that legend.”

Godric cannot stop chuckling. “It makes sense why you hate it so much. I wonder how it was born, if you are the King that will come.”

His head falling back as he registers his Maker’s laughter. “It’s a joke. More of it is what is foretold to come, not what had already come. Camelot? No idea. My father’s palace was not that intricate. Guinevere? I am guessing to be Sookie, beause I never had a love like that. Mordred and all that shit? No idea. I had no children of my loins. The closer you are to the line of Freyja, the rarer it was to have children. Males have a hard time impregnating females.” Though he had tried. There had been no denying that fact.

Godric shakes his head. “Then how were the Vikings so…blessed?” He manages to get the comment out, without laughing too hard.

Eric looks up at him and then laughs. “Thralls. Males seem to get them pregnant so much easier, and our females had no issues. But we bred true.”

He leans forward. “Vikings are more Angel than any other race on this planet, but we had the same issues they did. As long as they lived among us, it was fine. We were their protectors, and they were the living ancestors. As you mentioned, they were all Mated. It is what accelerates them into becoming Angels. But not all Mated humans, Fae, or any other species is Seraphim. I had a horrible feeling, but I dismissed it. I never wanted Sookie to become hunted for her womb, for the fact that if you Mated an Angel you would be immortal.” He wipes his hand down his face, and nibbles on his thumb as he thinks on what all he will need to do.

Looking at their Mate, Godric nods his head in understanding. “Maybe this is the time that we need them. Didn’t Angels guide humans?”

Snorting in laughter, Eric says, “They are the peacemakers of the races. Since they can come from all, they are all. Demons, elves and all the rest are their Mates. But Seraphim bear the children that will come forth their kind. Somewhere in Sookie’s woodpile, there is an Angel. Female. Males are the protectors, and while they are able to impregnate, that is not what they are known for. But I know more about the females than the males.” Eric chuckles, but then he had known of Freyja, and had been told by his mother he had met her when she was dying.

Godric watches Eric, and he just laughs. “Well time to get to work. I think we will need another place to meet with our charges.” Then he gets sly, “Do you want a castle?”

Eric rolls his eyes as he gets up to grab his laptop.

Godric following him, laughing. “We can name it Camelot even!”

Sookie wakes to Godric watching her, as the previous night. She smiles at him as she asks, “Any more revelations after I fell asleep?”

He smirks at her, “Other than finding out Eric is King Arthur and you seem to be the Lady Guinevere? Nope. None. Oh wait, Roman named Eric King of Texas.”

Sookie is just staring at him. “King Arthur? Really? I wonder where his Excalibur is.” The look she gives Godric is sly.

And with that Godric cannot keep the laughter in. “I suggested building a castle for him, he gave me a dirty look.”

Sookie grins at Godric, glad to find that yesterday was not a fluke. No, Godric had a wicked sense of humor, and it well matches her own and Eric’s. Then a thought occurs to her. “Does this make you Lancelot?”

Godric couldn’t help it, he actually falls off the bed laughing. “Lance-celot? Oh this is going to be so much fun!”

Sookie is grinning at him from the side of the bed, and he is grinning back up at her from the floor. He reaches up and cups her face. “No matter what, a ghra, I love you. I will do whatever it takes for you to be safe.”

Sookie blinks down at him, then blinks again. “Love? Already?”

He leans up on his arms, his face just barely from hers. “Yes. I suspected that I would fall and fast, and I have. You are perfect, a stoirin. There is nothing that I would want to change, and why fight it? I have learned my lesson, and know that love is one of the strongest forces on this earth. It is what I suspect is making you, your true self. Angels Mate for love.” He is gentle as he tells her, and it is all over his face his true feelings for her.

Staring into his moss green eyes, Sookie admits she has always loved this ancient vampire, but when he left, she shut her heart. It is what made letting Eric in so hard. But while she is more open, she tells him, “You left me once. You left both Eric and I, and it hurt both of us so much. I couldn’t understand why your death affected me that much, and I had so much to deal with all at once. I may love you, but you are still gaining my trust.”

Godric’s face softens and he cups his Mate’s face. “And I will do all I can to gain that trust. I am not leaving. I have way too much to live for. You, Eric.” Then he grins up at her. “To pick on Eric about being a legend in England…”

Sookie laughs, and her face lightens up. “Though, you know, he fits the profile!”

Nodding, Godric stands up and holds out his hand to help her out of the bed. “I know! It is what makes it even better. This will be something we can use for a long time.”

She is walking to the bathroom and then stops. “Oh…Anytime he gets highhanded with me, I have a way to cut him down to size.”

They both chuckle, then get themselves ready for the day. Godric soon escorts her upstairs, talking about what meal she would like. Soon he seats her at the counter and is quickly making her lunch.

While he is busy, they talk about what they need to do since they are in charge of two kingdoms, Sookie telling him, “I am not taking Dallas or any of that shit.”

Godric chuckles as he plates up some breaded thin pork loins, with a creamy sauce made with chive and onion cream cheese with chicken broth, rice and asparagus. He watches her as she takes a bite, and feeling her pleasure, smiles.

“I suggested that since Eric won’t allow a castle, we purchase an office building. I would rather be more businesslike than the present monarchies. Too many like clubs and such. We are not a secret anymore, and I suspect that we will be more in the view of the public. So…”

Sookie sighs, but she nods as she eats tiny dainty bites. “I agree. I am not sure how my shields will hold up in a setting like that…”

Godric leans forward across the counter and asks, “How were they last night?” He had sensed the initial flinch just as last time, but he didn’t remember her in pain.

Looking up into his eyes, she thinks as she continues to eat. “Not bad now that I think about it. I seemed to pick up the issues, but the fangbangers thoughts of sex did not seem to intrude as much.”

Nodding, Godric said, “I figured as much. If you are becoming Seraphim, then your shields and such will become stronger. There will be less issues with your telepathy; it will begin to work to protect you, not to have you working so hard to make sense of everything. It only makes more sense that way.”

When he lifts an eyebrow asking if she is done, he takes her plate, and replaces it with some cut up fruit.

Sookie chuckles. “Making me watch my weight?”

He laughs. “Never. Wanting to make sure you have all you need to be healthy. I plan to make sure we have food for you to eat. Don’t think I didn’t notice you not having anything more than what I fed you yesterday,” he tells her severely. That is not acceptable, and he will be bringing it up to Eric also.

Blushing, she tells him, “I truly was not hungry. But I will try, Godric.”

He comes around the counter, and cupping her face in his hands, his eyes look into her blue ones. “And that is all I can ask. Now, let’s see what buildings we can buy, and how we can sneak the name Camelot into it.”

With that the two laugh, and head off into the living room.

Final Count: 2,605 words

Fairfarren ~