Wholly Undead

Lucius turned to walk into the hall, and then let out a booming voice. "Clear the Holy quarters of the Palace. Do not return until word has been received from Consort Leslie!" Before Lucius had completed his first sentence, the hallways and corridors were cleared. These servants knew what could be overheard, and what could not.

He stood there for a few more moments, feeling the servants leaving. When Lucius confirmed the last servant had vacated, he turned and reentered into The Holy Witch King"s chamber.

"Ahem. Your Grace isn"t it time to stir, and set out to your study?" Lucius spoke to the sleeping duo.

"...."

"Your Grace, it is time to wake and over see the kingdom."

"...."

Lucius was at the end of his temper. He was trying to keep up pretense in front of Leslie. Leslie didn"t know how close The Holy Witch King and him were, and he didn"t want to throw his Grace"s face...

After waiting for a period of time longer than Lucius" patience, he walked over to his Grace"s evening tomb, and rapped the Holy Witch King"s skull.

"WAKE UP, YOU BONE HEAD!" Grand Minister Lucius" voice rang out. If any of the servants heard this, they would of experience true death from shock alone. No one in the kingdom would believe the Grand Minister would yell or call his Grace a bonehead, being called a bonehead for the undead was a slur of grave consequence. Usually only close friends could call each other a bonehead, without coming to blows.

"Ugh?" Jack"s vision slowly came into view, as the golden wisps in his eyes slowly flickered into existence. He felt like he had the best sleep he had ever gotten this unlife or his last life.

"Mmmm?" Leslie stirred from her slumber, as well. "Mmmmmm?!" She looked up to see Grand Minister Lucius hovering over her dear"s evening tomb.

"Grand Minister Lucius, what are you doing here?! Why are you in my Dear"s private chamber?! Did you just call The Holy Witch King a bonehead?!" Leslie rapid fired questions at Lucius.

Leslie was still questioning Lucius, as she was getting up. Lucius started to back step, he didn"t know that Leslie could be this fierce. He had been working with her for countless years, but this was the first time she showed such a protective side. She was like a mother protecting her child!

"Leslie... Dearest... Please calm down. I am sure the Grand Minister has something important." Jack spoke while being lazy in his evening tomb. The gold wisps of his eyes were slowly and softly dancing. He kind of didn"t want to get up. This was some great sleep!

Leslie stopped mid-question. Dearest? She looked back over to Jack, who was still laying down. Warmth spread throughout her soul again.

Jack sluggishly spoke, "Grand Minister Lucius, honestly... What"s wrong... Did the House of Undeath stage a coup?"

Lucius was still dizzy from the flurry of questions Leslie threw at him, but now it was also her turn to be stunned.

""What?! The House of Undeath plans to rebel!?"" Lucius and Leslie spoke at the same time!

"I wouldn"t be surprised, honestly." Jack sat up, slightly slumping in his evening tomb.

Both Lucius and Leslie were on alert, they knew The Holy Witch King wouldn"t say things without cause... This was worse than they thought.

After a pause Lucius spoke up, "Your Grace, I know that you have just got a consort, but it"s not good to over exert yourself..." Lucius intentionally left his words ambiguous. He didn"t really want to talk about this kind of thing in front of Consort Leslie.

[Why did this sound exactly like boning?] Jack thought...

"Grand Minister! We have not!" Leslie was already on edge when Lucius woke them up, but now was thoroughly incited. It was one thing to do it, and another to be accused when innocent.

"Ah?" Lucius looked blankly at the two of them, "Then what have you two been doing?"

"That is none of your b..." "Sleeping..." Jack interrupted Leslie.

At this point Jack had gotten up and walked over to put on his robes, and shoes.

"I really need to get to my study." Jack said as he walked back to Leslie.

"Ahem. Your Grace the only reason I came is because it"s been two and a half weeks since court! There is only another week and a half left!" Lucius said somewhat hurriedly.

"What?" Jack exclaimed! [I took a nap for a week, and then slept for another week and a half!] Jack"s mind was tumbling.

"Yes! Do you already have plans on how to take care of the kingdom?" Grand Minister Lucius asked hopefully.

"First, I need to get to my study, but, yes, I do have a plan, so be rest a.s.sured." Jack said heroically. Let it be known that Jack, in fact, had no plan, but wanted to calm Lucius down. He figured, he could come up with something.

Inwardly releasing a sigh of relief, "That"s great to hear, your grace."

[As expected, of my Dear!] Leslie praised her love inwardly.

"Sweetheart, I might of asked you earlier, but what are your plans today.?" Jack asked Leslie.

Leslie was so happy by being called sweetheart... It almost made up for his botched proposal. Almost.

"I"m going to wash the linens here first, maybe repair the chamber door, then I will gatherer my hand maidens... Wait, I should transfer my hand maidens to the palace. ...I also need to contact... My clan." Leslie started off strong, but her voice started to trail near the end. Jack wondered what was her clan. He was still puzzled over the whole undead clan being a thing.

"My Grace, Leslie may need your help with her clan." Grand Minister Lucius spoke after a moment of thinking.

"Why would Leslie need help?" Jack asked feeling odd.

"You must of forgotten..." Leslie said bitterly, "I was... exiled from my clan, before I gained my t.i.tle of Countess..."

[Why would Leslie get exiled.... There is a story behind this.] Jack hatefully thought.

"I"m just worried Count... Consort Leslie will be wronged by her clan."

"What?! Who would dare bully MY consort!" Jack said furiously, as the gold wisps in his eyes flared up, and gold flames burned in his eyes!

Jack was thoroughly incited! All the years he lived in his past life, and he never had a loved one. Now he had one, and all the years of love he saved had been transferred to Leslie, for right or wrong. He was not about to let anyone hurt or mistreat Leslie, even if her parents raised from the grave and came to discipline her, they would have to go through him!

Lucius and Leslie took a step back, clearly shocked by The Holy Witch King. In all the years of being by his side, he had never grown this angry! It was almost like he was a different person...

[Ah... Is this why his Grace never took a consort previously... He is truly over protective... A weakness.] Lucius thought about this new development might not of been the best idea. Just why did his Grace wait until now to acquire a consort.

Leslie ran up to Jack, and placed her hands on his rib cage. Shaking her head, "No one would bully me. Please have mercy on my clan!"

Jack"s golden wisps settled back down, but were fervently dancing in his sockets. "Who is your clan? Which representative are they in the House of Undeath?"

Leslie didn"t want to speak, but did so anyway, "My clan is the Grimnight Clan, and the Undeath representative is Undeath Official Jordan."

"Undeath Official Jordan... He doesn"t have another t.i.tle?" Jack asked, the Golden flames dimmed

Leslie shook her head, "No, Dearest."

"What is the highest t.i.tle in your clan?" Jack asked to confirm.

"I was the highest t.i.tle, but if you don"t count me, then the Grimnight Clan has two Barons." Leslie was finding this line of questions to be odd, but answered them anyway. Lucius wasn"t quite following, as well.

"Ah ha... So that"s it." Jack spoke cryptically.

"What"s it" Lucius asked.

"Leslie was a marriage a.s.set; so if she could marry higher, it would bring boon to the clan. They thought Leslie didn"t have any prospect with me, so they must of wanted her to marry into another Clan. One with a higher t.i.tle, and gain benefits through marriage. She refused to serve the clan, and thus was exiled, as she wasn"t of benefit to the Clan. So they mistreated Leslie based on her willfulness." Jack finished his monologue.

Lucius wasn"t sure on Leslie"s Clan"s circ.u.mstances and thus looked to her, but was caught off-guard by her expression. Leslie"s delicate mouth gaped so large one could fit an apple into it.

"No one knows this... How do you know this?" Leslie was so shocked she didn"t even add her endearment.

Jack shrugged his shoulders, "It only makes sense." Jack had seen scenarios like this too many times in the games and novels he played and read.

"Grimnight is a minor Clan, correct?" Jack asked, knowingly.

"Ah, yes. That"s right, Dear." Leslie nodded, coming back to her senses.

"So they have mistreated you... I need the Grimnight clan for the kingdom, but I might not need everyone from the Grimnight clan." Jack said eerily.

"NO! Dearest, please no. My parents are held by the Clan. They will execute them, if we do anything to them!"

[Her parents!] Jack wasn"t in the mood, but he did feel like laughing. Her parents did come back from the grave... How Ironic!

Jack paused, then turned his head to Lucius. At this point, Lucius felt like he had became a third wheel, and he was starting to feel nauseated in his soul from all the endearments being thrown left and right. He would be glad when the honey moon phase was over...

"Grand Minister Lucius." Jack said harshly.

Lucius shuddered, "Yes. Your Grace."

"I want every piece of news about Undeath Office Jordan; so much so, at what time he bathes and who washes his linens."

Lucius knew what his Grace wanted... Dirt!

"As you command, your Grace."

"I also have one last request. This too must be completed before court. I want another throne constructed for my consort. It shall be made in the image of mine, and placed to my left. I want it close, enough that if I want to touch my consort I can reach out my hand..." Jack spoke these last words angrily.

"Ah, This... This shall be done!" Lucius said, at first unsure, but finished his words resolutely. Never in the history of the kingdom had a consort had a throne beside The Holy Witch King!

Leslie stood there, dumbfounded. She wanted to protest, but found she couldn"t. A throne with The Holy Witch King? What did this mean exactly? What would this do?

She didn"t know, but could only worry for her love, the kingdom, and her parents, that she hadn"t seen in over a thousand years.

"Good, good... Good." The Holy Witch King spoke three goods! He then turned to walk out of his chamber leaving these words behind, "I shall be in my study, should you need me. I look forward to meeting Undeath Official Jordan." Laughter soon broke out as his form turned and disappeared into the hall. His golden flame like eyes leaving behind two light gold streaks in the air.

Leslie and Lucius shuddered and looked to each other, unsure what his Grace was going to do.