The Vampire King could practically<i>taste</i>the volcanic heat of her emotions rising up within Aria, and his arousal swelled, desire seeping into his veins like warmth from a crackling fire.  The way seeing her father being drained affected her caused him to feel exquisite pleasure, taking in every moment, every simmering wisp of rage that curled off her body, from her lips and eyes, like steam from a hot spring in the dead of icy winter.  The royal sceptre between his legs swelled and pressed against its confines as Kryos summoned all of his willpower to suppress the groan of desire that threatened to escape his parting lips, while bracing for Aria's rage to manifest in a way that would give justification to tear her asunder right there and throw her guards to the<i>wolves</i>.<br/><br/>But something<i>even better</i>happened instead: she sent that anger she felt back down through herself in an act of delicious, complete submission.  Kryos licked his fangs.  His mouth watered.  There she was, supple, tenderized with her own self-restraint, overcoming even her own furious rage to transform it into supplication.<br/><br/>"Your highness...", the obedient dog named Darian softly called to his queen.  Kryos' eyes slid from her to him, his purple lips curling at the corners in condescension.<br/><br/>"M-my apologies", she stammered on the words, "Yes, please...we shall dine."  Eyes lowered, long lashes veiling their warm hazel glow, demure, respectful,<i>ready to please</i>.  He was throbbing with desire.  She took her place<i>behind</i>him as he turned to proceed down the hallway with his entourage.<br/><i><br/>
Good girl, </i>his mind purred with deep satisfaction.<br/><br/>However, sensing that her guards were not accompanying them, he halted his steps and turned to glance over his shoulder, calling back, "Darian!  You and yours are invited as well!  Please!  Join us!  It's going to be a<i>feast</i>."  He then turned to Aria, "It'd be in poor taste to leave your loyal guards behind while we dine, my dear."  His lips parted to reveal a fanged smile that glimmered with malice and hunger.<br/><br/>"Prepare the banquet hall and be sure that each of the Queen of Serenity's royal attendants are well attended," he called out to the servant, who nodded and briskly hurried her steps down the long, dark gothic arched hallway.  With a royal nod towards her guards, he turned and resumed his pace down the hallway towards the dining area.<br/><br/>Three chandeliers hung equidistantly down the rectangular room, seemingly designed to accommodate the long table with several seats down each side, each finely wrought of ebony, and wide enough for two seats at each of its ends.  One pair, obviously meant for the king and his queen, were more ornately carved, with higher backs, but equal in size to each other, than the other chairs.  Two more serving girls came in, each dressed the same way as the girl that Aria encountered in the grand hall that she had just departed from; black soft slippers, sheer midnight black dress that barely reached their knees, hair tied back.  The girls all seemed frail and pallid, eyes lowered, with the only outward features differentiating them from each other were their different hair colors and heights.<br/><br/>They<i>all</i>wore puncture marks upon their necks.<br/><br/>It was clear that they knew their place, here in this castle.  They would never be asked to do anything but serve.  That was their purpose now, whatever their lives had been before.  These serving girls now showed each of Aria's guards to their chairs, seating them with a chair between each of them, every other one, beginning with and empty chair on each side of the table next to those of the king and queen.  Kryos led Aria, taking her soft, small hand in his long, pale fingers, and leading her to the chair on the left, and sliding it out for her.  Once she was seated, he moved to his and sat down next to her, taking her right hand in his left once more with a soft squeeze.<br/><br/>Upon the table was a rich black cover, upon which were plates, forks, knives, and spoons of silver, glasses of crystal, and candelabras of blood red, all lit with flickering candles.  Around the room were torchères shaped like ebony priestesses, holding up their bowls of fire in supplication to the heavens, their curves flowing all of the way down to where their sleek, low-cut dresses pooled upon the floor, which was carpeted in rich crimson.  Aria's guards still looked bewildered, Darian anxiously looking towards his queen, conveying his ever-present feeling of powerlessness in this place.  Kryos simply smiled.<br/><br/>Releasing his hold on Aria's hand, he clapped in the air twice, the serving girls snapping to attention at once.  "Let us prepare the feast at once!  Do not keep our guests waiting!" In the next moment, they scurried off.  Another couple of moments passed before the first of eight vampires, two for each guard, sauntered into the dining hall dressed in nocturnal finery, four female and four male vampires, each in ceremonial garb.  They each took their places, standing behind their seats, looking towards Kryos as if waiting for his command.  Four serving girls reappeared with trays each with a goblet of deep red liquid that appeared to be wine.  These goblets were distributed to each of the twelve dining attendants.  Two separate goblets of gold were brought to the king and queen, each filled with an equally crimson liquid, and Kryos slipped his long fingers around his, raising it into the air.<br/><br/>"To our two kingdoms," he flashed his fangs once more as he took Aria's soft hand in his, sensually caressing her skin.  The king waited for Aria to make a toast of her own, and then for his attendants, followed less eagerly by Aria's guards, to partake of their drinks.  The liquid ran hot through their veins, more potent than absinthe in its fiery power, causing their heads to swim with their first swallow.  The Dark King's attendants took their seats, eyes gazing longingly and deeply upon Aria's guards, and Kryos smiled and sipped from his own glass, turning towards Aria, his eyes glowing with desire.  Plates appeared before each of them with steaks, some rare, others medium rare, all of them juicy with lifeblood, were set before them.  Accompanying these steaks were bowls of sides, mashed potatoes, mushrooms, various other assorted vegetables, and hot, thick bread rolls, but the glasses were always kept full.<br/><br/>Conversation seemed to flow easily around the table now, swimming with loose lips licked by tongues and soft words of tantalizing deliciousness, enhanced by the warm fire within each of them stoked by the crimson liquid they drank, and the sensuous caresses that slid over their shoulders and arms.  Low throaty laughter, rich with seduction and need rose to play among the chandeliers as rumbling purrs and murmurs of want played upon the hearts of all in attendance, save for the king and queen...<br/><br/>... for their drinks were<i>not</i>the same, lacking the same potency of the others, that made the heads and bodies of Aria's guards swim with euphoric heat.  And then, as if made of liquid in a dream, the vampires slipped around the guards, caressing and kissing before<i>sinking</i>their fangs in.  Only gasps and surprise and moans of ecstasy could be heard.<br/><br/>"I believe our guests are ready to<i>retire</i>," Kryos announced.  His attendants, as one, glanced towards him, their eyes fiery with desire, their lips painted with hunger.  The Dark King snapped his fingers at a serving girl who scurried over, and he whispered a command into her ear.  "Make sure they know," he said more audibly.  She nodded quickly, then glanced at the other vampires and shook her head from side-to-side, much to their displeasure, and then motioned for them to help the girls bring them each to a guest room, where they would spend the night...