Oh How the Mighty Have Fallen

Disclaimer: I own nothing but a Hello Kitty body pillow that is currently calling my name.

A/N: I decided to make Dietrich a Methuselah, since in the show he has a surprising amount of power for a Terran. I know that he’s supposed to be human, but I just think it works better this way. Although he’s a relatively young Methuselah. Hope you guys don’t hate me too much!

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Chapter 5: Disobedience

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Abel and Ion were currently sitting in the meeting room of the Empress’ palace. Mirka was there, as well as Asta. Their solemn faces indicated the seriousness of Esther’s situation, and the gloomy feeling in the room was palpable. Abel had done his best to calm Ion down, but the young Methuselah was still overwhelmed with grief and rage. Abel felt the same way, but he needed to be the calm, strong one. Seth had offered to call for some of her best agents, but Abel refused. This was a personal matter, and he didn’t want anyone else personally involved. However, he was planning on asking some of the Vatican priests to help. He didn’t want them coming near to his brother, but they could get some of Cain’s minions. Leon, Hugue, Professor Wordsworth and Tres (of course) were on their way in a Vatican airship. Abel could not express how thankful he was that they were coming, even if Leon did make eyes at Esther more than Abel liked. Waiting in the Empress’ palace was pure torture when Abel and Ion knew that Esther was more than likely going through hell right now. Why had Abel thought she would be safe in Albion? She would be safer with him...wherever he was. He was always her hero, and he intended to be for the rest of her life. Asta had wanted to go with them, but he knew that if she was captured, he couldn’t stand himself for letting another female fall prey to the order. So now Asta was content to just plan from the Empire and provide any back-up that she could. Seth had wanted to go with them as well, but Abel did not want to lose her as he lost Lilith. Lilith was his mother, friend and older sister. She was all he had in the world until Seth came along, and now that Seth was here, Abel intended to keep her safe. She needed to be there for her people as well. Mirka was worried about her grandson, as always, but she knew she could never persuade him to stay away from Esther. It would be a foolish attempt. Sighing as he waited for the Vatican transport, he realized that food had been brought and he had barely touched it. That was a true sign of how worried he was. He NEVER refused food...ever. He knew that if Esther was here, she would tell him to slow down so he didn’t get sick, and he smiled at the thought. Deciding that he needed his strength if he ever wanted to rescue her, he ate his meal quickly. Ion was going back and forth between pouting, raging and crying. He was a mess, and Abel could only imagine that he would be the same way if he let his stronger emotions show on the outside. He was beyond miserable...

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Esther had spent her day looking out the window and reading the books that she had found in a bookcase on a far wall. She was bored out of her mind, but she much preferred time alone than to be around those evil monsters who called themselves the Rosekreuz Order. She had put on a long and flowing, but casual, blue skirt that matched the color of her eyes, and a white button down blouse that had lace accents. Her hair was pulled up in a loose but elegant bun, and she had left her feet bare. Currently she was in a comfortable chair facing the window with a book open. She wondered vaguely how soon dinner would be, and hoped that she had time enough to finish a few more chapters in her book before it. They did not allow her a watch or clock, but she could estimate the time by the position of the sun. She had no sooner looked up to try and guess the time when Isaak walked through the door.

“Milady, Mein Herr awaits.”

He made a mocking bow and she stiffened. She truly hated all of them, but she was able to deal with Dietrich slightly easier. After all, she had considered him a friend once. Usually he was the one to come and fetch her, so she wondered what the Panzer was doing here. Standing up and stretching out her slightly cramped muscles, she nodded and followed the vampire.

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She had not seen his appreciative gaze as her body stretched out before him like a seductive feline. The fact that she was so naive was even more of a asset to Isaak. He knew that Cain had a reward waiting for him at the end of the mission, but he longed to take a “reward” now. His fangs nearly ached as she walked closer to him in the corridor. He could smell and almost taste her Terran blood, and suddenly the thought of drinking another tablet tonight was appalling. Dietrich was supposed to be the one to escort her, but Isaak had been letting his own blood lust take over. He wanted to feed, and having a woman within his grasp was almost more than he could take. He had gone to her room an hour early, hoping that it would give him enough time. There was an empty guest room close to hers, and they would still be far enough away to not be heard. Although this was not a concrete plan, Isaak wasn’t exactly thinking clearly. He knew that he couldn’t take her virtue, but who was to say that he couldn’t have a little snack? Letting his body rule over his mind, he quickly moved behind her and clamped his left arm around her waste and his right hand came up to cover her mouth. She gasped in surprise and then struggled like he hoped she would. Right now the Methuselah could not think of the repercussions of what he wanted to do when Cain found out, he could only think of this girl in his arms. Ducking into an unused guest room, he kicked the door shut and then moved over to the far wall. Pushing her against it roughly he threatened, “If you scream, I’ll make sure that your stay here is pure hell.”

He noticed that she did not act frightened, but angry rather. Good. He couldn’t wait to actually frighten her.

“Esther, do you understand?”

He tightened his hand on her mouth and his nails began to dig into her lovely pale cheeks. A drop of blood ran down the white skin and he shook her...hard.

“Do you understand?”

She almost laughed when he looked as if that little threat could keep her quiet.

“Oh, I understand. But I also understand that you must be going against Cain’s orders, and that is a suicidal mission. I don’t care what my stay here is like. It is hell to be in the same vicinity as you monsters, let alone be at your beck and call. Torture me. Kill me. I don’t care. Right now I feel numb. Although I know you won’t kill me, as Cain can only order that. You’re just hungry, and you don’t want me to struggle. Well, too bad. I’ll scream any time I want to.”

She opened her mouth to do as she promised, but Isaak’s hand came out and stopped the sound. He had hoped she would struggle, but he hadn’t actually planned for what he would do to counter. She didn’t physically struggle against his hand now, but her eyes were defiantly telling him that she would scream as soon as she could. His threats weren’t working, so he tried a new tactic.

“Ah, my little queen. I know that you think there is nothing worse than being in our clutches, but trust me...there is. You are correct in the fact that I can’t kill you. Killing you would be signing my own death warrant as well, but I can do other things.”

He let his tongue linger over the last two words, and he let his cold stare chill Esther as he made intense eye contact. She still didn’t shudder, but he knew that her brave face had to crack eventually. He just hoped that it would crack long before Dietrich came to her room looking for her. He kept his hand over her mouth, but he took his other hand and trailed it up her arm. She was wearing a lace blouse that had long sleeves, but he could see the blushing skin that peeked through each elaborate design. His black eyes trailed down the expensive clothes that Cain had provided, and rested on her petite feet. Her toenails were painted a dark wine color, and he smiled with the detail that Cain had prepared her room. She was living in a virtual paradise, if you didn’t count the threat of rape and murder that constantly hung above her silk canopied bed. Although the rape and murder were to be ordered by Cain, and Cain only, Isaak didn’t need to tell Esther that he couldn’t do anything without his Lord’s permission. In fact, maybe he would do something without his permission anyway. After all, he already had her under his mercy. The power was exhilarating. For all she knew, he could have been ordered to feed on her by Cain himself. Isaak knew better, but what Esther didn’t know ‘could’ hurt her.

His gloved hand reached her smooth neck, and he pressed one finger gently into her pulse by her collarbone. The vein jumped with each beat of her heart, and he almost attacked her without any ‘foreplay.’ Hissing through his sharp teeth, he leaned his head back and closed his eyes in order to gather some self-control. God’s blood, it had been too long since he had a young and healthy Terran female in his claws. Esther could very well become addicting, and he was sure that Cain would not want any vice in the way of Isaak’s duties. At this moment, he couldn’t care what Cain thought. The only thing that existed was the sweet flesh beckoning him to contentment. Opening his eyes and moving his head back to its previous position, he leaned close enough to lick the area he wanted to sink his teeth into so badly. He finally received the shudder he had been waiting for, and he smiled against her skin.

“Ah...I can smell your fear, my darling. It is an enchanting aroma.”

She remained silent, and did not shudder again. He simply chuckled darkly and scraped his teeth gently along her neck. He placed little kisses over her collar bone and up to her chin. His kisses became more demanding, although he never moved to her own lips. He simply began to give passionate, open-mouthed kisses all along the right side of her neck. His urgency grew, and he could feel his manhood beginning to throb for release as well. He tried to will it down, as he knew that her virginity had to remain intact for the big finale. Growling his frustration at the jealousy he felt towards Cain for having first serve, he finally surged his canines forward and pierced her delicate skin. She gasped in pain and struggled in vain to push him away. The white-hot pain shot through her entire body and made very nerve throb. A few tears came unbidden to the corner of her eyes and leaked down to stay on her cheeks. Her mouth was open in a silent plea for help, and her eyes stared at the ceiling with a glazed expression. As he drank from her body like a starving man, her body began to shut down in response to the lack of blood. She went limp against the wall as the fight left her. Her eyes closed and she simply pushed the pain to the back of her mind while she succumbed to an ever-growing darkness creeping into her body. Finally, she slumped against Isaak and he held her up with ease.

When Isaak first broke her skin, the beast roared to life inside him and sprang to the surface. Her blood was so rich and pure, he thought he could happily die right then. He didn’t even notice her small hands attempting to distance him from her weakening body, but he heard her gasp and it excited his sexual urge to no end. Moving his hips forward, he rubbed his cock subconsciously against her core through the layers of clothing separating them. The growl in his throat turned to a throaty moan, and his eyes closed in bliss. Oh, he had fed from a multitude of women over the years, but Cain had been increasingly obsessed with Abel recently, and Isaak had been without an unwilling female for months. When Esther collapsed against him, he caught her in his arms and his mind told him that he needed to stop before he killed the girl. Although his logic told him to pull back, his body would not disconnect itself from her. The blood kept flowing, and Isaak began to panic with the knowledge that he couldn’t willingly stop. As his eyes turned a horrible shade of crimson, he was suddenly wrenched from Esther with invisible ropes and thrown with remarkable strength across the room. His body slammed into an old desk, and splintered the wood. His back ached, but it was not enough to keep him from growling in frustration and leaping toward the figure now between him and Esther. Through the red haze in his mind, he recognized Dietrich, but he was too far gone to separate logic from animal instinct. He attempted to attack the younger man, but the puppet master threw him back against the desk with more force than before. This time, he hit his head on the corner and fell unconscious.

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Dietrich waited a few seconds to make sure Isaak was fully out before spinning around and kneeling by the pale girl now slumped on the ground. Her porcelain white skin was almost transparent, and he could see each blue vein faintly on the surface. He made no sound, but picked her up in his arms and adjusted her limp form to settle more comfortably. Carrying her back to her bedroom, he laid her gently on the bed and brushed her hair from her face. Her neck was still bleeding profusely, as Isaak hadn’t licked the wound closed before Dietrich attacked. Leaning over, Dietrich let his tongue run along the two holes and clean the wound. A shudder went through him at the temptation that presented itself, but he was able to back away and control his hunger...unlike Isaak. At the thought of his mentor, his anger rose. He had never lifted a finger against the older vampire, but this was against Cain’s orders. He wouldn’t allow himself to think that he actually cared for Esther, even though it was painfully obvious. He noted that the bleeding had stopped, and her color was returning, albeit slowly. He ran a finger along the smooth planes of her face and decided that Cain needed to know. He turned to tell the Crusnik, but in the doorframe was the man he needed.

Cain walked over to the bed with a frown on his normally beautiful face.

“Isaak did this?”

Dietrich calmed himself before replying.

“Yes, my lord.”

Cain nodded and crossed his arms.

“This is highly disturbing. Isaak directly disobeyed my orders. Something must be done.”

Dietrich simply nodded, although he wanted to smile in triumph. Isaak would be punished, as he deserved. He couldn’t hurt Esther again. As soon as he thought this, he swallowed in sadness. That wasn’t true. He would hurt Esther, just not against Cain’s orders. Esther would go through much more torture, pain and sadness before Cain was through with her. He knew that Cain would probably even ask him to do his part, and that scared him most of all. Looking down at the sleeping redhead on the bed, he prayed for the first time in decades. He prayed for some miracle to save her from the coming weeks. He prayed that she would be strong enough to survive this. He prayed for Esther.

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Cain stood with his back to the door and his face to the hearth. He had been focused on the flames for what seemed like hours, and when he closed his eyes, he could still see the orange flames. He was racking his mind for a suitable consequence to Isaak’s disobedience. He had never had to punish Isaak before, and he wasn’t sure how to go about it. He had summoned the Methuselah a few minutes ago, and was waiting for his arrival.

The door opened, and Cain didn’t even turn. He could tell it was Isaak by the gait.

“Isaak. Please sit.”

His voice was no different than usual, but anyone could tell there was a dangerous edge to his composure. He could hear Isaak choose a chair by the fireplace, and at that moment he turned. His ice blue eyes bore into the other man’s dark ones, and he spoke without emotion.

“Von Kamphur. I am very disturbed by the events of this afternoon. Would you care to explain what happened?”

Isaak swallowed and lowered his eyes in respect.

“Yes, my lord. I...” he tried to think of the best way to explain, “I am truly sorry for my behavior. I had begun to tire of the blood tablets, and I let my body triumph over my mind. I disobeyed you, and I cannot apologize enough.”

Cain nodded.

“Yes. You cannot. Isaak, what disturbs me most is the fact that you have never disobeyed my direct orders before. Not only that, but you almost killed the girl. That would defeat the whole purpose of this operation. It is unacceptable.”

Isaak nodded, and Cain continued.

“Now. You must atone for your actions, but I am at a loss as to what to punish you with. I believe, however, that a suitable consequence would be the exclusion from the grand finale of this plan. You will be the one holding Abel back, instead of joining in the fun.”

Isaak gritted his teeth. He had been expecting this, but he had hoped it would be something different. He had been looking forward to joining in the “show” for Abel, but now he realized he had ruined his chances. He would have to watch Dietrich and Cain have all the fun and suffer along with Abel. Standing, he bowed in acceptance.

“Yes, milord.”

Cain nodded in acknowledgment and motioned to the door for Isaak to leave. Considering the recent events, Isaak had gotten off quite easily. He should be thanking Cain. The blond Crusnik sighed and leaned one arm against the mantle. He had planned to tell Dietrich and Isaak about his change of plans tonight, but it seemed as if that would have to wait until tomorrow. He had been told that Esther was too ill (because of Isaak) to come to dinner, so he had sent a tray to her room. No doubt Dietrich would practically spoon feed the girl. He smiled at the thought. Dietrich actually believed he could keep his feelings for the Queen hidden, but Cain knew everything. He hadn’t been alive for hundreds of years without learning to read people quite well. Dietrich was becoming obsessed with the girl, and Cain simply hoped he wouldn’t have another situation like Isaak on his hands. However, with Dietrich it would be different. Whereas Isaak hurt Esther without Cain’s permission, Dietrich was in danger of helping Esther without his permission. Both were unacceptable. However, Cain would let the game of Dietrich and Esther go on for a while, as it amused him. When the time came, he would nip it in the bud, but he had time. Abel would have to search for his manor, and he hadn’t made the location easy to find. It would be a while. In the meantime, he had plenty of days left to explain the change of plans to everyone involved. No doubt it would be surprising, but Cain had made his decision. Smiling, he couldn’t help but chuckle at the way everyone involved would react. This would destroy his brother, and Cain wouldn’t have to do much of anything. He would destroy Abel Nightroad.
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Author’s Note: Alright, I already have the next few chapters planned, but I simply have to write them. Sorry for the wait, but I’m inconsistent. Review please!