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Decree	By : NLDCat Category: Anita Blake > AU/AR Views: 4831 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own the Anita Blake series, nor any of the characters from it. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

Chapter List
- 1-Decree
- 1
Author’s note: There will be a sequel…and there will be a reason for the rating so…bear with me. Also, I shouldn’t have to but for repetition sake, I don’t own the characters or places from the Anita Blake series. I also kindly ask that you don’t complain about my original character being paired with who she is. This is completely AU. However, if you are going to flame me…at least be respectful enough to write correctly. If you have bad grammar…I am going to ignore you. This story is not beta’d so all mistakes are mine. Now that I have that out of the way…on with the fic!

Decree

            There had been an announcement on the news one day that all Necromancers were to be registered and to state whether or not they had a Master. Natalie hadn’t thought much of it at the time though something had made her worry. Days later, there is an announcement on the news that something big was going through legislation about Necromancers but that there were no details to divulge about what it was. Nineteen years old, Natalie does NOT have a good feeling about what that could mean but it could not be good. Sighing, the she puts down her English Composition book and sighs. There was no way she was getting her studying done right now. She stretches out on her bed and wonders if there wasn’t some malicious plot going on right now to rid the world of Necromancers as a whole. It was a laughable fear as legislation had been passed that made vampires legal citizens though she has no idea what sort of legislation could be passed on them as they were already citizens. Her phone rings startling her and she picks it up. “Hello?” she asks.

            “Natalie, turn on the TV, NOW!” The voice of her best friend surprises her and she picks up the remote and does as bade. She stares at the screen wondering what in the world could make her friend panic. It takes only a few minutes before she discovers just what it is that has her in such a state.

            “Oh my god,” she whispers, “Is this legal?”

            “It is now,” her friend responds, “So look in the mail to find out what Master Vampire you are going to be bound to. Keep in mind you may have to move out of the city or even the state.”

            “They had better be paying for it if I have to move.”

            “I figure that they will.”

            Natalie goes silent as she stares at the TV screen. This had to be illegal. There was no way it was fair for the government to demand that Necromancers be bound to a Master Vampire. However, the more she watches, the more she realizes that whether or not she felt it was legal, they didn’t care. They wanted them bound and their powers in check. Sighing, the brunette decides it didn’t matter…not yet. She could panic and rant and rave when she found out who it was that she was being bound to. Until then it was pointless.

            The next few days finds her checking the mail with her heart in her throat and feeling both dread and relief when there is nothing. She keeps telling herself to calm down, that everything will be alright and to stop acting childish but she can’t seem to make herself do so. She’d had enough to deal with without having to worry that she was fated to be bound to a monster. However, that was no longer up to her, it was up to a society that was afraid of what they could do so much so that they were going to risk making Triumvirates in the hopes that not only would it tether the Necromancer but the Master Vampire as well.

            A week after she hears the news, she finds the envelope and feels her heart in her throat. Slowly, she draws it out of the mailbox and stares at it. This wasn’t going to break her…she’d be fine. She’d handled worse. Walking inside, she kicks off her shoes and sits on the sofa still staring at the envelope. She should just open it and get it over with but she was truthfully scared of what it might say. Swallowing, she turns it around and goes about tearing the top open. Once that is finished, she stares at the opened envelope and wonders how she was going to go about doing this without losing her mind. “Dammit, girl, it’s a piece of paper, not a rabid animal. It’s not going to bite you,” she mutters trying to force herself to stop acting like a child. She pulls out the piece of paper and hesitates again. This was going to tell her what the rest of her life was going to be like and it was hardly a comforting thought. She shakes her head. “Natalie, you are being an idiot,” she chastises herself, “It’s a piece of paper, it’s not going to bite you.” She doesn’t like the thought that the person’s whose name was on there probably would. Finally, she unfolds the paper and stares at it like it was written in a foreign language. She rather wished it was. In an ugly green was written

            Dear Natalie,

You were recently registered as a Necromancer unbound to any Master Vampire and due to recent legislation have been assigned to one. You have one month to accomplish this before an official will be by to make sure it is all done. If not, you will not be able to do it willingly and it may be painful. It is in the best interest of all involved that you be bound to Asher a Master Vampire in St. Louis Missouri, the second incommand of the Master of the City, Jean Claude. You will find that you have a ticket redeemable at the airport and are to hand this to Jean Claude upon arriving in St. Louis and he will take care of the rest. Remember, you have only one month to be bound willingly to Asher.

            It was unsigned, probably to keep people from getting very nasty responses. Natalie stares at the paper for a moment before realizing that the ticket has fluttered to the floor and reaches down to pick it up. St. Louis? She was going all the way to Missouri? She’d lived in Massachusetts all her live and was comfortable here. “Fuck,” she mutters, “This sucks.” Her phone suddenly rings and she picks it up. “Hello?”

            “Do you know?”

            “Yeah.”

            “So?”

            “Asher. St. Louis.”

            “As in Missouri?”

            “Yep.”

            “Oh Natalie…what are you going to do?”

            “What can I do? I am going to lose my deposit on the apartment…and that sucks…I am going to quit my job and head to St. Louis. I don’t have a choice, Emily. If I don’t do this within a month…they are going to make me do it. I’d rather not know what that will entail. I hope that you are enjoying California.”

            “Give me a few hours and I’ll go with you.”

            “No, Emily, don’t disrupt your life.”

            “Don’t worry about it. You just start packing and call work to quit. I’ll be there within seven or eight hours.”

            Natalie goes to argue when the phone call ends. Sighing, the brunette looks around. She’d gotten the apartment only three months ago and had fallen in love with it as it was something of her own. Nineteen, she wasn’t ready to have to have these responsibilities. This was one of those times that she regretted being a Necromancer.

            She is almost done packing when the door opens and Emily enters. “Well, at least it’s not a foreign country,” she comments.

            “It might as well be,” Natalie answers, “I’ve never left this state my whole life.”

            “I am really, really sorry about this, Natalie.”

            “So am I, but being sorry doesn’t not make me a Necromancer.”

            “I know. I just wish it hadn’t been like this. You aren’t a danger to anyone…and no one should be able to force you to be bound to a Master Vampire.”

            “Well our ever-loving government decided that it would be a good idea to try and control us. I don’t know how they thought binding us to master vampires was going to help but…well, they are our government and they are supposed to know what is best for us. I just think they are making a monumental mistake.”

            “I do not believe you are alone in that opinion, Natalie.”

            “I would hope not.”

            Emily gives her a sad, wistful smile. “Come on, let’s get your car loaded up. No use in prolonging the inevitable. The sooner you get there, the sooner you and this Asher can try to come to some sort of an understanding. A month is NOT a long time to get to know a person well enough to decide if you want to be stuck with them but…our government never seems to take that into consideration.”

            “Our government never takes anything into consideration.”

            “Nope, that is definitely the truth,” Emily says as she climbs into the car. Natalie sighs and does the same before turning the car on.

            “I really, really don’t want to do this, you know this.”

            “I know, Natalie but…the alternative is going to be worse.”

            Natalie sighs as she pulls out of the driveway and onto the street. If she lived through this, she would be surprised. However, she would have to get to St Louis first and find out if she would be able to come to some sort of an agreement with whoever this Asher was. If that was possible than maybe…just maybe there was some hope for her. “You are thinking too hard about this,” Emily comments as they drive.

            “Maybe but…I am not sure what else I am supposed to do. I am suddenly faced with the prospect of having to talk to some strange Master Vampire in a city I have never been to and hope that he doesn’t make my life hell. What am I supposed to do, just push it aside?”

            “When you put it like that, I can understand your hesitation to do this but…I still think that you should try and not freak yourself out over it. The same thing is going to be true whether or not you continuously ponder the outcome.”

            “I know,” she says softly, “but I just cannot help it. My life is changing and I have no control over it, that is not a pleasant feeling.”

            “I know that,” Emily tells her as they arrive at the airport, “Let’s go get that redeemed, me a ticket, and you loaded up to move. We can talk more on the plane.”

            Numbly, Natalie follows her friend. It really hadn’t dawned on her how much things were changing until she sees her luggage and realizes there was no turning back. Her eyes are swimming when they are ushered into their seats and she cups her face in her hands. “Oh my god,” she whispers as she feels the tears fall, “Oh good merciful god, no.” Emily wraps her arm around her.

            “Shh, it’s going to be alright, Natalie. You’re going to be just fine.”

            “Am I?” she whispers, “because from where I am standing I am going to be FAR from fine.”

            Emily strokes her hair. “I know this isn’t what you had planned for your life but…you’ve come so far to just to give up now. You are going to get through this. You’ve gotten through so much more.”

            “I haven’t wanted to,” Natalie says softly, “I really haven’t wanted to.”

            “I know that,” Emily tells her, “but you were strong enough then, and you are strong enough now. You will get through this…and you will be stronger for it.”

            Natalie doesn’t answer because she isn’t sure that she believes her friend. There was so much that could and probably would go wrong and she doesn’t feel up to watching her life fall apart again. She spends the rest of the trip staring out into the darkness and wondering what in the world she was going to do.

            They land at another airport and select seats to sit in. The plane to St. Louis would be leaving the next day but they didn’t have enough for a hotel ticket. She curls up in the chair feeling exhausted. “Go to sleep, Natalie,” Emily tells her, “I’ll make sure we get to the next plane on time.” She would argue with her friend about not making her lose any sleep over this but the past few weeks’ worth of fear and troubled sleep catch up and she falls asleep.

            She is woken up hours later feeling no better than she did when she went to sleep. “Come on, it’s time to go,” Emily murmurs.

            “I don’t want to,” she responds though knows it doesn’t matter what she wants.

            “I know that,” Emily tells her as she gently wraps an arm around her shoulder and steers her towards the plane, “However, our loving government has decided that they are allowed to rule your life.”

            Natalie doesn’t say anything in response, nor does she say anything at all during the two hour flight. Whatever she wanted to say wasn’t going to help the situation so she just bites her tongue. Her friend would not deserve the angry bitter words that would escape and she wasn’t up for being guilty. Her friend was considered normal, that wasn’t anything to be angry about. Just because she was a necromancer and Emily was not did not give her the right to be nasty. She refuses to let this situation cost her the only friend that had stood by her when her powers came into being over the government’s fear of what she could do with them. Emily deserved better treatment then that.

            Arriving at the St. Louis airport makes Natalie want to curl up and die. “What if he doesn’t like me? What if he NEVER likes me?”

            “Natalie, you have to stop doing this. You will be fine and the two of you will figure out just what it is that you are doing.”

            “And if we don’t?”

            “I’ll fly out every weekend to try and make your life better.”

            “You won’t be able to afford that.”

            “Then I’ll transfer to a university out here and we’ll go from there,” she responds, “but lets go get our things and head to Guilty Pleasures. I am sure the Master will be at his main attraction and he can deal with finding Asher.”

            Swallowing, Natalie nods and follows her to the baggage claim. She could do this…it wasn’t impossible. All she had to do was take a deep breath and try to convince herself that the vampire to whom she was bonding wasn’t going to think her not good enough for him. though, if he did, it wasn’t going to be such a shock to her system. She’d been made aware of her less than desires physique on more than one occasion but she decides against bringing this up not wanting the argument that ensued every time she did so.

            Once they have her bags, they make their way through the airport and out into the streets of St. Louis. It only takes Natalie a few minutes to decide that she wants to go right back home to her quiet apartment and stay there for the rest of her life. The streets were bustling with more people than her hometown and it was getting late. “Wow, what a busy town,” Emily comments.

            “Night life is definitely not dead,” she comments as they walk down the sidewalk to their destination.

            “Well, that depends on how you look at it,” Emily comments airily and Natalie rolls her eyes.

            “You know what I mean,” she mutters, “You do know where this place is, right?”

            “I got directions before I headed in your direction,” Emily assures her, “so come one and let’s go see the Master of the City about his second in command.”

            “Of course,” she mutters under her breath as she continues on her way. This place was so new…and so terrifying that it takes the edge off of her worry about Asher for the moment. She pulls her jacket tightly to her and wonders if, when this was all said and done, if she wasn’t going to be in a padded room bouncing off the walls.

            Finally, they come to a building and Natalie stops. “Umm…a strip club?”

            “Yep,” Emily responds, “Come on, let’s go talk to the bouncer.” Without preamble she drags the Necromancer over to the male standing by the door.

            “What can I do for you, two?” he asks looking almost bored.

            “We need to talk to Jean Claude,” Emily responds, “It’s about Asher.”

            “What about Asher? He’s been in a snit ever since he got a letter telling him he was going to have to accept a Human Servant or else. I’d hate to be that girl, she’s in deep shit.”

            Natalie stares at him for a moment before swallowing. “R-really?”

            “Yeah, he is NOT happy. I can’t say that she’s gonna have an easy time with him. Now, what did you say your names were?”

            “I’m Emily and this…this is Natalie,” her friend says and watches the male’s eyes fill with realization.

            “Oh…ummm, well forget I said anything and come on in. I’ll go get Jean Claude and we can get this settled.”

            Numbly, Natalie does as bade and wonders if somehow she’d offended some deity into torturing her. Whatever she had done, she was extremely sorry for…extremely. She looks at Emily who just shoots her a reassuring smile. It doesn’t help calm her nerves at all. ‘I knew it,’ she thinks, ‘I am going to be put through hell.’ Fate really did seem to hate her.

            A few minutes later, she feels him moving towards them and looks up to get her first glimpse of the Master of St. Louis. “Damn,” she whispers, “no wonder no one questions him.”

            “Powerful?” Emily asks.

            “Oh yes,” she answers, “This is going to be extremely pleasant, I can tell.”

            “Stop worrying so much,” Emily responds, “You did not ask for this.”

            “May I help you ladies?” Jean Claude inquires.

            Deciding that she wasn’t going to let Emily do this for her, Natalie says softy, “I’m from Massachusetts…I am sure that Asher is not happy about this.”

            “You are Natalie?” he asks.

            “Yes,” she says softly.

            He nods his head. “I thought as much,” he comments before he smiles courteously, “Well, welcome to St. Louis. If you’ll give me a moment, I will find Asher and we can try to have a civil conversation about the fact that this is neither of your faults.”

            “I would settle for not being dropped out the door on my ass,” she comments earning a chuckle from the Master Vampire before he walks back across the establishment.

            “I am proud of you,” Emily comments.

            “Yeah, well, I didn’t think letting you say everything was going to make a great impression on him.”

            Her friend gives her a sympathetic smile and Natalie waits. There were so many, many ways that this could go wrong and she’s wondering which one it will be. She doesn’t have to wait long, however, as a blond comes back with Jean Claude and her heart almost stops beating. Her first look at Asher makes her hope to whatever deity was in charge of the universe that she would find a way to make it work with the beautiful male. “Asher, this is Natalie,” Jean Claude says indicating her.

            “Hello,” she says softly trying to gauge the male’s feelings.

            “So you’ve come at last,” Asher comments, “how marvelous.” His tone clearly states his disapproval.

            “Yes,” she answers trying to keep herself from saying anything she would really regret later, “I am sure this is not what you want…Hell, I didn’t think this was legal, moral, or allowed in this country.”

            “You would be correct in saying this is NOT what I wanted. I am not interested in a Human Servant, commanded or otherwise.”

            Natalie sighs. “I really…really am sorry about this.”

            “Yes, well, that won’t make you go away will it?”

            That hurts and Natalie manages to keep from flinching by sheer force of will. Coming down here was a mistake and she knows it but there was nothing that could be done. She just wishes he would meet her half-way on this. “Asher,” Jean Claude says, “You are not going to be rude just because you are unhappy with the circumstances. She is not at fault here and neither are you so be nice.”

            “Have I tried to kill her yet?” Asher demands “I AM being nice.”

            “Could you try to be polite as well?” Natalie asks, “at least you didn’t have to uproot yourself.”

            Asher gives her the ugliest look imaginable. “Did I ask for YOUR input?”

            “No,” she says softly, “no, you didn’t. I apologize.”

            “Then keep your opinions to yourself until they are wanted.”

            It takes all of Natalie’s willpower to bite back the ugly words that want to spill out. She doubts it would help the situation and she truly isn’t up for making it worse. “Is there anyway I can get something to drink?” she asks Jean Claude, “We’ve come a long way.”

            “Not a problem, petite,” the male answers with a soft smile. She manages a slight one in return and is glad that at least someone in this place was taking this with some sort of decorum. “What can I get for you, petite?”

“Water would be good,” she says softly.

“Anything carbonated,” Emily responds for the first time since they arrived. She seems content to just sit back and let Natalie handle it…for now.

“Alright, I will be right back,” Jean Claude tells them before turning and crossing back across the establishment. Natalie looks back at Asher who still looks so agitated.

            “I don’t know what to say to make this any easier,” she tells him, “I am not thrilled about this. I don’t enjoy having to upend someone else’s life.”

            “I am not going to do this. I already lost one Human Servant and it almost cost me Jean Claude. I just got him back…I am not going to lose him again.”

            For a moment, Natalie is quiet as the words sink in. “You and Jean Claude are lovers?”

            “Oui…and I don’t feel like losing him because of YOUR sensibilities.”

            She looks puzzled for a moment and then decides to ask, “What are you talking about?”

            “If YOU become my Human Servant, I am not going to deal with not being able to sleep with him because it bothers you.”

            She starts laughing, she cannot help it. It was too ludicrous. “Is THAT your biggest problem with me? Jesus, and here I was thinking it was something worse. Why don’t you just ASK if I am okay with bisexual men before you suddenly think I am going to go postal?”

            He looks at her for a moment before saying, “Because that, petite, would be hoping for too much. I have worked too hard to get him back.”

            Natalie shakes her head. “You, Asher, are a piece of work. I don’t know how in the world my opinion, good or bad would even matter as your Human Servant. However, since for some reason you think it does, listen very, VERY carefully; if you love him than I am NOT going to get in the way of that. Homosexuality does NOT bother me. It never has and it never will.”

            “What did I miss?” Jean Claude asks as he returns with the drinks.

            “Asher is worried that if I become his Human Servant that I won’t permit him to sleep with you. It boggles my mind that I would have any say in that in the first place and even if I did, I told him that your relationship is your own and that homosexuality doesn’t bother me,” Natalie responds as she picks up the glass of water. She takes a sip and watches the two males look at each other. If they could just get over this issue than maybe…just maybe they’d get through this.

            “Let’s take this to my office,” Jean Claude suggests after a moment, “I think it will be best to have this conversation privately.”

            Shrugging her shoulders, Natalie carries the glass in one hand and half her luggage in one arm. Jean Claude leads them into a large room and shuts the door. “Now that we aren’t in the middle of the establishment maybe we can ignore the temptation to throw a fit, mmm?” he says looking at Asher who gives him an ugly look back.

            “I am not throwing a fit,” he responds irritably.

            “Mon coueur, I know you. This is throwing a fit. The young woman has done nothing to deserve this so be polite to her.”

            Asher scowls. “I did NOT ask for this!”

            Natalie feels her own temper flare. “Yeah well, I didn’t either! I have NOT come half-way across the damn country to be in a non-existent argument over NOTHING!” she snaps at him.

            “Natalie, calm your temper. We don’t need this to turn into a full-fledged war,” Emily says entering the conversation, “You are going to have to learn to control that.”

            “I can help her do that,” Asher says in a tone that states it will not be a pleasant lesson and Natalie puts the drink and her baggage down.

            “Natalie, NO!” her friend says sharply, “You are NOT abusing your Necromancy like this!”

            “This is going to be extremely pleasant,” Jean Claude says mildly, “I can just tell.”

            “I didn’t ask for HER!” Asher snarls. It is only because she knows her friend is right that she draws back her energy.

            “Yeah, well, I didn’t ask for you, either,” she answers coldly, “so why don’t you stop acting like I am the bad guy.”

            Emily looks at Jean Claude helplessly and the Master of the City sighs. “May I remind that the two of you have only a month to do this without it being done with a lot of pain to both involved? You would do well to try and get to know each other before a month is up and do this with some manner of gentleness.”

            “Non,” Asher says irritably.

            “Funny, that is what I was thinking,” Natalie spits back.

            “Jesus, you two!” Emily exclaims, “You don’t have a choice so this acting childish is not going to get you anywhere!”

            “She is right,” Jean Claude says before Asher can be rude to her, “So you are going to have to pretend to be actual adults.”

            Looking back and forth, Emily sighs and says, “I am not sure that is going to be possible.”

            Jean Claude shakes his head. “Then this is going to be a very, very long month.”
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Decree