I rubbed my temples in a circular massaging motion and heaved a heavy sigh. My hand reached out to the table in front of me and I grabbed a glass full of blood and brought to my lips, sipping slowly, judiciously enjoying the taste, savoring every bit of it. At least if I couldn't find reprieve in fruitful work results, I could at least find it in blood.

And yet, even that, I couldn't get. My mind was troubled and it affected everything else. A lot had been happening lately.

A low knock resounded at the door and I sighed and turned my head at the door.

"Come in." I commanded, immediately neutralizing my previously disturbed expression. I don't know exactly when it started, but I had not drunk blood from a living source in years. Almost everything had lost appeal to me. I was become emptier more and more so much that it had become the only constant thing.

The emptiness. When it got you, it got you. It is probably due to this that my region had gone almost to hell in the last twenty-one years. I wasn't one to abandon work but I was slipping away, I don't know why it was worse now when I had existed for millennia but for some reason, it was indeed worse now. Sometimes, while the merriment went on around me, I would wonder what the point of eternity was. What was the point of going through it? How was it that others could so effortlessly be happy? How was it that they could just let go of everything just like that and live? It was foreign to me. They had something that I was missing. That must be it. I had mulled over it endlessly. I rarely slept, I barely ate, I drank blood out of necessity.

Some people even said I was crueler and more detached than usual. My temper was easily piqued these days and when I smiled, I showed more fang than I intended. It had gotten worse I suppose when my younger brother, Lucien had found his beloved about thirteen or so years ago. They were blissfully happy and to an extent it pointed out quite glaringly just how much I was lacking. I was happy for him of course but when you've been alone for as long as I have, you tend to wonder. And apart from that, things in my region were heating up, in a bad way. Yet, I felt...away from it all.

So this was what it meant to truly lose interest in everything....

"My Lord. I have reports from the East border." Lord Mba said as soon as he came in and gave a little bow.

"Hmm. Go on." I demanded with a simply go ahead motion of my hand. This was important news. For the past month disturbing reports kept coming to my attention, news that could not be ignored. So disturbing in fact that my presence had been needed away from the mansion more and more. This meant than in consequence, Lady Karayan, my second was in control of things here while I was away.

"My Lord, another witch is dead." Lord Mba pronounced and I sighed, shaking my head. This was the second witch this week. This meant the wards on the East border would be greatly weakened. And it wasn't only being witches being killed. Other supernatural beings and humans even were being killed and I was beginning to suspect that there was a pattern to it. Most of those people were those whose families had been loyal to my rule for several generations. I had a lot of suspicions and at the top of it was that someone was trying to get me out of power. The southern regions of Lakaiyah were MINE. I was going to secure that.

"What family?" I asked, truly curious.

"It is not a noble family My Lord but she belonged to the Ragna coven." Lord Mba averted his gaze, knowing fully well what that meant. It was too suspicious. Yes, the Ragna coven had been low key mostly with their new leader but ever since the former head Lyra was pronounced by the coven to be dead, I couldn't shake the suspicion for them that formed in me. And now, another witch was dead. It didn't sit right with me. I had been putting it forward for a long time but it was time for me to pay a visit to the Ragna coven myself. I had sent many men and women over the years and none of them reported anything suspicious but the nagging suspicion in my bones remained.

"Hmmm." I said rubbing my beard, stroking it softly, my head faraway in thought. Lord Mba continued.

"Also, more contrabands keep making their way through into the South my Lord. When the controls try to confiscate them, the perpetrators manage to get away with very strong magic. We have lost the third set of controls already. Your presence is needed on the East border. Most of the villages there are in a panic and our guards are barely keeping them under restraint. The people say they are no longer safe and there are rumors of planned uprisings around the region. My Lord, it sounds like these rumors may be founded." Ah...so the problems were coming in from many parts at a time. This looked either like a big mess or a well-orchestrated plan.

I looked up at the man, the wisdom of his years of service shining in his eyes. I wondered what he thought about all these. If it was just a bluff.

"You may speak freely Lord Mba. What do you think of this?" I asked quietly, observant. The man's eyes widened and he looked up at me in surprise. It was not often that I sought counsel from others who weren't Lady Karayan or the council. And even then, I didn't fully follow their advices. You see the thing with people of power was that they might help you yes, but it was advisable to believe at every single moment that every piece of advice that you received was laced with malicious intent that served to benefit them first. If their benefits aligned perfectly with the benefits of mine and the people, then their counsel would be considered but if it didn't align, then it was discarded promptly.

Lord Mba looked flattered, his nostrils flared slightly as he breathed out a puff of air and then he turned to look at me.

"My Lord, I believe that the rumors could be founded. The people are indeed roused. Too much has been happening. I believe that the people should be shown why you are the Lord of this region and not anyone else. But.... you should also not act too rashly because it is possible that responding without proof of a protest might then incite a bigger protest than anticipated and that would be a mess. I think...if you would permit me my Lord, that you should find out more about this and send in spies to infiltrate these so called protest groups so that if it does turn out that the rumors are true, you would be adequately prepared." The man spoke with such wisdom, but his head humbly lowered when he was done as if abashed at being so audacious in expressing his opinion to his Lord.

I regarded the man with new eyes. It was always the quiet ones. And he made sense. In fact, what he suggested was exactly what I planned to do. With some few modifications here and there of course. But his general idea was perfect. This was a delicate affair and I planned to treat it as such.

"Alright Lord Mba. You speak wisely. I shall take what you have said into consideration." I spoke with a single nod. The man looked positively surprised and yet humble. How had I not seen these before? I needed to pay more attention to people. My brother Lucien was an expert at that. Observing people and analyzing them. If he had been here, he would have seen Lord Mba's potential a long while ago. Either way, we were different people. At least I saw it now.

"I believe Lord Mba.... that it was time you took on more responsibilities, don't you think?" I spoke with precision, and the man's expression glowed before he composed himself. A rise in station in a vampire court was everything. I only hope he would use it wisely.

"I would take them on judiciously My Lord. Thank you." The man bowed a little, holding his clasped hands before him.

"Good. Tell the stable hands to prepare horses for me and about ten men. I shall be riding out to the Eastern border. It is time to pay the Ragna coven a visit myself." I spoke in finality.

"Yes My Lord. I shall get on to it straight away my Lord." The man bowed and then left. Will this trip give me a little bit of excitement? I was long past hoping anyways.