Ascendant Path of a Lustful Vampire

Chapter 409: Capital City (1)

***

-The Next Day-

Caius woke up to rapt knocks on his door. He opened his eyes and felt the familiar weight of Arlette on top of him while they were both mostly tucked under the covers.

Arlette stirred at the knocks but didn't open her eyes. She just snuggled up with Caius all the more while tightening her grip around him.

The knocks repeated but this time, a voice called out from behind.

"Rise and Shine, cousin!"

"Alexia?" Caius answered, a little confused.

"Come on," Alexia called even louder, "Get up!"

With a sigh, Caius pulled himself out from under Arlette and managed to grab a pair of pants that he put on before walking to the door. He opened it in a way that didn't expose the rest of the room and Arlette was still in bed.

"What are you doing here?" Caius asked Alexia who stood there, dressed just like she had been yesterday, only she didn't have on a cape and she also didn't have on the military shirt with the braided cords of her ranks.

The shirt she had on this time was held up by her neck and snug around her breasts, which looked as full as they did yesterday. Her shoulders and arms were already bare as she folded them, eyeing Caius with a curious smile as she looked from his tousled hair to his muscular chest and abdomen. And then down past that to his pants and the somewhat noticeable bulge. And then her eyes were back to his beyond handsome face.

She had said yesterday that he had really grown into a handsome young man but now, she thought that might have been an understatement.

"Do you always sleep in?" She asked, teasing.

"Not always. But I do prefer it," Caius said, "What's up?"

"Get dressed," Alexia said, "You're escorting me to Capital City."

Caius let out a breath. This was what he was supposed to be doing so he didn't really think he had a way to say 'No'.

"Alright," he said, "Give me… fifteen minutes."

"Fine," Alexia said and wiggled her brows, "How about I say Good morning to Arlette?"

Caius looked taken aback and then he smiled lightly. Alexia wasn't guessing. She knew Arlette was in the room so clearly the cover of remedial Alchemy hadn't quite worked.

"You could but she might not hear you," he said.

"Oh," Alexia said before she then smirked, "I see. Then I suppose I'll see her later then."

And with that, she turned away and Caius returned to his room before closing the door shut.

"You know," Arlette mumbled on the bed like someone who was only just remembering something, "When I spoke to her yesterday, I didn't think she bought the lie."

"If you were awake, you might have said something. Now I look like a bit of an ass for turning her away," Caius said with a smile and a shake of his head.

"Who said I'm awake?" Arlette answered.

Caius was on the bed behind her in a second, wrapping an arm around her to stroke a finger across one of her breasts before grabbing and pulling at her nipple.

"Nghh," Arlette groaned almost immediately to his touch and she turned around,

"Alright, that woke me up."

"Good," Caius said, "'Cause we only have fifteen minutes."

"Let's make good use of it then," Arlette said wrapping a leg around him before forcing him on his back so she could straddle his waist.

Groans, grunts, and passionate cries filled the room next.

•••

Caius left his room, fresh and dressed for the day at almost exactly fifteen minutes after Alexia walked away from his door. When he left, Arlette was already back in a deep orgasm-induced slumber.

"Young Master, Caius," Orland greeted Caius ten feet away from his room's door. He was holding a tray on which a canister of Beast Blood was balanced.

"Thank you, Orland," Caius said and he took the canister, sending it into his inventory before asking,

"Alexia?"

"Your cousin awaits you in the lounge, Young Master,"

Orland said.

There were quite a few lounges in the Von Helsing Estate. Hell; there were multiple in the main building itself. But with what Alecia had told him when she had come to his door, he didn't need any clarification from Orland to know she'd be at the one closest to the Main door.

"Thank you," Caius said, "Any news from Father?"

"I've sent him word on Lady Alexia's arrival but I've received no word in return," Orland said.

"Alright, Orland. You're dismissed," Caius said.

"Yes, Young Master," Orland said and left to deal with his other responsibilities at the estate.

Caius found Alexia in the Lounge, sipping a beverage.

"Not too tardy," Alexia said, "Good."

"Thank you—" Caius started to say when his cousin was suddenly on her feet and so close to him that she could lean forward and take a sniff of him.

"You smell like a fresh bath," she eventually said with a sigh.

"You sound disappointed," Caius noted.

"That you don't smell of sex? Yeah," Alexia said and did nothing to keep her voice low, causing nearby guards to glance over for a second before doing their best not to reveal they could hear the conversations of their betters.

"I was trying to be considerate," Caius said easily, "I suppose I won't be next time."

"That'd be great. Nothing gets me going like the smell of sex in the morning," Alexia said with longing.

"I see," Caius said, not sure what to say to that.

"Have you ever fought while horny?" Alexia asked and without waiting for Caius to answer, she continued,

"It's a very significant physical boost."

"Really? I'd think it would be a distraction," Caius said and he actually spoke like he was answering a serious question and not a silly-sounding one.

Why? Well, because Caius could understand what she meant. Hell, due to his nature, it could be argued that he was always horny. That said, it had never really come into play in battle. Especially in those battles where his life was really being threatened.

Losing a fight is painful enough. Losing a fight because you're too horny to concentrate is just pitiful and silly.

"It can be a distraction," Alexia said, "But only if you don't know how and when to use it."

They were at her carriage now, the one she had driven here with an entourage of carriages she had sent back to the Von Helsing Duchy.

They were in with Alexia driving them out of the Estate and toward Capital City before Caius said,

"I must tell you now, I won't be a good guide for some sightseeing. I've never visited Capital City."

"That's fine. We're not going sightseeing," Alexia said.

The Acheron Empire is obscenely massive with every Duchy being its own kingdom in all but complete autonomy from central rule. All Duchys were separated into regions, counties, and cities, and whatever.

The Capital itself used to be the 'Acheron Kingdom' before the Acherons rose and began a unification that birthed the Empire. And due to this, the Capital was as large as any Duchy. Even larger actually and so it had sections as well.

For example, the Von Helsing Estate is standing on a region that has been handed to Lucian Von Helsing on his appointment as a Count. The region is not large enough to be a County—by Lucian's own choice and disinterest in being a conventional governor—but there was enough space to house those loyal to Lucian and who wished to stay close. Which were mostly/exclusively his Hellsingers.

The Leopolds—whose Vampire Coven Caius now commands—have their Estate and mercantile business in their region of the Capital.

Lochxen sits upon its own region of the capital as well.

But Capital City is where the Acheron Imperial Palace is situated and is the center of their Empire-wide rule.