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He put that aside. Complicating the questions didn't make the answer any less simple, or the consequences less severe. He brought himself back to why he'd approached Brian.
"Lord Brian, I wish to break the third mark bond with my servant. As soon as possible."
Brian's gaze snapped from his absorption with the Fae to Uthe's face. "My lord? Are you unhappy with Mariela? She seems quite devoted to you and you have seemed content with her service." He paused at Uthe's expression. "My apologies. I know I have no standing to question you, and I certainly didn't mean to pry. For...non-Council vampires, I am required to determine the reasons. You do not have to give me yours, but if you are willing to volunteer that information, it does help me hone my current efforts to develop compatibility guidelines between vampires and servants on the front end, so we have less reasons to use the separation serum."
Uthe respected the scientist's thoroughness, so allowed his expression to relax. "I have been very happy with her service, Lord Brian. So much so, I would owe you a debt if you would share that with your servant when the time comes, so it may be spread throughout their ranks and Mariela suffers no censure for it. I must regretfully request the separation for personal reasons, which I must address with Lady Lyssa as soon as feasible. How quickly does it take effect?"
"Once administered, it is a matter of minutes now, my lord. But it's best to do it during the early afternoon hours, when the vampire is in his or her deepest sleep. It is less difficult on you both."
Uthe regretted hearing that. He would have preferred to be at Mariela's side while it was done. As if detecting his concern about that, Brian continued with an assurance. "Debra is experienced with the process. You should have no lasting physical effects, but even without the memory wipe we do on Randoms, your servant will have a period of weakness and lethargy that lasts a few days. We will monitor and help her through the initial disorientation."
"Thank you for that. I've not yet spoken of this to Mariela, so I do not wish it shared with anyone else, until I indicate to you that it is all right to do so."
"Of course." Brian glanced across the ballroom. Following his gaze, Uthe saw Mariela had been called upon to dance with Lord Belizar. While vampires had no reservations about orientation, such that it would not be unusual to see same-sex pairings on the ballroom floor, Belizar liked to dance with a woman when he wanted to dance. Uthe had suspected for some time that Belizar preferred male servants primarily because it was easier for them to tolerate and interpret his bullish nature. Glancing toward Brian again, he saw the young vampire's focus shift from Mariela to Debra, his handsome expression softening.
"Something amiss, Lord Brian?"
"No, my lord. It's simply... I hope you won't interpret this the wrong way." He lifted a shoulder. "With the proposed changes for servants currently under consideration by Council, and the research I've done of late about fertility, and...some changes that have occurred between me and my servant, I have a heightened sensitivity to their feelings."
His green eyes reflected his personal struggle with that. "Detachment is important not only in science, but in the vampire-servant structure of our world. However, I admit I am wrestling more often of late with the moral implications of too much objectivity."
"You think me cruel."
"No, my lord. We are not a compassionate species, but you are the least sadistic of those in the upper ranks of our kind. There are those in our world who would take that as a near insult, and I hope you will know that is not how I intended it." Brian offered a half smile. "You do not flinch at making tough decisions, ones that might be seen as cruel, but are for the greater good of our species. I respect that."
"But?"
Brian grimaced. His father was a well-respected Region Master in the UK, so Brian had no difficulty balancing deference with honesty. It was part of what had helped him make his case with the Vampire Council. An audience with even a single Council member could catapult most lower-ranking vampires into stammering silence. "I am sorry for Mariela, my lord," Brian said simply. "I think she loves you well. I know you will care for her feelings in this matter, though, and I am glad of that."
"Do you love her, Lord Brian?"
Brian looked startled. "Mariela?"
"No. Debra. Your servant. Do you love her?"
Not very long ago, the question would have been taboo. It was still unthinkable in much of the vampire world. The changes happening at the Council level had not left that level officially, because the Council didn't have a majority resolve on the matter. But two sitting Council members, Lyssa and Mason, had openly declared their devotion to their servants. Being two of the most powerful vampires made it difficult to castigate them for something that had always been considered forbidden. On top of that, Lyssa had given birth to Kane, and Mason and Jessica had recently celebrated the arrival of their daughter Farida. It was visible and well-timed proof of Lord Brian's fertility findings, that birthrate might be related to the depth of emotional connection between vampire and servant.
The dwindling birthrate for born vampires was a far greater concern to Council than even the relationship of human servants to vampires. It had weakened the arguments of dissenters like Belizar, Stewart and Carola who disliked the idea of emotional parity with servants.
There was a third on the Council who, while not as open about it, was just as committed to her servant. Uthe located them now. Lady Daniela was dancing with Dev, him holding her close in his arms, her leaning into his body. Sex and intense intimacy was part of the vampire-servant relationship, but when intimacy became love, it was fairly evident, if one looked closely enough.
"I am not trying to trap you, Lord Brian," Uthe said absently. "Are you in love with your servant?"
"Yes, my lord. I am." Brian turned to face him. "From an objective standpoint, I'm not sure if that will skew my research results on matters related to the vampire-servant relationship, but Debra and I are working on ways to minimize subjectivity."
"No one would expect any less of you, Lord Brian. As such, none of us have those concerns. Thank you for your honesty. If Lady Lyssa approves, I will have Mariela come to Debra for the procedure tomorrow."
When Uthe turned away, he pivoted into Keldwyn, standing beside him. Uthe brought himself up just short of putting a hand on his chest to stop his forward momentum. It disturbed him that he hadn't noted the Fae's proximity. Keldwyn sketched an oddly formal bow, considering their earlier interaction on the stairwell. "Queen Rhoswen wishes to speak with you. She is in the gardens. I will take you."
"All right."
Keldwyn lifted a brow. "You look relieved, Lord Uthe. Afraid I was going to ask you to dance?"
"If you do, you need to be wearing something other than those." Uthe glanced down at the Fae's soft-skinned boots. "I can do a passable waltz, but nothing else without breaking toes."
"I shall teach you some of the dances we do in the Fae world. It's more like fighting than dancing." Keldwyn gestured toward the gardens. "The Queen does not like to be kept waiting."
"None of them do." Uthe pushed down the sudden trepidation, recalling how it felt to take her hand. If he did it again, what else would he see or discover? Would she allow it?
He was preoccupied with his thoughts and the walk was short. Keldwyn, either respecting that or lost in his own musings, didn't disturb him with conversation, but Uthe was aware of how closely he walked at Uthe's side, their arms occasionally brushing as they navigated the narrow walkways to where the Queen was.
A low hedge and artfully arranged layers of fall mums made a circle around a cluster of stone benches, a rose bush the center feature. The ground beneath it was dotted with decorative stepping stones, stamped with Celtic knot designs. Sitting on one of the benches, Rhoswen looked like the moon come to rest. An ethereal light bathed everything around her in a silver glow. While Keldwyn was a creature of autumn and earth, his Queen was winter and water. Uthe remembered Lyssa explaining that the Queen was wont to express hersel
f through the combination of the two, and he saw that now. There was a limning of frost on the hedges nearest her, and a dusting of snow along the silver-grey concrete of the bench.
He was relieved to see she'd restrained herself enough to spare the leaves of the rose bush, since Lyssa was protective of her roses. In winter, during the occasional frosts, they were covered with light blankets during the night. Viewed from inside the house, they looked like old people hunched against the cold.
Cayden stood a few feet back from his Queen, watching over her, though Uthe wondered what the man thought a few vampires could do to a woman who put out a power signature like a nuclear explosion.
"My lord Uthe." Her pale eyes fastened on him as he approached and bowed. She didn't offer her hand this time, though she did gesture to him to take the bench across from her. Keldwyn drifted away, though not far. He meandered along the garden path that spiraled around the low hedge circling this area, studying it as if he were planning a career in landscape design.
A brief flash of irritation crossed Rhoswen's face as she glanced his way. "He never sits or stands in attendance on me. His way of making it clear he owes no one any allegiance."
