“You don't have to fight him.”

“You know I do.”

JB has us in his town car. D.J is driving and next to us are other security cars. It makes me wonder if this is how it would be like to be JB's King. Everywhere we went there was security. 5 or 6 cars surrounding us. Gunmen on motorcycles attempting to break up the crowd who are attempting just to get a sight of the king with gunshots in the air.

I look outside the car. I look at the city. I would have been rid of all of this if Candy hadn't taken that stage and announced my plans to marry JB and have my child be JB's heir.

“You are mine,” JB explains, “You don't have to do anything you don't want to do.”

“Combat Sanglant is tradition,” I tell JB, “A fight to the death with vampires. Turning it down would mean you were a coward. I've just started gaining respect with people in Eden. They just started liking me.”

“Since when do you care about their respect?” he asks me, “Weren't we going to step down and give up everything?”

“We can't do that anymore,” I explain.

“I assumed you didn't want to be the second King of Eden. That's why I was about to agree to give up the throne.”

“I don't want to be...but if you are King then I belong right next to you,” I tell JB, “Remember? At your right hand side.”

JB clears his throat, “D.J. Take us to...the place we talked about.”

“Yes sir.”

“Where are we going?”

“You'll see...”

***

We drive to the gardens of Eden. The gardens are a forest that surrounds the city. As we get there this place looks familiar almost immediately. I've been to this part of the forest before, except it's not the same. A long time ago I hiked up this path. Now a road had been made cutting directly into the forest. It has been 100 year and I guess there were small changes made in the Eternal city in that time. Still the forest looks the same. There is still that sense of beauty there. I turn behind and watch as the security holds back away from us.

Only specific bodyguards stay with us. They open the door once we get deep in the forest.

“It's cold,” I state.

It's unusual for Eden. Truthfully I don't think it's the weather. I'm nervous for some reason. The more we walk the more this place looks familiar. A cold sweat drips slowly down my neck and onto my chest.

“Come here,” JB replies.

He steps behind me and wraps his arms around me. My heart is beating faster and faster as we go deeper into the woods.

“JB----why are we here?” I ask.

He laughs, “Do you remember this place?”

“Of course.”

“Jr you're crying...”

I hadn't even noticed. It. I remembered these woods. As we walk into the same exact spot I see there are people out there. They are dressed in tuxedos. There is a table set up out there as well.

“This place.”

“I'm glad you remember. After 100 years I'd thought you forget.”

There is an orchestra, I notice. It isn't one or two people. It is a full sized orchestra. There are 70 musicians there. They gather around and they are playing a serenade. A conductor stands in there giving dramatic hand gestures as he directs the performance. I don't recognize these vampires. I haven't seen them before but it doesn't matter.

JB's arms wrap around me tighter.

“JB this is so crazy man.”

“Well, I'm crazy for you,” he tells me.

The music echoes throughout the forest. We listen to it for a while. There is no place I'd rather be than wrapped in his arms. JB is presses his face next to my face. We are cheek to cheek listening to this music. The world seems so far away. I don't care about Mark or the Combat Sanglant or Jackson or Candy or any of the drama happening.

Right now all that matters is this place.

“JB why'd you bring me here?”

“You remember what this place is?” JB asks me, “You remember what I did here 100 years ago?”

Yes.

This was where he first proposed to me.

I watch as JB loosens his grip on me. I close my eyes. God. Was this happening? Was this really happening.

“I remember,” I tell him.

I hear him kneel even though I'm not looking.

“Turn around...Jr.”

My heart is racing. The orchestra in front of me. This man that I love kneeling behind me and telling me to turn around was more than I could take.

“JB---”

“Turn around baby.”

Tears slowly trickle down my cheek and I turn around. I see him there. He's on his knees. The box is open.

“Jr. 100 years ago I asked you to marry me,” he tells me, “We never go the chance to go through with it. I'm not going to make the same mistake twice. So I'm going to tell you exactly what I said 100 years ago. Ever since I met you I loved you. Ever since I met you I knew you were the one that I wanted to spend the rest of my life with. And even through the ups and downs I realize that I always will come back to you. Nothing else and no one else matters. And I needed some time away from you to really appreciate what I had. I want to tell you that I love you and I want you to be mine forever. Jr…will you marry me?”

100 years ago I fell in love with this man.

100 years later I loved him all the same.

“Yes.”

***

The night leads back to the Imperial Palace. It leads into JB's bedroom. JB undresses me. He takes all my clothes off with his mouth. As I lay on his bed wearing nothing but the white diamond he gave me JB smiles at me.

He's studying my body.

“You're the most beautiful thing I've ever seen,” I tell him as he looks down at me.

It's the truth. The way he looks when the light reflects off of him.

“I'm going to make love to you all night long Jr.”

“I wouldn't want it any other way.”

JB takes off his shirt. He throws it to the ground. He takes off his pants and then his underwear. His is already hard. As he approaches me I hear something of a ruckus outside of the door.

The door bursts open and I know exactly who it is. It's the only person that can get this far with the guards not beating the out of him.

Mark is standing there.

“Is it true?”

JB looks over at Mark. There is a host of guards behind him. The guards look like they are panicking with Mark storming into JB's bedroom like that.

“Sir, we tried to stop him,” D.J tells JB.

“You are excused...I figured it was a matter of time before this happened,” JB states.

D.J and the other guards leave the room. They leave Mark there. I cover myself up but JB could care less that Mark is looking at him .

“Is this true!”

“I was just about to my fiancé...but if you'd like to sit and watch that's fine. We are getting a little bit used to it,” JB states before turning to me, “Aren't we baby?”

Mark's face looks like he is about to just hurry across the room and kill us. I know he's too smart for that though. He's standing there with this angry look on his face and I can tell that he is going crazy.

“So it is true. You asked him to marry you?” Mark asks.

“Are you surprised?”

Mark sighs, “You could have at least stepped down before you did something so irresponsible.”

“Jr will be king.”

“He is the son of LILITH and you think the people will be OK with him being King?” Mark asks.

“The people are warming up to me,” I reply.

Mark laughs. He's standing there actually laughing at me. This man has completely lost it. He is so desperate for a throne that he would do anything to take it. JB and I look at him. His laughing isn't getting to JB but it's getting to me.

“You really think you qualify?” Mark asks me, “JB have you lost your mind. You love Jr. Jr loves you. We get it. I got it 100 years ago when Jr chose you over me. What I don't understand is why you would want him to be king. You trust...him...? The son of Lilith?”

“With all my heart and more,” JB states, “You sound bitter Mark. It really doesn't suit you.”

“I'm still the king.”

“No you aren't. The judges have approved my annulment. “

“At what trial?”

I'm not the only one confused. Mark is confused as well. JB hadn't even mentioned to me that this happened.

“It was right before the masquerade.”

“I didn't get a