Kenneth took his place at the head table and looked out at the members of his House. Smiling he started speaking, his voice resonating throughout the hall. “My friends, we have come a long way in the short months that have brought us here. It has seen the death of our leader, and former Head of House, Alessandro the pain of that loss along with my mate, Natalia runs deep.” Kenneth paused lowering his head for a moment of silence. The rest of his House did the same. Death was a bit of a taboo subject for humans. Immortals shared an almost pathological phobia of it, especially when it was demonstrated that they too could still succumb to the phenomenon. An almost visible shiver ran through the room.
Kenneth looked up and continued in more upbeat tones, “But this year has also seen a great victory for our House. Were it not for the support of everyone here in this room, our victory over the dogs would not have been possible.” He paused as the clapping in the hall resounded against the walls and the ceiling. He smiled letting his audience enjoy the moment. “But we have also over come other challenges; other obstacles have been swept away. We have swelled our ranks and have, thanks to the misfortune that has befallen our German brothers and sisters in House Brandt,” he paused, earning loud laughter throughout the hall. “Thanks to that misfortune we have benefitted greatly and are now, the unquestioned most powerful House on the west coast, a force unto ourselves!” The room exploded in applause.
Kenneth smiled and allowed the applause to continue for a moment. He looked over the room until he found the person he was looking for. “Luca Giordano, please come up here for just a moment.”
The singled-out House member was tall, standing at six foot two. His dark brown hair was cut short and his features showed the slight worn and wrinkled look of his thirty-eight years of age when he was turned. The green-eyed man walked confidently through the crowd.
He had been a close friend to Alessandro and had helped to move House Dukart to America when Alessandro had suggested the idea. He walked with a distinguished grace that spoke of his time on multiple battlefields before he was turned. He didn’t yet know how Kenneth killed Alessandro, but he knew that his friend’s death was no accident. But, the Head of House was Kenneth now. And until Kenneth was killed, by his hand or another’s, he would have to wait and play along with the brash usurper. Reaching the head table he stood at Kenneth’s side.
“Luca, I know that the loss of Alessandro must pain you the deepest out of all of us. I know you haven’t exactly been enthusiastic about some of the directions that I am now guiding House Dukart. But I hope that in time you and I will be as close of friends as you were with my late master. In that vein and because I know you are the best man for the job, I am giving you full control of our farms and shipping interests on the west side and Industrial sector.”
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This earned a stunned silence from the room, before the hall erupted in applause. Kenneth knew what he was doing, this was a huge chunk of the House’s income and profit interests. It was also the closest section of their holdings to House Himura. This could be a trap, Kenneth wanting the man to fail so he could get rid of an old supporter of the former Head of House. Or Kenneth was truly worried about House Himura and was trying to hedge against a feud along the borders of their two houses. Either way, it was a massive boon, one the older gentleman couldn’t refuse.
As the applause died down Luca responded solemnly, “Thank you, Kenneth Pacifico, Head of our House. I accept this gift in good faith; our land will be forever ours.” He then shook Kenneth’s hand and headed back to his table. He was greeted with handshakes and hugs from those at his table and a few others.
Kenneth watched the older man walk back to his table, pleased with himself. As the generals of ancient Rome bought loyalty with money, promotions, titles, and holdings, so too would he ensure loyalty the same way. And if that didn’t work, the old man would be too busy with all the responsibilities and duties of his new station to be able to stir up much trouble for him in any case.
Kenneth smiled and glanced around the room again. “Giulia Moretti, please come up here for a moment.”
The room started gently buzzing with soft whispers as the five foot, eight-inch-tall woman strode forward. Her straight, light brown hair was, as always, cut short so that it ended right at her jaw line. Her grey eyes were piercing and clear. Her pale skin shone with radiance under her long formal red gown. The dress was slashed with black across her breast. And the right thigh hem was open, giving glimpses of her well-toned and muscular long leg as she walked confidently forward. Her heels clicked softly on the mahogany hard wood floor of the banquet hall.
When she reached Kenneth, he placed his hand on her shoulder in a fashion that was just this side of overly familiar. The woman stood and looked out over the crowd.
“Most of you may not know just how brave a woman, Giulia is. I watched her take on three werewolves at once. Granted, she didn’t take down all three by herself, but she saved my life more than once when we attacked their city.” This earned a few hand claps and cheers from the crowd.
“I found myself sitting in my office thinking, what is the best way to reward a woman who saved my life? I guess the follow up to that is, ‘How much do I value my life?’ right?” This earned some soft laughter through the crowd.
“Giulia, there is one gift that I will give you, as a token of my appreciation for still being in the land of the living. And to your dedicated service to House Dukart over your tenure here. I am handing over to you the duties which I myself once held. I am giving you control over our farms and ‘trade’ interests in the central sector.”
