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He nods slowly, "That would probably be best. As much as I find your sarcasm entertaining, my siblings won't." He fiddles a little bit. It was obvious his siblings made him tense. "Just let me do the talking, no matter what they say to aggravate you, you must hold your tongue." He stands and brushes himself off before glancing over at Estaban.
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Estaban raised an eye brow. "My appearance gonna offend them too?" He'd already washed up, not to mention the unnecessarily long time He'd taken to get all the knots and matted spots out of his hair. If anything he actually looked better then whenever he set off on an adventure.
Oleander sighed and shook his head. "No, I think you look rather suitable. Of course my siblings will likely pick at your appearance… I'd just not let what they say get to you." Oleander appeared to be working so hard to make sure that his siblings didn't hurt or kill Estaban. He looked exhausted, but he offered a gentle smile to the human in front of him.
Estaban attempted to return the smile. Though it looked rather awkward, and forced. He still wasn't happy about the whole situation, and still hadn't completely given up on the idea of escape. "Uh, thanks by the way." Estaban tucked his hands below the table. They where starting to shake again. Truth be told, the thought of being in a room full of vampires was really starting to get to him.
He nods a little bit before he glanced at the door. He offered his hand to Estaban. "Of course…Then shall we get going then?" Granted he knew his sister was in a bad mood, but the sooner they got this over with, the sooner they were able to not worry about his siblings trying to rip Estaban's throat out. "Just… no speaking, okay?" He asks gently.
"I'll do my best," Estaban couldn't necessarily promise to be 100% silent. If he was asked a question he'd answer, but besides that, silence was the plan. He took Oleander's hand. What was the worse that could happen?
He smiled a little and nods. "Good." He gently guides the other to the throne room. Once they were in front of the large doors, he slowly let go of the others hands and took a deep breath. He adjusted himself, cleaned himself off and then looked over Estaban one more time before pushing the door open. His sister was sitting in the center throne, which was the largest and lined with gold and the finest silk. His brother was sitting posed and waiting their sisters command. His sibling was sitting on their throne with ease, looking rather annoyed as they sharpened their axe, and finally, his other brother sat in a relaxed position, magic flowing around them. "Siblings." He greets kindly.
Estaban stuffed his hands back in his pockets. Fear was once again taking root in his chest, and he instead for no one to notice.
If all went well maybe they'd atleast consider letting him go. Or maybe give him a little more freedom- he really wanted to go outside, even if he would be kept under close watch.
When the other opened the door all of Estaban's confidence went out the window. He thought he was ready to face more vampires, he'd been wrong.
The magic alone was enough to make him uneasy, not to mention the looks of annoyance.
"So this is the human." The woman spoke with so much authority the room rung with it. Her voice was powerful, her eyes narrowed as she looked down on her brother and the human standing in the court. When she spoke the word human, it was filled with displeasure, and possibly disgust.
Oleander bows lowly, "Yes, sister." He straightened. "This is the human I wish to keep."
"Honestly I don't understand little brother. His blood isn't even that rare. Why keep him?" his sibling, Onyx spoke up.
Oleander clicked his tongue. "I prefer his type of blood sibling. Just as you prefer B+." His voice was smooth as he spoke, respectful, willing, and relaxed.
Ascelin then spoke, his milky white eyes landing on the human. "I trust Oleander's choice. We all know that Oleander is more than capable of caring for himself. If he wishes to keep the human I see no issue in it."
Estaban could feel the Vampiers watching him. He felt like a mouse in a lions den. It honestly seemed like none of them wanted him to be kept. But could Estaban really blame them? He had drunkly broken in. Not to mention it seemed his only use would be a food source, and that really wasn't a reason to be kept around.
Estaban took a steadying breath. There was no need to be so grim. It's not like all the Vampires wanted him gone. Oleander was pleading his case, Estaban was greatful for that. It also appeared that one of Oleander's brother's didn't even seem to care. Maybe that could work in his favor
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His sister gazed intently at Estaban before she glanced at Ascelin. "Fine. I have no care if you keep your pet. If it is to wander the halls with you, keep it on a leash. I have no care for something as small as this. If it takes one step out of line, Onyx has fill permission to slit it's throat, am I clear, Oleander?" She ordered coldly.
"Yes, sister. I thank you." He bows lowly, his eyes shutting tightly as he waited for anything else to be said.
She waved her hand. "Get the human out of my sight." She sneered. Oleander nods and straightens before grabbing Estaban's hand and taking him out of the throne room as quickly as possible without hurting him.
Estaban wouldn't have classified the whole situation as small. He actually thought of it as kind of a big deal. He'd messed up and was now to be kept as a pet? The thought of being considered such a thing almost offended him.
Estaban had been about to brake his promise to Oleander and speak when the other had grabbed his hand and dragged him from the room.
"The whole leash thing is just a figure of speech right?" He pulled his hand out of Oleanders grasp
once back in the hallway.
He had a little more pride then to be leashed. he wasn't a pet. He knew they didn't see him as an equal, but something so dehumanizing? It made Estaban a little uneasy.
Oleander was obviously panicking, his eyes wide with nervousness. "Don't stop walking- don't ever stop walking. Not until we're away from the throne room completely." He whispered, grabbing his wrist once again, this time stronger. He pulled them away from the throne room almost gasping for breath. Once they were in Oleander's room, he shut the doors quickly before sliding to the floor and hiding his face. "No, it's not a figure of speech." he murmured quietly, brushing his hands through his hair. He curled into himself. He looked like he was going to be sick, his eyes watering and he looked pale. He glanced at Estaban. "It's…" He hesitated. "It means bonding." He murmured quietly.
Estaban rubbed his wrist once Oleander let go. He wouldn't be surprised if there was a little brusing later. "Are you-" he wasn't to sure what to say. He hadn't seen Oleander like this before. "Are you okay?" What else was there to say? He didn't know how to comfort others, let alone how to tell what they where feeling.
He wanted to ask other questions, to Hell what the other felt. But mayne dealing with whatever was going on with him first would make answering Estabans questions go smoother.
He inhaled shakily as he leaned against the shoulders as he leaned into his arms. "Oh god-" He whispers quietly. He didn't want to deal with this anymore. He was so sick and tired. "Bonding, is possibly the most degrading act to a human and so physically painful for a vampire one might die-" He whispers, his eyes shutting. "She really is trying to kill me." He whispered fearfully.
Estaban cursed under his breath. If Oleander died he could pretty much just kiss his own life good bye. "Thanks for everything you've done for me so far, but you really are starting to be to nice." He sat across from Oleander. There was no way Estaban would go threw with something with such high stakes if the places where reversed. Or atleast thats what he told himself.
"Just get it over with and kill me or something." His voice cracked. "You can say i tried to escape."
Oleander shook his head, his body shaking. "I can't- I've never fucking killed anyone." He shook his head. "Do you think I wanted this life, Estaban? You think that living like royalty- while the human race dies around us? All because of my crazy sister." He whispers as he rubbed at his eyes. "Do you think I wanted to become a vampire? I had no fucking choice." He leaned into his hands. "I don't want to die- I don't want to kill anyone. I was an herbalist with a knack for venomous plants." He glanced at the other before gently grabbing his wrist. "I- If we bond, you will be bound to me until the day you die. But you can be as free as you wish." He whispers. "Full reign throughout the palace. Food to your hearts content, your mother protected. All of it. Honestly it would only be degrading at the beginning. Letting a vampire claim you."
"And if you die? It looks like one of us is screwed either way." Estaban was a bit taken back at the others growing panic. As much as he wanted that freedom, wanted to k ow of his mothers safety, he couldn't put someone else's life on the line for it. Besides, he knew his mother could take care of herself. After she finished grieving the supposed death of her son she could move on- at least that's what Estaban hopped for.
"If I die, then it is most likely my siblings will give you a day's headstart and you flee." He murmured quietly. He shut his eyes tightly. "There's no point… Besides. I don't care if I die." He whispered. It's better than this hell." He inhaled shakily and ran a hand through his hair. He glances at Estaban. "What do you say?" He murmured quietly. "You'd have to look after me for a day or so. Think you can handle that?" He asks quietly.
A days headstart didn't mean anything. Estaban had little to no clue where he even was, not to mention he didn't have the money to book passage on a ship, if he even made it that far. He chewed his thumb nail in thought, gods he wished he was drinking for this kind of decision. Then he wouldn't care as much. Either way it sounded like one of their lives was on the line. Granted he cared about his own life more, but being responsible for the death of someone who'd tried to save him?
"Yeah," he finally said after a long silence. "I can do that." He didn't even know what a bonding really was, or how it worked. "Any surprises i should be ready for?"
Oleander glanced at the other for a moment. "I'll probably scream. And end up with a fever… and pass out. Those are inevitable. It's not painful for you…" He sighed deeply and glanced at Estaban for a moment. "And I'll have to bite you." He settles in front of the other. "Hold out your wrist." He says quietly. "It'll be quick." He promises as he tries to calm his own jittering nerves.
"Right let's get this over with then," Estaban offered his left wrist, the one without his mothers name inked into it. The risk still seemed higher then the reward, but he was a pirate. Risk was something he was used to- on the seas or in a bar.
"if you die I'm gonna be pissed." He tried to smile but it looked more like a grimace.
He snickers softly before he revealed his own wrist. He took a deep breath before he bit into his palm. Once he was sure he was bleeding a fair amount, his blood an inky black, he turned his attention to Estaban. He gently took the others wrist and gently bit into it before turning it and letting his human blood drip into the blood that was pooling in his palm. He gently licked the bite along Estaban's wrist, which healed it almost instantly. He looked at the blood in his palm before he drank it. He gagged at the taste, his tongue burning.
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Estaban cringed at the sight of all the blood, and almost instinctively pulled away when Oleander bit into his wrist. Almost. he didn't think he would ever get used to the strange feeling of it or the tingle of healing afterwards.
Shit, he thought. What was he doing? Well more like what did he do. Estaban was having trouble actually believing he just let the other do that. Granted it was a little to late to be having second thoughts.
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The pain was tolerable at first. But then it went over him in waves, crashing and burning. It felt like everything was caving in. His head pounded, his blood rushed through his ears. He didn't know what to do as everything started to black out. A strangled cry left his throat. Vampire blood was considered poisonous to other vampires. He fell to the floor, limp and completely passed out.
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Estaban stared at the Vampire in shock for a good few minutes before snapping back to reality. He scooped Oleander up off the floor and brought him over to the bed, setting him down gently.
Estaban didn't even have the first thought of how to care for a Vampire. Especially for something that seemed so alien. He could see the others chest still rising. "You better not die," he muttered knowing full well that Oleander probably couldn't hear him.
Oleander was like this for a few days. Servants brought Estaban food and water, clothes, etc. Anything he might need. At times, an occasional servant would shoot him a glare, possibly jealousy written in their eyes. It was on the third day that the fever broke. On the fourth, he woke up hungry and in pain. He sat up slowly in his bed, hissing quietly and glancing over at Estaban.
Estaban jumped. He'd been sitting in the corner practicing all the Sailor knots he knew with a shirt he'd ripped into strips. He had asked one of the servant's for even a thin short rope, but it seemed that something like that was off the table. He would apologize about the shirt later.
"Hey," he made no move to get up. "You sure sitting up like that is a good thing?"