The Dale

The Dale 6


Lexian stood t the window of the tallest tower of the Palace. Looking out over the lands of the Dale he could even see the main gate, which once stood the many times ran over Welcome To Sunnydale sign. Then came the Wild Lands, where the shape shifters liked to roam on the nights of a full moon. Where there had once been cemeteries there were now parks and play lands for the town's children human and demon. The town was next. The good side of town was still just a block from the bad side. Or in this case the human and Demon sides. Lexian was please that for the most part the town was a safe place to live. Business were the next thing a coffee shop, a magic shop, a beauty shop, a dojo, and a few others. There was one school set off to the side past the business section.


Then as the centerpiece was the Palace, it stood over the Hellmouth. Lexian had made sure the Hellmouth would always be guarded this way. He had been in charge of Sunnydale's rebuilding all those years ago.

He watched as the first rays of light broke over the land, watching the sunrise was one of the few traditions he had kept from the old days. Watching it rise had always given him hope when he had survived the lasted demon of the week. Later it meant he had found another young Slayer who had not survived to see the sunrise with him.

He sighed as he felt to female arms wrap around his waist.

"Have you slept at all?"

Lexian shrugged at the question.

"Will you be able to handle this? Them being here I mean?"

"I'll have to, won't I?"

"Xan..."

"Don't Harm. I know what I have to do. I can't afford to make the same mistakes again. Just because I knew them once, doesn't mean I can trust them. I did that once and you know how that almost turned out. We came close to losing everything."

Now it was Harmony's turn to sigh as she laid her forehead on his back.
She knew what he was referring too, Lexian once had a Co-Ruler but that ones betrayal of Lexian had almost bought about the destruction of the Dale and was why Lexian ruled alone.


"There is still a few hours before you have to meet with them." She said.

He turned still in the circle of her arms and asked, " And what do you suppose we do with the time?"

"Oh," She said in a soft seductive tone, " I'm sure I can think of something..." Then she raise up and kissed him gently.

***********

Twiddle was usually a happy House Elf who loved his job in the Palace. But the new guests of his Master...well...he had tried to make them comfortable. But when he appeared the female human had screamed. Scaring him. Then one of the big males had glared at him when he had asked if they needed anything.

But it was the slighter male with the wheat colored hair that made him want to beat his head against the wall repeatedly. He hadn't wanted to do that in decades. But this vampire...his demands were outrageous. He had begun to hate it when he heard...


"Oi, Elf!"

Twiddle sighed and hoped they wouldn't stay long.


**********

Kurama lead Angelus and the others into the room where the negotiations were going to take place. Lexian they saw sat at a long table with his Lords surrounding him. They took sits in front on them. Kurama closed the door behind him as he left.

"Let's begin, shall we." Lexian said quietly.


***************

~Five Hours Later...~

"No!" said Lexian standing up slamming his fist on the table "Those terms are not acceptable."


"But why Xander?" asked Dawn who got a glare.


"I don't want that many vampires in the Dale."

Angelus frowned then muttered, " So, you haven't changed at all."

Lexian walked away from the table to a near by window.

"It's not that at all. The Dale just can't support that many vampires."

Spike made a disbelieving snort, " Your views about Vampires are well known. Harmony is the only vamp in a position of power and it's obvious how she got that. Sorry pet."
Harmony glared at Spike from her end of the table. Lexian continued to look out the window.


"You should be careful about assuming anything." Said the woman introduced as the Lord of the Smaltroplis Hold.


"I move that they should be taken on a tour of the Vamp Sector." Said Harmony.


"Yes, that would prove to them what their spies have reported to them." Said Lexian.


Angelus frowned at that. "What makes you think I sent spies among you?"


Lexian turn to him and said blandly, " Cause I would."


" So, tonight I'll take them though the Vamp Sector." Harmony said.

It was agreed.

******

The tour through the Vamp Sector was not what Angelus or the others accepted. Dawn and Connor stayed in their quarters. Angelus thought it was too dangerous to have them on the tour but had promised to tell them all about it.

Harmony had lead them through the Blood District. Telling them about the Humans that donated blood willingly to feed the vampire population. Showed them the clubs that only vampires were allowed in and the mock hunting grounds.

What surprised Angelus and Spike was the respect Harmony was given. It wasn't until one of the vamps they were speaking with referred to Harmony as the Mistress of the Vampires that they realized her place here and saw she was not a minion time had made her into a Master Vampire and not the ditzy they remembered.


*********

Dawn answered the knock at the door after sharing a look with her husband. She saw the red-haired boy.

"Kurama, right?" she asked.

The boy smiled, " Yes, miss, Warlord Lexian has requested that you and your mate have dinner with him. Since the others are on tour of the Vamp Sector. He thought you would be bored here in your rooms.'

Dawn shared another look with Connor then nodded.

"Yes, we accept."