But when Duvessa attacked me and other people started showing up and trying to intervene, I started to realize someone still cared. I still had friends, or at least a few. When Lisa and Loki and Svetlana came in, and when all three of them put themselves between me and Duvessa to protect me, I realized I wasn’t alone at all. I realized that someone cared enough about whether I lived or died that they were willing to put their life on the line. And I realized that I still had an obligation to fulfill. I realized that if I just gave up then everything would have been a waste. All of that bloodshed would have been for nothing if I’d just let Duvessa kill me.
And as Loki – I mean Marco, I still call him Loki – as Marco pointed out to me later, Brenna would have wanted me to go on and do what I had to do. I’m only alive today because of my friends, the people that I’ve come to love. I owe them everything.
BING: And finally, your grace, in spite of the criticism some members of the High Court have been leveling at you since you accepted your title, the tabloids and the paparazzi and scores upon scores of people on the Internet have been following your story closely from the day your name first appeared on headlines. Some have called you the embodiment of a new age of vampires, a very down to earth and far more personable leader than your predecessor. One website hails you as the People’s Grand Duchess because you have made yourself very accessible to legions of fans the world over.
How have you been coping with all of this attention since you first found yourself being thrust into a position of international fame, literally overnight?
FALLAMHAIN: Honestly, I was a nervous wreck for the first month or so. I’ve always been shy, I’ve always been afraid of being in front of large crowds, and I had to deal with a lot of panic attacks in that time.
But gradually, you just have to sort of get used to it. All of the initial buzz kind of fades away after a little while, of course, because thankfully there’s a lot of other things going on in the world. And the stuff that doesn’t go away completely, like the photographers and the calls and visits from reporters and so on, you just sort of fall into a routine when you deal with them.
It’s really not pleasant sometimes, and other times it’s really flattering. I won’t say that I’ve already gotten used to all of it, but at least I’ve learned how to handle the pressure and how to avoid looking as stressed-out as I’m actually feeling sometimes.
BING: How are you feeling right now?
FALLAMHAIN: Pretty good, actually. As long as I don’t think about how many people are watching this right now, I won’t start hyperventilating.
BING: Your grace, it’s truly been an honor and a pleasure speaking with you. I wish you the best of luck.
FALLAMHAIN: Thank you, Harry. It’s been great.
BING: Grand Duchess Raina Fallamhain.
Next, we continue our special tonight on vampires in human society with Special Agent Schweider of the FBI and Christian conservative Eric Lahn as they voice their opinions on SAVIOR, and on the recent acts of violence against vampires across the nation.
Stick around.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
###
****~~~~****
About the author:
Born in the Midwest and an avid writer since the age of 13, David M. Bachman's works of fiction span over 20 years. His first published work, "When Raindrops Come Crashing," marked the start of his foray into publishing in December 2000. Since then, he has written a number of other fiction novels and short stories, including a carefully-crafted vampire trilogy that has involved a full decade of composition, countless revisions, and even a complete re-write. He currently resides in the East Valley area of Phoenix, AZ, where much of his recent stories are based.
****~~~~****
Discover other titles by David M. Bachman at Smashwords.com:
“Little Miss Mute”
“Belladonna”
“The Darkest Colors: Exsanguinations”
“The Darkest Colors: Children of Asmodeus”
****~~~~****
The Darkest Colors Page 61