Two months later it was Mitchell and Amber's "wedding". It was attended only by Mitchell and Amber and Amber's family and was a renewal of vows. Amber's father gave her away and Nicole was her bridesmaid. Amber wore a white flowing gown and Mitchell wore a black suit with a white shirt and a black tie. It turned out that this was formal wear for male vampires. His hair was loose and he looked amazing. Their ceremony was a simple one and once it was over they signed the registry. Their marriage was now official in the eyes of the law. Amber, her family and Mitchell then had lunch in a restaurant. This was something that Amber hadn't been able to do for a long time and she thoroughly enjoyed it. Mitchell enjoyed getting to know Amber's family and they him. Amber's family and Amber made plans to meet up regularly and keep in touch. After the meal was over Amber and Mitchell returned to the coven and when they got to their room Tiffany wanted to know how the vow renewal had gone.

"It was wonderful," Amber said.

Tiffany wanted to know all about her dress so Amber described it to her as of course photos had not been able to be taken.

"You must have looked beautiful," Tiffany said.

"She did," Mitchell said.

"Have you got the dress here?" Tiffany asked.

"Yes I have. Why?" Amber asked.

"Well I was a bit of an artist in my former life so if you put your dress on and Mitchell put on what he wore I could maybe do a drawing or painting of you that you could keep as a keepsake," Tiffany said.

"What do you need?" Mitchell asked.

Tiffany told him what she needed.

Mitchell gave her some money and told her she could get what she needed at the "shop" There was no reason why she couldn't paint or draw as none of the items she needed were forbidden to slaves.

"Thank you Mitchell. Seth never knew that I was an artist as I never told him," Tiffany said.

She removed her robe and Mitchell unshackled her from the bed and she went out of the room.

"We're going to be alone for a bit so shall we take advantage?" Mitchell asked, smiling at Amber.

"Let's," Amber said.

Mitchell moved close and found her lips with his.  When Tiffany came back the two were cuddled up between the sheets enjoying the afterglow, Amber's head resting on Mitchell's hairy chest, his arm draped lazily around her. He was kissing her forehead softly.

"I bet I can guess what you two got up to while I was out," Tiffany said.

Mitchell winked at her and Amber smiled.

"Did you get everything you needed?" Mitchell asked as Tiffany put her robe back on.

"Yes I did," Tiffany said.

Mitchell got up then secured Tiffany to the bed again.

"I'm going in the shower babe. Wanna join me?" Mitchell asked.

Amber followed him into the bathroom and soon round two was well underway. They had needed to shower as they'd fed from each other as had become their custom when making love so were covered in blood.

When they came out of the shower the two found that Tiffany had changed the sheets on their bed as the sheets had gotten blood on them. This had to be done after they fed from Tiffany as well for the same reason. Amber had learnt early on after joining Mitchell that vampires had to change the sheets on their bed often. They were dressed in what they'd worn for their vow renewal and Tiffany got them to pose for her then began doing the painting for them. It took her a while to complete the basic sketch of them but once that was done she didn't need them to pose any longer. They changed into regular clothes then relaxed while Tiffany continued to work on the painting. It was finally finished a few days later and Tiffany presented it to them.

"Wow that is marvellous. Thank you so much Tiffany," Mitchell said.

The next day on his way to work Mitchell took the painting to a framer and asked about having it framed. It could be done so Mitchell paid the cost and left the painting there. A couple of days later he picked it up after he'd finished work for the day and when he got home he hung it in their room.

3 months after Amber and Mitchell had moved to Barry Island a visitor arrived in the shape of Herrick. He had come unannounced as was his custom and he joined the vampires for their evening meal of human food. When Mitchell and Amber entered the dining room Herrick did a double take seeing a fully dressed Amber with Mitchell. And he stared even more when she sat with Mitchell at the table reserved for leader and second in command of the coven. Amber was the first to notice Herrick and she nudged Mitchell.

"Herrick's here," she muttered to him.

"Act normally. As far as everyone here is concerned you're a vampire and my general," Mitchell muttered back.

So Amber ate and drank and conversed with the other vampires during the meal. During the meal Herrick noticed Amber and Mitchell were both wearing a ring on their wedding fingers. That made him even more determined to confront Mitchell. As Mitchell was coven leader the only way he could strip him of his rank and punish him was to make him go before a meeting of the Old Ones. They were an extremely powerful group of elite vampires who controlled vampire society. It was they who had introduced the concept of slaves to prevent killings and only an Old One could install a new leader in a coven or strip a leader of their powers. Herrick was himself an Old One so he had the authority to bring Mitchell before the Old Ones. It looked as though Mitchell had married Amber and clearly he wasn't treating her as a slave. It looked like he'd installed her as his general so he suspected he had turned her as well as married her.

After the meal was over Herrick made his way back outside as he needed privacy to contact the Old Ones. He called Mr Snow and briefly told him what he had discovered. Mr Snow was alarmed and said he would call a meeting of the Old Ones and told Herrick to bring Mitchell before them. They would meet at the Bristol Coven's headquarters. Herrick ended the call and then it was time to go and talk to Mitchell. He had decided that he wouldn't confront Mitchell until the Old Ones meeting and would pretend he didn't recognise Amber. So when he got to Mitchell's room he allowed Mitchell to introduce him to his wife Amber and was friendly to her, showing no sign of knowing that she was once a slave. He and Mitchell talked about the coven and how Mitchell was settling in there. He even pretended to believe Mitchell when he said that he'd decided he didn't need two slaves and had sent his other slave back to the choosing room. Herrick stayed for a few days at the coven and was pleased to see that Mitchell was running things very well. He had made a good leader despite the fact he'd clearly breached two of the vampire's strictest rules. By the end of his visit a date had been set for the Old Ones meeting and Herrick told Mitchell he'd be required to attend.

"I will be there," Mitchell promised.

He saw Herrick off and once Herrick was gone Mitchell returned to the room he and Amber and Tiffany shared.

"Herrick wants me to attend an Old Ones meeting," Mitchell told Amber.

"You don't think he recognised me and reported you to the Old Ones?" Amber asked.

"I am hoping not," Mitchell said.

Amber had been relieved when Herrick hadn't seemed to recognise her as it felt like they'd gotten away with what they'd done.

Mitchell travelled to Bristol the day before the Old Ones meeting leaving Amber in charge at the coven. At the coven he was greeted warmly by his old friends and shown to guest quarters. The meeting was to be held in the room the vampires met in but only the Old Ones and Mitchell would be attending. The rest of the vampires were forbidden to enter the meeting room on pain of punishment. Those attending the meeting knew they wouldn't be disturbed. Mitchell entered the meeting room and nodded to the other vampires there then stood quietly with Herrick. The meeting got under way and Herrick didn't beat around the bush.

"I bought you here John Mitchell because I know you have broken two of our strictest rules. Your wife Amber was once your blood slave was she not?" Herrick asked, a smirk on his face.

Mitchell looked at him impassively.

"My wife Amber is a vampire. Like me," Mitchell said.

"But she was your blood slave before she became a vampire. Wasn't she. WASN'T SHE," Herrick snarled.

"Tiffany is my blood slave," Mitchell said.

"YOU TURNED YOUR SLAVE AND THEN MARRIED HER. I REMEMBER YOU CHOOSING AMBER TO BE YOUR SLAVE," Herrick shouted.

"Is he right Mitchell?" Mr Snow asked.

"I fell in love with Amber and I couldn't allow her to reach the end of her usefulness and then kill her. I couldn't kill her. I just couldn't. I LOVE her," Mitchell burst out.

"You know that a vampire and a slave cannot ever be husband and wife and a slave cannot ever be a vampire. They are not suitable to be vampires or we would turn them," Hetty said.

"What was I supposed to do? Ignore my feelings. It would have destroyed me to have had to kill her. I wouldn't have wanted to continue to live and would probably have ended up staking myself to end my existence as I wouldn't have been able to have lived with the pain of being alone. Amber is my soulmate," Mitchell said.

The Old Ones looked at each other knowing full well what happened when a vampire lost his her or her soulmate. It wasn't unheard of for a vampire to fall in love with their slave as it had happened before. Usually the slave was killed and the vampire went on to kill him or herself shortly after due to not being able to live with their soulmate.

"It may be time to revisit the rules about slaves not being able to be in love with their master and not being able to be a vampire," Hal Yorke remarked.

"It could be dealt with on a case by case basis," Griffin added.

"And the coven leader would have to make a ruling," Jacob said.

"It doesn't happen very often does it?" Edgar Wyndham said.

"I've not been aware of it often," Ivan added.

"I don't believe this. Mitchell's broken two of our strictest rules and you're not going to do anything about it? You're even considering okaying it?" Herrick said in disbelief.

"Times are changing Herrick," Mr Snow said.

"Well if you won't punish Mitchell then I guess I will have to do it myself," Herrick said.

He withdrew a stake from his coat and turning tried to plunge it into Mitchell's chest. Mitchell hadn't been caught unaware though and moved before the stake could touch him. And he had a stake in his own hand as he'd also bought one to the meeting in his jacket. The Old Ones watched as the two vampires fought. Herrick was extremely powerful but Mitchell held his own. After a long fight Mitchell suddenly spied an opening and rammed his stake home. As Herrick dissolved into smoke Mitchell turned to face the Old Ones his head bowed respectfully.

"Apologies everyone for what I just did," he said.

"No need to apologise it was self-defence. He tried to kill you and you defended yourself. There was no need for him to do that as we feel it is time for a change to our rules," Mr Snow said.

"Shall I depart since I am not an Old One," Mitchell asked.

Mr Snow looked at the others then spoke again.

"You killed an Old One and that is no easy feat. There is a rule that if one kills an Old One it earns them the right to be an Old One themselves. So you are now an Old One John Mitchell. Welcome to the circle John Mitchell," Mr Snow said.

Mitchell looked surprised to hear this then smiled.

"Thank you," he said.

"You will find you are not repelled by holy objects any longer and no longer require an invitation to enter private property," Mr Snow said.

The meeting turned back to the issue of vampires falling in love with their slave and after a discussion it was agreed that if that were to happen the vampire would need to tell their coven's leader and the leader would make a ruling which the vampire must abide by. Mitchell knew he would likely to be called upon to make such decisions as he was the leader of the Barry Island coven. After the decision was made the Old Ones agreed they would send an email to all the coven leaders and they would call a meeting of their covens and announce the change. Then Mitchell and the other Old Ones socialised so they could get to know Mitchell and he them. Mitchell's first task as an Old One was to break the news of Herrick's demise to the Bristol coven and appoint a new leader there.

So when the Old Ones meeting ended Mitchell called a meeting of the Bristol Coven. Once the vampires had assembled he stood in front of them.

"I have called you here because Herrick is dead. He died at my hand after he attacked me and I had to defend myself. I am now an Old One as by killing Herrick I earnt the right to be an Old One. I have chosen a new leader for you," Mitchell announced.

He went on to call the vampire he'd chosen to be the new leader to the front and announced her as the leader. The rest of the vampires pledged their allegiance to their new leader and a feast began to celebrate her appointment and Mitchell's new status as an Old One. There would be another feast back at Barry Island when Mitchell announced his new status there. Mitchell enjoyed socialising with his old friends and caught up with them. He had told the new leader of the coven the new rules and she'd announced them to the coven. So Mitchell was free to tell his friends that Amber had become his wife and was a vampire so no longer a slave. As expected some of them were shocked but he knew that they'd come to accept Amber's new status. Although he was an Old One she was still just a regular vampire. Like Daisy Ivan's wife. She wasn't an Old One even though he was. At the end of the feast Mitchell retired to his guest quarters for the night. There he called Amber to see how she was doing.

"Hey how are you doing. I have some great news which I'll share with you and Tiffany when I get back tomorrow," Mitchell said.

"I look forward to it. I'm doing well. Fed from Tiffany tonight so she's resting at the moment," Amber said.

The two chatted for a while and then Mitchell ended the call

The next morning Mitchell and the other Old Ones were farewelled from the Bristol Coven and Mitchell travelled back to Barry Island. When he got there Amber was waiting to meet him and once they were back in their room he wasted no time in telling her the news.

"Herrick hauled me up in front of the Old Ones. He HAD recognised you and knew you'd once been my slave even though he had pretended not to recognise you or know what you used to be. He wanted the Old Ones to punish me but they have changed the rules so that vampires CAN marry their slave and turn him or her provided their coven leader approves. So we are FREE to be together. Herrick was furious and tried to kill me. We fought and I killed him. By killing him I earned the right to be an Old One as killing an Old One earns a vampire the right to be one of the Old Ones. So I am now an Old One which means I am now unaffected by holy objects and can enter private properties without being invited," Mitchell said.

"Whoa that's amazing. You my husband an Old One now," Amber said.

"I'm now one of the group of vampires who control vampire society throughout the world. We are the elite and most powerful of the vampires," Mitchell said.

"Where do the rest of the Old Ones live?" Amber asked Mitchell.

"In various covens around the world. I will have to attend meetings which will be at a different coven each time. Each Old One has a turn hosting the meeting and the rest travel to that Old One's coven. Each Old One is of course the leader of their coven and they have the power to install and remove coven leaders in their territory. For instance, I now control all of Europe. Two control Oceania, three control Asia and there is one in North America, South America and Africa. Asia and Oceania are large territories so each Old One in those territories controls part of the territory" Mitchell said.