Love Knows No Time

Disclaimer: I don't own Avenged Sevenfold or the DiBenedetto sisters. This story is pure fiction and no money is being made from it.

Claimer: I do own Aleera and the idea for this story

Prologue Part 2

James had found a some what respectable brothel not too far from the inn.

The girls where young and pretty, and he was sure he could find a companion that Brian would like.

“Welcome, my good Sir,” a middle aged woman said, smiling brightly as he walked through the doors.

“Bonjour, Madame,” he replied, taking her hand in his and kissing it. “I am looking for a young lady who can help a dear friend of mine forget some troubles in his past.”

“Where is your friend?” the Madame asked, looking past him. “You are alone, Monsieur.”

“He is in our room at the White Horse Inn,” James replied. “He is too upset by what his former lover did to him to leave.”

“Hmmm, I see,” she replied, looking thoughtful. “I normally do not allow my girls to leave the house on business, but I think for the right price I might have one for you.”

“And what would the right price be?”

“Ten pounds,” the Madame replied.

“Five pounds, since I don’t know what your girl looks like,” James replied.

“Eight pounds then,” she said.

“Eight pounds then,” he repeated. “Now, may I see this girl, or are you trying to bilk me of my money?”

“I would do no such thing, Sir,” the woman said, then she clapped her hands. “Aleera, dear, come here.”

A petite dark haired girl cinched into a crimson dress with a low cut bodice came from the parlor.

Brian is going to love her, James thought, smiling slightly.

The girl’s dark hair was piled up in curls and twists, her skin was pale, and her cheeks where free of the rouge James normally saw on the faces of brothel workers, having a natural rosy tint to them, and her eyes where an emerald green that almost rivaled Zachary’s and, unlike most of the women James was familiar with, she had an air being innocent despite being a whore.

“This is my daughter, Aleera,” the Madame said, placing her hand on the girls shoulder.

Daughter? How can anyone whore out their own child? he thought, looking the girl over. My family was dirt poor, and my parents never thought of whoring out my sisters.

“How old is she?” he asked instead, slowly circling the girl.

“Eighteen,” the Madame replied. “She was set to marry a young duke, but she refused.”

When she said that, she glared at the girl, who just kept staring straight ahead.

“Has she been with anyone? Is she healthy?”

“One man, who refused to pay because she fought back,” again, the Madame glared at her daughter.

“I see, but I think she will do just fine,” James said, smiling, then he pulled the small leather pouch he kept on his belt free and held it up. “Since she’ll be the one, I will pay the full amount.”

“How long do you expect to keep her?” the Madame asked.

“At least until tomorrow night.”

“Twenty pounds then, she is my daughter after all,” the Madame said.

“Of course,” James said, counting out the money into the woman’s waiting hand.

“I will have her sent to your inn right away,” she said.

“I would prefer to escort her there myself,” James said. “To make sure I’m not being cheated.”

“Very well,” the Madame said. “Aleera, come along so we can get your things.”

The girl only nodded, then turned and followed her mother from the room.

James watched them go down a hallway and waited a few minutes before following them.

Creeping down the hallway, he saw that there was only one door and it was open a little bit but that didn’t hinder him from listening to the woman talking to her daughter.

“You best not screw this up, you little trollop,” she said. “If that man comes back here complaining, I’ll have Robert and James take you out to the country, and not for a holiday.”

Peeking into the room, he saw that two men had the girl pinned between them and her mother hand a firm grip on her chin, forcing her to listen.

“When you’re done, you come straight back here with the extra money, got it?”

“Yes, Mother.”

“Don’t call me that,” the Madame said, slapping the girl. “Now I’m gonna hafta put make up on ya so they don’t see the marks. Get her outta here.”

James turned around and hurried back down to the front of the house and took seat in one of the chairs by the stairs and watched.

The two men came into view, leading the girl past him and up the stairs with her mother following them.

“We won’t be but a minute, sir,” she said, smiling.

“No hurry,” he replied, watching them disappear from sight. “No hurry at all.”

While he waited, he watched other men coming and going from the brothel, talking to what he assumed was the Madame’s assistant, a sallow faced wench with missing teeth and a haughty disposition.

Maybe after I deliver Aleera to Brian, I’ll come back here for my own fun, he thought. If I have any money left after this, but it’s worth saving this girls life to give that bitch that calls herself a mother all of my money.

“Can I offer you some refreshment, sir?” A young girl, not much older then Aleera, asked approaching James where he sat.

“Not right now, Mon Cher,” he replied, smiling at her. “Maybe when I come back?”

“We will see,” she said, smiling in return as she turned and left to pursue another man who had come into the brothel.

Sighing, James watched the women greet men and men leave after having their fun with the girls.

Finally, after twenty five minutes, the Madame came back downstairs with Aleera following her.

The girl was now wearing a light pink dress, her face even paler due the powder that had been put on it, and a matching shall around her shoulders.

“I hope your friend enjoys her, sir,” the woman said, smiling at James. “You will return her by the day after next, I hope?”

“Of course,” James said, smiling in return, then he offered his arm to Aleera. “Shall we?”

Without a word, she took his arm and let him lead her from the building.

As soon as they where on the street he looked at her and said,

“I’m not bringing you back.”

“What?” she asked, looking up at him in shock.

“I am not bringing you back here,” he replied. “I saw how your mother treated you, and you’ll be better off with my friend Brian.”

“I know you are taking me to him for pleasure,” Aleera said as they walked down the street. “And you paid my mother for my services, so you have to take me back when he is done with me.”

“No, no I don’t. You’re going to marry him and he’s going to love you,” James said.

“What do you mean by “I will marry him and he will love me?” I do not even know you, sir,” she said.

“My name is James Sullivan,” James said, “my friend is Brian Haner the second. Twenty years ago he experienced a great hurt.”

“Twenty years ago? He will be far older then I,” she said.

James shook his head as they rounded the corner. “I am afraid I must protest marrying a man several years older than I, and he would not want me seeing as I have already been used.”

“Brian is only a few months my junior,” he said. “He is twenty seven, so he is only nine years your senior, and he won’t hurt you like your mother or those men have.”

“May I ask what happened to him, if I am to marry him.”

“Brian use to be a very happy and caring man,” James replied, looking down at her. “But he was jilted by a former lover and things ended badly.”

“Is that all?” she asked.

“That’s all I can say,” he replied as they rounded the corner and the inn came into view. “When you meet the rest of my family, please don’t be surprised by my friends Jonathan and Zachary.”

“Why would I be shocked by them?” she asked.

“They are lovers.”

“Oh. I see. My older brother was that way, and my mother sold him to a trader from the West Indies.”

“Your mother is not a nice woman,” James said, shaking his head as they approached the inn.

“No she is not nice,” Aleera said. “She is cruel and only cares about her money.”

“The money I gave her is no good.”

“What?”

“The money was no good,” he said as he opened the door for her. “It was just some tin we pounded out to look like pounds but she was so intent on getting it that she didn’t look at it.”

“She will be infuriated when she sees it is no good,” Aleera said, walking into the large common room of the inn.

“And we will all be long gone by then,” James said, smiling as he led her to a table where a group of five people sat.

“James, is this the girl?” one of the men asked, looking at them.

“She is,” he replied. “Ladies, gentlemen, this is Aleera, Brian’s new bride.”

The group at the table stood up, the men bowed and the two women curtsied.

“It is a pleasure to meet you,” the biggest of the men said, taking her hand in his and kissing it. “I am Matthew Sanders, this is my wife Valary.”

He gestured to the honey blonde woman standing next to him. “And this is her sister, Michelle.”

“Twins,” Aleera said, smiling. “My best friends where twins, until mother sold them.”

“Sold them?” one of the other men asked.

Aleera looked at him.

He was pale skinned, with dark hair and vibrant green eyes.

“Yes, she sold them to another brothel,” she replied.

“You got Brian a whore?” the shortest man asked.

“Jonathan,” they all said, looking at him in shock.

“Well, that’s what she is, isn’t it?” he asked.

Aleera stood up and raised her chin.

“I am a whore, my good sir,” she said, “but it was not my choice to be one. My mother forced it on me.”

“I apologize,” Jonathan said.

Aleera didn’t say anything, she only nodded.

“Is Brian still in his room?” James asked.

“Yes, he hasn’t come out since we returned,” Michelle said. “Jonathan’s been checking up on him.”

“Good, this will be easy then. Come, Mon Cher, let’s get you married.”

Aleera didn’t say anything as James led her across the room to the stairs, the rest of the group following them.

“Don’t we need a priest in order for Brian and I to be married?” she asked as they walked up the stairs.

“No,” Matt replied, “because once you and Brian are wed, we are leaving the city.”

“Why?” she asked, looking back at him.

“We travel a lot,” Zachary said. “Brian will tell you more.”

“Alright,” she said, starting to feel nervous as James led her down the hall to the room at the very end.

When they reached it, he knocked on the door then opened it and stepped aside.

“After you, my dear,” he said.

Aleera stepped into the room and looked around.

The man who had been sitting by the window stood up and looked at her.

“Who are you?” he asked.

“Brian, this is Aleera,” James said. “Your bride.”

The man, Brian, was glaring at him.

“Bride?” he asked.

“Yes, I told you I was going to bring you a bride,” James replied.

“I don’t want her,” Brian said, turning around and looking out the window again.

“Aleera, would you give me a moment with Brian?”

“Of course,” she said, feeling a little upset that the handsome man had said he didn’t want her, turning around and leaving the room.

Matthew, who had been standing just inside the door behind James pulled it shut when she was in the hallway with him and the others.

“Don’t worry, dear,” Valary said. “Brian’s just had some....hard times.”

“James will talk to him and everything will be alright,” Michelle added, smiling.

Aleera smiled back, although it was a small one, and turned to watch the door.

“What do you mean you don’t want her?” James asked.

“I don’t want her,” Brian said, looking at his friend.

“Why not?”

“Because...because I know she’s the one I’m meant to be with.”

“Then take her, make her your bride.”

“I can’t do it, James,” Brian said. “She’s too innocent to become what we are.”

“If you don’t take her as your wife, and turn her, her mother will kill her,” James said.

“What?”

“I didn’t pay for Aleera,” the taller man said. “I gave the woman those fake pounds we made out of tin, with the promise that her daughter would be back the day after tomorrow.”

“You stole her?” Brian asked.

“To save her. If you don’t marry her, she’ll be killed Brian. I can’t let that happen.”

“Then you marry her, James.”

“I’m happy being alone,” he said, smiling. “More fun that way, and besides, I’m not lonely like you are. Please, Brian, do this to help her and help yourself.”

The other man sighed, looking out the window again, before he looked at his friend.

“Alright,” he said, “I’ll do it.”

“Thank you, Brian, you won’t regret this, I promise,” James said, then he reached into his purse and pulled out two gold bands. “Here, you can have these.”

“James, these are yours,” Brian said, looking at the rings in his friends hand. “They belong to you and....”

“I don’t need them anymore,” James said, shaking his head and smiling. “So you can have them.”

“Thank you.”

James didn’t say anything, he only smiled and turned around, opening the door again.

“Come, Mon Cher, time for you to start your new life,” he said, taking Aleera’s hand and leading her into the room.

He stood her in front of Brian and looked expectantly at the other man. “Go ahead, Brian, give her the ring.”

Without a word, Brian took Aleera’s left hand in his right and put the small gold band on her finger before giving her the other one.

She repeated the process with him, slipping the ring onto his finger.

“There, you are now Monsieur and Madame Haner,” James said, smiling.

“And we can get out of here,” Matt said, looking at James. “I heard what you did, giving that woman tin. It wouldn’t surprise me if her men weren’t out looking for you right now.”

“I know, but I couldn’t leave Aleera with her any longer,” the tall man said. “We can go out the back way.”

“Let us get our things,” Valary said.

“I’ll meet you outside,” James said, walking over to the window and opening it.

“What are you doing?” Aleera asked, watching him open it.

“Leaving,” he replied, then he climbed over the sill and dropped out of sight.

“My god!” she gasped, rushing to the window and looking down at the street.

James was standing there, looking up at her, smiling.

“He’s fine,” Matthew said, stepping aside as Zachary walked into the room carrying a bag, Jonathan following him.

Zachary tossed the bag out of the window and jumped out after it, followed by Jonathan.

“Ladies,” Matthew said, gesturing for his wife and her sister to follow after the two men.

“Don’t be too long, Love,” Valary said, giving her husband a quick kiss before following her sister out of the window.

“What are you people?” Aleera asked, suddenly afraid of what she’d gotten herself into.

“We’re the undead, my lady,” Matthew said. “Vampires.”

“They are not real,” she said, looking at him and thinking he was crazy.

“We are very real,” Brian said, and she looked at him.

“You’re not going to throw me out of the window, are you?” she asked.

“No, we’re going to stay at another inn,” Brian replied as they left the room. “Then the night after tomorrow, we will leave London and meet up with Matthew and the others.”

“Good luck, Brian,” Matthew said, then he too jumped out of the window after Brian nodded to him.

He went to the window and looked outside, watching his friends disappear into the night, then he closed the window and turned to Aleera.

“Is that everything you have?” he asked.

“Yes, the rest of my belongings are at my mothers brothel,” she replied.

“Don’t worry about those things,” he said, as he picked up a bag and headed for the door. “If the inn keeper asks, it was only you and I here, and we did pay for our time.”

“Why?” she asked, following him out of the room.

“Because we didn’t pay for our time here,” he replied, smiling at her as they walked down the hall.

“You are going to lie to the inn keeper?”

“No, just make him think we paid and it was only two people staying here,” Brian said as they walked down the stairs.

“A thief, sir, that is what you are,” Aleera said. “You and your band are nothing but thieves.”

“We do what we can to survive,” he said as they entered the inns common room.

The inn keeper spotted them heading for the door.

“My good sir,” he said, catching them in the middle of the room. “You and your party are leaving?”

“Yes, my wife and I must be going now,” Brian said, looking the man right in the eye. “We thank you for the stay, and I hope the pay was more then enough for our short time here?”

“It was very adequate,” the man said, nodding, “but don’t you think leaving at this time of night to travel is unsafe?”

“We are not going far, my good man, but thank you for your concern,” Brian said, taking Aleera’s arm. “The next time we are in London, we will stop in at your fine inn again.”

“Thank you sir, madame,” the inn keeper said, bowing to them both.

“Thank you,” Aleera said, smiling, then she let Brian lead her out of the inn and onto the street.