Single and Unbound: An Interview with Vampire Prince Lukoran Niti

By Angela Daniels
Paranormal Reporter

(Note: this interview takes place before the events of Chosen.)

Prince Lukoran sits at his leisure in the library of his lavish suburban
Denver mansion. He manages to appear both casual and elegant as he half lounges on a spacious leather sofa with one arm draped across the back of it. His clothes-black slacks, a silk burgundy shirt unbuttoned half way down his chest, and expensive Italian shoes-give the same impression. As I enter, escorted by a human butler, the Prince rises and kisses my hand. I thank him for granting this rare interview and he replies with a warm inviting smile, “my pleasure.”

That Prince Lukoran of Clan Niti is a charming, if reclusive, figure in the paranormal underworld is undoubted. He is also arguably the most powerful of the vampires, or Brethren as they call themselves, excepting the Governess of the clan-his Aunt Asara-and the Clan Council members. Why then is the most eligible bachelor of Clan Niti not only single, but without even the human companion vampires refer to as Chosen?

As I sit with him in front of the fireplace of his cozy library I ask what many outsiders have wondered. “What exactly is a Chosen and why are they so important?”

He accepts the wine offered by his butler and takes a sip before answering. “In simple terms, a Chosen is a Faithful, a devotee, who has been raised to the level of bound companion to a Bloodborn vampire. As for their importance…well, our power is tied to this bond.” His lips twist in a sardonic smile. “Of course, like most things with us, the relationship is infinitely more complicated than that.”

Indeed the vampire-Chosen relationship is complex and varied. There are some vampires, most notably Governess Asara herself, who treat their Chosen as little more than servants. To this Prince Lukoran responds, “To some they are slaves, to some trusted friends, and to others much more than even that.” It the latter view that he himself is rumored to take. But if so, then again it must be asked: why is the handsome, engaging vampire without a mate?

Perhaps an answer can be found in his bittersweet family history. His
mother, Serene, was a beloved socialite among the Brethren in the 1730s. Her romance with an Italian sailor named Luca Vicari, and the Niti Clan’s outrage over it, is legendary. The Council insisted she select a Chosen from among the young noblemen of their human allies, a common practice at the time, and keep Luca as no more than a plaything. But Serene and Luca loved each other openly and with such passion that many Brethren were inspired to their cause. Eventually, the Council backed down. Joined as vampire and Chosen, it should have been a literal happily ever after, and was for a time. Unfortunately, Serene then lost Luca in a Clan war two hundred years later. She herself disappeared shortly after, leaving Lukoran alone.

And how has that affected him and his view on romance and Chosen? When asked, his ever present smile fades momentarily as he looks down into his wine glass. “My mother believed the bond is that of soul mates.” His voice sounds wistful. “And surly for her and my foster father that was true. But it is not that way for all. [That is] something to be aspired to and hoped for. But there are other considerations.”

When asked what those might be, he spreads his hands in a frustrated gesture. “Political.” He shrugs as if in regret. “How a potential Chosen might affect one’s social standing cannot be ignored.” His warm, inviting
smile returns then and blooms into a boyish grin. “But I haven’t given up on love.”