Vampire Knight «Other Story» - [ BOOK II : Revelation ]

«XIV : The Queen and The Princess »

"So, even your name was given by Scarlet-chan?" Hanabusa asked again as Maya halted her story once again. Maya just nodded at his question. "I was very grateful for it. No one had ever given me a name, or even asked me to be their friend." She told him and the others with a small smile and Yuuki was smiling to see her smile for the first time as well, at least her genuine smile to them. Apparently, she would only smile when it came to Luna.

"Well, that's the beginning, though, it didn't go well at first. After all, I was still a human, and she was the princess. Not everyone can accept the fact that she'd befriend a mere human like me." Maya said again then, her smile already gone from her face as she turned serious again, continuing her story of their past.

—Flashback, Maya's POV—

It had been a week ever since I have lived inside the castle as per the princess's request. At first, the Queen disagreed with the idea of having me as the princess's friend. But, she later just gave up and let me be her playmate in the end. I did not know what the princess had told her mother, but I knew that the Queen would not have let the Princess befriend a mere human like me by the time I had faced the Queen myself. From what I saw, the Queen had a cold, emotionless face rather than a warm and caring mother to the Princess. It was the total opposite of what the Princess had told me before I got into the throne room.

"You are Maya, correct?" The Queen asked as soon as we were presented to the throne room. I looked up at her for a moment to see her expression before I lowered my head down again as I noticed it was not right of me to look at the Queen directly in her eyes. "Y-Yes, Your Majesty." I replied lowly. "I heard from the Princess that you were a victim to one of us vampires?" She asked again and I repeated my previous answer. "I did not know why the Princess would take you in as her playmate." The Queen began, not wanting to admit me as the Princess's friend I saw. "But, I heard you agreed to it." She spoke as if asking my reason behind my agreement to the Princess' wish. "I did..." I replied low and carefully. "I see." The Queen simply replied.

There was a moment of silence in the throne room as none of us spoke of anything. The Princess herself had been standing quietly beside the throne where the Queen was seated without saying anything. It was only what the Queen had said later that the Princess finally voiced her opinion. "How much would you like to have for you to leave the castle?" The Queen asked with still no expression on her face as she looked down at me as if I was mere trash in front of her eyes when I looked up surprised to hear the question. "Mother!" The Princess then turned to look at the Queen with a frown on her face. The Queen turned to look at her and I saw the Princess' expression change as she fixed her expression and attitude towards the Queen.

"Your Majesty." The Princess called now more calmly as she did not call the Queen her mother anymore. "I beg your pardon, but, would you please take back what you've said to Maya?" The Princess asked but the Queen did not bother to answer her as she turned to look back at me again.

"I would like to ask why a mere human like you would even dare to call yourself a friend of the Pureblood Vampire?" The Queen asked again to me, but before I could answer, the Princess had spoken again. "With all due respect, Your Majesty. It was I who asked for her to be my friend." At that, the Queen had turned to look at the Princess once again. "She's not at fault. I was the one who tell her to be my friend." She repeated once she gained her mother's attention back at her. "Then there must be a reason for her to accept it easily, especially after what she had experienced prior to it." The Queen said as she looked at the Princess still with her expressionless face, or more like an intimidating one as the Princess began to lower her face slightly. "There's no such thing..." The Princess mumbled lowly as if afraid to speak off to her own mother.