Reborn to be Royal

Chapter 32: Instinct

Although it was strange at first, Astrid and Lucile had quite the mother daughter reunion. I'm glad I was able to give the two some time to talk and catch up. Especially considering what we're going to be dealing with soon. As for those two, for the time being it appears that Astrid can only leave the tree for a short time every two weeks, saying she wanted to truly see the flowers her daughter had been working so hard to keep alive brought a smile to Lucile's face that still hasn't left the next day.

Right now, the whole castle is preparing for the arrival of the "special guest" while Verren is informing Lucile about the arranged marriage in her room. At least, with the royal pain in the ass supposedly arriving within the week, she'll have some time to calm down and hopefully understand that none of us intend to let her be taken away from us so easily. Valentina has gone off somewhere I'm sure I don't want to know and Kristofer has taken his little group of archers out to hunt for game. The two cloaked individuals took Demetri somewhere else for the time being. Honestly, I wish I knew something about those two. The only thing keeping me from unmasking them myself is the fact that I don't know how powerful they are. If they've earned a spot in Verren's inner circle, then they're likely quite powerful in their own rights.

Finally, Seyird has, quite literally, tossed me back into the room where I spent my first few days, or weeks, toiling away in the art of turning water into blood and blood into potions. This is where I am now. It's a simple process that takes little time now, though I am surprised that they could go through so much blood so quickly. Taking a glance at the liquid filling the barrels and a small sip, I immediately spit out the salty water.

[Kai] "I thought it was weird...sea water. I didn't even know there was an ocean nearby?"

Shaking my head of such thoughts, I eventually move on to a much more interesting experiment. The vampire specific potions and how to make them better. I had thought of simply increasing their effectiveness but not long after, I had a different idea. What if, instead of risking messing up the formula and causing unnecessary side-effects, I make it so that one could simply drink more in one go.

With that thought in mind, I created some basic potions and went about my plan. First, I condense the liquid into a ball. Since I don't really have any limits on how much I can condense, at least, not that I've found, I use three vials worth. Next, harden the ball of special blood. There we have it. Blood pills. A very simple process but it's one that only I can do. Come to think of it, I could probably do the same with normal blood and supply everyone with at least one in case of emergency. I'll talk to Verren or Seyird about it later. For now though, I place the pills in my storage and get back to my original work.

After three hours of nonstop work, I hear the sound of hurried footsteps outside the door. Turning my head to face the wooden structure, it bursts open to reveal the teary figure of Lucile. She takes no time at all to dash towards me, tackling me to the ground. We slide across the stone floor for a moment before slamming into the wall behind us. Has she always been this strong? I guess that's a Royal for you. Regardless, I look down at her just as she looks up. Her red, puffy cheeks and marks beneath her eyes from crying have certainly earned her some sympathy points.

[Kai] "Is this about your talk with your father?"

She doesn't speak, deciding instead to slowly nod as her grip tightens on my coat. I let out a sigh as I gently place my arms around her.

[Kai] "<Calm>"

It takes a moment but it appears to have worked. She sniffles for a moment and doesn't move but she has stopped shaking.

[Kai] "Do you feel any better?"

Once again, she slowly nods, looking up to me which prompts our golden eyes to meet one another. If I were an ordinary person, I may have gotten lost in those eyes forever, fortunately for me, I was only lost in them for a few seconds.

[Kai] "Do you want to talk about it?"

She starts shaking again, clearly unsure of herself and frightened of what the future might hold for her. I let out a sigh before bringing her closer. Her shaking doesn't completely subside but she does seem to calm down for now.

[Kai] "You know your father isn't going to just let some ignorant idiot take you from him, don't you?"
[Lucile] "I..."
[Kai] "Neither is Valentina, or Seyird, or your mother, or anyone else in Volmiir."

She looks up and our eyes meet once more.

[Lucile] "...And you?"

I give her a warm smile before gently placing my hand on the back of her head, rubbing it softly.

[Kai] "I'd sooner take on a titan than let that bastard take you from me."

Lucile's eyes widen, as do mine when I realise what I just said. You know what? Sure, let's go with that. It's not like I don't mean it anyway.

The two of us smile warmly as a few tears roll down the petite Royal's cheeks. Our faces grow closer. The heat resonating from her body gives a warmth I've never felt before. Our lips inching ever closer as our hands intertwine. Her shaky breath reaches my neck as her sharp canines soon follow. Wait, what?

[Kai] "Lucile?"

I receive no answer as her arms wrap around me tightly. Her teeth sink further into my skin as an overwhelmingly comfortable feeling encompasses my being, body, mind and soul. Out of the corner of my eyes, I witness the girl I swore to protect, moving the collar of her dress, exposing her neck and shoulder to me. A strange feeling overcomes me. My body moves on its' own as my mind starts to go blank. My breath reaches Lucile's neck and causes the girl to shiver, whether in fear or delight, I'm unsure and I don't care. My teeth make their way into her soft, smooth skin, drawing blood as she winces.

For a moment, we stay there in blissful silence. Then, almost simultaneously, a golden glow, brilliant in colour, shines from the area I've been bitten while a faint gold, green and predominantly black glow appears beneath my canines. That feeling from before, I know what it is now. Instinct. The need to claim each other as our own, for our lives to become intertwined for our extensive lifespan. This is the most base and possibly beautiful instinct of a Royal Vampire.

Releasing each other's necks, we both let out a small, unintentional gasp, whether for air or something else, I'm not quite sure. Our eyes lock once more, this time, no fear could be seen in her brilliant, golden eyes. Perhaps my senses have yet to return to me after my mind went blank, because she begins to mouth a collection of words before smiling brightly. I swear, the more time I spend with this girl, the more my shadowed soul begins to feel like the cage surrounding it has turned to glass. Her bright, beautiful radiance is revealing emotions within me that I honestly didn't think I still had.

For the next hour or so, we just sat there. My back against the wall and her sitting atop my lap, both of our necks exposed with marks slowly forming. Mine, an intricate, golden blade wrapped with vines. Hers, a similarly intricate, black image resembling a vortex with specks of green and gold spread throughout like stars in a clear night sky. Our smiles never fade as we spend the day listlessly in each other's embrace, with no intention otherwise.