The next day after the border ordeal things were returning to normal; whatever normal looked like in the mansion.
At exactly seven o'clock, Kai starting waking Iris up. One day of sleeping in was a luxury he was thankful for, but now business called and he was back on duty.
After the fifth time calling his name and the third shove, Iris finally sulked his way out of bed, but with drowsiness that could knock him back into his duvet and dreamy consciousness.
Kai sat at the edge of Iris's made bed and truly felt he was watching a sloth get ready, or a slow, poor time laps.
Iris would be buttoning his shirt then practically get distracted by his hands while doing it. He picked at his nails until Kai yelled at him to hurry. They were like a married couple, bickering and playfully teasing each other throughout the day.
"You're practically begging me to choke you with that tie. Hurry!"
"Excuse me, turtles cannot be rushed," Iris muttered back but in a stating-a-fact type of way. Without looking up from his task, he turned his body so Kai could see how slow he continued to knot his tie. A satisfied smile spread across his face.
"Maybe if you threaten them enough."
"Well, I'd like to see you try. I don't respond bad to threats."
"Blackmail?"
"My files are clean," With a smirk, Iris winked at his impatient bodyguard before taking a coat off a chair near the bathroom and slipped it on. "Bite me if I care, my tempo stays."
"If I could I would," He grumbled under his breath. "Are you ready now?"
"Yes. And kudos to your patience."
Kai didn't reply back but got off the bed with a tired sigh.
"Oh wait, my shoes."
You could say Kai's ice thin patience broke when he slammed his head on the door with defeat and anger. Iris had to push him aside like moving a building block.
"I was only kidding. Cheer up, you princess." Iris gave Kai a single pat on the back before trotting outside his room and into the long hallways.
††
"It was a success!"
In the training hall, the King's excitement echoed off the walls and threw relief in the air. As soon as his son and his guard got close he repeated his action from the day before. Gripping Kai's shoulders and shaking him with a burst of bellowing laughter.
"Don't tell my wife this, but I'm in your debt."
"Oh, you don't have to do that sir, that's very unnecessary-"
"Don't worry about it. Anything you need, just once, I'm there." The King didn't give the vampire time to object as he turned to face the other thirty lined up in a straight row.
"I congratulated you all on the offer of my good mood. And for that, you're training right now."
Small but noticeable groans left several fanged mouths as some glance up at the large windows sparing tinted sunlight into the center. The first class and usually second-class guards always trained at night.
The praise was enough kindness from the King. It was business from now on.
"You always exceed my own predictions or demands. But it comes close half the time and that stat is something I wish not to see. More sunlight training, more hours, better results, am I clear on this?"
Every vampire gave their own answer from confident yeses to uneasy ones. No vampire loved the sunlight.
Two hours in the merciless sun was all it took for them to start hyperventilating, burning, then eventually in slow agonizing pain, they'd die.
Preventing that was the type of training they did. Night training consisted of working on speed and tricks, a way to get around the enemy and playing hide and seek in the shadows. Border battles were never easy. It was all open land, no shadow to energize in, it required skillful thinking and the Dion's best out-of-the-box fighters were their first class guards.
"Two hours," Kai mumbled to Iris as he started walking forward. "You're off the leash for two hours."
"Damn..." Iris crossed his arms over his chest with a stubbiness. He hoped the vampire would have forgotten he too, needed to train. For now, he sat and watched Kai command the guards with his dad.
"I wish I could say it's good to see you all." Kai smiled at them, proud fangs shining in the sun.
"Awe, pucker up you missed us." A female put her hands on her hips and leaned forward with cockiness absorbed around her. Her along with almost everyone else agreed.
"I'll give you honesty, I did. But now we talk business. And I'm going to pick on Sunday."
Every head turned towards the only vampire actually sitting down near the end of the line. Buff, perhaps, was an understatement as a description.
He was a strong, muscle-packed guy standing over six feet easily; 6'8 at most. Snapping a log was like snipping an eyelash. He was feared for his horrific strength but as ironic as it appears, he had the most calming atmosphere in every vampire the Dions own. He was gentle out of battle and only Kai knew he was actually fond of children and small animals.
"Sunday, you have muscle..that's cute." Snickers grew in the line, "But there's no good in having them if you don't use them correctly. Breaking things, lifting things, that's just a tip of the iceberg." Iris and his father glance at each other with curled lips before Kai motioned Sunday over and obediently, the big vampire walked closer. Never expect a conversation out of him, however. It's quite hard to talk without a tongue.
"Should we start with the basics?"
††
Sunday was once again pinned to the ground with a thud by Kai and by now a distressed expression began wearing his face.
"Again? Or does someone else want to give it a go?" He spoke to the wary vampires but not on the behalf of the three sprawled around him panting like dogs. "Very well," He turned with amusement and held out a hand to Sunday,
"Good job by the way. Eira, we'll work on your tricks, you too, Meli." He nodded at the other two vampires stumbling up with soreness.
"Kai, you're done?" The same girl who had gotten the truth out of him walked up with fluttering eyelashes. "Why not train with us all the way?"
"Well, I have other things to do."
"What? Oh, like train the human-"
"Iris, and yes. I'm sure you can respect that."
"I do, trust me...what's it like anyway?" Cyrus asked curiously after a pause, "Living in a castle, being treated like a human? I know I always ask, but still."
"I can assure you no one treats me any different. And don't call it a castle."
"Mm-hm. All expect our little prince I've noticed. First name bases for a royal? That's quite a step up." She said even though she already knew they communicated with their first names.
"So? Human or not we're all still breathing aren't we? That deserves getting called by your name."
Cyrus smiled but when she did it was empty and almost hallow to the core. "How poetic. You of all people should know those words are nothing but comforting lies."
Kai looked down at his hands he has been pinching subconsciously. "Well, at least it's comforting." He didn't look up as Cyrus placed a hand on his shoulder then trailed her fingers down his arm until she was walking back to her friends.
"You seem quizzed, Kai, perhaps we should skip training?" Iris, who was leaning on a wooden sword stabbed into the ground, observed the obvious lack of confidence around the vampire when he walked over.
"Nice try, sir."
"You can't blame a man for tr-" His words were cut short when Kai suddenly swung another weapon at his legs, making him fall back with a thud. "H-hey!"
"That was for being late this morning. And the next two hours for your sarcasm."
Iris sat up with a groan and a nervous gulp. "I'm still sore from two days ago, have a little mercy."
"Sorry, I've never heard that word before. Get up."
Iris did the opposite and fell back with a huff, "Give me five." He shut his eyes so the intensity of Kai's eyes didn't startle him.
All training equipment was wooden-from swords to what they called aikido weapons; they used the jo.
"Iris," Kai hissed just above a whisper and poked the prince, "I'm serious."
"So am I." In a blink, the prince took the jo stick and swung his leg out, mimicking what Kai had so he tripped on his legs. He saw his victory as he watched the vampire tumble to the ground.
Beyond them, from those who were watching, burst in oh's and quiet chuckles.
Iris got to his feet and held the stick tightly in his hands. "Whoa, I actually did it right."
Kai shuffled to his feet seconds later. "That was just luck." He grunted with Iris extended the stick so it pressed against his chest.
"If I do it again, is that luck?"
A bitter chuckle left the vampire's fanged mouth. "You won't do it again." This time Kai caught Iris off guard by jerking him towards him by gripping the weapon, or so he thought he did. In arms reach, once Kai grazed the prince's neck, the young thinker played him again.
Iris swiped a foot behind Kai and tripped his legs, he pushed against his chest to tip his body. However, Kai threw his arms around Iris and brought him down with him.
"You just like tripping people don't you?" Kai huffed out as he and the prince stared at each other, being only a few inches apart, it was hard not to.
"Well...it's the only thing I'm good at."
"Three years and that's it?"
Iris smiled nervously but it turned genuine when Kai threw his head back laughing.
"Oh, the bewilderment," He sighed sarcastically.
"I'm quick on my legs, don't judge me."
"I'm not judging. It's simply humorous...cute even."
Again with the cute...
Their interruption didn't appear fast enough as the prince had already starting blushing unexpectedly.
"We have like, a thousand rooms here fellas. And you're not exactly the only people in the world." Sage joked after clearing her throat louder than necessary.
The two look up at her grin with wide eyes. As if that factor slipped their minds; which it had.
"And is that-" Sage gasped dramatically, "a blush I see?"
Her perky enthusiasm caught the King and Queen's attention as they quickly stopped talking and directed their eyes over to them.
"As if! Why would I be?" Iris jumped off Kai like he was burning him.
"Um, because he called you c-" Iris felt her smirk in his palm when he slapped it over her mouth.
"Shut up," He muttered, his hazel eyes twisting daggers in her dusty green ones; hence her name.
She simply took his hand away and before he could breathe, she was feet away from him. "You can catch a vampire off guard but you can never be faster than them," She razzed with a grin.
"Yeah, I just proved this." The irritated prince gestured over at Kai, who continued to lay but listen. They glanced at each other when Sage laughed.
"I support you two, but with eyes nailed to the walls here, keep it discrete will you?"
"Wait. S-support? Support what?"
Sage shook her head while touching her lips. "Poor prince. Discrete." She whispered the last part and subtly tilting her head in the direction of his parents, who watched narrowed eyed. "Well, good luck."
"Ah-" But if he continued he'd be talking to a blank space in front of him. "What's her problems?"
Out of nowhere, Kai found himself smiling as he stared up at the ceiling. "That was plural."
"Well, no vampire has just one problem."
"You're too logical."
Iris turned with a smirk, memories of just minutes before seemed lost in a void. "Do you have a problem with that?"
"No, sir"
It slipped both their minds. It never happened.