It was safe to say Iris was beginning to feel uneasy around Sage after her fifth time winking at him. Every time he'd go somewhere without Kai glued to his side, she'd either wink or give him a thumbs up. He put on an oblivious facade mainly because he was truly ambivalent about her actions.
Was it a good thing? Or was she just playing pointless tricks on him?
The simplest things unnerved him, maybe she knew that. No, unexplained things made him uncertain.
In any case, Iris ignored the unexplained vampire as he rushed up the stairs with folders ready to spew out fresh papers. His heart grew weak to her whistle and he paused midway.
"What do you even do around here anyway, Sage?" Iris huffed as he turned and stared at her. She smiled and stayed leaning against the railing at the bottom of the stairs.
"That's a rude question, are you saying I don't do anything, prince?"
"Yes, yes that's exactly what I'm saying."
"I clean. And I'm on patrol."
"Like, a hall officer?"
"Like the mansion officer, unless there is an actual threat, I just keep the maids and servants in check. I absolutely adore this job; I get to be the boss."
"Oh. And you said you clean?"
"Did I? The only cleaning I do is when I help this clumsy maid on the third floor. She almost breaks something every day." Sage sighed as she leaned her elbow on the rail. "She's pretty though."
"Right..." Iris shook his head and started walking back upstairs.
Sage was something else to Iris but great friends with Kai, so despite her years of digging under his nerves, she, deep down, was close to him as well.
Iris sighed as he got to his floor and stopped to breathe. He didn't know how his father did it. Constant meetings, filing papers and sitting in a chair all day and night. Iris wasn't naive to a King's requirements he just didn't like them. He disliked bondage and being unable to have a say in his future felt a lot like being a wolf in a circus.
They didn't belong there.
Hastily, he found his office and planted his folders on his table, quickly took papers out and placed them in a sloppy order he'd fix later when his mind was set on focusing on his work.
He barged into his room but didn't stop until he was throwing his guard's open.
"Take me out." The words fell off his tongue before the white wooden door thudded the wall.
Kai, who was peacefully tying the laces on his boots, looked up at him with navy shaded yes.
"Excuse me?"
"Take me out-out...outside I mean. I need air."
Kai paused before he answered. Iris was clearly ordering him, there was no question in his tone or harden facial expression. He figured asking about his work wouldn't benefit him so he finished tying his boots and stood up from his bed.
"Alright. Where do you want to go?"
"I thought we could just stroll around the first town?"
Kai tilted his head thoughtfully. "Thirty minutes."
"That's fine."
"And I assume we go unnoticed?"
"Always."
"No, not always." Kai smacked Iris's shoulder as he walked past him with a sigh. "You're worse than a toddler sometimes you know."
"You've told me before."
"I must be running out of insults."
It was easy to get out of the second floor due to little eyes scanning for dust to clean, but the corridors on the first floor were maid and servant invested. But going unnoticed only applied to the King and Queen. The two could simply walk out the door without being questioned. Iris was the prince after all.
"Have you seen Sage lately?" Kai asked as they exited the gates surrounding the whole perimeter of the mansion.
"More than I wished I had. Have you?"
"No, but I need to talk to her about something."
"Is it about yesterday?"
"And other business."
Iris hummed in response.
Four villages made up the entire Kingdom, let alone half that being massive acres of forest. But every single citizen-invested town was lively and prospered.
As Iris and Kai found the roads, short businesses lined up on either side of them. Pop up stores, stands selling fruits, some promoting their shops. There were countless tourists and foreigners that walked the streets. But they were very welcomed.
Every head gave a respected nod towards Iris as they walked down the roads. If it were the King, passages would be cleared and a majority of knees would be bent to show loyalty.
Iris didn't like that kind of deep commitment. A simple act that showed they acknowledged he was there was enough for him. The nod was his request.
To himself, Iris observed the different colored banner swaying in the breeze from a book store. That's the first he'd seen one that wasn't glittering with gold or matte with black color. Since they walked under overheads to escape the sun's blaze, Iris looked away before he got too interested and forced Kai into the sun.
"You're okay right?" He brought his attention to his guard who also looked around silently. "With the shade I mean."
"I'm fine. I'm not sweating yet." Kai smiled reassuringly down at Iris and looked back ahead. Vampires hardly sweat or get sick, but when they do it's usually when the sun's light catches up to them. It's a good indicator on their part. While Kai wasn't getting hot, Iris wished he was deeper in the shade.
They both wore suits while the townspeople wore appropriate summer clothing. He didn't own anything inexpensive, and he couldn't waltz into town with casual clothing. He felt envious.
The feeling didn't last long when murmurs brought their eyes over at a man shoving a little girl and hissing at her to go faster. She wore a white dress that stopped at her knees, the rest of her legs were exposed and the irritated cuts and deep bruises were visible for all to see. When the elder man pushed her again she tripped on a crack on the pavement.
"You're worthless," the guy growled, bending down to grip her arm. But she retaliated. Regret washed over her as the man's bearded face scrunched up with a furious expression. As outsiders watched, no one took action.
The girl brought her knees to her chest and whimpered as his voice grew to a yell. It was a sad sight and Iris looked away, mentally deciding if he should be the voice no one else would be. Before judgment made up his mind, he watched in surprise as Kai rushed out with his inhuman speed and yanked the old man's arm back before it could inflict pain on the traumatized girl.
Gasps were heard around them and finally, people stopped to create an unwanted crowd.
"You freak! Let go!" The man struggled in Kai's grip and his holler forced his stench of adultery out. "Hey!" He turned towards Iris who began walking over. "You just let these freaks do whatever they want?"
"Sadly yes. But it's under control now." Iris raised his hands to quiet the man. Until Kai had intervened he had no idea the girl was, in fact, another vampire. The way she suddenly smiled at the rescue allowed her youthful fangs to reveal themselves. He gave a nod to Kai and his guard abruptly turned the man around and held his hands behind his back.
"Wha-hey!"
"As of now, this town will be better patrolled to watch out for freaks like yourself. I dislike that word but if you wish to describe yourself as one, I will follow along. Your disturbance will be noticed by my father."
The man watched Iris talk helplessly. He didn't realize who we was speaking to until Iris took a step back and the designer pin on his tailcoat gleamed in the sun. His face went paler than the vampire holding him hostage.
His father, the prince had said, he was going to be disciplined by the King!
"W-wait! I-I'm sincerely sorry, sir! I wasn't..I wasn't thinking correctly!"
"Clearly. Now, the child, where did you get her?"
It wasn't a crime to own a vampire in the Kingdom but they have to be legally documented by the royal family. It took no detective to know this man did not own the young vampire.
Hesitation rode on the man's face.
"By God, if the word "auction" leaves your mouth you won't have a tongue to lie again." Iris got close to mutter his threat at the shaking man. Kai smiled with pleasure.
Hearing his warning clear as day, the man kept his mouth stitched shut and looked down in shame.
He didn't say it but he hinted at it.
Iris sighed and ran a hand through his hair that gleamed golden in the sun. He turned and glared through the crowd. "Who can identify this man?"
Heads turned and shoulders shrugged until another aged man stepped forward. "His name is Richard."
"Richard," The name rolled off Iris's tongue with disgust. "Lets hope you're claustrophobic, because where you're going isn't a play pin. Let's go Kai."
Once thanking the man who gave him the name and earning the little girl's trust, they hurried back to the mansion as they overdid their thirty minutes and it was risky for both Kai and the girl.
"Do you know where your family is?" Iris spoke in the kindest voice he had as he quizzed the girl he held in his arms.
She nodded shly. "T-they...they took me from m-my mommy....and promised me they wouldn't hurt her b-but I think they're liars."
Iris gave Kai an empathic look when he glanced behind him.
"Do you know where she is?"
"Yes.."
"Someone's going to take you home and I'll make sure they don't hurt you or your mother, how does that sound?"
The girl's dull green eyes lit up with excitement and sparkled like emeralds. Instead of nodding happily or spilling her heart out through her mouth, she wrapped her arms around Iris's neck and buried her tear streaming face in it, too.
Iris paused out of surprise but eventually continued while rubbing the young vampire's back hesitantly.
"The man's in custody and I've informed the King. I'll be taking the young girl now."
Once inside the manion's cool air currants and chaos was dying down around them, the situations were taken care of immediately.
Iris nodded at his father's secretary but jumped in front of him before he got to the door. "If I find out she didn't get there safely and you didn't carry out orders you'll be very sorry."
The secretary gulped nervously but nodded his head. "I understand. You have my word, sir."
"Good." Iris stepped aside and watched him leave while the girl waited in their ride. He slumped against the door and slid down with a sigh when their large foyer went quiet. "So much for a relaxing stroll down town."
He looked up at Kai when he chuckled with that shiver-earning tone. "You got your break didn't you?"
Iris crossed his arms, "It's only a break if I started my work."
"I'm trying to be comforting here."
"You kind of suck at it," Iris chuckled softly when Kai crouch in front of him. His blinking quickened when he reached out suddenly and brushed his fingers across his temple into his hair. Iris watched Kai pull his pale hand back with a leaf between his index finger and thumb.
"Only you Iris, only you."
The prince flung his hand up where the unnoticed leaf was. "Why didn't you tell me it was there?"
"It wouldn't have been as amusing. I don't think Charles saw it, though."
Iris covered his face, both embarrassed and annoyed.
"Don't fret too much, you have two lovely folders waiting for your attention upstairs." Taking hold of his wrists, Kai forced Iris to his feet and smirked down at him. "With about a hundred pages in each. Good luck, sir."