Prince Leonidas
I almost bit her again.
Sighing, I stop beside a tree and lean my back against its frosty trunk to rest now that I'm only a few miles from Rerimas.
I'm so thirsty.
A low thumping makes the forest floor shudder beneath me and I glance up as Shadow comes galloping through the trees. She neighs loud enough my ears ring when she sees me and slows her pace to a soft trot.
"He's over here," Alec shouts from where Shadow emerged before Elytis leaps down from tree branches above him.
Blood. Alec has Ciremeth flowing through his veins. I'm not a fan of its sour taste but in my current position I wouldn't complain. I've never bitten Alec before but I think he could handle it.
Just a bite.
Relief shines bright in Alec's eyes as he hurries to join me, but Elytis is shrewd and blocks him from embracing me. "Report to the Queen," he instructs, sheilding the child from my view. My senses redirect to him instead, immediately pleased by the scent of Cadomian radiating from him. "I'll help the Prince back."
"But I--"
"Go, quickly," Elytis snaps at him.
Alec huffs but vanishes.
"Leonidas, where have you been?" Elytis frowns as he wipes his forehead with the back of his sleeve and leans so his hands rest on his knees. "We have been searching for you all day. The Council was preparing to send for the Royal Court."
Wincing, I sigh and struggle to straighten my posture. My head is throbbing.
"I got stuck in Cadomia."
His eyes widen, but before he can shower me with questions I drag myself to my feet and step from the shade allowing my skin to answer for me. When the sizzling begins, he yanks me to him under the shelter of an oak tree. "You're burning?" he exclaims, but notices I'm too fatigued to respond. "This isn't good. Let's get you back."
Pulling one of my arms over his shoulder, he absentmindedly causes my face to bump against his neck where the scent of Cadomian blood is flowing so generously through his veins, I can't resist. "Ely," I murmur into his skin, using my free hand to clutch his shoulder. It's as little of a warning as I can offer before sinking my fangs into his neck causing him stumble a few steps with a low groan before he balances and supports both of our weight.
"Shit," he hisses, knees buckling until he drops to one. His armor clanks as he roots himself to the forest floor. Body stiff beneath me, I can hear his heart pounding and feel him shiver with pain despite his lack of resistance.
It's helpless, his pain. A Royal's bite is excruciating to another vampire, the wounds never fully heal unless sealed the moment after they're inflicted. Eventually, the pain converts to intensified pleasure. Different from how it is for humans. Vampires can experience a heightened, turbulent arousal from being fed on by another, Royal or not.
He must've seen this coming which is why he ordered Alec to leave so soon.
I've never been bitten myself but I've seen it before around the castle, village and especially when visiting other vampire Kingdoms like Relabeth and Rych. Man to man, woman to woman, man to woman and vise versa, doesn't matter. Most vampires choose to be fed from by another for a chance to experience the heightened sexual gratification.
My chest vibrates in a purr as the warmth of his blood travels through me slowly soothing my aches and pains with each gulp. It doesn't flow heavy enough to make this a quick feeding. With my energy so depleted, we will be here for a while. Famished, I cling tighter to him dragging him down onto my lap to withdraw my fangs and deliver a deeper bite further up his neck.
Here.
These ones offer more.
"You know my blood will do nothing in comparison to that of a humans," he tries reminding me. An angst in his tone alluding to the transition of my bite's affect on him, his pain diminishing.
Just a little more.
"Leonidas," he warns. His skin burning. Sweating. Pulse increasing tempo.
He tries composing himself, combing a hand into his hair with one hand while his other grasps at his knee, fingers puncturing the skin as he attempts to resist pleasuring himself in my lap.
I'm not triggering, but knowing he isn't in pain and has recently fed keeps me latched to his neck. My wounds finally begin to heal. Too thirsty, I tighten my grip in response wedging and anchoring my fangs.
"Please stop."
Focused, I quickly brush my tongue over the deepest bite wound first.
"Damn it," he curses, crawling away from me along the ground before blurring to his feet. He wobbles a moment, and tries using Shadow for support until she snorts nipping at his shoulders. "You, too. Stop!" he growls at her, his tone commanding enough she actually listens.
He's furious at me but can't make it known. Unfortunately, this is part of his job as my personal guard. It would be offensive to him if I were to apologize.
Panting, I rub the back of a wrist over my mouth before blurring to my feet and grabbing a towel from Shadow's saddle. I use it to clean his blood from my skin.
"Mount," he instructs. As I do so, he pulls a wool blanket from her saddle draping it over me to prevent the sun from touching my skin. I can't see anything but he hoists himself up behind me so I don't fall off.
As we pass through the main entrance of the Kingdom's wall, I notice the way tension in his body eases when none of his comrads realize the extent of his wound. Not even questioning the bite to his neck when he unveils me. The guards simply stand at attention, welcome my return and send us on our way.
It's not until we reach the stables that Ely looks at me exhaling a long sigh. "Thank you." As the words leave his lips, his gaze averts to the ground. A slight blush appears through his sandy skin.
"Let me heal you," I plead, hopping down from Shadow, wearing the blanket over my shoulders like a cape.
"No, it's okay."
It's already bruising and swelling. I know he's in pain. Regardless, I don't push the matter.
******
"Have you lost your mind?!" my mother rages.
Our council members cringe as she slams her fists on the table and throws a chair into one of the walls causing it to shatter and splinter.
"They could have captured you. You could have been tortured and killed, Leonidas! Don't you realize this could be considered treason?"
My heart constricts at the word.
She crosses the room and slaps a hand across my face though I've said nothing other than where I was.
"The Royal Court is on their way because they think something has happened to you. The Council must cover the fact that you broke King Valerio's ban and could have harmed the Princess," she continues to fume.
At her mention of the Council, I happen to meet eyes with Perseus whose grin is blinding.
This rebuking goes on for another hour before my mother dismisses the Council.
"I'm sorry, Mother, for worrying you and jeopardizing our Kingdom," I say once they're gone.
Her cold eyes narrow into a glare.
"Why were you there?" she questions. "I wouldn't ask in front of the Council for the sake of your respect."
My gaze drops to the floor.
"I went to apologize to the Princess," I explain, "for leaving her at the ball the way I did."
"And that made you choose to spend the entire day there? Defenseless?" her tone bleeds judgment.
"No, I wasn't planning to stay at all. I started reacting to the sunlight, so she pulled me into the castle. We figured it was best if I stayed until sunset."
"We?" she questions, quirking a brow. Her voice is seething, rage fuming. "Since when does the Princess of Cadomia get to make decisions with you about what is best?"
She's furious.
Crossing her arms, she begins to pace in front of me before stopping and meeting my eyes.
"I have no hate towards Axelia. You know I am fond of her. But she is a threat to our Kingdom primarily because she is a threat to your discretion. I know you want her to remember your past, but it's clear that she doesn't. Let her go."
"Mother--"
She holds up a hand to cut me off.
"I forbid you to see her again, Leonidas."
What?
Frowning, I advance forward a step.
"You can't do that. We live in the same region. There will be meetings and events that we will have to attend by order of the Court," I argue.
"I can do that because the Court and I will do all it takes to restore the peace between Rerimas and Cadomia," she snaps.
"But that isn't peace--"
"You will not argue with or raise your voice at me!" Her body tenses and every object in the room flies against the walls as though a bomb has exploded.
I don't flinch, but her own rage seems to upset her as she releases a long sigh and looks around. A sorrow extinguishes her sizzling anger and eyes soften as they meet my own.
"We can't lose you, Leonidas," she murmurs, finally allowing her fear to seep through. "Please, remain in your quarters until I send for you. We will find out why you're reacting to sunlight later."
Knowing fear is her trigger emotion, I try to offer comfort. But before I can reach out to her, she vanishes.
A minute doesn't pass before a bell begins to ring affirming that she has been triggered. I can hear screams from the dungeons all the way to my tower.
"Those poor souls," Perseus mutters as I pass by his leaning figure. "Our Queen will probably kill them all no thanks to--"
Clutching his throat, I slam his body to the stone floor and squeeze my fingers until they nearly break his skin, ensuring he can't breathe. A temptation to shove a hand through his chest is almost irresistible, but I manage to pull myself from him before stalking off.
For the next half hour, I find myself on the snowy roof of my tower staring into the white abyss of a full moon.
I keep going over all that has happened trying to decide if there was anything I could have done differently only to conclude that I wouldn't change a thing.
Those moments with her--
Sighing, I brush a thumb over my lower lip remembering her touch. Her skin against my own electrified every nerve.
A burning ache swells in the core of my heart.
I wanted to kiss her.
Furrowing my eyebrows, I sit up with a groan as I try to shake the cloud of frustration looming over me. I won't be alone for much longer, so I busy myself with a quick rinse off and change before making my way back out on the roof to throw icy pebbles and watching them bounce off village rooftops. The residents unbothered considering they're bustling about with work and lessons.
"Leonidas?" Alec's small face peers up at me from my window. I'm grateful he had classes to attend.
While I'm still in no mood for company, he has been worrying about me all night.
So, after I throw a few more pebbles, I glance to him and pat a spot beside me on the roof facing the kingdom.
Eagerly, he climbs up before settling himself and pulling his knees to his chest.
"I'm sorry everyone has been so mean to you," he murmurs after a few minutes.
"What are you talking about?"
Perseus is the only one that comes to mind but he's nothing I can't handle.
"A King wants to kill you, so you have all of these rules you have to follow. You're not really allowed to have any fun," he explains. "It seems that being around the Princess makes you happy, but she's apparently dangerous."
"She isn't dangerous," I stick up for the warrior Princess, considering she kept her word even when I almost hurt her.
"But being around her is, right?"
I suppose.
"My life is the most valuable possession of Rerimas," I sigh as I rest my head onto my forearms, energy depleteing quickly. "I'm the only heir to the throne. If something happens to me, our Kingdom will fall, which will bring more tension to the peace in our region between vampires and humans."
"Won't Valerio still try to kill you when you become King?" he frowns.
"No, the Royal Court would banish him and destroy Cadomia."
He picks up a few pebbles to throw as well, but they only ever reach as far as the castle courtyards disrupting a few combat training sessions.
"Why don't we make you King, now? What's everyone waiting for?"
My eyes roam across the waves of trees until they land on a tower's peak of the Cadomian castle.
"I have to marry," I answer. "A King can't rule without first having a Queen because it guarantees an heir."
They'll be sending Princesses my way soon enough.
His eyes widen and cheeks redden. "They want you to make a baby?" he squeaks.
Chuckling, I place a hand on his head ruffling his hair. "Eventually, but for now I only need a wife."
"Oh," he breathes in relief and then snickers, "well that's tragic."
My jaw drops. "What's that supposed to mean?" I scowl.
Grinning, he pulls my hand from his hair. "You still sleep with your clothes on!" he exclaims.
"I'm a busy man," I argue my defense. "By the time I make it back to my room I can barely reach the bed before falling asleep."
"Okay, fine. How come you don't just marry the Cadomian Princess?"
I choke on the air which makes him roll over in laugher. Heat rises to my cheeks, so I avoid looking his way in case he notices.
Despite the lightheartedness of his question, I can't suppress the sadness I feel as my eyes find the Cadomian tower again. "Even if I wanted to, I can't," I murmur.
Alec's laughter ceases as he sits back up and leans forward to look at my face.
"But you do want to?" he asks, and I glance over at him confused. "Marry her?"
Honestly, I've been so determined to get her to remember our youth that I haven't thought about what I would do when she did.
Would I be content just having my friend back? Could I handle seeing her in the arms of Herakles?
He would certainly keep her from ever spending time with me, so I'd lose her all over again.
Still, to marry her would be-- a blessing and highest honor to any man. A dream.
Shaking my head, I silence my thoughts as the ache in my heart returns.
Her father rejected me as an option years ago and my mother just forbid me from even seeing her again.
Yet, that's not what bothers most.
If she rejected me, it would be the death of me.
Alec continues to stare at me with eyes full of wonder.
Usually I make him leave me alone once he's asked something emotionally compromising, but having his company tonight has been nice.
"What I want doesn't matter," I don't sugar-coat the truth. "I have to do what is best for the Kingdom."
"But you're the Prince which means all your life you've been learning what the best is. What if they make you marry someone you don't like? That's not fair," he grumbles and angrily crosses his arms over his chest.
This time I spare him a hard truth: that so far, nothing in my life has been fair.
I never chose to be Prince, or to lose my father, to lose my best friend, to be raised under constant supervision in fear of losing my life every day, or to be triggered by frustration, to even be a vampire in the first place, to be a monster in the eyes of the only Princess I may ever lo...
Catching myself, I shake the thoughts from my mind.
"Go start a bath would you?" I ask him.
He nods and vanishes, giving me the privacy I need to allow my pain to escape in a few tears.
I'm trying to do what is right, for Rerimas, my mother, the council, the Royal Court, the region.
But I'm absolutely miserable.
~~~~~~~~~~
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