Twenty years ago; before the tyrant had taken control of the city that lead to Prince Clyde leading the city into war to regain the city of Abaron...
"Waahhhhh!" A young Prince Clyde cried out as he held his small hands over his eyes. Still being small at the time his little vampire fangs had a hard time being kept hidden so as he cried they were exposed to anyone who could see him. Sitting on the grass in the city park the other kids all avoided him scared of the fact that he was a vampire. The fact that the other kids had shunned him away had stirred his young heart into a fit and the tears flowed like a faucet. His status as a prince only fueled other parents to warn their kids to keep a distance so their families would not risk danger if something happened to Clyde and it it made it almost impossible for him to find another who would look at him without his bloodline and status getting in the way.
"Are you okay?" A little boy's voice called out to him from behind.
Turning around while sniffling and trying to wipe his tears away he could see a boy around his age who had teal hair and red eyes. He was leaning over Prince Clyde to make sure that the prince was not hurt in any way. Prince Clyde rubbed his eyes as he embarrassed hugged his knees against himself. He could not find the strength to respond with his voice so he simply nodded his head slowly in silence as he gazed away from the boy.
"Are you sick?" The young boy asked as he tried to understand what could have pushed Clyde to the point of tears.
"N-no.." Prince Clyde muttered out as he felt strange to have someone else talking to him for once.
"Were you bullied?" The young boy asked once more.
"N-no!" Prince Clyde quickly responded as he felt embarrassed for the boy to know that the others would not allow him to play with them.
"They were, weren't they?" The boy asked while knowing that it was the correct assumption. It was not the first time he had come across the kids before himself to see how they would sometimes treat others. "Wait here!"
Glancing up slowly with his brown eyes Prince Clyde could see the teal haired boy walking over to the group of kids. He could not take his eyes off him as he watched the boy instantly pick up his speed until he was running. Jumping up into the air the teal haired kid sent the leader among the kids flying backwards from his knee smashing up into the bully's face. The other kids were so startled they did not know how to react as the teal haired boy came running back over to Prince Clyde. Reaching down to grab Clyde's hand firmly with his own, a bright smile plastered on his face, he pulled Clyde to his feet and took off running from the park.
As they ran down the street from the park Prince Clyde could not help but stare at the boy from behind. Blushing slightly as he realized they were holding hands he could not stop his heart from speeding up. The boy had only just met him and yet he had acted out on his behalf from the other kids being mean. Wanting to know more about the boy he was about to speak when they came to a sudden stop. The boy looked back at Prince Clyde and smiled brightly.
"If they ever mess with you again just let me know. I got you! I hate people like them." The boy laughed while letting go of Prince Clyde's hand and pointing at himself.
"Who are-?" Prince Clyde wanted to ask for his name that day as they stood there on the street. It was the first time someone had ever taken an interest in him and he didn't want things to end. In the back of Clyde's mind he had already put the boy on a pedestal in his own heart that would only evolve over the years.
"I gotta go or my dad will get mad if I'm late.. See you around and good luck! I'm Gunner by the way!" The boy shouted as he turned to run down the street the way they had been heading.
After that day Prince Clyde had gone back to the park every day in order to run into the teal haired boy that had stood up for him that day but he never came back. No matter how long Clyde had stuck around he could not manage to run into him. He continued his routine of stalking the park every day for a year until he finally was forced to get further involved in his own family affairs. His family pulled him aside and pushed him into an arranged marriage agreement to Apollo.
"No! I already have a fiance!" Prince Clyde shouted out at his family while Apollo stood there dumbfounded as well.
"What are you talking about? This is for the sake of both our families!" His mother asked in a scolding tone as she smacked Prince Clyde across the back of his head.
"No! I love Gunner! He will be my bride one day!" Prince Clyde cried out as his little face filled with tears. He could see Apollo's ears and tail twitching.
"Crying like that I don't think he'd even want you." Apollo scoffed as if he had felt insulted by being rejected so bluntly.
"I'm not crying! I wont cry! If it'll make Gunner happy I wont cry ever again!" Prince Clyde declared out loud as he clenched his little hands into fists.
"Idiot!" Apollo shouted at him loudly in front of everyone.
"You're the idiot, you ugly demon! It'll happen!" Prince Clyde shouted back at him.
The parents from both families had to hold their kids apart as they both tried to jump at each other on the spot. Both Apollo and Prince Clyde could not hold back their desire to attack each other. Apollo had felt insulted from the very start as everything about him had been instantly rejected in the eyes of Prince Clyde because his young heart had already been stolen away by someone else. Prince Clyde, however, could not help but see the man as someone who was in his way because he already knew who he wanted to be paired up with. He did not care how long it took to find Gunner again or what species the man was from whether he was demon, human, or something else entirely he simply wanted to find him and stay by his side.
The day they met would not be for several years but Prince Clyde had chosen in his heart. Even if Gunner never remembered the day they met; Clyde would never forget it.