The sky was deep blue. There was not a sign of storm of the night before the day. Soft affectionate sunlight covered the entire ' Dream Forest ' like a warm blanket. Sometimes a portion of sunlight penetrated the dense foliage and kissed the small shrubs hidden at the very bottom. This hide and seek between light and dark created a dream like illusion, completely purging the night's gloomy demonic and negative energies. The Dream Forest was like a scene from a mysterious fairytale. The animals had returned from the outermost layer and right then the forest was buzzing with cacophony of different living beings. The past night's heavy forest was beaming with liveliness and happiness.
However, not everyone was happy. In the deepest corner of a small cave a youth, half naked, stared dazedly at a certain direction, his expression completely blank, his thoughts unknown. Suddenly a certain noise at the entrance woke him up from his stupor. He hurriedly looked for his pants only to find it was torn off and was beyond redemption. The noise was coming closer and closer. As the youth listened carefully it seemed like many humans' hurried footsteps.
The youth panicked. In his 18 years of long life, never had he been so panicked. He took off his still intact shirt and tried to cover his private part. The footsteps were almost at the entrance when he heard a familiar sound.
" Second prince!! are you there?! Second pri-"
The youth didn't let him finish and hurriedly shouted , " Stop right there! Don't you dare to come here butler Lu...."
The so called butler Lu stopped. The knights behind him also stopped. Worried, he asked," Second prince, are you alright? If you are injured, that's not at all a shameful thing. Bearing injuries is a warrior's sign."
The youth, who was called as the ' Second prince ' shouted back," I am not injured! Don't come....first give.....give me a pair of clothes."
Butler Lu and the knights behind, "?"
As the youth shouted his lungs out, he stood up in irritation. Suddenly he started to feel dizzy. The world seemed to shake violently to him. He couldn't stable his footing. He gasped for some support in the air. His face was ghastly pale as if he was lacking blood. There was a bite mark on his neck. Yes, he was the one with whom Scarlet had done that unspeakable act after loosing her reason.
The young man's unstable footing at last couldn't hold on. He fell on the ground. His falling created a loud noise. Butler Lu became so worried that he just ran towards the sound.
" Are you okay? Second pri- "
The upcoming words was struck in his throat and didn't manage to come out as he stared at the half naked second prince. The second prince who was trying so hard to hide his shame was stunned speechless.
"....."
"...."
There was a brief silence. Then butler Lu coughed solemnly, uttered a ' pardon me ' , after he turned a complete 180 degree turn, finally rushed out of the entrance.
As butler Lu came out, he ordered the knights who stayed behind, " Hurry, arrange a pair of clothes for the Second prince."
The knights,"?"
The knights were really confused. Had their second prince fought with a ferocious demonic creature and tainted himself with it's blood while killing it, thus requiring new clothes? If not then how could those firm Royal clothes, woven from the silk of pure blooded ancient silk beast, even tear? Those clothes were ten times firmer than their armour.
Never in their dreams these knights would have imagined that the second prince's clothes hadn't been torn in any fierce fighting against the demonic creature but by a simple tug of Scarlet. But you can't really blame them for thinking so highly of their Second prince.
The Second prince of Fye Empire, Edwyn Ashford was a genius magical swordman seen once in millennia. While holding the sword, his precision, angle of each strike was so perfect that it was deadly to the enemy. His talent didn't stop here. Prince Edwyn had an innate attribute of water mana, which later evolved into ice mana to everyone's surprise. But the second prince didn't have any interest in learning magic. He was a complete sword maniac.
This second prince never suffered hardships in his entire life which helped to grow his casual temperament. In his life besides his sword he never took anything seriously. Unlike other empires' conspiracy filled royal family, their royal family was like the sweetest honey spot, condensed with love. His father king Arthur Ashford was a upright ruler and had only married one woman and was wholeheartedly loyal to her. There was no other woman, so no other extra child, thus no struggle for the throne. The first prince, his elder brother, Caius Ashford was already very proficient in politics and in the art of governing. He was a little bit cold and serious but cared for Edwyn from the heart.
While growing up in this kind of warm atmosphere Edwyn grew ignorant of the outside world. He only saw the surface of the society, which was beautiful enough to blind his eyes. He had many friends who were ready to serve him. Teacher always praised him for everything he did. Beautiful girls were ready to be in his bed just by his single gesture.
But one day Edwyn came upon a single incident which completely shattered his worldview.
In the academy he studied, there were commoners, nobles and royalties mingled together. Edwyn himself appreciated all the commoners very much as they managed to enter the academy without any resource or guidance, unlike the nobles or royalties who solely depended on guidance, bribery or resources to enter the academy.
At that particular day he was returning to his living quarters when he heard someone's muffled sobs from the empty classroom on the left side. Curious he turned to take a peek. But the scene made him stunned speechless. One of his own classmate with the help of at least four boys was beating a commoner girl. This classmate of his was a beautiful girl who always appeared like a pious, coy, feeble, obedient lady in front of him. But the expression she was showing while beating the commoner girl was so vulgar and cruel that it was beyond words. Her reason for beating was even more unreasonable. It was because in that morning he had spoken a few words to the commoner girl while ignoring the beautiful classmate.
Later he dealt with the matter very harshly by informing his father. That classmate had been expelled from the academy. But from this day he began to doubt about people's true face hidden underneath their mask. He asked his brother for advice. His brother smiled a little and gently ruffled his hair, then said, " Just look into their eyes. Eyes don't lie. "
Edwyn was really confused and didn't understand the meaning then.
But he didn't have the time to ponder over the matter when he reached his eighteenth birthday. And life became harder to pass each day.
In ancient times their Ashford bloodline was blessed by the goddess of love. Thus each member of this family who bore the bloodline would meet their fated true lover after their eighteenth birthday. And when the bloodline bearer gave their virginity to their partners they would be bonded for life. A special type of tattoo would be formed in those bonded pair's wrist.
So the day after his eighteenth birthday flocks of girls after girls began to approach him like a swarm of bees to try their luck in becoming the second prince's fated lover. Every girl would act more feeble, coy, shy than the other. Edward was so annoyed that he announced in irritation, " I will only make such a girl as my partner who would be able to press me down in strength with only one hand."
The whole academy, "....."
Edwyn's family who got the news, "....."
After that everyone's gaze towards him became very strange. No girls approached him anymore. At last, his childhood friend Louis couldn't take it anymore and asked him cautiously, " Say, Ed.... speak the truth alright?"
Edwyn looked at his friend's silly expression and said, " The truth for what?"
Louis maintained a few moments of silence and then backed away at least three meters.
Edwyn was annoyed by his friends' strange behaviour. The past few days he really had been going through too many annoying things.
" Why are you backing away?" He asked.
" Because once you hear my question you are gonna beat me up." Louis stated as if it was a matter of fact.
Edwyn's mouth twitched. He asked,
"Then why are you asking?"
"Because i am curious."
" Speak"
"....Say Ed...are you.....are you gay? Otherwise how can you wish for a girl who is stronger than you? This type of girl doesn't exist so you are definitely gay right?"
"...."
At last Louis was still beaten up until he had no tears left.
' Damn, I am the straightest person born in the whole empire. And what's wrong with wanting a strong girl for my partner? Rather than those pretentious feeble coy girls i would better be with a straightforward strong girl.' Edwyn thought.
Afterwards The second prince took a few days of leave to avoid any further complications and went for a adventure in the Dream forest instead of his parents' repeated refusals. There he got lost from his troops because of the violent storm. Although he managed to find a small shelter in a cave but he soon encountered Scarlet and lost his virginity to her.
At this moment as he was wearing the new set of clothes given by the butler, he recalled the red glowing pupils that stared at him at that night. He knew in his mind, that girl wasn't human. He said that he liked strong girls but the strength, in those small arms, that easily pressed him down was too much for him to handle. That night he didn't know why but after being bitten by her, he felt immense pleasure throughout the body. It was as if he was drugged with aphrodisiac, his hand instinctively went under her clothes to hold the two round mounds. After that he was thoroughly suppressed for the entire unspeakable act. Ah.....so shameful. He did say he wanted to be pressed down by a girl but didn't imagine it would come true.
Suddenly he spotted a tattoo on his wrist that he couldn't be more familiar with. He saw the same tattoo on his father's and mother's arm every day. It was the bond mark - a five petaled simple flower. Only in his case It was blood red in colour. Edwyn was dumbfounded. His partner wasn't even a human, but a unknown race. But they still bonded. Edwyn thought even if his virginity was gone, sex between two different race didn't count.
As he was burning his brain to find a solution butler Lu called him.
"Um..... second prince?!"
As if he saw a saving light Edwyn rushed towards the butler. Don't underestimate butler Lu. He had been taking care of the royal family for several decades. Edwyn had been seeing him as soon as he gained consciousness. He was even more knowledgeable than those old professors in the academy. Edwyn retold his whole experience from the night without any reservations. As the butler listened his face grew serious at a alarming rate. He looked at the prince's ghastly pale face and then examined the bite mark on his neck, at last the blooming red flower at his wrist. He looked at the prince with a complicated expression. Finally said,
"Second prince, first let us go to the palace."
" Butler Lu, first explain me the situation!!"
Butler Lu looked at the prince's impatient expression and said,
" Second prince, please enter the carriage. Then we will talk."
Edwyn didn't rush him. They entered the carriage. After, the royal procession rushed through the forest.
In the carriage butler Lu finally opened his mouth,
" Second prince, It seemed you have been bonded with a vampiress."