I woke up in the late hours of the morning and found my bed empty. I guessed that Diamond had already left because I didn't find her clothes where I left them last night and my T-shirt was neatly hung.
Groggily, I got out of bed and headed for the bathroom while I took off the shorts on the way. Even before I stepped in, I noticed the scent of my soap and found my towel was wet. She must have taken a long and hot shower. I opened the door and walked in, shutting it gently behind me. Standing naked, I picked up my toothbrush and began to work on my teeth. Pushed out my fangs and looked at them closer in the mirror.
Even after all these years, my teeth were as white as ever. As hard as it was, I made it work. I finished up with my teeth as I walked into the shower. I just let the cold water run down my body as I reached out for the soap. It was a quick bath; at least shorter than the ones I normally took. Today was an off work day for me since I would have to focus on more vampire related matters soon.
I got dressed in plain, casual clothes as I headed downstairs to the dining room. I could even taste the pancakes from just the scent that reached me from up the stairs. I saw the table set entirely, but Kristin was nowhere in sight. It also felt a little off because Kristin hardly made pancakes without serving herself too. I called out for her, only to get her telepathic response saying that she was in my study; getting things in order for my trip to London, for both business and ceremonial.
I asked her about the meal and she said it was Diamond that made it. Slightly shocked but it was expected, seeing that she still had memories of me in her childhood; that was one thing I needed to find out. I sat down and wolfed down the food in minutes. Being a tribrid, blood wasn't a necessity for me to survive; but there was always the occasional drink here and there. Sometimes in my numerous sex episodes, the unfortunate criminal or crime boss, or even the sick dying man on his death bed.
The moment I was done, I looked around for Diamond but couldn't find her. I used the portal to return to the cottage, and found her instructing the workers as needed. I smiled as I looked through the window, before I walked out through the back door and headed to the garage. I drove off into the city and went to have a good drink, though I knew fully well that no mortal drink could ever get me even slightly tipsy. I just needed that noisy bar air; the one that gets all loud because people come over to drink away their passing sorrows and to drown themselves in alcohol.
Sitting in a corner of the bar, I sipped on a glass of tequila and watched the people inside the bar. I could hear almost all of Romania from my cottage if I just listened but for this bar, I toned down my hearing to the barest minimum. I just listened to their chatter and smiled with glass in hand. There was never a time that I was human so I had no fond memories to reminisce; but I had a fun childhood albeit with the deadly training that my father had me undergo. He was a tough man and strict to the core, but he made sure that every job was done right and that included his job of raising me. Raising me as both his son and the saviour of our kind.
I remember when he first trained me on hand to hand combat. He made me fight him, with my short body at the age of 10 and wearing biker gloves, while he held onto a short dagger. Totally unfair to a child who had never been in a brawl in his short life. He knew fully well that there was no way I could overpower him so he made a rule, if I can evade 20 stabs from his dagger, then I had won the fight. It seemed so simple, and I was excited about it. Evading wouldn't be so hard, I was already faster than a cheetah, but I was never more wrong.
The moment he started moving, he was like a blur. Like flashes of colour in front of me. I could barely keep track of his feet as he moved from one spot to another. And then, the first stab came. Lightning fast and I could even hear the air rip apart as the dagger lunged forward. With just my keen senses, I evaded the dagger but without grace as I rolled onto the floor. He stopped for a brief moment to look me in the eyes and shake his head in disappointment. It wasn't exciting to see your son, who you had painfully trained for years, fail so miserably.
I laid on the ground there, staring my dad in the face. I could see his face filled in disappointment. Not wanting to be a complete shame, I stood up and readied myself for another charge from him. As I stood there in silence, I began to remember all the things he had told me a while ago: that my speed shouldn't be the only thing I depend on. Being a tribrid, I was born with insane strength, speed, heightened senses amongst others. I was even faster than my father, but that was only when both of us ran in a straight line. I could barely use my speed in a fight; I would leave too many openings. At the moment, I was only good in rescuing and escaping. But I tightened my fists as I looked my father in the eye with determination written all over my face. He nodded his head in approval as he took a single step towards me. This time, he seemed to go all out as even the leaves on the trees were pulled into the little whirlwind he was creating. He said one word "Go!" as he blasted towards me. I listened silently and watched my surroundings with my ears, eyes, nose, skin and even the hair that stood erect all over me. I could feel the wind coming at me from all over, and even some leaves hit me as the wind carried them. I felt a slight push coming towards me from my lower left region, just around my last two ribs. I effortlessly jumped up and I could see the slight flicker of the dagger as it reflected the sunlight, just before it vanished again. I bent into a dive and headed back to the ground. I landed into a roll and then jumped off to the left side. This time, I saw the dagger stab the place where my neck was the moment I got out of my roll. I wasn't dogging the dagger because I could anticipate his moves, I was dodging it because I moved before he did and he couldn't read my movements. This went on for another 5 moves until I made a mistake of jumping to high with no tree in sight. I hung in the air and my father jumped to meet me before aiming the dagger at my shoulder, jamming it in with the force of an adult bear. The stab pushed me back to the ground and I blew away the leaves for around 5 meters. I casually pulled the dagger out and my dad landed in front of me, with a very small smile littering his ever-so normal face.
"Though you couldn't block up to 5 moves, you did a bit better than I had expected. Now, we will do this once a week till the day you can wrest the dagger from my hands."
With a forced smile, I got up to meet my father's gaze with mine. Deep down, we both knew that I was slowly embarking on a road that would not include him. For if I would rise, he would have to fall. There could never be two kings in one palace. And on his last day, as the blade of a demon pierced his still beating heart, he smiled as he looked up at me, rushing to him through the sky. For even as little love he showed me, I knew I occupied the most space in his heart, but it was never a topic we dwelt upon.
The only loving words I ever heard my father speak to me, were in passing; a week before my coming-of-age ceremony.
"Amongst all my achievements and everything I cherish, amongst my prized possessions, you're the one thing I can never regret. Even though you weren't exactly something I planned, I plan to raise you as a king that you will live to be; and as the lovely son I birthed."