Seconds immediately turned into minutes, then to hours. But then those hours turned into days too. And before Rouen could notice, weeks had already turned into months. The flowering spring became the breezy summer and Laudicea, the capital of blooming flowers, is now beautifully painted in different shades of green along with the colors of the summer blooms. What didn't change in the garden was the ever blooming tulips that reminded him of a certain someone who he tried to put at the back of his mind every time. It was already that long since he had that conversation with Sin at the Lunar Garden and, from that night, he had never left the palace grounds, not even once, nor did he accept anyone who had not been given permission by the members of the vampire council nor his parents for an audience with him.
That night was a turning point for everything that had been happening around him and the darkness that loomed above the entire kingdom started to dissipate as he started to regain his senses. Who would have thought that knowing the fact that Eona was alive was the only thing that could bring him back to how he was before the severance backfired on him? It was like he was slapped with the truth that he owes her an apology for what he did to her and that if he had to kneel down and kiss her feet just so he could get her forgiveness, he would do so without another word.
He surrendered himself to the sentinels reporting directly under the Silver Blood Mihai Elfenbrehm for persecution, but the punishment he received after the trial is not enough to compensate for what he knew he did while he was basking himself in the darkness that accompanied his existence. He was expecting the council would prosecute him on the spot by opening up the Sun Hall for the second time within the span of a few weeks, not too long after he had it opened because of two Silver Bloods sentenced to forced eternal sleep. If not that, maybe they'd issue an order to have him locked up in the winter palace located deep in the white mountains for ages. But they did not.
Questions and different opinions arose because of how light his punishment was. There are even those who openly showed their distaste with regards to the decision of the council, which caused disorder in the kingdom for a while, but since all of the council members were on the side of the current reigning power, the fallen families who rallied and protested were not able to do anything about it. They could only raise the issue for a while until it died down eventually, though some of them held hostility towards the royal family and the council.
Rouen knew that the prophecy that loomed over his entire existence had a lot to do with the vampire council's decision to just temporarily restrain his abilities as a Gold Blood by ordering him to wear an artifact imbued with restricting magic which can only be removed by the head of the council, Duchess Venice of the House of Chasteler, while confining him in the Lunar palace, the residence of the royal family. He tried to remove the bracelet not only once, but he failed every time.
When he raised the flute that contained a wine mixed with blood towards his mouth for a drink, the bracelet that fitted on his wrist glistened and he frowned. It never failed to remind him that he would never be able to do the things he used to do because it was restraining his power and abilities as a Golden Blood, making him feel like he was reduced to a mere human being, even though it was not the case at all.
"No matter how much you glare at that thing in your hand, you will never be able to remove it without the permission of the vampire council's head, the Duchess of the House of Chasteler."
"Caius…" he acknowledged, and the Silver Blood who had just arrived slightly bowed to give him respect as well as a greeting.
He sighed as he completely ignored the bracelet before drinking the red liquid in the crystal flute he was holding. The blood mixed with wine passed through his tongue down to his throat like a sweet kind of beverage but not as filling as Eona's blood. Yes, he could still remember the feeling, the taste and the exhilaration he felt while he consumed her blood. It can never be compared to anything he has tasted before and he wants it again.
"You look like you're not quite happy with what you are drinking and wanted to consume a particular blood."
"I do," he answered, but then frowned. "But I can't."
Caius chuckled. He knew the feeling so he could sympathize with the prince, but he chose not to say anything. He knew whose blood it was he was craving and he was aware that, after gaining his senses, he had been trying to fight his instinct to look for the source because he did not want to hurt her again. As per Rouen's command, he returned immediately on the next day after he received his order for him to return to their kingdom. He brought forth the news that the human girl, Eona, had been put into a coma in which even her parents or the hunters put in charge of her welfare didn't know the reason why. Since then, both Caius and Sin alternately give the prince a report regarding Eona's whereabouts, but for the past few months, the contents of their reports haven't changed. She is still sleeping.
"What brought you here, Caius?"
"I'm here to inform you that we're about to depart for the world of the living."
"And?" Rouen asked, uninterested.
Caius laughed softly as he relaxed his stance. If it wasn't an official meeting, he talked to the prince informally the way Sin does and Rouen never once reprimanded him, so he continued doing so. It made him think that during these past few months, him and the rest of the Silver Bloods who visited Rouen in the palace had grown closer to him. It may only be by a thread, but that still says something, especially when the one on the other end is the crown prince, who has only ever considered Sin Edelweiss as his friend ever since they were young.
"Would you like to visit the girl?"
Instead of answering, Rouen stared at him with his aquamarine eyes. He did not say anything for a while, which made Caius fidget in his place as he looked around to somehow try and dispel the tension that was building. Really, how could the prince give off an overwhelming presence and intimidate him when he was just staying still and silent behind his office table?
"Have you somehow forgotten that I am still under house arrest until further notice?"
"I'm sure the council wouldn't mind you going out for a breath of fresh air as long as you're accompanied by four Silver Blood vampires."
Rouen's eyebrows furrowed. "Four?"
What could be the reason for having four Silver Bloods go to Cenchrea at the same time? Silver Bloods only ever go out of Aceldama when they are ordered to do something official outside of the kingdom. They often take on assignments alone and they rarely work with another because it is more effective for them to be working alone. To have four of them assembled together for one purpose, what might that be?
"Sin, Mihai, Delilah and I. We each received an order directly from the king not too long ago. We were ordered to act as one of the delegates who will represent Aceldama at the upcoming gathering of the Five Kingdoms which is going to be held in the world of the living. In addition to that, we will be accompanying the council members from the Houses of Lohengrin, Lanchester, Montaigne and La Ascania, who will have to depart two days after us. While we go with the First Bloods to attend official meetings with the representatives of each kingdom, Sin can excuse himself to accompany you instead."
Gathering of the Five Kingdoms. It is an event held every ten years and it is held in the world of the living every time. The attendees were both natural and supernatural beings. They were royalties that ruled a kingdom, principalities and dominions. There were also presidents that governed a country and other known individuals who had made a name of their own during their existence. It is the grandest and most luxurious convention people have ever known that people from the media wanted to take part in, but none of them were invited to attend every time to prevent any leakages about the existence of the supernatural beings present and what they represent.
Security was tight to prevent any mishaps because the naturals knew that if the identities of the delegation from the kingdoms where supernatural beings reside would be made public, they were the ones who would suffer casualties in the end. That is why the Hunters' Association was the one in charge of it, because they are the ones who never take sides though they exist solely to protect the best interest of their own people, humans.
While naturals send different delegations almost every time because of their governing system and limited lifespan, the supernaturals only ever change the ones who represent their kingdom when the ruling authority has more important matters to tend to or at certain times was not in the mood to participate in the said event. It was an eventful night where human beings who age through the passage of time witness how vampires, werewolves and other supernatural beings were not the least bit affected by it.
Gathering of the Five Kingdoms means that it involves Elysia, Tempestra, Sythra, Aceldama and the world of the living, Cenchrea. But no one from Elysia and Sythra has ever attended the gathering, not even once. Because of such an event, speculations and rumors about the people of each kingdom ceasing to exist after the First Blood War have been considered a fact. Even the Great Wolves have never once participated in it and only those succeeding generations from the Lycan kingdom represented Tempestra until this day. But how many were actually aware that two out of the three beings who were once the pillar of the Golden Age, the Monarch and the Werewolf Supreme, were alive and well? And does their existence mean that their people, the Pureblood vampires and the Great Wolves, still exist today? Who knows, maybe the Enchantress from the witch kingdom might be alive too?
Rouen pursed his lips. They have a more pressing matter at hand if they do.
"So, are you coming? With Mihai's help, we can slip you off past the sentinels that are guarding the Astral Gates. From then on, you can go and visit the girl. We'll be staying at Duchess Amelia's estate for a week, so you'll have a lot of time to go and visit the human girl."
"I'd like to avoid any mishaps along the way, so I'll just get permission from my father. Doing something behind their back while I'm still being confined would only cause more problems. I already have a lot to take care of and I don't need another more to add to the burden."
"So you're coming then?"
"After I get permission, yes."
With his present situation where he was still under house arrest, Rouen had expected the hurdles, but getting permission from his father to leave the kingdom for a while actually gave him a hard time. It took him a few days to get it from him with the help of his mother, Austria, who convinced her husband to let him go to the world of the living. But the king's statement was clear. Once the delegation decided to come back immediately, even if the gathering they are about to attend has not come to an end yet, he too would be coming back home with them. Without much of a choice, he had to agree to that.
There was something he wanted to know: that even if he was only given a limited time, he would take it. And maybe having Eona right in front of him, though she may still be sleeping, would help him a little. His memories about that night he drained her were a little bit hazy. He could remember what happened before he attacked her and he could also remember what happened after. Those memories were so vivid that they haunted him almost every time. But he could not remember what happened in between that time. It's as if it was erased on purpose. He knew that he was missing something and he wanted to know what it was because he felt like the thing he could not remember was the one thing that he should never have forgotten at all.
On the day of their departure, the four Silver Bloods, Sin, Caius, Delilah along with Mihai, who had recently become the head of his family and became one of the council members at such a young age, waited for him by the door of the palace. From there, it didn't take them long to reach the Astral Gates which was in Elstein, the neutral city of Aceldama where beings from different kingdoms see each other on a daily basis. Their trip didn't give them much of a hassle. After passing through the gates without a problem, they were welcomed by Cenchrea's sun, but Rouen hissed in displeasure when he was blinded by its light the moment he walked out that he had to step back into the shade because it was hurting his eyes. He had expected the changes in his body because of the artifact in the form of a bracelet the council made him wear while he was under probation, but never this much. When the Silver Bloods looked at him, they saw how his eyes angrily shined in between his fingers.
"Are you alright?" Delilah asked, her voice had a tone of worry because they all knew the prince shouldn't be affected by the sun in the world of the living. After all, he had been living there for a while without any problems at all when him and Sin hid themselves from the council.
"I am. The bracelet is just making me sensitive about things that didn't bother me before, because it is completely restricting the power of my blood. I never thought it would do anything to my senses either."
Sin handed him his sunglasses, which he accepted without second thoughts. "Does that mean you cannot move during daylight?" That would cause them some problems if that was the case.
"I can. But not as swift as I used to be." Now that he thinks about it, maybe he'll need a car while he's here in the world of the living, because travelling using his speed and agility as a vampire would take a toll on him.
"Did that artifact on your wrist restrict your blood so much that you became human?"
As his eyes glistened more brightly, Rouen flashed his fangs in Caius' direction in a threatening manner. "Do I look like one at the moment?"
Caius raised his hands with a chuckle because he had never seen the prince this irritated. "No, certainly not." In fact, he looked like a wounded beast that is ready to attack at any given moment.
"But you're suffering like a Leper would," Mihai pointed out.
"As much as I hate to admit it," Rouen agreed before he whispered, "fucking bracelet…"
The Silver Bloods only laughed at his statement but didn't say anything else. Now that they have become closer with the prince, they are seeing sides of him that they have never seen before. They get to see him frustrated, irritated, bothered and the like. After all, from a bystander's point of view, he always looks regal like the prince that he was born to be by just standing still while remaining silent as if he never gave a damn about the world and what's happening around him. His presence made it hard to approach him, especially when he didn't really engage in pointless conversation in public.
"Let's go meet Kaien first. We need to at least inform him that you're here to meet the girl put under his protection. We don't want to cause any misunderstanding that will make us clash with the hunters while we're here as delegates that represent our kingdom. It won't end without casualties if we do," Delilah suggested, and they all agreed with that.
Using their abilities as vampires, within the blink of an eye, they disappear from where they are as they go towards the direction of the school where they knew Kaien was at at that time of the day. They didn't teleport, no. They just moved so fast that a human being's eyes were not able to follow. And if ever there was someone who noticed their presence, they'd still think they had seen something blurry pass by and not an actual vampire. Besides, the majority of naturals still believed their tales that vampires burn under the sun, so for sure they'd never think of them being able to go out in daylight. Yes, it applied to Lepers and New Bloods, but never to vampire-borns like them.
***
Kaien was not able to hide his surprise when not two but five vampire-born found themselves standing inside his office. Four Silver Bloods and a Gold Blood. How often was it for a human to see them together if not during a soiree hosted in their kingdom? Kaien thinks this was the first. He was used to seeing Sin and Rouen together, but not with the rest. Marius and Zaniel, his fellow vampire hunters who were with him at that time because they had something to report to him personally, were dumbfounded as they silently waited for what was about to take place. But as a common courtesy, the three of them greeted all vampire-born with their heads slightly bowing down and their fisted right hand hovering above their left chest.
"We greet all four Silver Bloods, Lords and Lady and the Gold Blood, his royal highness, the crown prince."
They knew vampire-borns don't usually go to the world of the living without any official business and for them to be here together must mean that they are participating in the upcoming gathering which has made the Association busy for a few days now, despite them being fully loaded with all the Lepers walking around, victimizing whoever it was that crosses their paths. The numbers of the Lepers have obviously been reduced with the help of Siegrain and the others with him, but they still continue to appear every now and then. Even with all of the evidence they had gathered, they still could not pin point where the Lepers were coming from. Though in recent months, what they were made certain of was that someone was controlling them from the shadows and that is what Zaniel and Marius were telling him before Sin and his group arrived.
"You don't have to be so formal. We came here unannounced after all."
Kaien and his fellow hunters stared at the beings standing before them. They look out of this world even in their toned-down attires that should very well match the preferences of wealthy human beings. It was because of their presence that screamed that they all belonged to nobility. They were once children who grew up under strict education and training and they have been living with such refined grace for such a long time that it has become a part of their daily life. For them, it was already normal, yet the way they carried themselves would still surely turn heads every time they were mingling with the naturals. They all looked like models who got lost and ended up in the vicinity of Hillcrest and for sure their appearance at the gates of his school caused an uproar among his students.
"Did anything happen outside that I should know about?"
The guys looked everywhere but him and Delilah, who looked at him straight in the eye, only gave him a subtle smile as if she knew what he was talking about.
"Let's say your students were a little bit… enthusiastic. Are you sure they're all children of those who work for our kind as blood donors?"
"Not all of them, actually, Lady Eberstein. Some of them were children of business men and women who collaborate with your kind who have established a business of their own here in the world of the living. Those children knew of your existence but have never met anyone from your kingdom, unlike those whose parents work as blood donors."
"Doesn't the Day Class only ever admit children whose parents work as blood donors?"
"The school recently opened its doors to anyone who knew about the secrets of this world. After all, Hillcrest' main purpose is to recruit and train individuals who possess the ability to become hunters as well as to serve as a neutral ground here in the world of the living where naturals and supernatural beings can coexist peacefully."
"Is this place under the authority of the Hunter's Association?" Mihai asked as his eyes held skepticism.
Kaien is aware that he was the only Silver Blood to have ever become a council member when his father stepped down from his position as the head of the House of Elfenbrehm. Furthermore, he also knew that Mihai was the Knight Commander of the sentinels who was in charge of the security of the Kingdom of Aceldama. He could understand his reaction, especially when the Night Class are all vampires under the protection of their kingdom.
"No, it is under the Cross family's authority."
"Was the deal between Aceldama and Hillcrest still in effect then?"
"Yes."
The prince had never said a word since their arrival and that did not escape Kaien's observant nature, but he never voiced out what he noticed and just took it as the prince's usual silent attitude. Rouen never intended to get the Chairman's attention, but he had to ask him to know what they should do next if the new regulations the school had established would benefit them or not.
"That would be great then."
When Rouen removed his sunglasses, Kaien's eyes widened when he saw how his eyes were abnormally bright, as if his irises were a luminous object, a jewel shining under the light. How long was it since he last saw the prince anyway? If it was the time when he caused a massacre on one of the train lines, it was already too long. The human populace had already even moved on from that topic after much effort from the association to erase the tracks of the vampire who had caused it. And looking at him now, his looks may not have changed, but it seems as if he's not his usual self.
"Are you okay?" Kaien asked.
Rouen's eyes reminded him of that night. It was the night when he saw him covered in blood for the first time, his eyes shining bright with grief, his lengthened fangs on full display behind his lips painted red with blood, while Eona's lifeless body was lying in his arms. The scene was so vivid that he could still see it so clearly every time he closed his eyes. Were they not able to calm his raging blood, which had been awakened and freed because of the severance?
"I am," Rouen answered curtly.
Kaien frowned. Then why do his eyes –
"Rouen's blood has long been calmed down. He already had control of his senses and instincts. He's just suffering from the after effects of wearing an artifact that restrains the power of his blood," Sin explained, and Kaien immediately knew that the artifact he was talking about was the bracelet on Rouen's wrist. "He is, after all, still under probation until further notice."
"Because of what happened last spring?"
"Yes."
But no matter which perspective he used to see the situation, the punishment they gave him is obviously too light. It must have surely caused another uproar in their kingdom, though he was not in any position to question them about it. Kaien knew though only to an extent that Rouen and his life as a Gold Blood vampire had been written in the prophecy the vampire kingdom believed to be happening soon in the future because of his birth. The council must have had their reasons for handing down a punishment that would surely benefit them all in the end.
Kaien then focused his attention on the four Silver Bloods standing in front of him. "I take it you're the delegates from your kingdom this time?"
Delilah smiled. "Half of it, yes. The First Bloods from our kingdom, Duke Cohen of the Lohengrin Duchy, Duke Grey of the Lanchester Duchy, Duke Brenn of the Montaigne Duchy and Duchess Amelia of the La Ascania Duchy will arrive after two days. We only came a little earlier to check on things with regards to everyone's safety."
"Do they look like they cannot handle themselves when it comes to their safety?"
"It was never the First Bloods we are worried about, Kaien. It was the people they were going to meet and even those who were just about to grace their presence." Mihai pointed out before the rest of the Silver Bloods chuckled as if that fact was a joke to them. "If beings from different kingdoms gather at one place, something unexpected will surely happen no matter how tight the security is. You cannot trust people with fake smiles and sugary words as they extend their hand out to you, because those who do that openly are often the ones who are holding a dagger in their other hand hidden at their back, ready to stab you at any given time."
Kaien did not say anything to retort to that. For human beings, what Mihai said was the truth, because deceiving someone to get ahead or simply to dominate is in their nature. They are greedy creatures who would do anything to get what they want. But for vampires, does being cautious come naturally to them because of how dangerous their world was compared to the world of the living? Or was it their arrogance that made them think they always pose a threat to someone who is not their own kind because they could take a life at the snap of their fingers?
"We are presently at war with our own kind," Caius explained before he continued. "They are those who do not abide by our laws and have chosen to create a system of their own. We are afraid that they'll disrupt the gathering if given the chance and we do not want to be blamed for something we have not done, so we ourselves must take precautions, whatever it takes. If something like that happens, it would cause a rift between Aceldama and Cenchrea if that happens. The balance of life that we have right now is unstable and those who wish to cause chaos will destroy that completely to achieve their goals."
Kaien nodded. He just had to agree to that. Just as humans are at war with their own because of the different countries, dominions and principalities that divide them, for sure, these beings, too, have a problem that is comparable to them.
"And the prince… If I am not mistaken, he was not one of the delegates mentioned in the confirmation letter sent by your kingdom."
"Oh," Sin glanced at his friend before focusing his attention back on the Chairman, "he's here to visit the girl."
Kaien blinked while Marius and Zaniel glanced at him with concern. He couldn't actually blame the two because they saw the state of the girl when they all thought she had died at the hands of the prince. At first he thought he heard the Silver Blood wrong, but when he saw that they were all waiting for his permission, he knew that Sin was serious about what he said to him.
Thinking back, no one would think that Eona would ever survive because he, too, had lost his hopes when he saw her lying lifeless in Rouen's embrace. With the help of the witch named Astrid, they successfully took Eona away from Rouen, who had followed his instincts as a vampire that night and drained her. She was bloody and bleeding back then when he appeared in the front of the association building using teleportation magic. At that time, seconds felt like hours. Though her skin color remained and her warmth never faded, she was literally lifeless without a pulse. They were not sure what happened but before they could declare her dead, Eona took a deep breath and then screamed horrifyingly. She flailed with the strength that a human being as frail as her should not possess while her eyes shined bright red as if she had become an entirely different person. In fact, it took three elite hunters to restrain her completely. That was the last time they saw her conscious before her body fell into a deep slumber.
"What?"
"Eona," Rouen answered. "I know she survived that night after you took her from me." Before Kaien could make his excuses, Rouen continued with a warning in his voice. "Don't hide her from me Kaien. My blood may have been presently restrained but I have enough strength to turn everything upside down to find her."