T E N

The party thrived and stayed awake until three o'clock the next day-it started at five. And this was only day one.

Maids and servants were pressured with cleaning, and the King made some of the vampires help as well. They all wanted to refuse, of course, but their loyal side gave in.

The mansion was large enough to house all the guests and then some. But a few stayed in rent houses in the villages.

As voices and footsteps and hallways awoke, Iris fixed his crumbled up paper, making it somewhat smoother, and threw it with a forceful arm so it reached his guard in his room; however it dropped to the floor feet away from its target.

"You throw like a child."

Iris narrowed his eyes at the vampire, "I'm sorry, I throw better with my right arm but-or yeah-" Iris jerked his right hand up and a loud sound of chains clinking found their ears. A shackle hugged his wrist with chains so longer than two feet.

From his bed where the chains connected to his bed frame, he peered at Kai, who laid sideways on his floor, propped up by his elbow near the door way.

"And I'd get the paper but-" This time Kai kicked his foot, making an identical metal clang sound which Iris couldn't see but he was aware of, the shackle around Kai's ankle.

Iris sighed and rested his head against his dark wooden headboard.

When the guards finally caught their secret rendezvous-twice-the King expressed both his disappointmnet and impressed feeling, but then had no choice but to expel Iris out of the party. Taking no chances, they cuffed him to his bed. An hour later Kai and another guard sauntered in. They cuffed him to his bed and left-with the mistake of not shutting the door.

In their period, chaining someone to something was a simple slap on the wrist for bad behavior.

So, private meet ups turned into a fun fest; two devious smirks only feet away from each other.

It was fun, until they forgot to remove the chains. Not a beat of sleep was given.

"Reach, I wrote something."

"Passing notes in class is bad," Kai teased yet got on his hands and knees to reach the paper. His fingertips grazed the edges before he flinched forward and scooped it in his hand. With a light sigh he sat back up and unraveled it, or only one flap, before Iris's bedroom door opened and Sage walked in. She paused in the doorway, eyes flicking to the cuff around the prince's wrist, then towards Kai's room.

"Has rescue arrived?" Kai's sarcastic laced voice asked out. It was more amusing because Sage couldn't see him, only hear his relief.

"And breakfast." Sage shut the door with her feet and walked in with a tray, two large circular lids covering the food and one glass of green tea sitting on top. She placed it on Iris's nightstand and dug through her pocket. "Your mother overheard your forbidden meetings," She glanced at Kai and talked loud enough so they could both hear,"and thought keeping you locked up would be good discipline." Once she unlocked the shackle and tugged it off she gestured to the tray. "Food was my idea."

Iris shook his head in disbelief, "Now she treats us like circus animals?"

Sage patted his knee before making her way over to Kai. She dug through a pocket inside her coat before pulling out a pouch with liquid sloshing inside. "A gift." She held it out to him and he took with a nod of his head.

"Thanks." But Sage didn't move, causing Kai to look up.

"Do you want more?" she asked, hearing the faint uncertainty in his voice before it was absorbed in gratefulness.

"No," he waved the bag, "I'll make do." This time she accepted and bent down to undo his chains.

When Sage returned to Iris, she returned to an empty bed and the sound of a shower starting, so she waved to Kai and headed out, quite likely to go help clean a broken plate upstairs for that pretty maid.

Kai looked down at the jiggly bag in his hand and sighed. The appetite was heavy yet staring at the meal made his stomach twist in disgust. Throwing away the hesitation, he popped open the cap and brought it up to his mouth anyway and walked towards his closet with the bag hanging from his lips.

Now, sun rised, its light raided the mansion through the long wide windows and spared shadows in crevices the rays couldn't reach. The halls were alive, voices were filling voids, and thuds of boots and heels on the aesthetic red carpets were constant.

As the bathroom door opened a light fog of mist trailed Iris out while he was rubbing a towel through his wet hair. He let it fall and hang around his neck while he jumped onto his bed and feasted his food with his eyes.

He prefers hot tea, but any sweetened green tea would suffice his bliss. Thus, he picked up the long glass-also preferring mugs-and held it up to his lips. He noticed that Kai had already taken his portion, so his also simple breakfast of eggs and toast were alone on the tray. After drying his hair completely he shuffled on his bed until his back touched his headboard and he had his food on his lap. It felt nice eating in bed, no worries of being judged he wasn't wearing professional clothing or that he accidentally had his elbows on the table. Though he was the prince, who'd dare question him? Answer: everyone. Because he's not a very likable person and they all know he isn't going to go crying to his father.

He picked up a piece of toast like it was a sandwich and chomped on a side, the bread crunching as he chewed. He looked up, toast in his mouth and eyes innocent when someone cleared their throat.

"You eat like a mouse." Kai chuckled as he moseyed over and held onto one of the poles on the bedpost, his palm feeling out the carved in designs on the dark oak. If he held on any further up, he'd feel the royal blue curtain of the canopy.

Iris lowered his food and swallowed. "Why do you always compare me to lesser beings?" Kai titled his head and the prince sighed, "A child, a mouse?"

"Yes. And?"

Suddenly Iris got defensive. "And if anything you're the one who acts like a child."

Kai, unfazed, crossed his arms. "You do realize trying to debate your way of out this is childish, right?"

"I..shut up." Iris looked away with a pout, which, as if he noticed, stopped crossing his arms stubbornly and straightened his back out. "Anyways.."

Kai chuckled. Knowing he was going to change the subject. He sat down on the bed near the prince's feet and peered at him with an awaiting expression.

"My dad said he found that auctiond-the one that man from the village "didn't" get that girl," He used his fingers for quotation marks, "I told him we'd obviously go check it out. See if it's still in play and maybe go talk to the little girl's mother?"

"In case she has information?"

"Yes. However, they live outside of the kingdom and that's an easy full day travel. Plus we never told my mom and-"

"You don't think she'll let you."

Iris pursed his lips and started whisking his wrist-a gesture to tell the vampire to continue.

"With me," he finished and Iris nodded.

"That's why I'm not sure if we tell her."

"Well, how urgent is this venture?"

"I'd like to do it quick. What if that auction is still thriving?"

Kai looked down to contemplate. He held a good point and he himself also wanted to put a stop to the ordeal if it was still in action. But, that was a big if.

"Don't have hope in my dad, you know he won't say anything."

"I'll talk to the King, if it works he'll convince his wife and then we'll head out. Deal?"

Iris bit his lip with doubt, but he couldn't let something so big slide because of his worry. "Okay." He confirmed.

After that they finished getting ready and headed out into the guest infested mansion and towards the King's office.

††

"Valley Birdyget." Shay, one of the vampires that had a flexible job in the mansion, handed Iris a piece of paper with recent information on the supposed auction. She had the stance of a guard but a respected label next to Arlo. "Humans ran it but the little girl's mom claimed a vampire was helping the warden."

"Force aiding, it has to be."

Shay linked her fingers in front of her and shrugged her shoulders. "It wouldn't be wise to be closed minded on our adaption to the humans, and what we're-or they-are willing to do to keep an upper hand.

"So an auction ran by both humans and vampires, they specifically sold and bought those under fifteen and..is there a connection?" Kai took the floor, eyes scanning every word and period on the paper with a pensive stare. He looked up with perked eyebrows.

"Well, none of the children were pure blood."

Iris furrowed his eyebrows, "They were turned? All of them?"

Shay nodded, "The mother said some rogues turned them years back. The girl was only ten. From the reports we got when we interrogated the man, he mentioned the new generations are a must have-as quoted from one of the organizers."

"New announcements are coming in slow."

Iris, Kai, and Shay looked towards the white double doors as the King walked in with a distressed expression on his face. "I suggest you two go now." He stopped by the open doors, hands behind his back and eyes focused on his son and his personal guard.

"Did you tell my mother?"

"I informed her. Though, I told her Shay was traveling with you, you know what my preference is. No offence." He held his hand up towards the female vampire, who shook her head quickly then bowed it.

"None taken, sir."

"So.." Iris glanced at Kai, "we're going now?"

"Whenever you're ready. It is a day's trip."

"Actually it might not have to be." Kai murmured as he stood up. "I can get us there in half that time-even less."

Already knowing what he was suggesting, Iris shook his head. "It is broad daylight, Kai."

"Yes. And?"

"And it's risky."

"If you can do it," Arlo grabbed their attention again, "then act on it and go."

"Dad-"

"Very well. I'll pack." Kai pushed his chair in and strolled over to the doors. He bowed his head before leaving and left an emotionless female guard and a stumped prince; before he too said his temporary goodbyes.

††

Updates will now be regular!! I was dealing with FIVE projects in my classes and they all took up soo much time in my schedule. But I'm back on track and I'll have more time to write :)