T W E N T Y

"Well wasn't that futile."

Once confronting the mistress claiming she saw one of the new generation vampires, the two realized that the fate on their side played dirty tricks. The woman in her early thirties only appeared to have a creative, yet coincidental, imagination. Why she reported the sighting to the station in her village, they both kept asking themselves that. Kai came to a conclusion that she did see one, and the shock left a psychological effect on her, making the woman act the wacky way she was.

Iris's hope that she had information vanished from his body the second the woman got off track and started talking about her cat; or one of them. He strongly disagreed with Kai's suggestion. Mainly because his patience was unable to last more than ten minutes in that feline littered home. He's definitely reporting that to his dad. So many cats seemed like a crime to the young prince. Was that even healthy?

"Or maybe the vampire told her to act." Still, Kai tried to debunk her odd behavior and blame the vampire she saw.

"If they did why would she go and tell and risk being exposed?"

Kai looked up, processing what he just said. "That's true."

Iris shook his head, already loosing interest in their task. Instead of Kai taking them back, they decided to walk since there were clouds shielding majority of the sun's light. The heat was still a bothersome to Kai, but the danger was hours ahead of him. Give or taken an hour and they'll be home.

Looking up at the sky, it seems that the storm they encountered at Finch's was finally catching up to their kingdom. The baby blue was fading into a gray, and the warmth from the sun was cooling. Kai glanced down at Iris while he was occupied looking around. He always found it comical that despite living here for eighteen years, the prince still looked amazed when he observed his home.

"You know, I love my kingdom-" Iris looked up at Kai, starting the topic as though he read the vampire's mind. "but I've always wanted to see others. Not counting Finch's or the west."

"Right. It's illegal for a prince to travel past one kingdom not his-unless for business."

"How do you know that?"

"Fine print, Iris. I'm the one who's supposed to stop you from doing that."

"So it's part of your job to keep me here?"

"Ah," Kai wagged his finger at Iris, "it's to keep you safe. Ensuring you stay in your kingdom is just a regulation."

"That's a hostage act."

Kai scoffed, "It may have its flaws, but your kingdom is one the kindest I've been to."

Iris's eyes grew with interest and he turned, walking backwards as he smiled at his guard. "You lived overseas," He said it like it was so praiseworthy, "what was that like? Were kingdoms the same?"

"Well, where I stayed, it snowed everyday. And kingdom rules were very, very ruthless."

"Public execution ruthless?"

Kai looked down at Iris, "Worse. But they did that too."

"Did they have those?" He pointed to Kai's collar, which he touched gently, as if remembering the times the weight didn't exist.

"No."

"So, isn't that one good thing?"

Kai chuckled, "Nope. Misbehaved vampires just got killed on the spot. No three second shock as a warning."

Iris stopped walking backwards before he ended up tripping. "Was there any joyful times?"

"Oh, plenty. Sage and I would torment gatherings we obviously weren't invited to. Food is always best when free. Have you ever tried lemon cake? It's great."

Iris laughed, "Must've been easy when everyone was terrified of you."

"It wasn't good times, but it was simpler. That I miss."

The prince smiled to himself. That was the past, the madness and medival punishments, it was decades ago. It had to have changed and for that his hope was still lightning bright.

"Iris."

"Hm?"

He looked down when Kai skimmed his hand over his. For a moment he thought he was going to take it and hold it. But it was only to get his attention.

He looked up, attention definitely grabbed.

"If-when I'm able..I'll take you wherever you want to go; if you want."

Iris parted his lips, but words were so insignificant to how he felt, and how happy that made him feel. He stared at Kai with wide puppy eyes until the vampire chuckled and ruffled his hair.

"I'll take that as a yes."

††

Sage crossed her arms while she leaned against the counters in the kitchen, her smile directed curiously at the prince.

The especially happy prince.

Iris, Sage, and a few cooks filled the large stainless steel kitchen. Sage was ordered to observe the new chefs that arrived that morning, and Iris visited to try the sweets they usually made. From the island, he sat stuffing a piece of cake in his mouth.

"Okay, I doubt the chocolate is causing that smile." Sage joked.

Iris looked up and blinked at her, acting as though he didn't realize she was there. Now it was only her, the others had vanished into the dinning room.

He took another bite and cleared his thoat. "Sure it is. Everyone loves cake."

"Maybe, but that's not what I meant. I heard you and Kai went out to talk to someone, been gone for almost two hour."

"It was in the fourth village. Of course we'd be gone for a while."

"Mmhm."

Iris furrowed his eyebrows at her but his small smile never left his face. Just as he took another bite of the heaven he called cake, the two double doors connecting the kitchen and the dinning room were pushed open.

Their eyes were attracted up to see who entered, and Iris had to force his gaze down, or else the painted face of his mother would dull his contentment.

"Oh, you're here?" Amelia stared at her son, who shot her a glare and she put her palms up. "I'm sorry, I meant why are you here?"

Iris poked at his treat, hating that his appetite was suddenly stripped away. "Eating."

"Ah, yes, they made free samples didn't they?"

Sage watched the prince grip his fork, taming himself to quiet his temper; and words he might even regret saying. And he never felt guilty for talking back to his mother. He just wanted to keep his brightened atmosphere, but she was threatening that.

"And you?" Amelia roamed over to the fridges while raising her eyebrow at the female guard.

"I was told to observe the new cooks, my oh so beautiful Queen."

Amelia smiled bitterly at her and turned with a long remote in her hand neither she or Iris knew had.

"You know what I can do right? Just a simple tap, and I get to watch a good show for as long as I want-no, sorry, I'll watch until the performer stops breathing."

Iris had turned away from his food and watched them with a wary expression. He was surprised Sage didn't even flinch at her threat, not like Kai did when he even just got a glimpse of the Queen's remote in her grip. He always wondered why that is, but right then he couldn't think about Kai when Sage was the one in front of him.

The calm vampire tilted her body, hip out and arms crossed, and glared at Amelia. Glared.

"I respect you as a noble and as a Queen, but I will not treat you like a priceless tiara who's very much secretly a disloyal, sad, arrogant-"

As Sage started spatting out her words and stepping closer to the Queen, Iris saw the scene unfold before it occurred.

However he widened his eyes when his prediction was another future, and not the one where his mother abruptly raised her hand and the sound of skin hatefully slapping skin echoed in the kitchen.

He jumped off his stool, shocked. Sage backed away from the impact and held the side of her face. It wasn't quite the act that made Iris clench his fists, but the sight of single strand of blood leaking off of Sage's chin.

The vampire gasped in surprise and slight pain while she continued to back away from the unnervingly calm Queen. When her back touched the edge of the counters, Amelia scoffed with a smile.

The two watched her glance at her hand and twist her gold back into place.

Iris widened his eyes and stomped over to her. "Are you crazy!? Why would you do that?"

Amelia narrowed her eyes up at her son. She didn't care he was taller, it was about confident dominance. And she had an abundance of it.

"Better than shocking her, is it not? I know how much you hate when I do that-"

"No. Do not turn your actions onto me, you never care about what I disapprove of and you never will. You take things way too far mother."

Amelia rolled her eyes and chuckled dryly. "Be grateful it only skimmed her skin. That pest," She said glaring at Sage, "is a disappointment. You all think you're so loyal, yet you talk like you own the damn place. Vampires like you are better off rotting in the sun and I'd pay to witnesses. Now, you claim I take things too far, why, let me help. You-" She jabbed a finger at her son's chest, "have a planned marriage meeting at the end of this week."

Iris flinched away, memories of ever having a smile on his face were in an abyss to far to call back. "W-what?"

"Oh, no," Amelia faked a gasp and covered her mouth with her hands, "I wasn't supposed to tell you. Oh well, do keep this between us, yeah? Your father wouldn't be pleased if he knew." She patted Iris's shoulder as she walked past him, taking a plate of cookies with her as she moseyed out of the kitchen, her humming continuing in the dinning room.

Iris stated at the fridge door in front of him, eyes wide and nerves spiking throughout his body. It was an odd feeling, but his felt like static. He was a buzzing, unthinkable mess.

Sage brought her hand to her face, a splotch of red holding in her palm. It baffled her. The cut should've healed minutes after the infliction. She clenched her hand into a fist and walked over to Iris.

"Hey," She placed her clean hand on his shoulder, and he glanced down at it. "Your mother's a wicked person, she could have been making it up."

Iris shook his head. As much as he wanted to hear all the alternatives he knew what his mother's said was but only the truth. Call it a gut feeling.

And it's an awful feeling.

He sighed and turned to look at her cheek. Sage titled her head away, or attempted to, but Iris cupped her face.

It wasn't a big cut, and inch at the most. He was curious too, why it hadn't healed. Amlia's ring was only gold.

"I'm sorry. I should've stopped her."

Sage widened her eyes, "Whoa, hold on my prince, I'm okay. I've been through hell worse. I..if I hadn't provoked her you wouldn't have-"

"No, I'm glad she told me, now I have luggage. But she didn't have to do that to you."

Sage diverted her eyes to the two doors. "It is better than getting shocked." Then she smiled and shook her head. "I see why Kai likes you. You're selfless and emotional. Everything your people say you're not."

Iris let his hands drop and he felt Sage's upbeat atmosphere began rubbing off his.

But he could not share her smile.