T H I R T Y-O N E

"I'm beginning to realize why we were a little happy you left."

In the training hall, the corners were the only place where the sunlight didn't quite touch. There were wooden beams stretching across creating an extra, and visible support systems.

A few vampires lounged on them like bats in a cave.

Kai grinned over at Cyrus, who just confessed through a complaint. They had finished a training session not even five minutes ago and Kai's underlings were panting messes that sent glares of daggers at him. He only accepted them with a smile.

"Why, because I'm actually making you work?"

Cyrus turned her head with an unamused look. "Excuse me, we worked everyday. Just not so hard we were practically killing ourselves."

Kai chuckled and glanced back up at the ceiling. He was laying on his back on one of the wooden beams, hands linked behind his head and right leg crossed over his left. He missed reclining with the other guards, doing absolutely nothing but talking about everything.

"I got to say I'm impressed with how good you've all gotten to be. Even though we practiced together a few days ago, having all my focus on you guys showed me a lot."

"I still need to work on my knife throwing skills."

"Shay's really good at that."

"She's lucky she gets to work in the mansion, too."

Kai sighed and shifted his legs so his left was now over his right. "It's not all grand as it sounds. Iris was the only good part about the job."

Cyrus furrowed her eyebrows and glanced at the vampire, "You had access to most of the rooms though, didn't you? The kitchen, the library?"

"I guess, but only if I said it was for his sake...which occasionally wasn't the case."

"Of course. And what exactly did you do when the prince worked?"

"Nothing."

"Nothing?"

"Yeah. See, pretty boring."

Cyrus hummed, "But worth it."

When Kai parted his lips to continue their conversation, the door to the training hall opened and the noises bellow them died, which made them both glance down.

Kai immediately narrowed his eyes at Zoe's own body guard who entered with curious eyes. Surprisingly he looked up seconds later, as if he knew exactly where Kai was.

The vampire jumped down, crossing the building to him in a matter of seconds.

"Hyde, right?" He asked, crossing his arms in front of the guard.

Hyde nodded then looked Kai up and down. "You're King says you fight well."

Kai cocked an eyebrow up at the sudden statement. "What about it?"

"Well enough to kill the new vampires?"

Kai instantly narrowed his eyes at Hyde, the distrust making the hairs on the back of his neck rise. The foreign guard soften his features and took a step back, seeing how threatening Kai turned in a snap of a finger.

"I've heard rumors they're here, that's all. It's my job to protect my princess, but if she is to become bonded with your prince, that responsibility transfers."

"You expect me to care about a stranger?"

"I expect nothing of you. You are just as much of a stranger to both of us."

"Hey, we have a rule here."

The two males turn their heads when Cyrus joined the conversation with a glint of mischief in her eyes.

"You want to argue, do it with your fists."

Hyde tilted his head at her, "Isn't the saying: fight with your words? Not with your suggestion."

"Not here," She held out her pale hand to him. "Cyrus, first class guard. All violence is excepted here-and encouraged."

"That's..great."

Kai shook his head and peered over Hyde's shoulder when the door reopened. "Hey, Cyrus why don't you show Hyde your amazing knife skills. I'll be right back."

The female guard sputtered at him but he just walked past the two to greet one of the King's secretary.

"Yes?"

The man lightly flinched when he lingered in front of him before he cleared his throat.

"Sorry for intruding on anything, I was simply scouting for the princess's guard."

Kai pointed over his shoulder and the secretary nodded. "Is he needed?" He asked.

"No. The princess is with the King and her guard had left without notifying her. He asked me to look for him."

It was Kai's turn to nod. When the man shuffled in his spot he took notice of the papers he held.

"What are those for?" He pointed to them and the secretary held them up.

"Just unfilled paperwork."

Kai's eyes darted up, "For the prince?"

"Um, yes."

"I can take them." The vampire took a step closer to the secretary, which made him flinch again.

"Um, uh-"

"I am his guard-or was-is-whatever. I can take them for you to save you the hassle."

Perplex and confused at his odd determination, the secretary held the papers out slowly and Kai took them with a smile.

"Thanks."

When the man blinked, Kai was already entering the mansion from the back door and the man raised an eyebrow.

"Shouldn't I be saying thanks?"

††

Carver sighed when he saw a face he wasn't supposed to see appear in the second floor.

"Kai, I can't let you see-"

"Wait, wait, I'm only giving you the paperwork to give to Iris...King's orders."

Carver quirked an eyebrow at him as he took the lengthy stack of papers from Kai and checked them over. He too, was a first class guard and though they didn't have particular history, Kai and Carver were well familiar with each other. And Carver wasn't afraid to tell the vampire off.

He patted the papers as if to show Kai he accepted them and tilted his head at him.

"Is that all."

"Yes."

Carver nodded and turned around, starting to walk towards Iris's office which was only a door down.

"Actually, if you could do just one thing for me-"

Carver turned around with a glare. "Kai," He sighed in a warning tone.

"It's just one, tiny little request, " Kai used his hands to emphasize the amount of his need.

"This isn't healthy."

Kai lowered his hands along with his eyebrows.

Carver sighed again and crossed his arms. "Look, you and Iris have been together for a little over three years, right? That's quite a long time, but it's only been a day since you guys have been apart and your both already stubbornly trying to see one another. I don't think I have a right to be saying anything, but you know it's true."

Kai looked away while crossing his arms. After a thoughtful pause he sighed and glanced back.

"You're right." Carver nodded. "You don't have the right to say anything."

The vampire ran a hand down his face. "Kai, did you not listen to me?"

"Come on, I'm only asking to say hi."

"You're asking for a death sentence. The King already gave his orders. You of all people should know how to follow them."

Kai scratched the side of his head, "Yeah..I haven't been doing so well with those lately."

"Kai. I'm going to go give these to Iris, and you're going to leave." Carver pointed at the guard with squinted eyes. "I mean it. Go."

"Fine. I'm taking my leave." Kai raised his hands and started walking backwards, staying true to his words.

But this wasn't over. The night held many opportunities.

††

When the moon settled half way up the sky, stars were already dangling around its emitted silver light. Iris yawned as he pulled his curtain shut, blocking the moonlight from invading his room.

His eyes were sore and all day his right hand cramped from the excessive writing he completed. He didn't even think his dad, the King, did that much work.

He shuffled to his bathroom with another yawn and flicked the light switch on. He had already taken a shower, so he was going to brush his teeth before he went to bed. Though even turning on the faucet took a lot of energy from him. Iris was a slug, a sloth that just wanted to hug something warm and pass out.

A few seconds in brushing his teeth, Iris looked up from the small tornado forming in the sink to glancing over his shoulder at the window in his bathroom.

He waited and studied the blackness outside the glass.

The prince shrugged, ignoring the sound of a knock he heard and returned to brushing his teeth.

Then he heard it again, the soft tap tap of something solid-like metal-touching the window.

Iris finished his task, spitting out the toothpaste and washing his mouth, before he turned around with a small cloth covering the lower half of his face. He stared at his window, seeing nothing at first. Then everything.

"Iris!"

The prince widened his eyes when he saw two bright ocean colored orbs pop up in the window.

The moonlight illuminated Kai's face, making his eyes appear glowing, frantic.

Iris realized the tapping was Kai's ring against the window, as he used the back of his hand to knock gently.

"Unlock it," Kai pointed down at the latch on the window and Iris dropped the cloth and rushed over to his window.

It was above his head, so he had to climb on the edge of the bathtub to reach it; luckily it was right next to it.

The window was barely big enough for the vampire to crawl through. The larger window in Iris's room couldn't open like this one could.

Kai huffed when he landed on the bathroom floor and Iris quickly shut the window again and stepped down.

"Well, that was close. They were starting to patrol back around.." Kai let his rant fall when Iris wrapped his arms around his waist and pressed his cheek against Kai's chest. He embraced him back and kissed the top of his head.

Such a fragment of affection made the prince's heart flutter.

"What are you doing here?" He asked, his voiced partly muffled in his shirt.

"It's childish, but I really wanted to see you."

"Well, I'm not complaining."

They hugged each other for a little longer before Kai leaned back, examining Iris's tired but happy features.

"We can talk a little, then I'll leave so you can sleep."

"Do you have to be accounted for in the guard's sleeping quarters?"

"Well, no. Not a single one is sleeping, anyway."

"Good," Iris grabbed Kai's hand and led him out of the bathroom.

Kai didn't question anything as he was forced to sit on the left side of the bed and Iris walked over to the right, taking off his shirt in the process. He watched with an arch of his eyebrow, from that to when Iris lifted the duvet and his comforter, climbed inside, and patted the spot next to him.

"Oh, you want me to stay?"

Iris scoffed a small chuckle out. "Yes, Kai. Stay with me."

The vampire blinked at him before turning his back towards Iris and started taking his boots off. He was okay with sleeping with his normal pants on and he kept his shirt on, too, as he crawled inside the covers.

Again, Kai didn't question anything.

The minute he was laying besides Iris, the prince snuggled closer to him. Like they did on the roof, Iris rested his head on Kai's chest and Kai had his arms around him.

But in a bed, the feelings were much different.

"So what did your dad tell you exactly?" Kai asked, starting a chat before the silence did first.

"He was mad because I left Zoe alone, first off, and upset I kept your secret a secret. When he told me what your punishment was...I couldn't stop feeling so guilty. I'm really sorry, Kai."

The vampire squeezed Iris closer to him. He started the conversation and yet he was vacant with words to continue it.

"It's okay."

Iris sighed and got more comfortable. "I know I can't be your alarm, so you're going to have to wake yourself up before seven."

Kai smiled against Iris's head, "I figured as much."

Now the silence took hold of them both, and after a while when Kai realized Iris had fallen alseep, it was his queue that he could relax as well.

The quietness drifted their minds from a peaceful reality to even better dreams; though they wished it lasted longer than just a few hours.