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4. Preparations

Leo

He was storming down the hallway with a fire in his eyes. The news had already found it way into his ears.

'Damn it! Why don't they just butt out of my life?! Can't they see that I'm just not interested? Please, do they even care? I'm a grown ass man for god sakes! What makes them think that they can make me do something I don't want to?! Have they no respect for me, or my wishes?!'

Every servant knew to walk as far away from him as possible when he had the look of a mad man on his face. One of the maids, with loose black hair, gazed into his eyes while he was passing by. "Not now," he told her, then strutted past. She glanced worriedly at his retreating figure.

'What could be the problem now..?'

Leo's tantrums and fights with his parents were legendary, and his moods took a 180 turn seemingly out of nowhere. Not one of them uttered the smallest whisper of gossip during these times, for the last thing they needed was for Leonard to start choosing victims.

Prince Leo found the place he was searching for. He stormed through the red curtains with golden lace and immediately unloaded all his anger on the two people in the room, one sitting on the window seat and another in a sofa with a book in his hands.

"What the hell, Henry!" He shouted. "Another one?!"

The queen looked at her son in the utmost horror while the king narrowed his eyes and dismissed the maid that was tidying the room. Her face turned white from Leo's outburst and didn't need to be told twice to hurry out of there. Hendrick focused his attention on his son.

"Now is that the proper way to talk to your parents, Leonard? I'm your father, not your best friend."

Without a second thought he walked right up to them, not caring if he acted or sounded like one of those psychos from a thriller movie. "How can you just arrange another dance in my name without my say in it? With the amount of times you heard me complain know how much I hate them you'd think you got the message."

"Then find a bride." His mother was the one to speak this time, her voice as calm as her husband's. Standing up, her straight red hair reflected the light from the window, which was much brighter than Leo's mood.

"What in the world am I supposed to do with a woman who I don't give a damn about tying me down to a throne I don't even want to sit in?!"

Those words must have struck something inside his father. King Hendrick grabbed his son by the collar and made him look into his face. Leonard's eyes were too busy staring daggers to see his mother placing a hand on Henry's shoulder, as if to calm him down.

"First of all, you are not allowed to talk to us like that, because the last time I checked it was me and your mother whom had standing authority over the palace and over you."

"Henry dear--"

"Second of all, the time has long since past since you were supposed to be married. No man is allowed to take over the throne without first being wed, and you know all the reasons why it's necessary."

Leo rolled his eyes at his father's words but had enough common sense to listen without commenting.

"You can't fool me saying that you don't want the throne, cause we both know how much you do. So until you pick a bride, a real bride, then you are forbidden from taking over as King."

Leo's fist clenched hearing the threat but he kept his mouth shut. His father loosened the grip on him and he straightened his shirt. His mother, Elaine, walked in front of him, shaking her head.

"I don't know how hard you're taking this Leonard, but I know that its not impossible for you to manage it. I know how hard it is to have your freedom taken away, but this really is for the best. We're only doing this for you and the kingdom, not ourselves and--"

Without a word Leo once again stormed right through those red curtains.

~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~

'Crap, what am I supposed to do now?' That's what Leonard asked himself as he leaned against the walls outside the palace kitchen.

The sun had already finished its shift for today. The last of its rays create hues of violet, red, and orange. Leo thought that the servants must be esthetic. The light didn't hurt them thanks to the potion so they barely felt any discomfort. The night however filled up their spirits, especially the moon.

Should he bring her to them? If he did they would indeed stop hosting these dances for him to choose someone from. But if he did that he would be expected to marry her and he didn't even know what their relationship was right now.

He won't deny that he cares about her, but he can't see his life without freedom. So many things would change.

Having been lost in his thoughts it took him a while to figure out that a maid came out to pick up the laundry. At first she didn't notice that Leo was right behind her, or else she wouldn't have been so calm. Leo took this opportunity to take in the maids figure, and deciding that she looked well enough, he walked towards her...

~•~•~•~•~•~•~

Leonard finished zipping his pants and stared down at the maid in the grass as she tried to catch her breath, gripping onto her uniform and using it to cover herself. Her neck had already stopped bleeding, but Leo could still hear the blood pulsing.

"Well," he said. "Thanks for that. What we did here just helped me release some stress. Don't feel guilty about it later."

He waited until she had most of her clothes on before he decided to leave. When the proposition was brought up she didn't refuse, it was just that some felt guilty afterwards, and the scent of guilt stinks. It left a bad feeling in him that he did in no way like. For the moment that scent was not being emitted by this girl, and that was fine with him.

"I don't feel bad about it," she told him. "I've heard rumors from some of the other maids about it, though I never expected it to happen to me."

Leo only nodded. "You might want to eat something with a lot of iron and nutrients, your blood needs more than just fast food." He then set off, leaving a blushing maid to think over his words.

The walk from the garden was only a few turns away from the palace. Sounds of shoes crunching the dirt alerted any creature that was near of an incoming presence. At the pace that they were moving, it would probably take half an hour before he could be in the comforts of his bed.

'Should have been more careful about where I bit her, now they were sure to see it. What's done is done. Mom and Henry making a fuss wouldn't change anything.'

Off in the far distance he heard the 'hoots' of an owl in the darkness. Off to his left he heard the ruffling of bushes and quickly drew out his dagger from his shoe. Out from the bushes emerged a girl about his age, with straight light brown hair and violet eyes. She looked up at Leo and smiled, using one finger to push the dagger away from her face. "Well, isn't it my favorite ginger babe!" She said.

Leo rolled his eyes and sheathed his dagger. "Should have known it was you, Kimberley," he replied with little interest and continued walking, this time at a faster pace.

She ran towards him. "Love what you did back there," she stated.

"Back where?"

"In the midst of the royal garden, with that raven head." She snickered. "I never knew you were that skilled a swordsman."

Now it was his turn to laugh. "As if you haven't felt the wraith of my sword many times before Kimberley. By the way aren't you supposed to be in bed and not being a voyeur?"

"You mean with you? And I'm NOT a voyeur."

Leonard rolled his eyes again. "I mean at home, in your bed, by yourself," he replied sternly.

"Why would I? Its only like, eight o'clock. Besides, I need to do something to work off my, hyper energy~."

Kimberley took a step towards him but he took two steps back, nearly crushing the tulips. "Sorry, Kim, but as it is right now I've just worked off my hyper and I'm going to bed a little early."

With that he walked away from her and proceeded towards the palace which was just up ahead.

Kimberley didn't move. Instead, she stood her ground and shouted.

"Oh, I see. You're resting up for that dance tomorrow right?"

Leonard knew Kimberley was just trying to get his attention so he continued walking.

"The whole North America will be there, at least only the invited ones. Noble girls from every continent too. Not to mention the local ones. Which sucks for you!"

'She is sooo annoying!'

"But what if I told you that there was a way you could not choose a bride and still get the throne? Well, not a real bride anyway."

Prince Leo stopped in his tracks and turned to stare at the girl in fancy clothing. "Speak, Kim," he ordered.

Kim ran up towards him and told him the plan. He nodded his head, very much liking the idea however simple it sounded, but Leonard knew that there was no such thing as a free meal.

"And what's in it for you?"

Kimberley smiled, came closer, and whispered softly into his ear:

"Make me a vampire."

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