"…but nothing compares, or ever will compare, to the love I felt, for him".

Davey put down his quill, the last line in his diary written. With a deep sigh, he extinguished the candle, and crossed the darkened room to the window.

The full moon illuminated Daveys features, as the warm midsummer breeze blew his long raven hair away from his shoulders .

"So, this is what it feels like, to be free", were the last words he said as he placed the freezing blade against his neck.

And nothing remained after that, other than a soul looking for the only love it ever knew.

Breathing hard, face pale, Davey bolted upright from another bad dream, the dawn had broken and a silver golden light came in through the curtains. He quickly examined his surroundings, his sword, his wardrobe, quill, desk, book case, everything was still here.

A knock at the door made Davey start the sweat starting to run down his face.

"Who-Who's there??" he demanded.

"It's me my lord, Tabby".

Davey relaxed slightly , it was tabby, just tabby,

"Come in".

His servant Tabby, came into the room gently, her bouncy blonde hair not yet put up, a candle in her hand.

"Another bad dream my lord?" she asked as she got near the desk and placed the candle upon it.

"Yes, but I think I'll be OK. Are my brothers awake?"

"No lord, Sir Hunter stirred earlier but they both wont be awake till at least 8, it is 6 now".

Awkwardly, tabby walked over to Daveys bedside, studying his pale face and heavy brown eyes with concern. After all, this wasn't the first time that she had seen him like this, it happened constantly, sometimes every night. Although he would never admit it, Tabby knew it must affect Davey more than he'd like her to know.

And his brothers knew nothing of it at all, to involved with wine, women and money to care about the other more important things.

It was, in the end, always Davey, who tackled any problems, he who paid out to help building down near the town, went hunting when there were harsh winters for the peasants.

But they never cared.

Davey sat and thought for a while, he didn't want to go back to sleep, but he couldn't stay in bed. And he definitely didn't want to wake his brothers.

"I, I think I would like to go outside Tabby, to help, exercise off the dream", muttered Davey, not really concentrating on what he was saying.

"Shall I saddle your horse for you sir?" asked Tabby her voice cutting clear through Daveys mist of thoughts.

"Yes, yes please tabby, but please don't wake anyone"

Tabby smiled and exited the room quickly and quietly.

Davey removed himself quickly from bed, changing into his hunting clothes, attaching his beloved sword to his side.

A ride was what he needed, to clear the thoughts from his head, and so long as Adam or Hunter didn't wake up there was nothing to stop him.

He sweeped down the winding staircases , past the grand halls, with their old paintings and tapestry's, being especially careful as he passed Adam and Hunters bed chambers.

Daveys bedroom was on the top floor of the manor, so getting downstairs was no easy task. When he finally got to the front doors, he found them to already be open, with his black stallion Lestat ready and waiting.

It didn't take Davey long to leave the grounds, and soon he was flying through the forest.

Nothing in the entire world made Davey felt this way, the feeling of absolute freedom, that no-one knew where he was or where he was going.

In summer, he spent most of his time here, writing and thinking, sometimes bringing Tabby, where they would eat together and laugh about the good times.

The light and dark played tricks on his eyes, making him think things were chasing him. He could feel the wind bash harshly against his face and hair, but the further he went the more free he felt.

He carried on riding like this, weaving in and out of trees, the sound of animals waking up all around him, until they reached a stream which ran right through the centre of the forest.

Davey dismounted and led Lestat over to it, tying him to a stump to make sure he wouldn't gallop away, even though they both knew there was more loyalty than that.

Davey collapsed against a nearby tree, the ride and sleepless night had exhausted him to his bones.

He closed his eyes just for a minute, and listened to the sounds around him.

He could hear the stream trickling past, birds singing the dawn chorus, but other than that there was nothing but silence.

And peace. Blissful peace.

He enjoyed it while I lasted duty would soon drag him back to the castle, dealing with his brothers debts whilst they tried to match him up with countless maidens from various lands and backgrounds. By now, he reckoned, he must have seen a woman from every culture and religion, ethnicity and wage, both the beautiful and the ugly had been sent his way, the dumb and the intelligent.

It was, apparently, not normal for a lord of such high status to still be unmarried. And so every month, Davey sat , ate, drank and laughed with women he would never lay eyes upon again only to turn them away and get scolded by his brothers for hours after.

[X] Walked away, heard them say, poison hearts will never change, walked away, again...[X].

Davey just let these thoughts slide through his mind, he didn't want to think about them just now.

The feel of Lestat's warm breath on his hand drew him back to his senses. Once opened, the eyes of owner and horse met, both looking equally exhausted.

Any other hunter would have put himself before his horse, but Davey knew what it was like to be pushed to a limit, and he untied his mount and began back home, the walk would probably do him good anyway.

As he returned through the forest, everything now quiet and still, he reflected on the old times, when Mama had still been alive, the laughs they'd shared, the ears they shed.

"It was her, after all who taught me to read" thought Davey aloud. "Sending me to my room with novels and plays and not letting me out until I'd finished. But then again, that was always better suited to my nature, because I didn't take after father, I didn't want mud, mischief and games every day.

My dream was to take her to Paris one last time, a first time for me. She had studied dance and theatre there when she was younger, before she me my father.

I had always had that dream you know?" he said turning to face Lestat's hazel eyes.

"She said to me that Paris was like every happy person in the world had gathered to be happy in one place, and that there wasn't a single frown on any face, not a tear. The only sadness she ever saw there was when she watched the tragedy Orchid, but even that was moving and motivating. He streets were always busy at day, but they came alive at night.

That's when the theatres and acrobats came about, wine and laughter, because everyone was free and happy. Love and beauty exists in everyone my child she said but you will never see more amazing things than in the people of Paris."

Davey smiled to himself as he entered the grounds, leaves changing to gravel and stones, and he handed Lestat over to Tabby who had waited by the gate or his return.

And so he came towards the castle, yet another day.