A/N So this is the story of Vlad's past and how he ended up where he is in my ,,Onyx'' story. I hope you'll enjoy it and please, let me know if it's interesting and if I should continue writing it :)

I'm so bored. If it doesn't end soon, I'll jump onto the table, kick off everyone's stuff and make a good show out of mocking them while they'll be trying to stop me. Oh gods, how much fun would that be ?

Vlad covered his mouth with one hand, desperately trying to suppress a really improper laughter. Regardless of his efforts, he did drew several glances from the dignitaries garthered in the office for ,special' meeting the boy's stepfather, the lord, had convened.

He claimed it was necessary due to important issues regarding lands they were all responsible for and factically, everyone in here seemed to have a lot to say about numerous political subjects so the meeting just would not end.

Oh, how Vlad hated the old man while sitting at the table, his back all stiff from the most uncomfortable chair, his fingers tapping impatiently against armrests. He generally hated being forced to participate in those things. Not that he didn't care about his future duties. It was just he couldn't stand learning about them this way. And with this man.

He glared up at the lord who was sitting unmovingly next to him. Kostadin, that was the man's name, sensed his sudden, hostile interest and turned his sight to him.

Vlad did not look away, although a small, warning shiver ran down his spine as those dark, sharp and cold eyes met his own. A lenient smile made its way to Kostadin's lips and the man for a moment looked like a decent, trustworthy lord most people considered him to be.

But he wasn't one. Vlad was not born with a whole package of supernatural traits to ignore the advantages they gave him. And his intuition told him, no, it cried out loud that this man was not worthy of anyone's trust.

He was forceless though, his mother had already made a choice two years ago and he obviously loved her enough not to poison her hardly-built new life with constant grumbling. She deserved all the happiness she could find.

Well, he might have shared his doubts with her once or twice...Or rather he went on and on about it until she finally told him to shut up and watch her proving him wrong. They had always been on rather casual, close terms so neither of them felt offended by other's lack of support, at least not very deeply. He eventually gave up and decided he would just keep a wary eye on Kostadin.

And so he did but the man was sly, oh, he acted perfectly smooth. He took the balance of duties from his mother's shoulders and played the prefect lord. They got married and one year later things only got worse, a child was to be born, only days left now.

Vlad, who had been an only child for almost fourteen years, felt a little uncertain, especially knowing that it would be his half-sibiling, Kostadin's son or daughter. Not that he was going to blame an innocent infant for whom its father was, no, he was just afraid of the man's bad influence on it and the fact that Kostadin would stay here for good, sealed and confirmed.

,,And perhaps our young heir would like to add something to this conversation ?" slightly pompous voice cut through his thoughts, tearing him out of pensiveness. He swiftly looked around only to find all dignitaries already watching him with mixed emotions, from irritation to connievance. Some of them lowered or averted their gazes when meeting his nonhuman, deep red eyes, a rather rare part of the family inheritage. They were either scared of him or disgusted but Vlad didn't mind that much since he couldn't care less for people who only got him bored.

,,He would not." he replied ironically with no sign of respect, smirking a bit. ,,Please, continue."

As the men slowly moved on with the discussion, Vlad felt the lord's sight setting on him. He pretended not to notice, stubbornly staring out the window. In spite of a warm touch of sunbeams on his skin, he felt as if a chilly blow of wind suddenly went through the office, making him flinch.

He tried to focus on more amusing things like what he was going to do with the rest of this hot, late-summer day. Oh, he had plans, definitely too many of them for one afternoon and probably it would end up the same way it always had, which was spending time carelessly on horse riding, looking for adventures all around the valley, especially in the forest or going deep into caves he had lately found, up in the mountains.

To be honest, he wouldn't even mind staying inside the castle. Everything would suit him as long as he got to do it with his best friend with whom he had been spending each and every summer since...he didn't even remember so it had to be really early. Their months together were always passing too quickly and now it was already the day before parting.

Damn you, Kostadin. You knew it's his last day here when you forced me to spend all morning on that political foolery.

He gritted his teeth, once again feeling forceless against the lord's small acts of maliciousness. It was his way to discretly let Vladimir know that the aversion was mutual...without anyone else notice.

Vlad wasn't mean or vicious by nature, quite the opposite actually but when he hated something, he did it all the way, no holding back. And Kostadin was starting to get close to the thin border between being disliked and being hated.

Just wait for it, once I'm finally of age, I'll make you do all the things you hate and I'll be watching it with nothing but satisfaction.

The thought, combined with vivid pictures sliding across his mind, made Vlad smile. He bit his lower lip, paying attention not to cut himself with one of those long, pointed canines he had, oblivious to a few panicked glances casted in his direction.

True that his life wasn't exactly the way he wanted it but who said he still couldn't have as much fun as possible ? Those were supposed to be his last years with no real responsibilities and he was not going to waste them, Kostadin or not.

With that in mind, he stood up abruptly, faked a polite smile, making sure his fangs were entirely visible, and looked down at the men. ,,It was a pleasure to partake in such an interesting meeting, very instructive, really." he said, sarcasm flowing freely with every word. ,,But unfortunately, my previous obligations force me to take my leave now." he ended with an ironic smirk, before turning around and walking away through the door, Kostadin's glare at his back physically felt.

Vlad didn't even blink, even though he knew he'd most likely regret his boldness later. Now he only wanted to make this day worth waiting the rest of the year for another summer. And for that, he needed his friend.