A/N: And I'm on a bit of a roll tonight, it doesn't seem fair to leave the last chapter as it was, so here we go. A little glimpse of this mismatched family dynamics and of course, dear Zero.

See first chapter for warnings, summary and disclaimer! I do not own Vampire Knight, if I did...well, you know.


"Take a few tablets, Zero." Ichiru snagged the container from the ground and tossed it lightly towards his twin, his tone mocking. "After all, you're not a monster, who would devour a poor, helpless young girl, are you?"

Sara's shoulders suddenly shook as if quivering with laughter, but her back was to the situation and neither prince could see her face. The serving girl began to babble more apologies as Zero took another step back, willing his body to obey. "You know, it would be an honor for her, if you thought to really make use of those fangs." Ichiru reached down, grabbing the girl by the wrist and hauling her up to stand, holding the bloodied hand up for inspection. "After all, you're a prince and she's just a serving w-"

"Shut up, Ichiru!" Zero ground out, hugging his arms tight to his sides as the inevitable shaking began. He turned his back to the group, fingers digging into his arms as ee fought with his darker side, realizing, belatedly, that he was too weak to will it away. It had been weeks since he had last fed—enough to be satisfied anyway. The blood tablets working depended on whether his vampire nature was feeling generous or not. Most times he ended up puking his guts out in the bathroom chambers for the better part of the day.

"Aww, what's the matter, Ze?" Ichiru thrust the girl aside, ignoring her whimperings as he stepped forward and around the mess. "You know, lately I've been wondering about you and-" The silver-haired prince leapt backwards when Zero suddenly whirled around to face him, eyes blood red and fangs fully extended. A certain shade of pale registered as the younger twin pressed himself into the wall, frozen. It had certainly been a while since he had seen his twin's vampire side and suddenly, he had the feeling that things weren't about to go the way he'd originally intended.

"Something the matter, Ichiru?" Vampire Zero rasped. "You think this is funny?"

"I think it's horribly amusing." Sara tittered, the laughter evident in her voice as she turned to face the two brothers.

Ichiru blanched, mouthing the word 'No' to his wife's back, but remaining unable to do anything beyond that as Zero currently had him collared against the smooth, cold rock of the castle walls.

Zero growled. "I could show you amusing." He blurred forward, one hand outstretched for the temping expanse of pale white neck, the royal gown offered. Sara wouldn't be able to run in the heavy skirts and silks—he hoped. He was acutely aware of her scent and the rich, crimson blood flowing through her veins. It smelled even better than Ichiru.

Ichiru sprang to action, leaping forward shove his wife to the side, blocking his twin with outstretched arms and the first flicker of fear. "Z-zero? Zero, listen to me! It's Ichiru. Don't do this, d-don't do this!"

Sara had stumbled out of the way and jerked around with a retort on her lips to see the strange sight beside her. Her own vampire nature stirred faintly, then died out when the crimson eyes turned to glower at her. Pureblood vampire or naught, half of her powers had been sealed upon her holy wedded union to one of the precious crown princes. She could try to run, but the current ballgown was a bit on the heavy side and exactly where was a princess supposed to run when being chased by her vampiric brother-in-law? Sara swallowed hard, backing away when Zero's head whipped to the left and he sniffed the air, faintly. The growl sounded in his throat, a more pleasured sound than a frustrated one and he pushed away from Ichiru to focus on the new thing.

She strained to hear what he was hearing and an expression of horror registered on her face when she did.

A soft humming filled the air and Zero didn't wait.

When the singer rounded the corner, he tackled it. It being a her and her being a lovely, silver-haired woman in royal garb twice as lavish as the Princess Sara. There was a muffled squeak of surprise before a comical sight greeted Prince Ichiru and company.

Queen Shizuka was pinned against the stone wall of the furnished walkway, with her head jerked to the side with the aid of Zero's fist in her silvery-white hair, his other hand having ripped the front of her collared gown to expose the pale flesh beneath. He'd summarily sunk his fangs into her neck and now drank freely and greedily from the pureblood queen.

Prince Ichiru gulped. His adoptive mother, Queen Shizuka merely smiled the little smile she usually did when humoring either one of her adopted twin sons. "Ichiru." She managed, wincing as Zero drew hard from her. "Lovely morning, isn't it? Sara."

"Er." Ichiru swallowed. "Good morning, Mother." He darted a glance towards Sara, somewhat relieved to know that his lovely wife was offering a curtsy and on the verge of running away. He hoped she would run. He hoped he could run after her. The very sight before him promised painful repercussions and he didn't want to be around, even if he wasn't the one that would be in trouble.

Zero growled into her neck, but didn't stop in his drinking.

The Queen's placid smile remained as one slender white hand reached up, threading through Zero's lovely locks. "Good morning to you too, Zero." She stroked his head and fingered the silver earrings adoring his ears. "Zero, love, I've told you before not to fight this." She sighed, taking in the sight before her. "It isn't good for you and you know it puts everyone else at risk when you aren't being honest with yourself." She pinched his ear, lightly. He twitched, faintly, giving another growl, this one less annoyed and quieter than the first. "Ichiru, call someone to clean this up before your father gets here. If he sees this, I think he'll pitch a fit from this kingdom to the next realm of-"

"What is going on here?" King Rido's booming voice sent a deliberate chill over every being present.

Zero shivered, burrowing closer to the warm neck currently providing the very thing he craved—rich, sweet blood—and a sweet-smelling haven.

Shizuka's hand on his hair slipped down to rest on his waist.

"Shizuka!" One red eye flashed and the other blue one flared with jealousy. "Zero." The second name was ground out with a touch more malice and then the first repeated with barely suppressed anger. "Shizuka…!"

"Zero…" She cooed, wincing again. He was drawing too much and too fast at the wrong time. From the possessive gleam in her husband's eyes, she could well predict what would happen next.

And it did.

In the following minutes, the royal wrath of the esteemed pureblood King manifested itself in two slaps and a powerful, oppressive aura. The slaps were delivered in quick succession after he wrenched the pair apart.

One to the half-drunk and giddy prince and the other to the flushed queen formerly pinned against the wall.

Zero was sent sprawling to the ground, a very visible red handprint on his pale face. Ichiru's horrified expression said more than his mouth might have. Shizuka sagged back against the wall.

"Rido, darling…calm down, it's not what you think it was…he was just…"

"Silence, woman!" The King growled. "You think I can't use my own head? He's old enough to fend for himself and you keep enabling him with your-" The glower darkened, the blue eye fluxing crimson. The scent of blood in the air, especially that of his bonded mate was a little too much to resist, regardless of the current situation and her health. "Your blood is mine." He growled. "How many times much I remind you that everything you have, everything you are, is mine and mine alone?"

Shizuka didn't answer, one hand over the wound in her neck that was slowly healing, the other holding up the ripped bodice of her royal gown. The weary look in her pale pink eyes faded as her legs gave way and she crumpled to the ground in a dead faint.

"Shizuka!" Rido lurched forward.

Zero's crimson eyes faded back to a dull lavender hue. He took the brief distraction for what it was worth—the moment the King's back turned to him—he scrambled to his feet and ran.


~*~*~*Thanks for reading!~*~*~