Here is the newest chapter! I hope you'll all enjoy it. Though I do have to warn you that I haven't properly edited this chapter, so there might be some mistakes. Sorry.
Thank you for all of your support and nice reviews.
Please leave a review.
Summary: As Reika slowly started to understand her new life, she came to the conclusion that fairness did not exist in this world and that blood was the only thing that mattered. [SI, Self-Insert/OC-Insert as Kuran Rido's daughter]
Enjoy.
To Rule The World
Chapter 4
It's All Fun And Games
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How A Bird Gained Its Freedom
"Better to die fighting for freedom then be a prisoner all the days of your life."
― Bob Marley
"It was like when you make a move in chess and just as you take your finger off the piece, you see the mistake you've made, and there's this panic because you don't know yet the scale of disaster you've left yourself open to."
― Kazuo Ishiguro, Never Let Me Go
Reika started regretting her previous actions not even half an hour later. As liberating as they had been, the consequences just weren't worth the momentary satisfaction she might have felt. Ichijo Asato was a very powerful man in their world and Reika did not doubt that he could severely hurt her.
As such, the girl felt almost like she should actually apologize. The last time she had felt like that was when she discovered her powers of manipulation and forced her will upon the poor servant.
And yet the young pureblood knew better than to do something so foolish. Showing such a weakness in a room full of vampires was like signing her own death sentence. Besides, her stupid pride wouldn't allow something like that anyway.
The Head of the Council might have been powerful, but he was still just an aristocrat.
Shiki Senri was the only aristocrat for whom Reika was willing to let go of her pride.
(One of her many flaws.)
That, however, did not stop her from feeling slightly abashed. Not because she had practically attacked another vampire, but because she had lost control of her own temper.
For someone with her inherent powers losing control was very dangerous, not only for the people surrounding her but also for herself. While it wasn't a common occurrence, it wasn't completely unheard of for a pureblood vampire to kill themselves in an uncontrolled fit of rage.
Reika feared what would happen should she die again.
It was hard to keep her emotionless mask from slipping while she felt a mix of anger, shame and trepidation threatening to burst out of her and yet there was no other choice. After losing control once, Reika could not afford to behave so recklessly again.
With all the enemies she already had, the girl could not risk creating more of them.
Her arrogance and pride would cause her enough problems in the future, for now she had to at least try reigning in her more volatile impulses.
''May I have this dance, Reika-sama?'' Asked a childish voice from behind her. The small group of foreign people—Vampires from all over the world had come to meet her.—surrounding Reika immediately became silent.
Turning around, the Kuran princess regarded the familiar looking boy. His blonde hair and blue eyes were of the exact shade as those of his grandfather and she suddenly did not know if she should curse or praise her luck.
Ichijo Takuma had offered her an escape from a conversation she had completely failed to listen to. Unfortunately, the had boy had also garnered the attention of most of the guests, among them his grandfather.
The girl could practically feel the older man's gaze.
Letting go of Kaname's arm—Her ancestor had chosen to accompany her through the whole night. Whether it was to stop her from doing something too stupid or to show a united front, Reika did not know.—, she smiled courteously. ''Yes, Ichijo-san, is it?''
The blond's eyes widened in unconcealed surprise, so he probably had not expected her to know his name. He quickly rectified his blunder and offered her his arm.
It was her second dance that evening, no one else had dared to 'take' her from Kaname's side yet. She just thanked whatever god was out there that the boy was actually a good dancer. Having to watch out for his feet to stop them from stepping on her own would have just worsened her mood even more.
Together, they glided gracefully across the whole room, their feet making no sound when they touched the marble floor.
During a twirl the long dress of a Spanish vampire brushed against Reika's side and blinded one of her eyes. In the last second, the Kuran princess managed to get out of the other couples way by pulling herself towards her own partner.
Amusement shone in the young boy's eyes as steered them away from the boisterous Spaniards.
The childlike curiosity and mirth in Takuma's sky blue orbs was such a stark contrast to the stern expression on Ichijo Asato's face that Reika actually had to blink in surprise.
Despite having done nothing to deserve it, the pureblood obviously had the child's respect. There was also some awe in his eyes, but that was probably due to the fact that during his childhood he must have heard many stories about 'pureblood greatness' and their unapproachability.
For a moment, Reika considered the notion of having Takuma as an ally, however, she discarded it almost instantly. Although the boy seemed to be nice enough in the once fictional series and he would have considerable political power in the future, the risks were just too great.
The chances were high that he would chose Kaname or his grandfather above her and Reika could not be certain that she would not let something important slip out of her mouth in his presence. If he decided to be loyal to either of the aforementioned vampires, then he would without a doubt tell them everything she mentioned near him.
Kuran Reika might not have been stupid, but she had no delusions about her intelligence and cunning. No matter how much she hated it, the girl could not even dream of outwitting two a few millennia old beings.
In comparison to them the female Kuran was nothing but a foolish child, playing a game of which she did not know the rules.
With all of her setbacks, she did not need a spy among her 'allies' as well.
Regrettably, this also applied to most other children of her age group. Those who belonged to the 'main cast' would end up most likely on Kaname's side. Senri's friend, Toya Rima, was one of the only few people she could try reaching before her cousin.
Reika's isolated childhood had stopped her from forming true bonds with anyone but her brother and father. Her most influential age mates had definitely been already snagged by her ancestor.
'I need to focus', the deceptively young looking female reminded herself of that as the current song slowed down.
Their dance ended abruptly with a small curtsy from the female Kuran and a low bow from her partner. ''It was an honor to dance with you, Reika-sama.''
An honor?
Suddenly, the girl felt very tired of everyone treating her with such a distance. When had been the last time someone other than her brother had not treated her like some higher being?
The answer was easy enough; before Kuran Haruka and Juuri were killed. Their older brother was one of the only two people who treated her with a measure of familiarity. As sad as it was, after her brother, Kuran Rido was the closest companion she had.
Reika, despite enjoying her high status and physical power, was a very lonely child.
In spite of all the people inside her home, she still had only one close confidant. After not even six years in this new world, Kuran Reika was already tired of being a pureblood.
She could easily understand why so many Level A vampires suffered from depressions. Their lives were impossibly long and lonely. Without a beloved of the same blood status their existence was very solitary.
Age would take everyone from Reika in the future, while she herself would stay completely untouched by it.
The thought that she would not die unless someone killed her was rather daunting. And even if someone did try, killing a pureblood wasn't easy.
Fact was that when every single person she knew right now finally died, Kuran Reika would still keep on walking. As long as no one killed her or the girl did not commit suicide, she would still be on this cursed earth a few millennia in the future.
If there was one thing she had in this new life, Reika thought bitterly, then it was time.
''I too enjoyed dancing with such a fine partner.'' She replied automatically after a slightly longer than necessary moment of silence, shaken out of her thoughts by the start of a new melody.
They had stopped their dancing near the entrance of the room, staying out of the way of the other vampires partaking in the next waltz. Even from her current position, Reika noticed a few couples with a son or two regarding her calculatingly and knew that there were many more dances to come. Luckily, Anna had chosen one of her more comfortable pairs of shoes.
''Uhm...'' Takuma begun, pulling her attention back to himself. ''I don't believe you've seen the buffet yet, Reika-sama. If you would like, I could accompany you to it.''
The choice between dancing with more strangers and enjoying some food and more importantly blood wasn't hard to make.
A genuine smile turned her lips upwards as she took his offered arm. Unlike Kaname, the young aristocrat walked with a pace she could easily follow. From what she had observed Takuma shared both her cousin's physical age and height which actually were the only two things both boys seemed to have in common.
There was a childish innocence and freedom in the blond's eyes that neither Kaname nor Reika could ever even hope to copy. Both of their masks lacked perfection in that respect.
''I heard some girls saying that the lemon tart is heavenly.'' Reika commented as they approached a large table decorated with various foods and drinks in the adjoining room.
For a moment a gleeful expression appeared on the boy's face. ''I'll be sure to try it.''
Before reaching their destination the small children had to pass a few round tables which were already occupied by many guests. Vampires greeted her left and right, most even standing up and bowing lowly.
Reika just tried nodding her head at the right time and appearing as if she actually knew who each of them was. Her preparations for this day had only included the names of the most important members of their society and that left her clueless about identity of most of her guests.
It was the exact opposite the other way around. Everyone present knew of who and what Kuran Reika was.
There was one positive aspect of that fame, Reika recognized gleefully as the crowd around the buffet parted before her and allowed her access to the available dishes without having to wait for her turn.
Had she not been in public, the girl might have actually bounced towards the table. As it was, she just gracefully accepted a shiny plate from one of the servants and started putting an unhealthy and rather inappropriate amount of food on her plate.
The lemon tart among it, of course.
Takuma followed her slowly, his face radiating a joy she could not allow to appear on her own visage.
Dishes from different countries were beautifully arranged on large plates. Finger food and a large assortment of desserts.
After Reika finally reached the end of the buffet and asked a servants to bring her a glass of blood, she chose one of the available tables to sit down at. Not waiting for Takuma because he would certainly join her without any prompting, the female Kuran made her way towards one of the empty tables and sat down on a comfortable chair.
As it was the polite thing to do, Reika decided to wait for her knew acquaintance before starting her meal.
On her plate was a mix of foods most would wrinkle their nose at, but the female Kuran quite liked eating salty and sweet things together. Even as Cienna she had loved eating her fries with a vanilla or chocolate milkshake instead of ketchup.
''Here is some B+, Reika-sama.'' Fumiko, one of her handmaidens, put a glass of blood on top of the table.
Nodding to express her appreciation, the female Kuran tilted her head to the left to watch the blond boy uncertainly approaching her. He held a plate filled mostly with sweets in his hand. ''Please bring something for Ichijo-san as well, Fumiko.''
''Hai.'' The dark haired girl scurried away before the Ichijo heir reached the table.
Biting his lip until one of his fangs pierced its skin, Takuma looked at her questioningly. Sighing silently, Reika pointed at the chair next to her. ''You may sit down. Fumiko will bring you some blood soon.''
Following her instructions, the boy sat down and regarded her thoughtfully. Unsure if it was appropriate to question her, he opened and closed his mouth. Reika herself would have been glad to eat in silence as she did not really possess the necessary social skills to have a truly pleasant conversation with a stranger—Her father's decisions had left her slightly socially awkward.—but she felt annoyed enough by the boy's hesitance to speak up to actually do so herself. ''You can ask me whatever it is you want to know.''
''Uhm...'' He rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. ''What do you like doing in your free time, Reika-sama?''
Swallowing a piece of her tart, the young pureblood decided that answering that question would not hurt her. ''I enjoy reading.''
''Really?'' Boyish excitement appeared on his face and Reika was reminded of how painfully young Takuma was. Vampires matured very quickly, but that did not change the fact that a child could never truly be an adult. ''I also like reading, manga mostly.''
Something tightened in Reika's chest and her gaze softened once she heard the enthusiasm in the boy's voice. Cienna's sister, Maria, had loved reading manga, oftentimes regaling her with tales of her favorites.
Maria Donati had been a hopeless fangirl with an unfortunate love for the villains of a story.
Reika missed her sister.
''Manga?'' A tongue darted out to wet slightly dry lips. ''Which ones?''
Amused, Reika watched how his cheeks colored in embarrassment. ''My favorites are 'The Rising of the Shield Hero' and 'Love so Life'''
The last part was mumbled and Reika immediately remembered one of the many volumes on her, no, Cienna's sister's bookshelves. She was pretty certain that the last manga was a love story about an orphaned girl and a slightly older male.
It was also something that once again reminded her of Maria. ''They sound interesting. Perhaps you could lend me some volumes?''
The boy grinned brightly and started to babble excitedly about his two favorite stories.
For once Reika knew that she might have actually said the right thing.
A week after the ball Reika was allowed to leave her gilded cage for the first time in more than five years.
Dark clouds greeted her once she stepped over the threshold of the Shiki mansion that evening and her hand tightened around that of her brother. A droplet of water landed on her cheek and lighting danced across the sky, forcing Reika to close her eyes.
''A storm is coming. Perhaps we should wait a little longer or go tomorrow?'' Anna suggested as she opened an umbrella and held it over the siblings heads to shield them from the rain.
Narrowing her eyes, Reika said forcefully: ''No, we're going now.''
She could not miss this opportunity, not when one word from her cousin could probably trap her in that house once again. At least once, the girl had to see this world at least once in this new life.
Fear tickled her nostrils and Reika realized that she might have lashed out too harshly. The pavement under her feet was fractured slightly and her handmaiden's head was bowed in submission.
''My apologies, Reika-sama.'' The blond whispered softly, her voice filled with shame. ''That was very insensitive of me.''
''It's alright.'' Reika murmured and waved her hand dismissively as she watched a black car driving up to them. Being angry wasn't something the pureblood needed right now—she preferred enjoying her current bout of freedom.
Loosening her hold on Senri, the female Kuran carefully glided down a flight of steps. Rain pelted her coat and braided hair as Anna hurried to catch up with her. Although she knew that something like that would always happen, Reika did not appreciate the disregard shown towards her brother.
By the time their small entourage reached the dark vehicle, a familiar butler was already opening the door for her. He bowed lowly at the waist and whispered a quiet greeting. After nodding in acknowledgment, Reika slipped inside the car and motioned for Senri to come in. Due to his small frame his entrance looked slightly awkward and he somehow managed to sprawl himself onto her lap.
Fortunately, her quick vampire reflexes allowed the girl to catch his head before it hit the second door. Silky hair tickled Reika's palm as her fingers tightened around his curls. Both of them had inherited their father's wavy hair and it also seemed that with each day Senri resembled the man a little more.
Before anything could be said, the boy was pulled off his sisters lap almost harshly. Wide eyed and flushed slightly, Anna checked if the pureblood princess had been harmed and then made sure that Senri was alright as well. All the while the servant girl straightened his ruffled clothes. ''Are you unharmed, Reika-sama?''
Once Senri was securely sitting next her, the young girl sighed in irritation. ''I was never the one in danger. Senri's the one who almost injured his head.''
Naturally, Reika wasn't really surprised by the other girl's behavior. As it was the highest law in their society, Anna putting her on a pedestal, while not appreciated, was still quite expected.
And yet, despite knowing that this was something common in their world, the Kuran was still highly peeved. Faulting the servant for her biased actions was as childish as it was necessary. Though Reika might not have cared about most of the people living with her, she did love her brother.
As such she did not wish for him to be swallowed by her giant shadow.
Anna Rothery would either have to adapt and change her views concerning Reika's brother or she would quickly find herself without a job. Losing her place as a pureblood's handmaiden would shame the American publicly and if her attitude towards Senri did not shift into something more pleasant, Reika would quite happily socially destroy the aristocrat.
''Where to, Reika-sama?'' Asked the driver with the intention to break the small staring match between the two female vampires in his car.
How about the nearest airport so that she could finally leave this damned country?
Reika had to bite her lip to stop herself from saying just that. Instead of fulfilling one of her biggest dreams, the girl just asked the driver to take them to the closest town.
As it turned out their destination, a small town called Niji, was located about forty minutes from her childhood home. Whether it was to hide the unusual things happening around the mansion—At least one earthquake per week in the same area wasn't something most would consider to be normal. Nor would many people actually willingly live in such a place.—or just a coincidence, the long way to any civilization was rather inconvenient.
If something ever happened, neither of Rido's children would have the option of hiding in a crowd of humans who would act as a distraction or a buffer.
Most sane vampires would be hesitant to show their true nature to humans which was a fortunate quality Reika would have been willing to exploit if the situation called for it. Sadly, their home was too far away from any humans because of which she did not have such an option.
As she observed the autumn scenery through the window, Reika realized that she had lost so much. For more than five years the girl had been trapped inside a luxurious mansion, deprived of things every child should have some access to.
These eyes of hers had never seen a lake like the one the car had to pass over a bridge, a bridge she would have not been able to identify as such if Cienna's memories were not inside her head. In less than twenty minutes Reika saw a dozen of things she had never seen in this new life. There were trees that could not be found near the Shiki mansion and roadsigns colored with such garish shades that no one would actually dare to use them to decorate the classy Shiki house.
Unbidden, a pair of hands grabbed onto the door as pinkish eyes widened in wonder. Reika angled her body to the right and leaned her forehead against the cool window. With her heightened senses the girl could see a lightly colored squirrel climbing up one of the trees. Its large black eyes blinked twice and a pinkish nose wrinkled adorably.
''What is it?'' There was the click of a car belt being opened and suddenly Reika felt a weight on her back. Senri's soft hair tickled her cheek as he gazed out of the window and tried to find what had captured her attention.
Had they been human, the Kuran might have worried about the safety of their current position. Accidents were something vampires had to worry about, but they weren't as dangerous to them as they were to a human. A pureblood's body could heal almost anything and Senri's heritage gave him a lot of leeway as well. Besides, their two guardians would not allow anything to happen to them. Both Anna and the unknown driver would rather throw themselves in front of any danger coming at the two children than let any harm come to them.
And there was also the fact that due to her telekinesis Reika could stop almost anything in her immediate vicinity from touching her or Senri.
''There was a squirrel on one of the trees, but we've passed it already.'' Answered the young pureblood while pushing her brother back into his seat. Though they weren't in any true danger that still did not mean that they should start tempting fate.
Vampires might have healed better than humans could ever hope to, but cuts and broken bones still hurt.
''Stop that, Onee-sama.'' Senri pushed her fussing hands away. ''I want to see a squirrel too.''
Horrified, Anna raised her left hand to her mouth and presented the Shiki heir with a stern gaze. ''Senri-sama! Your sister has every right to tell you to sit down again. Unfastening your buckle was a very dangerous thing to do an...''
''She did it as well.'' He pointed out, interrupting whatever Anna wanted to say next.
Admittedly, that was a fair argument, but also one the other vampire would not accept as an excuse.
The American begun talking again after a short pause. ''Reika-sama is a completely different case. She has...''
''Anna,'' Reika frowned, her teeth clenching angrily. ''That's enough.''
That immediately shut the older vampire up, her mouth snapping close and eyes moving towards the pureblood's face. This time she did not dare to even utter an apology, not after seeing the red glow of Reika's orbs.
''You're new here and that's the only reason why I haven't demanded your removal yet. As my handmaiden you'll either learn to treat my brother with the same respect as you do me or you'll quickly find out what it means to become redundant.'' Informed the young girl with an even tone. In the last few weeks she had felt impossibly stressed and this was the first day she was allowed to fully relax. She would not let some servant destroy her peace and quiet.
Anna was nice enough, but she truly needed to learn that there were certain lines she couldn't cross.
''Of course, Reika-sama.'' The blonde clenched her fingers. ''Whatever you wish for.''
'Vampires are not supposed to get headaches', Reika thought as she massaged her temples and stopped another sigh from escaping her lips. Earlier that day, when Takehiko had told her of the possibility of leaving her childhood home, the Kuran princess had been ecstatic. Freedom was something she had long since stopped believing in—This wasn't true freedom either, but still better than anything she had while Rido was among them.—and getting a taste of it made her feel impossibly happy.
Regrettably, that did not lessen any of the fear she felt at the prospect of losing that freedom once again. Reika did not think she could bear having even that small amount of liberty being taken away from her.
She would rather die than be trapped inside that house for a second time.
Happiness. Fear. Anticipation.
It was a weird mix of emotions that only worsened when they finally reached their destination. Differently colored houses caught Reika's attention, some of them clearly belonging to rich families, others looking shabby and abandoned.
The shopping district was filled with people—Humans. This was the first time Reika saw a human.—, walking along the streets and entering the various shops. Children rode upon their fathers' shoulders or clung to their mothers' hands, vivid raincoats adorning their bodies. A vendor was promoting his ware and trying to attract the attention of the passing pedestrians. He was holding a small tray with samples of different fruits and distributing them. Despite the drizzle, the man stood under the open sky and moved his free hand animatedly.
Reika's finger followed a water droplet that slid down the car's window, her gaze focusing on a small ice cream parlor. Large glass windows revealed an interior that reminded the young pureblood of American dinners from the 60s. Dark red bar stools stood on a checkered floor in front of the mint green counter. The two colors clashed with each other, though surprisingly not in an unpleasant way.
Half of the counter served as a place to eat ones food at, while the other exhibited the available ice cream flavors. There seemed to be at least two dozens of those in all shades of the rainbow and more.
Round tables and comfortable looking chairs filled the rest of the space in the cute parlor. A few pictures decorated the walls and a dark haired woman stood behind the counter, taking orders from one of the various customers.
''Stop the car.'' Ordered Reika when she finished contemplating her options.
Hesitantly, the driver looked at her through the rear-view mirror and scratched his head. ''Reika-sama?''
''I want to eat ice cream.'' The Kuran pointed through the window next to Anna. ''There.''
Nodding in understanding, the nameless driver moved the steering wheel and car to the side. He had to stop once to let another car drive by them, but he soon rested his own vehicle on a free parking slot.
''Well, the place does look nice.'' Anna mused as she opened the door and exited their transport. Afterwards she immediately opened their large blue umbrella and held it ready for both siblings.
Senri slid easily out of the car, taking the female servant's offered hand as to not fall down.
Reika moved across two seats and stretched one of her feet outside. Nervousness made her hesitate and stopped her foot a few millimeters above the ground. Now that the door was open, the vampire princess could hear the bustle of the streets more clearly. A few unpleasant smells assaulted her nose, as well as the sweet tinge of what she guessed to be human blood.
What if all this was a dream?
Maybe once she finally made contact with the outside world Kuran Reika would just wake up in her bed, trapped inside that accursed mansion.
Her breath became more rapid as the blood in her veins was pumped faster through the girl's body. Out of the corner of her eyes Reika could see how Senri and Anna regarded her with worry shining in their orbs.
Before she could change her mind, the pureblood forced her leg to move. It touched the ground gently and was quickly followed by its counterpart.
A near silent sob escaped Reika's lips.
She was free.
As quickly as she could move without attracting the wrong scrutiny, the teenager-turned-child jumped out of the car. On their own accord her legs took a step forward and then another one. A third one followed soon afterwards and suddenly she could feel the cool rain on her skin.
Even though a few tears were slipping down her cheek, Reika laughed joyously.
Clear water touched her tongue and the purest form of relief seemed to push all the burdens off her shoulders. Tiny hands moved upwards to shield her rosy orbs from the continuous rain. They wriggled and caught some of the cool water in their palms.
Fangs gleamed in the dim daylight, visible because of the grin on the young girl's face.
Kuran Reika was finally free.
Or as free as she could ever be in this new life.