The Truth/Control | Mariah Bryant

Book Two, Chapter Four

Our Preparation for the Ball

Kaname ran over the details of things with Kaien inside the Moon Dormitory lobby. I sat on a couch across from Kaien and Zero. Kaname was seated in a chair; Yuki was on the opposite side of the couch from me. Above us, Ichijo hustled and bustled everyone about. No one knew what he was doing or why.

Suddenly Ichijo shrieked from across the building and started screaming. I immediately burst out laughing. Kaname nearly flew up the steps, but he saw my reaction. I do not think anyone truly understood from that day on the reason for Ichijo's shrieking. No one but me.

"Okay, . . ." Yuki said slowly.

"Fool." Zero muttered.

"That was rude." Kaien said. Zero glared at him, begging him to understand, but Kaien just smirked.

Mike reentered at that time, having carried the last of Ruka's things out to one of the limos. (There was no way the Senate would approve of us traveling in any other manor.) He had insisted on the task. I knew it was because he did not want to interfere.

He grinned at me and sat down on the second couch beside me.

"How is everything?" he asked.

"Fine."I answered. My eyes met Kaname's meaningfully.

Kaname smiled at Kaien. "Well, I suppose we had better leave kind of early. We are going to be dressing for the ball at the mansion, while everyone else is dressing here."

"I will fetch Ruka, Rima, and Seiren!" Yuki announced, leaping to her feet. "Oh, this will be better than a school dance! If only Yori could come . . ."

Kaname stood, too, and put a hand on her shoulder. "I need to talk to you a moment, in private. Amara can find the others."

"I'll get the guys." Mike said.

Zero and Kaien stood, readying themselves to leave. Kaien told his daughter goodbye, and Zero slapped her shoulder affectionately. Then they left. I smiled warily at those who were left.

My eyes were unfocused. "Get Rima and Senri last, okay?"

"Why? Are they talking?" Kaname asked.

"Yes. They are admitting that they want to be each other's date." No one picked up my other words.

"Oh, alright." Yuki smiled knowingly. (Sort of.)

"Uh, I am going to go find Zero for a moment." I flashed a grin then sped out of the door after the silent vampyre. Mike was a little puzzled, but he filed toward the wing in which the males' living quarters were. That left Kaname and Yuki alone.

"This will be the first time that the Night Clan will be presented with my decision to love a mortal." Kaname told Yuki softly, taking both of her hands.

Yuki sighed with the realization. Her gaze fell to Kaname's chest, unable to meet his own red eyes. Her shoulders slumped. "Oh. There will be disapproval."

Kaname gently lifted her chin so that she would be forced to meet his eyes, where she got lost in the deep, swirling pools of his soul. "Know that some do not value humans the way that I do, Yuki. They see them only as prey, not as souls -- for even the soul of a vampyre is different from the soul of a human. We are instinctual, and thus cruel. I am this way: caring more for my own survival than others. But know that I value your soul above mine because of this. I will do anything and everything for you. No matter what the Night Clan may say. Tonight you will walk into that ballroom on my arm proudly, and I will be proud of you. Understand?"

"Kaname, you do care for others. Your whole life has been about saving your sister so that the two of you can right vampyrekind." Yuki said.

"Perhaps my actions have indicated that, but truly everything I have done for good I have done without my heart. The war, saving Zero, everything. I fought the war because I had to. I saved Zero because I did not want to loose you."

Yuki was a little shocked at this revelation, but managed to keep her composure. "You aren't like the rest of them, Kaname. You are not cold-hearted. How could you be, caring for your sister when you were little and caring for me, now, telling me these things?"

"Yuki, you deny it."

"No. I know you, Kaname. You have not changed since you saved me from that assassin. You have not changed since loving your parents and mourning their deaths. You have not stopped loving your sister. Your love for her is the reason you fought that war, whether you think so or not. You have allowed yourself to be pulled into the senate for the good of people, not because you wanted to have power."

"I am a hating being, Yuki."

"What are we discussing? That other vampyres will not like me, or that you think you are a cruel vampyre?"

Kaname sighed, and let his eyes close and her face drop. "You will walk with me into this ballroom today as my love, but never as my queen, Yuki. You cannot be a vampyre."

This was not the subject they had started with, but Yuki was glad it was being discussed. "You wanted me to be like you, or so it seemed, a while ago."

"I was acting on instinct."

"Because that is what people want to do when they are in love: they want to be together. I cannot stand it when you push me away, Kaname." At that moment, Yuki jumped as high as she could and tried to kiss Kaname, but missed and ended up sprawling into him.

Kaname's face was sad as he paused, then let his instincts take control. He picked her up and kissed her.

"Zero! Wait!" I called, running toward him. Kaien glanced at me and kept going. Zero stopped and turned to me. "There are things on your mind I want to discuss." I said.

"Like what? You think I'm gonna sit here and cry my eyes out to you about my past?" he grumped.

"No. I am talking about your feelings for Yuki. Zero, she has a huge place in your heart that can never be filled by anyone else. She was there for you when you needed her. You think you have lost her, but she was never yours."

Zero gawked at me. I could tell he was about to pull out the Bloody Rose Gun and do some damage, but before his fury could overcome him he let it go in an exhale. I could see in his eyes that knew that I was right.

"Think hard. What is Yuki to you?"

"Love."

"Think of her with Kaname, and you with someone who loves you more than you can imagine, and you love that person back. Now what is Yuki to you?"

"Love." Zero said again, but again his tone showed me that he was letting go.

"Right. She is an angel to you, the one that brought you back. She will never leave you. Even in Kaname's arms, she has given a piece of herself to you. Do not turn your back on her because of her decision."

"I . . ." Zero did not finish.

"Come to the ball, Zero. I know there is someone out there for you. Maybe not at the ball, but she is there. Closer than you think." I gave him an assuring smile.

"How the hell are you getting to me so easily?" he asked, frustrated.

I grinned. "I know your mind better than you want to. Not only do I have the key to your room, I have the key to your closet."

He rolled his eyes. "What are you, some sort of nun?"

"Not exactly. But I did help, did I not?"

"You did." Zero admitted. He grimaced. "So, I am going to this ball alone."

"More than half of the people attending in our party will be alone." I said.

Zero sighed. "You get on my nerves, and I do not appreciate it. Your character is nauseating. Yet I cannot deny you."

"Exactly." I winked. "Now, go find a tux. We are leaving in thirty minutes."

***

We went back to the mansion and the men and the women got rooms on opposite sides of the huge building. It was my idea. The men left first, because it would not be good if they were late. The women took longer, but also it was best if we were fashionably late. Those in our room were Yuki, Rima, Ruka, and me. Seiren left with the men. While she seemed to like me (and she reminded me much of Kayla) her job was to guard my brother. So she was the first one we dressed. (Those who had had dresses made or fitted had done so in advance.)

In regard to my gifts: I felt like warm waves were rocking me. I could not get my smile to even tone down a little.