Early that morning just as the sun was rising the town's people heard the approach of carriages entering from a path from the north side. The inn keepers grinned as they rubbed their hands knowing that their rooms would be full for once with well-paying guest. The castle was not the only place getting ready for the outsiders as rows of people hoping to earn an extra coin or two waited by the side of the inns to help unload the sleeping cargo into their rooms where they will wake to prepare themselves for the ball at the castle.
Those who were still new to the maze watched with wide eyes as a procession of coffins were carefully carried through the front doors of the inns both by uniformed staff and a few lucky bystanders. Once the drivers were satisfied that their passengers were properly taken care of they drove around back to the stables to rest their horses. With their masters asleep for the day the servants scattered in large groups into the town to gather any new information from inner maze and to do some light shopping.
The small shops eagerly awaited the arrival of the ten vampire hordes and their servants for their pockets were deep and their spending frivolous. Not a single citizen of the inner maze knew what it was like in the north and what good their alliance did for the King. It was not their role to care. All that matter was that life continued as it did and that someone other than themselves cared for the maze. Hunters and traders casted their eyes away after seeing how strong these hordes had become. Gone were the days when these day-sleepers were easy money for them when there was nothing to catch. But life in the maze was all about adapting and these hunters found a new job hunting rare food for them.
Each of the personal servants of the ten different masters lead their groups of servants of the horde through the streets. some would glance at the cages of creatures and beings that were caught in the night in seeing if they would make a good meal for their horde. Others ran errands together or enjoy the limited freedom they had. The leader of these groups would nod politely to other servants from different hordes but never mingled. While united in the alliance, it was every horde for themselves.
xxx
Later back at the castle,
Seto was heading to his office to take a small break from all the questions and decision making for a bit. He was told of the arrival of their guest in the town below hours ago and most of the preparations in the castle were completed in time for him to take a small rest, but something told him that was not going to happen. Seto, while a rational man, lived with a pure pessimistic mind that was now nagging at him that something had gone wrong. The King had not been seen since noon, but Seto had guessed that he was hiding somewhere in the garden as usual. As for Persona, he guessed that she was still hiding in her room.
Both were out of the way not needing his attention, which was welcomed, but felt suspicious at the same time. How he wished his mind could work without so much pessimism for a day. The dragon gave in to his nagging mind and planned to check in on Persona after stopping by his office to see if any messages had arrived for him. On entering the tidy room, he spotted a raven waiting for him outside his window with a note tied to its leg. Perhaps this is where the irksome warning was coming from, but something still felt off as he read the surprising news on the note. In his days as a sacred priest his mentors had praised him on his caution and intuition commenting that such a gift should never be ignored. If they only knew what a curse it was.
It was right after reading the scrap of paper that he felt an odd change in the air of the castle that quickly faded. A chill then ran down his spine as an image of Persona came to his mind. His heart then felt a sharp pain warning him that his cousin needed him. Burning the note in the palm of his hand with his blue flame he found himself walking hastily through the halls as the sun fell a few more inches in the sky. In two hours, the guest would be arriving.
When the dragon made it to the hall, he noticed that the door to Persona's room was gone. There was nothing but solid stone wall where a door frame should have been. He swallowed hard and clicked his tongue in agitation as he felt his hands start to sweat.
Trying to steer away from his pessimism he reasoned with himself that nothing was wrong. Nothing was wrong till he was told otherwise. He walked pass the empty wall without looking to see if the outline of a door frame was still there and knocked on the large doors that belonged to his cousin's room.
When he heard no reply, he called out to the demon in a clear, calm tone. "My King are you in there. I must speak with you."
He was met with silence once more and was about to knock again when a deep muffled voice called out, "Enter."
Seto inhaled to steady his thoughts and prepared himself for whatever mood his cousin was in. Pushing the door open, he briskly walked inside and looked for the demon king. Immediately it felt like the air was trying to suffocate him. It was so thick with tension that he nearly crumple to the floor, but resisted by closing the door and stepping further into the room. He had plenty of experience with dealing with his cousin's ability to literally change the environment of a room with his mood. Any person could do it but they couldn't kill you with it like Yami can. 'Why did this have to happen now?' Seto mentally groaned as he search the room finding it odd that with the pressure nothing was destroyed.
'Well, this new. Nothing needs to be rebuild or cleaned. Is he actually controlling his temper?' Or his he sulking about something?' He hoped not since sulking would take too long to fix, anger was a faster emotion to deal with. The air was beginning to give him a headache almost making him want to break something. But nothing, not even the mirror or a chair was out of place or destroyed. 'Crap, he's sulking! ' Finally, his cold blue eyes found their gloomy target.
They widen then narrowed at the lounging 'King of the Maze' as he sprawled on the couch with an arm over his eyes, not yet dress for the evening. The dragon's eyes then moved to see that the other door leading into his room was still there. 'Are they fighting? Did he purposely lock her in there with the only way out was through his room?'
"My King," He stepped forward to the couch as the air constricted around him like a snake warning him to tread carefully. Anger was a faster emotion but he didn't want a crater on the side of the castle, not after all his hard work.
Seto let out a small breath asking, "Are you alright?" The genuine concern in his voice was heard and the tension in the air lifted but did not disappear.
Yami lowered his arm to give Seto a hollow look saying, "Of course, why?"
The air loosen only slightly more as the king stared vaguely at his cousin as Seto preceded with with caution. Blue eyes went to the only door leading to Persona's room, "Cousin," he asked as he glance back down at the demon, "are you aware that the main door to the Persona's room is gone?"
The glowing crimson eyes of the demon stared up at him unblinking as the air became tense again. A clink of glass cracking was heard drawing only the dragons eyes to the window where the sound was made. Eyes fell back down on the king as he replied in an emotionless tone to him, "I am." Seto waited for him to say more but instead Yami got up and moved to his wardrove.
"I have to get ready now Seto, the guest will be arriving soon." Yami began to take his clothing out to look over them as he ignored Seto's cold stare.
'I really don't have time for this!' Seto thought as he kept himself from rolling his eyes at Yami's aloof behavior. He then look back at the door and wondered if the girl had done something stupid and got herself killed and his cousin is sulking that he broke his new toy. 'Not that he ever cared before, but I really don't have time for this nonsense! She better not be dead or so help me-' Seto let out an auditable huff and said, "Fine, but I need to check on Persona to make sure she is getting ready as well."
The dragon made his way over to the door but Yami's voice stopped him. "No."
The walls of the room creaked making small cracks in the stone. "There is no need," Yami said, paying no mind to the look Seto was giving him, "Persona will not be attending tonight. I already ordered the maids to prepare the back up girl. She will do."
'Shit, what the hell happen!' Seto cough nervously then asked, "Is she alright? She was feeling unwell last night. Should I call a doctor?"
"No and no more questions about the girl. We have other matters to deal with." Seto stared over at his cousin in disbelief over his behavior. Something had gone very wrong. His cousin looked ready to snap but was straining to control his temper. Something he never did. It had only been three days and the plan was already falling apart. The news he received today gave him some hope that this was the best course of action but now he wished he had listened to Persona over breakfast and sent her away. "My King, has she done something to displease you? I must know so that her mistress deals with her accordingly." '
And, so I can verbally strangle her!'
Yami's red eyes flashed over at him and was about to say something when the handle to the door moved. Both sets of heads turned as Persona peered into the room. Her bright eyes blinked at the two men staring at her and flushed at the gawking looks they gave her.
Yami felt his mouth drop and throat tighten as he watched the girl step into the room looking exquisite in her gown. Nothing was overdone, not her hair not her make-up, nor the accessories that adorn her hair and body. Everything she wore amplified all the attractive traits he found in her. Seto gaped at the girl, never imagining that she could look so regal, so perfect for the part she was supposed to play. There was no way the back up girl could compare.
"I'm sorry to intrude my King." The girl said softly as she bowed to Yami, "I was so busy getting ready that I didn't noticed that my main door had gone missing."
Yami gazed at her as he tried to think of a reply to give her. Seto looked between the two and noted that the pair didn't seem to be fighting. Persona seemed also at a lost at the action taken against her.
"My lady," Seto addressed her mistakenly but moved on quickly. Now that she was here maybe he could find out what was going on. "The King has just informed me that you wouldn't be attending tonight's ball."
The girl frowned saying, "I don't understand."
"Neither do I, but it seems to be his wish for you to stay here." Seto sent her a look that demanded her to say something to the King. Her presence at the ball was not that dire that it could not go on without her, but to Seto it was a sign that her stay in the castle was in jeopardy. 'Fix this now!' Persona read from his eyes. She blinked at him then turned her head to face Yami, who showed no signs of hearing what Seto had just informed her of.
"My King? Is that true? Do you not want me at your side tonight?" The spell over Yami broke when she spoke to him. Breathing in slowly he tossed the clothing in his hand onto his bed then walked over to her.
Persona blushed at the way he was eyeing her and glance down to her folded hands wondering what had gotten into him. He was acting like he had just seen her for the first time in his life. When he stopped in front of her, she felt her heart beating so hard against her chest she was sure it could be seen pounding against her skin. Her breath hitched when she felt his fingers under her chin and slowly guided her head up so that her eyes met his. Breathing was becoming harder and harder as his red gaze looked her over, leaving the skin on her cheeks burning a noticeable red. She had seen a tamer version of this look before but never felt this affected by it.
"Why wouldn't I want you with me tonight? When you look like you belong at the side of a king, my lamb."
Persona nearly swayed where she stood at his answer and helpless to stop the small smile that formed on her painted lips. It wasn't till Seto cleared his throat that she remember that he was there and with that reminder she was brought back from her haze. Yami dropped his hand and turned back to Seto saying, "Persona will be accompanying me tonight, but I want her under strict protection. Either you or I must be at her side the whole night."
"You know that is not possible." Seto scoffed. "If your that worry, I will assign her a body guard for the evening."
"Fine, arrange for two guards for her this evening. Make sure they understand that she is not to be alone with any of the guest."
"Done, is there anything else you need?" The dragon tried not to sound annoyed. He hoped that Yami's sudden concern for her safety was the reason for his odd behavior, but he doubted it. Yami thought for a moment then said, "Later, when this evening is done, there is something I need to speak with you, alone."
The dragon nodded and bowed saying, "Then I will go assign guards for Persona and deal with the...other thing." Yami cracked a grin at him understanding that Seto was talking about the back-up girl. Before leaving Seto turned asking, "Will you be escorting Persona to the grand hall or should I have her guards do it?"
"I will escort her. Persona and I will meet you later." Seto gave one last bow and left the room. His news about the wolf and sprite will have to wait. For now, he needed to make sure that nothing goes wrong at the ball and hope that whatever Yami needed to talk about was not serious.
When the door to the room closed Persona was about to return to hers when she felt his hand on her arm. "How are you feeling?", he asked softly.
The girl eyed him curiously answering, "I feel fine my king. I'm sorry I didn't meet with you last night or the night before."
She was about to ask him why her door was gone and why he didn't want her to go to the ball with him when he asked, "Did you leave your room today to go for a walk in the garden?"
Again, she looked at him with confusion and said, "Not that I remember. Why?"
Yami took a deep breath and shook his head saying, "No reason." His eyes fell down to her wrist and noticed the golden bracelet hanging from it. He brought her wrist up to get a closer look and noted how Persona stiffen at his action. "Such simple jewelry you wear." He commented. "I have other trinkets that would better suit you."
"Thank you, but this bracelet is important to me." Yami glanced up to her face and saw she was looking at it with a forlorn expression.
"How is it important to you?" Persona met his red eyes saying, "My friend left this to me." The demon felt his jealousy flare at the mention of this friend and asked, "The one who made you promise not to stay here?" Persona's eyes fell, and she nodded her head.
"Was he disappointed that you had to break your promise to him?" Persona didn't look up at him but could hear the sneer on his lips.
"He felt that I would be safer here for a while." She said softly.
Yami scoffed and pulled the girl closer to him as he wrapped both arms around her. Persona placed her hands on his chest and looked up at him as she wondered what had suddenly gotten into him. Red eyes slide to where the hidden mark on her shoulder laid making him frown that he could not see it. He licked his lips then bent his head down to place a kiss on the spot. Persona's knees weakened at the contact, but his arms held her steady. Yami grinned and began to lick between his soft pecks, till he bit down at the tainted area making the girl pant and struggle in his hold. "Yami, stop. Don't bite me there." She breathed out.
The demon sucked at the spot then kissed his way to her neck. He felt her hands moving to his upper arms to steady herself and closed his eyes as his sharp teeth grazed the sensitive skin. "Yami." The girl called out as her vision became blurry as he kissed up her neck, lingering in spots that he found made her cried out louder. Her heart felt ready to stop at the intensity of his heated kisses and her head was beginning to become fuzzy. The demon couldn't help grinning to himself as he moved up to her ear and whispered,
"Where would you like me to bite?"
The question made her shiver in his arms causing him to hold her closer. "Here on your neck for all to see?" He moved down to a spot on her neck and kissed it then nipped at the tender skin. He heard the girl moan out a "No" and moved back to her ear saying in a low smoldering whisper, "Or do you want it somewhere you can easily hide it? It can be our secret if you wish. You seem to be fond of them."
Persona's eyes widen at the word 'secret' and pulled out of his hold. Yami let the girl go and turned back to his bed where his suit for the night laid. Persona wanted to ask what he meant but was afraid to. She instead dashed back into her room closing the door with a slam.
Yami busied himself with dressing and tried to push pass the cloud of emotions he was feeling, till at last, when he glanced at the mirror behind him it cracked under the pressure of the air in the room. "Of all the things she could have been," he said lowly to himself as he continued to stare at the crack image of himself, "what am I going to with her?"
xxx
(Persona POV)
I tried to get a hold of my breathing and not have a full-on panic attack as an unknown terror flooded me. The areas where his lips, tongue and teeth had touched my skin pulsed making me feel dizzy. I had to cover my mouth to keep myself from screaming that something had gone very wrong and I didn't know what it was. I started to feel my body shaking against the only door in my room. I wanted to go laid down on my bed but believed that my legs would fail me if I moved.
'What had gotten into him! Did he do that to get back at me for not seeing him the last two nights?' I thought as anger quickly replaced fear.
"That bastard!" I hissed as I walked away from the door. My dress rustled around my legs as I turned back to look at the only exit. Snarling, I turned and caught myself in the vanity mirror. 'He marked me again!' The skin on my shoulder redden making me wonder if I was going to need to cover it up or if it was going to fade away in time. 'That mother f-! He did it again!'
He had marked me again after nearly tossing me aside. After three days of pining for him, worrying about how I was deceiving him, and even thinking that I was unworthy of him made me feel like an idiot. If I wasn't going to go then who would be at his side? Was that other thing...the back-up girl?
"Ass-hole!" I exclaimed as I paced my room as my mind hurled more insults at him. "Just what...what?" I stuttered on what to think had just happen. 'Is that why he tried to replace me?' The idea that I was so replaceable to him after everything I had to put up with both him and Seto angered me even more. Then I stopped, believing that I figured him out.
"He made me beg." When the realization came to me my anger faded then flared up. "He made me beg to be with him. Oh, that-" I groaned think how smug he must feel knowing I was putty in his hands just before he nearly cast me aside. And all for two nights I didn't spend with him! But why mark me again? 'Is he playing with me?'
"What the hell!" I finally shouted then spun on my heels and yanked opened the door.
It was becoming clearer to me as I spent my time here in the maze that I had a serious problem with my anger, in that, I made pour choices in my actions. It was lashing out at the demon in the garden that caused me to be noticed by him. It was refusing to apologize that led me to jump out a window before finding out who the king was. It was putting Yami in his place after being marked that made me promise to be with him till, he wanted me no more. It was slapping Seto so that death would come swift for me only to find out that I was chained to a demon who hated humans. And now it was this...
It was me opening the door to his room as the new mark on my shoulder burned. Me, walking up to him as he turned towards me, bare chested and shocked. It was me feeling the power I had over him as I shoved him down onto his bed and kissed him hard as I poured my unsated lust into him. Me, that caught his wrist and slammed it back down when he tried to gain an upper hand. Me, in a moment of crazed passion that pulled away from his mouth and sank my teeth into the curve of his neck and shoulder with everything I had.
To be fair, it stung more than it hurt when Yami marked me and I was unsure if my human teeth would even do anything to his pale skin. However, from the way he cried out, my bite was definitely going to leave a mark. My teeth loosen their hold but then clutched down again (though not as hard) and suck at the spot, making him moan out as a copper taste teased my tongue.
I found myself smirking at his panted moans as I sucked then kissed at other areas on his neck. When his tail tried to go around my waist I pulled back so not to get trapped. I watched as a shudder went through him and thought smugly that a demon would get off on what I just did. I felt my lips become redder with his blood and I moved further from him carefully so not to get blood on the dress I worked so hard to make.
His eyes gaze lazily up at me as he panted with his hands still above his head. There was no hint of shock or anger as his red eyes slowly closed and opened. The skin on his cheeks were flushed with a light pink and I watched him shudder once more before his deep voice spoke up hoarsely, "What- "
"-The hell?" I finished for him then lend over his stilled body. "My thoughts exactly." I then moved down to give him a taste of his blood on my lips. He moaned into my mouth and as I pulled away, he asked breathlessly, "Do you have any idea what you just did?"
"Vaguely." I replied sighing as I turned to the cracked mirror to see if I needed to fix myself. "You really should hurry up. Guest are coming and Seto will be mad if you are late." I walked away to go back to my room to do some last-minute touch ups. I heard him sit up and felt his eyes on my back as my hand touched the door handle.
"Oh, and be a dear", I glanced over my shoulder to see if he heard me and not caught up in a haze of euphoria, "and bring my door back."
He let out a puff of air to show his amusement at my behavior as he brought a hand to the bruising bite marks. "If I don't are you going to do that again?" His red eyes were still hazy, but I could see that he wanted more. I giggled lightly thinking what a masochistic pervert he was and shook my head saying, "Not if you are hoping I will."
He sighed and snapped his fingers. "There, it's back. Now go before I- "
I didn't bother to hear what he was going to do as I swiftly walked into my room and locked the door before, I did something else stupid.
(End POV)
Xxx
Back at the town, one of the master vampires stood before a mirror as his servant help dress him. He was tall strict looking old man with a blocky build and strong cheek bones in his face. His hair was a platinum yellow that blended into his pale skin, enhancing his cornflower blue eyes. He was neither handsome or ugly but had the look of a man in charge. He still moved with an earthly grace of a vampire, but his character was more calculating then charming. Here in the maze the vampires relied less on charm and seduction to gather their prey. These tactics only worked on humans and with a diminishing supply of them the vampires formed small groups of hordes to overpower more cunning prey. But humans were not on his mind just yet, instead he sorted out his thoughts over the bits of information his servant gave him.
He pondered over the news that was brought to him about the recent attacks and the sudden closing of his favorite escort business. The girls there were well kept and not as conniving as other places. The woman in charge was picky about her customers making her establishment an exclusive privilege even among the wealthy and high ranking. The news was unfortunate but not concerning. It was interesting to hear that a carriage was regularly sending the same demon girl every night to the castle making him wonder if that had anything to do with the business shutting down.
Again, this was amusing street gossip but nothing of consequence. The attacks on the castle however resemble the same ones they had been dealing with in the north. Groups of mountain trolls appearing out of nowhere and destroying the maze had also happen in the last couple of days before their trip. One group was so destructive that they nearly destroyed the tower where the puzzle of the north was hidden.
The puzzle was the main reason the king value this alliance with the ten different hordes so, that no one would solve the puzzle in the north. In exchange, these groups were given free rule over the north and made it a land of eternal night. Since everything in the maze belonged to the ruler, he could decide the fate of anyone and anything so long as he does not interfere with the will of the maze. Before this king came into power the groups were scattered and variable to the hunters who would wait for day time to kill them in their sleep for their fangs or possessions. It was the current king that gather all ten of the strongest groups and gave them a home in the north, though many believed that he feared their power and sent them away so not to be over thrown.
The old master sneered at the idea since many of the upstarts in his own horde didn't know what it was like before this king came. What it was like to be hunted or captured by beings lesser then them and made into pets. So what if humans where a scarcity, they had other sources of food. They had werewolves, elves and nymphs. A Fey was too clever to get trapped here so their kind was a rare treat, but even with their blood nothing compared to that of a human. But he will admit that he did miss the taste.
Humans, weak and flawed, had only one thing that made them valuable. Their blood. A vampire was made for feasting on humans just as rats and mice were made for cats. He had hoped that any of his servants would have found news of what happen to the human the king was desperately searching for. His black eyes narrowed as he growled at the idea that the king would have simply slaughtered her and let all that precious red gold go to waste. When news of a possible human made it to the north, his followers cheered at the idea but became disgruntle when the king demanded she be brought to him unharmed.
The command encouraged dozens of challenges for the role of master vampire that he barely won. A vampire was immortal, but their power had a peaking point and he had reached his years ago. The brats in his horde were nowhere near theirs but steadily getting stronger as time went on. If he wished to be the one in power, he would need to do something to please his followers. If he was King, he could lift the ban on humans and spread the eternal darkness, so they could travel freely in the maze. But that was not going to happen. The only comfort he had was that he was not the only master vampire with this issue. The other nine agreed before making the trip that something needed to change.
"You're sure that no new news was made about..." He sighed as he relished the mere thought of the word, "human."
The thin woman that had not grown a day older since she was put under her master's care nodded. Her skin was no longer a healthy glow of alabaster but became a dull grey that added to her dreary look. She was once beautiful, once pure in heart but years spent in the maze under the care of witches had twisted her soul long before she came to serve her master faithfully. It was that twistedness that the old master found endearing and her deep loyalty to him that kept her close to him.
"It's strange no? That he would stop looking." She said in a crackling voice that did not fit her appearance despite her lingering youth. "He turns the place upside down and destroys half his army, (not that that matters since a new one is built back), and then he stops. For what? For a ball?"
"What are you suggesting? That he found her and killed her in private?" The woman stood up and walked around her master to be sure that all was in place. "Possible or he found something better. Something that could make him careless."
"That paranoid brat, careless? Unlikely." Muttered the master as he walked to a chair with a small table that held his favorite wine. The woman shrugged and followed to sit at his feet. She was already dressed in a fine gown for the evening and play with the thin curls of her black stringy hair as she thought out loud, "Don't forget that he can be emotionally swayed. He may be keen, but that mood of his will always get in the way"
"Hmm. True, but he has that dragon to keep him grounded." He huffed sipping his wine.
Her dark eyes then shone as she laughed, "Do not worry. It may not be long before a new ruler takes over."
The master vampire Lucian raised a thin brow at the woman that he rename Ruth. There was one other thing about this once pure female that kept her by his side. "What do you see my pet?" Her ability to see the fortunes of others.
"I see, a weakness in our great king."
"A weakness?"
"A girl." Lucian sat up straighter in his chair asking, "The human?"
The woman frowned as she bit her lip. She stared off into space as her mind played a mixed scene of chaos and prosperity. "I don't know, but I don't like it." Her face became twisted with jealousy that the vampire admired. 'A truly wicked woman.'
"And what will become of him?"
"I'm not sure. Too many outcomes, but they all end with a new ruler that I can't make out."
"Hmm." The vampire took another sip of his wine as he relish the thought. "A new ruler. And who do you suppose it will be?" He poured another glass and held it down to the woman at his feet.
Ruth shook the vision from her head and took the glass from her master. She was untroubled by her visions since, she hadn't had one she couldn't change for her benefit. "Why guess when you can be the one to place the new ruler on the throne?" The Master vampire paused mid sip and glanced down at her. The woman smiled wickedly knowing that she had peaked his interest.
"Go on."
"That new blood that's hot under the collar but weak in power."
"Zeal?"
"Yes, that's the one. He would be a good little pawn. Suppose, I find this weakness of the king's. Then when the time is right handed it over to you. You could force the king out and place that pawn on the throne. Then you would have the north and the inner maze."
The old vampire thought for a moment at the idea as he turned back to his wine. It wasn't a bad idea, just a risky one that could send them all to their death beds. "First, find this weakness that is distracting the Demon King of the Maze and I will decide from there if we should move with this plan." He took one last sip then petted Ruth lightly on her head saying, "You do know that removing him would mean killing him?"
The woman scoffed then pulled a ring from her pocket and slid it on a finger. When she spoke this time her voice came out in a smooth alluring tone, "I rather see him dead then happy."
The old master let out a cracked laugh at his servant's wickedness asking, "Looking for more revenge, my pet?"
The woman bit her lip as the image of a girl smiling at the king invaded her mind once more. Blood dripped from her chin as a second one followed with Yami smiling back at her. 'I will destroy her and then you for good, my love.'
xxx
Outside in the courtyard the gate guards watch the road carefully and were ready to signal the first signs of the carriages approaching the castle. The wolf patrols reported that no trolls or ogres were spotted anywhere near the castle grounds. Teams of goblins laid low in the ground as the sun disappeared and street lamps came to life to light the path. With the outside secured the dragon spent the last few minutes to make sure everything inside the castle was ready to receive their guest. It would be an evening of polite negotiation, simple conversation, and some music. The King was not accustomed to holding large events but the few times he had to, Seto made double sure that all went perfectly. The staff was as adamant as he was and just like they did for Persona they put on their best show.
Seto ran back and forth double checking everything. He inspected the lines of young men and women acting as spare blood to make sure they were clean and properly dressed. That the guards knew where to stand to keep security tight and what parts of the garden needed to be closed off. He walk from the grand hall to the meeting room to the 'dining room' and finally to the ballroom to see if everything was to his expectation. Behind him follow the head of the guard, the head of staff and the three elder witches ready to act and answer immediately as the dragon saw fit. They had all put a pause on any effort of bringing the king and the girl together when, at the last minutes of the sun setting, that they all remembered what the company they were expecting were. Vampires.
Vampires with the ability to see past a simple glamour charm the girl wore. A fact, they felt could not be easily brought up to the dragon if they wanted to keep their 'future queen' safe from his cousin. The head of the staff believed that the dragon had to know what she really was since he was anything but a fool. Still, he worried that a personal guard Seto had assign for her at the last minute may not be enough to protect the girl. He gather the attention of one of the elder witches just as Seto turned a corner. Quickly and clearly, he spoke his concern for Persona.
The shortest of elder witches glanced at the speed walking Seto with a group of servants following at his feet to be sure he wasn't watching. He then flicked his hand and from it a lovely corsage bloomed. "Have a maid bring this to our young queen 'to be' and tie it to her wrist tightly so it will not fall off. A kiss on the cheek will activate the spell and protect her from those blood suckers with second sight."
The head of staff called over the same maid that forced Persona out of her room earlier that day and quickly gave her orders.
xxx
Persona was sitting at her vanity staring into her own reflection when a light knock drew her from her thoughts. She gave a small yelp then steadied her breathing, asking without standing who was at her door. When she thought she recognized the voice of the maid, Persona called her in to see if she knew her. However, when the girl entered, she couldn't place her face. From the mirror she noticed that the girl walked in with a silver tray containing a glass of fizzy water with a slice of lemon and something else.
"Hello my lady." The maid voiced ringed with a cheeriness that hurt Persona's head. "I brought you a small refreshment to relax you."
"What is your name?" Persona asked as she stared back at her face in the mirror. The maid looked at her for a moment then answered, "Milda, my lady."
Persona's eyes slid over to her and asked, "Do I know you?"
"I change your sheets everyday my lady." She simply answered, and Persona did not question it as a faded memory of the maid flashed in her mind. The girl looked to be in her late twenty's and was pretty despite her pale green skin and white hair. She had a round face with a small nose and thin purplish lips that formed a cute heart shape whenever she pursed them. Her eyes were a piercing grey that made Persona shrink in her seat. The girl picked up the glass and walked over to the vanity and held it near Persona who took it repeating her name.
"Milda." Persona rolled the name off her tongue then gave a small laugh. Not laughing at the name but at a far away joke that not even she understood. No, not a joke, but a nightmare. A nightmare that started when this maid commanded her to go for a walk.
Milda the maid eyed the girl with a hint of worry and asked gently, "Are you alright my lady?"
"Milda," Persona said again as she swirled her drink, "Milda, did you order me to go for a walk today?"
"I did, but it was for your own good I did."
"I see." Milda watched the girl take a sip of the water and was about to pick up the corsage on the tray when the girl said her name again.
"Milda, tell me, do you know the true color of my eyes?" Milda hesitated then answered, "They are the color they've always been. A lovely color of..." The maid then gasped as she stepped back from Persona as she pulled off her gold bracelet. She covered her mouth then snapped her head to the spare door leading to the king's room. She saw that the key in the door was turned and locked and was able to breathe again. Her head then turned back to the human girl sitting beautifully at the elegant vanity. Her hands lowered and watched as the girl's head turned to face her with light tears in her eyes.
"They were a simple color. A color worthy of my kind. The color my parents gave me and now they are this..."
The maid walked forward mesmerize by the unnatural color of pure melted gold. Not a light brown or honey brown but golden. And no not yellow. As she got closer, she saw that the rim of the pupil was surrounded by a thin line of bright red. "They are beautiful my lady. A lovely color," she picked up the flower corsage off the tray and fell to her knees at the feet of the girl holding onto her sanity as the maid spoke, "a color of a queen."
Persona scoffed and held out her wrist to the maid saying, "Milda, Milda, Milda, I did a very stupid thing. Would you like to know what I did?"
'Is she losing her mind? What happen in the garden?' "What did you do my lady?", the maid asked in a low voice.
Persona gave her a guilty smile and giggle then whispered to her, "I bit the great King of the Maze right on his neck." Milda paused then finished tying the silk ribbon around the slender wrist asking, "Did you really my lady?"
"I did and ever since my head has felt...odd." Persona looked away from the girl, setting her elbow on the vanity and rubbed her forehead. "Milda, I feel like I did something even stupider before that and I can't remember what. What did I do?"
The maid felt a lump in her throat as she watch the girl rub her head. She wanted to help, but they were running out of time. The king would be fetching her soon and she needed to pull it together. With the task done Milda stood on her feet and push the glass of water towards her.
"Drink my lady and do not worry. This will pass, there is nothing for you to worry about. If it's your identity you're worried about don't be. The whole staff knows of your secret and we are determined to aid you and protect you." She raise the wrist with the tied corsage and added, "This is a gift from all of us, please keep it on for protection." She then gently set the wrist down on Persona's lap.
She then picked up the golden bracelet Yugi gave Persona and slipped it back on her other wrist. "To drink the blood of a demon, to mark him like that...nothing will come of it unless he has marked you. I don't know the reasoning for your eyes but unless he- "
Milda was cut off by a loud laugh Persona made that sounded on the edge of hysterics. She looked at the door to the king's room worried that the out burst would alert him. Persona then said something that nearly made her faint onto the floor. "What was that my lady?"
"I said that he already has marked me. Twice. He didn't know it the first time. It was purposeful the second, so I guess it's fitting that I did the same thing without knowing what I was doing." Persona then picked up the glass and drank down the water and enjoyed the fizzing coolness rushing down her throat. She sat the glass with an exhale and closed her eyes humming to herself to gather her thoughts.
She was glad this girl, Milda, came to her room. She needed to talk to a fellow female and with Mai gone this maid would have to do. The thought of Mai then brought back some of her sanity and with a gasp she remember the reason she was here in the first place. 'I need to get it together.' She thought as she put her head in her hands. 'Yugi and Joey are out there doing their best. Mai is in hiding because of me and Seto is risking a lot by aiding us.'
Milda walked forward and began rubbing her back in order to soothe the girl. She talked sweetly to her, telling her not to worry, but Persona did not hear a word. 'I will not lose my mind here. I will not lose my mind. I am going home.'
"Milda," Persona said with a clear voice. The maid stopped her hand and stepped back to give Persona some space. "Yes, my lady?"
"I just had a taste of his blood on my tongue. Is that enough to bind him to me even though I'm a human."
The girl's lip had a weak smirk to them though her voice sounded grave, "If he had already marked you then yes."
"What are the chances of him killing me if he where to find out what I am?"
Milda gulped remembering that this situation was still a delicate one and answered, "Slim, now that you reciprocated his mark. His hate would need to out weight his want for you, since breaking this kind of bond can be very painful. At least that's what I heard."
"So greater then slim."
The girl bowed her head and nodded, "Yes." The two sat in thought together when another knock was heard on the door. Milda went for the glass but Persona caught her hand then spoke in a hushed tone, "Milda, I'm not going to be your queen. Mark or no mark, there is no way I can let that happen." The knocking came again but Persona continued saying, "I would like it if we became friends. I need a friend."
"A friend?" Another knock was heard, and the girl went to open the door but was pulled back and Persona called out, "Just a minute." She then looked at the girl with pleading eyes saying, "Please tell the staff to give up on me on being his queen. I can't stay here forever with him. Even if by some miracle he can accept what I am, I cannot stay here in the maze. I'm going home Milda. I'm going home!"
The girl stared at Persona who was close to tears and asked softly, "Miss, answer me honestly. Do you love him?"
"I do, but I can't be with him. I'm sacred that I will lose myself if I do." Persona then scoffed and corrected herself say, "I'm already losing myself. I have to go home."
The girl looked at the frighten human girl disguise as a demon and put a hand on her cheek. 'The poor thing has really lost her mind if she thinks she can escape this place.' Milda thought as she leaned in to place a kiss on a color cheek to activate the spell.
"I vow my lady Persona, that I will follow you from now to your end. Even if you should not be my queen, you will be my friend." 'I will amend for my part in hurting you and keep you safe.'
"Thank you Milda." Persona hugged the girl feeling her eyes start to dry. 'I can do this. I can go on as if nothing has happen. Just stay here till Yugi gets back.'
Persona watched the girl go to open the door. Milda stopped then turned around to say one last thing to the human, "Lady Persona, if I may, please stop hurting yourself by refusing to let yourself love him. Can you do that as a favor for a friend?"
Persona felt her eyes widen as the girl held the same look in her eyes as Yugi did when she was made to confess to him. 'I guess I could let myself be with him. We marked each other anyhow , so why fight this." Smiling she nodded her head saying, "Alright."
Milda nodded back with a cheery smiled and opened the door. There stood the King of the Maze with the guard from the night of the window jump and the guard that carried her away to the garden (though she did not remember the event).
Yami did not walk in but instead held out his hand to her. "Persona.", he said smoothly as a calm smile found its way to his lips.
My god, he really is a handsome and charming demon.' Persona thought as a light blush came to her cheek. Smiling back at him and she walked to the opening of the door and took his hand.
"My king." She greeted and watched with soft eyes as he kiss her hand. All thoughts of what she did to him and the consequences it could bring faded as his eyes met hers. Yami then spotted the maid and she bowed lowly to him.
"I would like her at my side tonight, if it's no trouble." Persona said calmly.
He looked back at Persona then back at Milda noting her simple kitchen dress and asked, "Can you be ready in ten minutes?"
"Yes sir."
"Meet us in the grand hall when you finish dressing." Persona's smile widen at him for accepting her request as he wrapped her arm around his.
"Lets not keep Seto waiting." He said then added, "Though his fits can be amusing."
Persona laughed shaking her head, "You're lucky he puts up with you."
Yami grinned and nodded as he walked with her down the hall with the two guards behind them. He commented on the corsage and said nothing when she told him that it was a gift from the staff. His eyes then went to the golden bracelet and felt tempted to yank it off. Now that he knew her secret, he felt that the disguised looked silly on her. If it weren't for the vampires, he would have done it the moment she first walked through the door. 'Human', he thought as he studied her from the corner of his eye. 'She is a human. A human with more guts then any demon I know.'
He shiver at the memory of her dull teeth sinking into him in retaliation for teasing her. It hurt like hell, but it also felt heavenly. Not to mention the way her eyes stared down on him with his blood coating her mouth and how she sucked down on her bottom lips to savor the red liquid. If she wished to conquer him right there, he would have gladly let her.
'Was I ever that surprising as a human?'
The event made him grateful that he didn't kill her in her sleep after she showed her true self. When he saw the mark show on her shoulder, he nearly laugh at her bad luck of being mistakenly marked by him. He had her right were he wanted her, but he couldn't kill her.
Not because of the mark or the fact that she was asleep (he would have just waited till she woke up), but because her confession of being reluctantly in love with him. And because he was reluctantly still in love with her. He had removed the door and ordered the back-up girl to get ready so that no one else would learn her secret. It was a decision made in a moment of panic when he found that he could not kill her.
He felt overwhelmed with so many emotions he fear that he was going mad. Then she had to walk into his room not remembering what she had said or done. Looking like a queen. Discovering that he wanted her and feeling jealous at the charm her friend gave her, he marked her again without thinking. Though she was not what she seemed she was still Persona. Her bold actions later in the bedroom proved that. Why she was here and what her motives were questions that could wait till tomorrow when he could talk to Seto and sort this out with him.
"Are you alright my king. You seemed distracted just now." Her soft voice brought him back from his thoughts. He paused their steps and ordered the guards to go on ahead. When they turned the corner to the grand hall Yami brought her hand back to his lips again.
"Yami?" Persona whispered.
A human had just freely spoken his name again. The key to his undoing. How could he have been so foolish? He moved to look at her but wince at the pain that lingered at his neck. Persona noticed and placed her other hand to touch the spot lightly. "I shouldn't have done that to you."
"No, you had every right to do this after what I did to you." He whispered. '
If you are my punishment for my persecution of humans, and the loss of my own humanity then I gladly accept my fate.'
The sound of a horn outside announcing the arrival of the guest made the two turned to where they needed to be. Persona sighed feeling suddenly nervous and said, "We really should go before Seto comes looking for us."
"Persona," Yami said turning back to her, "I want you to stay by my side the whole night. If at any time I am separated from you I want you to stay close to your guards and the servant girl, ah..."
"Milda."
"Milda," he repeated not surprised that she learned her name, "she will be your personal maid while you stay here in the castle. Keep her close and stay away from the vampires."
It was then that he remembered that some of them would have a second sight that would let them see her true form. His mark would keep her from harm, but he didn't want the maze finding out that he had fallen for a human and broken his own rule. Not yet, first he had to be sure he could protect her. Just because no one wanted his role didn't mean he didn't have enemies. He looked down at one of his rings and slid it off.
"Here," he said as he took her hand and slid the ring on her ring finger, "wear this for protection." Persona felt her breath still as she watched him put the gold band on her. She smiled feeling foolishly happy and kissed the king on his cheek.
"Thank you." She whispered against his skin and placed another kiss.
Yami was about to pull her in for a real kiss when Milda rounded the corner, now dress in a plain but elegant black velvet dress with red trim and coughed to get their attention. "Forgive me your highness, but lord Seto- "
Yami put up a hand silencing her and quickly pulled Persona to him. 'They can all wait', he thought as he lingered longer then intended. He was the king after all and his 'queen' needed a real kiss.
Milda blushed as Yami deepen his kiss making Persona moan lightly, and looked away with a nervous smile. When Yami felt satisfied with his work he again took Persona's arm in his and walked them to the end of the hall. Milda bowed as they passed and followed right behind them. Right behind the royal couple.
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