Author: HURRAY A NEW CHAPTER! I know I should be writing more of Oro Jackson High but I couldn't get some of the info for this story out of my head.

My body is so heavy… Ai thought weakly. I can't move anythingnot even a finger.

What was wrong with her?

One minute her body was freezing, the next she was burning up, sweat dripping off of her, shaking aggressively. " What's wrong with me?"

" It's a reaction to the Prince's blood you drank earlier."

Ai's eyes flew wide open at the sound of a soft feminine voice. Standing above her, a bright and eager smile prominent on her face, was a woman with similar facial features and physic to hers. She had long, wavy baby blue hair that looked softer then any cloud. Her sea foam green eyes shone brightly eagerly as she smiled daringly down at her.

" Wh-Who are you?"

" My name is Elia."

Ai jerked as she recognized the name, wincing as white hot pain seared throughout her entire body. " AH!"

" Oh sweetie!" Elia said hurriedly, concern flooding her green eyes. " Try not to move so suddenly. Your body went through a bit of trauma today, you need to rest."

" W-Why are you here?"

" I came to see you!" Elia said cheerfully.

" Why?" Ai said quickly, her eyes going wide. " Oh no! Am I dead? SHIT! Pops is going to kill me!"

" Oh no, dear!" Elia said hurriedly. " You aren't dead! Whoever would you think that!"

" Because you're here!" Ai said hurriedly and when Elia continued to give her a confused look. " And you're dead!"

" OOOOOh!" Elia said, her green eyes wide with realization. " I can see how you'd think that now!" Ai felt a sweat drop appear on her head at the woman's reaction.

" Why are you here…whenever here is?" Ai asked wincing in pain.

" I came to see you, of course." Elia said happily.

" Why?"

" You were very close to joining, your father and I in the After World. I had to come check on you to make sure you were safe." Elia said, kneeling beside Ai and stroking the girl's brow gently. " You can't come be with us yet, Aiko."

" Aiko?"

" That was the name your father gave you when you were born." Elia smiled. " It means Beloved Child. Which is what you were to us and you father chose your name well."

" F-Father?

" He wanted to come himself but I figured we needed some mother-daughter girl talk time!"

" Mother-daughter?" Ai squeaked, her face reddening.

" Yep!" Elia said in a cheery tone. " Look at how cute you've become! I mean, you were adorable as a baby but you are still so cute all grown up!" Ai's face went redder at the woman's words. " You were so adorable in those cute little dresses I used to dress you in! Edward and everyone used to just went gaga over how adorable you looked!"

My head is spinning! Ai thought as sweat rolled down here face as her body began shifting from cold to hot again. " What's wrong with my body?" She whispered weakly.

" It's a reaction to the Prince's blood!" Elia repeated running her hand lightly through Ai's hair.

" Ace?"

" Yes," Elia said softly. " His blood is stronger then most. It's trying to Change you as we speak."

" B-But how?" Ai gasped. " Ace never bit me!"

" No but when you were injured he had you drink a lot of his blood to heal you. Which it did, but the Prince's blood is stronger then most other vampire's. He's the son of one of the most powerful vampires in the world. His Companion is an ancient one as well."

" His Companion?"

" That is the primitive side of a vampire. They are what cause us to be over protective and somewhat blood thirsty. They are what triggers a vampire to react when they find their soulmate?"

" So the Companion was what caused Ace to-"

" Try to almost cause a war between Edward and the King the night you met?" Elia said with a smile. " Why yes it was! However, that wasn't the first time the two of you have met! So it was more of a…coming of age proclamation that you were his."

" What?"

" The two of you met when you were very small, still a baby, I believe." Elia said. " The Queen and I realized you two were destined for each other then. You both were so cute! The Prince refused to move from where your bassinet was whenever I visited the castle and was very protective of you! Whenever one of the King's men came anywhere near you he was instantly there to make sure you were safe. He would even cry when it was time for us to leave. He was just so adorable!"

Ai felt heat rise in her face once again at Elia's words. She didn't know who to think at the woman's words. She had no memory of the events Elia spoke of and she knew that Ace didn't either. Yet she knew the what Elia had said about Ace's Companion being protective was true.

" So…" Ai said quietly. " I'm going to be a Vampire… Ace will be happy then…"

" Is there something wrong with being a vampire?" Elia asked softly.

" N-Nothing!" Ai said hurriedly. " I just feel like I won't be me anymore!"

" Well…" Elia said suddenly avoiding eye contact with Ai. " I don't know how to tell you this."

" Tell me what?"

" I-" Elia broke off. " No…Edward will be upset that I told you."

" You're dead, what could Pops do to you?"

" I still don't like him being mad at me."

" About telling me what?"

" You weren't born human."

" Huh!" Ai said, panic running through her. " What are you talking about?"

" Well…I am a vampire after all."

" But that doesn't make any sense. I've never had any vampire tendencies. I've never drank any blood. I don't have any speed or strengths or-"

" Your father was human."

" He was?" Ai said in disbelief. " But you were a vampire. Why didn't you Change him?"

" Alduin wouldn't have it. He was fine with being human…with being mortal…" Elia said sadly. " When that man set his mind to something there was no changing it." Stroking her brow lightly she smiled down at her daughter. " Much like you, my sweet Aiko. I am glad that you inherited his strength and not mine."

" Why?"

" I am afraid I was rather meek…" Elia said. " Alduin deserved a better Bride and you a stronger mother."

" Why would you say something like that?"

" I wasn't able to protect you or your father when the Order came for us, your father went to fight them alone while he had me take you to Edward's castle for safety." Tears swelled in the woman's eyes as she spoke. " If I had Changed Alduin then he would have had a better chance at fighting them. He may still be alive. You would have had him in your life and known how great of a man he was."

" What does this all have to do with Pops?"

" Aiko, you were born a female vampire, a halfling yes, but none the less a female vampire. Very few of female vampires survive childhood and those that do are often used as pawns by vampire nobles. The Queen was once a ward of Edward's and she became the King's Bride. When Edward took you in, you became his ward as well…and if word got out that you were the Prince's Bride at such a young age…it could have started a war. The Order and even other seethes could have thought The King and Edward had formed an alliance, using you children as bargaining chips."

" Pops wouldn't do that!"

" We know that but others don't. He did what he did to safe you not only from those who would manipulate you but from the sickness that haunts others of our gender. He did it because he loved you as one of his own."

" What did he do?"

" This mark…" Elia said, sliding a sleeve down, exposing Ai's right shoulder and where her father's sigil was tattooed. " …he had this mark placed on you to protect you. It suppressed your vampire traits, allowed to grow up, safe from those who would use you."

" Not entirely…" Ai said quietly touching the bite mark on her neck.

" My sweet daughter, I am so sorry." Elia said stroking her cheek gently.

" Ace wants to see them…" Ai said weakly, her lips pale, her voice shaky.

" Will you show him?"

" I-I can't"

" Why not?"

" He-" Ai broke off, her face red and eyes filled with tears. She couldn't bring herself to say the thing she most feared.

" Do you believe he won't want you?" The redness in her face grew even more. " How did he react when he saw this mark?"

" He was angry…he wanted to know who had done it."

" Did you tell him?"

" N-No, I couldn't." Ai said weakly.

" Why not, love?" Elia said pulling Ai to her.

" I can't be his Bride." Ai whimpered.

" Why ever not?" Elia said softly.

" If I were to become his then I wouldn't be me…I'd only be his wife, his property…I'd lose myself in him. He would be make all the decisions without even consulting me…I want to see the world and I can't when I am his."

" Has he hurt you?"

" No! He would never!" Ai said hurriedly.

" Then I do not see why you worry."

" There have been many girls that thought the same and found out how wrong they were."

" You are speaking of humans, I see." Elia said pulling Ai closer. " To be the Bride of a vampire is different then to be a human's wife."

" What's the-"

" Vampire's treasure their Bride's above all other things. Another vampire is forbidden to harm a child or another's Bride." Ai looked down, her fists clenched tightly.

" Not every vampire follows those rules."

" The ones who did that to you were punished, Aiko."

" Not all of them…" Ai said quietly. " He got away."

" And Edward and the King haven't stopped hunting him." Elia said, snuggling Ai to her protectively.

" The King?" Ai said in surprise. " Why would he care about it?"

" He believes children should be protected and that anyone who harms them should be punished severely." Elia said quietly. " When you escaped those men you managed to find your way to the Prince. Those men followed the scent of your blood and tried to take you back to wherever they had you but the Prince saved you. At five he was able to subdue several adult vampires by himself."

" H-He did?" Ai stuttered her face now resembling a tomato. She was surprised by this knowledge. She knew Ace was strong but she hadn't realized how strong. " B-But why don't I remember this?"

" Shock more then likely." Elia said quietly. " Trauma like that at such a young age is difficult to know how it will effect one's memory." Nuzzling her face lightly into Ai's hair she smiled softly. " I think you should tell him about how you received those scars."

" I-I'm afraid…" Ai admitted quietly. " Why would he want such a messed up girl as his Bride? He should have someone who is prettier…not all scarred up."

" Did no one tell you about vampires and their Brides?" Elia asked and when her daughter shook her head the blunette had a suddenly peeved look. " Those idiots! They were so protective that they couldn't even tell you about the most basic thing!"

" They told me that I would eventually get married."

" Human marriages are not the same as a Vampire Coupling!" Elia huffed in annoyance. " Human males dominate their wives, most in this age even abuse them and cheat on them. A Vampire Coupling is different! They are equals in everything and loyal only to each other. Vampire males elevate their Brides because without them, the race would be extinguished. The Brides are precious to their Grooms, they would do anything for them."

Still she was afraid, she couldn't understand why someone like Ace, who had his pick of women, would want her. " I'm afraid."

" Listen to me, Aiko." Elia said sternly. " Male Vampires are different then human males."

" Did Father ever cheat on you?"

" NO!" Elia said quickly. " Alduin was the exception humans. He was kind and loving to me and he adored you more then anything else in the world. You were his pride and joy!"

" What if ace is the exception to vampire men?" Ai was terrified that he was. She was worried that he would be…because she was falling in love with him.

" Does he seem like it to you?" Elia asked softly. " Has he ever been cruel to you?"

" N-No…" Ai said quietly. In face, Ace had been the complete opposite. Aside from the first night she had met him when he had tried to Change her, he had been kind and gentle to her. Treated her with respect, except when he had been a little handsy, but she only admitted to herself that she liked it. He even showed his kindness when he cared for little Selene, who seemed to love him.

" Give him a chance, Aiko." Elia whispered. " Let him in. I believe he won't hurt you."

" He's the Prince though…that means I'll be the Princess…and maybe even Queen eventually…I don't think I could be that…there's so much responsibility…they'll-"

" In time they'll love and honor you…just like they do Rouge." Elia said lovingly. " I just know it."

" Um…you said Ace's blood was doing this to me?"

" It's trying to Change you by awakening your vampire genes and destroy Edward's mark."

" What do I do about it?"

" Well…" Elia broke off, face reddening suddenly.

" Well what…?" Ai asked curiously.

" You'll have to truly become his Bride."

" W-What?"

" Let him finish Changing you or let his blood consume you."

" Consume me?" Ai asked before heat and pain rushed throughout her body.

" It will kill you." Elia said sadly, her hold tightening protectively around Ai. " His blood is trying to break Edward's seal…but it's to strong. The only way to break it is to Change with Ace's aide."

" He has to bite me…"

" Yes but that isn't all to Change you."

" B-But that's how it's done! That's what everyone says!"

" That is how normal vampires are Changed but not how Grooms Change their Brides."

" B-But I don't understand."

" How else does a Bride and Groom seal themselves to one another?" Heat, this time not accompanied by pain, flooded her face at her mother's words.

" W-We-"

" I expect many adorable grandbabies!" Elia said lovingly. " Many!"