Chapter 7

She spent every waking moment from the time she received the paperwork doing the paperwork within a good enough time period.

There was too much to do by herself without some sacrifices but she was managing.

She attended class every day, spent minimal hours sleeping and eating, and spent as much time as she could doing the paperwork. She had absolutely no time for anything that wasn't the damned paperwork that Order sent her.

She didn't need nor want help. She could do this herself, get through this without wanting to kill something or maim someone. It was mostly patience she was getting the hang of.

Perse did not like any sort of school work, and this reminded her of the coursework she would have done in her English school. Giving proof of work she had done such as powerpoints, word documents, and physical documents.

She hated paperwork!

But at least this was something she was actually interested in so she didn't doze off at the first boring statistic.

Most were about new laws that the other two Crowns wanted, ones which would affect all three clans so would need all three Crowns to agree on. Others were statements from Court members that were asking for this and that to be approved, approvals of marriages or bondings, of houses and buildings to be built or redone, of people moving into and out of the Greylight Magical Community.

If she had been in England and had been allowed the title of Crown and all of the perks, she would have had one of the advisors look at all of the documents and give her a run down of statistics and bullet points on each topic. She didn't have this luxury, she had to go through all of the paperwork by hand and read through it all before she put them into piles of Yes, No, or Undecided.

There was no chance she was going to simply look at the summary the other Crowns gave her. Most of them were very misleading, especially the ones that they insisted were for the good of everyone while in fact, it would have harmed the Greyligh Community and the surrounding villages and towns. She wouldn't do something that would definitely risk the safety and health of her people.

"When was the last time you slept, Perse?" Takuma asked as he brought in a lidded box and dropped it onto her desk where several other boxes sat. He looked to Perse, her eyes alert and bright yet slight dark circles hidden under concealer were on her face.

Perse stood in the middle of the room, documents floating in an organised manner in the air. All of the dozen pieces of paper floating in the air belonged to one single file, and Takuma had subconsciously counted nine files in a single box. Perse brought one paper closer and held it, reading both sides before letting it float back up so it could stay in order before taking the next.

"Hmm?" She looked up from the document she was reading. "What time is it?"

"Reaching five in the evening,"

"Twenty...eight ish hours ago?" She shrugged. "Something like that. I don't know."

"Isn't that a little too long to be without sleep?"

"Perhaps, but I'm busy so sleep can wait."

His lips thinned into a concerned line. "Have you at least eaten in the last day?"

"I've eaten enough,"

"How much is enough?"

"Takuma, I'm fine. I'm just really busy, really very busy because those assholes of Crowns decided to send all of the documents including the ones that the advisors would have sorted out."

He gestured to the other boxes scattered around the room, at least six or seven boxes with three already packed away in the corner. "Are all of these boxes full of documents?"

"Yeah, and I have to read all of the pages before I sign off," She said, scanning the rest of the dozen pages still in the air. "Usually the Crown would get an overview of the documents from an advisor but I don't have one. And I don't trust the provided summaries."

"Are they misleading?"

"Very,"

He hummed. "Hanabusa ordered some sushi to the dorms, they should be arriving soon if you'd like to join us."

"I don't eat fish,"

"There will be vegetable sushi rolls too," He smiled like he knew something. "What do you say? Take a break and refuel because you look exhausted and hungry."

"I am hungry," She admitted before rubbing at the tiny bags under her eyes. "Do I look that exhausted?"

"No, you just look more tired than normal." He smiled as she let the documents float back down to the pile, neatly stacked before she turned around and they both left her dorm.

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There were a total of eight seats around the low square table, two seating pillows on each side of it as the eight of them sat around it. Perse was glad she was wearing trousers, she wouldn't be able to sit on her knees for as long as the others could, so she sat with her legs criss crossed as she knew that was acceptable.

She and Kaname sat at one of the sides, somehow acting like the heads of the table without meaning to. He sat to her right, also crossed legged with a pair of chopsticks in his hands as he ate the sticky rice. Hanabusa was on the next side with Rima to his left, then Takuma sat across from Perse while Senri was across from Kaname. Then Akatsuki sat with Ruka who was next to Kaname.

Perse had frowned, shamelessly admitting to not knowing how to use chopsticks as she stabbed a piece of vegetable sushi through the middle before eating it. She did it twice more before Kaname tutted and snatched them out of her hands. His fingers were soft as he tried to show her how to properly hold the chopsticks, letting her try it out and seeing she failed at it. He then showed her how to clasp them between her fingers and how they moved, then she nodded her thanks and no longer stabbed her food as she could finally pick it up with her chopsticks.

It was nearly four am when they finished eating.

Takuma had offhandedly mentioned that Perse was working through an absurd amount of paperwork. She just sent him a glare before shrugging it off as something that had to be done, she had no choice in the matter because she wanted to be Crown so she had to act like one, including doing the paperwork and documents. This conversation resulted in Perse being allowed to use the Library to do her paperwork as it had more room than her dorm.

She now sat in the library, papers spread across the large table as she sat in one chair at the end of the table while Kaname sat, reading a book at the other end. It was raining again, something that happened whenever she was becoming too stressed or overworked, Kaname realised, or when she wanted some comfort.

Within an hour, she was unconscious.

Head nestled on folded arms, Perse was asleep while she sat at the table. The papers were tucked back into piles as soon as she had drifted off, even subconsciously she knew she couldn't make a mess in here.

Kaname had waited a half an hour after she fell asleep, looking at her frowny face as she slept in the cold of the library. It was cold on the best of days.

Tucking his book away, Kaname went to Perse's room and easily got past the Magic barrier she had placed around her door. It was based on intent and all he wanted to do was grab one of her blankets, and that was what he did. He brought it back to the library, seeing she was still asleep so he gently draped it over her shoulders.

He took a seat at the table, opening a new book he was meaning to start and began reading it. He wasn't going to leave her alone. While he knew she could protect herself well enough, the small amounts of Magic she displayed told him she was capable of damage, he did not trust many of his classmates. They had all taken the vow but that meant nothing when the promise of blood was present. He did not trust the newest students of theirs either.

To keep Maria Kurenai from Yuki was a lot easier due to the fact that Zero had figured it out. Zero already knew who Maria truly was, the link between Maker and Childe was something a Childe would never forget.

To keep her away from Perse was a different story. The Night Class shared lessons every night, but at least Maria stayed in the old dorms rather than the new ones with the rest of them. It allowed there to be space between them, but it also allowed Maria privacy and that was a dangerous thing when dealing with her.

Kaname had a nagging feeling and whenever he had one, he liked to investigate. He frowned, that meant leaving her alone.

"Seiren," He said softly, making sure to keep his voice low so as to not wake the Witch up. The lavender haired Vampire appeared. "Check on Yuki for me, please."

"Of course, Lord Kaname," She said and bowed, getting ready to leave but something stopped her.

"Don't," Perse mumbled from where she laid her head. "If it's about Yuki, go, Kaname. I don't need babysitting." she yawned.

"I thought you were asleep and didn't think it wise to leave you alone in here," He said.

"Don't need protection. Magic's gone funny around the school. Blood's been spilt I think," She said, rubbing at her eyes with a yawn before realising that there was a blanket on her. "Thanks. Go check on her before anything happens."

Seiren looked to Kaname who just waved a hand dismissively as he got up, suddenly disappearing.

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Perse was on autopilot now, following whatever source of blood and Magic she could sense until she reached a room.

Zero was on the ground, bleeding out from somewhere near his shoulder.

Perse crouched next to him, her hands quickly beginning to massage the wounded area with slow strokes downwards to excel his already fast healing. The blood which stained and pooled in his black uniform was beginning to be reabsorbed by his body. As soon as she had a touch of his blood on her skin, she could feel that his blood tablets were beginning to fail again.

"What are you doing?" Zero snarked, teeth gritted in pain as he tried to sit up but she just shoved him down. His eyes were glaring through the red but hers were cold and silver.

"I'm healing you," She plainly said, her face blank and no nonsense as she finished up. "Your pills have stopped working again."

"A little,"

Perse sighed. "Zero, open your mouth."

"Why?" He barely grasped out through clenched teeth.

"Just do it," She snapped.

He opened his mouth, narrowing his glowing eyes at her as she moved forward. Perse lifted her right hand to his mouth, pricking her pointer finger on one of his fangs before rubbing the welled up blood on his bottom lip. He licked at it with feverious movements, even going to the point of licking the wound before she pulled her hand away with a satisfied hum.

"Better?"

Zero looked reluctant to admit that he felt better, the thirst gone.

She took his face by the chin, making him look her in the eyes. "You're not going to drink any blood from Yuki, even if she offers. Nor anyone else. If you need it desperately enough to actually attack someone, you come to me."

"Why would I come to you?"

"You've got my blood in it," She said. "It will continue to heal and keep your bloodlust under control. You won't have to drink blood tablets as often. You won't crave blood as often either. It is temporary, but it is better than you becoming crazy and thirsty."

"I don't want your blood,"

"Tough luck. It is mine or that mistress of yours."

He frowned and nodded twice stiffly.

"What do you do when you're thirsty, Zero?"

"Come to you."

She smirked, getting up before helping him. "I'll make some pills that will have my blood in them. You'll only need to source blood once a week, if that."

"Why are you doing this?" He asked, a hand on his sore shoulder.

"I like Yuki. She deserves to be happy and if she wants you to be happy too, I'll try and make that happen." Perse tilted her head side to side. "I like a good ending to a story. Might as well make sure someone has one if I'm not."

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Both royals were back in the library. Perse sat with the blanket now draped over her legs as she sipped on a hot coffee as she continued to work.

"I saw there were more applications to join the Night Class," Kaname said, turning a page. "All Witches from England. I had background checks done and refused almost all of them. There were three I was unsure of, triplets from the Sallow Family."

"Cera, Bereket, Usher." Perse hummed, resting her chin on her arm as she signed another document before sending it off flying to the finished boxes where it landed neatly on top of other papers. "My cousins from my mother's side."

"Should I approve their request to transfer to the Night Class?"

"I don't care."

"They're Witches, they are your territory so I'm asking if they would be a good part of the school."

She side-eyed him. "Kaname, do you want more Witches at the school?"

"Would they outrank you?"

"No one outranks me,"

"Can you control them if there was a need?"

"Yeah, maybe,"

"What do you mean by maybe ?"

"I outrank them easily, but to control them like you can control the other Vampires isn't an ability I currently possess control over," Perse shrugged. "I have the ability but I don't know how to use it."

"Do you want me to advise Cross that they should be put into the Day Class instead?"

She thought for a second before nodding, "Yeah. Easier for us then. I don't need distractions. Too much at stake."

Kaname was silent for a minute, letting the calm atmosphere surround them before he asked, "Out of curiosity, what would happen if you failed the Challenge?"

"I can't tell you much about the Challenge itself. Only those who have seen one before may talk of its contents to another, keeps rumours down then. But there's three trials and each one tests your personality, ability, and over all Magic and your connection to it. Fail the personality bit, and you lose your ability to use your Magic until you can prove yourself. Fail ability, and you lose your right to use Magic freely until you can gain enough trust in the communities. Fail the connection, you lose your Magic and it is transferred to another, to the next Heir or another Crown."

"And if you win?"

"The other Crowns will have to find another way to kill me,"

He stiffened before looking up from his book. "They would kill you?"

"They'd kill me for my Magic, which would have to be forcefully removed from me. They tried that with my mum, as soon as she was dying, they tried to possess her Magic. Blood calls to blood as Magic calls to Magic," Perse said lowly. "Or they'd try and pressure me into marriage."

"I thought marriage was not a thing amongst Witches?"

"Marriage is just a social construct that states that one should be equal to another in all ways in a relationship in the eyes of the law. Bonding is the bonding of souls, only a few dozen are done every year." She sent another paper flying to the boxes. "Bonding isn't taken lightly."

"Who would they marry you off to?"

She hummed. "I don't know. Probably a noble they had under their thumb. I doubt I'll ever get married, let alone Bonded. I've had marriage proposals since I was a babe."

Kaname made a face that asked to go on as he was questioning what she meant.

"They're mostly…" She trailed off, stopping her reading as she tried to think of the right words. "they're more like arranged marriages or marriages for social power and status. It's political rather than for love."

"Would you ever get married for political gain?"

"I would prefer not to legally bind myself to another but I would if it would benefit me," She said. "Would you not if it meant keeping everything you love and cherise safe?"

He frowned. "Is marriage not sacred?"

"Marriage is a piece of paper, a contract to say you and another are one entity in the eyes of the law. If I were to Bond, I wouldn't Bond with just anyone. To bear your soul, your Magic to another and link yourselves for eternity, you would put great consideration into the decision."

"To your kind, Magic is sacred," Kaname stated. "To mine, blood is sacred."

"To a Greylight, Magic and blood are the same. There's a reason why our Family Crest is Lightning Bird." She smiled. "Cannibalistic, bloodthirsty and Magical. It's a family secret that our crest is a Lightning Bird, something the Heir gets told on their fifteenth birthday."

"The secret is why I did not know about your secondary gift,"

"Yes."

"Your secondary gift is sought after by the other Crowns,"

She bit her tongue. "They didn't know about it until Christmas. They found out by accident and my mother is dead because of it."

"What happened, if I may ask?"

"Assassination attempt," Perse fifdled with one of her earingings, looking and sound as if this was a conversation about the weather. "Commonplace for an Heir to be targeted at least once before their eighteenth. I was in a coma for two weeks, poison. My mother had enough of waiting to see if my Magic would burn it all off. The other Crowns walked in as she got the poison out of my system."

He hummed before letting silence fall again.

"Was that wise? The incident with Zero?" Kaname's voice was tight with displeasure and curiosity. "Blood is sacred to your kind."

"And it is the same as yours." She let no expression onto her face. "A little bit of blood won't affect him badly since I gave it willingly. Anything more than a few drops and then we'd be in trouble."

"What about the Magic in your blood?"

"I can control the amount and the kind in it. Zero's thirst will be curbed for as long as my blood is in his system, so about a month because of the red blood cells." She tilted her head to survey his expressions as she spoke. "I let you in on the meeting between myself and the Crowns because I knew the topic of blood would be approached. You should be dead, or at the very least a withering mess."

"But I am not."

She smiled into her coffee cup as she sipped. "And that's why I've been cautious."