Chapter 26
The festival was beautiful with its lanterns hanging high above, music flowing and several shows of traditional dances.
As Perse walked around the festival, hands tucker together in front of her, Tsar followed in various forms around her. Sometimes he was the fox in her shadow, the silent snicker of a dog or the purring of a cat.
After calling for the Royal Witch to stop, Yuki came up to her with Zero trailing after her.
Yuki wore a similar kimono to Perse, but hers had a rose pink tone instead of the purple along with rose petals on the hems. She had three crests instead of the extremely formal five, and two were the Cross crest and one was the Kuran. She looked beautiful as her shoulder-length hair was pulled into a pretty braid crown around her head.
"You look great," Yuki said.
"Thank you. So do you," Perse smiled. "You match Zero a little."
Zero scowled. His outfit had a darker pink, almost red with rose petals along the hems with something that looked like silver spiderwebs intertwined into the petals.
He crossed his arms, "Cross dressed us."
"Yep," Perse laughed. "That explains it. You look good so kudos to him for that. Has either of you got any clue where Cross is? Takuma said Kaname went to see him but now I can't find either of them. I lost Ichiru like ten minutes ago."
"I saw Cross at the main gates," Zero said, gesturing vaguely. "He's with Yoga. Some Council members came to talk to Kaname, along with a couple of Association members too. Ichiru might be with them, I don't know."
Perse sighed, "That's not gonna end well, is it?"
"No," Zero shifted on his feet, a concerned look coming onto his face. "...Are you okay? From, you know…"
She perked up, smiling brightly before lying through her teeth, "I'm good, all healed up. Are you good? I should just warn you, if you and Yuki do anything pertaining to blood exchange, you won't be Human anymore. You won't become a Level E, but perhaps a Level C or maybe even Level B if you decide to go down that route. I just made it so that Shizuka is no longer poisoning your system."
"Yeah, thanks for that," He nodded.
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Finding the people was harder than anticipated, eventually needing to use her powers to find them.
Even then, it took a couple more minutes than she would like to admit it should have taken, meaning it took her half an hour. She eventually got hungry because of all the food stands and stalls around her, getting a chocolate-covered banana as a snack before venturing to the area she wanted to go.
It was a blocked off area of the gardens, so most of the parents and students could go near it. The large stone fencing made it so the people in there couldn't be seen. The area was raised and had furniture, letting Kaname, Hanabusa, Cera, Cross, Sara, Eita, Ichio and a few more important Vampires sit down and discuss what was needed.
Ichiru and Toga were standing outside the area, keeping guard to make sure no one went in unneeded.
Toga stopped her before she even thought of approaching the front before she could even be seen by the inhabitants of the garden area.
"You don't want to go there, kid," He said, grabbing her arm gently before she could pass him.
She paused, looking at him. "Why?"
"They've got stuff to discuss and you won't like to hear the verdict," Toga frowned at her.
"That still doesn't answer the question," She shifted her weight on her feet, leaning on one foot more than the other now. "I'm used to bad verdicts and uncomfortable discussions. If it's a private discussion, I won't intrude. But since both the Vampire Council and the Hunter Association leaders are there along with my cousin who is under my protection, I must insist that you let me be part of the discussion."
Toga sighed, looking at Ichiru who just gave him a look that said this was quite expected from her. Toga nodded, standing aside. "Go on, I'll come in with you. Ichiru can guard the door."
Perse just smirked, nodding too before walking into the blocked off garden area.
There was a low table in the middle, two long cushioned benches on either side of it as people sat on them. Cross sat at one head while Ichio sat at the other end. Kaname stood behind Hanabusa and Cera as they sat on one long bench with Eita and Sara on the other end of it, while a couple more Vampires sat on the other bench with the president of the Hunter's Association.
"You're not marrying Hanabusa Aido," Ichio said sternly. "There is no reason for you two to marry. Both of you are too young and this match is unacceptable."
"You do not get to say what is acceptable or not, Ichio," Kaname said. "They both have my blessing to marry, and they have Princess Persephone's blessing to Bond."
"What is this Bonding nonsense?"
Perse got close enough to answer, "The Bonding of souls is much older than we know, Ichio. It is the highest honour for a Witch to Bond with another, both having to be compatible and deeply in love. It's rare."
"If it's so rare, why have they chosen to Bond?" The president of the Hunter Association asked, batting a fan in front of his face. His purple-grey hair tied up and outfit feminine in its kimono style.
Perse walked until she got to Cera's side of the long couch, "There are about a two hundred Bondings a year throughout the whole world, including double Witch and single Witch pairings. With only about one in a hundred pairings being non-Witch with a Witch. It's rare but not unheard of. Just like Vampire Beloved."
"Don't talk of something you do not know of," Ichio snapped, fangs down and eyes red.
Perse didn't react, only her eyes reacting and turning a beautiful, bright silver before dulling down to their grey shade again. "Then don't put down the idea of Bonding when you don't know shit about it, Ichio. So what is happening here that Cera and Hanabusa are being harassed?"
"They're not being harass—" The president started, but quickly stopped when Perse gave him a dark look.
"Don't lie to me, I know what I heard," She said, sitting down between Cera and Sara, right in the middle of the long bench. "I'm not here as one of the leaders of the Order, I am here as Head of my House and Family, which includes Cera as my cousin. So don't make me become political when I can be civil."
"Fine," Ichio nodded. "The Council does not want this union to happen."
"Nor does the Association,"
"And?" Perse started. "I don't remember the Association being allowed any say in who gets married, mated or Bonded. While the Council might have a say, they do not have a final verdict since this is Magic we are talking about. You don't control Magic."
"And you do?" The president said.
The way her lips curved back to bare teeth was beautiful and dangerous, a sheer show of primal power hidden within a pretty smile. "More so than you can ever imagine."
The two leaders stiffen, Ichio just flared his nostrils in anger but didn't say anything to that. Even he knew better than challenging an angry Witch, especially an angry Greylight.
Kaname interrupted the mini staring contest between Ichio and Perse, making sure neither got to say another word that might start an argument.
"Is there any particular reason why you are not allowing Hanabusa and Cera to marry?" Kaname said, standing behind Perse and to the right of her to allow her to look at him from the corner of her eye. "Besides the fact you are saying that you do not want this union to happen, is there an actual reason besides for the prejudice against another race?"
"I don't want the Aido family bloodline to be polluted and thinned out by Human blood," Ichio stated, hands calmly on his thighs as a way to seem level-headed. "There are less Aristocrats being born nowadays, and this union would make it so the bloodline would be corrupted and even less would be born."
"Adding a Witch to a bloodline does not corrupt or pollute a bloodline, Ichio. You know this," Kaname said, crossing his arms loosely. "If anything, it helps strengthen the bloodlines since a Vampire and a Witch copulating means that the children will either be a Vampire or a Witch, but never a Human. If children come out of this union, they will be healthy, either Vampire or Witch."
"How do we know this is true?" The president asked. "There are no records of this happening."
"The Hunter Association has no record of it because it has been kept private," Persephone said. "The Order has records, and the Council has the minimal amount needed to recognise this happening. We Witches are private with our affairs, and we don't like to share unneeded information with third parties."
The president wrinkled his nose in displeasure but didn't comment.
For the first time, Sara spoke up.
"If one bloodline is getting corrupted," She began slyly, looking between Persephone and Kaname. "Don't you think another should be saved?"
"What do you mean?" Cross asked. "The Aido family isn't getting corrupted."
"But the Greylight line is,"
Cera looked at Persephone who remained silent at this, waiting for a nod before speaking about the topic. "Only a First-born can inherit the title of Crown. If Perse had no children, it would go to my First-born. But only a Full Witch can take the Crown, meaning my children with Hanabusa would not be allowed to, nor would my grandchildren or their children. It would go to Bereket's First-Born grandchild because Bereket is the second born of a second-born, only a First-born of a First-born can take the title."
"I see," Cross said. "Sara, what did you mean?"
"I meant that since Cera is corrupting her line, and so is Hanabusa regardless of what you say," She said. "I think two lines should be started. Persephone will get married eventually, so why not sooner rather than later."
Persephone turned to her. "Who would I marry? Marriage means hardly anything to Witches, it's more or less saying it's only an alliance contract."
"Why Eita, of course," She smiled. "He comes from a good family and would have healthy children."
Eita smirked, trying to hide his grin behind a hand beside Sara.
"I don't plan to have children, at least not in the near future and certainly not with someone I wouldn't want to copulate with," Persephone simply stated. "Marriage perhaps, children no."
Eita just shrugged at that.
"I'm the last of my line," Sara continued, faking innocence with her words and mannerisms. "And I want to continue it. Kaname is also the last of his line. We marrying and having children would sort out our heir problems, letting both Pureblood lines continue without any pollution from any Human blood anyone else may have. While Persephone and Eita get married, why not have Kaname and I also marry? It would keep three Royal bloodlines pure."
"That's a brilliant idea," Ichio said, also smiling a little as a look of sly smugness appeared in his eyes. "It would keep many people happy for these unions to happen."
"If this union between us will allow Hanabusa and Cera to marry, then I accept," Kaname said. "I accept an engagement between Sara and myself."
The garden around them withered and died, leaving the dead wood and ashes of the rotten leaves and flowers as Persephone stood up.
"I'm glad this conversation is over now," She said.
The flowers, shrubs, and greenness returned to their natural state as soon as she left the vicinity.
Kaname got up to follow her out, soon with Cera and Hanabusa right behind him. He was stopped by Ichiru who stood in his way.
"Don't," Ichiru said. "You've done enough."
"You don't know what I've done,"
Ichiru scoffed, disgust coming onto his face, "You're lucky I don't know. You think being a Pureblood will protect you? You better hope Perse still has some sort of remorse for you because I will not show mercy if you hurt her again."
"What will you do?" Kaname glared. "You're Human."
"Don't think I won't tell Yuki," Ichiru smirked. "I think she will have strong feelings about this, along with Rima and Ruka. You've just split the Night Class with your plan tonight. Better hope it's worth it."
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Perse stopped her long trek around the campus when she got away from everyone and found herself at the lakeside. The moon wasn't full, nowhere near it actually. The thin sliver of a crescent was piercing the sky but it still was beautiful.
She took a deep breath in, keeping herself calm as she closed her eyes. She needed the moment before she felt Kaname come into the area with her.
Perse turned to face him just as he ran into her sight, the grass around her fluffing up with life as she saw him begin to reach for her as he came closer. With each step, the grass around her began to bulb with thin stems until he got one hand onto her cheek and the other reached behind her.
The flowers sprouted as Kaname pulled her closer and leaned in, lips meeting chastely for only a moment before tensions released.
It felt like home.
The way her arms touched his chest, ready to push away if she wanted but she didn't. The way he kept her close and in his arms but ready to let her go if needed.
Their lips melted together like they belonged together, soft yet biting against each other as the flowers flourished around them.
Their breaths were shared, life to life as they didn't need air to keep them alive.
Blood sang with Magic, rushing between them as heartbeats synced until there was no distinction between them.
Only when she felt him lean back but keeping her close did she react.
She pushed his chest firmly, anger flaring in their bond and only simmering down when she saw the grimace of pain on Kaname's face.
Kaname clutched the area where his heart was, feeling the way his heart clenched in his chest like it was being constricted and fire was being poured into his bloodstream.
Perse smirked, wiping her mouth carefully, "I told you I can make your blood boil."
"I didn't know you were being serious about that," He said, relaxing as the pain started to subside a little.
She rolled her eyes.
"You don't get to announce your intention to marry Sara and then kiss me like nothing is wrong," She muttered, turning her face away as her tongue darted out to her lips again. "I'm not a fallback plan that you get to choose when you come back to it."
"It means nothing," He said. "The engagement means nothing. It is only political, letting me have an upper hand in what's going to happen in the future."
"Don't talk to me like I don't know politics!" She snapped, eyes silver with anger. "I grew up in Court! I know what people are capable of, and what lengths they are willing to go to get what they want. I've seen engagements and marriages of convenience and for status and wealth. I've seen affairs make or break a country."
"Then you must understand what I am doing,"
"I understand, alright. I know you're trying to make sure you have the power to do whatever you want in the Vampire world. But I won't be a mistress, I will not be a second choice. Not again."
"What do you mean not again?"
"I am not a fall back plan which you get to revisit whenever you want to," She emphasised it, gesturing to herself"You choose me or you lose me. Quite simple. I am a first and final choice or I am not a choice at all. You don't get to treat me as a second choice, Kaname. But it seems like you've chosen already so I don't have to fear your advances, especially if you're so willing to cheat on your fiancée so soon after the engagement. I just wonder what you would have done if we had started dating."
"If?"
"More like never now," She turned on her heels, quickly getting back to the others in the garden area.
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"I accept an engagement between Eita and I."
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The three Saints all groaned as they witnessed what happened.
Tartarus sighed, "He messed up."
"You think?" Gaea said sarcastically. "He messed up big time."
"How the fuck am I supposed to get these two together now?!" Eros almost screamed at the reflection of the two. "They're literally pushing each other away. AGAIN! They're useless at this romance shit."
"Just a tad," Gaea laughed. "Just means we have to push them in the right direction once again."
"How the fuck are we supposed to do that?"
"While we cannot influence Kaname or Perse, we can influence the others around them," Tartarus grinned fiercely. "Time to do some damage."