"Kaname," Juuri called, stepping into the nursery with a suit bag over her arm, "Come and try this on."
"Why do I need a new suit?" Kaname asked as he was picked up and dumped on an overstuffed chair, Juuri gesturing for Nancy to undress him as she unzipped the protective cover and pulled out a toddler-sized three-piece suit and all the trappings.
If it were not intended for him, Kaname would have called it adorable. It was dark blue-grey with silver fastenings, complete with tie and brand new shiny black oxfords. Not quite tailored as Kaname hadn't been for any fittings, but it was undoubtedly perfect to measurements Juuri had given. She wouldn't buy off the rack.
Kaname made a note to find out the name of the tailor. With any luck, it was Alonzo from the lower town, a bloodline that was already bound to the Kurans. The way Kaname's luck had been going – Juuri Kuran had probably commissioned a child-sized suit from Ichio's personal tailor – and Ichio was visiting next dark.
"We have guests arriving soon," Juuri answered cheerfully, humming to herself as she manhandled Kaname into her latest 'cute' outfit. "You need to look your best."
"Guests?" Kaname echoed dully. "Who?" He hoped she missed the accusation in the question.
At ten months old, he was vulnerable. If he had been any other Level A, he'd be walking heroin as far as vampires was concerned. This was a Bad Idea, but Kaname knew frustratingly well that there was nothing he could do about it.
Visits to Kuran Castle would have been pre-arranged months ago. Or they would have been if Kaname was in charge. With Haruka, who could tell? He probably let the postman walk right up to the door. Cancelling would draw more attention than going through with it. He could make Juuri cancel – but the intended guests would talk, and it would be a suspicious move for anyone paying attention, and it would affect the Kuran's reputation, which Kaname needed to preserve at all costs since it was their only shield right now. He didn't have a choice.
"Inner Court ladies only, darling, don't pout. I wanted a ladies night."
"A ladies night," Kaname repeated, feeling a vague bloom of horror take root within him. The last time he'd heard those famous last words, Charlotte, Freya and Aylin had buggered off into Old Rome with two-dozen female attendants. Three long nights later, they'd breezed back in a mishmash of clothes bearing all manner of interesting rips and stains. They'd reeked of perfume, alcohol, sex, drugs and during their extended 'ladies night' they'd lost two and a half shoes, gained a cat, a pear of anguish, half a pound of flour and a bike chain.
He'd learned a valuable lesson that night; don't ask questions you don't want to hear the answer to.
"It's going to be so much fun," Juuri beamed.
"Yes," Kaname said stoically as she forced his arm through the right hole. "Fun."
Ladies night was apparently going to take place in the Rose Parlour.
The Rose Parlour was just as it sounded, a large stone room, with windows all facing towards the Rose Garden. The wall hangings were all of roses and the furniture was dark, interspersed with flowery relief. It was deep within the oldest parts of Kuran Castle, but it had been discreetly wired for electricity, and a huge television now stood to one side, tuned in to the encrypted vampire-only station, VBC.
Dressed in his new suit – the familiar stitching reassuring Kaname that it had come from Alonzo – hair brushed to a glossy sheen, Kaname was left to wait, trapped in Nancy's arms and languishing in the antechamber until the guests arrived.
"It'll be such a fantastic surprise for them all," Juuri had said, as she skipped off to fetch a camera.
At least it was just Inner-Court, Kaname consoled himself. They ought to be fairly safe.
He'd never been this paranoid about security before. Of course, he'd never been this doubtful of the embedded protections of the castle before.
"Why are you so worried, Kaname-sama?"
"I'm not worried," he said, pushing his hand against her cheek to give him the leverage to see around the door. Servants – he had to get around to scanning them for security risks sooner rather than later – were busy setting out platters of snacks and trays bearing bottles, the glasses all polished until they sparkled under a chandelier of freshly lit candles.
He wasn't too concerned – this had probably happened the last time around without issue – but he was curious. He'd been back in the past for ten long months and he had yet to step foot outside the castle. Whoever arrived would be the first new faces he'd seen in ages.
"As you say," Nancy mumbled, voice stifled under his hand.
Ren Akatsuki was the first to arrive, dressed neatly in a dark green top and sharp black skirt with matching heels although she'd foregone the full face of makeup and jewellery. By that, Kaname judged that this really was some sort of casual ladies night in and some of his anxiety faded.
"Juuri-sama," Ren greeted, curtsying deeply.
"Ren!" Juuri replied lightly, pressing a glass of blood wine – the good stuff if Kaname's highly developed nose was any judge, oh how he wanted a bottle of Gilgamesh for himself – and pulled her over to the sofas. "I'm so glad you could make it."
"Thank you for inviting me. Is there a special occasion?"
Juuri smiled mischievously, "I'll tell you all when the others get here. Please, make yourself at home. No formalities tonight. It's just us."
The talk swiftly delved into Ren's bonded, Saburo, and the latest gossip to hit the circuit, and some rubbish pureblood-commoner drama that was playing on TV, and Kaname actually found himself listening. Before, he would have dismissed it as nonsense, now, he was wondering if 'Passions of Blood' was a part of the Council's misinformation campaign.
As if Sasha would marry Mitchell. She'd never condescend to swear vows under a human institution, and would never be seduced by his terrible attempts at courting and – oh how he loathed the Council for making him give this rubbish his serious attention.
He was intensely grateful, when the other guests arrived, interrupting his spiralling thoughts.
Suzume Souen, Miki Aidou, Hana Toya and Ren Akatsuki - the future mothers of his friends and Inner Court.
They all looked so young in the soft glow of candlelight. It was a sharp kick to the fangs about what he'd done when he'd committed to defying the vortex. For better or for worse -these were not the vampires he'd known. His timeline was gone, his friends dead. Those vampires out there were new acquaintances, nothing more, nothing less.
Still at least Kaname knew why this party was happening now. It must have happened in the previous timeline too, which meant hopefully, he hadn't written his friends out of existence before they were born. He would have born that burden if he'd had to, their lives were not worth the world and he wasn't selfish enough to say otherwise, but it was a small relief not to have to make those choices. He had too many as it was.
Juuri didn't waste time. Once everyone was gathered with a drink and sitting down, Juuri muted the TV, dismissed the maid in attendance, and turned to the others with a serious face.
"Ladies, whilst I'm delighted to see you all, I haven't gathered you all here because I wanted to gossip," she said briskly. "I have wonderful news."
"Pregnant?" Miki asked with a sly grin. The formalities really had been tossed out the window, Kaname thought wryly. That sort of question normally got a very painful response, but everything was different in private. Of course, Juuri was pregnant with Yuki, but purebloods didn't announce pregnancy publically. That would be like screaming on a busy street that you'd left your house unlocked with all the good jewellery on display. Obviously, Miki had babies on the brain – and no wonder, given that she must have had all three of Hanabusa's older sisters by now.
"Better," Juuri grinned. Then she raised her voice, "Nancy? Come in please."
Kaname flinched away, but it was too late. Nancy handed him firmly over to Juuri, prying his fingers off of her apron with brute force, and vanished to the back of the room, abandoning him to his fate. Kaname vowed revenge on the spot. She would suffer for this.
"Friends, I'd like you to meet my son, Kaname Kuran," Juuri proclaimed as she settled him onto her knee and stopped him from hiding behind her with a sharp dig to the ribs. Hiding a wince, he surrendered with poor grace and sat on her lap, facing the vultures. He gave his nanny a stern look from his perch, letting her know he wouldn't be forgetting this anytime soon.
She regarded him back with cool amusement, eyes dancing in mischief. She was enjoying this.
Aggravated, he settled for glaring imperiously at the other vampires. For a brief second they stared, mouths open and glasses frozen at their lips and then with a rustle of silk and perfume, they were on their feet.
All four curtsied deeply, sweeping hair and cloth from their necks, skirts spread or hands outstretched as necessary and knees bent low. This was a momentous occasion, and they knew it. You were more likely to find a red diamond than a baby pureblood, and meeting one was the chance of the millennium.
"Kuran-sama," they murmured respectfully, auras flickering with wonder.
Much better, Kaname thought approvingly. Dignified and reverent. He eyed their lowered and bared necks with satisfaction. This was more like it.
After a long humble moment, they rose and retook their seats, although Kaname noted that their drinks were abandoned and they were all leaning forwards with interest, no longer conversing amongst themselves or watching the TV.
"How old is he, Juuri-sama?"
"Ten months," Juuri told Suzume proudly.
"How was the birth?" Ren ventured cautiously. "You are recovered, I hope?"
"It was typical for a pureblood," Juuri made no attempt to disguise the non-answer and the other ladies didn't ask again. "It will be nothing like yours, Ren. When are you due?"
Ren shook her head ruefully. "Five months, Juuri-sama. I wasn't certain myself until recently. I was planning on telling my sisters tonight."
The female arc of Juuri's Inner Court was very small, blood wise. Three sisters had bonded into different families, but Miki, Ren and Suzume were all related. That meant two different families of blood when you counted Hana, but a connection to four of the Kuran's main supporters amongst the Level B's. It had worked out well, luckily, but Kaname's would be far more diverse. The Court was as much about politics as it was about friends at least it was for the eldest child.
"You're pregnant?!" Suzume gasped. "Congratulations. You should have told us earlier! Wait - is this a good thing? Are you keeping it?"
Ren laughed, "Yes, it was a surprise, and I really wasn't sure until last night. I wasn't keeping him a secret, I promise."
Kain.
Kaname smiled, leaning back into Juuri's warmth, absorbing a little energy whilst he could. The Night Class had been comprised of mostly younger students – but both Kain and Ichijo were his assumed age, so they both had to be conceived by now. Zero too, for that matter.
A wave of melancholy swept through him. Zero. There was no place for grief in war. Kaname had paid his respects and moved on for everyone else – but Zero had been the very last to go, and had died in a battle he'd known they'd lose, without knowing that their plan had worked.
It was a very cruel end, for a very dear friend, but Zero had made his choice, and Kaname respected him too much to wish it otherwise.
"It'll be very different for you," Juuri assured Ren calmly, her voice breaking Kaname out of his memories. "Shorter, easier and with more assistance available. I will arrange to be there myself if you wish, and I can act as Matron if you your sister isn't suited."
"Oh would you? Thank you, yes, that would take a great deal off my mind, I know Miki's done it before but, well." Ren glanced over to Miki and Suzume who both smiled warmly, gazes dropping to the baby in their midst in contemplation.
"May I hold him?" Apparently Aidou would inherit his impetuousness as well as his eyes from his mother, Kaname realised as Miki held her arms out as if she honestly expected –
Kaname, eyes bulging with disbelief and indignation, was abruptly passed over like a bag of flour. He heard a cough from Nancy's direction – he hoped she choked, wretched vampire.
Oh how he loathed infanthood. The sheer disrespect he was offered.
Then again, this was a prime opportunity to make a good, lasting first impression, and Kaname prided himself on being pragmatic above all.
Kaname stared up into Miki's beautiful cyan blue eyes and smiled, his lips and cheeks settling into the expression he'd practiced in the mirror, tilting his head slightly and letting his hair fall across his face.
"Stars above," Miki breathed, "He's deific."
Nailed it.
Miki's grip slackened as Kaname shifted, but she didn't let go entirely. Either she was entranced by his aura already, or she didn't want to be responsible for dropping him. The urge to leap off her lap just to hear her wail was incredibly powerful. Ruefully, Kaname acknowledged that he was missing his Aidou and was using his mother as a replacement. He stomped down the childish urge to play pranks and got down to business.
Kaname stood up, and reached.
"What is he – "
Curious, Miki leaned down to let him touch her and let him tilt her head as he wished until he was staring into Hanabusa's familiar eyes.
"Pretty," Kaname said firmly, letting her go and sitting back down. He'd learned his lesson with Nancy about how long he could balance for.
There was a flutter of gasps and pleased exclamations at this demonstration of intelligence. Nancy rolled her eyes when she thought no one was looking, but Kaname caught it and gave her a blatant smirk as the other ladies promptly fussed over him wanting to hold him in turn.
Wasn't he gorgeous? Yes he was. Wasn't he clever? Smarter than you. Wasn't he well behaved? He had to have some dignity left to him. Wasn't he powerful? You bet. Oh my, didn't he have the classic Kuran look? Why yes, yes he did since he'd bloody well started the bloodline and where do you think you're putting those hands. No! No! you will not pinch my cheeks you ruddy little -
He started feeding from them. He had no choice. It was a matter of survival. Clearly, they had way too much energy.
"Friends, we need to discuss your schedules for the next few years, in detail. Kaname will need a Court, and I dearly hope we'll be able to continue tradition with the next generation. Ren will be ready, but the rest of you need to plan."
Oh blood.
"Which of you will have a heat this year? Or if you've inherited the human-cycle, I need to know now."
They weren't –
"I'm afraid my heat has already passed," Hana offered instantly. "I normally have one every fourteen moons or so though. With a little effort, I am sure I can produce a playmate within two or three years."
"Very well," Juuri pulled out a notebook of all things and started taking notes. "Are you typical for the Toya's gestation period? I know you were eleven months in the womb yourself and that's rather long for a B."
"A little faster I think. Perhaps –"
Kaname was morbidly fascinated despite himself. It was custom for every aristocratic family sworn to the Kuran Clan to provide a child for Kaname's Court, and Kaname had had exactly that in the past, and given the frequency of vampire births, his Court had to have been planned out like this – he'd just never imagined it was all done so ruthlessly.
The details didn't shock him; he'd had many children and assisted in a few of his mistress's births. However, these were vampires he knew and respected – and they were tossing around words and phrases like:- induced heat; I can drug him if I have to; the cowgirl uniform always does the trick; an ambush after poker night; tie him down; the leather swing; a turkey baster will do it, just remember to hold it at forty five degrees and pepper oil.
He had perfect recall. This night could never be forgotten.
On the other hand, who knew Suzume was such a wildcat behind closed doors?
Puberty couldn't come fast enough.
Kuran Castle.
It was home to almost a hundred vampires and double that during office hours. It had had three hundred and seventy seven rooms the last time Kaname had bothered to count and corridors stretching out for over seven miles.
It wasn't just a home. It was the centre of their power and functioned much as it had for the past few thousand years. This was a working castle governing over a hidden kingdom of the night.
The Kuran's had ruled their lands from this very spot since Kaname had laid the first stone. It was here the Clan made law, where they sat in judgement and settled disputes.
That made for a lot of staff.
They had chefs, butlers, maids, stable boys, gardeners, guards, a maintenance crew that by necessity had to be experts in ancient building techniques. They employed secretaries, cyber-security, pilots, captains, kennel-masters, stable-masters, grooms, organisers, event-planners, tailors, beauticians, lawyers, and that was just those who lived and worked on site.
The Kurans owned serious amounts of land. There were farms, orchards, dairies, factories, mines, quarries, and all of those businesses were managed from the Castle too.
The lower town that bordered Kuran castle was full of their employees and their families and tertiary businesses, human and vampire.
Kaname threw his latest list down with a huff. How was he supposed to secure all of this? If Kaname weren't the one making the attempt, he would have said it was impossible.
He had to break this down.
First off, only the household staff entered the Castle proper. Everyone else was relegated to the outer buildings. Everything human related went through the Tokyo office. Everything vampire related went through the Castle. Haruka employed a dozen office aids that worked in the Castle proper. The Castle had various levels of internal shielding that kept staff and guests where they were supposed to be so it wasn't as dire as it could be, assuming those shields were properly maintained, and active, and hadn't had too many alterations, or additions and –
Kaname focused.
His primary concern was his own safety. If he didn't survive neither would his knowledge. Thus, the nursery had to be secured first, and that meant starting with Nancy and working his way through the list of staff who had access here and the nearby rooms.
"Nanny, I need you to swear me a blood oath."
It was a sign; Kaname thought fondly, that his nanny had become accustomed to his particular brand of insanity that she didn't run shrieking from the room.
Blood oaths were serious.
"Oh?" Nancy asked absently as she folded away his clothes and bent to pick up a book he'd thrown away in disgust. (The History of the Council and the Origins of Democracy.) "What oath and why."
"Loyalty, so that you can keep my secrets, and because I want you to."
"I see."
Kaname waited patiently.
"I thought I already kept your secrets." Ah, her pride was hurt. She'd been marvellously discreet about everything so far, and he'd insulted her.
"You do." Kaname reassured swiftly. "I mean no offence." He knew when honesty was the best policy. "I have entrusted you with more than any other vampire in this building. This is about doing a complete job of it rather than an expression of doubt. For my peace of mind, if you will."
"What wording are you…requesting?"
Blood oaths couldn't be sworn unwillingly. Not even if Kaname Commanded her as a pureblood could he make her swear one. Of course, if he issued a Command like obey me utterly he wouldn't need to, but there was a major difference between artistry and brute force and Kaname had thousands of years to know which was superior.
Affection for her aside, if he'd thought it would serve him more efficiently – he would have already brought her mind under his enthrallment. He had no moral qualms about the practice, but it just wouldn't be as effective as an oath, willingly offered.
"You can come up with the wording yourself," Kaname said, because he knew she'd be more likely to swear that way, "subject to my approval," because he wasn't going to allow a loophole, "but something along the lines of you will never directly or indirectly, knowingly or unknowingly, by action or inaction, share my secrets."
Kaname paused considering the various oaths he'd demanded over the millennia, and the methods spies had found a way around them. He'd lost a Rembrandt the last time he'd missed a gap in the wording. He still hadn't gotten it back that Fujiwara bastard either.
"My secrets being defined as anything I have in any way told you to keep secret, or anything you suspect I would want kept secret if you checked. And all communication methods including an absence of them or implication included."
Nancy gave him a sardonic look as she prepared his bottle of pink milk.
"Just that huh?"
Kaname smiled winningly at her.
"Of course, swearing it means you'd know some of my secrets."
"That isn't a perk, you know. I'm one hundred per cent certain your secrets will get me into a great deal of trouble."
"I'd rescue you?" Kaname offered dubiously, accepting the bloody milk. After he'd altered priorities in Juuri's mind, she'd been too busy to torment him with breastfeeding, so he got most of his milk from a cup now. Thank the night. The pink milk was tasty, or it had been, ten months ago. Words could not express his craving for real blood. He'd even settled for licking a Level E's cut he was that desperate – but in this at least it was matter over mind. His body would grow fangs when it bloody well wanted to and not a night before.
Nancy snorted.
"To whom am I swearing?"
Ah.
"Hmm?" he asked, sipping dubiously from his bottle. "Oh, well, To Al, I suppose."
Names were important when it came to the old blood arts.
"Al Kuran?" Nancy asked, a faint thread of curiosity in her voice. "I haven't seen that name in the records. Is it short for something? Albert?"
"Been searching have you?" Kaname asked, smirking. "I thought you didn't want to know who I used to be."
Nancy shrugged. "Curiosity overwhelmed me. Were you born in secret or cast out and disinherited?"
"Neither." Kaname felt his eyebrows rise without his permission; Nancy was being bold this night wasn't she? Well, Kaname only had himself to blame – his disability permitted a lot of intimacy that negated any attempt at maintain boundaries. "It was rude to write my name down, so I had others."
Pausing in her work, Nancy glanced over, a laugh in her eyes.
"Rude?"
Pretending to frown in concentration, Kaname watched her carefully as she drew nearer, sitting in the rocking chair to listen.
"The culture of the time was very different," he said eventually, crossing his legs under him. "It's difficult to translate properly when you have no frame of reference for it. Rude as in sacrilegious, or perhaps illegal is the best comparison. An action so disrespectful that it not only would not have been done, but it wouldn't be in the mind as a possibility to be legislated against it was…unfathomable. Yes, that's what I mean."
"Fascinating," Nancy said, leaning forward for the impromptu history lesson. "I've never heard this before. Which country was this?"
"I have absolutely no idea how history remembered us."
"Well was it Chinese, Egyptian, Greek, Roman, what?"
"Older, but we're getting distracted. Will you swear to me, Nancy?"
"Very well, Al Kuran-sama, I shall swear. Give me a moment to write something –" She moved across to the desk and started penning out her oath. Kaname was grateful that she was willing to swear.
He may have misled her, slightly.
This oath had nothing to do with his peace of mind – the mithril had safeguarded that. He had many other plans, though. For Yuki, and any other siblings he might acquire. He needed to be able to trust someone here.
She handed him the paper.
I, Nancy Beatrice Orion of the Orion Clan of Japan, hereby swear to keep the secrets of Al Kuran. I will never directly or indirectly, knowingly or unknowingly, by action or inaction, communicate in any way, shape or form or absence thereof, that which he has indicated to me as confidential directly or indirectly, knowingly or unknowingly and by any method of communication to anyone or anything else, animate or inanimate, living or dead. If I break this oath, may I be forsworn by blood, fang and the night.
Kaname read it, read it again, and held his palm out demandingly for a pen, crossing out a single word when Nancy placed one in his hand.
Nancy glanced it over.
"No 'Kuran', just Al? Will the oath take with something that imprecise? There could be hundreds of others related to you enough by blood with the name Al somewhere in their names for it to trigger."
Kaname sighed, and reached subtly behind his back for his camera.
"My name remained private," he said mildly, "You are shaped by the culture you grow up in, and I am no different. Family names didn't exist back then."
He sat back, sipped his milk, and waited.
"Family names didn't exist?" Nancy asked indulgently. "I see Young Master, well then perhaps I-
She trailed off.
Kaname watched as realisation slowly dawned, subtly taking a few photos for the Blackmail Album Volume I Mark II.
Dots connected. Little facts combining into one really haunting picture.
Kaname looked like a Kuran child. He had the blood red eyes, the mahogany hair, the creamy skin, the sharp cheekbones, the fulsome lips and lithe body.
Kaname was older than he appeared. Smarter. Wiser. Experienced. Learned. Mature.
He said his name was Al. Al, short for nothing.
Family names didn't exist in his time. They existed after his time. Because of his time.
Would have been rude to write his name down.
Al - Al of the Kurans.
Al'Kyran.
Her warm brown eyes were as wide as dinner plates, pupils dilated in shock, and her gaze dragged inexorably across the room to meet his – a faint desperate light in their depths. A joke. It must be. He enjoys toying with people – this is no different. Just a joke, a -
Kaname smiled at her, friendly and kind – then he reached for his powers and the proof, reached down deep into his core, deeper, into his heart, and deeper still, into the earth. Shadows warped around his tiny form as his eyes seared earth-blood red. Molten lava at it's fiercest. Nancy's very own shadow abandoned her to twirl around his feet, summoned by his existence and obedient to his will; she gaped as the laws of physics shattered around him, swaying in a non-existent breeze as her mind tried to comprehend what it was seeing – failed – and tried again.
"Al'Kyran."
The title reverberated between them, the darkness around him rippling as his voice was escorted through echoes of the night.
He let it go, cooled the power within him, released the essence of the Night and the Void that shaped him and was Kaname once more.
"Lord of the Constellations," Kaname added softly. "The Sky Father, King of the Vampire and Lord of the Night Eternal. The First Vampire, the Ancestor - born of stars, beloved of the Earth and forgotten by time. Al'Kyran."
Her heart galloping at triple-speed, Nancy very slowly slid from the chair and knelt, sweeping her hair up from the neck, she went down further into full protestation, vampire style – exposing the back of her neck to him.
Kaname let her do it. He did care for her and it was important, now that they'd come this far, now that he'd seen the dangers, that she knew exactly who and what he was – and what it meant for her that he asked this oath.
Breaking it would mean worse than death – and if the betrayal didn't kill her, there were epics composed of what he'd done to other traitors.
There could be no going back.
