Disclaimer: Only Darren Shan owns Kurda, but he obviously doesn't deserve him since he killed him off. Love Psychedelico and I would be better suited to him.

Love Psychedelico- you say you "love Kurda, obviously"- well, so do I, obviously. And I would love to be a staff member of your C2 Community, sure you can add the story! Kurda lovers everywhere unite! I love your stories, though I can't see him with anyone who's like Arra.

The trek onwards to the vampire princes was terribly humiliating. Kurda led me on and my head drooped. Nemo did not seem to care who saw me, and luckily no Guardians were around to witness my shame, but the staring vampires who went over to look at me were enough.

Finally, although it seemed to take forever, Kurda stopped. I had not known where we were, but I was frightened.

I listened as Nemo explained the situation. I would have been indignant- he mentioned how an unstable teenaged Guardian had been stalking Kurda- but I was too scared to be. Finally, a prince- Sire Paris, by the way- said, "I understand you, Nemo, but I'm afraid that nothing can be done- none of the Guardians can even communicate with us."

"This one can," Nemo replied gravely. "She speaks English."

A wave of whispers swept over the Hall. Paris spoke up, sounding troubled. "Would you mind if we asked her about the situation?"

"Not at all, Sire." Nemo stepped down and there was a short silence. He whispered something to Kurda, who looked at me.

"They're going to ask you about this," he said, even though I had heard what they said. "Don't be afraid. No one is going to hurt you."

He seemed surer of that than I ever was. He led over to the platform so that I could speak.

"Her name is Lilin," he said, then stepped away.

I could feel them watch me, and I felt so very small. Paris said, kindly, I might add, "You have been accused of stalking a vampire by the name of Kurda Smahlt. Tell me..is this the truth?"

I thought it over. I knew I could reply. "No," I said, sounding more like a child than a girl of my age.

"You have not been following him around, then?" Paris continued, looking at Nemo with a faint frown.

"No…well, yes. I have seen him, and.." I trailed off, frustrated. "I don't understand."

Paris nodded. "You mean, it is hard for you to word what you are trying to say?"

"Yes..I- I think."

"Have you been following him?"

"Yes." There were more whispers and I wanted to run away, but I didn't dare to.

"Why have you done this?"

"Because-" I stopped. "I don't know."

"Does anyone else know?"

I shook my head. Paris scratched his chin thoughtfully. "well, there isn't anything we can do about this," he said finally. "As a Guardian, you are beyond our laws…" He stopped uncomfortably.

"Until we have decided what to do with you, you shall stay with us."

My head spun around and I stared, wide-eyed, at Nemo, who smiled sort of grudgingly.

"Where?" I rasped.

"With Kurda and Nemo, naturally."

I looked over at Kurda and nodded, fear in my haunted eyes. He met my gaze as though unsure of what to do or say, and nodded with the same acceptance that I had registered.

-later that night-

"You sleep here," Kurda told me. He had gotten ready for sleep quickly, as he'd only unbuttoned his shirt. I sat down on the cot cautiously and looked up at him, staring at the milky white skin of his chest for a moment before I looked into his eyes. "I'm sorry," I said, my throat dry. He sighed and sat beside me.

"It's all right," he said, and offered me a smile. I looked down at the ground, and heard him breathing beside me, then felt his hand touch my face gently. Startled, my eyes flew to his. His fingertips brushed my cheekbone, his palm resting against my chin, cupping my face.

"It's strange," he said quietly. "Why did you follow me like you did?" He moved the hand down to my neck and I lifted my own hand to touch it, sliding my finger along his knuckles in amazement. I had always been so curious about everything in the world, and to me he seemed to represent that very world I was so in awe of. I wanted to explore, to experiment, not to live in the shadows of the world in the Mountain. But if I had to live in the shadow, why not experiment anyway?

"I wanted to learn," I replied, surprised at how the answer came to my lips so easily.

He moved his hand to rest on my shoulder and I moved mine to his wrist, running my hand along his smooth skin, then up his arm with its fair hair. I let my hand rest there.

He cleared his throat, looking down at my hand, and said, "Would you like me to teach you something?"

"Yes." I answered without thought. He let go of my shoulder and I put my hands in my lap.

"What would you like me to teach you?" he asked, meeting my eyes awkwardly.

"Everything…"

He smiled a bit. "I can't teach you what I don't know."

"We could just make things up as we go along, and you could show me how?" I suggested, not knowing how that sounded in English. He looked a bit alarmed at that, and blushed.

I frowned. "That is…wait….oh, I don't know…"

He stared, then shook his head with a smile and stood. "Well, here you go," he said laughingly, then climbed into his coffin. I watched him close it, and then I shrugged and tried to sleep.

In the middle of the night, I woke with nightmares and got out of the cot, then made my way over to his coffin. I didn't know where Nemo was, but he didn't seem to be in the room. I knocked on the wood.

"Wh- what?" he said sleepily, his voice muffled by the wood, then opened the coffin's top and sat up.

"Oh…what?" he asked me, stifling a yawn. I felt suddenly ridiculous.

"I…that is…oh." I fell silent.

"Couldn't sleep?"

"I slept, but I…saw things…I…" I wasn't sure of what I saw.

"Dreams?"

I shook my head. I had dreamt before of- well, of him, but that wasn't bad.

"Nightmares? I mean, bad dreams?" he asked me. I hesitated, unsure of the meaning.

"Scary things in dreams," he clarified. I nodded my head furiously.

"Hmm…" he said, knowingly. "And you wanted company, so you woke me up."

I felt sheepish until I heard him laughing. He climbed out of the coffin and sat on the cot. "Well, aren't you coming?"

I nodded wordlessly and sat down. "I'll watch over you while you sleep," he promised me, and sat beside me, gently pushing my torso down, then pulled the blanket up over me.

"Now go to sleep," he said. "I promise that I'll be here when you wake up in the morning." I shut my eyes and listened for him to leave. He didn't. I finally, still unsure, allowed myself to relax and soon I was, indeed, asleep.

"Lilin," I heard Kurda say, shaking me awake. "Wake up. You're dreaming again."

I whimpered in fright, then opened my eyes and was greeted by his blue ones.

"Did I wake you?" I asked.

"I was already awake," he said, laughing in relief. "I told you I'd stay with you, didn't I?"

I nodded, and he petted my head, my hair lank with sweat from my dreams.

"Now, you were able to sleep the first time," he went on. Can you now?"

I shook my head and he petted my hair again. "I'm sure you can."

"I'm afraid." He held me closer to him and I leaned against his slender chest, clinging to the thin material of his shirt that was damp with perspiration.

Soon his breathing regulated,and I sat and looked at his face, brushing away hair from his eyes. His long, pale eyelashes cast a weak shadow on his angelic face, his lips were parted slightly in dreams, and I smiled at him. Then I lay back down and found myself able to sleep again.