Someone laughed and Phelios' head snapped up.

He knew that laugh...

He gazed across the distance and he knew the man staring back at him with a secret and snide smile on his lips. Phelios' eyes widened to teacup diameter, his hands gripped his throne, his heart began to pound...

His racing thoughts were a conflict-roses, thousands of roses of deep, blood red...and the moon...

Duzzel smiled as if he knew what the prince was thinking, perhaps he did know.

"Lord Lezzud of Mur province." Came Phelios' uncle's introduction, as if from far away, but it didn't really matter.

"You!" Phelios cried and couldn't remember when he had jumped to his feet, let alone walk down the stairs of the dais, let alone grab the lapels of the Vampire King's coat and pull him close.

Duzzel's smile grew. "Me." He said simply and laughed softly.

Then a thick silence fell in which Phelios regarded Duzzel and Duzzel fought not to laugh and give the game away...It was already too much fun...and he'd only just begun to play...

"Prince Phelios?" Anon said suddenly, although Phelios belatedly realized he had been speaking for some time now. "Is everything alright?"

Phelios paused and had just realized how close Duzzel was to him-he could smell him-a low, heady scent-and he could see his eyes which he realized were an illusion. Sparkling beneath the brown eyes and black iris was the truth-red eyes, laughing eyes, eyes filled with... "Prince? Do you remember me then?" Duzzel said.

"Remember you?" Phelios said in a too high voice and quickly stepped back.

"Prince?" Anon said from closer behind Phelios than he had been a moment ago. The guards were peering close at the proceedings, and their hands were lowering towards blades that sighed as they were pulled from their scabbards.

For a second, Phelios met Duzzel's eye and saw a reflection of himself in there and something about that sight made Phelios laugh. He had no idea why it was funny, but he laughed and when the vampire began to frown in confusion, then slowly, to smile, to grin, to throw his head back and laugh along with him, Phelios couldn't stop himself.

Perhaps, he realized it wasn't funny at all.

Perhaps, at that moment, he sensed the inevitable end that would come of how he liked the sound of the vampire's laugh and the hook in his smile.

Perhaps it wasn't funny at all...

But at that moment, it really didn't matter.

Anon peered from Phelios and the mysterious Lord Lezzud and then at the guards who seemed as confused as he felt, "Did I miss something?" He asked.

To be continued…