The update schedule, to the Guest Reviewer who asked, is currently about once a week-ish. I've done a chapter in less, and I've needed longer. It depends on the length, plus a day for editing. Unless the chapter is really long, like the second wedding chapter which is almost 15,000 words and took over ten days just to write.
To Senja844, who asked why Zero didn't drink Yuuki and Kaname's blood like they drank his blood. It's because the Kurans are purebloods, and their blood is considered nearly sacred by vampires. Demanding their blood, for any reason, is a very strong taboo, which is partly why they are allowed to create unstable Level D vampires and don't have to feed them their blood. So Zero doesn't need to drink their blood to seal the marriage; it's not a marriage of equals in the minds of the vampires. As long as the purebloods drink Zero's blood, the consummation is legally satisfied according to vampire laws.
A tip when you're reading the Yuuki portions: pay attention to how she addresses Kaname. In chapter two Kaname tells us that she calls him onii-sama when she's either being formal, or when she's feeling insecure. Kaname-sama and Kaname-sempai are different comfort levels as well, and all three of these convey a sense that the speaker holds a lower position, with progressively shorter amounts of distance. She almost never calls him Kaname, without an honorific, as an equal. I believe she has only done so once. Which one she chooses says things about her state of mind. Also remember that there are many things that we, the audience know, that she does not - like the fact Kaname is the Ancestor.
X. Countermeasures
When Yuuki took lunch with her brother, Kaname-sama had not commented on the scent of Zero lingering on her clothes, but neither had he looked disappointed or angry. Yuuki would have gone to Zero again anyway, whatever his reaction, but her brother seemed oddly contemplative today.
After they have eaten, Yuuki summons Steward Inukai to her study.
"Consort Kiryuu looked unwell today. Has something happened?"
The elderly vampire bows and replies, "Last night, Consort Kiryuu informed me that he had been requested for a Hunt, and returned in the early morning. The guard reported that the Consort had blood on his clothing, but it was not his own. That is all the information I can give you, I'm afraid. Except for when he sought me out, I have not seen Consort Kiryuu in the past few days. If you wish, I can question his chief maid about his state of mind?"
"Please do, Steward. I am certain something is wrong, and the Consort will not confide in me."
Zero had refused to say anything at all, except to tell her it was nothing, and he was fine. Yuuki can spot Zero brooding from a mile away, and this has all the marks of 'not fine at all.' If Zero won't tell her anything, than Yuuki will have to get to the bottom of this herself. His wellbeing is more important than preserving his privacy; Zero hides his pain and won't ask for help otherwise.
Yuuki has wracked her memories for any hint of what might trouble Zero, but she has frustratingly little to work on. Her fear that she would hurt him, and the Kurans' promise to leave Zero alone, meant that she has physically seen him only a few times in the past two weeks, all from very far away. Zero possesses such strong Hunter blood that he can sense vampires from across significant distances, so Yuuki, with her powerful pureblood aura, needed to remain three or four hallways over - close enough to follow his scent trail, but never to catch sight of him - except at night, when she was allowed to sleep nearby. She has received news of Zero secondhand from Kaname-sempai and the servants' reports, but that doesn't tell her any intimate details. She knows, for example, that Zero has gone outside exploring less frequently than in the beginning, but she can't tell if that's boredom or a sign of something more serious.
While Steward Inukai goes to seek out the maid, Yuuki turns to her next source of information: she calls Chairman Cross.
"What can I do for my adorable Yuuki-chan today?" Cross chirps, drawing out the last syllable; Yuuki can imagine him dancing around his office in the frumpy shawl and glasses of his deceptive chairman's disguise. It's late enough at night the pureblood hadn't been sure Cross would still be awake, but it looks like Cross picked up anyway.
She tilts the phone against her ear and tells him. "I need you to break Hunter protocol for Zero's sake."
"What do you need?" Cross asks, voice lower and lacking playfulness.
Now that she is speaking to the President of the Hunter Association and not her embarrassing ex-guardian, Yuuki tucks a lock of hair behind her ear and explains the situation.
"Zero went on a Hunt last night. This evening he was upset and looked terrible. He won't tell me why. So please, if anything happened to him, I need to know."
"While the list of vampire eliminations and each target's justification is publicly available, I am not technically supposed to release information on any specific hunt without legal subpoena, to protect the Hunters involved. If I were to hypothetically tell you that Hunter Kiryuu's last mission ended with the death of a kidnapped child, then that would be skirting the boundaries of confidentiality, and would be forbidden."
"Ah, I see." Yuuki's throat feels tight. No, poor Zero….
"Well, thank you for your time anyway, President Cross."
"Yuuki." Cross' voice keeps her from hanging on.
"I've done what I can on my end to squash any talk and punish those who keep spreading it, but for Zero's sake we need to be careful. It isn't good if the rumors keep spreading. People make up what they want to believe, in the absence of truth. I don't know what game Kaname-kun is playing, but his inaction is eroding Zero's position. Remind him that a slip like this shouldn't happen again."
Her forehead pinches - what is Cross talking about? Yuuki opens her mouth to question him further, but Cross hangs up before she can speak. Yuuki is left staring at her phone, thoughts racing, until a knock sounds at her door.
"Come in," she calls.
The Steward opens the door, but doesn't have his usual air of professionalism and calm. Inukai is absolutely white, and a trace of fear hides in his eyes. Instead of coming to stand in front of her desk, the vampire kneels down on the carpet, and bows his head.
"Steward Inukai, what is this?" the pureblood questions.
"Kuran-hime. I fear that I may no longer deserve the position of the Steward of Rosehill. Those under my authority have committed a grave misdeed under my watch, and I did not prevent it. I am not sure I deserve your trust any longer."
Thoroughly alarmed, Yuuki barely manages a curt response; she wants to shake the information out of him if it has anything to do with Zero's pain. "Tell me what has happened, Steward."
"First, Yuuki-hime, it might be best if you use your power of command to ensure I speak only the truth."
When she speaks, Yuuki's voice has a new resonance and power, pitched lower than usual, and ripples through the listener's bones. "As you wish. You will speak only the truth to me, Steward Inukai, regarding this matter. Tell me what you have discovered."
"When I questioned Consort Kiryuu's head maid, at first she inisisted that the Consort went straight to bed after returning. I thought her manner uneasy, and she was reluctant to discuss the matter. When I pressed her heavily, she admitted that one of the Consort's maids had broken an object that belonged to him - a glass horse."
Yuuki interrupts, "Was it the size of my hand, on all fours, with its mane and tail blown by the wind?"
Inukai shakes his head. "The size is correct, but I don't know any other details."
"Go on then, Steward."
"The maid threw out the pieces, and informed her supervisor. And I thought that was the end of it - a mistake, one that deserved a deep apology to the Consort, and nothing more. But the head maid wouldn't admit it happened at first, which was suspicious, so I questioned some of the other servants."
Steward Inukai has to gather himself; he looks deeply ashamed. "And it was their answers that horrified me, Kuran-hime. Consort Kiryuu did not go back to his suite. He went looking for the pieces of his broken horse - in the kitchen trash heap. And not one of the staff who saw him did their duty and helped him. They stood and watched their masters' consort dig through garbage for hours and did not lift a finger to stop such a thing. It should never have happened. It was outrageous and unconscionable. I know how you treasure him, Kuran-hime. I have seen how hard you have worked to prepare for his coming. As a servant of the Kuran family, I am ashamed that I could not prevent your own servants from harming a person so precious to you."
Steward Inukai bows down until his forehead touches the floor, and he is kneeling in a full obeisance on the carpet of Yuuki's study.
Crunch!
The phone in Yuuki's hand is a mess of crumpled metal and broken glass.
She drops the corpse of her phone, and looks down; her hands are shaking. She makes a fist, and drives her nails into the palm of her hand so hard she nearly breaks the skin.
Yuuki tries to think past the white noise in her head, but it's no use. She feels such incandescent rage she's incoherent, her mind a constant scream of How could they? How dare they?
Steward Inukai is very, very lucky that the Kurans teach themselves never to wield their power in anger. The Hio are known for their madness, the Touma for their bloodthirsty impetuousness, but the Kuran pride themselves on their stability and control.
So Yuuki breathes through her nose and concentrates on not drawing her own blood until the rage burns down to a simmer.
"Bring me the two maids. I will know why a servant of the Kuran would harm their Masters," the pureblood commands.
Before Steward Inukai's eyes is the pureblooded princess of the Kuran, her eyes fiery and face implacable, seated regally with the utmost conviction he will obey her orders. What could he do, faced with such a sight, except flatten his body further to the floor and reply, "I will do your will, Kuran-hime."
"Yuuki! What a surprise," Kaname welcomes his wife as she marches through the door of his office, pleased that Yuuki has come to visit him at the Kuran business offices, "A very nice surprise. What brings you here?"
"Cancel whatever you have for the afternoon, unless it's an emergency," she tells him, without rising to his invitation for playful banter.
Kaname frowns. "Yuuki, is something wrong?"
"Yes," she replies sharply, and doesn't say anything else while Kaname calls his secretary to make the arrangements. While the pureblood speaks, he makes some quick calculations about what Yuuki might have learned, to show up unexpectedly in his office now. Only one thing makes her so upset: Kiryuu.
Yuuki must have discovered that the events of their wedding night were leaked to the public - a leak Kaname deliberately allowed. The pureblood wanted to engineer a test of the servants' loyalty, and create an excuse to issue a number of strict privacy orders and if necessary, purge some of them. Alphas were expected to be irrational when it came to their omega; even the temperate Kurans would not be blamed for using their power of command if they believed it protected their mate.
Kaname had intended to test his staff since before Cross Academy, but Kiryuu provided the ideal excuse. That information was essentially useless, but seemed important enough that his enemies would be fooled and expose their agents. And revealing what happened would pose little threat to Kaname and Yuuki, since it reflected poorly only on Kiryuu. If the Kurans were human, that might be a different story, but no vampire was foolish enough to believe two pureblooded alphas couldn't perform sexually if they wanted.
Kaname's plan blatantly violated the terms of their marriage treaty: the Kurans are not allowed to inflict any mental harm on Kiryuu, including passively allowing him to be hurt by others. But Kaname could get away with it because it would be impossible to prove in court that he deliberately allowed Kiryuu's reputation to be damaged, and Kaname would never testify about his own culpability. The pureblood had felt a twinge of guilt, on Yuuki's behalf, but it hadn't stopped him taking advantage of such a perfect opportunity. And Kiryuu's reputation could always be rebuilt.
"What is this about, Yuuki?" Kaname questions, leaning his hip on the edge of his desk and crossing his arms over his chest.
Yuuki turns on her heel, strides to the door of his office and knocks twice. The door cracks open, and she tells whoever is outside, "Bring them in."
Kaname recognizes Kiryuu's head maid, but not the second woman, as the pair are pushed through the door and forced to their knees.
"Tell Kaname-sama everything you told me," Yuuki commands them, standing behind their kneeling forms in a position Kaname might describe as threatening, if it were not his gentle Yuuki.
As the pair speak, Kaname comes to a slow, increasing awareness that he has severely miscalculated.
"Let me make it clear to you what you have done," he says slowly, once the confession stumbles to a halt. "You deliberately destroyed one of the Consort's possessions - one you guessed held meaning to him, by its careful storage - and then you scattered the pieces in the garden so they couldn't be recovered," he accuses the junior maid. "And then you," he gestures to the head maid, "took advantage of the situation to deliberately arrange his humiliation in the eyes of the other servants, and spread the news yourself to attract other people to the spectacle."
"And both of you, and most of Consort Kiryuu's personal servants, participated in a campaign of premeditated, organized neglect and cruelty, designed specifically to torment our consort because of flaws and failures you blamed him for, without our permission, knowledge, or encouragement."
"Is my understanding correct?" Kaname finishes, the cadence of his low voice dangerous.
"Yes, Kuran-same," sob the women, reduced to tears.
Kaname turns away, pinching the bridge of his nose. How had this spun out of control so quickly? Kaname had known some of the staff were predisposed to dislike Kiryuu, and the pureblood had predicted and not minded that they would likely treat him poorly. But he had expected the occasional snub, not this systematic persecution.
It was true, he realizes, that he had refused to hear anything about Kiryuu from his informants while he tried to pretend Kiryuu was not his new spouse; his avoidance created a lack of information. Kaname's deliberate ignorance and nonexistent monitoring of the situation had prevented an intervention before circumstances reached this point.
Yuuki breaks down when the maids are taken away, crying bitterly while Kaname holds her; her body stays stiff like she doesn't believe she deserves the comfort. "How could I not notice? How could I let this happen?"
"This was not your fault, Yuuki. I miscalculated." I caused this.
"And we had good reason to give Kiryuu some peace. You could not have known -"
"I should have! I should have guessed something like this might happen. I realized, at the wedding feast, that some of the guests didn't like Zero, but I didn't think the servants might feel the same way. I entrusted Zero to people who hurt him! And then I wasn't around to notice! What kind of spouse am I?"
"Yuuki, nobles are always bigots when it comes to blood purity, and half of them were enemies of the monarchist faction anyway. You're young, you're still learning -"
"You saw it! You're not much older than me - I should have seen it too!"
"Yuuki…" Kaname trails off. He can't exactly explain to her that his skills are not a fair comparison because he's her 10,000 year old Ancestor. it will take many, many more centuries before she can read a truly experienced vampire politician as easily as a book.
So he lets the issue drop and moves on. "When you feel calmer, we'll return to Rosehill. We have work to do, to make sure this does not happen again."
Gathered in the atrium of the state palace, Rosehill's staff mill around and whisper curiously to one another. Why had they been gathered together, down to the last laundress, gardener, cook and guard? The uncertainty gives the gathering an undercurrent of tension, but none of them seem to suspect what is about to happen.
Good, Yuuki's vampire thinks, unwary prey is easy prey.
With Steward Inukai one step behind them - already cleared of all complicity in the plot - Kaname-sempai and Yuuki enter the room side by side. The crowd quiets, eager to hear whatever news awaits. Not for long.
Yuuki walks forward, her usual feminine dresses abandoned in favor of something more dark and severe, and addresses the crowd. "The Kuran family has always valued the faithful hard work of its servants. With your support, we have been able to fulfill our family's mission to assist in the stable governing of the vampire world, however we can. Your service is invaluable to us, both in our personal and public lives."
"Which makes it all the more painful that some of you have betrayed us," her brother finishes.
The servants erupt into loud disarray, with shouts of shock and horror.
"Yes," he says, and the room falls instantly silent once more. "Twice over have we been betrayed by those we trusted most intimately."
"First, our trust has been betrayed by those who passed information about our private lives - the events of our Consort's first night at Rosehill - to people outside of the estate."
"Second," Yuuki states, hands fisted at her sides, "we discovered that we have been further betrayed in the treatment of our consort. We trusted you with his care and well-being, and instead he was subjected to planned neglect and torment. We know about what happened last night. The servants of the Kuran family deliberately arranged to cruelly humiliate one of their masters! Did none of you think you should have stopped it? Did none of you feel any shame, watching him?"
Some of the servants are shifting uneasily in the crowd, expressions fearful or guilty.
"We cannot tolerate such cruelty," Yuuki continues, as the two maids are dragged into the room, crying and wailing.
The head of the family, her brother, approaches the pair, coming close enough only to be clearly heard. "It is the decision of the Kuran family that your employment with be immediately terminated, and you are forbidden from ever returning to Rosehill again. You will have no further contact with Consort Kiryuu. Do you have anything to say in your defense?"
Zero's ex-head maid immediately starts to beg. "No! Please, Kuran-hime! My family has served loyally for generations, please consider our service and forgive me!" The younger maid just sobs more loudly.
"You confessed to deliberately harming my mate. There is no forgiveness for that," Yuuki tells her.
She is lucky we do not tear out her throat, says the alpha, hackles raised.
Two suitcases are thrown at the maids' feet.
"You have heard our judgement," her brother commands, "now obey."
The women get to their feet, still wailing - at least they know better than to keep begging - collect their belongings, and unsteadily slink away.
The alpha is radiating vengeful satisfaction. It's not enough, after what they did to Zero, but Zero would not want them hurt, even after the maids were so cruel to him.
In the heavy silence, Kaname-sempai continues. "Kiryuu Zero was not forced on us. The Hunters' Association does not have enough power for that. We requested to bond him," her brother attests."Our consort is an extension of us, ladies and gentlemen. So everyone is perfectly clear, we expect you to treat Consort Kiryuu as you would treat either Yuuki or I."
It's not enough. Yuuki has to make sure they understand. "Kiryuu Zero is the only omega I will ever bond with, now or in the future. There is no other omega I would chose. I would not care if he was barren. I would not care if he had partners before us. I have never cared about the purity of his blood. I want only him, and no one else, except Onii-sama, ever again," Yuuki declares with the utmost conviction, passionately meeting the gazes of the crowd, as if if she can make them understand by sheer will.
In the terrified, thoughtful silence, Kaname-sempai brings things to a close. "We will be conducting a series of interviews involving the entire staff, to understand how this happened and who bears responsibility. You will be called when it is your turn. Dismissed."
Kiryuu, of course, took the opportunity to slip away while the staff were occupied, trained to distrust and avoid them. None of them know where he is, and with his quiet Hunter's aura, the Kurans decided it would be best to search for their spouse themselves instead of riling the staff so soon after their shocking rebuke.
Kaname finds him when they're combing the gardens - not the rose gardens, but the little used, less famous botanical gardens - crumpled like an abandoned doll on the stone rim of a dry fountain. He must have lain there for some time; he's covered in bits of dead leaves and other leftover winter detritus from the wind. The pureblood allows his bloodbond with Yuuki to open, confident that the emotional spillover will draw his wife to them.
Kiryuu must know he is there; if nothing else, Kaname can admit he is a superb Hunter. The sight of Kiryuu leaves him oddly conflicted. The boy is certainly pathetic, wallowing in his feelings, but there is a hint of something else mixed in with Kaname's emotions, making the pureblood's mood unsettled. Surely it's irritation - he doesn't have time for this, now that Kaname's schedule has become unexpectedly packed; with all these interviews to conduct it will be weeks before things return to his planned timetables.
As Yuuki comes up and stands behind his shoulder, Kiryuu finally raises his head. The lavender gaze studying them contains nothing but apathy; Kiryuu does not care why they are here, or what they plan to do with him. Kaname misses the normal glare, just a little. Very few beings will do something as bold as glare at a pureblood vampire. Not that he cares at all about what Kiryuu wants or does. Kaname just misses the entertainment; taunting Kiryuu is a favored form of diversion. That's all.
If Kaname feels a little tense, that's just residual urges from his alpha instincts, set off by the same old biological impulse to protect an omega. It's only because he needs to return to work that the pureblood leaves the gardens when Yuuki kneels down at Kiryuu's side, like a supplicant, and starts speaking to him in a soft voice, and not for any other reason. If a tool gets a little damaged when it's used, what of it?
(Kiryuu Zero has been humiliated and beaten down. Kaname has gotten exactly what he always wanted and found no expected victory; the taste is bitter as ash on his tongue.)
"Kiryuu-sama! A messenger just delivered a note from the Master and Mistress to you!"
Nibbling on a sticky rice dumpling as he eats his lunch in the dining room of the consort's suite, Zero calls out, "Bring it here, please."
One of the younger maids skids through the door, face shining with excitement, and hands the letter over to his new head maid, Sasaki-san, the same elderly vampire who collected him from the Hunter's Association for his wedding. Sasaki uses the envelope to bop the girl on the head and shoo her out the door, then lays it beside his plate.
Zero hides a smile at the maids' antics."Thank you, Sasaki-san. You may return to the anteroom if you like."
"I'll stay in case you need something, Consort."
His entire staff have been replaced since Yuuki discovered their contempt of having a Level D master, either reassigned or fired by the Kurans. Most of them had been assigned to Zero because they were fairly important in the servants' ranks - not important enough to serve the Masters, but distinguished enough to be chosen to serve their consort. Zero's new servants have been chosen entirely based on their attitudes toward him instead of their rank. All female betas - since anyone who could be considered a rival to his alphas is not allowed in his rooms - he can tell they aren't quite as polished or experienced. But his suite is so much more lively with them around! Zero doesn't know what the Kurans told his new staff, but they have been almost terrifyingly attentive of his needs, anticipating his desires almost before he can ask.
He doesn't want for company anymore, either. Zero sees Yuuki and spends time with her every day now, mostly in the library, but sometimes other places like the gardens. They don't talk much; they're both avoiding past wounds between them. But just having someone by his side has given him a more optimistic feeling about his future here.
Every time Zero thinks about how much effort Yuuki has put into making him comfortable, he feels a glowing ember warm in his chest. She had even offered to replace his mother's glass horse, though Zero refused. The horse itself meant nothing; it was its history that made it important, and that could not be remade.
It was nice to have someone show that they cared for you, even if it's just fondness for the memory of a friendship. Their marriage may be empty, but at least it's not unbearable.
The message on heavy cream paper is written in Kuran's distinctive, old-fashioned hand.
"Sasaki-san," Zero calls, "do you know what it means that I'm supposed to dress for dinner? I've been invited to dine with the Kurans tonight."
The normally tranquil maid's eyes widen, and she looks like she has questions she would very much like to ask, if not for professional standards. "I can show you what's appropriate, yes. If I may inquire as to the venue, to better dress you for the weather?"
"I'm not sure," Zero admits, "But I don't think we're leaving the house. I'm meeting them in one of the formal dining rooms, I think? The western dining room."
"The Master and Mistress have never invited you to eat with them before." Sasaki looks curious, but doesn't pry. "That's a good sign, Kiryuu-sama. After you've eaten, we can look through your closet together for something you can wear. I'll do my best, but you really should ask Kuran-hime to buy you the full wardrobe for someone of your rank."
Zero almost chokes around his food. "More? I already have more clothing than I need. And I think every single piece of it is nicer than anything I've ever owned before too."
Sasaki looks amused, and shakes her head. "What you own is hardly adequate, Consort. As daywear it's suitable, but since you were married so quickly there wasn't time to create a full range of clothes. You have no formalwear, unfortunately."
"Kuran-hime has already spent too much money on me - I don't even want to imagine the amount. And I've caused her enough trouble."
"Oh, I doubt Kuran-hime will mind at all," Sasaki's lips twitch like she's trying not to smile. "She is impossibly fond of you. I think she might enjoy it if you imposed on her."
Shaking his head confidently, Zero corrects the maid. "Kuran-hime feels a lingering attachment to me, but that's all. She is kind, and always feels she's guilty for things that aren't her fault. She just feels a sense of responsibility for what happened after I came here."
Sasaki studies him seriously. "I think that Kuran-hime is much more deeply and genuinely attached to you than you believe, Consort Kiryuu. Some might even call that love."
"Well," she claps her hands, "We'll do our best. Please call me before you go to the library this afternoon."
The Hunter stares at his meal, less hungry than he was a moment ago, then he sighs and presses the heels of his hands into his eye sockets. Zero knows better than to delude himself with thoughts like those. Yuuki is kind, and he shouldn't confuse that kindness for something it is not. She has always been in love with Kuran, with Zero second best in her heart. He was glad to have a place in it at all. He doesn't need any more than that, Zero tells himself.
It will take some time before Yuuki becomes accustomed to seeing Zero in an omega's clothes, designed to both highlight and conceal his figure, when everything she saw him wear in their school days were loose casual clothes and uniforms. She seeks him out every day now, but those simpler, comfortable outfits are nothing like what he's wearing tonight. The pureblood is certain she owes both Takuma-kun and whoever dressed him this evening a favor. Or five. Yuuki realizes that she has cut off halfway through a conversation with her brother, distracted by the sight again, and gives him a quick apology, but can't stop drinking in Zero one more time.
He looks like winter in white and silver, still adolescent slim and all clean lines in an outfit that clings to every part of his body, rather than the heavier coats and layers of loose fabric he's hidden behind so far. When Zero turns to accept a glass of wine, his flaring lower sleeves fall back to expose the bones of his wrist, and his skirts bell out in a graceful arc and twist around his ankles; Yuuki's eyes trace the line of pearl buttons from the nape of his neck to his tailbone. A belt of silver links draws the eye to the way his waist tucks in before his hips curve outward. If that gentle curve gives Yuuki bad thoughts, then not even a sworn celibate would blame her.
See? What did I say? says the alpha. Our omega has such lovely hips - think how easily he'll birth our babies!
It's the sheer incongruity of the picture that fascinates her. This is Zero's body now, the familiar changed into something new and wondrous. She would find Zero attractive no matter what he looked like - it's Zero she wants, not anyone else. Whatever shape either of their bodies took, even when their bedroom roles were reversed, Yuuki wanted him. But now with the extra push from her instincts, that desire seems more intense. Which makes her, in turn, feel guilty, because Zero clearly isn't comfortable with the idea of his body being desirable - perhaps he's not comfortable with his body at all - and doesn't wish to be touched. Which is why Yuuki will look her fill, politely, and content herself with that.
She thinks she understands now what Kaname-sempai feels when he sees her in a nice dress - the desire to surround someone under your protection in the nice things you want to give them. Zero deserves to be dressed like a prince. There are lots of things Zero deserves, but Yuuki will start with the ones he might accept, and work her way up.
Kaname-sempai leads Zero to his chair so they can start dinner, and pulls it out for the omega like a gentleman - Yuuki never thought she'd see the day. This was a fabulous idea. Kaname-sempai was just going to summon Zero to his study and get down to business, but Yuuki insisted that they at least spend some time with their omega that wasn't just about practical things. She hopes Zero enjoys the evening at least a little; Yuuki instructed the kitchen to produce their finest work, but made sure that all the food would be recognizable and fit Zero's tastes. Her husband may think she's coddling Zero, but they need Zero as relaxed as they can get him. No more panic attacks.
Zero is mostly silent, and Yuuki is the one who does the bulk of the work keeping the conversation going, but she has them both in the same room, and they haven't fought yet. They've been relatively civil. That's a win by her standards.
Kaname sips the last of his wine, and unobtrusively gestures for the servants to begin clearing the table; the pureblood ordered them beforehand not to return unless called. Yuuki and Kiryuu are still engaged in conversation about their guardian's latest antics, but Kaname is ready to begin this evening's true purpose.
Yuuki senses his intentions from his watchful silence, and brings their conversation to a close as the last few plates are being cleared. Kiryuu's expression - ever the consummate Hunter - turns observant and shifts between each of the Kurans, studying them in turn.
Once they are alone, Kaname put down his empty glass, and faces Kiryuu from his position at the head of the table. "We did not ask you here tonight solely for your company, Kiryuu."
"I gathered," the Hunter replies dryly.
"Soon, our current arrangement will no longer be sufficient. We have just over nine months until you come back into season in December. By then, we will need to fool our bodies into believing that the three of us are in a committed relationship, so your heat can be induced and the bond can take hold."
"Vampire children are demanding and require high amounts of care; our extended childhood means that a single parent would struggle to raise a child on their own. So your biological imperative is to find a dedicated mate who will provide constant support and care to ensure that your children survive. To begin the bonding process, we need nine months minimum of prolonged exposure to each other's pheromones. Which means that the three of us will be spending a great deal of time together. The question becomes how do we wish to spend that time?"
"We want you to feel like part of the decision making process, Zero," Yuuki tells the Hunter from across the table, who is showing the beginnings of discomfort.
"We will essentially be mimicking the process of an omega's courtship. The nobles dress up the ritual in civilization and tradition, but what a courtship is designed to do is to make sure an omega receives the minimum necessary amount of stimulation to have high odds of bonding a partner."
"It will not just require proximity - but also intimacy. Intimacies of the body, Kiryuu." Kaname meets the Hunter's gaze meaningfully; Kiryuu has gone pale but doesn't shrink back or look away. "An omega's body needs to recognize all parts of their partner's bodies. You will eventually have to bed us, far sooner than nine months from now. We can allow another few months of leeway, but earlier is better because it makes the bonding more certain. In the meantime, seeing one another every day, and spending time near one another is the minimum requirement."
"I thought we might eat together at least once every day, to start with," interrupts Yuuki.
"Eventually scent marking and sleeping in the same bed will also be necessary. After that we will move to blood drinking."
"Okay," Kiryuu concedes, hands clenched in his lap, "We'll do what we have to. Thank you for letting me know."
That's barely an agreement. Kiryuu can do better, so Kaname lets a taunting lilt slip into his voice. "Kissing is the first, most common intimacy used in a vampire courtship. Shall we finish our evening by showing our resolve?" Kaname challenges Kiryuu.
Now Kiryuu is showing off his famous glare, irritation washing away his compliance and docility.
"You aren't going to go back on your intentions, are you?"
"I think you're confusing the two of us," Kiryuu shoots back, pushing back his chair and getting to his feet. "Fine. I'll kiss Yuuki first."
The Kurans exchange glances. "Actually," Yuuki says carefully, "You'll have to kiss Kaname-sempai first. Bloodbonded alphas can coexist because their instincts have decided a stable pecking order between them, otherwise they would kill each other when the omega they're sharing went into heat. Kaname-sama is the stronger, more senior alpha between us, so my instincts defer to him when things like this happen."
Kiryuu is back to fear again, eyeing Kaname and licking dry lips before asking, "Is that true for...other things as well?"
"You mean will I have to be the first one to sleep with you?" Kaname replies, enjoying the Hunter's flinch. "Yes."
"But don't worry about that now!" Yuuki interjects hastily, "That's when you're ready, and a long time from now. Kaname won't hurt you and I'll be there too!"
"In fact, why don't we agree now that our level of intimacy will move forward only when all three of us are together," his wife says. "I want all of us to be comfortable with one another, and favoring one partner isn't fair. I don't want anyone to think that they're cheating or being cheated on."
That stipulation, Kaname knows, is his wife's attempt at reassuring him that their relationship won't be pushed aside in Kiryuu's favor.
"Fine," says Kiryuu, arms crossed protectively over himself.
"I have no objection," Kaname agrees smoothly. He certainly doesn't want to court Zero without Yuuki acting as a buffer between them.
"Back to the original matter. I trust you haven't decided to back out, Kiryuu?" Kaname asks, rising from his seat, and moving toward the Hunter; Kiryuu scowls in warning.
Kaname does not ask this on a whim; the Kurans decided beforehand that they would try to receive this small gesture from Kiryuu, if he was willing. If they needed to work up to the vital physical aspects of their relationship, as their disastrous wedding night suggested, then the purebloods needed to start early and small. Kissing is ubiquitous during a formal courtship, the easiest, first step to building a bond while still weeding out suitors, and this was the place they would start.
"If you would come here, Kiryuu," the pureblood gestures. "We'll need to be a little closer than this."
The Hunter just stands in the dining room, without moving, confusion poorly hidden behind his anger. Kiryuu clearly has no idea what to do with his limbs, so the pureblood sighs and goes to him instead, taking one of Kiryuu's hands and placing it on his shoulder; the white of his clothing makes a pleasing contrast to the black of Kaname's suit. Kaname can feel the anxiety radiating from Kiryuu's body through his tight grip.
Then he takes the Hunter's jaw in one hand, because if Kiryuu is as inexperienced as he seems, Kaname will need to make sure they don't mash their noses together instead of kiss. Kaname leans forward, close enough to catch the entrancing scent of omega; Kiryuu is stiff under his hands, tense with discomfort. His whole body leans slightly away and his eyes are closed. The pureblood guides their mouths together in a gentle press of lips - the chaste kisses of an omega's early courtship, still soft and casual.
After a few moments to appreciate the sensation, Kaname draws back. Those lavender eyes are staring up at him, unimpressed. Is that it, vampire? Is that all you can do? You're not as amazing as you think you are.
Well, you asked for this, little Hunter.
When Kiryuu opens his mouth to make an insolent remark, Kaname takes advantage and attacks.
The second kiss Kaname gives the Hunter is searing, hungry, showing every bit the nature of a pureblood to conquer and consume, and so is the third and fourth and fifth. Kiryuu makes little prey noises and gasps for breath, too startled to gather his wits and bite Kaname. His fangs descend and the pureblood nicks his tongue so the kisses taste faintly of blood, further distracting Kiryuu from his proper horrified reaction. When Kaname slips his tongue between pink lips, Kiryuu's grip on his shoulder is the only thing keeping the Hunter standing on shaky legs.
Drawing back, finally satisfied by reddened lips and wide lavender eyes, Kaname spills Kiryuu into Yuuki's waiting arms. His wife scolds him with a pointed look - this was definitely not what they planned - but wastes no time in taking her turn, bending Kiryuu's head down and starting with harder, deeper kisses, then returning to gentling and calming kisses as she coaxes the Hunter back to coherency, as careful as Kaname was to keep her hands above his chest. Kaname has taught his wife everything she knows about kissing, and he is a very good teacher; Kiryuu won't know what hit him.
With one last press of her lips, Yuuki guides Kiryuu into his chair; the Hunter collapses into the cushion, diamond Hoseki askew on his forehead, still a little breathless and with eyes the size of dinner plates. The Kurans can't hide the slightly predatory self-satisfaction of seeing their omega in such a pleasing state, their alpha instincts fully awoken and prowling.
"You cheated," the Hunter accuses Kaname, furiously blushing.
The pureblood smirks, licking the taste of wine and blood off his lips. "I think you enjoyed it."
When his driver opens the car door to the backseat, Zero hears a very welcome voice.
"Zero-kun! It's so good to see you. I'm glad you could come." Takuma smiles and gestures around them. "Welcome to the Ichijo Estate. I hope your journey went well?"
"Takuma-sempai, thank you for inviting me," Zero replies. "Everything was fine - I was glad to leave Rosehill for a while."
"Come in, there are some friends of mine I'd like you to meet. We waited to have tea until you arrived."
"I thought you would live at the Shouto estate," Zero confesses, studying the house and the grounds as they walk side by side up the drive.
"I do, but I conduct business and other public matters at the Ichijo estate. Isaya likes our privacy, and I like being able to keep those things separate."
The Ichijo estate, built in a style that strictly adheres to the principles of traditional architecture, is not as grand as Rosehill, but Zero suspects nothing in the vampire world will be - it's generally frowned upon to have a nicer house than the king. Somehow, Kuran's raven has beaten Zero to the estate; Zero glares at it where it's perched on a low branch of an ornamental tree by the entryway.
Zero brushes his fingers over his lips once they're inside, fighting his embarrassed impulse to blush, as he has every time he remembers what the Kurans did to him after their first dinner together. Kissing, Zero had discovered, did not frighten him the way the mere thought of anything else intimate did. No one kissed him in his nightmares - it didn't humiliate or hurt him. Zero had seen his parents exchange kisses often in his childhood, and pressed childish familial kisses onto his brother's cheek. Kissing was for people who loved one another, and he had harmlessly imagined himself kissing his future spouse in his young daydreams of love and family.
The Hunter scowls a little. That didn't mean he wanted Kuran kissing him whenever he felt like it! And Kuran had cheated! Zero hadn't been ready! That was why he'd been so flustered and made what he was sure was a stupid face, if it gave Kuran that conceited smile. Next time he wouldn't let that bastard pureblood do as he pleased!
...but it had been a little nice, to kiss Yuuki. She could kiss him again, if she wanted to.
"You must be thinking about something good, to be blushing so hard," Takuma teases him, and Zero snaps his head up, furiously trying to lower his flush.
"Sorry, Takuma-sempai," Zero apologizes once his face cools.
The blond laughs, "No, it's fine. We've all been there before, wrapped up in a new partner. I'm just glad to see you're less troubled than you were before your wedding.
Zero's mood falls. The Kurans kissed him because they had to, not because they wanted to. Zero needs to remember that. This is not his daydream. In reality, he doesn't mean anything to them; he's the unnecessary third in their relationship.
But he's not about to trouble Takuma with those thoughts, so Zero says nothing in reply, and keeps following the elder omega through the halls of the house, until they come to what must be the largest tea room in the back of the house. Takuma slides open the paper doors, and smiles reassuringly while gesturing for Zero to follow him inside.
The four omegas inside, kneeling on cushions around a low table filled with pastries and tea supplies, look up at the newcomers. Zero recognizes Aido Madoka, who gives a little wave and smile in a high-waisted pink chiffon gown that makes her look like a fairy princess, but the other three are new to him.
"Everyone, this is Kiryuu Zero, the Kurans' Consort," Takuma introduces him.
"Zero-kun, you've already met Aido-san. Next to her is Takiyama-san," Takuma says, and the woman to Aido's left, also in western style clothes with puffy sleeves and full skirts, smiles broadly and nods her head. "She's Touya-san's maternal grandmother."
Zero can't see much of resemblance, with Takiyama's brown hair and relaxed, welcoming air, except for her eyes - perhaps Touya takes after her father's side?
The omega sitting on Takiyama's left presents a very different image, in his patterned black silk robes that don't look out of place in the tearoom with its tatami mats and views of cherry trees. His black hair is fashioned in a complex knotted updo, decorated with chiming hair sticks, and must be quite long when let down. Everything about him screams elegance and dignity, and the weight of great age.
"This is Azai-san," Takuma tells him in a respectful tone. "He bore Aido Madoka-san, Kain-san's father, and Souen-san's mother, which makes them cousins."
"Technically they are half-cousins, since Madoka and Takehiko were sired by a different alpha than Izumi," Azai's smooth voice gently corrects.
Takuma bows his head in acknowledgement, and gestures to the final omega on the far right, in a long, loose tunic and skirt, with her black hair in a multitude of tiny braids. She is one of the most unusual nobles Zero has ever seen because of her dark golden, almost brown skin.
Vampires, especially purebloods, could not stand the sun, so they lived in temperate latitudes far from the equator, where the local populations were more fair-skinned, and that passed to their mixed blooded descendants. But there were still some vampires who had darker coloring, though it was rarer among nobles.
"And this is Consort Shoshana; her bondmate is Ouri-sama. Other than the two of us, she is the only pureblood's consort currently alive."
The omega inclines her head, her fierce dark gaze enhancing the impression lent by her thin, sharp cheekbones and aquiline nose.
If Azai was of great age, this woman seemed ancient even in comparison. While she appeared physically in perfect health, she seemed also somehow transparent, insubstantial, and fragile.
"Now, shall we have our tea?" asks Takiyama, and after seating Zero next to Consort Shoshana, Takuma goes about serving each of his guests.
The talk is light and casual as the omegas enjoy the good green tea offered by Takuma. Zero learns that he and Takuma are the youngest in the room by far, with Takiyama over a thousand years old, and Azai over two thousand, probably reaching the last half-century of a noble's lifespan.
Later, Takuma tells him in confidence that Consort Shoshana, who watches attentively but speaks little, is believed to be over five thousand years old, and is the oldest living non-pureblood. No one knows how she came to live twice as long as her natural lifespan, but everyone suspects that Ouri had something to do with it. Only a pureblood knows the full extent of their powers, and purebloods keep the secrets of their kind.
Ouri is engaged to Shirabuki Sara, Takuma also tells him, but everyone knows the match will never happen. The only reason he is still alive and even vaguely engaged in present events is his consort, to whom he is completely devoted. When Shoshana finally dies, Ouri will likely follow or wait for death to come to him.
Zero, who is quite sure he is making a terrible impression, manages to put his foot in his mouth not once, but three times. First he asks Takiyama if her granddaughter takes after her father's side, and discovers that no, Touya takes after her other, alpha mother's side; the Hunter apologizes repeatedly while Takiyama laughs and waves away his attempts.
Then he inquires if having two alphas at once is unusual, and is surprised to find that it's quite normal, though in the past few hundred years it's become more common to take a single partner for the first bonding. Bonding more alphas gives your children that many times more resources, and keeps the gene pool larger. Takamiya also has two alphas, while Azai has three, and claims he has bonded a pair of alphas twice before.
Thoroughly puzzled, since bonds with an alpha were only broken by death, Zero makes the mistake of asking how that was possible. The average age difference in an alpha-omega bonding, Aido tells him, is at least 1,500 years - Azai outlived his first four alphas and is on his third set of bondmates, notoriously not marrying a single one. Even Aido Madoka is married to a man 1,000 years older than her.
Zero embarasses himself again when he discovers that Azai has over a hundred children, and can't disguise his open-mouthed, horrified shock.
"We live longer than any other vampire except purebloods. To be an omega is to influence the entire vampire race and bend the arc of history in your favor. We have our power too," Azai tells him.
Thankfully, the nobles seem more amused than angered by his ignorance, and talk turns to news from their everyday lives. They seem familiar with one another, and hold little parties like this regularly, from the sound of it.
Zero listens and nibbles on teacakes, gradually realizing that what he is witnessing is not some harmless gossip session. Aido mentions a problem with a bureaucrat obstructing a patent for the new blood tablets; Azai says he will speak to one of his sons in government. Takamiya worries about some distressing rumors of the Senate's movements; Takuma replies that he is holding a meeting in a few days with the Council. They are planning, under the guise of a few omegas holding a harmless tea party. These are the most powerful and influential omegas in Kuran's circle of influence - and they have invited Zero to join them.
"I think you may have the wrong impression," he finally speaks up when the conversation pauses. The other omegas look puzzled, and the Hunter tries to explain, "I'm not like all of you - I don't know anything at all, and I don't have any power. I don't know how I can help you."
Takuma puts down his teacup. "Zero-kun, four times a year all of the omegas come together at a special soiree, only for us, to exchange news and see one another, You aren't expected to come to the spring gathering, but you will have to attend the summer gathering. No one is absent without a very good excuse."
Aido Madoka examines her tea and remarks, "The omega gatherings are less a party than one long political powerplay, a constant maneuvering for status and influence. If you don't know anything now, then we'll have to teach you."
"Yes, but how does that make a difference? They can't expect much from me. I'm more a Hunter than I am a vampire."
Azai tells him, "Vampires maintain a relative peace between predators by insisting on a strict system of ranks. By custom, omegas stand at the top of vampire society, but we have our own shifting hierarchy between us, measured in a complex calculus of age, ability, wealth, influence, personal power, and the power of our alphas and children. There is, however, an exception to that rule: a pureblood's consort outranks all other omegas."
"And within the consorts," Takuma continues, "our rank depends on the age of our bondmate. So Consort Shoshana is considered of higher rank than me, because Ouri-sama is much older than Isaya."
"In practice, Consort Ichijo and I are treated nearly equal, because of his personal power," the other consort speaks up in her low voice.
"So I rank below Takuma-kun," Zero reasons.
The blond shakes his head. "Actually, Zero-kun, there is one more exception to the rule. A royal consort cannot be of lower rank than their fellows. And even without their title, the Kuran family remains the bloodline of kings."
"By marrying the Kurans, you are now the most powerful omega in the vampire world."
Am I sure I want to do this? Yuuki asks herself one more time, looking out across the grounds from the bank of windows in the archive of the state palace.
If she wants to carry out her plan, the pureblood may not have another perfect opportunity. Zero has left Rosehill for the first time since he arrived, to meet Takuma-kun; Kaname-sama is tending to their holdings at the business offices. And most importantly, her target's visit coincides with her spouses' absences, which is vital to maintain secrecy. If she wants to keep her efforts unnoticed for as long as possible, the first thing onii-sama will notice is any changes in her schedule.
So this is it. What does she chose?
if you want to protect both the people you love, you must ask the questions you've held silently in your heart. The Ancestor of the Hunters warned her, and now Yuuki has experienced it first hand: ignorance is dangerous. Her ignorance allowed Zero's pain. Kaname's secrets, Yuuki senses, are many times deeper and more damaging
This is Kaname's house, and his servants, and his world. But Yuuki needs to make this world hers too if she is going to protect Zero the way she intends to.
She's still wracked with guilt. It feels like she's betraying her husband, because she doesn't trust him to tell her his secrets when he's ready. But knowing Kaname-sama's secrets will allow her to protect him too.
Yuuki knows she decided on this course of action the moment she began planning it in earnest. She's just having doubts and second thoughts. It's time for her to look for answers.
"Yuuki-hime! Are you ready for today's lesson?"
Yuuki turns away from the window and manages a tight smile. "Hanabusa-sempai. Actually, I thought we might do something a little different today."
The blond nods furiously, always ecstatic at being useful. "Of course! Why don't we sit down."
Yuuki takes a seat opposite the noble at their usual study table, where Aido teaches the pureblood more about the long and complex history of the vampires. Aido was the perfect choice for this. He's known Kaname-sama for far longer than Yuuki has, and along with Kain acts as her brother's right hand. With his energetic, sometimes childish antics it was easy to overlook his sharp intelligence, deep curiosity and observant nature.
"What did you have in mind?" Aido enthuses, flipping through the pages of a book while he leans his head on one hand.
Yuuki takes one last deep breath, and lets the mantle of the Kuran princess fall over her shoulders.
"First, you need to to agree to my terms."
"Naturally, Yuuki-hime." Aido is looking at her now, distracted from his book by her strange request.
"You will have your memories of this conversation erased, and even your memory of my request erased. I need some information. You may refuse to provide it, either now or once you hear what I want to know. If you agree, I will use my power of command to order you to tell only the truth, or things you suspect are the truth. Whatever you chose, I will still remove your memories. Can you abide by those terms, Aido Hanabusa?"
The noble gulps, but tells her, "I respect you, Yuuki-hime, and I believe you would not ask me without a good reason. May I ask what you want to know from me?""
Yuuki sits back in her chair, the line of her shoulders eased by his cooperation.
"I want to know about Kaname."
Consider for a moment all the things Kaname probably hasn't told Yuuki, and how blissfully ignorant he is of how that might change.
They don't count as OCs if a character must logically exist in canon, right? And I needed a reason for why Ouri is still alive, so…*cough cough*
Don't worry about the long timeline; there will be lots of time glossed over and only the important events will be focused on.
Kaname and Yuuki have accidentally stumbled on the one form of intimacy (besides hugs) that Zero will actually accept because A) kissing has only positive associations for him and B) it doesn't trigger his dysphoria and disassociation from his body.
To reviewer 'A Guest', who asked for some refs for Zero's clothes...I actually don't have any. I can't find anything that fits the image in my head for Zero. As a male omega, Zero's clothing straddles the line between feminine and masculine, which is why I avoid calling them dresses and go for for neutral words. Zero tends to go for multiple piece outfits (overcoat with stupid long sleeves, ankle length tunic, pants/leggings) that are as masculine as he is allowed to get, but he has plenty of things that don't fit that description. Clothing for an omega is really flexible, and that's on purpose. Vampires live thousands of years, and fashion changes constantly. And vampires live all over the world. So there's a whole range of clothing in many cultures that would be appropriate for an omega to wear, as long as they satisfy certain criteria (Hoseki, skirts down to the ankle, sleeves reaching or past the tips of the fingers, and a neckline that at least touches the collarbone). There isn't even a basic garment. And omegas are supposed to show themselves off, so their wardrobes can include many different styles, like Zero's does. The inspiration was clothing from the Heian Period of Japan,specifically the junihitoe, if that helps.