Chapter 19

This was perfect. Just fucking perfect! Now he knew exactly why Mimori was behaving the way she did around him, petting him, cooing softly to him like he was an idiot, cooking for him! Not that she didn't cook well, she did so quite well. He had to admit, even if it was now what he knew for certain was human food. He wanted to retch at the thought, but instead his mouth watered.

Shoko's confession explained so much about what was happening to him now. He now knew why he could actually feel cold and heat, why he craved something other than the diet he'd grown to know as a vampire, and the fact that Shoko had to take him to that special doctor.

"This is all her fault! She did this to me! Somehow she did this to me! That bitch! That plain, boring, good for nothing maid, did this to me!" He ranted in his bedroom, throwing things about, shocking himself as he attempted to remove the stupid collar, and wristband that they had put on him. He was now vowing to himself to confront her at some point and fix what she had taken away from him, to change him back to the vampire that he was. How could he know that it was his punishment, and it most certainly was not handed down to him by Kyoko?

Sadly if he wanted something like this fixed, he would have to confront the individual that changed him. Would said individual even know how to change him back? Well, of course she did, but she most certainly was not going to let him know how he could be turned back, and she definitely believed that in this day and age, no other vampire would be willing to turn him in the way that needed to be done. What modern vampire would want to dine on a disgusting human? To them now, it would be like eating a rodent or something like that. Something only done out of the desperation and under the threat of starvation. It wasn't very likely to happen.

"Stunning my darling. You've come so far." Kazu told her proudly as she displayed wings that were now an almost pure white and armor that had gone from a sinister looking skeletal to a smooth silver and gold metallic with white silk loin-skirt. She twirled once for them, changed back and sat at the dinner table, as the kitchen staff cleared the table of their dinner dishes.

Saena smiled softly. "Your father's correct my dear. I believe it to be almost time for your coronation." She informed her.

Kyoko looked at the pair a little shocked. "C-Coronation? What do I do?" She asked a little nervously.

Her father put his arm around her and rubbed her shoulder. "You really won't need to do much. It's just a formality. Something to let the world know you're alive and our daughter. Just something that needs to be done before anything else." He left out the fact that she would need to do this before she even started dating Lord Kuon or before they married. They still hadn't informed her of the significance of her stone that he'd given her. That would come soon enough though.

"Am... Am I ready for something like that?" She asked a little worried.

Her mother smiled once again as they waited for the butler to bring dessert. "Kyoko... You are more ready than any other that has come before you. I have full confidence that you will excel in the display and the just think... you will get to witness the games." She told her excitedly.

"The games?" Kyoko asked with interest. Lory hadn't explained anything like this to her.

Her father nodded. "Yes, the games where the princes from the other kingdoms and noble families will come together in a tournament to show you their abilities." Yes, it was a tournament to show the princess how worthy each male was to be her mate. Although, there was most likely one that would not be participating. Well, he wouldn't have anyway. Only he thought himself to be of royalty and now he wasn't even considered anything more than a pet to a dark-haired little elf, unless he decided to submit to his parents. Something he recently discovered thanks to the research his boss and his manager had searched for night and day.

"Oh my you will look so regal atop the winged horse we got for you when you were small." Her mother said dreamily.

"H-Horse?" Kyoko asked a little worried. She'd never been on one. A memory from her training flashed to her. "Um, does it have to be a horse?"

Kazu glanced at her with curiosity. He shook his head. "It doesn't have to be. What did you have in mind my dear?"

She looked down at her hands that were balled into nervous fists in her lap. "Well, when I was training... I made a friend. Um... I was wondering if there was a way to help him. He doesn't belong where he is."

Kazu furrowed his brow, thinking she wanted one of the criminals from the Forbidden Zone released. "Who might this friend be?"

"It's a white dragon. He was born there. He and his family don't deserve to be punished and hunted like they are." She told them.

Her parents looked at her with surprise. "You can talk to them?"

Kyoko nodded shyly. "Is there any way to help them?"

Saena looked up at Kazu and gave him a small nod.

"I'll look into it Sweetie, but you'll have to come with me if I'm able to help them. We'll also need to find a location for them to settle if we're able to release them. If you can speak to them as you say, we'll need you to interpret for us." He explained to her. He had heard through stories when he was a child that there were members of his family that could communicate with creatures other than humanoids, but that's all he thought they were, stories. He supposed that they weren't stories after all.

Kyoko smiled brightly, jumped up from her seat and hugged both of her parents. "Thank you so much!" She quickly sat back down and blushed. "S-Sorry."

Kazu laughed. "It's alright Kyoko. We don't mind."

Lory smiled proudly at how far his children had come, as he read the invitation that had been laid on his desk. Most of the single young men from the noble families, that were interested, had submitted their names, and been invited to attend the tournament at Princess Kyoko's coronation. She had certainly come a long way. He honestly didn't know how she was doing it, keeping up with her schoolwork, acting, singing, and her lessons for the coronation. The girl had been so busy he hadn't seen her once in the past month.

Lory sighed. "I suppose I should let Kuon know about all of this or Reino is going to get a leg up on him." He chuckled as he folded the announcement and placed the parchment inked in gold back in it's envelope. He picked up his phone and dialed.

"Yashiro-kun... I need to speak to Ren as soon as possible. It's very important that I see him soon... Today or tonight, the time isn't important... 11:30's fine... I know that's quite late, but this is really important and the subject matter needs to be discussed in my office... Yes of course, thank you." Lory hung up and pulled out a cigar. "Hm... I wonder how he will take the news." He smirked a little. What would the boy choose? An interesting question to be sure. Would he choose to stay in obscurity or proudly display himself for the girl Lory thought he loved at the tournament? Well, he would have six months to decide and practice. Lory hoped that Kuon would make the decision right for him.