A/N I don't own Vampire Knight nor do I make any profit from it
Chapter 38 - Suffering and Need
Hikari lay on her bed, bite marks at every angle and in every conceivable place. Her skimpy dress was ripped and torn. Rido had left her in a state which did not befit the queen of vampires. After he left, Rido had locked the door, further confining her.
Silently tears fell from her sapphire eyes. Nothing seemed to matter anymore. Kaname didn't love her anymore and he certainly wouldn't love her after what had just happened. She rubbed her stomach. It was inevitable that she had conceived.
Sitting up from her sprawled position, she turned to the thick duvet which she lay on top of. Hikari peeled it back and proceeded to climb under it. Suddenly, the lock click and the door slowly swung open.
"My lady," she heard this person say. She opened her eyes slowly and saw a young servant standing there with a silver tray in her hands. Hikari didn't say anything as watched the servant girl place the tray on the table by the bed, "The master told me bring some food up to your room, my lady."
Hikari didn't answer. The servant poured some tea and cut a slice of plain sponge cake, "Why does he want me to eat? I am just his plaything."
The servant girl sighed, "Well, at least eat."
Hikari sat up as the servant girl handed her the piece of cake on the plate, "What's your name?"
The girl looked up, "My name is Anna," her green eyes piercing her right through, "Pleased to make your acquaintance."
"Why do you work here," Hikari asked. Anna looked up and chuckled slightly.
"I have nowhere else to go," Anna said, "I was bitten by Lord Rido… before this… I was a human."
Hikari gazed at Anna impassively, "I see… how like him…" Hikari sighed, "How long have you been a vampire? Did Lord Rido give you his blood?"
"A little over two years," Anna replied as she smoothed her lily white apron down, "And… no… I fear that I have no future."
"Has he told you what will happen if he doesn't," Hikari asked.
"Yes," Anna replied, "He dangles hope in front of me before snatching it away cruelly. Lady Hanaka rubs it in and adds to my suffering."
Without another word, Anna left the room, closing the door behind her. Hikari bit her lip and frowned. She went to pick up the cup of tea and she sipped it slowly. It was nice tea and it was just at the right temperature. It somehow made her forget about her troublesome situation even if it was just for a moment.
Placing her cup down, Hikari's thoughts turned back to her husband and her tears streamed down her face. She still loved him and wanted nothing more than to be back in his arms. It hurt that he had been so easily seduced by Hanaka, "He still loves her…" she whispered.
The moonlight shone through the windows as the two lovers kissed passionately and tenderly undressed each other. The moans of the two lovers filled the room as hands caressed the other's silky skin.
"Kaname," Hikari gasped as Kaname caressed her womanly body and guided her legs to wrap around his waist, "Kaname, I have missed you…"
"Hikari," his voice was thick with lust and wanton love. He wrapped his arms around her waist and moved against her slowly. However, his lust for her body overrode his desire to be gentle. As gentle and as tender as he was to his wife, Kaname couldn't hold back when it came to physical love. As he felt his Hikari arching into him under his larger frame and crying out his name, he fell over the edge and cried out his beloved's name.
Kaname woke up in a cold sweat, his wife's name a passionate whisper upon his lips. His dreams had become more vivid and mostly about him and Hikari. His desire for his wife was become unbearable and the fact that she had been kidnapped by his own uncle and former made it worse. He laid back on the bed and sighed deeply. His body ached with frustration and fatigue.
He decided that perhaps a cold shower would calm his body down.
Meanwhile, Eisuke buttoned up his coat and turned to the portrait of his dead wife, "Oh, Emiko, I hope that you are watching over our daughter. I wish for safety above all else."
Everyone had stayed the night in the Kitamura manor that night, including Kaname. Little Haruka, Kaname's daughter, had been placed under strict supervision to protect her.
Kaname walked into the drawing room where Eisuke was and silently acknowledged the older vampire, "Good morning, Kaname," Eisuke said, "How are you feeling?"
"I have had a restless night," Kaname replied as he rubbed the back of his neck, "I could not sleep. I need to find Hikari."
Eisuke sat down on the chaise facing the fireplace, "Kaname, I need to speak to you. Please sit," he patted the seat next to him and Kaname hesitated before sitting down, "I need to know whether my daughter was truly wronged by you. Were you truly unfaithful?"
"I was not unfaithful to your daughter, Lord Eisuke," Kaname said calmly.
"Then why did my daughter find you in the arms of your former lover," Eisuke asked.
"I was unaware of Hanaka's power as she has never bitten me before… I've never allowed her to," Kaname said distantly, "Why are you asking?"
"Well, I wanted to ask because… when we finally find her, I was debating whether to bring Hikari back here indefinitely and file for a divorce. Hikari doesn't need any more heartache," Eisuke said, almost threateningly. Kaname's eyes widened.
"Lord Eisuke, I love your daughter above all else. She is my queen and the mother of my child. Besides that, she is my lover… the woman I cannot resist even if I tried. I cannot imagine my life without her. She belongs to me and I belong to her," Kaname said, "Please… you have to believe me when I say that she is the love of my life."
"There were rumours of you having many lovers before you married Hikari," Eisuke said, "Is that true?"
"No," Kaname said, "I flirted subtly but never gave any of the ladies of court any hope. Hanaka was my only lover. At first, I was attracted to Princess Sara and I was interested in marrying her but she turned me down. It was then that I found out about her engagement to Ichijo. She told me that she loved him and would not contemplate being unfaithful. I turned to Hanaka for comfort because I was like a bear with a thorn in his paw after being rejected. That was when Hanaka and I became lovers. We had always been friends but… Sara's rejection of me pushed me into her arms. I gave up my virginity to Hanaka. I wish it had been Hikari though."
"I see," Eisuke said, "I admire your honesty, Kaname."
"I have nothing to hide," Kaname replied, "Especially not from my father in law."
"You're a good boy, Kaname," Eisuke said as he ruffled his son in law's hair. Kaname grimaced slightly but said nothing. Eventually, Sara and Takuma came down and entered the drawing room.
"Evening everyone," Takuma beamed, "How are we all?"
"Tired," Kaname said, "I didn't get any sleep… how did the two of you sleep?"
"We slept well… albeit a bit uneasily. We were worried about Hikari," Sara said, "I take it that Lord Haruka, Lady Juuri and Hanabusa aren't up?"
"No," Eisuke said, "They aren't and they are holding us up."
Kaname leaned back in his chair and sighed heavily. Sara walked over to him and sat down, "We'll find her. Make no mistake. She'll be back in your arms before you know it."
"I'd like that…" Kaname said, "But first I must convince my bride that she is the only one I love. She is the most precious person in the world to me. I love her. But if I find her… what do I say to her? Will she believe me when I say that I haven't been unfaithful? Considering the state our marriage was in before we fell in love, my chances of her wanting me back are pretty slim."
"Kaname, you redeemed yourself by falling in love with Hikari," Sara said, "I have no doubt that Hikari will need some convincing but if you are sincere enough, she will come round and believe you. I believe you and so does everyone else. Tell her what you told us."
"That's assuming that we find her," Kaname replied in an austere tone, "Rido won't have been stupid enough to have taken her to his main manor and neither would Hanaka. I know that Rido has other homes but we have not been made aware of where they are."
"Don't your mother and father know," Sara asked, "Surely they do."
"You forget, my parents are not on good terms with my uncle," Kaname replied, "Of course, Rido will not disclose any information of that sort. He has always been secretive."
"That sounds like your uncle," Sara replied, "Well, aren't there any records of them being built? There'd have to be."
Takuma leaned on the chaise and placed a hand on Sara's shoulder, "I don't think you should come with us, Sara. It will be dangerous and I would you stay with our son."
Sara rounded on him with a sharp slap across the cheek, shocking everyone, "We've been through this! I will help my friend. I am not delicate nor am I a porcelain doll as you seem to think I am," Sara shouted at him. Takuma gave her a hurt look and Sara sighed, "I'm sorry I slapped you. That was uncalled for. I'm just very frustrated by people wanting to constantly protect me. Kiseki is well protected and as long as I am with you, I'm fine."
Takuma felt the need to protest but not wanting to be slapped again, "We need all the help we can get, Takuma," Eisuke said as he placed a hand on his arm, "Sara is strong and lest you forget, she is a pureblood vampire who is even more powerful than yourself."
Takuma looked up at Sara and Sara gave him a gleaming smile, "Fine."
Sara giggled, "I can hold my own. I might be a princess but this is nothing I cannot handle."
Eventually, Juuri, Haruka and Hanabusa came down and everyone gathered around the breakfast table. Everyone looked particularly tired and worn out, especially Kaname. Hanabusa, whose feelings had not waned, was now eager to start looking and fidgeting with his hands.
"Hanabusa, dear," Juuri said, "You haven't got a chance with her," she patted his fidgeting hands, almost patronisingly. Kaname couldn't hide his smug smile. Hanabusa sat indignantly and didn't answer the former vampire queen, "Anyway, that aside, where do we start looking for our dearest Hikari?"
"I know that my uncle has many different residences," Kaname said, "As does Hanaka. This could take some time."
"And there's also a possibility that they could be… literally anywhere," Takuma said, "This isn't going to be easy."
"We're vampire, Takuma, it shouldn't be that hard," Sara said with a sardonic smile.
"Sara's right," Kaname said, "But Takuma is also right. They could be anywhere."
"Well, if you all remember our groups," Juuri said, "We will split up and come back here to compare evidence, notes and… other things. If you don't come back, we'll assume you're dead," she added quickly and nonchalantly, shocking the younger vampires.
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