A/N: Thanks so much my readers who have favorited/alerted or reviewed this story.I always take your reviews seriously and appreciate when you tell me your opinions. Also, I'm sorry if I have grammar mistakes, but english is not my first language. A small part of the plot (New Orleans) is borrowed by the American tv show The Originals. Enjoy.
Warning(s): Might contain violence, curse/bad language and sexual content. Also in this story, Zero is a girl.
Rated: M.
Disclaimer: Vampire Knight © Matsuri Hino. I don't own the Vampire Knight, Matsuri Hino does. However I do own my OCs and story.
For the love of a Queen
Chapter 16
Elisa opened the door when the voice from the room told her to come in. In the big bedroom, the young princess was sitting in a rocking chair, reading the familiar book.
Her story. Elisa thought as she watched the silverette letting down the book.
In the princess's bed, a young child was laying, probably the same age as Zero, Elisa wanted to ask but didn't. The short girl was pixie-like, thin in the extreme, with small features. Her hair was deep black; they were messy and had tangles.
Her pale skin had bruises everywhere and there were faint marks on her skin as well. "So, what are you going to do with her?" Surely, the child wouldn't be able to stay under their care.
Zero glanced over the girl and sighed, "I don't know." she answered honestly, "I guess I'm going to wait for her to wake up."
Elisa frowned and shook her head; taking some steps over the bed, she spoke in a quiet tone, in order for the child not to wake up. "We know nothing about her." she could simply play the victim to trick the silver haired girl, for all she knew.
"Oh come on!" Zero scowled her, "Does she look like some secret assassin?" She rolled her eyes and spoke before the woman could answer, "No." she went and sat on the edge of her bed, "Plus, I do know something about her."
Elisa raised an eyebrow and looked at her surprised, "And what's that?"
"Her name." Elisa didn't reply but instead she looked at her in disbelief, wondering how a name could be important. "Don't underestimate names; they're part of who we are." Zero smirked at the irony; wasn't she the one who had so many names?
Elisa crossed her arms and eyed the sleeping girl with a slight interest, "And what's her name?" she asked, not able to hide her curiosity.
Zero looked the other girl and then back at Elisa. The girl's name meant grace or favor in Latin and Old Greek, which Zero found also ironic; the girl in front of her was anything but graceful.
"Anna; her name is Anna."
Cross Academy
Night Class
"Love me like you do-oh love me like you do."
Knock-knock
With her eyes still closed, Anna didn't stop singing. "Touch me like you do, oh tou-"
Knock-knock
Opening her eyes, Anna sighed and turned off the radio, "Come in!" She called and quickly sat on her bed with a book that she was supposed to study. "Oh hello Takuma." Anna smiled brightly as soon as she saw the blonde vampire who smiled brightly back at her.
"Anna-chan, it's time to go to class." The green eyed vampire informed her and then titled his head in a sign of genuine curiosity, "What were you doing?"
Anna looked at him wide-eyed and batted her eyelashes as she picked up her book and smiled innocently, "I was studying." she was just glad, the bedroom were soundproof otherwise this would be embarrassing.
"Ah I see, well come downstairs." Takuma nodded and paused at the door, before he left her room, "and Anna-chan?"
"Yes?" she didn't take her eyes off her book as she pretended to be reading.
His face split into a wide smile, "You book is upside down." He suppressed a laugh and closed the door.
Anna's green eyes widened and she looked down at her book, only to blush as she realized the other vampire was right. Please earth, just shallow me. She pleaded but received no response, of course.
When Anna walked down the stairs the Pureblood wasn't there. Is everyone waiting for him?
As she entered the main entrance a lot of the Night Class students stared at her and in return she smiled somewhat awkwardly. It seemed that telling them about her friendship with Zero, had made them little… unfriendly towards her; she could see it in their eyes, they did not trust her, but that was alright; she did not trust them either.
When the Pureblood Prince arrived, Anna stared at him; he radiated power and confidence, from his crimson eyes, to the way he held his head high. The strands of his mahogany colored hair gently swayed through the air as a slight breeze blew by.
Even though he looked calm, Anna could see he was very dangerous man to come across, she could tell by experience and it worried her that her best friend had such an enemy.
All for Yuuki of course. She thought bitterly, though she knew she was being unfair… to her friend. She knew very well that Zero hated Purebloods for an entirely different reason but she also hated how protective she was of the brown eyed human.
She was pulled out of her thought when the vampires started walking and the gates opened.
Screams
That was what she first heard.
Large cat-green eyes narrowed at the sight of the Day Class students who were screaming on the top of their lungs; her best friend had been right, the fangirls were a different kind of beast.
"What's wrong Anna-chan?" asked Takuma.
Anna could see why Zero had a tiny soft spot for him; the green eyed vampire was cheerful and kind. "The screaming."
Takuma nodded in understanding and smiled at her gently, "Don't worry you'll get used to it." He assured her.
"Oh." Was all she said, feeling little foolish as she remembered the warnings Zero had given her.
Looking around, she saw the large crowd of black uniformed students gathered, screaming shoving, jumping in front of one another …
Animals
That's what they reminded her of. She could now see why Zero was so furious at them; they were like dogs – no, not dogs. She corrected herself. Dogs aren't foolish, and they're no blinded by the vampires' beauty – no, there was a reason why they had an instinct; like horses they knew when a vampire, a predator, was near them, humans, however didn't and Anna even felt ashamed that she used to be human like them.
It wasn't hard to spot her best friend, anyone could easily find the silverette who was screaming at the now frightened girls.
However, Anna could see the other prefect who was looking absolutely exhausted and Anna took great satisfaction at the brunette's misery.
"Zero!" She waved her hand excitedly and moved very gracefully towards her, like she was dancing, with a way that would break any ballerina's heart, "They're hard to handle, huh." A comforted smile appeared on her face and she waved at Zero's twin who had pulled Yuuki aside and started talking to her.
Zero shook her head and sighed feeling drained, "You have no idea." She looked down; her mind was travelling elsewhere as Anna started talking about her time with the Night Class and her 'stupid' teachers.
"Blood sharing is kind of… personal."
His words hadn't stopped ringing in her ears, after their… act. Zero had been absolutely shocked at her own actions; she shouldn't have been weak! She should have resisted, she should have fought harder!
Kol, Kol, Kol,she couldn't take her mind off of him, her thoughts were always about him, the past three days had been slow and they were tutoring her.
She shouldn't care about him.
She mustn't care
But she does, and that's what's scaring her, she didn't know whether she loved him as a childhood friend or a former lover but the point was that she did love him.
Her sensei would be ashamed of her, and she couldn't blame him, in fact, she's ashamed of herself too.
Speaking of Yagari, he had been pissed, when she had called him and told him that the President had set her another trap. The hunter had said he would go to have a little chat with them and Zero was slightly worried; Yagari didn't deserve to get in trouble because of her. She wasn't worth it.
"Zero!" Lavender eyes blinked and looked at Anna who was glaring at her a little, though she wasn't really angry, mostly concerned, "Did you listen anything I said?"
"Yeah, you said something about… something…" she mumbled and the short haired girl huffed.
"Are you alright Yuuki?" Zero head snapped and rushed over Yuuki's side, answering before she could, "She's fine Kuran, leave her alone."
Surprisingly Yuuki didn't scowl her,nor did she apologize to Kaname for her. "I see that she'd tired Kiryuu." Kaname glared at her, "Maybe you've left her do all the work." Kaname knew he wasn't fair, the silverette was working as much as Yukki and he actually would prefer for her to rest and not tire herself. In fact, he hadn't even noticed Yuuki's exhaustion till now. How things have changed
Zero clenched her fists, "Or maybe it's because of you; bloodsuckers!" she hissed low enough, so the Day Class students wouldn't hear.
Kaname closed his eyes and took a deep breath to compose himself. He didn't want to say something he would come to regret later; the huntress had the rare and rather annoying ability to always break his mask. Opening his eyes, Kaname couldn't help but allow himself to admire her even for that one small minute.
Her uniform, like always, was worn wrong and not properly, her long hair were pulled into a high ponytail which Kaname hated for two reasons; first because he still remembered, after so many nights, the feeling of her hair when he had kissed her and second because they allowed not only him but also other vampires to fantasize what it would be like to sink their teeth to her long porcelain neck.
Licking his lips, he took a step back; Kaname knew there were more than met the eye, especially when it came down on Zero Kiryuu, like him, she had secrets, many secrets and he wanted nothing more than to uncover them. He had heared something about Aido and Akatsuki discovering something but he didn't pay close attention, if he had things would have been different.
His game of chess had changed, his opponent hadn't made a move, there were new pawns on the board and a new Queen had replaced the old one. Nothing went accorded to his old plans but that was alright with him because he had new ones.
"Let's not forget that you're one of us, Kiryuu." His voice was velvet and calm as he spoke and he could see her lavender eyes darkening a little.
She opened her mouth to respond but was cut off her by the short vampire, "Kaname-sama, shouldn't we head to class?" Anna asked, she was a little afraid that if Zero responded to the Pureblood, the night class would attack her like they did few days ago.
"Whatever!" Zero snapped and grabbed Yuuki's and Ichiru wrist pulling them away from the vampires.
Meanwhile, Kaname nodded and looked down at the short vampire, it was odd to see Zero being soft to someone who wasn't Yuuki and it made him little suspicious, he kind of wondered whether she had invited her friend to Cross Academy just to spy the Night Class.
"Years later she found the strength to control herself and climb that little pyramid of yours and she successfully became a Level C"
No he thought, he was just being paranoid, after all, hadn't she said that Anna had become a Level C? But how? That was the real question; therefore he had put Ichijo to befriend with her and keep an eye on her.
"When you want something, you can have it. You just have to want it bad enough." Wasn't that what the huntress had said at Ichijo's party?
If someone thought about it, Kaname was simply following her words; "If you want something, you can have it. You just have to want it bad enough." Kaname wanted everything, he wanted all; he was a selfish creature.
He and the huntress were dancing in their own circle and he knew very well how the circle would continue; he would look at her when she didn't notice him, and would respond to her coldly when she glared at him.
She would walk away and do as she was told while Kaname would have to regain his thoughts.
But he would cut it. Yes, Kaname would break that circle soon.
Anna remembered when one summer she had enrolled herself and Zero to a summer school; not because she wanted to study but because she wanted to try for the cheerleaders. Zero, though she was pissed, she ended up doing what she wanted due to Anna's incredible puppy dog eyes.
It was a nice summer and most importantly normal which was why her friend had liked it so much. The school drama was pretty fun and playing pranks on the teachers was even better.
Cross Academy, however, wasn't working this way. Anna had always known that Japanese schools were strict, but Cross Academy was even worse!
Sure, it was a poor attempt to try to bring humans and vampires together but did it have to be so... boring?
The lessons were difficult, her teachers were boring and apart from Takuma, all the other classmates hated her.
It would be so much better if Zero was here. She though with a sigh as she rested her chin on her palm. The Nigh Class was taking a small recess before another lesson begin, though as she looked around, she couldn't help but find the vampires little instresting to watch.
Rima was eating pocky sticks along with Shiki who was looking Takuma with a longing look and Anna wondered whether the Vice-President knew that his friend had a crush on him.
Other vampires were quietly talking to each other and seemed to be having a nice time. In general, the vampires were helping her to get rid some of her boredom. Rima, though she was eating, she was also observing Shiki who was looking at Takuma who, with a curious look was looking at Akatsuki who was staring at Ruka with a look that was clearly saying "I'm in love with you." Ruka, like a lovesick fool was looking at Kaname, probably picturing him naked. Anna thought. And of course the Pureblood was looking out the window, thinking god knows what.
The only one who wasn't distracted was Aido Hanabusa, who was currently glaring at her.
Anna rolled her pretty green eyes and sighed again, making Takuma turn his attention towards her. "Is there something wrong, Anna-chan?" He asked sweetly and it seemed o gain everyone's attention.
The short haired girl pressed her lips together before sighing again, "I'm bored!" she exclaimed and Takuma jumped back. "Sorry." she apologized, "I just wish Zero was here with me, this would be so much better with her." Her statement made Kaname look at her with hidden curiosity and Takuma who seemed to understand this faced Anna.
"It seems that you and Zero are very close..." he started saying, hoping to get something from her. Takuma had noticed that Kaname's attention had turned from young Yuuki towards the silverette instead. "...and I was wondering how you two met."
Anna blinked few times and threw a glance at the door, half wondering when the teacher would return to start his other lesson.
"…how you two met." The question was innocent and was asked in a kind tone; nevertheless, it still brought memories of her dark past which she wished she could forget.
Instinctively she touched her short black her as she remembered how they came to be the way they are.
"What are you doing?"She asked the silver haired girl who was looking at herself in the mirror.
In time Anna had gotten comfortable with the other girl whose name was Zero and the older woman named Elisa. Both had kindly offered her to stay here or they could find a nice family to adopt her. After thinking about it carefully Anna had decided to stay here, Zero and Elisa knew about her past, knew when not to push a subject and most importantly accepted her without demanding anything in return.
"I'm cutting some of my bangs." Zero answered without taking her eyes off the mirror. Everyone she knew, even Yagari had told her not to cut her long her, but they'd said nothing about her bangs, which in time had gotten longer and were almost covering her eyes.
Cut. Cut. Cut.
Small pieces of silver hair fell to the floor around her feet.
"Why?"
"Because they're annoying me."
Anna touched her hair and titled her head to the side before looking back at Zero, "Why do people cut their hair?"
Zero blinked and looked at her from the mirror puzzled before she reminded herself that Anna probably didn't know the obvious stuff, though the green eyed girl had weird question Zero didn't mind answering them.
Her lavender eyes turned towards her reflection and she continued cutting her bangs carefully. "Well, some people like changing hairstyles in general, because it symbolizes a new start."
"Huh?"
Zero sighed and she patiently elaborated, "Take a break up for example, usually when a girl stops being in a relationship, she changes something about her, it doesn't have to be her hair, it could be her clothes or anything else."
Anna nodded, slowly understanding "Does that happen when two people stop being together?"
"No, not really." she lowered the scissor and looked at her hair to check out if they look okay. "It could also happen when you've lost a dear person, heck it could be if you've lost a pet. People who want to start fresh usually change their appearance."
When Zero finished with her hair, she let the scissor on her bed and opened her mouth to say something but was interrupted.
"Zero, Cross's on the phone." Elisa called from downstairs and the silverette sighed before turning towards Anna, "I'll be right back." with that she headed downstairs without bothering to close the door.
Few minutes passes and still hadn't come back. Anna could hear the princess voice as she was telling to this "Cross" that she wasn't a child. And suddenly, without even realizing it, her gaze fell upon the scissor that was lying innocently in front of her.
People who want to start fresh usually change their appearance
Zero's words were suddenly ringing in her mind, playing like a CD again and again.
It could also happen when you've lost a dear person
Anna felt as if she was compelled.
It doesn't have to be the hair
She stretched out and took the scissor in her hands.
They're annoying me
Her cat-green eyes were childlike as she cut one strand of her hair.
It symbolizes a new start
She giggled a little as she started cutting more excitedly.
Cut. Cut. Cut.
Cut. Cut. Cut
She didn't stop; she cut more and more, never stopping.
Meanwhile Zero along with Elisa were going upstairs, talking quietly. As they both entered the room Zero's eyes widened and Elisa gasped in shock due to what she was seeing.
In the bed Anna was sitting quietly like before, but her hair was cut; some strands were longer and other was much sorter.
"Anna what did you do?" Zero walked towards her, and sat on the edge of the bed taking slowly the scissor from her small hands.
"You told me that people cut their hair when they've lost someone or when they want to start fresh." She said as if it was obvious, "I wanted to start fresh; be someone new." It's the only way I'm going to make it through, the old her died. She was now reborned.
Elisa could see Zero struggle, not knowing what to say. Therefore she spoke first, "Well it's not that bad." She took some pieces of the strands that Anna had cut. "I'm sure we can fix it, right Zero?"
Zero nodded hesitantly, and Elisa caught a slight gulp, but she said nothing and clapped her hands as her eyes widened in excitement, "Yes we can."
When they were done, Anna's hair was cropped short and pointing in every direction and with her small, "pixie-like" features, she almost looked like a fairy, and for the first time after two weeks, Anna Jones smiled.
Anna cleared her throat and said flatly, "Zero and I met in a time when I needed someone, and we kind off clicked instantly."
Seeing that the short vampire wouldn't say anything Takuma nodded, still smiling brightly. "But how did-"
"Okay class let's start." The teacher cut him off as he entered. All the vampires took their seats, though the conversation wasn't forgotten, it only made a certain Pureblood even more curious and a blue eyed vampire even more suspicious.
When the all the lessons had finished, it was so late that even the two prefects had gone to sleep, though they wouldn't rest for long since they'd have to wake up in two hours.
The sky was still dark but soon, in few hours the sun would rise.
A certain Pureblood was watching his little huntress sleeping, he had taken a great risk coming to the silverette's room but surprisingly Zero was a heavy sleeper, nor that he could blame her; she did work a lot.
Her dorm room was clean and cozy; the walls were light blue along with the ceiling and the door to the walk in closet. She had a huge dresser with a mirror against her wall that she probably kept most of her hair stuff. She didn't have any posters but she did have a white nightstand beside her bed and a brown desk little farther away.
His fingers lightly hovered over the items as he walked along the room. His hands kept a distance, careful not to break anything. His gaze drifted towards the small bed where his fierce huntress was sleeping under the purple sheets.
For now, he could only watched her sleep.
Her back slowly rose and fell with each breath, her beautiful silver hair spread around her like a halo, she was deep into sleep, and for the first time Kaname was able to see her looking peaceful. There was not scowl, no glare on her face.
He started to ponder. Ponder when things changed so much, how and why? What do you do when you're starting falling for the person you had thought you hated for years?
It was strange. For such a little thing she had made quite an impression on him.
He had always been attracted before to the dark-haired, dark-eyed beauty that was his little sister, who was easy in the game of love. But his conversations with his little sister had always been childish and had never really interested him.
Zero mumbled something in her sleep and slowly turned, switching so that she was lying on her right side of her face instead of the left. Kaname smiled at her face, Pity. He thought, the huntress didn't know that her angelic face was what now brightened his day. He wished for her to be able to sleep, but sleep with her eyes open, so he could look into the wonderful pools of lavender that had held him captive.
He still remembered the first time he met her, when she was still disguised as a boy. She had foolishly gone to stab him, as if she could actually kill him. He had looked into her eyes and nearly froze; he'd never seen such a sight in his life. Her lavender eyes were so deep, the windows to her soul, but she was so close not only with him but with everyone else. Maybe the short haired vampire was the only one who could see through her and for that the Pureblood envy her.
He knew if Juri was alive, she'd probably scowl him for watching someone sleep without even having permission.
Kaname leaned against the windowsill and smiled softly as the moonlight shone on her face and hair, making it shine. Her hair was very long, more than halfway down her back, and he imagined it would feel like silk to his touch. He often spent hours picturing how it would be to just run his hands through her hair, marvel about how soft it was and how long it was. The color was natural, too, and he loved the silver color. When the sun was shining on it, they looked bright and when the moonlight came the hair looked the same, only darker, he'd never seen her look so beautiful.
I act like a lovesick fool. He thought to himself
She turned again in her sleep, this time lying on her left side with her back to him, her legs curling up to her stomach in a fetal position, and he wondered what she was dreaming.
He sighed, walking back over to the bedside and sitting beside her, trying to be quiet so he wouldn't wake her up. Kaname knew that she would shoot him if she knew that he was watching her. He looked at her peaceful face, screwed up in concentration, yet relaxed as she dreamt. She shifted slightly, the satin sheets falling from her shoulder, uncovering most of her back just above her behind. His eyes darkened as the moon made her skin seem to shine, the smooth skin he wanted to run his hands over.
He'd never thought it would be possible for him to see the silverette that way, the feelings he had for her seemed almost alien to him, he was used to feel protective of Yuuki and love her from afar but now these feeling were nothing like he had felt before.
What was about her that made him care?
Was it the way her face changed when she rarely laughed, the way her eyes narrowed when she concentrated, the way she raised one eyebrow to express skepticism, or irony? Was it her willingness to challenge him with no hesitation? Or was it the annoying habit she had of being disrespectful towards not only him but everyone else?
And she was by no means ugly; he would be a liar if he said she was. Her face had a delicate beauty; it almost made her look fragile... The Pureblood Prince shook his head and got up. This was doing him no good at all.
He should stop thinking of Zero Kiryuu, just for few minutes, and do something to cure himself of this madness. He must get away to compose himself, otherwise he feared what he would do. He needed to be alone, to have few minutes of peace.
But even when he went back to his dorm room the face of the sleeping huntress was still on his mind.
A/N: Yeah, this chapter was mostly about Anna and Kaname. I realized that I hadn't written a lot from Kaname's point of view so I gave it a try.
What do you think? Writing Kaname wasn't easy, I always wrote and then deleted because it didn't look good enough.
I hope you guys like it.
xLonelyDreamerx
