Chapter Six

Making it Up

Storming into the Hall of Princes was what everyone expected Mika Ver Leth to do. He was tough. He was upset. Most of all he was going crazy. Everyone could see it. Hell, even he could see it. His eyes were almost constantly glazed over as he remembered his times as a general. Though he still could not fathom why any of these memories would come back to him at this exact moment.

'As if I haven't enough problems,' he thought, bemused as he strode briskly up to the domed entrance of the hall and placed his palm on the wall. 'All i need is the ghost of a long dead female haunting me during this important time.' Shaking his head he hurried up to his throne and deposited his papers where he would normally sit.

Paris Skyle, the oldest Vampire Prince and Mika's longtime friend and mentor, glanced up at Mika curiously from his goblet of blood. Mika bowed his head shortly, acknoledging the older vampires interest.

"Charts, maps of recent Vampaneze activity," he said quickly, "I paid them very little mind before I was... distracted." Mika looked disgusted at the word. Work as a Vampire Prince had been his life since he was called back to the Mountain. It was Mika's duty to know what was going on in the world at night. Movements of the Vampaneze would ordinarily have been of high priority but not only had the young Prince been distracted, he had been assured...

"Smahlt. Bring me Smahlt!" Mika hissed out the name at the nearest General and the man nodded and hurried off to find the other vampire.

"Mika..." began Paris but Mika cut him off.

"Sire I understand how you trust Kurda," Mika gazed at the elder vampire in esteem. Paris Skyle had taught him all he knew. Had been there to vouch for his character and his morals when he was first put up as a candidate for Prince, but if only Paris knew some of his... darker secrets. Like Juliet...

'NO!' Mika was seething at himself. Again he had let his mind trail off. 'What is wrong with me?'

"Mika are you alright?" Paris looked concerned, and slightly amused.

Mika shook his head and pressed his hand to his forehead. "Fine sire. Perfectly fine."

Paris raised an eyebrow to that. "It would seem to me that you have a certain... lady on your mind." He mused, staring back into his goblet and swirling the liquid around.

Mika started at Paris' words. "H-how did you-"

Paris chuckled. "In all my years I've learned a few things. Like how to read people, even stubborn young Princes who think they can mask their feelings behind a thick wall of indifference and cruelty." Mika cringed at his mentors words.

Of course Paris knew. Paris always knew. Paris knew when he lied, when he was thinking of doing something underhanded and Paris always stopped him. Why? Even Mika was unsure. The young Prince may be Paris' underling but the vampire was so old it was calculable half the vampires in the Mountain had once trained under Paris. So what could make Mika so special? Mika could only guess that in his old age, Paris had decided Mika would take his place. He had deemed that Mika should learn all he could from the older vampire in the hopes that when he was gone his wisdom could live on. That was Mika's theory, and the elder vampire had seemed to go along with it fairly well.

"You remind me of myself at your age." He chuckled again.

"What do you mean sire?"

Paris now gazed longingly into his goblet. "What is her name?"

Mika was taken back. His eyes fell to the cold stone floor of the Hall as he whispered her name to another person for the first time in over fifty years.

"Juliet."

At this Paris smiled and nodded.

"She's dead."

Still Paris smiled. "It's always the ones we have lost who stay in our hearts the longest." he shook his head, his eyes gleaming with unseen words. "You still need to think don't you?"

Juliet followed Mika down the spiraling staircase. His steps were brisk and she had to skip steps to keep up. 'Going to get food my behind.' She thought, as he turned around and picked her up with relative ease.

"Woah! Mika what-" She clutched the box that held her possesions to her.

He set her down and the bottom of the staircase and put his lips to her ear. "We need to start training," he whispered, his hot breath making the hair on the back of her neck stand up. "We need to make sure our 'friendship' looks believable, seeing as you decided to lie to your best friend for me."

He stared down at her, she had cast her eyes downward, and he could hear her chiding herself for her mistake under her breath.

"Its alright." he assured her. "You were only trying to protect me and that," he took her hand in his and gazed into her pale eyes. "I truly appreciate."

Kathy reached the bottom of the stairs at that point and sighed at the look the two shared. "If only I had a man willing to court me..." she huffed, walking past them and out into the sitting room, bringing the two out of the reverie.

"You know," Kathy began, "It's about time I get back to my hotel room." she looked a Juliet, a wide smile on her face. Juliet blinked.

"It's late." Mika agreed.

"And you know..." Kathy said again. She strolled over to Mika and trailed her fingers down his arm. "I would really... appreciate it if you would escort me there."

Juliet blinked and sat down on the sofa. Mika merely nodded. "Ah! Such a gentleman!" Kathy crooned, picking up a handbag which had been chucked into a corner and grabbing a spare blanket off the back of the sofa.

"It's chilly out Jules, so stay near the fire, I'll have your hunk back soon." she winked at her friend and headed towards the door. Mika glanced at Juliet, inclined his head and followed. Juliet let out an annoyed sigh and from his position Mika smirked.

As they reached the grand double doors leading out to the front of the estate Kathy glanced sideways at Mika. Mika opened the great doors with ease and allowed Kathy to pass through them.

Once outside the estate and heading towards the town, Kathy stopped and turned to Mika, who was following a few feet behind.

"You will not harm my friend." She said the words simply, but cruelty tinged her speach.

Mika stopped too. "Excuse me?"

Lightning quick, Kathy was behind him, a dagger to his throat and a hand fisted in his ebony hair. "You will not harm Juliet." Her words cut through him like ice and immediately he stiffened. Not only was her attack unexpected, but he could smell something strange on her now that he was closer to her.

"I have no intention of harming Juliet. She is my friend as well."

Kathy let out a malicious laugh. "Vampires don't have human friends. They have human food."

Immediately Mika turned on her, whipping out his own knife, he twirled around her at twice the speed she had turned on him. Vampires are lucky like that. He put his knife to her back. The tables were turned.

"Though I see you are not without skill." Kathy laughed again.

"Who are you?" Mika demanded, the point of his blade pressing into the small of her back.

"Im Kathy. I'm Juliets best friend..." Kathy said. "And protector."

Mika let out an annoyed sigh. 'By the luck of the Vampires. I had to choose a girl with problems.'