"Get down that tree this instant, Proteus, son of Augustus!" Princess Andromeda had her hands on her hips, losing her patience.
Proteus only shook his head and held tightly to the thick branch. "You cannot make me. Not even you, my lady." Just thinking of Sir Leo and his scary face made him tremble. He would never. Ever. Get down this tree unless the Knight leaves Cruor Castle for good.
"I know you don't like Sir Leo-" the Princess tried to reason out.
"It's not about like. I'm frightened of him!" he shouted back.
He actually saw fumes come out of the Princess' nose. He shuddered and listened as she said, "You cannot always remain frightened, Proteus. You're a noble now. The adoptive son of the Royal Adviser. You need to learn how to defend Aurum and yourself. Sir Leo is the best Knight the kingdom has. You'll learn much from him."
"But I don't want to!"
"Goodness, boy. You're weak but you don't want to learn how to fight. You don't like to study. How can you be the next Royal Advisor, then? Maybe you should just continue your Magic studies with me."
Something stung in Proteus' chest. He was well aware of all his weaknesses. He was unlike the other vampires. He didn't have physical prowess or high mental ability. He was clumsy and stupid. Also, even how much he tried, he couldn't change into a bat or do something special like his kin. But that was alright because he didn't want to be someone big, anyway. He didn't want to be the next Royal Advisor. His siblings could go and fight among themselves to land the job.
The sound of horns echoed throughout the castle grounds. The vampire knew that sound. "The traveling theater!" he exclaimed excitedly. "They're here, my lady! I-I can see them from here! They came to the castle!" The traveling theater entertained the common vampires in the villages outside the citadel. The nobles and high-ranking vampires weren't fond of them because the traveling theater artists included lesser vampires. "I can't believe this."
"They came early. I was the one who summoned them to Cruor Castle because you've been wanting to see them for years."
Proteus happily climbed down from the tree. "Come on, my lady, let's welcome them together!"
The Princess crossed her arms near her chest. "No, my boy, you won't meet them now. Not until you've finished your training with Sir Leo for the day."
"But, Princess-"
"No buts. Or I won't allow you to see the play tonight."
The vampire sighed. Fine. He could endure the hard training with the scary Knight if it meant watching a drama by the traveling theater. "Okay," he said. "And then, we'll watch the play later."
"Deal."
At last, Proteus went to the training ground to practice swordsmanship with Sir Leo. As he expected and feared, the training was harsh. His wooden sword clumsily clashed with Sir Leo's. Many times it flew away from his grasp. He earned hit after hit from his merciless instructor. He was tossed, punched, and utterly beaten as soon as he stood up. When it ended, a maid went by his side to clean his wounds.
"What time is it?" he asked her.
"A couple minutes after six, my lord."
The vampire took the cloth from the maid and cleaned his wounds himself as he dashed away from the training ground. "Thank you!" he shouted.
He ran through Cruor Castle's halls and opened the doors to Princess Andromeda's study room without knocking. "It's time!"
The royal put down the book she was reading and followed Proteus to the ballroom where the traveling theater set up a stage. No nobles besides the Princess' ladies-in-waiting were present. Proteus and she sat on one of the empty chairs.
The play started and Proteus got lost in the acting of the actors on stage. The story was about a Queen who fell in love with a common soldier. When the lovers finally got together, Proteus was so touched tears formed in his bright amber eyes. He wiped the blood tears away as he looked at the Princess beside him. "My lad-" But the royal was asleep on her seat. Proteus just smiled as he watched her.
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So many years after that, Proteus now stood in the same ballroom. The place was empty and Princess Andromeda was here no more. Punished for her intent to kill her kin, she was sent away to another world, where she might be currently suffering.
The vampire felt empty inside.
The Princess and he had always been close and deep inside he knew the royal treated him like family. Just when did the secret resentment start? Maybe when he disobeyed the Princess and visited the pens plenty of times as he befriended the humans. When he realized how Princess Andromeda mistreated the pitiful beings. When he learned about her unjust punishments. How much of a tyrant she wanted to be. He finally realized how truly evil the Bloodbitch was. She could never be the Queen. She would be the worst Aurum ever had. So she needed to be eliminated. Like the villainess she had always been.
With spite lodged deep within his heart, Proteus teamed up with his adoptive father. He acted as Princess Andromeda's confidante, when in fact, he was waiting for the opportune time to trap her. And he and his guardian did. They were able to finally thwart her plans and make her father exile her.
Never would she go back to Aurum anymore. Never would she haunt Cruor Castle's halls.
Despite everything, sadness crept inside Proteus' soul. Yes, he had been glad when his adoptive father and he succeeded, but, within him, he realized that he missed the vampiress. Beneath the layers of anger and distrust toward Princess Andromeda, she remained special to him.
He sighed as he exited the ballroom.
What now?
Now that the traitor was banished, would Aurum just continue to be its usual self? Then the same discrimination against low-ranking vampires and apathy toward humans would persist. How could that change? Would Lord Augustus, his adoptive father, be a better King?
Clang! Clang! Clang!
The warning bells of Cruor Castle resounded. What in Aurum's name was happening?
Soon, he heard the sound of metal against metal. Sword fightings. Vampires screamed and shouted. Curses and cries echoed within the halls. Proteus was mortified. They were being attacked? But, by who?
"Young Lord!" Magus was covered with blood when he saw Proteus frozen where he stood. He shook him. "There's no time. You should go to Princess Andromeda and take her back to Aurum. Only she could save us now."
"W-what?" What was the Magus saying? Didn't they just go to lengths to finally exile the traitor? Now, this elder was saying she was to be the kingdom's savior?
The old vampire took his arm and dragged him inside the ballroom. He closed and locked the tall wooden doors. "I will share with you the vision that came to me as soon as Lord Augustus stepped into the castle with his army of Savages." One thin wrinkled finger touched Proteus' forehead and images flashed inside his brain. Immediately, the young vampire understood what was happening. Magus started to make a portal. "All the royals are dead. Only Princess Andromeda has the claim to the throne and it is rightfully hers. We don't have a choice. Better to have a tyrant as Queen than to have no kingdom at all. This is a task only you could complete, Lord Proteus. Convince the Bloodbitch to save the kingdom. Remember, to open the portal back to Aurum, the pendant needs a drop of a thousand years of sorrow. To enter it, the Princess should be willing to go back."
It was too much. Proteus felt like he was drowning. Too many things filled his mind and it was hard swimming in the sea of emotions he was submerged in. "M-magus, I-"
"No time, young lord. You're our only hope." The portal now gaped open. The old vampire pushed Proteus into it. "Soar, son of Aurum, and fly back with the Bloodbitch."
One moment Proteus was thrown into the portal and then, the next, he was inside another castle. He gasped, trying to wrap his mind around the things he had just learned. Then he shook his head. He should focus on his task and bring back Princess Andromeda. She would know what to do. But would she welcome him back? Trust him once more after his betrayal? He didn't know, but, now, he didn't have a choice but to try to reach out to the only being powerful enough to save Aurum.
"M-my lady?" He ran through the unknown halls. "Princess Andromeda, where are you?" He found a staircase and followed it downwards. "Princess! It's your Proteus!"
"Shut up!" He heard someone shout.
A human?
Two burly men in brown and white uniforms were drinking alcohol in one torch-lit corner. When they saw Proteus, they stood and cornered him. "What is this? A lost kitten in the dungeons? What the fuck are you doing in here?"
"I-I-I..." Proteus stuttered.
The other human laughed and placed a hand on his comrade's shoulder. "You're scaring him, stupid. Let him go."
The man clicked his tongue and released Proteus. The vampire swayed and walked near the light. For the first time, the two humans saw what he looked like.
"Shit," one exclaimed. "Are you a man or a woman? You're fucking beautiful." He replaced his hands on Proteus' fragile shoulders. "Your eyes... are they real?"
Release me, he wanted to say but no word came out of his mouth.
One dirty hand clasped his cheeks. The scary man's face went too close to his. Proteus could smell alcohol from the human's breath. The drunk said, "I've never been with a woman since I guarded this fucking dungeon. I'm betting this one's a woman. But I'm not so sure." The man grinned with a display of yellow and rotten teeth. "Hey, Nate. Hold him down. I wanna touch him."
Touch? Fear gripped the vampire. He squirmed as the men held him. Princess... His heart called out to Princess Andromeda. In Aurum, no one dared touch him. He was Lord Proteus' son and under the protection of the Bloodbitch. And, besides, most of Aurum loved him.
Now, as he was touched by these dirty, unknown men, he was drenched in fright.
"Fight, Proteus. If need be, fight. Do not dare lose to someone else. Fight." Princess Andromeda's words circled inside his mind.
My lady...
Fight, she commanded. So fight he did.
Using his remaining strength, he kicked the man's crotch with all his might. The pervert howled in pain as he got off of Proteus. Immediately, the vampire bit the other human's hand and ran away.
He climbed the stairs and entered another corridor. The Princess should be here somewhere. But, where? He bit his lower lip as blood tears threatened to spill from his eyes. He stopped and then blinked. He couldn't afford to be weak. Aurum needed him. He needed to be tough. Inhaling and exhaling, he braved the hallway once more.
"Princess Andromeda?"
There were so many doors. Which one contained the one he was looking for? One opened and a human male in fine clothing exited from it. Proteus made himself small and hid behind a large pillar. When the man reached the staircase, Proteus resumed his search.
He should dare and look inside a room. Knowing the Princess, she wouldn't stay in just any room. She would avoid a small one. She would be in somewhere grand.
Proteus searched for the largest room and opened its doors. "Princess Andromeda? It's me, Proteus. I came here to escort you back to Aurum." The room was empty. Shelves lined on its walls with hundreds or maybe, thousands, of books. The wonderful scent of old paper that he so loved tickled Proteus' nostrils. Gently, his hands touched the spines of the books. Amazing. He wondered what wonderful stories they contained.
"Who's there?" a baritone voice asked.
The vampire's head snapped and saw a tall blond human walk toward him with a book in his hand. His eyes were blue and his body was sturdy. He was wearing the same uniform the perverts in the dungeon were wearing, but the insignia was different.
As soon as he saw Proteus, the human paused and his eyes widened. Another one awed by the vampire's beauty. With his short platinum blond hair and bright amber eyes, Proteus knew he was beautiful. In Aurum, they said he was as pretty as Princess Andromeda, herself.
What if, in his attraction, this man also tries to do unwanted things to him? Automatically, Proteus covered his body and backed into the shelf.
"Are you okay?" The human was able to compose himself. He placed his book on the floor and approached the vampire slowly. "What happened to your clothes? Did someone do that?"
His voice was so gentle Proteus already wanted to trust him. He stared at the man. Maybe, he was different.
"It's okay, I won't hurt you. What's your name?"
"Proteus," he managed to answer.
"Proteus, I'm Erwin. Erwin Smith. And I can help you."