Midnight City (boyxboy)

|Thirty Nine: The End of Love|

The Helsing Manor had never felt so crowded, yet so simultaneously vacant. Faces blurred since servants were so swift with their movements, keeping their eyes cast downwards in case the Prince caught their gaze. The once subdued shared fear of the royal vampire was now heightened, especially since Cassius had made it abundantly clear that anyone who crossed his path was simply a lamb to the slaughter. Anyone less powerful than himself he viewed as nothing, unimportant, worthless.

Yet he was in chains.

It seemed his father had taken him up on his offer to be guarded at all times, deemed as a liability as far as the King was concerned. As far as the entire city was concerned, Cassius was under the utmost protection due to the incident with Claudia. It had not been kept a secret, since the entire council witnessed the blast that turned her human. However, her new mortal condition had not been disclosed to anyone that did not need to know.

The Prince often wondered if Sam knew what he had done to Claudia, or if he was aware of exactly what he was capable of.

It had been several days since Cassius had agreed to join his father's side, but the King had yet to say more than a few words to his son since then. Their meetings had been fleeting, and most meals were consumed alone in his room- the blood delivered by a shaking elf silently begging not to be mauled to death by the vampire.

This morning was different though, as his presence had been requested at breakfast with his 'family'- or whatever was left of it. He wasn't sure what to make of his bloodline anymore.

He scented Claudia before he saw her in the dining room, embarrassed as his sister followed him with her dull, human eyes. She surveyed him from head to toe: the crown, the details on the lapels of his black jacket, the chains around his hands and feet that allowed him just enough movement to be comfortable. Deep down, part of him knew that she had most likely requested that her brother be restrained. He wasn't to be trusted. He had fallen in love with an angel who had taken the life of the Princess, or at least shortened it. As now she was human, she did not have the gift of immortality.

"Claudia," Cassius hummed as he sat down at the dining table, adjacent to his father and opposite his sister. She looked at him wearily, as if she didn't recognise the boy in front of her. He didn't bother to bow to the King before he sat down, unbothered at the sight of Dracula's lip curling in annoyance. "I'm glad to see you're up and about," he commented, chains jangling as he reached in front of him for the red liquid in a gauntlet- rather extravagant for a simple mid-week breakfast.

Then he sniffed the air, noting the odd scent coming from the kitchen as an elf entered the room with a strange dish in her hand. As she set it down in front of the Princess, Cassius swallowed thickly at the sight of human food. The contents of her bowl would most likely be appetising to the average mortal, as he had watched Sam consume fruit and cereal in the morning many times before. However, Claudia looked nothing short of disgusted as she brought a silver fork to her lips, a single strawberry skewered by the metal.

Cassius sipped his drink, the twins making eye contact as he did so. The Princess allowed her eyes to narrow into slits, the look not quite having the same effect as it did when her irises glowed angrily. Now they were plain and lifeless, holding nothing but empty threats.

"So father," Cassius turned to face the King as he said, "I'm glad you've finally requested my presence. I'm rather tired of playing prisoner in my own home."

"You're not a prisoner darling," the King drawled. "The guards are just a precaution."

"And the chains?"

"I believe were your own suggestion."

"Do you not trust me now?" Cassius questioned, licking leftover blood from his lips. From the corner of his eye he watched Claudia examine his every movement, either envious of his meal or suddenly repulsed by the sight of it. It was difficult to determine which.