The Hunter’s Weakness

7: ROMANTIC OR PLATONIC

"Kita? Are you alright?"

Kita pulls his arm out of Alexis' grasp, which only earns him a look of confusion. He won't make eye contact, all he wants is to leave, and then the Idrua girl is standing next to Alexis. She takes hold of Alexis' arm, and Kita can't help his wince.

Why is he so upset? Sure, he's felt horrible all day, but there's something more to it right now. He's never experienced anything remotely similar.

"I'm fine," Kita replies. Alexis was having fun, who would Kita be to impose on that, anyway? Eve said that Alexis wanted to dance with her. To the point where he was nervous to ask. That's... that's unheard of.

"C'mon, I think they're about to play another song," the princess says, tugging on Alexis' arm. He doesn't even acknowledge her.

"Why are you leaving?"

Kita purses his lips, looking at the floor and running a hand through his hair. He doesn't know how to answer that. There is a reason in particular why he's been so miserable all night, though. "I don't feel well."

Alexis seems really concerned. The girl is starting to look confused, and a little impatient. Alexis doesn't appear to notice. That, or he doesn't care. Kita can't look away from their contact, where she's hanging off his arm. He needs to get out of here.

"What's wrong?" Alexis asks, worried. Right then, another song begins playing and the lights get dimmer. The girl begins tugging on Alexis' arm again, but he still doesn't pay her any mind. The music is loud, and Kita's head is starting to hurt, and his hunger is getting to him—

"It's nothing." Kita reassures him. "I just need to get home."

"Okay, then go home already." The princess snaps at Kita, the first time she's acknowledged him during this short conversation, looking fed up with Alexis' attention being on someone else. Kita blinks at her, not used to people being so rude to him, especially when Alexis is around. They used to be, back when Kita first started going to these events. Alexis made it clear that it wouldn't be tolerated pretty quickly, though.

She's looking at Kita like most royal people would, if given the chance. Like he's scum. Less than them, a peasant.

Alexis slowly turns his head to look at her, expression beginning to morph into one much less kind. Kita watches his best friend shake the girl off his arm none too gently, and he doesn't want to deal with this. He decides to take the girl's advice, and turns around.

He then goes back to hurrying out of the establishment.

Thankfully Alexis doesn't chase him this time, Kita hurrying down the castle stairs until reaching the bottom sidewalk, turning and practically running to the stables. He feels his eyes getting a bit watery, though it's not from being sick this time, and he has no idea why. Why on earth is he so upset?

Kita doesn't know, the only thing he's sure of right now is that he wants to be home. He wants to be in his room and in bed, more than absolutely anything. Unfortunately, there's a bit of a damper put on that when he finally does reach the stables.

There's a dark figure leaned against the building, glowing white eyes trained solely on Kita. He freezes in his tracks, because to get to Bermuda he'd have to go past this person. He starts to feel nervous, getting this sinking feeling at the tall, intimidating person.

Once Kita notices him, the guy steps out from his spot and into the light. Kita recognizes him immediately as the man that was there that day he had to get potatoes for the pub. When Kita ran out of money, the guy paid the difference.

Kita cannot remember his name for the life of him, though. He just watches the guy take a stance in front of the stable entrance, before greeting, "Nikita."

Kita stares at him for a long moment. "It's Kita."

"Of course," the guy agrees, nodding. The atmosphere feels strange, much like it did last time they met. Kita finds himself regretting leaving the party so early. He wonders if he should let this play out or make a break for it. He doesn't feel like he's really in danger, so maybe he will stick around. For now.

"What do you want?" Kita asks him, wanting to get a move on with this.

"Do you remember me?"

"You're the guy from the market," Kita says, wondering why that matters. What is this guy doing here, anyway? Standing outside the horse stables in the middle of the night? Weirdo.

"Evander," he affirms. Kita shrugs. Evander moves on. "You don't look so good."

Yeah, Kita is well aware of that. That's pretty much been the case throughout this entire shitshow of a day. He is completely fed up, and he wants to go home. A confrontation with the strange market man was not on his list of activities for the day. He'd honestly have preferred to just sleep through it all.

"Thanks," Kita replies dryly. Evander gives him a smile in return, and that's when Kita completely freezes. As soon as his eyes land on Evander's large, pointed canines, Kita feels an adrenaline rush. Oh dear god, not again.

"I was told you had a run in with one of my friends." The man says, taking a step forward. Kita takes one back, stumbling a bit as the realization really hits him. The man in front of him is a vampire. Kita doesn't understand how he didn't get that from the glowing eyes alone, but in his defense, he's had a long day.

That's when his words catch up with Kita. Wait, this guy knows about the incident with the other vampire? The one that bit Kita, then was murdered by Alexis? Oh s**t, is he here to settle the score? He has to be.

Kita turns around, ready to make a break for it—back into the palace, this time—however, before he can, Evander is suddenly right in front of him. Oh no, Kita forgot how fast they are. Yeah, he may be completely f****d. Hopefully Alexis actually does come after him? Maybe?

"I'm not going to hurt you," Evander says, voice reassuring as Kita begins taking steps backwards, in the direction of the stables. Evander matches his pace, until Kita finally reaches the door. He is immediately opening it and hurrying inside the stables, closing the door behind himself.

He can still see Evander's shadow through the large gaps in wood, coming closer. Kita leans his back against the door in hopes of keeping it closed, clenching his eyes shut as his heart starts beating faster. Eventually, he can sense Evander's presence right on the other side of the door.

God, Kita does not want to deal with this again. He was lucky enough to survive one vampire attack, no way there's any hope of making it through a second. Evander's voice sounds lower when he speaks again, Kita getting chills from it.

"I just want to make this easier on you." He says, voice sounding less freaky and more soothing. "I left you something in Bermuda's saddle."

Kita hears some distant noises, sounding like the bustling of people. He realizes that the party must have ended, people heading to their carriages and horses and other transportation. Kita hopes someone will come over here, maybe then this guy will leave him alone.

"It's too dangerous for me to keep reaching out to you. When you need me again, go back to the market."

Kita hears a rush of air from the other side of the door, and then silence. It takes him several full minutes to work up the courage to open the door again, and he finds nobody there.

Despite how much he wants to go home right now, more than absolutely anything in the world, Kita knows he can't. Not after that.

No, he just had a confrontation with a vampire. Alexis needs to know about this immediately, before that guy kills someone.

So, Kita leaves the stables and rushes back to the palace. He finds that everyone is in the process of leaving, and when he enters the actual building again, the ballroom is near empty. There are a few employees beginning to clean up, but Kita sees nobody that he knows.

Kita double checks the surrounding hallways and finds nothing, and he's about to just give up. Whatever, he can talk to Alexis about this tomorrow, thought that is in no way preferred. However, then he hears raised voices from upstairs. The same flight of stairs he had to ascend when he got sick earlier.

The voices sound familiar, so Kita heads up there to investigate. He doesn't have to go far, only up and down a couple hallways until he finds Alexis and his mother arguing in a partially outdoor corridor. They don't notice him standing at the end, too deep in their argument.

"She was a nice girl!"

Oh. Yikes. Kita probably shouldn't listen to this.

Despite that thought, however, he doesn't leave. He actually moves further to the side, so he's hidden better by a pillar, and listens.

Sorry, he knows it's none of his business, but his curiosity has gotten the best of him.

"Well she was a b***h to Kita."

"I'm sure he was rude to her first."

"Kita," Alexis says, sounding frustrated. Kita wishes there was something he could do to make him feel better, but Kita himself is also far too upset to be talking to anybody right now. He'd probably unintentionally make it worse. "Is never rude first."

Eve sighs, eyes narrowed on her son, appearing fed up with the conversation. His body language matches hers, both clearly not happy with each other. She appears almost disappointed, but honestly, so does he.

"She left in tears, all because of you." Eve says. Kita takes pause, wondering what Alexis said to make that girl so upset. Sure, she was unnecessarily mean to Kita, but she surely didn't deserve that.

"The entire reason I talked to her was to make you happy," Alexis says, which has Kita confused. Huh? Eve said he wanted to, though. "But you're still not happy, and now Kita's upset and I don't know why. What do you want me to do?"

"Kita has nothing to do with this."

"Yes he does," Alexis argues, jaw clenched. Kita doesn't really eavesdrop, has never been given the opportunity. It's kind of crazy, especially since they're talking about him. He is a little confused, though, because it's starting to sound like Eve lied to him. Surely she had her reasons, he just can't fathom what they'd be. "What did you say to him?"

"Nothing important."

Alexis studies her, looking to not believe that. Kita thinks she's right, though. In the grand scheme of things, it really wasn't important. Kita just overreacted, if he's honest. Everything going on with him just became too much. Well, that's probably it, anyway.

"Whatever," Alexis says, appearing fed up and beginning to walk away, in the direction Kita is hiding. He quickly conceals himself better, heart beating faster at the prospect of being caught. That would be embarrassing. "I'm gonna go to his house and check on him—"

"Alexis," she says, and he sighs, stopping. He slowly turns back around, and Kita takes note that she no longer looks angry and impatient. No, now the look on her face is almost... defeated. Kita can't remember the last time he saw the empress look so vulnerable. "I want you to free me of this burden."

Alexis' voice sounds confused when he replies, "what?"

"You asked me what I want you to do," she specifies, "I want you to take over. I can't rule any longer."

Alexis begins walking towards her, before taking his previous position. Kita can see his face again, and his expression is softer now. He must not like seeing his mother in such distress.

"I told you I can take the throne whenever you're ready," he says, and his tone of voice isn't nearly as harsh as it was before. Kita never realized how much her position was wearing her down, but she's not trying to hide it now. No, it's plain as day what a rough time she's having.

"Not on your own," she says, shaking her head in the negative. "I won't let you take the throne by yourself. It is hell to run Amarath alone."

Alexis, who has always been so independent, doesn't seem to like this idea. He doesn't like relying on other people—well, aside from Kita. Even then, though, he never asks for help. Kita has gotten pretty good at figuring out when he needs it, though.

"I'm sorry, mom," Alexis says, and his tone is sincere. He appears to feel genuine guilt. "Nobody you introduce me to will ever be the person I want."

Kita frowns at that, wondering what Alexis means. The person he wants? He doesn't want anyone, though. He has made that very clear through rejection after rejection. He must mean the type of person he wants. Kita finds himself curious, unaware Alexis even had a type.

"Alexis, the homelessness and crime rates are rising. Unemployment is through the roof. I can't keep up with anything, I'm horrible with numbers and diplomacy. The economy is getting worse every day I'm in power. The monster problem is worse than it's ever been. I can't do this without your father."

Her voice sounds almost broken, clearly growing emotional. Kita has never heard her sound like that.

"Then let me do it alone," Alexis says, tone almost pleading. Almost. "I can't settle for someone else. I'm sorry."

Someone else? Kita is starting to grow really confused, because it seriously sounds like he's talking about somebody specific. He must just have a very select type of person he is interested in. That has to be it, because if he actually had someone in mind that he wanted to marry, he'd surely have told Kita.

"Okay," the empress says, sounding like she's hit her limit with this. Alexis has always been a very stubborn person. At the same time, though... he gets it from somewhere. "Okay, fine, I give up. You won't take the throne by yourself, but I will leave it up to you."

Alexis frowns in confusion, possibly at the contradictory statements. Eve specifies immediately.

"Choose whoever you want. Royal, commoner, highborn, lowborn, rich, poor, peasant, I don't care. It can be romantic or platonic, it doesn't matter anymore. Just find someone and marry them, soon. The empire needs you. I need you."

Alexis pauses, staring at his mom in shock. Kita feels the same way, because that's unheard of. Someone royal marrying a commoner without having to forfeit their own royal status just does not happen. Highborn and lowborn, generally, don't mix.

Still, Kita doesn't know how this new rule could change anything, until her words really hit him.

It can be romantic or platonic.

Wait a second.

"Are you serious?" Alexis asks in disbelief.

"Yes," she says honestly, and her voice is shaking. Tears are beginning to well up in her eyes, voice wobbly, when she talks again. "I can handle the press and everything, just... please."

They keep talking after that, but it's only the specifics to what she just gave Alexis explicit permission to do. Kita doesn't stick around, especially when the poor woman finally breaks down and Alexis has to comfort her. It's a moment Kita has no business intruding on.

So, he leaves the almost empty castle and goes right to Bermuda. His mind is a million miles away the entire journey home, going through scenario after scenario of what the future holds. What he will do.

This is because Kita finally has a solution to Alexis' problem.