The Prince's Secret

Episode VI

“Hello?”

“Hello? Is this my Sayaka? Darling, I miss you! I’ve been waiting for your call! How are you doing there?”

“I am fine Mother.” She replied with a smile on her face. “How about you? Father? My siblings? I miss you all.” She answered as she fixes the cord of the telephone and sit on the chair.

“We are all fine here in the mansion darling. How is your dorm life there? I told your Father that you don’t have to live in there.”

“It is okay Mother. Rukiya is also staying in the dorm.”

“But is it safe there? There are a lot of vampires in there! It is a vampire territory right?”

“About that-”

“-Oh Sayaka! Did something bad happen darling? Tell me! Tell Mother! I will make sure they are punished!”

“No, Mother. Everything is okay. I just have a few questions about the charm that the Family gave me.”

“What is it? Did it get broken? We have to get it fixed immediately!”

“Calm down Mother you don’t have to worry about me. I’m fine really. I only have questions.”

“Alright my darling, what is it?”

“Was this a hand me down one? Like a family heirloom?”

“Uhh no! I wouldn’t allow such a pain looking bangle to be given to you if that is a family heirloom.  Don’t you like it? I will ask your Father to send you another one right away.”

“Hahaha no it’s not like that…” Sayaka paused for a few seconds and took a deep breath. “I’ve been wearing this for a long time now and a freshman classmate asked me about it. I didn’t think much about it before because we all have this in our family and the other Families too.”

“Well darling, not everyone can have it. It is usually given to those who have great contributions in the war and those who are part of the government and it costs a lot even though it looks ugly.” Her mother chuckled.

“Are there fake ones?”

“There might be to some extent, though the government heavily punishes those who are caught making and owning them. Yet you can’t stop other people recreate the things they cannot have. But those issued by the world government, the ones we have are all genuine.”

“Haa… okay.”

“Is everything really alright Sayaka?” her mother asked in a serious tone.

“Yes. Don’t worry. I will call you again soon.” Sayaka said and made a smooch sound. “I love you Mother.”

“I love you too darling. Take care always.”

Sayaka was still holding on the phone when she caught a glimpse of Henri on the side.

“Ha…you were listening.” She sighed and after a blink they are already in the headmaster’s office.

Cloud is standing on the side of the bookshelf and Henri is sitting on Cloud’s chair with his feet crossed on top of the table. Cloud looked at him and he hesitantly put his feet on the floor. Sayaka can’t help but chuckled.

“I thought you are going to report us to the Governor.” Henri said as he put his hands on the table and intertwined his fingers.

“I was supposed to. But I’ve thought about it and realized that there’s nothing to gain about it. There are things that we humans does not know.” Sayaka said as she lean on the desk across Henri. “I thought of how to get information from vampires but I guess it is easier to ask you instead.”

“I must say, there are a lot of things you still do not know.” Henri chuckled. “Intelligence is a key in war.”

“So you vampires lied about the charms?!” she said somewhat angry of the thought the humans have been played all along.

Henri looked at her then looked at Cloud, he nodded and put a golden bangle on the desk. The golden bangle is engraved with hands and prison bars design with a resin part where red fluids can be seen moving.

“Tell me what you know about the charms Sayaka.” Henri said but Sayaka just looked at him with a crease on her forehead. “Please, just tell me and I will tell you what you don’t know.” He added.

“It was created to warn humans of the presence of the vampires. It also have spells casted on it to prevent mind control and manipulation.”

“Hahahaha. Sorry, continue.” Henri laughed.

“There are two types of charms, first, those that were created pre-truce by witches and warlocks which are limited in numbers and issue only to the founding families and the highest ranking government officials, and the second type are the modern ones created by the weapons department of the world government issued to high ranking officials. So tell me, which part of what I know is true and which are not?”

Henri leaned back to the chair and crossed his legs. He looked again at Cloud and he nodded in response.

“The charms, they were not created by witches and warlock. They were made by vampires.”

Sayaka is shocked, she looked at Cloud waiting for a confirmation of what Henri said.

Cloud looked at Henri asking for permission to speak but Henri raised his left hand with his index finger up.

“No, I will do all the talking. I feel like talking today.” Henri said smiling. “The charms, they were made by some pureblood vampires for humans… it started with protecting the humans they fancy, protecting their property from other vampires. Lend me your charm.” He gestured with his left hand. Sayaka handed her the charm thinking that she has nothing to lose knowing that it isn’t working on the vampires that humans should fear the most; the nobles and the purebloods.

“Your charm, this is genuine…but this was made by humans. You see this red jewel embedded in your bangle, it is magic imbued jewel by your witches and warlocks but look on this one.” Henri raised the other bangle on his right hand. “On this one, you see there are no jewels, but instead you can see through the resin some red fluid flowing inside the bangle. Do you know what this red fluid is?”

“Blood. Is it yours?”

“You never disappoint Sayaka.” Henri said smiling. “But no, it isn’t mine. The charms that you humans made is effective but only to some extent. It only works mostly to the lesser vampires.”

“Haaa….” Sayaka sighed heavily. “Obviously, the Vampire Queen knows about this and the other nobles too, right? They might be laughing their lungs out each time they see us wearing this one.”

“Probably.” He chuckled. “The things that I told you, I think some families know already, the vampires, doesn’t mind actually. The first humans who have received those gifts probably made some cover ups about the story on how they got it and over time the real story was forgotten and the charm they were able to replicate.”

“Okay. I couldn’t think of any reason for you to be lying to me about this. I appreciate the knowledge you’ve shared; now give me back my charm.”

Henri let out a sighed. “I know what you are thinking.”

“Mind reading? Tell me, how am I supposed to stay here knowing that you can control and read my mind? You can make me turn into my family any moment!”

“Or I can turn you into a vampire but I didn’t. I wouldn’t. Not until you say so.”

Cloud suddenly stepped forward and bowed to Henri. He raised his right hand and gestured for the two bangles and it started to float, the silver bangle of Sayaka turned into dust and the gold one turned into silver and took the designs and other details of the now destroyed bangle.

“Master is giving you a peace offering for offending you the other day.” Cloud said and directed the floating bangle to Sayaka. “You don’t have to worry about other noble or pureblood’s vampire of controlling your mind.”

“Well it still doesn’t make me safe against you two.” Sayaka scoffed.

“You’ve always been safe with us.” Cloud said. “Your Father, he wouldn’t let you stay in this school if that isn’t the case.”

With the mention of her Father, Sayaka paused for a moment and thought that what Cloud said makes sense. She might never know what her Father is thinking but he is the head of the family.

Sayaka looked directly to Cloud’s eyes and was about to say something when Henri suddenly talked.

“It is really a peace offering for trying to allure you the other night. I was actually thinking that I might finally have something to punish Cloud, but he didn’t tamper your charm. Then I read your thoughts and didn’t like what you were thinking that time.”

“What was I even thinking that you got yourself to lose your control?”

“Well, I was right in front of you and you weren’t even thinking about me.” Henri looked on the side avoiding contact with Sayaka while saying this.

Cloud chuckled upon hearing it and Sayaka looked dumbfounded. She then remembered her encounter with Cloud around noon time. She turned to Cloud and gave him a sharp look.

“How about you? Are you done messing up with my mind?”

“I didn’t messed up with your mind Sayaka.” He answered.

“Haa…” Henri sighed. “Please wear the bangle, it will keep you safe. Your family and other humans won’t even realize that this isn’t the bangle that was issued to you.”

Henri stand up and approached Sayaka.

“Actually Sayaka, you don’t have to worry about Cloud or I concealing our presence or trying to manipulate your mind because that bangle contains the blood of a powerful pureblood vampire. Even I cannot break through its essence.”

“How can I be sure?”

“You go home to your mansion. Don’t you have some family customs followed every time you’ve been to a vampire’s territory? Those customs are used to wash off any vampire essence attached to the body and mind of humans.” Cloud said as he rested the floating bangle to her hand.

“Aren’t you afraid I blab off everything you told me to my Father?” Sayaka asked as she finally wear the charm.

“As I’ve said earlier, that information from the very beginning wasn’t really concealed by vampires. It was humans who have changed the story of the origin of the charms. You can tell him everything, though I doubt that he doesn’t know about it.” Henri smiled. “You can tell him about what I gave you, about the fact that the real charms contains a pureblood’s blood but never tell anyone else. That’s one rare piece I gave you that some humans or even vampires will surely try to get a hold of it.”

“Alright, but if this isn’t your blood then whose blood is this?”

Henri closed his eyes and answered with a soft voice. “Someone from the family.”

Family? There was no registered family member of Henri that is still alive. Who is he referring to? His parents are all dead before the truce and a vampire’s blood even of a pureblood should have vaporized already. “Okay, before I call us even, you two mustn’t get into my room anymore. No more teleportation, you knock from the door and ask permission before you can enter.”

“Alright.” Henri answered in which Cloud also nodded and he teleported Sayaka back to her room.

Sayaka lie down on her bed and looked at the charm given to her by Henri. She can still remember the designs engraved to it previously and decided to sketch them on her notebook.

***

“You…what did you to her?” Henri asked Cloud with his glaring red eyes.

Cloud just looked at Henri with his red eyes and knelt down. “I accept the punishment.”