The Prince's Secret

Episode VII

August 13, 20 A.P.W.

“In the next two weeks you will be given free time to write your papers, meaning you won’t have any history class in two weeks and on the last week of September we are going to have a field trip on some historical sites.”

“Hi Teacher, will Teacher Cloud be our chaperon?” Isabelle asked their guest teacher. “We miss him.”

Victor chuckled but Isabelle kicked his chair.

“Mr. Cloud would be your chaperon for the trip that I am sure of.” She answered smiling.

The female students squealed; they miss their vampire teacher, he was replaced by a guest teacher for a week with no apparent reason.

“Another boring class have ended. Uhhh…I miss him.” Isabelle groaned as she flop her face on her desk. “The other vampire teachers are not that bad but Teacher Cloud is on another level.”

“I can’t deny the fact that the way he teaches is amusing; like using live examples.” Victor said laughing.

“Hey Henri!” Erin said as she approached the grumpy pureblood on the back.

Her classmates stopped whatever they’re doing when they heard Erin called for Henri. They didn’t turn around but are all ears for whatever might happen.

Henri lazily looked at Erin. She blushed when his crimson eyes met her green eyes. Henri made a confused look and sighed.

“Uhh sorry. I just want to ask if… if you happen to know where Teacher Cloud is?”

“Why would I know where is he?”

“I’m just asking because you – ”

“-We are both vampires?” Henri chuckled. “I’m just a student here, he’s a teacher.”

“Uhh…sorry for asking.” Erin mumbled and turned back.

Henri just nodded.

“Ah, Henri...” Erin faced him again this time with her head tilting down. “Do you want to hang out with us?”

Henri looked at Erin then just closed his eyes but Erin didn’t moved an inch. She is still standing in front of Henri.

Henri sighed, “Erin? Why not invite someone else?”

“We know each other already just a few days after the start of the class.” She said now looking directly to Henri smiling. “I actually want to know more about you Henri.”

Henri tilted his head to the right and he heard Sayaka chuckled in the corner.

“Alright.”

“Really?!” Erin exclaimed as she can’t contain her excitement.

Henri just looked at her with a confused face.

***

At the Admin building.

“He isn’t accepting any guest at the moment.” Henri said to Sayaka as she turned the doorknob of the headmaster’s room.

“Oh Henri.” Sayaka said in surprise. “Why are you here? I thought you were with Erin’s group?”

“Hmmm… yes I am… we are currently at the cafeteria eating.” He said with a smirk on his face.

“Hey that is mean! You left a clone in there?”

“Hmmmmmm….” He groaned and darted his eyes away from Sayaka.

“She earnestly asked you to hang out with them right?” Sayaka said smiling.

“Uhh..okay”

“-Hey wait Henri, before you go there.” Sayaka said as she unexpectedly hold on to Henri’s hand. “Uhh, I’m sorry.” She said as she let it loose.

“It’s okay. What is it?”

“Where is he?”

“I don’t know.”

“It is very unusual of him to skip classes without notice.” she said.

“He may be attending to some personal matters.” Henri folded his arms and asked, “Are you worried about him? You don’t have to worry of the ancient one.” He chuckled then disappeared.

“Haaa…” Sayaka sighed.

What was I even thinking of coming here? Why was I even worried? Henri is right, an ancient one like Cloud isn’t someone to get hurt easily. But this is weird, I am outside of his room but there’s not a trace of him; the charm isn’t even reacting a little.

***

“How long do you want hole up in here, Cloud?” Henri asked Cloud who is sitting on his bed drinking wine.

“Since when did you welcome yourself to my personal chamber?” Cloud said as he chug his wine.

“Your students, they were looking for you.”

“I don’t care.”

“This Erin, she’s got the nerves to approach me and invited me to hang out.”

“Hmmm…” Cloud chuckled and raised his brow. “Seems like the girls are approaching you when I’m not around and you don’t like being bothered by them..”

“-Sayaka…she’s been looking for you. I saw her outside the headmaster’s room.”

Cloud stopped shaking his glass and looked down.

“You should go back up there.”

“I can’t. My wounds are healed but there are still scars.”

“Just use your illusion.”

“Did you forget that you gave her one of your family’s charm? My illusion won’t work on her.”

“I told you, you should drink blood to heal faster.”

“There’s no point for the punishment if I’ll just drink it away with blood.” He said as he pour more wine to his glass. “And these scars, you gave them to me…I should engrave in my memory all the pain and healing.”

“You are just being a masochist.”

“You don’t understand. You might not be the one who turned me but we are blood related. Anything that you give to me, I will gladly accept.”

“Suit yourself.” Henri said and disappeared.

Cloud stands up and faced the mirror. The scars from the wounds are still all over his body. Despite him being an ancient vampire, wounds inflicted by a pureblood doesn’t heal fast, the scars takes even more time to completely vanish if the vampire doesn’t drink blood.

“I can’t see her like this. She will be asking questions and I don’t like lying to her. I can’t tell her about my punishment she will feel bad about it.” He muttered as he drink another glass of wine. “Haaa…I can’t even come to her anymore as Gure. The charm would give away my identity.”

***

August 19, 20 A.P.W.

Cloud is walking on the hallway and is greeted by a teacher and students.

 “Mr. Cloud! Good morning!” a female teacher greeted waving to Cloud.

“Hi Miss Tucker, good morning!” he answered and waived back.

“Teacher Cloud!!!” a group of female students called out running towards him.

 “Hey, no running in the hallway.”

“We’re sorry.” they said bowing to him. “Where have you been Teacher? You’ve missed a lot of class!”

“I didn’t. I have a guest teacher took over remember?” he chuckled.

In the corner of the hallway Sayaka saw Cloud being fawned over she gasped and accidentally dropped her bag. She was about to pick up her bag when Cloud picked it up and handed it to her. She looked at him and looked at the end of the corner, Cloud is also there still with the teacher and students.

“Were you that surprised to see me?” he asked smiling.

Sayaka didn’t answered and she have a shocked look on her face.

“Why such look? You’ve seen me used clones before.”

“Haa…it’s not about that. Why do you have that many scars?”

“What scars?” Cloud is confused, his scars shouldn’t be visible by now.

“You got scars all over Cloud. Who did this?” Sayaka asked almost tearfully.

“Ahh, I don’t understand.”

“I can see it. Are you using illusion to cover those scars?” she asked.

“No, no..no…I am not using any illusion at all.”

“If not then why you are lying to me?”

“I am not. There are no scars Sayaka.”

Sayaka is somehow convinced that Cloud is not lying about what he is saying. She raised her left hand and saw that the charm is brightly red.

“This charm, it is showing me that you have scars all over.”

“Ohhhh…” Cloud paused for a moment. “The scars you are seeing might just be fragments of what I already have centuries ago.”

Sayaka looks puzzled but there seems to be no other plausible explanation.

“Are you really okay?”

“Yes.” Cloud answered and smiled. His blue eyes looking softly on Sayaka.

Sayaka gasped when her eyes met Cloud’s then she looked down.

“Then, I’ll take it as is. It’s nice to see you again, Cloud.” She said and passed by Cloud.

“Thank you.” He said. “I thought you were never calling me by name again.”

Sayaka turned back and gasped; she realized she’s been calling Cloud’s name so casually. She bow down to Cloud and walked away as fast as she could.

At first I was surprised to see him back, next I was so shocked to see him covered in scars my heart was in pain, then I felt relieved when he assured me that he’s okay, the next second I blurted out how I like seeing him around again. What a roller coaster of emotions in just a short encounter. I was talking to him casually and he said ‘thank you’; why are these making me happy? Why do I feel that something heavy have been off my chest? When our eyes met, my heart started to beat hard. When I saw his face, he looks happy..but I can see in his eyes that he is longing.

***

“The charm that you gave to Sayaka…looks more reliable that I’ve thought.” Cloud said as he appeared next to Henri inside the greenhouse.

“It’s a family made so it should be.” Henri said as he walk and examine the blooming rose flowers.

“That’s not what I meant.” Cloud said as he walk next to him. “She saw my scars even though they are gone by now.”

“Hmmm?” Henri stopped and straightened his back. “Well, I guess there are things we won’t know if we don’t use them.”

“You didn’t know either?”

“I didn’t.” he scoffed. “She’s the first one I’ve given a charm. I know no other humans that were given one by my family. Weren’t you supposed to be the older one?”

 “I know no humans that were given a charm by your ancestors. Besides, your family doesn’t have much history of interacting with humans.”

“I guess, coz if we did we should have more vassal houses.” Henri said as he sat down and folded his arms. “How’s the preparation for the field trip?”

“Everything is in motion.” Cloud answered smiling.