Chapter 102 – A Special Visit to an Old Ally.

Lucrecia had spent almost ten minutes reading the same article. Not because it was long, but because there was a part of it that still didn't add up.

On the table lay a newspaper brought in that same morning from one of the allied territories. On the front page was an illustration of the banquet held in Elyra's kingdom.

The quality wasn't especially good. Even so, she could recognize him.

White hair, red eyes, formal black clothes…

Matt.

Beside him was another girl, also with white hair and red eyes. According to the article, his sister.

Lucrecia put a finger on the image.

"Sister…?"

She read the headline again.

[The Nivea heir reappears accompanied by a new princess of the blood.]

Below it were several paragraphs full of rumors.

That they looked strangely alike.

That Matt had come out of the Forge Cave with two ego weapons.

That last part had taken up almost half a column.

Lucrecia was less interested in the weapons.

Matt was still there.

That was the problem.

'How?'

Lucrecia set the newspaper down on the table.

Years had passed since the last time she saw him. Back then Matt was still trying to resist the vampire blood.

She remembered it perfectly.

Too human.

Too irritating.

Too convinced he could keep his previous life even with royal blood already inside his body.

Lucrecia had tried to explain it to him. She had even used her own experience.

She had been human once too.

A thirty-two-year-old man.

She'd had another life.

Another name.

A family.

Until none of that mattered to her anymore.

It had taken Lucrecia several years to fully accept what she was.

Matt had been at it less than one when they met.

It was logical that he was still resisting.

That was why Lucrecia had tried to help him.

At least that was how she saw it. Matt's reaction had been considerably less grateful.

Lucrecia still remembered the conversation on that balcony.

"And your human family?"

"They were a nuisance."

"Were?"

"Yes."

"What happened to them?"

"I eliminated them."

Matt's face after hearing that was still easy to remember.

First disbelief. Then disgust.

And finally the look.

That damn look, as though Lucrecia were a complete lunatic.

"You killed your family?"

"They were a weak bond."

Then came the worst part.

"You're sick."

Lucrecia frowned as she remembered it.

'How rude.'

She had tried to explain to him how adaptation worked. How royal blood changed priorities. How human memories lost importance over time.

Matt had responded by treating her as if she'd confessed to eating children for breakfast.

After that he started ignoring her almost completely.

When they crossed paths at some dinner, he answered the bare minimum.

When Lucrecia tried to talk, Matt found an excuse to leave.

On one occasion he even changed seats.

That had been especially offensive.

Lucrecia looked at the newspaper again.

The logical thing was that after so many years Matt would have changed.

A lot.

A pure vampire body was not a simple physical modification.

The blood worked on you. So did the instinct, and longevity did the rest. Sooner or later, the old human identity started losing importance.

That had happened with her. With other princesses. With almost every case she knew of.

Human men converted directly into members of the royal blood almost never kept their minds intact for very long.

Many died.

Others lost their identity.

Some were consumed by the vampire consciousness created during the process.

Matt had had Iris inside his body. That was why Lucrecia had always thought the outcome was obvious.

Iris would end up devouring him, or Matt would end up more like her.

One of the two.

And yet…

Lucrecia picked the newspaper up again.

The illustration showed Matt with the same sour face she remembered.

That didn't seem to have changed either.

"Interesting."

Lucrecia folded the newspaper and stood up.

She had already decided what to do.

◇◆◇

Lucrecia found her mother behind a desk covered in documents, official letters and several production reports.

The queen of Etquitran was holding a pen in one hand while she went over a sheet with numbers written all the way to the edge.

Lucrecia came in and stopped several steps from the desk.

"Good morning, Mother."

Drusila looked up.

"Good morning."

Lucrecia inclined her head respectfully. Drusila finished writing a small note before setting the pen down.

"What do you want this early?"

Lucrecia smiled.

"Why do you assume I want something?"

"Because you came to say good morning."

Lucrecia lost a little of the smile.

"I want to visit Elyra's kingdom."

That did get Drusila to put the report down.

"Elyra?"

"Yes."

"What for?"

Lucrecia took out the folded newspaper and set it in front of her.

Drusila opened it.

She didn't need long to find the illustration.

"Ah."

Lucrecia rested a hand on the back of a chair.

"I want to see how my friend is doing."

Drusila looked at her daughter. Then she looked at Matt in the newspaper.

"Friend?"

Lucrecia held the smile.

Drusila started laughing.

"Mother."

"Sorry."

She did not sound sorry.

"I'm glad to hear you made a friend."

"I did."

"Does she know about it too?"

Lucrecia stopped smiling.

Drusila laughed again.

"You're so mean to me."

"I asked a reasonable question."

Lucrecia crossed her arms.

"Matt and I had a fairly deep conversation when we met."

"The conversation where you told him you killed your human family?"

Lucrecia looked at her. Drusila was still smiling.

"Yes."

"I remember Elyra telling me it almost ended in a fight."

"Normal enough between vampires, isn't it?"

Drusila set the newspaper down on the desk.

"You can go."

Lucrecia blinked.

"Just like that?"

"You've worked quite a lot these last few weeks."

Drusila pointed at one of the documents.

"The hive problem is practically solved."

Lucrecia smiled with a little more pride.

That one had genuinely taken work.

The bees of Etquitran had the unpleasant habit of becoming extremely aggressive during certain changes of season.

And when an Etquitran bee turned aggressive, it could go through a wooden door.

Managing them without losing workers had been a headache. But the new hive divisions were working. Honey production had gone up and the attacks had gone down.

And, for the first time in months, nobody had arrived at the palace with forty stings on their face.

Drusila picked up another sheet.

"Go."

"Thank you, Mother."

"On one condition."

Lucrecia stopped.

"Which is?"

"Take a gift."

Lucrecia looked at Drusila.

"Understood."

Lucrecia walked toward the door. Before she went out, Drusila spoke again.

"And Lucrecia."

"Yes?"

"Don't start a war."

Lucrecia smiled.

"I promise nothing."

Drusila looked up.

Lucrecia corrected herself immediately:

"It was a joke."

"It had better be."

◇◆◇

Lucrecia chose honey.

Not just any honey.

Purple honey.

It was one of the best-known products of the royal hives of Etquitran.

Much sweeter than human honey and with enough concentrated mana to recover part of a vampire's energy after a fight.

It was also expensive.

Lucrecia took a small jar. She wrapped it in dark paper. She tied a blue ribbon around the package and looked at the result.

"Good."

She didn't need anything more.

She went out onto the balcony. She put the package inside a small bag that she fastened to her waist.

Two black wings appeared at her back.

RASSSH!

Lucrecia checked the direction.

Five hours.

Maybe less if she didn't rest.

Lucrecia smiled and then jumped.

FWOOSH!

◇◆◇

Five hours later, Lucrecia came down in front of the outer walls of Elyra's kingdom. Her shoes touched the stone.

TAK!

Two guards approached. Both wore black armor and carried long spears.

They were men.

Lucrecia didn't even try to hide her lack of interest.

"Name."

One of the guards looked at her.

Lucrecia raised an eyebrow.

"Princess Lucrecia of Etquitran."

The man changed his posture immediately.

"Etquitran?"

"That's what I said."

The second guard looked at the royal brooch on her clothes. Then he lowered his head.

"My apologies, Princess."

Lucrecia walked past them.

"Notify the castle."

"Yes, Princess."

The gates opened.

Lucrecia went in without waiting any longer.

The city hadn't changed much since her last visit.

It was still dark. It still had too many weapons in plain sight. And it still had an absurd quantity of women.

Lucrecia smiled.

'I like this place.'

She headed toward the castle.

The Etquitran insignia was enough to avoid most of the questions.

When she reached the main area of the palace, several servants recognized her.

A maid approached.

"Princess Lucrecia."

"Good morning."

"Would you like an audience with the queen?"

"No."

The maid waited.

"I want to see Princess Matt."

The woman took a moment to answer.

"Understood."

Before she could lead her anywhere, Lucrecia saw movement at the far end of the corridor.

White hair.

Lucrecia thought it was Matt.

No.

Iris.

The princess was walking while leaning slightly on Selene.

Lucrecia recognized her as well.

She had crossed paths with both of them several times.

The strange part was the way Iris was walking. One leg seemed to respond worse than the other. Selene kept a hand near her arm in case she needed to hold her up. Iris had a black sword at her waist.

Lucrecia considered going over.

Iris took another three steps and had to stop.

Selene said something and Iris answered with a fairly unpleasant face.

Lucrecia decided to leave her alone.

'She's busy.'

Besides, she had come for Matt.

The maid led her to another part of the castle.

◇◆◇

The waiting room was ridiculously comfortable.

Lucrecia approved.

There were large armchairs. A table full of sweets. Several drinks. Cut fruit. Cookies.

A maid even appeared with a small pillow in case Lucrecia wanted something behind her back.

"Thank you."

"It's an honor to receive you."

Lucrecia took a cookie and tried it.

It was good.

Very good.

'This kingdom isn't doing so badly.'

Another maid poured her a drink.

Lucrecia settled deeper into the armchair.

If Matt took a while, that wouldn't be a tragedy either.

The first maid stayed nearby.

She seemed to want to say something.

Lucrecia noticed after eating the second cookie.

"Is something the matter?"

The maid straightened her back.

"Princess Lucrecia, before you can meet with Princess Matt, I must inform you of a current rule of the castle."

Lucrecia put the cookie down.

"What rule?"

The maid looked toward the door and checked that it was closed.

"There is a direct order from Her Majesty."

Lucrecia waited.

"Under no circumstances may you mention in front of Princess Matt how long she remained inside the Forge Cave."

Lucrecia blinked.

"How long she remained?"

The maid said nothing.

Lucrecia understood.

"Ah."

That was included too.

"I can't even ask?"

"No."

"And if he asks?"

"You must not answer."

"And if he insists?"

"You must change the subject."

Lucrecia looked at her cookie.

"How specific."

"It has been necessary."

That made her even more curious.

"Why?"

"I can't answer that question."

Lucrecia looked at the maid.

The woman held her posture.

She didn't seem to be playing.

Lucrecia picked up the drink.

"What happens if somebody breaks the rule?"

"It depends on the severity."

"Explain."

"A first offense can end with the person losing consciousness."

Lucrecia stopped drinking.

The maid went on.

"If there is deliberate persistence, immediate expulsion from the castle may be applied."

"That doesn't sound so terrible."

"It may also involve permanent banishment from the kingdom."

Lucrecia raised her eyebrows.

That was different.

"For mentioning a number?"

"Yes."

Lucrecia set the glass down on the table.

"Well now."

The maid inclined her head.

"Have you understood the rule?"

"Yes."

"Are you certain?"

Lucrecia looked at her.

"Why are you asking again?"

"Because you are a foreign princess."

"And?"

The maid took a breath before continuing.

"Banishment would be an insufficient punishment in your case."

Lucrecia stopped touching the cookie.

"What does that mean?"

"If a direct representative of another kingdom intentionally breaks that order, Her Majesty considers the offense a diplomatic breach."

Lucrecia started to suspect she no longer wanted to hear the rest.

The maid said it anyway.

"Relations with the responsible kingdom would be suspended for a minimum of five hundred years."

Lucrecia sat looking at the woman.

"Five hundred?"

"Yes."

"Years?"

"Yes, Princess."

'What the hell happened?'

Elyra was not playing, that much was obvious.

Cutting off diplomatic relations for five hundred years could destroy entire trade agreements.

Routes, treaties, access to resources.

All over a single sentence.

Lucrecia raised her hands.

"Understood."

The maid lowered her head.

"Thank you very much."

"Not a word about the cave."

"Exactly."

"Nor how long."

"Correct."

"Nor related questions."

"It would be advisable to avoid them."

Lucrecia nodded.

"Perfect."

The maid started to leave.

"Wait."

The woman stopped.

"Can I ask him other things?"

"Yes."

"About his sister?"

"Yes."

"About his weapons?"

"Yes."

"About the banquet?"

"Yes."

Lucrecia smiled.

"Then we're fine."

The maid made a small bow.

"Enjoy your wait."

She left.

Lucrecia grabbed another cookie and bit into it.

'Five hundred years…'

◇◆◇

Matt arrived several minutes later. Lucrecia heard his steps before she saw him.

The door opened and Matt came in.

Lucrecia stopped eating. The first thing she noticed was Matt's hair.

"What did you do?"

Matt stopped.

"Hello to you too."

Lucrecia stood up.

His hair was still white.

That hadn't changed.

But now he wore it short.

Far too short.

Lucrecia remembered the long hair Matt had years ago.

It had been one of the few things she genuinely liked about his appearance.

"Your hair."

Matt touched a strand.

"What about it?"

"Why did you do that to it?"

Matt looked at her.

Lucrecia pointed at his head.

"It was pretty."

Matt let air out through his nose.

"What are you doing here, Lucrecia?"

The indifference.

There it was.

Exactly the same.

Lucrecia smiled.

"It's good to see you too."

"I didn't say that."

Matt walked to one of the armchairs and sat down.

Lucrecia went back to hers.

"I heard rumors."

"There are a lot of them."

"About you."

"There are too many."

"And about your new sister."

Matt looked at her.

Lucrecia smiled a little wider.

"So it's true."

"What is?"

"That you have a blood sister."

Matt rested an arm on the armchair.

"Where are you going with this?"

"I'm just curious."

Lucrecia stood up again. Matt followed her with his eyes.

She walked toward him.

Matt didn't move.

Lucrecia leaned in, brought her face close to his neck and inhaled.

Matt put a hand on her forehead and pushed her back.

"What are you doing?"

Lucrecia moved his hand away.

"Checking something."

"Check it from over there."

Lucrecia leaned in again.

Matt raised his hand again.

"Lucrecia."

"One second."

She managed to catch what she was looking for.

Her expression changed.

The human smell she remembered was gone.

Before, Matt had a strange mix.

Royal blood.

Vampire mana.

And underneath all of it, there was still a fairly clear human mark.

Not now.

Lucrecia stepped back on her own.

She looked down at Matt.

"Are you Matt?"

Matt raised an eyebrow.

"Yes."

"Really?"

"Unfortunately."

Lucrecia sat back down.

This time she studied him more carefully.

The posture.

The way he looked at her.

The annoyance.

The unnecessarily unpleasant answer.

Yes.

It was Matt.

That made everything much stranger.

Lucrecia rested an elbow on the armchair.

"For a long time I thought this was impossible."

Matt did not look impressed.

"What was?"

"A man keeping his consciousness after completing a vampire transformation of this level."

Matt looked at her.

Lucrecia continued:

"Your body is already completely vampiric."

"I noticed."

"Your blood too."

"I noticed that as well."

"There's practically nothing human left in your body."

Matt looked at one of his hands.

"Believe me. I noticed that a while ago."

Lucrecia smiled.

"And you're still you."

"Yes."

"How strange."

Matt looked at her again.

"As you can see, your theory was garbage."

Lucrecia narrowed her eyes.

"You're still upset about our conversation."

"You killed your family."

"That was a long time ago."

"That doesn't improve it."

Lucrecia sighed.

"You're still too emotional."

Matt pointed at the door.

"If you only came to check that I'm still alive, you're done."

"Are you throwing me out?"

"Yes."

"I just flew five hours."

"You can take another five going back."

Lucrecia looked at him.

Matt seemed completely serious.

"How cruel."

"We aren't friends."

"I thought we were."

"That's your problem."

Lucrecia put a hand to her chest.

"That hurt."

"Doesn't look like it."

"You can't know that."

"I can live with the uncertainty."

Lucrecia laughed.

That was Matt, all right.

More unpleasant than before.

That was interesting too.

"You've changed."

Matt made a face.

"That again?"

"I mean the way you talk."

"Ah."

"You used to be less cruel."

"I was being diplomatic."

Lucrecia looked at him.

"That's diplomatic?"

"Yes."

"I'm worried imagining how you talk when you aren't trying to be."

"Ask Iris."

Lucrecia seized on it immediately.

"Actually, I have talked with her."

Matt lost interest almost instantly.

"Good for you."

"We ran into each other a few times."

"Uh-huh."

"During missions."

"How exciting."

Lucrecia watched him.

Matt looked at the table of food.

He grabbed a cookie.

He started eating.

Lucrecia went on anyway.

"Iris and I talked quite a lot during the time you were in the…"

The maid's warning came back into her head.

Lucrecia shut her mouth.

Matt looked at her.

"During the time I was what?"

Lucrecia held his gaze.

Five hundred years.

"Away."

Matt kept eating.

"Ah."

Lucrecia almost let out a breath of relief.

That was close.

Too close.

"As I was saying, I spoke with Iris on several occasions."

Matt took another cookie.

"I'm getting bored."

Lucrecia blinked.

"Could you let me finish a story?"

"No."

"Matt."

"It isn't interesting."

"You don't even know how it ends."

"I don't care."

Lucrecia started losing her patience.

She had flown five hours.

She had brought honey.

She had listened to a five-hundred-year diplomatic threat.

And Matt was eating the cookies that had been served for her.

Lucrecia decided to get to the point.

"I want to fight you."

Matt was still chewing.

"No."

Lucrecia waited.

Matt drank some water.

"Is that all?"

"Yes."

"What?"

Matt set the glass down.

"What what?"

Lucrecia looked at him in disbelief.

"I just asked you for a duel."

"And I said no."

"Just like that?"

"Yes."

"You don't want to ask about the rules?"

"No."

"The location?"

"No."

"What we're going to wager?"

"We aren't wagering anything."

Lucrecia put her hands on her knees.

"Matt."

"What?"

"This isn't normal. When you were younger I thought it was your human side."

Matt took another cookie.

"What was?"

"That lack of interest."

"In fighting?"

"Yes."

Lucrecia leaned forward slightly.

"But now you're a complete vampire."

Matt went on eating.

"And?"

Lucrecia couldn't understand how he could answer like that.

"What do you mean, 'and'?"

"Exactly that."

"You aren't even a hundred years old."

Matt stopped eating.

"Is that an insult now?"

"No!"

Lucrecia raised a hand.

"You're young."

"Thank you."

"Very young."

"Thank you again."

"And you should act like it!"

Matt looked at her.

Lucrecia pointed at him.

"Young vampires have much stronger impulses."

Matt did not answer.

"Competition."

Matt looked toward the door.

"Territory."

Matt grabbed another cookie.

"Combat."

Matt bit into it.

"Especially someone with royal blood."

Matt went on chewing.

Lucrecia started getting genuinely annoyed.

"Are you listening to me?"

"Yes."

"Then answer."

"What do you want me to answer?"

"How do you do it?"

Matt put the cookie down.

"Do what?"

"That!"

Lucrecia pointed at his face.

"You're sitting there like I asked you to take a walk with me in the garden."

"I'd prefer that."

"I'm challenging you!"

"I heard."

"And you don't feel anything?"

"Not much."

Lucrecia stood up.

Matt watched her do it.

"That makes no sense."

"It does to me."

"Your body should want to fight."

"My body wants to sleep."

"That isn't normal."

"It also wants to eat."

Lucrecia looked at the plate of cookies.

Several were missing.

"Those were mine."

"Now they're ours."

"That isn't normal either."

Matt took another one.

Lucrecia came around the table.

"Listen to me."

Matt let out a sigh.

"I've been listening for far too long."

"Your blood is young."

"Uh-huh."

"Your transformation is complete."

"Uh-huh."

"You have an absurd amount of vampiric power."

"Uh-huh."

"You should be much more impulsive!"

Matt put the cookie down.

Lucrecia saw that she had finally gotten a reaction.

"You should want to test your strength."

Matt stood up.

"Lucrecia."

"You should want to fight strong vampires."

Matt walked toward her.

"Sure."

"You should feel curious."

"I get it."

"Maybe even more aggression. Royal blood usually…"

Matt appeared in front of her.

Fast.

Lucrecia barely managed to see it.

TAK!

Matt planted a hand on the table beside her.

The wood creaked.

Lucrecia's eyes opened slightly.

Matt was close.

Very.

His expression had lost the exhaustion of the last few minutes.

"Can you shut up?"

Lucrecia looked at him.

There it was.

Finally.

Matt spoke again.

"If you want to check so badly, then fight, damn it."

Lucrecia smiled.

Matt realized.

Too late.

"Perfect."

Matt frowned.

"What?"

"I accept!"

"Wait."

Lucrecia extended a hand.

Black mana appeared around her fingers.

VMMM!

Matt stepped back.

"Lucrecia."

"I accept Princess Matt's duel."

The energy gathered over her palm.

A black shaft appeared first.

Long.

Dark.

Lucrecia gripped it.

The upper end extended.

CLACK!

A curved blade came out of one side.

Black.

Large.

The edge caught the light of the lamps.

A scythe.

Lucrecia turned it once and set the lower end against the floor, and smiled at Matt.

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