And In Your Eyes, I Saw Everything

Blackberry Kisses

-Vladmir's Point of View-

I stared at the mask and the dress that lay on my bed. The dance was the day after tomorrow and I was going whether I had been invited or not. I knew my father must be looking at me with some shame right now. I mean, I fell for Xander, I'm going to a dance dressed as a girl, and I'm blind in one eye because of the guy I love. This wasn't what the great Dimitri Rayne had planned for his son, was it?

My feet carried me to the mirror just under my family's crest. My eye found the mirror and I stared at my scarred face, the blind eye, the dark stubble making itself noticeable on my chin. It had been days since I had paid attention to anything except for my eye and Xander. Everything suddenly seemed to be so much clearer, ironically. Worry sat in my gut though.

I looked up at the crest. It had been stitched to my father's jacket, mine, the sheath that my sword sat in, and it was hung around the kingdom almost anywhere you looked. It was the crest my father had designed and it was the one that I planned to carry on for the Rayne Kingdom. I saw my father in the crest, but then again, I saw him in a lot of things.

"Father," I whispered staring at the crest, "I don't know how you see me right now or where you're at, but I"m trying my best to do everything right. I love him and you always said that you should go after what you love. I love him. I know it's crazy, but I do. He looks at me the way you did with Mom and I-I just," tears well up in my eye and it slightly stung. I wiped them away with the back of my hand and continued, "Everyone I've told supports my decision. Mother wants me to experience what you and her had and I want it. Please, Father. Give me your blessing. Give me a sign that you support what I'm doing," I finished and I heard footsteps patter behind me.

My mother stood there in a long black nightgown, her graying locks falling around her face. She looked so much older than she actually was. Her eyes looked glassy like she was going to cry, but she watched me. They held a glint of worry behind the glass.

"My baby boy loves a Black?" She said and I backed up into the mirror. I heard the reflective surface shake behind me and I grabbed the sides to steady it so it wouldn't fall.

"Mama, why do you think that?" I choked out, knowing that I was about to be caught.

"Your father spoke to me in a dream. He told me to come to you, that you needed guidance with something. Xander... He's the one that you were talking about, wasn't he, Vladmir?" She whispered and I swallowed the bile that was rising up in my throat with a nervousness.

I had been lying to her for too long. Oh, how had I gotten myself into this mess? Why was I now staring face to face with my mother wanting to run and continue to live my lie?

"Yes, ma'am," I whispered and she crossed her arms in front of her. She watched me carefully with her green eyes. A strand of hair fell in front of them and she walked across the room and sat on the edge of my bed, legs crossed.

"Vladmir Xavier Rayne, explain to me the entire story, please. Do it for me, my son," she said, grabbing my mask and wrapping her fingers around the ribbons.

I sat down beside her, took her hand, and began to tell the tale of how I fell for Xander Davey Black.

~~~

It took me about an hour for me to finish. I went into full detail on why I hated Scarlette now and how I lost sight in my eye. I told her about how I threatened the princess, my plans for the dance, and how I prayed for my father to help me. She understood it all and she agreed with what I said.

"How did you plan on getting to that dance?" She asked me.

"The path through the woods that connects to the Blacks garden. I was just going to walk..." I said, my face slightly heating up at admitting that.