Break the Chains

Chapter 1

AN: Hello everyone!! Please don't KILL me but I changed the first chapter, again... ;^; but it's for a good reason!! You see the whole plot changed!

Disclaimer: Vampire knight belongs to Matsuri Hino.

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Once upon a time there was a boy, a mere child, who was said to hold the world's destiny in his hands. As the child grew older it was obvious to everyone that the boy possessed not only intelligence but also beauty unrivaled by many, with hair as white as the moonlight, skin as fair and smooth as porcelain -yet what caught most was the boy's eyes- lavender gem like eyes that captivated all that dared to gaze into their molten depths, it made him the object of unwanted desires.

However in spite of his beauty, his intelligence, and the attention he always received, he was never happy.

How could he be? He was lonely, isolated in a golden cage when all his heart desired was to be himself, to be free of the burdens placed upon his delicate shoulders even before he was born, and despite being young in age he was not naive enough to believe it to be possible. after all, dreams are just illusions made by the desperate minds to hold on to sanity.

Yet his youthful heart refused to let go of that hope in spite of his mind's protests and urging to do otherwise.

Was it so pitiful of him to wish for wings? To dream of traveling across the lands to where ever he desires without restraint? To feel the wind rush past him as he flew between the languid clouds? Unrestrained and unchained? Oh how he envied the birds for their freedom.

The now eighteen year old sighed, resigned, as he opened his eyes and gazed out of the window of his room to the horizon beyond the walls that kept him confined, the walls of his prison.

His home.

A sense of yearning could be detected around the young man as he tore his gaze away from the impossible, and focused on the task at hand.

As he diligently got back to his assigned work, courtesy to his position as the head of the royal family and being it's sole survivor, Kiryu Zero often wondered if he should keep that strand of hope alive as the years passed, any sane person would have given up a long time ago, but he just couldn't; without it he wouldn't be any more than a pretty doll with no soul and 'he' would never forgive him if that happened, not when he had a promise to keep.

Sighing yet again, Zero banished those thoughts and resolutely signed and read over every document that was placed on his desk, a prince must not bring shame to the royal name, or that was what his father used to say.

After that, hours upon hours passed as he lost himself into his work, tormented by his own thoughts, desires, and whispers of longing that prevailed even after he had fallen asleep.

The gentle golden rays of the next morning caressed the marble like skin of the young prince as pale eyes fluttered open to welcome the new day. His hazy, silent, and numb mind allowed him peace for a few precious seconds before it started to awaken. To fully comprehend the current situation.

For the first time in what seemed like an eternity, Zero was given the respite he needed and was allowed a peaceful awakening so unlike his usual manner of waking up. Normally, he would wake up gasping for breath and drenched in cold sweat.

The only thing that he wished had gone better however was the fact that he would have preferred sleeping in a bed rather than falling asleep on his desk, he truly didn't know when he had fallen asleep and he made a note not to do so ever again if he could help it. Alas, that minor pebble in the way was something he could ignore for now as his gratefulness outweighed the annoyance.

Zero grumbled under his breath and took a couple of minutes to erase the remnants of sleep still clinging to him after his rest and stretched his hands as far up as they can go, quite satisfied with hearing his joints crack and alleviate the ach that was there not too long ago.

Determined not to dwell on his nightmares, the silver haired lad got up and glanced at his rumbled appearance before heading to the door on his left that he knew would take him to the adjacent bathroom.

Standing in the middle of the huge bathroom, he took his time stripping off his clothes seeing as he awakened earlier than usual and stepped under the shower spray after making sure that it was neither hot nor cold.

The young prince went through the motions of his mundane morning routine without wasting a second. His body had long ago adjusted to the manual routine. As a result, it did not take long for the youth to leave the bathroom and go through the process of choosing his clothes for the day.

Mere minutes later he stood tall and proud, yet still elegant and humble, as the fabric wrapped itself possessively around it's master, caressing the porcelain flesh with a silken ashen mask. Beneath the black cloak laid a fine fabric of his pale shirt, being kissed passionately yet elegantly with his crimson tie. A glove clung to his hand, one that he chose to wear as a sign of his own taste and character, wrapping and starting just above his wrist and following softly like ashen rivers to the tips of both his middle a ring finger. The story lay unfinished with his pinky though, wrapping around it just a bit while leaving the other fingers bare to the cold; completely aware that their master was capable of keeping himself warm. Finally, to the lower proportions of the young prince rests a pair of dark coloured suit slacks that fall swiftly to just above his ankle; greeting his dark chocolate brown shoes.

A swift look in the mirror confirmed that the young prince was ready to face the day ahead.

And just as he turned on his heels to walk towards the door separating his private quarters from the hall that connected to the rest of the manor in which he lived he heard a quiet knock followed by a shy and soft feminine voice.

"Zero-sama, it's time to wake up"

A pale partially gloved hand rested gently, almost intimately on the cold metallic surface as it twisted the knob in order to push the door open. However before Zero fully unlocked the door, he took a second to put on a facade that would conceal any longinging and turmoil beneath the surface and away from prying eyes.

With a deep breath, the silver haired youth pulled the door open and faced the young maid that was standing there with her hand raised as if she were about to knock a second time.

She was 5'2" with long light brown hair that was styled in two braids, with toffee coloured eyes that were wide with surprise, delicate features that fit her quite nicely, and a petite figure that was hidden underneath the maid's uniform.

After a short greeting, Zero and Nadeshiko walked down the soft peach colored hallway that gave the illusion of warmth and tranquility. A far cry from the numbing loneliness that was eating away at the young noble soul of the prince.

The ruler to be was lost in deep thought as his soundless steps met the carpeted marble floors of the hallways leading to his current destination, thus he didn't notice when Shindo's soft voice bid him farewell as she walked away to her own destination.

As it is, Zero could not afford to miss breakfast simply because he needed the energy for the upcoming duties that consist of a board meeting with the elders and Oracle, apparently the ancient one wished to reveal a pressing matter, a mountain of paperworks that needed his signature, and his lessons.

A soft involuntary sigh left the young lad's lips.