The Vampire King's Wife *discontinued until further notice*

Scars

Khione sets her spoon down, thinking hard. I guess she's trying to determine whether or not she can tell me? Hesitantly, she brings her hand up and moves some of her hair out of the way, revealing a large scar on the side of the neck. Vampires, I realize as my eyebrows furrow at the scar that wasn't there when we were little. "I woke up in the hospital with this injury on my neck," she starts in her ASL. "I was about five? Maybe six. The doctors all told me my family died and that I was the only survivor. My whole family were all torn to shreds, as if an animal had gotten to us." She takes a deep breath before continuing. "It was ascertained the attackers were people though." She moves her hair back, covering the scar before she goes back to eating her food. "That's all I know about it."

"How did the attack affect your voice box?" I ask, confused.

"The person who got to me ripped my voice box out," she signs, trying to distract herself from the memory. "I don't have a voice anymore."  She takes a second before adding "the doctors wanted to give me an artificial one, but I went for ASL.  I didn't want to be in there any longer than I had to."

It was then that I did something that I never thought was possible.

I hugged her, knowing that I wasn't there to comfort her then. But I'm here now. "I'm so sorry, Khione," I murmur under my breath. "You have been through so much." She's stiff for a second, shocked that I'm trying to comfort her for some reason.  When that second ends, though, she hugs me back and buries her face in my chest. Running my fingers through her hair, we stay like that for a while.

Is it wrong of me to still love her after all these years?

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Khione and I explore the castle grounds together, telling her about some of the history behind it until Ava waltzes out of her bedroom, immediately worrying me.

"Honey Boo," she calls out as she runs up and gives me a hug. "I haven't seen you in two whole days!"

I sigh before reluctantly hugging her back and introducing the two girls, Khione obviously not being noticed by her. "Khione, this is Ava. Ava, Khione." I scratch the back of my head nervously, wondering how the two will react towards one another.

"Huh?" Ava looks at Khione for a second, examining her closely. She then turns back to me and I know what she's going to ask me.  "Is it..." she raises her eyebrows as if to mentally ask "is it the Khione?"  I just nod and she squeals in delight.  "Oh my gosh oh my gosh oh my gosh!"  She gives me a wide smile before wrapping her arm around my neck and forcing me to bend over so she can rub her knuckles against the top of her head, officially giving me a noogie.  "Why didn't you tell me sooner!?  This is one of your beloved you dared to keep a secret from," she giggles out, clearly ecstatic about Khione being here.

Just how do I explain this to her?