Renounce your Title (FVK/Keveridge Fanfiction)

Chapter 4- Offerings and discoveries

((Once again, I don't own Diego and the other MOTL characters. ;; ))

 Laurence weaved in and out of the throng of partygoers, following Diego's tall, black haired form. To say he felt irritated at the sudden arrival of his friend was an extreme understatement. He'd been extremely close to finally making an acquaintance with Kier- yet Diego had snatched it away in the blink of an eye. He always appeared at the least opportune moments..

"Come on, you vampiric amnesiac," Diego chuckled, opening a gold plated side door to reveal a dingy looking side room. It had an aura of mystery- rather like Diego. 

"Shut up, Diego.." Laurence muttered, as he made his way inside. If anybody overheard Diego then there would be extreme consequences for Laurence himself. 

The door closed behind them, taking the thin strip of light it provided along with it. However, light soon illuminated the dingy side-room- or bathroom, as it turned out. 

"Diego Vaniteë- what the hell have you done?" Laurence hissed, staring fearfully at what Diego had brought him. For the tall, coal haired man had extracted a young woman from the appalling party, and had confined her within this small, horrible room. Her eyes possessed a drug hazed tinge, but that did nothing to mask the emotion she clearly felt most. Fear. 

"Well, my Prince, she'd been selected to join the King at a.. erm, how do I put this? Private side-party- AKA, a feeding. She seemed rather keen, but why let the King have such a beauty when your friend also has a penchant for blood? I thought it would be appreciated," Diego replied smoothly, before prodding Laurence in the back, signalling for him to move forwards.

"So you're telling me you just grabbed a random girl and dragged her in here?!"

"Oh no. I turned on the charm, as they say," Diego smiled, a slightly proud look upon his usually closed face. It was evident that he believed he'd done a good thing.

Laurence shook his head in distaste, treading carefully over to the bound girl. Her eyes began to dart around in a frenzy as he drew ever closer, her small frame shrinking back as much as possible. 

"It's alright, I'm not going to hu-" Laurence's words of reassurance were cut off by an image of warm, red blood flowing through her veins. It called to him, and he felt inclined to accept the offer of luscious, warm blood..

A slight laugh from Diego shook the young vampire out of his reverie. It was then that Laurence noticed he'd taken hold of the girl, and had been about to place his fangs in her neck. He'd been about to relieve her of her blood.

Laurence let go of her with a gasp of horror, wincing in pain as his fangs retracted back into his skull. Gone was the visible evidence that he was this horrible monster.. Yet the pain he felt in his chest reminded him of his eternal predicament. 

"I'm so sorry, I really am, oh my god," Laurence cried, his shaking hands seeking to untie her bonds. His intentions were successful- a moment later, and the young woman had stumbled to her feet, pushed past Diego and escaped the small room.

The room fell silent, as the Prince and his accomplice stared at each other in mutual disdain. 

"Well done, my Prince," Diego shook his head. "You know, you're supposed to keep this vampiric lifestyle secret.. But no, you let her go, with the knowledge that the Prince of Grandomina is a monster. Should've accepted Diego's gift.." The young man smirked, before drawing his coat tightly around his body and turning to leave.

"You bastard," Laurence called, speeding after him with the speed only a vampire could possess. Yet, Diego had vanished into thin air, as though he'd never even graced the Palace with his presence.

'Pray fukka, I'm going to kill him one of these days,' Laurence mused, thoughts of killing his friend dancing across his mind.

The haze of murderous intention was shattered with a thought of somebody who had intrigued Laurence for days.

Kier. Where had he gone?

Intent on finding the red fringed man, Laurence rolled up his sleeves and dove back into the party.

~~

"You know, your family has a delicious bloodline," The Cardinal rasped, as his sandpaper-like tongue flicked across the fang holes in Kier's pale, clammy neck. Kier himself was limp, drawn and barely living. His life had been drained out of two tiny holes in his neck.

"Oh yes. Your sister was particularly delicious-so delicious I had to share her blood," The preacher chuckled darkly, before dropping his victim to the dusty,blood stained cobbles. Kier let out an involuntary gasp as he hit the cobbles, blood from his neck spurting everywhere. 

The Cardinal simply laughed, before retreating from the scene. He simply dusted a few flakes off his preacher robes, and stepped back into the Palace as though nothing had happened. It was evident that hewas used to performing such evil acts. 

Kier gasped and shuddered from his place on the floor, the world slipping in and out of focus. Grandomina's streets had begun to take on a deathly haze when something chilling occurred to Kier.

The longer he lay in this pool of his own blood, the shorter his life. Not only was he bait for the other bloodsucking atrocities of Grandomina- the Cardinal had almost murdered him. Somebodyh eld in such high esteem, as well..

"Help me.." Kier croaked, before passing out in the warm pool of liquid.

~~

"Excuse me, excuse me, excuse me," 

The same plea rolled out of Laurence's mouth as he frantically tried to make his way through the partygoers, waylaid by grabbing hands and cries for attention. Yet, for once, Laurence ignored them. He knew it was his duty to greet these people, but the urge to find Kier was growing ever stronger. It pulled him through the sea of colours and poor company, and he didn't know why. The smaller man had intrigued him, and had re-awoken something inside Laurence's cold, un beating heart.

"Princey! Good evening," The Cardinal rasped, as he materialised next to Laurence. His robes were stained with blood, and the scent enticed Laurence. Swallowing, the young Prince nodded

"Evening, Your Grace.. What.." He stumbled, gesturing to the blood on the Cardinal's robes. 

"Ah yes.. There's a it of blood on the tiles outside," The Cardinal whispered in Laurence's ear, unknowingly sending shivers down the young man's spine.

Those words reawakened the vampire in Laurence, and he dashed out of the Cardinal's company and out onto the street. The scent of blood enticed him, and called to him. Sniffing eagerly, Laurence crept along the street, as the delicious scent grew stronger and stronger

What he saw as he rounded the corner stopped him in his tracks.

((A/N: Please comment! Feedback appreciated <3 ))