Shattered Kingdoms | Book 2 ✔ (REWRITTEN AS 'THE EXILED KING')

Chapter 14 - Hatred

"Halian!" Leyon growled.

"N-No!" 

To Leyon's utter amazement, Halian promptly slapped himself hard enough to turn the head. He blinked and looked at the prince.

"Sorry! It's been a while since I last fed. I try to control it, I really do!"

"You know you're a vampire, right?"

Halian rolled his eyes, but sighed, "Yes. I do know. I never wanted it. I was turned against my will. I try to live a normal life, for my family at Whiterose manor know nothing of this. The servants help me bring blood when I need it."

Leyon slowly crept slightly closer to Halian, intrigued by a vampire resisting his primary instinct.

"Do you have the pointed ears that vampires get?" Leyon asked curiously.

Halian brushed back his hair, show two delicately pointed ears.

"That's the reason I wear my hair long," He explained, letting his hair fall back.

"Oh," Leyon sighed, "How do you bear it?"

"I don't. All I do is keep my vampiric instincts at bay, and that is killing me. So I shall die, but I will die knowing that I never hurt those that I loved."

Leyon opened his mouth to answer, but was interrupted by his father, "Well... who do we have here?"

Halian scrambled to a more respectful positioning, "Your majesty!"

"You... I know you... Would you be Tevian Whiterose?" King Kashius asked.

"That... he was my father," Halian choked out, memories bringing tears to his eyes.

King Kashius read the emotion brimming in Halian's eyes immediately, "I'm sorry for your loss. He was a good man."

"He was," Halian echoed softly.

"How do you fair?" The king asked sharply.

"I... I'm alright."

"No. About your condition. You're looking at me like that again!"

Halian looked surprised, but gave his face a resounding smack.

"Better?"

"Yes. Do you need one of us to offer you some... food?" The King visibly hesitated to term 'blood' as food.

Halian's eyes widened, "NO! I could never- that is... I'm not hungry..." He finished lamely.

"Don't lie. I would be willing to offer - you are my nephew, whether vampire or not," King Kashius said.

"No, father. I'm the one he'll feed off of!" Adrian interrupted angrily.

Leyon growled, "Adrian has alcohol in his system. Take me. I'm pure."

"Are you now?" Lasair smirked, eyebrows raised. He had obviously been listening avidly to the conversation.

"Shut up, Lasair! That's none of your business! None!" Leyon blurted out, blushing furiously.

Halian smiled, "How about you, Lasair?"

"What?"

"Are you pure enough for me to drink from?" Halian asked clearly.

"Wh-hat? N-No!" Lasair sputtered.

Halian's eyes grew cold, "Then stop needling Leyon about it. You're like a little child," He spat.

"Can vampires sire children?" Leyon, ever the scholar, asked curiously.

Halian flushed, then stammered, "I don't know. I wouldn't think so... I've never heard of any vampire children."