Crossfire

Chapter 13 |The Truth of the Competition|

(A/N) Ive decided to switch it up a little! I will now also be using Mikaela's pov too, along with Yuichiro's of course.

Mikaela's pov

It's only been a day since I saw Yuichira, and her words still ring in my head. She told me almost everything about her. Her past was filled with horrors worse than mine, and my blood boils with anger just thinking about what she's gone through. There was no reason not to believe her.

The whole Seraph of the End and demon stuff seemed off, and I didn't really believe it, but she was in no state for me to argue with her, and the last thing she needs is for me to call it childish.

I hated to see her cry. My body moved on its own to comfort her. My heart gave a weird throb seeing her in such a mess. It's not normal, not for a vampire. The worst thing is, when I held her close, I couldn't help but get a whiff of her blood. And it was good. She had the collar on, but I was so close to her that scent must've seeped out of it.

Despite what she told me, I have a feeling she didn't tell me everything. She bit her shaking lips as if she wanted to say something else. Her emerald eyes still held mystery in them. Something about Princess Ichinose isn't right, and I want to find out what.

~

"Mikaela, dear, did you hear what I said?" Krul's voice echos through my thoughts.

I blink and take my head off of my palm, sitting up straight in my chair. From across the long table sat Krul. We're currently eating a simple breakfast, stacks of hotcakes, sausage, and eggs. The hotcakes were doused in warm syrup with butter on top. The queen was almost done with her food. I, however, have barley touched mine, too lost in my own thoughts.

"Sorry, I did not."

Krul let out a small sigh before her gaze of concern flicked up at me.

"Are you alright, Mikaela? You've seemed out of it since you were woken up, which is unlike you."

I look down at my plate and decide to stuff my face so I don't have to answer. She almost always seems to notice my change in moods. She huffed and continued speaking.

"As I was saying, I was thinking we could do a small show of the princesses displaying their talents."

"So like a talent show of sorts," I say, wiping the corners of my mouth with a cloth.

Krul nods. A talent show, hm? Though I've never seen the point in all these activities she comes up with, this one makes me slightly curious. This will be a time for us to see what kind of talents these princesses have. I'm most curious to see what Yuichira would do.

"Something tells me we won't have to have too many other activities before a princess is chosen."

Something in her tone made me look up.

"You already have one in mind, don't you?"

My eyes widen slightly before I narrow them.

"Whatever do you mean?"

The queen leans back in her chair, eyes glimmering with pity.

"Let's just say that a little birdie told me you have been visiting Miss Yuichira of the Ichinose kingdom."

I kept a neutral face, although my thoughts were screaming. I felt the tips of my ears warm slightly.

"She is just far more interesting than all the other women." I spat in defense.

Before Krul could reply, a brown-haired servant hurriedly came walking in. He bowed in front of us.

"I-I'm sorry for the intrusion!"

"Don't worry, you're fine," Krul waved.

"Lord Ferid wanted me to tell you that the bodies have been disposed of."

"Alright, thank you."

The vampire bowed again and went out the large doors. I quietly stir my finger in my drink.

"How many this time?"

"Two," Krul said cooly.

Stop stirring my drink around and take a small sip. We didn't add this consequence to the invitation. Of course the kingdoms will question as to why their princesses won't be coming home, but that's none of our concern. This competition was never to win my hand in the throne.

It was to eliminate every princess from each kingdom.

I tightly clench my fists from under the table. I've gotten close to a girl that I'm going to kill eventually. Grief bubbles up inside me. If it weren't for that strong-willed personality of her's, if she were just like all the other princesses, I wouldn't have been experiencing these odd feelings.

Those beautiful emerald eyes belonged to my first real friend. They are the greenest I have ever seen. Those emerald eyes held no judgement, no hate. They looked haunted from a certain past, yet so bright at the same time.

I thought back to the way she tightly hugged me. The horrors spewing out of her mouth were nothing she deserved. The abuse, the heartbreak, the agony.

She never deserved abusive parents.

She never deserved to watch her orphanage family's slaughter.

She never deserved to be caught up in this mess.

Gomenasai*, Ichinose Yuichira.

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Vocab:

Gomenasai— I'm sorry