S E V E N T E E N

"Just take a seat."

Iris fidgeted with a button on his shirt while he followed Sage into her room and sat down on a chair by a round table, Sage brought another and sat opposite of him.

Lilly was in the room and she was bewildered by the prince's unusual behavior.

"I believe I understand exactly what's going on. And let me say," She reached out and cupped Iris's hands in hers. "You came to the right place, my prince."

Iris nodded slowly but he had no idea what he was doing.

"So!" Sage exclaimed, letting go of Iris and leaning forward in her chair. She linked her fingers and rested them over the table. She stared at him like she was ready to have therapy session. "If I'm correct, you have already went through the stage I like to call confused sexuality?"

Iris stared at her until she raised her eyebrows. "O-oh-um.." He felt nervous with a bystander in the room but pretending Lilly wasn't there helped in the tiniest way. "Maybe."

"So yes. Okay-" Iris gave her a flat look but she continued, "-I want to help you, Iris, but I can't understand why you waited so long to do this."

"Okay," Iris took a deep breath and kept his eyes closed to think. He nodded his head and sat up straight. "Okay, I have some questions first."

"Alright. Shoot."

"How did you know I was-you know?"

"Gay?" Iris nodded and Sage smiled. "Kai and I came here together. He was stationed with the first class guards and I was a maid. I kept an eye on him, but it seemed I wasn't the only one."

Iris looked away with his red dusting his cheeks, knowing exactly where this was going.

"We've been here for five years. You weren't allowed to get involved with us until you were sixteen, in which you started taking interest on a certain vampire when you got to watch us train."

Iris was sinking in his chair inch by inch as he talked. He could pass out by the amount of heat building up in his face.

"So..three years later you were sixteen and since our aging is very different from yours..I think Kai was eighteen."

"Two years older, mhm." Iris tried to speed up her story.

"Okay okay, long story short, you've always liked Kai haven't you?"

Iris sighed. "..Yes.."

"I knew it! I mean, this is good, we're getting somewhere."

"No, you're just trying to embarrass me to death."

"That too, but now here comes the truth. You guys are stuck in this pointless loop of fear and bottled up emotions. You like Kai, but you have always pushed aside your feelings because you thought he wouldn't return them because it was against orders. And we all know Kai is strict on following directions. Tell me I'm wrong."

Iris sighed again, "You're right. B-but I don't even know why I'm here. I didn't know you were like me and just because he..supports it or whatever doesn't change anything."

Sage hid her smile with her hands as she pretended to look up in thought. "Well, all I'll tell you is your feelings can most definitely be returned. I know Kai, and I know what triggers him-in a good way."

Iris gazed at Sage like she was an angel. "You'll really help me?"

"Of course! Prince, you make him happy, which means I'll always be in your favor."

"A-and you know.."

He and Sage looked over at Lilly as she spoke up in a quiet voice.

"For u-us, it's a little scary, because were supposed to loath each other. It's not easy-"

"But it will be." Sage finished while smiling lovingly at Lilly. "It has to be."

Iris, now that he was out of the dark, already adored their relationship. It was pure. He was envious.

"Thank you, Sage." Iris thanked the vampire as he stood in the hall, Sage and Lilly smiling at him in the doorway.

"Anytime. But prince, you have a ruthless, if you will, reputation. If you want this to work, don't let that blind you."

Iris shook his head, barely a smile on his lips, "If I want this to work out, Kai needs to hear that more than I do."

††

It was inevitable.

And it was unexpected.

In the dinning room, once again sitting under the spider chandler, Iris sat between two glaring princesses, drowning by the tension in the process. Rose and Sofia, the tipsy princess he helped on the first day of the parties, just happened to be with their fathers as they came by to file papers arranging a hopeful marriage behind their child's backs.

The prince kept his head down while the two bad mouthed each other without having to part their plump lips. Though truthfully, he wasn't tuned into their wrath, as his mind was in a void consisting neither of them. Marriage or family.

But Kai.

The vampire who would normally be teasing him from the corner of the room. Ignoring his discrete pleads to be rescued from the chatty lips of a princess. It was usually Rose. However, he wasn't even paying attention to them.

Iris had ignored him all day after running out of the training center, so thrusted into his own thoughts he didn't realize he was doing it. But those few hours of neglect was long. And confusing. Just when they brighten up the mood between them, a flicker of confession ruined it.

Yet, a much bigger admission was to come.

Iris looked off to the side at Kai, who still had his eyes glued to the floor. He wore an unreadable expression, he was like a dashing statue. Pale, still, and perfect.

He wished he'd look up, see his desperate eyes, rescue him from the princess' pointless arguments; like who had the most horses. But receiving his help was probably the last thing he deserved from him.

He looked away when Rose abruptly grabbed his arm.

"Tell her I'm right, Iris." She huffed and glared at Sofia, only to smile when she glanced at Iris.

The prince opened his mouth like he had a genius answer, but he was clueless. "Sorry? What was the question?"

Sofia laughed. "He wasn't even listening to you."

"I truly wasn't listening to either of you."

Sofia stopped her chuckle and frowned at Iris. He shrugged out of Rose's hands only to have Sofia replace them seconds later. Both Rose and Iris widened their eyes when she dragged a finger slowly, agonizingly slowly, down his chest.

"I wouldn't listen to her either."

"I-" Iris glanced at the main doors when they opened and he saw Kai slip out. His heart sped up and he instinctively jumped up from his seat. Sofia moved back surprised and she and Rose watched in confusion as the prince started jogging towards the doors.

"Kai?" Iris walked down the hall, towards the vampire, who was scratching his head and pacing. He stopped when Iris grew closer to him. "What's wrong?"

"I-nothing. Just needed air. Did you need something, sir?"

Iris sighed out and fidgeted with his fingers. "Um..c-can we talk, actually?"

Kai lowered his hand. "You have guests, sir."

"They can wait. Kai-" Iris's voice shied as he looked down. He reflected his actions and knew quite well he was acting out of character. When he looked up, the vampire had a frown on his face.

"You don't have to say it."

Iris shook his head quickly and moved forward, forcing Kai back against the wall.

"This isn't about the blood. Kai, I'm not scared of you. I'll never be."

Kai studied his shaking honey eyes. He saw promise. But he still looked away as though rejecting his truth. "You have guests, sir. You should go back in."

"Not until you listen to me."

"They'll listen to you, sir."

"Kai-"

"Sir."

Iris narrowed his eyes at his guard's blank ones. They pierced right through him, like he wasn't opaque at all. He held his breath when Kai started moving away. His hands clenched into fists and he gulped down the last of his worry and made an unexpected decision.

He put a hand on Kai's shoulder, making him face back towards him.

And he leaned in.

Silence filled their ears. All noise other than two raging heartbeats and the sound of their blood rushing was silenced by the sheer shock of their lips being smashed together.

Kai widened his eyes while Iris squeezed his shut and leaned in more. His back was arched to reach the vampire's lips and he was cupping his face with confidence.

He pulled away after a good ten seconds and sadly before Kai could react properly; before he could find where to place his hands. Before Iris's flavor could embed on his mouth.

The prince kept his face close enough where their noses grazed each other. They breathed against each others lips, blue eyes still wild with shock.

"It's Iris." He whispered. His own eyes were half lidded and stern.

Iris was especially calm, collected. Yet on the inside he was screaming nonstop.

Three years. He's wanted to do that for three years. Though he isn't disappointed, he wished it played out how he envisioned it; Kai grabbing his waist, him up against the wall, his lips gently yet powerfully molding onto his.

It felt right to leave then. Forget about confessing, he did something that easier conveyed what his long speech was going to. He stalled for a second, waiting to see if Kai would suddenly emulate him. Return his silent feelings the same way he did.

But he didn't. He only stared with a tranquil daze in his eyes.

Iris took a deep breath and backed away fully before rushing off down the hall. His face was burning like a wild fire and he knew the princesses would suspect something if he walked in, in such a flustered state. But he did his best to calm down before entering anyway.

Luckily the two were still bickering over nonsense and didn't quite noticed him as he entered. He didn't go sit down next to them, that was partly why they ignored him. He took a seat at the island and planted his face in his arms he crossed over the counter.

He. Kissed. Kai.

Iris sucked in his breath and lightly kicked his feet on the floor like a child. He did it!

And he wanted nothing more than to be incredibly happy about that. But he was slowly becoming more nervous. More scared he overstepped his boundaries and ruined the one good thing that's ever happened to him.

††

By nine, the air was chilly and the sun was melting behind the hills, casting cold shadows around the kingdom.

Kai sat on a balcony floor, one that an empty room had, and stared into the scenery. His legs were slightly bent and he rested his elbows on his knees. He made a fist with one hand and covered it with his other, leaning both on his mouth as he pondered.

His eyes trail up when the sliding door opened and he sighed seeing Sage's familiar grin.

"Hey." She shut the door and walked towards the rails. She breathed in the fresh air, the crisp breeze washing throught her hair. Turning around, her eyes were immediate to study the vampire. "You look conflicted. Happy, but troubled."

The only thing Kai did was return his gaze back to the falling sunset.

"Sage."

"Yes?"

"He kissed me."

Sage expressed a long blink. "What?"

"He kissed me." He looked up, eyes wide like they were when his lips met Iris's. They started at each other before Sage coughed out a laugh.

"Oh, that boy. I told him to go for it but I didn't expect him to do that. What a surprise that must've been."

Kai slowly lowered his knees.

"You told him what?"

††

It was a bit rushed...but I have done it!

~Swiss