In the throne room of the Heiling castle, behind the two thrones was an elegant silver weaved tapestry. Woven thread by thread in shiny, flowing lengths was a long, noble family. And with loving detail was each face stitched.

Save for a singular dark stain that tainted the artwork.

And this is where careful fingers caressed as if fearful of the man behind it. Sammy turned around knowing that no matter the lies he told his thoughts he would be back here again. He recalled the first time, as he watched the seamstress omit his face. Believing such a dark, mourning time to be over.

Sadly the memories like scars, would never truly fade. They would remain. Marring an otherwise happy childhood.

__________________

Outside the room another boy stood faithfully, waiting as duty and image desired of him. Like the prince, Tyler was dark haired and now wore elegant clothes of red and silver. Yet ever watchful eyes and knife-like claws hinted of a less than honorable past.

The last sort to be given such covetous command of a royal's life.

Finally, the doors opened revealing his royal friend. "Are you alright Prince Sammy?" he asked taking note of his dejected posture.

"I'm fine," he replied, hiding behind a smile but still unable to conceal the haunted look of his eyes. "Besides I told you, don't be so formal."

Tyler persisted just a little longer. Until Sammy reminded him of a dirty secret, equally occulted, and likely much, much more vile.

"Very well," he surrendered, dropping the matter. "What's next on the schedule?" Was his next formal inquiry.

"My history lesson and then we're going to the village," he answered catching Tyler quite unawares and off guard. Sammy had grown notorious for his isolation. For mysterious reasons he held a deep mistrust of even his own people. That to suggest such an outing... was simply ludicrous.

"Why?" Tyler asked, suddenly suspicious himself. Of what, he conceded to not know for certainty.

"I still owe you a sword and a belt I believe is my costs," Sammy answered lightly.

Tyler was reminded more sharply of that by said item's absence. Meaning no sheath, and no touch of cool metal silently vigilant and silently grounding.

In the library Tyler simply sat by while Sammy studied. Today his tutor was a Dr. Burbage, a worldly, and highly recognized historian as the staff had snidely informed him. All through the lesson Tyler pretended to read.

He held his tongue as they went over a twisted version of vampire and human relations.

"Raid of final Sekoran colony under vampiric hold?" Burbage asked.

"Thirteen eighty," Sammy answered.

"And this capture in particular was so significant--"

"As it marked the slaying of Filze, often nicknamed the Feral Night Hound. Enabling the Heiling Kingdom to win the hearts and minds of unprecedented numbers in neighboring regions and outer villages."

"Battle of Hadrien Base and significance?"

"Turn of the last century, fourteen hundred. When the Heiling kingdom along with it's allies drove out the last of General Eduny's forces from it's strongholds," he summarized.

It went on like that the humans as faultless, courageous heroes never cowered as victims versus monsters. Nowhere did it mention how children of his kind were driven into hiding, just how one-sided vampire-human wars had been in the Heil Raisers' favor, nor the mention of the two species interbreeding. Though, that may be a mercy to the humans who did.

By the end Tyler was feeling particularly hateful. Yet he remembered his place and position, which did not include denouncing and demanding from royals. Not a single, solitary thing. On top of that his friend was ignorant more than anything. Like most human ilk across the nations, of this human hailing land so vast.

____________________

An hour later, Sammy stood at the front gate out of his home. For so long it had seemed a force of nature kept him far from even the area. The one place where his countenance was one of fear... and dare he say, cowardice. Now with his, albeit, unexpected protector Sammy could find an equal measure of excitement at the idea of the outside.

A smile spread across the royal's face at the first scent of sweet bread. Beyond the castle's walls was a bustling square.

Stores had their wares on windowsills to enchant a customer's senses. Just as many did businesses off the backs of their carts or through their hands as performers.

Both boys garnered attention from the townspeople. Their sheltered Prince was greeted graciously to which he responded in kind, but the company he kept, was regarded with unease.

Turbulent, nattering whispers scratching away at the picturesque peace of a bustling market plaza.

Sammy so acknowledged, in silence, the whispers. Whatever they may say, too fine for his human ears to hear.

In silent show he walked strong beside Tyler as an equal.

That's when he came to notice the downturn his mood had taken.

Tyler wasn't the type to show much of anything. His words, his actions, and down to his expression were all carefully measured. If Sammy hadn't known better he'd have concluded the vampire was in perpetual boredom.

Instead he caught the little signs. Besides the aura of trite, baseless irritations his gaze was rooted to the dirt and cobbled stone, glowering at all that was dirty, long fingers lazily curling and uncurling as if wanting to wring a neck.

"Is something bothering you?" Sammy asked. At the same time a fruit vendor called him over to sample the apples.

"Don't be rude Prince Sammy," Tyler said, pointedly evading the topic.

________________________

Diverting his attention had worked better than Tyler had expected. Perhaps even more than he'd desire.

After buying a large basket of various fruits Sammy dropped more coins on glazed cinnamon buns, richly tart chocolate, and a supposed good luck charm. All in all Tyler saw Prince Sammy in ever revealing light.

Conversing enigmatically with his subjects. Joyous and kind, laughing openly with beer-bellied men with shaggy manes of beards, or the women wrangling small, thin children.

And Prince Sammy was eternally generous. Giving a majority of the newly bought food, without thought or reservation, to a pair of children more destitute than the rest. All on their lonesome and eyes rimmed darkly with weary, watchful nights.

The pair reached the blacksmith shop much later than expected. Though the Prince, was still sharp as ever.

"Something's bothering you. What is it? And be honest," Sammy insisted.

"Very well. What makes me so angry is that you assume everything you learn, at its basest surface level, to be unequivocally the truth. When so much has been burned and concealed. Untold and repressed," Tyler confessed, regarding his friend in a dark manner.

Which turned the Prince's insides cold and his heart beginning to line in tragic barbary.

"And that means?" Sammy asked, "Vampires had once fed cruelly and savagely on us, treating humans like cattle. Seems quite the clear conflict, it is to many." His tone remained scathing.

"Well I know one thing at least. Our friendship is not as strong as I-- would have liked to hope," Tyler replied. "Forgive me. It hurts, to be dismissed out of turn without so much as a sliver of warmth or dignity My Liege."

Sammy saw the tactic so clearly. And so those memories clenched ever more painful. He knew Tyler to be a survivor of a subsisting, inebriating race. And to that end he used deceptions. He used pretty words and not so pretty words.

Much like another man. Who'd once wanted Sammy's own birthright.

________________________

Tyler was aware, knew well, that manipulating the Prince to any capacity was a risky play. More than anything staying in his favor was paramount.

"Do not play me like a chess piece again or I'll make sure your job goes to someone I can trust," Sammy ground out in a low murmur, matching his Father's severity.

"Yes of course," Tyler surrendered, bowing graceful in his defeat, "My apologies my prince."

Going into the store the pair were silent as they completed the errand.

Luckily for the young bodyguard Sammy's ire was never one to last. His coldness persisted only until the boys were safely within the castle gates.

Tyler able to sense as the Prince, with caution, allowed his hackles to fall and his breath ease from the cavity of his chest..

All the same Tyler tread carefully.

A polite distance now edged into the time they spent at each other's side.

Sammy did not speak and so Tyler did not need reason to speak either.

Clearly, he had been too brazen in guilting Sammy, too much like himself. Another thought slowly came to clarity. More than anything Sammy coveted trust and honesty.

His inner circle made of those who possessed such aptitudes.

What had Tyler really done to show that his trust was reciprocated?

At first opportunity Tyler did something he had never done before.

He apologized, genuinely and as Sammy could be concerned, without the guile of servant's necessity. No, instead he approached as a friend who genuinely wanted to make amends.

And was such motive present? Possibly. However he'd like to not lie to himself if possible.

Once again he had shattered Sammy's expectations, but this time, in a positive manner.

"So why-- why do such a thing? Despite... des--pite."

He choked, struggling to find words. Or perhaps, he didn't feel safe turning the sentiment to words.

Perhaps he had not only created a wound, but exposed old ones. Realizing this gave Tyler an unpleasant feeling, one he wished to have never learned the name of. Guilt. He may have tried to prevent himself, but, he found he liked to see Sammy in a more carefree manner.

He assured Sammy then, that he knew what he had done was wrong. While including that until now, that fact had honestly eluded him. The statement did as expected, piquing Sammy's curiosity, leading to further, more probing questions.

Ones Tyler answered with honesty.

Frowned upon as such notion was back home.

________________________

After the initial exchange as Sammy so obliquely allowed himself to be led... led to witness as Tyler's reservations completely crumbled.

Over the next few days Sammy had a very clear idea of his friend's formerly secret background. Only such things were not secrets.

Unless one could count secrets of mutual silence.

The dreadfully jaded, eventually lonely existence described violence from both humans and his own kind.

And Sammy may even then, have still disregarded the information. Clever half-truths and half the context, only Tyler had answered too many unasked, unlooked upon silent questions. Even more surprising, being told outright what Tyler's intentions were in sharing such secrets.

For Sammy to sneak out with him to the vampire village. It had been the twisting realization of his own ignorance that decided him.