The Long Night

Prince Leo was exhausted from the long night of training. After putting things away that he used during his practice it was only a matter of time before he reached the king's chambers. Every night he would return to the room and sleep in the king's bed. The wolf would sleep beside him each night as it had become a habit over time.

It felt strange to consider the thought that they would eventually part ways. That was an idea the wolf had from the beginning and the prince knew that from the start. No matter how he tried to rationalize the reality of it there seemed to be no way of comforting the way he felt about it.

The only thing that could make him feel even more uncomfortable was Ashley.

Why is he always hovering over him so closely? Doesn't he ever get tired of it? Prince Leo could not understand why the vampire never lived for himself. He seemed to put all his focus and obsession into his master. It was as if Ashley simply lived to serve Vorbuk.

Could the bond between the two formed by the mark cause the slave to become so obsessed? It was only a passing thought. However it was enough to give Prince Leo the chills down his spine.

"What's wrong with you?" Ashley asked when he saw the strange reaction from the prince while walking towards the king's chambers.

"Do you ever sleep? Do you not get tired in the least?" Prince Leo felt like he had reached a point where he wished there was something normal about Ashley. He felt desperate to find anything possible even if it was a desire to sleep.

Ashley was confused by the sudden question he received from the prince, "Vampires have no need for sleep when it comes to survival. We can however enter states of hibernation if we wish to rest. Normally that is why my kind do not keep beds but instead keep a coffin in their territories for rest. It can conceal us from the outside world and all forms of light."

"What?" The Prince hesitated.

"Since sleep is something a vampire chooses to do..." Ashley paused to look at Leo, "Naturally they would sleep in a method that would have less chance of their slumber being interrupted. The longer they hibernate the more dangerously starved they become if they are disturbed. Few go as long as Aoki had done."

The prince felt like he had understood something hidden beneath the words Ashley had spoken, "You think he was hibernating without the intention to awaken?"

"I think he made a choice before and was forced to awaken recently. I do not know what reasons he may have had to abandon Drethia however I think you and master should be careful. If anyone can help master move around the palace with ease when he goes after the Drethia King it would be Aoki." Ashley knew the best method to convince his master to listen was through Prince Leo. The two of them listened best to each other rather then others. He hated to consider the idea that Aoki would be better at guiding his master aside from himself. It was something that he mentioned purely because he could not deny it.

Prince Leo hesitated to speak again "I over stepped earlier, I apologize."

"Why?" Ashley asked.

"What?" Prince Leo asked in confusion.

Ashley glared at the prince as if he was trying to understand him, "Why are you apologizing to me for that now?"

"I do not understand what-?" Prince Leo was interrupted.

"You have no reason to apologize to me. I have no reason to pretend to be close with you either. If it was not for master's wish to do all this together with you I would have just tossed you down the stairs the moment we met." Ashley had no interest in the prince from the beginning. He was weak and in the way of his master's future. That was the only reason he was helping the prince get better. The thought of becoming close to the prince was not something he imagined being possible nor necessary as long as the prince did not get in his master's way.

"There really is nothing normal about you at all." Prince Leo sighed heavily as he thought out loud, "Do you not have anything normal about you at all?"

Ashley listened to the prince mumbling to himself those words, zoning out in thought over the question he came to his own answer, replying back to the prince with a bright smile as if his response was a very important detail about himself, "Actually I rather enjoy reading and gardening."

"... Huh?" Leo felt his mind go blank as he tried to imagine Ashley taking care of a garden, "You enjoy gardening?"

"Yes," Ashley responded to him once again, "Before I became a slave I use to tend to a large garden that I kept on my property. Things that can maintain life within the bounds of Drethia Kingdom are very limited. If I wanted to see beauty like a garden can bring I had to learn to tend to it myself. It was the best place for me to relax and study my books during those days."

"I never would have taken you as someone with a interest in that." Leo mumbled quietly and Ashley pretended not to hear his remark on his hobby.

They reached the king's chambers and silence once again fell between them. When it came to communication neither of them were really comfortable with it. There was only so far that the prince and Ashley could force themselves to be social with each other. No matter how much the prince wanted to make things more normal between them it was not easy to achieve.

"Thank you." Prince Leo muttered a small thanks as Ashley opened the chamber door for the prince to enter the room.

Ashley flinched at the words of thanks towards him and simply nodded in response to it. Once the prince entered the room he slowly pulled the door closed once again. It was not his business what the two of them talked about inside the room.

Since there was no need for Ashley to sleep he spent his time standing outside of the king's chambers. He would stand there all night and guard his master's door. If something happened he would be able to react more quickly then an exhausted mortal that needed rest. He did not get muscle cramps so he had no reason to sit down and could simply stand straight all night long. Like a statue he stood in place with only one goal; to protect his master til morning came.

Ashley knew that others would find him hard to understand. He was not someone who could let others close. Everything about him was different from most people and that was how he saw himself as well. Their opinions did not matter to him as long as his duty was done. If you want something done right; do it yourself. It was how Ashley lived his life and it was a lesson he learned long ago the hard way.