Ten years later (Zaccai)

In one of the vast garden of the House of Zeror, Royal Prince Zaccai, despite being a year over a century old, his youthful appearance, complete with alabaster white hair cascading down to his shoulders, belied his true age. The clash of steel rang out as he faced off his instructor in an energetic sword fight. He impressively countered his instructor's moves with precision and an uncanny control, his eyes gleamed with a determination that surpassed his tender eleven years in this form.

Their swords danced in the morning sunlight creating a perfect symphony of determination and mastery.

"We can take a break now your highness," Sir Adin announced from the sheltered walkway. The training had started at dawn and was his morning routine for the last six months.

He took off his gloves as servants hurried to his side to serve him water in a pitcher.

"When am I going to be allowed to really take a break Sir Adin?" He asked upset. "I haven't had a real break in years. It's a curse to be an only heir I tell you." He complained.

"Sir I assure you it really isn't and this is all for your betterment."

"I barely get to do anything else. Meetings, trainings, planned hunts, classes, affairs of the city and more. I am exhausted and need an actual break!"

"You can take a trip to visit your cousin's in Tine," Adin suggested.

Zaccai stopped in his tracks as his hands dropped to his sides then he turned. "More of my family Adin?" He only called him by name when he was upset.

"What would you want to do your highness?"

"Hunting!"

"You already do that," Adin said confused.

"No, not one where I already know what the catch is."

"You can't hunt a human--"

"We can't feed on them," he argued.

"Sir it's best to avoid the temptation. You may not wish to feed on them but remember the desire isn't dead and can take over you in a split second. It's suicide."

"So you're saying I can't."

"I only ask that you reconsider,"

"Fine. I've reconsidered and I believe I should go ask someone else. Do not follow me." He ordered as walked the rest of the way alone and into

Sir Adin looked up at the sky. An expression of gloom danced on his face.

Prince Zaccai had grown up to be angry at everyone. He believed strongly it had to do with the little girl from years back. The fact that he was never to see her again and never to speak of her to anyone left Zaccai pained. His mood varied between confusion and inconvenience and anger but he never slacked off on his duties, his learning and his appearance to the public. He was a son and an heir but only Sir Adin knew off his suffering underneath it all.

It would have been best if that incident never occured but it did and there was no going back.

Zaccai climbed the stairs to his room on the third floor of his parents mansion. His thoughts traveled back to a moment in time, a decade ago, with a certain someone.

Their friendship had been a beacon of pureness that transcended their differences. His sharp senses still recalled the sound of her laughter and on his bad days he longed for the innocence of those moments where they had cherished each other's company without prejudice or fear.

As the days went on by and he was now closer to becoming twenty, he realised at last that he didn't want to marry a human if he had his way. He had thought at first he could easily pick one. No, that wasn't it. No. He had actually thought he could one day make Crown his wife when the time came but his mother's warning rang loud and clear. "You could kill her son." The rest of his life will be lived in torture if he did kill Crown.

So he had decided he was just going to pick a random soul, whoever was the most unfortunate to be it, so be it, and that pained him even more. A part of him wanted Crown by his side, to ride out this punishment that she was in part the cause of. The other side didn't for the sake of her safety.

It was a web of pain and confusion.

He got to his room and collapsed on his king sized bed.

After his family occupied the seat of power and order, the line between living and duty had blurred.

His mother had thrown him into the matters concerning their city and its other nations under it. In time he stopped seeing the advantage of being the only heir to the power and fortune he was now accustomed to.

His father did his best to not let him drown in mindless self-esteem and as such had made it a rule to not let those from the house of royals be in a special school set up for them but instead get their education from the school and scholars of the city as every other creature did.

He actually liked it in the end. He made friends, he learned of others, he knew how to act in the company of a common folk as well as in the company of those of his class.

Bani Ai was his arch enemy. They hated each other and rightly so. Though nine years his senior, Bani was never going to forgive him for almost killing him. That night was filled with pain like he had never felt before. He had tried healing himself but the pain of doing that had made him pass out. So they had left the healing to the surgeons and doctors of their land.

His hand wasn't like it was again, a giant scar ran from his shoulder blades to his upper arm. And that hand was always weak on random occasions.

Zaccai felt no guilt as he knew, he wasn't going to be granted mercy on that night if he hadn't taken his opponent down.

Though the shadow of his punishment hovered around him, no one dared give him trouble for it for they could loose their head if they did.

The Queen was as ruthless as she was kind so everyone sought to be in her good graces. The king however was as jovial as they came. He was a thoughtful man, and wise in the eyes of his son and he always did his best to put a smile on the queen's face everyday when she lets him.

Zaccai got up from the bed he laid in and pulled the bell to call on the servants that was to tend to him and get him ready for the day ahead.

"What have I to do today?" He threw the question out reluctantly.

"Just school today your highness." His personal help replied.

"Good, good." With any luck today will pass by smoothly.

He was clad in the finest of velvets laced with gold trimmings. His hair was bundled up at his nape and his shoe shined to sparkle.

Classes was over just before the sun was to set that day and the rest of the evening was to be free for him.

It wasn't until he got to the landing of the second floor that he saw his mother waiting for him rather silently.

"What is it mother?"

She moved intently towards him. Her voice, low and rather out of character. "You have to take a trip to Tine tomorrow. There is a report about some violence and a few persons getting missing."

He looked at her almost in disbelief. "You could have asked about my day mother. Or school."

"I have you watched always, I already know how your day went."

"Oh do you now mother?" He walked past her to the stairs leading up to his room.

"You leave in the morning before sunrise."

"I will not, mother. I won't."

"Your father can't be everywhere at once, and you are the only one we can send to do this."

"Sir Adin--"

"Is otherwise occupied son."

"Well then, I guess more people should be prepared to get missing for I do not care or wish to be bothered by this again."

"What is the problem?" She raised her voice.

"You are mother. You are. Suffocating me. Not letting me rest up for a moment. Are you that afraid that a little free time on my hands will send me running to the humans again."

She fell silent.

"So that's it then?" He asked with disappointment in his voice.

"I'm not afraid of anything. I just want you to...be the best. In everything. And you have done so beautifully well these past years. You can't slack off now."

"I need to rest. I will not be going to Tine. And if I do so much as hear a single footstep in the hallway of my floor I will kill whoever it is." He paused for a moment. "That's lesson one, right mother?" He smirked. "Never let anyone redefine what it is you want." He reminded her off her teachings.

"Well, I want quiet and nothing right now." He turned and continued his journey.

"You can't use my words against me," Queen Lieve complained softly.

"I can and I have. Goodnight mother. And do remember my warning. No one, I mean no one nears my room." He said at last before disappearing from her sight.

Zaccai watched the moon rise high to the sky. His mother had heeded his warning and he was left alone to his thoughts.

For a certainty, his mother was going to find something else to hassle him for but not tonight.

The decision he was making now came mildly to him and grew all at once as he turned into his other form. He growled low and paced his room knocking things over due to his size.

In a flash, he was out his window and in seconds out of the city.

He found himself in the open field bringing him back in time. He looked back at Tahu and somehow realising he wasn't ready to go back just yet. It was all too much right now.

He gave a smile that was only surface deep as he disappeared into the covering of the forest for the first time in a decade.