Chapter 8: Episode 4: Reasons And Lies (Part II)
"What is keeping Lu so long?"
I was sitting alone with the Queen in the royal dining hall. It had been 15 minutes and she hasn't shown up yet. I was starting to worry, since she never misses out on the Queen's cooking.
"You worried about my daughter too, right, " the Queen finally spoke, "It is odd that she hasn't shown up yet. Why don't you go look for her? Don't worry, the Fudge will still be warm when you come back."
I nodded and got up from my seat to look for her. She wasn't in her room. She wasn't at the library. She wasn't in the training ground. She wasn't in the dressing room. She even wasn't in her personal kitchen. Panic started to rise up as I looked through every room in the kingdom. Nothing. I started to run in the halls to check the basement, when I bumped into Lazarus as we both fell down from the collision. He seemed to be out of breath, as if he ran here in a hurry, but was also scratched, bruised and covered in blood. Wait... BLOOD?!
"Holy Fantasia, Lazarus! W-What happened to you?!"
"N-No time... you gotta... help L-Lady Luna...," he said in a weak tone.
"Did she get attacked?!"
He shook his head, "N-No it wasn't that... s-she's the one w-who attacked... she's having her one of her Magic Bursts right now... s-so I dragged her to the basement and l-locked her in there for now until s-she cools off... but she hasn't a-and..."
"Say no more, Lazarus. You've lost a lot of blood, your vampire instincts might take over. Go to the guest room I'm staying in and lock yourself in there, I'll handle Lu from here."
I immediately rushed to the basement, as I witnessed a massive amount of dark magic being thrown everywhere, with an agonizing Lu in a fetal position crying. Slowly step by step I endured the dark magic rapidly attacking me as I get closer and closer to Lu. When I finally reached her, I held her tightly in my embrace.
"It's okay, Lu. You're going to be okay. Just calm down. Shhhhh.... Calm down."
After she finally calmed down, she passed out. I carried her back to her room and tucked her in bed. When I left the room, the Queen saw me beaten up pretty badly from Lu's outburst. I told the Queen I would wash up and fix my own outfit later, and that I'll stay for the night to ensure Lu woke up safely. I cleaned off the blood, changed into the Dark Kingdom's old prince outfit, healed my own wounds, fixed my outfit and ate the dinner that was sitting there almost cold. When I finally got tired and was about to open guest room to rest I immediately remembered something else. Lazarus.
"Shoot that's right, I told Lazarus to lock himself up in the guest room. But I haven't heard a word from him... Is he okay?"
I pressed my ear against the door. No sounds. Not even breathing. Panic mood switched back, as my hearing is never wrong, and is always accurately sensitive to sounds thanks to my past lives' memories. I broke the door open and saw Lazarus lying there.
"LAZARUS!!!"
"...M-Master... ," he said weakly.
"Oh thank god, I thought you died from Magic Overuse! But... why weren't you... breathing from... before...?"
I felt an immediately sharp yet odd sensational pain in the right side of my neck. I looked to see Lazarus drinking blood from my neck with his blood red eyes glowing with thirst. But I didn't stop him. I let him drink from my neck, and just patted his head to comfort him in his hungry state. He finally woke up from his vampire instincts and immediately took his mouth off of me in guilt and shame.
"W-Why didn't you push me away, M-Master, " he said trembling in tears, "I-I hurt you! I-I drank from your blood! I-I could have... I c-could have... k-killed you..."
"It's fine, Lazarus, this is nothing. Besides, you are my retainer, and I'm responsible for you, Silver and Roselina. Whether it be healing injuries or simply thirst feedings like this, I have to take care of all of my retainers all the same."
I cleaned out the blood from the Dark outfit and neck, and proceeded to wrap said neck with a some cloth bandages. I then proceeded to try to heal the wound a little bit, to close off the wound. It extremely hurts, yes, but it's not fatal if you remain calm, bandage to stop the bleeding as much as possible and heal the bite off to seal the wound.
"There see, no worries."
He still had a sad face so I proceeded to play with his face, then peck his forehead with a kiss. I took off the Dark Kingdom outfit and wore back my Light Kingdom outfit again.
"Let's go place ourselves to another guest room and explain everything to the Queen to get this room and the outfit cleaned up, okay?"
"O-Okay..., " Lazarus said with a small smile.
As I spoke to the Queen about what happened, she understood and took the Dark Kingdom outfit back then took us to a different guest room. When Lazarus was about to go, I stopped him. Wait. Why did I stop him? Why am I trembling? Was I... afraid to be alone? After all the stuff that has happened... I think I just need someone to cuddle tonight.
"Y-Yes, Master, " he asked.
"U-Ummm... could you sleep in my bed tonight?"
Lazarus felt confused but also a little flustered for a moment, "M-Master, aren't you a little too old for me accompanying you to bed? B-Besides, you know I can't sleep-."
"I just... want company today... please?"
Lazarus sighs then nods his head. I proceeded to cuddle him until I fell into deep sleep, unaware Lazarus was still awake, just staring at me, as he touches my face and hair.
"Y-You were always such a liar when it c-comes to your own emotions and problems, " he whispers to himself, "Y-You always put others before yourself... a-and one day... it'll destroy you. But... I-I'll make sure to be here... a-always."
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