Kiyoshi stared at the papers in front of him, allowing a sigh to pass through his lips as he leaned back in his chair. Another law to be passed, this one small and simple, yet powerful in its own right if it were to be passed. Control of lands was not something a Noble should possess, whether or not they were pure-blooded or not. Technically, the King still controlled all lands, however; because it was a vast territory, more of the more prominent pure-bloods were given governance over the territories to ensure that each one remain loyal to the King. He would put that one at the very bottom of the stack.
He glanced out the window, watching as the last remaining hours of sunlight disappeared into the distance. He turned his silvery gaze to his guard, and pursed his lips together silently. Haruka's words rang through him, and for once, he had tried to heed them. He had stopped pestering Mika into calling him other than your Highness and had left the woman to her own, however; he did not stop from trying to make her feel comfortable enough around him to make her at least smile. He glanced away from Mika and back towards the new set of papers in his hand. Perhaps he should pay a visit to his father's adviser. The man, Haruki, would one day be his adviser; it was time they had a little talk.
"Will you inform Mr. Blake that I wish to see him?" he stated, turning towards Mika. It would be easier to have the Blake pure-blood come to him rather than Kiyoshi going to find the Blake pure-blood. Not that he couldn't have, it was simply a matter of preference. For one, any conversation held between the two would be kept private. No one would speak of their meeting, and Kiyoshi would speak nothing of it. It, after all, was just a simple meeting between future partners if he had to look at it one way.
Mika did not enjoy leaving him to his own devices even for short periods of time, but this was sometimes necessary. At the very least, she was uniquely-suited to doing it. A glance down the fabric of fate with her eyes informed her that he would be safe if she left him, and sheād keep them active until she returned anyway. Once she formed the intention to go find Haruki Blake, they also showed her meeting the man in his office. āYes, Your Highness,ā she told him simply, dipping into a bow so as to turn and take her leave. There was always a guard posted at the door here when Kiyoshi was in, and unlike her, he could not simply leave. She gave him a look as she passed, one that caused him to straighten his already very neat posture and snap her a salute. The implication was obvious: if anything happens to him, your life is forfeit.
That was just a simple truth of their jobs, but in Mikaās case, it carried a personal touch as well. She had not worked this hard for this long to protect him only to have him die. Especially not because some other guard didnāt do his job properly. She may not have been his friend, not as he seemed to wish, but Mika was, when he was not looking, incredibly protective of him, beyond, perhaps, what a Guard was required to be. All of them must be willing to give their lives in service. What she was willing to give was much more than that.
Not even she knew how far sheād go, but that thought didnāt bother her. Not in the slightest.
She made her way to Lord Blakeās more public office, and though the guard recognized her at once and let her through, she had a bit more trouble with the staff. It took them a little while to figure out that yes, this particular dhampir was authorized to convey the will and requests of the Prince, and so they had dame well better let her through, else it was really him they were presuming to delay. When she finally was admitted, she fell automatically into another bow, then straighten and spoke briskly. āLord Blake, His Highness the Prince wishes to see you, at your earliest convenience.ā A flicker in the colors of her eyes. āI will remain and escort you at such time as you deem appropriate.ā
She already knew when that was going to be, after all.
Haruki had been aware of when Mika had entered his office, forcing himself not to roll his eyes as his staff gave the woman grief over her status. Honestly, could they not see the uniform? He really did not enjoy keeping most of the people around, but he had to in order to keep up appearances. As the last of the Blake family, he had an image to maintain. He glanced up as Mika entered, the pen never stopping as he scratched away while she spoke. He was not surprised to hear the summons; it was high time he'd had a conversation with the Prince anyhow, for varying reasons. He waited a full two minutes before actually replying to her, standing up as he did so. "Of course, Lieutenant Sakuragi." He pulled on a jacket, and then without a word to any of the other servants, he left with her, Xeno by their side.
Haruki sat down across from Kiyoshi, thinking not for the first time just how much the boy looked like his mother. His coloration came from his father, of course, but his facial structure was undoubtedly Rivka's. He raised his scarlet eyes, a smile not unlike the one he wore around the king plastered to his face. "You wished to see me, Your Highness?"
Kiyoshi stared at the papers in his hand still, debating with himself whether or not to place them at the bottom as well. Most of the proposals were absurd, granting more power to the Nobles and leaving little to no room for the humans or dhampirs. If things continued this way, there would be no power for the humans or dhampirs. What little power they had would be stripped from them and they would be nothing more than slaves. Not that Hajime would complain, his father would probably enjoy that. Kiyoshi sighed a little harshly than he had intended to, glancing away from his hands to spot the door opening. Haruki walked in and the door was shut behind him, Kiyoshi offering a small smile. "Yes, I did," he responded, turning so that the Blake pure-blood had his full attention.
"You may call me Kiyoshi, Haruki. We are speaking as one friend to another. There is no need for formality here," he really didn't like being called that. If he could convince at least one other person, who wasn't his sister or mother, to call him Kiyoshi, he'd consider it a small victory. "Tell me something, Haruki," he began, lacing his fingers together as he leaned his chin upon them. "What do you think of the King's current constitution? You are free to speak freely. I assure you, what is said here will never be repeated out of this room," whether or not Haruki would believe him would be up to the Blake vampire. But Kiyoshi meant his word. Whatever Haruki had to speak, it would be safe within these walls. He would not fault the vampire for speaking ill of his father; less than half of the vampires, or general people, had less than pleasant things to say about Hajime.
Haruki's eyebrows raised. It had been a very long time since anyone had called him by his first name. A small smirk appeared on his face though, at the Prince's comment. Free to speak? No, not even here. Haruki of all people knew that even the walls had ears; he was the one who put those ears there. But, he wasn't going to let Kiyoshi know that.
"And what would you say, Kiyoshi, if I told you that the man was a sadistic sociopath and that the Vigilante had the right of things? Would you believe me if I told you I knew who the Vigilante was?" He was interested in what he would say. He would never let on that he himself was the Vigilante, but...it would be interesting to say the least what Mika would do with the supposed information, let alone the Prince.
"I would have to say that I agree," were the first words to ring from Kiyoshi. He closed his eyes briefly, allowing a moment of silence to come between them before continuing to speak. Kiyoshi was no fool, he knew what type of person his father was, however; his father was still King. "As for whether or not I believe you into knowing the identity of the Vigilante, that is a question I could ask of you. Would you believe me if I told you I did? Even if you did know, you would not give up the information so easily, nor would you have even mentioned it without prior reasons. I believe you, though, regardless," Kiyoshi spoke, keeping his eyes closed in the process. Kiyoshi believed Haruki. He believed the man knew who the Vigilante was, however; it would be wise not to mention it in the halls.
"I am completely aware of how my father is, what he is capable, and the multiple crimes he has committed against the kingdom. I am aware that the Vigilante is in the right for doing what he does, I just wish there was more that I could do to help in those efforts. I'm afraid I'd only make it worse if I were to be involved, but," he spoke, cracking his eyes open, meeting Haruki's rubied ones. If he could, he would have helped in the efforts of the Vigilante, however; the moment he became involved, his father would know. That man was like a shark, smelling blood the moment it tapped the water's surface, and Kiyoshi would only make things worse than they already are. Let alone, he might actually get the Vigilante caught. That was not a thought he wished to entertain.
He's eyes flickered briefly towards Mika, a thought crossing his mind. If he couldn't help directly, perhaps he could help indirectly. Of course, this would require consent from her as he did not wish to put her into anything uncomfortable. "Perhaps there can be a way for me to assist in other ways," he stated, removing his gaze from Mika and returning it to Haruki.
If Mika understood the implications of what was being discussed, and it was fair to suppose that she did, she made no comment, nor indeed did she so much as look directly at either of them. The amount of treason being slung around in this single conversation made her nervous, but not because they were being watched. She knew that, for now at least, they were notāher truesight was a useful talent that way. That saidā¦ if it was so easy to speak of here, there was always the chance of a slip-up elsewhere, and she did not trust Haruki Blake, regardless of whether his claim to know the identity of the vigilante was true. One could keep that kind of secret for any number of reasons, and not all of them were in keeping with the Vigilanteās own stated goals, even.
But it was not her place to speak here, and so she did not. Her fate was decided beside that of His Highnessāif his father ever decided that his indiscretions were too much, she would die defending him. If he ever ascended the throne, she would guard him from behind it and to the right, as the king was guarded now. Whatever came in between would come to the both of them at once, as well. She accepted that her end was not hers to choose, but his, whether he fully realized that or not. The people who got to make their own choices did not often recognize that others were not so burdened, after all.
Haruki's smile only inched wider, and Xeno raised an eyebrow at him. He was aware of what his master was thinking, and the wolf sighed. "It really is a wonder how you have not been caught before now, Haruki." Even as the wolf spoke, the man sitting across from the Prince was changing. Turqoise hair became as black as the sky they walked under, and the gemstones emblazoned on his cheek vanished. Only his eyes remained the same.
Haruki leaned his head in his hand with an almost bored expression. "And your reaction if I told you I am the Vigilante? Though I prefer to be called Einar. Congratulations, the two of you are the first to actually know just who I am. I suppose the question is now, what do you plan to do with the information?"
His eyes flickered to the side to the direction of Mika. "You can draw all the steel you want to, my dear, but slaying me will do little good. I'm not so stupid that I would come here as myself. Cloning is simply just another tool at my disposal. I honestly cannot tell you when the last time my actual self attended a meeting or Court function." He smiled wryly, his gaze returning to Kiyoshi. "Besides, what on earth would I possibly gain by harming the Prince? He is not my target, he never has been."
Xeno shook himself slightly. "You could have at least warned them, idiot. Clone or not, that wasn't very smart."
In point of fact, Mika had drawn steel the moment he started changing, unaware of what was going on, her lips pursed in displeasure. Even when he spoke, she made her point most eloquently by throwing the dagger sheād withdrawn from her sleeve, catching half an inch of raven colored hair and nothing else before it thunked into the opposite wall. Her eyes changed colors so that they were bright and luminous, and she could see that his claim about his own unreality, his cloning was true, now that she knew what to look for. āThat fact is irrelevant,ā she said simply. āIt is not death specifically that I desire. This clone is the thing that could pose a threat to His Highness, as such, it is my immediate concern. Wellā¦ it and the familiar, but he at least seems to possess the unfortunately-rare trait of common sense.ā
Her eyes narrowed, but whatever she saw by glancing down the lines of possible future seemed to appease her, because her posture eased slightly. āLucky you,ā she said dryly, referring to the fact that heād not attended a Court function in person for that long. They had to go to all of them as themselves.
Frankly, she trusted him no more now that he revealed himself than she had beforeā¦ well, perhaps a little more. They could ruin him if they spoke of what they had seen. She was rather surprised he trusted them that much, but thenā¦ trusting His Highness was not so hard. She was generally beneath notice, and even were she not, it was obvious enough that her loyalty was only to the Prince, not the King. It was about as safe as such a bet could become. His argument regarding his gains, however, she dismissed. There were plenty of reasons to harm the Princeāshe would know that better even than His Highness himself, because she had to be prepared for all of them.
Still, now that the potential threat was not an actual one, she took a step backwards and resumed her post at the heirās shoulder, or rather somewhat behind and to the right of it.
Well, that was certainly unexpected. Kiyoshi had not anticipated Haruki's movement, and was left in awe to stare at the transformation in front of him. His hands retreated to his lap, watching as Haruki's sea foam colored hair took on an inky appearance. The jewels upon his face disappeared, and his eyes remained the same. He blinked slowly at Mika, who had thrown a dagger towards the other male, causing Kiyoshi to frown lightly. He couldn't blame her, really. Haruki had just transformed in front of them, claiming to be the vigilante. She had every right to be defensive about it, however; there was no need for the dagger. He remained quiet, listening to the banter between Mika and Haruki until it quieted down.
"Trust is a rare thing these days," he finally spoke, releasing a deep breath as he leaned back in his chair. "Though curiously, all the same, I do not blame you for not attending the meetings yourself. They can be a little, boring," Kiyoshi continued as he glanced up at the ceiling. It was odd that Haruki would reveal himself as the Vigilante, however; who was to say that he wasn't? A nifty trick to change his hair and appearance, but who was to say that he was truly the Vigilante? Regardless, Kiyoshi was going to stand behind his words. "Then tell me, Einar, how can the prince be of service to you?"
Einar only smiled before shifting back to his original appearance. "For now, Kiyoshi, I'm simply going to ask you to keep this between us, for reasons I'm sure you can understand. If something comes up, however...you can always contact me. Just leave me a note, and I'll find it. I have no preferences to those that I help; you need only ask."
He stood up then, smiling at the two of them before dropping his head slightly. "Your Highness. I wish you a good day." He and Xeno left then, a small smile on his face. This was getting so very interesting.
He glanced out the window, watching as the last remaining hours of sunlight disappeared into the distance. He turned his silvery gaze to his guard, and pursed his lips together silently. Haruka's words rang through him, and for once, he had tried to heed them. He had stopped pestering Mika into calling him other than your Highness and had left the woman to her own, however; he did not stop from trying to make her feel comfortable enough around him to make her at least smile. He glanced away from Mika and back towards the new set of papers in his hand. Perhaps he should pay a visit to his father's adviser. The man, Haruki, would one day be his adviser; it was time they had a little talk.
"Will you inform Mr. Blake that I wish to see him?" he stated, turning towards Mika. It would be easier to have the Blake pure-blood come to him rather than Kiyoshi going to find the Blake pure-blood. Not that he couldn't have, it was simply a matter of preference. For one, any conversation held between the two would be kept private. No one would speak of their meeting, and Kiyoshi would speak nothing of it. It, after all, was just a simple meeting between future partners if he had to look at it one way.
Mika did not enjoy leaving him to his own devices even for short periods of time, but this was sometimes necessary. At the very least, she was uniquely-suited to doing it. A glance down the fabric of fate with her eyes informed her that he would be safe if she left him, and sheād keep them active until she returned anyway. Once she formed the intention to go find Haruki Blake, they also showed her meeting the man in his office. āYes, Your Highness,ā she told him simply, dipping into a bow so as to turn and take her leave. There was always a guard posted at the door here when Kiyoshi was in, and unlike her, he could not simply leave. She gave him a look as she passed, one that caused him to straighten his already very neat posture and snap her a salute. The implication was obvious: if anything happens to him, your life is forfeit.
That was just a simple truth of their jobs, but in Mikaās case, it carried a personal touch as well. She had not worked this hard for this long to protect him only to have him die. Especially not because some other guard didnāt do his job properly. She may not have been his friend, not as he seemed to wish, but Mika was, when he was not looking, incredibly protective of him, beyond, perhaps, what a Guard was required to be. All of them must be willing to give their lives in service. What she was willing to give was much more than that.
Not even she knew how far sheād go, but that thought didnāt bother her. Not in the slightest.
She made her way to Lord Blakeās more public office, and though the guard recognized her at once and let her through, she had a bit more trouble with the staff. It took them a little while to figure out that yes, this particular dhampir was authorized to convey the will and requests of the Prince, and so they had dame well better let her through, else it was really him they were presuming to delay. When she finally was admitted, she fell automatically into another bow, then straighten and spoke briskly. āLord Blake, His Highness the Prince wishes to see you, at your earliest convenience.ā A flicker in the colors of her eyes. āI will remain and escort you at such time as you deem appropriate.ā
She already knew when that was going to be, after all.
Haruki had been aware of when Mika had entered his office, forcing himself not to roll his eyes as his staff gave the woman grief over her status. Honestly, could they not see the uniform? He really did not enjoy keeping most of the people around, but he had to in order to keep up appearances. As the last of the Blake family, he had an image to maintain. He glanced up as Mika entered, the pen never stopping as he scratched away while she spoke. He was not surprised to hear the summons; it was high time he'd had a conversation with the Prince anyhow, for varying reasons. He waited a full two minutes before actually replying to her, standing up as he did so. "Of course, Lieutenant Sakuragi." He pulled on a jacket, and then without a word to any of the other servants, he left with her, Xeno by their side.
Haruki sat down across from Kiyoshi, thinking not for the first time just how much the boy looked like his mother. His coloration came from his father, of course, but his facial structure was undoubtedly Rivka's. He raised his scarlet eyes, a smile not unlike the one he wore around the king plastered to his face. "You wished to see me, Your Highness?"
Kiyoshi stared at the papers in his hand still, debating with himself whether or not to place them at the bottom as well. Most of the proposals were absurd, granting more power to the Nobles and leaving little to no room for the humans or dhampirs. If things continued this way, there would be no power for the humans or dhampirs. What little power they had would be stripped from them and they would be nothing more than slaves. Not that Hajime would complain, his father would probably enjoy that. Kiyoshi sighed a little harshly than he had intended to, glancing away from his hands to spot the door opening. Haruki walked in and the door was shut behind him, Kiyoshi offering a small smile. "Yes, I did," he responded, turning so that the Blake pure-blood had his full attention.
"You may call me Kiyoshi, Haruki. We are speaking as one friend to another. There is no need for formality here," he really didn't like being called that. If he could convince at least one other person, who wasn't his sister or mother, to call him Kiyoshi, he'd consider it a small victory. "Tell me something, Haruki," he began, lacing his fingers together as he leaned his chin upon them. "What do you think of the King's current constitution? You are free to speak freely. I assure you, what is said here will never be repeated out of this room," whether or not Haruki would believe him would be up to the Blake vampire. But Kiyoshi meant his word. Whatever Haruki had to speak, it would be safe within these walls. He would not fault the vampire for speaking ill of his father; less than half of the vampires, or general people, had less than pleasant things to say about Hajime.
Haruki's eyebrows raised. It had been a very long time since anyone had called him by his first name. A small smirk appeared on his face though, at the Prince's comment. Free to speak? No, not even here. Haruki of all people knew that even the walls had ears; he was the one who put those ears there. But, he wasn't going to let Kiyoshi know that.
"And what would you say, Kiyoshi, if I told you that the man was a sadistic sociopath and that the Vigilante had the right of things? Would you believe me if I told you I knew who the Vigilante was?" He was interested in what he would say. He would never let on that he himself was the Vigilante, but...it would be interesting to say the least what Mika would do with the supposed information, let alone the Prince.
"I would have to say that I agree," were the first words to ring from Kiyoshi. He closed his eyes briefly, allowing a moment of silence to come between them before continuing to speak. Kiyoshi was no fool, he knew what type of person his father was, however; his father was still King. "As for whether or not I believe you into knowing the identity of the Vigilante, that is a question I could ask of you. Would you believe me if I told you I did? Even if you did know, you would not give up the information so easily, nor would you have even mentioned it without prior reasons. I believe you, though, regardless," Kiyoshi spoke, keeping his eyes closed in the process. Kiyoshi believed Haruki. He believed the man knew who the Vigilante was, however; it would be wise not to mention it in the halls.
"I am completely aware of how my father is, what he is capable, and the multiple crimes he has committed against the kingdom. I am aware that the Vigilante is in the right for doing what he does, I just wish there was more that I could do to help in those efforts. I'm afraid I'd only make it worse if I were to be involved, but," he spoke, cracking his eyes open, meeting Haruki's rubied ones. If he could, he would have helped in the efforts of the Vigilante, however; the moment he became involved, his father would know. That man was like a shark, smelling blood the moment it tapped the water's surface, and Kiyoshi would only make things worse than they already are. Let alone, he might actually get the Vigilante caught. That was not a thought he wished to entertain.
He's eyes flickered briefly towards Mika, a thought crossing his mind. If he couldn't help directly, perhaps he could help indirectly. Of course, this would require consent from her as he did not wish to put her into anything uncomfortable. "Perhaps there can be a way for me to assist in other ways," he stated, removing his gaze from Mika and returning it to Haruki.
If Mika understood the implications of what was being discussed, and it was fair to suppose that she did, she made no comment, nor indeed did she so much as look directly at either of them. The amount of treason being slung around in this single conversation made her nervous, but not because they were being watched. She knew that, for now at least, they were notāher truesight was a useful talent that way. That saidā¦ if it was so easy to speak of here, there was always the chance of a slip-up elsewhere, and she did not trust Haruki Blake, regardless of whether his claim to know the identity of the vigilante was true. One could keep that kind of secret for any number of reasons, and not all of them were in keeping with the Vigilanteās own stated goals, even.
But it was not her place to speak here, and so she did not. Her fate was decided beside that of His Highnessāif his father ever decided that his indiscretions were too much, she would die defending him. If he ever ascended the throne, she would guard him from behind it and to the right, as the king was guarded now. Whatever came in between would come to the both of them at once, as well. She accepted that her end was not hers to choose, but his, whether he fully realized that or not. The people who got to make their own choices did not often recognize that others were not so burdened, after all.
Haruki's smile only inched wider, and Xeno raised an eyebrow at him. He was aware of what his master was thinking, and the wolf sighed. "It really is a wonder how you have not been caught before now, Haruki." Even as the wolf spoke, the man sitting across from the Prince was changing. Turqoise hair became as black as the sky they walked under, and the gemstones emblazoned on his cheek vanished. Only his eyes remained the same.
Haruki leaned his head in his hand with an almost bored expression. "And your reaction if I told you I am the Vigilante? Though I prefer to be called Einar. Congratulations, the two of you are the first to actually know just who I am. I suppose the question is now, what do you plan to do with the information?"
His eyes flickered to the side to the direction of Mika. "You can draw all the steel you want to, my dear, but slaying me will do little good. I'm not so stupid that I would come here as myself. Cloning is simply just another tool at my disposal. I honestly cannot tell you when the last time my actual self attended a meeting or Court function." He smiled wryly, his gaze returning to Kiyoshi. "Besides, what on earth would I possibly gain by harming the Prince? He is not my target, he never has been."
Xeno shook himself slightly. "You could have at least warned them, idiot. Clone or not, that wasn't very smart."
In point of fact, Mika had drawn steel the moment he started changing, unaware of what was going on, her lips pursed in displeasure. Even when he spoke, she made her point most eloquently by throwing the dagger sheād withdrawn from her sleeve, catching half an inch of raven colored hair and nothing else before it thunked into the opposite wall. Her eyes changed colors so that they were bright and luminous, and she could see that his claim about his own unreality, his cloning was true, now that she knew what to look for. āThat fact is irrelevant,ā she said simply. āIt is not death specifically that I desire. This clone is the thing that could pose a threat to His Highness, as such, it is my immediate concern. Wellā¦ it and the familiar, but he at least seems to possess the unfortunately-rare trait of common sense.ā
Her eyes narrowed, but whatever she saw by glancing down the lines of possible future seemed to appease her, because her posture eased slightly. āLucky you,ā she said dryly, referring to the fact that heād not attended a Court function in person for that long. They had to go to all of them as themselves.
Frankly, she trusted him no more now that he revealed himself than she had beforeā¦ well, perhaps a little more. They could ruin him if they spoke of what they had seen. She was rather surprised he trusted them that much, but thenā¦ trusting His Highness was not so hard. She was generally beneath notice, and even were she not, it was obvious enough that her loyalty was only to the Prince, not the King. It was about as safe as such a bet could become. His argument regarding his gains, however, she dismissed. There were plenty of reasons to harm the Princeāshe would know that better even than His Highness himself, because she had to be prepared for all of them.
Still, now that the potential threat was not an actual one, she took a step backwards and resumed her post at the heirās shoulder, or rather somewhat behind and to the right of it.
Well, that was certainly unexpected. Kiyoshi had not anticipated Haruki's movement, and was left in awe to stare at the transformation in front of him. His hands retreated to his lap, watching as Haruki's sea foam colored hair took on an inky appearance. The jewels upon his face disappeared, and his eyes remained the same. He blinked slowly at Mika, who had thrown a dagger towards the other male, causing Kiyoshi to frown lightly. He couldn't blame her, really. Haruki had just transformed in front of them, claiming to be the vigilante. She had every right to be defensive about it, however; there was no need for the dagger. He remained quiet, listening to the banter between Mika and Haruki until it quieted down.
"Trust is a rare thing these days," he finally spoke, releasing a deep breath as he leaned back in his chair. "Though curiously, all the same, I do not blame you for not attending the meetings yourself. They can be a little, boring," Kiyoshi continued as he glanced up at the ceiling. It was odd that Haruki would reveal himself as the Vigilante, however; who was to say that he wasn't? A nifty trick to change his hair and appearance, but who was to say that he was truly the Vigilante? Regardless, Kiyoshi was going to stand behind his words. "Then tell me, Einar, how can the prince be of service to you?"
Einar only smiled before shifting back to his original appearance. "For now, Kiyoshi, I'm simply going to ask you to keep this between us, for reasons I'm sure you can understand. If something comes up, however...you can always contact me. Just leave me a note, and I'll find it. I have no preferences to those that I help; you need only ask."
He stood up then, smiling at the two of them before dropping his head slightly. "Your Highness. I wish you a good day." He and Xeno left then, a small smile on his face. This was getting so very interesting.