- Who is he?

 - Who?

 I jumped, not expecting anyone to be in my room.

 - Lestat!

 - Princess Irhin.

 Lestat nodded in greeting, bowing his head slightly and placing his hand on his chest. That was a greeting between nobles, thanking me for saving him, I suppose.

I returned his greeting with another bow.

 - How are you?

 - I feel much better now, princess.

- I understand perfectly, every time you use your abilities you grow weaker; that's why my concern was to know if you are, okay?

 - You don't have to worry about me Lestat. I'm fine.

 - Of course, I worry princess. Your vital energy is important to your father; especially to me.

 - I did it to save your life and your arm, I see that you have it bandaged. Does it not hurt anymore?

 - When I move it, I feel a small sharp pain, and the black part of the curse began to fade.

I approached him slightly, but Lestat cut me off, he approached me before.

 - May I?

 - Of course.

 I touched his arm; I wanted to remove the doubt of whether I had managed to completely remove the curse from his arm.

 - The wound that his sword left you seems to take longer to heal, that was what Master Gandhi told me.

 - Yes, it was quite deep. I almost managed to decapitate one of them but, he looked me straight in the eyes and with incredible speed he reached me before I even wanted to take another step, and I simply fainted.

 I was not looking at him directly, I had taken a few steps back and I was only looking out the window towards the balcony listening to what Lestat was saying; I felt a very penetrating stare on me, and an electric sensation ran through my spine. It was the same feeling that those fierce hazel eyes provoked in me.

 - Irhin, are you okay?

 - Y-yes I'm fine. Lestat, I think I'm feeling very tired, I want to rest.

 - Yes, you're right. Sorry to interrupt you, rest and see you tomorrow princess.

Lestat left my room. I stayed silent and I still perceived that stare on me.

 - Who are you?

 This presence remained silent for a while. Then he spoke.

 - I'm everything…

 - Everything? May I know your name?

 - You already know it… Princess

 He has a deep voice, with a strange accent, an accent that is not local when speaking a hiss was heard in the environment.

 - Your accent.

 I recognized that strange accent, I remembered the soldier talking about the accent that vampires had when speaking. Vampires? Perhaps he…

 - Are you a…?

 I couldn't believe it, just thinking that he could be one of them.

 - Say it.

 - It's impossible… Where are you?

 - I told you princess; I'm everything and I'm everywhere.

 I got up at the foot of my bed and walked around my room.

 - You won't find me there.

 He smiled and the sound of his smile made me shudder. It was a soft and… pleasant sound?

 - How did you know I was looking for you in my room? How is it even possible that you... Are you that boy with the hazel eyes?

 I understood that he was not physically there.

 - I never thought King Alessandro had a daughter, he has kept you well hidden.

 - How do you know my father? Who are you?

 The silence remained in the room for a while.

 - You know who I am, you just need to call my name.

 With this, the presence vanished. I could no longer feel his presence around me; I soon knew I was completely alone. My hands stopped hurting after he left. I finally accepted that he was a vampire, one of those who had those special abilities. I didn't know who he was yet, but I knew he was someone very powerful; he was able to maintain a curse from a distance and be in another place, without being physically there.

 - What incredible power.

 The vampires were sent in a battalion to my father's palace, they did not manage to get through to the royal guard, but they managed to wipe out two towns near the city closer to those of the kingdom, there were many dead and above all many converted. These were sent a few days later in response to the intrusion of Lestat and the royal guard into his dark castle.

Few soldiers survived this time, between the kingdom's guards and the royal guard that had been sent to the affected areas; the others stayed behind because they were bitten by vampires; many were turned.

 When I heard of this attack on the kingdom, I was furious, I wanted to communicate with that vampire again, he who had the audacity to locate me. It was still difficult for me to use my abilities, but from the first time we met eyes, and this vampire communicated with me, I knew he could hear me. I don't know how, but I knew he could hear me. I ran to my room, locked myself in and called him.

 - Where are you? Answer me! Damn it!

 He didn't say anything and remained silent; but his presence was felt throughout my room, a cold was surrounding me and my shoulders felt heavy.

 - Why? Why did you send vampires? Why did you do it?

 He remained silent.

 - ANSWER ME! I know you're there... your gaze, your eyes... I can feel them on me.

Finally, his voice was heard.

 - This is a war, princess...

 His voice was darker than the first time we spoke, it was different, like empty... cold perhaps. I felt something different in him.

 - You're a vampire, aren't you?

 He didn't answer anymore.

 - Answer me, please... I've never seen one or talked to one, and I think I'm going crazy talking to basically nothing.

 I fell to my knees on the ground, it hurt me that innocent people were suffering.

- I am, princess.

 When I heard him say that I raised my head, the tiara I was wearing that day fell to the ground and the dry sound of the precious metal hitting the stone where I was lying rang loudly throughout my room.

 - I want you to talk to your leader, that vampire king that everyone fears. Tell him, please...

 Here my voice broke, the pain in my hands and knees began to affect me.

 - Tell him to stop attacking my people, they are people I know, who have a life they want to live.

 I crouched down completely, placing my forehead on the cold marble that numbed the floor of my bedroom, it was a plea; but he did not respond immediately. I stayed in this same position for a long time.

 - Why do you care about those humans?

 - They are good people...

 - Good people.

 He repeated my words with sarcasm, something dark could be heard in his voice.

 - Humans are not good.

 His voice sounded upset, even darker than when he mocked my statement.

 - They are selfish... they are despicable and vengeful... They kill innocent people for no other reason than envy. Why should I let beings like "humans" live? They don't deserve it.

This vampire was so focused on his words.

 - And you think you are God to decide what to do with our lives? You are vengeful too... You take lives just for a stupid war. You are arrogant, without any respect for life, not even for yourself... You consume from us our vital liquid, our blood, you absorb our life into your body, and you think that makes you worthy? or a god?

 I was annoyed by the way he spoke about humans. He didn't expect a human to speak the way I had spoken to him, no one had EVER dared to do so.

 He started laughing.

 - Princess, you impress me... I can't understand you. You are brave, fierce I could say; you have that fire inside you. That I can't comprehend.

 He paused, and I just remained silent, still on the cold marble.

 - But now, this war is unstoppable; it is too late to stop it. Even if you are the one who asks me, using those brave and sweet words, you will never change my mind. My soul is rotten, I am a damned living corpse that lives only to feed on you. A sentence that I fully accept to continue fulfilling with honor.

 With that, Ion's presence vanished, I was left alone again in my room.

 - You... you don't seem to be as bad as you say... right?

 I made a subtle smile... I stood up, with a strong pain in my knees, I know they bled because the burning was strong, I went to put on my night clothes and lay down, still with a blank mind.