- And what am I doing living alone in this huge palace, in this kingdom, and surrounded by my people if I was not?
- Who knows? Perhaps you just wanted to be snob.
- Yeah, very funny.
He caressed my skin, eyes melting in the starry sky.
- You ignore it but I am not a prisoner anymore.
I was stunned.
- Then you are free now? But you are still so lonely!
- Yes, I am. But it is because I chose myself to live as, for now by the way.
- I see. I am greatly relieved now. I thought that you were still locked.
- You know, when I used my power to turn Dalia back into human, I also underwent a change, I was back as a teenager. I think about I was fifteen.
- Really?
- Yeah. And my butler laughed so much that he tore up his bell. It was a great scene. He was struggling under pain.
- Poor butler but lucky for you, I said tenderly.
- I wished to build myself my cage, I already had in mind his structure, every place, place of room, the decoration, the "light", everything, but then, he insisted so much to do it instead, that I let him do so and you saw the outcome.
We were looking together to the palace.
- No, it's not that bad. In all case, it is a place built with love so it was not that tragic to let him up the hand.
- I know. Even descending from the royal lineage, I ignore myself my own parents. So, the butler and some rare friends were my only family. And later, after that the butler and I were installed in the new palace, he lovely build for us, Someone came in my kingdom and paid us a visit. It was a young man, barely the twentieth I think. He was a vampire of course and he asked us straight away to stay for a while.
- I didn't even give the positive answer that the dear butler rushed out to prepare a suit for him, and this time he did it with a strange emotion. He knew me well so he acted according to my needs and my desire even without any words or orders out from my part. But, the permission was just a simple formality between us in order to maintain a clear balance between his position as a willing butler and the place his owned in my heart. But this time, for the first time of my life, he didn't consider my feeling and acted freely.
I tried to ask him out about our eccentric guest but he always avoided the matter, and he ensured to leave both of us alone even as often as possible. The only thing I could get out about him was his name Azeo. But I'd admit that it was a rare name, very beautiful.
So, I started to carefully observe my strange guest. He had long black hair, shimmering under light. His eyes were daring and so deep where I often lost myself in, and I didn't even once feel uncomfortable or hostile in his presence. It was a strange emotion, a wonderful discovery of unknown sensations, a discovery on the one hand that was hidden for decades and Darlia herself ignored.
A week later, I feel sick. They explained me that it was just a side effect of the formidable magic I used to "heal" Darlia, it will pass quickly like dead leaves carried away in wind.
He had such ways to express himself that I found irritating and at same time, so funny. I never did feel bored in his company, he was truly too much, and I liked it.
The sickness tired me a lot, and I always tend to be pulled away in a deep asleep, a sleep that lowered even more my strength, then to spare me such "threatening destiny", word for word as he said it out, he scattered in countless black birds and forced me to do the same.
- What for Azeo? I am tired. I tried to protest
- Then you prefer to sleep?
- Yes. I answered annoyed by his jovial way to speak, soaked of irony.
Alas, he was the type of person that never give up until he obtained what he desired. So, he started to nag me, and again until I could escape anymore. So, for peace, I transformed myself in countless black birds. You don't have a clue about the capacity of a person to achieve things when he's cornered and desperate to get out. I am ashamed to say it but before the moment he asked me to, I never transformed myself into birds, just because, I never stoke on a situation to do so. Butler and others did all "the chores" for me. But the second I scattered in numberless birds, how can I describe it, this phenomenal sensation, Vivo laughed happily, it was like I could see the world in all ways and experience the things I never had thoughts as vampire. Looking back, I realized it was a gift, a simple breathtaking gift from him to let me live the world in the best way I should.
After I dispersed my birds, he started to capture them and tickle them up, they even lost their feathers for. I was desperately struggling and tried in my turn to catch his for revenge, but it was vain.
Endless rain of sparkling smiles, laughs that echoed to infinity, anger that ravaged the loneliness and mostly a world of infinite happiness.
I came to think, if only all the days up until now had been like those since he came to my life, days full of him, then I surely wouldn't have had to think to be mortal anymore to know eternal happiness.
On an afternoon, when they thought I was sleeping, I heard them, Azeo and the dear butler talking, like friends like family.
- I felt his love for that woman and his awful sadness when he had to let her go, for this another human.
- Yes, I know master.
- People can say and think they wish to, but for a loving parent there would be nothing more sadder than to see their children unhappy.
- I am conscious. I promise you the moment you gave me your son to protect him and to make him happy. The butler bowed. I am sorry I couldn't keep my promise.
But Azeo smiled slowly shaking his head.
- Don't butler. I am sorry too. Because I loved him so much, I freed him as much possible from this heavy duty as king, but in the end, I just broke his heart by being apart from him and let him suffer in loneliness those cruelties of life.
- No...
- Thank you so much for loving my son like you do dear butler. Thank you.
I returned to bed and fell asleep. I was so tired.
And when I woke up, he was the first thing I saw.
Then we returned to our pitiful joyable game.
- Vivo?
- Yes?
- If you tell me what is my weakness, then I will reveal you something fantastic.
- Really?
- Yes.
- Love?
- No.
- Human?
- No.
- Jokes?
- No!
- How can it be no? You were awfully joking on me since you arrived! And still you dare to say that it is not your weakness?
- It's not.
- Wait a minute! How could I be sure that I didn't tell the one? For us, without knowing, I may have said it and you'd still deny.
- Then, let me tell you something good Vivo, if ever, I was about to lie when you tell me the true one, then I'd burn before you.
- It's a promise?
- Yes, it is.
I never said him that I knew, how I came to love him, I never called him "father". My most beloved person who didn't love anyone but his son and didn't know how to. I kept quoting a lot of weaknesses, being aware of that none of them was the good.
- It's time for you to go sleep now. You are still weak.
- No, Azeo, our game hadn't ended yet.
- I know, but we'd continue it tomorrow.
- Really?
- Yes.
I shut long and finally smiled to him.
- It would be so wonderful if it was really the case right Azeo?
He returned my look nodding tenderly.
- Yes.
- Azeo, I am sure that if you ever had a son, you who love so much, then this son would have been your eternal weakness.
- Yes. I am sure too.
Then, standing beside the window, reflecting by the timeless starry night, he burned.
Before my eyes that poured endless tears, he burned, before me, his unique son who he saved in all ways, he burned. He burned over and over until nothing remained, not even ashes.
With his life, he set me free and let me have a glimpse of the world he wished for me to see.
- Vivo, I am sorry, but saving you with my life is forever my greatest achievement which I forsake that life that should not have ended for.
I nestled a little more in his heat, and wet him with my tears. He lifted me up and we did it again. Yes, his father was right about him. He deserved to be a timeless weakness of someone. He loved Darlia as far as it could go, with a heart that refused to die, and any outsider would think, like I used too, that losing her was his most painful misfortune. They'd ignored overly his true and greatest sadness. He was putting himself to hope, to wish for various things and to understand Darlia and her troublesome way to love. As he had someone who accepted to do anything for him, even to stop forever his unstoppable heart.
When we reached again the absolute enjoyment, where everything was bright and perfect, he carried me sweetly to my bed in the golden kiosk and installed me gently.
He leaned on me and kissed the part near my lips.
- Have sweet dream Vivie.
I looked at him, sitting beside me, and was trembling of guilt, his black hair seemed like moon because of the mirroring, and like I let my mind sinking in sleep, he scattered in thousand birds.
When feeling wholly his immense affection, and his heart that didn't came to hate my race, but instead came to get a hold of the greatness of feelings, I somehow felt like crying again.
When I wake up, I was still alone. The starry sky was the first thing I saw, the city also was there, the forest, the whole kingdom, everything was in their right place, nothing has undergone change, nothing except my heart.
I laughed and still laughed, maybe the condition of my humanity that kept me so long from the comprehension. But it lost importance now as his weakness appeared clearly before me, like a concrete evidence that just waited for someone to see it as it was truly. Darlia who were too weak towards immortality refused to acknowledge it. As for Vivo, what was he lacked was the strength to accept it.
I got up and walked towards the palace.