‘I will take good care of you, my love. I will.’ That was what 'he' said to him when he was covered in blood, shame, disgust and pain back then. That is what 'he' will do. A promise is meant to be kept. Especially if it was sealed with a contract of blood and sacrifice.

֍֎֍

Looking down at the old man, who is lying perfectly still on the bed now breaks his heart. The only signs that he is still alive would be the sounds of him heaving difficult breaths with each passing seconds. Rhythmically. "Kaname," he called out to the man standing beside his bed. It won't be long before he leaves this world that he had come to love. "I'm dying," he indicated.

The man touches the hands of the old man he has been with for a long time. The skin feels familiar despite of the effect of aging. It is something he will never understand. Growing old. "I know," he agreed. He feels something stirred up in his heart. Something unrequited. Something pure. Broken. But pure.

"Can I make one final request of you?" He asked.

"Ever since you lost both of your legs, when have I ever denied your request, King Hubert?"

The King smiles a little to the man, unchanged through time. An immortal. A demon. "I want to be with ‘them’," the King said. Kaname looks at the King quizzically for a while, trying to understand what he was talking about before realizing what he meant.

Tears slip out from the corner of both of his eyelids. "Don't do this to me," the demon begged. After all these years, not once the King had spotted him crying. This weakness. This side of him. But now, on his deathbed, Kaname finally shows him his true self.

"I have many requests. I told you to take good care of me. Of Prince Phillip, my son. Of my armies. But this time, this is all I asked of you, Kaname," the King, now, took turn in begging.

Kaname leans down so that his face would be closer to the King's. "May I?" He asked. The King only smiles in agreement. So, Kaname plants a soft lingering kiss on the King's lips. Tears flowing. On both of their faces. Hearts aching. The lips he had loved all his life. The only times he ever felt truly alive despite of his long, long life was the times he had spent being in contract with the King. Doing his bidding that was never uninteresting to his eyes. "Your wish is my command, my King. My love."

֍֎֍

"Human's child, how come you are lost in these woods?" The voice, distorted, inhuman, echoes in the air. Prince Hubert looks around, overwhelmed in fear, but at the same time, he is interested. He is curious. His young heart desires an adventure. And he yearns for the unknown.

"Are you the demon they've been talking about? Aurora? That's your name, isn't it?" Prince Hubert asked. "I'm not here trying to kill you. I heard that some people had kept you locked in here. Is the rumor true?"

"And if it is? What is the benefit for you?"

"I'm here to release you."

Laughter echoes in the air now. Evil. Amused. Wickedly amused. "I'm hungry, human. If you release me, what if I gobble you up? Will that be beneficial to you?"

"I'm willing to take that risk."

Silence. The leaves are rustling among the wind. The darkened sky looks beautiful even in its uncanny dimming light.

"Demon? Are you there?"

After another moment of silence, the demon speaks again. "Human's child, may I know why you dared yourself to go up to this length?"

"Because I have nothing else to lose."

"To release me, you need to offer me sacrifice. A blood sacrifice. I see you're here empty handed, human."

"I'm sacrificing myself. In return, I want you to take down a kingdom that is now at war against my kingdom. My father is on the battlefield. I'm willing to die for his sake. For my kingdom's sake."

A small laughter is heard. But it is not a mocking kind. It is one with amazement. "Kingdom will always be at war with another kingdom. You die this once, your father lives, your kingdom survives. Then, all it takes is time. A small moment of peace. And another kingdom will come to declare war with yours. By that time, will your kingdom survive? Will your father live? You, have withered. What would it be by then? Have you thought of that?"

Feeling slightly defeated, Prince Hubert sighs in anger. "I don't care! I want my father to live. What matters is now. This is for the better."

"Dear Prince Hubert," the demon called. "What if, you offer me a sacrifice of your blood, of course. But you will live. I will do your biddings for you, I promise. I will take good care of you, my love. I will. I love an innocent heart such as yours, my love. You interest me."

It is a surprise to Prince Hubert, at first, to be called 'my love' out of the blue and for the demon to know his name. But he must not ask questions for now. He is running out of time. And energy. "What do you want, then?"

"Some of ‘you’."

"What do you mean?"

"Some of your body parts. It's all I take. And a contract will be formed."

Dreadful to the idea, Prince Hubert gulps a little in fear. In fear of what's to come. Will he make it, to live without some of his body parts? Which parts would he give? But throwing aside his fear, he is reminded that he was here before ready to sacrifice his whole self to the demon. This is already too merciful of the demon for only wanting some of his body parts. "Alright then, I'll offer you both of my legs."

֍֎֍

What the King had asked of Kaname was for him to devour him as a whole. To be with ‘them’. To be with both of his legs that he had lost. Inside of Kaname. Inside of the demon known by many as Aurora. The mouth at the back of the demon's head is ready for a feast. He will feast on the King as a way of keeping him. For eternity. King Hubert will be with him forever. In his veins. As his blood and as his flesh. That was the King's final request. It pains him. His heart is broken. For the first time in his existence, he longs to die too. He longs for death. But no. He thinks he is already dead. Living. Breathing. Moving. But dead.

To kill off his loneliness, his emptiness, he heads to a place far from seeing eyes. His hair turns golden. His face pale. He is going to sleep. So that it is almost similar to that of being dead. One day, someone will awake him, when he is ready. Someday in the future, someone will form a new contract with the sleeping beauty.