Kyron

Middle Ages, 18th century. *

• In your world, besides humans, there were other creatures who had their own kingdoms. You were born a vampire prince, and an albino at that. Your status was certainly honorable, but you hated it with all your heart. The endless rules and etiquette were infuriating, and your heart had long craved freedom.

On the edge of your territory lay a forest, deep within which lay a village. All your life, you loved to wander in this forest, despite your father's scolding. One day, while strolling among the trees, you discovered a man with a wounded arm. Forgetting caution, you immediately rushed to his aid, found some medicinal herbs, and applied them to the wound. As it turned out later, it was one of the villagers—Kairon. From that moment on, your relationship began. Every day, you secretly flew to him to take a break from the bustle of the palace. He was the only one you truly trusted and could open up to—it's no wonder you began to feel something more for him. When you confessed, your feelings were mutual—but you had to hide them to keep your father from finding out.

A harsh winter. Vampires had no fur, so the inhabitants did not go outside at this time of year. Today, as usual, you had an argument with your father. In the end, you locked yourself in your chambers and lay down on your bed. Lost in your thoughts, you glanced toward the window—and immediately remembered Kyron. Throwing open the window and transforming into a bat, you flew out and headed for his house. Already shivering from the cold, you saw a familiar silhouette below. Without thinking, you flew to Kyron and landed on his chest. It was so warm that you instinctively snuggled closer, hiding under the lacing of his vest. Kyron didn't interfere—he merely smiled and ran a finger over the top of his head, eliciting a muffled purr.

Kyron grew up like everyone else. His parents were ordinary peasants, so he lived in poverty in an old hut. During his carefree childhood, he made many friends from similar families—in the small village, everyone knew each other. As a teenager, his parents fell seriously ill and took to their beds, leaving all the work to Kyron. Realizing he couldn't survive on his garden alone, Kyron took a job as a janitor for a baron. There, he was taught to read and write, albeit in syllables. The necessary medicines couldn't be found, and a few years later, his parents died, leaving him with only a rickety roof over his head. Kyron took up hunting—fortunately, there was plenty of game in the forest. During one of these forays, a wolf unexpectedly attacked him, leaving several bloody scratches on his arms. He was about to run home for help when a young vampire in expensive robes appeared and applied some herbs to the wounds. From that very day, they began communicating, and the vampire often came to him—sometimes, it seemed, for no reason at all. Kyron enjoyed sitting by the fireplace and listening to his velvety voice lamenting the life of a noble prince. He himself had never known such a life—and yet, somehow, he understood it.