The Tears of a Prince

Olivia was scared. She did not like the smell of the dirty roads, the rising sounds as they approached the start of the alleys. She had never walked freely into the city like this, dressed in a man's clothes that were too big for her. Ash was walking in front of her, his face stern as he witnessed everything he had left back a while ago. 

Now he was clean, strong and dressed with clothes from the palace. He wasn't starving, on the contrary he could eat as much as he wanted until he was full and no one would tell him anything. He didn't have to plead or share, all he had to was ask. 

The young pureblood walked silently, rushing slightly to get next to him. She observed his expression. He didn't seem to like this place either, a subtle crease between his eyebrows was the only faint clue that inside him there was a war happening. 

"We don't have to  go if you don't want to." Olivia mumbled, thinking of how he would feel.

"Didn't you say you wanted to see?" he asked her, stopping on his track. 

"Yes, but you don't seem comfortable with it." she explained.

"I am fine."

"You don't seem fine." the girl said but he ignored it, walking deeper into the darkest parts of their world. 

It was as if everything had changed in a mere second. The sun was lost, the building seemed dirty and run down, beggars, skinny almost just bones and skin laid on the muddy ground while women with excessive make up would grab any man who seemed to have just a bit of money to spare in a night with them. Olivia noticed a young vampire, sniffing a purple dust. That was it, the dragon's fin, the drug Lun's family made, she realized. The young man began smiling, instantly afterwards, giggling with a blurred look and the girl shivered, taking a step closer to Ash. 

"Young men, yes you, with the pretty blue eyes." a woman called Ash and he turned to the side. She was beautiful, with a luscious body and clothes left little to the imagination. She linked their arms and took him towards her work house. Just outside the entrance Ash stopped. "Come on young man, don't you want to have some fun? I can bring your friend in too if you want." 

"Nata, let go of me." he told her, seriously and the woman blinked, surprised he knew her name. She looked at him, head to toe and her red lips parted as she gasped. 

"Ash, oh my little Ash is that really you?" she asked him filled with excitement and let go of his arms. She stood before him, pinching his cheeks as if he was a small child. "I thought some bastard had killed you sweetheart, you're actually alive!" she said happily and hugged him, Ash returned her hug back. "Look at you all grown up and with a…oh my a girl!" Nata said as she paid a closer look to Olivia. "Not the best place to bring her for a date." 

"T-this is not a date." Olivia stuttered, her cheeks turning bright red and the woman laughed. 

"Where have you been?"

"I have been working in the palace. The youngest prince saved me from getting killed so I became his guard."

"The youngest prince…" the woman mumbled. "Oh, the trouble maker, I see. Well I am so glad I got to see you're okay!" she said. "How about we…" she tried to continue her sentence when someone grabbed her by her hair.

"Nata you slut get inside if you're not planning on bringing customers." a manly voice said and pulled her back, throwing her to the ground. Olivia flinched, her eyes wide as she witnessed the scene. Ash tensed, his hands forming fists. "Little Ash, don't come here again. You got out." the woman told him as she struggled to get to her feet. The young vampire tried to step in, defend her in some way but she stopped it. "Go." she whispered. "Your girl looks terrified." she pointed at Olivia who was looking at Nata with a sad expression. "No place for a true lady."

"You're a lady too." Olivia told her and Nate laughed sweetly.

"Thank you sweetheart." she told her before she left them, getting back to her work house. 

"I…" Olivia tried to speak but Ash was walking fast towards her, his expression furious. "Ash, wait for me!" she told him and started running, feeling uncomfortable in his own clothes. The ground was slippery, muddy and Olivia, nervous as she tried to reach him, slipped and landed face first into the smelly mud. Ash hadn't noticed her yet but she felt someone grab her arm, lifting her up and for a second she thought it was him. "Ash…why would you…" she started saying when she realized it wasn't Ash the one holding her. 

A tall man, wide like a door with a missing eye. He was smiling creepily at her, his teeth rotten and she tried to free herself from it. 

"Who would have known that even in the mud you can find a gem." he said, his tone making her heart race with disgust.

"Let me go." she told him. Shaking as she tried to get away from his grip. "Let me go! Ash!" she screamed, filling tears swell into her dark eyes. 

"Come on now sweetheart, why are you so upset. We can have fun together." he told her and she kicked him in the sheen, making him groan and loosen his grip. Olivia, drowned in mud, her clothes heavily tried to run away, spotting Ash's back in the far distance.

"Ash!" She screamed with all her might seeing the young man stop and turn around, his eyes wide, for the first time showing another emotion other than anger towards her. "Ash! Help!" she screamed when she felt someone pull her hair the same way they had done to Nata.

"Feisty." the man commented, making her want to puke as he pinned her to the ground. 

"Ash." She cried, tears escaping her eyes.

"Hey, you moron." She heard his voice, seeing him hover behind the disgusting man.. "You're dead."