"De nada debe guardarse más un príncipe que de inspirar desprecio u odio, y la liberalidad conduce a ambas cosas."
~Maquiavelo

He walked into the room with a dignified stride that screamed: "I'm the man your wife dreams of when she fucks you."

"Gentlemen," the Pureblood acknowledged the Parliament's members by looking them in the eyes, stone-faced. They would remember to fear him. He'd make sure of it.

Most of the men squirmed in their seats. The few that didn't, were trying very hard not to.

The elegant cut of his black, Giorgio Armani suit was expensive wrapping. He inhaled power and exhaled confidence.

Don't ever give it a second thought.

One of the men spoke up, "Good evening, Lord Kuran. I apologize for making you come all the way here... There are a series of important issues we must discuss with you."

"Ichiou, your diplomacy never fails to impress me," Kaname's calm voice portraying the adequate level of sarcasm.

"We would never think of wasting your time, Lord Kuran," one of the other men piped up. He was one of the younger vampires, despite looking well into his forties.

"Your consideration is noted, senator." How he loathed these meetings. They would never miss a beat to kiss ass when the opportunity presented itself. It disgusted Kaname to no end.

The things Purebloods had to put up with were innumerable. Droll meetings were just a part of the list.

One of the men walked up to the front of the room where the wide screen television lay in full view of the members. He set up his presentation and started to talk.

"There has been an increase in the number of murders committed by Level E's," he pointed towards the slide which showcased a data chart. Over 6,000 humans had been killed in the region in the past year alone. Hey, look, it was color coded, too.

"Interesting, 2018's off to a great start," the brunette commented. Damn it all to hell.

"Excuse me?"

"We can see how many people have been murdered in color coded fashion."

The man flushed red as Kaname calmly continued, "I'll never cease to be amazed by the wonders of 21st century technology."

Ichiou coughed, "Lord Kuran, we demand to know what you'll do regarding this issue."

"Ichiou, I'm bothered by the fact you suddenly seem to show a sense of worry for human beings." Ichiou's eyes narrowed as Kaname goaded, "Where has this newfound sense of empathy come from?"

"Sire, I only intend for us to restore the peace you've wished for since your days at Cross Academy," he lied.

'He should've been a salesman.' Kaname lightly chuckled at the thought.

The Parliament members diligently observed their King, only half afraid of what his laughter signified.

That's what a constitutional monarchy was for, right? Ha, ha, ha...

"Lord Kuran, we must act swiftly if we are to prevent more lives from being lost," Ichiou continued, hoping the nosy Pureblood would get his focus off him.

"And the Hunter Association?" Kaname countered, "What has been their role in this? They exist precisely to prevent this type of butchery from happening."

"The Hunter Association has claimed they have done all they can regarding the matter. They say they don't have the men necessary to take on this job. They've delegated all responsibility to the vampire nobility, Parliament, and you."

Damned if we do and damned if we don't.

"And what does Kiryu Zero think of this?" Kaname's curiosity made it impossible for him to resist the question.

"He has declined to comment," Ichiou slowly responded, hoping to take in the Pureblood's reaction.

Kaname wouldn't give him the satisfaction.

His face a blank slate, he replied, "I see."

The after-emerging silence slowly became more and more uncomfortable until Kaname decided to intervene.

Time to light the fire.

"Alright, Ichiou. Here's what we'll do," the Pureblood stood from his seat and markedly locked eyes with every man in the room as he spoke. His voice an echoing boom in the silence of the room.

"I will inform my right hand men and women of this happenstance. We will draw a plan of action. The Parliament will sit and watch as I bring forward the results you have failed to."

Scowling, disapproving faces littered the room, but none dared question the authority of His Majesty.

Kaname's lips curled up into a satisfied smile, "I'm glad you've seen the light."

Clucking his tongue, he added, "Meeting adjourned. See you all next week."

The men stood like puppets raised by strings. Giving their curt bows, Kaname exited the room.

Turning a left, he arrived at one of the elevators of the large 25 story building. The sliding doors opened, revealing a chrome interior.

With the passing of the years, Kaname had decided to update their locale from the dreary castle they'd had their meetings in for the past nine centuries, to the more sleek, friendly looking building.

'It's always important to keep the worker bees happy,' he smiled to himself.

He knew he was a tyrant. The aristocrats were a cleverly placed ruse which helped mask his total control.

But wasn't he a nice tyrant?

The elevator dinged. As the doors slid back open, he rode up his left arm's shirt-sleeve to reveal his black and gold Vincero watch. It was 12:34AM.

He was making good time.

Walking down the lobby, he glanced up at the blonde woman sitting at the desk. Her curls framed large, firm breasts. Akatsuki was indeed a lucky man. Although, she was rather plain looking in comparison to his Crown Jewel.

"Good evening, Ruka," he offered a curt smile as he passed her.

She blushed, and promptly stood up, "Good evening, Lord Kuran."

"Caught you off guard, I see..." he smiled warmly, "I trust you three are doing well?"

"Yes, thank you for asking." She was beaming at his courtesy. "How is the Queen?"

"Tired, as per usual. The nobles are still giving her a hard time. It's to be expected," his eyes softened, proud of the effort Yuki had made in the past decades.

He had asked her to memorize laws, society rules, norms about Vampire Culture, etc. His sweet would do anything for him. That worked out nicely.

"Rome wasn't built overnight" she sweetly smiled. "But, you know that," her smile very clearly reflecting remnants of her unresolved feelings for him.

He found her transparency comical, and also very sweet. But, she was just a friend. A good one. That was it. She'd given him blood that one time so many years ago, and he'd expressed his gratitude.

He was grateful for the friends he'd made along the way. Their loyalty to him helped make his rule a little easier.

It wasn't, though. Definitely not; and living was harder than the effort was given credit for.

Eternal life? Fuck it all. Damnation.

If humans knew how lonely it was, they'd stop pining for it so desperately.

'They want what they can't have, I suppose' he briefly contemplated.

"Well, I've got to get going. Can't keep the Queen waiting."

She nodded, "We'll talk soon."

As he started to move away, she sat back down, resuming her clerical duties.

His steps felt heavier, slower. A slight frown cracked through his poker face.

Why were the few conversations he had not enough anymore?

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