A couple of days before the soiree, a tall middle-aged blond man came visiting us. He asked to speak to Rido but my uncle dealt with him.

"What can I do for you?" my uncle asked. His boyish face was devoid of emotion.

The other man stumbled over his words. "I-I. H-Here is list of invatations we sent out and these are the people coming to the party." He presented a manila envelope which Ejin took.

"Thank you, Aido-san." The pureblood said. My eyes slightly widened as I watched the tall male before me. I could see the resemblance he had to Hanabusa. The blue eyes, the same shade of blond hair, and the handsome face. He was a reminder I was going to meet his son at the party.

As if sensing my eyes on him, his attention drifted to me. "You have a beautiful little niece," he said politely while bowing to me.

"Yes, she is," my uncle answered.

"I will see you at the night of the party. If you have any questions or concerns, you know how to contact me."

"Thank you." With Ejin's final reply, Aido took his leave. From the brief glimpse of him, I could see why Kaname had his son as a major ally. Aido was an important man, at least important enough to hold a party to invite pureblood vampires.

"Uncle?" I questioned with a childish voice. I had an appearance to keep up, that of a child.

"Yes, my darling niece," he answered with a playful tone.

"Why was he here?" I didn't need to ask who he was because we were attending his soiree. Besides, gathering that bit of information was baby play. I wanted to know Aido's motive for showing up in the Toma's estsate.

"He sent a list of names attending the party."

I blinked at him. Something still wasn't adding up.

His lips quirked up at the corners. "Aw, what will I do to my over curious little niece?" He reached to me and ruffled my hair. I swiped at his hand and quickly moved away from him. When he moved to me, I didn't sense him coming. Was I completely lapsing in his company? If I was, that was not a good sign.

"Kyyra, your father and I need a list of guests to see who will be attending the night's party for your safety."

"I see," I said with a small voice.

"And we need to check if any other pureblood vampires will be at the party, my sweet Kyyra. You will be making a debut. The others will try to take an advantage," another familiar voice said from the distance. Quickly, I lifted my head. I turned to the door where the blond male exited and saw my father standing there, looking ethereal.

"Daddy," I perked at seeing him. There was no room for thought. I ran to him and hugged his legs. I laughed as he bent down to gather me in his arms. My joy filled the room as he raised me into the air and twirled me around.

"This greeting never gets old," my father replied, a smile adorning on his thin lips and mismatched eyes.

I rubbed my cheek against his shoulder. "You're my world, daddy," I said with ease. He was my everything. The supposed monster of Vampire Knight, the insane one was where I felt most comfortable.

OoO

There weren't many chances for me to see my father after that night. He was busy dealing with meetings. I didn't see much of Ejin either. I attended private tutoring sessions, had numerous dress fittings and practiced how to dance at the party. I was barely five years old yet the vampires in the vampire society expected me to dance in front of them.

I despised it.

I loved dancing but to dance in front of strangers, considering that I couldn't show them any weakness, I wasn't going through with it. Especially since I discovered I wasn't dancing with my father. The hosts of the party had a right to choose who I could dance with and I hoped I wouldn't have to dance with their son. From what I could remember, the young Hanabusa was spoiled and stubborn. He had an unfair perception of purebloods.

I decided not to change anything about the soiree. I was there in the company of my uncle and my daddy. No one else mattered. Instead my main focus was keeping to my father's side and look for a way to save his life. I was there for only observation purposes.

So dancing with the right form as an introduction meant nothing to me.

I would only do it to make my father proud of me. No one else.

I only hoped that I wouldn't have to meet the other key player to game of chess we were playing, Kaname. If I had to directly associate myself with him, I was screwed.

OoO

The night of the party, I wore a pink frilly dress that mama would love so much. She loved wearing fancy dresses and she loved making me wear them too. Rido stood in front of mama's painting, whispering words to her. His hand reached out to caress her face lovingly. For a moment, sadness engulfed me. I wished she was going to the party too.

I bit my lip to bite back a whimper. I didn't want to ruin a sweet scene between my parents. To anyone watching, we looked like beautifully insane vampires worshipping a painting. If they only knew that we weren't mad. The gift and curse of the Toma family was leaving a trace of themselves in objects. It was a bizarre power to have.

But mama, it was like she never left us.

"Come my sweet little niece," Ejin crooned at me. His large hand took my small hand in his and without fighting him, I let him carry me away.

"You look so adorable, enough to eat," he said to me. I wasn't paying him mind until his face popped in front of me. I blinked and jumped away from him. "Be careful tonight love, you're going to be fresh meat dangling in front of starving animals." Then he laughed like there was nothing wrong with his message.

I blinked my eyes and straightened my body. My hands fisted tightly at my sides, within the frills of my pink dress. I had to be strong. I prepared for this moment. I was finally going to meet the other vampires. I lifted my head and inhaled a deep breath. The limousine door opened and I was helped by my uncle into the car.

"Remember my cute little niece, stay at our sides tonight. Don't leave for anything."

I nodded my head.

"There's a reason you need to stay with us." He sounded serious. I looked up at him as he sat across from me. Good, the seat next to me was for daddy.

"Purebloods can force their will on other vampires. In other words, my innocent darling niece, they can make lesser vampires do anything. For your safety stay with me or your father."

I wasn't planning on leaving my father's side for anything. I had a vendetta. I was going to protect him.

I nodded my head to appease my uncle.

"I mean it."

He didn't seem convince but Rido came into the limousine and my attention was lost. I had eyes for only my daddy. I smiled like a contented cat as he took a seat next to me and hugged me close to his side. We stayed like that, his hand patting my head comfortingly while silence hung in the air.

When we got to the party, the purebloods gracefully got out of their vehicle. Daddy helped me out and held my hand with a firm grip. His strides were a lot slower as we entered a huge, fancy mansion. Eyes, from aristocrats, immediately landed on us. I tightened my grip on dad's hand.

"My sweet Kyrra, you will be able to feel eveyone's presence." As soon as he said the words, I could feel the weight of every vampire's presence in the room. But there was one that was very strong and it made the others weak in comparison. I slowed down, my breathing became hard. My fingers weakened in my father's grasp. Something heavy was crushing me. But what?

Was this a test that purebloods did to each other? A test of worthiness?

Rido sensed the change and subtly, he lifted me into his arms. Magically, the pressing weight on my form disappeared, giving me air. I hid my face in my father's chest, seeking reprieve.

His large hand cradle the back of my head. His chest rumbled, instantly comforting me. My daddy was here for me. Everything was going to be okay.

"Welcome, Toma, Kuran and his daughter," someone announced. I lost all sense until Rido put me down. Vampires came at us, presenting themselves. Being shorter than them, I peered around dresses and suit pants.

I stared out at the glittering dresses, a polished floor, and sparkling glasses filled with crimson. My breath caught. There was something emerging from the midst of the glittering masses. I blinked my eyes. I moistened my lips. I was afraid to take the next breath.

Dark hair of a young boy came out from the group of dresses. He didn't look much older than me.

Then eyes looked at me, red-brown. I had seen him before. This was not our first meeting. There was something about him I couldn't place.

And yet I couldn't take my eyes off of him.

He, too, froze.

We stared at each other.

His red-brown eyes taking me in.

Something in me screamed to run away.

Another part of me was fascinated.

Then he moved, gliding closer in an easy manner. His good looking face was zooming in. I could see his striking nose, his entrancing lips. He didn't look hard. He didn't look evil. He looked... curious... and so familiar like....

I blinked my eyes. A breath rushed out of me.

He lifted a hand. No more than a few inches separated us. And Kaname Kuran, the last person I wanted to meet yet I knew I was going to eventually encounter, was standing there, waiting for me to respond.

We stared at each other and the time between us was just lost.

This was the moment, I wasn't... I didn't.... I was lost.

His brown-red orbs filled my vision and he wasn't what I expected.  Evil.

Then he moved, gracefully making his way toward me.  The hand that was extended toward me dropped.  He bowed elegantly, that same hand pressed against his chest.

I drew in air, fighting not to tremble or show any signs of emotion.  In the world of purebloods, any act of feeing was a sign of weakness.  We were to be statues of supreme beauty, untouchable and cold.

But watching him, the unnatural beauty of a boy who was and is an ancient, I didn't know how to react. 

He definitely wasn't ordinary.  I had to be careful.  Very careful.  His appearance was that of a child, but he was far wiser than anyone in the room.

And I was the object of his interest, his dark eyes drilling with a stark intensity, scanning me, all of me. 

He was testing me, weighing me with eyes that saw too much.

Was I worthy enough to be a Kuran?

He stood, tall, taller than me by a couple of inches.  That same hand lifted and enclosed my hand, feeling, testing.  He drew me to him, the pull so strong that my breath caught.  He was more than testing me, he was judging me.

He pulled me to the dance floor.  Hanabusa's father chose me to dance with another pureblood.  Befitting I was about to dance with the enemy.

It was my turn, to judge him.  Being a female and the way dancing worked between both of us, he had to take lead.

His other hand was placed at my hip, his entrancing eyes stared down at me.  A sound escaped his lips.  A word, something I couldn't hear and then we were moving all over the dance floor, skillfully and elegantly.  We were both a work of art for the spectators to absorb.  Two purebloods from influential families joining together and dancing like dazzling stars in the night sky.  What we did, it was rare. And those spectators drank us in, wishing to have a piece of us but could never have what we could offer.  Perfection, power.

Then he stopped, and I became aware that the air was silent.

He stepped away, the intimacy of his touch severed.  But the feel of his warmth still lingered.

I blinked.  He was going to be the reason that my father died and here I was completely enthralled by him.

I blinked again, remaining composed and beautiful.  I curtsied and thanked him for the dance.

"Your welcome," he answered smoothly.  He continued to watch me, his eyes seeing everything and yet revealing nothing to me.

And I was at lost for words.  Only one fact nagged at the back of my mind, to keep my father alive, somehow, I had to get closer to him.

*****

A/N: Thank you all for your support, it means so much to me. :)