These Are the Dark Days

Frank sat, wrapped up in Gerard’s arms, and listened intently.

“About fifteen years go, a power struggle broke out in the Iero family, the Italian vampire royal family based in Florence. The fight was between the king and his brother. His brother, Gavin, became tired of living under his brother’s rule and proceeded to raise his own forced to throw his brother off the throne.

This created a civil war in the country that lasted for two years. When Gavin believed he was going to lose, he put his final plan into action. He gave the King Ryan one last warning, telling him to abdicate or pay the ultimate price.

Thinking the ultimate price was his death, the king proceeded to ignore his brother’s threat, not worrying about his own fate. It was that night that Gavin infiltrated Ryan’s palace and kidnapped the younger of the two princes.

The king abdicated the next day, begging his brother for his son back. But it was too late, Gavin told his brother that the young prince was dead and if Ryan did not go into hiding with his family, never to come out again, Gavin would kill the remaining prince.” Gerard looked at Frank, seeing if Frank understood where he was going with this.

“Little one, you are the young prince. Your uncle lied when he told your father you were dead. I can only assume he sold you off and had you glamoured to hide you but he has kept track on you, incase your father tries to overthrow him. You and your brother are your father’s weakness, you are the ultimate bargaining tool.”

Frank stood up quickly and started pacing the room, his voices breaking as he spoke, “No. No. You’re lying. Why are you lying to me, Gerard?” He looked at his mate, his eyes starting to fill with tears. Gerard stood up quickly and held Frank as tightly as he cold without hurting him and placed his chin on the top of Frank’s head.

“My love, my dear Frank, I promise you that I am not lying. You are the prince of Italy, your family is in hiding.” Frank held on to the front of Gerard’s shirt and began to cry. “Don’t cry, little one, my father was on the side of your father during the civil war, he sent as much help as he could. He might know where your family is.”

Frank looked up at the dom, drying his eyes on his long sleeves. “Let’s go ask your father then.” Frank then took charge; he grabbed his mate’s hand and made his way to the king’s office.

~***~

Gerard had been correct, his father did know where the Iero family was hiding. While he could not contact them directly, for fear of Gavin finding out, he did have an address. They had fled to a small town in Minnesota, the last place anyone would have thought to look for them.

It was then that Frank asked his first favor from the king. “Sir, I would like to find my family. They need to know I am alive.” The king nodded, and sent for his secretary to make the arrangements. They were to leave the next day and when they returned, they were to bring Frank’s family with them. The king would be able to protect them better if they were in hiding in Jersey this also meant Frank could visit.

~***~

Frank and Gerard had a lot to do before they were to leave the next day. They first drove to James and Eve’s home to collect the rest of Frank’s belongings and to tell his parents that they were going out of town for a little while.

The king advised them to not to let anyone know where they were going. If Gavin had been keeping track of Frank, he would be able to find out to quickly what they were doing.

The two men then returned to the palace in order to pack. It was mid January and neither had ever been to Minnesota so they packed all the heavy snow gear they could find.

It was late in the night when they finally finished, they would have been done sooner had Frank not stopped every twenty minutes to tackle Gerard to the ground in an ongoing game they had of ‘who was tougher’.

After Frank had fallen asleep, Gerard snuck down to the basement to finish off Jessica. He would have liked to take his time and make her scream, but he was tired. He was also sure she was one of Gavin’s workers and did not want to allow her any chance of warning her boss. He would not allow Gavin to know that Frank was unglammored and was on his way to find his family.

He killed her quickly, without even waking her up, and returned to his bed for the night.

~***~

Having never flown before, Frank was plastered to the window of the plane, and was in awe of the clouds flying past them for at least a half an hour. After he had been asked to close the shade by the flight attendant, Frank sat back in his chair in a huff, placing his head on Gerard’s shoulder.

To Frank, it felt like ages before they landed. The rest was a daze. He remembered getting off the plane and Gerard not allowing him to lug his own suitcase but before he knew it, he was standing in front a two story, historic looking house. Gerard was ringing the doorbell.

It took a moment before a short, round faced woman opened the door. “Can I help you boys?”