Prince James(1)

Prince James wasn't a handsome man.
He was rather short compared to men nowadays.
His body didn't look like that of a fighter.
Sure he possesed the strength of more than a dozen men and could move faster than a race car for a few seconds and he could also stand even the scorching rays of the sun for a while but his body didn't betray that.
Unlike many other elders he had never invested in powers in order to alter his appearance or improve his body's looks.
If someone could  see him during his mortal days the only change he would discover would be the pale color of his skin and his short, almost military looking, hair.
In his living days he must have been a middle-eastern man with dark skin, black hair and dark green eyes.
Now, in his immortal days the only change was his pale skin and the air of superiority that followed his every move.

No one knew where he had come from. He had just appeared in Thessaloniki one night out of nowhere.
No one knew how old he was but everyone agreed that he must have been already old when he had come.
No one knew which clan he belonged to. Speculations and myths about ancient forgotten clans always surrounded him.
And Prince James liked it that way.
He wanted to be a major player in this nightly war and the less his enemies knew about him the smaller the chance they would find a weak spot of his.

He had been ruling this town for 300 years already and his iron grip over it grew firmer with each day.
Elders came and elders left but he was still there.
Many could say Thessaloniki was James.
Why not after all?
Prince James loved his city, loved the way the air smelled, loved the way seasons of the year changed, loved the blood that ran in this city's people's veins.
But not everyone loved him.
That was a fair deal for him.
His enemies hated him for being a mystery to them, so calm to his people and so fierce to his enemies.
His allies through europe hated him for being a mystery even to them. He held the town in his iron grip, many times ignoring the rules they had made.
And his people? Let's say that half of them feared him and the other half were inspired by him.
He had done many things to be accused of during his 300 year reign but no one, still living at least, could accuse him of being unfair.
His punishments were harsh but fair and even the guilty ones admitted that.

Prince James always felt lucky. It was like his way had already been paved for him, he just needed to take the right decisions at the right moment and the universe would conspire to favor him.
But still he was just one against multiple obstacles and enemies.
And then he met him!
He knew his real name of course. He knew his real face too.
But there was no reason to reveal any of that.
This creature wanted to be called 'Faceless' and Prince James had no reason not to allow it.
In this creature's face James found an assistant he could rely on.
Faceless' origins and abilities made him a deadly and totally effective Sheriff for his city.
But that weren't the qualities Prince James admired on him. It was Faceless' loyalty that made them the deadly pair they were for the last 300 years.
Sure 'Faceless' sometimes questioned his Prince's decisions but he always acted first and then asked him.
After so many years the Prince considered him his best advisor but 'Faceless' knew that Prince James was the leader and he also knew at what point a piece of advice would become an insult to a leader's mind.

Prince James would spend the most part of his night at his Hotel from which he ruled his city.
Behind his office he was always eager to meet anyone who would want to but he respected his time to waste it in meaningless matters and almost everybody knew or had found out that wasting the Prince's time could only mean bad things for them.
He insisted on personally meeting every new vampire in town  and he demanded that at least once a month the elders of his town must meet with him.
'Faceless' on the other side could rarely be seen in that Hotel. He was always out there looking for potential troublemakers or threats to the city's peace.

That night though they were both insdie his office.
The prince was on his chair and 'Faceless' standing and staring out the huge window overlooking Thessaloniki's port.
Something weird was about to happen. Anyone would be able to read that from the Prince's expression.
He was looking at his door lost in his thoughts.
And 'Faceless' knew when to speak. If his prince wanted his opinion he would have asked, after all.

Finally Prince James was the first to break the silence in the room.
-So what shall I do about the woman's request?
-Something tells me you have already decided on that your majesty! Faceless answered.
-What's your opinion?
-As a Sheriff or as the prince of a town?
-You know what I mean, what is she hiding?
-You never ask a shadow to uncover its secrets, you just cast light on it.
-You are slowly evolving into a poet, my Sheriff.
-So much time spent with Sofia and the other artists.
-Hahahaha.
-I made you laugh my Prince, I guess things are not that bad after all.
-Bad? Not really! Weird? Of course.
-So what is your decision on the matter?
-Let the woman and the wannabe newborn come, I am curious about this masquerade and I would like to see when and how it will end!