"Vampires can't reproduce," he answered. "I was human. I don't really remember my mortal parents; I suppose I must have come from a breeding colony. I'm not sure I ever met my father at all."
He thought for a moment. "I survived the agoge - not everyone did - and served as a hoplite in the infantry. Those of us who were thought of as suitable to become a supernatural were chosen early and groomed for command, but not before we had proven our prowess both in training and on the battlefield. I was marked for the Krypteia by the time I was twenty, when basic training ended, and I continued with my studies and duties for the next fifteen years."
He gave a thin smile. "I'm somewhat far removed from having any royal blood. Except what I've drunk from you."