Once out of the room, Loki and I made our way towards the colosseum. On the way there, we saw Oswald get dragged into the castle's library by Emma and Zoe. They had a small tail following them, Leo.

Loki went up to the pup, scuffling his hair before greeting him. We walked past the Lycan boy, who simpered at Loki’s action before going into the library after Oswald. Much to my surprise, Loki was a different person in public than he was behind closed doors.

A flirt he was not. I was utterly wrong about him. He ignored the girls who were in awe of him. Unlike his playful self in the room, he had a royal air around him. There was grace in his step. Though, he occasionally gazed back to make sure I kept up.

Not only was he royal, but he was kind to those he wanted to. Every time his eyes met with mine, I always gazed away. This was not good for my heart. He was not good for it.

When we made it to the colosseum, I stared at a large portrait of Leonard. Loki’s father had been the best swordsman ever to grace the royal family. Though there were rumors that his youngest son was just as good as him.

Of course, Oswald was just as young, but I would not catch him dead in here. At least not to practice this art. The man in the picture had beautiful black hair and orbs that were bluer than the sky itself. Alistair was a spitting image of him.

Walking past it, we entered the sparring area. A few vampires were waiting for the prince. All of them knew him, though their eyes dropped on me. The new intruder. This prince had never brought a maid with him before.

They all greeted the prince, becoming overly curious about me soon after.

“Never thought I would see you walk in with a girl. Did your grandfather finally get to you?” a blond vampire boy with red eyes commented to Loki, taking a short peek at me.

My prince raised an eyebrow, shaking his head.

“Na, I just found her interesting. Though, don’t mind her. She’s just here to serve me, Lucas.” Loki smirked at his friend, who seemed to have his eyes glued on me.

Another royal?

I bowed in respect.

“My name’s Vivian, Prince Loki’s personal maid. Pleased to meet you, Lord Lucas.” I introduced myself, causing Loki to click his tongue.

The friendly vampire got closer to me.

“Oh, you know I’m royalty?” he asked, intrigued by me.

I nodded, straightening myself up to face him. His approach did not have the same effect Loki had on me.

Why’s that? So... it isn’t every boy. Come to think of it, Oswald's touch is nowhere near as pleasing as Loki's. Wait... Why did that pass through my mind? Concentrate!

“Anyone who comes here is of royal blood. Commoners aren’t allowed into the colosseum, from what I know.” I answered.

It caused him to raise his eyebrows too, gazing back at Loki.

“Pretty and brains? You have one hell of a maid here. Alistair’s are as dumb as they come. They cussed me out even though I’m your cousin.” Lucas chuckled, shaking his head.

Loki just shrugged.

“Hey, what kind of services does she give, and are they good?” Lucas smirked at the twin, nudging him a bit.

My prince scowled back at him.

“She doesn’t do those types of services, Lucas. Go to Alistair for those,” Loki growled at his cousin who seemed to just be messing with him too.

It was interesting to see the prince protective of me, though. I did not expect him to be like that. But then again, the bond probably made him feel that way.

“Aw, I wouldn’t have minded some of it.” Lucas jested.

Loki's mood seemed to sour because of it. Surely it was not because of what the friendly vampire was saying. After all, he did not have to care about me to defend my honor. I did not have any to begin with.

“Shut it, Lucas,” my vampire grumbled, trying to keep his annoyance in check.

Lucas seemed to enjoy every bit. Though I stood there silently, allowing it to play out. It had nothing to do with me.

“What, you want it all for yourself?” Lucas continued, grabbing Loki by his shoulder, winking at him.

The annoyed vampire swatted his arm away.

“Oi… Lucas, don't make me hand your arse to you.” Loki warned, walking over to the wooden swords on the side.

Lucas snickered, following him.

“That isn't fair. Don’t you always?” the cousin pointed out.

My vampire sighed, grabbing one of the wooden practice swords before pointing it at him. A sly smirk rose on my prince's lips.

“Okay, let me rephrase that, then. Don’t make me hand your arse to you to make you not come in tomorrow,” Loki smirked, eyeing down Lucas.

The friendly vampire seemed to regret his choice of words. I had never seen someone backtrack as much as he did. His eyes seemed already depicting agony, too. It was silly to see. A normal friendly relationship.

One I would never have.

“Please, Loki, don’t do that. We’re all friends here, no?” Lucas began.

Loki took a step closer to him as terror filled his eyes. The other boys chuckled at the scene. It was hard for me to hold it in, too.

“No… Loki, come on. I’m but a maiden compared to you. Treat me gently. Please?" the friendly vampire continued, only to realize Loki would not go easy on him.

At that moment, I could almost see tears coming out of his eyes.

"I’m sowwy, Loki!” Lucas whimpered, grabbing onto another sword.

I had seen no one shake on his boots as much as him. Though the moment that sword was in his hand, Loki came at him at full speed. Sitting down on a near bench, I gazed at my prince spar with Lucas, who was quickly defeated by the crowned prince.

No matter who came to Loki, he would always be victorious in the end. He truly was as good as his father, Leonard. He was who trained Rem to fight shadow demons with the morphed god artifact the shadow of a goddess, Midnight, made for her.

The elves made God artifacts from the souls of god-like beings from the soul cairn. They morphed into objects with their elven magic. That act usually caused the users to lose their lives.

Yes, that meant that every artifact that existed was there because of dozens. If not, hundreds of elves lost their lives to make their art. An art that came in a variety of different forms.

Though they were used in wars by royals from the Lycan and vampire tribes. These items gifted them with the chance to use time magic for one spell. Some even distorted dimensions or destroyed things.

The reason they existed was something I did not quite understand. But Lilith explained it to me as an artist, giving their lives for the biggest piece in their lives. Sadly, I still did not understand. They died before they even saw their work come through.

She insisted they were happy to die for it. Though she also called them ignorant fools. It was what caused many hardships and wars. However, the artifacts were rare nowadays. This made vampires use iron swords for battle.

After watching how good Loki was. It made me wonder how Alistair was going to get rid of him. The eldest brother’s blood control and Loki’s blood magic both were useless against one another too. Vampires and their immunity…

Though that helped Alistair get on even grounds with Loki. However, the younger brother had Eli, too. A shadow demon that did not depend on blood magic for its power. With that alone, Alistair had no hope of killing Loki through violent means.

So, poison maybe? No, Loki’s too careful of that too.

No matter what way I saw it happen, Loki would always be victorious in the end. And that brief encounter with the elder brother made me feel like I was looking at a lonely boy. He was not a murderer.

Had my prediction been wrong?

Alistair was late for the sparring lesson, too. However, when he came in, he glared at his baby brother the entire way. Loki was already working up the others. He took no pity if it was a girl battling him, too. So, he was utterly unaware of his brother’s approach.

Even if he attacks, Eli will sense it. And stop it.

There was dislike present in Alistair's eyes, but that alone could not kill. If not, many others would have been dead long ago. I found no answers, watching them spar either. Loki was superior in skill, much as I thought.

Though, I noticed Alistair’s maids with him, too. They were glaring at me the entire time we were here. The girls thought I was probably gone after the condition I came in last night, but I could not help sneering back at them.

I probably should not have, but they were annoying me. Their eyes were heavy on me. After the quick battle between the two brothers, Loki disarmed Alistair with ease. It caused him to glare at his younger brother, who smirked in return before walking away.

Placing the wooden sword away, Loki called me over to hand him the towel to dry himself with.

“Are you done for today, Prince?” I asked, smiling at him, handing over his towel.

He grinned at me.

“Yep, these idiots won’t be able to handle me anymore. Let Alistair have them for a while.” Loki chuckled, glancing over to Lucas, who grumbled as every joint ached.

It was almost a pity to see the friendly boy like that, but he bothered Loki.

“I see. Then I’m pleased you had your fill.” I continued to smile.

He placed his hand on my head. The sudden motion caused me to widen my eyes. His touch was so warm and unexpected.

“You really need to stop forcing that smile. How about we go for lunch? You’re hungry too, right?” Loki smirked playfully, trailing his hand down my hair.

I was caught off guard by that, too.

Lunch? I haven’t even thought of food.

Analyzing everything around the prince took precedence.

“Oh? I’m fine, Prince Loki. Please don’t mind me.” I assured him, only to be betrayed by my stomach grumbling.

I felt my cheeks turn pink because of it. He raised his eyebrows, simpering, grabbing into my hand before pulling me along with no hesitation.

Is this how you treat a maid?

Honestly, he could not help himself.

“Nope, let’s go into town for lunch. We’ll meet Oz at the library, and I’ll treat you to something better than the staff lunch will ever make. Well, after I take a quick shower.” Loki announced, dragging me towards the door to the public boys' bathroom of the coliseum.

I sighed in response. There was no beating this prince.

“If you wish.” I simpered, feeling some knots in my stomach.

Or was it butterflies? I could not tell the difference anymore. The only thing I knew was that this boy that led me around caused them. Once we stopped by the door to the showers, I sat down by a bench nearby with Loki's belongings. He went inside for a quick wash and change of clothes.

There was a shower for the princes or princesses alone. Well, one for females and one for males, while the other royals had to use the other two. To my knowledge, there was not any female princess this time around. The males had taken over this generation.

I guess if the queen ever practiced her skills, the bathroom would be ready for her. I took a deep breath, noticing Eli stayed behind with me. It seemed Loki did not trust Alistair. The little snake was protectively coiling around one of my arms.

I glanced around to see who was around to see. It was just me and Eli waiting in this space. It seemed the other boys were still with Alistair. Unable to help myself, I grabbed onto Eli's soft body, pulling him onto my lap.

"Why... are you here?" I mumbled, fidgeting with his scales.

"I didn’t want to leave the lady alone." Eli snickered.

I rubbed my fingers on the little snake’s cheeks. He shivered when a shriek came from the bathroom where Loki was. I was not the only one who heard it. Lucas and Alistair both came running from the side as I, with brief hesitation, opened the door, rushing in.

There Loki stood, covering himself with a towel. He was not alone, though. A girl was on the floor crying. In my prince’s eyes, only anger and disgust were reflected, glaring at her, who was utterly naked too.

Alistair and Lucas both came in behind me to see the scene, too. Eli rushed towards Loki, who seemed utterly surprised by the entire event. I mean, who would not? A girl had come into the room and assaulted him.

"What the fuck?" Alistair mumbled under his breath.

It was obvious he was angry. The girl, who seemed to be a vampire, stood up to run past us only for me to use magic to cause her to slip and fall next to where we stood. Unlike other witches, I did not have to utter a single word to cast a spell. Nor did I need any sacrifices, as Oswald did.

Though I was limited in what I could do without the living gods figuring it out. The girl tumbled onto the wall because of my simple spell. Lucas and Alistair both seemed utterly confused about what was going on.

Well, the floor was wet and slippery. The fall was not what surprised them. No, it was when I walked over to the recovering girl, throwing her a towel. This was so she could be decent before grabbing onto her hair.

Anger… No, fury was all I felt. This woman dared to touch my link. My precious…

"What do you think you were doing to my master?" I asked, voice cold.

The girl seemed utterly perplexed on why a human grabbed onto her. She was a molester, not a killer. That much I could tell from her eyes. She could easily hurt me, but with the other vampires, that would only increase the charges she would face.

Though what froze her was nothing of the sort. No, it was my expression. The fear in her eyes alerted me to it. Though only she could see it. Any movement meant certain death.

"I’m sorry! Please! Let me go!" the girl pleaded, hoping I would leave it at that.

But seeing how troubled Loki was, there was no way I could. I wanted to see her burn. Luckily, I could not, but… It was fortunate that my back was towards the boys. They could not see this ugly side of me.

Well, my expression at least.

"Ah... I don’t think I’ve ever seen garbage like you before." I grimaced at the girl, letting her go only to take a few steps towards Loki.

My voice was full of revulsion, too. Seeing how speechless it made my prince, I bit onto my tongue. I gazed down, clenching my fists.

Breathe… Vivian…

Though my anger could not be contained. Before I knew it, I turned around, kicking the unsuspecting girl's face right at her temple. Surely, a normal royal vampire would have broken my leg clean off, but from the dirt in her hands and the scars in her body. I knew she was not one.

If anything, she was a peasant who hoped to seduce the prince.

Utter dirt…

However, even the peasants were immune to a royal’s blood magic. Sadly, the only thing Loki had to his advantage was his strength. Which he used when he shoved her off him. After kicking the girl, Alistair, who was closer to me than Loki, grabbed onto me, pulling me towards him.

He was afraid the girl might have retaliated, but much to his and everyone's surprise, she was knocked out. Barely anything would handle an unsuspected hit to the head, and I did not hold back.

"Holy shit! She’s more badass than Gerta. I didn’t think another human would ever leave me like this." Lucas gushed in awe.

I huffed, glaring at the girl with pure indignation.

How dare she touch my protector?

If he wanted it. It would have been different, but he hated it.

He’s pure! How dare she?!

I could barely hold myself together when I noticed what I did.

Oh fuck…

I glanced over to Loki to see him in utter surprise. The disgust and anger were no longer lingering in his eyes. No, pure amazement was what was left. 

"Little lamb, you’re a fighter." Alistair chuckled, holding me by my arms, preventing me from smashing the girl's face.

Shit... How to recover from this? Well... It seems Gerta would have done something similar. Perhaps that’s my way out.

Lucas had gone over to the girl, poking her face. Luckily, Loki seemed to catch his breath. Eli was with him, which meant he was safe from his kind.

"How many times has it been this year?" Lucas asked.

I glared at the unconscious girl.

"Three. The guards don't know how the fuck they get in. And we can't just install cameras here. Someone would get to those too." Alistair answered, gazing at Loki.

"Are you okay, bro?" he asked his little brother, who finally shook the event off.

"I’m fine. I just wasn’t expecting this today out of all days." Loki rolled his eyes.

Eli stayed behind, that was why.

"Well, you usually catch them before they get too close for comfort. Getting rusty?" Alistair chastised his baby brother only to receive a glare.

"Shut up." Loki hissed.

I finally calmed down enough to glance over at Alistair.

"Could you let me go?" I mumbled, wanting to be done with the situation that had arisen.

"Sure, little lamb, for a kiss." Alistair teased me.

It was more annoying than anything else.

"Oi..." Loki growled from the side.

I rolled my eyes at his request for my freedom. My vampire grumbled something under his breath when Eli got in between us again. It caused the older brother to let me go.

"What the hell, Eli?! That’s twice now!" Alistair growled at the familiar.

I took the opportunity to leave the boys alone in the bathroom. If I even glanced over to Loki's semi-naked body again. I would have killed the girl without a care of who was there.

"Excuse me, I’ll go call guards. Please keep an eye on the trash in case it regains its awareness." I announced, walking away.

I pressed the button near the entrance of the bathroom that alerted the guards to come. Luckily, this was not a one-time ordeal. There had been plenty of attempts like this. Usually, Loki would notice them thanks to Eli's watchful eyes.

However, this time, the girl waited until he turned on the water. It masked her footsteps. Despicable, really. In the adrenaline-filled moment, I did not notice how I sprained my ankle when I had kicked the girl's face.

Even though the harlot was not from royal blood. A vampire was always a tough opponent. It was nothing I could not handle, though. When Loki was done dressing, he sat next to me on the bench.

The girl seemed to have regained her consciousness some minutes after I left, but luckily Lucas nor Alistair did not let her leave. While guards took the naked assailant out of the restroom, Loki rested his head on my shoulder.

It caused me to stiffen up. He was too close.

"You... I don't know if you’re crazy, brave, or stupid. Why would you do that?" he asked in a mumble.

I fidgeted with my hair, not knowing if he meant the magic I used or the kick. The other maids were glaring at us from the distance. Sadly, I could not feel like I accomplished something.

"I don't know what you mean. Really, I was just doing my job." I answered.

My words triggered him to shake his head. Eli was on both our laps.

"No, Vivi, your job is to serve me. Not protect me. Why would you put yourself in harm's way? Especially when you have such a weak, brittle human body. They could have hurt badly you." He continued.

I sighed. He was right. I could feel the pain radiating from my foot. Any more and it would have broken, probably. Luckily, the vampire wench had not expected me to kick her face, or else it would have been worse.

"I just saw red. I was angrier about what she did or might have done to you than about my safety." I replied honestly.

He hummed, shaking his head. His hand found mine when he pulled it to his lap. Pure warmth filled me, feeling his still resting on my shoulder. He inspected my limb, caressing it with his thumb.

The affection that radiated from his skin into mine was otherworldly.

How... dare another woman touch him? Wait... No... I can’t think like that!

"I would have been fine, you know," Loki assured me.

I knew that full well. Even so... I could not stop myself from wanting to kick that girl's face in. She was lucky I had done nothing worse.

"I know... It still doesn't stop me from..." I stopped myself from continuing when I felt the other maids' eyes on me.

Everyone else was too busy watching the naked girl leave the colosseum to notice us. Well, all but then, who always had eyes for the princes.

"From?" Loki whispered.

The commotion seemed to have turned into an uproar. Everyone wanted to take pictures of the assailant. Somehow, I did not feel bad at all. In fact, I felt like she deserved more humiliation. Sadly, I did not understand her desperation.

Either way, it was wrong.

"Wanting to keep you safe, my prince." I finished, closing my eyes.

Loki hummed again before releasing a sigh.

Why is his voice so soothing to me?

"Hm... I see. Thank you, Vivi." The vampire chuckled, letting go of my hand.

I pulled it away, trying to hide the warmth it gave me. He called me the same nickname Nene used to call me by. A soft sting rose on my chest.

"A new nickname for me?" I mumbled, trying to keep my heart steady while suppressing the agony that name caused me.

Dad usually called me Vi, so did Lilith.

Vivi…

"Hm, don't like it?" Loki asked, getting up from the bench.

There he offered me his hand to help me up as well. Hesitantly, I accepted his aid.

"I don't mind it." I sighed, not pleased to hear it, but when it came from his voice.

It was pleasant. However, when we went to take a step away from where we were sitting. I could not help almost lose my balance. Luckily, I grabbed onto Loki, who caught me.

"Shit, are you hurt?" the startled vampire was worried.

I shook my head.

"I’m fine," I assured him, only to wince when I placed weight on my foot again.

"Vivian." Loki sighed.

I seemed to have been caught in a lie.

"Arg... It must have been when I hit the girl. I’m fine though." I confessed.

It caused Loki to push me back onto the bench before grabbing onto my foot. By now, the uproar from earlier died down, triggering more eyes to be on us. Especially since Lucas could not shut up about how badass I was in there.

Their curiosity was growing.

"Wait, I’m fine. Please, prince..." I tried to get Loki to realize what his action was causing.

But instead of listening to me, he focused on what he had in mind. His eyes suddenly got red veiny markings like the day we had first met, all those years ago. It triggered me to stop, remaining still as a stick.

I never thought I would ever see him like that. Though the vampire pressed my ankle where instead of pain; I felt a pop before instant relief.

"There, how does it feel now?" he asked, gazing back at me.

His markings faded soon after. Though it left me gazing at my foot, utterly bewildered. There was much unknown about blood magic. It had been lost all those years ago. Yet, in an instant, I understood why vampire bites always healed seconds later.

"Amazing, you can heal too?" I gleamed, utterly astonished by what Loki did.

These ancient beings were healers, too. Much like elves were.

"Uh… I can speed up the healing process to a point. Though I try not to use my magic much." Loki answered, cheeks somewhat pink.

I genuinely smiled at him. I did not even notice it. Though the boys that were staring at us surely did.

"So, does that mean you can accelerate aging?" I asked, allowing my curiosity to get the better of me.

It triggered Loki to chuckle a bit in response.

"No, I can cause you to get a tumor, though. Or turn you into a blob of flesh." He answered crackling.

A soft frown replaced my smile.

"Ew... That isn’t as interesting." I sighed, gazing towards the side.

"I thought so." Loki laughed.

I took a peek at him, simpering.

Why can’t I control myself around you?

"Still amazing. Thank you for healing me, Prince Loki." I smiled whole heartily.

It caused Loki to curse under his breath, grabbing onto my hand, pulling me along.

"Let’s get out of here and get that lunch I promised you." My vampire smiled in a hurry to get out of here.

I could not help the smile that crept onto my lips again.

You’re too bright for me.

"Okay," I agreed, allowing myself to be led by him.

After leaving the Colosseum with no further issues, we met a half-dead Oz who was with Emma and Zoe by the castle entrance. The tired twin yelled at the girls to go away, leaving them grumbling under their breaths.

Though, hesitantly, they walked back towards the castle to pass the afternoon with Gerta. Instead of leaving me there too, I headed out with the twins into the town. Quietly, I followed the two boys, who seemed to bicker to one another about their morning.

Though it was not long until we arrived at a café where Oz slumped towards the chairs. The way he was, made me worry about his wellbeing. Loki ordered at the register like this happened every day.

“Oswald… Are you okay?” I mumbled, reaching for his shoulder only to be met with his hand.

His familiar laid on his lap, taking a soft yawn. She shot up to meet with my gaze too.

“You better not be like the other two. Let me sleep!” Oz grumbled, eyes twitching.

I felt shivers run down my spine. He was in a worse mood than this morning. His blue, purplish orbs were barely open. It was not long before he crashed down onto the table face first. I gazed at the boy, unable to tell if he expired or passed out.

“Okay…” I mumbled, pulling away from Oswald, allowing his hand to fall onto the table.

He made some inhuman noises to respond to me when Loki finally came back. My prince sat on a chair, tapping the one next to him.

Is that a gesture for me to join him?

I hesitantly did so. This was what I wanted to be close to the two boys. But my heart seemed to flutter. It did not allow me to think straight. It had been like this since Loki pushed me onto the bed.

Like in the colosseum, when I was trying to figure out how everything would play out. All that would catch my eye was Loki. The bathroom dilemma happened which caused some of my ugly side to come out.

Luckily, it was a normal reaction to the situation, but if I did not hold myself back, I would have... Well, decorated the wall with the girl. After sitting down, Loki gazed towards his brother and smirked before poking his head a bit.

“Oi, Ozzy, I got you coffee. Don’t worry, bud. It’ll be here soon. Don’t die on me yet. Plus, I haven't even told you what happened today.” Loki snickered.

It was like nothing had happened to him. All the playful vampire's words did was cause Oz to glare at him, unable fully to lift his head from the table. How he was still conscious was a miracle.

“I’ll fucking kill you. If you don’t shut it.” Oz scowled, slightly raising himself.

His brother, on the other hand, crackled, enjoying Oswald’s reaction. I gazed towards the side to see a server coming with three drinks. It seemed Loki ordered something for me, too.

“You’ll die without me. I also know how much you love me. I mean, I’m me. Who would not love me?” Loki teased Oz, rolling his eyes.

His words caused him to remember what had happened, triggering a soft frown to rise on his lips. Sadly, it caused him to receive a growl from his twin's lips. Though he was not wrong, Oz would die without him. And so would I.

We were eternally trapped in this triangle thanks to the bond, our mothers made.

“Shut it! I want peace for once!” Oz grumbled as his bad mood continued.

The waitress a mid-age woman, came over, placing down the drinks on the table where we sat. She was a human with blue eyes and black hair. Surprisingly, she placed in front of me a pink drink I had never seen before.

It was cold to the touch and had whipped cream on it. On the cream, there were strawberries and bananas as decor. It was almost too pretty to even drink.

Surely, it isn’t for eating, right?

“Your face will wrinkle like that, Ozzy.” The friendly lady teased the twin, who scowled at her in response.

She did not flinch a bit at his demeanor.

“I don’t need you to remind me every fucking day you see me, Ro,” Oz growled, grabbing onto his coffee.

It seemed to be pure black. Though that did not stop him from suddenly chugging most of it down like it was nothing.

The addiction is real with this one.

Suddenly I found myself more worried for the other twin who was not sentenced to death rather than the one who was. Surely he would not die of an ailment because of his lack of sleep and coffee addiction.

“If I don’t, who will? Everyone I know is terrified of that little attitude of yours. You’ll never find a wife like that!” Ro scuffed at Oz, unphased by him.

Is this what their day looks like? It’s too bright.

Loki shook his head before chuckling.

"Fuck! You don’t know. I wish I repelled those two bitches too!" Oswald rolled his eyes at Ro.

Poor Zoe and Emma...

"Oh? Did Asher find someone immune to you other than me and my wife? What a miracle!" she hummed, noticing my hesitance to even take a sip of the drink.

She turned to me before humming.

“Hm... from the way you spoke, I don't think you meant her. So, who’s this? This is the first time I’ve ever seen you both with a maid. Should Rem be worried?” she asked the boys.

Rem?! Do they know her?!

Oz grunted, rolling his eyes.

“That’s Loki’s new toy that seems to break him instead,” Oz informed, smirking at his brother, who seemed to have gotten flustered after that.

It seemed the coffee helped Oswald receive some energy. The change was apparent. Though Loki’s eye twitched a bit.

“Oi, shut it! You don’t know how badass this girl is!” Loki snapped at Oz, who stuck his tongue out at him in defiance.

Ro inspected me, unsure of me. I froze under her eyes. Dad never spoke of her. She was an unknown.

A danger… or is she?

“Oh, hm,” she hummed, assessing me.

Oz found the opportunity to make Loki stumble on his cockiness.

“You should have seen him last night, Ro, he was—” Oz began, causing Loki to slam his head onto the table.

It was so sudden that it startled me. I never expected Loki to be so rough with Oswald, but all that was on his face was a smirk bigger than before. Ro did not bat an eye either.

Is this usual?

“I think I’ll put you to sleep myself, Ozzy.” Loki snapped at his snickering brother.

Ro seemed yet again unphased by what was happening. No, instead her blue orbs were glued to me.

“Oh, my gosh, you’re adorable! You look like a porcelain doll! I don’t think I have ever seen anyone so beautiful before. Oh, I’m jealous! Makes me want to make you a server here. How about it? Dump these two and come work for me!” Ro swooned over, triggering me to gaze away from her.

It was a bit of a relief too as she did not think badly of me, for now at least.

“It’s just good genes,” I mumbled, trying to not face her.

Ro grinned, lowering herself to be my eye level, preventing me from feeling overwhelmed by her towering me. If I shifted my glance away from her now, it would have been rude. At least she seemed friendly with the boys.

Her eyes were full of curiosity, much like Gerta’s, though.

“Oi, she’s mine, Ro,” Loki growled, making my heart skip a beat.

The butterflies grew stronger because of what he said. Though I was sure he did not mean it how it crossed into my mind. He could not mean it that way.

Yes… it can’t…

He was probably thankful I saved him.

Well, not saved, but gotten violent on his behalf. Genuinely angered?

Ro shrugged and rolled her eyes in response to Loki’s declaration.

“You know, I’m married, Loki. My wife is the chef here, remember?” Ro scuffed.

I found myself gazing between the two.

“Just reminding you,” Loki smirked.

She shook her head, rolling her eyes again.

“Let me tell ya! These boys are a fucking pain in the arse. I feel sorry if you have to deal with them all day. So, remember. If you get tired, come work for me, okay?” Ro bantered.

I chuckled, causing her to smile, too. She was not lying. They were a pain in the ass. Though I only had to worry about one for now. The other one seemed about to croak before, though.

“Oi…” Loki growled.

She did not shift her eyes from me.

“A young girl like you deserves to smile like that more.” Ro simpered, patting my head and shaking my hair.

I found myself at a loss for words. A young girl like me, she said.

No… I’m not…

A squeezing sensation rose in my chest, triggering me to grab onto it. Loki grumbled something under his breath, causing Ro to turn to him.

“Shut it! You’ll still give me my big tip, anyway.” She smirked at him.

I tried to get a hold of myself by gazing up at the café’s name. It was named Ro’s and Ray’s Spice Café.

Is Ray her wife? Or is it just part of the name?

“Only because I’ve known you for too long.” Loki rolled his eyes.

Oz continued to sip out of his coffee, enjoying it too much to be bothered to speak with us anymore. Eli was by Loki’s neck. He had been there since the events that happened in the colosseum.

The snake almost seemed like an accessory rather than a familiar.

“Hah! You came to this store when you first got here and fell in love with my food. That’s why you come here almost every day!” Ro grinned, standing up from where she was before placing her hands on her hips.

They were old friends?

“Did Rem leave yet? I haven’t seen her lately.” She suddenly asked, causing me to jolt up a bit upon hearing the half-breed's name again.

So, they know her…

Luckily, they did not notice my reaction to Rem’s name. Though I needed to be more careful.

“Yeah, Remi left yesterday,” Loki informed, allowing me to feel relief.

It meant I would not run into her soon, at least. Her trips usually took a month or two before she stopped here again. It was unusual for them to be shorter than that.

“I saw Leo today, though. Such a cute pup. Did she leave him behind this time?” Ro continued her query.

Loki shrugged. That was not the best scenario, but at least Leo did not recognize me. As long as I stayed away from him, it should have been fine.

“Yeah, he stuck around this time. Said Thea was suffocating him and needed a breather from her.” Loki continued to chatter, taking a sip of his bubble tea.

He gazed at me, who had not touched my treat yet. Even though vampires enjoyed drinking blood, they also could eat normal foods. Blood was a special treat for them. It also made their power stronger.

 In most cases, a vampire who had not consumed blood meant their power would be less powerful. Or they could not use it at all.

“I doubt it’s that. I think he loves you two too much to leave you for long. How long has it been since he last stayed here? Three months?” Ro smiled.

Oz chuckled. Surprisingly, his eyes turned tender when thinking of Leo. The grumpy twin had a soft side for the little pup. Well, they were brothers even though they were not related by blood.

“Four.” He smiled, feeling only love for his little brother.

I guess to be family, one did not have to be blood-related. It was nice to see the family affection between them when Loki chuckled at Oswald’s soft side.

Do I have something like that with my father? Or is it devotion to his truest love?

I never knew if it was one or the other. It was known that he was in love with Edna when they conceived this body for me.

Shit... don’t think…

“Such a cute kid. I can only hope he remains sweet, unlike you two.” Ro suddenly pointed out laughing.

Loki and Oz both scowled at her.

“Excuse you, old hag.” The twins growled, leaving her bursting into laughter.

I hesitantly reached for the drink before finally taking a quick sip of it. Though what happened next was something I never expected. My tongue reveled in the unfamiliar taste that was overwhelming my taste buds. It was one of the sweetest and most tanginess things I had.

Surely, it was like strawberries, bananas and milk had a baby along with the creamiest sensation that was left in my tongue.

Sweet… Why would he pick something like this for me?

“Yummy?” Loki smirked, enjoying my expression of delight.

I had not noticed I was in bliss after drinking it. My cheeks flushed pink. Sadly, I could not fight this feeling. No, there was no struggling against it. It was too warm for it to be bad. Foods sometimes brought the best out of anyone.

“Yes. I’ve had nothing like it.” I beamed happily, causing the boys to open their eyes wide.

A satisfying smile rose on Loki’s lips, triggering Oz to gaze away with pink cheeks. That flush was barely visible thanks to the dark circles in his eyes. Loki’s cheeks were rosy, too.

“I’m glad. Well then, wait until the main plate comes.” Loki grinned, tapping the table in victory.

Ro crackled along with him.

“Let me see if Ray has your food already done,” she announced, walking back into her store.

It seemed she was only a server to the boys themselves. The other workers eyed the table, hoping for a chance to approach us. I guess that was why Loki drank his tea with delight and little worry. He trusted these two women.

Ro and Ray... thank you for caring for my links.

“You’ve had nothing like a strawberry smoothie before?” Oswald suddenly asked, snapping out of his fluster.

I sipped at the drink with delight. Pulling away from the straw, I shook my head.

“No, the place I lived didn’t come with these types of treats available,” I answered, placing the glass cup down.

My answer prompted Oswald’s eyebrows to raise in surprise.

“Where was that?” he continued with his questioning.

I sighed, feeling hallow. Just thinking about where I had been before here was so different. Compared to where we were, it was gloomy and dark. But I was used to it. In fact, it was a little too bright here.

At least for someone like me.

“Prince Oswald, it’s a place where you would never want to live at,” I confessed, gazing at him.

I could not allow a single thought of the place I used to stay to influence how I felt. My heart had settled too.

“Call me Oz. If my brother’s serious about keeping you. I hate that prince shit. Those two other maids do it to fucking fuck with me, even though I told them to drop it already.” Oswald grumbled.

I chuckled, thinking of Emma and Zoe. An ingenious way to get back at him.

Good job...

Their efforts were worth it.

“Okay Oz, then.” I agreed to call him by that.

Loki watched me speak with his brother. I was under a magnifying glass while with them. And it was not only the twins but all the people who walked by us. They recognize them. It was rather uncomfortable.

Sadly, it was something I had to get accustomed to if I wanted to walk by their side.

“Good, so tell me more about where you lived? I’ve been stuck here since Loki here got his stupid magic. So, I would love to know more about the outside world.” He continued to create chatter to find out more about me.

He’s a menace when he isn’t seeking sleep.

The dark circles around his eyes were still visible, though. It must have been the explosion of energy, a boost caused by the caffeine.

“Oi… My magic isn’t stupid.” Loki grumbled at his brother, who shrugged without taking his eyes off me.

He wanted an answer. Good vetting for his brother.

“Well, I moved around a lot. We never stayed in one place for long. My father always had things to do. He was a traveling warlock.” I smiled politely again, feeling uncomfortable by his questioning.

I did not want to share more than I needed, but if I got caught in a lie. It would have been worse. So, I hoped he would let me stay general though.

"You know, I ran a background check on all you girls. And there’s barely any information in the system for you specifically," Oswald pointed out, causing me to gaze away.

Shit! I liked you better when you were sleepy.

“That was because I was born in a rural village. Before a shadow demon attacked it. Dad never had the chance to register me. Nor saw the need to." I answered, hoping once again he would leave it there.

This was not unusual. They did not register most rural babies at all. That was usually saved for the big cities. In fact, the twins themselves were not placed into the system until they arrived here.

"I see. So, you came here to avoid that nomad life?” Loki joined, slurping his tea.

I sighed yet again. This question again.

“I came here to live.” I smiled at him, already having answered that same question last night/

He smirked lightly, knowing I caught on to his play.

“To live?” Oz mumbled, not knowing what I said to his brother the previous night.

Though this time I would have to elaborate. I nodded slightly.

“Yes, to live. Never really had a life worth living. So, perhaps I thought it would change if I came here. Seems you princes are eager to pry into my past, though. Some of us wish it would burn down.” I took the drink they bought for me into my hands, taking another sip.

It would have been a waste to let it melt. It also was too good to let it be ruined. The flavors still danced on my tongue. I never knew food could give me this feeling.

Perhaps it did before… Nene…

Somehow, it was not dull while these two were around.

“You can’t blame us, Vivi. You seem to be one of a kind. So, it makes me want to know more about you. Especially after being a badass against that vampire.” Loki smirked playfully, tapping his hands on the table again.

Oz rolled his eyes at his brother’s flirtatious words. They slid right off me, though. Thankfully, Oswald being there made my heart behave. Though that was when he caught onto something.

"Wait, she was what?" he asked

Loki snickered.

"Well... This bitch sneaked up on me while I was in the shower. Eli was out with Vivi, waiting outside, so I didn’t hear her. I managed to shove her down onto the floor, which caused her to yelp.” He recalled, grabbing onto my shoulder.

Again, the explosion of warmth that came from his touch was too much.

“That was when this girl here. Even though she’s a human, ran in and kicked the vampire's face. She knocked her out cold." He recounted what he had seen.

I felt utterly unpleased by the way he placed it. After all, I was no savior. As he had said earlier, he would have been fine without me.

"She was already on the floor. Prince, please don’t put me in another light," I grumbled, nervously tapping onto the glass.

Oswald seemed amazed by that, though.

"Did she seriously do that?" he seemed utterly impressed by it.

"Yeah, although she hurt her leg because of it. Don't do that again, sweetheart." Loki smirked, causing me to huff a bit.

"I will if I have to. Bugs need to be squashed," I mumbled, gazing towards the side.

It seemed like Loki was about to say something, but Ro came in, interrupting him. She carried three plates on a tray. She seemed to be a pro at her work, holding those seemed effortless. I remember it took me a month to learn how to hold a tray full of things right.

There were so many accidents where Lilith laughed at me, too.

“Here’s your food.” Ro hummed happily, placing three plates down in front of us.

For Oz, a simple turkey sandwich seemed to ooze this orange sauce. Loki had a chicken sandwich oozing the same sauce, and for me. He ordered a pretty chicken salad with a pink sauce I never had seen before.

We thanked Ro before she left us to it. Loki smiled the moment I turned to him, confused about what he got for me. I had salads before but never this beautifully presented. The sandwiches themselves seemed like pretty pieces of art, too.

Although Oswald was already devouring it.

“Tell me how good I did with figuring out your taste?” Loki asked with hopeful eyes.

I tilted my head, not sure of how he wanted me to answer.

“Pretty good. I didn’t even know I liked smoothie drinks before having it. Yet somehow you did. Call me impressed, Prince Loki.” I answered, feeling like a normal person, having a friendly conversation with the twins.

The moment he heard the way I had called his name. He narrowed his eyes, causing me to shake my head slightly.

“Loki…” I corrected, triggering him to smile.

In response, he watched while I took the first bite out of the salad that was in front of me. There I felt the same bliss as I did when I drank the smoothie. I had never had such a dressing before. It was so tangy and sweet that it matched the greens perfectly.

The seasoning of the chicken was superb too. I guess my expression was all it took. Loki seemed pleased while Oz continued to stuff his face, not caring for anything other than his food. We spent the afternoon in bliss, too.

Oz and Loki chattered with each other, deciding to go shopping for clothes. Much to my surprise, Loki did not make me carry his stuff, nor did Oz. No, instead Loki tried to dress me up like some doll.

I respectfully declined, only to receive a frown from him. A waste of opportunity, he called it. I scuffed in return, continuing to walk. Although I could not lie and say the dresses he was picking out for me were not cute.

Perhaps if I were a normal girl, I would have been able to play dress-up with the playful vampire. Somewhere in the middle, we were joined by Leo, who I stayed away from. Though I had to be careful to not be too suspicious while doing so.

Even though I avoided the pup, he seemed to be the bundle of joy that Ro set him out to be. I had only met a few Lycans before today, but Leo was an adorable cinnamon roll. His smile was so bright that it could have challenged the sun if we could see it in Night city.

By the time we were back at the castle, it was already night. They treated me to dinner too at a car stall that was by the stores. I had never had so many tasty things in a day. Loki even treated me to this creamy cold cream called ice cream.

Even in my childhood with Nene, I had nothing like it. Dad only ever brought treats that were not perishable. And the village was so small that they had nothing like the machines needed for it.

Even when I was out with Lilith, it was mostly for work for the coven rather than pleasantries. Though she tried to show me different parts of the world. Of course, we avoided big cities. She would have been recognized right away.

The elf was a serial murderer, after all, much like me. But to me, she was much more than just that. After bidding good night to the princes, I returned to the room to find Emma and Zoe in a horrible mood.

Gerta had made them work over the limit. Emma could barely stand up from the bed while Zoe was also dead on hers. However, when they saw me their faces lit up when I simpered at them. It was hard to contain the happiness I felt.

It was the first time that after I was done showering, I was going to bed in a good mood. A hum even left my lips because of it. The smile that I had on my face was genuine, too. I could not stop the butterflies from growing bigger because of Loki.

I did not know what the vampire was doing to me, but to fight it felt wrong.

Will it be so bad if I care about them? Probably not.

It would motivate me to protect them even more. Both Loki and Oswald could be important to me as Father and Lilith were. Even the ugliness that I felt when I saw that girl who had tried to assault Loki felt right.

This was how I was developing as my time with the boys continued. As long as I did not love them. As long as I did not poison them. It would be fine. However, that did not stop the close encounters I had with Loki almost every morning.

Every one of them would leave my poor heart beating harshly. As long as I did nothing to act out on it. It should have been fine. I kept repeating myself when I realized this emotion that was blossoming because of the vampire.

Most of the time, I felt like he was testing me, while others were just trying to see how I would react. But it never got to the point of how it was before Oz waltz in. The only time they would leave me behind was when Loki was meeting with Asher.

Thought from the boys' conversations. It seemed Loki and his grandfather were having arguments about his daily blood intake. The prince was barely drinking from the donors, much to Asher's disappointment.

These donors were high-quality bags that were donated from different races. Though humans were the favorite of vampires. While purebred eternal witches were their ecstasy back in the day. When we were out of the castle, Oz would usually bring up my past.

Nothing changed, though. I would always answer. All I shared with them was that I used to have a sister I loved dearly. But a shadow demon had taken her away when we were attacked.

That was near to the truth. Luckily after that, he seemed to loosen up around me, too. Fewer questions and more friendly chatter. Well, as friendly as Oswald could get. And that was not a lot.

Before I knew it, two weeks passed in a blink of an eye. My experiences in life were growing quicker than ever before. Gerta seemed to be impressed by how Zoe, Emma, and I were still around, too.

Alistair lost one of his girls, Quinn. Gerta did not share with us what happened, but I could tell from the previous days how that might have played out. Before Quinn vanished from the castle, she was coming back to the room with bruises.

The other girls seemed to have taken their bullying onto her. It seemed Alistair was paying a little too much attention to the human girl, making Ivy and Emery unhappy. Much like they were with me, but thanks to Emma and Zoe, they would not dare come near me.

At least while they were around, even then I would brush them off. They never touched me, but I could feel their eyes come onto me once Quinn was gone. I wondered how long it would take for them to make me snap.

Surely, I would not succumb to their bullying, though. Nothing would take me away from the princes. Meanwhile, Oz’s and my sisters' coven’s relationship continued to be tremulous. They fought every morning and night.

Emma seemed to be fed up with him, while Zoe seemed to not care for the prince at all. Instead, she seemed to have been making a relationship with Leo. She found the little pup following her on the fifth day we were here.

It seemed the little shy Lycan wanted to talk with her. And that sparked an adorable friendship between the two. It caused Oz to have Emma and Zoe come out with us too. Well, whenever Leo was going with us.

I guess he really could not say no to his little brother. I mean, this boy was the cutest wolf I had ever seen. Like illegally cute. Usually, they would be so rough around the edges, but Leo was like a soft cloud. There was not a mean bone in his body.

So, when I woke up this morning, I thought everything would be like the past weeks. I let my guard down. Those two were not what I should have been worried about. No, I should have been more careful.

Then again, there was nothing I could have done to stop it either way. Once it was written into fate. There was hardly a way to escape it.