"Your mother came to see you." Lady Moore steps away, revealing my mother standing behind her. She looks at me, her face normal showing no negative emotion like anger or frustration. But I know my mother better than that. She's mad, the slight frown on her forehead proving it to me. She's just good at hiding it in front of others.

"But I need to get ready for class." I say.

"There's no need. We're giving you the day off. The prince explained to me what happened." she looks at my mother then back at me. "I'll leave you two alone." she turns around and walks away.

We stay quiet. None of us saying a word as my grip on the door tightens. I haven't seen her since that night, when she left to go feed on a human and I haven't heard from her since.

"Are you going to let me in? Or are you going to leave me standing here like a fool. We have somewhere to be." my mother add, frowning.

I move out of the way, giving her space to come inside. I close the door, turning around to meet her harsh gaze.

We need to be somewhere? I couldn't think of a place it could be. Why would she come all the way here to the academy? She should be at the palace doing her duties. Maybe she's here to scold me for coming back and ruining Kate's plan.

"Why are you so disobedient Nadeline? The plan was going so smoothly. Why are you here, tell me!" she raises her voice.

"The prince found me." I whisper.

Her shoulders tense. "He found you in the human realm? What was he doing there?" she asks.

"I don't know. He didn't tell me." I lie.

"Is that why Lady Moore mentioned him?"

I nod.

"Surely he couldn't have been looking for you." She looks at me. "If he found you in the human realm. Why did he play along and tell lady Moore that you were taken?"

I feel my anxiety creep it. Oh no I hope I don't bring him in trouble for telling her.

She groans. "Just get dressed. We need to be at the palace. The king wants to talk to you."

"What? Why?" I gasp, taking a step forward.

"You were gone for two days Nadeline. Everyone knows that, including the King." My mother says and leaves the room, glaring at me before closing the door.

I open my closet, putting on a long-sleeved turtleneck shirt and loose pants. I quickly comb my hair in the small mirror putting on some lip gloss so that I can look presentable in the King's presence.

I walk out of my room, locking the door behind me when I'm done and ready to leave.

"I'm not allowed into the Academy. Your sister needs to be there in case you say something stupid and get us killed. Go get her."

"I don't know where her class is." I admit.

"You've been here a week and don't know where your sister's class is?" she sighs.

"First years are in the front, second years in the middle and third years at the back. The best students are on the upper floor where your sister is." she tells me.

This is my sister's second year. So her class should be in the middle of the Academy building.

"Get going and don't take too long. The king isn't known for waiting on others." she forces me away.

I start walking, leaving the dormitory and walk through the familiar path to the Academy. Inside I go the middle of the building on the upper floor peeking into each classroom searching for her. The fourth class I look into I spot Aster; he looks up from the desk seeing me. I gasp pulling away from the class and hide behind the wall.

The last time I saw him, he asked me if I was okay, I was rude to him and ran away. The way he and Sera argues when they're mad at each other makes me wonder if he'll be mad at me like that too. Yelling and insulting me for ignoring him. I hope not. I don't think I'll be able to handle it. Especially not from him.

I hear footsteps coming from inside the classroom and towards the door. I back away, seeing Aster step out searching for me when his eyes widen and he spots me.

"I was searching for Kate. Do you know which class is hers?" I ask quickly. I don't want him to think I was here looking for him.

"She has morning class with me." he says looking back inside the classroom and leans against the doorframe.

My eyes widen and I look down at the floor. "You never told me." I frown.

"Well, you never asked." he says softly. I look around awkwardly avoid his intense gaze.

"Where is she now? I don't see her inside."

"She went to go deliver some papers on the floor below us." He nods to the stairs behind me.

"Thank you." I say in relief and turn around to go back to the floor below us to find her.

"Nadeline?" he yells.

"Yes" I ask

"Please take care of yourself." He whispers with a hint of worry in his tone that surprised me.

I nod. "Sorry for being rude to you the other day." I walk away not wanting to waste any more time and anger my mother further. I'm probably taking long already. I don't even know how long it will take for me to find her and now I'll have to search through more classrooms.

I quickly run down the stairs to the lower floor, almost falling when I try to stop myself mid step. There's hush voices coming from the stairs that turn, blocking me from seeing them unless I take a few more steps. One of the voices sounding like Kate's.

"It's more than just obeying her. I've seen the way you look at her." a girl says.

"Because she's pretty to look at. You're imagining things." I hear Kate say.

"You're such a lair." the girl's scoffs. "I know you're in love with the princess. There's no point in denying it Kate."

My eyes widen and they go quiet and I don't hear either of them speak again. Did I gasp? Or did they walk away from the stairs? I take another step when my sister quietly walks up, another girl behind her. The both of them widening their eyes at each other than at me.

My body tenses and I grip the stairs railing. They caught me listening into their conversation.

***

Sharing the backseat with Kate after being caught listening into their conversation was awkward. The car ride to the palace was quiet and uncomfortable mostly, because it's the first time that the three of us are together. Kate demanded that I kept what I heard between her and her friend to myself. Telling me her life has nothing to do with me and that her "friend" was just joking. Though for some reason I doubt that's the case. A doubt it even more after remembering her flushed face when she saw me.

I feel her intense glare on me every few seconds, like she's reminding to keep quiet. Her gaze is so sharp, hoping it'll kill me just by a stare. She's mad and I don't blame her. I shouldn't have listened into their conversation in the first place. But it's not entirely my fault, they were talking openly on the stairs. Anyone could've heard them.

To say I was shaken by what I've heard would be a lie. The royals are beautiful, anyone could fall in love with them and probably already have. I truly believe everyone are capable of loving another person. Even my dear old sister, though her love will never be directed at me.

Eventually the structure of the palace comes into our view as we near it. Again, it takes my breath away and this time I don't have to tear my gaze away. I can take in its appearance fully. I can't get over how it looks and how it makes me feel. It's so beautiful and the small particles mixed with the stone, twinkles in the red moonlight. I'm shocked by how many guards there are and how busy it looks today. Of course I am, I've never been here at the palace before. It seemed so quiet the other day.

The car comes to a stop and a guard from the palace opens the car door for us. All three of us gets out and I thank the driver before he drives off again, leaving the palace.

"Don't get lost. Especially you Nadeline." Her gaze hardens as a warning.

I swallow heavily and follow her into the palace, my sister quietly trailing behind me. The first thing I notice are the polished black floors that mirrors my every movement. Our steps echo as we continue walking. The only people here at the moment are just the three of us. I get goosebumps from the dark atmosphere it provides.

Above us are big chandeliers, dangling from the ceilings and casting a flickering golden light. We enter a hallway, tall windows lined the walls next to us, their intricate gothic designs filtering the light in fragmented patterns. I admire the artwork carved into the windows that represents vampires and their past as we pass them.

We walk through more massive halls when suddenly I feel the Aedan's presence nearby. He did say he's going to be at the palace today so I shouldn't be surprised. I just hope we don't run into him. He was here somewhere and I can tell he's very close by. A movement catches my eye on the other side of the palace in one of the rooms.

 I stop seeing him sitting at the window looking down and sucking on something he put in his mouth. The wind rustles his hair and he looks like something out of a fairytale.

"Nadeline." my mother yells when she sees me stopping. Startled I look away and towards her.

"Sorry." I continue walking and follow her, keeping my gaze in front of me. We stop in front of two gigantic doors, mystical patterns carved into it. The two doors open simultaneously and the three of us enter as they door close behind us.

"Thornhale's." a deep and powerful voice acknowledges us, making us immediately bow in submission.

"Your Majesty." my mother greets. "I've brought my daughter like you asked." My mother says

I slowly raise to my feet and so did Kate, keeping both of your gazes down the marble floor. No direct eye contact. I remind myself even though I'm curious to know what the King or rather Aedan's father looks like.

"Lift your gazes." he orders and my body commands. I had no choice but to meet his gaze. It frightens me knowing royals really had these power over us.

"This is the daughter you kept away from us?" he asks, resting his elbow on the arm rest of the throne. His long hair is red just like the prince and princess's and falls forward, covering half of his face.

He looks directly at me, narrowing his eyes. "You were missing for two days, no trace of who took you. I've already heard what happened. Now I want to hear it directly from you." He says slowly.

A shiver runs down my spine. I think about Aedan's words. The things he told me before bringing me back here. I just need to align my words with his to avoid any suspicion from the king.

"That night I was studying and left my window up for some fresh air." I say and glance towards my mother for comfort but I immediately knew I was on my own when I saw her face. 

"I didn't notice a man sneaking into my room through my window. But when I did, it was too late. I recognized him, he used to walk past our mansion regularly. He covered my mouth with a cloth and I only woke up when the prince found me." my voice quivers.

He hums, a look of unsatisfied plastered on his face." Why don't I believe you?" he asks, now sitting up straight.

Panicking and trying to think of a correct answer, the gigantic doors behind us barges open. Before I can turn around to look, the King immediately growls." Leave."

"Was hearing it from me not enough father?" I hear Aedan's voice. My body tenses up and I gasp slightly, refusing to turn around and make eye contact with him. He's here...

"Why are they here?" Aedan asks angrily.

"You're being too persistent with this. Are you protecting her because she's one of your play things?" the King glances directly at me as if he sees right through us. I haven't even looked at Aedan and yet the King knows something has happened between us. My eyes widen when the King refers to me as Aedan's play thing.

"She's not my plaything. She's more... important to me than that." He corrects the King.

"Important? Are you forgetting we're the most important vampires in the realm?"

"Father please hear him out." I hear the princess sweet voice and Kate freezes for a few moments but turns around to look at her anyway. I don't falter my gaze and keeping looking forward.

"I love her." Aedan says much closer to me. I turn my head slightly looking at him and stop breathing. What did he just say?

The King chuckles darkly. "Love? Royals can't love. Your heart was taken the moment you were born."

"She's my heart. She's the missing piece I needed. And I won't let you touch her." He hisses.

Something breaks, the sound exploding through the room. I jump from the loud impact and see the throne arm rest is now split in half with the king's grip on it.

Suddenly I remember the dream. The witch telling me that she wanted to see the girl who broke the royal love curse. Her Curse. How could I have forgotten? Why did only come back to me now? Could it be part of the witch's power?

"That's where you are wrong. It's the mind, not the heart." I whisper and snap my gaze towards Aedan then at the king. "The witch who cursed you talked to me. She said it was impossible to take another creature's heart. She only created a wall in your minds, preventing you from loving another. But there was a way to break down the wall. There always have been." I try to explain, hoping they'll listen.

"You talked to the witch that cursed us?" the king stands up furious and marge towards me.

"She's my bloodmate." Aedan adds quickly and the King stops, glancing between the two of us in...fear. "She belongs to me and not to any of you."

Bloodmate? What's that? I look at him worried and confused at the same time. Could he be making this up to protect me?

"If the witch is telling the truth. We need our bloodmates to break down the wall inside our heads. But since you killed all the humans in this realm. You won't have the luck of finding yours. Bloodmates can only be born in this realm. You won't be able to love someone like I can. You won't take this away from me." Aedan clenches his fists.

"I slaughtered all the humans. She's a vampire she can't be your bloodmate!"

"Seems like you didn't kill all of them." he glances toward my mother. "Because Nadeline here, is a hybrid of both. Her father must've been a human and that's why Rosemary kept her hidden from us."

I breathe heavily, confused and lightheaded from everything that was happening so quickly. My mother hasn't said a single word since Aedan barged in and now there's a gloomy look on her face.

"Until you sort things out here. I'm taking Nadeline with me to the human realm. Where none of you can find us." he grabs my hand, his eyes softening at me. He pulls me out of the throne room in an instant. The princess guards the door once we are out so that no one follows us.

"She has control over you! That's why I slaughtered them in the first place and now you're running off with her and leaving your royal duties?" the king's voice roared as we disappeared through the palace halls.

"We'll figure this out." he cups my cheeks with both hands, rubbing my skin in a soothing manner. "My father just need to calm down first, we need to put some distance between us and them in the meantime."

"W- we can't just leave Aedan. He'll kill my mother and then he'll come for me." I get hysterical shaking my head.

Aedan frowns and turns around whistling. A man appears wearing the royals crest and bows in front of him. "Michael, get Rosemary away from the kingdom. Keep her alive and away from my father. That's an order." the white of his eyes turns black and the man nods disappearing.

"Michael won't let anything happen to her. But we need to leave right now. My sister can't hold him back for long."

"She needs to be okay Aedan. Tell me she'll be okay while I'm not here. She's brought me into this world. I won't forgive myself if she dies." Tears streams down my face as I tug onto his jacket.

"Listen to me." he command, his face turning serious. "She'll be fine. I promise." he presses his forehead against mine. "Let's go."