The soldiers were worried. First thing in the morning, Derek and James' squads reported that the two were missing.

"Maybe they just went out for a stroll?" Oluo suggested.

"Derek won't miss breakfast." Hange's eyebrows were knitted and she stared ahead deep in thought, clearly thinking of a reason why her squad member couldn't be found.

Andromeda walked by and, with a hand positioned near her chest, pretended that she, too, was worried. Levi saw her fake concern and started commanding the rest of the Scouts, "We'll delay our trip to Mitras. Find James and Derek. Search every room. Scour the forest."

"Yes, Captain!" The soldiers responded.

No.

That was bad, the vampiress thought.

They shouldn't find the corpses. Before the Scouts completely dispersed, she tried to say, "Could they have gone to the Capital by themselves?"

Levi frowned. "Highly unlikely. They wouldn't leave all their things behind and forget to inform the rest of us."

"I guess you're right." Andromeda acted convinced by the Captain's statement. "I should help locate them, too." She should find them first and hide them. Why hadn't she buried them deep beneath the earth or burned them into ashes? She shouldn't have underestimated the soldiers' concern. Weren't the two just ordinary Scouts? Why give them so much importance? Weren't the Scout Regiment needed in the Capital on time? Why waste time on the missing soldiers? She could not understand.

"We found them!" Nifa's voice echoed through the courtyard where most of the Scouts were.

What? Already?

Nifa rode on her horse as she guided another. The other horse carried James and Derek's dead bodies. Moblit walked with them with his ODM gear. The male soldier apologized, "Sorry for not waiting for orders before searching the forest. We were too worried."

"What happened?" Hange quickly went to the horse's side and inspected the dead.

Nifa, teary-eyed, answered, "We found James' corpse being dragged by Derek's horse. They were near Derek's dead body. Below a cliff."

That was Derek's horse? Andromeda had no idea. Damn loyal gelding, finding his master and letting the Scouts know of Derek's remains.

"But how did they die?" One of the soldiers asked the question the rest of the group wanted to ask.

It was Oluo who answered, "Those fools! They must have ridden in Derek's horse last night, but were too drunk! Derek might've fallen from the cliff, and James tried finding him but ended up dead, too!"

"Idiots!" Hange exclaimed, eyes dark and red.

Nifa climbed down her horse and went by Derek's corpse. "There's something that's been bothering me." She lifted the collar by the boy soldier's neck and Andromeda inhaled. Nifa showed the two deep holes the vampiress made to suck out Derek's blood. The female soldier looked confused. "What the heck are these?"

"Must be snake bite," Moblit suggested.

"That's a pretty damn big snake," Hange observed the bite.

Oluo shrugged his shoulders, "Serpents come in different sizes."

Andromeda slightly trembled. Her true identity should be kept hidden until she becomes this world's Queen. If she had to kill all these useless humans just to hide her secret, she would do it.

A warm hand rested on her shoulder. She turned and saw Levi staring  into her eyes, deep concern etched on his face. He almost whispered, "There was nothing you could have done."

Oh, he didn't know.

It was she, the Bloodbitch, who actually did it.

Andromeda nodded her head. "I'm going to retire to my chamber." She walked slowly, ignoring the pitying glances of the other soldiers. Good. They must not suspect her.

She went inside her room and sat on the bed. All her belongings, provided by the other Scouts, were kept neatly inside a bag. She was ready to go to Mitras and should wait for the rest of the soldiers to be ready too.

A glance at her image in the mirror.

Derek's blood still flowed within her veins. Suddenly, she remembered the boy soldier and James while they were still alive. Remembered how they played dice and drank beer with her. Remembered them during mealtime and when they went to the market. But Andromeda just shook her head and their memories faded into the distance. Like they never occurred at all.

The future Queen must not be distracted.

+0+0+0+0+

A couple of Scouts were instructed to take James and Derek's remains to their families.

Andromeda only left her room when it was time to leave the barracks. She rode atop Nox, with Levi walking and guiding the horse.

"You didn't say goodbye," Levi said as they headed out of the gates of the barracks. Some soldiers rode their horses, some walked, and some were in carriages.

The vampiress answered honestly, "I cannot."

She said nothing more so Levi prodded, "How are you?" Upon asking this, his shoulders dropped, like he knew it was stupid of him to pose the question.

Andromeda didn't answer. They stayed silent for a long time. The vampiress stared ahead, counting the steps toward the City of Mitras.

Then, the Captain halted and stopped Andromeda's horse. He mounted on it, adjusting his body as he sat behind her. He took the reins away from her hold. "Levi, what are you doing?" she asked.

The soldier led the horse forward, shouting to Hange, "See you in the capital!"

"Where are you going?" Hange asked but Levi didn't answer.

Nox ran West with the Captain's guide. Andromeda gave up getting answers from the man. She let the winds caress her skin and carry her hair, Levi's warm body hugging her. Soon, they were riding through fields. Farmers busily tilled the land and planted vegetation.

Levi whispered in her ear, "This is Derek's hometown."

A rush of cold poured onto the vampiress. Why in Aurum's name did the man bring her to this damn town? She looked around. It was a simple town with few people living in wooden houses. She could almost imagine Derek as a kid running carelessly along the fields.

"We shouldn't be here." There was a warning in her voice but the Captain missed it. He stopped by one of the humble houses and helped Andromeda climb down her horse.

A woman's loud wails reverberated from the old wooden structure. It looked like the soldiers had already delivered Derek's dead body to his family.

Ah.

This was so... awkward.

Levi and Andromeda entered the home. Derek lay on a cot in the middle of the bare living room, his family members crying and mourning around his corpse.

"What do you mean he died because he got drunk? My son couldn't be that careless!" His mother demanded.

The blond soldier who delivered the body, as well as the bad news, replied, "There is also a snake bite. He could've been bitten and lost his balance because of the poison then fell."

"You're saying Derek survived the titans but a couple of beers and a damn snake killed him?"

"Lots of things can happen to a soldier, ma'am."

That was true. This old mother should've known that before she let her precious son into the Scout Regiment.

"Don't you want to talk with Derek's mother?" Levi asked Andromeda.

Was he insane?

She shook her head. "I've seen enough. Let's go back to the others."

"Captain Levi?" The mother finally saw them. Now, they couldn't just leave. The vampiress almost clicked her tongue. The old woman looked at her, "And this beautiful one is?"

"Andromeda," she answered.

The blond soldier added, "We call her Andy. She and Derek were very close. She always spoiled him actually."

"Andy!" The old woman's eyes lit up. "Derek always mentioned you in his letters." She walked toward the vampiress and held her hands. "He liked you. He wrote about the candies, the dice, and many more things. Thank you very much for taking care of him."

Moments with Derek, moments she'd rather forget, flashed in her mind once more and a gnawing feeling crept inside her.

What was it?

It was a different feeling. One she hadn't felt before. It was uncomfortable and very unsettling. As she remembered Derek and looked into this human mother's eyes, for the first time, she regretted killing someone.

What?

Did she... regret drinking a human's blood to death?

Impossible.

Incomprehensible.

She took her hands away and darted out of the suffocating house. Levi followed her outside. "I want to go now," she told him and he obediently rode the horse with her as they went out of Derek's damn town.

They only stopped once to eat on their journey to Mitras. Never once had the Captain reminded her of Derek and James' deaths. Actually, they didn't talk much at all. And Andromeda knew it was because Levi was giving her space to grieve. She sighed. She wanted to reach Mitras as soon as possible and put these all behind her. A vampire mourning over a prey's death was so unbecoming.

It was night when they arrived at their destination. The very air in Mitras was different. Everywhere screamed of wealth. The buildings were grand and beautiful. The streets were clean and the humans dressed in expensive clothing. They almost mirrored the noble vampires. But, of course, they still lacked a certain class.

A male soldier with a unicorn insignia--Andromeda believed he was from the Military Police--escorted them to the castle where the guests of the royal family would stay. Hange and the few others were already there.

The castle was big, although Cruor Castle was thrice bigger. Inside, lit torches attempted to bring illumination into its dark halls. There were plenty of rooms and Andromeda shared hers with Nifa and Barbara. It was an okay room with an okay white bed and okay wooden furnishing. Not very grand but tolerable.

Nifa and Barbara obviously just cried. They, too, avoided the subject of James and Derek's deaths. As if they would break down once more if the topic was brought up.

The vampiress sat in front of the vanity mirror and combed her hair. The ride created tangles and she diligently fixed them.

There were three knocks on the door before Hange peeked inside. "Andy?" she called. "Erwin is looking for you. Meet him in his room at the end of the hall."

Erwin? The sturdy Commander? Why would he want to meet her? Maybe because she'll be joining the Scouts soon. She dropped the comb and headed out to meet the human.

But Erwin was not inside his room when Andromeda reached it. He was outside it with Levi. "Someone wants to see you," he said with the usual serious expression on his face.

"Not you?" Andromeda asked, confused. "Who?"

"You'll see inside," he told her.

The vampiress walked inside the room and, once within, closed its door.

She gasped.

She now looked at who was waiting for her: Proteus. He was dressed in a simple white shirt and brown pants, very different from the white ceremonial garbs he always wore. He dashed toward Andromeda as soon as he saw her.

"Princess!" he exclaimed as he dropped his body and kneeled in front of the vampiress. "I've been meaning to see you. I am deeply sorry for what I have done. Please make peace with Aurum and come back home with me. We need your help--"

Andromeda huffed and she cut his words. "Traitor! Shut your mouth! I do not wish to hear one more word from you. You betrayed me, Proteus. I trusted you but you betrayed me!" Her blood boiled inside her, hot and bubbling. "If not for your treachery, I would have been Queen by now."

"But you can still be Queen, my lady--"

"I am no longer "your lady"! You've long abandoned your respect for me. And if I am to become Queen, it'll be on my terms, not yours." She breathed fast. Too angry she wanted to claw at his face.

"Aurum is in grave danger. My father teamed up with the Savages and they now attack every vampire and human in Aurum. If they are not defeated, there soon might not be a kingdom at all."

"Good," the vampiress instantly remarked. "Let Aurum perish. That would delight me so."

"You do not mean that."

"Oh, but I do."

Proteus kneeled lower, head bowed down. He groveled. "I know you are angry with the kingdom that exiled you, but I also know that you are aware of your own fault. What you did was treason, Princess. And what I did was treason, too. So, if there is a well of anger within you, empty it by punishing me. Hurt me, Your Highness, until the fire of anger is no more than a little flame inside you." He gladly offered himself to the vampiress' wrath.

Andromeda glowered at him and raised her hand.