Ivan took several flights of stairs down from the high west tower. He needed to get away from that vampire! Even a four-hundred-year-old elf like him was not immune to the pheromones a transitioning vampire emits. A young female vampire still had no control over the release of their pheromones, and most especially a young female vampire who was raised in a human world with no real idea of who or what she really was.

Ivan shoved the door of his room open and went inside. He slammed the door shut and walked towards the wide window inside his room. He placed his clenched fists on top of the windowsill and tried to control his raging lust of emotions. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. Those blasted pheromones! A female vampires' way to attract their prey... and this particular vampire wasn't even aware of the trouble her pheromones were causing to the male populace in this castle! That was why he had her locked up in the highest tower, inside his private quarters—his former private quarters to be exact since he had to relinquish it for her use. He did so she could be away from the rest to prevent any further problem.

He remembered the feeling, that strong pull he had felt when he passed by near her bedroom earlier that morning. It was enthralling. It was hypnotic. It was very strong. He had noticed the other males nearby were also drawn to that peculiar scent that twisted their minds and taunted them to follow it. And oddly enough, he felt enraged that he was almost beaten by an inferior younger elf-lord from their court when Ivan saw the elf-lord nearing the door of the vampire's room.

Driven by lust and madness, Ivan drew his sword from its sheath and threatened to slice the other elf in half if he would not step away from the door. Apparently, his threat was ignored since the other elf was determined to get hold of his trophy on the other side of the door. So, Ivan did what he needed to do. He was forced to incapacitate his foe by using the bottom part of the hilt of his sword and slamming it hard on the other elf's head, causing him to fall unconscious on the floor. The other males who had witnessed the spectacle made a wise decision by abandoning their objective and leaving the area.

Then Ivan went inside the room of his vampire captive and saw her sleeping peacefully on her bed. The rise and fall of her chest were so soothing to watch that it somehow calmed his deranged senses. He saw her stirred and he was worried that she would wake up and find him inside the room and another heated argument would begin between the two of them.

He was relieved when she went back to sleep. Ivan realized a second later that his relief was only short-lived when he noticed the quilt slipping down from her shoulders and sliding down even farther down her waist, revealing an expanse of smooth skin. He felt his jaw clenched as his fingers curled into hard fists on his sides when the vampire's beautiful curves and rich display of her ample breasts were only covered by a thin fabric sprawled before his eyes. The female's raven hair was riotously spread over the pillow, giving a more seductive appeal to her innocent-looking face.

That's when he had begun growing hard... and the female woke up and had witnessed his desire over her...

Ivan shook his head to clear those thoughts away and to bring him back to reality. Now that he was far away from her, and that she was safely locked in the highest tower, he could think more clearly. Oh, how he hated that vampire and the rest of her coven! But Ivan knew that no matter how much he despised that female, his body had been responding quite the opposite. He was not sure if it was the female's cursed pheromones, or if it was because of that Tadhana they, the encantos, believed. That strange magical pull that said she was your Fated One. Your Mate. Your Destined Female.

No. He shouldn't feel anything towards that vampire other than hatred. He would marry that vampire since the betrothal contract was magically binding, but the female would serve her purpose. Ivan would use her to exact his vengeance against her people. The Valentins had taken his younger brother, Adam, who was now missing and was suspected to have died trying to escape from the kingdom Sanggre. They took his brother; he would take what was theirs. And he would make sure the female would pay for everything the Valentins did to his brother.

Ana was determined to make what she called The Great Escape plan work. She was now standing outside the room, on the balcony of her tower, and measured the wide distance between where she stood now and the green grounds below. Everything looked minuscule from up the tower; even the elf sentries looked like ants in golden armor when she looked down from above. Now, if she would tie together the quilt, the coverlet, and the curtains and all the clothes she found inside the dresser and closet to form a rope, would she be able to use it to climb down from this tower, which Ivan claimed to be the highest of all towers? She eyed the clothes she gathered on top of the bed, and then she looked down over the stone railings. Her Great Escape plan might turn out to be her Epic Failure attempt for an escape, with her ending up splattering her blood all over the grass if she made even the slightest miscalculation of her steps and would result for her to slip, fall, and die.

Yes, there was that ninety percent chance that the result of her escape would turn morbid. And she would not risk getting killed with the ninety percent chances of falling and dying over the mere ten percent chances of her escaping unscathed. No. She wasn't that stupid.

Drawing a huge sigh out, she went back inside her room and plopped on her bed. What was she going to do now? That freaking elf locked her up inside the tower, with no food to eat or even a drop of water to drink.

"He left me here to die!" she shouted angrily, her voice echoing inside the room. Oh, but that elf made a huge mistake making her his enemy. She's Anastasia Romualdez, twenty-one and a fighter. She wouldn't give up that easily. So, she hastily rose from the bed and went to the door. She grasped the doorknob, and with all her might, she gave it a hard pull. When the door wouldn't budge open, she gave it another yank, and another then another until she felt so frustrated, she kicked the door so forcefully, causing sharp pain on her bare toes.

"Shit! Ouch! Ouch!" she exclaimed as she grabbed her foot with her hands, hopped around until she reached her bed, and sat unceremoniously, still massaging her reddened toes. She forgot she removed her shoes a while ago. It was that elf's fault! No really, everything was his fault. If he had only agreed for Ana to go home with her parents, she wouldn't end up in this situation.

Ana forced herself out of her misery musings and rose from the bed again. She scanned the room for any possible escape route, for anything she could identify as equipment she could use for her Great Escape Plan B. She rushed towards the desk and searched for any pins, paper clips if there were any, anything she could use to pick a lock. Not that she was an expert in picking locks, but it always worked in the movies. Might as well give it a try. But there was nothing she could use.

She almost gave up searching and decided to proceed with Plan C—shout like a deranged loony and demand for her release—when suddenly the door opened and a frightened-looking female elf, which seemed younger than her, came inside carrying a silver tray laden with food. The elf placed the tray on the table with trembling fingers, and she seemed to be placing a wide distance between her and Ana.

Ana, who was dying for a companion all through the morning, said, "Don't be afraid; I don't bite. At least not yet." The elf only stared at her still looking a bit frightened, so Ana added, "I haven't had my transition yet so I'm still fang-less. Perfectly harmless." When the elf still looked unconvinced, Ana offered, "You can check my teeth if you like." She was in the act of pulling up her upper lip to show the young elf her set of fang-less teeth when the elf began giggling.

"Oh, there is no need for that, Your Royal Highness," the elf said trying to suppress her giggles. "I'll take your word on it." She motioned for Ana to sit on the chair. "Please, have a seat. I'll be your temporary lady's maid until the vampire party will arrive." Ana saw how the elf shivered with the mention of a vampire, but she decided not to question the elf about it.

Ana smiled and sat on the chair. She was a bit hungry since she had to skip breakfast since that brooding elf hauled her from her previous room so early in the morning without even offering anything a cup of coffee. Ana studied the several—uh—greens in front of her. There was a bowl of soup looking as if it had a garnish of moss floating on top of it. On a silver platter, there were several kinds of lettuce, which was the only edible food she could identify. On another plate there lay a sort of brown tree root adorned with, oh my, strange-looking grasses and weeds. There was also an overly large tomato-looking fruit and a golden apple-shaped fruit. Great. The elves were vegetarians who had a penchant for grasses and roots. No meat, allowed.

Now, Ana wasn't picky when it comes to food. She lived all her life inside the Children's Home, and they were taught to give thanks to the Lord for whatever food that was served to them. But Ana also appreciated even a small matchbox size pork or a piece of chicken wing. She could even live with sticks of isaw and Betamax. But, oh c'mon! A grass? A root?

"Go on. Eat," the elf said brightly. "I highly recommend the dulcis," she added, indicating the brown gnarled root.

Ana, as to not offend the elf who eagerly smiled at her, decided to take a nibble on the brown root. To her utter surprise, the root tasted as sweet as honey! She tried the soup, and it wasn't half bad. Gone was her reservation. The saying "looks can be deceiving and don't judge the book by its cover" was an accurate lesson for her that morning. She ended up eating every morsel of food on her plate, including the fruits which were the most succulent fruits she had ever tasted in her entire life.

The elf's smile widened with Ana's gusto. She then offered Ana a crystal goblet filled with water. "Here, Princess. Water is taken from the mountain spring of Elfiro."

Ana gulped the water and was amazed at how it tasted. It was just water, but it tasted so fresh, so clear. It was cold, but not ice cold. It was—how would commercials put it?—refreshing. Everything here in Elfiro, including the food, the taste of water, and even the air she breathed, was so different from back home in the Philippines. Maybe because, unlike the elves, most people back home (including her) didn't know how to take care of their land; they abused it and thought nature would never get back at them.

"What is your name by the way?" Ana asked a moment later, feeling strangely rude that she had never bothered to ask for her name from the beginning.

The elf made a small curtsy and said, "My name is Erien, Your Royal Highness."

"And how old are you, Erien? If you don't mind me asking. Sixteen? Eighteen?"

Erien gave another giggle. "Oh no, Your Highness. I am already in my seventy years. I had my transition when I was eighteen. We elves often had our transitions earlier than other beings from other factions."

"Oh," Ana said. It now felt awkward talking to someone who looked so young and yet was older than her. "You can call me Ana," she offered. But Erien shook her head vigorously.

"But I cannot do that, Your Highness!"

"Why not?" Ana asked.

"You're our very special guest. And I heard you are royalty." Erien made another giggle. "And you are to be the prince's wife."

Ah. So, everyone, from the elven court ladies and gentlemen to the lady's maids, had heard of that awful piece of news. "Where is that wretched elf anyway?" Ana asked sounding a bit irritated.

Erien made another giggle. Erien, as Ana had observed, was fond of giggling. "Oh, you mean the prince. He is outside now as we speak. He is having his training with the warriors." Erien went to the door leading to the balcony and motioned for Ana to follow. When Ana was beside Erien on the balcony, the elf pointed a finger to a silver-haired elf wearing a form-fitting golden armor astride a white horse. "There. That's Prince Ivan over there."

Ana followed Ivan's movement with her eyes. Atop his white steed, he looked like an angel warrior, looking determined to protect his beloved. And like with the story of Snow White there was something so romantic about a prince riding a white horse, galloping across the fields in pursuit of his beloved beautiful princess.

Ana witnessed Ivan's strong-arm raised above, a sword in his hand, as he sent his horse on a wild run towards his sparring partner. The other elf also did the same. Their swords met in a clash and Ana was amazed to see the warrior inside Ivan as he fought with his enemy with a sword on one hand and the horse's rein on another. She saw him dodge a sword blow near his head, and she let out a gasp when another slash of the sword came, aiming for his heart. It was just training, but how come Ivan's attacker was determined to kill their prince? She let out a sigh of relief when Ivan managed to evade the sword. When he was able to deliver a blow to his foe causing him to fall from his horse, Ana almost clapped her hands to celebrate Ivan's victory over the simulation. The other elves around the field made a loud cheer when their prince won the mock duel.

Ana let out a sigh. Ivan was definitely a warrior prince. Strong. Brave. Handsome. Oh crap! When did she become all mushy and stuff like that? And when did she start attaching positive adjectives with Ivan's name? Dammit! That elf was messing with her brain!

Her eyes were still locked on Ivan when the prince pulled the horse's rein and the horse turned. Ivan's amber eyes suddenly met hers, and Ana had a strange feeling that the elf knew all this time that she was watching him. Her knees buckled; her heart pounded like a drum as Ivan's intense gaze penetrated deep within her. And suddenly she felt confused as a new unidentified emotion began rising, trying to make its way out of her heart. Ana broke the gaze with Ivan and stormed towards the room, still trying to figure out what that feeling she had felt was.