"You're going to the castle again? Girl what business do you have going there again?"

"Apparently the King is summoning me."

Josie scoffs. "He's obviously going to put you in chains!"

"I don't think so... it probably has to do with my blood being the cure for the crow disease."

"Nonsense! He's going to put you in chains and then get your blood!"

"Enough Josie, just let Clarissa go. She's not a child."

"I'm getting deja vu." Clarissa watches the couple bicker in front of her. "peter still hasn't proposed." She muses while listening to a conversation she already heard the previous day.

"Fine! Be back by supper."

"I will."

"Peter and I will be going out once you're back, can you watch the kids? Just put them to bed after their dinner."

"You two are going on a date?"

"Yes, a date." Josie grumbles.

"Do you not want to go on a date with me?" Peter panics.

"Oh Peter..."

Clarissa slowly steps out the door before the two start bickering the second time this morning. Their bickers were never serious so it didn't concern her much. It was a peaceful walk to the castle, the streets were as barren as the Viertel castle due to the plague. People have been hiding in their homes and sending the brave on witch hunts towards those that did as little as cough a few times.

The economy surely hit rock bottom. It makes the bronze kingdom (which formerly had the worst economy among the three kingdoms) look like it has streets of gold. King Golden was well aware of this himself and it made him cry a bit everyday. The Princess' birthday party took a huge blow on the crown's funds too.

Clarissa Wains, using the Castle's front gate for the second time with no ulterior motives, like normal townsfolk.

"State your business." A guard speaks, voice low and raspy. Not the attractive kind. "Does he have a bone lodged in his throat?"

"I have been summoned by the king."

"Have you?"

Clarissa looks at the guard stationed at the other side of the gate. "Fredrick take your job seriously! It's your first day man! Ah it's the infamous Clarissa Wains too. I'll escort you to where the king awaits, Fredrick you come as well."

Clarissa follows them to the throne room. The King sits vulnerably on a wide gold and red cushioned throne, asleep and snoring. Paintings of Golden royals from each generation decorated the walls, the walls having golden rims and red backgrounds. The floor, a deep red carpet. So much red Clarissa wonders if the bronze kingdom's throne room looked like shit because she's under the assumption that it'd be fully decorated in brown and rust colors. And as such, silver colors for the silver kingdom.

"E-ehem. Your highness? Clarissa Wains has arrived." The guard speaks, and the king continues to snore loudly. The other guard, new to his job, snorts and giggles.

"Fredrick!"

"I'm sorry it's just..."

The king lets out the loudest snore yet and Fredrick bursts into laughter, clutching his stomach.

"Fredrick stop!" The serious guard panics.

"Fredrick is quite the character." Clarissa mumbles. "King Golden, I have arrived."

"Clarissa Wains!?" King Golden jolts awake, dizzied from the sudden movement. Fredrick quickly regains his composure, standing straight with a neutral expression.

"Thank you for your timely arrival, I shall get straight to business." He clears his throat. "It has been said your blood holds the cure to the crow disease. I do not know how and why, but I would like a sample of your blood and we shall test this. If it proves true then I will humble request a donation of your blood until the Golden Kingdom is free from the plague. For doing so, your name will be cleared and you will be welcomed to stay within my walls."

"Of course. My blood is yours, your highness." She lowers her head.

"Absolutely Golden! Kristopher!"

A young cleric comes in, a vial in his hand. "Your palm please?"

Clarissa hold her palm out, in a tiny briefcase that the cleric opens, he pulls out a small scalpel. "This will sting, but I will heal the wound right after I get the blood."

"I'm good with pain."

"Great, I ducktape my patients who scream and complain too much."

She barely feels the scalpel cut through the skin of her palm. Kristopher holds onto the vial as they wait for blood to drip from the wound and fill it halfway. He closes the cut quickly after.
"That will be enough for now, I'll be seeing you again if this thing works."

Clarissa looks at the healed spot, as if no wound occurred in the first place. "So cool."

"Opaque huh? It still looks like a deep scarlet to me." The king comments.

"The princess said it took hours until the color changed."

"Alright." He turns his attention to Clarissa. "You're free for now, I'll have you summoned again if the results turn out positive."

Clarissa lowers her head and leaves.

"What's all this blood business?" Fredrick asks.

"None of your concern!" A certain bright blonde haired lady shows up. "Clarissa Wains, do you mind accompanying me to town? I'm going to visit my girlfriend."

"Ee!" The other guard stiffens, and Fredrick glances at them with confusion written all over his face. A citizen of the Golden kingdom who didn't know of princess Freya's cruel doings was practically unheard of.

"Sure... I need to be back at the inn by sun set though."

"There's still plenty of time now hurry up." The princess hurries out the castle, with Clarissa at her tail. They travel by foot to a cozy looking, sizable house in town that wasn't ways far from the castle. "After my father discovered our relationship he relieved her of her duties as a maid and got her this house here."

"That's nice."

"I wish he could've just let her stay at the castle though." She knocks on the door. "Eka! It's me!"

"My loveeee!" A voice yells excitedly, the two could hear footsteps rushing to the door. As soon as Eka swings it open she pulls Freya into her arms. "I missed you so much!"

"It's only been two days."

"Two looong days. Oh! This is Clarissa Wains?"

"Yes, her."

The bronze lady extends her hand out. "Nice to meet you, Clarissa. I'm Eka!"

"Nice to meet you too." Clarissa reluctantly shakes Eka's hand. She expected more of an icy killer gaze, not a sweet smile and open hands. "Freya does she know that I?"

"She knows all about you."

"I'm just nice to everyone! And if Freya brought you here then things between you two must be ok now. Oh and you saved my life! Come inside!"

The interior is a quaint warm place that smelled of freshly baked goods. "It's great that you both came here at this hour! I just finished baking raisin bread, chocolate muffins and a cranberry pie."

"Woah take it easy Eka, that's a lot."

"I also prepared lemonade."

Freya squeezes her girlfriend's cheeks. "Tooo much, that's too much."

Clarissa's stomach growls.

"Does this one like to eat?"

She nods thrice.

Over lemonade and pie, the three enjoy a conversation that mostly consisted of Freya ranting about people that irritate her. Clarissa spills the beans on Katherine's affair with Vixen and Orias' disappearance. She hadn't even realized that she was actively participating in their chat until she returned to the inn just on time.

"What took you so long Clarissa!?"

"I was eating pastries at Freya's girlfriend's place."

Josie rolls her eyes. "As long as you aren't coming back here with a missing limb. Come on Peter, lets go." She takes his hand and they leave.

Now babysitter duties, dinner, and crash in bed. Clarissa felt satisfied after today and Josie came home with a ring on her finger.