Isabela's eyes opened, slowly—-they scanned the grey, stone ceiling above.

Where the hell am I?, she asked herself. This looks nothing like the undead compound.

Out of the corner of her eye, Isabela could see a familiar wooden wardrobe.

This is my room…, she thought.

Isabela's head shot off the pillow.

Sitting in corner was her mother, Queen Elena Vaduva.

Elena smiled at her—-it was fake smile—-the kind of fake smile that could make someone feel sick to their stomach upon seeing it. "How are you?"

Isabela coughed, her hand on her abdomen—-nursing her own wound. "I feel… I feel terrible."

Elena got up from where she sat, making her way over to the bed that Isabela laid in. She took a seat on the edge and began to stroke Isabela's hair.

This is all an act…, Isabela thought to herself. My mother would never do these things.

"Oh, well, of course you do! After all, someone did stab you!" Elena said.

With a dagger… with every intention to kill me, Isabela mentally added. But, daggers don't kill vampires. I thought Vek, of all people, would know that. I mean, he's a vampire, himself, for hell's sake.

"So, how did you find me?" Isabela questioned her mother with raised eyebrows, shying away from Elena's hand.

Elena laughed, shrugging a little as she did. "I don't know; some sort of mother's sense or something." She inhaled. "Well," she laughed. "That's not completely true. I didn't really find you myself."

"Then who did?" Isabela questioned. 'How did I get out of the undead compound?', is the real question. Ednoth's got that place locked down tight. Someone's gotta be a ninja to sneak past Ednoth's boys.

"A couple of girls… two men. They said they were friends of yours," Elena began to explain. "One of them—-the Greek one—-said she was your mistress…"

"Axiothea," Isabela breathed. The others must've been Langiva, Akuppi-Adad, and Ferrantino, Isabela's mind concluded.

"Sure. If that's what her name is," Elena responded. She exhaled, angrily. "I hope you nip whatever you have with this Axiothea woman in the bud soon, Samuilu. It's never going to work out. You're a prince—-she's a nobody. And the lady thing I need is for you and her to have a bastard."

Oh, it's already happening, Isabela said to herself, thinking about Axiothea's prior request and how the vampire took her up on it.

"I'd rather have you marry Lady Mierla Cojocaru than that dirty-blooded tavern wench…" Elena waved her hand in a gesture.

Good thing I'm not feeling the greatest right now, mother, Isabela began to curse. Because, if I was, I would've ripped out your throat for that comment. Isabela growled.

Elena stood. "Oh, don't be so upset…! It's the best thing for you. You can't seriously want your family to have her dirty blood, can you?"

"I love her," Isabela snarled.

Elena rolled her eyes and huffed. "No, you don't, Samuilu. You're too young to know what love really is."

Now it was Isabela's turn to roll her eyes—-which she took.

Elena's grimace turned into a grin. "Try to heal up the best you can." She headed towards the door and opened it.

"Why?" Isabela called after her mother. "What's tomorrow?"

Elena didn't turn around. She just answered with, "Tomorrow, you're getting married."