Xander's POV:

I told myself last night that I'd be awake before someone could come to get me, but due to some... unforeseen circumstances, I'd slept longer than intended.

The knocking at my door shot me into consciousness, noticing my mistake immediately.

I got dressed and ran some hands through my hair in a record time, opening the door to Emmet's familiar nervous-smiling face.

Sylvia, of course, took her place a few steps back, rubbing her eyes.

"Good morning Prince," He bowed, waving at the guards that stood by doors all night to step to the side

"There's been an uh- another change of plans from Sir Ardigan."

That was all I needed to hear for me to become fully awake, the built-up frustrations of yesterday returning in an instant after getting to forget about it for a while last night.

All of it on top of this new information stirred a growl in my throat, and an uneasy scent wafted from the three men around me.

"Of course there has," I deadpanned, stepping out from my room and shutting the door, "Just let it be known that if he wishes to delay this event any further that I will not be staying longer than planned."

I've done everything right during this trip as far as they're concerned. Everything expected of me and more. Even as far as allowing the previous disrespect and change of plans, but now I was done.

Nico wouldn't have been anywhere near as lenient. Nor would either of my parents.

If getting sent the second son to handle this matter was so disrespectful in his eyes, then he can settle with a broken treaty and see how far it gets him.

The man in front of me was only barely keeping it together.

"O-Of course, Prince, but I think that you may find this one more favorable than the last."

I quirked up a brow, signaling for him to continue.

"He wishes for you to join him for breakfast. Just the two of you. No scribe or guards or anything."

I noted the rise of a single brow in Sylvia, eyeing me as if she was looking for my approval.

He continued.

"He said that you can discuss any and all issues with him there as well as... make up for yesterday's absence."

Well... Though that did sound nice, I still had my suspicions.

I kept them in silence for a few seconds, wanting to see if it would elicit any more information on the topic, but I didn't.

"I see," I settled, "Is that happening now?"

"As soon as possible," He remarked, "He's already in his dining room waiting."

Is he now...

"Right," I sighed out, forcing the built-up tension and frustration away for the moment, "Lead the way then."

"The guards told me that you went hunting last night," He spoke up in a desperate attempt to change the subject and sway the tense atmosphere between all of us, "Which of our fine collection of wildlife did you choose? We've spent decades perfecting and culling the species in these woods to ensure their blood is as rich as could be. I'm just hoping it was to your liking."

Oh... Shit.

With as experienced as these vampires are with their senses, they're probably pretty skilled in lie detection. If no one else, then probably Emmet since he is Ardigan's assistant.

"It was a doe," I answered truthfully, though he didn't know to what extent.

I even heard Sylvia jot down my answer.

Right on the permanent record. The one I'm pretty sure Nico's gonna read later today when I get back. Fantastic.

"Ah yes," Emmet nodded, "The sika deer are quite active nowadays with spring up in full bloom. Their blood is definitely one of the favorites among the clan. I'm hoping the doe was to your liking and didn't put up too much of a fight?"

Fight? Not really. To my liking? Absolutely.

"It was certainly fulfilling. I've got no complaints."

I could almost feel the way that she'd smack my arm if she knew the conversation I was having.

"I'm glad to hear it."

He settled, leading the way with my waving and saying hello to the vampires we passed on the way.

He brought us all into the main center building I saw when I first got here, turning through a few halls.

"Prince," Sylvia called out, approaching until she was walking just a step behind me, "If I may, are you sure you wish this meal to stay off of the record?"

Emmet stopped and turned, "Ardigan has requested it be so." He snapped at her.

I glared at his tone at the question that wasn't aimed at him, but she spoke for herself just fine.

"Ardigan has been making a lot of requests this trip and you're lucky your prince has accepted them all with grace and forgiveness that most would be on their knees for. I'm well aware of what your leader has asked, but, respectfully, right now I'm asking mine."

I stared back and forth at the both of them, trying desperately to think about anything other than the fact that her answer felt very Doe-like and keep my brain from picturing her as a vampire by my side making these kinds of royal trips with me.

Now was really not the time.

Sylvia just calmly turned her head to await my answer, Emmet looking both stunned and sheepish.

The request was suspicious in a sense, but I was getting no underlying warning from my instincts, so some kind of harm wasn't at all on my list of possibilities.

"I'm sure I'll be fine. Just make a note that this meal was requested as such and I can fill in what's needed after the fact if need be. Stay nearby though just in case something happens."

She just nodded and took a step back where she was, Emmet wordlessly leading us through this final hallway to a pair of double doors.

The guards and Sylvia stopped a few feet back.

"I'll make the introductions before taking my leave," Emmet spoke rather quietly.

I stared at the doors for a moment, debating how I was going to approach this.

I guess I'll wait to see what he does first before making any kind of assumptions.

My job here was for the treaty, so that should be my main focus.

It's his move, really.

Emmet opened the door and I stepped in, seeing a table full of food, and a man at the far end of it beginning to stand.

Something pulled at my chest the moment he came into view. An old vampire. Over a millennium easily.

"Prince Alexander Vanderwood, I present you to Sir Augustus Ardigan."

I froze completely at the sound of his forename, that pull snapping into something else entirely.

Augustus?

My breathing stopped, all senses activating in the sudden shift I felt.

There was a familiarity to his face, featured I'd seen before. Distorted but just enough for me to place.

Eyes that resembled my mother's- I could see her in the structure of his face. I could see hints of me!

Long faded blonde hair mixed with greyed strands pulled back into a straight, formal ponytail, showing off every feature of mine or my mothers, or Nico's.

Their eyes were identical.

No... No this couldn't... He can't...

He studied me back for a moment, not looking nearly as panicked, but still showed a hint of melancholy.

"Thank you, Emmet. Please excuse us." He spoke. His voice showed his age, but I could even hear the familiar tone of how my mother spoke to her guards.

I heard the door close but didn't move any further.

He moved with calculated, slow steps as he approached, that look on his face slowly lifting into a soft smile the more he looked at me.

Meanwhile, I still couldn't make up a coherent decision as to what exactly I'd just been thrown into.

Unable to focus on acting like a prince in favor of digging through my memory for any hints.

Augustus... Ardigan.

The memories of hearing the surname before this trip took some time to recover, but came back with just enough for me to work with.

Caroline Ardigan.

This man before me... The leader of this clan my brother despises so much, was our grandfather.

"You look just like her." His voice held a tremor through the whisper and yet I could feel the intense emotion behind it.

One of his hands slowly rose as he got closer, like he wanted to ensure that I was real.

Mom never talked about her past... She was so secretive about her childhood, her parents, how she met my father, all of it. So dismissive, or told us things that were obviously made up to entertain her curious sons... Enough to where I guess we just stopped asking.

Was this why? Was this what she was so keen on keeping to herself?

It was all making too much sense and at the same time none at all.

Though, to meet someone new from the family I thought scattered the second my parents took the title...

His hand staggered as soon as he was right in front of me, deciding against his prior goal.

It didn't get far though, not when I grabbed ahold of it and instead pulled him into a close embrace.

I'd always wanted to meet, well, any of my grandparents. Mostly so the one I'd gotten my middle name from.

He tensed from my sudden action, but relaxed soon after with a hearty chuckle, pulling back with hands on my shoulders to get a good look at me.

There was so much... Kindness. A welcoming I wasn't at all expecting or ready for.

My grandfather or not, he was still the leader of a clan of primitive-living vampires.

"It's good to finally meet you, Alexander. Caroline talked about both you and Nicolas a lot through her letters."

Letters?

"How did you- I mean, How did this," I paused, gathering all my thoughts and taking a deep breath. I really didn't know how to approach this properly, so just spit out the first thing on my mind from before, "Is this why you wouldn't meet with me?"

"I'm sorry. I just couldn't-," He paused, brows furrowing, "When I heard that they were sending their son, I panicked. I'm sorry for delaying this, but I knew my people would crowd you and I felt like something like this needed to happen under some sort of privacy. I couldn't face you in front of everyone knowing that you knew absolutely nothing about me. I didn't want to start our first meet with a charade for show."

Yeah, no kidding. No wonder he didn't want this on the record.

"They said that they wanted the future Lord to come and experience this place for himself, though it seems like that plan didn't make it all the way here."

He didn't talk nor look like that fact disappointed him in the slightest. Which was fantastic but-

They sent Nico... for this. Under the guise of a Royal duty. They wanted him to know this.

And here I was instead.

Shit... Shit shit shit!

I was definitely going to need to have a chat with my parents after this one. As well as force Nico to come here for himself if I have to.

"I... I don't even know where to start."

He gave me a very understanding nod, gesturing me back over to the table

"Come on and eat, there's much we need to discuss."