Valentina sat in bed stewing in her anger after his Lordship had left the room. She couldn't take sitting at one place and so she began to pace while she thought about what to say to him when he got back.
She stood in front of the mirror and began practicing.

She caught a reflection in the mirror and jumped back, startled by the sudden appearance.

'Valentina!' The child ran into her arms wrapping his arms tightly around her waist.

'I've missed you.'

Valentina didn't react as she was unsure of what to do.

'Niko?'
The boy stepped back with a massive grin on his face.

'You're Nicholae's son.'
She could see the resemblance. She saw that he had a puppy with him.

'You remember Rex? Well he looks different but it's him.'

Valentina scrutinized the boy who still held on to her.
'You are adorable.' She ruefully admitted.

'I know.'
The boy was cheeky. And a very happy child.
'You told me you'd return, it's been a while I thought you were lying.'

He pursed his lips when she said nothing.
'You're different.' He said. He didn't let her go even with the realization.

'I don't remember. I've lost all my memories and so Fauna is working on that.'

'I can help too.' He immediately cheered up. 'I can tell you about how we first met.'
After a few minutes Valentina was confused more than ever. The potion was looking better and better.

'So I was a spirit? Like a ghost?'
Niko nodded.
'Isn't that cool?'

'I guess.' Valentina replied.

'So since you're human again, you can be my babysitter for real.' He excitedly jumped on the bed making Rex wag his tail too.

Valentina grinned at the boy.
'So what would my responsibilities be?'

Niko rattled them off one at a time.
'But most importantly, you'll have to play with Rex and me.'

If she made the promise to the child why not. As a spirit she'd been in possession of her faculties, according to the boy, and she'd still found her way here.

'Papa's closet is like a maze, we can play hide and seek and after that you can tell me a story.'

Valentina pauses at the closet door, 'I don't know any.'

Niko tugged on her hand.
'Then I'll tell you one. Now come on, We have to hide, Rex is the seeker and we have thirty seconds left.'

They played four rounds of hide and seek, two rounds of a Ghanaian some guy called Osei had taught Rex. A game called 'piloloo'. The rules were simple, like hide and seek, but unlike the other game this one required a hider and seekers. The hider hides pieces of sticks or any chosen item in various locations and it was the seekers job to find them. Whoever found the most items won.

So after that Niko kept his promise and told her a story. He told of a girl called Cinderella and one called one called Rapunzel.
The former had been a lowly human girl while the other had been a witch stuck in a tower.
'Tell me another one.' Valentina requested.

'I got this one from my dad:' he said before beginning with once upon a time.
'There was a prince who lived in a big palace. All the way in the other side of the valley lived a pauper, her name was Victoria.'

'Like Cinderella.' Valentina interrupted.
'Just listen please. She really shouldn't really be called a pauper since she also lived in a palace and was treated alot like family, unlike Cinderella.' He added.

'Now. This Victoria's adoptive family threw a ball and invited all the people of the land. People with big test and hairy feet. Some with long sharp teeth abs hideous faces. And those were just the people on the prince's side. Every supernatural who was who came to the ball.
That was when he first laid eyes on her. The prince fell head over heels but he didn't say anything because she wasn't from his territory.'

Even Rex listened with rapt attention as he sat obediently on Valentina's lap.

'The pauper, Victoria also fell in love with the prince but she didn't know. She only danced with charming the prince to be polite and to make someone else jealous. But the moment she looked into the prince's eyes she was a goner of loooovve.'
Niko giggled at his smoothness.
'Shut up Rex. That was funny.'
Valentina smiled and nodded.
'He's right Rex. I liked it.'

'So then she decided she had to see the prince again. But how could she when she lived on the other side of the nation. But she found a way. And after a number of meet cutes and unofficial dates, the prince was finally coerced to go along on this forbidden love.'

'Why was it forbidden. Aren't their family friends?'

Niko nodded. 'Yes they are but they still hate each other's guts. It's a political thing I guess.'

That explanation was good enough for her.

'Our hero and heroine and to live dodging suspicious eyes until one day the prince said enough was enough. He married the girl took her to his castle and announced to the whole world that she was his wife.'
He paused and looked at his audience.
'I'm getting there Rex. There's this thing called suspense I'll tell you all about it later.'

'So then the family still didn't accept them. So the prince renounced his title and went to live with his princess in a far off land where they raised their children and lived happily ever after.'

Valentina wasn't exactly sure if that was what she called a happy ending.

'You don't like it?' Niko's disappointment showed in his voice.

'It's not that. I absolutely commend their love and bravery but what about their family, will they never get to see them again?'

'They wouldn't need them because they made a lot of friends who accepted them. And they started a family of their own. One that wouldn't judge them and wouldn't let politics get in the way of true love.'

Then Valentina applauded Niko's great story telling. 'That is a very great story.'

'The first time Papa told me the story, I thought it was going to end like Romeo and Juliet.'

Valentina corked her head at the familiar story.
So Niko seeing her curiosity gave her the shirt and sweet version about the Montagues and Capulets.

'They died in the end? That's horrible.'
Valentina cried.

Then the door opened announcing Nicholae's return.
He hurriedly closed the door, his eyes widening when he beheld his son in the room.

'Niko,'. His angry tone had Niko jumping up and taking shelter behind Valentina.

'When I said your room, I didn't mean mine.'
His scowl deepened when Rex whined attempted to use is puppy dog eyes on him.

Valentina turned and found Niko mirror the puppy's look as well so she copied them.
'Oh not you too.' Nicholae dropped the items in his hand on the bed.

'Don't be mad at him. He told me great stories.'
She said in His defense. 'He's been a very good boy.'

'Papa, I didn't want to disobey you but I heard the maids cleaning my room that's why I came here instead.'

Nicholae stared at the three bodies huddled on the ground and his expression completely changed. He smiled at them which made them all the more wary.
He tried to say something but he stopped himself. Nicholae cleared his throat and then took the items of the bed again.

'Here I brought you chocolate.' He handed one to her but held on to the piece he was handing to his son.
'I don't know if you deserve this after what you did to Rex.'

'Papa he's happy. That's what matters.' He whined trying to pry the bar free.

'I could give your bar to Rex and make him happier. Or maybe Valentina might want a second one.'

Valentina shook her head as she unwrapped hers.
'One is enough for me.' She said before tasting the chocolatey goodness.
And then she regretted her words.

'It's good isn't it?' Niko laughed.
He was almost done with his. Then he shoved the last piece into his mouth and chewed.

'Well Niko since you're already here. I'm taking one of my trips to the human realm.'
Before his son could utter a complaint he spoke.

'It's a favor I have to make.'
He looked at Valentina then.

'Fauna will be coming with me. And so you can't stay here after we're gone.'

'Why not?' Niko asked, plucking the question from her mouth.
'Because Valentina cannot be here on her own. She's our secret remember?'

'I'll take care of her.' Niko offered. 'Rex and I can do it.'

Nicholae hugged his son.
'I love you for offering but it'll be too much to ask of you.'

'So where does she go?' He did it again.

'To Osei and Semi. They'll take good care of her. And when you go to train, you can see her.'

'I won't be long.' He promised his son and her.
'Niko, we have to go and greet our guests.'

'We have guests?'
Nicholae smiled.

'No Papa. I'm not feeling well.' Niko doubled over holding his belly.

Valentina was genuinely concerned but Nicholae barely batted an eye at his son's theatrics.

'You are coming even if I have to drag you by the hair.'

'Can Rex come along?'
Nicholae gave a short laugh then got serious again.
'No.'

'Who is this guest?' Valentina asked.

She knew she wasn't going to like the answer when Nicholae rubbed the back of his neck looked at Rex.

'Oh, just a friend of the family. She's from a very important family and Sonya invited her over.'

'You mean Sasha Draga, your prospective new wife?' Niko said.

'Son, there's a thing called tact and I have failed to teach it to you.'
Niko showed his teeth, 'Sorry.'

'Why would you want to hide that from me. It's not like that should be my business.'
It's not like only a while ago, he hadn't been kissing her or anything. It wasn't like he already had a wife.

Everyone looked at her.

'What?'

'Nothing.' They all said turning away. If Rex could verbally speak he'd have said it too.

So maybe her tone did hold some underlying emotions.

'Fauna will be here in a moment. And Sonya wants us dressed.'

'Papa, why do I have a feeling that you're dragging me into this, like you've done on so many occasions.' His son eyed him suspiciously as they walked into the closet.

Valentina caught the shaky cough Nicholae made before telling his son he didn't know what he was talking about.

Fauna entered the room a minute later.
Valentina was sad for the poor girl, how could she sit around when the man she loved was looking into getting a second wife.
If she was the one she wouldn't stand for it.

'How do you do it?' Valentina asked her.

'Do what?' Fauna asked back.

Ah. She solved her problems by denying them.

'If you don't like something you should say it.' Valentina told her.
She was part of the reason why Fauna was like that. Uncaring and pretending to be happy when she really wasn't.
So she blurted out her confession.
'I kissed His Lordship. I didn't mean to I swear. It was by mistake.' She mistakenly jumped on him and placed her mouth on his. That was the excuse?

Fauna looked shocked.
'Why? Why are you telling me this?'

'Because it was wrong and I'm sorry. And you had to know.'
The three males returned before the conversation could move further along.

'You just put on blazers.' Fauna noted.

'Yes.' They said.
And then they left.

'I'm glad you kissed his Lordship.'
That statement had Valentina's mind boggled for the rest of their time together. She couldn't come up with a valid response.

A/N
Thank you for making it this far into the journey.
I update every Saturday as you know.
So while you're waiting, I have another completed book totally unrelated to this series.
How I met my worst enemy
To keep you occupied as you wait for the updates.