The three of us head to Vincent's room, where he sets the wolf on his medicine table. The wolf begins to whimper again. I feel bad, but I stand back and out of Vincent's way. He begins to dip a piece of cotton into a clear liquid and then cleans the wolf’s wounds. Marcus grabs my hand in an attempt to gain my attention.

  "The wolf is going to be ok." He smiles.

  "Ok…." I smile back softly.

  "Are you hungry, milady? It's almost noon." He asks.

  "Ah, well… I suppose I could go for a snack."

  "I'll make you something to eat." He kisses my cheek briefly with a smile, then heads out of the room.

  Vincent works on the wolf quietly. I sit down on the bench. The wolf is still crying. Vincent begins to wrap its legs in bandages.

  "Be gentle…." I suggest worriedly.

  "Don't worry." He continues to wrap its legs, "This tiny wolf is stronger than even you."

  "…Ok," I say, unsure.

  After a couple of minutes, Vincent finishes. He puts the wolf down on the floor.

  "Do you want to keep him?" He asks.

  "The wolf?!" I exclaim. The wolf limps over to me.

  "Well? He seems to like you. Or feel indebted to you." We both watch as the wolf rubs against my leg.

  "I-I suppose he does," I pick the wolf up.

  He looks happy. Vincent watches me think for a moment.

  "I'll keep him," I state.

  "Then you'll have to take care of him. Do you know how to take care of a wolf?" He asks while coming to sit beside me.

  The wolf begins to growl at him again.

  "No…. I've never cared for an animal," I smile, petting the wolf.

  "I see…. Talk with Caeru if you need any help. But you should know…." He pauses then looks from me to the wolf, then back at me, "That… wolves tend to be protective. So be careful." He warns.

  "Oh! Okay…?" I say curious as to why he paused. "I'll be going now." I stand up, still holding the wolf.

  "Wait. What'll you name him?" He asks.

  "Oh…." I think. I look at the wolf, inspecting its eyes, and fur. It's brown, like chocolate so… "How about Chip? What do you think?"

  Vincent furrows his eyebrows and tilts his head slightly.

  "Chip? What for?" He, asks confused.

  "Like chocolate chips! Because he's brown!" I exclaim.

  "I guess that makes a little bit of sense." He teases me.

  "I think it's a cute name." I insist.

  "Mhm," he smiles, "I have to get back to work now." He continues while urging me to head to the door.

  "Oh! Right. I'm sorry for hassling you." I apologize and make my way to the door with Chip.

  "No, it's fine. Hassle me anytime you like." He smiles once more, suggesting that he's flirting with me.

  "Oh- ok…." I say nervously.

  The two of us leave Vincent's room. I find Marcus waiting for me in the kitchen alongside Lucian. Marcus smiles when he notices me. The rest of the day I spend in the library with Marcus and Chip. After the sun sets, I begin to go to the dining room for dinner. Marcus follows behind me. We sit at the table. Chip is set down beside my chair while I eat. He seems to be begging for food. Today, Caeru is sitting beside me, as well as Marcus. Beni and Lucian are quietly talking to each other. Vincent is also quiet. Marcus just seems to be focusing on eating.

  "Caeru?" I whisper.

  "What is it?" He responds in a whisper.

  "What should I feed him?" I point to Chip, who's under my chair.

  "Ah, raw meat will be fine." He suggests.

  "Do we have more meat?" I ask.

  "Yes, I'll prepare it for him after dinner. Consider it my thank you for earlier." He smiles.

  "Oh… ok," I smile back.

  I finish eating but wait at the table. Marcus and Vincent remain at the table as well, however, the others leave after finishing their food. Caeru heads to the kitchen to prepare Chip’s food. Meanwhile, Marcus taps my hand. I turn my body to face him and look at his face. He's blushing for some reason.

  "Milady?" He says quietly as his eyes seem to be filled with lust.

  He truly does wear his emotions on his face.

  "What is it, dear?" I tease him.

  "D-Dear?" His face flushes pink.

  I smile, slightly blushing myself.

  "I was only teasing," I reveal.

  "Oh… I was wondering if… you wanted to finish what we started earlier..?" He asks shyly and quietly.

  I think back to this morning. We've been intimate twice today… once in the bathroom and again after his nap… Is this how couples normally are? I turn away from him.

  "We should discuss that in your room… l-later," I say, flustered.

  "Ok! I-I'm sorry for bringing it up right now, milady." He apologizes worriedly.

  Vincent chuckles.

  "You two are almost adorable. It makes me forget that I should be pursuing you, too, Lilac." Vincent says while getting up.

  He puts his hands on my shoulders gently.

  "Isn't it wrong to pursue a lady in a relationship?" I ask, brushing him off of me.

  He leans in to whisper into my ear, "Only if your advances don't work, and mine seem to be working quite well." He says smugly, then walks away, presumably to his room.

  I cover my mouth, shocked by Vincet’s actions, and realize I’m burning with blush. Marcus gets up and wraps his arms around my shoulders from over my chair.

  "You don't have to be faithful to me, milady… just… as long as you're happy." He frowns while trying to be comforting.

  I place my hand on his arm.

  "I like you, Marcus. That's why I agreed to be with you," I end up comforting him.

  Caeru returns with a bowl of raw meat chopped into small cubes. Chip gets up and begins to walk toward him. Marcus continues to lean on my shoulders. Chip growls at Caeru yet allows him to place the bowl on the floor before him.

  "He's feisty, isn't he?" Caeru makes small talk.

  "Yeah… He doesn't growl at me or Marcus. I don't know why he's aggressive toward you all… I'll teach him to behave better." I say.

  Chip begins to eat sloppily.

  "Goodnight, Lilac, Marcus." He begins to leave the dining room.

  "Goodnight." Marcus and I respond.

  Marcus kisses my cheek, then my neck, then my shoulder.

  "W-Wait until we're in private, Marcus…." I say gently.

  "Okay, Milady…." He agrees.

  I watch Chip eat.

  "I read a book while you were busy with Lucian." Marcus brings up.

  "Oh? About what?" I ask curiously.

  "I'll show you in bed…." He tries to say seductively.

  "O-Oh," I respond, flustered.

  He smiles. The two of us wait for Chip to finish. When he does, Marcus takes the empty bowl back to the kitchen. Chip limps over to me. I get up to pick him up. He looks happy. I smile at him. Marcus returns.

  "Let's go now." He says.

  "Ok…." I say, blushing, knowing what's going to come next.

  He walks in front of me as we go to his room. I put Chip outside by the door. I don't want him to be inside while I get intimate with Marcus. After him, I step inside and close the door, we turn to face each other. Before I can get a word out, Marcus steps closer to me and grabs my waist. It startles me, causing me to look at his hands rather than his face.

  "I-I’ll show you what I learned now." He declares before he lifts me, wrapping his arm around my back and holding my leg to his hip.

  To avoid falling, I wrap my legs around his hips.

  "Ok…." I say intrigued.

  He leans forward slightly and kisses me. I tilt my head to the side in an attempt to deepen the kiss. My lips part slightly as he pushes his tongue in further. My arms wrap around his neck as our tongues begin to mingle.

  He carries me over to the bed and lays me down, hovering above me. When he pulls away from the kiss to look at me for a moment, I smile at him to tell him I’m enjoying this. He kisses my neck and shoulder just before biting my collarbone gently. I wrap my arms around his back, under his arms. He pushes himself into me. Then, he bites down harder on my neck, causing me to let out a soft moan.

  His eyes rest on mine for a moment. I smile softly as he begins to undress me. He slowly slides my sleeves down, one side at a time. I take my arms out once he reaches my wrists. Finally, he slides my shirt down my stomach, then raises it over my head. He looks at my exposed skin, my chest, my stomach, my thighs. His hand caresses my thigh, gliding from my knee to just before my underwear.

  "I-It said that I should use my hands more, t-the book." He says nervously, pausing.

  "Mhm…." I nod, enthused, while reaching for the buttons on his shirt.

  I undo two of the buttons as his hand slides onto my stomach. I shudder slightly from the touch of his cold fingers. He pauses for a moment to think before leaning down again and placing a kiss on my chest. Now I’m left in my bra and underwear.

  "I really like you, a lot…. Milady." He tells me softly with a serious face.

  His mismatched tone and expression cause me to laugh lightly.

  "I know you do. I like you a lot, too, Marcus." I respond as he kisses my neck once again.

  Then he stops and undoes his shirt, setting it aside on the bed. Next, he takes his pants off. It always feels a little awkward watching someone undress. He tosses his pants to the ground. I try to hide my blush after seeing how hard he's been this whole time. I feel a little bad. What if it’s been causing him pain?

  I look into his golden eyes as he leans in to kiss me. My warm lips meet against his cold ones. His hands gently caress my body, and to my surprise, slide over my underwear and begin to fondle me. I moan mid-kiss, and he uses the opportunity to gently mix his tongue with mine. His finger somewhat roughly rubs my crotch in a circular motion. We can both feel how wet I am.

  He pulls away from the kiss and moves my bra out of the way with his free hand. I bite the inside of my lip, anticipating his next action. Is he going to suck on my breast again? That felt really good last time. I moan slightly as his finger presses down on my clitoris. He smiles before fondling my boob as well. He seems to be enjoying this more so than the first time, now that he has a little bit more experience.

  Using his thumb, he rubs my nipple in a circular motion opposite to his other finger. Then he squeezes it. Repeating that a few times while massaging my breast, he leans in and kisses the other one. His tongue roughly slides over the nipple. With all the stimulation, I feel like having an orgasm, but I want to hold off until we become one…. Despite my moans, I grab his hand and bring it to my mouth. He looks up at me as I kiss his hand, then he blushes.

  "Um… i-it's my turn to make you feel good. So…." I sit up and urge him to lie on his back.

  He leans back, surprised. I place my hands on his arms, solely to feel for any muscles, thinking back to Lucian's. I smile to myself, feeling him and seeing his head tilt in confusion. My hands glide over his shoulders to his stomach, then to his lower stomach. I pull his underwear down a little bit then grab his penis. It's wet already. I stare at it, amazed.

  "Wha… what's wrong?" He asks, worried by my reaction.

  "Nothing's wrong. I think you're going to like this." I smile, tucking my hair behind my ear.

  As I lean down and kiss his tip, his face turns red. I open my mouth and take his penis inside. Slowly, I move my head up and down, making sure I move my tongue slightly to give him stimulation.

  "This… feels really good." He moans.

  I continue to suck him, even speeding up a little bit. After a couple of seconds, he cums into my mouth. I immediately stop to sit up, covering my mouth.

  "Oh- I'm sorry! I should have asked first!" He exclaims, panicking.

  I shake my head and hesitantly swallow.

  "It's ok," I say while crawling on top of him.

  He places his hands on my waist.

  "Did you learn anything else?" I ask while blushing.

  He nods slowly while staring at me. Then, he opens his mouth slightly, but I can't tell if he wants me to kiss him or if he's going to say something. I sit down on top of his stomach and caress his face, going down to his chest. My eyes follow my hand down, then back to his eyes. His face is burning red, and I can feel his heartbeat increasing.

  "A-Are you going to show me…?" I turn my head away shyly.

  "Um… yeah." He says slowly while lifting you slightly.

  He moves me over his groin. Is he going to put it in like this? I lean down, then he kisses my lips gently. As he looks into my eyes, his are sparkling; I smile at him.

  "Will you put it in?" He asks shyly.

  "Mhm." I nod, then sit back up.

  I pull your underwear to the side and grab his penis again, only putting the tip inside. I moan slightly, still not used to this feeling.

  "Does it hurt, Milady?" He asks, worried.

  He asked that last time as well.

  "No! It feels good…." I assure him while lying down on top of his chest.

  As he pushes himself in slowly, he lets out a quiet moan. Gently, he begins to thrust, making sure to go slow to avoid hurting me. Every time he moves deeper I let out a small moan. He stops for a moment to wrap his arms around me, embracing me with his cold body.

  "Milady, you feel so hot." He suggests.

  Now that he mentions it, I am sweating a lot.

  "It's because you’re making me feel good," I admit, embarrassed.

  "O-Oh." He smiles and sits up, bringing me up with him.

  I yelp as his penis fully enters me. He leans down and bites my neck, his fangs sinking into my vein. I moan as the tingling feeling heightens my sensitivity in my vagina. Before he starts drinking any of my blood, his hands take hold of my hips. He moves them back and forth, it feels so good! After a few seconds, I start to move them myself, then his hands move up to my waist.

  His hands slide up to my breasts as he fondles them once again. I already feel like cumming, I dont think I can hold back any longer!

  "M-Marcus… this feels t-too good." I begin to whine.

  Instead of drinking my blood, he retracts his fangs and kisses me roughly instead. Since I’m moaning, he has easy access to my mouth. I try to maintain the kiss but end up having an orgasm after a few seconds. As I cum, his hands move back to my hips and he pulls away to put his fangs back into the holes he made. He licks my neck before sucking the blood and keeps my hips moving. I grab onto his shoulders as he begins to drink my blood, the pleasure is so overwhelming.

  Is this what he meant when he said his bite would stimulate me?! I end up biting my lip, but it's not enough to stop my moans. After thirty seconds pass, he pulls out of my neck and looks at my face, deciding to move my hips faster.

  "I-I'm going to cum again." He moans.

  I bite down on his neck and end up stifling my voice. He moans again as he cums inside of me. When I take my mouth off of him, there's a purple bruise on his neck, and it's wet from my spit. I didn’t think I’d be able to leave a bruise on him, his skin is so firm. He feels his neck and traces his finger over the bite mark while blushing.

  "D-Did you like that, L-Lilac?" He asks, waiting for praise.

  I nod slowly while panting to catch my breath.

  "Do you want to continue?" He quietly wraps his arms around me.

  "N-No… please," I respond while returning the embrace.

  "Then let's stay like this for a while. Please…." He requests.

  The two of us lie there hugging each other for a couple of minutes. I can feel his penis throbbing inside of me still. It feels so warm. After a while has passed, he lets go of me.

  "We should clean up now…." He states shyly.

  "Ok." I agree and let go to get off of him.

  Carefully, I get up, removing him from your insides. I feel something start running down your leg. It's his semen.

  "You came inside…." I say, unpleasantly surprised.

  "Y-Yeah…. Is that ok?" He looks slightly confused.

  "I… don't know. What if I get pregnant?" I frown, crossing my arms.

  He stands up, confused.

  "Would that be bad?" His expression and voice are genuine.

  I turn away from him with a glum expression. Only silence follows. Marcus turns away from me and begins to get dressed in nightwear. I pull my bra up and get dressed, I ought to go to the bathroom before changing clothes. I face Marcus only to see him getting into bed already. He looks sad… is he hurt that I didn't respond to his question?

  It's not that I don't want his children… I’m just not ready to be a mother yet.

  "Sh…Should I return after changing into a nightgown?" I ask him before leaving the room.

  "If you want to…." He sounds dejected.

  "…I'll be back," I say softly before opening the door and discovering Chip.

  Awwwe… he was still waiting for us… not that he could walk very far off, though. I pick him up and take him over to Marcus. Since he hasn't been washed, I only set him down beside the bed and leave the room. After going to the bathroom, I quickly stop into my room to change clothes.

  I haven't been in my room for a while, but there are some more dresses for me to wear, as well as shoes and nightgowns. A pair of slippers would be nice so that I wouldn’t have to walk around at night barefoot. Perhaps I should buy some when I return to town. I change my clothes and then make my way back to Marcus's room. After entering, I close the door.

  It looks like he's already sleeping… I frown. Hopefully, he's not too upset with me. Before getting into bed with him, I kneel to pet Chip. He looks happy, and I smile.

  "Goodnight, Chip." I get up and into bed quietly.

  I lie facing Marcus and caress his face for a moment until he rolls onto his back. I snuggle close to him, laying my head on his chest.

  "Goodnight, Marcus…." I whisper.

  After I close my eyes, I hear him speak.

  "Good……night…M-Milady." He mutters, half asleep, then wraps his arm around me.

  I smile and fall asleep. In the morning, Marcus wakes up before me. When I awake, he's gone. Instead, Chip is in his place. I sit up, surprised. After looking around, I see a dress for me to change into, as well as a pair of shoes.

  I change out of my nightwear and wake Chip up. He stretches and then waits for me to pick him up. I leave Marcus's room only to see him standing right outside the door, holding a plate… with a sandwich, of course. I’m a bit startled, so I take a step back.

  "Milady! Good morning." He smiles.

  "Good morning, Marcus." I smile back.

  "Will you come back to bed…?" He requests.

  "Of course." I turn around and take Chip back to the bed and set him down.

  Marcus closes the door and sits down on the bed. He hands me my sandwich, I take a seat beside him and Chip.

  "I was going to wake you up when I brought you the sandwich… but I guess I was too late." He smiles apologetically.

  This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it

  "That's ok." I place my hand on his shoulder to comfort him.

  He stops smiling and starts to look anxious. I start eating my food, it’s delicious. Surprisingly, Marcus is really good at making sandwiches.

  "I'm sorry for last night." He states.

  "Oh- that's what's eating at you. It's okay…." I shake my head.

  "No, I should've asked first… before doing that." He insists.

  "It's okay, really," I smile, "I'm just not ready for kids yet… we're so young still…." I tell him.

  "…When do you think you'll be ready?" He asks worriedly.

  "In a few years… I suppose." I eat some more of my sandwich while the silence ensues.

  After a few minutes, he responds.

  "I-I don't think we can wait that long…." He reveals.

  "We?" I ask, confused.

  "We all kind of planned for you to be pregnant by the end of the year…." He informs me.

  "O-Oh…." I frown.

  He avoids eye contact with me, looking at his knees.

  "Lilac…?" He calls quietly.

  "Hm?" You answer softly but quickly.

  "I-I understand if you don't want to have kids with me…. You want to become the princess, right?"

  I don't respond at first, I’m not sure how to feel yet. I don't have any feelings for Vincent… but that is why I agreed to be here. Then again, they're going to help me raise the child… but I have to get married first… it’s August. I frown, that’s not a lot of time to decide something so serious.

  "I don't know yet," I say after I finish my sandwich. "Which one of you is going to inherit the crown?" I continue.

  "Well… Vincent is… but… I might too- it's not certain yet. In October, one of us will be chosen." He says.

  "Mhm." I nod along to what he's saying.

  The end of the week is tomorrow…. I said I'd let him know if I want to stay with him by then, but he also said he would let me be with the other vampires. Should I review my options? I wonder who father would prefer? I kiss Marcus's cheek softly. He places his hand over the kiss. "Thank you for the food. I'll take it to the kitchen." I stand up and turn to face him.

  "I’ll come too." He suggests eagerly.

  "Then… I'm going to see Vincent…." I clarify.

  "Oh, I could still come…?" He says, seeming dejected.

  "It would be best if you didn't." I avert his gaze, feeling awkward.

  "Oh. I understand." He says, looking as though he still doesn't understand.

  "I'll see you later."

  "…Do you promise?" He gives me his puppy dog eyes and grabs onto my hand.

  I smile, looking down at our hands.

  "Of course." I nod and begin to leave the room.

  I take my plate to the kitchen and then search for Vincent. I decide to check his office first. He's in there, as I suspected. I tap the glass gently until he glances at me, but then he looks back at his desk. Does he not want to be disturbed right now…?

  "Vincent?" I say through the door.

  He opens the door and smiles at me.

  "Lilac. Do you need something?" He questions, looking me up and down.

  "I thought we could spend some time together…?" I ask shyly.

  He seems irritated.

  "I'm a bit busy at the moment." He says while crossing his arms.

  "I can see that." I smile slightly, "I can wait for you to be free…." I suggest.

  "Alright then… you can come in." He permits, gesturing me inside.

  As I smile at him and walk into his office, he closes the door behind us. Quickly, he gets back to what he was doing at his desk. There are no chairs besides the one he's using. I look at the bookshelf, perusing through the titles. I glance back at Vincent, he seems immersed in whatever he's looking at. I quietly walk over to a corner and sit down on the floor, bringing my knees up to my chest with my arms and resting my head on them, patiently.

  I watch as Vincent works; he looks so focused and serious. He starts writing something on a separate piece of paper, but then comes to a sudden stop.

  "Oh." He moves some things around on his desk until he finds what he's looking for.

  "Here. Your father sent you a letter." He puts the envelope on the edge of the desk.

  I quickly stand up to go get it. It's sealed with Father’s favorite wax, I smile. After opening it, it reads, "Honey, I'm glad that you are being taken good care of. But please be careful around them, they are still vampires! Eric is worried about you! Perhaps you should send him a letter when you get the chance, dear. I would love to see you again soon. I didn't know my little girl would be leaving so soon. Mounds of Love, Papa."

  Hopefully, I’ll see him soon when Lucian goes to town. I put the letter back inside the envelope and set it back down on his desk. Vincent begins to look tense again as he writes. He picks up another document and reads it as he writes. I stand up and walk behind him to look out of the window. Would it be bad if I distracted him directly? To test it out, I turn around quietly and gently place my hands on his shoulders and start massaging them.

  For about a minute, he doesn't say anything and just continues writing. Once he finishes one paper, he grabs a fresh sheet, but doesn't pick up his pen. Suddenly swivels around in his chair and grabs my hand. He kisses my hand, then my wrist… then my forearm before he starts standing up to kiss up to my shoulder. He stops after leaving a kiss on my neck, then almost kisses me. My face has been red since he started. I didn’t expect to elicit this reaction from him!

  "You were going to let me kiss you again?" He questions with a slight smirk.

  "W-Well. I didn't really have time to react." I make up an excuse, flustered.

  "You're a big hypocrite, do you know that?" He teases, rubbing his thumb against my hand.

  "Care to explain?" I ask while pulling my hand back.

  "You said you didn't want to be marked by me, then allowed Marcus to mark you. Then you say it's wrong for me to pursue you, then allow me to do so. Would you care to explain?" He asks smugly, "Are you done messing around with my little brother?" He crosses his arms once again.

  "No- it's not like that, I'm just- exploring the other options… I wanted to tell Marcus, but I didn't want to make him upset again…." I confess.

  "Marcus may not act like it, but he's a man. He can handle bad news." He says while reaching for my waist.

  "I didn't come here for that…!" I exclaim and back away from him.

  "I know, but I'm still busy. You should go for now and I'll find you later. Is that ok?" He suggests.

  "Ok." I smile nervously and wave bye to him as I slip out of the door, closing it behind me.

  Immediately, I run into Lucian. I guess that saves time searching for him. He's the last candidate to receive the crown, though so far he hasn't shown any interest in that, nor me.

  "What were you doing in his office?" Lucian asks, concerned.

  "Just talking… Good morning." I answer, intimidated by his stature.

  "Talking…? I can hear your heart pounding, you know?" He says, raising an eyebrow.

  "Oh… well." I’m unsure what to say. I hadn't even realized my heart was beating so hard.

  "Is Vincent looking stressed?" He asks, changing the subject.

  "Yeah." I notice Lucian is holding a couple of papers.

  "Ah, ok. Excuse me then." He says, while I step aside, he goes into the office.

  After a few minutes, he comes back out, seeming confused why I’m still here.

  "Do you want to spend some time together?" I ask softly.

  "You and I?" He asks, concerned.

  "That's what I said." I nod.

  "If you want to. What do you want to do?" He asks.

  "Oh… I'm not sure." I hadn’t thought that far ahead in our conversation

  "I'm going tomorrow." He begins walking off.

  I assume he means to the town, and follow behind him.

  "Ok," I say.

  He walks upstairs, so I do as well.

  "Where are we going?" I question, confused.

  "To my room." He says bluntly.

  "Oh." I’m a bit shocked, but I decide to continue.

  We arrive at his door, and he invites me in. His room is not as big as Vincent's or Marcus's, but still larger than mine. He has it decorated with flowers and plants, he even has a small couch inside his room. It smells amazing.

  "Your room is so lovely." I smile.

  "Thank you. You can have a seat over there." He replies while pointing toward his couch.

  I walk over and sit down.

  "Would you like to listen to music?" He asks.

  "Sure," I answer, nodding.

  He begins to play classical music on a record player. He comes over to me, offering his hand. Does he want to dance? I stare at his hand.

  "…Well? Most women tend to either accept or deny a dance within a couple of seconds. Don't they?" He suggests, sounding impatient.

  "Ah! I wasn't sure… I'm sorry." I take his hand and stand up.

  He pulls me to an inch away from him, wrapping his arm around my lower back. I place my hand on his shoulder.

  "I believe your hand is a bit low, is it not?" I ask him, somewhat surprised.

  "Is that ok?" He asks while spinning me around slowly.

  I nod, I suppose it is alright.

  "Have you been to a ball before?" He asks.

  "Yes…?" I respond, unsure why he asks.

  "You're not that good at dancing." He says bluntly, smiling slightly.

  "That's… impolite!" I exclaim, flustered and embarrassed

  "I'm guessing you haven't noticed, but you stepped on my foot four times in the last minute." He reveals.

  My face turns red.

  "I-I'm sorry." I look away from him.

  "It's ok. I don't mind." He spins me out, then back in.

  The two of us dance until the song ends, which takes about 9 minutes. Afterwards, a new song plays. His grip on my lower back becomes tighter. He smiles slightly.

  "Are you feeling nervous?" He asks.

  "No… Why?" I lie.

  "I can hear your heart pounding, and your palms sweating, which would be unusual if you weren't nervous. Since my hands are cold." He suggests logically.

  "Then… I guess I am nervous." I blush just a bit.

  "Cute." He says quietly.

  "What?" I ask, unsure of what he said.

  "Your foot." He points out.

  I realize I’m standing on his foot again. How embarrassing!

  "Perhaps we should stop dancing for now, since I'm not that great at it," I suggest.

  "You won't improve if you don't practice." He says.

  "Then perhaps some other time we can practice?" I suggest.

  "I'll hold you to it." He replies, smiling slightly.

  I notice he seems to get flustered as easily as I, but is much more adept at hiding his emotions. Still, I can see a sliver of pink in his cheeks from that comment. He lets go of my hand and removes his arm from me, I remove my hand from him. I return to sitting down on the couch.

  "When we go to town, is there anything you'd like to do?" He asks.

  "…Yes, there is," I respond, nodding.

  We end up chatting about what I’d like to do when we go back to town for a little over an hour. Eventually, Vincent comes to his room and stands in the doorway.

  "Lilac." He smiles while grabbing my attention. I turn my head to look at him.

  "Have you finished all your work already?" Lucian asks, sounding a bit disgruntled.

  "Indeed. I wouldn't want to keep someone waiting for too long." He suggests.

  I stand up, facing Lucian.

  "I'll see you later then… Lucian." I smile.

  "Hm." He almost smiles but then doesn't, and instead glares at Vincent.

  Vincent returns the cold gaze, I notice, before his eyes align with mine. His expression softens, and then he leaves Lucian's room.

  "Let's go, shall we? I want to show you something." Vincent offers his hand to me. Reluctantly, I take it.

  "Where is it?" I ask as he begins to guide me through the manor.

  "Benille and I have been working on something since your check-up, when I took your measurements. We'd like to see if you like it before we proceed with more. Then… there's something else I'd like to show you as well." He states.

  "Oh, ok then." I smile.

  After walking through the manor for some while, we reach Benille’s room, it seems like. Though it looks no different from a dress store. Vincent walks in, and Benille is sewing something together. I would never have imagined he had a skill like this. I take a look at all the beautiful dresses he has displayed on mannequins.

  "Wow! This is brilliant, did you design all of these?" I ask Beni, excited.

  "Yes, I did." He replies.

  Vincent lets go of my hand and walks over to one mannequin in particular. It's a deep red dress with a black corset. It has black lace sewn on it and accentuates the breasts and shoulders by making the sleeves off-shoulder. It's one of the most beautiful dresses you've ever seen. Is this for me? It even has a ruby pendant in the middle.

  "Don't just stare at it. What do you think?" Benille questions.

  "Yes, you're either disgusted by it or infatuated with it, judging by your reaction," Vincent adds.

  "It's… quite an elegant dress," I say, trying not to seem too enthralled by it.

  "Would you like to try it on?" Benille asks me.

  "Yes, please." I smile.

  Benille stands up and begins to take the dress off of the mannequin.

  "Will you need help tying the corset?" Vincent asks.

  "Maybe, but you'll both need to wait outside while I change," I say firmly.

  "Of course." Vincent agrees.

  "How sad." Benille whines as he finishes taking the dress down, "Please be gentle." He requests.

  "I'll try! Thank you for making it." I say, smiling.

  Once they both step out of the room, I begin to strip. It only takes a couple of seconds to put the dress on. Since the corset needs to be tied from behind, I can't put it on by myself.

  "Vincent, come help please," I call out.

  The door opens slightly, then Vincent comes in, and he smiles. He walks over to me, and I hand him the corset.

  "Turn around, please." He requests.

  I turn, then, he aligns the corset with my ribs and chest before lacing it up.

  "If it's too tight, tell me." He warns me.

  "Mhm." I nod.

  He starts at the top and begins to tighten the laces. After a few minutes, he's tying the bottom into a bow. I turn around to face him.

  "What do you think?" I ask him, smiling excitedly.

  He rubs his chin as if thinking hard about his answer.

  "I think you look irresistible." He compliments me with a straight face.

  "The dress… or me?" I begin to blush.

  "I'll leave it up to your interpretation." He smiles. "Shall I get Benille?"

  "Go ahead," I answer, nodding.

  Vincent walks over to the door and gestures for Benille to enter.

  "The dress somehow looks better now that you're wearing it." Benille praises me.

  "Thank you." You smile modestly.

  "You should wear outfits like this from now on. In our kingdom, this attire is quite common among nobles," Vincent explains.

  "But the dress will get ruined if I wear only this." I’m confused.

  "I'll make more. Free of charge, for you, not Vincent." He smiles while also glaring at Vincent.

  "I'll pay you, don't worry. But, oh, how cruel of you to charge your dear eldest brother…." Vincent playfully pouts to Benille.

  "You're not even my favorite elder brother." Benille clarifies while returning to his desk.

  "That's so mean…." I chime in.

  "It's just friendly banter between siblings. We can leave now." Vincent places his hand on my back, urging me toward the door.

  "Thank you again, Beni!" I say while walking out the door. "Not a problem." You and Vincent walk out of the manor and begin to stroll down the path.

  "So, what do you think of the manor?" He asks, curious.

  "What do I think of the manor? I haven't been here for that long…." I respond.

  "Still. You've seen the garden, haven't you? At least tell me what you thought of that." He encourages.

  "Oh, the tree is beautiful! I haven't seen all of the garden, however, mostly the place where Lucian grows his things." I exclaim

  "Do you enjoy flowers, Lilac?" He stops in front of me.

  I realize we’re approaching the forest, and that this is where the path ends. Where is he taking me?

  "I suppose… my mother’s favorite flower was a white lilac, which is where I got my name from. My father always keeps a fresh vase of them. However… I'm more fond of the purple lilacs. Don't you think it's silly?" I explain while reminiscing about my mother.

  Vincent runs his fingers through a handful of my hair.

  "I think white lilacs are wonderful. They symbolize purity and innocence. Befitting of someone in your shoes." He lets go of my hair and smiles.

  I furrow my eyebrows as he turns to start walking again.

  "I…I wouldn't consider myself to be someone innocent! Plus, Marcus and I- you know." I exclaim, confused by his statement.

  "That exactly, innocent in your way of thinking. Pure in your intentions. Well, pure for the most part. Purple lilacs, on the other hand, do have an affinity to romance." He claims.

  An affinity for romance, huh… his words linger in my mind for so long that I don't notice that the manor is beginning to leave my view. Only do I realize when I trip over a branch and fall onto Vincent's back. I stand back up quickly, he quickly turns around in turn.

  "Are you alright?" He asks worriedly while holding my shoulders.

  "Yes, I guess I was in a bit of a daze and not paying attention. I’m sorry for worrying you!" I tilt my head while smiling apologetically.

  "Hm… perhaps I should carry you on my back the rest of the way." He suggests.

  "No- I'm sure I'll be fine to walk on my own. And… where is it that we're going?" I ask, concerned.

  "Perhaps I should have told you since the walk is somewhat long. You've seen the gazebo in the garden?" He begins walking again.

  "Mhm?" I nod.

  "Well, quite some while ago, when the manor was built- when our father lived here, my mother asked him for a quiet spot that she could slip off to when she felt that she needed privacy. Since I'm her only child, she brought me here occasionally after I learned to walk. The forest seems to change appearance every night, so the path is never the same." He explains.

  "Your father and mother used to live at the manor? But aren't they the sovereigns?" I question curiously.

  "Yes, the manor was more of a vacation home when they were away on diplomatic trips. But father liked to sneak away from the castle in his younger days. Anywho, he had some servants build her a gazebo made of glass in the forest. She remembered her way to it always by following the scent of roses." He explains.

  "I don't smell any roses?" I clarify.

  "Our sense of smell is much better than yours." He reminds me.

  "Oh… right."

  The forest is starting to get thick, and the trees block most of the light from reaching the ground, even though it's midday. I look back to see how far away we are from the manor, but all I can see are trees.

  "Vincent, how much farther is it?" I ask as I speed up to walk by his side.

  "We're very close, look. There are rose petals on the ground." He points out with his finger.

  I look at the ground to see them. After a couple more minutes, I begin seeing a few rose bushes. Then, I see a lot more until the gazebo comes into view. The gazebo is made of glass with a circular design and a domed roof. It's in the middle of the forest with a small pathway leading to it.

  "So, what do you think?" He asks, smiling.

  "It's certainly befitting of a queen," I suggest.

  We reach the gazebo, and Vincent opens the door for me. It really is surrounded by roses… It’s almost odd. Did his mother plant them herself? Or were they naturally occurring in this area of the forest? I step inside the gazebo. There's a sofa, a table, a small stove with a teapot, a tea set, of course, and a couple of matching chairs.

  "You can rest here while I go gather some water to make tea. I'll be back in a moment." He says, then begins to head off.

  I nod as I take a seat. While Vincent walks away, I feel as though the branches of the rose bushes are encroaching on me, almost as if to consume me. It's eerie. I quickly get up and leave the gazebo, rushing after Vincent.

  "Vincent, wait! I'll come too!" I call out.

  He stops and turns around so I can catch up to him.

  "What's the matter?" He asks, looking concerned.

  "I don't want to be alone out here…." I frown, trying not to appear scared.

  "Alright… just stay close to me. You're welcome to hold my arm if you're that scared." His expression softens into a smile.

  Is he teasing me?

  "No… I'm fine." I deny his offer.

  The two of us take a couple of minutes to walk down to a nearby creek where Vincent gathers some water into a nearby pail and then returns to the gazebo.

  "What are we doing, Vincent?" I ask, curious and intrigued.

  "Making tea." He answers simply.

  "I mean, I know that, but why?" I continue

  "We've had a long walk, wouldn't you like to relax for a while? To get away from the manor?" He suggests, raising an eyebrow.

  "I suppose…." I say, my voice still intrigued

  "I'm going to collect some rose petals for the tea." He steps outside the gazebo again.

  I watch him as he removes a few roses. To help him out, I put some water in the teapot and turn the stove on. It can start heating up as he prepares the flowers. When he comes back, he places the roses down on the table. He picks one up and extends it to you. Is he teasing me again? "Do you need help peeling the petals off?" I ask, skeptical

  "…Sure, why not. Just be careful not to prick yourself." He warns.

  I grab the flower by the bud and slowly start taking the petals off. In the time it takes me to do one flower, he's done two already. There's only one left. I reach for it, but only the stem is facing me. Vincent turns around to check the water and prepare the tea cups. When I grab the rose stem, I realize how sharp and large the thorns are. One of them pierces the flesh on my thumb, and I yelp and drop the flower. Vincent turns around, shocked.

  "Are you alright?" He asks while coming over.

  "Yes- I just pricked my finger is all…it’s fine," I say, clasping my hand, hiding the blood.

  "Let me see." He places his hand out.

  I give him my hand, worried he’ll think I’m weak.

  "You're bleeding." He looks from my hand to my eyes, with a raised eyebrow.

  "…What about it…? I'm sure it'll stop on its own." I suggest taking my hand back.

  "I can stop it for you right now, if you'll let me." He offers, his voice soft

  Is he going to do that thing he did when he gave you a check-up…? Or will he do the other one when he kissed me? Thinking of the kiss, my face turns light pink.

  "I suppose you can…." I say curiously.

  "Ok." He brings my hand to his mouth and licks my thumb.

  I furrow my eyebrows, I wasn’t expecting that.

  "Gross." I retract my hand and watch the wound close.

  "I could say the same about the taste of your blood." He sighs.

  I wipe his spit onto his pants.

  "I don't want to dirty the dress," I explain while crossing my arms.

  "That's fine… I suppose." He stands up and bends down to pick up the rose I dropped.

  "Be careful, that one has big thorns!" You exclaim, worried that he’ll hurt himself.

  "Humans tend to have delicate skin…. Vampires, on the other hand," he squeezes the rose stem.

  "Vincent!" I panic and get up while reaching for his hand.

  He smiles while opening his hand. There's no blood, barely even a scratch.

  "My skin is quite tough. See?" He wiggles his fingers.

  "D-Don't scare me like that! Goodness!" I return to the sofa.

  Vincent seems to laugh a bit before peeling the flower and finishing adding the petals to the cups. I see him bring his hand to his mouth and then back down to the teacups, but since his back is facing me, I’m not sure what he did. Once he pours the water into the cups, he brings them over to me.

  "It still needs to steep for a couple of minutes," Vincent says as he sits beside me.

  "Alright." I nod.

  After waiting a moment, I grab the teacup and take a sip. It's so sweet. I didn't see any sugar, though. How odd, though it does taste really good. It's bad manners to drink too quickly, but… nevertheless, I take sip after sip.

  "Do you like it that much? I wasn't aware that I was good at making tea." Vincent boasts.

  "It's just… addictingly sweet. I can't describe it." I notice Vincent hasn't touched his yet.

  "Your tea will get cold if you don't drink it," I state.

  "I'm aware, I'm fascinated by your reaction to the tea." He picks up his cup and sips some of it.

  "Don't you think it's sweet?" I ask.

  "Only a bit." He shrugs.

  "Huh…." I sigh as I return my nearly empty cup to the table.

  I want more… my head falls back onto the sofa as I rest. After drinking the tea, I feel a lot more relaxed. Once a couple of minutes pass, I look up and then over at Vincent.

  "Are there any more petals and water for another cup of tea…?" I ask shyly.

  He smiles.

  "There is, do you want me to make you another cup?" He offers.

  "That would be nice!" I say excitedly.

  He gets up and walks over to the stove, then cuts it back on.

  "It'll take a moment to boil again. Are you hungry?" He asks.

  "A little bit, but I'd like to stay here for another hour or two."

  "What for?" He returns to the couch, sitting beside you.

  "It's peaceful, here with you…." I say, trying to flirt.

  "Is it peaceful because you're with me or because we're outside of the manor?" He smirks.

  "Ahh…." I maintain eye contact with him, trying to figure out which it is, "I'm not sure?" I finally answer.

  He gets up and takes the teapot off the fire, then turns the stove off. I push my teacup near him, waiting. He smiles as a way of thanking you, then prepares the tea. I notice him bring his hand to his mouth again….

  "What are you doing?" I get up, suspicious.

  "Making your tea." He turns and faces me.

  He licks his lip, then gives me the teacup. I inspect the cup, then him.

  "You did something with your hand?" I ask curiously.

  "I was tasting the tea, to make sure it's sweet for you. You like sweet things, don't you?" He clarifies.

  "Yes, but I didn't see you put anything inside the tea?" I continue to question him. "Probably not. It tastes the same, doesn't it?" He asks, suggesting you try it.

  "…." I look at the tea, then at him, and back at the tea before bringing it to my lips.

  I take a small sip since it's still quite hot. It's as sweet as the last cup. Even though I only took a small sip, the urge to drink the rest of it is the same. I put the tea down on the table. "Well?" Vincent asks for my thoughts.

  "It's good," I answer, suspicious still.

  He sits down beside you once again.

  "You try it," I suggest.

  "Alright." He takes the teacup and drinks some of it.

  "What do you think?" I ask.

  "It's certainly sweeter than I'd prefer." He gives the tea back to me.

  Reluctantly, I take it and begin to drink it quickly now that it's cooled off a bit more. I really can't tell why it's so addictive. After a few minutes, I finish the drink. It's been about an hour since the last one. I really want more, but if I keep drinking, I’ll need to use the bathroom, and the manor is quite a while away.

  "Did we come all this way only to drink tea?" I ask.

  "Pretty much. Unless you have something else in mind." He suggests.

  "Not really…." I stand up, "We can go back to the manor now." I say.

  "Let's go then." He gets up and walks toward the entrance of the gazebo.

  I follow behind him.

  "You probably haven't noticed, but the forest should have changed by now. It might be harder to walk through with your shoes." He suggests.

  Though I’m wearing heels, they're not very high, so walking in them is fine.

  "It'll be ok, it wasn't too long of a walk." I dismiss.

  "If your feet hurt, tell me." He suggests

  I nod. The two of us begin walking through the forest. Unfortunately, he was right about the forest being harder to walk through now. It's been about half an hour, and the house isn't in view at all. Suddenly, Vincent stops, causing me to stop as well, then kneels.

  "Get on." He motions for me to get onto his back.

  "What- I'm fine?" I deny, waving my hands at him.

  "You're walking too slow. It'll take hours to get back walking at your pace." He complains.

  "That's not true, I'm walking at the same pace as you." I deny once again, then start walking ahead of him. He gets up and lifts me off the ground.

  "And I'm walking at your pace." He carries me while walking much faster than he was before.

  "Put me down, I'll get on your back." I sigh.

  He complies and kneels again. I get on his back reluctantly. He wraps my legs around his waist after he stands up and holds me up by holding onto my thighs.

  "I'm going to go really fast, so hold on tight." He warns.

  "Ok…." I say embarrassedly.

  I wrap my arms around his neck. Is he going to run? Or use his vampiric speed? He takes up the position of someone who's about to run, then in the blink of an eye, we’re moving so fast that the trees become blurry. My hair is blowing in the wind, and Vincent's is blowing into my face. I manage to bring my head to his shoulder. In a couple of minutes, he slows down, and I realize I’m back at the opening of the forest, where the manor is. He comes to a complete stop just before making it out of the forest. He turns his head slightly to check on me.

  "You can get down now if you'd like." He says.

  "O-Oh ok…." I respond while not moving.

  He waits for a moment, but I still haven't moved.

  "Or stay on if you'd like as well." He starts walking toward the manor.

  "I'm sorry- I just feel stiff." I try to explain.

  "It's alright," I say as I notice his scent.

  He smells sweet and floral, I figure it's because he was in contact with the roses. I bring my head closer to his cheek and notice the same sweet smell coming from his mouth. Is it because he drank the tea? I wonder if my mouth smells like that as well.