My heartbeat was so loud that it drummed in my ears as I clenched my hands into fists, trying to steady myself. Nothing warranted me feeling this way, yet my body disobeyed me. The warmth that still radiated from what Loki had done before prompted my gaze to fall onto it.
Relaxing my fists, I stared at it before bringing it to my lips. This feeling within me that rose every time I was near him wasn’t good at all.
Yet… at the same time, I feel so safe with you. Why is that? Is that part of the bond?
A soft sigh left me as I once again buried that emotion deep down.
How will I survive this? No, I have to.
For a moment, I sat there before slowly finding my feet and heading out to carry out my duties. It was mostly helping Gerta out, as the princes were out for much of the day. The only time I saw them come back was around lunch, and Alistair’s maids were all over them.
Poor Oz appeared like a living corpse the entire time, while Loki was ticked off by the maids who gawked at them.
“Can you get away from me? You smell disgusting.” He huffed, prompting the poor girl to step back.
Alistair couldn’t help but chuckle at his brother’s remark, as he also didn’t seem pleased to have them hovering over them. Unable to stop myself, I used a bit of my magic to cause one of them to trip and fall when she was carrying some plates, splashing some wine over poor Gerta.
A bit of mischief, which was rewarded with the laughter of the princes, while the old maid quickly blew.
“You unprofessional klutz! Clean the floor of the entire castle until it is spotless!” She yelled at the trio.
The Vampires continued with their lunch even though Loki and Oswald didn’t eat. During that time, I couldn’t converse with the twins at all as Gerta tended to Asher and his wife, Andrea. After that, the king took them somewhere, leaving us maids behind, and by the time they were back, it was already night.
The maids were already off the clock unless the princes asked for us, which Loki had. So, I waited by his room once again. This time, I was fully accompanied by Zoe and Emma, who insisted on staying with me.
I had also taken that awful rose tea before coming, since I didn’t quite trust Loki’s word fully. It made blood somewhat bitter to vampires, but had to be taken every day for it to be effective.
A simple precaution, and even with it in my system, I don’t know if it will change the taste, but at least it makes me smell less appealing.
While we waited there, Alistair was the first to arrive as his room was at the end of the hall. For a moment, I thought he would walk past us without a care, yet my heart quickly dropped when he stopped before us.
His beautiful blue eyes fell on me as I met with them soon after. A familiar emotion was present on this prince’s face, as I couldn’t help but feel something was off about him.
Loki’s warning about you might be accurate, but why do you seem so…
Zoe and Emma both followed my gaze to meet the intruding vampire, too. Unlike me, they weren’t amused by him.
“Do you need something, your highness?” I asked politely, with the same smile I gave everyone.
He eyed me down like I was candy ready for the taking.
“I could use a company in my room, doll. Want to come with me?” He answered with a smirk planted on his face.
Ah... I know that look…
He was a handsome vampire, much like Loki, yet unlike my link, I didn’t feel as safe around him. However, there was a loneliness in his eyes that I could resonate with.
Who hurt you?
I could almost see a vein pop on Emma and Zoe when he said that, but instead of saying anything, they bit their tongue. This was one of the two crown princes. Disrespect him, and well, a shock would surely follow.
“I’m sorry, your highness, but I’ll respectfully decline. Unfortunately, I’m here to meet your younger brother for unknown reasons. So, I’m booked at the moment, and even if I weren’t, that’s not in my list of services offered.” I informed, gazing away from Alistair.
Please… Leave it at that. I don’t want to hurt you.
Part of me wished to see the person I was supposed to meet come around the corner, but instead, I saw Alistair’s red blouse sleeve block my vision. He placed his hands next to me on the wall, pinning me between him and it.
Vampires and their annoying speed. Control... Vivian... Remember to be polite and fragile. This boy is linked to your future, and you can’t mess with it yet. Not without knowing the real cause.
“Aw, come on, don’t be like that, baby. I’m way better than Loki in bed, I assure you.” Alistair tried to convince me to change my mind.
I turned to face the lonely boy who was in front of me. Killing this prince could change history for my benefit, but changing the timeline always caused ripples in unforeseen ways.
Removing you too early may lead to Loki’s death being caused by something else. So, for now, I have to tolerate you.
This boy wasn’t earnest about what he was saying that much, I could tell.
Even so... I...
“I’m sorry, your highness, but how would I know how your brother is in bed? Is there a book for that, or am I missing something?” I jabbed, not moving a centimeter from where I was.
Unlike Loki, who hated my smile, Alistair came closer towards me as if it attracted him. Our similarities were calling out to him as he grabbed onto my chin. His eyes narrowed as his touch wasn’t unpleasant, yet unwelcome.
Crap…
Leaning a bit closer to me, his black hair covered part of his right eye.
“Ah, so you haven’t—” He began, only to stop when a black figure suddenly got in between us, prompting him to tug away from me.
I had never been so glad to see a black creature in my life before as Loki’s familiar, who had its wings spread wide between me and the vampire, before us.
“Eli!” Alistair growled, narrowing his eyes as Loki walked over towards us from the side.
He wore the same black combat shoes and pants as Alistair, but had a sky-blue blouse and black vest on. Behind him were Oz and Leo, whom I wasn’t ecstatic to see.
“Ali, I know you’re butt hurt after losing to me yet again, but you need to back off my maid. She doesn’t want it.” Loki announced
Oswald lay against the wall, wearing jeans and a green blouse. He wasn’t part of the sword training, yet he was never far from his twin. Hesitantly, Alistair took a step away from me, gazing towards the intruder who had ruined the moment.
This prince was unaware of how close he was to losing his life. I was good at hiding my emotions, and even though he wasn’t disgusting to feel, he had no right to touch a divine like me.
I’m a goddess! Something revered! But… then why am I fine with Loki? Crap… What’s this stupid mortal boy doing to me?