Her head bent over stacks of paperwork that morning, a knock sounded on the door to the drawing room once. Low and short. Then the second was loud, and she was forced to look up into the eyes of a little boy wearing a grey coat that had been patched all over with some buttons missing. Spiky hair and dark innocent eyes. He looked different and especially with the coat, she barely recognized him. 

"Hey. Brady, it's you. Come here."

He walked in, hesitatingly and looked around the large room that looked ancient with the red expensive tufted rug, high shelves placed against the walls of the room, papers stacked on a table in the corner and there was one executive table and chair where she sat with two chairs across. 

The boy came closer soon and bowed slightly, eyes still moving about with his mouth wide open.

"How're you doing, Brady?" She asked, a smile plastered on her face.

"Took you three months to honor our invitation."

Brady finally looked at her from the corner of his eyes before sighing and comfortably sitting on the chair before her. She dropped the pen she was holding and faced him.

"So, now that you're here, are you ready to let us help you?"

Brady nodded. 

"Good. Now, I just want you to tell me the truth. Only the truth. What happened to your parents?"

Brady swallowed and dropped his head, which squeezed her heart. He must be in severe pain.

"I'm sorry." She apologized, rose to his side, and wrapped an arm around his small body as she sat on the arm of his chair.

"It's okay, sweetheart. You'll be fine."

"I was on the farm. It's evening." He began. Trying hard to construct a sentence. Are there even schools for the bottom feeders in this city? She doubts it. "I picked up dinner for that night when the huge cat jumped on me. Mama and Papa came to help me and they try. They killed a cat." He sniffled and with the sleeves of his coat, he wiped away tears.

"Cat is on the floor and they talk that they will bring cat here."

She rubbed his spiky hair which was dry and stiff. Only God knows when last he had washed it. 

"So, what happened next?" She asked, taking note of when he said they killed the cat and relating it to what she saw. The image of the Werecat falling before after the chain roller over his neck and closing his eyes flashed before her eyes.

"But...but the woman with long hair. It was wavy and had black eyes. Evil. She is evil. She killed mama and she killed Papa." His voice was shaky and she felt sorry for him that she almost cried herself.

"It's okay, Brady. I'll make sure she rots in jail. Okay? Just trust me and don't be afraid. How old are you?"

"Ten." He answered, straightening. He was trying hard to be strong which was quite courageous for a kid his age. Was there some psychological reason for that? Denial? His way of processing and coping?

"Wow. That's too young."

She grabbed a purple napkin from the table and gave it to him so that he would stop cleaning his nose with his coat. Instead, he just glanced at it, and looked up at her, eyes wide.

"I can't. Too important."

"Well," she smiled. "It's yours now. Do with it whatever you want but I just want you to stop using your coat to clean your nose. It's nothing."

He shook his head. "No. Too important."

"Okay."

He acted weirdly and much more uncivilized than the rest of the Vampires. 

"Um...can I ask you a question?"

"Yes, your Highness."

He dipped the napkin in his coat pocket. 

"What clans are you people?"

Brady paused, pursing his lips.

"Elves? Trolls? Goblers? What?"

More silence and then she understood. Nodding her head, she raised her brows and lowered her voice.

"I'll ask the King to adopt you so that you can have a good life to live in the palace as royalty here. Only if you tell me."

"Well," he raised his eyes, probably thinking about it. "We're Vampires. But not the normal ones. That's all I know about our history. And I was usually told that Vampire City is not our home. We're like sojourners here."

Her heart skipped a beat. She had been, right?

"What kinda Vampires are you?"

"I don't know." He shrugged casually. "But we are nothing like you. I mean, the ones staying here."

"Yeah. Yeah. I get you." She stuttered, trying to wrap her head around what she just heard.

"So, this is what I want you to do for me. The truth alone. Okay?"

"The truth." He said.

Heels clicked on the floor into the drawing room and when she would look at the doorway, it was a guard who bowed slightly.

"Your Highness, the King requests that you show up in the palace, right now."

With that, he left.

Why was Zeidan calling her? She just left him in the breakfast room and he didn't say anything about wanting to talk to her. It's an advantage for her as she was about to take Brady to see him.

"Brady." He was standing already. "We are going to see the King now. I want you to promise me that you will tell him exactly what you told me here."

"Okay."

"Promise?"

"Promise." 

She crouched a little and held up her hand while he placed his small hand in hers too.

★★★★★★★★★★

Lyne held Brady's hand in hers as she walked into the palace. She could see Zeidan on the throne, a hand placed on his forehead as if he was worried about something. She didn't need to ask further when she looked to her side and saw Luana by the corner. She was wearing a blue woolen jacket, black jean trousers, and black heels, and her hair was pulled tightly into a ponytail. She had on a bold red lipstick and black eyeliner. Her eyelashes were curly and long. She looked pretty and sassy. 

Brady's hand quivered in hers but she gave him an assuring squeeze. 

"What is she doing here?" She spoke up.

"Oh, look at Princess Lyne or Queen. How shall I address you?" Luana walked towards her but was stopped by Zeidan.

"Stay where you are, Luana."

His voice was stiffened and she could see the surprise in Luana's eyes. A feeling of excitement rushed through her nerves. 

"Fine." She folded her arms and rolled her eyes, twitching her mouth in the process. "Let's hear from her and the boy with the shabby coat."

"His name is Brady." Lyne snapped, holding back the anger within her, she felt strongly to grab Luana and tear her apart. "And he's got something to say about his parents."

"Oh really?" Her eyes were fixed darkly on the boy beside her and she could see the effect his stare had on him. 

She swayed her hips closer to her and made to touch the boy but Lyne grabbed her wrist, squeezing it threateningly while they both looked into each other's eyes.

Her blue eyes fixed on Luana's brown eyes that were hidden behind her long curly eyelashes. Her mouth curved into an evil smile.

"Right."