While Calhoun and Madeline were talking to each other, Theodore and Sophie were following them slowly as Sophie's dress needed to be picked up so that they wouldn't catch any dirt from the ground.

"The King seems to be enjoying his day," the words slipped out of Theodore's mouth and Sophie snapped her head.

"What?" there was a deep frown on Sophie's forehead which she tried to remove, "Are you supporting the human too?" she demanded him.

Theodore hadn't meant it to be heard by Lady Sophie and he quickly corrected his words, "Not at all, milady. What gave way to that thought?" Sophie looked at him with narrowed eyes, "King Calhoun usually likes to bully people. She seems to be the next person."

Sophie glanced at Calhoun and Madeline who were talking to each other, "Hopefully he will be done with her soon and kill her off," she pursed her lips. But this didn't look like bullying to her and she decided to make the King wait. Walking two steps forward, she behaved as if she missed her footing and she cried out,

"Ah! My ankle!"

Calhoun and Madeline turned to see Theodore who was helping Sophie as it appeared that she had hurt her leg.

"Are you alright, Lady Sophie?" asked Theodore with genuine worry.

Sophie flinched when she tried to get up, "I think I twisted my ankle," she then looked at Calhoun as if waiting for him to come and help her stand. He had done it in the past.

As expected, Calhoun walked towards them and he asked, "Does your ankle hurt a lot?" Sophie touched her leg and she nodded her head.

Madeline took this opportunity and said, "We should take Lady Sophie inside the castle so that she can rest. She looks in pain."

"I don't think I can walk more, brother Calhoun," complained Sophie, her face turning small and she waited for Calhoun to pick her up.

"You're right. Sophie needs to rest," Calhoun then turned to look at Theodore and he said, "Take Sophie inside the castle and have her rest in the guest room," hearing this Sophie looked up at Calhoun. She didn't want Calhoun spending more time with this lowly human and her plan had backfired.

Theodore obliged to Calhoun's words and he went to help Sophie and she said, "I think I can try walking. I wouldn't want to impose on Theodore."

But Calhoun was quicker than the young vampiress, "How can I let my little sister go through the pain. Theo," he commanded to have Theodore carry the vampiress and take her inside the castle.

Though Sophie had hurt her leg and wanted Calhoun's attention, Madeline noticed how Calhoun spared just a second of attention before Sophie was taken away from there. Madeline and Calhoun stood there as the other two left. Calhoun turned to her and asked, "Shall we?" and he started to walk so that she could follow him and she did.

She didn't know what to speak to the King as she wasn't even interested in talking to him. He might be a good looking man who had the power to do anything, but Madeline was not an object to be kept for his amusement. She was a person of her own and she was supposed to have freedom but she didn't. Not with him in the picture.

If she was looking for her freedom, she would have to play him. Maybe he was looking at the obvious things she would do, and he was warning her but she doubted he knew every little thing.

"She seems to look up to you. Sophie," stated Madeline as they walked towards the open garden. Thankfully, the length of her dress wasn't as long as Sophie's where she would need to pick up the front and walk so that she wouldn't trip and fall.

"She is a young naive girl," Calhoun responded back that made Madeline wonder if he was being worried or he didn't care about the young vampiress, "She listens too much to her mother without using her own head."

"Why do you say so?" asked Madeline, her eyes moving from the flowers next to her to look at him.

Calhoun's own eyes looked at Madeline, to see how she was indulging herself in a conversation with him, "Because it is odd but convenient at the same time to call the King a brother as well as want to sit next to him on the throne."

"She wants to be the queen," acknowledged Madeline which she hadn't realized. Sophie's words were surely hostile towards her when the young vampiress was touring her around but she wouldn't have guessed that the girl was looking to be a queen, "But she is your sister," frowned Madeline, finding it strange that the sister wanted to marry the person whom she addressed as a brother.

"It isn't strange for cousins and people to get married within the close relation to keep blood thick and clean," Calhoun continued to walk to have Madeline follow him until he stopped at a bunch of red roses. His hand reached out for one of the roses, plucking it out and in the process, the thorn had made a cut on his finger. He brought his finger to his mouth, sucking it as he looked at Madeline. When he pulled out his finger from his mouth, he opened his mouth in a way that made her blush.

"The royal families are often strange. You will know and understand more about it as you spend your time in here, in the castle."

He had called Sophie's mother Rosamund as aunt and she thought they were possibly from his father's side.

Madeline was curious and she wanted to ask but at the same time, showing too much of interest would give out the wrong idea.

When Calhoun stepped forward, Madeline took a step back to have him stare at her.

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Author note: There will be a mass release tomorrow~

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