Chapter 4 A gentleman's agreement

There was a part of the kingdom that very few of its people knew about...

"We are here for the dhampir you took prisoner." The vampire's eyes shone bright red as he demanded the return of princess Viktoria. His instructions were to wipe out the entire pack if they needed to, but he knew better. The beasts might have evolved over the past two hundred years, but in the process, their numbers have also grown. They knew how to strategize and hide these numbers and he wouldn't be surprised if they were ready for this.

"I don't know what you are talking about." The voice was that of the grandson of the last Alpha the vampire had to deal with. He could smell the familiar scent and sighed. Why hadn't they chosen a new bloodline to lead them yet? They were instructed to do so. After that, this one's father tried to storm the castle and lost the battle. Literally! He was killed in the attack.

"I don't have time for your silly games, beast. Bring me the dhampir or die!" He hissed, showing his fangs to show that he was being serious, but this young wolf seemed arrogant.

Fynn's POV

"No," I growled, showing my canines. I was not going to just hand over the prize we had been planning for months to steal, but the pack was ready for this and had surrounded the vamps. We were willing to send their heads to the king in a box if we had to. If that was what it would take to prove our seriousness in this matter. "The princess is our guest and she will return when she is good and ready." I knew that I made it sound as if she was staying out of her own free will, but if we were ever going to be seen as equals, I needed them to think so.

"You are lying!" Good, the vamp didn't deny that she was the princess. One step closer to our goal. My people wanted a world where we were all equal. Treated with respect and left to live in peace. "I will only ask this once more, beast!" I hated that they still called us beasts when we were clearly nothing of the sort.

"I said no, vamp!" I growled and shifted, proving him right, but I had people to protect and I wasn't going to let them take the princess!

"STOP!" I couldn't believe it when I heard the voice of the vampire king. We hadn't bargained on this! "I don't want more blood spilled. I need your word that the princess will not be harmed." The king looked a lot older than I thought he would be. I nodded but didn't shift. "I will agree that she may stay here for one week. If she is not returned on the last eve of her time here, I will not be so tolerant of what you've done." Nobody could miss the clear threat in his words and I nodded again. I knew that if the king was here, the forest was crawling with his people and our numbers would mean nothing against his royal guard. The king nodded and left, followed by his people, and as soon as I got word that they were back behind the castle walls, I called my warriors together.

Viktoria's POV

Everything smelled funny in this place and something strange woke me early in the morning. I quickly changed into the clothes in the cupboard that looked most like something I might wear, and tried the door only to find that it was unlocked! It must have happened while I was in the bathroom since I didn't hear anybody unlocking it.

"Your highness," The beast outside the door bowed his head a little and I sighed, explaining that I was to be called by my name and my name only. He nodded and informed me that Alpha was out, but that he left instructions that I was to be taken to the private dining room for breakfast. As soon as I stepped into the dining room, I knew exactly where the smell was coming from! Their food smelled strange! I wasn't sure if I could actually eat any of it, but I didn't want to waste food. I picked things carefully and didn't take too much so that there would be enough for the Alpha when he returned.

At school, we were all given a specific portion of food. Every plate was exactly similar to that of the next. Almost as if the vamps were trying to ration our food and from what I had learned over the years about our history, it was very possible that they were rationing. The beasts made it difficult for our scouts to go out and get supplies.

"That can't seriously be all that you are starting your day with!" Fynn's voice interrupted my thoughts just as I had put a large bite of something in my mouth and I couldn't very well speak with a mouth full of food! I nodded carefully, watching him as he stacked his plate so high that I was convinced he would never be able to finish all of it! What was worse, he took a second plate and explained that I had to try this and that and brought it to me.

"I can't possibly eat all of that!" I didn't say it because I wanted to save it for someone else! I said it because there was no way I would ever be able to eat that much!

"Just try." He smiled and sat down beside me. The food may have smelled funny, but it tasted incredible! Some of it was sweeter than sugar and others were salty, and I was surprised when I did in fact clean not only my plate but the second plate he brought me. I wanted to know where to hand in my dishes but two young wolves appeared and cleared as we left.

"Don't your children attend school?" It was a stupid question that I only realized after I asked it and I was a bit angry at myself when he laughed.

"As a matter of fact, they do." He pointed at a building with a large tree next to it and I noticed a strange contraption that was painted in all different colours. Children were climbing all over it and he must have noticed my frown. "Don't you know what a jungle gym is?" Something told me he already knew the answer, but I shook my head nonetheless as we walked closer.

Victor's POV

"You can't be serious, father! What if they do something to her? Or the saints forbid, mate with her! You never know what those beasts can do!" I was pacing his office after my dear father just informed me that he had given permission for Viktoria to stay with them for an entire week! At least, she would be allowed back in upon her return, but I wasn't as confident as he was that she would be returned to us pure and unharmed!

"I say again," Dimitri sighed, waving his hand through the air. "She's just a dhampir. I don't understand why the big fuss. Why can't they just keep her?" My father and I glared at him at the same time and he rolled his eyes.

"Father, we can't let her stay there without at least an escort!" I insisted, but he wasn't budging and I couldn't understand why. In the end, I stormed out of his office and decided to go and see Helena. She at least deserved to know that our daughter was last seen alive by my incredibly stupid father!

Viktoria's POV

Since I hadn't seen or heard any strange movements around the grounds, I could only guess that my people didn't dare come for me. They must think that I'm long dead by now. It broke my heart to think that I would never again be able to see my mother, or actually meet my father as I had hoped.

"Why didn't you kill me?" I asked Fynn again and he sighed. He had already explained it to me, but I couldn't understand. After years of learning that they were mindless beasts, finding out that they weren't was a bit overwhelming and I guess I needed more. More information. More something. I wasn't sure what. All of this was so weird. Fynn showed me their entire grounds and I had to admit that it was pretty sophisticated for something that was supposed to be a stupid animal.

I started to wonder if they were even the beasts in the books that we were taught about. What if they were some kind of sub-species and the beasts were still out there? I asked him about it and he laughed at me again! Fynn laughing at me seemed as if it was becoming a habit and I didn't like it. It made me feel so damn stupid and I wasn't! I was top of my class! Why didn't I know these things?!