"Oh, I see," Duncan said and cleared his throat.

Caius was looking at Alexia. This was the first he was hearing of her being spoken for.

He found it interesting because whether it was true or not, it seemed the harshest way to turn Duncan down because it felt like, in a public space no less, she was putting the Prince on the spot and challenging him to ask her out still which would essentially seem like he was trying to coerce her to be unfaithful. By Acheron Empire Etiquette, that was shameful and even if Duncan got away with it, it would seem like a scandal.

In other words, by saying she was spoken for, Alexia shut down any more attempts the Prince could have made and that didn’t sit well with many in the crowd of guests.

Just as the etiquette frowns on someone publicly coercing another to be unfaithful, it also frowns on not being courteous to someone of Duncan’s station. Especially in the role he was in at the moment.

The preferred way for Alexia to have handled the situation would have been for her to sort of agree, and then just be vague on the details such as the actual date they would actually have this leisure meeting.

Ordinarily, if she had done this, and Duncan had good societal awareness, he would accept her response and push no further. Maybe try his luck on another day. This way, he would have saved face and Alexia would not have been... rude.

If Duncan had then pressed her, however, even after Alexia had given him a way out of the situation without getting embarrassed, then Alexia could have pulled the ’spoken for’ card.

As it was, the blatant shot down made Duncan a bit awkward and many men in the crowd shook their heads at Alexia who was well aware of what she had done and maintained a natural smile on her face. Elenor, like many of the Noble women in the crowd, didn’t shake her head at Alexia. But she did step away. Really, she glided away— As though the tension of the situation created a field that pushed her.

Caius could hardly keep a smile off his face but he also didn’t see a reason to let Alexia stand there and deal with whatever aftermath would come.

"Hey, cousin," he called and placed his hand gently on Alexia’s back,

"I see something over there that might be of interest to you."

"Really?" Alexia answered offhandedly, her eyes still on the awkward Duncan.

"Really. I think you’ll enjoy it," Caius said and began to steer her away,

"Excuse us, Your Lordship."

With the Hellsingers with them, Caius and Alexia walked and stood quite close to a wall in the Hall. There was a beautiful piece of architecture there and it served as the excuse for what they were looking at while the attention of the crowd remained on them.

"That was quite rude of you," Caius said to Alexia when they stopped walking.

"I hate when someone thinks they can put a Von Helsing down," Alexia scoffed, "The rude one was him, not me."

"Wait," Caius said, really amused now, "You did that for me?"

"That exchange you two had wasn’t lost on me. To turn around and hit on me right after trying to knock you down a peg," Alexia said with a shiver,

"The fucking nerve."

She seemed really affected.

"I’m touched," Caius said and he did sound like he meant it.

"I’m your chaperone," Alexia shrugged, "I look out for you."

"Well, good job then," Caius said.

Alexia tipped her head at him and downed the rest of her wine. A few seconds later and another, a full glass had replaced the empty glass.

"So that talk about being spoken for?" Caius asked.

"Bullshit," Alexia laughed, "Think I’ll be here if I had some great love waiting for me back home?"

"I don’t know," Caius said, swirling wine around inside the wine glass he was holding,

"They say absence makes the heart grow fonder."

"’They’ say?" Alexia noticed, "You don’t agree?"

"I think fondness grows just fine in closeness," Caius said wistfully, "Absence just sucks."

"Whoa, Caius," Alexia said, "All because you’ve been away from Arlette for a few hours? Are you that smitten?

Caius laughed.

"Yeah," He said, "I guess I am."

"You don’t seem to have a problem in her absence though," Alexia scoffed as she glanced at the Hall, noticing the eyes glancing toward them on occasion. Most nk kknjet about the awkward situation she had caused and rather about her handsome cousin.

"Many here seem ready to jump your bones."

"You sound jealous," Caius said.

"Maybe, I am," Alexia answered with another sip of wine.

A minute passed in silence.

"That Lyanna girl," Alexia said then.

"What about her?" Caius asked.

"Anything between you two?" Alexia asked.

"Why do you ask?" Caius asked her in return.

"I sense things," Alexia said and when Caius raised a brow she chuckled,

"It’s a Von Helsing thing. You’ll understand after your induction.

Anyway, the women here give off a scent about you. But that of that Lyanna girl is stronger. Like she actually thinks she has a real chance."

"Hmm, so you sense emotions like a bloodhound catches scents?" Caius laughed.

"Think it’s strange?" Alexia scoffed.

"No," Caius answered simply.

A vampire whose evolution hinges on triggering a certain emotion in its target is the last one to scoff at the ability to sense feelings and emotions. Of course, Alexia’s ability is really just a good sense she had as an Inducted Von Helsing. It’s what makes her a good Monster Tracker.

"You haven’t answered my question?" Alexia prompted.

Caius just smiled.

"Lyanna is special," Caius said.

He meant that literally of course, because of her gift and it was such a truth that saying it didn’t feel like he was lying or avoiding giving a definite answer to Alexia’s question. He just didn’t think it wise to reveal certain things to his Cousin about his life.

Alexia frowned.

"Special. And Arlette isn’t?"

The accusation in her tone caused Caius to wheel his head around at her.

"What?" He asked.

"I’ve been watching you. You revel in the attention you get, don’t you cousin? How much longer before you slip into temptation and transgress?"

"What are you?" Caius asked with a chuckle, "Worried for my eternal soul?"

"I’m worried about Arlette," Alexia said.

"Arlette will be fine," Caius said.

"Physically? Oh, I’m sure. But what about emotionally? How would she be when you break her heart?" Alexia accused.

"When I— what?" Caius said and was about to say more when he heard Lyanna’s voice.

It wasn’t hitting his ears but instead his very mind. Like a mental link had been forged between them.

—"My Lord? You might want to see this."—

Caius knew better than to acknowledge the call out loud, he just turned his eyes to the side and stretched his senses wide. The actual reason he had pulled Alexia to this specific area of the Hall was that he was trying to get his senses to catch Lyanna’s presence in the building.

The connection she was using to speak to him in his head was one-way and he didn’t have the ability to track it back to her so his senses would have to lead him.

"I have to go," Caius said.

"To where?" Alexia asked.

"I’ll be back soon," Caius told her as calmly as he could, "Stay here."

And he was gone.

Alexia, as much stronger than him as she was, had only caught the barest glances of his back before he was out of the Hall by an entrance that led deeper into the building rather than leading to the corridor that would have taken him out of it.

"Heh," Alexia laughed at him telling her to stay put,

"Oh, like hell, I will."

She turned to the Hellsingers who were still stunned by Caius’s sudden exit.

"Stay here until I call for you," she ordered then and before any of them could protest, she was gone. Faster than Caius, she practically poofed out of existence.