Ruelle’s heart dropped at the sound of the stick breaking and the man’s question. Even Hailey turned pale as though not expecting the stick to make that much sound.

"Our friends must have finally caught up!" Ruelle blurted before looking behind with a hopeful expression.

"Finally!" Hailey breathed, and this had the three men turn to look back. She quickly handed Ruelle the other half of the stick.

Ruelle shifted the wooden stick along her arm, steadying it in place, and at her slight nod, both women moved at once, stepping forward as they slipped free of their loosened coats in a single, swift motion.

The sudden weight in the men’s hands made them turn. In that same moment, Ruelle stepped in, driving the sharpened wood into the man’s side, the force pushing through into his abdomen.

On the other hand, Hailey jammed the broken stick into the man who reached for her, piercing into his open palm before he could grab hold of her.

"ARGHH!!!"

"You bitch—!" A string of curses left the men’s mouths. Ruelle kicked the man’s ankle before bolting.

The sudden yelp drew the bearded man’s attention at once, his head snapping up just in time to see the two women break free and run. His eyes went wide and he demanded in anger,

"How did you lose them? Two women—and you still could not hold them?!"

Ruelle and Hailey ran as fast as they could. With having left the alley behind, they didn’t have to worry about running into another dead end, but the frozen ground beneath their feet made every step uncertain, and they forced themselves to stay upright, knowing they would not be so fortunate a second time.

They ran past the row of houses, their steps uneven against the frozen ground, when Ruelle’s gaze caught one house that stood apart from the rest ahead of them.

Its iron gates hung rusted and crooked, half-open as though no one had bothered to close them in years. Dried shrubs had grown wild around the entrance, their brittle branches clawing at the iron.

The entrance doors looked broken along with the windows. The walls had long since faded, their colour drained to a dull, lifeless grey.

"Ru—elle... my legs are going to give way," Hailey said, her voice breaking as she struggled to keep pace.

"Just a little more. You can do it!" Ruelle encouraged, though a quiet guilt stirred within her, knowing Hailey had been pulled into trouble that was never hers.

A sudden crash sounded behind them, forcing their steps to halt. Ruelle turned and caught sight of Claude. He had thrown one of the men hard against the wall, leaving the human groaning.

"Who the hell are you?" the man with the broken nose demanded. "Leave. This does not concern you."

But Claude didn’t answer. His eyes moved to where Ruelle stood, quickly skimming for any injuries. He asked,

"Are you both alright, Miss Ruelle?" His voice was steady, though there was a trace of concern beneath it.

"We are alright," Ruelle assured him with a smile, her chest rising and falling as the tension left her all at once, leaving her momentarily unsteady. She was glad to see him.

Beside her, Hailey’s legs gave out and she sank onto the cold ground before the rusted gates. Her friend muttered faintly, "We... did it."

The man with the broken nose lunged toward Ruelle but before he could reach her, a figure jumped from above and landed between them. It was Edward. The prince straightened and remarked,

"I told you it is far easier to spot people from the rooftops than from the ground."

The broken-nosed man faltered, caught off guard by the sudden appearance. The same time, not far behind, Hermes and Kevin hurried towards where they were.

"Get out of my way, beggar!" Soon the broken-nosed man went to attack Edward with his hand pulled back and ready to punch.

"It is beginning to annoy me," Edward said in a lowered voice, his composure slipping at last. He caught the man’s arm and twisted it sharply, drawing a sharp yelp. He snapped with gritted teeth, "I am the prince! Who exactly are you calling a beggar?!"

Before the man could answer, Edward struck him. The blow landed hard enough to send the man to the ground, and he did not stop until the man lay unconscious at his feet.

Edward huffed, "I swear if I hear another person address me like that—"

"Edward, watch out!" Ruelle shouted as the third man jumped forward with the rusted rod that he had plucked out from the gate next to them, driving it into Edward’s chest before it protruded from his back. But the prince didn’t flinch and only looked down at the rod where blood could be seen coating it.

"Your Highness!" Hermes shouted.

Ruelle watched Edward turn as though he hadn’t been stabbed. He then caught the man’s hair before kicking the human’s stomach and punching him. When the man staggered backwards, Claude raised his hand and with one hit to the man’s neck, the person fell to the ground.

Arriving at the spot, Hermes ran to Edward and Kevin went to check on his friends. Worried, Kevin asked, "What happened?"

"They were trying to sell us. The little girl was not little. She was a woman..." Hailey replied, still seated on the ground, her breath uneven. When she shivered, she asked, "Could someone... fetch our coats? It should be somewhere in the alleys."

Kevin nodded at once and turned.

"Phew, what a day. Quite an adventure, wouldn’t you say?" Edward said brightly, as though he had merely taken a stroll. His gaze flicked to the fallen men and their bloodied faces before he turned at once to Ruelle and stepped toward her, catching hold of her hands.

"I was worried about you," said the prince, his tone softening slightly. "You are not hurt, are you?"

Ruelle couldn’t bring herself to look away from the metal that pierced through him, her worry plain in her eyes.

"I am fine," she said, her voice softer now. "But you are bleeding..."

"Pfft." Edward gave a dismissive wave of his hand. He responded, "I am perfectly fine. I am a pureblooded vampire, Ruelle. A very strong one, at that. I will be fine. I just need to take it out and it will slowly heal—" His words broke into a sharp cry, "—OW!"

Claude had pulled the rod free without warning. He murmured, "It is rusted."

Edward stiffened, his expression tightening for a second moment before it smoothed into a smile. His voice was strained as he spoke, "See? All good."

But Ruelle could not look away. Blood continued to drip from his wound, the fluid seeping through the pale, tattered fabric he wore.

"Your Highness, you are losing too much blood—!" Hermes began, alarm rising in his voice, when Edward swayed from his spot. Claude moved at once, catching Edward and steadying the prince’s weight without a word.

"This is... embarrassing," Edward muttered under his breath.

"I will bring the carriage," Hermes said immediately and he ran from there.

"Let us go inside the house and have the wound tended for now," Ruelle suggested, reaching for Edward’s arm out of concern and helping him inside.

The prince followed her without protest. Hailey trailed right behind them, her legs shaky from the way they had earlier run. While Claude remained where he stood for a brief moment, his gaze fixed on the abandoned house before his eyes fell on the unconscious men.

Ruelle stepped inside the house with Edward and she said in concern, "Maybe you need to drink human blood to replenish it."

"I am thirsty," Edward muttered to himself, which she didn’t catch. But the prince knew he had to show he had a strong mind and will! "It is nothing. I can go for days without drinking blood. I have very good control."

But Ruelle was not convinced. Edward looked far more tired now, but it was mostly because of the crowd at the fair and the fight he had just finished.

"Is this a haunted house?" Hailey said, waving her hand lightly in front of her face. "It does not look like anyone has been here in years."

Once Ruelle had helped Edward sit on the dust-covered couch, she straightened and took in the room. Cobwebs clung to the corners and a fine layer of dust had settled over every surface. The windows stood broken, their frames jagged and bare.

"The walls and floors are dirty," Hailey said, as she slowly explored the house without going too far.

Ruelle followed Hailey after a second, and she paused at the walls that Hailey mentioned were dirty. Her brown eyes traced the lines and she doubted these were dirt. It looked more like blood.

When she was about to turn, she caught a faded brown pot sitting next to a window. There was something very peculiar about the pot, which had her walk towards it as the wooden floor creaked beneath her feet.

The pot was filled with dry soil, long-barren and her eyebrows furrowed. She murmured,

"Did we have one like this at home? Where else did I see it?"

Her fingertips brushed absentmindedly along the rim of the pot. She heard Kevin call, "Ruelle?"

"I am in here," she replied, turning slightly toward the doorway. At the same time, her fingers sank lightly into the dry soil. It was a second later that she felt something shift beneath the mud. She quickly pulled her hand back while staring at the pot. "...an insect?"

Something stirred beneath the surface of the soil and when it pushed upward, Ruelle froze. A thin shoot broke through, rising slowly before her eyes. Leaves unfurled along its stem, one after another, as though time itself had quickened.

Her breath caught.

"What... is this?" she whispered. The growth did not stop as buds formed before one of them bloomed into a soft pink peony flower.

’For you.’

The words echoed in the room, startling her. She looked around before turning to the flower and then to her fingers. Surely it wasn’t a coincidence, was it?

’Oh my, that’s a whole plant. We should have it planted in a nice pot,’ she heard a woman’s voice. ’What do you think?’

’Yes, Daisy.’

"Daisy?" Ruelle asked herself. Who was that?

Footsteps approached the room and Kevin finally appeared at the door. He said,

"There you are. What are you looking at?" His gaze followed hers, settling on the pot. He murmured, "How odd that the plant is still alive."

Ruelle did not comment. At that moment, Claude stepped into the room and informed, "Mr. Reynolds. His Highness is asking for you."

"That is rare," Kevin muttered, and he left at once.

Claude’s gaze shifted to the pot and then returned to Ruelle.

"Thank you for helping us today," she said softly, her eyes lifting to meet his eyes.

"It is my duty to keep you safe. After all, the young master ordered me to accompany you today," he replied with a quiet bow. "I am glad that you are safe and not hurt," he offered her a smile and she returned it.

Ruelle’s lips parted, as though she meant to say something but she closed them a moment later. Claude, who noticed this, did not press her. After a brief pause, she cleared her throat.

"What happened in the streets..." she began carefully, her voice quieter now, "I would prefer it not be mentioned." The coachman’s brows lifted slightly. Holding his gaze, she said, "Nothing serious came of it. The men were dealt with, right?"

She then reached for the small cloth bag at her side. She loosened its opening and drew out one of the two remaining wristbands. Without quite meeting his eyes, she took Claude’s hand and slipped it over his wrist.

The coachman’s eyes widened, just slightly, while Ruelle smiled at her bribe.

"What are you all doing here?" Ruelle heard Edward’s voice loud and clear.

Wondering who it was, she stepped out of the room and made her way to the front when she caught sight of six royal guards waiting outside. She noticed Edward wore a slight scowl.

"Your Highness, the King has summoned you to the castle," one of the guards said with a deep bow.

"I am not done with the fair yet, though. There is still much to enjoy," Edward complained with a displeased look.

"He said it is important," the guard said, and the prince sighed.

"I met him not long ago," Edward muttered with a frown. He then gave a nod and replied, "Alright." He got up and stepped out of the house.

At the same time Hermes arrived with the carriage, wearing a confused look. He looked back and forth.

"Hermes, we will be heading to the castle," Edward informed him.

"Prince Edward," the royal guard interrupted, and this had Edward pause. His eyes briefly moved to the men bound at the side before shifting to the others gathered there. "The King has also ordered that all present accompany you."