Ruelle sat at the long table meant for the groundlings, where cutlery clinked against the chatter and laughter of the Elites and halflings, while the humans remained quieter, each of them carrying a ball of anxiety.

"...we thought it was an animal only to realise we had disturbed a hornet’s nest," Edward recalled while holding a glass. "I had to stay in bed for an entire day."

"They are painful," Ruelle said, her fork moving across her plate without taking a bite.

Her gaze briefly drifted across the room, noticing the royal guards stationed in the dining room. Her fingers slightly tightened around the fork. But what unsettled her more was the mist that surrounded Sexton, pressing faintly against the windows and it made her want to glance over her shoulder each time she noticed it.

Why did it have to be winter? She quietly sighed.

"I will go get dessert," Ruelle said, rising from her seat.

At the same time, she noticed Lucian enter the dining room with Sawyer beside him. A faint smile appeared on his lips at something his cousin said as they headed toward the very table she had intended to go to.

Before she could decide to move, she felt Hermes’ gaze on her. The same attendant who had once seemed so easily flustered by the prince’s antics now watched them like a hawk.

Ruelle lowered herself, murmuring, "Let me finish the soup."

Even though she forced herself to focus on the bowl in front of her, her eyes betrayed her as they followed Lucian. Not openly but in stolen glances and in between blinks.

His appearance was flawless. From his clean shirt to the last strand of his dark hair. He moved through the room as if it belonged to him, wearing a quiet composure yet one could tell there was something beneath it. Something quieter and colder one didn’t dare to disturb.

She quickly picked up the cutlery. It was like a gravity that she couldn’t resist.

Ruelle drew in a slow breath and forced her attention back to her food, only to realise she was stirring the soup with a fork.

"Let us skip classes today," Edward proposed. "I doubt anything worth attending will happen for the first years. What do you think?"

When Ruelle looked up to respond, she noticed Lucian across the room, his figure falling just behind the prince, his gaze already on her. A faint shiver ran over her skin.

To the prince, it seemed she had been left speechless, her gaze fixed in his direction.

"Ruelle?" Edward waved his hand in front of her, and she blinked. "Sorry. What did you say?"

"I was thinking we could have a little picnic on the balcony. I ought to do it properly this time, don’t you think?" Edward asked her enthusiastically. "I already have everything planned, and this time it won’t be a boat ride!"

Suddenly, one of Sexton’s instructors clapped his hands to gain everyone’s attention. The person announced,

"All students are to gather in the main hall after breakfast and take your seats. The human selection will begin, with the auction set to follow the day after tomorrow."

Though the selection was only for humans, the Elites and Halflings would be present as well, watching and deciding which of the groundlings was worth bidding on.

Soon the dining hall began to thin, and Ruelle also began to head in the direction when she heard a human woman scream in the corridor while being dragged towards the hall by guards.

"I told you, I was only out on a walk! Let me go!"

"What is with the commotion?" Footsteps sounded from the corner of the corridor, and soon Mikhael Oak appeared, Mr. Mortis following right behind him with a stoic expression.

"Mr. Oak," the guards bowed. "This one was attempting to escape. We caught her."

"I—I was taking a walk. I was going to return," the woman clarified quickly, her voice trembling.

Mr. Oak stood over her, studying her for a moment. He then said, "Keep her aside from the lot. She goes to the barrel."

Without waiting to catch attention, Ruelle stepped inside the main hall. She noticed the groundlings standing at the front while the other students had already taken their seats.

"Take a chit from the box and return it once your name is called. You may take your seats after handing the chit back," the instructor ordered, beginning with the males.

And while the chits were being drawn, the haematology instructor joined next to the box, holding several needles. With every person who stepped forward, he caught their hands, pricking the skin and have a bead of blood well up before dropping the blood into the colourless test tube.

The liquid did not remain colourless for long as it shifted to colours.

Some turned black, swallowing the light within the glass which was the lowest blood quality. Some other needles turned into a pale pink, which was good quality. And then, there came the blue which was the highest gradient.

"Kevin Reynolds," the instructor called. "Where is he?"

Hermes stepped forward and leaned in to whisper something to the instructor. The man listened, then gave a small nod, who responded,

"The number will still be drawn," the instructor said. "Regardless of prior interest, the bid stands. Whatever is offered must be paid."

"Yes, I understand that," Hermes bowed before stepping back.

As the names of the males were called, Ruelle remained at the back, the nervousness settling deeper in her chest. She felt a light nudge along with a hand that appeared in front of her holding a small toffee. Turning, she found Dane. He leaned closer and whispered,

"They say when you’re stressed, you should eat sweets." 𝒇𝒓𝒆𝒆𝙬𝒆𝒃𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝙡.𝒄𝓸𝒎

"Thanks." A faint smile touched her lips as she took it and placed it in her mouth. Noticing him suck on one himself, she asked, "What are you stressed about?"

"I have a bit of a sweet tooth," Dane said with a wink, leaning back against the wall. "Though this one is a little sour. Do you like it?"

Ruelle nodded before hearing Hailey’s name called. Her friend stepped forward, pulling a chit from the box, and opened it. "Fourteen. Batch one..." she muttered under her breath.

"Was everything alright yesterday?" Dane asked only for her to hear, glancing at her before he looked ahead again. "You left as though something slipped your mind," and then his lips curled, "Or someone."

Ruelle’s face brightened at Dane’s words, and she replied, "Yes—I mean everything was fine."

Last evening, she had gone to meet him and had stayed talking, only to realise she was going to drag him into this entanglement he had no place in. So she had wished him good night and returned to her room.

Ruelle was the second to last when her name was called—

"Ruelle Belmont."

She stepped forward and stopped before the box. She picked one and handed it to the instructor without looking.

"Hand," the instructor said, and she brought her hand forward without looking at the needle to feel it prick, and a drop of blood fell into the test tube. Soon the test tube turned black.

She had known from the very first haematology class about it. But to think the quality hadn’t improved...

When the last name was called, Ruelle turned. The front rows were already filled and she stepped forward, scanning for a place to sit.

Her gaze then caught on two empty seats. One beside Lucian and the other beside Edward. No one dared to sit beside Lucian, save for his cousin. As for the other seat, she could only imagine Edward had driven others away as if they were houseflies.

They were too close. Ruelle did not look at either of them and instead, she took the nearest seat and sat down.

"The numbers will be posted and sent to the interested buyers today, along with your details," the instructor began to explain at the front. "You would do well to present yourselves properly if you wish to be chosen with any regard. Elites and Halflings, you are not to subject them to violence during this period."

Ruelle remained seated as the instructor went on, his voice fading into the background. A prickle crept over her skin, steady and persistent, as though she could feel the weight of a gaze behind her.

Edward said something under his breath about the lecture but she did not catch it.

Lucian sat two rows behind her, her profile visible from where she was seated at an angle. Her gaze remained fixed on the instructor. She hadn’t moved her head even once. Not even by accident and the only movement was of her throat.

He watched her with a slight tilt of his head.

Yesterday, his fingers had brushed over her legs, slow enough to feel the shift in her breath. She had not pulled away and when he had leaned in—

Lucian’s finger tapped once against the wood beside him. There was a pause before another tap came.

"That will be all," the instructor said. His gaze rested on the humans at the front a moment longer. "All the best for the auction. Do conduct yourselves accordingly. King Septimus will be attending this year’s bidding."

A murmur broke out in the room, whispers passing quickly between them, "Has King Septimus attended the auction before?"

"He must be coming as the prince is here..." Some of the groundlings glanced at one another, a quiet sort of hope taking root at the thought of being picked by the king.

As the students began to disperse, one of the instructors paused near Dane, catching sight of the toffee in his mouth. The person asked, "Do you have another one? I could use something sweet."

The pureblooded vampire smiled, his eyes crinkling slightly. He remarked, "Afraid not," before slipping his hands into his pockets and his gaze followed when Ruelle stepped out of the hall with her friends.

In the afternoon, Ruelle and her friends were outside, making snowmen—despite Edward having dismissed it earlier as something too simple to waste time on. Their boots pressed softly into the snow as they worked.

"See?" Edward huffed when he placed one ball of snow over the other. "Now for the last touch—" he jabbed a wooden stick into it and the entire thing crumbled at once. On his second attempt, the head slipped and rolled away before he could speak.

Ruelle let out a quiet chuckle at how childlike he looked. Beside her, Hailey wasn’t subtle as she clutched her stomach, laughing openly until the prince shot her a glare.

"Don’t you know it is rude to laugh at someone?" Edward demanded.

Hailey coughed and gave a quick bow, struggling not to laugh. "My apologies, Your Highness."

"What’s with your snowman’s eyes? You’re supposed to aim for perfection. Watch me add eyebrows to mine," Edward huffed, while Hailey went off in search of better stones.

While Ruelle was breaking the stick, Edward called her, "Ruelle." She turned to find him standing before her. "Hold on—" The next second, he pulled a twig from her hair. "You had this."

"Ah—thanks for removing it," Ruelle said as he tossed it aside.

"No problem." He smiled brightly. Then, after a pause, he asked, "The first day is going quite well, isn’t it? Any change so far?"

"I told you it wasn’t going to change in two days," Ruelle said, shaking her head as she adjusted her sleeve. "It is not too late to forfeit."

"It is shameful for a prince to forfeit! There is still one more day. Do not lose hope, Ruelle," he said, before deciding, "I will take you out of Sexton tomorrow. To the town. I think the air of this place isn’t good, you need fresh air."

Ruelle found her gaze move toward the line of windows as though someone was watching them.

But nothing moved. Only the glass, darkened by the fading light, stared back at her.

"...I should tell him," she murmured to herself. If she made Lucian promise, if she could keep the matter contained, perhaps it would not cost as much and she nodded to herself.

As the darkness increased and took over the sky and lands, in the late evening, Ezekiel waited in a dark corner without a sound. He couldn’t believe Ruelle had agreed to the prince. He had imagined a future with her and she was giving it up so easily. For what? Money?

His jaw tightened. He had already decided to take her somewhere safe, where she wouldn’t be bothered. In his hand was a handkerchief, damp with a liquid that would turn her unconscious the moment she breathed it in. He had already seen her heading toward the building.

When footsteps approached, he straightened, lifting his hand—

"Worms do make better eyebrows. You must have practised a lot to know about it."

Ezekiel’s teeth clenched. Why was the prince always beside her?! His hand tightened around the cloth, crumpling it.

Edward left seeing Ruelle enter the room and darkness greeted her first.

She shut the door behind her and moved toward the fireplace in the dark, crouching slightly as she reached out, sparking the flame to life. For a moment, it flickered weakly before catching fire, light slowly spilling across the room.

Maybe it was the smell of burnt parchment, she thought to herself. King Septimus must have picked it up, unless he had gone to every single fireplace in the castle to sniff around. The thought made her chuckle.

As the hours passed, she found her gaze drifting to the clock more than once while she waited for Lucian. And at some point, she fell asleep.

The following morning, she woke to an empty room. Pushing herself up slowly, she sat at the edge of the bed, a faint tightness settling in her chest.

What if it wasn’t work? The thought slipped in uninvited. What if Hermes had mentioned to the king about Lucian and he had been sent away in the name of work?

Ruelle’s thoughts were broken when she heard commotion outside. Stepping outside the room, she moved towards the railing to look down and catch King Septimus, who stepped down from the carriage.

Mr. Oak stood with the other instructors near the carriage, greeting the king as he stepped down. Hermes had already moved aside. Mr. Oak then said something that drew a low laugh from King Septimus.

And as the smile faded, his gaze lifted and found her.