Irlana was about to speak again, to ask Xiran what had gone wrong. But her mother placed her hand on Irlana’s shoulder and gently said:

"Let’s do as your brother has instructed and talk later," Irlana closed her mouth and lowered her head.

Swiftly and quietly, everyone left except Xiran. Taking large strides he made his way to the dungeon which had been transformed into a children’s nursery and play area. He entered through the back door and went towards the room Aselia used to occupy.

Frila had left it untouched, except for keeping it clean, nothing was changed. He slowly opened the door and entered it. The room no longer smelled like her, it had almost been a year since she was here last but it still held all the memories of the moments they had shared here. They assaulted him as soon as he stepped inside.

He sank heavily onto the bed, his shoulders drooping with an overwhelming sense of defeat and loneliness. The ache of longing for Aselia consumed him, not only that he also yearned for the presence of his beloved mother.

If only one of them was here to console him, to pull him out of this slump he was finding himself in.

The silver-haired vampire concealed his face with trembling hands and succumbed to an agonizing ache within his heart. The turmoil within him threatened to tear him asunder. This conflict with Rivan; his trusted companion, his best friend and affectionate brother, weighed upon him heavily. Rivan had been a steadfast presence, a pillar of strength on whom Xiran had leaned countless times in the past.

Somehow it seemed he lost him today. Why was he hitting slump after slump? He leaned backwards and fell on the bed with a thud and began to vacantly stare up at the ceiling, his hands under his head.

His phone began ringing in that instant. Taking it out he saw it was Prince Casmian.

"Hey! What’s up?" Prince Casmian’s silvery voice sounded through the phone.

"Hey! Casmian, I am good. You?" Xiran glumly replied and Casmian sensed the heaviness in his voice.

"What’s wrong? Talk to me."

"I just had a fight with Rivan and I feel like crap," Xiran sighed.

"Haa! Come on Xiran. Me and my brothers fight all the time, you know there are four of us but at the end of the day it doesn’t change the fact that they are my brothers," he chuckled trying to lighten up Xiran’s mood.

"I know but we have never fought like this before."

"There is always a first time and believe me it won’t be the last but it’s about being the bigger man at the end of the day putting aside disparities and remembering the profound connection we share. Remember that," Casmian sounded like a wise man.

"Yes! I will try. Why were you calling? Anything important?" Xiran suddenly remembered that the prince had called him for probably something crucial.

"I can imagine the state of your mind right now as if everything is falling apart. Especially after our mission failed against your father, so I want to invite you to this masquerade ball my father is holding. He insists it’s time some of his sons settled down, as none of us are married yet. He wants us to find suitable partners. Well, I don’t know if I will find someone but I can surely use a friend to get drunk with. So what do you think?"

Casmian held his breath after that. Secretly he was hoping that Xiran’s eye would catch a girl and his mind would get distracted from Aselia and his father. He wanted him to feel less miserable.

"I am not really in the mood Casmian," Xiran’s glum tone sounded from the other side.

"Come now, it is still after three weeks so you have plenty of time to think about it. It will at least take your mind off for a day and I have some fine wine," Casmian tried to bribe him.

"Alright, I will think about it," Xiran gave in, he didn’t want to spoil the mood of another friend.

"Great, I will send you the proper invite and will wait for you. Adios," the line went dead after that.

Xiran placed the phone on his chest and stayed on the bed for a few more hours before heading back to his home.

Elrine, Frila, Zirius and Irlana were already there, setting up the place when he arrived.

"Señor! We have set up the essentials. Food, clothes and other accessories. If you need any more help then let us know," Zirius informed him as he stood in the living room with Frila.

"Good, you people can leave now. Will call if I need anything," Xiran answered and moved to his room to change. Zirius and Frila left while Irlana and her mom set up their room upstairs, adjacent to Aselia’s.

He emerged from his room wearing loose trousers and a shirt and headed to the kitchen to grab a bottle of blood. He found Elrine in there, cooking.

"Sorry, I thought I should cook dinner. How are you doing?" she asked while stirring the pot, her tone gentle.

"I have been better," Xiran unscrewed the bottle he had extracted from the fridge and took a sip.

"I know you feel responsible for Irlana and she couldn’t have asked for a better brother but you need to talk to her. She has been crying," she slightly turned towards Xiran and saw him leaning against the counter with deep lines of worry etching his forehead. His hand was clutching the counter making his knuckles pop out.

"That’s what I didn’t want, to make her cry. She has been through enough," he gnashed his teeth in annoyance.

"She is not as fragile as she seems. She is a survivor and a protector. My daughter saved and helped so many elves in captivity. She always negotiated with him and brought food and medicine for us. If she can handle that, she can surely understand whatever is happening," Elrine’s words hit him like razor-shaped blades for he knew what negotiating with his father meant for her.