The Queen was dying. A blow like that wouldn't kill Katherine, but her mother was genetically weaker. She was bitten by a pure-blooded vampire, but she didn't take on his resistance to Blood clover.

I carried her to her bedroom and lie her down in her bed. She groaned as I set her down and sucked in a sharp breath. " Where are you?" She whispered, tears brimming her eyes. she closed them and whimpered in pain. I felt a rush of air fly by " Your Majesty!"

He back tracked and walked in, his eyes focused on the rapidly bleeding stab wound from the Queen. She had gone quiet and was taking in rattly breaths one at a time. Blake just barely looked over at me. " Go to Katherine, she needs you, I'll handle things here. Garnet, please follow him. Find Helia and go to the Alpha. Katherine is in his care for now. " The both of us nodded and left the two of them their privacy. 

.

.

.

I tore my skin open from my wrist, needing her to feed. If she didn't have my blood then she would die within minutes.

Her head moved away from my wrist as she looked out of the window hazily." Why?" I asked softly, not understanding.

" You have to go and make sure everything's alright first. Just go." She whispered softly. I was worried, but she had gone too far." As my wife, you know that I'm far too manipulative and selfish to let someone as lowly as death take you from me." I gripped her hair in my fist and sat her up to look at me." Now take my blood, that's an order, Melody."

She gently lapped up the blood that had spilled around my arm and her hazy eyes slowly became clearer. Pure blooded vampires were resistant to blood clover, which was the only way to kill either a non pure blood or a turned vampire. Katherine wasn't as incapacitated as her mother, all things considered, so she may have had partial resistance from me. Melody's hands gripped my waist and drank from my throat instead, instantly piercing my skin. I could tell that she was getting over the poison, but she needed more from me. Closing my eyes and wrapping my arms around her to hold her tighter, I felt like cradling the woman I could've lost had I not come in time to save her. I was happy to give her more if more was what she needed. 

" They coated those blades in blood clover, to make sure at least you and Katherine died if left untreated."

She softly wiped her lips on the back of her sleeve "Is that-

" Yes. The only poison that can subdue vampires, and turned vampires are most vulnerable to it."

She didn't unravel her hands from my body "Is that why I felt so... weak?"

" Precisely why. You're all healed up now, but we have to leave and stay with the wolves, at least until things clear up over here."

As soon as those words left my lips, I almost regretted them, because I know how they would make her feel. 

She pressed her lips together, but they were quivering and she didn't trust her voice at all. 

" Things never really change, do they?" She whispered, her voice quivering and thick with tears. I sat quietly, pushing her hair back away from her face. " It seems so." I whispered back, painfully. How could I make her feel any better if I honestly felt the same way? She slowly rose and  got a few items and quickly threw them in a small bag. 

We both jumped at the hard crash outside of our door that disturbed us both. Whoever it was broke at least 5 bones from the sound of it. Then there was a deafening crunch at which we both winced. There were 3 knocks from 2 hands. The Queens personal mercenaries. The door opened. Dreyfus holding his elder brother Dreykus, who clearly had broken a few of his lower ribs. Dreyfus tried to laugh it off, but Dreykus was beat up. " Your majesty, we've taken care of the situation. Mostly, at least." He choked, sputtering on his own blood. They both shared the same stormy gray eyes and jet black hair. Well, except Dreyfus, who dyed some of his hair about the same color as his eyes to be somewhat distinguishable from his twin.

Melody sighed " Thank you... I figured out something." Dreykus held onto his brother and listened intently. " The guard that approached you to tell you of a threat was the diversion to separate us."

" Yes.  As mercenaries of the former crowns, I don't understand why they would follow through to kill the new royal family. It's not like the old royal family would give them anything once they were dead." He said, shrugging, also looking at me to understand what the hell was going on. I didn't react at all.

" The new guards are all in shock. They heard that the new Queen had been stabbed and that the princess was assaulted." 

" ...I see. For now, per the King's orders, the royal family and our personal mercenaries are to take refuge with the wolves. Be cautious of all that you pass this information to. We had no clue that the guards would turn against us like this, but... here we are." She sighed, throwing her hands up in frustration.

" Understood." Dreyfus was well on his way to tell them.

She sat back down next to me and looked at Dreykus, whom he had left on my floor " Dreykus, how bad is it?" she asked quietly.

" Not that bad. Mostly internal bleeding though." He sighed, his breathing laboured and rough.

She folded her arms " Did you get hit by any of the guards' swords by chance?

He chuckled softly and smiled at her " Not even a scratch. They were poisoned, weren't they?"

" Yes. Be careful next time." She reminded him. Dreykus looked towards the door and paused. He looked back at her. " Wait, Dreyfus definitely got cut that last hit..."

Melody looked at me, slightly panicked.

" Stay with Dreykus." She murmured, running off. I internally huffed and rolled my eyes. Whether she went to save him or not didn't concern me. As I knew she was out of earshot, I chuckled softly " Look at you, Dreykus... bloody and pathetic."

He scoffed playfully and shook his head " Was that supposed to be an insult, your majesty?" 

" Take it as you please." I shook my head, shrugging." Is everything alright?"

I smiled genuinely and looked him dead in the eyes " Just savoring every moment of your suffering, is all."

His smile became much smaller and looked... guiltier, to put it in the best terms possible. " When I said I'd pay for trying to take you guys out any way I can, I meant that." He sighed, seeming disappointed.

I stood and grabbed for the few books Melody had decided she would take with her on the run and carefully placed them in her bag. " Do you ever think back to the first man you killed?... I remembered being so little and feeling so afraid of you... and look at how things change within days. "

I looked back at him with a lethal glare that let him know where we stood, and quickly " Murdering my father is not a sin you atone for in deed... but with your life, Dreykus Freyan."