Rouge May waited behind Raphael's mirror for hours. She had assumed he would return to his room to change for dinner but he hadn't. His brother had stormed in and yelled for him twice now but both times he'd left. The younger one had also come in once but he'd left too. Where was the Vampire? Hearing her brother's booming call in her head again she sighed and finally returned to her own room's mirror, if she kept ignoring August he'd get their father involved and she didn't want to deal with that. If Merlin got angry enough there was a chance he would leave Nimue in Stonehenge and come after her to drag her back and seal her in. He'd threatened to do as much more than once.

August Jet was waiting for her, arms folded looking furious.

"Where have you been?" She pointed to the mirror she'd just crawled out of.

"In the mirror realm." August ground his teeth, she couldn't help it, no matter how afraid she was right now she couldn't help but poke the bear.

"You expect me to believe you were just hanging out in that damned plane of existence?"

"I went to see Mama."

"That was eight hours ago and I told you to be at that meeting!"

"Was it? Time moves so differently there, did I miss your meeting? You could always have come found me if you'd needed me that urgently." August looked like he was about to kill her this time and ground out his words between clenched teeth.

"You know I can't transverse the mirror realm." Innocently Rouge fluttered her eyelashes.

"Oops, silly me, I forgot." He grabbed her arm.

"Let me remind you, little sister, I am on The Witches Council. I am also the Head of the family in my father's continued public absence. Your actions reflect upon me. Do you understand me?" Rouge knew she should drop it, but she couldn't help herself.

"Look, if you're upset I missed your meeting. I'm sorry. I had a rather trying morning." He cut her off.

"Nearly being grabbed or finding out the Fates had the gall to pair you with a lesser creature?" She knew she should tread carefully after his threats earlier but she was feeling her own anger swell at his tone her mother had gone straight to August, she should have known.

"Well after you guaranteed my safety I was a little put out to have a suppression net thrown over me. The burns didn't exactly do much to improve my mood either. Or having my energy drained. Also, the prospect of being dragged off didn't much improve my feelings on the matter." She was starting to shout "as for the lesser creature. If it wasn't for that lesser creature I'd be goddess knows where by now. That lesser creature protected me when you failed brother dearest." August lunged for her grabbing her by the throat and pinning her to the wall. His face was pure anger and for the first time in her life, she was truly scared he would carry out his constant threat to kill her, not just hurt her.

"You will not accept that animal." she dangled helplessly, gasping for air as his hand clenched around her throat, she couldn't breathe in. Clawing at his hand she felt dizzy as her head began to swim and darkness slowly engulfed her.

***

Rouge didn't know how long she'd been unconscious but she knew her throat was stinging and her head was pounding. She carefully opened one eye. She was on the floor in her brother's office, but she couldn't see him. Carefully she opened the other eye and glanced about moving as little as possible. He wasn't there. She sat up gently and glanced about, there were no mirrors in the darkly opulent room and she was sure if she tried the door it would be locked. The back of her head was throbbing, she touched it gingerly and found dried blood. The bastard had bashed her head after she lost consciousness? She felt her pocket but the compact she always carried was gone, damn him. She stood and swayed nearly falling over, this wasn't good. Grabbing the hem of her skirt she held her breath as she felt along until she found the tiny mirror she sewed into the hem of every dress she owned. Bingo, he hadn't found it. It was only a tiny inch wide round mirror but it was all she needed. Grabbing a letter opener from his desk she ripped at the hem and the little mirror dropped into her waiting hand. She heard a key slide into the lock of the door and holding the mirror she muttered 'speculum regni' and touched its shimmery surface. August entered just in time to see Rouge vanish into the tiny surface. He ran to the tiny mirror that had dropped to the floor and picked it up, snarling a curse at her.

Rouge watched him rage from behind the glass until he threw it at the wall shattering the tiny looking glass. If she'd wanted to, which she didn't, she couldn't have reentered that mirror, trying to pass through a broken mirror risked splintering your very soul and that had never particularly appealed to her. Turning from it she wondered where to go. She didn't fancy going back to her parent's home under Stonehenge. Her father would know about the vampire by now and would likely be as welcoming as August. Plus she had no idea what lies he would have told their father to justify his treatment of her, but she did know Merlin would believe every word out of August's mouth. He always did.

She had no idea where Raphael's family home was or if he'd be there if she found it. She'd moved back towards the mirror in the room he'd taken her to earlier. There was a chance his brothers would come back. But first, she had an idea, she went to August's room and peered through his mirror. He hadn't come back there yet and was probably still throwing a tantrum in his office. She hopped through his huge ornate mirror and rummaged through his bedside drawer. Being one of his many homes his room was far less sparse than the guest rooms and she soon found a small hand mirror on the top of his dresser and looking through his wardrobe took a huge flowing black velvet cape, wrapping it around her and tucking the mirror into a pocket inside it then she returned to the safety of the mirror realm.

She decided to try Raphael's room once more and if he wasn't there she'd work out what she was going to do then.

A rather tall dwarven-looking man was in the vampire's room dressed in the formal attire of a butler. He was walking across the room to the wardrobe and pulling a suitcase off the top, which began to pack Raphael's clothes into it. Was this his Butler? Should she speak to him? Or was he one of her brother's minions? She watched the man for a few more moments. She was convinced he was of mixed species, which ruled him out as one of August's Creatures. He couldn't stand anyone of mixed-species which was more ironic than she could say considering his own Mother. She poked her head through the mirror.

"Excuse me?" The dwarf spun around and stared at the disembodied head sticking out of the mirror in shock for a moment before he composed himself.

"May I help you, Miss?"

"Umm, do you know where Raphael is?" The dwarf eyed her for a second considering his answer then spoke in a hushed tone as if he didn't want to be heard.

"Master Raphael left the palace today by means of the servant's entrance Miss. Feeling inadequate as a fated one for such an esteemed lady he decided to depart and cause no more trouble. I am not sure where he is going but I would assume the docks to head back to England."

"Do you know where in England he might go?"

"I cannot be certain I'm afraid Miss, he may have returned to the family's home but he could go anywhere. Master Raphael has been known to stay in taverns or hotels for months and to stay away from his family for years on end so I am afraid I really cannot give you any helpful answers." Rouge pursed her lips then heard the door handle shake and pulled her head back in the mirror.

August burst into the room and ignoring the dwarf stormed about it bellowing like an angry Troll.

"Vampire? I know you have her." He stormed into the bathroom then back into the room.

"Where is he?" he gave the dwarf a venous look

"I am afraid Sir we do not know where Master Raphael is. He seems to have left the palace, Sir." Winston spoke in an even and professional tone to the man who was looking at him like dirt

"Of course, filth like that would employ a mongrel." Spat August as he stormed out of the room slamming the door behind him.

Winston turned back to his task, carefully folding each piece of clothing from the wardrobe and placing it in the case. Rouge watched him as he carefully secured the fastenings and picking up the case carried it to the door.

With that, he left, closing the door behind him. What an odd little man Rouge mused as she sat back wondering if she should go to the docks and look for the vampire.

The irony of her searching for the vampire was not lost on her. Trust her to get the only Vampire in existence who didn't hound his fated bride. Maybe her pull just wasn't that strong she mused, maybe her mixed-blood made her less appealing. Usually, when a vampire found his fated bride the pull of her was so strong they couldn't ignore it or they would be driven insane with need. But it seems her vampire couldn't wait to get away from her. Way to go Rouge May, your father never had time for you. Your mother was always over-focused on keeping your father sane and your brother is a self-serving prick. She'd always dreamed of finding her fated one, granted she had assumed he'd be a wizard, when he found her he would adore her and love her from the moment he saw her like a fated one was meant to. He would be big and strong and protect her from all the creatures out to get her. She was hounded through no fault of her own, yet no one had ever truly tried to protect her. If it wasn't for their mother she was pretty sure August wouldn't bother to protect her at all. She guessed that was the problem with her brother being over two centuries older than her. By the time she was born he was already working his way up the ladder in the council and had no time for a baby sister by parents he resented. As for their parents, they always gave the same answer, live under Stonehenge with them and be safe. She couldn't stand that gloomy place and would rather be in constant danger than live without sunshine forever.

It was so unfair, she had one of the rarest powers there was, she could go through the mirror realm without getting lost to it. But because it was her only power and it was limited her parents weren't proud of her gift or of her. Because of her father's former love life, she had to live her life in hiding so she didn't end up being used to release Mab. She was pretty sure her father wouldn't even care if the dark fae queen did manage to get her, he'd just blame her if Mab was able to use her to free herself. She felt tears stinging her eyes as she crumpled to the ground and pulled the cloak around her. Why didn't her Vampire want her? Why did she want him? Not just his protection but she couldn't get the idea of him embracing her in those arms out of her head. She wanted to feel his lips against hers. He was filling her thoughts and making her feel more alone than she ever had before. How could he not be feeling the same? Didn't she affect him at all?

Rouge let her misery wash over her and sobbed as she had never sobbed before. She'd spent her lonely life telling herself as soon as she found her fated one everything would change. She wouldn't be alone anymore. But she was more alone than ever before in a lifeless realm with nothing but a few glimmers of lost souls.

***

Picking herself up, Rouge wiped her eyes and looked around her, she wasn't sure how long she'd been sitting crying but she did know enough was enough. Raphael's butler had said he didn't feel worthy of her. So perhaps he genuinely had left to allow her to escape him. Maybe all of this was her fault for not making it clear to him that she wouldn't reject him. She'd been thrown and disappeared on him just assuming he would still be there when she was ready to speak to him. His feelings about her being his bride hadn't crossed her mind, it had all been about her. She knew so little about him but she could tell he was a proud man. Why would he have stayed to be rejected and possibly ridiculed? She would head to the docks and see if she could find him. If she couldn't she would return to her own secret home and work out what to do from there. It was all she really could do at the moment. The realisation that he may not have run from her because he didn't want her had filled her with a hope she'd never really felt before. Determining giving up wasn't an option, she drifted towards the docks to look for her Vampire.