This chapter is a little longer again and I hope you will like it <3 <3 

Please enjoy :) 

Xiao Zhan's POV

I froze on the spot when I found Yibo in front of me wearing absolutely nothing but a towel around his hips.

"Oh...." Now this was awkward. Yibo turned to me and raised a brow at me.

"Why is it that you knock on your friend's door but not on mine?" He asked me.

"I.... you entered my b-bathroom too!" I stuttered. "Moreover, we are both guys. There is nothing to see that I don't have." I tried to shrug it off.

"Right, but this is not the bathroom but my bedroom."

I frowned. "So entering your bedroom is wrong but when it's your bathroom it's okay? What kind of logic is this?"

"My own." He answered before turning back and walking to the bed where I could see a pair of jeans, underwear, socks, and a shirt. Without any warning, not that he needed one because that was his bedroom after all, he tore the towel from his waist and threw it on the ground.

"What are you doing!?" I shouted out in shock, my eyes quickly looking away. It's not the first time I saw him naked. Well, last time I didn't see much either but this time felt too different. I could his butt, for god's sake!

"Getting dressed so I can take you on a walk," Yibo answered.

"I am not some kind of dog!" I hissed and stepped back when Yibo turned to me. I tried my best to not look where my eyes didn't belong which was difficult because it didn't happen every day that a fast naked man stood in front of you.

"What kind of manners are these? Standing in front of a prince fully naked!?"

"You burst into my room, Xiao Zhan. Don't make me the bad guy here." Yibo walked up to me.

"S-stay away!"

"You keep reminding me of your status... may I assume you finally accepted who and what you are?" Yibo stood right in front of me, looking at me expectantly.

"I am not a monster like you!" I hissed.

"A monster like me?" He nodded. "Good. At least you accepted our kind's existence. That is the first step. The rest will come sooner or later."

"I won't-!" I flinched when Yibo leaned forward, caging me between the wall and him.

"I would like to get dressed, your highness, so if you don't mind, please step out of my room."

I blinked a few times and Yibo stepped back. "Or stay and watch. It's your decision. But don't expect me to turn into a bat or something. I would advise you to forget about the myth of the human world as fast as possible." He looked at me, waiting for my answer and I run out of his bedroom and closed his door before running back into my room.

I heard his snort all the way here and I felt embarrassed. I had the feeling Yibo was mocking me whenever he could and it made me angry. It made me so angry that my headache was beginning to get even stronger making me fight the urge to go back into his room and strangle him.

Also, I was annoyed with Haoxuan. Not because he kept mentioning the things Yibo called myths but rather because I reacted like a little girl just now and all that only because of Haoxuan's story and his love for seeking trouble.

Anyway, I had to admit that that gorilla did have a great body. None of the boys in my school nor any boy I ever met, except Haoxuan, had a well-trained body like him. But even Haoxuan's body could only barely keep up with Yibo's. Everything is in the right place, no excess fat, nothing. A perfect body.

'This must be a vampire's thing....' I thought and looked down at myself before nodding. 'My body being far from looking as perfect as Yibo's is reassuring me that I am not a monster.'

A knock on my door had me flinch. "W-what?"

"Come out. I will take you out for a walk."

I yanked the door open. "I am not a dog!"

"No, but you are as unruly as one. Now come."

"I would appreciate it if you treat me with more respect..." I mumbled.

"Earn it and I shall give it to you."

My head felt like bursting at any moment. This guy surely knew how to annoy me.

"H-hey!" I stepped back when he stepped forward and leaned closer to me.

"Headache?"

"So what!?"

"How bad?" He wanted to know.

"Huh?"

"Out of a scale from 1 to 10, how bad are they?"

"6 but if you keep annoying me, they will soon be a 10!" I answered annoyed and walked past him toward the door leading to the hall. I looked back at Yibo only to see him smile.

"What are you smiling for?"

"Nothing." His smile grew. "I just think that soon the truth will be revealed."

I rolled my eyes and pointed towards the hall. "Are we going now? You promised."

This palace was like all the other palaces in movies except that it was a lot bigger and currently seemed to be empty. We have been walking through this building for at least two hours already.

Yibo showed me around and he told me a lot about its history but I was constantly distracted by the paintings on the wall. Especially those of the current King. I did see his face the previous night already but it still surprised me that we looked a lot alike. And the more paintings I saw, the more I had to admit that there was no use in arguing whether he was my father or not.

There were also paintings of different previous kings that told me that I was a member of their family. I did look similar to them as well but not as much as to the current king or his father.

"How can you be so sure that he is not my father?" I asked and pointed at the painting of the king's father.

Yibo followed my finger. "We did. We originally thought he was the only possibility. His Majesty was quite shocked to think that he had a little half-brother. But His Majesty's father assured that he never once had a relationship of any kind with anyone but the late King's mother. He also never visited the human world again after ascending to the throne over 20.000 years ago."

"So?"

"Unofficially, everyone who knew about your existence, Her Majesty, His Majesty's father, Butler Bowen, Leo, and I, already had the idea of you being His Majesty's son. Of course, due to His Majesty's personality, there was still uncertainty and I was tasked to take your blood for further tests. The results you know."

"That I am the result of an affair." It was the truth but I still felt upset about it. "The King cheated and now the Queen has to see me every day and you want to tell me she is not out there hoping to get rid of me?"

"I said it once, and I will say it again. You and your imagination are so cute." I froze when I heard the female voice behind me. She didn't sound hostile. She sounded like she was having the time of her life.

Anyway, I took a step back and hid behind Yibo. This was the moment, I was more than grateful that his body was bigger than mine.

"Your Majesty." Yibo bowed and nodded at the Butler who stood behind the Queen. For a moment it was awfully quiet. So quiet that I could have sworn I heard footsteps somewhere below us. Which reminded me of something.

"Isn't your hearing topnotch? Why didn't you hear her coming?" I hissed at Yibo who didn't even bother to look at me.

"When did I say I didn't hear her?" He asked back and the Queen snorted.

"Your Majesty, that was not-" The Butler started.

"I know. Sorry, Bowen, but that caught me off guard." She smiled innocently. "The two of you seem to understand each other quite well."

"You heard her and didn't say anything?" I asked in disbelief.

"But I did say something. I was answering your question and explaining-"

"Shut up!" I had a feeling he was playing with me and I didn't like it. Why did he have to make me angry?

"Now, now. Please watch your language, Xiao Zhan." The Queen chuckled.

"You are a prince after all. No one minds how you speak in private, even I do curse a lot when it's just me and the King, but in public, you have to be careful what you say and how you present yourself. The walls have ears and eyes."

"Yeah, sure..." I mumbled. "If that was true, Yibo would have packed me long ago and locked me up in his apartment. No, he wouldn't have allowed me to leave it in the first place. Way too overprotective... "

The Queen smiled. "True, right now it's safe but not always. Please stay close to Yibo, okay? And Yibo, Xiao Zhan is a prince. Treat him with respect."

"Told you to do so..." I shrugged my shoulders.

"I shall treat him with the respect he deserves, your Majesty," Yibo answered politely.

"My, my. The two of you are behaving like an old married couple... bickering all the time." The Queen laughed. Then her eyes met mine and I hid behind Yibo even more.

"The King cheated on me...." She said and my heart started to beat like crazy. I was never as scared as I was right now.

"Your Majesty-" Yibo tried to say something but the Queen raised her hands and he became quiet.

"Xiao Zhan, what you need to know the most right now is that the Human World and the World of the Vampires are much different. Humans and Vampires might have lived together in one world a very long time ago, but when it was decided to go separate ways, both worlds started to live in their own way. In the Human world exists things that don't exist here and the other way around."

"When you are in this world, you can't behave and think like you would in the Human World. What others think is normal there, is different here. This world is far behind that of the Human World. You think so, I think so, mostly everyone who visited the Human World will think like that. But if you ask one of us, he won't agree. Vampires, especially the older ones, will think the humans lost their mind." The Queen looked at one of the paintings on the wall.

"Cheating, for example... the word cheating doesn't exist here, Xiao Zhan. In this world, men always take in several wives. The first wife will always be the official wife. Then there is the second wife, the third wife, and a fourth, often even more. Albeit the first wife is not happy about it, she knows it will eventually happen. This is custom here. The royal family is no exception."

"The King of Arabia, for example, married his Queen around 10.000 years ago. He loves her deeply but he still took in so many wives, or concubines, that he had to build a separate palace just for them. Now that the Queen is ill, the other wives are hoping to become the next Queen, and are already trying to seduce the King and are mostly fighting each other. Scary, isn't it?"

It was more than scary. How could something like this exist? It was all amusing when it happened in a movie but in real life? I shuddered.

"You have to know, Xiao Zhan, that having only one wife is considered a scandal in this world. But still, many men promise their wives they would never take in another woman, yet they mostly end up doing so anyway. Be it because of the pressure of the family or because he happened to fall in love again. The reason doesn't matter."

'This is not another world, I feel like I entered a movie...'

"The King.... I mean, your father loves me more than anything in the world. You may think of me as conceited but I am not. He truly only loves me. And so do I. I love him so much I could die for him any moment. I can't think of being away from him for too long or else I feel like I can't breathe. He is the love of my life, my lifeline. There is no one else for me. I would do everything for him. Not every relationship is like ours, though. You will understand what I mean once you learned enough of this world."

The Queen's eyes met mine again and I couldn't look away anymore.

"If the King comes to me and told me he fell in love with another woman and he wants to marry her, I would allow it. I wouldn't like it, but I would allow it. Not only because that is custom here and I was ready for it ever since I was born and especially since I married him, no, I would allow it because if that makes him happy, then I would gladly do it. But he never took in another woman, he never even looked at another woman longer than he needed to. He only has eyes for me. He promised me to never love and to never be with another woman, he promised to never take in someone else."

The Queen smiled. "Our poor ministers were close to several heart attacks hearing the King's declaration over and over again. Especially when I wouldn't give birth to an heir. But no matter what anyone said, the King never gave in. In his life and bed, only one woman was allowed. And that woman is and will only be me."

She took a step forward but then stopped as if she sensed my fear.

"Then we have the Human World. In the Human World, a man has only one woman. And the moment he dared to take in another, be it openly or in secret, he is branded as a cheater. He will be the bad guy, the villain. Having another woman next to his girlfriend, lover, or wife, is considered a crime. A crime that gets punished by a breakup or a divorce. The word cheating was invented by humans and only exists in the human world. It's a pity."

"The King and I lived in the Human World for many years. We had to move quite often before others could realize that we didn't age, but it was a great adventure. Honestly, I really like the Human World. If not for the King's accession, we would surely have stayed there for a very long time. Unfortunately, we did have to return here but I do hope we can go back one day. Maybe once he gave descended...."

"What I try to say is, if I had never gone to the Human World, I would have never heard of the word cheating, nor would the King. We would have never understood that word either. I would have been disappointed with the King for having laid with another woman, but I would have accepted it and, if the King decided to marry that woman, I would have welcomed her with open arms. That is one of the jobs of the lawful wife."

"But after witnessing the Human World, I am now not only disappointed but also quite angry with the King. Or rather, I was angry with him. I am not angry any more because that is the curse of loving him to death. But believe me when I say that I won't tolerate another woman in the King's arms. The King, your father, is mine only. Should I ever catch him with another woman, I will kill him and follow him to death right away."

I widened my eyes and stared at her in shock.

The Queen looked at me firmly but then slightly pouted. "Well, I would if I could. But I can't. I would rather die and see him dying. See? This is the curse of loving him to death!"

She sighed and shook her head. "Anyway, what I am trying to say is that although I am disappointed to find out he spent a night with your mother and you were conceived that night, I don't hate you. Why should I? You are innocent. On the contrary, I am happy that you were born. Or else there wouldn't be a prince to take over the throne."

I blinked in confusion. 'Which woman whose husband cheated on her, would be happy to find out her husband has an illegitimate child!?'

The Queen smiled. "You will find out what I mean once we sat down and talked. But I would like to wait for that until the King comes back. He is currently.... very busy with work and-"

I frowned. "A man who cheated on his wife got caught after it was revealed he has a child with that woman he cheated with and ... he is busy with work? No way... That cheating husband of yours is hiding out of guilt and embarrassment right now, isn't he?"

Two pair of eyes were looking at me in shock, another pair looked in delight. The Queen clapped her hands.

"I knew I liked you. You are as smart as your father. Yes, that scared-cat is currently hiding but don't worry, he will come out within a week." Her smile vanished. "If not on his own, I will make him!" I flinched. The Queen saw that and smiled again.

"I want you to know that I won't kill you. I won't poison your food or try to kill you in any other way, okay? So please, eat everything to your heart's content. If there is something you would like to eat, tell me and I will relay it to the kitchen. But, if you feel safer if Yibo plays the food tester, he shall continue to do so."

Okay, that was the moment, I would love for a black hole to appear and swallow me. She knew what I thought and that was more than just embarrassing.

"Your Majesty, may I ask where you are going so late in the night?" Yibo asked with a hint of worry in his voice. I frowned and looked up at him.

"I will leave for a while to get a few things done. I will be back in a few hours. Don't worry, I will take Bowen with me." She stopped and seemed to eavesdrop into the night. Within a second, she looked angry.

"I fear the prime minister is getting rather desperate and I can't have that, can I? Bowen, I decided to go alone. Please stay behind and make sure no one makes trouble."

"I shall do as you ordered, Your Majesty."

"Good, make sure to proceed as planned."

"As you wish." Bowen bowed turned, around, and left

The Queen looked back at us. "Yibo, take good care of the prince."

"Are you sure you want to go alone, Your Majesty?" Yibo asked worriedly.

"I am a strong independent woman. I can take care of myself." She winked at him and soon was gone. That was the moment I could breathe freely again.

'This was so embarrassing!' I complained and for a moment thought about running into the wall to escape this embarrassment.

"You should watch how you speak to their Majesties, Xiao Zhan."

"I don't think she minded how I spoke to her..." I mumbled and frowned. "But I am sure she mind how you speak to me. And so do I."

"I promised to treat you with the respect you deserve and I will do so," Yibo answered and I huffed at him before turning around and looking out of the window.

"By the way, I have yet to see a car here."

"No cars."

I turned back and gaped at him. "No cars? Then what? Flying around?"

"Don't be ridiculous. We use carriages."

"Wow, this is like living in the 18th century. This world is really far behind that of mine."

"Or we are just more aware of the exhaust gases that pollute the air and the environment. The same goes for phones. No radiation that harms our health nor any obsession with social media."

"Aren't you immortal? I doubt a few radiations will harm you guys. Also, you have a phone! I saw you with one!"

"I do have one but that stays in the Human World and is only used when necessary. And just because we are immortal, doesn't mean we don't get sick or die."

"You don't die from sunlight. That's what you said. I doubt you die from some radiation. Then how about a wooden stake? Or silver? Or holy water?"

Yibo frowned but answered my questions "The only ways for us to die are by getting stabbed by a silver dagger, which was dipped in holy water, by loss of blood, for example being bitten and getting sucked dry, a few rare but existing diseases deadly only for our kind or we die of thirst."

I nodded slowly, processing the information when I was suddenly pressed against the wall. It wasn't painful but it didn't feel good to have a vampire staring at you while pressing you against the wall using only one hand.

"What are you thinking? Trying to kill someone off?" He asked and from the tune of his voice, I noticed that he asked the question in a rather amused way.

"What if I am?"

"And who is your target?"

"Oh, I didn't have one but now that you ask. I think I will start with you. I don't know why but somehow you keep annoying me."

"Am I now? How?"

"I don't know. I just know that you are annoying me and it gives me a headache. One I would like to disappear."

Yibo kept staring at me and the longer he did the more I felt uncomfortable.

"Y-you don't need to stare at me like that. I was just kidding. I won't kill anyone. I am not my mother."

"I know." He tilted his head and came closer.

"Y-you don't need to be so s-serious." I stuttered.

"Am I scary?"

I snorted. "I am not!"

And I meant it. Yibo was big, had a well-trained body, and his grip was strong too. He was strict, his voice was dark and his eyes were fierce when he was annoyed or in a bad mood. But I wasn't scared of him at all which should be strange considering he was a blood-sucking monster. But honestly, in my opinion, the Queen was scarier than him.

"Then why are you stuttering?"

"You are too close! Never heard of personal space? I am a prince!"

Yibo chuckled. "The I-am-a-prince-card again?"

"So what!? But for your information, it doesn't matter if I am a prince or not because everyone, prince or not, has a personal space!" I said and tried to push him away. I didn't succeed.

"You are rude, Wang Yibo! Treat me with more respect. If not because of that damn title, then do it for the sake of manners."

"If you manage to control your strength and can push me away, I might treat you with more respect. What do you think?"

"Seriously, you are so annoying!" I growled and my headache got stronger. "I think I have seen enough, let's go back."

Yibo tilted his head again and then nodded before letting go of me. "Alright, let's go back. How is your head? Is it worse than earlier?"

I glared at him. "Is that your plan? Making me so annoyed that I would get tortured even more by these damn headaches?"

He smiled. "No."

"Then what are you smiling for?" I asked, now seriously confused. He shrugged his shoulders and I closed my eyes in defeat.

"I think you are just bored."I sighed. "Bored and..."

"What?"

"I think you are upset because you would like to do something else than babysitting me. Escorting the Queen, for example. Tell me, you seem to be very concerned about her well-being. Are you having a crush on her maybe?" I asked and waited for his answer.

Yibo looked at me in confusion. "She is my Queen. Of course, I am worried about her well-being. That has nothing to do with me having a crush on her."

"But you do have a crush on her, don't you?"

"I don't. I don't even know how you would come up with that idea." Yibo stepped back. "Now let's go back. I showed you everything and you got enough information to process."

"Alright, alright. No need to get mad." I mumbled and followed Yibo closely until Yibo suddenly stopped. I run into his back and was about to complain when his hand held me in place.

"Why is someone who is not supposed to be here walking around in the palace in the middle of the night?" Yibo asked sternly and although I didn't know with whom he was talking, I had the feeling I should stay hidden behind him.

"Ah, the head of the royal guards. Nice to meet you again." I thought this voice sounded familiar.

"What are you doing here in the middle of the night without any permission, Prime Minister!?" Yibo sounded furious.

"How do you know I have no permission? It is quite rude to accuse me of anything when you are just a royal guard. I hope you do know that I have a much higher position than you do." I could hear annoyance in that man's voice but I also knew without looking that he was smiling. And lying. Yes, without seeing him I knew he was lying. He surely had no permission to enter here.

"As the leader of the royal guards, it is my job to know what is happening in the palace. I am the first one to know when we receive guests, especially if it would be during the night. I did not hear anything of that kind so I assume you are here without any notification. What brings you here?!"

The Prime Minister chuckled. "I am indeed here without any further notice. I apologize for my rudeness but I happen to look for my son."

"Your son?"

"Yes. You know, he left my side earlier today when the meeting was over and I have yet to find him."

"That son of yours is by far old enough to walk around without holding your hands. Believe me when I say, if he was here, we would have found him and definitely personally escorted him back."

"I am sure you are right. Maybe he returned home already so I shall check that. I apologize for the nocturnal disturbance." The Prime Minister's voice sounded ... insidious. I heard the guy moving but then he stopped.

"May I assume the human being behind you is His Highness, the crown prince?"

'No, no, no. Don't pay me attention!' I begged, feeling goosebumps.

"You should leave now, Prime Minister," Yibo said firmly and I let out a small sigh while grabbing his shirt. This Prime Minister might be scary and was up to who knows what but I knew nothing would happen to me for as long as Yibo was here.

"I need to pay my respect to the crown prince, head of the royal guards. He is, after all, the future leader of this kingdom and I am his loyal subject." I heard the villain moving and held my breath.

"Another step and I shall call for my colleagues," Yibo warned and The Prime Minister stopped.

"Very well." He clicked his tongue. "Your Highness, don't you think it is a little rude to ignore your loyal subject, who wants to introduce himself to you?" I froze.

"But I heard you grew up in the Human World so I shall forgive you for your rudeness. You most certainly don't know how to act according to your title, which is the fault of His Majesty, and not yours. I am sure you will learn everything you have to soon enough. May I pay my respect to you?"

"You can do that once he was officially introduced, Prime Minister," Yibo growled and that gave me a little courage to speak for myself.

"Prime Minister," I called him without coming out from behind Yibo.

"Yes, your Highness. At your service."

I thought for a moment about how to form my words so I did not sound like a scoundrel but more like the crown prince I was. Thankfully I did watch quite a few dramas.

"I am very grateful that you forgive me for my rudeness or rather my lacking manners. A loyal subject is obligated to not feel all too outraged when his leader talks rather harshly. But even if it is your obligation, I shall not want to appear too rude. I am very much delighted to have your forgiveness." I spoke and nodded to myself, happy with my choice of words. I felt weird but satisfied.

"But I have to admit that I am not happy about your procedure. I find you extremely rude for barging into my home without any prior notice. But I want to be lenient with you as this is our first, although unofficial meeting. Therefore I shall forgive you for as long as your leave the palace instantly."

I waited and grinned to myself, enjoying what was happening. My grin grew wider when I heard the Prime Minister grinding his teeth.

"I shall obey your wishes, Your Highness, and apologize for my rudeness. Have a good night. We shall meet again, next time officially, of course." I heard his footsteps and followed that sound until I heard a horse whinnying.

"Back to my mansion!" I heard his faint voice that I shouldn't have heard all the way here. Soon the clatter of hooves moved away from the property. Once I was sure he was gone, I shuddered before stepping forwards.

"How was I?" I asked with a grin and turned to the spot where the Prime Minister stood not long ago. "And what is that guy's deal?" I asked Yibo who sighed.

"Let's go back." He walked ahead and I had no other option than to follow him. But this time I didn't think it was a bad idea to stay in his apartment. I didn't want to meet the Prime Minister again. And definitely not all alone during the night.

I shuddered.

A while later we were back and now I felt like I could breathe properly again. Yibo sat down on one of the couches and signaled me to do the same which I did right away.

"I am sure you already know what the Prime Minister is after, right?"

I snorted. "I watched a lot of dramas so yes, I kind of have an idea."

Yibo frowned. "Stop that."

"Huh? What?"

"Watching too many dramas. You should be studying instead."

"Yes, mom." I rolled my eyes. "But I think he felt quite hostile against me. What is his problem? It's not my fault he is not able to send someone to the King's chamber."

"So much for knowing what his deal is..." Yibo sighed. "Of course, you are his problem. Or rather, your existence is."

I tilted my head and thought about it. "Because I am the crown prince? Does that mean even if another boy is born after me, he won't be able to inherit the throne?"

"Not necessarily. Although the firstborn son is always to inherit the throne, if the King deems the firstborn unfit for that position or favors another son of his, he can give his throne to someone else if he has good reasons for that. Although the King has the last word, the Ministers have a slim chance to change the King's mind.

"See? So there would be still a chance. I won't fight for the throne. He shouldn't be threatened by me. I am just a human. I am sure once another son is born, they will want to have him on the throne instead of me." I shrugged.

"There won't be another son." Yibo clarified. "The King won't be with someone else than the Queen and the Queen can only give birth to princesses."

"Only girls? How is that possible? I am sure she was just unlucky until now. By the way, how many daughters does she have?"

"You have quite a few sisters. Most of the princesses are married and live with their partners all over the world. A few are still young and live with His Majesty's father, your grandfather. Only your oldest sister, Xuan Lu, is still unmarried." Yibo explained.

"Also, Her Majesty is not unlucky. She indeed can only give birth to girls. It's a gen-defect she only found out about after giving birth to several princesses. That gen-defect is very rare."

"Whoa..."I was surprised something like this existed. "Do we humans have that too?"

"No."

"Oh... okay." I nodded and then raised my brows. "The Prime Minister wanted one of his family members to give birth to a son so that he will become the next King."

"Exactly. The Prime Minister is pretty influential. You could say he is the second-powerful man, only second to the King. The Crown Prince comes third. The Prime Minister hoped for his daughter to become the second wife of the King and for her to give birth to a son. That way, his family will have much more power, especially when that son becomes King one day. Don't think that son would rule. I am pretty sure the Prime Minister would use some excuse and try to rule himself. If not that, he would surely control him."

"But the King always rejected his idea because he doesn't want anyone else than the Queen..."

"Your father, yes. And the closer the Prime Minister's daughter is to her prime, the more desperate he becomes. Now with your existence being revealed, his plans for his bright future failed. He probably hoped to bring his daughter into the palace within the next few days and sneak her into his Majesty's bed. Hoping for her to conceive a child, hopefully, a son who would be his Majesty's heir."

My headache started again.

"Is it that easy to enter the palace? I mean, how come he could just enter in the middle of the night without anyone knowing? Did he use the secret tunnel?"

"No, he doesn't know that tunnel exists. He might have bribed a servant or a guard." Yibo growled the last word.

'Yibo is the leader of the guards, isn't he? If it was indeed one of his trusted men who was bribed, he surely won't let that guy off easily.'

"Will he try to kill me?"

"Maybe. That is why you need to stay out of sight. Today's encounter wasn't as bad as you think, though. He didn't see you and he already knew your nature anyway. So no secrets were spilled."

"I got it. I will stay here and won't run around. And even though the Queen seems to be mad, I think it is a good thing that the King is hiding. I mean, that way, the Prime Minister won't be able to get his way." I said and thought about something.

"By the way, what does it mean if the Prime Minister's daughter is in her prime? Is it something special?"

"A female vampire can give birth once she turned 1000 years old. She can give birth every 500 years and this is what we call the prime time. It's a period of 4 to 5 weeks. During the first two weeks, her body is changing slowly and her hormones get stronger, spreading a sweet scent. That scent can make male vampires lose their minds or in other words, they could get horny and, if he has no self-control, he won't be able to escape. The female vampire can conceive a child within a week before it takes another two weeks for her body to turn back to the previous state."

I blinked. I was honestly confused. "So....a woman can only get pregnant during one week every 500 years?"

Yibo nodded.

"Her body changes? Does that hurt? And she starts smelling so much that you guys get horny?" I wasn't sure but I felt like Yibo was messing with me.

"She doesn't notice the changes, they happen in her body, and therefore she won't be in pain. She doesn't smell ... how can I say that ... she doesn't stink or something. Although I have never smelled it before, it is said to be a very sweet and addictive scent. And once she is in her prime, that smell can get men horny, yes. Not only men, though. I heard females can get equally affected."

I looked at him in disbelief.

"I know this sound strange to you but it is how it is. Because of that scent, females are not allowed to leave their rooms until it's over. If she is married, she naturally spends the time with her partner. If she is single, she has to stay in her room, similar to a house arrest, and men are not allowed to get close to her room."

"Because they can get horny?"

"Precisely. And the chances for the female to get pregnant are very high."

"And women are not allowed out of their room?"

"They should stay in their room but it happens that some ignore that rule and go out anyway for different reasons."

"Yibo... are you messing with me?"

He smiled slightly. "I am not."

"I don't believe you."

"I am telling the truth. There is no need to lie to you." Yibo's smile grew wider making me believe him even less.

"Drinking one's blood is making you horny, women in their prime make you horny. Why is everything making you horny? What kind of weaklings are you?" I shook my head.

Suddenly Yibo didn't sit on the couch opposite mine anymore but was bending over me. I had to press myself into the backrest of the couch to get at least a little distance between us. He was looking down at me and this closeness was making me feel nervous, my heart beating fast and irregular.

"W-what..?"

"I won't call myself the strongest vampire in the world but I sure am one of the strongest in China. I am everything but weak, Xiao Zhan. I would prefer it if you won't call me like that."

"I... I didn't.... I mean, you said everything makes you horny. It's not my fault that you guys are weak."

A growl left Yibo's lips and the color of his eyes turned from golden to a light red. I stared into his orbs, not able to look away. Honestly, his eyes were already beautiful when they were gold but seeing them turning red was different. I couldn't look away at all.

"If you recall what I said then you will remember that I said we can get horny, not that we surely will. I also said if you have self-control and a strong will, you won't feel a thing." Yibo said in a rather dark voice giving me goosebumps. I wasn't scared! But... it still gave me goosebumps.

Yibo stared at me and the longer he did, the more nervous I became. I probably shouldn't provoke him further ...

"Then you never got horny before? Drinking blood or smelling your wife's scent, you never got horny?"

"I already told you that I have never smelled that scent before. Do you even listen to what I say?" Yibo asked with a frown. "And what wife? I don't have one."

"If she hears that she will probably be upset," I said and pointed to the painting of that beautiful woman above the fireplace. Yibo followed my finger.

"That is not my wife." He answered.

"Girlfriend then? I doubt it's a casual lover or someone unimportant." I pointed out, waiting for his answer.

"You are right."

"Oh..." I didn't expect that and frowned. "Then ... your girlfriend?"

"My mother." He answered and I gaped at him. I didn't expect that at all.

"What are you so shocked about? Our kind doesn't age like your kind. Parents often look as young as their children."

I felt my cheeks heating up in embarrassment. 'Why didn't I think of it myself? Now that he said it, I can see the resemblance between them...'

"I ... I see... then, where is your mother right now?"

"Lying in the family tomb."

"Oh..." Now I felt more than just embarrassed, I felt bad and guilty.

'Fuck....'

He chuckled. "I like that look on your face. It says I am doomed."

"Sorry, I didn't intend to-"

"It's okay, it happened roughly 1000 years ago. And before you can't sleep because you want to know the reason for her death but don't dare to ask, she killed herself."

Now it was awkwardly quiet, only our breathing could be heard. Also, I couldn't leave or walk away as Yibo was still bending over me. From the look of it, he doesn't seem to get back to his seat shortly.

His eyes were on me. It felt like he was not simply watching me. It was as if he was studying me and the longer he did, the more nervous I became. So I raised my hand to push him away but no matter how much strength I used, he didn't even move an inch. My hand laid on his broad chest and knowing what was hidden under that shirt, I knew why it was so hard under my finger. I had to admit, I envied him for his body.

Suddenly, Yibo was gone and sat back in his seat. I stared at my hand which seemed to grab the air and took it back.

I looked at Yibo who cleared his throat. I looked at him and found a look different than just seconds ago. It wasn't because his eyes turned back to normal, now shimmering in gold once more. I couldn't explain what was different though...

I frowned in pain. My head was starting to hurt again, this time even more than before. 'I seriously need some sleep.'

"Back to the Prime Minister," Yibo said and I looked at him. "He probably tried to find out more about you and especially where His Majesty is and what he is up to. He probably has no time left and needs to send his daughter into His Majesty's bed now or he would either have to wait another 500 years for that daughter to try or, because he has only one unmarried legitimate daughter, he would have to send an illegitimate one. That, however, would his first wife stop at all cost." Yibo chuckled.

"I met that woman a few times and she is a rather selfish woman. Also, she can't stand it if the illegitimate children have a better life and husband than her own. Most first wives can't stand it, actually, but she is someone who would do everything for her children to have a better life than the others."

"The mood in the family of the Prime Minister must be awful," I remarked.

"It surely is. It is a well-known fact that the Prime Minister is favoring his second wife. She was also the one who gave birth to the oldest child, which is a son, much to the first wife's annoyance. The first wife gave birth to the second child, also a son, but according to tradition, the second son is, albeit being a legitimate child, inferior to the oldest. The oldest son is to inherit the title and status of the Prime Minister. That is something the first wife can't accept."

"So who is going to inherit everything then?" I asked curiously ignoring the fact that Yibo hasn't been making eye contact since earlier.

"It is up to the Prime Minister. He is strict and always follows the traditions and rules. He can't stand an anomaly in his prestige family. So it should be natural that he would choose the second son as an heir because he is the oldest legitimate son. But since he is favoring his second wife and also thinks highly of his first son, whom you saw during the meeting with the ministers, it could be that he chooses him. But all this will be decided in many many years. I doubt the Prime Minister would give up his position anytime soon. Until then, many things can happen."

Yibo shrugged his shoulders. "Anyway, the next daughter to be in her prime would probably be the daughter of the second wife and I am sure the main wife will do everything to prevent that daughter to be sent to the King."

He shook his head. "That is why a man should only have one wife. Having more than one would only lead to fights between the women and their children. No harmony at all... "

"It is normal to have only one wife..." I rolled my eyes.

"As Her Majesty explained to you earlier, in your world, it is normal. In World of the Vampires, it might be allowed to have only one, it is but considered a scandal."

"Then... what about you?"

"Should I ever get married, it will be only once." Yibo got up. "But enough for tonight. It is close to 3 am. You should go to bed."

Although I wanted to listen to Yibo more, I was indeed tired. My head was hurting too so going to bed was a good idea. I walked towards my room, feeling Yibo's eyes on me. I shuddered.

I was about to enter the bedroom, when I was reminded of one of my questions earlier and how Yibo didn't answer it. At least not all of it. I frowned and turned, meeting Yibo's gaze.

"You didn't answer my question." I pointed out.

"What question?"

"I asked you if you never got horny before drinking blood or smelling a woman's scent?"

"And I told you that I never smelled-"

"Yeah, I know. But what about drinking blood? Did you ever get horny while doing that?"

Yibo sighed. "Go to bed, Xiao Zhan."

"I will just answer my question. I want to know."

"Go to bed. Breakfast is at 8 am." Yibo turned around.

"So you did, didn't you?" I asked and snorted. "So much for not being weak...."

When Yibo snapped his head to me, I run into my room and locked it.

"I could tear down that piece of wood and show you how strong I am..." Yibo said and I knew he was standing right in front of my door. My heart beat faster.

'Will he come in....?'

It was quiet for a long time. "But I will show you some respect and won't do it. Good night, your Highness."

I blinked and waited some more until I heard the door to his bedroom open and close again. I waited some more before going to bed. Soon I fell asleep and started to have a very weird dream.

3rd POV

"Ah, Bowen, did you wait for me?" The Queen walked up to the waiting butler. "You didn't have to. You could have gone to bed."

Bowen bowed.

"What happened to the Prime Minister?" She frowned and the butler could see the worry on her face.

"I managed to lead him. Afterward, he walked around and happened to run into Yibo and the prince."

"What!?" The Queen yelped in shock. "What happened? Is Xiao Zhan okay?"

"Don't worry, Your Majesty. I had my eyes on the Prime Minister until he left the palace. Yibo protected the prince by standing in front of him. The Prince's face was not seen by the Prime Minster. Also, both had a small conversation and I have to say, the prince did well."

The Queen calmed down. Then her eyes started to shine. "What conversation? What happened?"

After the Butler told her the story and the Queen laughed. "I knew I liked him. He is surely Luo Jin's child but I think he is smarter than the King. I would have loved to see the Prime Minister's face getting told off by our Xiao Zhan." She giggled.

"It was a sight to be seen." Bowen agreed and a movement in the shadows gained his attention. "I see your conversation went well."

The Queen nodded. "It did. In the beginning, it was difficult to fill him with enthusiasm but I could make him understand that both sides would benefit from it. He then agreed to it."

"And he wasn't against it either?" Bowen pointed at the shadow.

"Surprisingly he agreed immediately." The Queen answered. "Although, I had to promise him a few things."

"I hope you won't go against them." Someone spoke and Bowen frowned.

"Watch how you talk to her Majesty."

The Queen laughed. "It's alright, Bowen. He doesn't know it better. Moreover, we depend on him."

She turned to the shadow. "Don't worry. I won't go against my promise. A Queen doesn't do that. But remember that the promise is a payment for your services. You have to work hard for the payment."

A snort was heard. "Don't worry. I am the best you could find for that kind of job."

The Queen smiled coldly. "This is the most important job you will ever land in your life. I hope you will do your best. If not, I might get angry. And you don't want to see me angry."

She turned back to Bowen. "Show him the room he will be staying at. And place a guard in front of it."

"As your wish, Your Majesty."

"And you..." She turned to the shadow. "I told you everything you have to know. Any more questions?

"How long will I stay here?"

"I don't know. A few weeks. Long enough to enjoy your stay." She turned to Bowen "Escort him."

"Yes, Your Majesty."

to be continued....

Our Queen being so secretive... she won't have something evil in mind, will she...?

By the way, I do am quite jealous of Xiao Zhan.. he saw something I would love to have seen... Just for a moment... 

Is anyone as curious as I am about what our prince dreamed about?  ^^

The next chapter is in the works and I am sure I will be able to update it in the next two to three days :) 

If you liked this chapter, feel free to leave a vote and a comment or two... or three <3 <3