One of the luxuries about having a big family as powerful but close as ours was our resources.

Basically, gossip.

I didn't care much for it. It didn't concern me. But the eldest of the royal brood were the ones who were engrossed with so many royal duties, that they did travel more than the rest and always heard interesting things.

Xael frowned at Rebekah. "Well I guess we're all glad I'm not a lady but a princess. And if our lovely little brother hadn't stolen my twin blades we wouldn't be in this mess." She glowered at Gavin for greater effect.

Rebekah rolled her hazel eyes. This is what conversations between the two were usually like. Although they were oftentimes forced to work together, they never really agreed on the same things.

The beauty of the family merely left her perch made of Gavin's arm. She extended a gloved hand to Father who gave a kiss on her knuckles.

"Good evening, Father. Please excuse our late arrival?" she asked coquettishly before sitting to his right. Her blond hair was swept into a low side braid a peridot clasp keeping the wave strands together. In a mint green gown, she looked every inch of the perfectly bred lady she was. The only one that turned out right, in the eyes of Mother.

She was my ticket out of here. Possibly.

Father shook his head, eyes seeking out his eldest instead. "Only if Xael would be willing to give her father a kiss on the cheek?"

Xael, who took her seat to his left, frowned before scooting her chair closer to Gavin who laughed at her pained look. "Uh, sorry, Papa, but no thanks. What happened to the no formalities rule again?" Xael's long pin straight, jet black hair was free of restraint, something rare but instead of the gloves her twin wore, her knuckles were wrapped in fresh bandages.

She had replaced her usual leggings and tunic with a forest green gown, yet another rare occurrence, that brought out her green eyes. Only two had inherited the kings eyes, them being Xael and Gavin.

Father looked heartbroken at her rejection, but this wasn't anything new. His heir hated public displays of affection. Besides, he wasn't really offended.

But while he wasn't offended, Mother glowered at Xael instead. "Excuse me," she started sternly, "but who are you to speak like such to the king?"

Xael's eyes flickered to the queen, her good mood sombering. "I'm sorry to say this, Mother, but this is a formality-free zone. According to father we aren't kings or queens or princes or princesses once all gather at the dinner table."

I gave her a grateful smile. "Of course."

Eliot gave in a half hearted, "I second that."

"She's right, and Eliot, for once is wise in agreeing with his sister," Father chimed in gleefully, grinning at us all. He grins a lot. "Although I want to know what happened to your knuckles?"

"Training. I accidentally hit a brick wall. Literally. I'll get it fixed by dawn, Papa, don't worry," Xael flexed her fingers. The kind of training she did wasn't princess lessons. No, I suppose one could say she dropped out of it. Not like she'll forever be a princess though.

"Barbarian," Rebekah coughed, but hid it behind a pretty smile and batted eyelashes.

Gavin held back a snort rather poorly, to which Xael shot him a glare, obviously still mad over whatever had happened.

Freya looked between the three frantically. An all out war could start at the dining table. "Why don't we enjoy dinner?" Ever the sensible one.

Father nodded, and clasped his hands together, not noticing the tension. "Excellent idea. CHEF?"

And the food was presented before us.

"You know, Rebekah, I was looking at some of the sketches Madame Garret had sent for the Devonshire's ball," Mother started.

The princess in particular straightened her back. "Yes, Mother? Is there any dress to your liking?"

I rolled my eyes. We just sat down! I didn't need this. And from the blank look on my eldest sisters face, she didn't need this either. Her gaze met mine, eyes unnaturally shining.

"Ah yes, the sky blue one with the off shoulder sleeves. It would look lovely with the diamond necklace the Crown Prince of Taerry was kind enough to gift you."

Kind enough? She couldn't be serious. Rebekah's beauty was spoken of far and wide, and she's the one most foreign gentlemen called for. She got so many gifts, left and right.

"Of course, Mother. I would like to inquire about the entertainment we will summon for the evening?" Rebekah asked.

"Well your father and I decided that as the hostess I'll bring in some of those Griean courtesans--"

"Eliot," Father's voice boomed over hers. "How about coming with me to meet with Captain Skidworth, tomorrow? Remember him?"

"The bloke who's son tried to impale me with a fireplace poker?" he answered solemnly. "Yes, I do."

This was a regular occurrence with Eliot. I think the most creative assassination attempt was when the princess of the vampire kingdom Drusfey tried to impale him with an assortment of silverware, all sharpened to perfection. He did come out alive.

Mother was a bit miffed at being cut off, but I gave the gods a silent prayer for stopping the talk of frivolous things.

"Well he's arriving at noon to discuss some border conflicts with Falkor. So I decided to bring my favourite son with me! How about it, boy?"

"Hell no."

Once again, Father feigned distraught at his son's dismissal.

"Father, you're speaking to the wrong son. I'm sitting right here," Gavin scoffed, before digging into the meaty appetizer we were all served.

The king grunted. "You're the one that went wrong, boy. What company have you been keeping recently?" He wagged a finger changing the subject. "Don't think I don't know about your escapades with Fiona Geraldson. That girl is scandalous enough without your name attached to it."

Gavin opened his mouth in protest. "Fiona? Father, she's like forty years old! I mean she's good looking and all but I'm not into cougars, you know."

I choked on the food. Dinner always yielded interesting conversations. I think I'll miss these meals.

Could be your last meal... If you were to fail.

"The sister, Helen Geraldson." Rebekah noted. "She's the rather flamboyant one, no? Bright red hair, she has. Last year she was caught with the Duchess' fiance in the Yangs' Gardens, if I'm right."

Mother nodded, glad to have something to talk about again. "Caused quite an uproar. Did you see her dress at the Velasquez's ball? Truly atrocious."

"That's the girl who was arrested by the Guards in the last siege at that tavern, right?" Freya added in. "Do you know anything about it, Father?"

Before Father could give in his two cents, Gavin interrupted. "Aren't you awfully talkative today?" his green eyes flashed with sly intent. "Did anything happen?" He always things raunchy things are going on with everyone and everything. His dirty mind is the reason why Xael once had him nailed to the far wall in her study with bronze letter openers a few years back.

Freya, who hated it when others broke into her conversations, put her fork down, and stared cross from him coldly. "Was I talking to you?"

I coughed out loud, drawing everyone's attention to me.

"Tavern, Father?" I speak up. From the way I saw it, if a fight broke out then dinner would be prolonged and I really needed to go back up to bed. And now that the peacemaker, the eighteen year old, was provoked, I had to step in.

"Tavern? What tavern? Oh, you mean the Pope's Bar? Funny name if you ask me. I don't think I've seen the Pope visit that place," Father answered, starting to down the soup that was placed before us unceremoniously.

"Leonard!" Mother scolded, to which he ignored.

"Papa, it's the Hope Bar. I don't even know how you know about that place, its more like a club that people like you are too old for," Xael corrected. "And please calm down. You'll choke, maybe have a stroke and die, and I'm not ready to rule yet."

"Finnnne," he drawled, slowing down. "Anyway, what do you want to know, my love?" he turned to me.

Oh no how do I start this? Casually, bluntly, talk about the weather at that place? Was I even supposed to know about the dark creatures?

"Uh..." I was suddenly under everyone's gaze, and that is never a good thing. Not for a minor princess like me. "What did Helen Geraldson do there? What's so bad about it?"

"Oh, me, me!" Gavin waved his hand in the air. "Pick me! I'll tell you all about it!"

"Gavin, stop that at once. You're twenty one, not five," Mother's voice was full of disapproval.

He put his hand down. "Sure, my queen." He didn't let Father answer, but he looked content with his extra serving of soup. I could barely down mine, the last now bland with my sudden involvement at the table. "Now, Dem, did you know that the stuff that go bump in the night are at the Hope Bar?"

Yes. "What? Are you serious? That's crazy!"

"Monsters from the depths of Tartarus crawl out, their multiple heads full of hundreds of sharp teeth, their veins full of fire, hungry for blood, sinew, and bone, feeding on the pitiful humans who are oblivious to the darkness residing within them and--"

"-- go to the Hope Bar to have a good time?" Xael flashed smiled at Gavin in warning. He was the one she spent the most time with, whenever she's not with Rebekah, and by the end of the day her patience is worn thin.

"Xaelly!" Gavin whined. "You messed up my story!"

"You're story was absolutely useless, just like you," she protested. Her wise green eyes seeked out mine. "Let me tell you why you shouldn't go."

"But I was right about the monsters!" Gavin frowned.

"And that's it. They don't rip people apart and eat their blood sinew and bone. They literally go there to hang out, and from the batch that steamrolled in last month, they're less harmless than Demi with a sword," she teased.

I felt my cheeks heat up at her words. I wasn't the best swordsman, and I was trying to figure out how I'll even use the Maerithian blades once I find them. "I- I'm working on it."

"A lady should not rely on weapons," Mother sniffed, but as usual, she was ignored.

"Anyway, last month a few knights belonging to the Castañedas, the Vallasian diplomatic family, were escorting one Ignacio Castañeda to some necking party," her nose wrinkled at the last part. "I don't get how people can get off from having others tap their necks. Anyway, the Geraldson girl was there as well, and apparently she, or someone she knew, aided the leeches who crossed the borders."

Glamaia was one of four human kingdoms to restrict illegal access of non-human beings, unless they wwrew documented. The other human kingdoms either had magical Councils or the human royal family was simply a figurehead to the dark creatures running the country. No one quite had knights like Glamaia who are the reasons why a fae hasn't taken over.

"Security?" Eliot asked.

"Not tight enough," Gavin added, head bowed.

"Anyway," Xael paused, looking at Father.

He nodded at her with his trademark smile. "Go ahead dear, you've started a story already, why not finish it?"

Isn't this supposed to be official business? I rolled my eyes once again. I'm not surprised vampires snuck in, but then again there were no traitors in this room to help them out.

"Long story short-- there were several sirens, and a couple of banshees there as well, and the whole place was like an opium den," she shuddered. "I don't like to judge, but the people that went to get their necks ripped open...how the hell do people get off from that?"

Rebekah patted her hand sympathetically. "Oh, Xael. You poor soul. And you were forced to go out before dawn to oversee it too."

I wasn't one to ruin a moment but seeing that this was vital information, I had to. "Any siren... Uh, stand out?"

"From what I've heard," Father stepped in. "The most fascinating one wasn't there. Said her name was something like... Hairy Lisa?"

"Mariannisa, Papa," Xael sighed. "And she disappeared after she bailed the siren brood out from containment. They were all underaged you know. But that siren... Well, I've never met her."

"And if you did?" Gavin pressed.

Xael rolled her eyes. "What I'm getting at, is that outside the borders of the cities are quite unstable. Lots of terrible things are happening. Really shitty things are showing up and if you aren't armed with the proper weapons, nor a warrior, you'll die out there." I bristled under her sudden gaze. It was no secret I didn't know how to hold any weapon. Was this a warning?

Reading too much into things, Dem.

Gavin made a crude comment before he, once again, he got shot with a dirty look.

And that ended the talk of the day.

Mariannisa, would you be the siren who took my supposed knight in shining armour? Can I kill you with Maerithium to bring him back?

Sirens were beautiful elegant creatures. The 'civilised' ones swore off dark magic and mingled with humans. As for the evil ones, they resides in the Abyss, a void of the seas, seducing men to feed on their souls. Not many encountered them and lived to tell the tale.

I was so engrossed in my thoughts, that I hadn't noticed the pricks on my back.

Gavin had reached around Frey to poke my shoulder.

"What do you want?" I snapped.

Like Father, Gavin was a grinny guy. His pearly whites were blinding under the chandeliers. They should come with a hazard sign.

"I've heard some fascinating things today," he purred. "Sometimes that might scandalise my dear little sister."

I wrinkled my nose. I hoped Gavin wouldn't spread anything. He was the least likely candidate to. But with the ears and eyes around the palace... Could he know?

"Do tell," I answered, genuinely curious.

"Well," his eyes flickered to Freya who's back was towards us, silently eating in content. "I heard something about your knight," he whispered.

"Which one?" I was visibly sweating now. "I got four."

"The tall one," he hissed. It was futile, though, because I'm sure Freya could hear everything.

"They're all taller than me," and that was true, because I'm the shortest in the lot. But bloody hell Heron, the stupid one, was the second tallest of my knights.

Please please please be wrong and mention something Amancio did instead.

"The one with a sword." he deadpanned.

I groaned and tried to stab him with my fork.

"Demetria," Mother's cold voice stopped me in my tracks. "It's not ladylike to injure others using household objects."

I huffed, turning away from the chuckles, covering heated cheeks. Even Xael grinned, her eyes shining with mirth.

I'm so freaking rude. I haven't introduced myself yet. Hey guys, I'm Sabrina, and I'm a high school student who's spending her summer writing a story to take her mind off of the mountain of AP homework piled up in the crevices of her room. I'm not the best writer out there, so bare with me.

Please leave a vote and I do like interacting with readers. Please drop a comment below! Thank you ✌