Nico's kingdom was.. Interesting to say the least. It was very chilling, which explained why the guards had told us to wear longer clothing. It was very hard to navigate. It was pretty embarrassing that Nico had to lead me by the wrist everywhere. How could he get anywhere in this darkness? I didn't like the night so much. The sky was beautiful and all but everything else was just crap. There were no animals, barely any people in the street, and it was too dark. Worst of all, the people who do decide to come out of their houses. It's either some murderer or a lunatic or maybe a murdering lunatic! Who even knows!

Nico decided it was much too boring in his castle, so he would show me around the the kingdom itself. It was shocking how he really didn't know the people in his village. Hearing him pointing to the houses and shops saying, "Oh yeah uh, they live.. There" and "Oh that's where.. This guy works" was pretty insane. How do you live somewhere all your life yet don't know anyone? My kingdom is probably double this kingdom's size and I know how to get everywhere and I know everyone. Yes, he knows how to navigate perfectly but their are people his age and even elders he doesn't know the names of. It's ridiculous.

We arrived to the markets where people were selling (some truly "trying" more than actually succeeding) goods like meats and grains. There wasn't a very large variety of foods. As we were walking Nico walked by a stand selling breads and he plucked up a wheat roll. The man's head popped up and he opened his mouth to protest but froze once he made eye contact with the young prince. True fear flashed in his eyes.

"You wouldn't mind if I took this for my friend here, would you?" Nico's voice was cold and flat, sending chills up my spine. The man frantically shook his head, lifting his hands up in surrender and taking a step back. Nico flashed him a grin before tossing the roll to me and walking off. I quickly followed him.

"Do you treat everyone like that?!" I hissed, holding out the roll for him to take it back. I wasn't going to eat stolen food. Whether he was the prince or not, he still didn't pay nor said anything about paying for it. He gave me a creepy smile I could only see from the light of the moon and plucked the roll out of my hand.

"What? Upset I'm not as sunshine-y ae you?" He teased, ripping a bit of the bread off and popping it in his mouth. My lord this kid is crazy. Though I couldn't help but stare at him. The moon reflected off him, seeming to illuminate his pale skin and make him have a ghostly glow to him like some sort of phantom. It brightened his eyes to reveal they were a chocolate brown and not a black color. He was.. Attractive when you take the time to really look at him. His eyes glanced over to me and locked with my staring ones. A smirk grew on his pale lips. "Draw a picture, it'll last longer."

I shook my head and... blushed. It was just embarrassment. He caught me staring at him and I'm embarrassed. Nothing more.

We were walking down a dark road when I was suddenly grabbed from behind. Before I could react I was slammed against a wall with an arm to my throat. The arm was thin and I blinked and squinted to try and see the face of my attacker. He had thin blonde hair with two dull blue eyes staring back at me. He was deathly pale, but many of the people here were like that. I could feel his rancid, hot breath against my cheek as I tried to turn my face away.

"What's a pretty boy like you doing in a place like this?" He hissed, making me squirm. Before I could cry out for help, there was a muffled scream and the other man's weight was yanked off of me. I opened my eyes to see Nico standing behind my attacker, the poor man on his knees with his hands grabbing both of Nico's wrist. One hand was clamped over the man's mouth and holding his head up. The other was holding his dagger to the man's throat. Nico had bent over slightly, his mouth next to the man's face.

"I'd keep my hands to myself if I were you," he purred, gently dragging the dagger over the man's adam's apple without leaving a mark. The man made more panicked muffled noises. I could almost feel him quaking. I kept myself pinned to the wall, slightly afraid of moving. Nico suddenly pulled his dagger from the man's collarbone to the middle of his chest, tearing his shirt and judging by the muffled scream also his skin. Nico then shoved the man to the ground, grabbing my arm and pulling me away. He was just walking. Not running. I could still hear the man stumbling in the dark.

"What-"

"That was Octavian. He's a bit of a weirdo. Just stand your ground and he'll back off," Nico cut me off, yet somehow answered my up coming question.

"T-That was what you call standing your ground?! You could have killed him!" I was panicking. I was glad I couldn't see how deep Nico cut that guy.

"Trust me. You have to be rough in this kingdom. Either go big or go home.. In a body bag. Why do you think so many people are scared of me? Even the adults," his voice was monotone, sounding a bit.. Tired. "This kingdom is like a pack of wolves. It doesn't matter what rank your parents are. You have to establish your rank and make sure you do anything to stay there. I've established myself as an Alpha and I have make sure any rebels know that."

I nodded slowly, letting him lead me away. I think I've developed a newly found fear for this place.