The dinner started and came to an end with none of Kaine's fear getting in the way. For once, the man really felt relieved beyond bounds. As if something heavy and bitter had suddenly disappeared from the bottom of his stomach. The tips of his fingers had finally stopped twitching, and so did his temples. He knew Bruno and Sylvia would understand, and they must be as eager to talk about the night as he was. He just couldn't wait.

But maybe he thought too soon, dreamt too early, as the reason for his delight drained out of his face when the enormous double doors of the ballroom opened with no announcement. A guard entered, wobbling at his erratic footsteps, blood drooling out of his slit throat, though he seemed to be trying his best to cover the wound with his blood-soaked hands.

One could see the poor man trying to force something out of his mouth, something that he wanted to say. But to everyone's surprise - as the loud gasps filled the hall - within seconds, the man collapsed against the floor, soon sogging into the pool of his own blood.

Bruno raced to check the guard's pulse, but Kaine could not move his gaze away from the growing shadow at the door. The faint, tortuously slow footsteps ringing into his ears, galloping the hammering of his heart and the cloudy throb around his head.

While Sylvia requested the panicked girls and guys to get a hold on themselves, the shadow kept growing. Growing and getting closer.

Another ripple of gasps erupted throughout the room, however, at the sight of the person who finally joined them.

A girl.

A girl who looked so familiar, it was haunting.

"is she?" someone murmured in the background, as the royal siblings, too, seemed to be reaching the same conclusion.

"Oh, yes she is," Bruno whispered back, identifying the girl as Diana. The one whose funeral he still remembered from a few days back.

But how was that possible?

Now, where the question would blow the minds of the others, the royal siblings knew better than to question the probability of such an occurrence. More than being surprised, they looked hopeless. As if, someone had caught them red-handed. As if, this was the end of their hopes and dreams. And this game of hide-and-seek was finally over.

But then again, what were they thinking? Did Kai really think that deceiving all these people would be viable? How did Sylvia not see this coming?

Diana's clothes were bathed in mud, and so was her hair. She looked like a wreck; like someone would appear after being robbed and puked by a hurricane. But the sweetness like honey trickling out of her mouth betrayed the death dancing in her eyes.

"I hope I'm not too late for the ball or am I?" her dry lips tugged into a wicked smirk.

"What do you want?" the sound that came out of kai's lips sounded fearless and resolute.

"I'm parched. And you're busy interrogating. Is this the way you treat your guests, /your highness/?" She scratched her neck to explain her request, but clearly, she was deliberately dodging the question. Perhaps to annoy the male, or perhaps to push him a little more.

"Stealing a dead from its grave- is this the level you have sunk to?" Sylvia snapped, willing to close the distance and hurl the girl back to where she belonged.

"Ugh, you don't say, you bitch!" the smirk was long gone, as the girl snapped back, spitting water and rolling those eyes out of pure frustration. "As if you are any better- what choice did you leave me with? Those stupid brace---"

"Enough!" Kaine cut them off, looking at the selecteds hurdled behind the dining table, hoping to make sure no one had been harmed, but all he saw were more questions ( or maybe that was what he feared he might see ). He couldn't even begin to understand how would he be dealing with their questions later. "Please, we...we don't have to do this..." overwhelmed, he pled.

"No, it's not! As a matter of fact, I'm just getting started," taking a few steps closer the dining, walking by the place Bruno stood, fist-tight, the girl found herself standing right in front of the elder prince.

"Come on, /kai/!" she whispered almost, although made sure for everyone to overhear. She wanted everyone to hear. That was the point, wasn't it? "It's over. You're smart enough to know that, no?"

Kaine wondered if it really was. Over, he meant. Of course, it was. It has to be. There was a dead girl walking for the heavens sake! What lie he could possibly tell to coverup the mess this revelation had strewed?

"Did you really think you will get away with this, huh? Did you?" she laughed, a dark one at that. "You can fool them, not me. I know what you're doing. I see right through you. All your lies and games. You- you actually surprised me, you know? The hell I couldn't see that in you before- this craftiness..."

Suddenly, loud footsteps approaching closer, from outside the ballroom had everyone's attention to snap back to the door.

Roisin rushed in, huffing, breathing deep and hard. An old creepy book in her one hand, as she lifted the other, mumbling something in an esoteric language. "asturia silenchero."

Out of nowhere, a gust of strong winds surged throughout the room. Diana tried to speak more in argument but could only mewl from behind those tightly sealed lips. If anything, she looked bewildered.

"ROSE- I SAID STOP!" a male's voice reached the room before the man himself could. But Rose had chanted more of her, "scentento closhia terora," and the doors swung back to shut close, leaving the man, whoever they were, to bang the door, furiously.

Diana groaned, bursting with frenzied anger, stomping at the little red-haired girl. Rose stumbled backwards, hurriedly opening the massive book and trying to find the right page. "Where is it? Where is it?"

But Bruno intervened before Diana could get any closer, and secured her hands behind her back. This way she continued to grow red as hell but couldn't move much.

Kaine should have felt a swell of relief to knock him out of his guilt but everything was happening so fast, he felt almost paralyzed.

"Thanks," Rose heaved, a shaky giggle slipping out. "He wouldn't be able to play any tricks as long as he is in her body.""Got it!" Bruno nodded, "What have you got?"

"leavhente rightos ammalyae. carreistre loophoosaw sagreess." and all of a sudden, it was over.

The body of grappling Diana went limp, lights out of her eyes. Bruno barely caught her before she could fall face flat against the floor.

On the other side of the room, Sylvia attended one of the selecteds who fainted, probably overwhelmed by the happenings. "She needs medical attention."

"Is that all?" the young male confirmed, slowly, laying the bodyof Diana  on the floor. Watching it for a few seconds for any creepy movements.

Roisin shrugged. "Yeah, she looks peaceful."

Later that week, the royals didn't meet anyone. No visitors were entertained, no matter the urgency. The rumours of shutting down the selection were being carried by the air, but what actually was the truth? Did the royals finally realise their mistakes and were convinced to send all of them back? No one really knew. But after a span of ten days, one fine morning arrived when the royals finally appeared from their rooms or should we say hiding.  A meeting in the garden is arranged. One by one, the selecteds would be allowed to see the royals they are courting. Let's see who would show up and not, shall we?