ELLA'S POV
Tears sting in my eyes as I frantically try to remove the bright red stains from my delicate pink dress. The hours I had spent painstakingly sewing it to fit perfectly were now in vain.
Obviously Asher had intentionally spilled her drink on me. I wonder why they all despise me so much, it cannot be just because I am human.They always dress however they please everyday, so why can't I do the same?

I eventually give up when I realize the stains are spreading more on the fabric.
It's already past dinner time, and I don't have another dress I can wear that looks as good as this. I briefly think about sending King Reagan a note to tell him I can't come, but I change my mind. This chance is rare for someone like me, so I can't give up or let him conclude that I'm not willing to give them a chance as I promised.
"Don't let them get to you," I tell myself quietly. If King Reagan truly cares about me, he'll accept me for who I am, no matter what I wear, right?
I quickly find another dress in my bag and put it on before heading out without looking in the mirror. If it looks bad, I'd rather not know right now.
I quickly make my way to the main palace and now my new problem is I don't know exactly where to find king Reagan or any of his brothers. I luckily catch sight of a familiar face, the maid who had shown me to dinner the night before. I walk up to her, feeling relieved.
"Oh, hello! I'm looking for King Reagan's quarters. Could you please tell me how to get there?" I ask nervously

she looks at me curiously before speaking.
"I'm sorry, I can't help you unless the king is expecting you." She says.
"Actually he is. I just need to find his quarters."
"If that were true, his majesty would have informed us." she counters sounding doubtful.

"But he did! He told me to meet him here tonight, I swear it!" I say, feeling desperate.
The maid sighs, looking sorry. "I'm sorry. I can't break the rules. If the king really did want to see you, he would have sent someone to escort you to his quarters. I can't help you." she says firmly.
"Oh...I must have misunderstood. I'm sorry to have bothered you." I say disheartened.
She's somehow right. If the king Reagan really wanted me here, he would have arranged for someone to come get me. I start to feel embarrassed, the servant might be thinking I am a crazy person stalking their kings.
I turn to leave but but someone clears their throat behind me.
I turn around and see the king's assistant, William.
"I can take you to his majesties quarters." He offers and the maid raises an eyebrow but doesn't say anything.
"Oh, thank you so much! I...I appreciate it." I say, surprised by his offer.
"No problem. Follow me," he says, giving me a small smile. I've never seen him smile before.
I follow after him leaving the servant looking slightly perplexed.
"King Reagan's quaters are on the third floor, third door on the right," William tells me as we stop under a fancy curvy staircase.
My face lights up with gratitude as I thank him and rush towards the stairs.
Few minutes later I stand before the imposing ornate door of King Reagan's quarters, trembling with nervousness as I hesitate to knock. I raise my hand, only to lower it again, biting my fingers in indecision. What if he doesn't want to see me or has forgotten if he promised me anything?
Summoning all my courage, I take a deep breath and knock on the door, then step back, holding my breath in anticipation. After what feels like an eternity, the large door swing open, but its not King Reagan who stands on the other side. Instead, a male servant greets me with a polite smile.
"I am here to see King Reagan," I manage to say. "He is expecting me."
"Wait here," the male servant instructs with a firm tone, before gracefully closing the door. An eternity seems to pass before the door creaks open once more. It is the same servant and he gestures for me to enter. "Please, do come in," he says, holding the door open for me.
Taking a deep breath to steady my nerves, I step into the opulent chamber. The first room is larger than princess Hellen's entire quarters, with a grand fireplace and lavish furnishings that speak of luxury and wealth.
I step further inside scanning the room in search of king Reagan when another door to my right swings open with a soft creak and he steps out with only a towel wrapped around his waist. I pinch myself just to make sure that I am not hallucinating his beauty. His skin is so smooth to a point of glowing. His flawless muscles become even more taut and salient when he takes in a deep breath and I have to avert my gaze so he doesn't catch me ogling.
"Are you embarrassed to look? Don't tell me you haven't seen a man's body without a shirt before." He teases.
"Not every man's body looks like yours." I reply, actually feeling embarrassed.
He chuckles, walks to his wardrobe and pulls on a shirt that is almost as tight as his skin. I can literally count all his abs through the thin fabric. It's almost as if he's deliberately doing this to make me feel uncomfortable.
I force my gaze elsewhere to just so I can focus.
"You may look now," he smirks loudly and I shift my gaze back to him my cheeks heating up.
He flashes me the most enticing smile motioning for me to come closer. I walk towards him and he graciously offers his arm and guides me into the next room. It has a wide beautiful sitting area with a large window overlooking the royal gardens. The cool night air drifts in through the open window, carrying with it the sweet fragrance of blooming flowers.
"I thought we were going for a night ride, Your majesty." I say my gaze drifting to the sumptuous dinner laid out on the table.
"Plans change, my dear. Let's make the most of this evening. Here, have a seat." he gestures, pulling out a chair for me. He pours two large goblets of exquisite wine and hands one to me with a gentle smile.
" I... I've never really drunk before, Your majesty." I confess nervously unsure as I'm not used to such luxuries. I've only seen Princess Helen drink such before.
"Just a sip won't hurt. Trust me, it might help you relax a little," he reassures me, his gaze warm and comforting.
I lift the glass to my lips and take a tentative sip, and it acctually takes good.
"Tell me, Ella, about your family. Do you have siblings?" he inquires with interest while taking the seat next to me. I visibly tense. I always feel a bit uncomfortable talking about my family, as it brings up memories I'd rather forget. But since it's one of my mates asking, I decide to share with him.
"I do not have much of a family to speak of, your majesty. My father died and my mother and sister well, I haven't talked to them for a long time." I say.
"And how did your father die?" he probes.
I shrug, avoiding his gaze, there is probably pity in his eyes. "I never found out, your majesty. My mother never talked about him, and I was too young to remember anything" I explain softly.
A flicker of what I can only describe as satisfaction crosses his face at my response.
"I see," he says, his gaze fixed on me. "You have a fascinating family history."
He suddenly reaches out and gently lifts my chin, his touch sending a shiver down my spine. "We said no more tittles, Ella. You are more than just a servant to us."
Before I can respond, he leans in and presses his soft lips to mine in a tender kiss before gently pulling me to sit on his lap.
My whole body tingles with pleasure, and I boldly wrap my arm around his neck. Something I wouldn't have the courage to do on normal circumstances. The alcohol must be starting to take effect on my mind.
KING REGAN'S POV
"You look so beautiful, Ella," I tell our human mate as I pour her more wine. She blushes and leans against my chest. The wine glass shakes in her hand and I can tell the alcohol is starting to take effect I was aiming for.
"Do you think you and your brothers would have liked a servant like me if it wasn't for the mate bond?" She asks, her words a bit slurred as she leans back to look at me with her big, lonely eyes. Obviously she's hoping for love and reassurance.
But I can't tell her the truth. She wants us to love her, but for me and my brothers, that is impossible. She is perfect, beautiful and innocent but alphas like us don't fall in love with humans. Things would have been different if she had phased and she was of royal blood.
"You mean more to us than you think." I reassure. For now I must persuade her to believe that we are everything she has ever prayed for so that she will be willing to give us her blood.
"But our mate bond is not the only thing that can bring us closer together. Have you ever heard of a blood promise?" I ask and she shakes her head, looking confused.
"W....what's a blood promise?" she asks, her words more slurred and her eyes fluttering close for a moment. I gently take the wine glass from her hand and set it down back on the table. I can't let her slip into unconsciousness when we are almost getting there.
"It is a sacred vow. A promise made with a drop of blood that binds two together for eternity. It is said to make a relationship stronger than any other bond." I explain impatiently.
"That sounds... intense," she murmurs uncertainly.
"Trust me. It will only strengthen our connection. Here, let me show you." I take a dinner knife and makes a small cut on my palm. Blood immediately pops out.
She gasps, her eyes widening in concern. "Are you okay?"
"I am fine. Now, give me your hand. Let us make this blood promise together." I urge.
"I... I suppose I can trust you," she hesitantly agrees and extends her hand towards me. I am about to cut her palm when a sudden loud knock interrupts us. I am tempted to ignore it as this is more important but the person knocks again and twists the door knob violently.
"Let me see who it is," I tell Ella, seating her back down and placing a kiss on her cheek before heading to the door.
Opening it, I am met with a fuming Princess Helen on the other side. "Is my worthless human servant in your room?" she shouts in anger.
"Not now, Hellen" I respond coldly, irritated by her disrespectful tone. I don't know why her referring to Ella as a "useless human" pisses me off.
"You're sleeping with her, aren't you?" she accuses, and without hesitation, I shut the door on her face. The last thing I want is Ella to hear her voice. I return to Ella only to find her passed out on the seat. Will it be considered consensual if I draw her blood while she is unconscious?
.