ELLA'S POV
I enter princess Hellen's lavish bedroom to prepare her night bath but I find her standing by a mirror, already dressed in a daringly short dress that reveals more than I am accustomed to seeing.
"Do you have plans to go out tonight, my lady?" I ask startled

She smirks wickedly. "Why, yes, human. I do."
Offcourse her plans does not concern me, but I can't help but wonder if she is going to meet one of my mates. Who else would warrant the effort she has put into dressing up?
"Its just that it's late and dangerous to go out alone. Should I fetch Asher or Julia to accompany you?" I offer, hoping to get more information from her response.
"There's no need, human. I am perfectly capable of taking care of myself. Fetch my fur coat and perfume," she commands dismissively.
Obeying her order, I retrieve her fur coat and perfumes and watch as she sprays herself with rich fragrance, the scent filling the room.
Perhaps I am just overreacting, maybe she is seeing someone else within the palace. After all, King Kian did confess his love for me earlier today.

Hellen leaves the room, her heels clicking on the marble floor as she walks away. I follow her out intending to hear back to our servant room but a niggling doubt immediately begins to worm its way into my mind. Princess Hellen wouldn't stoop to seeing just anyone in this palace.
Realizing that my mind will not find peace until I have some answers I make a bold decision. I resolve to follow Princess Hellen.
I hurry down the stairs after her, but keep a safe distance behind to remain unseen.
I follow her closely, through the dimly lit corridors, across the courtyard, and into the main palace.

She follows the path that William had shown me the other night, the one that leads to King Reagan's quarters. I wonder if that's where she is going. However, when she gets to the third floor she takes a right turn instead of the left.
My heart pounds in my chest as I watch her knock on one of the massive ornate doors on the left side. When the door swings open, a familiar scent, one belonging to one of my mates, wafts towards me. A pang of heartache grips me as I realize that they are still meeting with Princess Hellen while seeking my forgiveness.
"Stop overthinking, she might just be here to talk to him," I say, urging myself to calm down.
I strain to catch a glimpse of who stands on the other side, but my view is obstructed from the side of the corridor.
Princess Hellen's smile widens as she exchanges words with the person at the door before disappearing inside, the door closes and locks behind her. Filled with a mix of curiosity and dread, I slowly approach the door and lean against it, hoping to catch a snippet of the conversation happening inside.
I strain my ears, trying to make out the muffled voices coming from within the room, but the thick door prevents me from hearing anything clearly. Frustrated and anxious, I press my ear against the door, desperate but I still hear muffled voices.
Suddenly, a faint sound of footsteps coming up the stairs catches my attention, and I quickly straighten up and move away from the door, choosing to retreat. With guards and servants bustling around, anyone can come up the stairs at any moment. What's important is that I now have confirmation that princess Hellen was indeed going to meet one of my mates, and I intend to inquire about it from them tomorrow.
As I leave the palace, I pass by a cloaked figure quickly heading towards the inside of the building by the courtyard.The figure wears a dark hood and muddy boots. Curious, I glance but keep walking without saying a word. However, before I can put more distance between us, a voice calls out from behind,
"Miss,"
Startled, I turn around to see the cloaked figure coming back, towards me. Fear grips me, and I hesitate, considering running away.
"Don't be scared," the figure says softly pulling back the dark hood to reveal the unexpected face of William, the king's assistant. A wave of confusion washes over me at the sight of him.
"I simply need to have a word with you," he says cautiously. "Can we walk a bit further where we can converse in private?" he proposes, sensing my fear.
What would the king's assistant want to talk to me in private about?
"Just talking. And I'll be quick." he reassures again seeing my uncertainty. I reluctantly nod and he motions for me to follow him. We stop in a quiet, dark corner of the palace courtyard where no one else is around. I can barely make out his features in the dim light.
"What did you want to talk about, sir?" I ask, wanting to know why he has sought me out in secret.
William clears his throat before speaking, "You're supposed to break the king's curse tomorrow by using your blood, right? I'm here to ask you not to go through with it."
I am shocked. "Did the kings inform you about this?" William shakes his head, looking uneasy.
"I'm their assistant and also their closest uncle. I Know everything," he explains.
He is related to my mates! seems there is so much I am yet to know about them.
"Why don't you want me to help?" I question. Shouldn't he, as their uncle, want them to be free from the curse?
Hesitating, he speaks, "Because they're just using you. They only want your blood and will never truly love a human, mate or not." His words ignite a spark of anger within me. Who is he to determine if my mates can genuinely love me or not?
"Who are you to judge if my mates really care for me or not?" I respond, feeling hurt and furious.
"I didn't mean to sound harsh, but it's the truth. They simply want to exploit you for your blood. They aren't genuinely concerned about you," William insists, his tone becoming more serious.
"King Kian didn't ask for my blood until I volunteered to help break the curse myself," I point out.
"I understand your feelings towards them, but please stop reasoning like a naive woman blinded by love and think this through." William presses, his frustration growing.
"What is it that you want from me?" I demand exasperated. "I highly doubt you're telling me all this out of concern for your nieces using me for my blood."
"They desperately want your blood. You may not win their love, but you can acquire wealth... I can get you out from here and then we..." William stammers, his true intentions becoming clear.
"So, you want to gain riches from selling my blood to the kings?" I exclaim, a mixture of rage and disbelief bubbling within me. "You are sick!" I spit turning away quickly.
"Ella!" I hear him call after me, but I continue walking briskly, refusing to look back.
KING KIAN'S POV
Princess Hellen follows me into my quarters, shedding her fur coat in a seductive manner.
"What brings you here Hellen?" I ask trying not to show that I am irritated by her unexpected presence.
"Do you like it?" She asks disregarding my question as she twirls to show off her revealing dress.
I would be enticed if she isn't coming out desperate. Her arms and shoulders are really thin too. The dress would look a lot better on someone with a little more flesh.
I don't know why my brain forges an image of our human mate wearing it, looking attractive and more beautiful. Her innocent eyes seeming too alluring to be real.
I shake my head to get the strange fantasy out of my head.
"You look very beautiful." I lie trying to act enamored and she giggles in delight.
I walk back to my seat by the fireplace and she follows.
She takes a seat across from me, on my bed and her short dress rides up higher. She doesn't seem fazed by the amount of provocative skin left uncovered by the thin fabric as she carries on to lay down on her back and exhale deeply. The dress retreats farther until the only part of her lower body left to the imagination is her crotch.
"Are you really this okay with exposing yourself?" I ask in a gentle tone so she doesn't feel like I am chastising her.
"You want me to cover up?" She asks, a slight hint of worry in her voice.
"Just a little more than you do." I answer and see her jerk upright.
"You don't like my body? I thought...you are attracted to me. I put on this dress for you!" She whines sounding disappointed.
I think when it comes to dressing to attract she is no different from other girls of her age, thinking that she will be more appealing if she shows more skin.
"If I was interested in a woman's beauty I would be with our mate." I point out but quickly clarify when her mouth falls open in shock.
"You're beautiful, but that's not the reason I like you. It's your talents and intelligence that I admire. I will always be drawn to you, regardless of what you wear." I reassure just to make her feel better.
She appears thoughtful for a long time before looking back up at me and putting on that seductive smile back. "It's just you and me in here now. You would appreciate my nakedness unless you actually think I am ugly." She teases, intentionally pulling up the hem of her dress to reveal a pair of red lacey panties.
"Taking part in sexual acts before one is legally married is against goddess rule. Again, why are you here, Hellen?" I ask and her smile drops instantly. She straightens her dress and sits in a more dignifying posture.
"I came to ask how it went with the human," she states looking disheartened.
"She agreed to provide us with the blood," I replie simply.
Princess Hellen's face lights up once again with a triumphant smile as she gets up. She gets closer until I am breathing her scent. Not her real, natural scent of course. She is a noble girl and is always wearing fragrances. She moves closer so her hands rests on my shoulders as she straddles my lap.
"Then we can also break the curse that was casted on the crown too." she suggests eagerly, to which I nod in agreement.
"I had the same thought. I'll have it brought here by dawn tomorrow," I confirm.
Her eyes widen in surprise. "It's not here in the palace?" she asks. I shake my head.
"Then everything is solved, we can have fun from now on, without worrying about hurting your human mate." she says excitedly while leaning in to kiss me. I gently move away, my expression firm.
"No, we can't. We can't risk Ella knowing we are together until she has given us the blood."
Princess Hellen's expression shifts from excitement to disappointment again, and she pouts like a little child as she reluctantly gets off my lap.
I struggle to contain my irritation at her stupid persistent behavior. I not only get easily annoyed but I also get pre-annoyed. I know when someone is about to piss me off.
"You should go sleep." I state firmly.
She looks up at me with anger in her eyes.
"You don't like me, do you?" She accuses.
She cares if I like her?
Without another word, she rises, grabs her coat, and storms out, slamming the door behind her in a display of frustration.