Sehun sat down on the opposite of Anri, and she threw him a short gaze. The dark green dress was beautiful on her, though the sheer top was a bit unnerving. He had caught Jaemin ogling her, and Sehun nearly had slapped the younger Vampire. It looked like that revealing clothes were something completely normal. He had seen several elves wearing thin tops and shirts that barely covered anything at all. As Niamh sat up properly, Sehun feared that her would fall out of robe at any moment but they miraculously stayed where were.

Anri putting her braided her over shoulder pulled him from his train of thoughts. That was the only thing he didn’t like, that her hair was braided. It looked better open. When they had walked next to each other on the way to the palace, the urge to pull at the band that held her hair together had been strong but he had held back on his urges. He said he wouldn’t make the situation more complicated than it was, and he would keep his word.

Their gazes met again but this time she looked cold and distant. The excited glow in her eyes from the sneaky early morning was gone. He had been startled when the guard had called her ‘majesty’ since he though she just belonged to the court. Maybe a handmaiden, just like Victoria, but not royalty. What has startled him more was the scent of the male guard on her. It wasn’t just that his scent was just lightly on her, his scent was lingering and sticking to her like glue. Her scent was on him, too, the mixture of ocean and pine trees making him wrinkle his nose. It was not a pleasant scent. Since Niamh had confirmed that whatever was going on between Anri and that guard was more than just being friends, he fortified his resolve to not get involved with her. The guard also had made it very clear that he did not like Sehun.

“I hope there were no problems with the rooms?” Niamh asked while the food was brought in. There were perfectly ripe fruits on big plates, water and something that looked like wine in jugs where put on the tables as well. Then there came the meat dishes. Most of them were chicken dishes, at least it smelled like chicken, and Sehun’s nose hasn’t failed him yet. There were egg dishes as well, scrambled eggs and omelets. Vampires could eat human food just fine, just not in big quantities. The older Vampires got, the less human food they needed. Sehun was pretty sure that the younger Vampires would eat quite a lot. 

“On of your guards stabbed one of our young ones.” Taemin casually mentioned while he at an apple. He looked at Niamh with full intent and Sehun wondered how Kai’s brother was still alive. He was just so fearless, even if it was clear that Niamh could probably kill him on the spot if she wished so. Lucas nearly choked on his steamed chicken at Taemin’s words, and he turned away to cough. Niamh on the other hand seemed like she was about to explode. Her lips were a thin line and all the servants slowly backed away a couple of steps. “Your fledgling probably gave him a reason,” said the male next to Anri. He was oozing off disdain, and his pleasant scent didn’t couldn’t do anything to mask it. The scent reminded Sehun of autumn and fallen leaves, and pumpkins.

“They just wanted to take the young ones with them, to keep them safe. Our guards reacted rashly, Lance,” Anri threw in. She sounded calm but there was a hint of irritation in her tone. “Their young ones are our prisoners. Prisoners don’t walk freely in our lands,” Lance shot back. The Vampires watched them bickering back and forth, no really knowing if it was a good idea to in. “Great discussion you started,” Chanyeol muttered towards Taemin, who ate his food nonchalantly. “I know, right?”

Sehun looked over to Niamh, who stared at the two other elves and she reminded him of Ty, Kai’s falcon, when he was about to descend downward onto a prey. Just for a second her pupils changed forms. Sehun frowned because he wasn’t really sure what he just saw but then they changed again. It was the shape of a cross, Sehun recognized but then they returned to normal. “It’s enough you two.” Niamh’s words were silent but Anri and Lance immediately stopped. “It is unbecoming of members of my family to treat our guests so poorly,” Lance blushed at her words but he kept his stern expression, “but we also can’t allow prisoners to walk freely.

That is also right.” Anri didn’t blush like Sehun would have expected. Her cheeks didn’t turn red but the tips of her slightly pointed ears did. Niamh gave them a long look that echoed the gaze of a disappointed mother, before she turned to Sehun eventually. “I have to apologize for my niece and my nephew. The heirs to the summer throne Fiásanri and Lancaeron. Most people will call them by their shortened name though, Anri and Lance.”

The announcement of her heritage made Anri uncomfortable. When she reached to grab a jug of wine her hand trembled a bit. Sehun, Taemin and Chanyeol gave them a respectful bow with the head, and they had to gesture the young Vampires to do the same. Damn brats. 

“Again I welcome you to Tír na nóg and my seelie court. We are, what you would consider the light elves.”