You yawn, stretching your arms over your head as you blink against the sunlight streaming in from your window.

It takes you a moment longer to remember where you are.

You lie on your bed, scanning the room, noting the lavishness of the place. The ceilings and walls are engraved with gold swirling patterns, velvet curtains framing your bedposts and the windows. But everything here feels so cold, so dead.

You shiver as you get up.

When you walk down the hallways, you find that you don’t know your way. The guards were the ones who led you to your room the previous day, and now you can’t seem to find your way back.

“Good morning.”

You jump, twirling around in alarm and finding your breath hitch when you see Kris standing behind you, a handsome smile on his face. His eyes sparkle as he looks at you, filled with curiosity and mirth.

“Good morning.” You greet back softly, bowing your head.

“Please, be at ease.” He holds a hand up. “There is no need to be alarmed. You are an honored guest here. Come, walk with me.”

He moves past you, leading the way. You bite the inside of your cheeks, reluctantly following. Instead of walking with Kris, you would rather stay lost in the castle’s endless hallways.

He leads you through a large set of double doors, though all rooms seem to have them, and enters into a large room. A long table is placed in the middle, countless chairs aligned by the sides. You smell food, and feel your stomach grumble. This must be the dining room.

“I had this arranged for you.” Kris says, gesturing towards the table covered in cuisine of all kind. “I’m sure you’re hungry after being lost in the forest.”

“All this for me?” You gasp, eyes widening as you take in the smells, the colors, the sight. “You really shouldn’t have.”

Kris chuckles. “I didn’t know what you like to eat, so I had my chefs make a bit of everything from around the world. I hope it tastes good.” He pauses, his face slightly grimmer. “We don’t…eat anymore, so I wouldn’t know.”

You find yourself softening with him, nodding in gratitude. “This is too kind. Thank you.” You bow.

“Please,” he sets a hand over your shoulder, his cold touch seeping through your clothes. “I told you not to be so formal with me.”

It’s hard to be casual with him. You can’t help but always be on guard, knowing how vulnerable you are against him. If he finds out why you’re truly here…you shiver at the thought.

Plus, Kris just radiates power. He stands tall and proud, the image of a perfect king. Standing next to him makes you feel incredibly small, like an ant next to a tree.

Kris takes a seat at the head of the table, motioning to the spot at his right. You swallow thickly and sit, feeling out of place and stiff.

“Go ahead and eat whatever you want.” Kris says warmly and you grab whatever is closest to you. Pancakes, scrambled eggs—the most familiar dishes. The tastes are rich on your tongue, making you sigh in contentment.

Kris chuckles besides you. “I take that it’s good?”

“Very.” You answer, managing a grin. You finish your plate, your stomach now pleasantly full.

Kris is still sitting there watching you, his hands crossed.

“You don’t need to eat, do you?” You find yourself asking, a rhetorical question.

“No, it’s not a necessity like it is for humans.” He answers. “But I do enjoy eating human food once in a while. It…brings back memories.”

Right, he was Turned in the war too. You can’t imagine how it feels…to be human one second and then a vampire the next. Never aging, never being able to go out in the sun and visit the cities.

“If you’re done,” Kris starts, rising from his seat. “Come walk with me.”

You follow quickly, knowing you can’t possibly say no to your royal host. He walks leisurely through the halls, his hands clasped behind his back. He leads you around the castle, giving you a personal tour of the grand place.

“Was the castle not destroyed in battle?” You ask curiously, seeing how the place is still standing strong and proud, unlike the ruins people outside the barrier sees.

“It was.” Kris answers, pressing a palm against the stone walls. “But after we won, we rebuilt the castle and made it sturdier and put a barrier around it so that outsiders can’t trespass.”

“Was war really necessary?” You mutter aloud, more to yourself than to him, but the quiet hall makes it impossible for him to miss any sound. His heightened senses helps, too.

“War was inevitable.” He states simply, making you clench your jaw.

“But look,” you say, suddenly bold. “Winning the war didn’t bring you anything! Yes, you now live in this grand