"You think he's my soulmate?" Mary asked curiously, pulling her knees up to her chest. David had never had a conversation with someone so...interesting. He could tell she was nervous about their conversation, but she seemed bold enough. Every once in a while she would break the facade with a nervous gesture or shy action. 

In all ways, she seemed...scared of him? David had never met anyone scared of him. Some people were in awe of him. Most people hated him. But scared? 

And why would a vampire, of all beings, be frightened? Other than gods, they were the closest to being immortal, seeing as how they were already dead. You would think someone who had already died would laugh in the face of fear, but here she was. Additionally, David was in his least intimidating form, with his wide eyes and blushy cheeks and long, slender limbs.

He had even shown some of his vulnerable emotional side, which was not hard for him, to comfort her. And, yet, she was still shaken.

She had acted boldly at first; what had happened?

"Well, it's my theory," David suggested, "...Does it hurt to be away from him for long? Physically?"

"Oh, yes," she nodded quickly, "I want to be with him all of the time. It hurts my heart physically and figuratively."

"Okay...What does it feel like when you are with him," David asked, blushing, "Does it feel nice?"

Trying to explain how having a soulmate feels was hard for David. He had been through so much, having a soulmate feels like a dream come true. Of course, Jake came along and made his life better, but for the longest time the leshy didn't know if his future soulmate would love him or not.

To have Nathan be so caring towards him was one of the best things the leshy had ever experienced.

"It feels...wonderful. It makes me feel like someone cares... that someone believes in me," she sighed, her confidence all of the sudden coming back, "He is one of the reasons for my confidence in becoming queen now as opposed to when our parents died but..."

"But what?" David asked; the princess seemed hesitant.

"David, can I tell you something?" she asked, "Something I haven't even told Nathan?"

David's eyes widened. If Nathan didn't know, he didn't know if he was allowed to tell his soulmate what he hears. He was also confused as to why the princess would tell him something she wouldn't tell her own brother. They had never really talked until the moment, so she had no reason to trust him with anything.

"I-If you want," he replied, scared about what she might say.

"I never wanted to become queen," she admitted, "I would rather you stay queen, in all honesty. Even before...my baby...I never wanted the thrown. However, since I was the king's first-born, it was only natural for me to take over. Some were even against women taking over, some raged wars against kingdoms for that very reason. I was scared about ruling, but my father, during our lessons, would always tell me that I had a natural leader in me- that all goddesses in fairytales were natural warriors. Bellona, Roman goddess of war. Artemis and Athena, greek goddesses of hunting and strategy. Frigg and Hera, queens of the gods."

"But I didn't want to. Never had wanted to. I always wanted to defy the normal standards of women. Women were either maids or queens or objects for men. I wanted to do something no woman had ever done," Mary said.

"And what was that?" David asked. Mary smiled.

"Anything. I wanted to ride bareback on a horse, wear a dress above my ankles, get kissed by handsome boys who were not royalty! I wanted to be an actress in theater, play Juliet in William Shakespeare's tragedies. I had this dream of running away and working a job where corsets and skirts and formality were thrown out the window!" her excitement died a little as she continued, "But then my parents died. And I didn't know why. I thought someone was punishing me for dreaming of a different life. I met my lover before that- he supported my dreams. I would sneak off and see him. But I realized that, after my parents died, I couldn't do that anymore.

"I begged him to bite me, turn me into a vampire, and I faked my death along with theirs. After that, I lived my dream. I met up with him enough to develop a relationship. I slept with him, and we now have a baby. He didn't tell me he was a prince due to become a king. I was too poor and too wild to seem like an heir to a throne, so his mother wouldn't allow me to marry him.

"And I just got a letter today from him saying that his mother found a suitor," she choked, "And he is going to have to marry her if I don't become queen soon. He's trying to postpone it but-"

"I can help," David blurted before he could stop himself. She looked him in the eye as a tear fell.

"You can?" she asked, wiping the tear away, "How?"

"Um, Nathan's been on the fence about giving away the crown," the leshy replied honestly, "But I could put in a good word for you, that might help him decide faster."

"Really?" she whispered.

"Yeah...I can see how much this means to you," David smiled, "And if I was about to have a kid, I would want the father to be there." Without her corset, David could see the small, undeveloped baby bump from under the covers of her bed. Now, he had no doubt now that she was telling the truth.

"Thank you," she sniffed, crying again. She is really emotional, David thought, but he couldn't judge. "I'm glad my brother has someone like you." 

Warmth spread in David's chest, just as it did when he was accepted by anyone. He was happy the princess didn't hate him, and he was glad he was making up to his previous blame on her being evil, which he did apologize for already, by giving her this small kindness.

"You must go now," she sniffed and dried her face, "I'm sure he's looking for you."

David nodded, they said their good-byes, and the leshy left the princess's room.

~{()}~

Reno was taking a nap when a knock rapped the door. Usually, the general wouldn't have woken from such a thing, but he wasn't really sleeping. It was more of wallowing in his sorrows and imagining the situation with Arnold ending in a million different, better ways.

He sighed and sat up, his hair a mess to open the door. However, before he could touch the doorknob, it flung open for him.

Arnold was standing there, shuffling his feet.

"Uh, he-" Reno started, but as interrupted.

"The queen requests to talk to you later today," he said, not looking Reno in the eye. Reno thought his expression looked pained, "According to the king, he and the queen are going out this evening so it would be best if you contacted him after their evening outing-" Reno was curious as to what business the new queen had with him, but he was more concerned with Arnold at the moment and how he was acting.

"Arnold," he interrupted, causing the butler to stop talking and look at him, "I-Look, I am sorry about earlier...I shouldn't have lashed out like that. I know I am naturally angry...but you were like poking a bear with a stick. I just don't like personal questions."

"I know," Arnold said, "Well, I mean I don't know, but I assumed. I am sorry for pushing you like that. You must drink for a reason...I just wish you would take care of yourself some more. I...You are a very valuable person to the kingdom. I don't want anything to happen to you."

Reno's heart bumped against his rib cage. Calm down! he told it, He just cares for the kingdom, not you!

Reno swallowed with struggle but maintained his calm face. He didn't want to end up kissing the butler- that would be catastrophic. But he wanted to so bad...and they were all alone...and Arnold was being so caring...

Stop! he screamed at his head for using logic against him.

"Uh...thanks. I'll- uh- keep that in mind," the general felt very awkward, for the first time in a long while, "Thank you for cleaning my, er, house."

He wondered if asexuals, like Arnold, even liked kissing. Reno could totally do without the sexual aspect of a relationship; in fact, he'd rather not be sexual. His past has ruined that for him, and even the idea of touching or being touched that way sent shivers up his spine.

Kissing was fine though. He still saw it as romantic. No one had ever kissed him before, and he had never kissed anyone.

"You know, there are rooms in the kingdom for people such as yourself," Arnold replied, "You could always live there. It is much nicer and the beds are softer."

Reno's mind took him back to seeing Arnold sleep in his bed. With that disheveled brown hair- that looks golden in the sunlight- and the soft skin he wanted to feel. Unlike him, Arnold had no blemishes. He was prim and perfect in every way. 

Reno wanted to be the one to see him when he wasn't all prim and proper. He wanted to wake up to his messy hair, he wanted to talk to him without all of the formal words, he wanted to see other emotions on the butler's face than disappointment, anger, indifference, or fear.

"Sounds nice," was all Reno could mumble, "But I really shouldn't."

"Why not?" Arnold asked, tilting his head.

Because I don't want people hearing me scream from nightmares, he wanted to reply.

"It's none of your business," he felt his voice harden. He didn't want to be harsh, but he had to be.

That's right, he told himself, Push him away. You can't trust pretty people.

"Sorry," Arnold winced, "I didn't mean to push. I didn't realize it was personal-"

"No- It's okay," Reno replied.

No! Don't invite him back in! Push him away! but Reno decided to block out his mind. It was fine to let one person in, right?

That's what you told yourself when he came along, something in the back of his mind reminded. A chill went down his spine. He wanted to think the voice was his inner wolf, but that wasn't possible. His inner wolf was taken years ago.

"Uh, so, I'm going to go take a nap now," Reno started, and he began to shut the door. He didn't want to be near Arnold anymore. His defenses were falling, he was starting to second-guess himself, and he was beginning to debate on kissing those soft lips in front of him.

"Wait!" Arnold yelled, stopping the door with his foot, "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," he replied, waiting for Arnold to let him shut the door, but he never did. Reno must have shown his emotions on his face too much.

"Are you sure?" the butler asked, "You don't look fine. Is something wrong?"

"N-Nothing's wrong," the general replied, trying to keep the door shut as Arnold was pulling it open. It was easy to keep him at bay because Arnold could not compare to his strength. "I just need a nap. I'm really tired," he lied.

"Then why are you trying to push me away?" Arnold asked. Reno closed his eyes and sighed. He didn't have an answer to that. He didn't have a lie on the top of his head that could excuse for that.

"I-I'll tell you later, I guess," he replied, not wanting to have that conversation at that moment, "Just...not right now."

Arnold seemed satisfied and said, "Okay. Good-bye."

"Bye," he said stiffly, and he finally shut the door as Arnold moved his foot.

That was close, he told himself, Now, I need to come up with a good lie. 

~{()}~

David waited for his soulmate to come back, waiting on the bed for his arrival. He was going to try speaking to his leshy after a couple minutes of waiting, but then the knob of the door turned, and the door opened.

Nathan popped his head inside, smiling. 

"You have no idea how much I have wanted to come see you during that meeting," Nathan sighed, walking up to him, wrapping him in his arms, giving him a loving kiss to the cheek, "But it had to be done. Did you talk to Mary?"

"Yeah," David replied," And I think you should give her the crown."

"Really? What makes you say that?" Nathan asked, taking David's hand, swiping his thumb over the back of it.

"She just seems...genuine," David replied, "That's all."

"Well, my advisors agree with you. She is the rightful heir to the throne, and she has had all of the training," Nathan replied, "Would you be upset if I wasn't a king anymore?"

David smiled and leaned his head on his soulmate's shoulders.

"I wouldn't care if you were homeless or poor," David replied honestly, "You are still my Nathan."

Nathan felt his heart swell up; he leaned down and kissed into David's hair.

"I love you," he said genuinely, "So, so much."

"I love you more," David replied, blushing.